Weekly Digest, Week 30 / 2026

We're back after a short vacation break with releases from Faustian, Ripper and Sallow Moth.

It's still fairly quiet in the big leagues, with a couple of notable exceptions:

The Hu – Hun (folk rock/metal)

Rezn – Cycles in the Infinite Dream (psychedelic stoner/doom metal)

---

TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

Ripper – Towards Rebirth

Genre: Thrash/death metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Chilean band Ripper are one of those that have no problem convincing you that they do, if fact, want to play fast - all the time. True to their band name, this stuff will rip its way through your ear canals and throw itself at your brain like an endless tide of mindless undead strapped up with explosives.  

Summing up this album, the term "one-dimensional" does come to mind, as every track seems to follow the same formula of head-over-heels guitars and drums, screaming solos and hoarse-grunting vocals. And yet the effort behind pumping out so much wicked, relentless riffage with loads of semi-memorable moments, and coming out the other end of nearly 42 minutes without completely desensitizing the listener, is a feat that I'm more than happy to commend.

Highlight: "The Secret Dawn" and "The Source Exterminator"

---

Faustian – Parable Of The Sewer

Genre: Black/death metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Australia

The Aussies in Werewolves clearly aren't content with releasing an album under that moniker every year. Aside from them being in a bunch of other bands, sometimes two-and-two together and sometimes not, all three guys decided to form (mostly) black metal band Faustian in 2023. "Parable of the Sewer" is their first full-length, and while there certainly are lycanthropic elements to it (werewolf pun intended), it's fully committed to the business of light-snuffing and hope-throttling bitterness.

No one familiar with Werewolves will be surprised at the high levels of aggressive intensity on here, but while it supplies great drive and plenty of precise, adrenaline-boosting riffs, it doesn't completely dominate the experience. They know how to slow things down, load on the atmosphere, escalate and de-escalate. While they do many things right, it doesn't quite succeed in forging a crystal clear identity of its own, nor convince me 100% that they wouldn't rather be playing full-on death metal. It's a solid, blackened alternative to the mainline morbidity, that might grow more distinct with further experimentation.

Highlight: "I Curse You"

---

Sallow Moth – Hydrophilous Brood

Genre: Progressive death metal

Subjective rating: 2.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Get ready to be snatched by your ankles and yanked into a maddening jungle of screaming trees, dancing earth and water moving in steps to a hundred different heartbeats. Yes, this is progressive death metal of the dissonant and experimental variant, which, as regular readers will know, means that I'm either all in or all out. In this case, consider me thrown unceremoniously overboard.

This is the kind of album that I feel actively tries to unsettle you with its insane rhythm changes and listener-hostile, melody-averse guitar antics. Paired with a muddled production and overall lack of groove, I just feel myself lost and unmoved throughout. That's not to say that I don't recognize the control and playfulness behind the performances, and those looking to be snatched out of their comfort zone should be all over this.

Highlight: "Distended in Panglacial Advent"