Weekly Digest, Week 50 / 2025

If you're already tired of the Christmas music, here are a few heavy sonic scouring pads from Bläkken, Blood Red Throne,  Enthroned, Sepulchral and Skogskult. 

It's getting quiet in the big leagues, but here's a few stragglers:

Persefone – Live In Andorra (live album)

Profiler – Masquerading Self (EP)

TesseracT – RADAR O.S.T (live album)

Upon A Burning Body – Blood Of The Bull

Also, since I had to miss out on last week, here's the big stuff from week 49: 

1349 – Winter Mass (live album)

Blut Aus Nord – Ethereal Horizons

Dream Theater – Quarantième: Live à Paris (live album)

Equilibrium – Equinox

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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

Skogskult – Skogskult

Genre: Stoner/doom metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: Sweden

Out from the Swedish woods rumble a compact behemoth of a doomy stoner record, dragging the parts of the forest spirit caught in its chunky tires with it. That's not to say, like the band's name might suggest, that this is some endlessly atmospheric, folk-stuffed kind of thing. Old school doom and heavy rock 'n' roll form the very center of its workings, and its patient groove pairs perfectly with the phenomenal, powerful vocals. The tempo varies from a slow trudge to enthusiastic chugging, matching the mood of the given song perfectly. The album starts a bit too slow for its own good, but picks up significantly, and manages a surprisingly wide range of melodic and emotional flavors throughout. And the best part is that it doesn't quite sound like anything else.

Highlights: "Pakten" and "Jag Ger Mig Av"

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Bläkken – Światowstręt

Genre: Black/death metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Poland

You might think "yawn, yet another Polish blackened death metal band", but this one's a little bit different. Sure, the vocalist snarls at you like you're the scum of the earth and the melodic and atmospheric parts drip with bitterness. But then it suddenly changes gears and roar off on neck-breaking thrashy riffs, or shuffle unexpectedly into Gojira-like prog grooves. There's enough of it that it doesn't feel random, and not so much that it emerges completely from the blackened death metal pit. It's got no less than five interludes, as well as an intro, which feels like an unnecessary attempt to add depth, but at least the main tracks usually get straight to business, and when they do they hit hard.

Highlight: "Słowa zatrute goryczą"

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Blood Red Throne – Siltskin

Genre: Death metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: Norway

Didn't expect Blood Red Throne to be back with new stuff this soon, although technically it's been nearly two years since their January 2024 release "Nonagon" (which was a banger), but I'm sure as hell not complaining. This will be no less than their 12th full-length, and while there are definitely traces of the old school in the tone, feel and technical execution, this is very much up to date, leaning into tech death and aggressive melodeath in the vein of Black Dahlia Murder. If you're here for riffs (no surprise if you are) then you'll get stuffed to bursting point and beyond. Every track feels tight and purposeful, delivering heaps of punishing groove. Conceptually there's not much to talk about, but there's been a shift away from apocalyptic fury to the slightly darker and more sinister, which makes for a welcome, if slight, change of flavor.  

Highlights: “Beneath The Means” and “Husk In The Grain”

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Enthroned – Ashspawn

Genre: Black metal

Subjective rating: 3/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Belgium

Long-going Belgian black metallers Enthroned are not here to entertain you. While not piercingly dissonant or overly chaotic, hardly anything of the "Ashspawn" listening experience can be described as pleasant, catchy or harmonious. There's very little in the way of melodic flow, it scores high on hostility, and the song structures feel ever so slightly disorienting. Personally I find just a tad too little to hold on to, but it stands out in the kvlt crowd and is undoubtedly well crafted, with a really cool album cover.

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Sepulchral – Beneath The Shroud

Genre: Death metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Spain

I don't think I've actually come across Spanish old school death metal before, so this'll be a first. It's the kind that sounds both mad and kind of happy-go-lucky at the same time, as it hops along on eager, predictable rhythms, riding on warm, blunt riffs like a steadily revving engine. And yet the vocals and tone spell nothing but doom and suffering. This style of death metal feels old, like the notes were found in musty, ancient tomes. It doesn't get lost in ritualistic atmosphere or experiment with the formula like the Veilburner album from a couple of weeks ago, but somehow seems like it comes from the same, forbidden place.    

Highlight: "Blood, Phlegm, Black bile"

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Ghoulhouse – Realm Of Ghouls

Genre: Death metal

Country of origin: Sweden

Hexjakt – Blessing Of The Damned

Genre: Doom metal

Country of origin: Sweden