Weekly Spotlight, Week 14 / 2025

A week of both terrifying darkness and cheeky fun, from Teitanblood, Gallower, Wretched Path, Hexecutor and Industrial Puke.

Teitanblood – From the Visceral Abyss

Genre: Black/death/war metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 4.5/5

Country of Origin: Spain

This is the sound of abyssal hatred and horrifying, monstrous evil. If you go in expecting "traditional", Behemoth-style blackened death metal, you'll probably be taken aback by the level of violent noise and unrelenting dedication to unsettling, hostile darkness that leaps out at you. This is a sound you have to surrender to. Let it in and allow it to corrupt your senses until you accept it as the only reality, with no hope of light at the end of the tunnel. You simply cannot take this album in on a superficial level, because it will only sound like an untamed, unrefined cacophony. But listen attentively, and you will find that it breathes, builds, rises and hunches, like a terrible beast, the appearance of which you can only gleam as a black contour. If you think the vast majority of dark extreme metal is too safe, then this is for you.

Highlights: "Strangling Visions" and "From the Visceral Abyss"

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Gallower – Vengeance & Wrath

Genre: Black/thrash metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of Origin: Poland

An endearingly rough-edged dive into chaotic, fantastical medieval war and witchery, courtesy of the Polish blackened thrashers of Gallower. While it's undeniably dark and fairly aggressive throughout, there's a sense of adventure and "just go for it" attitude that has command of the reigns, throwing you into one spirited charge after another. It's just janky enough that you quickly understand the level of fun you're supposed to have with it. The riffs have real personality, and are served up in tight, rhythm-driven sections that bring to mind Anthrax. Not all of it screams "unique", but any fan of playful thrash, speed and black metal should get a real kick out of it. 

Highlight: "Relentless Retaliation"

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Wretched Path – Sea of Death

Genre: Death metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of Origin: Finland

This one took me by surprise, because there seems to be very little attention paid to this band. It's a clearly old-school inspired, crunchy-riffed, groove-heavy death metal album treading the border into classic melodeath, without ever crossing over fully. What separates it from the expected is just how goddamn catchy it is. Completely stuffed to the brim with skull crushing riffs, served out on easy-to-follow rhythms that sometimes take on a hardcore-like flavor. If it wasn't for the awesome riff tone, roaring vocals and delicious solo work, I'd be tempted to call it one-dimensional, but it has all the right elements to make me a pure addict. A bit of added complexity and distinct atmosphere would probably elevate it beyond the highly enjoyable into something truly outstanding, but for now I'll be happy that it exists in its current form. 

Highlights: "Wretched Path" and "Sea of Death"

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Hexecutor – Where Spirit Withers in Its Flesh Constraint

Genre: Black/thrash/heavy metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of Origin: France

What an oddball album! These French speed-thrash cultists know how to make blackened metal with a flavor of its own. Utterly restless, it morphs between bitter blast beats, unhinged speed riffing and morosely epic classic metal melodies. The tempo can shift suddenly from mid- to frantic, and a lot of the time disharmony is used to maximize the touch of madness that colors proceedings. On top come unrefined, barking, snarling and shrieking vocals, further adding to the eccentric nature of the sound. Sometimes you might find yourself asking if this music has any direction at all, until the next soaring lead guitar part comes sailing in, and everything makes a bit more sense for a few brief moments.

Highlight: "Les Lavandières de la Nuit"

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Industrial Puke – Alive To No Avail

Genre: Crust punk/death metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of Origin: Sweden

Take the buzzsaw guitar riff tone of classic Swedish death metal and add it to pretty much any genre - it's going to get real heavy, real fast. Combining it with crust punk is hardly a new invention, but it's a proven formula that, when done right, is an effective shortcut to getting your blood boiling and head bobbing. Industrial Puke do it right, and while there's nothing on "Alive to no Avail" that should surprise a regular metallic hardcore or death metal listener, they keep serving up track after track of short-lived, fierce sonic beatings that keep you engrossed by way of chokehold.  

Highlight: "Biblical Corpse"