Weekly Digest, Week 39 / 2025

We've got three massive downers and one happy-go-lucky rebel among the releases from Kamra, Vittra, Krigsgrav and Tithe.

Doom prevails in the higher echelons as well, but also doesn't get left alone:

Castle Rat – The Bestiary

Chaoseum – Life 4 Sale

Ded – Resent

Heretoir – Solastalgia

I Prevail – Violent Nature

Igorrr – Amen

Novembers Doom – Major Arcana

Paradise Lost – Ascension

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Kamra – Unending Confluence

Genre: Atmospheric black/death metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: Slovenia

This one snuck up on me, then proceeded to ensnare me with its multi-limbed, malignant embrace. It's a monumental, barely controlled series of half-dissonant, darkly atmospheric waves of unholy cacophony. And, worryingly, it makes more and more sense the longer you listen to it. You get a variety of vocal styles, from spoken-word chanting to rabid snarls, and an equally varied rhythm approach. It should probably be labeled as experimental, but you get the feeling that this is how it's "supposed to be", as decreed by some terrible, pagan deity. It's got the venom and hatred of early black metal, and the bestial bloodthirst of death metal, and combines the two in fluid fashion, drawing more from the essences than the superficial techniques. An album that will fascinate and disturb you in equal measure, without going overboard with neither the level of randomness nor ugliness.

Highlights: "Of Pillars, Walls and Mutilation" and "Unlightment"

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Vittra – Intense Indifference

Genre: Melodic death/thrash metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Sweden

In my opinion, there are few things as badass as good death thrash. And, as evidenced by this fun-loving Swedish bunch, it certainly doesn't have to take itself all that seriously in order to achieve said bad-assery. This actually reminds me a lot more of Finnish bands like Children of Bodom, Ensiferum and Mors Principium Est when they're in their more playful moods, but, to be fair, also fellow countrymen like Witchery. What this album basically does is patch together a Mad Max-style vehicle of melodeath muscle and thrash metal arsenal of guns and spinning blades, and then drive it with a rock 'n' roll upbeat and carefree attitude. As you might imagine, it's all riffs with lots of light-hearted cool, but enough bite to leave a few marks.  

Highlights: "MOFO" and "Transylvanian Buffet"

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Krigsgrav – Stormcaller

Genre: Melodic black/doom metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: USA

This Texas band with the Norwegian name and fairly Scandinavian sound has been moving steadily forward under the radar since 2004, and are now on their eighth full-length. They deal in doom-paced, melodic black metal, borrowing quite a few traits from solemn, forest-dwelling melodeath. With that, this latest album is already fairly well summed up, as there isn't a heap new going on, but that doesn't mean it doesn't sound good. It's a full, punchy sound that highlights the chunky riffs and rumbling bass, enveloping and propelling the melodies, both when they're slowly drifting and cutting through as wailing guitar solos. It's a little short on ideas, but generous on immersion.

Highlight: "Ghosts"

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Tithe – Communion In Anguish

Genre: Death/doom metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: USA

Now on their third full-length, Tithe play murky, blackened death doom, quite often (perhaps contradicting) at grindcore-level speed and ferocity. The cool part is that, even with longer, dragged out sections of scouring abuse, the whole thing wraps up at just over 35 minutes. This feels like just enough to fully appreciate the duality of this beast's malevolent mood, which is evenly represented throughout. There's a hunger and bitterness to it that comes through effectively both in the pained crawls and the bared-teeth stampedes. They don't quite manage to avoid a measure of repetitiveness, but the rawness and hostility is highly convincing, and overall I'd say it's a solid step forward for the band.

Highlight; "At The Altar Of Starving Children"