Rauta
A metalhead who loves video games, television series, movies and working out.
Recent posts
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Kirottu - Barren
If Emperor and Falkenbach had a child, its name would be Barren. The black metal band Kirottu, formed in 2019, released a decent debut in 2021. Since then, the band has taken its time putting together its second album, which represents a clear step forward. The result is an album steeped in worship of early Emperor, but with a distinctly German twist. That twist brings early Falkenbach to mind, as…
- black-metal
- finland
- +1
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Dieux des Cimetières: Mercy & Severity
The multi-talented figure of marginal music, and an occasional writer for Imperiumi, Jesse Ryhänen has returned to perhaps his most important project after a break of just under two years. The album liner notes make it clear, however, that this is not exactly a fresh effort, but rather the result of work carried out between 2017 and 2025, now manifested as an album. Mercy & Severity is marginal mu…
- death-industrial
- finland
- +2
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Maple Cross - Creo Tempus
Maple Cross was already a cult band in the ’90s, and such status rarely disappears with age. Creo Tempus is proof of that, being part of Bestial Burst’s Thrashing Relics series, which has given listeners the chance to revisit several old Finnish thrash bands through reissued demos. Creo Tempus contains no fewer than four old releases from 1988–1991. The CD also comes with a collage of period photo…
- finland
- music-review
- +1
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Nekrokrist SS - Seitsemäs
Almost unnoticed, Savonia has become one of the more important regions for Finnish black metal in the 21st century. While the bigger breakthroughs are still waiting to happen, there is no shortage of promising underground acts. One of the many is Nekrokrist SS, which started out as early as 2000 and has spent its entire career in the shadow of bigger names. By 2026, only one original member remain…
- black-metal
- finland
- +1
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Käärmekristus - Otavaisen olkapäille
Otavaisen olkapäille, radiating a sense of nature mysticism, is the debut album by the solo project Käärmekristus. Stylistically, it is melodic and raw black metal made with a lo-fi mindset. The questionable icing on the cake comes in the form of drumming performances riddled with mistakes, which further emphasize the album’s careless and indifferent approach. If Käärmekristus is to be compared to…
- black-metal
- finland
- +1
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Vermithor - Bloodsport
Vermithor is a good example of the healthy state of Finnish death metal in the 2020s. Formed in 2024, the band has wasted no time. Shortly after forming, the four-piece recorded the Wasteland Throne EP (2025) at the end of that same year. The lineup then shrank to a trio, which put together a second EP towards the end of 2025, released in spring 2026. By summer, the band had once again grown into …
- death-metal
- finland
- +1
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Beatrix - Deathsent Ceremony
When black metal and thrash are married together in a Tampere fashion, the result is Beatrix. This time, though, it would be more accurate to talk about thrash/black rather than black/thrash, because despite the snarling vocals, thrash is clearly the driving force behind this five-piece. The fact that its quality happens to be darker doesn’t really make it all that black metal-oriented. Deathsent …
- black-metal
- finland
- +2
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Mystic Blood - Mystic Blood
Among the countless inconsequential black metal side projects, it is a relief to occasionally come across something genuinely good. One such case is Mystic Blood, apparently formed around 2025, whose self-titled debut EP offers a tasty dose of raw black metal. The duo’s history includes some slightly older bands, such as Kratti and Dark Divination, as well as a number of other projects. The bigges…
- black-metal
- finland
- +1
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Circle of Dawn - Savonian Supremacy
The spearhead of Savonian black metal, Circle of Dawn, made it clear already on their debut (Northern Savonian Black Metal, 2017) that Savonia had arrived — and arrived hard. Despite their stern image, the band’s music occasionally turns into downright delicate atmospheric contemplation, and they have not shied away from such moments on their second full-length either. This compact six-track effor…
- black-metal
- finland
- +1
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Amurta - Revel in Perdition
Few people are likely to look back fondly on the COVID years, although the forced restrictions on movement undoubtedly fueled creativity in some ways. One example is the debut demo by Turku-based Amurta, released in late 2020 and completed during the pandemic itself. It took a full five years for the band’s second release to see the light of day: the three-track EP Revel in Perdition, which is now…
- black-metal
- finland
- +1