Review Triste Tage "Auf ferner Höhe steht er kahl..."

This time, I'm introducing a band that I stumbled across quite some time ago, but I only just got around to listening to their second album “Auf ferner Höhe steht er kahl...” ("It stands bare on distant heights..."). I'm talking about Triste Tage (Sad or dreary days) from East Frisia, a solo project by Draugr that has been around since 2022, through which he realizes his artistic ambitions. After a first sign of life in the form of an EP in 2022 (the two songs included there were also used on the debut album), the first full-length album “Und die Hörner des Sommers verstummten” ("And the horns of summer fell silent") was released the following year, before its successor recently saw the light of day. So you see that the factotum Draugr, who relied on the support of guest musicians from Convictive, Asarhaddon, and ex-Eïs for vocals and drums on this work, seems to be a busy spirit. 

Review Eldfödd "Risen from the Flames"

Eldfödd, which means “fireborn” in Swedish, is a new band formed in 2025 by Sebastian Ramstedt, best known as the guitarist for Necrophobic, but also for his other great band called In Aphelion. He has gathered other deserved veterans of the Swedish scene around him, who have played or helped out in such illustrious bands as Firespawn, Witchery, Under the Church, General Surgery, Interment, In Aeternum, and countless others—a lot comes together in such a musical life. This first official sign of life from Eldfödd was released by the Norwegian label Edged Circle Productions, which also released In Aphelion's first EP. The four tracks, which clock in at just under 20 minutes and also include the two tracks from the “Beyond the Fire” demo released digitally in early March 2025, are available on CD, limited edition colored vinyl, and as a very limited edition box set (only 30 copies) with vinyl, tape, shirt, and other items. The latter of which is already sold out and is sure to be a much -in-demand collector's item.

Review Divine Eve "As the Angels Weep"

In 1993, following a previous demo, the four-song debut EP of the US Americans from Texas by Divine Eve saw the light of day. For just under 17 minutes, you can hear the finest death metal with an undeniable Celtic Frost influence. There is a lot of mid-tempo, but also doom-laden parts and occasional excursions into grindcore, which creates a certain dynamic within the soundscape. The CD was released by Nuclear Blast America at a time when the label was still exclusively dedicated to the finest underground material of the day, such as Sinister, Benediction, Hypocrisy, and the like.