Ninth Realm have been one of the United States’ strongest death-thrash practitioners since forming in 2018 and they’re in their sharpest form yet on Damnation’s Veil, their second full-length and tenth release overall. Though it doesn’t come out officially until later this week on Transcending Obscurity, you can stream the album early via Decibel.
Packing ten songs and an intro into 37 minutes doesn’t allow for much time wasting and Ninth Realm make the most of it. There’s a distinct crossover bent to the Maryland cohort’s brand of extreme metal that really shows on songs like “Cohorts of the Abyss,” which gives us some of the best mosh parts this side of Manifest Decimation. “Wyrd of Strideborn” throws a little black metal into the formula, while “All Hail Treachery” is a straight-up ripper that waves the heavy metal and thrash flags high. The album is based around the band’s fictional world of Tythorin, which adds to the retro heavy metal influence felt throughout.
Damnation’s Veil ends on “Twilight’s Blade,” ensuring the listener gets one last shot of adrenaline on the way out. Throughout the record, Ninth Realm find exciting ways to incorporate their influences without getting bogged down. Those who like their metal fast will certainly find something to like.
Hear the full release below and find pre-orders via Bandcamp.
Never ones to do things by half, Viking Skull light up our interview schedule at Bloodstock.
We talk about the many talents of Frank Regan, falling out and making up again, their antics getting them in trouble at Damnation Festival, upcoming EP ‘Triple Denim’ and so much more!
You can listen to the interview below, or jump over to any of the usual streaming services!
Progressive trailblazers Enslaved have officially announced their forthcoming studio album, Mið, set for release on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records. Throughout their 35 year journey, across 17 albums, the Norwegian vanguard have continually redefined the boundaries of progressive black metal, weaving Old Norse histories and sacred traditions into complex modern soundscapes. With their latest offering, Enslaved turn their gaze toward the fundamental concept of the axis: the middle, the origin, and the infinite reach of the present moment.
Alongside this news, the band have unveiled the transcendant new single ‘Solar Will’, both a paean to a divine spark, and a testament to the album title’s fundamental concept: a centre whose reach is infinite. It’s accompanying video was created by Kolibri Media, long term partners of Enslaved based in Bergen.
Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson stated:
“There have been sun cults as long as Magic Man has been around (at least). The Sun is a nurturing and terrifying parent that can grant as well as obliterate life totally. Such a classic and awe-inspiring object of our worship and myths requires classic and awesome riffs, Bonham-esque drum grooves and blistering melodic flares celebrating its horrific glory. This is what that sounds like to me: “Solar Will”!”
Voicalist / bassist Grutle Kjellson adds:
“Solar Will explores archetypal conflicts, those that manifest in nature, the cosmos, mythology, and, above all, within the human mind. In this instance, the central struggle is expressed through one of the enduring rivalries found in Norse mythology, embodied by two important, though often somewhat overlooked, figures within the pantheon. Readers familiar with the Norse mythological tradition will likely recognize the identities rather instantly, yet I shall refrain from naming them, allowing each reader the opportunity to engage with and decipher the lyrics on their own. After all, perhaps this is one of the essential functions of lyric writing: to invite interpretation and cultivate a sense of wonder? The conclusion, or more precisely, the absence of one, suggests that, for human beings, chaos and dreams are at least as significant as the realities we perceive through our senses. Ultimately, the work advocates not for resolution, but for the acceptance, assimilation, and shaping of these often contradictory forces.”
1. Non-Being
2. I Am Ice (featuring Johan Sara Jr)
3. Solar Will
4. Mountain
5. Spirit Helper (featuring Kevin Kicking Woman)
6. Parting
7. Tales of Trees
8. I Miðju
Enslaved live in 2026
18 Sep 26 NO – Sortland @ Sortland Jazzfestival 2026
29 Oct 26 NO – Bergen @ Kulturhuset – Album Release Show
30 Oct 26 NO – Oslo @ Big Dipper – Signing Session / Meet & Greet
31 Oct 26 NO – Oslo @ Oslo Spektrum w/ Dimmu Borgir & Satyricon
Enslaved live in 2027
27-30 May 27 US – Baltimore @ Maryland Deathfest 2027
Annoyingly talented teenage thrashers Sanguis Mortem have dropped a video for the song “Brotherhood”. We featured the band a few months ago and reviewed their album earlier this year, and we fully expect to see them continuing to grow. Hey, Bloodstock…? Over here! Sanguis Mortem: official | facebook | instagram | spotify | youtube music | tiktok | youtube
This article is dedicated to the memory of Dolly Parton, who passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80. It is our tribute to one of the most beloved, influential, and extraordinary artists in the history of American music. Her songs, spirit, generosity, and unmistakable personality touched generations of fans around the world, and her legacy will live on forever. The unparalleled legacy of Dolly Parton stands as a genre-defining pillar in the history of country, pop, and American roots music. Emerging from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Parton used an angelic, emotionally piercing soprano voice
The world may be going to hell in a handbasket, but Simon Efemey and Shane Embury would rather confront the collapse with amplifiers at full volume. Fifteen years after their self-titled debut, ABSOLUTE POWER are returning with their long-awaited second album, Needs Must When the Devil Drives. The record will be released on October 30, […]
Death is more than an ending in the world of LORD GRYPHUS. It is a deity, an object of ritual devotion and a source of spiritual power. The anonymous masked trio from Austin, Texas build their entire mythology around this figure, drawing inspiration from the Andean condor and its historical associations with death and transcendence. […]
24th August 2026 Support: TR/ST Words & Photos: Tim Finch
There is something fitting about AFI bringing their dark, dramatic blend of punk, post-hardcore and gothic alternative rock to Birmingham’s O2 Institute. With a sell out crowd packed into the venue anticipation was high from the moment the lights went down.
TR/ST opened the night with a unique performance that immediately established a darker, electronic mood. Fronted by Robert Alfons, the Canadian project brought an intense combination of industrial electronics, darkwave and dancefloor energy to the stage. The contrast with what was to follow worked well, with pulsing rhythms and dense electronic textures filling the Institute and giving the audience something considerably different from the guitar-driven attack of AFI.
At times the synth driven tunes felt like the soundtrack from Stranger Things, at other times they were less harrowing, but they were always impactful. Bathed in little light, and with a stage presence which is anything but energetic, the duo let the music do the talking and the assumed masses stood enthralled by it all.
AFI wasted no time making their presence felt. ‘Strength Through Wounding’ launched the set with a furious burst of intensity before ‘Girl’s Not Grey’ and ‘Love Like Winter’ brought two of the band’s biggest songs into the early stages of the performance. The combination was immediately effective the crowd bouncing and singng every word back. ‘Holy Visions’ and ‘Ever and a Day’ continued the momentum, while ‘End Transmission’ provided another huge singalong moment.
The set then dug deeper into the band’s catalogue. ‘Behind the Clock’ led into ‘17 Crimes’ and ‘Bleed Black’, with the latter proving particularly powerful in a live setting. ‘Beautiful Thieves’ and ‘The Boy Who Destroyed the World’ pushed the intensity further, the latter receiving one of the night’s biggest reactions.
As the main set progressed, the atmosphere inside the Institute became increasingly intense. ‘Nooneunderground’ and ‘Endlessly, She Said’ gave the performance a more atmospheric edge before ‘Blasphemy & Excess’ brought the aggression back to the forefront. ‘Silver and Cold’ closed the main set in suitably dramatic fashion, leaving the audience demanding more. The response was immediate, and AFI returned for an encore that delivered exactly what the crowd wanted.
‘The Days of the Phoenix’ opened the encore with another huge response, then came the inevitable closing statement, ‘Miss Murder’. One of AFI’s defining songs, it transformed the venue into a wall of voices as the crowd sang along to every word. After a set that moved confidently across the band’s history, it was a fitting way to bring the night to a close.
