A new collective of vocalists featuring Heilung founding member Kai Uwe Faust and members of the Heilung warrior choir dubbed Kriigerkvlt announced this afternoon that not only have they signed with Season of Mist, but they’ve released a new single titled “Mahakala”.

Having debuted last year on stage in Copenhagen alongside industrial doom raver John Cxnnor and the occult feminist black metal band Witch Club Satan, Kriigerkvlt is a unique force in music. Without a specific cultural identity, time period, or genre, Kriigerkvlt seeks to carve out their own unique niche in the music world.

Speaking of the band and its single, Faust said they were excited to show the world exactly what they’re capable of doing. And the first way to do that was to land on a major metal label like Season of Mist and release something that the masses can listen to.

“We are excited to announce our signing with Season of Mist. We have seen firsthand how the label has supported Heilung’s artistic freedom. As a flexible collective that specializes in extreme vocal textures and unconventional soundscapes, we felt that was also important for Kriigerkvlt.

“In an age where sacred symbols are often commercialized or stripped of context, Kriigerkvlt stands apart. ‘Mahakala’ is not a spectacle. It is a call to confront the hidden forces within us all, not through blind violence, but through awareness, discipline and transformation.”

It’s important to note that Mahakala is a Tibetan Buddhism diety. Faust said it was incredibly important for Kriigerkvlt to treat the subject matter with respect.

“Kriigerkvlt taps into Mahakala not as outsiders, but as seekers of the same fire that burns in every human tradition. The song is intense, raw and uncompromising. It evokes the confrontation with the shadow self, the spiritual warrior’s path and the dissolving of the ego.”

You can check out the single “Mahakala” in the clip below.

The post Kriigerkvlt (Feat. Heilung) Announce Signing with Season of Mist with New Single “Mahakala” appeared first on MetalSucks.

I first found Uppsala, Sweden’s Sarcasm when I had the chance to review their previous album, Mourninghoul. Even though the band had their humble beginnings […]

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They’ll be out starting this week with Party Cannon.

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(written by Islander) On April 23rd the Armenian black metal band Rahvira will have their latest album in a 20+ year career jointly released by Holy Mountains Music (Yerevan, Armenia), Underworld Echoes Records (Greece), and More Hate Productions (Russia), with official distribution by Satanath Records (Georgia). The album’s title is In the Darkness of Silence […]

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Taking place this December.

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Dutch-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kristoffer Gildenlöw returns with a new solo record, Humanised, due May 29 via New Joke Music on LP, CD, and all major streaming platforms.

To mark the announcement, the video for the first single “The Almosts” has been released.

The track is presented as a focused, stripped-down rock piece, both musically and visually. The video features Lilo on bass, Dirk Bruinenberg on drums, and Kristoffer Gildenlöw on guitar and vocals. On the studio recording, drums are handled by Leo Margarit, while Gildenlöw performs all other instruments.

A straight-forward rock track built on only two chords, “The Almosts” relies on gradual dynamics and layered arrangements rather than complexity for its impact. The lyrical theme centers on people who exist outside conventional systems and expectations.

“The lyrics empower outcasts, minorities, and others who tend to fall slightly outside the strict structures of the modern system; people who don’t fit through the square hole. People who are looked down on, frowned upon, or simply ignored and left to the waves. But in the darkness below the surface, beneath the concrete, roots are growing, and an undertow is becoming a rip current of change.”

The song closes with a direct dedication: “The Almosts – Dedicated to everyone who failed or succeeded in being themselves,” framing it as a statement about identity and acceptance rather than distance or separation.

Best known as the original bassist in Pain Of Salvation, Kristoffer Gildenlöw has also collaborated with Neal Morse, Damian Wilson, and Lana Lane, among others, building a career that moves between progressive rock and heavier solo material.

Since his 2012 debut Rust, followed by The Rain (2016), Homebound (2020), Let Me Be A Ghost (2021), and Empty (2024), he has kept a consistent approach to songwriting that blends personal themes with a recognizable production style and vocal tone.

With Humanised, Gildenlöw shifts into heavier territory again: “Everything has its time and place and now was the time to write a heavier album. Some of the songs have been with me for many years, just waiting to be recorded and released… and now I was ready for it.” – Kristoffer Gildenlöw

The album brings back elements tied to his progressive metal background, including seven-string guitar work, heavier riffing, and shifting time signatures. Alongside that, it pulls in influences from sleaze rock, art rock, prog, and doom, built into a cohesive flow rather than separated styles.

Instead of following a strict narrative concept, Gildenlöw structures his albums around broader themes. Each track captures a different angle on human behavior, forming a collection of snapshots rather than a linear story.

Humanised is described as a reflection of modern behavior and culture, examining excess, consumption, and contradiction in contemporary life.

Fans can access exclusive LP and CD editions ahead of release through US Webshop here and World Wide Webshop here.

The post KRISTOFFER GILDENLÖW Shares Music Video For “The Almosts” From Upcoming Album “Humanised” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

She had previously been serving as a touring member.

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A winter storm watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for up to three feet of snow, even as spring continues.

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I don’t know exactly what it is, but the Canadian prairies seem to just do something to its metal practitioners. Occasionally, we talk about metal in terms of its geography—”Scandinavian black metal,” “European power metal,” and so on—but I don’t think I’ve heard much about Canadian metal. Canada is huge, of course, but I’ve yet to find a band from its rural corners that hasn’t really resonated. Northern Graves, formed in 2023 by Damian Smith of Altars of Grief, continue this trend with their take on blackened doom metal. Originally a solo project, the now fully-expanded lineup, relocated to the United States, is releasing its debut, Derelict Heart, inspired “by the seemingly endless Canadian prairies and the countless ghost towns that dot its landscape.” How could I possibly refuse?

Having started as a solo project for Smith, it should come as no surprise that there are several Altars of Grief-isms at play here, but the “blackened” label is serious. Alike in their prairie ways, I would suggest Derelict Heart could be the result of a union between Arctos and Altars of Grief—there is a desolate, bleak darkness at the heart of the music befitting of Smith’s doom metal outfit, but the presentation is impassioned and fierce. Branson Heinz and Roman Chester kill it on drums and bass, respectively, each running marathons with bite throughout Derelict Heart. Andrew Caruana joins Smith on guitars and plays aggressively without quite the speed of Heinz’s drumming, give or take a tremolo here and there. Their vocals are similarly harsh and biting; the duo snarl, roar, and rasp in strange harmony. Smith also sings, and Caruana plays keys, both adding new dimensions to an already mighty sound.

The result is metal that is more blackened than doom, and very strong for it. “Endless” gets off to a rocking start; Smith and Caruana play an upbeat riff, rasping their way through a strong intro. The doom elements persist through an acoustic guitar, a mournful solo, and a strong atmosphere of darkness. Northern Graves do a fantastic job of evoking the vast, empty plains of their native Saskatchewan. “Derelict Heart” is the best example, a grand, slow burn that starts in doom waters before treading its way to a beautiful, blackened climax. Smith and Caruana’s vocals are huge, and Heinz’s drumming reaches manic heights. The guitars surround you and carry you to ghost towns. During quieter moments, the singing, distant and orchestrations, are subtle, chill, and inspiring. It’s a staggeringly beautiful song and best demonstrates the union of black metal, doom metal, and unique inspiration that defines Derelict Heart and Northern Graves. Even the non-metal track, “Keeper of the Plains,” serves an important function in providing a highly specific atmosphere. Derelict Heart thrives in atmosphere, making it feel like more than the sum of two sub-genres and more like its own unique entity.

From a production standpoint, Derelict Heart sounds amazingly clear and energized, with only two minor flaws. The first is that the drumming is curiously loud. As mentioned, Heinz is a fantastic drummer and a significant contributor to Derelict Heart’s energy. He gives it power and presence. But his own presence is often too loud, especially on “Lanterns.” “Lanterns” is a gorgeous song, falling more on the doom metal side of the equation with slower, more mournful passages dotted with orchestral melodies, clean/harsh vocal duos, and beautiful riffs—but the blast beat drumming is so high in the mix as to be distracting. The second is the album closer, “Hazard,” a Richard Marx cover that, while appropriately blackened to fit Northern Graves, is not effective as a closer for Derelict Heart. Especially following the phenomenal title track, it sticks out; it has less doom, quieter atmosphere, and much more clean singing than the rest of Derelict Heart, and, while it is a fascinating cover, it feels like an odd way to close the album. Tonally, it’s just a bit strange, though I can’t bring myself to actually dislike it—the skill and passion from Northern Graves is hard to dislike.

There are a lot of ways to blacken doom metal, but Northern Graves has found an amazing sound on Derelict Heart. It’s not particularly mournful or even especially bleak, but it effectively evokes the enormity of a desolate wild. It is a powerful, memorable experience that I found resonant and affecting. I already cannot wait for more.

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Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: northerngraves.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/northerngraves
Releases Worldwide: April 17th, 2026

The post Northern Graves – Derelict Heart Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.