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"It's kind of scary how it's really very accurate," Jack Osbourne marveled at Licensing Expo 2026. Continue reading…

At their best, Dimmu Borgir exudes a wicked majesty, governing the forces of darkness with dispassionate contempt and an utter certainty in their ungodly mandate. This attitude, along with the confluence of grandeur and melodrama, defines what initially drew me to Dimmu Borgir years ago, and what has kept me interested despite the interminable gaps between releases. Since forming in 1993, Shagrath and Silenoz have consistently delivered symphonic black metal that tempers the unrelenting acrimony of second-wave black metal with wistful melodies, sculpting an extensive emotional palette. In 2000, Dimmu Borgir enlisted Old Man’s Child’s Galder as lead guitarist, and the three of them penned bewitching black metal for a quarter century. As with all good things, though, it didn’t last, and Galder departed in 2024 to focus on Old Man’s Child once more. Given the shakeup of a longtime winning formula, do Shagrath and Silenoz silence naysayers with Grand Serpent Rising, or are listeners saddled with Temu Borgir?¹

As ever, Dimmu Borgir discharges extravagant theater through the lens of black metal, drenching Grand Serpent Rising in haunting atmospherics and lush orchestrations. Since Death Cult Armageddon, the incorporation of symphonic elements has steadily grown more prominent, and over the years, these Norwegians have carved out a niche that exists somewhere between Gorgoroth and Nightwish. And like Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir goes for baroque, though instead of luxuriating in garish excess, they compose with nuanced sophistication. Grand Serpent Rising is the culmination of the intervening albums, with Galder’s departure pushing Dimmu Borgir to fill the void he left with more deliberate arrangements. Thankfully, Grand Serpent Rising advances what yielded success for the band over the last couple decades, dredging textural depths and honing the intricate interplays of instrumentation that didn’t reach quite far enough on Eonian.

Though Shagrath and Silenoz shoulder many of Grand Serpent Rising’s performances, a handful of guests play pivotal roles in defining one of Dimmu Borgir’s best-sounding records. Longtime session and live drummer Daray gets an immediate boost, where the drumheads’ natural timbres and resonances leap out of the mix to imbue a thunderous dimension missing from Eonian (“The Qryptfarer,” “Phantom of the Nemesis”). The orchestrations and keyboards also integrate better on Grand Serpent Rising,² their presence is more intentional and interwoven in lieu of Galder’s nimble lead work. None of this should suggest that the guitars take a backseat, though, as Silenoz and Kjell ‘Damage’ Karlsen (Chrome Division)³ pluck and shred with conviction as songs demand (check the intro to “Repository of Divine Transmutation” and the solo in “Ascent”). The riffs and leads merit attention as well, with soaring melodies (“Slik Minnes en Alkymist”), crystalline cleans (“As Seen in the Unseen”), and trem-picked offensives emboldening the Serpent. All the while, Shagrath croaks (“Slik Minnes en Alkymist”) and croons (“Ascent”), supplying one of black metal’s least abrasive vocal styles.

Dimmu Borgir prevails throughout Grand Serpent Rising, although a few issues from previous albums linger. At sixty-nine minutes long, Grand Serpent Rising sprawls. To be fair, the album is dynamic and intricate enough that parts rarely (if ever) feel repetitive, and proceedings slither quicker than the length suggests. Yet condensing the runtime by ten minutes would improve the overarching impact and effectiveness. Compounding and confounding the duration is the complexity of Grand Serpent Rising’s arrangements—they richly reward those with the patience to fully engage for multiple listens, but present a hurdle for impatient or distracted listening. Still, while the album isn’t perfect, these complaints pale in comparison to the triumph Dimmu Burger devises on Grand Serpent Rising.

In the end, Dimmu Borgir has written an album that refines their sound rather than reinventing it. If you’ve listened to any of their recent albums and formed an opinion, Grand Serpent Rising won’t change it. Instead, it proves that Dimmu remains as skilled as ever at creating opulent symphoblack, regardless of how long it takes between albums or what crucial personnel changes they endure. Dimmu Borgir perseveres For all tid, and if you’re not wholly opposed to flamboyant black metal on principle, their latest awaits to stimulate, captivate, and ensure your Grand Serpent’s Rising.

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Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Websites: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

The post Dimmu Borgir – Grand Serpent Rising Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GODLESS PREMIERE NEW VIDEO “ARCHITECT OF TORMENT” WITH DECIBEL MAGAZINE
Indian death metal force Godless have unleashed their brand new video for “Architect of Torment,” premiering through Decibel Magazine. The track marks a darker and more oppressive evolution in the band’s already devastating sound, pushing deeper into sinister territory while maintaining the precision and brutality fans have come to expect.
Decibel Magazine praised the single for its “tightly controlled aggression, jagged rhythmic turns, and suffocating atmosphere,” describing the song as “violent, focused, and mean enough to leave a mark.”
The accompanying video captures Godless performing “Architect of Torment” live for the very first time during their co-headlining appearance at the Wacken Open Air Pre-Party in Bangalore. Rather than relying on overproduced visuals or cinematic gimmicks, the band chose to present the track in its rawest form: live, loud, and completely unfiltered.
Speaking on the new release, Godless commented:
“‘Architect of Torment’ feels like a progression for us, leaning into a darker, more sinister atmosphere without losing the core of what Godless is. After over a decade of locking into a sound, it felt right to push things further and see where it goes.”
With more than a decade behind them, Godless continue proving why they remain one of India’s most relentless extreme metal exports. “Architect of Torment” showcases a band tightening the screws on their sound while continuing to evolve without compromise.
Watch the premiere now via Decibel Magazine: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2026/05/20/video-premiere-godless-architect-of-torment/
For fans of: Decapitated, Vader, Behemoth
Follow Godless for more updates and upcoming announcements.
Press inquiries: zach@metaldevastationradio.com

  Connect with GODLESS:
https://linktr.ee/godlessindia
www.godless.in
Contact: Abbas Razvi | godlessindia@gmail.co

Back in 2023, the young Pittsburgh noise-pop greats Feeble Little Horse, one of our finest horse bands, released their sophomore album Girl With Fish. It ruled. Then, a lot of other stuff happened. They canceled a tour for health reasons. They dropped a single. Founding guitarist Ryan Walchonski left the band and then released a solo album under the name Aunt Katrina. Now, Feeble Little Hose are ready to announce a new album called bitknot, and it’s coming out May 26. Wait! Hold on! That’s Tuesday!

The post Feeble Little Horse Announce New Album <em>bitknot</em>, Out Next Week appeared first on Stereogum.

“Our teams will be on hand at stations to support customers and help them complete their journeys, without their bins or trolleys, as smoothly as possible,” says East Midlands Railway

Posted on May 21st 2026, 4:12p.m.

How many bands have tried to sound like Quicksand over the years, and how many have failed? Dozens? Hundreds? More than that, even? There are lots of reasons why nobody else can pull off the Quicksand sound quite as well, but my working theory is this: None of these kids had formative experiences at shows…

The post Quicksand – “Crystallize” appeared first on Stereogum.

TikTok comedy guy Petey USA impressed me with last year’s Chris Walla-produced album The Yips and its deluxe addendum. I summed up the sound of that project as “electronic heartland emo,” and the description holds true on new single “Kiss The City.” The song arrived in my inbox with comparisons to the Killers and the…

The post Petey USA – “Kiss The City” appeared first on Stereogum.

Posted on May 21st 2026, 3:54p.m.

STREAM THE METAL BREAKDOWN DAILY BELOW:

The lineage of death metal is being reclaimed by the men who were there at its inception. Left To Die—the powerhouse collective featuring Death legends Terry Butler and Rick Rozz—has officially announced their debut full-length album, Initium Mortis, set for a July 17 release via Relapse Records.

Far from a standard tribute, the project serves as an “alternate-universe” bridge to the genre’s foundation, featuring newly recorded, high-production versions of tracks from Chuck Schuldiner’s pre-Death era in Mantas. With the release of the lead single “Archangel,” the band is finally giving these boom-box demo rarities the sonic weight they’ve deserved for over 40 years.

Exhuming the Demos: The Birth of ‘Initium Mortis’

The project originally formed as a touring entity focused on the Leprosy and Scream Bloody Gore eras, but the overwhelming fan response forced the band into the studio. Guitarist Matt Harvey (Exhumed/Gruesome) explains that the goal wasn’t to compete with the classic LPs, but to elevate the material that never made it past the tape-trading underground of the early ’80s.

“I look at Initium Mortis as a kind of ‘alternate-universe’ version of the Scream Bloody Gore tracklist,” says Harvey. “So many of these tunes were circling around the many Death lineups from ’83-’87. Chuck [Schuldiner] and Chris [Reifert] even recorded a version of ‘Legion Of Doom’ for the debut that never got completed.”

By revisiting these songs, the band is highlighting the specific fingerprints of Rick Rozz on the early Mantas material—tunes like “Slaughterhouse” and “Archangel” that defined the Florida scene before it even had a name.

Ground Zero: From Boom-Boxes to Relapse Records

For bassist Terry Butler (Obituary), the album is a gift to fans who have struggled with “inaudible” demo tapes for decades. Butler, who played on the legendary Spiritual Healing album, understands the importance of these early blueprints.

“Most of these early demos were recorded on a boom-box,” Butler notes. “By the time someone got their demo through tape trading, it was almost inaudible! This is ground zero—where it all started: three 15-year-old kids creating death metal history.”

The album was tracked with a classic analog style but benefits from modern, clean production. Drummer Gus Rios (ex-Malevolent Creation) admits that even as a die-hard fan, many of these tracks were new to him because of the poor quality of the original bootlegs. “To hear these songs with clean and solid production for me is like getting new Death songs… which rules!”

Check This Out – Best Death Metal Bands: The 13 Most Important Bands Ranked

The Full Circle for Rick Rozz

For Rick Rozz, who was a founding member of Mantas and a key player on the Leprosy album, the project has been a chance to celebrate the music that started his career. Despite initial anxiety about relearning material he hadn’t touched in over 30 years, Rozz describes the experience as a blessing.

“It’s really cool to be able to hear these tunes from 1984 properly,” Rozz states. “Nobody is on their high horse… everyone is doing their thing and gets along. There’s no baloney.”

‘Initium Mortis’ Official Track Listing

1. Legion Of Doom
2. Archangel
3. Power Of Darkness
4. Zombie
5. Witch Of Hell
6. Rise Of Satan
7. Summoned To Die
8. Mantas
9. Slaughterhouse
10. Death By Metal

FAQ: Left To Die and the ‘Initium Mortis’ Sessions

Who exactly is in the Left To Die lineup? The band is a death metal “who’s who” featuring Rick Rozz (ex-Death/Massacre), Terry Butler (Death/Obituary), Matt Harvey (Exhumed/Gruesome), and Gus Rios (ex-Malevolent Creation).

What is the connection between Mantas and Death? Mantas was the original name of the band formed by Chuck Schuldiner in 1984. After several demos, the name was changed to Death. Initium Mortis focuses on those specific Mantas-era tracks that laid the groundwork for the entire genre.

When and where can I get the album? Initium Mortis arrives on July 17, 2026, via Relapse Records. It will be available in multiple formats, including CD, LP, cassette, and digital.

We Also Recommend – He Hated Gore & Loved Cats: 13 Chuck Schuldiner Facts That Reveal the Man Behind the Growl

STAY LOUD: Catch the latest stories and the full daily metal breakdown on the Loaded Radio Daily Podcast with Scott Penfold. Stream it all at LoadedRadio.com or download our free app now.

TL;DR:

Death veterans Terry Butler and Rick Rozz have officially signed with Relapse Records to release their debut album, Initium Mortis, on July 17, 2026. The project features newly recorded, high-production versions of rare 1980s demos from Chuck Schuldiner’s pre-Death band, Mantas.

Is Initium Mortis the closest we will ever get to a “new” classic Death record, or should these demos have remained in the underground? Let us know in the comments.

The post Ground Zero Reborn: Death Veterans Unleash ‘Initium Mortis’ and Exhume Long-Lost Mantas Classics appeared first on Loaded Radio.