Review by Dominik on January 23, 2025.

Much like a forest troll stirring only under a blood-red moon, Darkmoon Warrior has crawled back into the spotlight with Graveyard Planet, their fifth full-length album in nearly 30 years of existence. Five years since their last sonic belch, the lazy bunch of misanthropes reminds us they still exist, which is no small feat considering their staggering release pace of one album every half-decade.

That said, there's something admirable about their consistency. Not in productivity, mind you, but from their inception, the band has adhered strictly to their trademark sound—a middle finger raised to the world in the form of black metal, spiced occasionally with black thrash elements. To no one's surprise, Graveyard Planet sticks to the Darkmoon Warrior formula like duct tape on a leaking bucket, while offering a few welcome improvements over its predecessor, which was, frankly, more rumble than roar. In fact, this album feels like a return to the sharper, more focused chaos of Nuke 'Em All, which is cause for optimism. This trajectory almost gives one hope for the next album—if we live to see it in 2029.

Lyrical "grace" (or lack thereof): Darkmoon Warrior's lyrics take an interesting turn here. While the themes remain dark and confrontational, the satanic overtures are spiked with sarcastic, social critical "considerations". Tracks like "SM 70" (a directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine) reckon with the brutal fortifications of the German-German border during the Cold War, while "Age Of Decomposition" casts the planet as a self-dug graveyard, spiraling into inevitable decay, humanity´s DIY apocalypse. It is often less about Satan and accomplices, but rather a reflection of the bands attitude towards the world. This nihilistic perspective ("we don't give a fuck" in bold, capital letters) pervades the entire record, most explicitly on tracks like "Burn Down All".

While this scathing attitude is admittedly fitting for a genre like black metal, a touch of restraint might have added more weight to their message. But then again, Darkmoon Warrior isn't here to write sociopolitical essays or win over the unconverted.

The music: a two-pronged attack. For those who like some structure to their sonic assaults, Graveyard Planet can be roughly divided into two halves. The first leans more into black thrash influences, while the second delivers a more straightforward black metal barrage.

"Thy Satarnachists" opens the album with a compelling blend of black and thrash with just enough melody to lull you into a false sense of security, setting the tone for the first half of the record. "SM 70", positioned at the thrashier end of the spectrum, sounds like an angrier version of early Sodom (if that is even possible) or the German wrecking crew Panzer Squad with its fiery riffing and venomous delivery. On the other end lies "By The Sound Of Hell", a pure black metal assault that lives up to its name and stands as the album's strongest track.

The track "Magna Matris Mortem" confuses with Latin titles but delivers blistering, German-lyric-driven black metal brutality. As always, subtlety and empathy are nowhere to be found in this aural battlefield, a fact hammered home by the closing track "Sadomajestic Hatefukk"—a two-minute tirade that is as elegant as its title suggests and as subtle as a bunch of renegade soldiers dancing on the graves of some ISIS extremists.

The performances on Graveyard Planet are solid across the board, with each member delivering exactly what is expected: raw, unrelenting ferocity with no room for surprises or unnecessary embellishments. The band's message remains clear: they don't care about anyone or anything. And why should they? If everyone just looks out for themselves, then surely all will be well… right? Everyone is being taken care of.

What is my final take? Graveyard Planet is a solid return for Darkmoon Warrior. The album isn't here to reinvent the wheel. It's here to douse it in kerosene, set it ablaze, and roll it through your backyard. It doesn't reinvent their sound, nor does it try to. But in sticking to their formula without polishing its edges, the band delivers an album that is aggressive, unapologetic, and at times even thought-provoking (at least if you're into kitchen philosophy).

Rating: 7.9 out of 10 - because anything higher might imply the band actually cares about accolades, and we can't have that, can we?

Review by Dominik on January 23, 2025.

Much like a forest troll stirring only under a blood-red moon, Darkmoon Warrior has crawled back into the spotlight with Graveyard Planet, their fifth full-length album in nearly 30 years of existence. Five years since their last sonic belch, the lazy bunch of misanthropes reminds us they still exist, which is no small feat considering their staggering release pace of one album every half-decade.

That said, there's something admirable about their consistency. Not in productivity, mind you, but from their inception, the band has adhered strictly to their trademark sound—a middle finger raised to the world in the form of black metal, spiced occasionally with black thrash elements. To no one's surprise, Graveyard Planet sticks to the Darkmoon Warrior formula like duct tape on a leaking bucket, while offering a few welcome improvements over its predecessor, which was, frankly, more rumble than roar. In fact, this album feels like a return to the sharper, more focused chaos of Nuke 'Em All, which is cause for optimism. This trajectory almost gives one hope for the next album—if we live to see it in 2029.

Lyrical "grace" (or lack thereof): Darkmoon Warrior's lyrics take an interesting turn here. While the themes remain dark and confrontational, the satanic overtures are spiked with sarcastic, social critical "considerations". Tracks like "SM 70" (a directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine) reckon with the brutal fortifications of the German-German border during the Cold War, while "Age Of Decomposition" casts the planet as a self-dug graveyard, spiraling into inevitable decay, humanity´s DIY apocalypse. It is often less about Satan and accomplices, but rather a reflection of the bands attitude towards the world. This nihilistic perspective ("we don't give a fuck" in bold, capital letters) pervades the entire record, most explicitly on tracks like "Burn Down All".

While this scathing attitude is admittedly fitting for a genre like black metal, a touch of restraint might have added more weight to their message. But then again, Darkmoon Warrior isn't here to write sociopolitical essays or win over the unconverted.

The music: a two-pronged attack. For those who like some structure to their sonic assaults, Graveyard Planet can be roughly divided into two halves. The first leans more into black thrash influences, while the second delivers a more straightforward black metal barrage.

"Thy Satarnachists" opens the album with a compelling blend of black and thrash with just enough melody to lull you into a false sense of security, setting the tone for the first half of the record. "SM 70", positioned at the thrashier end of the spectrum, sounds like an angrier version of early Sodom (if that is even possible) or the German wrecking crew Panzer Squad with its fiery riffing and venomous delivery. On the other end lies "By The Sound Of Hell", a pure black metal assault that lives up to its name and stands as the album's strongest track.

The track "Magna Matris Mortem" confuses with Latin titles but delivers blistering, German-lyric-driven black metal brutality. As always, subtlety and empathy are nowhere to be found in this aural battlefield, a fact hammered home by the closing track "Sadomajestic Hatefukk"—a two-minute tirade that is as elegant as its title suggests and as subtle as a bunch of renegade soldiers dancing on the graves of some ISIS extremists.

The performances on Graveyard Planet are solid across the board, with each member delivering exactly what is expected: raw, unrelenting ferocity with no room for surprises or unnecessary embellishments. The band's message remains clear: they don't care about anyone or anything. And why should they? If everyone just looks out for themselves, then surely all will be well… right? Everyone is being taken care of.

What is my final take? Graveyard Planet is a solid return for Darkmoon Warrior. The album isn't here to reinvent the wheel. It's here to douse it in kerosene, set it ablaze, and roll it through your backyard. It doesn't reinvent their sound, nor does it try to. But in sticking to their formula without polishing its edges, the band delivers an album that is aggressive, unapologetic, and at times even thought-provoking (at least if you're into kitchen philosophy).

Rating: 7.9 out of 10 - because anything higher might imply the band actually cares about accolades, and we can't have that, can we?

Review by Felix on September 19, 2025.

In many cases, successful companies have at least one thing in common: simple processes. A clear structure does no harm to any business unit and it used to be said that we Germans were the kings of organisation. But since I met my girlfriend, whose mother is not from Germany, I have my doubts about that. My gorgeous sweetheart is the embodiment of a system. She constantly works with to-do lists, monitors her finances meticulously, plans the weekly shopping... these are probably some of the reasons why she does so well in life; but I just remember that I actually wanted to say something completely different. Although the challenging tongue twister name Azelisassath does not indicate it, "Ablazen Winds", the comeback album of the formation, relies on absolutely simple arrangements. Do not think you need more than two spins to be familiar with each and every guitar line of the eight tracks plus outro. Good or bad?

Well, as always, it depends. From my point of view, the album delivers a direct and fast-acting dose of true or even trve black metal. Sometimes the glorious Moonblood come to my mind during the listening session, although the Swedes are less primitive than these Teutonic heroes of fascinating monotony. Anyway, I like the authentic aura of "Ablazen Winds" and I do not need narcissistic guitar excursions or comparable nonsense. The 32,5 minutes are filled to the brim with components whose only purpose is to serve the songs. Given this fact, we get a compact, fierce and bitter tasting performance that reflects the spirit of classics like "Pure Holocaust" or "Transilvanian Hunger". Okay, it does not reach the quality of these legendary and highly influential full-lengths, although even some (Swedish) Pest-like riffs are added. Nevertheless, there are a lot of truly recommendable tracks. Let me tell you something about some of them.

The title track kicks off the album in a grim and relentless manner, while the following "Weakened Form" has to struggle with its misleading name. Of course, the opposite is true: this track shows the band in a very strong form. Yes, there is absolutely nothing new to discover, but music is like love. I don't want anything new, I just want more of what I already have. This is what makes me happy, no experiments, no side steps. These two raging beasts at the beginning leave no doubt concerning the general direction of the output. "Beslept By The Demons" or the fanatic final regular assault "Dragged Through The Stars" underline this thesis, because they pick up the formula and the high speed of the opening double strike. On the other hand we have "Kingdom Of The Past", a less stormy but equally simply arranged number which does not fall by the wayside in terms of quality. I enjoy its dynamic double bass impulses and the guitar line, although the musicians repeat it again and again without mercy. Only one or two songs do not reach the surprisingly high standard of the album, but even they do not completely disappoint.

The misty production does justice to the musical content. Naturally, only jesters expect transparency, even though the mix does not fall victim to a total mishmash. It just fits the misanthropic attitude of the artists. To explain what I mean, the booklet tells us "no companionship, praise negativity", but this message would not have been necessary. The music and the mix speak for themselves. By the way, did I already say that the dynamic and sinister "Clawed In Clamoring Depths" also works very well, because the band relies on its system of simplicity once more? Yes, well-defined systems, clear processes and obvious structures are important. My girlfriend would certainly agree, if she would read this review. But her days as my girlfriend are counted. Next week she will become my wife. I cannot imagine a better change (read upgrade). Maybe not for her, but for me.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 19, 2025.

In many cases, successful companies have at least one thing in common: simple processes. A clear structure does no harm to any business unit and it used to be said that we Germans were the kings of organisation. But since I met my girlfriend, whose mother is not from Germany, I have my doubts about that. My gorgeous sweetheart is the embodiment of a system. She constantly works with to-do lists, monitors her finances meticulously, plans the weekly shopping... these are probably some of the reasons why she does so well in life; but I just remember that I actually wanted to say something completely different. Although the challenging tongue twister name Azelisassath does not indicate it, "Ablazen Winds", the comeback album of the formation, relies on absolutely simple arrangements. Do not think you need more than two spins to be familiar with each and every guitar line of the eight tracks plus outro. Good or bad?

Well, as always, it depends. From my point of view, the album delivers a direct and fast-acting dose of true or even trve black metal. Sometimes the glorious Moonblood come to my mind during the listening session, although the Swedes are less primitive than these Teutonic heroes of fascinating monotony. Anyway, I like the authentic aura of "Ablazen Winds" and I do not need narcissistic guitar excursions or comparable nonsense. The 32,5 minutes are filled to the brim with components whose only purpose is to serve the songs. Given this fact, we get a compact, fierce and bitter tasting performance that reflects the spirit of classics like "Pure Holocaust" or "Transilvanian Hunger". Okay, it does not reach the quality of these legendary and highly influential full-lengths, although even some (Swedish) Pest-like riffs are added. Nevertheless, there are a lot of truly recommendable tracks. Let me tell you something about some of them.

The title track kicks off the album in a grim and relentless manner, while the following "Weakened Form" has to struggle with its misleading name. Of course, the opposite is true: this track shows the band in a very strong form. Yes, there is absolutely nothing new to discover, but music is like love. I don't want anything new, I just want more of what I already have. This is what makes me happy, no experiments, no side steps. These two raging beasts at the beginning leave no doubt concerning the general direction of the output. "Beslept By The Demons" or the fanatic final regular assault "Dragged Through The Stars" underline this thesis, because they pick up the formula and the high speed of the opening double strike. On the other hand we have "Kingdom Of The Past", a less stormy but equally simply arranged number which does not fall by the wayside in terms of quality. I enjoy its dynamic double bass impulses and the guitar line, although the musicians repeat it again and again without mercy. Only one or two songs do not reach the surprisingly high standard of the album, but even they do not completely disappoint.

The misty production does justice to the musical content. Naturally, only jesters expect transparency, even though the mix does not fall victim to a total mishmash. It just fits the misanthropic attitude of the artists. To explain what I mean, the booklet tells us "no companionship, praise negativity", but this message would not have been necessary. The music and the mix speak for themselves. By the way, did I already say that the dynamic and sinister "Clawed In Clamoring Depths" also works very well, because the band relies on its system of simplicity once more? Yes, well-defined systems, clear processes and obvious structures are important. My girlfriend would certainly agree, if she would read this review. But her days as my girlfriend are counted. Next week she will become my wife. I cannot imagine a better change (read upgrade). Maybe not for her, but for me.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

Review by Dominik on February 1, 2025.

First impressions can be misleading, and hindsight sometimes isn't kind. There are albums that grow on you, revealing their full brilliance over time. And then there are albums like Anihorim, which start strong, only to unravel with each subsequent listen. Anheim's debut is firmly in the latter camp. What initially felt like a treasure—gold, or at least silver—quickly revealed itself to be more akin to bronze. By the third listen, that bronze had oxidized into rusty metal, and whatever charm the album initially held gave way to flaws simmering just beneath the surface. It was like discovering that your fancy, super hyped Dubai chocolate is in fact from Turkey and the cocoa content is not 70, but 17 percent. The lesson here? Don't let the power of a first impression cloud your judgement. Do not rush to finish a review, just to be the first, the fastest or both. A hasty assessment might crown a mediocre album with undeserved praise.

Let's revisit my initial reaction. At first, Anheim's debut struck me as a well-produced melodic black metal record. The first half sometimes flirts with death metal riffing—the opener and "Scherbenstimmen" ("Shard Voices"), especially during the slower parts, being the most notable examples—while the second half puts more emphasis on creating atmosphere. Subtle keyboards appear in tracks like "Am Rande Der Katharsis" ("At the Edge of Catharsis"), the strongest track on the album. This song demonstrates how a recurring riff, reflected in both keyboard melodies and the piano outro, can create cohesion and elevate a composition. The harsh vocals add a sharp counterpoint to the melodic instrumentation, and the blend of blast beats and slower sections creates a well-paced dynamic. Even the lyrics stand out and go beyond the typical black metal run-off-the-mill lyricism of evil, sacrifice, inverted crosses and ugly witches. They are more introspective and original: an exploration of inner torment and devotion to Surgtoh, the enigmatic "black one".

So far, so good—or so it seemed. What my subconsciousness already noticed though, became obvious to a degree that it started to grate my nerves. Over time, the album's weaknesses became glaringly apparent. For one, there's no true standout track, that one song you'll come back to months later. While "Am Rande Der Katharsis" and the closer, "Blendwerk" (Illusion), are stronger than most, neither delivers the kind of punch that compels you to revisit the album. Without a true highlight, the rest of the album blends together like black metal wallpaper: ominous, sure, but unmemorable and it struggles to rise above its own mediocrity.

Then there's my issue with the production, which initially feels just polished but soon reveals its artificial edges. The double bass drums sound triggered to the point of being robotic, and I'd wager a good chunk of my last salary that the band didn't have a live drummer in the studio. The guitars are a mixed bag, too. When diving into death metal-inspired riffing, they sound dull and hollow, as if recorded in a hollow pipe. In contrast, when the guitars go into full black metal mode—as in "Im Verließ Der Seele" ("In the Dungeon of the Soul")—they showcase clever melodies and feel far more natural. These stylistic inconsistencies disrupt the songs' and the album's flow and muddy its identity.

And then there are the vocals. This is what really drove the performance below the 70 points rating mark (which constitutes in my book this magical threshold that makes me come back to an album from time to time). They are harsh, aggressive, and textbook black metal, but entirely devoid of expression and utterly one-dimensional. They deliver rage and malevolence, yes, but my electric razor, frankly, offers a wider emotional range. It's a shame, because a strong frontman who can inject some personality and depth into their delivery could elevate this material substantially. Here, the monotony of the performance drags everything down.

To be fair, Anihorim is a debut, and debut albums are rarely flawless. There's potential here as Anheim clearly knows how to craft melodies and atmospheres that could work, and their lyrical themes show ambition beyond the usual satanic clichés. With time, they may find their footing and refine their sound into something truly memorable.

In the end, I feel both glad and sad that I didn't review Anihorim right away. Glad, because it allowed me to adjust my judgement, but sad, the band that undoubtedly put so much effort into the album ultimately could not live up to the strong first impression made. A solid debut? Perhaps. A lasting one? Doubtful.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10, because first impressions can be like Tinder dates—promising, but sometimes disappointing.