Review by Jeger on March 10, 2026.

The paradox of beauty and savagery - oil in water - the two can occupy the same space, just never the same form. And so it is too with the art of Black Metal, as you will seldom find one without the other within this realm. Only bands like the dastardly Archgoat or the abominable Profanatica operate at a strictly brute level. But what of the passion? What of the sleepless nights and the tears? Black Metal holds a special place for these, and it's a place haunted by the likes of those who've harnessed the energy of suffering and who've mastered the way of melody: Sargeist, Mgła, Nachtmystium. Those who possess a deep understanding of pain and joy, of rage and serenity. A deeper understanding of what makes for a deeply personal, dual-faceted BM experience.

France's Alkhemia formed in 2021 and have thus far released one LP in their debut, "Abraxas", with a second, their sophomore effort, "Häxen", scheduled for a March 13 release through Non Serviam Records. "Häxen" is one of those records where you know instantly what you've gotten yourself into, and in this case, you've gotten into some greatness. There's an air of elegance to this album that gleams through the mix in various forms, from its crisp production quality down to the sharp tone of the guitars and the wet sound of the drums. The opening track, "Zeitgeist", displays every one of these attributes and they're set to fluid melodic sequences that propel with momentum to the drive of blast-beats and double-bass currents. Nuanced by hypnotic clean guitar riffs and contemplative spoken-word vocals.

"Häxen" is like new blonde chick in class hot… Just firing clean on every cylinder now as "Excressence" begins. Plowing through the opening seconds with Panzer-like force as racing tremolo riffs unfold to a myriad of high-energy rhythms. Blast-beats like artillery fire cracking off with machine-like precision beneath the atmosphere, which is pulsating with the collective energy of all phases. Building gradually into a blackened cacophony of controlled chaos.

Conceptually, "Häxen" is an exploration of Orwellian Dystopia - the decay of civilization as we know it. In this new reality, this neo-Dark Age, those who do not conform will be cast out and only the obedient shall prosper. Sound a little too familiar? The familiarity between theme and sound here are both remarkable. Most of us are well aware of our inglorious future ahead and we're most certainly familiar with the soundtrack: the melancholy and the dread to accompany the cursed coming of the dawn. Sorrow and brutality like the aforementioned contrast between beauty and savagery to behold during the entirety of "Stars And Frozen Faces" - the strange comfort of deeply sorrowful passages gives way to the enthrallment of a different, more aggressive type of energy as mammoth riffs and commanding rhythms ensue.

Fragments of what used to be, "Remnants" - a bewildering, downright maddening closing track that hits on progressive and conventional levels with loudspeaker type vocals and senses-scrambling harmonies. Impressive is the word… An elite presence on the French scene Alkhemia has become. And without a whole lot in the way of competition outside of Gorgon, Seth and Mutiilation, their rise should be an effortless one. Revolt! No honor in conformity… With "Häxen", Alkhemia enter into the realm of duality and into the sphere of collapse and own them both.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Michael on March 31, 2026.

When I first listened to "The Wild Divine" by Californian Aldheorte I instantly fell in love with that second album by the band. I don't know if it is because of the rough, frosty harshness the guys create or because of the warming, hopeful parts they also let creep into their music. The result is a very entertaining piece of traditional black metal which combines some more American-orientated stuff like Wolves In The Throne Room, you know that Cascadian style like in the opener "Vanity" with a lot of tradition Scandinavian vibes, primarily Bathory when it comes to the more melodic and atmospheric parts. Especially in a song such as "Hesperus" you can clearly hear those influences right from the beginning. Of course I mean the Viking-era with the albums "Hammerheart" and "Twilight Of The Gods" of course.

But you can also hear the roughness and somewhat impetuous approach in the music which makes it quite an entertaining trip to listen to. In the seven songs with a total running time of about 37 minutes happen so much that it is even hard to fully describe the music. And be assured, every song has its own signature so that you can find a lot of surprises and no fillers on "The Wild Divine". Apropos the title track – this is another one with a lot of cool references. Reminding a lot of Emperors "In The Nightside Eclipse" in the beginning, the song evolves into a fast and furious black metal blizzard. The guitars sometimes sound pretty industrial-black metal-like, as if Mysticum had written some parts here. This is a highly interesting track because of its different approach. But Aldheorte can also write some slower songs like the closer "The Offering". This is a very atmospheric track with a lot of keyboard layers and quite well to take a deep breath after the Wild Hunt we went through the last half an hour.

And although the band speed through their songs with Warp 10, they never lose control of what they are doing here and also find the perfect timing to incorporate some rousing atmospheric parts in the songs or create some stunning melodies, like in "Prayers To The Fallen Gods". Nothing on the album appears to be odd or half-hearted, you can clearly notice that the band has figured out something with "The Wild Divine" and fully stand behind what they are doing.

This you can also recognize in the production which has turned out to be top notch, at least on my speakers and on the promo I have. There is no lo-fi black metal sound and it all sounds crisp and powerful. And if I didn't read that they had a drum computer, I actually wouldn't think so. The drumming sounds really good and quite human. Wow, damn.

Even if I wanted to, I have really nothing to complain about the album. This is probably one of the most outstanding black metal highlights in 2026 and everyone who is into that genre should have it on their shopping list. Or ask the Easter Bunny if he can bring it together with some live gigs by Aldheorte.

Rating: 10 out of 10 Easter Bunnies