Review: Mascharat's new album "Ars Aurea Mortis"

Black Metal band from Italy Mascharat released their new album Ars Aurea Mortis on the 31st of January, in a collaboration with Remparts Productions. I'm sad I only managed to listen to it today, because it is so good. Oh so good! 

Ars Aurea Mortis is one of the best albums I've heard so far. Not only in 2026 but overall. 

So, what to expect of Ars Aurea Mortis? 

This is a proper Black Metal album, there is ambience yes, there is atmosphere, but it is raw, heavy, without embellishments. Mascharat don't need those, their music is awesome and just as it is. Superb.

I got the goosebumps quite a few times, because the music is so obscure, inspiring, deep, it's marvellous. I'm very very pleased indeed.

Ars Aurea Mortis is a concept album, focused on traditions such as the Venetian carnival, but also exploring the subject of the transformation of matter, according to the principles of alchemy and Western esotericism. Which is a very interesting theme, and it should be brought up more often, so I'm glad they did it. It has 8 tracks, representing a dialogue with a Mask, and refering to the phases of the alchemical opus. It is the second album of the band.

The music has influences of Nordic Black Metal, also of late 90s Black Metal, but not as copy. It is more as a continuation of the legacy. I love it. It is more traditional than not, but with a high level of knowledge, experience, technicality and passion. In the end of each song there is a atmospheric sound, where you can almost listen to nature and the elements. It's just beautiful and very well thought and designed.

Speaking of design, can't leave the artwork out of this review. From the cover (which you can see below) to the inside art, presenting the Alchemy seals, plus information about each of the phases of the process, both in Italian and English. Very philosophical, but it works as a charm. It is very appealing to the eye, I must say. Especially if you are interested in Alchemy, but even if you're not.

I also would like to say I am very impressed with the production as well. Not only the music is intense, full, furious, glorious, as the production is beyond perfect. It is possible to listen and distinguish absolutely every instrument. The voice is something else, very raw, cavernous, no clichés. Just Black Metal.

I could stay here talking of Mascharat's Ars Aurea Mortis all night long, because it is a tremendous album. I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I do. I am planning on listening to it many more times in the future and to recommend it profusely. 

Review: Saille's new album "Forebode"

Dutch Black Metal band Saille released their new album Forebode on the 13th of February, via Non Serviam Records. 

After 5 years without a new album, it was certainly a pleasure to listen to Forebode.

Forebode brings me back the feeling I got the first time I heard Saille, which was when the album Ritu came out, back in 2013. The epic feeling, the feeling that these guys are unstoppable and so intense. Ritu even became one of the top ten albums of that year, for Lachryma Christi. 

Their music is just so powerful and rich, I'm as mesmerized today with Forebode as I got back then.

Forebode has nine tracks. Four of them are new, then there is a re-recorded version of Haunted of the Dark 2025 (live), and an extended classical version of Eater of Worlds, with additional instruments. 

After all this, there are three live tracks featuring a violinist, and those three tracks are bonus tracks, which are not included on the digital version. So make sure you pay attention to this before you chose which version you'd like to get.

Well, Saille are known for their epic music with symphonic instruments and elements and melodies and passages, which possibly make their music a lot more majestic than it would be without them. Their albums are just as heavy as any Black Metal album, but the atmosphere on them is always very epic and so fierce, it's huge. Forebode isn't different, on the opposite, it shows us how Saille are firm in their style without becoming boring or repetitive, ever. 

There is an icy feeling, a furious feeling, a contained anger, a mix and match of emotions on the songs of Forebode, it is really impressive. 

Track number 2 Echoes of Empathy is particularly frightening, I must say. But my favourite track might be number 1 Deception of Decadence. The music, the actual melodies are so sharp, so extraordinary, then the voices, including a clean singing, are so impassioned, that it is impossible to not feel the meaning of the title through the actual composition.

Forebode is profound, vigorous, potent, it's enormous, I listened to it three times on a row and I loved every single one of them. 

Their covers are always amazing pieces of art, and Forebode cover is not an exception. 

News: Hecate Enthroned release new video for song "A Gallery of Rotting Portraits"

Black Metal band Hecate Enthroned just released a video for the song A Gallery of Rotting Portraits. 

This song is part of their upcoming album The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried, which is scheduled to be released this year.

You can listen to the song and watch the video here: