Ah, it has been some time since a tried and trve out-of-the-box piece graced our meager abode. The RMR crew already encountered German rebels, seemingly lost in some obscure ideology. Or, unsung confusing acts that seemed to veer off the deep end in the Northern cold wastelands, but finally succeeded astonishingly well. But some misunderstood that disjointed disjointedness doesn’t mean just mindless chaos. And they spectacularly failed. Not once, but twice. I guess some will never learn, and those have now been banned from coverage on RMR.
Meaning, the RMR crew kinda likes these revolutionaries. Adepts of anarchy in metal who sail where their musical urges will take them. But those are treacherous waters to navigate, so who in their right mind would want to venture out there? I guess we’re about to find out.
Well, a Dutch gang called The Fifth Alliance1 was frantically jumping up and down in the background. Until the ancient geezers at the Review Desk finally woke up and gave Stenahoria a long, hard look. And at first glance, the record doesn’t seem that far out of the box as others have been in the past. But they’re leaning far enough out of the proverbial window to finally get all our attention.
The RMR crew found a caustic, abrasive, raw, and reasonably spiced mélange of metallurgy. Black Metal proper that seamlessly trades places with post black moments. Anarchic descents into a screechy version of Doom Metal that sometimes is at pains to find its way out of the hole of its very own making. And suddenly, from the depths of misery and woe, appears an abundance of groove. Slithering forth on a foundation of sludge with some groove thrown in for good measure.
But Stenahoria would be nothing without The Fifth Alliance‘s new frontwoman, Natalya Thelen2. She boasts an impressive palette of different vocal styles, from uneasy clears that often sound like somebody’s second thought to acid-laced hardcore-ish, anguish-laden screams, snarls, and rasps. Case in point, the lady really shines when Black Metal is on the menu with tremolos in full motion. But not necessarily when she roars those clears at you worse than an early iteration of Stygian Crown’s Melissa Pinion.
The intentionally unrefined, often disjointed delivery sounds like a mix of the now-defunct Todtgelichter and what Agrypnie might do to one of their future pieces. That said, the blatantly unhinged and sometimes slightly dissonant ways of Stenahoria may very well rub a fair portion of the fan base the wrong way. Thus, you may have to give this piece a few painful listens before meting out judgement. But let it be said, the rough-hewn yet often atmospheric, tastily simplistic riffing, the down-in-the-pit bridges, and short solos really help pull this project forward. And this leads to a record of moments. On one side, TFA excel in creating thundering cathedral soundscapes of trve metal geekery. And on the other hand, instances of vulnerable soft spots appear, where distress and agony disintegrate into subdued yet heavy, blackened rivers of slow-moving molten metal.
But ultimately, Stenaphoria leaves you with a mixed bag of goodies. The musical prowess on display is of very high standard, no contest. And it isn’t the often disjointed nature of the arrangement that got on my wrong side. That’s part of the name of the game for such a record, too. And The Fifth Alliance manages this undoubtedly difficult task better than most. But it is instances like – for example – the inane and repetitive howling and circular riffing on endless repeat on Battle of Barnet that sometimes frankly killed an already syrupy flow. That is the kind of unforced error that might well turn away fans and experts alike.
And while the fare on Stenahoria may well be an acquired taste for many, the record proved an untamed source of many a metal delight. Doom-ish brutality roaring in on a disheveled potpourri of blackened moods and flavors. Merciless, grimy, and just what the doctor ordered in these times of trial and tribulation.
Thus, gritty greetings from the heavy underground to those with a hunger for the weird and unknown. As to the acolytes of the Metal o’ the Light and the holier-than-thou Nitpickers Ov Ze Imagined Metal Rulez, abstain. You have been warned.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Tartarus Records / Ardua Music | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 29 May 2026