Cnoc An Tursa – A Cry For The Slain (2026) – Review

Cnoc An Tursa - A Cry For The Slain - Album Cover

Is it Saor season yet? I reckon it’s time again to roam them standing stones and stuff to find more country lore, yarns, and fairy tales of all sorts. And 2026 seems to be the year that those unsung warriors of the arcane lurch forth. The Scots of Cnoc An Tursa1 didn’t manifest themselves for almost a decade and are now back with their newest concoction, A Cry For The Slain.

Never heard of them? You’re not alone. The old geezers of the RMR Review Desk have seen the name mentioned here and there. But their earlier wares … [...] Click to raid more!

Domhain – In Perfect Stillness (2026) – Review

Domhain - In Perfect Stillness - Album Cover

Let’s think out of the box for a moment, shall we? I was bitching at someone lately who thought that the trve spirit of Black Metal has gone missing. And by that the commentator probably meant those early days when churches were burning and murders committed in a daemonically confused frenzy of bible studies gone astray. Well, things are a bit more complex than that.

You still got the choirboys of the underworld, such as Darkend or Corpus Diavolis that blatantly indulge in tall tales contained in dusty, old books concocted by – someone in the annals of time. And … [...] Click to raid more!

Ellende – Zerfall (2026) – Review

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Forest Metal didn’t fill the RMR crew with praise in 2025. You know, those bands dwelling mainly in the Bavarian and Austrian woodlands. Thorondir kind of made it over the threshold, albeit just barely. But Waldgeflüster got lost in the jungle of their own thoughts and emotions. And – in turn – then lost us. High expectations brutally squashed, that kind of thing.

But hey, never give up hope, right? Ellende are back with new material just when 2026 finally lurches into focus.1 If you recall, Todbringering made it onto our zine in 2024 with a remake of an … [...] Click to raid more!

Suffering – Things Seen But Always Hidden (2025) – Review

Suffering - Things Seen But Always Hidden - Album Cover

The RMR crew liked this metaphor of the red door. The entrance you never want to use, but some compulsive urge takes you there no matter what. It is a bit like this overused Hotel California theme1 of long times past. You can run, but you can never leave, that kind of thing. And wherever you go, suddenly you see that red door appearing out of the poisoned mist. Do you remember the age-old movie The Shining? ‘Xactly, there is a feeling of dread with them doors, colored any which way, that you should never enter.

And it’s not … [...] Click to raid more!