Firtan – Helios (2026) – Review

Firtan - Helios - Album Cover

Helios, the old Greek sun god.1 The all-seeing eye spy in the sky from which you cannot hide. A sun-crowned raider of the infamous chariot, roaring through the ether with his horse-drawn contraption. That is the theme the German Black Metallers Firtan chose to cover in their newest 2026 album.

And I daresay, the RMR crew couldn’t imagine a better genre to pick for such a mighty storyline. Firtan have been orbiting around our little universe for a while. Peddled to us as a highly atmospheric and insanely immersive Black Metal act, this is their first appearance on … [...] 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!