Black Metal

A pan-international quartet featuring members from Norway and Italy, FUNERAL HARVEST formed in 2016 and unleashed their first public recording the very next year. Tellingly titled Bunker Ritual Rehearsal, this first strike was auspicious to say the very least, and quickly built a name for FUNERAL HARVEST in the underground. Their raw ‘n’ robust black metal sound was rooted in the ancient ways but never regressive – in fact, its ghoulish hostility was perversely refreshing. An epic digital single followed in 2019, but it was 2020’s self-titled EP, released to widespread acclaim by SIGNAL REX, where FUNERAL HARVEST indeed began to reap: a grim ‘n’ graven culmination of all that’s come before and all that lies ahead.

Black Metal

GEISTAZ’ IKA are a shadowy entity hailing from Denmark’s revitalized (and rising) black metal underground.

Hailing from Denmark’s revitalized (and rising) black metal underground, the shadowy entity known as Geistaz’ika revealed their first public recording, Trolddomsejd i skovens dybe kedel, at the very end of 2018, but only digitally. So impressed by its windswept wonder, Signal Rex eagerly stepped forward to release this debut album unto the worldwide stage less than a year later.

Black Metal

No strangers to the ever-fertile Portuguese black metal underground, GINNUNGAGAP preceded the esteemed likes of TRONO ALÉM MORTE, ORDEM SATANICA, and VOËMMR. To date, they’ve delivered two extremely limited tapes, but now are even more embraced by the cold and frosty winds of the Aldebaran Star. Witness Heliacal Arising. What is set to be a new landmark not only for the Circle but for the wider Portuguese underground, GINNUNGAGAP here conjure a bewitching storm of strangely soothing mysticism. Shadows and secrets still remain, but Helical Arising moves with etheric might – “raw” on a very basic or simplified level, but embellished with a rare refinement that makes their musings simply otherworldly. Is there synth in there, or some unorthodox twist of strings? Is it recorded live in the rehearsal room, or painstakingly layered with an auteur’s touch? Only GINNUNGAGAP know, but thankfully, the faithful reap the rewards: Heliacal Arising is transportive black metal par excellence, an effortless throwback to ancient-days atmosphere.

Black Metal

In 2017, GOATMOON truly etched its name its Finnish black metal legendry with Stella Polaris, a monument of cosmic, snow-capped majesty. The entirely dungeon synth Silver Serpent followed in 2021, but now arrives GOATMOON’s full-length return to black metal with What Once Was… Shall Be Again. As presaged by its title, there’s an undeniably yearning and nostalgic aspect to the band’s characteristically epic ruminations, occasionally/often dusted by folkloric synths. But if one were to assume that What Once Was… Shall Be Again would further continue that refinement – and indeed, in large part, it does – the album equally takes GOATMOON back to their earliest, rawest roots, here temped by the steely-eyed austerity of older age and wisdom. It’s a skillful balance pulled off with aplomb, proving that the band honor their history but rarely repeat themselves. And more than anything, it provides another dazzling new canvas on which warriors and dreamers can explore…but no safe spaces here, of course. No other words necessary: What Once Was… Shall Be Again!

Dungeon Synth

Limited album of +30 min of deep dungeon synth.

Four-panel single fold digipak.