AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): SOMNENT — “HEIRLOOM”

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Oct 272026
 

(On October 30th Ardua Music will release Heirloom, the third album by the Florida melodic doom/death metal band Somnent. Two weeks ago we presented Daniel Barkasi’s very good interview of the band’s founder Giovanni A. Vigliotti, and today we’re premiering a full stream of the entire album — preceded by Dan’s review.)

Within the halls of the doom genre, it’s not as easy to stand out and grab attention as it is in more bombastic styles such as death, thrash, and black metal. The best acts all contain significant depth in their music, emotively and within the often layered and complex compositions. Mother of Graves has accomplished this, and no doubt will continue to do so, along with Fires in the Distance, Tribunal, and a couple of others.

Today, we want to discuss Somnent, a band who no doubt currently has an underground following, but is on the precipice of something more. You can feel the hunger in their live performances, as well as within the steady progression of their music with each subsequent release. If you haven’t yet, check out our interview to learn more about the project’s origins and its creator and songwriter, Giovanni A. Vigliotti, which partners well with this review and full streaming premiere of the album. Continue reading »

HEART OF WINTER FESTIVAL 2027 PREVIEW

 Metal News  1 Response »
Oct 232026
 

(We present here Daniel Barkasi’s preview of the next Heart of Winter festival, a three-night event scheduled to take place in Richmond, Virginia on January 14-16, 2027.)

A truly great festival in the United States that features the sort of underground bands that get this scribe to take notice is admittedly hard to come by. We have the always-excellent Maryland Deathfest and of course the NCS-sponsored Northwest Terror Fest as tentpole events, but outside of that, it’s relatively slim pickings, especially compared to what Europe has to offer.

Heart of Winter Festival is here to answer the call.

Beginning as a small upstart event hosted in Richmond, Virginia, it was dormant for 15 revolutions around the sun until this past January, with a statement-making return that included Hulder, One of Nine, Daeva, Evoken, Woe, Inter Arma, Krieg, Demiser, Valdrin, and a bunch of others. We were lucky enough to attend, and what impressed us the most about the event itself beyond the notable lineup was the real DIY attitude and the care in every detail that made that weekend a special occasion.

We won’t have to wait another decade-and-a-half for the next iteration, and with every indication, Heart of Winter is pulling out every stop to make this one hell of a time. Continue reading »

MANNVEIRA: “VESÖLD”

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Oct 162026
 

(Below you will find Daniel Barkasi’s review of a new album by the Icelandic band Mannveira which is being released today on Dark Descent Records.)

Black metal contains a tendency, if not a foundational principle, to push the envelope in several facets. Recent times have shown the style to be malleable to all sorts of sonic avenues, a fair number of which have been extremely esteemed in the quality department. It’s of no surprise that – again – we land upon an Icelandic act who is doing that in its own volatile and entirely specific manner.

Mannveira is the subject at hand, and we certainly weren’t expecting a new record in the late embers of this year. However, here we are with Vesöld, the follow-up to the chilling Vítahringur – a work that impressed mightily via its psychedelic tones and obscure atmosphere. It wasn’t clear as to when new music might arrive from this collective, so the announcement of this release was a pleasant surprise indeed.

Quite a cast in the band’s makeup, with Vesöld featuring Altari‘s Óskar Þór Guðjónsson, Forsmán‘s Oddur Blöndal (check our their album from earlier this year), Kviðrista’s Illugi Kristinsson, Naðra‘s Hilmar Gylfi Guðjónsson, and Örlygur Sigurðarson, whose credits include 0 and the aforementioned Naðra. In short, a hell of a group with a wealth of differing musical endeavors in their history, returning to present what is Mannveira’s second LP — a piece that doesn’t stray far from the first, but conversely travels a multitude of freshly compelling paths.

Continue reading »

AN NCS INTERVIEW: SOMNENT

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Oct 142026
 

(We present Daniel Barkasi’s interview of Giovanni A. Vigliotti from the Floridian doom/death metal band Somnent, whose new album Heirloom will be released by Ardua Music on October 30th.)

As fall has begun, and winter will be right around the corner, the chill in the atmosphere cultivates the proper mindset for doom metal. A place where you don’t expect this sort of music to originate is the humid state of Florida, where a “cold” day usually constitutes maybe having to don a hoodie.

Somnent come from touristy central Florida, but they’re certainly not playing “It’s a Small World” or the like. The creative vehicle of Giovanni A. Vigliotti, Somnent’s official story began with an EP in Eventide in 2015 that gave a soulful expressiveness and a direct, crushing affront, showcasing plenty of potential. Two full-lengths followed with 2017’s Sojourn and 2021’s Gardens from Graves, as well as a live album recorded at the Doom Heart Fest, seeing the band grow in both creative zeal and stage presence.

Their sound can be described as ethereal yet harsh; beauteous while being demonstrably heavy. There’s as much My Dying Bride in them as there is Swallow the Sun, and Vigliotti has carved out a unique voice of his very own that’s on the precipice of breaking out fully.

Now armed with a new record in Heirloom and a new label in Ardua Music, Somnent is ready to take the next bold step into the shadowy unknown, of which we’ll have a full review in the coming days. Vigliotti himself is a humble fellow, whose influences are numerous and his ability obvious to all who indulge in his manifestations. We got the chance to have a chat about the long road that led to Heirloom, how he discovered this music in the first place within his personal journey, and even his favorite Marduk record. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Continue reading »

OBSCURITIES – VOLUME XXXII: 99.130%… GUILTY

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Oct 012026
 

(Here is a new monthly roundup of album reviews by Daniel Barkasi, which includes recommendations for six albums released in September 2026.)

With the fall season having officially started, the cool air has been refreshing. With that comes the start of football season – well, no, the other kind of football for this fella. The one that’s played with your feet that aligns with the name. You can have your throwball.

The big news, besides the kicking off the club game – it’ll be an interesting tale for my beloved Liverpool, though technically undefeated – was the very long awaited news about the accusations against Manchester City and their famed 115 charges of financial doping, irregularities, fake sponsorships, and a couple other things: they were reported to have been found guilty on 114 of them. This investigation was conducted by an independent commission to ensure neutrality, and their findings may somehow be worse than anticipated. Continue reading »

SRPNTS: “SECOND SHAPE”

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Sep 302026
 

(This is Daniel Barkasi’s review of a debut album by the German occult black metal band SRPNTS, which will be released on October 2nd by Serpent Sun Records.)

Discovery is at the heart of what makes our music-craving juices flow, for this scribe anyway. There’s always the insufferable “nothing good came out since 1991” curmudgeons, but to the truly initiated, the current day is quite an exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, time to be in the thick of the near constant barrage of quality music that comes our way most weeks. While plenty of the best musical moments do come from acts that we’re already familiar with, sometimes that thrill comes from a completely fresh entity that couldn’t have been predicted.

With that in mind, enter SRPNTS. Continue reading »

NOVAE MILITIAE: “APOCRYPHON OF THE UNBORN LIGHT”

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Sep 162026
 

(We present Daniel Barkasi’s enthusiastic review of a new album by the French black metal band Novae Militiae, which is set for release by Serpent Sun Records on September 18th.)

When it comes to conversations about the top-tier creators of black metal, there are certainly plenty of names that get thrown out. You’ll hear Misþryming and Darvaza come out of my mouth quite a bit, and we could absolutely throw out quite a list of bands that hit the proverbial spot, but that’s not the point.

Rather, a number exist that should get talked about far more often than they do. Today, that changes, at least for us, with Novae Militiae, the mysterious and dedicated French curators who have been strengthening with each subsequent release since their 2011 EP Affliction of the Divine. Having since unfurled two full-lengths of unmistakable quality since that fiery debut, the group has momentum on their side. Most recently, Topheth engulfed the senses with a monstrous, fierce quality that was coarse and oddly psychedelic in a raging sort of manner. An album which no doubt left an impression.

That was six years ago, however, and it’s been relatively quiet in their camp, until now. Aligning with the burgeoning Serpent Sun Records, who seemingly can’t release anything that’s less than stellar since their founding last year, they present us Apocryphon of the Unborn Light. To say the ascent continues is a gross understatement; this is a record of immense impetus and fuming intensity that aims to overwhelm to the point of the listener wondering what the hell just happened. Continue reading »

OBSCURITIES — VOLUME XXXI: DOG DAYS

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Sep 072026
 

(We have another monthly collection of reviews and enthusiastic recommendations from Daniel Barkasi. This one dials in six albums released in August 2026.)

When I titled this column, it can be taken as a literal statement for me – we’ve got three dogs, after all – but it’s generally a reference to the hottest period of the summer, which ends in August. I’m used to melting in this month, but the transition to this time of year in the mountains is a stark contrast to that of the Florida soup that we’re used to.

Here, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous, with our former geographical locale still being a humid swamp. We’ve made sure to literally touch grass more often to make sure to enjoy it while it lasts. Watching our young foal Ezri growing every day has been the highlight of recent times for the wife and I.

Now, is this trade-off worthwhile for dealing with the icy, snowy winters – absolutely fucking not. Ice is for hockey, not for chopping and shoveling to get out of the house. But, hey, even my pessimistic self needs to look at the bright side sometimes! I just need to get Ezri a coat soon. Continue reading »

FEN: “ELEMENTAL (PART 1: MOURNING EARTH)”

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Aug 312026
 

(We begin a new week at NCS with Daniel Barkasi’s review of a new album by the UK black metal band Fen, recently released by Prophecy Productions.)

The UK black metal scene is one of vibrance and diversity in approach. Of the long-standing members of that geographical scene, Fen stands alongside Saor and Winterfylleth as the most eclectic of the bunch, with today’s subject being a prolific example of never making the same album twice, choosing to continuously take risks over familiar stylistic comfort.

Since releasing their astounding and ever-relevant debut The Malediction Fields back in 2009 to throw the black metal hordes on their proverbial heads, it’s been a harrowing journey since, with a wide array of sonic shifts and creative swerves. That album will always be a special one for yours truly, and having witnessed it played in full at Fortress Festival remains a core memory.

Masterworks such as the seminal Dustwalker and the bitingly dynamic The Dead Light are also foundational works in the history of atmospheric black metal, pushing boundaries while bludgeoning with an endless cavalcade of riffs. 

Others didn’t land quite as close to those established heights, though all have their place in Fen‘s story. With the benefit of hindsight, each at minimum contain massive standout moments; Carrion Skies took the impossible task of quickly following Dustwalker and is altogether a great record, but not quite reaching the legendary status of its predecessor, where the experimental, proggy Winter has over time been a release that we’ve grown to appreciate more and more. Continue reading »

HULDER: “VERBOLGEN”

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Aug 072026
 

(Here we have Daniel Barkasi’s review of the new album by Hulder, which is beging co-released today by 20 Buck Spin and Season of Mist.)

As notoriety grows and more ears pique in a band’s direction, it can be especially challenging to determine where they may go when a new album rolls around. This scribe is far from the type who demands all bands whom I have a fondness for to only reach a certain level of visibility – rooting against the success of a band you like is such a strange concept – though it’s safe to say we’ve all been left disappointed by a few bands we hold dear when a change in sound occurs.

I’m not going to get into the great Gaerea debate, but they’re a recent example who has invoked all sorts of discourse from all over the opinion spectrum – covered nicely in these halls – but you could see a shift in their case coming, whether it was welcome to you or not. The point is, evolution is unavoidable, whether it be purposeful or a naturally gradual shift. Standing still often equates to being left behind.

Which is where we come to the traditional black metal force known as Hulder. 2024’s Verses in Oath has thus far been a high-water mark, building from their heralded and raw-to-the-bone demos to that of the debut full-length Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry, which is where the flame started flickering a little brighter. The Eternal Fanfare followed shortly after, aiding the already burgeoning reputation of this black metal traditionalist who wasn’t afraid to carve out a place in the vast history of this genre for themselves. Continue reading »

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