acaDamien This was one of my favorites for 2025 and I had listened to it on streaming repeatedly. I finally had to have my own copy since I enjoyed it so much. An amazing album. Favorite track: Talk To Your Sleep.

bmurator US Atmospheric Black Metal. I very much enjoyed "Walk Beyond the Dark" so was very excited for this despite being very late to the party... :) Powerful performance together with some lovely dark atmospheres. I do not have everything of theirs but this is likely their best... :) Highly recommended!!! Favorite track: Void Within.

Bryce A Void Within Existence strikes with both extremity and control. The drums are central: furious, precise, and in constant motion, driving radical tempo shifts that reshape each track. Abigail Williams moves between relentless blasts and funereal breathing spaces, playing with sharp contrasts in atmosphere. An intense album, and the band’s best in my opinion. Favorite track: Talk To Your Sleep.

flowinglower Gothic Black Metal
Ipswich, ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

One of the best Black Metal EP’s ever. This remaster sounds great, the huge booklet is amazing. Kind of a bummer none of these DSR remasters were presented in a gatefold sleeve. The jackets have a matte printing with no gloss. The download code was a nice bonus. Favorite track: Queen Of Winter, Throned (2025 Remaster).

The Mad Professor PRINT THE RUDDY LYRICS!!👿

Chandler Brown If you ignore this or any other Stuart Anstis era CoF album for ANY reason, you are the biggest fucking idiot known to man and you are missing out on literally some of the greatest riff writing mastery in black metal history, past, present AND future. People just can't play like this anymore Favorite track: Queen Of Winter, Throned (2025 Remaster).

flowinglower Gothic Black Metal
Ipswich, ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Probably the only album that needed a remaster most. This is the best mastering of the album. Kind of unfortunate it wasn’t a gatefold or 2xLP w/ a single-sided etching. Favorite track: The Black Goddess Rises (2025 Remaster).

Frostspell When those intro bells ring, it just feels like home y'all 🥹🥹🥲 Favorite track: Darkness Our Bride (Jugular Wedding) (2025 Remaster).

Püttkieker This is CoF's first and best album and one of only two releases worth buying. This release is a modern classic and a milestone unto its own like Emperor's "In the Nightside Eclipse". Favorite track: To Eve The Art Of Witchcraft (2025 Remaster).

Alezelaromor These are some of the Most Poorly Mixed recordings I have ever heard.....from any band. A damn shame....

flowinglower Gothic Black Metal
Ipswich, ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

It was fascinating to finally hear the shelved recording of the classic, Dusk And Her Embrace. I came to prefer this original recording. Reading the huge booklet that came with the vinyl - and this download code - I learned that both recordings of this album were before V Empire. Favorite track: Heaven Torn Asunder.

Obsidian One Interesting to revisit this classic and hear how it was originally intended. Riff at 1:44 of 'Heaven Torn Asunder' remains the same, but with different vocals surrounding it. The symphony starting at 5:09 in 'Dusk and Her Embrace' is more prominent, and the female vocals at 2:20 in 'Funeral in Carpathia' are stunning. Having this resurrected version feels like uncovering something long buried. I do miss the original cover art, though — I had a poster of it on my wall in rez.

Urso X Not surprised that AMG dissed this gem, as they have a longstanding habit of such reviews. Fortunately, we have many trusted BC peers to post recommendations, and we should also (first and foremost) be trusting our own ears and hearts. This one-man act, a member of so many high quality projects, has created hypnotic, almost ritualistic, atmo/ambient bm worthy of any fan’s attention. Utterly gorgeous!

mourner Like many (and I mean MANY) times before I can only second and thank YomaBarr. This is really great. The chants and the dark atmosphere in the one hand and the harsh vocals and the relentless drumming make this especially rousing and beautiful. To die for! Favorite track: De Rode Klauwen.

YomaBarr This is fantastic!
This is convincing. I believe it. And this is so, so BELGIAN.

Corvus of Wolvennest/Cult of Erinyes. All's clear.

Keith B AMG lazily reviewed this as bog standard atmo-black, but it’s way bigger/ more trance-inducing than that. A spiritual cousin to the recent Am Himmel debut, this heaps on elements of drone and has some particularly tasty bass and synth work. Dig in. Favorite track: Mijn Boetedoening.