Feature / Music
Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2026)

This new, mysterious entity from Poland coalesces two pivotal traditions in the black metal sphere. Necromantia's early decadent nature sets the tone, with the compositions radiating the same asphyxiating quality. At the same time, Thy Killing Hand reach for the primitive mysticism of Beherit, letting a dark ambient leaning influence their core structures. The result is a dark and damned work that relishes its bestial nature.

Just when it seemed that Neurosis have reached the end, they return in their most splendid form. Having Aaron Turner in their ranks has imbued them with a newfound energy, one that still channels the same apocalyptic landscapes, immersive ambiances and spiritual heights of their past. This is a work that stands proudly alongside their masterworks in Times of Grace and Through Silver In Blood, and that is no small feat.

The Copenhagen act has been around for just a couple of years but they already sound like extreme metal veterans. In their sophomore release they build on top of their debut, with their intricate structures taking a cue from Hammers of Misfortune, while also pushing a blackened perspective. The result is a dizzying work of great ambition, complex and daunting, but surprisingly memorable.

Operating like outsider hermits in the black metal sphere, Slagmaur have low-key produced a series of striking works. Refusing to abide to speed and aggression, instead favouring dissonance and stricter structures, they have reached a pinnacle with their latest record. Obnoxious and oppressive, informed by industrial aspirations, Hulders Ritual is the closest thing we will get to a new Thorns record.

The collaboration of two very inventive guitarists in Mathieu Ball (Big | Brave) and Liam Andrews (Big | Brave, My Disco), Spillings is a distillation of the sound that defines their main project. Their debut is defined by a constant struggle between the minimal and abstract guitar form, and a more solid rock formation. It is the tension between these two sides that makes Spillings so interesting, as layers upon layers of post-metal, post-punk and industrial music are deconstructed and put back together again.