Hello, frosty folks. It’s been a good while. But our long hibernation ends. It’s time to permeate the earth once more with the icy tones of black metal. Kvlt Kolvmn returns with a vengeance.
In similar fashion to our other genre columns, we decided to let this year of our infernal underlord 2026 come to us. As is often the case, sifting through the early months of the year can be a challenge when it comes to finding new, quality releases. But found them we have, and we’re very excited to share them with you.
Thanks for joining us for another trip ‘round the sun. May our musical year be bleak and replete with all the blackened goodness we can stand.
Stay frosty.
-Jonathan Adams
Winter’s Crown
Worm - Necropalace
Without question the most hyped release of the first few months of the year, Worm’s fourth full-length release Necropalace has reached that rarified air where a legitimately underground band and record break into the mainstream indie scene. Of all the records released in Q1 of 2026, Necropalace feels like the poster child for metal as a genre, and however odd that may seem given its aesthetic and content it feels like the hype is justified. Necropalace feels like a legitimate evolution for the band, moving their songwriting and sound in new and exciting directions that still hold true to the band’s swampy aesthetic. It’s a change from Foreverglade, but for the most part a welcome one.
Off rip, it’s clear that Worm are shooting for a distinctly blackened sound with Necropalace. Where Foreverglade was firmly drenched in death-doom vibes, Necropalace brings black metal to the forefront to excellent results. This change shouldn’t be much of a surprise, given the melodic dalliances of Bluenothing. The writing was on the wall for a sonic departure, and Necropalace delivers that in spade. The album feels like a frigid wasteland of tremolo nastiness blended with highly melodic hooks that sink their teeth into you. The songwriting across the board is fantastic, but as is tradition, the performances are where Worm really shines. Phil Tougas (playing here as Wroth Septentrion) perfectly compliments Phantom Slaughter’s over-the-top synth work and fantastically ghoulish vocal performance, blending blackened nastiness with camp in a way that is uniformly delightful.
Front to back, I find little fault with Necropalace. Sure, it’s the soup du jour of the underground metal scene at the moment, but that shouldn’t take away from its effectiveness. Similar to Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere from a few years back, the hype feels somewhat justified here, as Worm have crafted an album that is both instantly enjoyable for blackened doom fans and newcomers alike, given its delicious campiness and obvious craftsmanship. I’m enjoying this thing immensely, and think it’s worth a spin or twelve.
-JA
Best of the Rest
Petrale - Goat at Sunset
If you know me, you know I can’t resist black metal that wears its roots on its sleeve. Petrale doesn’t just do that - it has a whole battle jacket plastered with heavy metal and punk band logos, proudly showing off to the world its musical pedigree. From the first moments of the album, with its galloping, heavy metal riff, and its progressive rock tendencies (especially on the drums), I knew I would love this album. Of course, Goat at Sunset doesn’t lose black metal fervor for all of that, otherwise it wouldn’t be appearing on this column (sorry, kolvmn). It uses those roots to raise its horns and hooves to the sky and scream black metal defiance.
This entry is short because Goat at Sunset is a “simple” release. By which I mean that it does what black metal is incredibly well, executing the foundational sounds of the genre to perfection, while melding it in great ways with ideas and sounds from the genres which first birthed black metal itself. There are not a lot of frills on this release and that is a great thing. There’s just excellent, passionate, and well informed black metal, evoking all of the emotions and aesthetic experiences you’d associate with that genre. If that’s what you want (and it’s certainly what I want right now) then you’ve come to the right place.
P.S I lied a bit. If you want some frills, head on over to “Dorsal Horn” to hear the sickest little progressive rock break this year. It rules.
-Eden Kupermintz
Domhain - In Perfect Stillness
As winter prepares to relinquish its grip, Belfast atmospheric black metal four-piece Domhain have delivered an appropriately Gael-tinged gale to herald the change of the seasons. Part contemplation and part carnage, with a strong undercurrent of wistful and at times uplifting melodicism, In Perfect Stillness is an ideal companion for a stormy walk or a long stare across a choppy body of water.
While much of the music dwells in expected atmospheric black metal environs, influences of goth and doom pepper the proceedings, and the interplay between vocalists Andy Ennis and Anaïs Chereyre-Méjan and backing vocals courtesy of Bryn Mills provide a varied and tenebrous timbre.
Chereyre-Méjan also handles drumming and the very effective cello sections, which further embellish the album’s dour and affective swings. Some of the cleaner guitar sections remind me of Sgàile while the more metallic melodies compare to Ba’al at times, and there are similarities to Oubliette and Sojourner, although Domhain deliver a decidedly more blackened and less driving and melodeath-inflected sound than the latter two.
Like a black-lacquered lobster, In Perfect Stillness carries its most delectable meat in the tail, with the gorgeous climax of the title track leading into final track and highlight “My Tomb Beneath the Tide”. Bringing the goth and doom influences to the forefront, this is a meticulous exercise in forlorn, windswept beauty.
At a tight 35 minute runtime, the album takes you on a contemplative and immersive journey to a cold and windswept shore. I’ll be haunting that deserted beach in its sombre company many a time again.
-Boeli Krumperman