The Swedes are notorious for their extreme music, and I have to admit that so far I haven’t come across a single band from their corners whose music I couldn’t listen to with enormous pleasure – which only makes the process of sorting through the material even more merciless. Among the well-known and dearly revered names stand devoted black metal and death metal acts alike, yet a fine union of both worlds has found its dwelling in the work of the established legends IN AETERNUM. To this day, they carry a solid, hard-earned reputation, and they have brought forth four feral full-length albums that scorched through the underground since their inception in the early ’90s, each one gnawing at the edge of black‑death extremity and leaving an indelible mark on our realms.

Their new, fifth full-length album, “…of Death and Fire”,  is set to be released on February 6th this year via Soulseller Records. What awaits you on this platter is nothing less than a vast slaughterhouse meant to tear through flesh and marrow, reaching deep beneath the skin in a way that is both intelligent and mercilessly bloodthirsty, true to the band’s nature and its brutal core. With this fifth offering, IN AETERNUM mark twenty years since the release of their first demo under this name, and you can be certain that the recording is saturated with enough effort, skill, and vision to convey a sensation that has grown increasingly rare within extreme metal circles.

From the first to the third track, the musicians remain firmly devoted to their old-school blackened death metal roots, standing more on the death metal front, weaving in melodic elements along the way. With the fourth piece, “Spirits of the Dead,” the band shifts toward heavier and more intricate structures, surrendering to faster tempos and a surge of more sensible black metal energy. Everything becomes more feral, more massive, swallowing the soundscape  in its entirety.

A clear focal point emerges in the narrative passage in the form of spoken word midway through “Mortuary Cult,” where singular bass lines seep in, soon joined by the violent collision of David Larsson’s feral vocals. From there on, with each successive track, the atmosphere deepens and turns increasingly savage, forging a merciless wall of sound built from well-thought-out melody and primal roars. Several compositions, in my view, carry the weight of future genre classics – the pieces “Bow To None,” “Goddess of Abominations” and the closing track “To Those Who Have Rode On”, featuring Erik Danielsson of Watain (an excellent choice both musically and ideologically),  leave a lasting mark. All of these spells bear a flame-laden force, rising directly from the depths beyond the fiery gates…

Across eleven tracks wrought in flame, sound is transmuted into ritual – sonic magick shaped by devotion, burning intent – a deep philosophical pilgrimage through the corridors of death, shadow, and the occult mysteries that exist beyond the veil. Thus said, “…of Death and Fire” is everything a soul touched by the infernal flames could need. The band vowed this record would stand as a true ripper for all disciples of blackened death metal – and that vow has been honored. Are you ready to descend?

Delve into  two of the tracks from the album below:

Album: “…of Death and Fire”
Band: IN AETERNUM
Country: Sweden
Release Date: February 6th, 2026
Label: Soulseller Records
Orders: https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com