The social media algorithm did its thing with Unverkalt. I can’t recall exactly which app, but an ad popped up showing them. I saw the band photo and the fact they’re on Season of Mist, which naively led me to believe they are a symphonic metal band, which is usually not something up my alley, but curiosity won this round, and I’m so glad it did.

Instead of symphonic metal, we have post-black metal with a variety of elements. If you’re into Cult of Luna, specifically Mariner, the album with Julie Christmas, then you’re close, but it’s not that simple. Take, for instance, “I, the Deceit,” which features Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ. Vocalist Dimitra Kalavrezou starts the track with almost quiet whispers before Sakis’ vocals take over. In that moment, the song also gets heavier with the drum performance of Christian Eggers standing out, only to get quiet when Dimitra’s vocals take back over, and Sakis is relegated to the background. It’s a moody number, which transitions effortlessly from warmth to suffocation.

I skipped far ahead, getting the Rotting Christ comparison out of the way first. As far as openers go, though, one can’t do much better than “Die Auslӧschung.” It begins slowly with haunting vocals in nearly a whisper until slightly after the one-minute mark, when it stops, then the blasting takes over, pulling from the Hellenic Black Metal school. Save for a few moments of chaos, the song is slow moving but sets you up for what’s to come.

As you may know from previously reading other reviews of mine, I enjoy highlighting the different sounds and sub-genres bands employ. Along these lines is “A Lullaby for the Descent.” It’s relatively quiet for the first two minutes before exploding. The duality of the vocal approach with the blackened rasps in the background help paint the picture behind the clean main vocals. A tremolo-picked riff, along with the hard-hitting drums catapult this track into a perfectly balanced joy. Shit. I shouldn’t say that in a review of a black metal adjacent album. Forget I said anything. I was never here.

Damn, you caught me, so I might as well mention “Maladie de l’Esprit,” as it ends the album. It’s a solemn beginning with what I swear is a mandolin.

This album is a pleasant, early 2026 surprise. Its mood changes from violent to stoic, to dreadful, occasionally hopeful, and endlessly introspective. This is the sort of post-black metal that used to heavily populate my conscience. I’m not the same person I was when that was the case as this form has become stale. There are, of course, exceptions, and the new Unverkalt is one of the,m quite worthy of your time.

[Visit the band's website]

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