Release Date January 15th, 2026
Format Digital/CD/Cassette
Genre Epic/Doom Metal
Origin Canada
Before this crew started haunting the Montreal underground as Exxûl, they were kicking around in 2020 under the name Crestfallen. It took them four years of absolute patience to hunt down a throat capable of hitting the insane notes required for this brand of power-doom. They found their man in their own backyard of Québec, dusted off the songs they’d kept on ice, and hit the stage with heavyweights like Eternal Champion. This isn't some throwaway side project; it’s a full-on sonic manifestation of the "Perpetual Planes" lore, the same twisted universe shared by Chthe'ilist and Atramentus. Exxûl refers to the tower atop the world’s second-highest peak, and if the bells are ringing, you’re already dead.
Forget everything you think you know about epic metal. This debut from Exxûl is a god-tier slab of arrogance and sheer technical wizardry that makes most modern bands look like they’re playing with plastic toys. "Sealed Into None" is a total eclipse of the sun, merging the high-speed shred of USPM with the suffocating, funeral-march weight of the best doom. The guitars scream like dying gods over a rhythm section that sounds like it was recorded in the depths of a cathedral’s crypt.
The atmosphere here is thick enough to choke on. Stargazer’s vocals are a total revelation, soaring into the stratosphere with a range that would make the legends of the 80s sit up and take notice. Most singers would destroy their vocal cords trying to keep up with the shifting tempos and the sheer density of these compositions. The mix, handled by Andrew Lee, keeps everything raw and authentic, it sounds like a lost relic from 1989 that was too dangerous to be released until now.
Every single second of this record feels calculated to ruin your speakers. It takes the theatrics of the genre and turns them into a weapon. We are talking about massive, towering songs that refuse to play by the rules, blending blackened elements into the mix just to keep you off balance. The songwriting is so incredibly intense that you’ll still be picking up new details on your hundredth listen.
If you’ve been waiting for a band to stop playing it safe and actually show some teeth, this is it. Exxûl has managed to take the DNA of giants like Crimson Glory and Solitude Aeturnus and mutate it into something far more menacing. It is thunderous, it is ambitious, and it is probably the album of the year. If this doesn't end up at the top of every "Best of 2026" list, then the scene is more brain-dead than I thought. This is the new standard for heavy music.
Score: 9.5
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