Release Date March 26th, 2026
Format Digital/CD
Genre Death Metal
Origin Australia
Circle Of Blood come from Australia and step into the death metal pit with their eyes fixed on the old underground code. Their sound is tied to the early Swedish and Florida death metal schools, bringing together rotten riff pressure, deep vocal force, and a drum attack built for damage. With "In Praise Of Darkness", released through Grindhead Records, they shape their identity around occult horror, ritual fear, black magic, witch trials, and the collapse of fake holiness.
"In Praise Of Darkness" is a fitting title, because this album does not deal in light, comfort, or clean salvation. It drags the listener through cult worship, corrupted faith, and old fear with a sound rooted in classic
death metal tradition. The title is not just decoration, it reflects the whole atmosphere of the album, a descent into shadow where religion, power, and violence rot together.
This is death metal stripped of any pathetic modern elements. Circle Of Blood steps up with "In Praise Of Darkness", and the title tells you the whole story. This is a direct plunge into the abyss, a relentless march honoring the ancient ways of extreme music. The sound captures the Swedish buzzsaw guitar tone popularized at Sunlight Studio and merges it with the brutal, low-end force that came out of Morrissound in Florida during the early nineties. The guitar riffs are devastating, the vocals come straight from a cavern, and the drumming stays locked into a continuous, devastating assault. The production avoids any modern, clicky garbage, maintaining a crude, authentic power that captures the original underground spirit.
The single "Immolation" gives a clear idea of the album’s direction, ritual atmosphere, blunt riffing, and a dark old-school pulse. Across the album, songs like "Legions Rise", "Bastard Child Of A Coward God", "Dethronement", and "The God Hand" strengthen the record’s occult death metal identity without turning the whole experience into a scattered mess. The band stays loyal to the sound it has chosen, and that focus helps the album remain firm, even when some parts could use a little more surprise or stronger identity.
This is not a perfect death metal album, and it does not always rise above its influences. Some sections follow familiar paths, and listeners who already live inside this style may predict a few turns before they arrive. Still, "In Praise Of Darkness" has enough force, atmosphere, and riff-driven violence to make its mark. It is a serious underground death metal release with a cruel pulse, a dark concept, and enough quality to deserve attention from anyone who wants death metal with ritual shadows and old-school muscle. Throughout the ten tracks, "In Praise Of Darkness" refuses to compromise, staying loyal to the ways of old without any useless experimentation. It is a relentless barrage of pure death metal, built solely to crush.
|8.0
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