Release Date October 2nd, 2026
Format LP/CD
Genre Death Metal
Origin Finland
Hekatoxen formed in Tampere, Finland, in 2020 and works as a quartet: Jussi on vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar and synth, Niko on rhythm guitar, Risto on bass and Vesa on drums. The 2022 EP “Utter Darkness” laid out the plan, and “Obsidian Majesty” is the first full length, arriving on LP and CD through Nuclear Winter Records. The band stays inside Finnish death metal, and Demigod, Adramelech, Sentenced in their early days and Funebrarum are the names that fit next to it.
“Obsidian Majesty” offers around 35 minutes of death metal built on forceful guitar riffs, shifting tempos and a rhythm section that balances speed with slower, heavier movements. “Lost Souls Epitome” introduces the album's approach through extended arrangements and changes in pace, while “Grave Reveries” brings the riffs to the front with a more immediate structure. Across the album, the guitar work combines dark melodic lines with tougher, more aggressive passages, while the vocals remain firmly rooted in traditional death metal. The production retains an organic character, allowing the instruments to retain their presence without excessive studio gloss.
The songwriting rarely strays from established genre conventions, and some passages lean heavily on the Finnish death metal sound that inspired them, limiting the element of surprise. Nevertheless, the arrangements have enough variation to prevent the album from becoming a monotonous exercise in nostalgia. “Obsidian Majesty” is a strong debut full length with capable musicianship, effective songwriting and a well-maintained atmosphere, even if its creative reach remains within recognizable boundaries. Eight tracks, no filler.
|8.3
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