(MUCK POOL NEWS) ARCTOS – "A PATH APART" (ATMOSPHERIC/MELODIC BLACK METAL)

Canadian atmospheric and melodic black metal band ARCTOS will release their new album, A Path Apart, on November 6, 2026, through Northern Silence Productions.
The record explores themes of disillusionment, loss, perseverance, and individuality. Designed to be heard as a cohesive whole, its writing coincided with major life changes for the members, including isolation, new fatherhood, career shifts, and their drummer moving to Iceland. According to the band, becoming more self-reliant helped them "better understand the voice of ARCTOS, resulting in a record they describe as diverse and dynamic while remaining focused."
Album Details
  • Release Date: November 6, 2026
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital
  • Production: Drums recorded by Helgi Durhuus at Stúdíó Helvíti (Iceland). Bass and vocals recorded at Oracle Studios (Canada). Guitars recorded at Frostbitten Basement Cave (Canada). Mixed and mastered by Juho Räihä at Soundspiral Audio (Finland).
Tracklist
  1. From Formless Depths...
  2. Altar of Storms
  3. Cold Stone and Broken Earth
  4. Greybound
  5. Crossing the Funeral Plain...
  6. A Path Apart
  7. The Cloak
  8. The Way of the Forgotten (The Passage III)

Line-up:

Dan Wilberg - Vocals, guitar

Nick Wilberg - Piano

Josh Needham - Drums

Jeremy Puffer - Guitar

Jacob Maisonneuve - Bass

Recording info:

Drums recorded by Helgi Durhuus at Stúdíó Helvíti, Iceland

Bass and vocals recorded with Diego Fernandez at Oracle Studios, Canada

Guitars and additional vocals recorded at Frostbitten Basement Cave, Canada

Mixed and mastered by Juho Räihä at Soundspiral Audio, Finland

Links:

Bandcamp: https://arctosofficial.bandcamp.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Arctosofficial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arctos_official/

Popular posts from this blog

AMULET - "SO COLD" (RISING PHOENIX) (SINGLE, DARKWAVE, DISTORTION PRODUCTIONS, REVIEW)

Image
So Cold (Rising Phoenix)  is the first single from the forthcoming EP ' Purification ' due for release via Distortion Productions on November, 28th.  Amulet is a DC artist and So Cold (Rising Phoenix) is the synthpop incarnation of the darkwave rock track of the same name, and is a faster paced re-imagined version.  It has a contagious tempo with clear vocals that flow in and out with the melody. A very goth tone from what Bog could hear, which has been nicely laced on top of the beat. It's well composed, sectioned together strongly with the hook and transitions. Bog could hear the riffs in the background on an earlier part of the song, which was a good touch, and Bog assumed they are maybe from the original version of So Cold . We aren't too familiar with this style of music, or the artist, but Stephanie Stryker's vocals stand out. They also carry a style that could transfer across  to goth rock/goth metal, and possibly traditional heavy metal. We aren't sure ...
Read more

TOMB SLAB (SLUDGE, REVIEW) - SELF TITLED (RELEASED JULY 17TH, ROAD TO MASOCHIST RECORDS)

Image
Bog Land classic coming up here y'all! Tomb Slab embody the stench, muck, dirt, and pure stinky ass dirty unclean rivers of mud that flow through special areas of the swamp. They are hideously revolting and play a gut wrenching style of sludge with some doomy potions! The album is as disgusting as the time Bog had to use a nail file to remove the mould between his ball sack and thigh. Sometimes you have to use toilet paper to wipe it off, but it had dried a little too hard, so it was a fun day, but enough of the Bog mishap memoirs for now.  Bog is attempting the selector lens, but he may f*ck off into commentary mode whilst rolling around in bog water from pure excitement.  Tomb Slab are on the  Road To Masochist  roster along with fellow sickness sludge mongers  BLÜDWYRM . All of them have caught Bog's ear, so shout to y'all!   1. Kingdom of Tyranny opens with a crushing riff intro supported by the vocals in a symphony of desolate grime to assault th...
Read more

BLOOD HANDSOME: 'NOSTALGIA HOLD' (STRICT TEMPO, RELEASED SEPT 5TH, DARKWAVE/SYNTH, REVIEW)

Image
Bog was due to write about Blood Handsome later on the schedule, but it was moved forward to feature something different from other underground music. Bog will be writing from the stance of what he hears, he doesn't know too much about this/or the particular style/scene, so disclaimer alert. Bog writes about what he hears, and how it makes him think/feel. Blood Handsome opens with Abandon,  which is an up tempo track with a beat that people can move/bounce too. Futuristic and feels ahead of its time, but also embodies the synth/goth influences, which Bog can hear. I guess dark synth with a little cyberpunk to a point that invokes the imagination to think of cyberpunk movies/novels, and generally space/planets, and all things in the not so distant future.  Abandon has a sinister/dark vibe, leaving the impression of robots dancing on a space station. Leaving imagination world for a moment, and turning attention to the music itself for a deeper dive, an attempted one, hop...
Read more