Here's the first interesting discovery of 2026 - sympho black metal that feels and sounds like The Kovenant/Covenant or Arcturus on their classic reseases of the second part of the 90s, but it's from mid-2020s Moscow. "Astral Forge of Supreme Evil" is only an 11 minutes long maxi single, but I'm already eager to hear something bigger from Dismal Gateways, since it's cosmic black metal made the way I like it, and it's quite different from most bedroom black metal releases of the last decade:
"Cosmic landscapes appear before us in dreams and myths. Astral planes
and stardust castles are our abode. We build our empire from
kaleidoscopic fragments of the Black Grail, where we find inspiration.
The dark gates by which the Path lies are the myriad stars in the
firmament.
He who follows this Path leaves far below him the pitiful chatter of
politics and the egoism of nations. He indifferently steps over dreams
of glory and recognition. Without debating the usefulness of truth, he
boldly enters the realm of the ultimate cold of cosmic space in search
of forgotten knowledge and ancient ways. Beyond the North lie ice and
death."
