Epitaphios is yet another international Black Metal duo formed in early 2025 by the Mexican musician Agares Mortem from Cum Mortem and the prolific Chilean artist Lord Valtgryftåke.
United by a shared obsession with ritualistic and epic riff-craft, they signed to the underground label Ars Maligne (which is owned by Agares Mortem) and unleashed their debut full-length, ‘Storming Manifestations of Evil’, on May 25, 2025. The CD edition was/is initially strictly limited to 200 numbered copies at the moment.
Clocking out at over 47 minutes, the album contains a chilling Overture and 4 Epitaphios’ chapters/suites.
Picture yourself a grandiose fusion of majestic tremolo guitars, solemn, yet pile driver drum patterns, and layered, atmospheric/ethereal chant-like vocal passages. Like said – it’s less a collection of loose songs than a deliberately sequenced rite. It is steeped in darkness, evil, and blasphemy and loaded with occult devotion.
While being firmly rooted in the second-wave Scandinavian tradition, Epitaphios weaves in raw ritual ambience and linear (Latin American) melodic undercurrents to create a brooding, punishing transcontinental Black Metal narrative— one that portrays an onslaught of primordial decay and arcan mysticism rising from the shadows. It’s amazing just how arctic/cold the music sounds on ‘Storming Manifestations of Evil’. Like a frostbitten edge engulfing everything.
Similar artists- we could cite Thagirion Altars, Grollheim, Draugaskógur, Consummatio, Lord Valtgryftåke just to giving you some bearings.
It’s a gargantuous explosion of symphony and sound, this ‘Storming Manifestations of Evil’ Top notch performances on every level, feeding off different styles and thus creating an immortal piece of raw Black Metal. Judge for yourself.
