I’ll admit it — Russian Black Metal is one of the few areas of the genre that I’ve never really dug too deep into. I’ve dabbled here and there, sure — I know my Forest Streams, I’ve come across a few grim gems lurking in the shadows of the internet — but I’ve never really taken the full plunge into that scene the same way I have with the Norwegian, Finnish, or even French undergrounds. Maybe it’s the language barrier, maybe it’s the sheer volume of chaos that comes out of Eastern Europe, or maybe I’ve just been a lazy bastard. Either way, that all changes right fucking now, because Teufelsdom have just shown up with their self-titled debut and completely destroyed any excuse I ever had for sleeping on Russian Black Metal.
Teufelsdom by Teufelsdom (because of course it’s self-titled, and why the hell not?) is a vicious, unholy slab of traditional Black Metal — cold, raw, and utterly relentless — but it’s not some throwback nostalgia trip. No, this thing has teeth. It has purpose. It’s steeped in the old ways, sure, drenched in that pure Second Wave bloodline that Mayhem, early Gorgoroth, and the rest of that infernal Scandinavian pantheon made infamous — but it also dares to stretch, to evolve, to show that Russian Black Metal isn’t just following the corpse-painted crowd; it’s kicking down the church doors and screaming its own damn sermon in the face of God.
From the very first track Тень Предвечного Зла (handily translated for you on the tracklist as Shadow of Primordial Evil) you can hear that this is a band with intent. The riffs are savage — not just tremolo-picked walls of noise (though there’s plenty of that, don’t worry), but riffs that move. They twist and coil like smoke from a pyre, constantly shifting shape but always staying true to their cause. The guitar tone is nasty — that perfect balance of grit and clarity that makes you feel like your speakers are bleeding but somehow still allows every note to shine through the insanity.
The drumming is absolutely fucking relentless. It’s not just a machine gun blast-beat marathon (though there are definitely plenty of moments where the sticks sound like they’re seconds away from snapping in half), but there’s groove and precision here too. The drummer knows exactly when to go for the throat and when to pull back, letting the tension simmer before launching back into another round of sonic devastation.
Vocally, it’s everything you want from true Black Metal — feral, hateful, drenched in venom. The frontman doesn’t sound like he’s performing so much as he’s ripping his own soul out through his throat and hurling it into the void. There’s no studio trickery, no bullshit effects, just pure human fury channelled through a mic.
There’s a sense of ancient ruin here, of decaying cathedrals and frozen wastelands haunted by the ghosts of fallen saints. You can practically see the candlelight flickering against the cracked stone walls as this record unfolds. It’s immersive in a way that a lot of modern Black Metal just isn’t anymore.
Production-wise, Teufelsdom hit the sweet spot: raw, but not sloppy. You can tell this was recorded with care — the sound is organic, alive, not polished to death. There’s texture in every note, a sense of space and depth that makes it feel like you’re sitting in some darkened crypt while the band tears through a ritual just for you.
What I love most, though, is how confident this debut sounds. There’s no sense of hesitation, no fumbling to find a sound. Teufelsdom already know who they are and what they want to be — a band that honours the grim foundations of Black Metal while refusing to be bound by them. They’re not here to reinvent the genre; they’re here to own it, to remind everyone that it’s still possible to sound traditional without being derivative, to summon the old spirits without just aping what’s come before.
By the time the final track Плетущая Тенёта Сновидений (A Weaving Web of Dreams) ends, you’re left with that rare feeling that you’ve just witnessed the start of something special. Teufelsdom aren’t just another name to add to the endless pile of underground acts; they’re a fucking statement. A reminder that Russian Black Metal isn’t some hidden curiosity — it’s a raging, frostbitten beast ready to tear its way into the global scene.
Teufelsdom is available from the Teufelsdom Bandcamp page.
CHOICE CUT: Плетущая Тенёта Сновидений
BLACK METAL ARCHIVES VERDICT: Teufelsdom is a debut forged in fire and ice — furious, ritualistic, and dripping with conviction. Russia’s Black Metal scene just found its new torchbearers, and if there’s any justice, Teufelsdom will be the name that drags it screaming into the spotlight.
