More Black Metal than a roomful of Euronymous clones, heavier than a fat bastard convention, and more Satanic than Lucifer’s cock ring, Mystic Circle have been stalking the shadows for over three decades — through disbandments, reformations, and enough ritual bloodletting to fill a small lake. With nine albums already etched into their unholy scripture, the question now stands: how does album number ten, Hexenbrand 1486, hold up upon the altar of Melodic Black Metal?
Well, how the fuck do you think it holds up? Excellently, of course.
From the first infernal notes, Hexenbrand 1486 feels like an invocation — an album forged in brimstone, blood, and pure conviction. Mystic Circle haven’t mellowed with age; they’ve sharpened their blades. The production hits like a thunderbolt: clear enough to showcase the intricate layers of melody, yet raw enough to keep the teeth bared. The drums roll like cascading mountains; the riffs slice and soar with that classic Teutonic precision; and the vocals — venomous, commanding, utterly possessed — sound as if they’ve been torn from the mouth of the Beast himself.
There’s a cinematic streak running through this record too, a kind of infernal theatre that recalls Emperor at their most regal and Dimmu Borgir before the symphonic gloss overtook the darkness. But make no mistake — this is still pure Black Metal at heart. Tracks like The Bible of With Chase and Luciferian don’t just burn; they fucking torch. Each riff is an incantation, each chorus a curse hurled toward Heaven.
And yet, amid the fire and fury, Mystic Circle have learned the dark art of dynamics. When they pull back — letting haunting melodies and spectral atmospheres creep in — the tension becomes suffocating. The contrast makes the explosions hit even harder. You’re dragged from the crypt to the stake, from cold ritual to fiery damnation.
Lyrically, Hexenbrand 1486 dives into the witch hunts, inquisitions, and heresies of medieval Europe — a perfect thematic crucible for the band’s blend of melody and menace. It’s less about history and more about channeling that primal rage that birthed both witch and pyre alike.
Mystic Circle aren’t just revisiting their past here — they’re reclaiming their throne. After three decades of hellfire, Hexenbrand 1486 isn’t the sound of a band running out of fuel; it’s the sound of one that’s found an even darker flame.
Hexenbrand 1486 by Mystic Circle is available now.
CHOICE CUT: Dance on the Wings of Black Magic
BLACK METAL ARCHIVES VERDICT: A triumphant, blasphemous return to form from one of Germany’s most enduring Black Metal legions. Hexenbrand 1486 burns with purpose and precision — a ritual sacrifice that proves Mystic Circle still command the powers of darkness with unholy mastery.
PRESS SOURCE: Mona Miluski/All Noir.
