Their chosen names are Charion, Dominator, Noctryst, and Nemesis. The name for their collective efforts: Epikoros.
New to the black metal scene as an entity, Epikoros boasts a deep pedigree in the genre, with its members coalescing from various parts of the world and several other musical acts. Notably, the band features the unmistakable drumming of Dominator (Nils Fjellström) of Dark Funeral, Nordjevel, and Odium, to name a few (clearly, Nils likes to stay busy).
Primarily responsible for songwriting, guitarist Charion (UK) brings experience from bands like Vile Sycophant and Worm Shepherd, expertly crafting dissonant, punishing moods with deftness and precision.
To label Noctryst (POL) a rookie in this context would betray the raw power and tremendous talent she pours into each bass line. She doesn't overplay, nor does she vanish into the punishing mid-range tones of the songs. Instead, she is ever-present, and tastefully so.
Vocally, up front and in your face, we find Nemesis (US), a stalwart wordsmith and restless machine of contrarian and self-actualization themes. At the core of the band and responsible for its musical direction, aesthetic, branding, et al., he is driven to free himself and Epikoros from the restraints of pedestrian songcraft while maintaining fidelity to traditional black metal structure.
Thus, he sought out and curated Epikoros' personnel to strike a personal brand into the flesh of black metal—to drive a flagged pike deep into the soil of the musical landscape wherever deemed appropriate. Fortunately for fans of traditional black metal and uncompromising aggression, that flag and that brand come in the form of Epikoros' inaugural full-length, Black Sun Eclipse, self-released on July 1, 2026.
Clocking in at just shy of 39 minutes, Black Sun Eclipse is a hypersonic ride through a storm that feels like it ends before it has begun. The album immediately begs a second, and then a third listen, each of which, despite the relatively traditional song structures, reveals something new.
This is not to say that any song on BSE is simple, mind you. Rather, Epikoros purposefully conforms to a solid, reliable framework that anchors the band while leaving enough space and freedom to highlight its many flourishes and embellishments. They're not reinventing the wheel, and for that, black metal purists can be thankful. Instead, they add spiked treads, apathetic toward whoever finds themselves underneath.
The production on this album is raw and furious where it needs to be and crystal clear otherwise, with no frequencies stepping on each other's toes. It is, simply put, a joy to listen to, with the lion's share of the credit going to producer/engineer Nico Beninato (SPA), who has also handled heavy hitters like Ingested and Emberthrone.
He allows Epikoros to sound as if they tracked Black Sun Eclipse in the same room. That's no mean feat considering this was an intercontinental effort. This sense of cohesiveness and completeness in an album crafted by artists separated by oceans further highlights Nico's talent and apparent love for producing extreme, aggressive music.
The musical performances on display here are stunning in the way they marry precision and ferocity. They prove that the two concepts can exist simultaneously, driving the songs forward without sacrificing accuracy or focus. They scoff at the idea that, to sound furious, things must also sound blown out and sloppy—or that, to sound precise, you must abandon all potential for emotional connection. BSE proves that exactness and ferocity aren't diametric opposites but can instead be inextricably linked.
Charion offers a scathing but traditional mid-range guitar tone that would satisfy the most hardened and opinionated black metal disciple, but he doesn't shy away from lilting or ethereal phrasing that adds a refreshing dimension to the Epikoros sound. He plays as if he's not afraid to take risks, nor should he be. Even the lengthy but tasteful solo—an unusual occurrence in black metal—on the emotive "No Way to Heaven" feels perfectly at home, providing one of the album's rare reprieves from the nearly relentless punishment the listener has signed up for.
Charion and his bandmates' musical choices are inspired, and every sharp, unexpected turn is a joy to hang on to for the sheer thrill of the ride.
A living legend of black metal drumming, Nils "Dominator" Fjellström further cements his reputation as one of extreme metal's most formidable drummers with his performance on Black Sun Eclipse. He displays the trademark machine-gun assault for which he is known and, on this album, grants us more than our fair share of splash-cymbal syncopation and mid-blast fill embellishments. Any fan of extreme metal drumming will delight in this head-shaking onslaught generated by a master of the craft.
Of note: On the album's title track, Nils pushes himself to the limits of extreme drumming while also displaying a refreshing and unusual groove—that is, before the song breaks wide open and hell follows close behind.
When it came to selecting a drummer, Nemesis says: "Obviously, this was extremely important. It was honestly kind of a childhood dream of mine to one day work with Dominator. I wanted somebody who played with heart and who was a savage on drums, so I reached out to Nils and showed him the music. He liked it a lot, so he joined."
I think I speak for black metal fans everywhere when I posit that we're thankful he did.
Grounding her bandmates and weaving well-imagined lines through the low end of the record, Noctryst thunders reliably across every track. She gives a flawless performance with a punishing frequency that creates fullness and heaviness without feeling blown out or muddy. On an album and within a genre where mid-range guitars reign, her job becomes an exceptionally important test. On Black Sun Eclipse, Noctryst excels with top marks throughout.
Painting the sonic landscape with animalistic growls and technically near-perfect screams that convey the tone of the lyrics they carry, Nemesis is a man on fire, and one for whom the expression of his ideas and lyrical motifs is paramount. Embracing personal themes and boldly displaying his opinions without disingenuous theatrics, Nemesis delivers his lyrics urgently and ferociously, in a way that cannot be misconstrued as an act. In short, what he sings, he believes.
Nemesis adds: "There's a ton of 'satanic' black metal bands and, sure, that's one major characteristic of 99% of them, but I wanted Epikoros to be more than that. Of course, aggressive as can be, but I wanted it to be personal for me. I didn't want it to just be some slop that people have heard lyrically and thematically.
"If you read the lyrics, a lot of it is just personal anger at mainly organized religion, but even the fall of nations, the promotion of strength and masculinity, and self-discovery through enlightenment."
Indeed, the well from which he draws his inspiration is deep.
After listening to BSE even once, it becomes clear that this group has tapped into something genuine. This album feels like the logical endpoint of an ethos where every effort is all or not at all, and any lukewarm offering is rejected with prejudice. In short, each song is concentrated, unyielding, and sharpened to a point with bad intentions.
Epikoros also makes clear that the days of black metal fans settling for monotonous three-chord chopping against uneven blast beats should be gone. BSE establishes its own stake in the black metal game and upholds a new standard by which its successors will—and should—be judged. After listening, people who live for music played at the very edges of possibility will expect more from subsequent works by other artists. Rightfully so. Epikoros has elevated our expectations and, thus, the level of the game itself. They're blowing the curve, and we're all the beneficiaries.
Nemesis explains the band's origins: "In 2025, I started brainstorming what I wanted the entire concept of Epikoros to be like. Contrarian, philosophical, dark, of course, but also real and unapologetic."
That approach translates with crystal clarity in the sound and tone of BSE. "Unapologetic" is a likely frontrunner for describing both the band itself and its initial offering. Black Sun Eclipse is a nine-round clip in a high-powered weapon that doesn't care where it aims, and each salvo endeavors to create its own campaign of shock and awe.
However, that doesn't mean Epikoros are edgy for its own sake or chase shock value. This band doesn't seem interested in attracting attention through superficial means; instead, they prefer to let the sound and themes serve as a barrier to entry all their own. If you approach for the right reasons, you are invited in to see and hear what is in their collective hearts to express.
When a creative effort is real and personal, as is the case with BSE, we see its creators become transfixed mouthpieces for forces we can barely understand or control. Epikoros now rides the crest of that expression into the future of what black metal may yet become. I, for one, am thankful to be along for the ride.
Nemesis perhaps sums it up best:
"It's a bit contrarian here and there, too, but that's just because I enjoy seeing people get riled up. It's to deter sensitive fans away from the music so I can have a place to be myself, and if you're open to it, you can hear it and enjoy it as well. Epikoros is for everybody, but it's not for everyone."
***
Black Sun Eclipse is out now digitally, and on CD and cassette via Rabauw (EU).
Epikoros on social media: Instagram
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