{"id":483202,"date":"2026-03-19T01:59:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T01:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/483202\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T01:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T01:59:09","slug":"review-speglas-endarkenment-being-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/483202\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Speglas – Endarkenment, Being & Death"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Cory<\/a> on March 18, 2026March 18, 2026<\/p>\n

\"\"No artist credited<\/p>\n

Style: black metal, death metal, heavy metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Sweven<\/a>, Morbus Chron, Tribulation
Country: Sweden
Release date: 27 February 2026<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a certain elegance in something achieving exactly what it sets out to be\u2014no more, and no less. Whether it\u2019s that upscale restaurant across the street with the perfectly refined menu, or a mechanical watch that does nothing but keep time with astounding accuracy, I find a sense of grace in things that know exactly what they are and what they aren\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perhaps elegance, refinement, and grace aren\u2019t typically the first descriptors dropped in a black\/death metal album review, but they\u2019re fitting ones for Endarkenment, Being & Death, the debut LP from the long-running act Speglas. With two of the band\u2019s four members also being in Sweven, one having performed with Morbus Chron, and all having resumes spanning a bevy of Swedish metal acts in that vein, Speglas promise a familiar brand of old-school-tinged extreme metal. Endarkenment, Being & Death delivers exactly on that promise.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The understated album artwork sets the tone: raw elegance, befitting of the band\u2019s sound. And zooming out, the album is structured just as one could expect. An ambient opener offers some narration that frames the record, a salvo of blistering tracks balances aggression and melody, a quick interlude cleanses the palette, and then more of the same follows, ending with an epic that\u2019s strong enough to tempt a return to the start. All along the way, no track feels like filler\u2014Speglas state their case in a focused forty-five minutes. Everything\u2019s just as it should be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The music predictably bears a resemblance to that of Sweven and Morbus Chron, along with fellow Swedes Tribulation and acts like Horrendous and Chapel of Disease. A warm, slightly fuzzy production lends authenticity to the heavy metal inspiration that forms the band\u2019s foundation, while a brew of rolling black and death metal boils over. The dual guitar attack from Isak Rosemarin (Sweven, ex-Morbus Chron) and Alexi Hedlund characterizes the record, as the two riff, harmonize, separate into rhythm and lead, and reunite like it\u2019s second nature. Tremolos intertwine with melodic arpeggiated leads on \u201cThe Endarkenment\u201d; strong mid-pacers get the head moving in the center of \u201cDearth\u201d as a series of harmonized melodies and solos tickle the brain; and sharp triplets poke through \u201cDies Mali\u201d like spikes, just to be smoothed over by steady black \u2018n\u2019 roll riffs. Across Endarkenment, the guitars never fall into complacency\u2014one is constantly finding a way to complement the other.<\/p>\n

The rhythm section also shines, but always in service of the album\u2019s pacing as a whole. Shifting tirelessly from blasts to simpler grooves and filling any gaps with tasteful fills and cymbal work, drummer Jesper Nyrelius (Sweven) supplies a dynamic performance that preserves the album\u2019s momentum while keeping the rhythm fresh. Similar can be said of Victor Berg\u2019s bass, which maintains a steady low-end current but surfaces for emphatic moments of its own, particularly throughout \u201cThe Endarkenment.\u201d Rosemarin\u2019s raspy growls, meanwhile, fit the sound but don\u2019t embellish it\u2014his vocals are a consistently neutral presence, never venturing from their established tone. All the musical pieces are carved with care and fit together seamlessly.<\/p>\n

Still, elegance, refinement, grace, and whatever other pretentious terms I\u2019ve tossed around can only get an album so far. Endarkenment isn\u2019t a repetitive album, but it\u2019s a relatively homogenous one. Standout track \u201cDearth\u201d and album-closer \u201cRage Upon the Dying Fire\u201d are exceptions, each with compositions that wander beyond the others. The former\u2019s acoustic intro leading into its sauntering verse, and its ridiculously catchy instrumental bridge, are high points; and the latter deftly develops and morphs a beautifully distinct, almost folky melodic hook throughout its seven-and-a-half minutes. But the rest of the tracks are liable to blur together, staying within the same tonal range and having similar structures, drawing from similar riffs and rhythms. Speglas stick closely to their core sound, which is enjoyable and skillfully executed, but I find myself waiting for a compositional turn or a new texture\u2014some sort of variety. Once you\u2019ve heard a track or two, there aren\u2019t many surprises left. I suppose that\u2019s one limitation to remaining true to an identity, even when carried out with grace.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the whole, though, Endarkenment, Being & Death is decidedly a success. Speglas\u2019s sound is crafted with care and delivered with intent, holding enough substance to keep the forty-five-minute runtime compelling. The album is fairly predictable, sure, but that doesn\u2019t diminish how well it\u2019s put together. Speglas know who they are, and Endarkenment is a faithful reflection\u2014no more, and no less.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Dearth, Rage Upon the Dying Fire
You may also like: Horrendous<\/a>, Chapel of Disease, Bedsore<\/a>, The Silver
Final verdict: 7\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Trust No One Recordings<\/a><\/p>\n

Speglas is:
\u2013 Isak Rosemarin (vocals, guitars)
\u2013 Jesper Nyrelius (drums)
\u2013 Victor Berg (bass)\u00a0
\u2013 Alexi Hedlund (guitars)<\/p>\n

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