Style: black metal, death metal, heavy metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Sweven, Morbus Chron, Tribulation
Country: Sweden
Release date: 27 February 2026

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There’s a certain elegance in something achieving exactly what it sets out to be—no more, and no less. Whether it’s 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’t. 

Perhaps elegance, refinement, and grace aren’t typically the first descriptors dropped in a black/death metal album review, but they’re fitting ones for Endarkenment, Being & Death, the debut LP from the long-running act Speglas. With two of the band’s 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.

The understated album artwork sets the tone: raw elegance, befitting of the band’s 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’s strong enough to tempt a return to the start. All along the way, no track feels like filler—Speglas state their case in a focused forty-five minutes. Everything’s just as it should be. 

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’s 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’s second nature. Tremolos intertwine with melodic arpeggiated leads on “The Endarkenment”; strong mid-pacers get the head moving in the center of “Dearth” as a series of harmonized melodies and solos tickle the brain; and sharp triplets poke through “Dies Mali” like spikes, just to be smoothed over by steady black ‘n’ roll riffs. Across Endarkenment, the guitars never fall into complacency—one is constantly finding a way to complement the other.

The rhythm section also shines, but always in service of the album’s 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’s momentum while keeping the rhythm fresh. Similar can be said of Victor Berg’s bass, which maintains a steady low-end current but surfaces for emphatic moments of its own, particularly throughout “The Endarkenment.” Rosemarin’s raspy growls, meanwhile, fit the sound but don’t embellish it—his vocals are a consistently neutral presence, never venturing from their established tone. All the musical pieces are carved with care and fit together seamlessly.

Still, elegance, refinement, grace, and whatever other pretentious terms I’ve tossed around can only get an album so far. Endarkenment isn’t a repetitive album, but it’s a relatively homogenous one. Standout track “Dearth” and album-closer “Rage Upon the Dying Fire” are exceptions, each with compositions that wander beyond the others. The former’s 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—some sort of variety. Once you’ve heard a track or two, there aren’t many surprises left. I suppose that’s one limitation to remaining true to an identity, even when carried out with grace. 

On the whole, though, Endarkenment, Being & Death is decidedly a success. Speglas’s 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’t diminish how well it’s put together. Speglas know who they are, and Endarkenment is a faithful reflection—no more, and no less.

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

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Trust No One Recordings

Speglas is:
– Isak Rosemarin (vocals, guitars)
– Jesper Nyrelius (drums)
– Victor Berg (bass) 
– Alexi Hedlund (guitars)