Sidious – Malefic Necropolis
Sidious – Malefic Necropolis
Immortal Frost Productions
Release Date: 30/01/2026
Review by Oli Gonzalez
7/10
The UK black metal scene is stacked. Ridiculously stacked! With shows and festival devoted to the darkest side of metal pulling excellent numbers up and down the country, there’s no shortage of talent and a deep pool of highly adept artists. Although UK black metal act Sidious are not content with being just another name within the genre. They’ve toured extensively through the UK and Europe, having shared the stage with the likes of Anaal Nathrakh, Belphagor, Bolzer, and other extreme metal heavyweights along the way! Having featured on the likes of Reaper Festival and Darkness Over Cumbria, 2026 will see the band take their fierce brand of black metal to Cosmic Void festival. Between then and now, they will have released “Malefic Necropolis”, the band’s upcoming album which promises to deliver a ‘no bullshit, riff-laden’ approach that pays ‘homage to the old-school styles of black metal’, in the band’s own words. How will this latest body of work compare to their previous efforts, and the genre as a whole? Let’s get into it…
Despite having a single guitarist, Indomitus, the sound never feels thin nor light on the ground. If anything, they’ve thrown all their eggs in one basket and concentrated the majority of the melodic focal point through this medium. It’s a gamble but it’s paid off, with both ‘Rotborn Terror’ and ‘Cosmossuary’ being examples of how the band delivered on their promise of a riff-laden approach. This leaves bassist Baalrath with the task of providing the low end and rhythmic pulse to the music, as well providing melodic support. A task successfully navigated. A subtle use of synths throughout the album provides additional support and extra intrigue.
Vocally, Isfeth is the lead vocalist and provides the traditional KVLT higher pitched shrieks, a throwback to the early days of the genre indeed. Though there’s evidence of a dual vocal approach, perhaps best illustrated in ‘Vortex Of Boundless Light’, with the intermittent appearance of a much deeper and chunkier growled vocal. Who it’s from is unclear though what it brings to the overall sound is impressive.
Rhythmically, the band seem to revel in a sound built on the steady foundations provided by the fierce and rapid blast beats of Valdr. Though the band demonstrate versality in much slower numbers such as the groove-laden ‘Bloodlust Command Infinite’.
Though overall, the individual components are greater than the sum of their parts, with each contribution to the much broader cathartic and infernal atmosphere as important as the last.
Sidious flirt with offering a more cinematic and theatrical approach. This is evident with the opening track ‘Shears Of Atropos’. Slow, austere, tension is built slowly whilst building towards the cathartic crescendo later in the song. Short instrumental tracks ‘Inversion And Collapse’, and ‘Grave M1’ build on this, providing vital breathing space from the intensity and pace of the album. Great to see a band thinking about the overall ebb and flow of the album!
“Malefic Necropolis” represents an improvement in production values. Some of the raw grit from earlier work has been polished up to produce a much sharper and overall more aesthetic piece, but without losing that raw atmosphere that the genre requires.
The highlight of the album is…well, I’m not too sure. The album’s USP is…again, I’m not too sure. It feels as though, despite being excellent individual musicians who have captured an traditional black metal sound ever so well, the album just lacks that crucial moment and huge hook! Though deeper exploration of the cinematic elements and the further deployment of the second vocalist could well provide something unique for the band’s overall sound. Band’s like Panzerfaust and Ultha stand out for their dual vocal attack. Maybe this is something Sidious can build upon?
TRACKLISTING:
01. Shears Of Atropos
02. Rotborn Terror
03. Inversion and Collapse
04. Cosmossuary
05. Grave M1
06. Crows Atop The Gallows
07. Vortex Of Boundless Unlight
08. Sanguineous Art
09. Bloodlust Command Infinite
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Oli Gonzalez and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
