> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blackmetalzine.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Live Review: Darkness Over Edinburgh (October 2026) - URL: https://blackmetalzine.com/live-review-darkness-over-edinburgh-october-2026/ - Published: 2026-11-04T14:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-04T14:00:00.000Z - Description: Darkness Over Edinburgh: A guitarist prowls the crowd mid-song without missing a riff. Two nights, eight bands, one brilliant UKBM weekend. - Author: Emma - Tags: Live Reviews For my final festival of 2026, I’m back somewhere much closer to home. Returning to the maze-like tunnels of The Banshee Labyrinth that I have become oh so familiar with since Wulfhere first hosted A Night of British Black Metal here [last year](https://blackmetalzine.com/a-night-of-british-black-metal-october-2025-review/). Eight bands awaited us for the two nights in Edinburgh's old town district, mostly all part of the UKBM scene which is ever growing stronger. ## Melyxylem ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Melyxylem-1.jpg) Starting off our weekend was **Melyxylem** from Aberdeen, a relatively newcomer to the scene with their debut EP releasing late 2025\. Absolutely no time was wasted as we were plunged straight into the action. The crowd slowly gathered to witness the harsh discordant riffs brought to us from the guitarist and bassist alike. The guttural vocals had a death-like brutality to them as the singer stomped about the small stage. Among the songs from the EP were a few new tracks of upcoming works, which hopefully should be available soon. One to keep an eye on for sure. ## Úlfarr ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Ulfarr-1.jpg) A band I’ve become acquainted with due to their frequent appearance on Wulfhere lineups, and they’re never a disappointment. A slow intro piece led us into solid 90's black metal worship played to a meticulous level. Interspliced with some environmental ambience of church bells, rain, and thunder (the classics of the metal genre) they managed to spread their set out to an appropriate length unlike [back in June](https://blackmetalzine.com/live-review-darkness-over-edinburgh-june-2026/) where they were done in twenty minutes. Though the setlist did remain the same as last time, and I believe the last few times I’ve seen **Úlfarr**new material is on the way with a new full length album in the works. Speaking with the band later in the evening, it seems this has become a primary project of Paul's that he wants to focus on, as further evidenced by sunsetting one of his other bands **Nefarious Dusk** next year. ## Blasfeme ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Blasfeme-1.jpg) A highlight of the day for me right here, getting to see Blasfeme for my first time. This Bristolian based black metal act have been around for a decade but I’ve never had the fortune to see them. I remember being very impressed with their 2024 album *Black Legion* and five of their six song setlist were from that album to my luck. This was black metal infused with some groove, the kind where you slightly want to headbang with the old-school black metal side but also the classic heavy metal melodicness makes your whole body move along with it. Amidst the set was a tribute to Tormentor with their song Elizabeth Bathory, and the whole performance was a delight. Some minor confusions with what their last song was, and some technical difficulties with the sound desk / monitors led to a lovely impromptu bass solo to keep us entertained. ## Heathen Deity ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Heathen-Deity-1.jpg) Bringing their vision of “True English Black Metal” back up north of the border into Scotland once again is this blasphemous black metal act. Stage presence and speed was the name of the game here, as they rattled through their setlist starting with *Satan’s Kingdom* and *The Flames of the Gathering Darkness*. Dagon, the lead singer was keen to keep taunting the crowd as they were not moving enough for him in this cramped dungeon of a venue leading to a small mosh pit of enjoyment towards the front of the crowd. Their act is as edgy as a Cradle of Filth shirt worn to church, with the over the top performative swearing and yelling at the crowd for their trve kvlt style. But they deliver some decent black metal to wrap up the evening. Finishing up with a cover of Mayhem they played *Deathcrush* and with that the bands were done. --- Our night was not done, as the afterparty continued into the early hours of the morning with many band members, promoter crew, and punters from the crowd all staying. Many many drinks were had as the bar played black metal tunes for us from the likes of Mgła, Immortal, Burzum and Satyricon. Already at the time I could tell there would be some sore heads in the morning. Thankfully, I was not one of them! Exploring Edinburgh a bit during the day with friends grabbing some food, visiting the National Galleries and other local landmarks there was some culture of a different kind before returning to the twisted tunnels of the Banshee Labyrinth. --- ## Evil Dungeon Crawler ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/EDC1.jpg) One of the big up and comers of the British Black Metal scene are these young lads from Newcastle, who have been touring like mad over the past year including [Reaper Festival](https://blackmetalzine.com/live-review-reaper-festival-2026/). Fully cloaked, spiked gauntlets, corpse paint and the full classic aesthetics they stepped on stage to deliver an outstanding performance of raw black metal. The languid intro of *Prophet of False Hope* harshly interrupted by their blast beats and riffs got the whole crowd headbanging along was a thoroughly enjoyable moment towards the start of their set before they played their latest EP *The Unending Vomiting of Northern Blasphemies* in full for us. Fantastic strong basslines were persistent throughout their set which has to be noted, they were loud in the mix and shone through beautifully. What still amazes me is the amount of crowd participation they’re able to get, and keep it going with chanting along and fists raising up to the sky song after song - a trick many bands aim for but struggle to maintain (especially as the opening act). It’s not just our front man Envus who is having all the fun either, as the entire band looked delighted to be up there and having the time of their life. The guitarist Kilgore left the stage mid-song wandering about through the crowd whilst keeping the precise and rapid guitar riffs going as he paced about going from person to person. Also the drummer, Morgulbane, who was smiling and laughing away in gremlin fashion behind his kit was thorough entertainment in itself. All in all EDC delivered a high energy and great performance that probably should have been higher up in the billing to be later on during the evening. ## Their Last Stop ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/TLS1.jpg) Our only non-British act of the weekend was this depressive/post-black metal act from Dublin, Ireland. Another fairly new entry into the scene forming in 2023 with two EPs under their belt clocking in at just under 45 minutes total. This was also the only band of the weekend that I was totally unfamiliar with, when they were announced as the replacement for **Argesk** who were unable to play I decided to keep them unknown to me so I could go in blind. Lonely is the best word I can use to describe their music. Their use of long drawn out sorrowful sections give a huge sense of isolation and desolation. It felt akin to being out in the snow alone, depressed, waiting for your bitter end to come and stop the futile misery that is life itself. Performance wise, they were pretty great, all playing their parts to full proficiency. The staring eyes of the lead singer were incredibly unnerving though, as he locked eyes with people in the crowd and held it for an uncomfortably long period unwavering as the song continued. Finishing up with *What Remains* off their self-titled EP the full band struck a pose (pictured above) and held it as the final notes rang out. ## Verletzen & Deheubarth ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Verletzen1.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Deheubarth1.jpg) Our final two acts of the weekend, and I sadly didn’t take many notes. Both were tremendous acts of completely different styles, in fact I appreciate the depth of black metal acts that the weekend has brought us where in only eight bands we’ve had a huge variation in approaches to the genre. **Verletzen**from Wales brought us a nihilistic and dark brooding atmosphere that is full of classic heavy metal riffs induced black metal. A band I was very much looking forward to, their latest album *Usurping the Throne Under the Crown of Blasphemy* was a half hour of pure delight to listen to back when it launched in April 2026, and one I’ve returned to a lot over the months since. Their solid and fast performance was blasted through with thrash like pace, but maintained mantra-like qualities as the riffs hypnotically repeated. All around fantastic and a bit of a highlight for me, looking forward to seeing them again next year at Darkness Over Cumbria. Then came our final act of the whole weekend, **Deheubarth** with their blackened doom metal soundscape bringing the room down to their crushing depths. Amidst their measured out compositions were wonderful galloping triplets comparable to a NWOBHM style, and incredibly technical drumming with impressive cymbal work. A tribute to Jürgen Bartsch of **Bethlehem** was paid, as they can be seen as a big inspiration for the bands sound, and they closed out with *Four Ghosts* into *Strange Sanctuary*. --- With that, Darkness Over Edinburgh has ended. Many still remained in the bar for the afterparty, but it was a calmer night than the previous escapades. Genuinely a brilliant weekend though overall, and Wulfhere continues to support the underground scene and keep it alive for the bands and fans alike. ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Blasfeme-2.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Blasfeme-3.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Blasfeme-4.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Heathen-Deity-2.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Heathen-Deity-3.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Heathen-Deity-4.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Ulfarr-2.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Ulfarr-3.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Deheubarth2.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Deheubarth3.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/EDC2.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/EDC3.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/EDC4.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/TLS2.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/TLS3.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Verletzen2.jpg) ![](https://blackmetalzine.com/content/images/2026/10/Verletzen3.jpg) ### Signup to our newsletter and Social Media Below you can sign up to our newsletter(s) one of those is The Infernal Records, a weekly newsletter where Fractal our dedicated researcher finds new releases of the previous week that are worth your time. 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