Review: Bloedmaan - Vampyric War in Blood (2025)
Bloedmaan's Vampyric War in Blood (8/10). This Atmospheric Black Metal album delivers cold, melodic sound with a haunting vampiric aesthetic. Read the full review!
Band: Bloedmaan
Album: Vampyric War in Blood
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Belgium
Label: Immortal Frost Productions
Released: December 19th, 2025
Introduction
Bloedmaan is a one-man project from Belgium, by Ronarg who's also the man behind Antzaat and Ars Veneficium, both bands are favourites of mine. Bloedmaan made a first great debut album (you'll find a link at the end of this review). So let's see whether this is a continuation or not.
Vampyric War in Blood
Bloedmaan opens the album with an eerie yet inviting melody that instantly sets the mood. It's cold, melodic, and carries that haunting layer that works so well with the vampiric aesthetic the band leans into. You feel yourself stepping straight into Vlad's personal domain.
The second track doesn’t wait around and takes off immediately. Drums come in with purpose, and from that moment on, the album moves with a steady pulse (see what I did there…). The vocals are the element that stood out to me the most on this album. You can actually understand the lyrics this time, a refreshing change in a genre where everything tends to get swallowed by, well, mostly noise. They’re not the iciest vocals out there, but they’re sharp enough and fit the overall sound perfectly. They do what they need to do, and that’s undoubtedly the feeling this album gives off in multiple areas.
The guitars follow the same pattern: They're not the most distinctive riffs I've heard, and they don't really push themselves into the spotlight, but they have a clear job in the overall atmosphere, and they carry it out well. It's that combination of cold melody and consistency that keeps the music grounded. Nothing jumps out and nothing feels forced. The guitar work simply supports the mood and lets the rest of the album breathe.
What's also important, at least to me, is the production of an album, but everything is in place for this record. The mix is balanced enough that nothing really overpowers anything else. For this style of black metal, that means a lot, and here it works seamlessly. The album keeps a clear structure, and even to my famously low patience for longer releases, it managed to hold my attention without drifting off. That alone says something about the pacing and how the atmosphere is maintained.
And again, the artwork deserves attention. Painted by Ronarg himself, it continues what he started visually on the debut, but pushes it further. I already loved the first cover, and this one feels like a proper evolution. It fits the cold, melodic tone of the album without being overly dramatic, and it adds another layer to the overall experience.
Conclusion
Comparing this second album to the first, it feels more like a continuation than a reinvention. For me, that's a good thing, as I thoroughly enjoyed the debut. At the same time because that first album was so strong, it's difficult for this one to reach that same level, but that's more about personal taste than anything else. The quality is still there, the atmosphere is still intact, and Bloedmaan clearly knows what kind of sound they want to cultivate. In the end, Vampyric War in Blood keeps Bloedmaan firmly on track. It builds on what worked before and delivers another cold, melodic chapter wrapped in a haunting tone. It’s steady and well put together, and that's all it needs to be. I'm looking forward what's next for this band.
BMZ Rating: 8 out of 10
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