The debut EP From Hell by Greek/Norwegian Black Metal band Hexbane is guaranteed to ignite the black flame in many a heart. It might only be two tracks but it is nine minutes of quality Black Metal and hopefully a tantalising taste of what to expect in the future from them.
Hexbane – From Hell
Release Date: 15 September 2026
Word: Jools Green
Hexbane might be a new band, but the line-up consists of Black Metal veterans with decades of experience amongst them. The Magus (George Zacharopoulos) on vocals (ex-Necromantia, ex-Rotting Christ, The Magus), George Emmanuel on guitars (Lucifer’s Child, ex-Rotting Christ), Tas Danazoglou on bass (Friends of Hell, ex-Electric Wizard, Mirror, Satan’s Wrath) and Faust on drums (Djevel, ex-Emperor, Blood Fire Death).
“Hexbane is a band born out of nostalgia and admiration of the primal Black Metal days,” the band said, “where pioneer bands created and established the genre. So expect nothing more and nothing less than pure proto Black Metal in music and spirit.”
What they promise is absolutely what you get. From Hell is a powerful, exhilarating and suspenseful listen that grabs your attention from start to finish.
The opening piece, From Hell, emerges out of layers of building riffs. The phrasing is dynamic and attention-grabbing. The drum rhythms pound with force and determination, and the vocals cut through with acidic vitriol.
Then, in the second half, the drop is superbly dramatic, building back the former power and glory towards the close. It is nothing short of a magnificent listen.
Second and final piece Nefarious Spells harbours a tantalisingly dark undercurrent in the riffs as it opens, and Magus’ opening scream cuts through with menace. Pace-wise, it is a slower blackened plod with superbly protracted vitriolic vocals as the piece progresses, so the riffs develop, adding more depth and texture.
The pace rapidly elevates midway with rapidity and intensity, and the vocals develop a scream to the delivery, ebbing back to the original pace towards the close. This is a piece that totally epitomises old-school Black Metal, and is a superb listen again.
Overall, From Hell is a breathtakingly good listen.
Hexbane release From Hell on 15 September 2026, via The Circle Music / Hell’s Fire Records. Digital pre-saves are available from https://thecirclemusic.lnk.to/FromHell. You can pre-order a Red 7″ vinyl box at https://thecirclemusic.gr. The Gold 7″ vinyl is available from https://www.hellsfire-records.com.
