Sepulchral – Beneath the Shroud

At the end of last year (2025) Soulseller Records released a sophomore full-length by Spanish deathers, Sepulchral. This Bilbao-based combo is comprised of; Dusk (bass & vocals), Gaueko (vocals) and Gorka (guitars & drums). Furthermore, Beneath the Shroud features a guest performance of Pestilence Breeder (guitar solos).

Beneath the Shroud consists of 11 tracks (playing time of 43 minutes) of a ‘fuckin’ worn out, moldy and rusty death metal’. In other words; it’s a piece of raw, filthy and mid-paced old-school death metal; reminiscent of early Entombed, Grave, Asphyx, Autopsy, Dismember and other scene giants from the late 80s/early 90s European death metal scene.

Biggest advantages of Beneath the Shroud, and this Basque entity in general, is their old-school authentic approach to the songwriting, by creating tracks committed to the raw and grim sound mentioned above, but also with a focus on atmosphere over technical complexity. Thus, the production is filthy and brutal – one that emphasizes decaying, heavy guitar saturation, audible bass, and relentless drumming as the core sound with a nasty vibe. Riffs are catchy, menacing, corroded and memorable, while vocals are mostly guttural and cavernous growls that fit perfectly to the murky, strong and profane atmosphere of this opus.

Two standout tracks for me are “Torchless Crossroads,” offering a potent dose of grave-soaked aggression, and “From The Crypt, The Putrid Mist” due to to its nice intro and then progression into a wild and nasty horror themed song. In fact, these two tracks more or less sums the album up, while tracks like “Abandoned Feretrum” and “Cloaked Spectres” are also worthy of your attention!

It’s quite obvious that Sepulchral, nor their latest offering Beneath the Shroud, don’t offer anything new or reinventing the genre, but it’s quite effective and straightforward/uncomplicated, authentic and impactful, old-school death metal, perfect for listeners seeking raw, filthy and uncompromising death metal sound of the late 80s and early 90s.

For further info on this particular 11-tracker album visit their bandcamp, or just listen to the entire album below.