Review by Felix on January 16, 2026.

The devil has many homes. He lives in hell, in a lot of sick brains, in the Kremlin, and some say he even feels comfortable in the Oval Office. Now he has found new places to stay. The scientists of Malakhim have made the discovery that he sings in our hearts. Shocking enough, but what the hell does he sing? To be honest, he seems to know only seven tracks. But this is enough to impress the audience sustainably. In other words: And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings features only fanatic, frenetic, and fantastic material. Of course, the debut already indicated Malakhim’s remarkable potential. But this successor goes one, two, or even three steps further. Having said this, the answer is no. Simply no. Eh, what, you did not ask any questions? Shame on me. I gave the answer to “Can a band produce much better music?”.

And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings is an amalgam of different extreme styles. There are trace elements of Canada’s MNQ, but also the typical Nordic, icy storms show up. Melodic elegance, perhaps more vehemently presented than ever before, liaises with discreet death metal components, and even the very atmospheric outro (which is integrated in the final track) sends shivers down my spine. It reminds me of Grabak’s last track on their perfect “Encyclopedia Infernalis,” and this fact alone shows me that Malakhim’s output cannot be far away from perfection as well. It creates pictures of an antique city burned to the ground, where enormous pain and unimaginable horror reign. Very well done. But I will come back later to 'The Firmament Submits' again, because it goes without saying that we do not have to wait for the outro in order to get phenomenal sounds.

'The New Temple' marks the first highlight that greets from dizzying as well as Brontë-like wuthering heights. Its highly intensive appearance is based on different layers, and the best of them brings melodic fragments into the controlled chaos. The song starts from zero to a hundred within the first second and does not lose the smallest quantum of murderous density during its playtime. The demonic, expressive voice battles with the instrumental section, and this is probably the first war in the history of mankind that knows only winners at the end. All guitar lines create a fascinating veil of a totally unholy mood. An excellent track, which seems to find its continuation in the directly following 'Into Darkness We Depart'. Grumpy freaks may moan about the high degree of similarity to the previous song, but such an intriguing formula can be used twice. And of course, we do not speak about a slavish imitation of 'The New Temple'. It also has a close eye on more or less melodic moments that have to face the storm the song unleashes.

These masterpieces deserve nothing less than a flawless production, and due to a sane mind, the sound engineers did not want to incur my wrath. Therefore, they have done justice to the material. Howling guitars, a powerful drum machinery, a lot of pressure, and an almost perfect balance between the single components allow the tracks to shine in full bloom. 'Angel Of The Bottomless Pit' is nearly as great as its two predecessors, while the timpani-introduced, more solemn yet still sinister 'Hearts Ablaze' allows the listener to rearrange their thoughts after the previous tempest. No doubt, 'And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings' is free from downers, but maybe this track does not belong to this kind of player which decide a final on its own. The same applies to the, well, definitely not mild, but less stormy 'Solar Crucifixion'. Good songs, almost great, but a bit in the shadows of the remaining five black metal bombs. Their devastating brutality, which never loses sight of typical Swedish melodicism, has a very seductive note. This is almost a matter of course when it comes to the opening title track, maybe the most diverse song of the album. But the most surprising crusher awaits the listener at the end. 'The Firmament Submits' has all that it needs to become an acoustic legend. Its strength, its completeness, its overwhelming single components like the guitar solo or the main lines – everything contributes to this piece of perfection.

Therefore, only one conclusion is possible: this album must be heard by every black metal supporter – and this should be no problem. Just listen to the songs that come out of your heart.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Jeger on November 4, 2025.

The Devil has his unassuming yet highly-effective ways of seduction; those lustful moments when you feel as though you need to fuck or do your favorite drug. The Devil's path is the way to ecstasy and passion! The Devil is in us all… He is watching and He is whispering - that little voice inside your head that tells you to rebel, to take revenge or to act out in rage. To take power! And never to serve… To war! And never to surrender…

The Devil is power and it's been since the First Wave days of olde that Black Metal has been a vessel for that power. From the Inner Circle, crude Diabolism and lighting Churches on fire to Nödtveidt, the MLO and his eventual transformation, on through to today's contemporary Occult Black Metal collectives like Serpent Noir & Mortuus, for example, whose members are initiated into the Draconian Blood Cult, Dragon Rouge, Black Metal's integration with the Occult and vice-versa over the decades has been key to how the genre has evolved into its current state of mystifying its listeners like never before. But we're here today to get back to the fundamentals of Devil worship, not to go to some fancy Occult convention in Sweden. And it happens to be Sweden's Malakhim who've emerged from out of the void and onto the scene with hearts ablaze for the Faustian night. On Hallows Eve, they released their sophomore effort, "And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings", via Iron Bonehead.

Following the foreboding tolling of a bell, it's into the stream - a roaring river of Black Metal - impossible momentum one moment, filthy Black & Roll vibes the next and a panic-inducing dose of what is generally missing from most BM albums when it is sorely needed, and that is urgency… This thing (the opening titular track) feels like it could go off like a MOAB at any moment due to the controlled cacophony of guitar riffs that race, pound and palpitate like pre-cardiac arrhythmias during most of the track's duration. There are also these stunning transitions from those aforementioned Black & Roll parts into glorious, towering rhythm-backed melodic passages. All in one song. And we're past the point of no return now…

"Hell is empty and all the Devils are here..."
~William Shakespeare

The Devil is in our History: from the madness of Nero, to the power-drunkenness of Napoleon, to Bill Clinton getting his dick sucked in the Oval Office, all the way through to the global hysteria that's taking place today. In every hush decision. In every dime made at the expense of someone else's suffering. You see, it's the Devil's world…

"Solar Crucifixion" is much like a typical Sargeist song in that there's so much going on - layer upon layer of sound, and yet it simply glides; rolling along now to the melodies and galloping along to the beats. This is why I listen to Black Metal; when it's so melodic and so moving that I find myself in a state of being ensnared and enthralled by it. When the music means so much to the Artist that it just radiates this youthful sort of energy that infects everyone who listens to it. And we're in for a little Marduk/Watain action as "Angel Of The Bottomless Pit" plays out like something off of "Memento Mori" during its first half and like something off of "The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain" during it's second - a clinic in Sverige BM has "And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings" become…

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist."
~Charles Baudelaire

The Devil is awaiting your call, your ritual! For you to show your dedication and for you to find him where he lurks in the dark, as Malakhim has done with "Hearts Ablaze". In the fever of summoning; calling Him forth through the gates now with clarity and with authority before the experience culminates with "The Firmament Submits" - a sonic exposition of everything that this band has done so well up until this point: melody, harmony and Malakhim's turning up of their noses in the face of nostalgia. We need more albums like this! The scene needs more albums like this one that see the genre in a state of thriving, as opposed to bands resorting to this perpetual reaching into the past for inspiration.

With "And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings", Malakhim delivers a perfect Black Metal album from top to bottom. Not a single lacking album cut, nor a moment of fluff to be found here. It's like when you eat a meal that's been cooked at home with passion and with care. The food just tastes better than it would've had you just thrown something together for yourself out of impatient hunger. Malakhim literally leaves it all out on the table with this record. It is the product of a band just being in the zone - that place where momentum, ambition and passion converge; resulting in powerful albums like "And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings". This is the apex! The opus… The one to be remembered by. Hail!

Rating: 10 out of 10