Pagan and folk metal band from Gdynia, Poland, active since 2009, drawing from Slavic pagan traditions through folk-infused metal from the Baltic coast. Over fifteen years they have explored the mystical gateway their name suggests.

Désandans's Phenix has been rising through progressive and power metal since 2011, their resurrection-themed name matching the ambition of their Franche-Comté-based project. Their small eastern French village origins belie the grandeur of their symphonic-tinged compositions.

Paris's Phrên — the ancient Greek word for 'mind' — has been crafting funeral doom since 2021, creating compositions that move with the ponderous weight of deep philosophical contemplation. Their French capital base produces music that exists outside of normal temporal experience.

Named after the connecting rod in an engine, Wittgensdorf's Pleuel delivers heavy metal with mechanical precision since 2014. Their Saxon industrial-town origins and automotive namesake perfectly suit their piston-driving approach to classic metal.

Thrash metal and crossover band from Cordoba, Spain, active since 1994, making them one of the longest-running thrash acts in Andalusia. Three decades of aggression mark them as true veterans of the Spanish thrash scene.

Progressive metal band from Tomsk, Russia, formed in 2021, crafting intricate progressive metal compositions from western Siberia. They bring technical ambition to the Siberian metal scene.

Black metal band from Sosnowiec, Poland, formed in 2023, whose name means 'mold' in Polish. They bring freshly decayed black metal to the Silesian underground.

Berlin's Ploutonion emerged in 2022 with death metal named after the ancient Greek portal to the underworld. Their capital-city base provides access to Berlin's deep well of extreme metal talent, and their classical reference suggests lyrical ambitions beyond the genre's typical fare.

Black metal project from France, formed in 2020, whose name means 'black rain' in French. They channel the cold, dark precipitation of their name through atmospheric black metal.