From unheard-of dwellers of the Netherlands underground a split 7″ release is hereby arisen in dual-ritual incantation, a collected rousing of an ancient unspoken cult to action by way of established Maastricht-based quartet NECROMANTIC WORSHIP and newcomer duo THE NAMELESS SHRINE. Over the course of these ~14 minutes of necromantical occult black metal ensorcell the surreal gloom shared by each band reflects similar purpose, a sinister kinship from solemn skulls cloaked away from all but the timeless groaning of Eldritch dread within. As an exclusive artifact of their meeting it is fated to serve as ideal introductory materials to each sect as well as keen representation for their repugnant, unthinkable cause.

Truly dedicated fans of Necromantia and the glorious, sometimes avant-garde portal they’d opened upon the realm should readily race toward the events of this 7″ EP wherein each band included provides their own seven minute invocation of that general paradigm. The better known of the two is of course Necromantic Worship, initially a duo who’d released a couple of demos via Nuclear War Now! back in the mid-2010’s and more recently achieved their debut full-length (‘Necromantic Worship‘, 2025) upon returning to the unlight. Fans of more recent troupes such as Cemetery Lights and Moenen of Xezbeth should admire the bass-directed demonolatry of their debut as well as “Blood of the Abyss”, which appears to be a recording unique to the sessions for their LP. Blood-tunnel whispered vocals, Varathron-bent riffcraft, and tendril-pressed keys generate ‘epic’ verve and atmospheric haunt set far outside of trend and time. The more doomed patience they bring to their work the stronger it resonates in mind.

Depicted amidst unnamed ruins in similar hooded forms under unspeakable names comes newly articulated duo The Nameless Shrine who’d prompt their appearance here with little more than a frankly equally stunning piece in their debut single (“Sigils Beneath the Black Moon“, 2025). Their work here is more readily braced by scratched-at guitar progressions and organ grinding pulsation than their split-mates as “The Veil Torn by Forbidden Fire” wields riff first and foremost. This piece is not as jaunty as the single what came before, guided less by atmospheric haunt and moreso sombre machinery. Their presence on Side B shares some of the lightless ardor of Necromantic Worship‘s in its stride but stuns most within the whispering madness and strings of its mid-song break (around ~3:12 minutes in). Though I’m not sure this piece carries the eerie suspense of “Sigils Beneath the Black Moon” each yet sound as if pulled from the same mind and same demonstrative sessions.

Though it makes little sense to compare a fairly seasoned band with a bit of a head-start versus a new found ordo I’d of course been naturally drawn to the magickry of Necromantic Worship‘s piece. That said the connection made here is unholy and the pairing natural in their shared foundational interest and general modus. Folks heavily indoctrinated by ‘old school’ black metal of the occult persuasion, particularly the mid-paced Hellenic cloister, should flock to this 7″ just as readily as likely collectors of obscure niche-informed action. A high recommendation.

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