Album of the Week – August 3, 2026

In this week’s entry of Roland’s pick for Metal Album of the Week series, I wanted to highlight an album that I discovered via the Tidal Algorythm.

Album: “There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road”
Band:  Wiegedood

They hail from the East Flanders region of Belgium, and this album will crush your skull.

Read on to learn more!

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Sometimes there are bands that feel just niche enough, or simply not big enough, that you assume you’ll never get the chance to see them live unless you’re willing to travel across continents.

For a long time, I thought that was going to be the case with Wiegedood.

I still remember how I discovered them. I was out for a run one day listening to Ash Borer. When the album ended, the algorithm took over and started playing something else. Almost immediately, I thought:

“Whoa. What is this?”

That track was “Now will Always Be” by Wiegedood, and I was hooked.

Here was this harsh black metal band from Belgium that I had somehow never heard before. What immediately stood out to me was their ability to write memorable melodies over dissonant, aggressive riffing. As I’ve mentioned in my previous entry, I love intentionality in songwriting. Even when music is chaotic, abrasive, or dissonant, I still want to hear purpose behind it.

Wiegedood absolutely nails that balance.

Their melodies stick with you, their riffs feel deliberate, and their relentless blasting creates a sense of urgency that never lets up. The drumming in particular is a masterclass in precision and endurance. Tight, punishing, and constantly driving the music forward.

Needless to say, I became a fan.

So you can imagine my excitement when Wiegedood was announced for the 2026 edition of Prepare the Ground, the now annual festival held in Toronto every May.
(Link to the festival’s website: Click here)

The festival lineup was stacked from top to bottom, but Wiegedood was the band I most wanted to see.

And they absolutely delivered!

Their performance was everything I hoped it would be and more. I was blown away by how closely the live sound matched the records. The band was incredibly tight, the performances were ferocious, and the songs retained all the chaotic energy that makes their studio material so compelling.

For the entire set, I couldn’t stop headbanging, fistbanging, and smiling.

When they finished, one of my friends turned to me and said:

“Yup, that’s definitely a Roland band”

He wasn’t wrong.

Ever since that show, I’ve found myself returning again and again to their latest album, “There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road”.

This record is an atmospheric powerhouse from beginning to end. There is very little wasted motion here. The album gets straight to the point and relentlessly pushes forward with intensity, tension, and aggression.

If you’re looking for blast beats, grim atmospheres, and emotionally charged black metal, this album delivers in abundance.

That said, There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road isn’t always an easy listen.

Some passages feel genuinely anxiety-inducing. Others are exhausting in the best possible way. The album demands your attention and rarely offers relief. But that’s part of what makes it so effective. Extreme metal isn’t always supposed to be comfortable. Sometimes the music is meant to challenge you, overwhelm you, and drag you through uncomfortable emotions.

Wiegedood understands that very well.

The result is an album that feels intense, immersive, and deeply rewarding for listeners willing to meet it on its own terms.

If you’re a fan of modern black metal with roots firmly planted in the grim atmospheres of the ’90s, I highly recommend giving this one a spin. The combination of memorable melodies, relentless aggression, and suffocating atmosphere makes it one of the most compelling black metal releases of the last few years.

As for the production on this album, two things immediately stood out to me.

First, the band doesn’t use a bass guitar, so my audio-engineer brain instantly noticed the absence of that familiar low-end foundation. It definitely caught me off guard at first.

Second, this record absolutely nails the critical 2 kHz to 5 kHz range where so much of the note information and definition of harsh BM guitar tones lives. This area of the frequency spectrum is notoriously easy to overdo, resulting in a harsh or fatiguing listening experience. Wiegedood strikes the balance perfectly, preserving all the aggression and bite of the guitars while keeping them clear, musical, and surprisingly listenable. Well done!

And to the members of Wiegedood, if you ever happen to read this:

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO TORONTO!

Your set was the highlight of the festival for me, and There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road has been in regular rotation ever since.

I hope I get to see you play again!

Favourite Tracks:
“Nuages” and

“Theft and Begging”

Playlist