1st February 2026

5 Albums I Want To Be Buried With #21: Æl-Fierlen!

What is the toughest assignment you can give any self respecting music lover? How about whittling down their entire lifetime’s worth of music to just five albums to take with them to the afterlife that comes beyond the grave? We challenged guitarist Rob Melville from Post-Black Metal quartet Æl-Fierlen to do exactly that and he gleefully obliged in this latest instalment of our “5 Albums I Want To Be Buried With” feature. Where he found the time given the significant number of shows and festival appearances they have lined up we’ll never know but as ever a huge THANK YOU is in order!

The premise is simple: “Back in ancient Egypt they believed that the items their Kings were buried with would travel with them into the afterlife and so part of the burial ritual would see the mummified bodies surrounded by chariots, gold and more. Fast forward to now. If there were five albums that you’d want buried in the coffin with you to take to the afterlife, what would you choose?”

1. “Citadel” by Ne Obliviscaris

“This was my gateway album into NeO back when it came out, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. The haunting, soaring violin parts used as a lead instrument, the interweaving mix of clean and harsh vocals, the unrelentingly intense drums and the captivating writing just had me hooked from the word “go” and I’ve never looked back. Highlight: “Devour me Colossus”“

2. “Of Erthe and Axen Acts I and II” by Xanthochroid

“I’m going to cheat slightly here by including a double album, but I swear both discs are integral to the release! A friend sent me a song by these guys one day with the line, “let me introduce you to your new favourite band,” and she was not wrong! The song writing is just some of the most incredible nuanced stuff I’ve ever heard, due to the use of motifs across songs, and how they reference melodies from one song in others and between instruments. Just incredible stuff! It’s a two disc concept album and the titles of all the tracks form the lyrics at the culmination of the final track on disc 2. When I realised that I was just…mind blown! I think I’ve bought this record three times at this point! Highlight: Can I say all of it? But, “The Sound Which Has No Name” and “Toward Truth and Reconciliation”, the climatic tracks of each disc if I had to pick!“

3. “Walk Beyond the Dark” by Abigail Williams

“I actually have a print of the artwork for this album framed on my wall at home, so it’s fair to say it’s an important album to me. C.E. Brown’s (Osi and the Jupiter) cello playing elevates it so far above being “just” a black metal record; his performance adds endless emotional depth and is a perfect juxtaposition to Ken Sorceron’s heart rending vocals. Highlight: “The Final Failure”“

4. “Malina” by Leprous

“Malina is very much “my” Leprous album as it was the new release when I really got into them (I was late to the party, I know), but honestly several of their albums could be on this list. For me ‘Malina’ is the perfect crossroads from Leprous’ earlier, heavier albums to the almost entirely Rock sound that their last couple of records have been. It’s chock-full of clever rhythmic and timing devices, perfect if you like maths and counting! Highlight: “Illuminate”“

5. “The Hallowing of Heirdom” by Winterfylleth

“I was already a huge fan of Winterfylleth when this record came out, but having them come out with a fully acoustic/folk record just cemented my love for them even further. Something in the sonorous, almost choral vocals really resonated with me. I was lucky enough to see this performed at St Pancras Old Church, and it was as close to a religious experience as I’ve ever had. It’s such a deeply moving and emotional record, with beautiful guitar arrangements that really make use of the difference in timbre between the classical and acoustic guitars. I have the print copy of the score signed by all the guys, which is a truly treasured possession of mine. Highlight: “Æcerbot”“

You can catch Æl-Fierlen live across the United Kingdom throughout 2026 as follows:

06/02 – Southampton, Heartbreakers
07/02 – Bristol, The Gryphon
08/02 – Brighton, The Pipeline
14/02 – Norwich, Brickmakers
07/03 – London, LVLS – Haunted Echoes Fest (Free Entry!)
18/04 – Brighton, Daltons, Hammerdown Unplugged Fest
03/05 – Bridgewater, The Cobblestones, Southwest Heavyfest
12/05 – London, Oslo w/Thy Catafalque
13/05 – Leeds, The Lending Room w/Thy Catafalque
14/05 – Glasgow, Audio w/Thy Catafalque
22/05 – Bristol, Golden Lion
24/05 – Norwich, Brickmakers, Slayfest 2026
28/11 – Brighton, The Green Door Store, Winter Assault Festival