To claim that there is no connection between Black Metal and Punk is pure self-deception, even though purists will continue to deny it with foam at the mouth. History tells a different story. Punk is embedded in the DNA of Black Metal: the do-it-yourself ethic, the rejection of authority, rawness over technique. Crust Punk, in particular, comes dangerously close to Black Metal, with its feral guitar sound, d-beat propulsion, and all-consuming nihilism.
In recent years we’ve seen more and more bands deliberately colliding these two worlds. Sometimes Punk dominates—filthy, direct, street-level—sometimes Black Metal takes the wheel with its coldness, occultism, and all-devouring atmosphere. But the essence remains the same.
Punk is the fuse, Black Metal is the fire.
Final Dose emerged in London in 2019, featuring members from bands such as Archierophant, Coldfall, and a range of other projects deeply rooted in the underground. Final Dose is a textbook example of how these two styles not only coexist, but actively reinforce one another. While the punk foundation is unmistakable, Black Metal is pushed firmly to the forefront here: menacing, filthy, and uncompromising.
Following their album release in April 2025, things have hardly gone quiet. The band is now set to release a new EP on vinyl via Wolves of Hades, a label synonymous with everything rotten, black, and unpolished. This is no nostalgic exercise, no forced crossover, but music that sounds like it was made to tear down walls and leave scars behind.
So what does Final Dose serve us on this new EP? Quite simply: hugely catchy blackened punk that leans more toward the black side and pulls you straight into the world of Final Dose.
Killer riffs clearly inspired by the ’90s, with the occasional d-beat thrown in.
I’m into this. A different approach, a different way of kicking against the sacred cows.
80/100