Album Name - Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory
Band Name - Saidan
Genre - Melodic Black Metal
Label - Avantgarde Music
Release Date - June 19, 2026
Line Up -
Splatterpvnk - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Hundosai - Drums
2026 seems to be the year that is determined to give me a lesson on the immense versatility of the genre of black metal. With the latest release of Saidan I get to listen to something so much different from what I did so far this year. Saidan creates something unique with their hyper charged additive rhythms, melodic originality, and a sense of unconventional cheesy fun in the realm of overly serious black metal music.
Saidan has been releasing stuff quite frequently since their formation in 2020, this being their fourth full length album. This is most likely possible because the band is the brainchild of one man, the multi talented Splatterpvnk, who is the vocal and plays everything except the drums here. His unique sense of the craft makes it possible to create such aggressive and relentless onslaught of music, which is backboned by frantic drumming from Hundosai.
From the get-go it is apparent that the band is trying to be original, with their intense affection for melodies getting mixed with signature vocals and drumming of black metal. This is also complemented by a well-placed melodic transition giving a chance of release of tension among the aggression. There are things that Saidan does that might seem too cringe to over serious fans, but it is undeniable that these two are very passionate about their music. The vocals are quite characteristic of the genre, with tortured screams and anguished delivery. Almost every song has a melodic and fast solo. The synths and keyboard also adds deliciously to the melody, while the familiar background hiss of black metal persists but never really drowns the melodic hooks due to a relatively clean production.
To try to pick apart this album is quite a difficult and unnecessary task, this gave me the feeling of walking into a metaphoric deluge of melodic cacophony. The instrumental transitions felt more like Saidan was giving us a moment to gasp in breaths before plunging us again into the passionate downpour of their music. But I will try to write about some of the highlights in the next paragraph nevertheless.
'Razorblade Temptation' starts with a catchy melody, blends almost seamlessly into ' Rapture (I'll Wait for You)' which also have some attractive melodies and sets the pace for the rest of the album. 'Kara no Bara' gives an unusually cheerful chorus that just sticks into your mind, begging to be repeated. Then there is 'Stained Glass Sin - Fang Driller', the most epic and complete song of the album, using every strength and quirk of the band to create 7 minute quasi ballad. But my favorite track is the second to last, probably the closest song to a traditional black metal outing, with blistering riffs and relentless pace. And then comes the acoustic guitar and clean vocal infused closer 'Mortuary', leaving listeners with a sense of melancholic incompleteness that creates an urge to immediately restart from the beginning.
On a side note, I would suggest the listeners watch the two music videos available on YouTube, which is a fine way to experience what the band is trying to portray in terms of their unique blend of black metal and Japanese horror culture.
Overall Score -
9 out of 10.
For more info check out the bands official Bandcamp and their metal-archives page -
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Saidan/3540476119
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