Mexican black/doom metal veterans Hagel announce new EP »The Veil Of Shadows«; first single »The Withering Tongues« streaming now!
Monterrey, Mexico based black/doom metal band Hagel will release their new EP »The Veil Of Shadows« on November 6th, 2026 via Personal Records.
Listen to the first single »The Withering Tongues« below!
Tracklist:
01. The Withering Tongues
02. Flesh Of The Gods
03. Effluvium
04. Obsidian Mirrors (The Veil Of Shadows)
05. Echoes From Beyond The Veil-Chaconne In D Minor
Courtesy of Personal Records:
Personal Records is proud to present a brand-new mini-album from Hagel, »The Veil Of Shadows«, out internationally on November 6th on CD format.
Hagel are a black-doom metal band from Monterrey, Mexico. Formed in 1995 by Carlos Velázquez (guitar), Luis Galindo (keyboards and vocals), Fernando Galindo (bass), and David Benavides (drums), the band emerged from the underground scene of northern Mexico. Between 1995 and 2000, Hagel developed an identity that fused dark melodies, dense atmospheres, and a melodic approach characteristic of ’90s black metal. The band dissolved in 2000 following the departure of Luis Galindo, leaving behind songs that remained unreleased at the time.
In 2014, after more than a decade of silence, Carlos Velázquez reactivated the project with a new lineup that revived Hagel’s original essence while projecting it through a more solid and modern production. This era featured Juan Reyes (drums), Elizabeth Castillo (bass), and Iván Saldaña (guitar and vocals). The return of original keyboardist Luis Galindo in 2018 restored part of the band’s foundational spirit. A year later, Hagel entered the studio to record their debut album, »Veneration Of The Black Light«, released in 2021 through Personal Records. Composed primarily of material written between 1995 and 1997, the album was praised by specialized press for its authenticity and faithful adherence to the era’s aesthetic, opening new doors within both the national and international extreme metal circuits.
Photo credit: Vero Lazos VL
Following Galindoʼs final departure in 2023, Hagel continued evolving. In 2024, Iveth Herrera joined as lead vocalist, allowing Iván Saldaña to focus exclusively on guitars. With this renewed lineup, the band completed production of »The Veil Of Shadows«, their second release. With a new formation and an even more introspective vision, on this new mini-album do Hagel continue to explore the boundaries of black-doom metal through dreamlike visions, ritual landscapes, and obsidian mirrors. Faithful to their origins yet in constant transformation, the band keep forging their own path within contemporary extreme music.
Hagel draw influence from the atmospheric and melodic darkness of bands such as early Moonspell, Rotting Christ, Ophthalamia, Mortuary Drape, Katatonia, Empyrium, Samael, and Tiamat, blending these elements into a ritualistic and melancholic black-doom metal identity. As considerable as their critically acclaimed debut album was, the swift-yet-satisfying »The Veil Of Shadows« crystalizes this identity with arguably the band’s most powerful, poignant material to date: ancient mysticism writ large across a five-song / 21-minute canvas.
Pre-order »The Veil Of Shadows« here:
personal-records.com | personal-records.bandcamp.com
Hagel is:
Iveth Herrera – Vocals
Carlos Velázquez – Guitars
Iván Saldaña – Guitars
Elizabeth Castillo – Bass
Juan Reyes – Drums
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well