Coming in at under 40 minutes, African Metal United by Poisoned Blood has a lot to say about death, decay, and resistance to the current state of society. There is this unhinged energy that courses through it, with almost every song having its own place and message that pushes it further. It is definitely worth sitting with this entire album and having one’s ears and heart open to what it has to say. However, it can be somewhat surprising to learn how this album came to be.
Poisoned Blood is a Melodic Doom /Death Metal band hailing from Zambia. Originally a two-man band, it is now officially a solo project helmed by Mwango Lunda, who composed and recorded all of its songs. Having released Artificially Alive in 2025, before African Metal United, he recorded the album entirely in a bedroom studio setup.
That fact makes this newer album’s existence all the more impressive. One can only imagine the time, patience, and dedication it took Lunda to bring all these singers together on this project. However, his efforts paid off as together they delivered an extremely rare type of collaborative project.
True to its name, the album features guest vocalists on every track from across Africa, and audiences that are familiar with the space will recognize many of these key figures. These include Chelsea Larsen from South Africa’s Surdus and Hilliker, Danny Core Brutal from Angola’s Ressurreição and Eternal Katastrophy, and Tshomarelo ‘Vulture’ Mosaka from Botswana’s Overthrust, and these are just a few of them.
As my first review for AFRICA.ROCKS, I felt this album was a fitting choice for me, as through the Wacken Metal Africa Finals, held in Johannesburg, I have been able to experience some of these vocalists and their bands, and am therefore already familiar with their sound. Symphonic groove death metal is also one of my favorite genres to experience live, especially because so much effort goes into balancing melody and heaviness, which is an element that is at the forefront of this album.
“Cradle and Bone” ft. Frank Taljaard (Avé) hits with full force from the get-go; there is no buildup, just a pressure that consistently builds. A perfect choice to kick things off, Lunda lays down a groove early on with highly melodic guitar riffs/solos, along with screeching vocals and lyrics by Frank that explore a shared ancestry through fragments of skull and bone. In this sense, it connects listeners far and wide, creating a place where we as Africans can come together and celebrate our shared heritage.
The next track may seem separate from the others in terms of its themes, but it is still connected by the loss of life fueled by society’s fear. Exploring the persecution of women during the witch trials, “1692: The Year of the Witch” ft. Chelsea Larsen seems like a retrospective that somehow feels increasingly relevant in 2026. Chelsea’s 13 years of experience are at the forefront of this track, with tight, guttural vocals and outbursts synonymous with the genre. She establishes this suffocating atmosphere, capturing the controlling, fearmongering quality of the time.
With a heavier soundscape, “Withered Immortelles” ft. Presto Billyo (Raven In Flesh) has this deathly energy where Presto’s hand is truly felt, which isn’t surprising, as his black metal band, Raven In Flesh, leans fully into the black metal genre, known for going all out in their performances with their makeup and attire. For a song so crushing, its lyrics match with such precision as it explores death and the soul’s departure. Vocals with a scratchy, harsh quality are upturned, leading into a cleaner chorus, giving listeners a chance to sit with them. It almost feels like it wants to take you down a winding road to somewhere otherworldly.
Upheld by a guitar with a captivating quality, Esgoto Social ft. Danny Core Brutal feels like it is gently taking your hand in the intro, a departure from the frontal assault of the other tracks. The riff then begins to pick up, with drums slamming into you, which quickly changes up the pace. It takes on a whole new presence, and what makes it even more interesting is that it is sung in Portuguese, one of the main languages of Angola, where Danny hails from. Backed by one of the album’s most entrancing guitar melodies, the lyrics also offer commentary on societal apathy and ambivalence, suggesting that the only option is resistance.
Another intriguing entry to the album, this one features two vocalists, Akram Soliman (Anemoya) and Mustafa Gharib (Maddox Theory), who expertly bounce off each other, building on what has been established and pushing it further. There is a perfect balance between the cleaner spoken lyrics and the ones screeched with maximum intensity. Offering a kinder message about standing together to face these cruel times, the track is mirrored compositionally by an almost lighter spirit. The drum breakdowns offer a satisfactory pick-up, as they exude an almost exasperated energy as you try to keep up with the increased pace.
With a menacing whisper, Overthrust’s Tshomarelo ‘Vulture’ Mosaka sets the vibe for “Death Comes For All” early on. Some pitch changes keep things fresh, with solid guitar breakdowns scattered like little treats. However, when experiencing the entire album, this one felt slightly lacking. Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of things that worked on this particular track. But for a song about death, there could’ve been more of an emotional pull and vulnerability than the others exhibited.
All of a sudden, there is a turn that you don’t expect when Donné (another South African vocalist) comes up. She shakes the entire album up with “Unliving.” Lunda sets things off with a slower guitar, with everything following along shortly, as Donné sings about dead souls and worn-out dreams. Much more haunting, it seems to be touching on unfulfilled potential and not living life to the fullest, something I’m sure many will relate to upon listening. Having “Hope For The Hopeless” (Instrumental), following Donné, felt like another perfect choice. There was almost a break from the harsher tracks, and for listeners who aren’t always familiar with the genre, it may feel like a much-needed break. It definitely belonged on the album, as it gave Lunda a place to showcase his skills.
With vocals reminiscent of a Death-Doom metal band, Cairo’s Ahmed Sokkar, from Catharsis, brought back the crushing intensity with “Flag of Deceit,” a scathing commentary on American Imperialism backed by crushing breakdowns and guttural vocals. This is one whose relevance will likely continue to grow throughout the year, while punching you in the chest and refusing to leave anytime soon.
Sung by Van Zyl Alberts, “Rainbow of Rot,” the final track, speaks to the experiences of many South Africans. As South Africa is one of the countries with the largest forms of inequality, Van Zyl touches on the poverty, crime, discrimination, and gender-based violence that ordinary citizens face. This song perfectly captures the spirit of disillusionment and, through metal, brings attention to these growing conditions hidden behind a rainbow facade. The need for change hits with every lyric, with a built-in urgency backed up by everything else.
Overall, Lunda’s touch is evident throughout the album, providing the melodic backbone and the beating heart between tracks. Not only is it confrontational in its sound, but it is also confrontational in the messages it conveys, asking listeners to face them head-on and not shy away from things that could make them uncomfortable, whether it was regarding the unnecessary killing of women or the collapse of government systems. For Africans, there is much that can bring us together as well as tear us apart, but instead of giving in to apathy, we should move forward and fight.
