In late 2025, we polled our readers to vote for their favorite death / thrash metal release from a handful of our nominations.
The winner of The Best Death / Thrash Metal Album of the Year is…
Let There Be Sin by Eternal Returns
Mixing thrash, groove, metalcore, and death metal in Mumbai, Eternal Returns dropped their second album – Let There Be Sin, a conceptual odyssey. Speaking to the band, they admit that vocalist Narendra Patel wrote a song a decade ago called “Sevenfold Vices Behold,” adding that “at first our plan was just to create a single song that captured all seven sins… but then Harsh [Makwana] came up with the idea of building an entire album around the concept where each sin could have its own distinct sound.”
Naturally, the record includes tracks “Greed,” “Gluttony,” “Lust,” and so on. “My personal view of sin is that people often commit sins while still believing themselves to be righteous. If you believe in good, you must also acknowledge the bad only then can you truly channel that energy. I feel that anyone who learns to control their emotions eventually learns to control themselves, and in turn, their sin,” shares Narendra. He clarifies, “you don’t need to look for answers in a book to be kind; sometimes a simple smile goes a long way. The place I come from has always shown deep compassion, and because of that, my religious views have undeniably shaped who I am and how I live my life.”
In addition to the aforementioned vocalist Narendra Patel and bassist-guitarist Harsh Makwana, Let There Be Sin features guitarist-vocalist Shankul Chavan as well as Ukrainian drummer Viktor Lytvynov (Orbstruct). Since then, the band parted ways with Viktor – “I want to thank Viktor for his contribution. He is a great individual and an equally kickass drummer, and I wish safety and strength to him and his family in Ukraine. We’re still connected and talk on Telegram.”
With that said, welcome new drummer Niveditha Ode Linda! With the lineup complete again, the band is happy to share that they’ll “definitely be starting shows again soon, and we’re really excited about it.. we’re also planning more music videos and eventually a tour. A lot is in motion, and we’re excited for everything that’s coming next.”