Review: Transilvania – Magia Posthuma

March 12, 2026

Mystical Vampiric Mystery Tour!

Hailing from Innsbruck in Austria, Transilvania made a name for themselves in the European underground scene with an impressive debut release in 2018, The Night of Nights. What made them stand out is their interesting spin on the blackthrash formula in also adding elements from traditional heavy metal as well as the first wave of black metal similar to bands such as Root and Tormentor. Three years later, they released a respectable follow-up, Of Sleep and Death, that took inspiration from melodic blackened death bands in the ’90s such as Dissection. Throughout their two releases, the band delivered a mystical and vampiric feeling in their atmosphere and darkness that made them unique compared to other bands of this style. 5 years after their last album, they are now on their third effort, Magia Posthuma.

The album begins with the title track, fittingly opening up the mystical side of the band’s music and atmosphere thanks to the ringing bells which mix well with their Dissection-inspired moods; this makes for an impressive start to the record thanks to the track having a lot going on in the cauldron. Following this track, “Thrall” leans into a really aggressive and melodic start; it shows off their more off-kilter style that reminds me of other black metal bands with a similar feeling such as Malokarpatan and Kvelgeyst. Things get more vicious with “Set the Tombs on Fire” which thrives on some really insane guitar solos, intense aggression in the drum beats as well as some catchy riffs that changes things up throughout.

Transilvania continues the catchy momentum with “Tuberculosis Reigns,” displaying their thrashier side while also hooking you in with riffs that give off classic black metal sound. The band changes up in style again with “A Tower to Confess,” starting off with a nice mystical intro which is followed by a well-blended mixture of their outlandish European energy as well as giving off strong Sacramentum vibes. This is probably the most atmospheric track on the album and keeps the journey fresh and memorable.

The band speeds things up with “Hallows of the Heir” which is a killer fast-paced track that adds to the array of styles this album has shown off. Its aggressive vocals and furious riffing are sublime and energetic, and the momentum keeps going into the next track, “Poenari by Night” which manages to mix in catchy sections and solos along with the furious pacing. Closing off this album is “The Faustian Bargain,” starting off being thrashy as hell. It’s a high-powered way to end the album—an adventurous and vigorous number that makes for a fantastic climax.

Once again, Transilvania delivers with Magia Posthuma, doing a great job taking the strengths from their last two albums and blending them together. It makes for an effort that mixes up their off-kilter European mystical and vampiric senses with inspiration from classic thrash, black and heavy metal in one mysterious cauldron. The album delivers a variety of fast, energetic riffing and soloing that people enjoyed from the first album while maintaining the strong melodic black metal elements from Of Sleep and Death. This is another case of a band delivering something that stands out from their previous efforts while still being strongly consistent in quality. Anyone unfamiliar with Transilvania beforehand should certainly go check them out.