Crowbar – Zero and Below (Review)

Crowbar - Zero and BelowThis is the twelfth album from US sludge metal legends Crowbar.

In an ideal world Crowbar whould need little introduction. The band have been toiling away producing some of the absolute best song-based sludge metal since the early nineties, and have managed to not only amass a huge discography of great songs and albums, but have done so while basically carving their own path through the metal landscape. Continue reading “Crowbar – Zero and Below (Review)”

Kuolemanlaakso – Kuusumu (Review)

Kuolemanlaakso - KuusumuKuolemanlaakso are a Gothic metal band from Finland and this is their third album.

Featuring the singer of Swallow the Sun, Kuusumu contains 47 minutes of polished, professional material. For a starting reference point think of a band like Paradise Lost, and then add in elements of acts such as My Dying Bride, Sentenced, Barren Earth, Amorphis, and Orphaned Land; this will give you a rough idea of where Kuolemanlaakso’s talents lie. Continue reading “Kuolemanlaakso – Kuusumu (Review)”

JIRM – The Tunnel, the Well, Holy Bedlam (Review)

JIRM - The Tunnel, the Well, Holy BedlamJIRM, (previously known as Jeremy Irons and the Ratgang Malibus), are a Swedish hard rock band and this is their fifth album.

Following on from 2018’s Surge ex Monumentis, JIRM’s new offering contains 52 minutes of hard rocking atmosphere and progressive wanderings. Continue reading “JIRM – The Tunnel, the Well, Holy Bedlam (Review)”

Ritual Necromancy/Fossilization – Split (Review)

Ritual Necromancy Fossilization - SplitThis split is between Ritual Necromancy from the US and Fossilization from Brazil. Both  are death metal acts with doom influences.

Ritual Necromancy, (featuring a member of Decrepisy), open the split with a 15-minute track named Enter the Depths. Continue reading “Ritual Necromancy/Fossilization – Split (Review)”

An Evening Redness – An Evening Redness (Review)

An Evening Redness - An Evening RednessThis is the debut album from An Evening Redness, a drone/doom band.

An Evening Redness gives us a 55-minute journey into doom, dark ambient, and drone, one that uses worldbuilding to effectively craft entire vistas of bleak, sparse environments. Continue reading “An Evening Redness – An Evening Redness (Review)”

Allegaeon – Damnum (Review)

Allegaeon - DamnumAllegaeon are a death metal band from the US and this is their sixth album.

There’s something about Allegaeon’s music that’s very satisfying and moreish. The band have discovered a blending of technicality, progressive flourish, and melodic might that simply works, and works well. Both 2016’s Proponent for Sentience and 2019’s Apoptosis were both great records, ably showcasing Allegaeon’s style of music. Now, in 2022, what does Damnum hold for us? Continue reading “Allegaeon – Damnum (Review)”

Corpsegrinder – Corpsegrinder (Review)

Corpsegrinder - CorpsegrinderThis is the debut album from US death metal solo act Corpsegrinder.

Brought to us by the singer of Cannibal Corpse, (aided and abetted by guest musicians), Corpsegrinder contains 31 minutes of music that combines death metal with elements of thrash metal and hardcore. Continue reading “Corpsegrinder – Corpsegrinder (Review)”

Soliloquium – Soulsearching (Review)

Soliloquium - SoulsearchingThis is the fourth album from Swedish death/doom metallers Soliloquium.

It’s always a pleasure to hear new Soliloquium. Betwen 2018’s Contemplations and 2020’s Things We Leave Behind the band have quickly amassed an enviable discography, and now we have Soulsearching to add to this impressive list. Continue reading “Soliloquium – Soulsearching (Review)”