This is the third album from Belgian post-metallers Hemelbestormer.
I’m not the biggest fan of instrumental music, but sometimes a band comes along and makes it work notably well. With 2016’s Aether and 2018’s A Ring of Blue Light, Hemelbestormer were just one such band. Now they’ve returned with Collide & Merge, which boasts a whopping 73 minutes of new material. Can Hemelbestormer continue their upward trend? We shall see. Continue reading “Hemelbestormer – Collide & Merge (Review)”
This is the second album from Daxma, a doom/post-metal band from the US.
Following on from 2017’s The Head Which Becomes the Skull, by way of the 2019 EP Ruins upon Ruins, Unmarked Boxes is a record I’ve been waiting for. Daxma deal in luscious doom and post-metal soundscapes that are absolutely awash with atmosphere and run deep with emotive content. Continue reading “Daxma – Unmarked Boxes (Review)”
Khemmis are a doom metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.
Khemmis are a great band, it’s as simple as that. Across three very well-received albums, (Absolution, Hunted, and Desolation), they have established themselves as modern doom metal heavyweights extraordinaire. On Deceiver Khemmis have continued their trend of high quality releases, and it’s one not be missed. Continue reading “Khemmis – Deceiver (Review)”
Adliga are a post-metal/doom band from Belarus and this is their debut album.
Adliga play a doom-laden brand of post-metal, and on Vobrazy they deliver 41 minutes of captivating material. Their music reminds me of a mix of Obscure Sphinx, Katatonia, Madder Mortem, The Ocean, and Cult of Luna, although these are only rough reference points. Continue reading “Adliga – Vobrazy (Review)”
Monolord are a doom metal band from Sweden and this is their fifth album.
After 2019’s enjoyable No Comfort, the band are back with Your Time to Shine, which contains 39 minutes of new material. Monolord know very well how to make this sort of music at this point. These five songs are satisfying and enjoyable. Combining heaviness with nuance, the songs batter your door down, before entertaining with a wealth of musical anecdotes. Continue reading “Monolord – Your Time to Shine (Review)”
Ophis are a German death/doom band and this is their fifth album.
I do like Ophis’ work. 2014’s Abhorrence in Opulence and The Dismal Circle were both crushing records, and Spew Forth Odium is no different in this regard. Featuring members of Fvneral Fvkk and Todtgelichter, Ophis know their chosen art form well, and Spew Forth Odium contains 64 minutes of foul underground heaviness and gloom. Continue reading “Ophis – Spew Forth Odium (Review)”
This is the fifth album from US doom metallers Apostle of Solitude.
Both 2014’s Of Woe and Wounds and 2018’s From Gold to Ash were very enjoyable records, so I knew I wanted in on Until the Darkness Goes‘ action. With a duration of 37 minutes it’s Apostle of Solitude’s shortest album yet, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. Continue reading “Apostle of Solitude – Until the Darkness Goes (Review)”
This is the debut album from French doom metal band Indigo Raven.
Featuring a member of Mourir, Indigo Raven deliver 43 minutes of doom on Looking for Transcendence, (including bonus track, a Mazzy Star cover). The promo blurb states that the “trio’s sound emerges from the Peaceville Three’s influence with a modern sludge approach”, and this is a suitable description of what you’ll find on this album. To this I’d also add a certain 80s pop sensibility that makes for songs that stick in the head. Continue reading “Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence (Review)”
This is the second album from Illudium, a post-metal/shoegaze band from the US.
The style on Ash of the Womb is a hybrid one that takes liberally from post-metal, post-rock, shoegaze, grunge, and doom. The end result is a captivating collection of tracks with its own voice. Illudium write music that has recognisable components that you can attribute influences to, but the band exist very much on their own terms. Continue reading “Illudium – Ash of the Womb (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US sludge metal band Kowloon Walled City.
It seems like a long time since Grievances saw the light of day in 2015. The band have now returned with Piecework, their shortest and most refined album to date. Continue reading “Kowloon Walled City – Piecework (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 