Moon Coven – Sun King (Review)

Moon Coven - Sun KingThis is the third album from Swedish rock band Moon Coven.

Moon Coven play a mix of psychedelic rock and stoner doom that has a touch of the progressive about it too. Across 46 minutes Sun King blends these styles into a warm, personable album of good tunes and good vibes. Continue reading “Moon Coven – Sun King (Review)”

Noveria – The Gates of the Underworld (Review)

Noveria - The Gates of the UnderworldThis is the fourth album from Noveria, a progressive power metal band from Italy.

Containing 108 minutes of material, The Gates of the Underworld is a feast of music for fans of luscious and rich progressive power metal. As a rough guide, think of a mix of bands such as Threshold, Evergrey, and Pagan’s Mind. Continue reading “Noveria – The Gates of the Underworld (Review)”

Grand Cadaver – Deities of Deathlike Sleep (Review)

Grand Cadaver - Deities of Deathlike SleepGrand Cadaver are a death metal band from Sweden and this is their second album.

Featuring current and ex-members of Dark Tranquillity, Katatonia, The Halo Effect, and Tiamat, Deities of Deathlike Sleep is the 35-minute follow up to 2021’s Into the Maw of Death. Continue reading “Grand Cadaver – Deities of Deathlike Sleep (Review)”

Garoted – Bewitchment of the Dark Ages (Review)

Garoted - Bewitchment of the Dark AgesGaroted are a death metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

A crushing display of death metal prowess, Bewitchment of the Dark Ages is a blisteringly aggressive 36-minute slab of dark extremity. Garoted can certainly play, and they wield their instruments like weapons as they pursue they ferocious goals. Continue reading “Garoted – Bewitchment of the Dark Ages (Review)”

The Gorge – Mechanical Fiction (Review)

The Gorge - Mechanical FictionThis is the third album from US progressive metallers The Gorge.

Mechanical Fiction contains 45 minutes of modern, heavy music. The Gorge are an interesting band, in that they are ostensibly a band you’d give the tags of  progressive metal and technical metal too, but they also incorporate avant-garde and jazz elements into their style, as well as having an underpinning hardcore/sludge influence that’s formative. Continue reading “The Gorge – Mechanical Fiction (Review)”

Decompression – Love Is the Beauty of the Soul (Review)

Decompression - Love Is the Beauty of the SoulThis is the debut album from one-woman black/doom band Decompression from the US.

Decompression is a 53-minute collection of original compositions, (five), and cover songs, (three, including one from Forgotten Tomb). Stylistically, black/doom doesn’t really do it full justice, but it’s a loose descriptor that’s suitable enough. Continue reading “Decompression – Love Is the Beauty of the Soul (Review)”

Pyrkagion – The Katechon and the Unending Fire (Review)

Pyrkagion - The Katechon and the Unending FireThis is the debut EP from US black metal band Pyrkagion.

The Katechon and the Unending Fire is a 26-minute EP consisting of two tracks. Brought to us by members of Bell Witch, Human Effluence, and Hissing, Pyrkagion deliver a strong lesson in modern black metal. Continue reading “Pyrkagion – The Katechon and the Unending Fire (Review)”

Spirit Adrift – Ghost at the Gallows (Review)

Spirit Adrift - Ghost at the GallowsThis is the fifth album from the US heavy metal band Spirit Adrift.

I’ve always enjoyed what Spirit Adrift offer, (check out Chained to Oblivion, Curse of Conception, Divided by Darkness, and Enlightened in Eternity), so new album Ghost at the Gallows is most welcome. Continue reading “Spirit Adrift – Ghost at the Gallows (Review)”

The Circle – Of Awakening (Review)

The Circle - Of AwakeningThe Circle are a German black metal band and this is their second album.

Of Awakening is a 33-minute black metal album of sorts that incorporates elements of doom, ambient, symphonic, and post-black metal. While black metal is the obvious tag for this, and it’s superficially the correct one, it doesn’t tell the whole story of Continue reading “The Circle – Of Awakening (Review)”

Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium (Review)

Horrendous - Ontological MysteriumThis is the fifth album from US death metallers Horrendous.

Horrendous’ trajectory through their last three albums – 2014’s Ecdysis, 2015’s Anareta, and 2018’s Idol – has been an enjoyable one to experience, but it’s been a while since we’ve heard from them. As such, it’s great to finally have Ontological Mysterium, which contains 38 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Horrendous – Ontological Mysterium (Review)”