This is the debut album from Khôrada, a progressive/doom/post-metal band from the US.
Featuring most of the members of the much-missed Agalloch coupled with the singer of Giant Squid, this album contains 55 minutes of contemplative, intelligently-composed music.
Now here’s an album with real emotive power. The music can be loosely termed as progressive post-metal, but there’s a multitude of different styles skilfully incorporated into this release. Continue reading “Khôrada – Salt (Review)”
Morrow are a US black metal band and this is their debut album.
Not to be confused with the Morrow from the UK that have appeared on this site previously, this US band play atmospheric black metal with ambient and post-rock influences. Continue reading “Morrow – The Weight of These Feathers (Review)”
Apotelesma are a doom metal band from the Netherlands and this is their debut album.
This is dark, atmospheric doom metal that has several corrupting influences from black metal’s more atmospheric strains. Continue reading “Apotelesma – Timewrought Kings (Review)”
Fragarak are an Indian progressive death metal band and this is their second album.
We first met Fragarak on their 2013 album Crypts of Dissimulation. Well, we’ve been waiting a long time for a follow up release, and now it’s here, it’s quite the monster. Continue reading “Fragarak – A Spectral Oblivion (Review)”
Ne Obliviscaris are an Australian progressive extreme metal band and this is their third album.
Urn is epic, progressive, aggressive, and textured. It’s a release that has a lot to absorb and experience, requiring multiple sittings to really even start to get the most from it. This is a complex and emotive listen, one that’s highly rewarding and enjoyable. Continue reading “Ne Obliviscaris – Urn (Review)”
This is the debut album from Iapetus, a progressive death metal band from the US.
Okay, here we have – deep breath – atmospheric, progressive, melodic death metal. Well, that wasn’t so bad, actually. Continue reading “Iapetus – The Long Road Home (Review)”
Crystalmoors are a Spanish pagan/folk black metal band and this is their third album.
This is a double-album release consisting of two different parts. The first is named The Sap That Feeds Us and the second is named La Montaña.
The Sap That Feeds Us is pagan/folk black metal that should find fans in any that favour the work of Dissection, Primordial, Agalloch and Drudkh.
I like the blackened Continue reading “Crystalmoors – The Mountain Will Forgive Us (Review)”
Falloch are from the UK, and this is their second album. They play Folk-tinged Post-Rock.
This is the kind of album you’d listen to when trying to relax at the end of a hard day, or when you want something light and non-invasive to tinkle away in the background.
Falloch specialise in nature-inspired songs that take the slow route and utilise the build/release nature of Post-Rock to carve out their ethereal sounds.
This Island, Our Funeral is somewhat of a mix of bands such as Agalloch, Anathema and Blueneck only with more of a Post-Rock style and an elemental, windswept feel.
Guitar melodies and leads conjure images akin to the album cover and the organic production has some steel to it despite the nature of the music.
The vocals are well-performed with layered harmonies and angelic tones. The singer’s voice is well judged and fits the music well; it shares the same Folk-edge that the music does and the vocal melodies seep out of the speakers like honey.
Falloch have crafted an album that attempts to forge an emotional connection with the listener and its success largely depends on how receptive the listener is to what they have to say. They clearly believe in what they’re doing and I think they’re definitely worth a listen or two. Have at it.
Ahamkara are from the UK and play Atmospheric Black Metal. This is their début album.
This is Black Metal with epic length songs and a windswept feel.
This is the kind of album that’s the soundtrack to exploration. It’s the Blackened equivalent of a map of uncharted territories and frost-worn mountains.
The Embers of the Stars is bitingly cold and achingly sensual in equal amounts. These songs are emotive and expressive, infused with the raw energy of nature and the passion that goes along with this.
Heartfelt guitars and subtle synths provide the rasping vocals with a rich background on which to scream out into the heavens.
This sweeping music is perfect for Black Metal that’s inspired by nature and seeks to channel it via a darkened Metal route. Each of these songs is extremely well composed and gives the feeling of really being in the raw, dangerous outdoors.
This is the kind of epic, atmospheric music that has been characterised well by the Cascadian scene, even though this is from the UK. Fans of Wolves in the Throne Room, Altar of Plagues, Agalloch, Fen, Skagos, Fauna, Wodensthrone, (who share a member), etc., will be very at home with Ahamkara. However, whereas a lot of these bands have Post-Metal qualities to their sound, Ahamkara substitute these for shades of the mighty Emperor and thus are more “pure” Black Metal than not.
Really top quality work like this should always be supported. Listen and become enthralled.
Myrkur is a one woman Black Metal project from Denmark. This is her début EP.
Myrkur combines the rawness and bleakness of second-wave Black Metal with ambient and atmospheric sounds to create frostbitten and ice-filled sonicscapes that scar the imagination and enchant the brain.
Ethereal clean female vocals and raw Black Metal mix in such a way that helps the music to transcend the usual genre constraints and become something greater than the sum of its parts.
There are medieval influences to some of the guitar sounds, (when they’re not wrapped in grim darkness of course), and even a touch of the Post-Metal/Post-Black Metal on occasion.
Think a pared down Wolves in the Throne Room, or a more atmospheric Darkthrone, or a less synth-powered Vinterriket; add angelic female vocals and this is the space Myrkur inhabit. It’s not all beauty however as she can also scream and shriek with the best of them when needed.
It’s rare that you find harsh Black Metal skilfully interweaved with music that’s atmospheric and epic in scope. Here the two are thoughtfully and flawlessly intertwined. Usually this is only accomplished by the elite and cream-of-the-crop bands like Agalloch.
Add to this a softer feminine touch that usually, if incorporated into Metal at all, just sounds tacked on; here it’s an integral, fully embedded and realised part of the Myrkur experience.
And to think, this is only a début EP. Imagine what she can do with a full album of material? The mind boggles. The mind can’t wait.
Wonderbox Metal 