Tag: Ambient

Spiralist – Eternal Recurrence (Review)

Spiralist - Eternal RecurrenceThis is the second album from Spiralist, a solo post-metal act from Portugal.

Eternal Recurrence is an interesting album that’s hard to easily pin down when it comes to genre. Post-metal is probably the most obvious tag, but then there’s also a blackened aspect to parts of it. It has a pretty blatant progressive side too, sometimes, very 70s sci-fi in feel. There are also elements of doom and industrial that can be heard in places. I’m going to stick to the post-metal appellation and be done with it, but just know that the artist behind Spiralist cares not for producing easily categorised music. Continue reading “Spiralist – Eternal Recurrence (Review)”

Hush – The Pornography of Ruin (Review)

Hush - The Pornography of RuinThis is the third album from US doom/sludge metal band Hush.

Hush play the sort of hybrid sludge metal that I like – bleak, crushing, nasty, and very, very heavy, but also emotive and atmospheric. Across these 56 minutes the band dish out the punishment mercilessly, but they also do a lot more than just batter and bruise, which is great to hear, as otherwise a running time like that could easily become a burden. Continue reading “Hush – The Pornography of Ruin (Review)”

Hundred Year Old Man – Sleep in Light (Review)

Hundred Year Old Man - Sleep in LightHundred Year Old Man are a post-metal/sludge band from the UK and this is their second album.

I really liked 2018’s Breaching, so am pleased to see the return of Hundred Year Old Man. The band have obviously been feeling creative since I last caught up with them, as Sleep in Light contains a whopping 80 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Hundred Year Old Man – Sleep in Light (Review)”

Vexes – Imagine What We Could Destroy /// If Only Given Time (Review)

Vexes - Imagine What We Could Destroy If Only Given TimeVexes are a US alternative/post-metal band and this is their second album.

2018’s Ancient Geometry was a highlight of that year that I still regularly return to. Providing a slow-burning album that was full of emotive presence and luscious songcraft, it grew on me more and more over time. As such, I’m extremely pleased that Vexes have returned, but I have to say I wasn’t expecting them to bring a double album with them. Yes, Continue reading “Vexes – Imagine What We Could Destroy /// If Only Given Time (Review)”

Astronoid – Radiant Bloom (Review)

Astronoid - Radiant BloomThis is the third album from US post-metal band Astronoid.

Combining post-rock, shoegaze, ambient, and progressive metal into a compelling and contemporary post-metal framework. Radiant Bloom is a 46-minute journey through mysterious cosmic realms, where unusual and awe-inspiring sights and plentiful. Continue reading “Astronoid – Radiant Bloom (Review)”

Cities of Mars – Cities of Mars (Review)

Cities of Mars - Cities of MarsThis is the third album from Swedish doom metal band Cities of Mars.

Cities of Mars offers a richly textured doom experience that combines elements of sludge, stoner, and ambient into itself. The promo blurb says that Cities of Mars is for fans of Mastodon, Kylesa, Sleep, Baroness, and The Sword, and that’s as good a place  as any to start with. Continue reading “Cities of Mars – Cities of Mars (Review)”

Assumption – Hadean Tides (Review)

Assumption - Hadean TidesThis is the second album from Italian death/doom band Assumption.

Following on from 2014’s The Three Appearances and 2018’s Absconditus, Hadean Tides contains 56 minutes of new material from Assumption. Continue reading “Assumption – Hadean Tides (Review)”

OU – One (Review)

OU - OneThis is the debut album from Chinese progressive rock band OU.

OU have a very striking and unusual sound. Dynamic, vibrant, and atypical, One is an album made for those looking for something a bit different from their music. Continue reading “OU – One (Review)”

Pyrithe – Monuments to Impermanence (Review)

Pyrithe - Monuments to ImpermanenceThis is the debut album from Pyrithe, an experimental sludge/post-metal band from the US.

Featuring a member of Noltem, along with guests from Noltem and Pyrrhon, (among others), Monuments to Impermanence is a 48-minute journey into experimental heaviness. Continue reading “Pyrithe – Monuments to Impermanence (Review)”

Soldat Hans – Anthaupt (Review)

Soldat Hans - AnthauptSoldat Hans are a doom band from Switzerland and this is their third album.

Es Taut came out of nowhere in 2018 and blew me away. Its multifaceted sound was as impressive and emotive as it was accomplished and well-delivered. No wonder it appeared high on my end of year list. Due to this, Anthaupt had a great deal of expectation placed upon it before I even heard a single second of its 66-minute duration. Continue reading “Soldat Hans – Anthaupt (Review)”