This is the debut album from Hei’An, a progressive metal band from Slovenia.
Imago is a long album. With a duration of 69 minutes there’s a lot of material here, (86 minutes with the Slovenian versions of three of the tracks included). Thankfully Hei’An’s progressive metal is wide-ranging enough that it is up to the task of filling this time nicely. Continue reading “Hei’An – Imago (Review)”
Doubtsower is a one-man Welsh doom metal band and this is his second album.
Ahh, the return of Doubtsower. 2021’s Asphyxiation of a Seasick Soul was an unexpected highlight of that year, and although I was surprised to find a new album available so soon, I’m nonetheless pleased by this unlooked for treat. Once again delivering five tracks of emotive doom metal across 49 minutes, the artist behind Doubtsower continues to produce the very definition of underground gems. Continue reading “Doubtsower – The Endless Shadow of Despicable Power (Review)”
This is the second album from US doom band Forlesen.
2020’s Hierophan Violent was a strikingly individual record, one which, for some reason, I never expected a successor to. Well, I’m happy to be wrong; Black Terrain is flush with 59 minutes of new material from this exceptional act. It’s almost double the length of its predecessor, so do Forlesen make good use of this additional running time? Continue reading “Forlesen – Black Terrain (Review)”
This is the second album from Everest Queen, a sludge metal band from the UK.
I’ve enjoyed following Everest Queen, from their initial self-titled EP in 2016 to their debut album Dead Eden in 2019, so to have a new album appear in the wild is a fine thing. Murmurations boasts 44 minutes of new music, so let’s get stuck in. Continue reading “Everest Queen – Murmurations (Review)”
This is the debut album from French black metal band Peurbleue.
Peurbleue play a form of mood-rich, electronically enhanced black metal. La Ciguë is a 36-minute soundscape of dark atmosphere and mysterious textures. Continue reading “Peurbleue – La Ciguë (Review)”
This 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)”
This 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 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 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)”
This 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)”
Wonderbox Metal 