Mnajdra – Mnajdra (Review)

Mnajdra - MnajdraThis is the debut album from US black metal band Mnajdra.

From out of nowhere comes Mnajdra, a 44-minute slice of underworld darkness. This is thick, unfriendly black metal that has subsumed elements of doom and sludge into itself to better portray the utter bleakness and horror of existence. Continue reading “Mnajdra – Mnajdra (Review)”

They Watch Us from the Moon – Cosmic Chronicles, Act I: The Ascension (Review)

They Watch Us from the Moon - Cosmic Chronicles, Act I The AscensionThey Watch Us from the Moon are a doom/stoner metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Cosmic Chronicles, Act I: The Ascension provides us with a feast of progressive stoner doom. Across 45 minutes – five meaty songs – They Watch Us from the Moon impress with their charismatic take on a notoriously bland style. Spoiler alert: bland, this is not. Continue reading “They Watch Us from the Moon – Cosmic Chronicles, Act I: The Ascension (Review)”

Hellish Form – Deathless (Review)

Hellish Form are a doom/sludge band from the US and this is their second album.

Embrace the atmospheric nightmare sludge of Hellish Form. If you do, you won’t regret it. Featuring members of Body Void, Elder Devil, and KeeperDeathless contains 48 minutes of the good stuff. If by good stuff you mean a compelling mood-focused mix of funeral doom, sludge, and drone, of course. Continue reading “Hellish Form – Deathless (Review)”

Nightmarer – Deformity Adrift (Review)

Nightmarer - Deformity AdriftNightmarer are an international death metal band and this is their second album.

Featuring current and ex-members of Alluvial, Convulsing, Gigan, The Ocean, and War from a Harlots Mouth, you know that Nightmarer have a lot of diverse experience to offer. In this instance, they collectively offer us 32 minutes of discordant death metal in the warped and disjointed shape of Deformity Adrift. Continue reading “Nightmarer – Deformity Adrift (Review)”

Wallowing – Earth Reaper (Review)

Wallowing - Earth ReaperThis is the second album from UK sludge/doom metal band Wallowing.

Boasting the drummer of the amazing King Goat in their ranks, Wallowing play a sci-fi-themed mix of blackened sludge, doom, and noise. Continue reading “Wallowing – Earth Reaper (Review)”

Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us (Review)

Fires in the Distance - Air Not Meant for UsThis is the second album from US death/doom metal band Fires in the Distance.

Air Not Meant for Us is a 50-minute journey into melodic death/doom waters from Fires in the Distance, who feature an ex-member of Xenosis in their ranks. Continue reading “Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us (Review)”

Orme – Orme (Review)

Orme - OrmeOrme are a doom/drone band from the UK and this is their debut album.

Orme, (featuring a member of Everest Queen), play long-form droning doom, and on their debut album they haven’t held back. Orme only has two tracks, but there’s still 96 minutes of music here. Nazarene is 42 minutes long and Onward to Sarnath is 54 minutes long. Either one of these would have sufficed as the band’s debut album, but apparently Orme don’t do things by halves. Continue reading “Orme – Orme (Review)”

Cursebinder – Drifting (Review)

Cursebinder - DriftingThis is the debut album from Polish post-black metal band Cursebinder.

Featuring the vocalist of Dormant Ordeal, (and also ex-Moanaa), Cursebinder play black metal that contains elements of doom, blackgaze, post-rock, and progressive metal. Continue reading “Cursebinder – Drifting (Review)”

Witte Wieven – Dwaallicht (Review)

Witte Wieven - DwaallichtWitte Wieven are a black metal band from the Netherlands and this is their debut album.

Featuring a member of Freja, Dwaallicht contains 41 minutes of atmospheric black metal with post-rock, shoegaze, and doom elements. The new material lasts 32 minutes, and consists of the first five tracks. The remaining track is a live version of an older song, for some reason. Continue reading “Witte Wieven – Dwaallicht (Review)”