This is the third album from UK doom/sludge metallers Grave Lines.
Featuring the guitarist from Dead Witches/Sea Bastard, Grave Lines play an interesting and immersive form of doom. Weaving together doom metal and sludge into a tapestry that also includes Gothic, ambient drone, post-punk, and experimental elements, Communion contains 44 minutes of music that’s highly compelling. Continue reading “Grave Lines – Communion (Review)”
This is the fourth album from German blackened metal act Mantar.
This is the follow up to 2018’s The Modern Art of Setting Ablaze, (if you ignore the band’s cover album from 2020), and contains 41 minutes of new material. Pain Is Forever and This Is the End is the next logical evolution of Mantar’s sound, bringing a more direct song-focused approach to the music, while Continue reading “Mantar – Pain Is Forever and This Is the End (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US doom/sludge metallers Behold! The Monolith.
It seems like an age ago that it came out, but 2015’s Architects of the Void stood out from the crowds that year, (and made it into my year end list), and I had wondered if we’d ever hear from the band again. They’ve now reappeared though, and with a new singer to boot, to bring us 46 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Behold! The Monolith – From the Fathomless Deep (Review)”
This is the second album from Australian death metallers Altars.
Ascetic Reflection contains 40 minutes of warped death metal. As a rough outline of the band’s sound, take a base of Morbid Angel and then add in elements of bands like Gorguts, Artificial Brain, and Ulcerate. Then know that that these lazy comparisons do nothing to prepare you for the journey that Ascetic reflection offers. Continue reading “Altars – Ascetic Reflection (Review)”
In what was once again a strong month for metal music, I had a lot of fun listening to a variety of different types of metal. I’ve picked some of my favourites below. What were yours? Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of June 2022”
This is a split between two US doom/sludge bands, Veilcaste and Tusk.
Each band contribute 3 songs, and Veilcaste open the split with 14 minutes of material. Continue reading “Veilcaste/Tusk – Split (Review)”
Although I’d ideally love to be able to conduct hard-hitting, in-depth interviews, who has the time these days? In lieu of this, I’ve thrown together the below question template, hopefully to gather some interesting and informative results, without taking up too much of anyone’s time.
Jason Tash, I play bass for Hush. Continue reading “Standard Interrogation Techniques: Five Questions for Hush (Interview)”
This is the second album from UK sludge/post-metallers Conjurer.
This much-anticipated lab of heaviness is the 53-minute follow up to 2018’s punishing Mire.
A contemporary blend of sludge and post-metal, with elements of doom, hardcore, and progressive metal, Páthos takes the sound that Mire did so well and pushes it further, expanding on its core heaviness with a greater range of textures and emotions. It’s like a vicious nest of crushing riffs has been smashed together with a multifaceted collection of rich soundscapes, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Continue reading “Conjurer – Páthos (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)”
Chaotian are a death metal band from Denmark and this is their debut album.
Effigies of Obsolescence contains 40 minutes of barbarous death metal carnage.
This is a foul, rotten, death metal monster. The band deliver a Continue reading “Chaotian – Effigies of Obsolescence (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 