Gaahls Wyrd – Braiding the Stories (Review)

Gaahls Wyrd - Braiding the StoriesThis is the second album from Gaahls Wyrd, an avant-garde/dark metal band from Norway.

I really liked both 2019’s Gastir – Ghosts Invited and 2021’s The Humming Mountain, so the 42-minute Braiding the Stories is gratefully received. This is not music to be casually experienced, but an experience to be explored at length. Continue reading “Gaahls Wyrd – Braiding the Stories (Review)”

Aphonic Threnody – A Silence Too Old (Review)

Aphonic Threnody - A Silence Too OldAphonic Threnody are a UK funeral doom band and this is their sixth album.

New Aphonic Threnody is always a gloomy, miserable treat. Of Loss and GriefThe Great HatredThe All Consuming Void, and the colossal The Loneliest Walk were all exemplars of funeral doom, so make sure you check them out if you haven’t. This time around, the artist behind Aphonic Threnody gives us 64 minutes of darkness in the shape of A Silence Too Old, which, as an added treat, features the ultra-prolific Déhà on vocals. Continue reading “Aphonic Threnody – A Silence Too Old (Review)”

Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)

Coltsblood - Obscured into Nebulous DuskColtsblood are a doom band from the UK and this is their third album.

Following on from 2019’s split with Un, (which I thoroughly enjoyed), it’s great to have a new album from Coltsblood to get to grips with. It’s four songs, 42 minutes of hideous blackened doom nastiness. Continue reading “Coltsblood – Obscured into Nebulous Dusk (Review)”

Full of Hell – Broken Sword, Rotten Shield (Review)

Full of Hell - Broken Sword, Rotten ShieldThis is the latest EP from US grindcore band Full of Hell.

A new 15 minutes of Full of Hell‘s scathingly charismatic grindcore? Hell yes! Broken Sword, Rotten Shield is a compendium of different influences, all brought together with the band’s consummate skill into seven adventurous tracks. It’s harsh, but delightful. Continue reading “Full of Hell – Broken Sword, Rotten Shield (Review)”

AAWKS – On Through the Sky Maze (Review)

AAWKS - On Through the Sky MazeAAWKS are a Canadian doom band and this is their second album.

Up until now my first and only encounter with AAWKS was on their enjoyable split with Aiwass from 2023. I almost missed this one, until a friend recommended it, and here we are. On Through the Sky Maze delivers 48 minutes of occult psychedelic doom metal for us to devour, and it tastes damn good. Continue reading “AAWKS – On Through the Sky Maze (Review)”

Kal-EL – Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (Review)

Kal-EL - Astral Voyager Vol. 1This is the sixth album from Norwegian doom/stoner metal band Kal-El.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2021’s Dark Majesty, so I’m chuffed that there’s a new Kal-El album. More than just this one too, apparently. The first part of an ambitious double album, Astral Voyager Vol. 1 contains 42 minutes of new material from Kal-El. Let’s get stuck right in. Continue reading “Kal-EL – Astral Voyager Vol. 1 (Review)”

Рожь (Rye) – Знание (Review)

Рожь (Rye) - ЗнаниеThis is the third album from Рожь (otherwise known as Rye), a one-man blackened doom band from Russia.

2023’s В​с​ё was a record that made a strong impression, so it’s good to now have 40 minutes of new material from the artist behind Рожь. Знание contains just three tracks, but each is worth spending time with, as we’ll see. Continue reading “Рожь (Rye) – Знание (Review)”