Forgotten Tomb – Wonderbox Metal

Hell Is Other People – Moirae (Review)

This is the second album from Canadian post-black metal band Hell Is Other People.

Moirae contains 44 minutes of music that combines elements of depressive, atmospheric, and post-black metal, (with a touch of doom), into a cohesive whole. Hell Is Other People, (who contain a member of Æpoch), are recommended by the promo blurb for fans of Agalloch, Altar of Plagues, Winterfylleth, White Ward, and Drudkh, so that should give you a decent starting point for their sound. Continue reading “Hell Is Other People – Moirae (Review)”

Ashtar – The Return of the Frozen Souls (Review)

This is the fourth album from Swiss black metal solo act Ashtar.

I enjoyed both 2015’s Ilmasaari and 2020’s Kaikuja, so wanted to check out Ashtar’s latest. Since those albums the band have become a solo endeavour, and I missed the artist’s 2023 album Wandering Through Time somehow. A little over a year since that record though and we have The Return of the Frozen Souls, which features 45 minutes of black/doom metal, (including a Samhain cover). Continue reading “Ashtar – The Return of the Frozen Souls (Review)”

Gråt Strigoi – The Prophetic Silence (Review)

This is the fourth album from UK black metallers Gråt Strigoi.

Despite being four albums deep into their career, I’ve never heard of Gråt Strigoi before the wonderful Fiadh Productions put them on my radar. It’s seriously been my loss, as this stuff is so far up my alley it hurts. The Prophetic Silence contains 56 minutes of black metal that’s so good you should just stop reading this now and go and listen to it. Continue reading “Gråt Strigoi – The Prophetic Silence (Review)”

Forgotten Tomb – Nightfloating (Review)

This is the eleventh album from Forgotten Tomb, an Italian black/doom metal band.

A new Forgotten Tomb album is a notable event around these parts. 2015’s Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love, 2017’s We Owe You Nothing, and 2020’s Nihilistic Estrangement, were all top drawer records, so it’s with expectation that Nightfloating‘s 41 minutes of new material is greeted. Continue reading “Forgotten Tomb – Nightfloating (Review)”

Taubrą – Therizo (Review)

This is the debut album from Taubrą, a Swiss/Norwegian black metal band.

Featuring members of Aara, Forgotten Tomb, Modern Rites, Porta Nigra, and Thron, Therizo contains 41 minutes of old-school black metal. Think of a combination of influences from acts such as Mayhem, Immortal, Behexen, Tsjuder, Marduk, and Gorgoroth, and you’ll be on the right lines. Continue reading “Taubrą – Therizo (Review)”

Decompression – Love Is the Beauty of the Soul (Review)

This is the debut album from one-woman black/doom band Decompression from the US.

Decompression is a 53-minute collection of original compositions, (five), and cover songs, (three, including one from Forgotten Tomb). Stylistically, black/doom doesn’t really do it full justice, but it’s a loose descriptor that’s suitable enough. Continue reading “Decompression – Love Is the Beauty of the Soul (Review)”

Eternal Helcaraxe – Drown in Ash (Review)

This is the third album from Irish black metal act Eternal Helcaraxe.

On Drown in Ash Eternal Helcaraxe provide 47 minutes of music that’s dark and personal, dealing with intimate themes of depression and loss. As such, the music is a forlorn and melancholic form of black metal that drips with feeling and emotion. Continue reading “Eternal Helcaraxe – Drown in Ash (Review)”

Kold – Kold (Review)

Kold are a black metal band from Denmark and this is their debut release.

For some reason Kold is billed as an EP, despite having a duration of 39 minutes. Regardless of what it actually is, the music is really good, and that’s all that matters. Continue reading “Kold – Kold (Review)”

Forgotten Tomb – Nihilistic Estrangement (Review)

This is the tenth album from Forgotten Tomb, an Italian black/doom/sludge metal band.

2015’s Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love and 2017’s We Owe You Nothing are both favourites of mine, so it’s great to have some new work from Forgotten Tomb, especially something as well-wrought as Nihilistic Estrangement. Continue reading “Forgotten Tomb – Nihilistic Estrangement (Review)”

Forgotten Tomb – We Owe You Nothing (Review)

This is the ninth album from Forgotten Tomb, an Italian black/doom/sludge metal band.

I do have a particular fondness for Forgotten Tomb. Over the years they have morphed from depressive black metal into some form of reeking, hideous piece of blackened sludge nastiness. They’ve reached the point now on We Owe You Nothing that they’ve just thrown everything that they like about darkness and hatred into 42 minutes of blackened sludge doom. Continue reading “Forgotten Tomb – We Owe You Nothing (Review)”