This 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)”
Messa are an Italian doom band and this is their fourth album.
Messa are one of the more notable bands to appear in recent times. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching them progress from 2016’s Belfry, to 2018’s Feast for Water, to 2022’s Close, all the time enriching and refining their doomy sound ever further. In fact, the latter two albums appeared on my end of year lists for their respective years. All of which is to say; expectations are high for The Spin. Continue reading “Messa – The Spin (Review)”
This is the debut album from dark rock band Cemetery Skyline.
Boasting current/ex-members of bands such as Amorphis, Grand Cadaver, Dark Tranquillity, Entombed A.D., The Halo Effect, Insomnium, Malpractice, Sentenced, and Witchery, a lot of experience and skill has gone into the making of Nordic Gothic. Cemetery Skyline use their experience well, forging a 49-minute album the combines dark and melodic rock with Gothic flair. Continue reading “Cemetery Skyline – Nordic Gothic (Review)”
This is the third album from Dutch dark rock band Dool.
The Shape of Fluidity contains 50 minutes of dark rock music with both a metallic and a Gothic edge, as well as containing elements of doom, post-rock and post-punk. Dool’s music flows together seamlessly, making for an individualistic blend that is extremely enjoyable and moreish. Continue reading “Dool – The Shape of Fluidity (Review)”
Tigercub are a modern rock band from the UK and this is their third album.
I don’t often reach for rock, but when I do I typically want short songs, big hooks, and darker moods. Enter The Perfume of Decay. Across 41 minutes Tigercub tick all of these boxes and more, delivering exactly what I want from a contemporary rock band that has plenty of 90s influences thrown into their sound. Continue reading “Tigercub – The Perfume of Decay (Review)”
This is the debut album from Swedish metal band Curse of Cain.
Now here’s an interesting and unexpected release. Curse of Cain‘s 42 minutes weaves a compelling post-apocalyptic story that cooks together a bunch of different ingredients that probably shouldn’t work, but actually does. The end result is tasty and satisfying. Continue reading “Curse of Cain – Curse of Cain (Review)”
This is the debut album from UK dark/Gothic rock band Host.
Brought to us by the singer and guitarist of Paradise Lost, IX contains 42 minutes of electronically enhanced dark/Gothic rock. Imagine, if you will, a cross between Paradise Lost’s Host album, (and parts of the other albums surrounding this one), and the 80s Goth and New Wave scenes, and Continue reading “Host – IX (Review)”
This is the second album from Shaam Larein, a Swedish rock band.
Sticka en Kniv I Världen contains 39 minutes of idiosyncratic heavy rock. Mixing together elements of Gothic, doom, avant-garde, and post-punk, this offers a distinguished work for the listener to be mesmerised by. Continue reading “Shaam Larein – Sticka en Kniv I Världen (Review)”
Mord’A’Stigmata are an avant-garde rock band from Poland and this is their sixth album.
Dreams of Quiet Places was a highlight of 2019 for me, so it’s with great anticipation that I turned to Like Ants and Snakes. I also thoroughly enjoyed 2013’s Ansia and 2017’s Hope, so Mord’A’Stigmata are a band with a great track record of strong album. Has their new one lived up to my lofty expectations? Continue reading “Mord’A’Stigmata – Like Ants and Snakes (Review)”
This is the debut album from US rock band Hoaxed.
Two Shadows offers the discerning listener 28 minutes of characterful dark rock. Comprised of a few different influences from a range of styles, Hoaxed are charismatic and idiosyncratic. Elements of Gothic, melodic, alternative, and folk rock are Continue reading “Hoaxed – Two Shadows (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 