This is the second album from Swiss sludge/doom band Norna.
Norna contains 41 minutes of dark heavy ugliness, brought to us by the ex-singer of Breach and two members of Ølten. Norna’s music will surely satiate fans hungry for the heavier, darker side of sludge/doom/post-metal. Continue reading “Norna – Norna (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)”
Respire are a post-hardcore/screamo band from Canada and this is their fourth album.
Now here’s something interesting. Respire describe themselves as an orchestral post-everything collective. They have seven core members, six of whom provide vocals, and collectively they play the usual instruments you’d expect, plus synths, viola, violin, and trumpet. There are also guests that bring vocals, saxophone, piano, synths, glockenspiel, music box, vibraphone, and additional strings to the mix. There’s a lot going on here. Continue reading “Respire – Hiraeth (Review)”
This is the second album from US death metallers 200 Stab Wounds.
With a name like 200 Stab Wounds, you know this is going to be brutal, and if you weren’t sure, then the album cover would surely confirm it. Manual Manic Procedures contains 29 minutes of bloodthirsty cruelty, and if you’re a death metal fan then it’s an easy album to enjoy getting punched around by. Continue reading “200 Stab Wounds – Manual Manic Procedures (Review)”
This is the fifth album from UK metal band Earthtone9.
11 years after their last album, Earthtone9 have returned to deliver more of their individual and idiosyncratic take on heavy music. You could probably get away with calling this a few different things – alternative metal, post-metal, post-hardcore, modern metal, progressive metal – but ultimately Earthtone9 have always moved to their own beat, and had their own quite distinctive sounds very early on. Continue reading “Earthtone9 – In Resonance Nexus (Review)”
Apes are a grindcore band from Canada and this is their debut album.
I thoroughly enjoyed 2017’s Lightless, with its hybrid blackened sludge/grind assault. It wasn’t until 2022 that we saw new material though, with the EP Lullabies for Eternal Sleep. Thankfully we haven’t had to wait quite as long for Apes’ second album, Penitence. Continue reading “Apes – Penitence (Review)”
Candy are a hardcore band from the US and this is their third album.
It’s Inside You is the 31-minute follow up to 2022’s Heaven Is Here. On their new record Candy push a vision for hardcore that bursts beyond its typical genre trappings in key places. Continue reading “Candy – It’s Inside You (Review)”
This is the fourth album from international metallic hardcore band Sect.
Brought to us by experienced hands in the form of current/ex-members of bands such as Catharsis, Cursed, Earth Crisis, Enabler, Racetraitor, The Damned Things, Undying, and many others, Plagues upon Plagues showcases a leap in Sect’s musical journey when compared to their previous work, (such as 2017’s brutal No Cure for Death). Continue reading “Sect – Plagues upon Plagues (Review)”
This is the debut album from UK sludge/post-metal band Urzah.
The Scorching Gaze contains 42 minutes of material delivered in a charismatic hybrid metallic style. Urzah combine elements of sludge, post-metal, progressive metal, doom, and hardcore/metalcore into an exemplar of heaviness that feels timeless. Continue reading “Urzah – The Scorching Gaze (Review)”
Unearthly Rites are a Finnish death metal band and this is their debut album.
Here’s some nasty death metal for you to clog up your pores. Ecdysis is a sludge factory of old-school death metal that really brings out the filth in the style. Across 34 minutes Unearthly Rites spread their disease with convincing menace and a swamp’s worth of heaviness. Continue reading “Unearthly Rites – Ecdysis (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 