This is the debut album from Finnish black metallers Väki.
Kuolleen Maan Omaksi mixes old and new black metal styles together to create an album that draws from both to weave its dark magicks. The end result is a modern interpretation of blackened extremity, one which ably demonstrates a band with a lot of potential. Continue reading “Väki – Kuolleen Maan Omaksi (Succumbed to the Dead Soil) (Review)”
This is the second album from US metal band Curses.
Curses offer quite a diverse/individual listen when compared to many bands who play in the modern metal arena. Continue reading “Curses – Chapter II: Bloom (Review)”
July was packed with strong releases. With some quality highly anticipated albums seeing the light of day in July, (Defeated Sanity, Gaerea, Imperial Triumphant), I decided to focus on some of my favourites from last month that were less likely to get loads of media coverage, (and it was a struggle to limit the selection to five). So, with that in mind, my highlights are below. What are yours? Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2020”
This is the fourth album from US avant-garde black/death metal band Imperial Triumphant.
Referring to Imperial Triumphant as a black/death metal band, (as I’ve just done here for sake of brevity), is highly misleading really, as this is one of the more individual and unique bands in existence. They play an avant-garde, experimental mix of styles that includes, (but is not limited to), black metal, death metal, progressive metal, doom, jazz, and post-everything. Continue reading “Imperial Triumphant – Alphaville (Review)”
This is the debut album from Canadian doom band Empress.
I enjoyed 2017’s Reminiscence, with its psychedelic grooves and rolling riffs. It set out a strong opening argument for the band, which Premonition now ably capitalises on. Combining elements of doom, sludge, progressive, and post-metal into 49 minutes of expressive, mood-focused music, Premonition is a thoroughly convincing affair. Continue reading “Empress – Premonition (Review)”
This is the debut album from US doom metal band Cathartes Aura.
This album is available in two different versions; the first is divided into four tracks, while the second is a single 42-minute song. Needles to say, I recommend the latter as the definitive version, but ultimately the music is the same either way. Continue reading “Cathartes Aura – Cathartes Aura (Review)”
Wren are a UK sludge/post-metal band and this is their second album.
2017’s Auburn Rule was a seriously good record. Now that the band have returned, we’re treated to 45 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Wren – Groundswells (Review)”
This is the third album from US black metallers Feral Light.
Feral Light play a mix of black metal and post-metal, with touches of doom and hard rock. Life Vapor offers up 39 minutes of easily-digested blackness. Continue reading “Feral Light – Life Vapor (Review)”
In the Company of Serpents are a doom/sludge band from the US and this is their fourth album.
Having thoroughly enjoyed Merging in Light and Ain-Soph Aur, a new 44 minutes of music from In the Company of Serpents is very welcome indeed. Continue reading “In the Company of Serpents – Lux (Review)”
This is the sixth album from New Zealand death metal act Ulcerate.
After 2016’s colossal Shrines of Paralysis, this exceptional band have now returned with a new 58 minutes of imposing material. If you’re unfamiliar with Ulcerate, then loosely stated they play an atmospheric brand of technical death metal. Continue reading “Ulcerate – Stare into Death and Be Still (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 