This is the debut album from US black/death metal band Foretoken.
So, you fancy a good-sized chunk of Scandinavian death metal? That’s no problem, take your pick. What’s that? You also want a decent black metal influence to be felt? That’s easily done. Now you want a take on the style that’s highly melodic too? Sure, Continue reading “Foretoken – Ruin (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US progressive metallers Oceans of Slumber.
Oceans of Slumber is the much-anticipated follow up to 2018’s well-received The Banished Heart.
Oceans of Slumber’s progressive metal takes in elements of doom and Gothic metal to produce music that hits a lot of emotional highs, while still having kick where it counts. The band combine heaviness with ethereal beauty. Some of Continue reading “Oceans of Slumber – Oceans of Slumber (Review)”
This is the second album from Wills Dissolve, a progressive metal band from the US.
Wills Dissolve play a multigenre form of progressive metal that takes in a range of other styles and subgenres. Progressive black/death metal, post-metal, ambient, doom metal, and progressive rock are all included in Echoes, and all get Continue reading “Wills Dissolve – Echoes (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)”
Descend into Despair are a Romanian doom metal band, and this is their third album.
I like Descend into Despair very much. Both 2014’s The Bearer of All Storms and 2017’s Synaptic Veil scratched that funeral doom itch quite nicely. Continue reading “Descend into Despair – Opium (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)”
Judicator are a power metal band from the US and this is their fifth album.
Let There Be Nothing is a 60-minute concept album, one that’s epic on scope and ambition. Will this be 2020’s best power metal release? Well, it’s certainly the best one I’ve heard so far, for whatever that’s worth. Continue reading “Judicator – Let There Be Nothing (Review)”
No preamble this month, let’s just get right down to it… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of June 2020”
Wonderbox Metal 