This is the twelfth album from Soilwork, a veteran Swedish metal band.
After really enjoying 2019’s Verkligheten, it’s a pleasure to hear some new Soilwork material. Övergivenheten continues with the ever-satisfying Soilwork sound, yet evolves it at the same time. Rich melodies, soaring choruses, and strong songwriting lurk around every corner, as they always do, but on this occasion the focus is slightly different. Continue reading “Soilwork – Övergivenheten (Review)”
This is the debut album from Moths, a progressive doom band from Puerto Rico.
Moths paint from a rich and diverse palette and play a form of music that takes influence from a range of places. In essence it’s a mix of stoner, doom, psychedelic, and progressive metal, which has then been expanded to include elements of space rock, 70s progressive rock, and jazz. It’s quite the experience, and Space Force contains 28 minutes of characterful material. Continue reading “Moths – Space Force (Review)”
This is the fifth album from US progressive rock band Oceans of Slumber.
I really liked 2018’s The Banished Heart, but 2020’s self titled was something even more special, making it on to my end of year list. I wasn’t sure how Oceans of Slumber could top their last album, and I’m pleased that they haven’t tried to; as you may have noticed, I’ve tagged this as a progressive rock album, rather than Continue reading “Oceans of Slumber – Starlight and Ash (Review)”
This is the debut album from UK sludge doom band Existence Dysphoria.
Minus Negative contains 31 minutes of unfriendly sludge doom. It’s a mix of caustic sludge and crushing doom, combined with elements of stoner and progressive rock. Continue reading “Existence Dysphoria – Minus Negative (Review)”
This is the third album from US post-rock band Light Creates Shadow.
Light Creates Shadow’s brand of post-rock takes the style’s build/release mechanic and blends it with progressive structuring, ethereal resplendence, intricate dynamics, and a wealth of grunge influences. Continue reading “Light Creates Shadow – Ghosts Pass Through, Running from the Body (Review)”
Sergeant Thunderhoof are a stoner rock band from the UK and this is their fourth album.
This Sceptred Veil boasts a colossal 68 minutes of music for the discerning listener’s entertainment. Combining elements of doom, stoner, progressive, and psychedelic rock into a thoroughly satisfying and rewarding collection of tracks, Sergeant Thunderhoof have produced a sterling album.
Continue reading “Sergeant Thunderhoof – This Sceptred Veil (Review)”
Oreyeon are an Italian stoner rock band and this is their third album.
Here we have 42 minutes of stoner rock crafted by a band that know the style well enough to want something extra from it. Oreyeon combine elements of doom, grunge, stoner, psychedelic, progressive, and heavy rock into their music, pushing themselves to produce a quality listen that doesn’t rely on tired tropes to make its impact felt. Continue reading “Oreyeon – Equations for the Useless (Review)”
Cave In are a US post-hardcore/rock band and this is their seventh album.
Following on from 2019’s Final Transmission, Heavy Pendulum is somewhat of a different beast to their last album. Whereas Final Transmission was short, (31 minutes), fragile, and emotive, reflective of the effects of tragedy and loss, Heavy Pendulum is long, (71 minutes), has greater range, (though still emotive), and more reflective of the band’s varied discography as a whole. Continue reading “Cave In – Heavy Pendulum (Review)”
This is the debut album from Sarayasign, a rock band from Sweden.
Occasionally you stumble, blindly, across an album that is a real gem. Throne of Gold is exactly one such release. Sarayasign’s rock style may have fallen out of fashion some time ago, but that doesn’t change the fact that what they have produced here is a damn good album. Continue reading “Sarayasign – Throne of Gold (Review)”
This is the third album from US industrial metal band Return to Earth.
Industrial metal is a rather nebulous and potentially misleading genre tag when applied to Return to Earth. Oblivion is a very diverse and idiosyncratic record, with elements of metal, post-hardcore, industrial, progressive rock, and electronica all present in the music. This Continue reading “Return to Earth – Oblivion (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 