Lethe – Alienation (Review)

Lethe - AlienationThis is the third album from Lethe, a dark rock band from Switzerland/Norway.

Well, I wasn’t expecting a new album from Lethe, I must admit. 2014’s When Dreams Become Nightmares was an amazing album, one which I’ve only enjoyed more and more over the last decade (!) since it was released. Nonetheless, we are now gifted with Alienation, which brings us 45 minutes of material. Continue reading “Lethe – Alienation (Review)”

Dool – The Shape of Fluidity (Review)

Dool - The Shape of FluidityThis 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)”

A Burial at Sea – Close to Home (Review)

A Burial at Sea - Close to HomeA Burial at Sea are a post-rock band from Ireland and this is their second album.

Close to Home contains 43 minutes of exquisitely rendered post-rock. Boasting contributions from shoegaze, jazz, and progressive rock, this is a non-standard album for lovers of broad soundscapes and brass-enriched musical vistas. It’s mostly instrumental, and paints wonderfully textured pictures with sound.

Continue reading “A Burial at Sea – Close to Home (Review)”

Chapel of Disease – Echoes of Light (Review)

Chapel of Disease - Echoes of LightChapel of Disease are a German progressive death metal/rock band and this is their fourth album.

Whereas 2025’s The Mysterious Work of Repetitive Art was a sinuous slab of old-school death metal played with uncommon depth, 2018’s …And as We Have Seen the Storm, We Have Embraced the Eye took Chapel of Disease into much more progressive waters. Now, 6 years later, where does Echoes of Light find this exceptional act? Continue reading “Chapel of Disease – Echoes of Light (Review)”

Earthside – Let the Truth Speak (Review)

Earthside - Let the Truth SpeakThis is the second album from US progressive rock band Earthside.

Let the Truth Speak is a 78-minute odyssey of contemporary progressive rock and metal. Built around a core of the main band, these musicians are augmented by a range of guest musicians and vocalists, (including the singer of Tesseract). Continue reading “Earthside – Let the Truth Speak (Review)”

Green Lung – This Heathen Land (Review)

Green Lung - This Heathen LandGreen Lung are a doom rock band from the UK and this is their third album.

Green Lung are back, and they’ve brought with them 42 minutes of new music in the shape of This Heathen Land. Will it match up to the heady heights of 2021’s Black Harvest? Well, that’s a tall order, but let’s dive in anyway. Continue reading “Green Lung – This Heathen Land (Review)”

Howling Giant – Glass Future (Review)

Howling Giant - Glass FutureHowling Giant are a rock band from the US and this is their second album.

I like me a bit of what Howling Giant are peddling, and Glass Future‘s 41 minutes of tuneage hits the spot nicely. Continue reading “Howling Giant – Glass Future (Review)”

Appalooza – The Shining Son (Review)

Appalooza - The Shining SonAppalooza are a French heavy rock band and this is their third album.

The Shining Son contains 45 minutes of quality rock music. Taking in elements of the hard, stoner, and alternative rock/grunge styles, Appalooza’s charismatic music is easy to like. Continue reading “Appalooza – The Shining Son (Review)”

Årabrot – Of Darkness and Light (Review)

Årabrot - Of Darkness and LightÅrabrot are a Norwegian rock band and this is their tenth album.

2021’s Norwegian Gothic was a very special record, one that ended up on my end of year list just inside the top ten, due to how damn good it was. So, a little over two years later, how does Of Darkness and Light find Årabrot? Continue reading “Årabrot – Of Darkness and Light (Review)”

Lepra – Devil’s Blood in Her Tongue (Review)

Lepra - Devil's Blood in Her TongueLepra are a black metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

In a fit of pure laziness on my part, I’m going to just reproduce a line from the promo blurb to set the scene for this release – “It is not your usual cup of black metal, this one has a unique blend of black punk/and roll, folk, goth rock, doom… All played with drums, bass, flute, endless keyboards, and duelling vocals.” Continue reading “Lepra – Devil’s Blood in Her Tongue (Review)”