Ellende – Zerfall (Review)

Ellende - ZerfallThis is the sixth album from Ellende, a solo black metal band from Austria.

Following on from 2024’s Todbringerin, Zerfall contains 52 minutes of new material. The artist behind Ellende specialises in post-black metal that uses blackgaze elements to produce emotive, mood-focused music. Continue reading “Ellende – Zerfall (Review)”

The Hyena Kill – Collapse (Review)

The Hyena Kill - CollapseThe Hyena Kill are an alternative rock band from the UK and this is their second album.

I really liked 2021’s A Disconnect, so was pleased to see Collapse appear. The Hyena Kill have produced another 55 minutes of music for me to salivate over, and salivate I do, as this is very tasty stuff. Continue reading “The Hyena Kill – Collapse (Review)”

Heretoir – Solastalgia (Review)

Heretoir - SolastalgiaHeretoir are a post-black metal band from Germany and this is their fourth album.

Following on from 2023’s Nightsphere comes Solastalgia, which brings us 63 minutes of new music from Heretoir, (which includes an In Flames cover). I confess, I wasn’t expecting this to be as good or as impactful as it is. Continue reading “Heretoir – Solastalgia (Review)”

Boneflower – Reveries (Review)

Boneflower - ReveriesThis is the third album from Spanish post-hardcore band Boneflower.

Reveries contains 38 minutes of music; a mix of hardcore, screamo, post-rock, and shoegaze, delivering a post-hardcore record that’s definitely above average for the style. Boneflower have produced an album that manages to walk two different paths simultaneously, and somehow manages to make it work. No mean feat. Continue reading “Boneflower – Reveries (Review)”

Gaahls Wyrd – Braiding the Stories (Review)

Gaahls Wyrd - Braiding the StoriesThis is the second album from Gaahls Wyrd, an avant-garde/dark metal band from Norway.

I really liked both 2019’s Gastir – Ghosts Invited and 2021’s The Humming Mountain, so the 42-minute Braiding the Stories is gratefully received. This is not music to be casually experienced, but an experience to be explored at length. Continue reading “Gaahls Wyrd – Braiding the Stories (Review)”

Kardashev – Alunea (Review)

Kardashev - AluneaThis is the third album from US extreme metal band Kardashev.

Kardashev return, after the acclaimed Liminal Rite from 2022. The self-styled deathgaze band have provided us with 43 minutes of new material on Alunea. Continue reading “Kardashev – Alunea (Review)”

Svnth – Pink Noise Youth (Review)

Svnth - Pink Noise YouthSvnth are an Italian blackgaze band and this is their fourth album.

I’ve enjoyed watching Svnth develop over the years, back when they were called Seventh Genocide on 2017’s Toward Akina and 2018’s Svnth, and then when they changed their name for 2020’s Spring in Blue, which was their strongest outing yet, even making it onto my year end list. Which brings us, five years and a lineup change later, to the 37-minute Pink Noise Youth. Continue reading “Svnth – Pink Noise Youth (Review)”

Church of the Sea – Eva (Review)

Church of the Sea - EvaThis is the second album from Greek doom band Church of the Sea.

Church of the Sea play an evocative form of doomgaze. The component parts of Eva are doom, shoegaze, electronic rock, and darkwave. These are brought together by the band into a 31-minute exploration of ethereal soundscapes. Continue reading “Church of the Sea – Eva (Review)”