We’re suckers for Goth Rawk, okay? If we press “play” on a given record and we’re instantly transported to our favorite local club nights where the minimum dress code is “all black everything” then we’re in. And Bristol’s NAUT do that on their debut full-length Hunt so again, we’re in. Simple as that.
[Read more…]The Lion’s Daughter Traverse Different Facets Of Heavy on Weird And Wonderful Skin Show
The Lion’s Daughter is releasing an album in 2021 that has got to be one of the easy stand out’s as of late. It’s kind of Hardcore and kind of Black Metal (Think Satyricon). It’s also a lot ’80’s and a lot synth-heavy. It’s actually a lot of all around Heavy in general. Skin Show, the third album from the St. Louis-based trio, is weird and wonderful with a melding of sounds that shouldn’t work but emphatically do in a grand and mesmerizing fashion on an album that creates an atmosphere…scratch that, a whole new world…that’s a huge heaping helping of cerebral Metal.
[Read more…]Tombs Deliver Destructive Yet Dynamic Metal On Under Sullen Skies
I might’ve said this before but Tombs is a hit or miss band for me. I get what they do, I respect what they do, but it doesn’t always grab me the way Winter Hours and “Gossamer” in particular first did when I discovered the band back in 2009/2010. That said, Under Sullen Skies grabs me. Their most concise and precise record to date, Under Sullen Skies is the one that finally captures Tombs’ more dynamic and experimental moments (The All Empires Fall EP especially comes to mind) and expertly fuses it to their original take on Black Metal.
[Read more…]Tombs Delivers Satisfyingly Sinister Sonic Tour-De-Force With Monarchy Of Shadows
Tombs is an odd duck and an outfit that’s often overlooked and not nearly praised enough for constantly pushing the boundaries of their sonic palette. One moment you get straight up Post-something Metal from them then the next they’re merging Joy Division and Satyricon in interesting ways. Regardless, whatever Tombs puts out is guaranteed to be an interesting listen.
[Read more…]Voyager Progress Prog On Epic Colours in the Sun
Voyager has this timeless quality about them. With these anthems that come at listeners like sonic battering rams, Perth’s Voyager tread an uncharted area where Prog and Math Metal live in harmony with New Wave. Yep, you read that right. Think Simon LeBon fronting Meshuggah.
[Read more…]Enthroned Craft A Densely Bleak Metal Universe Within Cold Black Suns
This page is quickly becoming an “Oops! I did it again” of metal bands I never followed when they initially made their mark, innit? For the record, I listen to a lot, okay? Just not everything. And apparently not enough Enthroned who has crafted this dense opus of vicious beauty with Cold Black Suns which is the Belgium Black metallers’ first in almost five years.
[Read more…]Rotting Christ Celebrate 30 Years Of Metal Excellence With New Masterpiece The Heretics
There is no greater satisfaction than hearing a highly anticipated album for the first time and being reassured that your faith was rightly placed as said album is better than great, maybe better than the best the band has put out and, quite possibly, best of the year. And it’s only February.
[Read more…]Emptiness Enlist Twiggy Ramirez To Produce, Get Even More Bleak On Not for Music
Produced by Geordie White AKA Twiggy Ramirez, Emptiness’ latest sounds exactly like you’d think with Marilyn Manson’s right hand man behind the consoles. Not for Music is dark and menacing but still filled with lush sounds that will surround listeners with its inviting malevolence. [Read more…]
Untitled Metal Column: Volume 14 (Rotting Christ, Rituals)
Rotting Christ, where have you been all my life??? Apparently in Greece concocting the most glorious black metal and crafting album after album of awesomeness, that’s where. [Read more…]
Untitled Metal Column: Volume 13 (Destroyer 666, Wildfire)
Hearkening back to the days when Tom Araya sounded like a veritable madman on every recording paired with the more vicious Testament albums of the late ’90’s (Think The Gathering in particular), Destroyer 666 manage to create a modern thrash classic on Wildfire without rehashing or sounding dated. [Read more…]