Tag Archives: Abstrakt_Soul_

ALBUM REVIEW: The Ocean – Holocene

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Hailing from the artistic and musically cultural hub of Berlin, The Ocean are certainly no ‘ordinary’ band. Founded in 2000 by guitarist and principal songwriter Robin Staps, the collective have released a staggering amount of fine music, with around forty different musicians lending their talents to the cause over the years. Always an outlet for extreme experimentalism, The Ocean explores both the light and dark sides of music as eloquently as anyone else in the business, and to catagorise their sound into any one genre is impossible. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: DevilDriver – Dealing With Demons Vol. II 

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Dez Fafara is a man who needs little introduction, having arrived on the scene at the height of the nu-metal explosion with Coal Chamber, whose debut album landed in 1997 to provide Roadrunner Records with a band to rival the impact that the likes of Korn and Deftones were having on the genre. But when relationships started to turn sour in Coal Chamber signaling the end of their initial run, rather than fading into obscurity, the larger-than-life vocalist reinvented himself for round two of his unique career in metal, with DevilDriver. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Deathstars – Everything Destroys You

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It’s been twenty years since Deathstars arrived on the scene with the release of their debut album Synthetic Generation, and Everything Destroys You (Nuclear Blast) is their sixth outing, and the first following a hiatus after the release of The Perfect Cult in 2014, and its subsequent touring cycle. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Chrome Waves – Earth Will Shed Its Skin

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Chicago-based Chrome Waves brings together members of various Black Metal bands from the thriving underground US scene, with guitarist Jeff Wilson (Abigail Williams) taking over as the driving force in the band, which has undergone significant change since its inception in 2010 following the unexpected passing of drummer Bob Fouts (Gates Of Slumber), and the departing of The Atlas Moth guitarist Stavros Giannopoulos. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Metallica – 72 Seasons

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And so the Metallica riff machine rolls on! forty years after their debut album Kill Em All (1983) laid the blueprint for the Thrash Metal genre, they return with record number … well that’s kind of up for debate depending on how you view their discography, and whether you count live albums, covers album and erm collaborations. But 72 Seasons (Blackened Recordings Inc) is here, their latest artistic statement four decades into a career that has seen them rise from the US West Coast underground, to become the most successful Heavy Metal band of all time. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: healthyliving – Songs Of Abundance, Psalms Of Grief

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Songs Of Abundance, Psalms Of Grief (La Rubia Producciones) is the debut album from Edinburgh-based healthyliving, who comprise of singer Amaya Lopez-Carromero (Maud The Moth), guitarist/bassist Scott McLean (Ashenspire / Falloch) and drummer Stefan Potzsch. The project is the culmination of the three working together under various different guises over the years and follows on from their EP release Until/Below (2021).  

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EP REVIEW: Ihsahn – Fascination Street Sessions

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Ihsahn is a true living musical legend who helped shaped the modern symphonic sound of Black Metal with his work across the four albums Emperor produced between 1994 and 2001, particularly with their debut In The Nightside Eclipse which is perhaps the quintessential release of the genre. And although Emperor are still of course touring and Ihsahn has in the 2000’s released music with his Thou Shalt Suffer and Peccatum projects, the focus for the Norwegian musician has undoubtedly been on developing his solo career. 

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EP REVIEW: Beyond Extinction – Nothing More Wretched

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The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for the Essex-based Beyond Extinction, who dropped their first EP The Fatal Flaws Of Humankind in 2021, then hit a packed New Blood Stage at Bloodstock for their first festival appearance in the same year. Since then they’ve continued to hit the road with full force, playing shows with an impressive roster of bands including Viscera, Cancer Bats, The Five Hundred, and Our Hollow Our Home.

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EP REVIEW: Snayx – Weaponised Youth: Part 1

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Weaponised Youth is the new self-released EP from Brighton-based two-piece Snayx, a band who are fully engaging the cheepy- chappie Electro-Pop-Rock sound that fits right in with the weekend vibe of their seaside hometown. The idea for Snayx was initially bubbling away in conversation between friends Charlie Herridge and Ollie Corner, when the opportunity arose for them to support local south-coast punks Kid Kapichi and the two decided they’d better get some songs together. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Enslaved – Heimdal

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At this point some thirty years into their illustrious career, Enslaved have truly transcended into their own musical entity. Creating a genre in their own image with a highly unique sound that still stays true to their extreme metal roots, but also blends the darkness with the light of progressive rock, and providing two distinct and opposing vocal styles in a way that no other band does. 

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