Suppose the spirit of Dorothy Vallens from David Lynch’s surrealist, noir classic Blue Velvet could be transported into a Trip-hop-inspired, dark, Electro-Rock album in 2025. In that case, it’s hard to think of a more fitting home than To Cross Or To Burn (Ipecac Recordings) – by Paula and Dave Lombardo under their Venamoris moniker. Continue reading
Back in 2023 this young (not so young), innocent (well, pretty corrupted actually) writer had the pleasure of attending Berlin Deathfest—two days of Death Metal, Slam and Grind. For the pummelling rhythms, churning riffs, turbo-charged energy and just gleeful silliness it’s hard to pick a bigger high point than Dutch, Goregrind four-piece Rectal Smegma. Continue reading
I am neither the world’s biggest Black Metal fan, nor authority, and I would never pretend to be either. That said, the door to me being swept off my feet by Satan’s minstrels is always open. It happened last year with the latest Trelldom release, …By The Shadows….Continue reading
On the band’s fourth album, Dweller (Three One G Records), Seattle Noise-Punk trio Haunted Horses treat the listener to a ghastly, gothic, sci-fi nightmare of the soul. Continue reading
You might not live on the desert plains, but with Everything Fades (Blues Funeral Recordings), Hard Rock three-piece Blue Heron can show you the way there. Continue reading
On …by the shadows… (Prophecy Productions), Norway’s Trelldom shows how Satan can find subtle ways to drag the listener into hell. Continue reading
If Noise-Rock, and Punk were musical movements built on no more destructive behaviour than a gigantic excess of sugar, and were intrinsically aligned with computer game soundtracks, the world might have many a Melt-Banana. Continue reading
On Raw Blood Singing (Debemur Morti Productions), Insect Ark returns with an otherworldly and compelling sci-fi landscape of noir, subtle menace and mystery. Continue reading