Edinburgh Occult quartet Juniper Grave is no stranger to the stage, having opened for the likes of Witchsorrow, Slough Feg and the spellbinding Dystopian Future Movies during their short existence. Debut album Of Hellions & Harridans (Wasted State Records) shows a style more in tune with the likes of Alunah, a hugely retrospective feel coating the elements of the band’s sound.Continue reading
The brainchild of Winterfylleth guitarist Dan Capp, Wolcensmen actually predates his time in the Mancunian Black Metal outfit by some years, and is a Folk project dedicated to a time when This Sceptred Isle was unperturbed by religion and industry. Originally released in 2016, Songs From The Fyrgen (Indie Recordings) is a reissue of Dan’s first foray into full-length territory and is a stirring and emotive one.Continue reading
Tis the season… for Black Metal! To celebrate, Ghost Cult runs the rule over several of this Winter’s coldest releases… Continue reading
Entrancing Swedish singer Helga is dropping a new single this week, ‘In The Wilderness’ via the Icons Creating Evil Art (SWE) label. Helga’s mission and the track are a pleading call for care of Mother Earth, and the a harbinger of the dire consequences if we ignore the message. The track comes off of her new EP Nebulous. Moody, bleak and soulful sounding and writing from the confines of a cabin in the woods Dalarna, Sweden, Helga will remind you of some of the greats of the genre like Melissa Nadler, Emma Ruth Rundle, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Chelsea Wolfe, and Myrkur. Jam out to ‘In The Wilderness’ now! Continue reading
Having gained renown as a winner of the Cannes Soundtrack Award in 2013, Brooklyn-based Dutch composer Jozef van Wissem is something of an expert lute player and is no stranger to getting Drone-like music from it. We Adore You, You Have No Name (Consouling Sounds), van Wissem’s latest album, is a journey through the archaic and the contemporary, the rustic and the mystical.Continue reading
A lot has been made of Greta Van Fleet in the run-up to the drop of their debut Anthem Of The Peaceful Army (Republic/Lava). They have had a meteoric rise and are now signed to the biggest record label in the world at pretty tender ages. Sure they wail and rule copying the light, shade, and lore of Led Zeppelin, sometimes too well. You’ll find no argument from this writer about Zep being the best rock band ever, and these are good building blocks. On the other hand, quick critics and fans haven’t noted how great these four guys are. At such a young age, you need to judge them and judge slowly. These are the fledgling attempts at figuring it all out, developing as writers, and post-teen brains forming as adults. When you listen to this album, turn off your cynical self and listen to the love and talent pouring out of your speakers. Continue reading
Troubador is a terminology almost forgotten to time. Sure it applies to a lot of Indie-Folk and Alternative artists. There are some really great storytellers across different genres in music history: Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Eddie Vedder, Loudon Wainwright III, Jaye Jale, Emma Ruth Rundle, The White Buffalo, Marissa Nadler, Chris Smither, Wovenhand, and even the lighter side of artists like Xasthur and Panopticon. Why not mash-up soulful Blues and Country like Hank III, but also Torch Song Art-Punk like Amanda Palmer? It can be done if you have the talent and the ability to convey realness. Fake anything won’t work for this style at all. Amigo The Devil a.ka. Danny Kiranos deals in these realities that point the mirror at the less flattering and absurd moments in life, including at himself. His new album, the Ross Robinson (Korn, Sepultura) produced Every Thing Is Fine (Regime Music Group) conveys this in spades.Continue reading
Fans of the legendary Doom outfit Woods of Ypres (RIP David Gold) are aware of bands’ legacy in the North American Doom Metal scene. Former WoY members Joel Violette and Rae Amitay (Immortal Bird) have carried on a kinship through their work together in Thrawsunblat. More of a doom and Dark Folk side-project, it is their link to to the past and boldness to move forward which courses through fourth album IV: Great Brunswick Forest (Ignifera Records).Continue reading
It has been a decade now since I first saw A Forest Of Stars at their debut gig in Leeds, and they’ve always occupied a special place for me in music since then. They mash-up progressive Black Metal with a folky presence and wrap it up within a steampunk inspired Victorian based package. What results from this can sometimes be a little hit and miss, but generally contains many objects of wonder. Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes, marks their third full length released on Prophecy Productions.Continue reading
Robert Plant has a long-standing tradition of not playing many or any of the iconic Led Zeppelin songs from earlier in his career. In fairness to the legend, he doesn’t actually play his hits from his early solo career often either, rather choosing to perform tracks and covers from his most recent folk and Americana albums. So imagine the surprise of fans who turned up to see Robert on his current tour of the USA and got an earful of him doing as many nine Zep classics at once! Granted, they are not all in their original form. Some of them are new interpretations of older songs or from his Page & Plant-era unplugged style. Still, you might get choked up watching these fan-filmed videos, so break out the tissues! 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the greatest rock band ever and there are many commemorative activities on tap such as a new coffee table illustrated book, and a rumored reunion show in 2019 at Glastonbury Festival. Continue reading