ALBUM REVIEW: Tombs – Feral Darkness


 

The new Tombs album, Feral Darkness (Redefining Darkness), is another chapter in the sonic tome chronicling Mike Hill‘s travels to throb of the abyss. To say this sounds like a Tombs album is a broad statement that neglects the stylistic shifting due in some part to the band’s revolving lineup. The first thing you might notice upon first listen is that there are fewer Black Metal moments. Instead, the album is driven by the kind of aggression that characterizes Death Metal. The vocal approach is not all guttural. Forceful declarations, not unlike what you might have heard on a Celtic Frost album.  Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Novembers Doom – Major Arcana


Best known for combining belligerent heaviness with emotionally charged atmospheres and in-depth progressions, Chicago Death-Doom unit Novembers Doom have always been one to produce sounds that are difficult to categorize into certain binaries– to define is to limit, after all! Continue reading →


EP REVIEW: Palladists – Tenebrous Ways


Rather than worshiping Minor Threat, DC Punks Palladists pursue darker sounds on their new album Tenebrous Ways (Fiadh Productions). This is fitting when you are named after a satanic cult hidden within early Freemasonry. When it comes to the vocals on this album, they are still very much rooted in punk. It is the guitar tones that set them apart from the rest of the punk pack. They use more effects to add a creepy touch to the otherwise in-your-face rapid-fire attack. In terms of their songwriting approach, they are not busting out the kind of hooky anthems the Misfits are known for, nor are they dwelling in the kind of drug-induced morbid self-reflection Christian Death once lamented upon. Continue reading →