ALBUM REVIEW: Paradise Lost – Obsidian


Many consider the British band, Paradise Lost to be the fathers of the Gothic Metal genre. Formed in 1988, four out of the five members have been there since the beginning. This tight-knit group of guys is a prime example of a hard-working band who knows how to stay creative and original. The exploration and determination of this act has led them down some unique roads over the years. After experimenting on albums like One Second (Music for Nations)  and Believe In Nothing (EMI), Paradise Lost got back to their roots in 2015. They embraced their Death Metal background with the release of The Plague Within (Century Media Records) and 2017’s Medusa (Nuclear Blast). Now with the release of their sixteenth record,  Obsidian (Nuclear Blast), their heaviness is being fleshed out with even more distinct devastation.  Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Dawn of Solace – Waves


The ingenuity, inventiveness, and inclination of Finnish artist Tuomas Saukkonen appears to have no limits. He is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who has been making music magic for a considerable amount of years. One of his many successful ventures is a solo project called Dawn of Solace. Tuomas released his first record, Darkness (Dead Air Records) in 2006 and the betwiching gloom he captured on that release was different from all his other works. Now it’s time to get another taste of this project’s gothic goodness on the new album, Waves (Noble Demon). Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Cradle of Filth – Cruelty and the Beast: Re-Mistressed


Twenty-one years ago, way back in 1998 when their star was on the ascendancy and the average metal fan was wondering whether they were Black Metal, Gothic Metal or That’s Not Metal, five years after the infamous ‘Jesus is a Cunt’ T-shirt made them a household name for a variety of reasons, Cradle of Filth release their third album Cruelty and the Beast on Music for Nations. A much-acclaimed tribute to non-vegan Ribena fanatic Elizabeth Bathory. It was a milestone in their developing sound and at the time, I absolutely loved it. Continue reading


Rotting Christ – The Heretics


When asked about which countries have the greatest Metal bands, Greece certainly has a few that really stand out, with Rotting Christ maintaining their position as the ultimate standard bearers, particularly after the phenomenal success of their previous release, Rituals. All of which piles extra attention and pressure onto their latest album, The Heretics (Season Of Mist), proving their thirteenth album has a tough act to follow.Continue reading


Raise Your Horns! Reviews Roundup: feat. Evergrey, Carnal Forge, Ancient Bards, The Three Tremors, Jon Schaffer’s Purgatory, and more…


2019 may only be two weeks old, but as shown by our Underground Albums Roundup, the great and the not-so-good of our world are determined to start the year with a bang. Or at the very least, to bury us in a deluge of albums. Seeing as the mean and the nasty had been given a platform, we thought it only fair to shine the light on some of January’s releases beholden of a more melodic or traditional Metal bent to their finery… 

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Mourning Sign – Contra Mundum


In a sense, Mourning Sign has already achieved more than most bands ever do. After all, in the wake of 24 years in the business, this Swedish ‘gloomy progressive Death Metal band’ must be doing something right to have carried on so long, right?Continue reading


Evoken – Hypnagogia


Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? If gothic atmosphere and moodiness is what you crave, Evoken have got you covered on Hypnagogia (Profound Lore). I mean this thing is moodier than a Type O Negative single on antidepressants while coping with self-image issues. All in all, if your wardrobe is as black as Ted Cruz’s heart and hobbies include strolling through cemeteries may I highly recommend Hypnagogia.

And possibly getting some sunlight from time to time.Continue reading


The Spirit – Sounds From The Vortex


A cold nocturnal Scandinavian wind blows; icy tendrils stabbing southwards, searching, seeking for blackened hearts to infect. The hosts wait, apprehensive, yet welcoming, ideas already pregnant. The frost-bitten hunter swirls at first, before plunging its whole intent deep into the waiting prey. Saarbrücken, Germany, nominally a thriving, modern economic centre, is now the scene for the cultivation of a different type of essence, for that which grows inside it is not the spirit of commerce, but The Spirit of melodic blackened metal.Continue reading


Atrocity – Okkult II


I have always had a lot of time and respect for Alexander Krull. Not only does he share a name with a vastly underrated and not at all terrible fantasy masterpiece (shut it, you…), but throughout his time as the main man of Atrocity he has constantly railed against just doing the straight up and normal, be that by releasing an eighties covers album about fifteen years before it was cool to do so, collaborating with darkwave könige, Das Ich, dark acoustic EP’s with Celtic folk singers, or by mixing massive Prong-ridden grooves with Death and Gothic metal on meisterstück, Blut (Massacre).Continue reading


EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE: Her Despair – “Blaspheme With Me”


Up and coming UK gothic metal band Her Despair is releasing their new EP this summer, the amazingly titled ‘Mournography.’ The EP drops on July 20th, and we’ll bring you more news soon about this exciting band. In the meantime, Ghost Cult has teamed up with the band to debut their new music video for the track ‘Blaspheme With Me, so check it out! Continue reading