ALBUM REVIEW: Kamelot – The Awakening


 

Five years after the release of their previous studio album The Shadow Theory, US-based, multinational Power Metal legends Kamelot return with the appropriately titled The Awakening (Napalm). The symphonic act’s thirteenth studio album sees the addition of German drummer Alex Landenburg to the band’s ranks, while Swedish vocalist Tommy Karevik has now been fully and completely assimilated, the ghost of former frontman Roy Khan now just a happy memory, as Tommy delivers arguably his strongest and most versatile performance to date.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Mono Inc – Ravenblack


 

The German Rock scene is legendary for producing exceptional bands like Scorpions and Rammstein. This schnitzel-loving nation is also known for its more niche music acts. Mono Inc. has been at the helm of the Gothic Rock movement since the early 2000s and they show no sign of slowing down. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Wednesday 13 – Horrifier


 

October celebrates the return of cooler weather, overpriced pumpkin-flavored beverages, and everything spooky. This October is extra special as the Duke of Spook, Wednesday 13 returns to the land of the living with a brand new album, Horrifier (Napalm Records), just in time to set the mood for Halloween.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Oceans of Slumber – Starlight and Ash


 

Patience is a virtue. And, no, this isn’t some flippant or patronising reference to Oceans of Slumber “finally fulfilling the potential shown on their first album”, because they fulfilled that already from the off and especially on their third / self-titled release a couple of years ago. I mention it because the benefits and, yes, virtues of Starlight and Ash (Century Media) may not be immediately apparent. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: LaMacchia – Thunderheads


For every rush of adrenaline there’s the eventual lull. For each euphoric high there’s the comedown to follow. Thunderheads (Aqualamb Recordings) — the debut record of LaMacchia — plays like the 3am winding down of a night of excess. Thrills and sensual desires wedded to a shadow of sadness and introspection. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Unto Others – Strength


Effectively serving as the second Idle Hands album under a new name, it only makes sense for Unto Others’ Strength (Roadrunner Records) to continue the mix of Classic Metal and Gothic Rock last seen with 2019’s Mana. However, debuting with a sound balancing two distinct styles like this inevitably raises the possibility of a tug o’ war taking place on subsequent offerings. In this scenario, it begs the question whether the band will prioritize their Metal side or their Gothic side. But as they say in that one Taco Bell commercial: “Why not both?”

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EP REVIEW: Poltergeist – Hallucinations In The Catacombs 


 

Of all the bands on the Gothic Rock/Heavy Metal fusion bandwagon, Poltergeist may be the most committed to those Post-Punk aesthetics. The style on their third EP remains closer to Joy Division than Judas Priest with a heavy emphasis on chilling synths, stiff bass-heavy rhythms, and disinterested vampiric baritones. This is especially true on the first two tracks as the opening ‘Electricity’ goes full Synthwave and ‘Through Clouded Eyes’ follows it up in ominously subdued fashion.

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PODCAST: Episode 112: Cammie Gilbert of Oceans of Slumber on their New Album and Shattering Expectations


Ghost Cult caught up with Oceans of Slumber’s frontwoman Cammie Gilbert recently to discuss their upcoming new album, Oceans of Slumber, due out September 4th via Century Media. We discussed the current state of affairs with both the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in their hometown of Houston, their new self-titled album, new sounds and styles the band felt emboldened to incorporate on the records, Cammie’s own background as a singer and her goals for the album, the influence of bands like Katatonia and Opeth, the bands phenomenal cover of Jazz legend Billie Holliday’s “Strange Fruit”, the bands’ Type O Negative cover of “Wolf Moon”, some love for Peter Steele, and much more. You can pre-order the album here! and check out our chat.Continue reading


Philip H. Anselmo’s En Minor Share’s “When the Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out” Video


Philip H. Anselmo’s En Minor has shared a new video for the song “When the Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out”. The band will release their debut full-length album on September 4th, 2020 via Anselmo’s Housecore Records label, with pre-order’s going live tomorrow.