ALBUM REVIEW: Cold In Berlin – Wound


Despite being from London, Cold in Berlin once again lives up to their name, as it conjures, stark, wintry urban landscape at night. Wounds (New Heavy Sounds) finds the band going further down the path they wandered down on their previous album, which found them more fully committing to their crossover into doom. The opening track of their new album blurs the lines even further, carrying a darker, more pulsating beat. Vocalist Maya belts things out with the expected intensity of her aching alto. The hypnotic pulse of “12 Crosses” shares some common ground with grunge from the nineties, as more exotic flourishes of atmosphere are also employed. Continue reading


INTERVIEW: Nick Holmes and Paradise Lost Return with “Ascension”


Photo credit: Ville Jurrikkala

Keefy sits down with Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost to explore their latest studio effort, Ascension, released September 19, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. This is the band’s 17th album, their most refined work in years, blending gothic metal and death/doom with a clear creative focus. Nick explains how the songwriting process has evolved, self-producing, and how they balance heaviness and melody while staying true to the Paradise Lost sound. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Katatonia – Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State


Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State (Napalm Records) marks Katatonia’s third album without founding guitarist Anders Nyström (editor’s note: his hiatus is now a permanent departure). This leaves Jonas Renske to steer the ship into darker and increasingly progressive waters of melancholy. A formula is in place, and the new guitarists navigate it well. They continue to demonstrate a fearless willingness to bust out a guitar solo with their feet firmly on the monitor, to invoke the era of guitar heroes past. The heaviest element might be Jonas’ lyrics, which retain a sharp bite on this album. The drumming is consistent in playing down solid grooves, allowing the band to back off and create more space for the fragile emotion of Jonas’ croon. The band maintains its persona.  Continue reading