Tag Archives: metal adjacent

ALBUM REVIEW: Weft – The Splintered Oar

Posted on by

Embodying a whole lifetime of exploration, growth, and the ever-dynamic passages of life’s trajectory, debut album The Splintered Oar by Weft, which was released via Bindrune Recordings, is a meticulous construction well-crafted by Panopticon’s Charlie Anderson, influenced by a vast range of names and references. While the core foundation of its soundscapes revolves around Atmospheric and Death/Black Metal undertones, Weft also incorporated influences from Prog, Country, Americana, Folk, and other means of passages that aren’t strongly inclined towards distortions and belligerent beats– and it distinctively shows in the wide range of the vocal palette that Weft presented on this album; that dynamic shift from intricate, harsh growls, to choir-inspired clean singing that appear ethereal and enchanting.
Continue reading →


PODCAST: Episode 852 James Kent (Perturbator) On His New Album – “Age of Aquarius”

Posted on by

In this episode, Keefy catches up with James Kent, a.k.a. Perturbator, who has just relelased his killer new album “Age of Aquarius” via Nuclear Blast Records! Ghost Cult has covered James for all of our existence (both as a zine and website), and have been lucky enough to cover him all over the world live, including Roadburn Festival. We went deep on his entire career, adding more Goth and Synthwave to his post-Punk, Black Metal, and EBM influences, working with friends and guests such as Alcest, Ulver, Author & Punisher, and Greta Link! As a bonus for Halloween; he shared his favorite horror movies, and soundtrack composers!Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Guck – Gucked Up

Posted on by

Guck are a new band from Los Angeles, and their style is described as “loud, deranged, jazz-damaged noise rock.” Gucked Up (Three One G Records) is their debut record.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die – Dreams Of Being Dust

Posted on by

Much like their distinct name, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die continue to pen unique songs with flavor and character, and new studio album Dreams Of Being Dust (Epitaph Records), is no different.Continue reading →


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

Posted on by

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 →


ALBUM REVIEW: Bronson Arm – Casket Schwagg 

Posted on by

Kalamazoo, Michigan is home to Bronson Arm (Blake Bickel – Guitar/Vocals, Garrett Yates – Drums) who are back with a new release a mere year after last year’s self-titled debut. The oddly titled Casket Schwagg (Learning Curve Records) is described as a politically charged album by Bickel despite the band not being politically charged themselves, whether this proves potentially off-putting to some remains to be seen. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Mogwai – The Bad Fire

Posted on by

 

Robert Smith once called these guys his favorite band and it is easy to hear why. Eleven albums into their career, Mogwai has a clear focus on their sonic journey on The Bad Fire (Rock Action Records). Vocals appear right from the first song, serving as a smooth texture that sits in the swirl of sound. Things get more into their older bran of majestic melancholy on the second song. It’s less pop-oriented than the opening track. If you came here wanting post-rock this is the song for you. “What Kind of a Mix is This” feels like it just spills out from the end of the lingering ebb of the previous song. It takes a minute for a guitar melody to establish the song’s footing.Continue reading →


EP REVIEW: Graywave – Dancing In The Dust

Posted on by

Starting out as a solo project for singer and multi-instrumentalist Jess Webberley, Graywave have released two previous EPs – Planetary Shift in 2021, followed swiftly by their first for Church Road Records, Rebirth in 2022. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Semuta – Glacial Erratic

Posted on by

On their debut full-length record, Glacial Erratic (Self-Released) Portland, Oregon’s Progressive Rock duo Semuta, featuring members of notable Rose City bands Burials and Dark Numbers, weld weighty subject matter, with heavy, but melodic riffs and no shortage of atmosphere and dynamics. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Wardruna – Kvitravn – First Flight of the White Raven

Posted on by

Kvitravn — First Flight of the White Raven (ByNorse / Sony / Columbia Germany) is a special release for Norwegian dark folk outfit Wardruna; it follows in the footsteps of 2021’s studio release Kvitravn  (“white raven”) and documents a live-streamed lockdown concert that took place in the same year. The live album’s setlist contains only four tracks from Kvitravn itself, with the remainder of the 74-minute record comprising pieces from Wardruna’s earlier output.Continue reading →