Somerset Stoner Doom act Sergeant Thunderhoof stick close to home territory for fifth full-length studio release, The Ghost of Badon Hill (A Pale Wizard Records). Hailing from Bath, Somerset, the quintet delve into the rich history of the area, the titular hill the likeliest setting for one of King Arthur’s final battles. Only most likely because, like with most Arthurian legend, scholars and academics have spent as much time arguing over locations as well as actual events. Continue reading
Veilburner (the mysterious, otherworldly duo of Mephisto Deleterio and Chrisom Infernium, are never shy of tying lore and mythology into their releases. Seven albums, seven tracks, and each of them seven minutes long. On The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom (Transcending Obscurity Records) the pair pick up where they left off (both musically and conceptually) with 2022’s almost-eponymous VLBRNR. Continue reading
The sign of a good album is when it reinvigorates your appreciation for a musical genre or style.
Take Fightmilk. No Souvenirs (Fika Recordings/INH Records) is the latest full-length from the Indie/Pop Punk outfit. The songwriting is enticing and clever; satirical at times but not haphazard or misguided.Continue reading
As a result of years of persistence and hard work in exploring the immense depths of their own resonances, Jakarta-based post/sludge/power metal collective Amerta embarks on a new profound milestone through the release of their first full-length entitled Nodus Tollens (Self-Released). Through this release, this Indonesian multi-genre unit invites their listeners to venture on an enigmatic journey fueled by existential dread, contemplations, and the inner conflicts that mankind collectively faces against the banality of everyday chaos and mayhem in the form of an in-depth listening experience. Continue reading
The direction Tribulation heads on Sub Rosa In Æternum (Century Media Records) has been a long time coming. You can’t call a band goth without them eventually turning to the dark side. The Swedes started as a Death Metal band that flirted with the shadowy atmosphere, but never bore the Sisters of Mercy Halloween trappings they were credited with. Until this album. The sung vocals that open the first song solidify this; this may be the final step over this threshold for them. Johannes Andersson has sung on their previous albums in smaller doses, but this album finds him committed to it. Continue reading
Regarding psych rock, I have heard some of the best bands ever. They seem to come primarily from every place except for America. I have seen amazing bands from Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Spain. For the first time, I’m hearing a band from Cape Cod, South Africa. Moskitos have put Cape Town on the map as a new, untapped hub for psychedelic rock with their stellar debut album Mirage (The Good Times Co.) Continue reading
The problem with American Black Metal bands, is they are often comprised of Punk Rock kids from Brooklyn or any other hipster city, who appropriate the sonic aesthetics that work for their indie-rock sensibility lacking any sense of darkness. There are a few bands who have proved an exception Tombs, Weakling, and Nachtmystium. Blake Judd’s struggles with addiction are responsible for giving Nachtmystium its legitimacy his harrowing accounts of inner torment are far more intense than faux Satanism. After all, exorcising one’s demons can not be faked. Blight Privilege (Lupus Lounge) is Judd clawing his way back up from the abyss to make music again. This album might not be as experimental as his past work but it feels more honest.Continue reading
The world of Post-Grunge and Octane-Hard Rock is often looked down upon in the alternative scene with phrases like “buttrock” and “divorced-dad rock” now part of the common lexicon when referring to such highly esteemed bands like Nickelback and Shinedown. Continue reading
When executed properly, Slam Metal can be a big ball of fun.
Animalistic vocals that sound inhuman; random yet recognizable memes and clips; and an overarching mood which breeds feelings of categoric annihilation.
mansuetude (noun) man·sue·tude ˈman(t)-swi-ˌtüd man-ˈsü-ə- -ˌtyüd :
the quality or state of being gentle : meekness, tameness
Have you ever met Eugene S. Robinson (vocalist and frontman for the thunderous Rock force that is Buñuel)? Have you indeed ever listened to Buñuel? Neither experience will likely have “meekness” being the first (or indeed within the first hundred) descriptives that come to mind. Continue reading