It’s a cliche, but this album blew me away. Blew me away like the guy in the old Maxell ads. But that’s not right because you cannot listen to ALT BLK ERA’s Rave Immortal (Earache Records) without legit dancing. Finds like this are why I love doing these reviews. Let me do a reset to where I first hit “play”.Continue reading
Let’s hope the Acid Bath reunion shows, bring more attention to Dax Riggs’ solo work. It’s been 13 years since his last release, and Riggs finds himself. Reigniting his songwriting magic on 7 Songs For Spiders (Fat Possum Records). This time around Dax is backed by a three-piece band of grooving Cajuns who slither through these songs with a melancholic pulse, taking things back to his darker roots. The opening track “deceiver” finds a dream-laden haze hovering over his soulful speculation. It’s almost like gospel music for someone whose acid trip has been tempered by opiates. It picks up closer to what “We Sing of Only Blood or Love” let off, though more sonically layered. His trademark croon sounds as good as ever. Continue reading
There is just so much to decipher when it comes to incorporating Norse-themed references into the creative process of a sonic craftsmanship; either it is in a mythological, esoteric, or cosmological sense– the discourses may vary from the dead warriors called Einherjar who Valkyries brought to Valhalla, the nine realms of Yggdrasil which started off as a primordial void called Ginnungagap, the great winter that preceded Ragnarok which is Fimbulvetr, to the trance-like state of the Berserkers which is called Berserkrgang.. I’m pretty sure many bands –especially the ones surrounding the Nordic Folk and Metal scene– have immensely covered the said topics enough already. But Wardruna is one of the precursors among the niche of Norse-themed music. It just appears to me that they have succeeded in making the very topics of ancient Norse cultural and esoteric traditions feel familiar towards those who are initially not deeply invested in the culture. Wardruna isn’t just some regular ordinary Norse-themed Folk collective; their musical trajectory is a testament of how profoundly well-versed they are when it comes to exploring their roots; the sorcery, the runes, the rites of passage, and the traditions.Continue reading
I am neither the world’s biggest Black Metal fan, nor authority, and I would never pretend to be either. That said, the door to me being swept off my feet by Satan’s minstrels is always open. It happened last year with the latest Trelldom release, …By The Shadows….Continue reading
Today on the block we have a cut that I cannot believe is ten years old. The cut I speak of is Howling Giant’s self-titled EP. This release would come crashing onto the Cosmic Rock scene. What they deliver on this cut is this soaring sound that comes at you through the endless bound for the stars.Continue reading
With strong Folk and Medieval undertones, Potsdam-based Subway to Sally announce the release of their fifteenth studio album entitled Post Mortem via Napalm Records, following its predecessor entitled Himmelfahrt. Having been around for over 30 years, they mainly play sounds under the Medieval/Folk Metal soundscapes, but they also managed to incorporate Gothic Metal and Folk Rock elements on the later trajectory of their musical career. Regarding Post Mortem, it is an album with an unbreakable force of light, and its enthusiasm radiates, to an extent where its listeners could absorb the passion and medieval spirit.Continue reading
Voidwards are an enigmatic collective formed in 2005. Bagulnik (Aesthetic Death Records) is the first full-length in their career of almost twenty years. The record draws inspiration from a Russian teacher named Ivan Perfiliev and his writings over a century ago about a swamp that he claimed had supernatural properties.Continue reading
CMPT weaves an impressive atmosphere on Na utrini (Osmose Productions). The Balkan black metal band sets themselves apart from the pack by not just going full blast in your face. Not falling victim to the sophomore slump, the band is assured in what they are doing here. The choked rasp of the vocals to the most prominent element to ground the band in his sub-genre. It moves along with an eerie creep. It’s not until the second song that the drummer begins to push for more momentum, This restraint is their strength, as there is no shortage of Black Metal bands out there still trying to bleed blast-beats from the late nineties era sound, that find too much conformity coming from a misanthropic genre. Here the guitars tap into the trademark metallic buzz of black metal, but the band has already set the stage for a wider range of dynamics, making this a more well-balanced listen.Continue reading
This week on the block, we have a Christmas album—and not just any Christmas album, but one from the legendary band Jethro Tull. At first, one might think, “What the hell?” But those who are die-hard Tull fans or just super fans of Christmas albums will remember this is not the band’s first venture into the realm of holiday music. The Jethro Tull Christmas Album—Fresh Snow At Christmas showcases the band’s love for the holiday season. Continue reading
Twenty-five years! To be twenty-five years on and a debut album to have this much of an impact still is a real feat and it’s safe to say metal icons Slipknot show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. To say tonight’s show has been hotly anticipated is perhaps the understatement of the year, there is a buzz in the air as crowds shuffle into the brand-new Co-Op Live Arena. Holding claim as the UK’s largest indoor arena the swanky new venue is about to get a real test run as generations of metalheads descend for a night of raucous celebration.Continue reading