ALBUM REVIEW: VOLA – Friend Of A Phantom


Like with their last record a three year wait brings us Friend of A Phantom (Mascot Label Group), the new album from those musically restless Scandinavians VOLA. Their fourth album serves up more of their dynamic wall of sound, which mixes Metal heaviness, Prog Rock changeability, in your face electronica and radio friendly hooks.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Lacolpa – In Absentia Lucis


Lacolpa’s new album, In Absentia Lucis (Brucia Records) finds the Italian band diving deeper into darkness. Their brand of darkness this time is more experimental than most heard this year. While they still self-identify as a Sludge band there is more common ground with Current 93 than with Neurosis

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EP REVIEW: Horse Butcher – Horse Butcher


In a world full of two-faced people, misleading information and strings attached to practically everything, Goregrind is the breath of fresh air society needs. Simply put: what you see is what you get.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Lord Sin – Confessions


Black metal is to thank for bringing the mystique back to music. This duo from Portugal cloaks themselves in black shrouds, we can assume they are not playing in, but instead of blast beats Lord Sin hits you with some creepy dirges on their sophomore album Confessions (Larvae Records). The graveyard stomp of the riffs allows darkness to possess their sound organically, rather than having to pull out all the Halloween decorations to convince the listener. Halfway into the first song, it’s easy to hear where they fall in the middle ground between doom and black metal. For a duo, they are cranking out a great deal of sound and care about writing songs, rather than just bashing out riffs.  Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Dark Sky Burial – V.I.T.R.I.O.L.


Had I been told four or five years ago that the spirit of psyche-exploring, experimental Electro/Industrial duo Coil would be alive and flourishing in the hands of Napalm Death’s bass player, I would have been … surprised. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Dunn With Lords And Lady Kevin – Last Days at Hot Slit


Since 1987 Kevin Rutmanis has been involved in the production of a steady stream of records with bands such as Minneapolis Noise-Rock legends Cows, Sludge Grunge titans Melvins, supergroup Tomahawk, Hepa/Titus, and now Lord and Lady Kevin

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ALBUM REVIEW: Six Months of Sun – Creatures


Presenting the best of Stoner Metal that is guaranteed to make their listeners aghast, Geneva-based power trio Six Months of Sun are back with a third full-length entitled Creatures via Cold Smoke Records and Urgence Disk, which features atmospheric passages and a versatile succession of riffs that ranges from being heavy to sharp. Having embarked on a formidable journey of track record by opening for many big names such as Red Fang, Church of Misery, and Fu Manchu, they continue on offering a profound bestiary of Stoner riffs with hints of Prog undertones here and there. While they’re keeping their massive sounds intact, they are suitable for fans of instrumental stoner/sludge such as Pelican and Russian Circles. Being a longtime Pelican fan myself since high school years, I instantly vibed with this album right after first listen– with all its solid resonances and all that.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Amyl and the Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness


On October 25, Aussie punk icons Amyl and the Sniffers released their highly anticipated third studio album, Cartoon Darkness, via B2B Records and Virgin Music Group. This record follows the band’s 2021 sophomore album, Comfort To Me, and provides a heightened sense of poetic lyricism and societal commentary from the band, who are currently making themselves known as one of Punk’s most prominent names.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Neckbreakker – Within The Viscera


Name changes can be important. Many great bands start out under completely different names only to find a quick re-evaluation of their brand is key to their eventual success. 

In the case of Neckbreakker, language appears to have been at least partly responsible as their recent name change alters nothing in its meaning, just the form in which it is delivered. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Miracle Blood – Hello Hell


Miracle Blood’s latest album Hello Hell would serve as a standout piece within any punk music lover’s record collection. Their new album Hello Hell, released by Nefarious Industries, is a cacophonous concoction of noise-punk, sludge, and heavy metal. The band’s sophomore LP is strange and unusual, and may be found to be the next underground favorite of those who themselves are strange and unusual.Continue reading