In the world of doom, there are seemingly as many subgenres as there are bands out there to choose from. I listen to so many different things and love that the genre just lets bands be who they truly are and express themselves naturally without conforming to something they are not. We have all heard bands who try to force elements in their music that they just simply do not shine at. This is not the case with A Nocturnal Crossing (Svart Recordings); everything has its place and works very well together.
Tag Archives: Torbjorn Solgard
EP REVIEW: Abysmal Dawn – Nightmare Frontier
The first cut to land on my desk this year is the new EP from Los Angeles based Abysmal Dawn, with their first new music since 2020’s Phylogenesis (Season of Mist) full-length. So, to get the new cut was killer, not to mention I’m a Season of Mist fan, so that was double awesome. With that being said though good things definitely come to those who wait. Even though this is an EP it still tears it up. With blistering displays of guitar prowess and super thick melodies these cuts are killer. The drums are insane and are almost to the point of unbelievable as far as speed and technique go, which is something I really dig. They undeniably flex their metal muscle in the tracks presented and even though there are only two OG tracks (sorry for the spoiler, but there are covers) this is definitely an awesome display of where the band is going sonically. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Ghost Bath – Self Loather
The season of the witch is upon us!!!! With Halloween just days away, it seemed more than fitting to check out some new Black Metal. Why not listen to some truly “scary movie” music with my favorite holiday just at hand. With that being said, the new cut from Ghost Bath Is a musical force to be reckoned with.
ALBUM REVIEW: Infex – Burning In Exile
If you are missing some new Thrash Metal then I would gladly invite you to give the new album from Bay Area Thrashers Infex a listen. I came into this review with no idea at all who Infex was, but now I know! This album is in a word, thrashtastic. I love to write about a band that’s all about riffage and crafting around said riff. This album took me back to when I was playing in a “Threath band” (thrash/death metal), a term coined by my former singer.
CONCERT REVIEW: Korn – Staind – 68: Live at the iThink Amphitheatre
Well what does one do when deciding to call a new town home. If you’re anything like me you wanna hit up a live show asap. I just recently moved to West Palm Beach FL. After being here for about a week it was time to hit up a big show. I’ve already been to a couple spots around town to get some of the local flavor and I’m telling you this is a killer place for live music. But, I was ready to bask in the glory of a full on production. So, I looked up some different shows in the area before realizing that I actually now live about 15 min. from iThink Amphitheatre. I really dig the place. It’s almost exactly the same as Tinley Park up by Chicago (my old haunt) I mean like almost exactly. Feeling quite at home I was ready to catch the show, the line-up consisted of Korn, Staind, and ’68. It was so nice to be outside at a huge venue like this, people everywhere having an awesome time. I had almost forgotten how awesome the experience really can be to us music lovers. First up was ’68 and of course I was a little late so I walked in about half-way through their set. Totally my bad, because I shoulda been there for the whole thing. I really dig ’68 they are like a blues hardcore band if you will. Very entertaining with a style all their own.
ALBUM REVIEW: Yautja – The Lurch
You want brutal? You got it! The debut album from Yautja (members of Thou, Coliseum, Mutilation Rites), The Lurch (Relapse Records), is that in spades. If you’re into just an all out onslaught of driving grooves mixed with crazy, double stops, and all the above, this is the cut for you! Not to get too into it, but this is right up my alley. I dig it when a band is their own thing, or their own entity, so to speak. They are just themselves.
LIVESTREAM REVIEW: Melvins TV: Volume 2 – Divine Monkeyshines Valentine’s Day Special
A Melvins Valentine’s Day Special……. Yeah…….. let that sink in for a moment. If you were anything like me you started with a puzzled look that slowly turned into a grin as the gears began turning trying to imagine what this could entail. With Covid changing the game everyone has had to dig into their bag of tricks and hustle like never before. It’s like touring (thanx to social media) has turned into who can be more creative and really tap into what they think their fans are going to want. So, a lot of bands have been going the route of the “Live Stream ”, but how the hell do you get ppl to pay to watch a band play in front of nobody? I mean it’s like sitting in on a rehearsal, it’s cool but you’re not getting the feels or the energy of the crowd and artist interaction.
LIVESTREAM REVIEW: Scour – Shock Narcotic
Last Friday (1/29/21) I got to check out the live stream from Housecore bands Scour and Shock Narcotic. Both of these groups are “supergroups” but I’m not going to get into that right now. I will say though that the list of bands that make up the background for each band are some of my favorites so I was kinda excited for this show.
ALBUM REVIEW: Gravehuffer – NecroEcolosion
The first word that comes to mind when listening to Gravehuffer’s new album NecroEcolosion (Black Doomba Records) is “fun”. Gravehuffer takes us on a journey through many different styles. Their versatility and ability not to be genre bound is on full display with this entry.
STAFF PICKS: Torbjorn Solgard’s Top Albums of 2020
2020..What can I say? A year where Poppy releases a metal album and Glenn Danzig does an album of Elvis covers (for real go look it up)! Seriously though I think it was a bad year for everyone. Luckily there was some killer music to help us all get through. So, I’ve compiled a list of what helped me. This list was a lot harder to make than I first thought it was going to be so much good stuff out there. To be clear though, this isn’t a “best of” it’s just a list of my personal fav’s this year. So, enough bullshittin’ I present to you Torbjorn‘s 13.