#deathdoommetal — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #deathdoommetal, aggregated by home.social.
-
Draconian en Chile: El aura de hechizar | vía #ZumbidoCL
https://zumbido.cl/draconian-en-chile-el-aura-de-hechizar/
#deathdoommetal #draconian #metalgótico #monkeychile #salametrónomo
-
Draconian en Chile: El aura de hechizar | vía #ZumbidoCL
https://zumbido.cl/draconian-en-chile-el-aura-de-hechizar/
#deathdoommetal #draconian #metalgótico #monkeychile #salametrónomo
-
Mammon's Throne – Skies of Flame
#BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Doommetal #Metal #blackeneddoom #deathdoom #deathdoommetal #doom #doommetal #melodicdoommetal #stonerdoom #Melbourne
CC BY-ND (#CreativeCommons Attribution No Derivatives) #ccmusic
https://mammonsthrone.bandcamp.com/album/skies-of-flame -
Once I start listening to death doom, I can't get away from it so quickly.
Now Décembre Noir from Germany
https://album.link/b/1900347515 -
Hipoxia – Fragmented Revelations
#BlackDoomMetal #Doommetal #Metal #blackdoommetal #deathdoommetal #doomdronemetal #dronedoom #dronedoommetal #industrialdoommetal #Madrid
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://hipoxia.bandcamp.com/album/fragmented-revelations -
Clairvoyance – Chasm of Immurement Review
By Maddog
Yes, I picked this up entirely because of its cover. Girardi’s gorgeous spiral of tombstones and skeletons conjures vintage highbrow death metal of the likes of Death. The title Chasm of Immurement grasps at brutal badassery in the vein of Suffocation’s Effigy of the Forgotten. Clairvoyance’s logo remains indecipherable even if you know the band’s name, suggesting kvltness galore. The promo materials describe lyrics that address the isolating effects of depression, foreshadowing a harrowing listen. In isolation, each of these judgments strikes at the truth but glances off. Chasm of Immurement is the debut album from Poland’s Clairvoyance, an unknown band comprising unknown musicians. Lying at the intersection of brainless death-doom and brainiac digressions, Chasm of Immurement is a powerful foray into death metal.
A first pass through Chasm of Immurement suggests primitive death metal with a dollop of doom. “Eternal Blaze” opens the album with a bang that recalls Faceless Burial’s Speciation. After grabbing me by the anus, Clairvoyance maintains its hold by alternating between mid-range Obituary riffs and lurching Autopsy-style death-doom. These lowbrow highlights feel both as slimy and evolved as an amoeba. With both its riffs and its guitar tone, Chasm of Immurement leaves a palpable layer of grime that justifies multiple colonoscopies. “Blood Divine” emerges as a late gem through riffs that are gory enough to draw blood and enormous enough to evoke Immolation. This isn’t isolated to a subset of the tracks; throughout its runtime, Chasm of Immurement alternates between a sixteen-wheeler and a used minivan without dulling its fun.
On your fifth listen, Clairvoyance’s experimental bent comes into view. The same doomy riffs you’d heard before reveal spooky foreground melodies (“Reign of Silence”). The same track that you’d interpreted as a caveman ditty blossoms in baffling melodic directions in its second half (“Eternal Blaze”). The same song that introduced itself as by-the-books death metal culminates in a monstrous doomy climax (“Fleshmachine”). The same sections that you’d dismissed as repetitive transform into home bases for grimy excursions, interfering with your sleep schedule and your family obligations. Adorning hefty riffs with sinister melodies, Clairvoyance recalls both Lovecraft’s Azathoth and Morbid Angel’s Trey Azagthoth. It took me a while to realize that I was doing Chasm of Immurement an injustice by pigeonholing it into old-school death metal. It is indeed that, but it’s so much more.
Clairvoyance’s varying ambitions both empower and dilute each other. Spanning 34 minutes across 6 tracks, Chasm of Immurement is a concise collection of lengthy tracks. Some of its pieces wander, especially at their simplest. For instance, despite being the second shortest track, “Blood Divine” feels lengthy because of its dearth of creative ideas. Similarly, the shortest song, “Eternal Blaze,” suffers from riffwork that’s decent but unimaginative, before eventually redeeming itself with more variety. Even so, these flubs are rare. The six-minute “Hymn of the Befouled” is the starkest counterexample, balancing length with girth by combining a vicious off-kilter main riff with melodic escapades that hold me rapt. Parts of Chasm of Immurement could do a better job of remaining engaging, but it’s hardly a fatal flaw.
Balancing thoughtful death metal and anti-intellectual death-doom, Clairvoyance’s debut is as weird as it is powerful. Neanderthals who need their fix should look here, as Chasm of Immurement’s crushing death metal riffs rival the best of old-school death metal. Conversely, fans of Morbid Angel’s wonkiness or Tomb Mold’s shapeshifting shenanigans will find just as much to love here. Chasm of Immurement is unlikely to dethrone Faithxtractor’s Loathing and the Noose atop my 2025 death metal ranking, as its occasional meandering loses my interest. But it’s a promising debut from a crew of talented Polish fiends.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Carbonized Records
Websites: carbonizedrecords.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/clairvoyancedeathmetal
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025#2025 #35 #Autopsy #BrutalDeath #BrutalDeathMetal #CarbonizedRecords #ChasmOfImmurement #Clairvoyance #Death #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #FacelessBurial #Immolation #Jul25 #MorbidAngel #Obituary #PolishMetal #ProgDeath #ProgressiveDeath #ProgressiveDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #Suffocation #TombMold
-
https://www.europesays.com/uk/248245/ The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life Review #2.5 #2025 #ArduaMusic #Autumnfall #CultOfLuna #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomDeath #DoomDeathMetal #DoomMetal #Enshine #Entertainment #FinnishMetal #Gothic #GothicDoom #GothicMetal #GothicRock #Insomnium #Jun25 #Melodeath #MelodeathMetal #MelodicDeathDoom #MelodicDeathMetal #music #ParadiseLost #rapture #Review #Reviews #ShadesOfLife #SwallowTheSun #TheBleakPicture #UK #UnitedKingdom
-
The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life Review
By Maddog
It’s been a draining year. Lacking the mental energy for new music, I’ve subsisted on a diet of ISIS and Fvneral Fvkk. Clouded by the doomy stylings of the latter, I decided to make my return to reviewing with dismal death-doom. Despite releasing their debut just last year, Finland’s The Bleak Picture is a project of members of Autumnfall. That said, these two bands sound worlds apart, as their names betray. Abandoning the blackened scenery of Autumnfall, The Bleak Picture paints a bleak picture with melodic death-doom that reeks of Finland. Channeling the icons of sadboi history, Shades of Life is a flawed but worthwhile slab of morose doom.
You won’t find much innovation here, but The Bleak Picture has learned from the best. Blending harsh vocals and spoken word, doomy plains and deathy mountain ranges, Shades of Life consists of familiar elements. The opener “Plagued by Sorrow” offers the listener zero seconds of respite before launching into a persistent doom riff. Melodic guitar leads steer the album along, stitching the doomy cuts together in a manner that recalls Enshine (“Without the I”). Rather than slowing to a standstill, The Bleak Picture uses Insomnium riffs to push the album along without diluting its sorrow. The guitars (handled by Jussi Hänninen, along with the other instruments) are the core of Shades of Life, but Tero Ruohonen’s vocals broaden its horizons. While he largely dwells in standard harsh territory, Ruohonen’s cleans tinge the album with gothic influences, like the distorted spoken word of “Absolution.” Indeed, sections like the straightforward rock of “Without the I” recall Paradise Lost. However, lest this lengthy description fool you, Shades of Life is largely standard fare.
It feels criminal to listen to Shades of Life on a 90-degree summer day. The Bleak Picture conveys emotion through the sheer enormity of their riffs, burying the listener like an avalanche (“Absolution”). Elsewhere, Shades of Life deftly intersperses these assaults with tranquility, like the transition from an explosive chorus to minimalist bass-led instrumentals on “Plagued by Sorrow.” These strengths reach their apex on the 11-minute spectacle “Silent Exit.” Evoking Swallow the Sun’s Plague of Butterflies, the track progresses through a nightmarish acoustic melody, forceful doom riffs, and girthy bass lines. Cult of Luna-style drumming leads the song into a climactic ending that raises the bar even further. Across these highlights, The Bleak Picture’s sophomore release boasts a mature approach to songwriting.
Shades of Life still struggles to transcend its melodic death-doom formula. The album’s biggest weakness is its monotony. In their quest for chunky riffs, The Bleak Picture tends to overuse ideas, emulating an uninspired version of Rapture (“Code of Ethics”). Even the album’s best pieces sometimes fizzle out, like the abrupt ending of the otherwise-powerful “Absolution.” Similarly, while the penultimate track “Silent Exit” showcases the best of Shades of Life, the closer “City of Ghosts” settles into a low-energy doom routine that never picks up steam. Despite its apparent variety of influences, The Bleak Picture’s by-the-book approach to death-doom doesn’t always keep my interest.
An album like Shades of Life is difficult to dissect; its success hinges on the heart, not the brain. The Bleak Picture is on the right path, and tracks like “Silent Exit” hit hard with their bulky riffwork and creative variety. But as a whole, Shades of Life isn’t the gut punch I’d hoped for. It doesn’t match the raw power of Paradise Lost, the otherworldly sadness of Enshine, or the narrative prowess of Insomnium. Still, I have no regrets. There are strong whiffs of talent here, and with its mature and tempered approach to songwriting, Shades of Life is an easy, rewarding listen. It’s worth a shot for anyone who prefers moping over sunlight.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ardua Music
Websites: thebleakpicture.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thebleakpicture
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025#25 #2025 #ArduaMusic #Autumnfall #CultOfLuna #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomDeath #DoomDeathMetal #DoomMetal #Enshine #FinnishMetal #Gothic #GothicDoom #GothicMetal #GothicRock #Insomnium #Jun25 #Melodeath #MelodeathMetal #MelodicDeathDoom #MelodicDeathMetal #ParadiseLost #Rapture #Review #Reviews #ShadesOfLife #SwallowTheSun #TheBleakPicture
-
The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life Review
By Maddog
It’s been a draining year. Lacking the mental energy for new music, I’ve subsisted on a diet of ISIS and Fvneral Fvkk. Clouded by the doomy stylings of the latter, I decided to make my return to reviewing with dismal death-doom. Despite releasing their debut just last year, Finland’s The Bleak Picture is a project of members of Autumnfall. That said, these two bands sound worlds apart, as their names betray. Abandoning the blackened scenery of Autumnfall, The Bleak Picture paints a bleak picture with melodic death-doom that reeks of Finland. Channeling the icons of sadboi history, Shades of Life is a flawed but worthwhile slab of morose doom.
You won’t find much innovation here, but The Bleak Picture has learned from the best. Blending harsh vocals and spoken word, doomy plains and deathy mountain ranges, Shades of Life consists of familiar elements. The opener “Plagued by Sorrow” offers the listener zero seconds of respite before launching into a persistent doom riff. Melodic guitar leads steer the album along, stitching the doomy cuts together in a manner that recalls Enshine (“Without the I”). Rather than slowing to a standstill, The Bleak Picture uses Insomnium riffs to push the album along without diluting its sorrow. The guitars (handled by Jussi Hänninen, along with the other instruments) are the core of Shades of Life, but Tero Ruohonen’s vocals broaden its horizons. While he largely dwells in standard harsh territory, Ruohonen’s cleans tinge the album with gothic influences, like the distorted spoken word of “Absolution.” Indeed, sections like the straightforward rock of “Without the I” recall Paradise Lost. However, lest this lengthy description fool you, Shades of Life is largely standard fare.
It feels criminal to listen to Shades of Life on a 90-degree summer day. The Bleak Picture conveys emotion through the sheer enormity of their riffs, burying the listener like an avalanche (“Absolution”). Elsewhere, Shades of Life deftly intersperses these assaults with tranquility, like the transition from an explosive chorus to minimalist bass-led instrumentals on “Plagued by Sorrow.” These strengths reach their apex on the 11-minute spectacle “Silent Exit.” Evoking Swallow the Sun’s Plague of Butterflies, the track progresses through a nightmarish acoustic melody, forceful doom riffs, and girthy bass lines. Cult of Luna-style drumming leads the song into a climactic ending that raises the bar even further. Across these highlights, The Bleak Picture’s sophomore release boasts a mature approach to songwriting.
Shades of Life still struggles to transcend its melodic death-doom formula. The album’s biggest weakness is its monotony. In their quest for chunky riffs, The Bleak Picture tends to overuse ideas, emulating an uninspired version of Rapture (“Code of Ethics”). Even the album’s best pieces sometimes fizzle out, like the abrupt ending of the otherwise-powerful “Absolution.” Similarly, while the penultimate track “Silent Exit” showcases the best of Shades of Life, the closer “City of Ghosts” settles into a low-energy doom routine that never picks up steam. Despite its apparent variety of influences, The Bleak Picture’s by-the-book approach to death-doom doesn’t always keep my interest.
An album like Shades of Life is difficult to dissect; its success hinges on the heart, not the brain. The Bleak Picture is on the right path, and tracks like “Silent Exit” hit hard with their bulky riffwork and creative variety. But as a whole, Shades of Life isn’t the gut punch I’d hoped for. It doesn’t match the raw power of Paradise Lost, the otherworldly sadness of Enshine, or the narrative prowess of Insomnium. Still, I have no regrets. There are strong whiffs of talent here, and with its mature and tempered approach to songwriting, Shades of Life is an easy, rewarding listen. It’s worth a shot for anyone who prefers moping over sunlight.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ardua Music
Websites: thebleakpicture.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thebleakpicture
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025#25 #2025 #ArduaMusic #Autumnfall #CultOfLuna #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomDeath #DoomDeathMetal #DoomMetal #Enshine #FinnishMetal #Gothic #GothicDoom #GothicMetal #GothicRock #Insomnium #Jun25 #Melodeath #MelodeathMetal #MelodicDeathDoom #MelodicDeathMetal #ParadiseLost #Rapture #Review #Reviews #ShadesOfLife #SwallowTheSun #TheBleakPicture
-
The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life Review
By Maddog
It’s been a draining year. Lacking the mental energy for new music, I’ve subsisted on a diet of ISIS and Fvneral Fvkk. Clouded by the doomy stylings of the latter, I decided to make my return to reviewing with dismal death-doom. Despite releasing their debut just last year, Finland’s The Bleak Picture is a project of members of Autumnfall. That said, these two bands sound worlds apart, as their names betray. Abandoning the blackened scenery of Autumnfall, The Bleak Picture paints a bleak picture with melodic death-doom that reeks of Finland. Channeling the icons of sadboi history, Shades of Life is a flawed but worthwhile slab of morose doom.
You won’t find much innovation here, but The Bleak Picture has learned from the best. Blending harsh vocals and spoken word, doomy plains and deathy mountain ranges, Shades of Life consists of familiar elements. The opener “Plagued by Sorrow” offers the listener zero seconds of respite before launching into a persistent doom riff. Melodic guitar leads steer the album along, stitching the doomy cuts together in a manner that recalls Enshine (“Without the I”). Rather than slowing to a standstill, The Bleak Picture uses Insomnium riffs to push the album along without diluting its sorrow. The guitars (handled by Jussi Hänninen, along with the other instruments) are the core of Shades of Life, but Tero Ruohonen’s vocals broaden its horizons. While he largely dwells in standard harsh territory, Ruohonen’s cleans tinge the album with gothic influences, like the distorted spoken word of “Absolution.” Indeed, sections like the straightforward rock of “Without the I” recall Paradise Lost. However, lest this lengthy description fool you, Shades of Life is largely standard fare.
It feels criminal to listen to Shades of Life on a 90-degree summer day. The Bleak Picture conveys emotion through the sheer enormity of their riffs, burying the listener like an avalanche (“Absolution”). Elsewhere, Shades of Life deftly intersperses these assaults with tranquility, like the transition from an explosive chorus to minimalist bass-led instrumentals on “Plagued by Sorrow.” These strengths reach their apex on the 11-minute spectacle “Silent Exit.” Evoking Swallow the Sun’s Plague of Butterflies, the track progresses through a nightmarish acoustic melody, forceful doom riffs, and girthy bass lines. Cult of Luna-style drumming leads the song into a climactic ending that raises the bar even further. Across these highlights, The Bleak Picture’s sophomore release boasts a mature approach to songwriting.
Shades of Life still struggles to transcend its melodic death-doom formula. The album’s biggest weakness is its monotony. In their quest for chunky riffs, The Bleak Picture tends to overuse ideas, emulating an uninspired version of Rapture (“Code of Ethics”). Even the album’s best pieces sometimes fizzle out, like the abrupt ending of the otherwise-powerful “Absolution.” Similarly, while the penultimate track “Silent Exit” showcases the best of Shades of Life, the closer “City of Ghosts” settles into a low-energy doom routine that never picks up steam. Despite its apparent variety of influences, The Bleak Picture’s by-the-book approach to death-doom doesn’t always keep my interest.
An album like Shades of Life is difficult to dissect; its success hinges on the heart, not the brain. The Bleak Picture is on the right path, and tracks like “Silent Exit” hit hard with their bulky riffwork and creative variety. But as a whole, Shades of Life isn’t the gut punch I’d hoped for. It doesn’t match the raw power of Paradise Lost, the otherworldly sadness of Enshine, or the narrative prowess of Insomnium. Still, I have no regrets. There are strong whiffs of talent here, and with its mature and tempered approach to songwriting, Shades of Life is an easy, rewarding listen. It’s worth a shot for anyone who prefers moping over sunlight.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ardua Music
Websites: thebleakpicture.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thebleakpicture
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025#25 #2025 #ArduaMusic #Autumnfall #CultOfLuna #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomDeath #DoomDeathMetal #DoomMetal #Enshine #FinnishMetal #Gothic #GothicDoom #GothicMetal #GothicRock #Insomnium #Jun25 #Melodeath #MelodeathMetal #MelodicDeathDoom #MelodicDeathMetal #ParadiseLost #Rapture #Review #Reviews #ShadesOfLife #SwallowTheSun #TheBleakPicture
-
The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life Review
By Maddog
It’s been a draining year. Lacking the mental energy for new music, I’ve subsisted on a diet of ISIS and Fvneral Fvkk. Clouded by the doomy stylings of the latter, I decided to make my return to reviewing with dismal death-doom. Despite releasing their debut just last year, Finland’s The Bleak Picture is a project of members of Autumnfall. That said, these two bands sound worlds apart, as their names betray. Abandoning the blackened scenery of Autumnfall, The Bleak Picture paints a bleak picture with melodic death-doom that reeks of Finland. Channeling the icons of sadboi history, Shades of Life is a flawed but worthwhile slab of morose doom.
You won’t find much innovation here, but The Bleak Picture has learned from the best. Blending harsh vocals and spoken word, doomy plains and deathy mountain ranges, Shades of Life consists of familiar elements. The opener “Plagued by Sorrow” offers the listener zero seconds of respite before launching into a persistent doom riff. Melodic guitar leads steer the album along, stitching the doomy cuts together in a manner that recalls Enshine (“Without the I”). Rather than slowing to a standstill, The Bleak Picture uses Insomnium riffs to push the album along without diluting its sorrow. The guitars (handled by Jussi Hänninen, along with the other instruments) are the core of Shades of Life, but Tero Ruohonen’s vocals broaden its horizons. While he largely dwells in standard harsh territory, Ruohonen’s cleans tinge the album with gothic influences, like the distorted spoken word of “Absolution.” Indeed, sections like the straightforward rock of “Without the I” recall Paradise Lost. However, lest this lengthy description fool you, Shades of Life is largely standard fare.
It feels criminal to listen to Shades of Life on a 90-degree summer day. The Bleak Picture conveys emotion through the sheer enormity of their riffs, burying the listener like an avalanche (“Absolution”). Elsewhere, Shades of Life deftly intersperses these assaults with tranquility, like the transition from an explosive chorus to minimalist bass-led instrumentals on “Plagued by Sorrow.” These strengths reach their apex on the 11-minute spectacle “Silent Exit.” Evoking Swallow the Sun’s Plague of Butterflies, the track progresses through a nightmarish acoustic melody, forceful doom riffs, and girthy bass lines. Cult of Luna-style drumming leads the song into a climactic ending that raises the bar even further. Across these highlights, The Bleak Picture’s sophomore release boasts a mature approach to songwriting.
Shades of Life still struggles to transcend its melodic death-doom formula. The album’s biggest weakness is its monotony. In their quest for chunky riffs, The Bleak Picture tends to overuse ideas, emulating an uninspired version of Rapture (“Code of Ethics”). Even the album’s best pieces sometimes fizzle out, like the abrupt ending of the otherwise-powerful “Absolution.” Similarly, while the penultimate track “Silent Exit” showcases the best of Shades of Life, the closer “City of Ghosts” settles into a low-energy doom routine that never picks up steam. Despite its apparent variety of influences, The Bleak Picture’s by-the-book approach to death-doom doesn’t always keep my interest.
An album like Shades of Life is difficult to dissect; its success hinges on the heart, not the brain. The Bleak Picture is on the right path, and tracks like “Silent Exit” hit hard with their bulky riffwork and creative variety. But as a whole, Shades of Life isn’t the gut punch I’d hoped for. It doesn’t match the raw power of Paradise Lost, the otherworldly sadness of Enshine, or the narrative prowess of Insomnium. Still, I have no regrets. There are strong whiffs of talent here, and with its mature and tempered approach to songwriting, Shades of Life is an easy, rewarding listen. It’s worth a shot for anyone who prefers moping over sunlight.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ardua Music
Websites: thebleakpicture.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thebleakpicture
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025#25 #2025 #ArduaMusic #Autumnfall #CultOfLuna #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomDeath #DoomDeathMetal #DoomMetal #Enshine #FinnishMetal #Gothic #GothicDoom #GothicMetal #GothicRock #Insomnium #Jun25 #Melodeath #MelodeathMetal #MelodicDeathDoom #MelodicDeathMetal #ParadiseLost #Rapture #Review #Reviews #ShadesOfLife #SwallowTheSun #TheBleakPicture
-
The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life Review
By Maddog
It’s been a draining year. Lacking the mental energy for new music, I’ve subsisted on a diet of ISIS and Fvneral Fvkk. Clouded by the doomy stylings of the latter, I decided to make my return to reviewing with dismal death-doom. Despite releasing their debut just last year, Finland’s The Bleak Picture is a project of members of Autumnfall. That said, these two bands sound worlds apart, as their names betray. Abandoning the blackened scenery of Autumnfall, The Bleak Picture paints a bleak picture with melodic death-doom that reeks of Finland. Channeling the icons of sadboi history, Shades of Life is a flawed but worthwhile slab of morose doom.
You won’t find much innovation here, but The Bleak Picture has learned from the best. Blending harsh vocals and spoken word, doomy plains and deathy mountain ranges, Shades of Life consists of familiar elements. The opener “Plagued by Sorrow” offers the listener zero seconds of respite before launching into a persistent doom riff. Melodic guitar leads steer the album along, stitching the doomy cuts together in a manner that recalls Enshine (“Without the I”). Rather than slowing to a standstill, The Bleak Picture uses Insomnium riffs to push the album along without diluting its sorrow. The guitars (handled by Jussi Hänninen, along with the other instruments) are the core of Shades of Life, but Tero Ruohonen’s vocals broaden its horizons. While he largely dwells in standard harsh territory, Ruohonen’s cleans tinge the album with gothic influences, like the distorted spoken word of “Absolution.” Indeed, sections like the straightforward rock of “Without the I” recall Paradise Lost. However, lest this lengthy description fool you, Shades of Life is largely standard fare.
It feels criminal to listen to Shades of Life on a 90-degree summer day. The Bleak Picture conveys emotion through the sheer enormity of their riffs, burying the listener like an avalanche (“Absolution”). Elsewhere, Shades of Life deftly intersperses these assaults with tranquility, like the transition from an explosive chorus to minimalist bass-led instrumentals on “Plagued by Sorrow.” These strengths reach their apex on the 11-minute spectacle “Silent Exit.” Evoking Swallow the Sun’s Plague of Butterflies, the track progresses through a nightmarish acoustic melody, forceful doom riffs, and girthy bass lines. Cult of Luna-style drumming leads the song into a climactic ending that raises the bar even further. Across these highlights, The Bleak Picture’s sophomore release boasts a mature approach to songwriting.
Shades of Life still struggles to transcend its melodic death-doom formula. The album’s biggest weakness is its monotony. In their quest for chunky riffs, The Bleak Picture tends to overuse ideas, emulating an uninspired version of Rapture (“Code of Ethics”). Even the album’s best pieces sometimes fizzle out, like the abrupt ending of the otherwise-powerful “Absolution.” Similarly, while the penultimate track “Silent Exit” showcases the best of Shades of Life, the closer “City of Ghosts” settles into a low-energy doom routine that never picks up steam. Despite its apparent variety of influences, The Bleak Picture’s by-the-book approach to death-doom doesn’t always keep my interest.
An album like Shades of Life is difficult to dissect; its success hinges on the heart, not the brain. The Bleak Picture is on the right path, and tracks like “Silent Exit” hit hard with their bulky riffwork and creative variety. But as a whole, Shades of Life isn’t the gut punch I’d hoped for. It doesn’t match the raw power of Paradise Lost, the otherworldly sadness of Enshine, or the narrative prowess of Insomnium. Still, I have no regrets. There are strong whiffs of talent here, and with its mature and tempered approach to songwriting, Shades of Life is an easy, rewarding listen. It’s worth a shot for anyone who prefers moping over sunlight.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ardua Music
Websites: thebleakpicture.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thebleakpicture
Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025#25 #2025 #ArduaMusic #Autumnfall #CultOfLuna #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomDeath #DoomDeathMetal #DoomMetal #Enshine #FinnishMetal #Gothic #GothicDoom #GothicMetal #GothicRock #Insomnium #Jun25 #Melodeath #MelodeathMetal #MelodicDeathDoom #MelodicDeathMetal #ParadiseLost #Rapture #Review #Reviews #ShadesOfLife #SwallowTheSun #TheBleakPicture
-
Oh, hi! I didn't see you there 🙂... must have been this COMPLETELY UNHINGED AND DISGUSTING #DEATHDOOMMETAL from some miasmatic Italian swamp distracting me from your presence. I'm sorry. Have a beautiful #ThursDeath. And don't mind the creepy crawlies trying to burrow into you 🦟🪳🕷️🪰... it's bugs as well as a feature ->
Bandcamp link to the Larvae album "Arousal Of The Crawling Creature" -> https://larvae-gore.bandcamp.com/album/arousal-of-the-crawling-creature
-
Act of Impalement – Profane Altar Review
By Dear Hollow
Nashville trio Act of Impalement’s sophomore release Infernal Ordinance, in spite of the low-hanging HOA jokes, was badass. Its unfuckwithable blend of death and crust styles led to a sore neck from endless headbanging, while its passages of doom tempos and thick weight did the sludge and doom influences justice. I still spin the likes of “Summoning the Final Conflagration” and “Erased,” reliving that pummeling that hurts so good again and again. You can imagine how excited I was, then, to discover Act of Impalement has a new album.
To accurately sum up Act of Impalement’s musical arsenal is an exercise in futility, and Profane Altar amps the obscurity – although the trademark groove remains stalwart. While Ethan Rock remains the band’s pivot point as primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, a revamped lineup replacing bassist Jimmy Grogan and longtime drummer Zack Ledbetter emerges with its own streamlined take. As such, while Infernal Ordinance felt almost entirely like the one-man Ethan Rock show, Profane Altar finds bassist Jerry Garner adding more rumbling weight to the riffs while drummer Aaron Hortman brings a newfound manic energy and mania to the rhythms. While the influences remain the same in death metal royalty Bolt Thrower, Incantation, Entombed, and Asphyx – and the sound is deceptively straightforward – the streamlined approach, more pronounced black metal influence, and filthier riffs offer new planes for Act of Impalement.
Act of Impalement’s biggest change is a more cohesive fusing of its sludge and death metal influences alongside its newfound obscure black metal bleakness. While opener “Summoning the Final Conflagration” from its predecessor set a precedent of buzzsaw riffs driven to a sludgy end, Profane Altar opens with “Apparition” – while the groove and riffs are similar, they are absolutely suffocating, a swampy tar filling every crevice of the sound. Act of Impalement is down with the thickness, and it grants them a fluidity that kept the disjointedness of its predecessor from truly soaring. From ten-ton bruisers dripping with patient swagger (“Apparition,” “Final Sacrifice”), filthy 6/8 death metal waltzes (“Sanguine Rites,” “Gnashing Teeth”) to vicious crust punk-influenced black metal beatdowns laden with blastbeats and shred (“Piercing the Heavens,” “Deities of the Weak”), their potentially disconnected collection of blasting and bruising is blessedly woven together by its all-consuming weight.
Brevity is the name of Act of Impalement’s game, and it no longer feels like a one-man show. No track exceeds five minutes for a total of thirty-one minutes, which is absolutely reasonable and almost necessary for this breed of intensity. While the professed styles don’t feel particularly unique, Act of Impalement manages to lay them atop the incredibly sturdy foundation of groove, which serves the brevity extremely well – the album hits hard and fast and never overstays its welcome. Better still, Garner’s bass shines throughout and Hortman’s percussion feels both unhinged in its blastbeats and steadfastly reliable in its plodding groove – both members shining alongside Rock’s riffs and hellish roars. That being said, Act of Impalement offers a brutal riff-fest with elements borrowed from death, death/doom, crust punk, and black metal, a tribute to the hallowed halls of metal history – but the product is remarkably straightforward in its punishing groove.
If you’re looking for a nuanced album that showcases a rich and layered approach to its songwriting, Profane Altar is not for you. However, if you’re okay seeing all its influences as riders of the one-trick pony called groove, it doesn’t get much better than Act of Impalement’s breed of pummeling. Profane Altar is fucking heavy, simultaneously a more in-your-face and obscure release for a band renowned for their breakneck intensity. Balance and the bravery to embrace its disparate blend of influences sets it apart from its already formidable predecessor, even though the shortsighted groove makes it blackened, deathened, crusty, doomy ear candy. Infectiously groovy ear candy.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Caligari Records
Websites: instagram.com/actofimpalement | facebook.com/ActOfImpalement
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025#2025 #35 #ActOfImpalement #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BoltThrower #CaligariRecords #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #Entombed #Feb25 #Incantation #ProfaneAltar #Review #Reviews
-
Act of Impalement – Profane Altar Review
By Dear Hollow
Nashville trio Act of Impalement’s sophomore release Infernal Ordinance, in spite of the low-hanging HOA jokes, was badass. Its unfuckwithable blend of death and crust styles led to a sore neck from endless headbanging, while its passages of doom tempos and thick weight did the sludge and doom influences justice. I still spin the likes of “Summoning the Final Conflagration” and “Erased,” reliving that pummeling that hurts so good again and again. You can imagine how excited I was, then, to discover Act of Impalement has a new album.
To accurately sum up Act of Impalement’s musical arsenal is an exercise in futility, and Profane Altar amps the obscurity – although the trademark groove remains stalwart. While Ethan Rock remains the band’s pivot point as primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, a revamped lineup replacing bassist Jimmy Grogan and longtime drummer Zack Ledbetter emerges with its own streamlined take. As such, while Infernal Ordinance felt almost entirely like the one-man Ethan Rock show, Profane Altar finds bassist Jerry Garner adding more rumbling weight to the riffs while drummer Aaron Hortman brings a newfound manic energy and mania to the rhythms. While the influences remain the same in death metal royalty Bolt Thrower, Incantation, Entombed, and Asphyx – and the sound is deceptively straightforward – the streamlined approach, more pronounced black metal influence, and filthier riffs offer new planes for Act of Impalement.
Act of Impalement’s biggest change is a more cohesive fusing of its sludge and death metal influences alongside its newfound obscure black metal bleakness. While opener “Summoning the Final Conflagration” from its predecessor set a precedent of buzzsaw riffs driven to a sludgy end, Profane Altar opens with “Apparition” – while the groove and riffs are similar, they are absolutely suffocating, a swampy tar filling every crevice of the sound. Act of Impalement is down with the thickness, and it grants them a fluidity that kept the disjointedness of its predecessor from truly soaring. From ten-ton bruisers dripping with patient swagger (“Apparition,” “Final Sacrifice”), filthy 6/8 death metal waltzes (“Sanguine Rites,” “Gnashing Teeth”) to vicious crust punk-influenced black metal beatdowns laden with blastbeats and shred (“Piercing the Heavens,” “Deities of the Weak”), their potentially disconnected collection of blasting and bruising is blessedly woven together by its all-consuming weight.
Brevity is the name of Act of Impalement’s game, and it no longer feels like a one-man show. No track exceeds five minutes for a total of thirty-one minutes, which is absolutely reasonable and almost necessary for this breed of intensity. While the professed styles don’t feel particularly unique, Act of Impalement manages to lay them atop the incredibly sturdy foundation of groove, which serves the brevity extremely well – the album hits hard and fast and never overstays its welcome. Better still, Garner’s bass shines throughout and Hortman’s percussion feels both unhinged in its blastbeats and steadfastly reliable in its plodding groove – both members shining alongside Rock’s riffs and hellish roars. That being said, Act of Impalement offers a brutal riff-fest with elements borrowed from death, death/doom, crust punk, and black metal, a tribute to the hallowed halls of metal history – but the product is remarkably straightforward in its punishing groove.
If you’re looking for a nuanced album that showcases a rich and layered approach to its songwriting, Profane Altar is not for you. However, if you’re okay seeing all its influences as riders of the one-trick pony called groove, it doesn’t get much better than Act of Impalement’s breed of pummeling. Profane Altar is fucking heavy, simultaneously a more in-your-face and obscure release for a band renowned for their breakneck intensity. Balance and the bravery to embrace its disparate blend of influences sets it apart from its already formidable predecessor, even though the shortsighted groove makes it blackened, deathened, crusty, doomy ear candy. Infectiously groovy ear candy.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Caligari Records
Websites: instagram.com/actofimpalement | facebook.com/ActOfImpalement
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025#2025 #35 #ActOfImpalement #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BoltThrower #CaligariRecords #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #Entombed #Feb25 #Incantation #ProfaneAltar #Review #Reviews
-
Act of Impalement – Profane Altar Review
By Dear Hollow
Nashville trio Act of Impalement’s sophomore release Infernal Ordinance, in spite of the low-hanging HOA jokes, was badass. Its unfuckwithable blend of death and crust styles led to a sore neck from endless headbanging, while its passages of doom tempos and thick weight did the sludge and doom influences justice. I still spin the likes of “Summoning the Final Conflagration” and “Erased,” reliving that pummeling that hurts so good again and again. You can imagine how excited I was, then, to discover Act of Impalement has a new album.
To accurately sum up Act of Impalement’s musical arsenal is an exercise in futility, and Profane Altar amps the obscurity – although the trademark groove remains stalwart. While Ethan Rock remains the band’s pivot point as primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, a revamped lineup replacing bassist Jimmy Grogan and longtime drummer Zack Ledbetter emerges with its own streamlined take. As such, while Infernal Ordinance felt almost entirely like the one-man Ethan Rock show, Profane Altar finds bassist Jerry Garner adding more rumbling weight to the riffs while drummer Aaron Hortman brings a newfound manic energy and mania to the rhythms. While the influences remain the same in death metal royalty Bolt Thrower, Incantation, Entombed, and Asphyx – and the sound is deceptively straightforward – the streamlined approach, more pronounced black metal influence, and filthier riffs offer new planes for Act of Impalement.
Act of Impalement’s biggest change is a more cohesive fusing of its sludge and death metal influences alongside its newfound obscure black metal bleakness. While opener “Summoning the Final Conflagration” from its predecessor set a precedent of buzzsaw riffs driven to a sludgy end, Profane Altar opens with “Apparition” – while the groove and riffs are similar, they are absolutely suffocating, a swampy tar filling every crevice of the sound. Act of Impalement is down with the thickness, and it grants them a fluidity that kept the disjointedness of its predecessor from truly soaring. From ten-ton bruisers dripping with patient swagger (“Apparition,” “Final Sacrifice”), filthy 6/8 death metal waltzes (“Sanguine Rites,” “Gnashing Teeth”) to vicious crust punk-influenced black metal beatdowns laden with blastbeats and shred (“Piercing the Heavens,” “Deities of the Weak”), their potentially disconnected collection of blasting and bruising is blessedly woven together by its all-consuming weight.
Brevity is the name of Act of Impalement’s game, and it no longer feels like a one-man show. No track exceeds five minutes for a total of thirty-one minutes, which is absolutely reasonable and almost necessary for this breed of intensity. While the professed styles don’t feel particularly unique, Act of Impalement manages to lay them atop the incredibly sturdy foundation of groove, which serves the brevity extremely well – the album hits hard and fast and never overstays its welcome. Better still, Garner’s bass shines throughout and Hortman’s percussion feels both unhinged in its blastbeats and steadfastly reliable in its plodding groove – both members shining alongside Rock’s riffs and hellish roars. That being said, Act of Impalement offers a brutal riff-fest with elements borrowed from death, death/doom, crust punk, and black metal, a tribute to the hallowed halls of metal history – but the product is remarkably straightforward in its punishing groove.
If you’re looking for a nuanced album that showcases a rich and layered approach to its songwriting, Profane Altar is not for you. However, if you’re okay seeing all its influences as riders of the one-trick pony called groove, it doesn’t get much better than Act of Impalement’s breed of pummeling. Profane Altar is fucking heavy, simultaneously a more in-your-face and obscure release for a band renowned for their breakneck intensity. Balance and the bravery to embrace its disparate blend of influences sets it apart from its already formidable predecessor, even though the shortsighted groove makes it blackened, deathened, crusty, doomy ear candy. Infectiously groovy ear candy.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Caligari Records
Websites: instagram.com/actofimpalement | facebook.com/ActOfImpalement
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025#2025 #35 #ActOfImpalement #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BoltThrower #CaligariRecords #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #Entombed #Feb25 #Incantation #ProfaneAltar #Review #Reviews
-
Act of Impalement – Profane Altar Review
By Dear Hollow
Nashville trio Act of Impalement’s sophomore release Infernal Ordinance, in spite of the low-hanging HOA jokes, was badass. Its unfuckwithable blend of death and crust styles led to a sore neck from endless headbanging, while its passages of doom tempos and thick weight did the sludge and doom influences justice. I still spin the likes of “Summoning the Final Conflagration” and “Erased,” reliving that pummeling that hurts so good again and again. You can imagine how excited I was, then, to discover Act of Impalement has a new album.
To accurately sum up Act of Impalement’s musical arsenal is an exercise in futility, and Profane Altar amps the obscurity – although the trademark groove remains stalwart. While Ethan Rock remains the band’s pivot point as primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, a revamped lineup replacing bassist Jimmy Grogan and longtime drummer Zack Ledbetter emerges with its own streamlined take. As such, while Infernal Ordinance felt almost entirely like the one-man Ethan Rock show, Profane Altar finds bassist Jerry Garner adding more rumbling weight to the riffs while drummer Aaron Hortman brings a newfound manic energy and mania to the rhythms. While the influences remain the same in death metal royalty Bolt Thrower, Incantation, Entombed, and Asphyx – and the sound is deceptively straightforward – the streamlined approach, more pronounced black metal influence, and filthier riffs offer new planes for Act of Impalement.
Act of Impalement’s biggest change is a more cohesive fusing of its sludge and death metal influences alongside its newfound obscure black metal bleakness. While opener “Summoning the Final Conflagration” from its predecessor set a precedent of buzzsaw riffs driven to a sludgy end, Profane Altar opens with “Apparition” – while the groove and riffs are similar, they are absolutely suffocating, a swampy tar filling every crevice of the sound. Act of Impalement is down with the thickness, and it grants them a fluidity that kept the disjointedness of its predecessor from truly soaring. From ten-ton bruisers dripping with patient swagger (“Apparition,” “Final Sacrifice”), filthy 6/8 death metal waltzes (“Sanguine Rites,” “Gnashing Teeth”) to vicious crust punk-influenced black metal beatdowns laden with blastbeats and shred (“Piercing the Heavens,” “Deities of the Weak”), their potentially disconnected collection of blasting and bruising is blessedly woven together by its all-consuming weight.
Brevity is the name of Act of Impalement’s game, and it no longer feels like a one-man show. No track exceeds five minutes for a total of thirty-one minutes, which is absolutely reasonable and almost necessary for this breed of intensity. While the professed styles don’t feel particularly unique, Act of Impalement manages to lay them atop the incredibly sturdy foundation of groove, which serves the brevity extremely well – the album hits hard and fast and never overstays its welcome. Better still, Garner’s bass shines throughout and Hortman’s percussion feels both unhinged in its blastbeats and steadfastly reliable in its plodding groove – both members shining alongside Rock’s riffs and hellish roars. That being said, Act of Impalement offers a brutal riff-fest with elements borrowed from death, death/doom, crust punk, and black metal, a tribute to the hallowed halls of metal history – but the product is remarkably straightforward in its punishing groove.
If you’re looking for a nuanced album that showcases a rich and layered approach to its songwriting, Profane Altar is not for you. However, if you’re okay seeing all its influences as riders of the one-trick pony called groove, it doesn’t get much better than Act of Impalement’s breed of pummeling. Profane Altar is fucking heavy, simultaneously a more in-your-face and obscure release for a band renowned for their breakneck intensity. Balance and the bravery to embrace its disparate blend of influences sets it apart from its already formidable predecessor, even though the shortsighted groove makes it blackened, deathened, crusty, doomy ear candy. Infectiously groovy ear candy.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Caligari Records
Websites: instagram.com/actofimpalement | facebook.com/ActOfImpalement
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025#2025 #35 #ActOfImpalement #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BoltThrower #CaligariRecords #CrustPunk #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #Entombed #Feb25 #Incantation #ProfaneAltar #Review #Reviews
-
Choir – Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]
By Dear Hollow
Bring them tired ashes to the black waters and sing an anthem for the famine! Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence is blasphemy, a molten and silt-laden horror that saturates every negative space with noise, desolation, and punishment. It dirges and roars like the gods that you thought were benevolent and merciful – their faces lurid and nauseating when you looked upon them. Hallelujah, you will go mad. You will embrace your fate with arms outstretched and feet running until you sink. You will vomit and rejoice at the coming of ruin. You will praise your master. Choir preaches to this manic truth and gospel of filth, recalling the memory of a ritual buried deep in a book of death-bathed dark. As you are baptized in the muddy river, buried with Christ, and raised to walk in newness of life, open your eyes and look below and you’ll notice the abyss of the dead and rotting staring back.
Choir is a one-man act from Singapore consisting of musician/producer The Choir, offering extreme metal dredged in obscurity and violence. At once blending the pulverizing weight of death/doom, the raw hatred of black metal, and the cavernous echoes of death metal, crammed to the brim with misanthropic dissonance, dense atmospherics, and vicious noise, the act can be compared to the likes of Impetuous Ritual, Infernal Coil, Menace Ruine, and Primitive Man, but with an interpretation of pain all its own. While 2021’s first full-length Songs for a Tarnished World introduced this noise, its follow-up Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence hones it, Choir’s sound achieves relentless devastation and palpable purpose. And it’s a damn shame it was released so late in 2024.
Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence consists of two twenty-two-minute songs, but the tracklist breaks them into three and four movements respectively – one of the few mercies you will receive listening to Choir’s relentless onslaught. Like 2024’s boundary-pushing Ingurgitating Oblivion, Choir combines the outer limits of extreme metal. However, contrary to the elegance, technicality, and grace of Ontology of Nought, Choir molds the festering and rotten loams of lumbering weight, blackened chaos, and ruthless dissonance into a lethal clay, encased in the thick grime of murk. Emerging like many-eyed and many-limbed creatures emerging from the muddy river, movements will sear themselves into your ears from out of nowhere, such as the Mitochondrion-esque chugging riffs (“Bring Them… I,” “Bring Them… III,” “And Sing… IV”), dizzying brain-bleeds and complete disintegrations into noise and dissonance (“And Sing… III”), full-on blackened assaults buried beneath the garbling Portal-esque weight of mud (“And Sing… I”), and ambient sprawls with a rotten hum and bilious distortion trembling beneath (“Bring Them… II”). Gorgeous synth melodies are sparse and stand in stark contrast during capitalizations of crescendos (“And Sing… IV”). While nonetheless bathed in the blood of distortion, they add a distinctly human feel that somehow makes the album much more punishing by contrast while also providing a jagged light at the end of Choir’s pitch-black tunnel.
Choir has accomplished an insane feat, creating an experience that balances haunting hypnotism, primitive ritualism, and cutthroat punishment in its misanthropic blend of extreme styles. Simultaneously a thunderously colossal and lumbering beast and a hateful specter with teeth of lightning, Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence is a portrayal of divine smelt, god silt, and blasphemous murk. Molten and filthy, hypnotic and punishing, Choir is an easy triumph for year-end lists had it been released earlier.
Tracks to Check Out: “Bring Them Tired Ashes to the Black Waters,” “And Sing an Anthem for the Famine”
#2024 #AmbientBlackMetal #AmbientNoise #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BlackenedDoomMetal #Choir #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #ImpetuousRitual #InfernalCoil #IngurgitatingOblivion #MenaceRuine #Mitochondrion #Portal #PrimitiveMan #SingaporeanMetal #SmitheTheeSmolderingProvidence #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024 #TYMHM
-
Choir – Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]
By Dear Hollow
Bring them tired ashes to the black waters and sing an anthem for the famine! Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence is blasphemy, a molten and silt-laden horror that saturates every negative space with noise, desolation, and punishment. It dirges and roars like the gods that you thought were benevolent and merciful – their faces lurid and nauseating when you looked upon them. Hallelujah, you will go mad. You will embrace your fate with arms outstretched and feet running until you sink. You will vomit and rejoice at the coming of ruin. You will praise your master. Choir preaches to this manic truth and gospel of filth, recalling the memory of a ritual buried deep in a book of death-bathed dark. As you are baptized in the muddy river, buried with Christ, and raised to walk in newness of life, open your eyes and look below and you’ll notice the abyss of the dead and rotting staring back.
Choir is a one-man act from Singapore consisting of musician/producer The Choir, offering extreme metal dredged in obscurity and violence. At once blending the pulverizing weight of death/doom, the raw hatred of black metal, and the cavernous echoes of death metal, crammed to the brim with misanthropic dissonance, dense atmospherics, and vicious noise, the act can be compared to the likes of Impetuous Ritual, Infernal Coil, Menace Ruine, and Primitive Man, but with an interpretation of pain all its own. While 2021’s first full-length Songs for a Tarnished World introduced this noise, its follow-up Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence hones it, Choir’s sound achieves relentless devastation and palpable purpose. And it’s a damn shame it was released so late in 2024.
Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence consists of two twenty-two-minute songs, but the tracklist breaks them into three and four movements respectively – one of the few mercies you will receive listening to Choir’s relentless onslaught. Like 2024’s boundary-pushing Ingurgitating Oblivion, Choir combines the outer limits of extreme metal. However, contrary to the elegance, technicality, and grace of Ontology of Nought, Choir molds the festering and rotten loams of lumbering weight, blackened chaos, and ruthless dissonance into a lethal clay, encased in the thick grime of murk. Emerging like many-eyed and many-limbed creatures emerging from the muddy river, movements will sear themselves into your ears from out of nowhere, such as the Mitochondrion-esque chugging riffs (“Bring Them… I,” “Bring Them… III,” “And Sing… IV”), dizzying brain-bleeds and complete disintegrations into noise and dissonance (“And Sing… III”), full-on blackened assaults buried beneath the garbling Portal-esque weight of mud (“And Sing… I”), and ambient sprawls with a rotten hum and bilious distortion trembling beneath (“Bring Them… II”). Gorgeous synth melodies are sparse and stand in stark contrast during capitalizations of crescendos (“And Sing… IV”). While nonetheless bathed in the blood of distortion, they add a distinctly human feel that somehow makes the album much more punishing by contrast while also providing a jagged light at the end of Choir’s pitch-black tunnel.
Choir has accomplished an insane feat, creating an experience that balances haunting hypnotism, primitive ritualism, and cutthroat punishment in its misanthropic blend of extreme styles. Simultaneously a thunderously colossal and lumbering beast and a hateful specter with teeth of lightning, Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence is a portrayal of divine smelt, god silt, and blasphemous murk. Molten and filthy, hypnotic and punishing, Choir is an easy triumph for year-end lists had it been released earlier.
Tracks to Check Out: “Bring Them Tired Ashes to the Black Waters,” “And Sing an Anthem for the Famine”
#2024 #AmbientBlackMetal #AmbientNoise #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BlackenedDoomMetal #Choir #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #ImpetuousRitual #InfernalCoil #IngurgitatingOblivion #MenaceRuine #Mitochondrion #Portal #PrimitiveMan #SingaporeanMetal #SmitheTheeSmolderingProvidence #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024 #TYMHM
-
Choir – Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]
By Dear Hollow
Bring them tired ashes to the black waters and sing an anthem for the famine! Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence is blasphemy, a molten and silt-laden horror that saturates every negative space with noise, desolation, and punishment. It dirges and roars like the gods that you thought were benevolent and merciful – their faces lurid and nauseating when you looked upon them. Hallelujah, you will go mad. You will embrace your fate with arms outstretched and feet running until you sink. You will vomit and rejoice at the coming of ruin. You will praise your master. Choir preaches to this manic truth and gospel of filth, recalling the memory of a ritual buried deep in a book of death-bathed dark. As you are baptized in the muddy river, buried with Christ, and raised to walk in newness of life, open your eyes and look below and you’ll notice the abyss of the dead and rotting staring back.
Choir is a one-man act from Singapore consisting of musician/producer The Choir, offering extreme metal dredged in obscurity and violence. At once blending the pulverizing weight of death/doom, the raw hatred of black metal, and the cavernous echoes of death metal, crammed to the brim with misanthropic dissonance, dense atmospherics, and vicious noise, the act can be compared to the likes of Impetuous Ritual, Infernal Coil, Menace Ruine, and Primitive Man, but with an interpretation of pain all its own. While 2021’s first full-length Songs for a Tarnished World introduced this noise, its follow-up Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence hones it, Choir’s sound achieves relentless devastation and palpable purpose. And it’s a damn shame it was released so late in 2024.
Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence consists of two twenty-two-minute songs, but the tracklist breaks them into three and four movements respectively – one of the few mercies you will receive listening to Choir’s relentless onslaught. Like 2024’s boundary-pushing Ingurgitating Oblivion, Choir combines the outer limits of extreme metal. However, contrary to the elegance, technicality, and grace of Ontology of Nought, Choir molds the festering and rotten loams of lumbering weight, blackened chaos, and ruthless dissonance into a lethal clay, encased in the thick grime of murk. Emerging like many-eyed and many-limbed creatures emerging from the muddy river, movements will sear themselves into your ears from out of nowhere, such as the Mitochondrion-esque chugging riffs (“Bring Them… I,” “Bring Them… III,” “And Sing… IV”), dizzying brain-bleeds and complete disintegrations into noise and dissonance (“And Sing… III”), full-on blackened assaults buried beneath the garbling Portal-esque weight of mud (“And Sing… I”), and ambient sprawls with a rotten hum and bilious distortion trembling beneath (“Bring Them… II”). Gorgeous synth melodies are sparse and stand in stark contrast during capitalizations of crescendos (“And Sing… IV”). While nonetheless bathed in the blood of distortion, they add a distinctly human feel that somehow makes the album much more punishing by contrast while also providing a jagged light at the end of Choir’s pitch-black tunnel.
Choir has accomplished an insane feat, creating an experience that balances haunting hypnotism, primitive ritualism, and cutthroat punishment in its misanthropic blend of extreme styles. Simultaneously a thunderously colossal and lumbering beast and a hateful specter with teeth of lightning, Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence is a portrayal of divine smelt, god silt, and blasphemous murk. Molten and filthy, hypnotic and punishing, Choir is an easy triumph for year-end lists had it been released earlier.
Tracks to Check Out: “Bring Them Tired Ashes to the Black Waters,” “And Sing an Anthem for the Famine”
#2024 #AmbientBlackMetal #AmbientNoise #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BlackenedDoomMetal #Choir #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #ImpetuousRitual #InfernalCoil #IngurgitatingOblivion #MenaceRuine #Mitochondrion #Portal #PrimitiveMan #SingaporeanMetal #SmitheTheeSmolderingProvidence #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024 #TYMHM
-
Faithxtractor – Loathing and the Noose Review
By Maddog
Faithxtractor’s second biggest musical contribution was the comment section from their last album. With a Farmers Only joke, a thread about metalcore album names, and a story that must be read to be believed, the birdbrain community’s mockery of Faithxtractor’s name has left me giggling for two years. Of course, the band’s biggest contribution was 2023’s Contempt for a Failed Dimension itself. Perhaps my favorite frill-free death metal record in recent memory, Faithxtractor’s fourth full-length dealt in riffs and also riffs. Unlike the other wannabes that litter the old-school death metal revival scene, Faithxtractor stood out through thoughtful songwriting. The album’s doom-tinged riffs were punchy, and its cohesive flow has withstood two years of wear. Ohio’s underground farmers are back with another slab of death metal. As I started spinning Loathing and the Noose, I knew what to expect.
At least, I thought I did. While Contempt for a Failed Dimension reveled in riffy simplicity, Loathing and the Noose is much more adventurous. Faithxtractor’s signature remains, with extra chunky riffs that alternate between furious death metal and Asphyxiating death-doom. However, while Contempt turned everything up to eleven, Loathing shatters the knob altogether. The most intense sections veer into blackened death-thrash, landing in between Morbid Saint and Panzer Division Marduk (“Fever Dream Litanies”). Even early Suffocation rears its head in Faithxtractor’s most bludgeoning brutal riffwork (“Flooded Tombs”). Spastic flailing guitar solos complement this unhinged assault on the senses. However, Faithxtractor ventures in the opposite direction as well. Loathing’s soaring leads and its melodeath-inflected riffs make it feel more melodic than Contempt. Meanwhile, the album’s starkest change lies in its bluer shade of doom. Faithxtractor’s melodic death-doom passages recall Swallow the Sun, displaying a newfound emotive side rather than merely adding heft. While Loathing and the Noose is far from an avant-garde record, it marks a sea change for Faithxtractor.
Miraculously, Faithxtractor’s experiments pay off. Even the most unexpected pieces are bafflingly powerful. Despite my knee-jerk skepticism, the melodic death-doom escapades are as evocative as the genre’s best (“Cerecloth Vision Veil”). Conversely, Loathing and the Noose’s speediest blackened cuts hijack my brain using frantic melodies and Marduk riffs (“Ethos Moribund”). These varied elements fit together with uncanny grace. The mid-section of opener “Noose of Being” mutates from blackened riffs to melodeath to sadboi death-doom to knuckle-dragging Autopsy worship, with fluid transitions that make each long jump feel like a natural step. Similarly, “Caveats” shines through its dynamic back-and-forth between an elegiac key melody and an enormous doom riff. While Faithxtractor’s round-trip transitions are sometimes abrupt, like the funeral-doom-and-back of “Flooded Tombs,” these are rare exceptions. Indeed, because it’s so well-crafted, Loathing and the Noose is an immediate hit despite its evolution; even the doomy seven-minute closer flies by, lodging into my memory by my second listen. Over-experimentation can be a turn-off, but Faithxtractor makes it work by whole-assing their every move.
Of course, it helps that the caveman segments slay. Even on its more adventurous tracks, Loathing’s overpowering death metal riffs are grin-inducing (“Cerecloth Vision Veil”). I have a soft spot for guitar solos paired with a dominant rhythm guitar, and Faithxtractor delivers on this with reckless abandon (“The Loathing”). If anything, Loathing and the Noose’s explosive tendencies make it a more visceral and infectious listen than its predecessor. And because the album’s climactic fury is sprinkled across each track rather than being sequestered, its 37 minutes are consistently lovable. While Loathing’s loud in-your-face master blunts its teeth, it remains a delight to revisit.
This is not the death metal album I was looking for. I showed up expecting a single-minded half-hour curbstomp. While Loathing and the Noose retains these simple roots, it does so much more. With influences ranging from blackened thrash to weepy death-doom, Faithxtractor’s newest record marks a transformation that initially left me worried. But its gargantuan death metal riffs, its smooth songwriting, and its excellence across its genre romps won me over. Contempt for a Failed Dimension was not just one of the greatest albums of 2023; it shocked me, revitalizing a subgenre that rarely rises above a 3.0. Loathing and the Noose sounds worlds apart, but checks the same elusive box. Mastermind Ash Thomas continues to understand my taste better than I do, releasing fantastic records in styles that often let me down. Keep an open mind and give this a shot.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Redefining Darkness Records
Websites: faithxtractor.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Faithxtractor
Releases Worldwide: January 10th, 2025#2025 #40 #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #Autopsy #BlackenedDeath #BlackenedDeathMetal #ContemptForAFailedDimension #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #Faithxtractor #Jan25 #LoathingAndTheNoose #Marduk #MelodicDeathDoom #MorbidSaint #RedefiningDarkness #RedefiningDarknessRecords #Review #Reviews #Suffocation #SwallowTheSun
-
Faithxtractor – Loathing and the Noose Review
By Maddog
Faithxtractor’s second biggest musical contribution was the comment section from their last album. With a Farmers Only joke, a thread about metalcore album names, and a story that must be read to be believed, the birdbrain community’s mockery of Faithxtractor’s name has left me giggling for two years. Of course, the band’s biggest contribution was 2023’s Contempt for a Failed Dimension itself. Perhaps my favorite frill-free death metal record in recent memory, Faithxtractor’s fourth full-length dealt in riffs and also riffs. Unlike the other wannabes that litter the old-school death metal revival scene, Faithxtractor stood out through thoughtful songwriting. The album’s doom-tinged riffs were punchy, and its cohesive flow has withstood two years of wear. Ohio’s underground farmers are back with another slab of death metal. As I started spinning Loathing and the Noose, I knew what to expect.
At least, I thought I did. While Contempt for a Failed Dimension reveled in riffy simplicity, Loathing and the Noose is much more adventurous. Faithxtractor’s signature remains, with extra chunky riffs that alternate between furious death metal and Asphyxiating death-doom. However, while Contempt turned everything up to eleven, Loathing shatters the knob altogether. The most intense sections veer into blackened death-thrash, landing in between Morbid Saint and Panzer Division Marduk (“Fever Dream Litanies”). Even early Suffocation rears its head in Faithxtractor’s most bludgeoning brutal riffwork (“Flooded Tombs”). Spastic flailing guitar solos complement this unhinged assault on the senses. However, Faithxtractor ventures in the opposite direction as well. Loathing’s soaring leads and its melodeath-inflected riffs make it feel more melodic than Contempt. Meanwhile, the album’s starkest change lies in its bluer shade of doom. Faithxtractor’s melodic death-doom passages recall Swallow the Sun, displaying a newfound emotive side rather than merely adding heft. While Loathing and the Noose is far from an avant-garde record, it marks a sea change for Faithxtractor.
Miraculously, Faithxtractor’s experiments pay off. Even the most unexpected pieces are bafflingly powerful. Despite my knee-jerk skepticism, the melodic death-doom escapades are as evocative as the genre’s best (“Cerecloth Vision Veil”). Conversely, Loathing and the Noose’s speediest blackened cuts hijack my brain using frantic melodies and Marduk riffs (“Ethos Moribund”). These varied elements fit together with uncanny grace. The mid-section of opener “Noose of Being” mutates from blackened riffs to melodeath to sadboi death-doom to knuckle-dragging Autopsy worship, with fluid transitions that make each long jump feel like a natural step. Similarly, “Caveats” shines through its dynamic back-and-forth between an elegiac key melody and an enormous doom riff. While Faithxtractor’s round-trip transitions are sometimes abrupt, like the funeral-doom-and-back of “Flooded Tombs,” these are rare exceptions. Indeed, because it’s so well-crafted, Loathing and the Noose is an immediate hit despite its evolution; even the doomy seven-minute closer flies by, lodging into my memory by my second listen. Over-experimentation can be a turn-off, but Faithxtractor makes it work by whole-assing their every move.
Of course, it helps that the caveman segments slay. Even on its more adventurous tracks, Loathing’s overpowering death metal riffs are grin-inducing (“Cerecloth Vision Veil”). I have a soft spot for guitar solos paired with a dominant rhythm guitar, and Faithxtractor delivers on this with reckless abandon (“The Loathing”). If anything, Loathing and the Noose’s explosive tendencies make it a more visceral and infectious listen than its predecessor. And because the album’s climactic fury is sprinkled across each track rather than being sequestered, its 37 minutes are consistently lovable. While Loathing’s loud in-your-face master blunts its teeth, it remains a delight to revisit.
This is not the death metal album I was looking for. I showed up expecting a single-minded half-hour curbstomp. While Loathing and the Noose retains these simple roots, it does so much more. With influences ranging from blackened thrash to weepy death-doom, Faithxtractor’s newest record marks a transformation that initially left me worried. But its gargantuan death metal riffs, its smooth songwriting, and its excellence across its genre romps won me over. Contempt for a Failed Dimension was not just one of the greatest albums of 2023; it shocked me, revitalizing a subgenre that rarely rises above a 3.0. Loathing and the Noose sounds worlds apart, but checks the same elusive box. Mastermind Ash Thomas continues to understand my taste better than I do, releasing fantastic records in styles that often let me down. Keep an open mind and give this a shot.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Redefining Darkness Records
Websites: faithxtractor.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Faithxtractor
Releases Worldwide: January 10th, 2025#2025 #40 #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #Autopsy #BlackenedDeath #BlackenedDeathMetal #ContemptForAFailedDimension #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #Faithxtractor #Jan25 #LoathingAndTheNoose #Marduk #MelodicDeathDoom #MorbidSaint #RedefiningDarkness #RedefiningDarknessRecords #Review #Reviews #Suffocation #SwallowTheSun
-
Faithxtractor – Loathing and the Noose Review
By Maddog
Faithxtractor’s second biggest musical contribution was the comment section from their last album. With a Farmers Only joke, a thread about metalcore album names, and a story that must be read to be believed, the birdbrain community’s mockery of Faithxtractor’s name has left me giggling for two years. Of course, the band’s biggest contribution was 2023’s Contempt for a Failed Dimension itself. Perhaps my favorite frill-free death metal record in recent memory, Faithxtractor’s fourth full-length dealt in riffs and also riffs. Unlike the other wannabes that litter the old-school death metal revival scene, Faithxtractor stood out through thoughtful songwriting. The album’s doom-tinged riffs were punchy, and its cohesive flow has withstood two years of wear. Ohio’s underground farmers are back with another slab of death metal. As I started spinning Loathing and the Noose, I knew what to expect.
At least, I thought I did. While Contempt for a Failed Dimension reveled in riffy simplicity, Loathing and the Noose is much more adventurous. Faithxtractor’s signature remains, with extra chunky riffs that alternate between furious death metal and Asphyxiating death-doom. However, while Contempt turned everything up to eleven, Loathing shatters the knob altogether. The most intense sections veer into blackened death-thrash, landing in between Morbid Saint and Panzer Division Marduk (“Fever Dream Litanies”). Even early Suffocation rears its head in Faithxtractor’s most bludgeoning brutal riffwork (“Flooded Tombs”). Spastic flailing guitar solos complement this unhinged assault on the senses. However, Faithxtractor ventures in the opposite direction as well. Loathing’s soaring leads and its melodeath-inflected riffs make it feel more melodic than Contempt. Meanwhile, the album’s starkest change lies in its bluer shade of doom. Faithxtractor’s melodic death-doom passages recall Swallow the Sun, displaying a newfound emotive side rather than merely adding heft. While Loathing and the Noose is far from an avant-garde record, it marks a sea change for Faithxtractor.
Miraculously, Faithxtractor’s experiments pay off. Even the most unexpected pieces are bafflingly powerful. Despite my knee-jerk skepticism, the melodic death-doom escapades are as evocative as the genre’s best (“Cerecloth Vision Veil”). Conversely, Loathing and the Noose’s speediest blackened cuts hijack my brain using frantic melodies and Marduk riffs (“Ethos Moribund”). These varied elements fit together with uncanny grace. The mid-section of opener “Noose of Being” mutates from blackened riffs to melodeath to sadboi death-doom to knuckle-dragging Autopsy worship, with fluid transitions that make each long jump feel like a natural step. Similarly, “Caveats” shines through its dynamic back-and-forth between an elegiac key melody and an enormous doom riff. While Faithxtractor’s round-trip transitions are sometimes abrupt, like the funeral-doom-and-back of “Flooded Tombs,” these are rare exceptions. Indeed, because it’s so well-crafted, Loathing and the Noose is an immediate hit despite its evolution; even the doomy seven-minute closer flies by, lodging into my memory by my second listen. Over-experimentation can be a turn-off, but Faithxtractor makes it work by whole-assing their every move.
Of course, it helps that the caveman segments slay. Even on its more adventurous tracks, Loathing’s overpowering death metal riffs are grin-inducing (“Cerecloth Vision Veil”). I have a soft spot for guitar solos paired with a dominant rhythm guitar, and Faithxtractor delivers on this with reckless abandon (“The Loathing”). If anything, Loathing and the Noose’s explosive tendencies make it a more visceral and infectious listen than its predecessor. And because the album’s climactic fury is sprinkled across each track rather than being sequestered, its 37 minutes are consistently lovable. While Loathing’s loud in-your-face master blunts its teeth, it remains a delight to revisit.
This is not the death metal album I was looking for. I showed up expecting a single-minded half-hour curbstomp. While Loathing and the Noose retains these simple roots, it does so much more. With influences ranging from blackened thrash to weepy death-doom, Faithxtractor’s newest record marks a transformation that initially left me worried. But its gargantuan death metal riffs, its smooth songwriting, and its excellence across its genre romps won me over. Contempt for a Failed Dimension was not just one of the greatest albums of 2023; it shocked me, revitalizing a subgenre that rarely rises above a 3.0. Loathing and the Noose sounds worlds apart, but checks the same elusive box. Mastermind Ash Thomas continues to understand my taste better than I do, releasing fantastic records in styles that often let me down. Keep an open mind and give this a shot.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Redefining Darkness Records
Websites: faithxtractor.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Faithxtractor
Releases Worldwide: January 10th, 2025#2025 #40 #AmericanMetal #Asphyx #Autopsy #BlackenedDeath #BlackenedDeathMetal #ContemptForAFailedDimension #DeathDoom #DeathMetal #DeathDoomMetal #Faithxtractor #Jan25 #LoathingAndTheNoose #Marduk #MelodicDeathDoom #MorbidSaint #RedefiningDarkness #RedefiningDarknessRecords #Review #Reviews #Suffocation #SwallowTheSun
-
Sonus Mortis – Collapse The Mountain
#Metal #SymphonicDeathMetal #Symphonicblackmetal #blackeneddeathdoom #darkmetal #deathdoommetal #ireland #irishmetal #melodicdeathmetal #metal #sonusmortis #symphonicdeathmetal #Dublin
CC BY-NC-ND (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives)
https://sonusmortis.bandcamp.com/album/collapse-the-mountain -
Sonus Mortis – Collapse The Mountain
#Metal #SymphonicDeathMetal #Symphonicblackmetal #blackeneddeathdoom #darkmetal #deathdoommetal #ireland #irishmetal #melodicdeathmetal #metal #sonusmortis #symphonicdeathmetal #Dublin
CC BY-NC-ND (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives)
https://sonusmortis.bandcamp.com/album/collapse-the-mountain -
Sonus Mortis – Collapse The Mountain
#Metal #SymphonicDeathMetal #Symphonicblackmetal #blackeneddeathdoom #darkmetal #deathdoommetal #ireland #irishmetal #melodicdeathmetal #metal #sonusmortis #symphonicdeathmetal #Dublin
CC BY-NC-ND (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives)
https://sonusmortis.bandcamp.com/album/collapse-the-mountain -
After a couple of listens, I can confidently say that Dan Lancaster fucked up so hard on Swallow The Sun's new album, Shining:
https://centurymedia.bandcamp.com/album/shining-24-bit-hd-audio
Almost every instrument, even the vocals have unnecessary effects on them. The drums, the vocals and the guitars sound artificial and overengineered. I didn't like the new sound profile at all.
-
Mourning Beloveth, now this is some top quality Doom Metal from Ireland.
So, so, so. so good.
#deathdoommetal #doommetal #ireland
🤘 🇮🇪
-
#deathmetal #thrashmetal #blackmetal #powermetal #doommetal #stonermetal #progmetal
#groovemetal #heavymetal #vikingmetal #warmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #deathnroll #melodicdeathmetal #symphonicmetal #deathdoommetal
#funeraldoommetal
#sludgemetal #folkmetal #paganmetal #glammetal
#gothicmetal #grindcore #deathcore
#deathgrind #goregrind #industrialmetal #postmetal #mathcore #dissonantdeathmetal #dissonantblackmetal #neoclassicalmetal
#speedmetal #crossovermetal #nwothm #nwobhm #djent #metalcore -
#deathmetal #thrashmetal #blackmetal #powermetal #doommetal #stonermetal #progmetal
#groovemetal #heavymetal #vikingmetal #warmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #deathnroll #melodicdeathmetal #symphonicmetal #deathdoommetal
#funeraldoommetal
#sludgemetal #folkmetal #paganmetal #glammetal
#gothicmetal #grindcore #deathcore
#deathgrind #goregrind #industrialmetal #postmetal #mathcore #dissonantdeathmetal #dissonantblackmetal #neoclassicalmetal
#speedmetal #crossovermetal #nwothm #nwobhm #djent #metalcore -
#deathmetal #thrashmetal #blackmetal #powermetal #doommetal #stonermetal #progmetal
#groovemetal #heavymetal #vikingmetal #warmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #deathnroll #melodicdeathmetal #symphonicmetal #deathdoommetal
#funeraldoommetal
#sludgemetal #folkmetal #paganmetal #glammetal
#gothicmetal #grindcore #deathcore
#deathgrind #goregrind #industrialmetal #postmetal #mathcore #dissonantdeathmetal #dissonantblackmetal #neoclassicalmetal
#speedmetal #crossovermetal #nwothm #nwobhm #djent #metalcore -
#deathmetal #thrashmetal #blackmetal #powermetal #doommetal #stonermetal #progmetal
#groovemetal #heavymetal #vikingmetal #warmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #deathnroll #melodicdeathmetal #symphonicmetal #deathdoommetal
#funeraldoommetal
#sludgemetal #folkmetal #paganmetal #glammetal
#gothicmetal #grindcore #deathcore
#deathgrind #goregrind #industrialmetal #postmetal #mathcore #dissonantdeathmetal #dissonantblackmetal #neoclassicalmetal
#speedmetal #crossovermetal #nwothm #nwobhm #djent #metalcore -
#deathmetal #thrashmetal #blackmetal #powermetal #doommetal #stonermetal #progmetal
#groovemetal #heavymetal #vikingmetal #warmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #deathnroll #melodicdeathmetal #symphonicmetal #deathdoommetal
#funeraldoommetal
#sludgemetal #folkmetal #paganmetal #glammetal
#gothicmetal #grindcore #deathcore
#deathgrind #goregrind #industrialmetal #postmetal #mathcore #dissonantdeathmetal #dissonantblackmetal #neoclassicalmetal
#speedmetal #crossovermetal #nwothm #nwobhm #djent #metalcore -
From the beach, for @lpl's #SaturDoom:
#DoomVS: Oceans of Despair
https://song.link/k0wzqgtxgb8wb
FFO #Arð #Intaglio #Krigsgrav
-
Forever summer, forever heat, forever hell: nothing should move in #SlowSunday:
#GhostheartNebula: The Opal Tide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya1HD5yE2s4
Invidious:
- AP: https://invidious.perennialte.ch/watch?v=ya1HD5yE2s4
- EU: https://yt.artemislena.eu/watch?v=ya1HD5yE2s4
- NA: https://inv.tux.pizza/watch?v=ya1HD5yE2s4
- SA: https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=ya1HD5yE2s4 -
For @loewe's #MusicWomenWednesday:
#(EchO): My Covenant
https://song.link/nnwzjxbzkrs0j
-
#nowplaying Men Guðs hond er sterk by Hamferð
-
By Dear Hollow
In the preface of Herman Hesse’s Faust-inspired novel Steppenwolf, an unnamed narrator (simply called the Nephew) details a series of encounters with main character Harry Haller. Haller is described as extremely intellectual and arrogant, but ultimately alienated by and disillusioned with the bourgeois-dominated society of twentieth-century Germany. Hesse’s narrative culminates in a scene in which the narrator and Haller, now friends, attend a lecture from a philosopher, one of Europe’s brightest minds. Haller gives a fleeting glance at the narrator: his expression is described as cutting through the pomp and pretense of human society, a look that is described as melancholic, dismissing the words and their speaker. “It said: ‘See what monkeys we are! Look, such is man!’ and at once all renown, all intelligence, all the attainments of the spirit, all progress towards the sublime, the great and the enduring in man fell away and became a monkey’s trick!”
Apes is a six-piece from Montreal, having released one LP and a series of demos and EPs since its inception in 2012. 2017 debut full-length Lightless introduced the band’s now-signature sound, a blend that continues in its sophomore effort Penitence seven years later: a blend of black metal and grindcore. While easy comparisons would be the sinister cutthroat attack of older Anaal Nathrakh or the unhinged intensity of Siberian Hell Sounds, Apes resides in a blackened interpretation of Nails, Trap Them, or Mammoth Grinder. Crusty riffs and blazing blastbeats are the backbone of Penitence, atop which elements of atmospheric black metal, doom, and noise are introduced. An unbearably suffocating and filthy listen that hits hard, fast, and menacingly, Apes seamlessly offers riffs and grimness in equal measure through an animalistic intensity, its lyrics and atmosphere a constant hopeless reminder of humankind’s futility.
For all of twenty-five minutes, Apes does not waste a single second, thanks to its impressive contributors. Vocalist Alexandre Goulet offers a hardcore-inspired bark that collapses into a primitive howl, further emphasizing the themes present on Penitence, guiding a swarming triple-guitar beatdown that descends into blackened suffocation and climactic solos throughout that settles into a doom-inspired groove periodically, while blastbeats, powerful kicks, and tom-heavy buildups hit at just the right moments. Painted across the album at large is a tapestry of noise, adding a density and rockiness that feels like the suffocation of confession and shame – covered in the darkness of misanthropy. It lacks the clarity of Nails or Trap Them, but its suffocating aims are far better served in this palette.
“Coffin” is a good opener with its filthy crust, amplified by guest Madi Watkins from Year of the Knife, but the track almost serves as a misdirect in its upfront gooey slam-inspired breakdown and thunderous grooves: meatheadedness before the storm, if you will. While the riffs and chugs are present throughout Penitence, they serve as elements among many to Apes’ dynamics. The best examples of this are “Bottom Feeder,” “Shadow Walker,” and “Echoes,” through which moments of clarity offer relentless beatdown, but otherwise focus on down-tuned riffage and tremolo while atmosphere pervades. The title track is likewise a stellar offering because it features an unshakeable riff before slowing the tempo incrementally to a nearly death/doom Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire-esque crawl by its conclusion, achieving a nearly unbearable density in closer “Pillars” alongside a scathing melodic motif. “The Great Fire” and “Closure” are more forgettable pieces in comparison, but undeniably crucial to the soundscape that Penitence builds: less a scenic vista and more a path to get to the outlook.
Closer “Pillars” looks out upon the scorched earth of man’s futility with a punishing and animalistic grind-inspired, crusty, blackened, and riffy take on grind. Apes wears its theme firmly on its sleeve, as portrayed in the Werner Herzog sample at the end of “Closure” best summarized in this: “there is no harmony in the universe.” Penitence is a heavy album, balancing bouncy riffs, chugging guitars, and an evocative atmospheric prowess alongside its blackened tendencies – a slowly unfolding album with plenty of secrets to unveil in spite of its extremely brief runtime. While comparisons to Anaal Nathrakh, Nails, and Outergods are fair, they are ultimately incomplete, favoring riff or atmosphere. In this way, Apes soars in an album that’s unafraid to whisk you away to a place dark and unsettling only to kick you to the curb while laughing maniacally at mankind’s achievements. See what monkeys we are, truly.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Secret Swarm Records
Websites: apesqc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/apesqc
Releases Worldwide: June 14th, 2024#2024 #40 #AnaalNathrakh #Apes #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #BlackenedHardcore #CanadianMetal #ClingingToTheTreesOfAForestFire #CrustPunk #DeathDoomMetal #Grindcore #Jun24 #MammothGrinder #Nails #Noise #Outergods #Penitence #Review #Reviews #SecretSwarmRecords #SiberianHellSounds #Slam #TrapThem #YearOfTheKnife
-
By Dear Hollow
In the preface of Herman Hesse’s Faust-inspired novel Steppenwolf, an unnamed narrator (simply called the Nephew) details a series of encounters with main character Harry Haller. Haller is described as extremely intellectual and arrogant, but ultimately alienated by and disillusioned with the bourgeois-dominated society of twentieth-century Germany. Hesse’s narrative culminates in a scene in which the narrator and Haller, now friends, attend a lecture from a philosopher, one of Europe’s brightest minds. Haller gives a fleeting glance at the narrator: his expression is described as cutting through the pomp and pretense of human society, a look that is described as melancholic, dismissing the words and their speaker. “It said: ‘See what monkeys we are! Look, such is man!’ and at once all renown, all intelligence, all the attainments of the spirit, all progress towards the sublime, the great and the enduring in man fell away and became a monkey’s trick!”
Apes is a six-piece from Montreal, having released one LP and a series of demos and EPs since its inception in 2012. 2017 debut full-length Lightless introduced the band’s now-signature sound, a blend that continues in its sophomore effort Penitence seven years later: a blend of black metal and grindcore. While easy comparisons would be the sinister cutthroat attack of older Anaal Nathrakh or the unhinged intensity of Siberian Hell Sounds, Apes resides in a blackened interpretation of Nails, Trap Them, or Mammoth Grinder. Crusty riffs and blazing blastbeats are the backbone of Penitence, atop which elements of atmospheric black metal, doom, and noise are introduced. An unbearably suffocating and filthy listen that hits hard, fast, and menacingly, Apes seamlessly offers riffs and grimness in equal measure through an animalistic intensity, its lyrics and atmosphere a constant hopeless reminder of humankind’s futility.
For all of twenty-five minutes, Apes does not waste a single second, thanks to its impressive contributors. Vocalist Alexandre Goulet offers a hardcore-inspired bark that collapses into a primitive howl, further emphasizing the themes present on Penitence, guiding a swarming triple-guitar beatdown that descends into blackened suffocation and climactic solos throughout that settles into a doom-inspired groove periodically, while blastbeats, powerful kicks, and tom-heavy buildups hit at just the right moments. Painted across the album at large is a tapestry of noise, adding a density and rockiness that feels like the suffocation of confession and shame – covered in the darkness of misanthropy. It lacks the clarity of Nails or Trap Them, but its suffocating aims are far better served in this palette.
“Coffin” is a good opener with its filthy crust, amplified by guest Madi Watkins from Year of the Knife, but the track almost serves as a misdirect in its upfront gooey slam-inspired breakdown and thunderous grooves: meatheadedness before the storm, if you will. While the riffs and chugs are present throughout Penitence, they serve as elements among many to Apes’ dynamics. The best examples of this are “Bottom Feeder,” “Shadow Walker,” and “Echoes,” through which moments of clarity offer relentless beatdown, but otherwise focus on down-tuned riffage and tremolo while atmosphere pervades. The title track is likewise a stellar offering because it features an unshakeable riff before slowing the tempo incrementally to a nearly death/doom Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire-esque crawl by its conclusion, achieving a nearly unbearable density in closer “Pillars” alongside a scathing melodic motif. “The Great Fire” and “Closure” are more forgettable pieces in comparison, but undeniably crucial to the soundscape that Penitence builds: less a scenic vista and more a path to get to the outlook.
Closer “Pillars” looks out upon the scorched earth of man’s futility with a punishing and animalistic grind-inspired, crusty, blackened, and riffy take on grind. Apes wears its theme firmly on its sleeve, as portrayed in the Werner Herzog sample at the end of “Closure” best summarized in this: “there is no harmony in the universe.” Penitence is a heavy album, balancing bouncy riffs, chugging guitars, and an evocative atmospheric prowess alongside its blackened tendencies – a slowly unfolding album with plenty of secrets to unveil in spite of its extremely brief runtime. While comparisons to Anaal Nathrakh, Nails, and Outergods are fair, they are ultimately incomplete, favoring riff or atmosphere. In this way, Apes soars in an album that’s unafraid to whisk you away to a place dark and unsettling only to kick you to the curb while laughing maniacally at mankind’s achievements. See what monkeys we are, truly.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Secret Swarm Records
Websites: apesqc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/apesqc
Releases Worldwide: June 14th, 2024#2024 #40 #AnaalNathrakh #Apes #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #BlackenedHardcore #CanadianMetal #ClingingToTheTreesOfAForestFire #CrustPunk #DeathDoomMetal #Grindcore #Jun24 #MammothGrinder #Nails #Noise #Outergods #Penitence #Review #Reviews #SecretSwarmRecords #SiberianHellSounds #Slam #TrapThem #YearOfTheKnife
-
Tzompantli – Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force Review
By Dolphin Whisperer
Art is culture. Culture needs representation. These two things often align with metal in ways we don’t realize, whether it’s the new death metal band that wants to play old-school death metal to continue to push for the representation of simpler times in death metal, or the cinephile who longs to see their niche amongst the swarms of various niche interest metal bands out there. Everyone wants to be seen and accepted for who they are, and the majesty of this metal realm we inhabit is such that artists can do just that. In the case of Tzompantli and their sophomore release Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force, this collective of California-based musicians—a pool of eleven performers from bands of all extremities, including Xibalba, Teeth, Civerous—wishes to express their reverence for the brutal nature worship of the Aztec/Mexica people and history. But never fear, this new and furious outing is far from a dissertation.
True to its namesake, Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force comes loaded with indigenous percussion, shrill flute shrieks, and piles and piles of deathly riffs. With a ferrous scent and sanguine splatter, the guitar ensemble that powers Tzompantli churns buzzsaw riff to Peaceville droning harmony with ease. And as the serenity of those moments dissipates in the wake of sacrifice, beatdown approximating segues crush space like the crack of macuahuitl to its unfortunate foe. In many ways Beating whips about with greater intensity than this act’s debut outing a couple of years back—time has allowed nuance to settle.
As such, Beating at its most impressive and brutal assaults stirs battle-lust in a manner that only this sound-nook can. No proper volume exists for sections like the skull-splitting opening fifteen seconds of dramatic flute wail and warrior chant or the recalled alert that swells to a primal throb on “Tetzavitzli.” Testament to Tzompantli’s eclectic nature, this pattern of tension and release reminds me most of both the ritualistic crescendo aim of aggressive Neurosis works (think “Through Silver and Blood” or “Under the Surface“) and the long-form low-end abuse of Evoken. However, compared to both of those acts, the crew that composes Tzompantli skews death and hardcore, so many songs find a way back to the grounded realms of down-tuned tremolo runs and tempo-tugging shuffles.
Despite the impressive number of people involved in the creation of Beating, rarely does the album feel like the result of a tribe in unison. Now, you may be thinking that that shouldn’t matter, that the number of people on paper doesn’t always have to present in total sound construction. While that’s true, Tzompantli does indeed crash in waves as one, like the fireside call and response of “Tlaloc Icuic” that lights the path for a Conan-sized drop or the heavily layered percussion that propels “Tetzaviztli.” And in these explosive displays of collective power, Tzompantli makes its mark not only as unique and affecting death/doom band but as a realization of their mission statement. It’s a wonder to behold and a shame that the link amongst these peaks renders as merely good slow, chugging death metal.
In the atmospheric realm, Tzompantli’s trademark “Tzomp-Stomp” lands like a breath of scorching hot air. Yet that same force poses an issue in this tightly interwoven tapestry of oscillating moods that Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force swings. It’s tough to temper the twitch of might and the pulse of bravado that engorges throughout these tales of might, triumph, war, and loss. The comedown ambience can simply be too unsettling. But with many passages in the Nauhatl language helping engross the audience in ancient glory, Tzompantli, at least, succeeds in sharing their reverence for their chosen and deeply personal subject matter. And with as many bodies that compromise this unique and promising band, it’s anyone’s guess as to how impacting their continued statements will be.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin | Bandcamp
Website: facebook.com/tzompantlidoom
Releases Worldwide: May 17th, 2024#20BuckSpin #2024 #30 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericDeathMetal #BeatingTheDrumsOfAncestralForce #Civerous #Conan #DeathMetal #deathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #Evoken #May24 #Neurosis #Review #Reviews #Teeth #Tzompantli #Xibalba
-
Tzompantli – Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force Review
By Dolphin Whisperer
Art is culture. Culture needs representation. These two things often align with metal in ways we don’t realize, whether it’s the new death metal band that wants to play old-school death metal to continue to push for the representation of simpler times in death metal, or the cinephile who longs to see their niche amongst the swarms of various niche interest metal bands out there. Everyone wants to be seen and accepted for who they are, and the majesty of this metal realm we inhabit is such that artists can do just that. In the case of Tzompantli and their sophomore release Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force, this collective of California-based musicians—a pool of eleven performers from bands of all extremities, including Xibalba, Teeth, Civerous—wishes to express their reverence for the brutal nature worship of the Aztec/Mexica people and history. But never fear, this new and furious outing is far from a dissertation.
True to its namesake, Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force comes loaded with indigenous percussion, shrill flute shrieks, and piles and piles of deathly riffs. With a ferrous scent and sanguine splatter, the guitar ensemble that powers Tzompantli churns buzzsaw riff to Peaceville droning harmony with ease. And as the serenity of those moments dissipates in the wake of sacrifice, beatdown approximating segues crush space like the crack of macuahuitl to its unfortunate foe. In many ways Beating whips about with greater intensity than this act’s debut outing a couple of years back—time has allowed nuance to settle.
As such, Beating at its most impressive and brutal assaults stirs battle-lust in a manner that only this sound-nook can. No proper volume exists for sections like the skull-splitting opening fifteen seconds of dramatic flute wail and warrior chant or the recalled alert that swells to a primal throb on “Tetzavitzli.” Testament to Tzompantli’s eclectic nature, this pattern of tension and release reminds me most of both the ritualistic crescendo aim of aggressive Neurosis works (think “Through Silver and Blood” or “Under the Surface“) and the long-form low-end abuse of Evoken. However, compared to both of those acts, the crew that composes Tzompantli skews death and hardcore, so many songs find a way back to the grounded realms of down-tuned tremolo runs and tempo-tugging shuffles.
Despite the impressive number of people involved in the creation of Beating, rarely does the album feel like the result of a tribe in unison. Now, you may be thinking that that shouldn’t matter, that the number of people on paper doesn’t always have to present in total sound construction. While that’s true, Tzompantli does indeed crash in waves as one, like the fireside call and response of “Tlaloc Icuic” that lights the path for a Conan-sized drop or the heavily layered percussion that propels “Tetzaviztli.” And in these explosive displays of collective power, Tzompantli makes its mark not only as unique and affecting death/doom band but as a realization of their mission statement. It’s a wonder to behold and a shame that the link amongst these peaks renders as merely good slow, chugging death metal.
In the atmospheric realm, Tzompantli’s trademark “Tzomp-Stomp” lands like a breath of scorching hot air. Yet that same force poses an issue in this tightly interwoven tapestry of oscillating moods that Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force swings. It’s tough to temper the twitch of might and the pulse of bravado that engorges throughout these tales of might, triumph, war, and loss. The comedown ambience can simply be too unsettling. But with many passages in the Nauhatl language helping engross the audience in ancient glory, Tzompantli, at least, succeeds in sharing their reverence for their chosen and deeply personal subject matter. And with as many bodies that compromise this unique and promising band, it’s anyone’s guess as to how impacting their continued statements will be.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin | Bandcamp
Website: facebook.com/tzompantlidoom
Releases Worldwide: May 17th, 2024#20BuckSpin #2024 #30 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericDeathMetal #BeatingTheDrumsOfAncestralForce #Civerous #Conan #DeathMetal #deathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #Evoken #May24 #Neurosis #Review #Reviews #Teeth #Tzompantli #Xibalba
-
Tzompantli – Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force Review
By Dolphin Whisperer
Art is culture. Culture needs representation. These two things often align with metal in ways we don’t realize, whether it’s the new death metal band that wants to play old-school death metal to continue to push for the representation of simpler times in death metal, or the cinephile who longs to see their niche amongst the swarms of various niche interest metal bands out there. Everyone wants to be seen and accepted for who they are, and the majesty of this metal realm we inhabit is such that artists can do just that. In the case of Tzompantli and their sophomore release Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force, this collective of California-based musicians—a pool of eleven performers from bands of all extremities, including Xibalba, Teeth, Civerous—wishes to express their reverence for the brutal nature worship of the Aztec/Mexica people and history. But never fear, this new and furious outing is far from a dissertation.
True to its namesake, Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force comes loaded with indigenous percussion, shrill flute shrieks, and piles and piles of deathly riffs. With a ferrous scent and sanguine splatter, the guitar ensemble that powers Tzompantli churns buzzsaw riff to Peaceville droning harmony with ease. And as the serenity of those moments dissipates in the wake of sacrifice, beatdown approximating segues crush space like the crack of macuahuitl to its unfortunate foe. In many ways Beating whips about with greater intensity than this act’s debut outing a couple of years back—time has allowed nuance to settle.
As such, Beating at its most impressive and brutal assaults stirs battle-lust in a manner that only this sound-nook can. No proper volume exists for sections like the skull-splitting opening fifteen seconds of dramatic flute wail and warrior chant or the recalled alert that swells to a primal throb on “Tetzavitzli.” Testament to Tzompantli’s eclectic nature, this pattern of tension and release reminds me most of both the ritualistic crescendo aim of aggressive Neurosis works (think “Through Silver and Blood” or “Under the Surface“) and the long-form low-end abuse of Evoken. However, compared to both of those acts, the crew that composes Tzompantli skews death and hardcore, so many songs find a way back to the grounded realms of down-tuned tremolo runs and tempo-tugging shuffles.
Despite the impressive number of people involved in the creation of Beating, rarely does the album feel like the result of a tribe in unison. Now, you may be thinking that that shouldn’t matter, that the number of people on paper doesn’t always have to present in total sound construction. While that’s true, Tzompantli does indeed crash in waves as one, like the fireside call and response of “Tlaloc Icuic” that lights the path for a Conan-sized drop or the heavily layered percussion that propels “Tetzaviztli.” And in these explosive displays of collective power, Tzompantli makes its mark not only as unique and affecting death/doom band but as a realization of their mission statement. It’s a wonder to behold and a shame that the link amongst these peaks renders as merely good slow, chugging death metal.
In the atmospheric realm, Tzompantli’s trademark “Tzomp-Stomp” lands like a breath of scorching hot air. Yet that same force poses an issue in this tightly interwoven tapestry of oscillating moods that Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force swings. It’s tough to temper the twitch of might and the pulse of bravado that engorges throughout these tales of might, triumph, war, and loss. The comedown ambience can simply be too unsettling. But with many passages in the Nauhatl language helping engross the audience in ancient glory, Tzompantli, at least, succeeds in sharing their reverence for their chosen and deeply personal subject matter. And with as many bodies that compromise this unique and promising band, it’s anyone’s guess as to how impacting their continued statements will be.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin | Bandcamp
Website: facebook.com/tzompantlidoom
Releases Worldwide: May 17th, 2024#20BuckSpin #2024 #30 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericDeathMetal #BeatingTheDrumsOfAncestralForce #Civerous #Conan #DeathMetal #deathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #Evoken #May24 #Neurosis #Review #Reviews #Teeth #Tzompantli #Xibalba
-
My Silent Wake – Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief Review
By Saunders
England’s long-running doom act My Silent Wake started slinging old-timey doom tunes since forming in 2005. My Silent Wake boasts an impressively lengthy track record, culminating in their twelfth opus of sadboi gloom, Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief, complete with a side of death and Gothic romanticism. I came across the band on their solid tenth album There Was Death in 2018, dipping into the promo sump blindly and initially thinking I stumbled across a newer, untapped gem to spread the gospel. A bit of research uncovered their storied recording past. There Was Death didn’t inspire enough interest to do a deep dive, however, it left me satisfied with the rich, slab of doomy goodness, bringing modern flavorings and character to Peaceville Three influences, most prominently My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. I missed 2020’s follow-up, Damnum per Saeculorum (an ambient, experimental excursion), now reconnecting and crossing fingers for a doom album to reach into my soul and bring the feels.
One key criticism of There Was Death related to the significant bloat present, detracting from the more solidly written and compelling material. The band continues to dabble in longer form cuts, pushing upwards of six minutes on half the eight songs present, yet the whole package runs more concisely at a manageable 43 minutes. Immediately the band’s experience and confident grasp of their well-trodden formula is apparent on opener “The Liar and the Fool.” The subdued, almost spoken word opening rolls out the Gothic drama, before kicking into a hefty mid-paced groove adorned with groovy riffs, prominent organ, and dueling vocals. Main growler Ian Arkley (also on guitars) possesses a suitably thick, hearty death growl perfectly befitting the old school death-doom style. Meanwhile, the stately, drama-fueled cleans of the organ-wielding Simon Bibby provide the epic, harmonizing melodic counterpoint, forming a potent combo.
My Silent Wake’s rich, heaving sound comes awash in gloomy atmospheres and crimson-dipped Gothic melancholy, without falling into overly bleak, depressing realms. The well-executed vocal tag team, rich mix of chunky, organ-drenched death grooves, and dreary doom dynamics lend the album an energetic, striking dynamic, backed by engaging guitar work, sorrowful melodies, and earworm hooks. Bibby’s increased role on dual lead vocals is a significant change-up, his dramatic, powerful cleans responsible for many rousing moments across the album, though at times they slightly detract from the meaty old school growls of Arkley. Listeners not down with Bibby’s style may find his increased involvement a potential sticking point. However, it’s hard to argue with some of the strikingly infectious vocal melodies and beauty vs beast harmonies scattered amidst the doom and gloom.
“Lavender Garden” supplies heroic vocal hooks and emotional weight in spades. It’s rugged grooves and sprightly pacing serve a well-constructed song that lodges itself in the brain. “When You Look Back” will please death-doom purists. Despite featuring some clean singing, the song heavily relies on Arkley’s impassioned death vox, settling into a mournful, doomy cadence, with strong results. Elsewhere, “Another Light” picks up the pace and jam packs lots of energy, deathly crunch, and bright, organ-dabbled grooves into the mix. There are no real clunkers to speak of, though album pacing is a bit off on occasions and bloat appears on a couple of lengthier later album tunes (“The Last Lullaby” and “No Time”). I could also do without the occasional spoken word moments. Thankfully, closer “The Judges” concludes the album in a compact, satisfying manner, combining a morose atmosphere with excellent dual vocal harmonies and beautifully soulful guitar work.
Surrounded by his accomplished bandmates, Arkley remains the key figure steering the doom ship. His formidable growls ground the band in deathlier territory and ensure the increased melodic tendencies do not overshadow My Silent Wake’s darker, heftier throes. Arkley’s guitar work is also top-notch, straddling death-doom lines and integrating chunky, harder-hitting riffs amidst the deft melodic touches. My Silent Wake may not be positioned at the forefront of the modern doom scene. However, from my limited exposure to their extensive catalog they are a spirited, gifted act. Proudly wearing their influences on their sleeves, My Silent Wake boast enough character and songwriting smarts to carve their own niche in the retro-minded Goth-tinged doom space. Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief is a warm, inviting and endearingly solid slab of catchy death-doom, well worth a listen.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Ardua Music
Websites: mysilentwake2.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/mysilentwake
Releases Worldwide: May 3rd, 2024#2024 #ArduaMusic #DeathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #EnglishMetal #GothicDoom #LostInGrief #LostInMemories #May24 #MyDyingBride #MySilentWake #ParadiseLost #Review #Reviews
-
My Silent Wake – Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief Review
By Saunders
England’s long-running doom act My Silent Wake started slinging old-timey doom tunes since forming in 2005. My Silent Wake boasts an impressively lengthy track record, culminating in their twelfth opus of sadboi gloom, Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief, complete with a side of death and Gothic romanticism. I came across the band on their solid tenth album There Was Death in 2018, dipping into the promo sump blindly and initially thinking I stumbled across a newer, untapped gem to spread the gospel. A bit of research uncovered their storied recording past. There Was Death didn’t inspire enough interest to do a deep dive, however, it left me satisfied with the rich, slab of doomy goodness, bringing modern flavorings and character to Peaceville Three influences, most prominently My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. I missed 2020’s follow-up, Damnum per Saeculorum (an ambient, experimental excursion), now reconnecting and crossing fingers for a doom album to reach into my soul and bring the feels.
One key criticism of There Was Death related to the significant bloat present, detracting from the more solidly written and compelling material. The band continues to dabble in longer form cuts, pushing upwards of six minutes on half the eight songs present, yet the whole package runs more concisely at a manageable 43 minutes. Immediately the band’s experience and confident grasp of their well-trodden formula is apparent on opener “The Liar and the Fool.” The subdued, almost spoken word opening rolls out the Gothic drama, before kicking into a hefty mid-paced groove adorned with groovy riffs, prominent organ, and dueling vocals. Main growler Ian Arkley (also on guitars) possesses a suitably thick, hearty death growl perfectly befitting the old school death-doom style. Meanwhile, the stately, drama-fueled cleans of the organ-wielding Simon Bibby provide the epic, harmonizing melodic counterpoint, forming a potent combo.
My Silent Wake’s rich, heaving sound comes awash in gloomy atmospheres and crimson-dipped Gothic melancholy, without falling into overly bleak, depressing realms. The well-executed vocal tag team, rich mix of chunky, organ-drenched death grooves, and dreary doom dynamics lend the album an energetic, striking dynamic, backed by engaging guitar work, sorrowful melodies, and earworm hooks. Bibby’s increased role on dual lead vocals is a significant change-up, his dramatic, powerful cleans responsible for many rousing moments across the album, though at times they slightly detract from the meaty old school growls of Arkley. Listeners not down with Bibby’s style may find his increased involvement a potential sticking point. However, it’s hard to argue with some of the strikingly infectious vocal melodies and beauty vs beast harmonies scattered amidst the doom and gloom.
“Lavender Garden” supplies heroic vocal hooks and emotional weight in spades. It’s rugged grooves and sprightly pacing serve a well-constructed song that lodges itself in the brain. “When You Look Back” will please death-doom purists. Despite featuring some clean singing, the song heavily relies on Arkley’s impassioned death vox, settling into a mournful, doomy cadence, with strong results. Elsewhere, “Another Light” picks up the pace and jam packs lots of energy, deathly crunch, and bright, organ-dabbled grooves into the mix. There are no real clunkers to speak of, though album pacing is a bit off on occasions and bloat appears on a couple of lengthier later album tunes (“The Last Lullaby” and “No Time”). I could also do without the occasional spoken word moments. Thankfully, closer “The Judges” concludes the album in a compact, satisfying manner, combining a morose atmosphere with excellent dual vocal harmonies and beautifully soulful guitar work.
Surrounded by his accomplished bandmates, Arkley remains the key figure steering the doom ship. His formidable growls ground the band in deathlier territory and ensure the increased melodic tendencies do not overshadow My Silent Wake’s darker, heftier throes. Arkley’s guitar work is also top-notch, straddling death-doom lines and integrating chunky, harder-hitting riffs amidst the deft melodic touches. My Silent Wake may not be positioned at the forefront of the modern doom scene. However, from my limited exposure to their extensive catalog they are a spirited, gifted act. Proudly wearing their influences on their sleeves, My Silent Wake boast enough character and songwriting smarts to carve their own niche in the retro-minded Goth-tinged doom space. Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief is a warm, inviting and endearingly solid slab of catchy death-doom, well worth a listen.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Ardua Music
Websites: mysilentwake2.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/mysilentwake
Releases Worldwide: May 3rd, 2024#2024 #ArduaMusic #DeathDoomMetal #DoomMetal #EnglishMetal #GothicDoom #LostInGrief #LostInMemories #May24 #MyDyingBride #MySilentWake #ParadiseLost #Review #Reviews
