#dvne — Public Fediverse posts

It’s easy to take the Internet for granted, given how ubiquitous it is these days. A couple of decades ago, it would have been unthinkable for someone like me who lives in the United States to stumble upon music made by a group from Eigg. Hailing from this small Scottish island—with a population of only about 100—Joe Cormack and Pete Colquhoun formed Electric Sun Defence following the early dissolution of their former group, The Massacre Cave, after just one album that was released in 2020. Estuary represents the next step along this trail of spirited progressive/post-metal that these two bandmates began blazing years ago.

It turns out that Estuary is an apt metaphor for Electric Sun Defence’s music. Estuaries, formed when freshwater rivers mix with the salty ocean, account for some of the world’s most productive wildlife ecosystems. Similarly, Estuary inhabits the sweet spot between the melodicism of prog and the coarse textures of post-metal. Much like The Ocean and Void of Light, Electric Sun Defence is prone to change from tranquil to tempestuous at a moment’s notice. The flurries of activity are glued together with delicious, delicate post-rock segments in the vein of pg.lost or Red Sparowes. The balance between these competing interests can feel fragile at times, but they manage to coexist and enrich their musical environment together.

Estuary’s standout strength is the masterful buildup and discharge of tension. This is immediately clear as the title track begins, layering bass and horns atop cymbal taps and serene guitars, then eventually erupting into a furious post-metal wave. “Fountain of Blood” takes things further with harsh guitar riffs that also contain the perfect amount of groove. “The Master’s Garden” deftly winds between glassy post-rock and distorted chords, climaxing with an intricate guitar melody. Though the intensity waxes and wanes, there is a clear trend of increasing aggression as Estuary progresses, becoming more like a combination of Cult of Luna and Dvne for the final two tracks, “Phantom Limb Amputee” and “In Bestia.” During the latter, Pete Colquhoun really gets to let loose with forceful and frenetic rhythms behind the kit. Don’t let the monochromatic album art fool you; Electric Sun Defence paints with a wide array of aural hues.

The dynamic composition is good, but when paired with an intuitive flow, the experience borders on transcendent. Each track fluidly transitions to the next, and the fact that none of them exceeds 8 minutes helps to keep Estuary from becoming stale. This is a rare instance of the shorter interlude tracks serving a larger purpose, albeit in a subtle way. “Spiderweb” is pretty enough that I can look past its bothersome soundbites, and “Dysmorph” functions as a reprieve while setting the stage for the raging “Phantom Limb Amputee” that follows. The grouping of these tracks with the shoegaze elements in “Choke Leper” causes the momentum to sag a little, but not terribly so. Another minor weak point is that the vocals—especially the cleans—can sound muffled, but the strength of the instruments helps compensate.

Though I entered Estuary with no expectations, it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for at the time. It keeps the listener guessing from moment to moment with the continual assurance that they’ll love whatever comes next. Electric Sun Defence shows their versatility by wielding both emotive melody and crushing ferocity. Albums like this make me pause and appreciate the privilege we have to conveniently access great music from all over the world. Electric Sun Defence might be the best metal group in Eigg by default, but they can give others in larger regions a serious run for their money too.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Road To Masochist
Websites: electricsundefence.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/people/Electric-Sun-Defence
Releases Worldwide: May 8th, 2026

It’s easy to take the Internet for granted, given how ubiquitous it is these days. A couple of decades ago, it would have been unthinkable for someone like me who lives in the United States to stumble upon music made by a group from Eigg. Hailing from this small Scottish island—with a population of only about 100—Joe Cormack and Pete Colquhoun formed Electric Sun Defence following the early dissolution of their former group, The Massacre Cave, after just one album that was released in 2020. Estuary represents the next step along this trail of spirited progressive/post-metal that these two bandmates began blazing years ago.

It turns out that Estuary is an apt metaphor for Electric Sun Defence’s music. Estuaries, formed when freshwater rivers mix with the salty ocean, account for some of the world’s most productive wildlife ecosystems. Similarly, Estuary inhabits the sweet spot between the melodicism of prog and the coarse textures of post-metal. Much like The Ocean and Void of Light, Electric Sun Defence is prone to change from tranquil to tempestuous at a moment’s notice. The flurries of activity are glued together with delicious, delicate post-rock segments in the vein of pg.lost or Red Sparowes. The balance between these competing interests can feel fragile at times, but they manage to coexist and enrich their musical environment together.

Estuary’s standout strength is the masterful buildup and discharge of tension. This is immediately clear as the title track begins, layering bass and horns atop cymbal taps and serene guitars, then eventually erupting into a furious post-metal wave. “Fountain of Blood” takes things further with harsh guitar riffs that also contain the perfect amount of groove. “The Master’s Garden” deftly winds between glassy post-rock and distorted chords, climaxing with an intricate guitar melody. Though the intensity waxes and wanes, there is a clear trend of increasing aggression as Estuary progresses, becoming more like a combination of Cult of Luna and Dvne for the final two tracks, “Phantom Limb Amputee” and “In Bestia.” During the latter, Pete Colquhoun really gets to let loose with forceful and frenetic rhythms behind the kit. Don’t let the monochromatic album art fool you; Electric Sun Defence paints with a wide array of aural hues.

The dynamic composition is good, but when paired with an intuitive flow, the experience borders on transcendent. Each track fluidly transitions to the next, and the fact that none of them exceeds 8 minutes helps to keep Estuary from becoming stale. This is a rare instance of the shorter interlude tracks serving a larger purpose, albeit in a subtle way. “Spiderweb” is pretty enough that I can look past its bothersome soundbites, and “Dysmorph” functions as a reprieve while setting the stage for the raging “Phantom Limb Amputee” that follows. The grouping of these tracks with the shoegaze elements in “Choke Leper” causes the momentum to sag a little, but not terribly so. Another minor weak point is that the vocals—especially the cleans—can sound muffled, but the strength of the instruments helps compensate.

Though I entered Estuary with no expectations, it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for at the time. It keeps the listener guessing from moment to moment with the continual assurance that they’ll love whatever comes next. Electric Sun Defence shows their versatility by wielding both emotive melody and crushing ferocity. Albums like this make me pause and appreciate the privilege we have to conveniently access great music from all over the world. Electric Sun Defence might be the best metal group in Eigg by default, but they can give others in larger regions a serious run for their money too.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Road To Masochist
Websites: electricsundefence.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/people/Electric-Sun-Defence
Releases Worldwide: May 8th, 2026

Saw The Grey last night at the Golden Lion in Bristol. Absolutely fantastic, intense set. I saw them at #ArcTanGent and it was amazing in a huge crowd but in a venue of maybe 50 people they were another level.

Check ‘em out - epic post metal. If you like #DVNE you’ll probably like these guys. (They’re on Bandcamp too).

https://album.link/t/425027605

(Supported by Ogives Big Band and Row of Ashes, both of whom were also ace!)

#livemusic #bristol #TheGrey #Dvne #arctangent

Saw The Grey last night at the Golden Lion in Bristol. Absolutely fantastic, intense set. I saw them at #ArcTanGent and it was amazing in a huge crowd but in a venue of maybe 50 people they were another level.

Check ‘em out - epic post metal. If you like #DVNE you’ll probably like these guys. (They’re on Bandcamp too).

https://album.link/t/425027605

(Supported by Ogives Big Band and Row of Ashes, both of whom were also ace!)

#livemusic #bristol #TheGrey #Dvne #arctangent

I almost missed #Dvne before #Igorrr

Bonus surprise: I did not even know in advance that #Dvne were opening for them ... 🤘

Bonus surprise: I did not even know in advance that #Dvne were opening for them ... 🤘

For progressive death metal acts, the shadow of the masters, Opeth, looms large. Yet some recent progressive death acts, like Iotunn, Tómarúm, and Dvne, have carved their own paths in the genre. When Dyed in Grey released their debut, The Abandoned Part, in 2013, Opeth was charting a course into pure prog sans death metal. I only mention Opeth because Dyed in Grey’s brand of prog death sees clear influences in the titans of the genre, though with a more technical, improvisational imprint. Harbinger marks only their third full-length album in thirteen years. These years have seen inconsistency in the lineup, with 2018’s Anguish and Ardor losing the vocalist and going full instrumental. Now with a new vocalist, Harbinger sees a return to Dyed in Grey’s roots with a more honed vision from founder Adam Edgemont.

Unlike Soen’s cleaner approach to prog, Dyed in Grey is much rawer and rougher around the edges, utilizing plenty of off-key notes. There’s a greater sense of urgency and authenticity in this approach, and songs are carefully crafted to sound improvisational rather than intentional and overly polished. At times, Dyed in Grey plays it light and breezy, such as on the intro track “Sunbird” and the first few minutes of “Ascent,” where you could almost mistake them for a happy-go-lucky Weezer. At other times, they play a rough and tumble of ’90s grunge, with “Silent Symmetry” taking on an Alice in Chains-esque gruffness. Yet behind each arpeggio and light strum lurks an Opethian turn, which can rear its head suddenly with an eruption of heavy guitars and monstrous death growls. These turns prove an effectively cathartic release of emotion; “Mirrored Ruins” in particular takes a brilliant turn with some of the coolest riffs on Harbinger. While Opeth is a clear influence, Dyed in Grey take a novel enough approach to avoid being a mere clone.

Descent by Dyed In Grey

Dyed in Grey cite jazz as one of their musical styles, and this is most apparent in the improvisational turns that songs take. Unlike Opeth’s more developed passages of death metal or prog, Dyed in Grey can flip on a dime. “Static Tides” best demonstrates this as it transitions from growls to cleans, arpeggios to blasting riffs, all within short spans of time. Similarly, “Descent” plays off-tune riffs one moment and a sudden melodic lead the next before erupting into death metal with some impressive technical fretwork. I don’t mean to make this sound like a random jumble of song parts. Harbinger still has enough structure for it to contain well-defined tracks. Riffs from the beginning of a tune return at the end (“Ascent,” “Silent Symmetry”) and catchier passages, such as the chorus of “Tempest,” repeat throughout the course of each song. The unpredictable nature of the music keeps you on your toes and provides new surprises with each spin.

As much as there is to enjoy, there’s plenty on Harbinger that makes it a confounding listen. The angular, sometimes atonal, music is certainly off-putting and proves an obstacle to appreciating Dyed in Grey’s strengths. The vocal performances, particularly the cleans, also leave something to be desired.1 The cleans have a gruffer, grungier resonance that fits what Dyed in Grey is going for, but the vocalist struggles with his pitch at times. Despite the strong production values, another issue is that the death metal riffs sound flat and lack the muscular punch needed to truly make these portions pop. The growls, however, deliver enough power to offset this shortcoming. The rougher elements of the band’s sound fit in with their rugged character, yet there’s a fine line in the atonal approach between enjoyable and cringe-worthy music, and fortunately, Dyed in Grey fall on the enjoyable side more often than not.

What started off for me on initial spins as disappointing has since turned into something more interesting, rewarding, and even catchy with repeat and closer listens. Dyed in Grey don’t quite stand with the bands listed in my opening paragraph, but for fans of prog death, Harbinger is a worthy exploration. It also represents a growth in Edgemont’s songwriting. This proves to be a pretty cool amalgamation of styles that doesn’t play it safe yet feels assured in its performances and compositions.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

For progressive death metal acts, the shadow of the masters, Opeth, looms large. Yet some recent progressive death acts, like Iotunn, Tómarúm, and Dvne, have carved their own paths in the genre. When Dyed in Grey released their debut, The Abandoned Part, in 2013, Opeth was charting a course into pure prog sans death metal. I only mention Opeth because Dyed in Grey’s brand of prog death sees clear influences in the titans of the genre, though with a more technical, improvisational imprint. Harbinger marks only their third full-length album in thirteen years. These years have seen inconsistency in the lineup, with 2018’s Anguish and Ardor losing the vocalist and going full instrumental. Now with a new vocalist, Harbinger sees a return to Dyed in Grey’s roots with a more honed vision from founder Adam Edgemont.

Unlike Soen’s cleaner approach to prog, Dyed in Grey is much rawer and rougher around the edges, utilizing plenty of off-key notes. There’s a greater sense of urgency and authenticity in this approach, and songs are carefully crafted to sound improvisational rather than intentional and overly polished. At times, Dyed in Grey plays it light and breezy, such as on the intro track “Sunbird” and the first few minutes of “Ascent,” where you could almost mistake them for a happy-go-lucky Weezer. At other times, they play a rough and tumble of ’90s grunge, with “Silent Symmetry” taking on an Alice in Chains-esque gruffness. Yet behind each arpeggio and light strum lurks an Opethian turn, which can rear its head suddenly with an eruption of heavy guitars and monstrous death growls. These turns prove an effectively cathartic release of emotion; “Mirrored Ruins” in particular takes a brilliant turn with some of the coolest riffs on Harbinger. While Opeth is a clear influence, Dyed in Grey take a novel enough approach to avoid being a mere clone.

Descent by Dyed In Grey

Dyed in Grey cite jazz as one of their musical styles, and this is most apparent in the improvisational turns that songs take. Unlike Opeth’s more developed passages of death metal or prog, Dyed in Grey can flip on a dime. “Static Tides” best demonstrates this as it transitions from growls to cleans, arpeggios to blasting riffs, all within short spans of time. Similarly, “Descent” plays off-tune riffs one moment and a sudden melodic lead the next before erupting into death metal with some impressive technical fretwork. I don’t mean to make this sound like a random jumble of song parts. Harbinger still has enough structure for it to contain well-defined tracks. Riffs from the beginning of a tune return at the end (“Ascent,” “Silent Symmetry”) and catchier passages, such as the chorus of “Tempest,” repeat throughout the course of each song. The unpredictable nature of the music keeps you on your toes and provides new surprises with each spin.

As much as there is to enjoy, there’s plenty on Harbinger that makes it a confounding listen. The angular, sometimes atonal, music is certainly off-putting and proves an obstacle to appreciating Dyed in Grey’s strengths. The vocal performances, particularly the cleans, also leave something to be desired.1 The cleans have a gruffer, grungier resonance that fits what Dyed in Grey is going for, but the vocalist struggles with his pitch at times. Despite the strong production values, another issue is that the death metal riffs sound flat and lack the muscular punch needed to truly make these portions pop. The growls, however, deliver enough power to offset this shortcoming. The rougher elements of the band’s sound fit in with their rugged character, yet there’s a fine line in the atonal approach between enjoyable and cringe-worthy music, and fortunately, Dyed in Grey fall on the enjoyable side more often than not.

What started off for me on initial spins as disappointing has since turned into something more interesting, rewarding, and even catchy with repeat and closer listens. Dyed in Grey don’t quite stand with the bands listed in my opening paragraph, but for fans of prog death, Harbinger is a worthy exploration. It also represents a growth in Edgemont’s songwriting. This proves to be a pretty cool amalgamation of styles that doesn’t play it safe yet feels assured in its performances and compositions.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

For progressive death metal acts, the shadow of the masters, Opeth, looms large. Yet some recent progressive death acts, like Iotunn, Tómarúm, and Dvne, have carved their own paths in the genre. When Dyed in Grey released their debut, The Abandoned Part, in 2013, Opeth was charting a course into pure prog sans death metal. I only mention Opeth because Dyed in Grey’s brand of prog death sees clear influences in the titans of the genre, though with a more technical, improvisational imprint. Harbinger marks only their third full-length album in thirteen years. These years have seen inconsistency in the lineup, with 2018’s Anguish and Ardor losing the vocalist and going full instrumental. Now with a new vocalist, Harbinger sees a return to Dyed in Grey’s roots with a more honed vision from founder Adam Edgemont.

Unlike Soen’s cleaner approach to prog, Dyed in Grey is much rawer and rougher around the edges, utilizing plenty of off-key notes. There’s a greater sense of urgency and authenticity in this approach, and songs are carefully crafted to sound improvisational rather than intentional and overly polished. At times, Dyed in Grey plays it light and breezy, such as on the intro track “Sunbird” and the first few minutes of “Ascent,” where you could almost mistake them for a happy-go-lucky Weezer. At other times, they play a rough and tumble of ’90s grunge, with “Silent Symmetry” taking on an Alice in Chains-esque gruffness. Yet behind each arpeggio and light strum lurks an Opethian turn, which can rear its head suddenly with an eruption of heavy guitars and monstrous death growls. These turns prove an effectively cathartic release of emotion; “Mirrored Ruins” in particular takes a brilliant turn with some of the coolest riffs on Harbinger. While Opeth is a clear influence, Dyed in Grey take a novel enough approach to avoid being a mere clone.

Descent by Dyed In Grey

Dyed in Grey cite jazz as one of their musical styles, and this is most apparent in the improvisational turns that songs take. Unlike Opeth’s more developed passages of death metal or prog, Dyed in Grey can flip on a dime. “Static Tides” best demonstrates this as it transitions from growls to cleans, arpeggios to blasting riffs, all within short spans of time. Similarly, “Descent” plays off-tune riffs one moment and a sudden melodic lead the next before erupting into death metal with some impressive technical fretwork. I don’t mean to make this sound like a random jumble of song parts. Harbinger still has enough structure for it to contain well-defined tracks. Riffs from the beginning of a tune return at the end (“Ascent,” “Silent Symmetry”) and catchier passages, such as the chorus of “Tempest,” repeat throughout the course of each song. The unpredictable nature of the music keeps you on your toes and provides new surprises with each spin.

As much as there is to enjoy, there’s plenty on Harbinger that makes it a confounding listen. The angular, sometimes atonal, music is certainly off-putting and proves an obstacle to appreciating Dyed in Grey’s strengths. The vocal performances, particularly the cleans, also leave something to be desired.1 The cleans have a gruffer, grungier resonance that fits what Dyed in Grey is going for, but the vocalist struggles with his pitch at times. Despite the strong production values, another issue is that the death metal riffs sound flat and lack the muscular punch needed to truly make these portions pop. The growls, however, deliver enough power to offset this shortcoming. The rougher elements of the band’s sound fit in with their rugged character, yet there’s a fine line in the atonal approach between enjoyable and cringe-worthy music, and fortunately, Dyed in Grey fall on the enjoyable side more often than not.

What started off for me on initial spins as disappointing has since turned into something more interesting, rewarding, and even catchy with repeat and closer listens. Dyed in Grey don’t quite stand with the bands listed in my opening paragraph, but for fans of prog death, Harbinger is a worthy exploration. It also represents a growth in Edgemont’s songwriting. This proves to be a pretty cool amalgamation of styles that doesn’t play it safe yet feels assured in its performances and compositions.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

For progressive death metal acts, the shadow of the masters, Opeth, looms large. Yet some recent progressive death acts, like Iotunn, Tómarúm, and Dvne, have carved their own paths in the genre. When Dyed in Grey released their debut, The Abandoned Part, in 2013, Opeth was charting a course into pure prog sans death metal. I only mention Opeth because Dyed in Grey’s brand of prog death sees clear influences in the titans of the genre, though with a more technical, improvisational imprint. Harbinger marks only their third full-length album in thirteen years. These years have seen inconsistency in the lineup, with 2018’s Anguish and Ardor losing the vocalist and going full instrumental. Now with a new vocalist, Harbinger sees a return to Dyed in Grey’s roots with a more honed vision from founder Adam Edgemont.

Unlike Soen’s cleaner approach to prog, Dyed in Grey is much rawer and rougher around the edges, utilizing plenty of off-key notes. There’s a greater sense of urgency and authenticity in this approach, and songs are carefully crafted to sound improvisational rather than intentional and overly polished. At times, Dyed in Grey plays it light and breezy, such as on the intro track “Sunbird” and the first few minutes of “Ascent,” where you could almost mistake them for a happy-go-lucky Weezer. At other times, they play a rough and tumble of ’90s grunge, with “Silent Symmetry” taking on an Alice in Chains-esque gruffness. Yet behind each arpeggio and light strum lurks an Opethian turn, which can rear its head suddenly with an eruption of heavy guitars and monstrous death growls. These turns prove an effectively cathartic release of emotion; “Mirrored Ruins” in particular takes a brilliant turn with some of the coolest riffs on Harbinger. While Opeth is a clear influence, Dyed in Grey take a novel enough approach to avoid being a mere clone.

Descent by Dyed In Grey

Dyed in Grey cite jazz as one of their musical styles, and this is most apparent in the improvisational turns that songs take. Unlike Opeth’s more developed passages of death metal or prog, Dyed in Grey can flip on a dime. “Static Tides” best demonstrates this as it transitions from growls to cleans, arpeggios to blasting riffs, all within short spans of time. Similarly, “Descent” plays off-tune riffs one moment and a sudden melodic lead the next before erupting into death metal with some impressive technical fretwork. I don’t mean to make this sound like a random jumble of song parts. Harbinger still has enough structure for it to contain well-defined tracks. Riffs from the beginning of a tune return at the end (“Ascent,” “Silent Symmetry”) and catchier passages, such as the chorus of “Tempest,” repeat throughout the course of each song. The unpredictable nature of the music keeps you on your toes and provides new surprises with each spin.

As much as there is to enjoy, there’s plenty on Harbinger that makes it a confounding listen. The angular, sometimes atonal, music is certainly off-putting and proves an obstacle to appreciating Dyed in Grey’s strengths. The vocal performances, particularly the cleans, also leave something to be desired.1 The cleans have a gruffer, grungier resonance that fits what Dyed in Grey is going for, but the vocalist struggles with his pitch at times. Despite the strong production values, another issue is that the death metal riffs sound flat and lack the muscular punch needed to truly make these portions pop. The growls, however, deliver enough power to offset this shortcoming. The rougher elements of the band’s sound fit in with their rugged character, yet there’s a fine line in the atonal approach between enjoyable and cringe-worthy music, and fortunately, Dyed in Grey fall on the enjoyable side more often than not.

What started off for me on initial spins as disappointing has since turned into something more interesting, rewarding, and even catchy with repeat and closer listens. Dyed in Grey don’t quite stand with the bands listed in my opening paragraph, but for fans of prog death, Harbinger is a worthy exploration. It also represents a growth in Edgemont’s songwriting. This proves to be a pretty cool amalgamation of styles that doesn’t play it safe yet feels assured in its performances and compositions.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

For progressive death metal acts, the shadow of the masters, Opeth, looms large. Yet some recent progressive death acts, like Iotunn, Tómarúm, and Dvne, have carved their own paths in the genre. When Dyed in Grey released their debut, The Abandoned Part, in 2013, Opeth was charting a course into pure prog sans death metal. I only mention Opeth because Dyed in Grey’s brand of prog death sees clear influences in the titans of the genre, though with a more technical, improvisational imprint. Harbinger marks only their third full-length album in thirteen years. These years have seen inconsistency in the lineup, with 2018’s Anguish and Ardor losing the vocalist and going full instrumental. Now with a new vocalist, Harbinger sees a return to Dyed in Grey’s roots with a more honed vision from founder Adam Edgemont.

Unlike Soen’s cleaner approach to prog, Dyed in Grey is much rawer and rougher around the edges, utilizing plenty of off-key notes. There’s a greater sense of urgency and authenticity in this approach, and songs are carefully crafted to sound improvisational rather than intentional and overly polished. At times, Dyed in Grey plays it light and breezy, such as on the intro track “Sunbird” and the first few minutes of “Ascent,” where you could almost mistake them for a happy-go-lucky Weezer. At other times, they play a rough and tumble of ’90s grunge, with “Silent Symmetry” taking on an Alice in Chains-esque gruffness. Yet behind each arpeggio and light strum lurks an Opethian turn, which can rear its head suddenly with an eruption of heavy guitars and monstrous death growls. These turns prove an effectively cathartic release of emotion; “Mirrored Ruins” in particular takes a brilliant turn with some of the coolest riffs on Harbinger. While Opeth is a clear influence, Dyed in Grey take a novel enough approach to avoid being a mere clone.

Descent by Dyed In Grey

Dyed in Grey cite jazz as one of their musical styles, and this is most apparent in the improvisational turns that songs take. Unlike Opeth’s more developed passages of death metal or prog, Dyed in Grey can flip on a dime. “Static Tides” best demonstrates this as it transitions from growls to cleans, arpeggios to blasting riffs, all within short spans of time. Similarly, “Descent” plays off-tune riffs one moment and a sudden melodic lead the next before erupting into death metal with some impressive technical fretwork. I don’t mean to make this sound like a random jumble of song parts. Harbinger still has enough structure for it to contain well-defined tracks. Riffs from the beginning of a tune return at the end (“Ascent,” “Silent Symmetry”) and catchier passages, such as the chorus of “Tempest,” repeat throughout the course of each song. The unpredictable nature of the music keeps you on your toes and provides new surprises with each spin.

As much as there is to enjoy, there’s plenty on Harbinger that makes it a confounding listen. The angular, sometimes atonal, music is certainly off-putting and proves an obstacle to appreciating Dyed in Grey’s strengths. The vocal performances, particularly the cleans, also leave something to be desired.1 The cleans have a gruffer, grungier resonance that fits what Dyed in Grey is going for, but the vocalist struggles with his pitch at times. Despite the strong production values, another issue is that the death metal riffs sound flat and lack the muscular punch needed to truly make these portions pop. The growls, however, deliver enough power to offset this shortcoming. The rougher elements of the band’s sound fit in with their rugged character, yet there’s a fine line in the atonal approach between enjoyable and cringe-worthy music, and fortunately, Dyed in Grey fall on the enjoyable side more often than not.

What started off for me on initial spins as disappointing has since turned into something more interesting, rewarding, and even catchy with repeat and closer listens. Dyed in Grey don’t quite stand with the bands listed in my opening paragraph, but for fans of prog death, Harbinger is a worthy exploration. It also represents a growth in Edgemont’s songwriting. This proves to be a pretty cool amalgamation of styles that doesn’t play it safe yet feels assured in its performances and compositions.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

And today - #DVNE live at Hellfest!

And today - #DVNE live at Hellfest!

#bandshirtfriday #DVNE

#bandshirtfriday #DVNE

Last Thursday I was at De Helling to capture #FullHouseBrewCrew, #Suotana , #BeforeTheDawn & #Wolfheart. 🖤
The Wolfheart recap reel drops tonight once I’m back in Rotterdam, with the Before The Dawn reel following on Monday.
The full photo set will be online this Tuesday! 📷

Tonight I’ll be back at #DeHelling for #Dvne & #NightVerses. 📽️

Friday seems to be the perfect time to listen through the #DVNE discography :awesome:
The current weather at my place (windy and cloudy) matches perfectly to this music for my findings

Friday seems to be the perfect time to listen through the #DVNE discography :awesome:
The current weather at my place (windy and cloudy) matches perfectly to this music for my findings

K L P S – K L P S Review

By Maddog

Determined to explode my word count while safeguarding my character count, K L P S is a familiar band with an unfamiliar name. The band’s 2023 debut Phantom Centre, released under the name Kollaps\e, got stuck in our filter before I yanked it out. Phantom Centre’s sludgy mix of atmosphere and eighteen-wheeler riffs made it concise and compelling, albeit one-track. Two years on, K L P S sees Sweden’s sludgers drop a backslash and four letters while adding even chunkier riffs, more atmosphere, and three non-breaking spaces.1 After an already-promising start, K L P S has taken one leap closer to being a titan of their genre.

K L P S takes Phantom Centre’s measurements and doubles each one. The riffs are bigger, with distorted rhythmic explosions that recall LLNN. Conversely, even these heavier sections come drenched in post-hardcore sorrow. Adding to the soup, K L P S’ use of chunky riffwork to build meditative atmospheres resembles stoner sludge acts like Dvne. While K L P S has amped up their extremity, K L P S’ softer pieces step up as well. The album’s sparser passages, often featuring just simple guitar melodies and ritualistic drum beats, add stark contrast to its heavyweights. Although K L P S is less rhythmic and bass-focused than Phantom Centre, it magnifies nearly every other dimension of its predecessor. The resulting record bears the familiar markers of sludge, but accentuates them all to avoid fading into irrelevance.

K L P S’ blend of heft and emotion makes every track a highlight. The album’s hulking riffs harness sludge’s power while eschewing its typical laziness, tethering themselves to ominous, infectious melodies (“Undertow”). Aided by blackened motifs, even these heavy segments ooze pathos (“Subverse”). K L P S’ descents into minimalism stand in stark musical contrast but embody the same strengths, using subtle melodic tweaks to both hypnotize and grip the listener (“Katarsis”). The record’s greatest triumph is that it never treats these diverse elements as mutually exclusive. The sections that blur the line between heart and muscle show off the best that K L P S has to offer, like the interplay of meditative guitars, post-rock ambience, and climactic riffcraft on “Tribulation.” Like Amenra before them, K L P S wields beauty and brawn in ways that are at once worlds apart and inextricable.

Although K L P S remains interesting throughout, its tracks bleed together over several listens. The album’s six songs have similar lengths and lean into similar styles, without a clear sense of evolution or climax in the tracklist. While each song navigates deftly between serene minimalism and sludgy cacophony, this style grows stale by the end. K L P S’ production choices magnify this feeling; although each instrumental line shines through, the loud master and the muddled sludge riffs make K L P S seem more repetitive than it really is. Still, these are faint splotches on an otherwise impressive record. Given its tempered 43-minute runtime, K L P S never threatens to lose my interest altogether. And when the album does prioritize buildup and climax, the results are spectacular. The closer “Aureola” takes the cake, using powerful melodies to anchor the listener before building up into oblivion and then back down into cathartic quiet. K L P S would benefit from more of this continuity overall.

K L P S has improved upon their debut on nearly every axis. While Phantom Centre was already a breath of fresh air in a moldy genre, K L P S steps up its riffs, its ambience, and its emotional weight. Displaying an uncanny level of maturity, K L P S’ sophomore release shines by blending these elements into a heady brand of sludge where the riffs have soul and the atmosphere has grit. While I wish K L P S had more ebb and flow as an album, its masterful songs keep me coming back for more. Even skeptics of sludge and post-metal owe this hidden gem a listen.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: These Hands Melt
Websites: kollapsemusic.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/kollapsemusik
Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Amenra #Dvne #KLPS #Kollapse #LLNN #Mar25 #PostHardcore #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #Sludge #SwedishMetal #TheseHandsMelt

New Artist announced for Alcatraz Metal Festival 2025

Dvne

Added top 5 songs to the playlist Alcatraz Metal Festival 2025

Listen now on YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB5UNN-XlHr0qyFD1W3X4B-JCokWBZdh0

#Alcatraz_Metal_Festival_2025 #Dvne #fyre_festivals #livemusic #youtube #music #2025 #musicfestivals

Beneath a Steel Sky – Cleave Review

By sentynel

Including “for fans of” is pretty common when marketing a band. But is it actually a good idea? Promo text that reads “for fans of [the biggest bands in this genre]” is the worst offender—why wouldn’t I just listen to those bands? I’d rather hear what makes this band stand out. But listing more interesting little-known bands only helps if the audience have heard of them. Anyway, this is post-metal band Beneath a Steel Sky, and they’re for fans of Isis, Cult of Luna, Cave In, Russian Circles, Mogwai… and the rather more obscure Aereogramme.

Beneath a Steel Sky play a less genre-faithful take on post-metal than I had therefore been given to expect. Cleave is spacier and dreamier than the comparisons to Isis and Cult of Luna might suggest, to the extent that in places it reminds me of stoner/psychedelic bands like Dead Meadow (“Vanguard”). There’s lots of reverb-soaked clean vocals, synth washes and floaty guitars (“The Sky Above the Port Was the Colour of Television, Tuned to a Dead Channel,” “Quetzalcoatlus,” …). The Mogwai comparison hints at this, but unlike Mogwai, they are not boring. Like Aereogramme and Mogwai, they are Scottish, and there’s a definite spacey/stonery Scottish post-* scene they fit into. Likewise, in places, in song construction and style, they also remind me of fellow Scots Dvne—for example, the mixed down clean vocals in “The Sky…”, or the clean/harsh vocal duets in a few places (e.g. “Vanguard”). This twist on the post-metal formula works well for them.

There’s some great songwriting on Cleave. There are some really pretty melodies woven into the dreamy atmospheric sections (“Vanguard,” “Quetzalcoatlus”). They make good use of their six (!) musicians with some complex multi-part sections (“Cyclical Dunt”). “The Infinite Silence That Follows the Absolute Truth” does a very Mike Oldfield-like job of layering onto a simple repeated motif for most of the song’s build. Of course, this is post-metal, so the big metal crescendo after all the build-up is a staple. While they never really stray from the genre template, they do it well. The big riff and soaring melody line on “Quetzalcoatlus” is a highlight, and closing track “The Becoming” is absolutely gorgeous.

One quirk of the production is that whoever did the mixing is a really big fan of the pan slider. Nearly every song has sections with instruments panned nearly all the way to one side or the other. I don’t hate the effect in general, but it’s a bit overused, and the couple of songs that start with fully panned guitars (“Everyone You’ve Ever Known,” “The Infinite Silence…,” “The Becoming”) keep making me think my headphones have broken. There’s also a fade-out ending on “Vanguard” which comes across as a bit of a cop-out. Gimmicks aside, the production does a good job of balancing a lot of parts and maintaining the dreamy feel, although as usual, it didn’t need to be a DR6.

There’s not a huge amount of new ground being broken Beneath [this] Steel Sky, but they successfully bring their own identity to a crowded genre nonetheless. The spacy, somewhat psychedelic take on post-metal both differentiates them and makes Cleave a surprisingly warm listen despite the usual bleakness of post-metal. The songwriting is consistently strong, and with a tidy 40-minute runtime and a great ending, it’s a very satisfying listen.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ripcord Records
Websites: beneathasteelsky1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/beneathasteelskyband
Releases Worldwide: January 24th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aereogramme #BeneathASteelSky #BritishMetal #CaveIn #Cleave #CultOfLuna #DeadMeadow #Dvne #Isis #Jan25 #MikeOldfield #Mogwai #PostRock #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RipcordRecords #RussianCircles

Beneath a Steel Sky – Cleave Review

By sentynel

Including “for fans of” is pretty common when marketing a band. But is it actually a good idea? Promo text that reads “for fans of [the biggest bands in this genre]” is the worst offender—why wouldn’t I just listen to those bands? I’d rather hear what makes this band stand out. But listing more interesting little-known bands only helps if the audience have heard of them. Anyway, this is post-metal band Beneath a Steel Sky, and they’re for fans of Isis, Cult of Luna, Cave In, Russian Circles, Mogwai… and the rather more obscure Aereogramme.

Beneath a Steel Sky play a less genre-faithful take on post-metal than I had therefore been given to expect. Cleave is spacier and dreamier than the comparisons to Isis and Cult of Luna might suggest, to the extent that in places it reminds me of stoner/psychedelic bands like Dead Meadow (“Vanguard”). There’s lots of reverb-soaked clean vocals, synth washes and floaty guitars (“The Sky Above the Port Was the Colour of Television, Tuned to a Dead Channel,” “Quetzalcoatlus,” …). The Mogwai comparison hints at this, but unlike Mogwai, they are not boring. Like Aereogramme and Mogwai, they are Scottish, and there’s a definite spacey/stonery Scottish post-* scene they fit into. Likewise, in places, in song construction and style, they also remind me of fellow Scots Dvne—for example, the mixed down clean vocals in “The Sky…”, or the clean/harsh vocal duets in a few places (e.g. “Vanguard”). This twist on the post-metal formula works well for them.

There’s some great songwriting on Cleave. There are some really pretty melodies woven into the dreamy atmospheric sections (“Vanguard,” “Quetzalcoatlus”). They make good use of their six (!) musicians with some complex multi-part sections (“Cyclical Dunt”). “The Infinite Silence That Follows the Absolute Truth” does a very Mike Oldfield-like job of layering onto a simple repeated motif for most of the song’s build. Of course, this is post-metal, so the big metal crescendo after all the build-up is a staple. While they never really stray from the genre template, they do it well. The big riff and soaring melody line on “Quetzalcoatlus” is a highlight, and closing track “The Becoming” is absolutely gorgeous.

One quirk of the production is that whoever did the mixing is a really big fan of the pan slider. Nearly every song has sections with instruments panned nearly all the way to one side or the other. I don’t hate the effect in general, but it’s a bit overused, and the couple of songs that start with fully panned guitars (“Everyone You’ve Ever Known,” “The Infinite Silence…,” “The Becoming”) keep making me think my headphones have broken. There’s also a fade-out ending on “Vanguard” which comes across as a bit of a cop-out. Gimmicks aside, the production does a good job of balancing a lot of parts and maintaining the dreamy feel, although as usual, it didn’t need to be a DR6.

There’s not a huge amount of new ground being broken Beneath [this] Steel Sky, but they successfully bring their own identity to a crowded genre nonetheless. The spacy, somewhat psychedelic take on post-metal both differentiates them and makes Cleave a surprisingly warm listen despite the usual bleakness of post-metal. The songwriting is consistently strong, and with a tidy 40-minute runtime and a great ending, it’s a very satisfying listen.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Ripcord Records
Websites: beneathasteelsky1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/beneathasteelskyband
Releases Worldwide: January 24th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aereogramme #BeneathASteelSky #BritishMetal #CaveIn #Cleave #CultOfLuna #DeadMeadow #Dvne #Isis #Jan25 #MikeOldfield #Mogwai #PostRock #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RipcordRecords #RussianCircles

Sentynel and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Steel Druhm

Sentynel

When I wrote my piece for the fifteen years feature, despite referring to “ten years of running the servers,” it hadn’t really clicked for me that I’ve been here ten years. It was in fact, May 2014 that we moved the server over and I officially joined the staff. While but an eyeblink compared to the oldeness of some of our crew,1 it’s a long time, and a large chunk of my rapidly oldenating life. It’s also over five years since my first actual review. Every year since then, I’ve promised myself I’d write more and then not done that. Whoops. On the plus side, covering bands I already like went a lot better this year than it did last year, with very good or better albums from all three. And the Contrite Metal Guy piece allowed me to correct the record on some errors from earlier in my reviewing career.

This year, my list covers more genres than ever before—there are a few entries I suspect will surprise people, not least because they surprised me. Despite being into instrumental music, the biggest commonality here is great vocals. Overall, I think it’s been a good year. I left organizing my list to the last possible moment due to a particularly rough house move (sorry, deadlines) and was, as usual, flapping about whether I’d have enough good entries. When I sat down to actually write it I realized I’d filled my list and HM slots with no trouble. And for the first time, I’ve been compelled to do a Song o’ the Year list rather than an individual pick.

In addition to the traditional thanks to the readers and the rest of the staff, olde and new, I also need to add a (returned) thanks to the bands. AMG walks a difficult line with our honest approach to reviewing, and it’s not easy sending your work out to face that. Obviously, without bands sending us music we’d have nothing to write here. I met Tribunal and Mares of Thrace at their gig in Montréal this year, and it was immensely reassuring to hear, from them and others, that our coverage can make a real difference.

#ish. Amiensus // Reclamation – The two parts to Reclamation are officially listed as Reclamation: Part 1 and Reclamation Pt. II, an inconsistency offensive enough to bar them from my actual top ten. Okay, fine, that’s not true, I just whiffed on this until Thus‘ TYMHM on part I (sorry Ken) and there’s too much of it to have listened to enough to place either part properly. Nonetheless, these are really beautiful progressive, melodic black metal and absolutely worth the time investment. The balance and transitions between the harsh, the bleak, and the beautiful are often the downfall of this sort of music, and Amiensus absolutely nail it.

#10. Dvne // Voidkind – The brilliant Etemen Ænka took a while to grow on me, and likewise Voidkind. I could rarely name a specific song – their post/sludge sound doesn’t lend itself to big singalong choruses, and I’m terrible with names without that. But every song is memorable. Whenever I see them live, I go “ooh, I love this one” at the intro to every song. Voidkind is no exception. The more I’ve listened to it the more I’ve appreciated it. The riffs, the build-ups, the denouements—listening to it is one “ooh, I love this one” moment after another.

#9. Seven Spires // A Fortress Called Home – Seven Spires continue to carry the whole symphonic metal genre pretty much single-handedly. I still think the editing on A Fortress Called Home could be a little tighter, but I love their sound and songwriting. Mixing in influences from death and doom to the power metal base gives weight. The soaring highs and emotive storytelling here are as good as they’ve ever been. Great cinematic music.

#8. Saturday Night Satan // All Things Black – All Things Black is just a huge amount of fun. It recalls Ghost before their full embrace of pop: proper catchy, occult-themed, rocking heavy metal with a charismatic vocalist. I’ve had “5AM” stuck in my head all year (occasionally at 5AM) and six-ninths of the tracks are in the running for the best song on the record. Uncomplicated but great.

#7. Northern Genocide // The Point of No Return – Wince-inducing band name and confusing theme/sound divergence aside, The Point of No Return rules. High-energy, multifaceted, synthy, dancy, it reminds me of Sybreed but with more going on. I definitely have a bit of a thing for bands that can throw half a dozen styles in and carry the execution off on the basis of being loads of fun (Diablo Swing Orchestra, Sanguine Glacialis). I’ve listened to it a lot when I’m not in the mood for something complex and it’s held up remarkably well.

#6. Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe – I don’t love Die Urkatastrophe to the extent that Carcharodon does, but it’s still a great album. An incredible vocal performance and sharp melodic writing carry a weighty story, even if I don’t quite have the German to appreciate the lyrics. Blackened death is not my usual style, but the craft here drew me in anyway. I highly recommend their live show as well—there’s a theatricality to it which really works, without taking away from the brutality of the music or the themes.

#5. Suldusk // Anthesis – I tend to take a break from albums I’ve reviewed after submitting the review. Even when I love something, the endless repeats as I try and line up my thoughts can get a bit wearing. So it’s telling how I feel about a record when I go back to it. I put Anthesis on a few weeks later and was immediately transported again. If anything it’s grown on me over the year. Beautiful, atmospheric and evocative, this is atmoblack at its best.

#4. Kalandra // A Frame of Mind – My favorite unexpected discovery of the year. Kalandra are absolutely spellbinding. Heavy themes, gorgeous Nordic folk instrumentation, and deft composition make for a genuinely moving listen. Katrine Stenbekk’s vocals are absolutely captivating and I could genuinely listen to her all day, yet part of the beauty of A Frame of Mind is how well she complements the instruments. I had to fight Dolph for TYMHM rights for this, and as I said there, I cannot recommend it enough.

#3. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – There was pretty much no chance The Skies Above Eternity wasn’t going to land high up my list. After the last record, they would have had to have royally fucked it for that not to happen, and they have not, in fact, royally fucked it. The jury is still out on whether I feel that this is a better record than The Saberlight Chronicles, but it’s certainly up there. Fantastic songs and endearingly honest positivity have always been Fellowship’s strong point, and this is no exception.

#2. Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God – I would not, prior to Cutting the Throat of God, have expected to see dissodeath gracing my list in any capacity, much less almost topping it, squeezed between two… slightly less brutal records. But then, prior to this album, I wouldn’t have expected to describe dissodeath as suspiciously melodic either. So, surprise! Ulcerate’s composition here is stellar. They weave unsettlingly dissonant yet pretty melody into bleak, brutal death metal and the results are infectious. I got so excited about the whole thing that I even tried listening to a couple of the other dissodeath hits this year, but alas, they just don’t have what Ulcerate have.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – Well, this was inevitable. There’s very little out there that sounds like Meer’s symphonic, progressive pop/rock. “Symphonic” is often a euphemism for “some string synths are used,” but Meer’s mini chamber orchestra do symphonic properly. And their lead vocal duo is fantastic. Playing House blew me away and very nearly topped my list. Wheels Within Wheels is better. It’s hard to follow up a great record, and it’s hard to compete with the feeling of hearing a band for the first time. But this does both. Take the great foundation from the previous record, turn up the rock elements, mix in a touch of post-, and sharpen up the songwriting, and you get the brilliant Wheels Within Wheels. 2

Honorable Mentions

• Iotunn // Kinship – Narrowly squeezed off my top ten(ish), partly due to me not getting around to it until quite late, this is another great album from Iotunn.
• i Häxa // i Häxa – Weird? Yes. Pretentious? Also yes. Good? Good question. I think it overuses spoken-word-over-atmospherics and it makes it hard to recommend the whole package, but the rest is compelling.
• Lowen // Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran – Really cool interfusion of Iranian music and mythology with doom metal. Nina Saeidi’s vocal lead is remarkable.
• Keygen Church // Nel Nome del Codice – I’m still not completely sold on how natural the merger of MBR’s floppy disk synths with organs-and-choirs church music sounds, but the baroque composition here is good enough to carry it regardless.

Songs o’ the Year

Alphabetically ordered, because I’m a coward.

• The Dread Crew of Oddwood – “The Apple”
• Fellowship – “King of Nothing”
• Kalandra – “The State of the World”
• Kanonenfieber – “Waffenbruder”
• Meer – “Mother”
• Nanowar of Steel – “HelloWorld.java”
• Northern Genocide – “Para Bellum”
• Saturday Night Satan – “5AM”
• Suldusk – “Sphaera”

Twelve

Writing these year-end summaries is always a cathartic experience. It’s odd to try and summarize the year you’ve had, in whatever way resonates best, to an audience of people you don’t know, but that does take some pressure off. Every year, I get a new chance to be grateful for the writers and readers on this blog, and to reflect on what went wrong, what went right, and where I am now versus where I was a year ago.

I can confidently say that, by any measure, 2024 was the worst year of my life. Between personal losses and professional disasters, I spent most of the year feeling demotivated, dejected, and just shy of despairing. And yet, when I compiled my year-end list, I was pleasantly surprised, because there isn’t actually all that much dark material here. You’d think, based on how I started this paragraph, that my list would be filled with the dark and dismal metals from the year, but instead, it leans much lighter, more optimistic, and hopeful. Hope is a tough thing to squash completely, and throughout the year, I have stubbornly remained optimistic that things would get better—and, sure enough, they have. I’ll begin 2025 in a much better place, and take the lessons of the year with me all the way to the next article.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my fellow writers here for their support as I contributed an uneven year (at best) to the blog—your friendships, banter, recommendations, and rare-but-memorable offline appearances mean the world to me. As I come up to the end of my sixth year writing here, I’m still having a blast. Not to mention the music! The music is good too. Speaking of which…

#ish. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – Having first encountered Opeth during the Pale Communion days, I never really formed an opinion on the growls/no-growls debate. Even so, despite my genuine admiration for their last few releases, The Last Will and Testament feels like some kind of return to form for these giants. An album as dense as it is powerful, The Last Will and Testament keeps me coming back. Perhaps because of that density, I had trouble figuring out how and where exactly to list it. Maybe it came out a little too late in the year for me; I may well regret this “low” placement before long.

#10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart – Old Eyes, New Heart is, appropriately, an album with real heart. I love its laid-back approach that does nothing to diminish the cold darkness that surrounds it. And yet, the sense of hope and determination I get from listening to it electrifying. Just listen to “Cold Hard Rain”—”there’s hope in the dark” is one of the best moments in any album I’ve heard all year. The approach Madder Mortem brings to Old Eyes, New Heart is resonant, mixing dark and light in a way that just worked for me this year. It is an excellent album.

#9. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – Conversely, Fellowship brought all kinds of power metal glory to The Skies Above Eternity, an outrageously fun album adorned with hope, excitement, and super impressive performances from everyone involved. The Skies Above Eternity is just so much fun to listen to; it fills the Angus McSix-sized hole in this year-end list admirably because a year without some kind of super-well-done over-the-top power metal is a year that’s just no good. Thankfully, Fellowship are clearly here to stay.

# 8. Dawnwalker //The Unknowing – The Unknowing is one of those albums that rewards repeated listens. Of course, I listened to it plenty before writing my review in October, but I’ve kept listening to it since and I just keep noticing new things. It’s enough to make me want to rewrite the whole review, honestly; there’s just so much to The Unknowing, and I love the way Dawnwalker made this album simple and complex at the same time. The ebb and flow is very well done, the performances are powerful, and the meanings just keep on coming. This is a great album to get lost in, and I still recommend it highly.

#7. Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk – “But God’s Hand is Strong” is an amazing title for such a dark album. Maybe that’s part of why I like it so much—that idea of hope transcending everything else, of faith and optimism keeping you going when things are really bad. Of course, it helps that Hamferð are phenomenal musicians who know exactly what they’re doing; Men Guðs hond er sterk is a crushingly powerful doom album, well-written and performed to the highest standards. Hamferð have long been my go-to band when it’s cold and dark out. Well, winter is back, and thank goodness Hamderð is too.

#6. In Vain // Solemn – I love epic, complex metal, and In Vain delivers with Solemn. I love Solemn for its melodic qualities, its huge ambitions, and its soaring highs. That it uses a horn section is icing on the cake; the first listen-through is unpredictable, but the quality is consistently high. Solemn is one of those great albums that just doesn’t really have faults—it was never a question of whether I’d like it, just one of how much. It’s that solid, and has all kinds of staying power. A definite highlight from the year in whatever style of metal you think it fits in best.

#5. Árstíðir lífsins // Aldrlok – I love Árstíðir lífsins. I’ve criticized their albums before, but the truth is that the base of their sound is so wonderfully up my alley that I’m not sure it’s possible for me to dislike their music. I’m always so excited when Árstíðir lífsins releases new music, and Aldrlok has grown on me immensely since its release in June. I love its mystical quality, its evocative style, and its historic power—Árstíðir lífsins approach their music in a way that few bands or projects do, and it resonates so well. It’s a long album for sure, but it is filled with outstanding material and well worth the deep dive it offers.

#4. Silhouette // Les Dires de l’Ame – Silhouette first grabbed my attention with the release of Les retranchements a couple of years ago. Since then, it feels like they’ve grown tremendously; Les Dires de l’Ame feels grander, darker, and more complex than Les retranchements, and I love this direction. The melodies, harmonies, and vocal performances are stunning, and the balance of beauty and darkness is incredibly well-done. Even now, I feel like Les Dires de l’Ame is still growing on me; I am fully enamored with this symphonic sojourn, and expect to remain so for some time.

#3. Hell:on // Shaman – For a long time, I assumed Shaman would be my album of the year, and it was not something I would have predicted before May. And yet, here it is: Shaman is incredible, a powerful slab of death metal decorated with just enough melodic, mystic, and folk elements to keep me coming back. It’s rare that I like death metal this much, but Hell:on is just so compelling, from the throat singing to the acoustic interludes that break up blisteringly powerful riffing. Shaman’s got it all, and it is captivating at every moment from beginning to end.

#2. Forndom // Moþir – I can’t believe I’m not giving this one Album of the Year. Maybe it just came out too recently, but it’s still surprising because I adore Forndom. Moþir’s orchestral folk approach to creating time-defying music is essentially flawless, and it is so easy to get lost in. The vocal work, orchestral performances, and lead violin are all exemplary, and it’s been truly wonderful exploring this darker, grander side of Forndom these last several weeks. On the one hand, I wish it had come out sooner so I could have more time with it before writing this blurb—on the other, it suits December weather so well that I believe I’ve been getting the best out of it since day one. Forndom is doing amazing work, and I really can’t recommend Moþir enough. Time travel is real, and I am convinced that Forndom knows the secret.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – What can I even write here that Sentynel hasn’t said better in his own review? Wheels Within Wheels is my new go-to album when things are bad—it is melancholic and angry, but also optimistic and hopeful, a delicate-yet-gorgeous balance that really speaks to me. It’s got a ton of variance, and knows when to go big and when to keep quiet. The songwriting is exemplary, and you really feel the impact of the many musicians who’ve come together for each song. The singing in particular is outstanding, lifted by strings, piano, guitar, and drums with a cohesion that most projects can only dream of. More than all of that, however, is that Wheels Within Wheels is an honest, vulnerable album. It is willing to be fragile and open and is achingly beautiful in those moments. Lyrically, it’s like a hand outstretched, a friend with an ear always ready to listen. Done well, this progressive rock style has limitless potential, and Meer do it so, so well. I really love this album; in many ways, it saved my year.

Honorable Mention

• The Dread Crew of Oddwood // Rust & Glory – I don’t know what else to tell you—there isn’t enough goofy music on my list. The Dread Crew of Oddwood are an absolute blast, and I keep coming back to Rust & Glory purely for the fun factor. It also helps that “Lost Comrades” perfectly encapsulates the experience of writing for this blog.

Song of the Year

I’ve written the word “hope” too much in this article—I know that. But metal music is personal, and often our choices for our favorites reflect our experiences. This year, I needed hope. That’s why “Come to Light” by Meer is my song of the year for 2024—because there were times when this song genuinely kept my head up, kept me smiling, and forced me into the right headspace to get through what really was a very bad year. Now I’m on the other side of it, and hey, it’s still an amazing song! It perfectly encapsulates that limitless potential I was going on about a few sections ago, and realizes it in such a beautiful, endearing way. An outstanding song from an outstanding album by an outstanding band.

#2024 #Amiensus #ArstidirLifsins #BlogPosts #Dawnwalker #Dvne #Fellowship #Forndom #Hamferð #HellOn #iHäxa #InVain #Iotunn #Kalandra #Kanonenfeiber #KeygenChurch #Lowen #MadderMortem #Meer #NorthernGenocide #Opeth #SaturdayNightSatan #SentynelAndTwelveSTopTenIshOf2024 #SevenSpires #Silhouette #Suldusk #TheDreadCrewOfOddwood #Ulcerate

Sentynel and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Steel Druhm

Sentynel

When I wrote my piece for the fifteen years feature, despite referring to “ten years of running the servers,” it hadn’t really clicked for me that I’ve been here ten years. It was in fact, May 2014 that we moved the server over and I officially joined the staff. While but an eyeblink compared to the oldeness of some of our crew,1 it’s a long time, and a large chunk of my rapidly oldenating life. It’s also over five years since my first actual review. Every year since then, I’ve promised myself I’d write more and then not done that. Whoops. On the plus side, covering bands I already like went a lot better this year than it did last year, with very good or better albums from all three. And the Contrite Metal Guy piece allowed me to correct the record on some errors from earlier in my reviewing career.

This year, my list covers more genres than ever before—there are a few entries I suspect will surprise people, not least because they surprised me. Despite being into instrumental music, the biggest commonality here is great vocals. Overall, I think it’s been a good year. I left organizing my list to the last possible moment due to a particularly rough house move (sorry, deadlines) and was, as usual, flapping about whether I’d have enough good entries. When I sat down to actually write it I realized I’d filled my list and HM slots with no trouble. And for the first time, I’ve been compelled to do a Song o’ the Year list rather than an individual pick.

In addition to the traditional thanks to the readers and the rest of the staff, olde and new, I also need to add a (returned) thanks to the bands. AMG walks a difficult line with our honest approach to reviewing, and it’s not easy sending your work out to face that. Obviously, without bands sending us music we’d have nothing to write here. I met Tribunal and Mares of Thrace at their gig in Montréal this year, and it was immensely reassuring to hear, from them and others, that our coverage can make a real difference.

#ish. Amiensus // Reclamation – The two parts to Reclamation are officially listed as Reclamation: Part 1 and Reclamation Pt. II, an inconsistency offensive enough to bar them from my actual top ten. Okay, fine, that’s not true, I just whiffed on this until Thus‘ TYMHM on part I (sorry Ken) and there’s too much of it to have listened to enough to place either part properly. Nonetheless, these are really beautiful progressive, melodic black metal and absolutely worth the time investment. The balance and transitions between the harsh, the bleak, and the beautiful are often the downfall of this sort of music, and Amiensus absolutely nail it.

#10. Dvne // Voidkind – The brilliant Etemen Ænka took a while to grow on me, and likewise Voidkind. I could rarely name a specific song – their post/sludge sound doesn’t lend itself to big singalong choruses, and I’m terrible with names without that. But every song is memorable. Whenever I see them live, I go “ooh, I love this one” at the intro to every song. Voidkind is no exception. The more I’ve listened to it the more I’ve appreciated it. The riffs, the build-ups, the denouements—listening to it is one “ooh, I love this one” moment after another.

#9. Seven Spires // A Fortress Called Home – Seven Spires continue to carry the whole symphonic metal genre pretty much single-handedly. I still think the editing on A Fortress Called Home could be a little tighter, but I love their sound and songwriting. Mixing in influences from death and doom to the power metal base gives weight. The soaring highs and emotive storytelling here are as good as they’ve ever been. Great cinematic music.

#8. Saturday Night Satan // All Things Black – All Things Black is just a huge amount of fun. It recalls Ghost before their full embrace of pop: proper catchy, occult-themed, rocking heavy metal with a charismatic vocalist. I’ve had “5AM” stuck in my head all year (occasionally at 5AM) and six-ninths of the tracks are in the running for the best song on the record. Uncomplicated but great.

#7. Northern Genocide // The Point of No Return – Wince-inducing band name and confusing theme/sound divergence aside, The Point of No Return rules. High-energy, multifaceted, synthy, dancy, it reminds me of Sybreed but with more going on. I definitely have a bit of a thing for bands that can throw half a dozen styles in and carry the execution off on the basis of being loads of fun (Diablo Swing Orchestra, Sanguine Glacialis). I’ve listened to it a lot when I’m not in the mood for something complex and it’s held up remarkably well.

#6. Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe – I don’t love Die Urkatastrophe to the extent that Carcharodon does, but it’s still a great album. An incredible vocal performance and sharp melodic writing carry a weighty story, even if I don’t quite have the German to appreciate the lyrics. Blackened death is not my usual style, but the craft here drew me in anyway. I highly recommend their live show as well—there’s a theatricality to it which really works, without taking away from the brutality of the music or the themes.

#5. Suldusk // Anthesis – I tend to take a break from albums I’ve reviewed after submitting the review. Even when I love something, the endless repeats as I try and line up my thoughts can get a bit wearing. So it’s telling how I feel about a record when I go back to it. I put Anthesis on a few weeks later and was immediately transported again. If anything it’s grown on me over the year. Beautiful, atmospheric and evocative, this is atmoblack at its best.

#4. Kalandra // A Frame of Mind – My favorite unexpected discovery of the year. Kalandra are absolutely spellbinding. Heavy themes, gorgeous Nordic folk instrumentation, and deft composition make for a genuinely moving listen. Katrine Stenbekk’s vocals are absolutely captivating and I could genuinely listen to her all day, yet part of the beauty of A Frame of Mind is how well she complements the instruments. I had to fight Dolph for TYMHM rights for this, and as I said there, I cannot recommend it enough.

#3. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – There was pretty much no chance The Skies Above Eternity wasn’t going to land high up my list. After the last record, they would have had to have royally fucked it for that not to happen, and they have not, in fact, royally fucked it. The jury is still out on whether I feel that this is a better record than The Saberlight Chronicles, but it’s certainly up there. Fantastic songs and endearingly honest positivity have always been Fellowship’s strong point, and this is no exception.

#2. Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God – I would not, prior to Cutting the Throat of God, have expected to see dissodeath gracing my list in any capacity, much less almost topping it, squeezed between two… slightly less brutal records. But then, prior to this album, I wouldn’t have expected to describe dissodeath as suspiciously melodic either. So, surprise! Ulcerate’s composition here is stellar. They weave unsettlingly dissonant yet pretty melody into bleak, brutal death metal and the results are infectious. I got so excited about the whole thing that I even tried listening to a couple of the other dissodeath hits this year, but alas, they just don’t have what Ulcerate have.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – Well, this was inevitable. There’s very little out there that sounds like Meer’s symphonic, progressive pop/rock. “Symphonic” is often a euphemism for “some string synths are used,” but Meer’s mini chamber orchestra do symphonic properly. And their lead vocal duo is fantastic. Playing House blew me away and very nearly topped my list. Wheels Within Wheels is better. It’s hard to follow up a great record, and it’s hard to compete with the feeling of hearing a band for the first time. But this does both. Take the great foundation from the previous record, turn up the rock elements, mix in a touch of post-, and sharpen up the songwriting, and you get the brilliant Wheels Within Wheels. 2

Honorable Mentions

• Iotunn // Kinship – Narrowly squeezed off my top ten(ish), partly due to me not getting around to it until quite late, this is another great album from Iotunn.
• i Häxa // i Häxa – Weird? Yes. Pretentious? Also yes. Good? Good question. I think it overuses spoken-word-over-atmospherics and it makes it hard to recommend the whole package, but the rest is compelling.
• Lowen // Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran – Really cool interfusion of Iranian music and mythology with doom metal. Nina Saeidi’s vocal lead is remarkable.
• Keygen Church // Nel Nome del Codice – I’m still not completely sold on how natural the merger of MBR’s floppy disk synths with organs-and-choirs church music sounds, but the baroque composition here is good enough to carry it regardless.

Songs o’ the Year

Alphabetically ordered, because I’m a coward.

• The Dread Crew of Oddwood – “The Apple”
• Fellowship – “King of Nothing”
• Kalandra – “The State of the World”
• Kanonenfieber – “Waffenbruder”
• Meer – “Mother”
• Nanowar of Steel – “HelloWorld.java”
• Northern Genocide – “Para Bellum”
• Saturday Night Satan – “5AM”
• Suldusk – “Sphaera”

Twelve

Writing these year-end summaries is always a cathartic experience. It’s odd to try and summarize the year you’ve had, in whatever way resonates best, to an audience of people you don’t know, but that does take some pressure off. Every year, I get a new chance to be grateful for the writers and readers on this blog, and to reflect on what went wrong, what went right, and where I am now versus where I was a year ago.

I can confidently say that, by any measure, 2024 was the worst year of my life. Between personal losses and professional disasters, I spent most of the year feeling demotivated, dejected, and just shy of despairing. And yet, when I compiled my year-end list, I was pleasantly surprised, because there isn’t actually all that much dark material here. You’d think, based on how I started this paragraph, that my list would be filled with the dark and dismal metals from the year, but instead, it leans much lighter, more optimistic, and hopeful. Hope is a tough thing to squash completely, and throughout the year, I have stubbornly remained optimistic that things would get better—and, sure enough, they have. I’ll begin 2025 in a much better place, and take the lessons of the year with me all the way to the next article.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my fellow writers here for their support as I contributed an uneven year (at best) to the blog—your friendships, banter, recommendations, and rare-but-memorable offline appearances mean the world to me. As I come up to the end of my sixth year writing here, I’m still having a blast. Not to mention the music! The music is good too. Speaking of which…

#ish. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – Having first encountered Opeth during the Pale Communion days, I never really formed an opinion on the growls/no-growls debate. Even so, despite my genuine admiration for their last few releases, The Last Will and Testament feels like some kind of return to form for these giants. An album as dense as it is powerful, The Last Will and Testament keeps me coming back. Perhaps because of that density, I had trouble figuring out how and where exactly to list it. Maybe it came out a little too late in the year for me; I may well regret this “low” placement before long.

#10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart – Old Eyes, New Heart is, appropriately, an album with real heart. I love its laid-back approach that does nothing to diminish the cold darkness that surrounds it. And yet, the sense of hope and determination I get from listening to it electrifying. Just listen to “Cold Hard Rain”—”there’s hope in the dark” is one of the best moments in any album I’ve heard all year. The approach Madder Mortem brings to Old Eyes, New Heart is resonant, mixing dark and light in a way that just worked for me this year. It is an excellent album.

#9. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – Conversely, Fellowship brought all kinds of power metal glory to The Skies Above Eternity, an outrageously fun album adorned with hope, excitement, and super impressive performances from everyone involved. The Skies Above Eternity is just so much fun to listen to; it fills the Angus McSix-sized hole in this year-end list admirably because a year without some kind of super-well-done over-the-top power metal is a year that’s just no good. Thankfully, Fellowship are clearly here to stay.

# 8. Dawnwalker //The Unknowing – The Unknowing is one of those albums that rewards repeated listens. Of course, I listened to it plenty before writing my review in October, but I’ve kept listening to it since and I just keep noticing new things. It’s enough to make me want to rewrite the whole review, honestly; there’s just so much to The Unknowing, and I love the way Dawnwalker made this album simple and complex at the same time. The ebb and flow is very well done, the performances are powerful, and the meanings just keep on coming. This is a great album to get lost in, and I still recommend it highly.

#7. Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk – “But God’s Hand is Strong” is an amazing title for such a dark album. Maybe that’s part of why I like it so much—that idea of hope transcending everything else, of faith and optimism keeping you going when things are really bad. Of course, it helps that Hamferð are phenomenal musicians who know exactly what they’re doing; Men Guðs hond er sterk is a crushingly powerful doom album, well-written and performed to the highest standards. Hamferð have long been my go-to band when it’s cold and dark out. Well, winter is back, and thank goodness Hamderð is too.

#6. In Vain // Solemn – I love epic, complex metal, and In Vain delivers with Solemn. I love Solemn for its melodic qualities, its huge ambitions, and its soaring highs. That it uses a horn section is icing on the cake; the first listen-through is unpredictable, but the quality is consistently high. Solemn is one of those great albums that just doesn’t really have faults—it was never a question of whether I’d like it, just one of how much. It’s that solid, and has all kinds of staying power. A definite highlight from the year in whatever style of metal you think it fits in best.

#5. Árstíðir lífsins // Aldrlok – I love Árstíðir lífsins. I’ve criticized their albums before, but the truth is that the base of their sound is so wonderfully up my alley that I’m not sure it’s possible for me to dislike their music. I’m always so excited when Árstíðir lífsins releases new music, and Aldrlok has grown on me immensely since its release in June. I love its mystical quality, its evocative style, and its historic power—Árstíðir lífsins approach their music in a way that few bands or projects do, and it resonates so well. It’s a long album for sure, but it is filled with outstanding material and well worth the deep dive it offers.

#4. Silhouette // Les Dires de l’Ame – Silhouette first grabbed my attention with the release of Les retranchements a couple of years ago. Since then, it feels like they’ve grown tremendously; Les Dires de l’Ame feels grander, darker, and more complex than Les retranchements, and I love this direction. The melodies, harmonies, and vocal performances are stunning, and the balance of beauty and darkness is incredibly well-done. Even now, I feel like Les Dires de l’Ame is still growing on me; I am fully enamored with this symphonic sojourn, and expect to remain so for some time.

#3. Hell:on // Shaman – For a long time, I assumed Shaman would be my album of the year, and it was not something I would have predicted before May. And yet, here it is: Shaman is incredible, a powerful slab of death metal decorated with just enough melodic, mystic, and folk elements to keep me coming back. It’s rare that I like death metal this much, but Hell:on is just so compelling, from the throat singing to the acoustic interludes that break up blisteringly powerful riffing. Shaman’s got it all, and it is captivating at every moment from beginning to end.

#2. Forndom // Moþir – I can’t believe I’m not giving this one Album of the Year. Maybe it just came out too recently, but it’s still surprising because I adore Forndom. Moþir’s orchestral folk approach to creating time-defying music is essentially flawless, and it is so easy to get lost in. The vocal work, orchestral performances, and lead violin are all exemplary, and it’s been truly wonderful exploring this darker, grander side of Forndom these last several weeks. On the one hand, I wish it had come out sooner so I could have more time with it before writing this blurb—on the other, it suits December weather so well that I believe I’ve been getting the best out of it since day one. Forndom is doing amazing work, and I really can’t recommend Moþir enough. Time travel is real, and I am convinced that Forndom knows the secret.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – What can I even write here that Sentynel hasn’t said better in his own review? Wheels Within Wheels is my new go-to album when things are bad—it is melancholic and angry, but also optimistic and hopeful, a delicate-yet-gorgeous balance that really speaks to me. It’s got a ton of variance, and knows when to go big and when to keep quiet. The songwriting is exemplary, and you really feel the impact of the many musicians who’ve come together for each song. The singing in particular is outstanding, lifted by strings, piano, guitar, and drums with a cohesion that most projects can only dream of. More than all of that, however, is that Wheels Within Wheels is an honest, vulnerable album. It is willing to be fragile and open and is achingly beautiful in those moments. Lyrically, it’s like a hand outstretched, a friend with an ear always ready to listen. Done well, this progressive rock style has limitless potential, and Meer do it so, so well. I really love this album; in many ways, it saved my year.

Honorable Mention

• The Dread Crew of Oddwood // Rust & Glory – I don’t know what else to tell you—there isn’t enough goofy music on my list. The Dread Crew of Oddwood are an absolute blast, and I keep coming back to Rust & Glory purely for the fun factor. It also helps that “Lost Comrades” perfectly encapsulates the experience of writing for this blog.

Song of the Year

I’ve written the word “hope” too much in this article—I know that. But metal music is personal, and often our choices for our favorites reflect our experiences. This year, I needed hope. That’s why “Come to Light” by Meer is my song of the year for 2024—because there were times when this song genuinely kept my head up, kept me smiling, and forced me into the right headspace to get through what really was a very bad year. Now I’m on the other side of it, and hey, it’s still an amazing song! It perfectly encapsulates that limitless potential I was going on about a few sections ago, and realizes it in such a beautiful, endearing way. An outstanding song from an outstanding album by an outstanding band.

#2024 #Amiensus #ArstidirLifsins #BlogPosts #Dawnwalker #Dvne #Fellowship #Forndom #Hamferð #HellOn #iHäxa #InVain #Iotunn #Kalandra #Kanonenfeiber #KeygenChurch #Lowen #MadderMortem #Meer #NorthernGenocide #Opeth #SaturdayNightSatan #SentynelAndTwelveSTopTenIshOf2024 #SevenSpires #Silhouette #Suldusk #TheDreadCrewOfOddwood #Ulcerate

Sentynel and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Steel Druhm

Sentynel

When I wrote my piece for the fifteen years feature, despite referring to “ten years of running the servers,” it hadn’t really clicked for me that I’ve been here ten years. It was in fact, May 2014 that we moved the server over and I officially joined the staff. While but an eyeblink compared to the oldeness of some of our crew,1 it’s a long time, and a large chunk of my rapidly oldenating life. It’s also over five years since my first actual review. Every year since then, I’ve promised myself I’d write more and then not done that. Whoops. On the plus side, covering bands I already like went a lot better this year than it did last year, with very good or better albums from all three. And the Contrite Metal Guy piece allowed me to correct the record on some errors from earlier in my reviewing career.

This year, my list covers more genres than ever before—there are a few entries I suspect will surprise people, not least because they surprised me. Despite being into instrumental music, the biggest commonality here is great vocals. Overall, I think it’s been a good year. I left organizing my list to the last possible moment due to a particularly rough house move (sorry, deadlines) and was, as usual, flapping about whether I’d have enough good entries. When I sat down to actually write it I realized I’d filled my list and HM slots with no trouble. And for the first time, I’ve been compelled to do a Song o’ the Year list rather than an individual pick.

In addition to the traditional thanks to the readers and the rest of the staff, olde and new, I also need to add a (returned) thanks to the bands. AMG walks a difficult line with our honest approach to reviewing, and it’s not easy sending your work out to face that. Obviously, without bands sending us music we’d have nothing to write here. I met Tribunal and Mares of Thrace at their gig in Montréal this year, and it was immensely reassuring to hear, from them and others, that our coverage can make a real difference.

#ish. Amiensus // Reclamation – The two parts to Reclamation are officially listed as Reclamation: Part 1 and Reclamation Pt. II, an inconsistency offensive enough to bar them from my actual top ten. Okay, fine, that’s not true, I just whiffed on this until Thus‘ TYMHM on part I (sorry Ken) and there’s too much of it to have listened to enough to place either part properly. Nonetheless, these are really beautiful progressive, melodic black metal and absolutely worth the time investment. The balance and transitions between the harsh, the bleak, and the beautiful are often the downfall of this sort of music, and Amiensus absolutely nail it.

#10. Dvne // Voidkind – The brilliant Etemen Ænka took a while to grow on me, and likewise Voidkind. I could rarely name a specific song – their post/sludge sound doesn’t lend itself to big singalong choruses, and I’m terrible with names without that. But every song is memorable. Whenever I see them live, I go “ooh, I love this one” at the intro to every song. Voidkind is no exception. The more I’ve listened to it the more I’ve appreciated it. The riffs, the build-ups, the denouements—listening to it is one “ooh, I love this one” moment after another.

#9. Seven Spires // A Fortress Called Home – Seven Spires continue to carry the whole symphonic metal genre pretty much single-handedly. I still think the editing on A Fortress Called Home could be a little tighter, but I love their sound and songwriting. Mixing in influences from death and doom to the power metal base gives weight. The soaring highs and emotive storytelling here are as good as they’ve ever been. Great cinematic music.

#8. Saturday Night Satan // All Things Black – All Things Black is just a huge amount of fun. It recalls Ghost before their full embrace of pop: proper catchy, occult-themed, rocking heavy metal with a charismatic vocalist. I’ve had “5AM” stuck in my head all year (occasionally at 5AM) and six-ninths of the tracks are in the running for the best song on the record. Uncomplicated but great.

#7. Northern Genocide // The Point of No Return – Wince-inducing band name and confusing theme/sound divergence aside, The Point of No Return rules. High-energy, multifaceted, synthy, dancy, it reminds me of Sybreed but with more going on. I definitely have a bit of a thing for bands that can throw half a dozen styles in and carry the execution off on the basis of being loads of fun (Diablo Swing Orchestra, Sanguine Glacialis). I’ve listened to it a lot when I’m not in the mood for something complex and it’s held up remarkably well.

#6. Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe – I don’t love Die Urkatastrophe to the extent that Carcharodon does, but it’s still a great album. An incredible vocal performance and sharp melodic writing carry a weighty story, even if I don’t quite have the German to appreciate the lyrics. Blackened death is not my usual style, but the craft here drew me in anyway. I highly recommend their live show as well—there’s a theatricality to it which really works, without taking away from the brutality of the music or the themes.

#5. Suldusk // Anthesis – I tend to take a break from albums I’ve reviewed after submitting the review. Even when I love something, the endless repeats as I try and line up my thoughts can get a bit wearing. So it’s telling how I feel about a record when I go back to it. I put Anthesis on a few weeks later and was immediately transported again. If anything it’s grown on me over the year. Beautiful, atmospheric and evocative, this is atmoblack at its best.

#4. Kalandra // A Frame of Mind – My favorite unexpected discovery of the year. Kalandra are absolutely spellbinding. Heavy themes, gorgeous Nordic folk instrumentation, and deft composition make for a genuinely moving listen. Katrine Stenbekk’s vocals are absolutely captivating and I could genuinely listen to her all day, yet part of the beauty of A Frame of Mind is how well she complements the instruments. I had to fight Dolph for TYMHM rights for this, and as I said there, I cannot recommend it enough.

#3. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – There was pretty much no chance The Skies Above Eternity wasn’t going to land high up my list. After the last record, they would have had to have royally fucked it for that not to happen, and they have not, in fact, royally fucked it. The jury is still out on whether I feel that this is a better record than The Saberlight Chronicles, but it’s certainly up there. Fantastic songs and endearingly honest positivity have always been Fellowship’s strong point, and this is no exception.

#2. Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God – I would not, prior to Cutting the Throat of God, have expected to see dissodeath gracing my list in any capacity, much less almost topping it, squeezed between two… slightly less brutal records. But then, prior to this album, I wouldn’t have expected to describe dissodeath as suspiciously melodic either. So, surprise! Ulcerate’s composition here is stellar. They weave unsettlingly dissonant yet pretty melody into bleak, brutal death metal and the results are infectious. I got so excited about the whole thing that I even tried listening to a couple of the other dissodeath hits this year, but alas, they just don’t have what Ulcerate have.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – Well, this was inevitable. There’s very little out there that sounds like Meer’s symphonic, progressive pop/rock. “Symphonic” is often a euphemism for “some string synths are used,” but Meer’s mini chamber orchestra do symphonic properly. And their lead vocal duo is fantastic. Playing House blew me away and very nearly topped my list. Wheels Within Wheels is better. It’s hard to follow up a great record, and it’s hard to compete with the feeling of hearing a band for the first time. But this does both. Take the great foundation from the previous record, turn up the rock elements, mix in a touch of post-, and sharpen up the songwriting, and you get the brilliant Wheels Within Wheels. 2

Honorable Mentions

• Iotunn // Kinship – Narrowly squeezed off my top ten(ish), partly due to me not getting around to it until quite late, this is another great album from Iotunn.
• i Häxa // i Häxa – Weird? Yes. Pretentious? Also yes. Good? Good question. I think it overuses spoken-word-over-atmospherics and it makes it hard to recommend the whole package, but the rest is compelling.
• Lowen // Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran – Really cool interfusion of Iranian music and mythology with doom metal. Nina Saeidi’s vocal lead is remarkable.
• Keygen Church // Nel Nome del Codice – I’m still not completely sold on how natural the merger of MBR’s floppy disk synths with organs-and-choirs church music sounds, but the baroque composition here is good enough to carry it regardless.

Songs o’ the Year

Alphabetically ordered, because I’m a coward.

• The Dread Crew of Oddwood – “The Apple”
• Fellowship – “King of Nothing”
• Kalandra – “The State of the World”
• Kanonenfieber – “Waffenbruder”
• Meer – “Mother”
• Nanowar of Steel – “HelloWorld.java”
• Northern Genocide – “Para Bellum”
• Saturday Night Satan – “5AM”
• Suldusk – “Sphaera”

Twelve

Writing these year-end summaries is always a cathartic experience. It’s odd to try and summarize the year you’ve had, in whatever way resonates best, to an audience of people you don’t know, but that does take some pressure off. Every year, I get a new chance to be grateful for the writers and readers on this blog, and to reflect on what went wrong, what went right, and where I am now versus where I was a year ago.

I can confidently say that, by any measure, 2024 was the worst year of my life. Between personal losses and professional disasters, I spent most of the year feeling demotivated, dejected, and just shy of despairing. And yet, when I compiled my year-end list, I was pleasantly surprised, because there isn’t actually all that much dark material here. You’d think, based on how I started this paragraph, that my list would be filled with the dark and dismal metals from the year, but instead, it leans much lighter, more optimistic, and hopeful. Hope is a tough thing to squash completely, and throughout the year, I have stubbornly remained optimistic that things would get better—and, sure enough, they have. I’ll begin 2025 in a much better place, and take the lessons of the year with me all the way to the next article.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my fellow writers here for their support as I contributed an uneven year (at best) to the blog—your friendships, banter, recommendations, and rare-but-memorable offline appearances mean the world to me. As I come up to the end of my sixth year writing here, I’m still having a blast. Not to mention the music! The music is good too. Speaking of which…

#ish. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – Having first encountered Opeth during the Pale Communion days, I never really formed an opinion on the growls/no-growls debate. Even so, despite my genuine admiration for their last few releases, The Last Will and Testament feels like some kind of return to form for these giants. An album as dense as it is powerful, The Last Will and Testament keeps me coming back. Perhaps because of that density, I had trouble figuring out how and where exactly to list it. Maybe it came out a little too late in the year for me; I may well regret this “low” placement before long.

#10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart – Old Eyes, New Heart is, appropriately, an album with real heart. I love its laid-back approach that does nothing to diminish the cold darkness that surrounds it. And yet, the sense of hope and determination I get from listening to it electrifying. Just listen to “Cold Hard Rain”—”there’s hope in the dark” is one of the best moments in any album I’ve heard all year. The approach Madder Mortem brings to Old Eyes, New Heart is resonant, mixing dark and light in a way that just worked for me this year. It is an excellent album.

#9. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – Conversely, Fellowship brought all kinds of power metal glory to The Skies Above Eternity, an outrageously fun album adorned with hope, excitement, and super impressive performances from everyone involved. The Skies Above Eternity is just so much fun to listen to; it fills the Angus McSix-sized hole in this year-end list admirably because a year without some kind of super-well-done over-the-top power metal is a year that’s just no good. Thankfully, Fellowship are clearly here to stay.

# 8. Dawnwalker //The Unknowing – The Unknowing is one of those albums that rewards repeated listens. Of course, I listened to it plenty before writing my review in October, but I’ve kept listening to it since and I just keep noticing new things. It’s enough to make me want to rewrite the whole review, honestly; there’s just so much to The Unknowing, and I love the way Dawnwalker made this album simple and complex at the same time. The ebb and flow is very well done, the performances are powerful, and the meanings just keep on coming. This is a great album to get lost in, and I still recommend it highly.

#7. Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk – “But God’s Hand is Strong” is an amazing title for such a dark album. Maybe that’s part of why I like it so much—that idea of hope transcending everything else, of faith and optimism keeping you going when things are really bad. Of course, it helps that Hamferð are phenomenal musicians who know exactly what they’re doing; Men Guðs hond er sterk is a crushingly powerful doom album, well-written and performed to the highest standards. Hamferð have long been my go-to band when it’s cold and dark out. Well, winter is back, and thank goodness Hamderð is too.

#6. In Vain // Solemn – I love epic, complex metal, and In Vain delivers with Solemn. I love Solemn for its melodic qualities, its huge ambitions, and its soaring highs. That it uses a horn section is icing on the cake; the first listen-through is unpredictable, but the quality is consistently high. Solemn is one of those great albums that just doesn’t really have faults—it was never a question of whether I’d like it, just one of how much. It’s that solid, and has all kinds of staying power. A definite highlight from the year in whatever style of metal you think it fits in best.

#5. Árstíðir lífsins // Aldrlok – I love Árstíðir lífsins. I’ve criticized their albums before, but the truth is that the base of their sound is so wonderfully up my alley that I’m not sure it’s possible for me to dislike their music. I’m always so excited when Árstíðir lífsins releases new music, and Aldrlok has grown on me immensely since its release in June. I love its mystical quality, its evocative style, and its historic power—Árstíðir lífsins approach their music in a way that few bands or projects do, and it resonates so well. It’s a long album for sure, but it is filled with outstanding material and well worth the deep dive it offers.

#4. Silhouette // Les Dires de l’Ame – Silhouette first grabbed my attention with the release of Les retranchements a couple of years ago. Since then, it feels like they’ve grown tremendously; Les Dires de l’Ame feels grander, darker, and more complex than Les retranchements, and I love this direction. The melodies, harmonies, and vocal performances are stunning, and the balance of beauty and darkness is incredibly well-done. Even now, I feel like Les Dires de l’Ame is still growing on me; I am fully enamored with this symphonic sojourn, and expect to remain so for some time.

#3. Hell:on // Shaman – For a long time, I assumed Shaman would be my album of the year, and it was not something I would have predicted before May. And yet, here it is: Shaman is incredible, a powerful slab of death metal decorated with just enough melodic, mystic, and folk elements to keep me coming back. It’s rare that I like death metal this much, but Hell:on is just so compelling, from the throat singing to the acoustic interludes that break up blisteringly powerful riffing. Shaman’s got it all, and it is captivating at every moment from beginning to end.

#2. Forndom // Moþir – I can’t believe I’m not giving this one Album of the Year. Maybe it just came out too recently, but it’s still surprising because I adore Forndom. Moþir’s orchestral folk approach to creating time-defying music is essentially flawless, and it is so easy to get lost in. The vocal work, orchestral performances, and lead violin are all exemplary, and it’s been truly wonderful exploring this darker, grander side of Forndom these last several weeks. On the one hand, I wish it had come out sooner so I could have more time with it before writing this blurb—on the other, it suits December weather so well that I believe I’ve been getting the best out of it since day one. Forndom is doing amazing work, and I really can’t recommend Moþir enough. Time travel is real, and I am convinced that Forndom knows the secret.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – What can I even write here that Sentynel hasn’t said better in his own review? Wheels Within Wheels is my new go-to album when things are bad—it is melancholic and angry, but also optimistic and hopeful, a delicate-yet-gorgeous balance that really speaks to me. It’s got a ton of variance, and knows when to go big and when to keep quiet. The songwriting is exemplary, and you really feel the impact of the many musicians who’ve come together for each song. The singing in particular is outstanding, lifted by strings, piano, guitar, and drums with a cohesion that most projects can only dream of. More than all of that, however, is that Wheels Within Wheels is an honest, vulnerable album. It is willing to be fragile and open and is achingly beautiful in those moments. Lyrically, it’s like a hand outstretched, a friend with an ear always ready to listen. Done well, this progressive rock style has limitless potential, and Meer do it so, so well. I really love this album; in many ways, it saved my year.

Honorable Mention

• The Dread Crew of Oddwood // Rust & Glory – I don’t know what else to tell you—there isn’t enough goofy music on my list. The Dread Crew of Oddwood are an absolute blast, and I keep coming back to Rust & Glory purely for the fun factor. It also helps that “Lost Comrades” perfectly encapsulates the experience of writing for this blog.

Song of the Year

I’ve written the word “hope” too much in this article—I know that. But metal music is personal, and often our choices for our favorites reflect our experiences. This year, I needed hope. That’s why “Come to Light” by Meer is my song of the year for 2024—because there were times when this song genuinely kept my head up, kept me smiling, and forced me into the right headspace to get through what really was a very bad year. Now I’m on the other side of it, and hey, it’s still an amazing song! It perfectly encapsulates that limitless potential I was going on about a few sections ago, and realizes it in such a beautiful, endearing way. An outstanding song from an outstanding album by an outstanding band.

#2024 #Amiensus #ArstidirLifsins #BlogPosts #Dawnwalker #Dvne #Fellowship #Forndom #Hamferð #HellOn #iHäxa #InVain #Iotunn #Kalandra #Kanonenfeiber #KeygenChurch #Lowen #MadderMortem #Meer #NorthernGenocide #Opeth #SaturdayNightSatan #SentynelAndTwelveSTopTenIshOf2024 #SevenSpires #Silhouette #Suldusk #TheDreadCrewOfOddwood #Ulcerate

A Ghost in Rags
11.01.2025 Potsdam / Archiv

Annisokay
23.11.2025 Berlin / Huxleys

Beyond the Black
01.02.2026 Berlin / Huxleys

Caliban
28.04.2025 Berlin / Metropol

Cat Power
13.06.2025 Berlin / Admiralspalast

Deserted Fear, Kvaen und Fall Of Serenity
30.04.2025 Berlin / Cassiopeia

Die Art
09.01.2025 Berlin / FRANNZ Club

Dinosaur Jr.
23.05.2025 Berlin / Columbiahalle

Dvne
13.05.2025 Berlin / Cassiopeia

Eagles of Death Metal
10.06.2025 Berlin / Kesselhaus

Get the Shot
14.03.2025 Berlin / Columbia Theater

Harakiri for the Sky
08.04.2025 Berlin / Lido

#AGhostInRags #Admiralspalast #Annisokay #Archiv #Berlin #BeyondTheBlack #Caliban #Cassiopeia #CatPower #ColumbiaTheater #Columbiahalle #DesertedFear #DieArt #DinosaurJr #Dvne #EaglesOfDeathMetal #FRANNZClub #GetTheShot #HarakiriForTheSky #Heiterkeit #Huxleys #Kesselhaus #Lido #Metropol #Potsdam #SteelFeed

My Album Of The Year is: "Lingua Ignota Pt. 1" by Persefone.

I chose the album as my AOTY because I was eagerly awaiting the release and not a single song on the EP disappoints! Every single one picks me up and combines the familiar Persefone sound without being stingy with refreshing new elements. I attended their live concert shortly after the releases and couldn't be happier! Great band, awesome show, nice crowd! Can't wait for Pt. 2! 😍

There were 3 more candidates for my AOTY. In order of preference:

TesseracT - War of Being
DVNE - Voidkind
VOLA - Friend of a Phantom

#aoty #aoty2025 #metal #album #releases #persefone #vola #dvne #tesseract #music

My Album Of The Year is: "Lingua Ignota Pt. 1" by Persefone.

I chose the album as my AOTY because I was eagerly awaiting the release and not a single song on the EP disappoints! Every single one picks me up and combines the familiar Persefone sound without being stingy with refreshing new elements. I attended their live concert shortly after the releases and couldn't be happier! Great band, awesome show, nice crowd! Can't wait for Pt. 2! 😍

There were 3 more candidates for my AOTY. In order of preference:

TesseracT - War of Being
DVNE - Voidkind
VOLA - Friend of a Phantom

#aoty #aoty2025 #metal #album #releases #persefone #vola #dvne #tesseract #music

This, on the other hand, is amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjmXEJXInag

#Dvne #pleroma

This, on the other hand, is amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjmXEJXInag

#Dvne #pleroma

This evening, I finally got to run a #ttrpg session using #Dvne's album #Voidkind as a setting. For the rules, we used @PaulBaldowski's #SanctionRPG, which was a great fit. We had an amazing time and are looking forward to our next session in two weeks. #rpg #FoundryVTT #ClubJdR #WroughtbySanction

Salut vous autres, j’ai une place en rab pour le concert de Dvne au Black Lab à Lille ce soir. Faites tourner à vos ch’tis amateurices de sludge, c’est cadeau !

#blacklab #dvne #metal #concert #lille

Salut vous autres, j’ai une place en rab pour le concert de Dvne au Black Lab à Lille ce soir. Faites tourner à vos ch’tis amateurices de sludge, c’est cadeau !

#blacklab #dvne #metal #concert #lille

The more I listen to this, the more it’s growing on me

#nowplaying #dvne

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
What Was The Best Release Of April 2024?
April 2024 was loaded with a lot of excellent releases!

https://metalinjection.net/news/poll/what-was-the-best-release-of-april-2024

#HumanoidAcidMammoth #SupersonicMegafaunaCollision #ACxDC #GOT #AtræBilis #Aumicide #Attacker #TheGodParticle #BalanceOfPower #FreshFromTheAbyss #BeneathTheBlazingAbyss #Benighted #Ekbom #Darkthrone #ItBeckonsUsAll #Dayseeker #Replica #Deicide #BanishedBySin #Disbelief #KillingKarma #Dool #TheShapeOfFluidity #Dvne #Voidkind #Eidola

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
What Was The Best Release Of April 2024?
April 2024 was loaded with a lot of excellent releases!

https://metalinjection.net/news/poll/what-was-the-best-release-of-april-2024

#HumanoidAcidMammoth #SupersonicMegafaunaCollision #ACxDC #GOT #AtræBilis #Aumicide #Attacker #TheGodParticle #BalanceOfPower #FreshFromTheAbyss #BeneathTheBlazingAbyss #Benighted #Ekbom #Darkthrone #ItBeckonsUsAll #Dayseeker #Replica #Deicide #BanishedBySin #Disbelief #KillingKarma #Dool #TheShapeOfFluidity #Dvne #Voidkind #Eidola

Enormous album release by the Scottish "Dvne".

Their latest opus "Voidkind" is a fantastic listen: progressive, violent, melodic, and highly complex in construction. Treat your ears and soul!

Favorite tracks so far:
- Eleonora
- Samaratae

https://songs-of-arrakis.bandcamp.com/album/voidkind

#metal #music #dvne

Enormous album release by the Scottish "Dvne".

Their latest opus "Voidkind" is a fantastic listen: progressive, violent, melodic, and highly complex in construction. Treat your ears and soul!

Favorite tracks so far:
- Eleonora
- Samaratae

https://songs-of-arrakis.bandcamp.com/album/voidkind

#metal #music #dvne

Random thought, how do you even pronounce #Dvne? Since encountering #Avkrvst I know that bands like to replace u with v (in case of Avkrvst, they're inspired by Norwegian artist Kjell Aukrust). So is Dvne pronounced "Dune"? Because if I leave the v and try to pronounce that, it would be close to Daphne.

Mag #Dvne übrigens immer noch nicht.

Need to check these out
#dvne

Need to check these out
#dvne

Stuck in the Filter: January’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

March is but a few days away (at the time of writing), so, naturally, we at AMG and Sons feel it’s finally time to leave 2023 behind. Entering 2024 with a fresh vat of anger juice to fuel our findings, we trudge through the thin metal walls of our ever-taxed filtration system. And boy howdy did we get lucky this month!

January’s Filter is stuffed to the gills with great options, sure to find a home in the arms of one of you despicable rascals lovely readers. If there was ever a Filter stocked enough to feed an entire readership in one fell swoop, it’s this one. Now, go! Feast!

Kenstrosity’s Scuzzy Slags

Dark Oath // Ages of Man [January 18th, 2024 – Self Release]

Portuguese symphonic, melodic death metal five-piece1 Dark Oath quietly dropped its sophomore effort Ages of Man to an unsuspecting public midway through January. After a whopping eight years since their debut When Fire Engulfs the Earth released, surely expectations for fans run high. As for me, this is my first foray, and this follow-up is nothing short of striking. Immediately recalling Aephanemer’s excellent Prokopton and Aether’s In Embers, riffs aren’t Ages of Man’s focus. Rather, epic guitar licks and leads command the charge with a cavalcade of orchestral layers forming an army of triumphant melodies and counterpoint just behind (“Gold I” and “Gold II”). Prominently featured and wonderfully effective, acoustic plucking from what sounds like a bouzouki evokes the magnificence and reverent tones of Gorgon’s Elegy, creating another core character for this epic journey that deepens the experience further (“Silver I,” “Bronze I,” “Bronze II”). While I occasionally pine for more engaging, groovy riffs to provide greater dynamics than the chugging gallops utilized instead, there’s no denying that Dark Oath’s infectious melodies and danceable rhythms punch far above the weight of forty-two minutes of lush, epic material (“Silver II,” “Heroic I,” “Iron”). At the end of the day, if you wanna go on cinematic adventures in the near future, queue up Ages of Man. It will be your guide.

Rhûn // Conveyance in Death [January 26th, 2024 – I.K. Productions]

Falls of Rauros’ founding member Aaron Charles, known for his emotive and vicious howls and creative guitar work, established solo act Rhûn back in 2021. Over the past year, a set of singles hinted at what debut full-length Conveyance in Death might hold for the Portland, Maine multi-instrumentalist. Now that it’s unleashed upon the world, this record proves to be a compelling amalgam of atmospheric black metal, post-black, and death metal. Opener “Morningstar” showcases all of these facets with aplomb, shifting from crushing riffs to a gorgeous trem-based ascension in the final third. Further down the line, Song o’ the Year contender “Bone Ornament” suitably shatters my bones with its awesome main riff, swaggering groove, and vicarious pacing. Other interesting forays into multifaceted modality and doom-laden marches help define the darker “Tomb of Andesite” and “Citadels in Ruins.” At a tight thirty-seven minutes of quality material, there’s little here that needs editing, although some lengthier passages in “Howl of Gleaming Swords” and closer “Night’s Glacial Passing” could stand a thirty-second trim here or there. Nonetheless, this is a strong launch for the fledgling project, and I can’t wait to hear how Aaron develops it in the future.

Niemaracz // The Tales of the Dense Forest [January 31st, 2024 – Self Release]

Hailing from Almaty, Kazakhstan, uber-obscure stoner doom black metal band Niemaracz doesn’t even have a date of establishment listed on Metallum. Pulling from fuzzy doom metal, languid stoner rock, folk-tinged heavy metal, and witchy black metal, debut record The Tales of the Dense Forest ushers in a sound I can’t say I’ve ever heard before. Icy and warm, rich and sharp, relaxed and blistering, these sprawling soundscapes challenge every preconception I held for not one, but four distinct styles. Yet, coming in at just under thirty minutes, this record marries them all as fluidly as a babbling brook glides over stone. With the immersive opener, “The Experiment,” Niemaracz’s high-fantasy fueled melodies and classic riffs impress with their uncanny synchronicity, while the fuzzy and warm production deepens the music’s cohesion. Album highlight, “The Faithful Horse,” manages to blend classic Iron Maiden gallops with the sort of furious black metal I’d sooner expect from Emperor, all wrapped up in stoned fuzz, and it’s fascinating. Sometimes, the clean baritones are far too forward in the mix, throwing that delicate balance of tones and textures way off. Thankfully, the consistently entertaining and novel songwriting makes it all worthwhile (“The Secret of Longevity”). Go check them out, and give their lone Bandcamp supporter a new friend!

Tales From the Garden

Slift // Ilion [January 19th, 2024 – Sub Pop Records]

I am going to preface this glowing recommendation by saying that this fucking behemoth is far too long. It’s nigh-on 80 minutes of dense, twisting, and very French psychedelic madness, and the brain can only contain so much of that for so long. The reason I am posting it here anyway is that it is really good dense twisting French psychedelic madness. Slift became an underground darling after 2020’s Ummon, which got them enough acclaim to be Artist in Residence at the 2022 edition of Roadburn, where I first became acquainted with the Toulouse formation. Ilion is a feverish album, a chase through winding soundscapes that always change but never end, layers of vocals and synths passing in and out of view, the hefty riffs hammering your back and Frenchmen hollering at you from behind. Slift has been getting heavier with each release and now firmly finds itself in sludge territory. The phenomenal drums are the tone, the pace, and the foundation here, a colossal presence even if their sound isn’t massive per se. They remind most of the climactic sequences Dvne so excels at, a bludgeoning dynamic shuffle that feels like getting caught in an avalanche, but retaining their old-school jam-band roots. Thankfully there’s enough variation to mitigate the bloat a bit, from left-field saxophone intermissions to more mid-paced material like the excellent atmospheric doom of “Weavers’ Weft.” Ilion is a deep, deep well, but a richly rewarding one for fans of heavy psych.

Carcharodon’s Fanged Fancies

Ὁπλίτης // Παραμαινομένη [January 12th, 2024 – Self-released]

At this point, I am almost relieved that the Chinese black metal-making machine known as Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites, for those of us not well versed in Ancient Greek) resolutely continues to not send us promo. Such is his level of productivity and, crucially, consistency, that I fear I would spend a fair chunk of my time just writing >3.0 reviews for his various projects (Vitriolic Sage being another good one). A case in point, his latest offering, Ὁπλίτης, is another absolute banger. Π​α​ρ​α​μ​α​ι​ν​ο​μ​έ​ν​η actually offers something slightly different from previous outings. While still very much playing in the almost clinically harsh black metal space, there is a more present and more vicious bass groove to this (fifth track “Συμμιαινόμεναι Διονύσῳ Ἐλευθέριῳ”), as well as, more surprisingly, a lot of freeform jazz elements. Screaming sax and trumpets are a big component, particularly in the first half of the record, giving the whole a feeling of White Ward and John Zorn having a particularly raucous threesome with Vredehammer. There is nothing tender about what’s happening though; it’s furious, pummelling, experimental… at least one of which is a thing that a threesome should be. A punishing, relentless listen, with unexpected twists, Ὁπλίτης has once again cranked out a fascinating record, and in record time.

Infant Island // Obsidian Wreath [January 12th, 2024 – Secret Voice]

Infant Island is new to me but, apparently, not to all—I’ve seen a fair bit of buzz around these guys—and Obsidian Wreath is the Virginians’ third record. Probably best tagged as blackened screamo, this record has contradictory feelings of warmth and utterly despairing rage. The band themselves cite Panopticon and Deafheaven as influences. I can hear both in their sound, the melodic complexity of the former, and the atmospheric wall-of-sound style of the latter. However, there are a few other things going on in the mix, with something of the frantic, chaotic precision of Pupil Slicer (“Fulfilled”), as well as the haunted and melodic deathgaze of Kardashev (“Amaranthine” and “Kindling”). Guitarists Alexander Rudenshiold and Winston Givler create such a dense morass of sound, that it often feels like there are more than two guitar lines in play, while Kyle Guerra’s bass adds something faintly grindcore-esque to the mix. All five members are credited with the vocals, which are throat-shredding and packed with pain, mourning, and frustration. Obsidian Wreath is a brutal, percussive listen, that feels like it’s tearing open your ears so that it can scream directly into your brain. At the same time, dark and unsettling electronica and arrangements (“Found Hand”) play a part in lulling the battered listener, preparing you for the next assault, as does the mix, which is surprisingly rich for all the pummelling. Although Infant Island is a screamo band, they reach with confidence into other genres for inspiration, making for a much more interesting proposition.

Thus Spoke’s Reviled Ramblings

Cognizance // Phantazein [January 26th, 2024 – Willowtip]

As most of them are from Leeds, I would have expected Cognizance to know that the objectively correct, British spelling is Cognisance, actually.2 But what the Loiners3 might lack in grammatical precision, they more than makeup for in musical style. Finessing their brand of tech-death, which falls somewhere between The Faceless and Allegaeon, Phantazein realizes the convergence of grooviness, melodic catchiness, and technicality with panache. Stomping, neck-snapping, and irresistibly foot-tapping rhythms tumble over one another with precise eagerness (“Ceremonial Vigour,” “Futureless Horizon,” “The Towering Monument”). Punchy, satisfyingly urgent melodies lead the way in chunky, groovy guitar dances (“A Brain Dead Memoir,” “Shock Heuristics,” “Shadowgraph”). With the exception of the (unnecessary) echoing interlude “Alferov,” this thing wrestles and roils its way into and around your general head area. It’s snappy, slick, and smooth. Phantazein (I think) comes from the Greek meaning “to appear,” as in, to seem a certain way. It seems to me, at least, that Phantazein is a banger.

Resin Tomb // Cerebral Purgatory [January 19th, 2024 – Transcending Obscurity Records]

Having stolen this from Ferox‘s rightful hands due to his punishing work schedule, I find myself, not for the first, or the last time this year I’m sure, singing the praises of a Transcending Obscurity release. But Cerebral Purgatory deserves praise in its own right. Punishingly heavy, yet remarkably listenable, it sees Resin Tomb filter grindy percussive assaults and dissonant death metal through a hard/grind-core medium. Barking screams breaking across ringing, tremolo-ing descending scales and tempos from charge to crushing, headbanging groove. Clanging, twanging guitar beats aggressive and menacing patterns (“Flesh Brick,” “Scalded,” “Putrescence”). Sometimes, this makes for pleasingly slick, melancholic melodies, that play out with stalking grace (title track, “Human Confetti,” “Concrete Crypt”). Other times, relentless blastbeating or chonky bass chugging provides the background for the axe’s more dissonant angularity (“Dysphoria,” “Purge Fluid,” “Flesh Brick”). Like “a more hardcore-y Nightmarer,”4 or perhaps even an extreme metal Knocked Loose mixed with Nothingness. Seriously, just listen to it.

Mystikus Hugebeards’s Stupendous Scrolls

Albion // Lakesongs of Elbid [January 27th, 2024 – Self-Release]

I’ve been on a folk metal streak of late, yet I’ve struggled to find something that really gripped me the way I wanted. Thus did fate decree that some watery tart hangin’ about in ponds would lob a sword at me in the form of Lakesongs of Elbid, the debut album by the British folk band Albion. This album transposes Celtic folklore into lush, lightly proggy folk metal in the vein of Big Big Train, and is written like the music you hear in your head when you picture a grand quest to Camelot or the Isles of Avalon. “Arthurian Overture” begins the journey in earnest, the music cresting triumphant, orchestral hills and striding through valleys of flute passages, all to the rhythmic footsteps of the guitars. From there, Lakesongs of Elbid explores a wide array of musical locales that can range from direct, determined metal riffs (“Finding Avalon”), traces of British tavern rock (“Barret’s Privateers,” “Silvaplana Rock”), or somber, acoustic folk (“Camlann”). The quest is spearheaded by Joe Parrish-James, whose vocals effortlessly merge the buttery smooth cadence of a seasoned storyteller with a youthful yearning for adventure. That idea of adventure is the beating heart of Lakesongs of Elbid; I can think of a few bands that so easily transport the listener to a new world of vibrant color and sound. Adventurous, enchanting, tons of fun, and extraordinarily British.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Slippery Sermon

Cancer Christ // God Is Violence [January 5th, 2024 – Seeing Red Records]

HAIL CHRIST! HAIL CHRIST!! DO YOU SEE THE LIGHT? DO YOU SEE IT?? IT’S AT THE END OF A TUNNEL FILLED WITH RAPISTS, SATANISTS, PEOPLE WHO DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD’S LOVE. “SATAN IS A BITCH.” SEE THE LIGHT. SEE JESUS CHRIST. JESUS KNOWS THE WORLD CAN BE A BETTER PLACE. JESUS KNOWS THE WORLD NEEDS RIFFS. JESUS KNOWS THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED COPS. “GOD HATES COPS.” THEY STAND IN THE WAY OF GOD’S POWER. HUBRIS! JESUS KNOWS THAT WE’RE ALL BETTER DEAD THAN ALIVE. JESUS CAN KILL US ALL JUST FINE HE DOESN’T NEED COPS. DID YOU HEAR? DID YOU HEAR JESUS’ WORD?? WE NEED TO “BRING BACK THE GUILLOTINE” — WE NEED TO CIRCLE PIT AROUND THE SINNERS AND CHOP THEIR HEADS OFF. CHOP THEIR HEADS OFF!! THE ONLY WAY THEY’LL SEE GOD’S LOVE IS IF THEY’RE DEAD. DO YOU HEAR THE SCREECHING? THAT HIGH-PITCHED SQUIRMING? THAT THRASHY RHYTHMIC PULSE? THAT’S THE ONLY WAY WE’LL GET THESE SINNERS WHO HAVE BEEN “BAPTIZED IN PISS AND SHIT.” HAIL CHRIST! HAIL CHRIST!! WE HAVE SKANKS (BEATS)! WE HAVE MENTAL BREAKDOWNS! “JESUS GOT A BIG OL’ COCK” TOO! IF YOU DESIRE SALVATION YOU’LL WORSHIP CHRIST IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU. SPREAD JESUS’ LOVE LIKE HE’S SPREAD HIS SEED ACROSS THE WORLD. CANCER CHRIST HAS LAID THE PATH BEFORE YOU. DON’T LISTEN TO LESSER GOSPELS EVEN IF THEY SOUND SIMILAR. DEAD KENNEDYS ARE OLD BUT NOT AS OLD AS HIS WISDOM. CHILD BITE HAS NO CLUE OF THE PATH OF GOD. TRAP THEM DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO BUILD A CROSS LET ALONE HOW TO NAIL JESUS SINNERS TO ONE. COVER YOURSELF IN “THE BLOOD OF JESUS” TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THESE DIRECTIONLESS GOSPELS WHO KNOW NOTHING OF THE LOVE OF GOD. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH MEANING. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH JESUS’ CUM. “GOD BLESS THE RAPISTS.” GOD IS THRASH. GOD IS NOISE. GOD IS LOVE. GOD IS VIOLENCE. HAIL CHRIST!!! HAIL!!!! CHRIST!!!!!5

Dear Hollow’s Magnanimous Muddle

Her Last Sight // Picture Perfect [January 19th, 2024 – Liron Avital Productions / Self-Released]

You see metalcore, you run? Well run, bitch, run. Cuz Her Last Sight is bringing back the 2000s metalcore that made Hot Topic-obsessed millennials go absolutely bananas. Being that this was my well-trod path to the harsher realities of metal’s more textured offerings, I was all for giving Picture Perfect after seeing the Israelis’ incredibly accomplished guitarist Ofek Asulin’s insane licks on TikTok. While completely acknowledging that this bad boy is not going to change your mind on metalcore, Picture Perfect is core nostalgia through and through. Parkway Drive’s fist-pumping brutality collides with As I Lay Dying’s wild technicality, fed through the riff-happy arpeggio machines of Killswitch Engage or Trivium with clean choruses and heart-wrenching melodies straight outta In Hearts Wake or The Amity Affliction. Breakdowns and wild riffs dominate tracks like “In Dying Light,” “Horizons,” and “R.I.P.”, while the soaring choruses of “Paralyzed,” “Careless,” and “Heart // Mind” remain seared in the mind. While the too-loud and frail clean vocals are too often a weak link, the album is overlong, and the sparse electronic trip-hop influence feels largely unnecessary, the formidable technicality and solid songwriting grant Her Last Sight a relatively guilt-free nostalgia trip with Picture Perfect.

Hyloxalus // Make Me the Heart of the Black Hole [January 26th, 2024 – Self-Release]

For those of you who have read my reviews before, you know how much I am not a power metal guy. I reviewed Moonlight Haze twice to make myself more marketable when I first joined these halls, but it is far and away not my cup of tea. Thus, I was cautiously intrigued by the “dark power metal” tag of the Edmonton trio Hyloxalus. How this translates is that we are graced with the powerful operatic vocals of Nina Laderoute while instrumentalists Danial “AniMal” Devost and Mike Bell offer a noisy and relentless thrash riff-forwardness that feels both kickass and cold. Channeling Nightwish’s weirder and heavier moments, the trio rockets its sound to the cosmos, where we’re granted sounds expansive, exploratory, and epic (“Undead in Ward 6,” “Sailors Underneath the Waves”), while unforgiving coldness and isolation are constant reminders of the darkness (“He Dies in the Swamp,” “Severed from the Reborn Sun”). Don’t get me wrong, Hyloxalus is far from perfect in a tinny production and wonky mixing, while slower tracks like “Dream Chasm” and “Beyond the Soil” get bogged down by sluggish tempos. However, Make Me the Heart of the Black Hole is a ton of fun from a young band with a unique and weirdass sound that may just capture your heart.

#Aephanemer #Aether #AgesOfMan #Albion #AmericanMetal #AsILayDying #AustralianMetal #BigBigTrain #CancerChrist #CerebralPurgatory #ChildBite #ChineseMetal #Cognizance #ConveyanceInDeath #DarkOath #DeadKennedys #Deafheaven #DeathMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DoomMetal #Dvne #Emperor #FallsOfRauros #FolkMetal #FrenchMetal #GodIsViolence #Gorgon #Grindcore #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #HerLastSight #Hoplites #Hyolaxus #IKProductions #Ilion #InHeartsWake #InfantIsland #IronMaiden #JohnZorn #Kardashev #KazakhstaniMetal #KillswitchEngage #KnockedLoose #LakesongsOfElbid #LironAvitalProductions #MakeMeTheHeartOfTheBlackHole #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Metalcore #MoonlightHaze #Niemaracz #Nightmarer #Nightwish #Nothingness #ObsidianWreath #Panopticon #ParkwayDrive #Phantazein #PicturePerfect #PortugueseMetal #PowerMetal #ProgressiveBlackMetal #ProgressiveMetal #PsychedelicMetal #PupilSlicer #ResinTomb #Review #Reviews #Rhûn #Screamo #SecretVoids #SeeingRedRecords #SelfRelease #Slift #Sludge #StonerDoom #StonerMetal #StuckInTheFilter #SubPopRecords #SymphonicMetal #SymphonicPowerMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheAmityAffliction #TheTalesOfTheDeepForest #TranscendingObscurityRecords #TrapThem #Trivium #UKMetal #VitriolicSage #Vredehammer #WhiteWard #WillowtipRecords #Ὁπλίτης #Παραμαινομένη

Stuck in the Filter: January’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

March is but a few days away (at the time of writing), so, naturally, we at AMG and Sons feel it’s finally time to leave 2023 behind. Entering 2024 with a fresh vat of anger juice to fuel our findings, we trudge through the thin metal walls of our ever-taxed filtration system. And boy howdy did we get lucky this month!

January’s Filter is stuffed to the gills with great options, sure to find a home in the arms of one of you despicable rascals lovely readers. If there was ever a Filter stocked enough to feed an entire readership in one fell swoop, it’s this one. Now, go! Feast!

Kenstrosity’s Scuzzy Slags

Dark Oath // Ages of Man [January 18th, 2024 – Self Release]

Portuguese symphonic, melodic death metal five-piece1 Dark Oath quietly dropped its sophomore effort Ages of Man to an unsuspecting public midway through January. After a whopping eight years since their debut When Fire Engulfs the Earth released, surely expectations for fans run high. As for me, this is my first foray, and this follow-up is nothing short of striking. Immediately recalling Aephanemer’s excellent Prokopton and Aether’s In Embers, riffs aren’t Ages of Man’s focus. Rather, epic guitar licks and leads command the charge with a cavalcade of orchestral layers forming an army of triumphant melodies and counterpoint just behind (“Gold I” and “Gold II”). Prominently featured and wonderfully effective, acoustic plucking from what sounds like a bouzouki evokes the magnificence and reverent tones of Gorgon’s Elegy, creating another core character for this epic journey that deepens the experience further (“Silver I,” “Bronze I,” “Bronze II”). While I occasionally pine for more engaging, groovy riffs to provide greater dynamics than the chugging gallops utilized instead, there’s no denying that Dark Oath’s infectious melodies and danceable rhythms punch far above the weight of forty-two minutes of lush, epic material (“Silver II,” “Heroic I,” “Iron”). At the end of the day, if you wanna go on cinematic adventures in the near future, queue up Ages of Man. It will be your guide.

Rhûn // Conveyance in Death [January 26th, 2024 – I.K. Productions]

Falls of Rauros’ founding member Aaron Charles, known for his emotive and vicious howls and creative guitar work, established solo act Rhûn back in 2021. Over the past year, a set of singles hinted at what debut full-length Conveyance in Death might hold for the Portland, Maine multi-instrumentalist. Now that it’s unleashed upon the world, this record proves to be a compelling amalgam of atmospheric black metal, post-black, and death metal. Opener “Morningstar” showcases all of these facets with aplomb, shifting from crushing riffs to a gorgeous trem-based ascension in the final third. Further down the line, Song o’ the Year contender “Bone Ornament” suitably shatters my bones with its awesome main riff, swaggering groove, and vicarious pacing. Other interesting forays into multifaceted modality and doom-laden marches help define the darker “Tomb of Andesite” and “Citadels in Ruins.” At a tight thirty-seven minutes of quality material, there’s little here that needs editing, although some lengthier passages in “Howl of Gleaming Swords” and closer “Night’s Glacial Passing” could stand a thirty-second trim here or there. Nonetheless, this is a strong launch for the fledgling project, and I can’t wait to hear how Aaron develops it in the future.

Niemaracz // The Tales of the Dense Forest [January 31st, 2024 – Self Release]

Hailing from Almaty, Kazakhstan, uber-obscure stoner doom black metal band Niemaracz doesn’t even have a date of establishment listed on Metallum. Pulling from fuzzy doom metal, languid stoner rock, folk-tinged heavy metal, and witchy black metal, debut record The Tales of the Dense Forest ushers in a sound I can’t say I’ve ever heard before. Icy and warm, rich and sharp, relaxed and blistering, these sprawling soundscapes challenge every preconception I held for not one, but four distinct styles. Yet, coming in at just under thirty minutes, this record marries them all as fluidly as a babbling brook glides over stone. With the immersive opener, “The Experiment,” Niemaracz’s high-fantasy fueled melodies and classic riffs impress with their uncanny synchronicity, while the fuzzy and warm production deepens the music’s cohesion. Album highlight, “The Faithful Horse,” manages to blend classic Iron Maiden gallops with the sort of furious black metal I’d sooner expect from Emperor, all wrapped up in stoned fuzz, and it’s fascinating. Sometimes, the clean baritones are far too forward in the mix, throwing that delicate balance of tones and textures way off. Thankfully, the consistently entertaining and novel songwriting makes it all worthwhile (“The Secret of Longevity”). Go check them out, and give their lone Bandcamp supporter a new friend!

Tales From the Garden

Slift // Ilion [January 19th, 2024 – Sub Pop Records]

I am going to preface this glowing recommendation by saying that this fucking behemoth is far too long. It’s nigh-on 80 minutes of dense, twisting, and very French psychedelic madness, and the brain can only contain so much of that for so long. The reason I am posting it here anyway is that it is really good dense twisting French psychedelic madness. Slift became an underground darling after 2020’s Ummon, which got them enough acclaim to be Artist in Residence at the 2022 edition of Roadburn, where I first became acquainted with the Toulouse formation. Ilion is a feverish album, a chase through winding soundscapes that always change but never end, layers of vocals and synths passing in and out of view, the hefty riffs hammering your back and Frenchmen hollering at you from behind. Slift has been getting heavier with each release and now firmly finds itself in sludge territory. The phenomenal drums are the tone, the pace, and the foundation here, a colossal presence even if their sound isn’t massive per se. They remind most of the climactic sequences Dvne so excels at, a bludgeoning dynamic shuffle that feels like getting caught in an avalanche, but retaining their old-school jam-band roots. Thankfully there’s enough variation to mitigate the bloat a bit, from left-field saxophone intermissions to more mid-paced material like the excellent atmospheric doom of “Weavers’ Weft.” Ilion is a deep, deep well, but a richly rewarding one for fans of heavy psych.

Carcharodon’s Fanged Fancies

Ὁπλίτης // Παραμαινομένη [January 12th, 2024 – Self-released]

At this point, I am almost relieved that the Chinese black metal-making machine known as Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites, for those of us not well versed in Ancient Greek) resolutely continues to not send us promo. Such is his level of productivity and, crucially, consistency, that I fear I would spend a fair chunk of my time just writing >3.0 reviews for his various projects (Vitriolic Sage being another good one). A case in point, his latest offering, Ὁπλίτης, is another absolute banger. Π​α​ρ​α​μ​α​ι​ν​ο​μ​έ​ν​η actually offers something slightly different from previous outings. While still very much playing in the almost clinically harsh black metal space, there is a more present and more vicious bass groove to this (fifth track “Συμμιαινόμεναι Διονύσῳ Ἐλευθέριῳ”), as well as, more surprisingly, a lot of freeform jazz elements. Screaming sax and trumpets are a big component, particularly in the first half of the record, giving the whole a feeling of White Ward and John Zorn having a particularly raucous threesome with Vredehammer. There is nothing tender about what’s happening though; it’s furious, pummelling, experimental… at least one of which is a thing that a threesome should be. A punishing, relentless listen, with unexpected twists, Ὁπλίτης has once again cranked out a fascinating record, and in record time.

Infant Island // Obsidian Wreath [January 12th, 2024 – Secret Voice]

Infant Island is new to me but, apparently, not to all—I’ve seen a fair bit of buzz around these guys—and Obsidian Wreath is the Virginians’ third record. Probably best tagged as blackened screamo, this record has contradictory feelings of warmth and utterly despairing rage. The band themselves cite Panopticon and Deafheaven as influences. I can hear both in their sound, the melodic complexity of the former, and the atmospheric wall-of-sound style of the latter. However, there are a few other things going on in the mix, with something of the frantic, chaotic precision of Pupil Slicer (“Fulfilled”), as well as the haunted and melodic deathgaze of Kardashev (“Amaranthine” and “Kindling”). Guitarists Alexander Rudenshiold and Winston Givler create such a dense morass of sound, that it often feels like there are more than two guitar lines in play, while Kyle Guerra’s bass adds something faintly grindcore-esque to the mix. All five members are credited with the vocals, which are throat-shredding and packed with pain, mourning, and frustration. Obsidian Wreath is a brutal, percussive listen, that feels like it’s tearing open your ears so that it can scream directly into your brain. At the same time, dark and unsettling electronica and arrangements (“Found Hand”) play a part in lulling the battered listener, preparing you for the next assault, as does the mix, which is surprisingly rich for all the pummelling. Although Infant Island is a screamo band, they reach with confidence into other genres for inspiration, making for a much more interesting proposition.

Thus Spoke’s Reviled Ramblings

Cognizance // Phantazein [January 26th, 2024 – Willowtip]

As most of them are from Leeds, I would have expected Cognizance to know that the objectively correct, British spelling is Cognisance, actually.2 But what the Loiners3 might lack in grammatical precision, they more than makeup for in musical style. Finessing their brand of tech-death, which falls somewhere between The Faceless and Allegaeon, Phantazein realizes the convergence of grooviness, melodic catchiness, and technicality with panache. Stomping, neck-snapping, and irresistibly foot-tapping rhythms tumble over one another with precise eagerness (“Ceremonial Vigour,” “Futureless Horizon,” “The Towering Monument”). Punchy, satisfyingly urgent melodies lead the way in chunky, groovy guitar dances (“A Brain Dead Memoir,” “Shock Heuristics,” “Shadowgraph”). With the exception of the (unnecessary) echoing interlude “Alferov,” this thing wrestles and roils its way into and around your general head area. It’s snappy, slick, and smooth. Phantazein (I think) comes from the Greek meaning “to appear,” as in, to seem a certain way. It seems to me, at least, that Phantazein is a banger.

Resin Tomb // Cerebral Purgatory [January 19th, 2024 – Transcending Obscurity Records]

Having stolen this from Ferox‘s rightful hands due to his punishing work schedule, I find myself, not for the first, or the last time this year I’m sure, singing the praises of a Transcending Obscurity release. But Cerebral Purgatory deserves praise in its own right. Punishingly heavy, yet remarkably listenable, it sees Resin Tomb filter grindy percussive assaults and dissonant death metal through a hard/grind-core medium. Barking screams breaking across ringing, tremolo-ing descending scales and tempos from charge to crushing, headbanging groove. Clanging, twanging guitar beats aggressive and menacing patterns (“Flesh Brick,” “Scalded,” “Putrescence”). Sometimes, this makes for pleasingly slick, melancholic melodies, that play out with stalking grace (title track, “Human Confetti,” “Concrete Crypt”). Other times, relentless blastbeating or chonky bass chugging provides the background for the axe’s more dissonant angularity (“Dysphoria,” “Purge Fluid,” “Flesh Brick”). Like “a more hardcore-y Nightmarer,”4 or perhaps even an extreme metal Knocked Loose mixed with Nothingness. Seriously, just listen to it.

Mystikus Hugebeards’s Stupendous Scrolls

Albion // Lakesongs of Elbid [January 27th, 2024 – Self-Release]

I’ve been on a folk metal streak of late, yet I’ve struggled to find something that really gripped me the way I wanted. Thus did fate decree that some watery tart hangin’ about in ponds would lob a sword at me in the form of Lakesongs of Elbid, the debut album by the British folk band Albion. This album transposes Celtic folklore into lush, lightly proggy folk metal in the vein of Big Big Train, and is written like the music you hear in your head when you picture a grand quest to Camelot or the Isles of Avalon. “Arthurian Overture” begins the journey in earnest, the music cresting triumphant, orchestral hills and striding through valleys of flute passages, all to the rhythmic footsteps of the guitars. From there, Lakesongs of Elbid explores a wide array of musical locales that can range from direct, determined metal riffs (“Finding Avalon”), traces of British tavern rock (“Barret’s Privateers,” “Silvaplana Rock”), or somber, acoustic folk (“Camlann”). The quest is spearheaded by Joe Parrish-James, whose vocals effortlessly merge the buttery smooth cadence of a seasoned storyteller with a youthful yearning for adventure. That idea of adventure is the beating heart of Lakesongs of Elbid; I can think of a few bands that so easily transport the listener to a new world of vibrant color and sound. Adventurous, enchanting, tons of fun, and extraordinarily British.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Slippery Sermon

Cancer Christ // God Is Violence [January 5th, 2024 – Seeing Red Records]

HAIL CHRIST! HAIL CHRIST!! DO YOU SEE THE LIGHT? DO YOU SEE IT?? IT’S AT THE END OF A TUNNEL FILLED WITH RAPISTS, SATANISTS, PEOPLE WHO DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD’S LOVE. “SATAN IS A BITCH.” SEE THE LIGHT. SEE JESUS CHRIST. JESUS KNOWS THE WORLD CAN BE A BETTER PLACE. JESUS KNOWS THE WORLD NEEDS RIFFS. JESUS KNOWS THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED COPS. “GOD HATES COPS.” THEY STAND IN THE WAY OF GOD’S POWER. HUBRIS! JESUS KNOWS THAT WE’RE ALL BETTER DEAD THAN ALIVE. JESUS CAN KILL US ALL JUST FINE HE DOESN’T NEED COPS. DID YOU HEAR? DID YOU HEAR JESUS’ WORD?? WE NEED TO “BRING BACK THE GUILLOTINE” — WE NEED TO CIRCLE PIT AROUND THE SINNERS AND CHOP THEIR HEADS OFF. CHOP THEIR HEADS OFF!! THE ONLY WAY THEY’LL SEE GOD’S LOVE IS IF THEY’RE DEAD. DO YOU HEAR THE SCREECHING? THAT HIGH-PITCHED SQUIRMING? THAT THRASHY RHYTHMIC PULSE? THAT’S THE ONLY WAY WE’LL GET THESE SINNERS WHO HAVE BEEN “BAPTIZED IN PISS AND SHIT.” HAIL CHRIST! HAIL CHRIST!! WE HAVE SKANKS (BEATS)! WE HAVE MENTAL BREAKDOWNS! “JESUS GOT A BIG OL’ COCK” TOO! IF YOU DESIRE SALVATION YOU’LL WORSHIP CHRIST IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU. SPREAD JESUS’ LOVE LIKE HE’S SPREAD HIS SEED ACROSS THE WORLD. CANCER CHRIST HAS LAID THE PATH BEFORE YOU. DON’T LISTEN TO LESSER GOSPELS EVEN IF THEY SOUND SIMILAR. DEAD KENNEDYS ARE OLD BUT NOT AS OLD AS HIS WISDOM. CHILD BITE HAS NO CLUE OF THE PATH OF GOD. TRAP THEM DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO BUILD A CROSS LET ALONE HOW TO NAIL JESUS SINNERS TO ONE. COVER YOURSELF IN “THE BLOOD OF JESUS” TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THESE DIRECTIONLESS GOSPELS WHO KNOW NOTHING OF THE LOVE OF GOD. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH MEANING. FILL YOUR LIFE WITH JESUS’ CUM. “GOD BLESS THE RAPISTS.” GOD IS THRASH. GOD IS NOISE. GOD IS LOVE. GOD IS VIOLENCE. HAIL CHRIST!!! HAIL!!!! CHRIST!!!!!5

Dear Hollow’s Magnanimous Muddle

Her Last Sight // Picture Perfect [January 19th, 2024 – Liron Avital Productions / Self-Released]

You see metalcore, you run? Well run, bitch, run. Cuz Her Last Sight is bringing back the 2000s metalcore that made Hot Topic-obsessed millennials go absolutely bananas. Being that this was my well-trod path to the harsher realities of metal’s more textured offerings, I was all for giving Picture Perfect after seeing the Israelis’ incredibly accomplished guitarist Ofek Asulin’s insane licks on TikTok. While completely acknowledging that this bad boy is not going to change your mind on metalcore, Picture Perfect is core nostalgia through and through. Parkway Drive’s fist-pumping brutality collides with As I Lay Dying’s wild technicality, fed through the riff-happy arpeggio machines of Killswitch Engage or Trivium with clean choruses and heart-wrenching melodies straight outta In Hearts Wake or The Amity Affliction. Breakdowns and wild riffs dominate tracks like “In Dying Light,” “Horizons,” and “R.I.P.”, while the soaring choruses of “Paralyzed,” “Careless,” and “Heart // Mind” remain seared in the mind. While the too-loud and frail clean vocals are too often a weak link, the album is overlong, and the sparse electronic trip-hop influence feels largely unnecessary, the formidable technicality and solid songwriting grant Her Last Sight a relatively guilt-free nostalgia trip with Picture Perfect.

Hyloxalus // Make Me the Heart of the Black Hole [January 26th, 2024 – Self-Release]

For those of you who have read my reviews before, you know how much I am not a power metal guy. I reviewed Moonlight Haze twice to make myself more marketable when I first joined these halls, but it is far and away not my cup of tea. Thus, I was cautiously intrigued by the “dark power metal” tag of the Edmonton trio Hyloxalus. How this translates is that we are graced with the powerful operatic vocals of Nina Laderoute while instrumentalists Danial “AniMal” Devost and Mike Bell offer a noisy and relentless thrash riff-forwardness that feels both kickass and cold. Channeling Nightwish’s weirder and heavier moments, the trio rockets its sound to the cosmos, where we’re granted sounds expansive, exploratory, and epic (“Undead in Ward 6,” “Sailors Underneath the Waves”), while unforgiving coldness and isolation are constant reminders of the darkness (“He Dies in the Swamp,” “Severed from the Reborn Sun”). Don’t get me wrong, Hyloxalus is far from perfect in a tinny production and wonky mixing, while slower tracks like “Dream Chasm” and “Beyond the Soil” get bogged down by sluggish tempos. However, Make Me the Heart of the Black Hole is a ton of fun from a young band with a unique and weirdass sound that may just capture your heart.

#Aephanemer #Aether #AgesOfMan #Albion #AmericanMetal #AsILayDying #AustralianMetal #BigBigTrain #CancerChrist #CerebralPurgatory #ChildBite #ChineseMetal #Cognizance #ConveyanceInDeath #DarkOath #DeadKennedys #Deafheaven #DeathMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DoomMetal #Dvne #Emperor #FallsOfRauros #FolkMetal #FrenchMetal #GodIsViolence #Gorgon #Grindcore #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #HerLastSight #Hoplites #Hyolaxus #IKProductions #Ilion #InHeartsWake #InfantIsland #IronMaiden #JohnZorn #Kardashev #KazakhstaniMetal #KillswitchEngage #KnockedLoose #LakesongsOfElbid #LironAvitalProductions #MakeMeTheHeartOfTheBlackHole #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Metalcore #MoonlightHaze #Niemaracz #Nightmarer #Nightwish #Nothingness #ObsidianWreath #Panopticon #ParkwayDrive #Phantazein #PicturePerfect #PortugueseMetal #PowerMetal #ProgressiveBlackMetal #ProgressiveMetal #PsychedelicMetal #PupilSlicer #ResinTomb #Review #Reviews #Rhûn #Screamo #SecretVoids #SeeingRedRecords #SelfRelease #Slift #Sludge #StonerDoom #StonerMetal #StuckInTheFilter #SubPopRecords #SymphonicMetal #SymphonicPowerMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheAmityAffliction #TheTalesOfTheDeepForest #TranscendingObscurityRecords #TrapThem #Trivium #UKMetal #VitriolicSage #Vredehammer #WhiteWard #WillowtipRecords #Ὁπλίτης #Παραμαινομένη

@Chinga
Beneidenswert, dass Du ein Einzelbüro hast :blobcatthink:

Und sehr schön, dass Du mein #bandcamp-Profil entdeckt hast :blobcatblush:

Interessant auch, dass Du bei Psychnaut Black Metal raushörst. Alice in Chains auch? Hmm … reden wir von der gleichen Band? :blobcatfluffpats: Ich würde eher die Schublade Post-Prog-Metal aufmachen …

Wenn Dir #Psychonaut gefallen, sagen Dir evtl. auch die großartigen #DVNE zu.

#justplaying Dvne - Etemen Ænka

#dvne #postmetal #progressivepostmetal