#laster — Public Fediverse posts

📰 Slachtoffer van Ali B doet aangifte tegen Dennis Schouten na Roddelpraat-aflevering

https://nieuwsjunkies.nl/artikel/1Fn7

🕞 15:22 | RTL Nieuws
🔸 #AliB #Prostitutie #Laster #Smaad #Aangifte

📰 Slachtoffer van Ali B doet aangifte tegen Dennis Schouten na Roddelpraat-aflevering

https://nieuwsjunkies.nl/artikel/1Fn7

🕞 15:22 | RTL Nieuws
🔸 #AliB #Prostitutie #Laster #Smaad #Aangifte

📰 Slachtoffer van Ali B doet aangifte tegen Dennis Schouten na Roddelpraat-aflevering

https://nieuwsjunkies.nl/artikel/1Fn7

🕞 15:22 | RTL Nieuws
🔸 #AliB #Prostitutie #Laster #Smaad #Aangifte

📰 Slachtoffer van Ali B doet aangifte tegen Dennis Schouten na Roddelpraat-aflevering

https://nieuwsjunkies.nl/artikel/1Fn7

🕞 15:22 | RTL Nieuws
🔸 #AliB #Prostitutie #Laster #Smaad #Aangifte

https://www.europesays.com/at/139129/ Jason Newsted: Der Musiker ist seit drei Wochen krebsfrei #Alkohol #AT #Austria #Entertainment #Interview #JasonNewsted #Kehlkopfkrebs #kiffen #Laster #LetThereBeTalk #Limonade #Metallica #Music #Musik #Österreich #Podcast #TheChophouseBand #Tour #Unterhaltung

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw-Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw -Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.#WDR #StudioMünster #KreisSteinfurt #Ladbergen #Schokolade #Kekse #Gebäck #Diebstahl #Polizei #Lkw #Laster #NRW
Fette Beute für Ostern? Wofür klaut man sonst 10.000 Kilo Schoki? Das fragt sich die Polizei...

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw-Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw -Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.#WDR #StudioMünster #KreisSteinfurt #Ladbergen #Schokolade #Kekse #Gebäck #Diebstahl #Polizei #Lkw #Laster #NRW
Fette Beute für Ostern? Wofür klaut man sonst 10.000 Kilo Schoki? Das fragt sich die Polizei...

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw-Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw -Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.#WDR #StudioMünster #KreisSteinfurt #Ladbergen #Schokolade #Kekse #Gebäck #Diebstahl #Polizei #Lkw #Laster #NRW
Fette Beute für Ostern? Wofür klaut man sonst 10.000 Kilo Schoki? Das fragt sich die Polizei...

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw-Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.

Brauchte da noch wer was fürs Osternest? Erst klauten sie den Lkw -Auflieger und dann, was drin war: knapp 10.000 Kilo Schokolade.#WDR #StudioMünster #KreisSteinfurt #Ladbergen #Schokolade #Kekse #Gebäck #Diebstahl #Polizei #Lkw #Laster #NRW
Fette Beute für Ostern? Wofür klaut man sonst 10.000 Kilo Schoki? Das fragt sich die Polizei...

Autobahn 9 bei Bad Lobenstein: Laster mit 20 Tonnen Süßigkeiten kippte um https://www.diebayern.de/wirtschaft/autobahn-9-bei-bad-lobenstein-laster-mit-20-tonnen-suessigkeiten-kippte-um-3118918?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=dpa&utm_content=textlink #Verkehr #Thüringen #Unfälle #Bayern #Lebensmittel #Gefell #Autobahn9 #BadLobenstein #Laster #Süßigkeiten

Autobahn 9 bei Bad Lobenstein: Laster mit 20 Tonnen Süßigkeiten kippte um https://www.diebayern.de/wirtschaft/autobahn-9-bei-bad-lobenstein-laster-mit-20-tonnen-suessigkeiten-kippte-um-3118918?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=dpa&utm_content=textlink #Verkehr #Thüringen #Unfälle #Bayern #Lebensmittel #Gefell #Autobahn9 #BadLobenstein #Laster #Süßigkeiten

Gemeente #Amsterdam pleegt #strafbarefeiten. Deze #ambtenaar, slachtoffer #toeslagenschandaal met beperking, deed #aangifte. Privégegevens gedeeld, hulpmiddelen onthouden, financiële benadeling.
Aangifte van:
#privacyschending, #discriminatie, #intimidatie, #laster

Ik ging mee.

DeNieuwePolitiek.com #denieuwepolitiek #lijst33
jouw breekijzer voor een menselijke stad

#18maart2026 #gemeenteraadsverkiezingen #gemeenteraadsverkiezingen2026

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7439816653376409600

Sachsen will in Chemnitz ein Wasserstoff-Forschungszentrum auf Weltniveau etablieren und schießt für das HIC 15 Millionen Euro zu:
https://oiger.de/2023/12/19/sachsen-will-wasserstoff-forschungszentrum-auf-weltniveau-in-chemnitz/189399
#Dresden #Sachsen #Wasserstoff #Forschung #Chemnitz #Hydrogen #HIC #Bund #Antrieb #Brennstoffzelle #Motor #Nutzfahrzeug #Laster #Bus #Lkw #Transformation #Verkehrssektor #Automobilindustrie #Logistik #ÖPNV #Strukturwandel #Dekarbonisierung #Schwerlastverkehr

Douwe Bob spant een kort geding aan tegen VVD-leider Dilan Yesilgöz.

Hij eist dat de VVD-leider een bericht offline haalt waarin ze hem beschuldigt van „Jodenhaat”

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/08/06/douwe-bob-spant-kort-geding-aan-tegen-vvd-leider-yesilgoz-om-tweet-a4902284

#dilan #yesilgöz #VVD #smaad #laster #belediging #minister #justitie

A4 nach Lkw-Unfällen bei Dresden und Zwickau wieder frei

Die A4 sorgt in der Ferienzeit für lange Staus. Am Mittwoch haben mehrere Unfälle den Verkehr bei Dresden…
#Dresden #Deutschland #Deutsch #DE #Schlagzeilen #Headlines #Nachrichten #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Auto #Autobahn #Germany #Laster #Lkw #MDR #Regen.Extremwetter #Sachsen #Sattelzug #Sperrung #stau #Unfall #Verletzte #Vier #Vollsperrung #Wüstenbrand
https://www.europesays.com/de/306955/

#news ⚡ 20.000 Schuss Bundeswehr-Munition aus zivilem Laster gestohlen: Unbekannte haben einem Bericht zufolge rund 20.000 Schuss Munition der Bundeswehr aus einem zivilen Laster erbeutet.Das Verteidigungsm... https://hubu.de/?p=305293 | #bundeswehrmunition #laster #schuss #hubu

#news ⚡ 20.000 Schuss Bundeswehr-Munition aus zivilem Laster gestohlen: Unbekannte haben einem Bericht zufolge rund 20.000 Schuss Munition der Bundeswehr aus einem zivilen Laster erbeutet.Das Verteidigungsm... https://hubu.de/?p=305293 | #bundeswehrmunition #laster #schuss #hubu

#news ⚡ 20.000 Schuss Bundeswehr-Munition aus zivilem Laster gestohlen: Unbekannte haben einem Bericht zufolge rund 20.000 Schuss Munition der Bundeswehr aus einem zivilen Laster erbeutet.Das Verteidigungsm... https://hubu.de/?p=305293 | #bundeswehrmunition #laster #schuss #hubu

#news ⚡ 20.000 Schuss Bundeswehr-Munition aus zivilem Laster gestohlen: Unbekannte haben einem Bericht zufolge rund 20.000 Schuss Munition der Bundeswehr aus einem zivilen Laster erbeutet.Das Verteidigungsm... https://hubu.de/?p=305293 | #bundeswehrmunition #laster #schuss #hubu

Lees tip -> PVV-Kamerleden bewerken foto’s van Timmermans met AI — mogelijk strafbaar | Naast strafrechtelijke vervolging kan Frans Timmermans ook een civiele procedure starten wegens onrechtmatige daad (art. 6:162 BW). | #AI #deepfake #digitalemanipulatie #FransTimmermans #laster #MaikelBoon #Nepbeelden #PatrickCrijns #Pvv #smaad #TweedeKamer |

https://hbpmedia.nl/pvv-kamerleden-bewerken-fotos-van-timmermans-met-ai-mogelijk-strafbaar/

Doet de @kiesraad aangifte tegen #Wilders wegens #laster ?

Live verkiezingen | Zaanstad en Maastricht verwerpen aantijging Wilders: 'Pertinente onzin' - NU.nl

https://www.nu.nl/tweede-kamerverkiezingen/6374305/live-verkiezingen-zaanstad-en-maastricht-verwerpen-aantijging-wilders-pertinente-onzin.html

Lachwekkend dit...

Nog even en hij heeft weer een rechtszaak aan de broek...

@NOS
#wilders
#laster
#ondermijning
#ondermijningrechtsstaat

Over slechte verliezers gesproken. Wilders begint Trumpiaanse trekjes te vertonen…

Wilders deelt berichten die suggereren dat Kiesraad niet onafhankelijk is, instantie weerspreekt beschuldiging https://nos.nl/l/2588474

@NOS
#wilders
#laster
#ondermijning
#ondermijningrechtsstaat

Back to #tilburg for a post/experimental #blackmetal gig at #013poppodium featuring #DerWegeinerFreiheit #Heretoir and #laster We missed Laster unfortunately but enjoyed Heretoir and were predictably blown away by Der Weg Einer Freiheit. Their sonic tapestries translate well from the record to the stage.

#funnyfornight mit Lottes InkBuddies:
Food Truck!

#foodtruck #chef #cook #koch #angelodonnermann #truck #lastwagen #laster #essen #food #comicart #zeichnung #drawing #illustration

𝗣𝗥-𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂 𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗮𝗴𝘁 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

Pr-bureau Street Relations klaagt actrice Blake Lively aan. Volgens The Hollywood Reporter heeft eigenaar Jed Wallace de klacht ingediend bij de federale rechtbank van Texas. Hij eist 7 miljoen dollar schadevergoeding omdat de actrice in een aanklacht heeft gesteld dat Wallace een rol zou hebben gespeeld in het verspreiden van...

https://www.rtl.nl/boulevard/artikel/5493111/pr-bureau-klaagt-blake-lively-aan-om-laster

#PRbureau #BlakeLively #laster

𝗩𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲 𝗸𝗹𝗮𝗮𝗴𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

Roger Nores, een goede vriend van de in 2024 overleden Liam Payne (31), heeft een rechtszaak aangespannen tegen Geoff Payne, Liam’s vader. Roger beschuldigt Geoff van laster vanwege uitspraken die volgens hem onterecht suggereren dat hij verantwoordelijk was voor Liam’s welzijn...

https://www.rtl.nl/boulevard/entertainment/artikel/5489848/vriend-liam-payne-klaagt-vader-van-overleden-popster-aan

#LiamPayne #overleden #laster

Stoßstange ist aller #Laster Anfang.

#Moin
#Realität
#Isso

Laster reißt Oberleitungen mit – Hoher Sachschaden

Foto: Symbolbild

#Laster #Lkw #Oberleitung #Störung #Straßenbahn #Mannheim #BadenWüttemberg #Polizei

https://bahnblogstelle.com/217527/laster-reisst-oberleitungen-mit-hoher-sachschaden/

Stau-Chaos auf der A61: Diese Unfälle haben für Mega-Staus gesorgt

Wer am Donnerstag auf der A61 unterwegs war, stand mehr als er gefahren ist: zwischen Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler und Stromberg gab’s jede Menge Stau.

https://www.swr3.de/aktuell/verkehr/infos/staus-a61-lasterunfaelle-100.html?at_medium=social&at_campaign=%40swr3%40ard.social

#Laster #Lastwagen #Unfall #A61 #Stromberg #BadNeuenahrAhrweiler #Stau

Hallucinaties van genAI-toepassingen, valt de AI-aanbieder daarvoor aansprakelijk te stellen?
https://www.agconnect.nl/business/artificial-intelligence/aanklacht-over-ai-hallicunaties-chatgpt-komt-voor-de-rechter
Zijn #verzinsels van #genAI slechts #onzin of zijn het #onwaarheden die kunnen neerkomen op #leugens of #laster

Laster prallt gegen niedrige Bahnunterführung - 60 000 Euro Schaden

Foto: Symbolbild

#Unfall #Laster #Bahnunterführung #Polizei

https://bahnblogstelle.com/208838/laster-prallt-gegen-niedrige-bahnunterfuehrung-60-000-euro-schaden/

Laster - Kunstlicht [Official Music Video]

https://youtu.be/c8B03HunjAE

#music #metal #heavymetal #experimentalmetal #postblackmetal #avantgardemetal #laster #prophecyrecords

Een 58-jarige man is dinsdagmiddag door de politierechter veroordeeld tot het betalen van een boete vanwege de belasterende artikelen over huisarts Robert-Jan van Rijn op de website CommonSenseTV. Lees hier meer over de zitting. #huisarts #laster #boete https://www.medischcontact.nl/nieuws/laatste-nieuws/nieuwsartikel/boete-voor-belastende-artikelen-over-huisarts?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=coosto

El Cuervo’s and GardensTale’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By El Cuervo

El Cuervo

This list represents business as usual in Casa Cuervo. Four albums by bands that have previously hit my Album o’ the Year list. Four albums more-or-less fall into my preferred progressive death metal sub-genre. And one 80s-worshiping retrowave release. Only the very top and very bottom of my list feature acts outside my bailiwick.

You might think this would result in a year that I rate highly for musical releases. Sadly the opposite is true. I found it surprisingly easy to narrow down my list and surprisingly difficult to pick a real number one—both because there too few outstanding options to choose from. It says a lot that I reviewed two of my top three albums but I ‘only’ awarded these a 4.0. I admire all that’s been achieved by the entrants here but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed as we reach the end of 2023. Granted, my 2022 list was topped by two records that would be multi-year winners so the comparison was rough.

And yet, hope springs eternal. While it’s unlikely that 2024 will boast a list fitting so comfortably in my wheelhouse, I remain optimistic for a year full of new musical discoveries. Between now and then, enjoy the holiday season!

#10. Grails // Anches en Maat – Anches en Maat was my favorite music of the year to disconnect from reality and lose myself in a weird and wonderful world. There’s little left from the comparatively direct instrumental rock of early Grails, but their cinematic spectacle makes their recent music all the more intriguing. This one can loosely be bundled into post-rock but its range of influences, from blues to electronica to ambient to TV soundtracks, establishes a sound you won’t hear anywhere else. High-octane, minute-to-minute, and bursting with energy it isn’t. But what you will find is something endlessly evocative and endlessly repeatable in its lilting, laid-back spirit. I’m not a big post-rock nerd but I find everything released by Grails utterly engrossing.

#9. Svalbard // The Weight of the Mask – Svalbard have become more expressive and more creative as their career has progressed. While still firmly rooted in post-hardcore, The Weight of the Mask toys with musical boundaries more than ever. It features more of everything that has previously been a part of the Svalbard sound; from post-metal to post-rock to black metal. But it’s not the musical compositions that make these Brits so good. The emotive weight of their music makes each listen a passion-fuelled journey and I find myself returning for the feels it invokes above anything else. I’m not sure if I like Weight of the Mask more than When I Die, Will I Get Better? But, for those on the fence, it’s at least as good.

#8. Lunar Chamber // Shambhallic Vibrations – Few records from 2023 seemed as custom-built for this Cuervo as Shambhallic Vibrations by Lunar Chamber. Progressive? Check. Death metal? Check. Short run-time? Check. Incredible dynamism? Check. Buddhism?1 Check. Shambhallic Vibrations forges a new path through progressive death metal, leaning heavily on contemplative synths, impressive technicality, and doomy passages, all of which counter-balance the pace and ferocity of its core deathly style. Though shockingly varied for a release just running for 30 minutes, the release is unfailingly cohesive. From the breathy interludes to the brutal blasting, Lunar Chamber harmonizes their sounds into a satisfying whole. It isn’t a prerequisite for progressive albums to run for an hour or more. Shambhallic Vibrations does so much more with so much less.

#7. fromjoy // fromjoy – If you want to hear the coolest thing released in 2023, look no further than the self-titled EP by Houston’s fromjoy. It bottles insanity; conjures madness; flips the musical table. They do this with a fusion of various types of -core (grind, math, break) but streak this with winding, vaporwave synths. If this sounds like an unholy aberration, it is. But this aberration delights and energizes in equal measure. I’ve extracted more joy this year from these 26 minutes than full albums over twice that length. Almost every one of these ten tracks has a unique quirk; from wretched grind to stomping breakdowns to dancing trip-hop to smooth saxophones. fromjoy is a testament to pure creative energy and doing a lot with a little.

#6. Ulthar // Anthronomicon – Though it forms one side of a coin completed by its sister album Helionomicon, it was Anthronomicon that impressed me most of the concurrent release by pan-US collective Ulthar. What strikes me most are the compelling contradictions that Ulthar creates. Anthronomicon’s music is crushingly heavy yet repeatably memorable, while the instrumentation is oppressively other-worldly yet somehow human-performed. Blackened death metal cannot count itself among metal’s most penetrable sub-genres, but something about these warped arrangements hooks me. Ulthar might make strange, atmospheric music but Anthronomicon’s laser focus on outstanding riffs leaves a release I haven’t stopped spinning in nearly a year. It’s one of 2023’s most challenging but most rewarding listens.

#5. Tomb Mold // The Enduring Spirit – Why, after a run of critically acclaimed old-school death metal albums, is The Enduring Spirit the first Tomb Mold record to touch my AotY list? In short, because its music is far more inventive now. Switching out a cavernous aesthetic and unrelenting pace for tidier production and grandiose solos, The Enduring Spirit scratches that prog-death itch better than any other release from 2023. Though Tomb Mold has always been smarter-than-you-first-realize, this record represents a significant leap forward and feels like the next era of the band. Above all, it harmonizes Tomb Mold’s savage roots with newer, cerebral tendencies. While the immaculate transitions go some way to achieving this, the spacious soundstage and perfect instrumental tones ensure the release hangs together to my great satisfaction.

#4. Shadowrunner // Ocean of Time – Rebirth and Oblivion – For the first time, the Ocean of Time duo made me want to dislike a Shadowrunner release. Making the listener buy the same four songs twice in order to access the unique eight ruffled my feathers. But the music here is just so damn captivating that I can’t help but love the two sides nonetheless. Rebirth is as effortless and enchanting as any retrowave act from the last decade, while Oblivion is pure nostalgia bait. Warm synths, driving rhythms, smooth saxophones, and pleasant vocals; all are present and correct. Shameless pleasure and rose-tinted spectacles compel me to consistently choose something synthy for my AotY list and Shadowrunner made the best synth music of 2023. Do not sleep on one of the best acts in the scene.

#3. Sylosis // A Sign of Things to Come – I couldn’t be happier at my rediscovery of Sylosis since 2020’s Cycle of Suffering, and A Sign of Things to Come returns to deliver the goods once again. Despite the flack I took for describing Sylosis as how modern thrash should sound, I stand by that comment. 1986 already exists so go fucking listen to that again if you like. What this album will give you instead is music that fuses thrashy, melodic, technical, and hardcore influences into 10 super-charged tunes. They will fill you with rage, then re-energize you to exorcize that rage. For raw riff-craft, no other record was the match of this one. A sign of more things to come in the future? I fucking hope so.

#2. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Only one other record this year feels as complete as Of Golden Verse. It is a consummate album, expressing its music and thoughts in the exact amount of time it requires. Despite its poignance and emotive qualities, it feels incredibly precise; a work created by masters of their trade. Even with 4 tracks approaching or exceeding 7 minutes, there’s nary a wasted second. That’s a tough feat indeed in the world of prog, and Sermon exemplifies all that is great in the genre. Their undulating songwriting style results in music that ebbs from steely, tense atmospheres and flows to passionate, cathartic explosions. Dramatic, sure; maybe even melodramatic. But exciting and varied as Sermon dabbles in progressive, alternative, and doom metal. Of Golden Verse represents a huge step forward from their debut.

#1. Hasard // Hypnocentrisme – Though Hypnocentrisme wasn’t a clear winner, its complete singularity pushes it above everything else in 2023. Hasard paints stark, abstract images in shades of black; it’s an impenetrable, challenging release, obscuring its immense qualities behind oppressive heaviness and bewildering arrangements. Through the record’s black metal crust hides an accomplished orchestral core that’s just as disturbing—in some ways, more so—as its metal aspects. Purposefully deconstructing the screeching guitars, arhythmic drumming, ominous synths, and erratic counter-melodies delivers the year’s most thought-provoking music. Passively wallowing delivers the year’s most thought-crushing music. While it may not be the most enjoyable record of the year, it is certainly the most striking. No other 2023 record affected me like Hypnocentrisme.

Honorable Mentions

• Myrkur // Spine – Spine is just as sonically varied—arguably inconsistent—as any Myrkur release2 but this time it’s all high quality. From the poppy chorus on “Like Humans,” to the blast beats on “Valkyriernes Sang,” to the gentle folk on “Menneskebarn,” I’m emotionally invested throughout.
  Ahab // The Coral Tombs – Ahab is an indomitable force of doom metal, and The Coral Tombs didn’t miss a step after eight years away. Judicious variety and grand arrangements ensure that this is the best doom of 2023.
  Ne Obliviscaris // Exul – Balancing poignant string sections with crunchy death and black metal, NeO remains a stellar progressive metal band. Exul proves that even a NeO producing their weakest album is better than most others.

Songs o’ the Year

1. Godthrymm – “As Titans”
2. fromjoy – “Helios” / “Icarus”
3. In Flames – “Meet Your Maker”
4. Theocracy – “Return to Dust”
5. Hasard – “Hypnocentrisme”
6. Sermon – “Golden”
7. Angus McSix – “Master of the Universe”
8. Saturnus – “The Calling”
9. Sylosis – “Poison for the Lost”
10. ADMO – “Always”

GardensTale

In previous years, I wrote at least one paragraph about how the year went for me. But for the last 3 years, those have been pretty depressing, so I’m just going to skip that. Let’s talk about the good stuff instead. It’s strange to think that black metal is one of the last genres I seriously got into, around 5 years ago or so. Beforehand, I always thought all black metal was akin to lo-fi second-wave shit that sounds like someone sucked up a marble with the vacuum cleaner. Years before, Belgian unknowns Axamenta3 laid some groundwork to prove my misconception wrong, and Mistur hammered it home. Now the conversion is complete, thanks to a year that’s been absolutely stuffed with quality black metal. I could have made a very respectable list of only black metal records, HMs included. But I still like other genres, too, so it was inevitable a couple of other-minded rascals snuck in for color. At least Doom_et_Al won’t hate my list as much as usual. Probably.

I gotta add though, whilst I’ve heard a lot of praise for this year in metal, I still feel like I am missing a true winner. The order of my top 6 or so feels entirely arbitrary, and I’m not sure an extra month of listening would bring the necessary clarity. I’ve had plenty to love (my shortlist reached 10 albums by March or so, partially thanks to an unusually strong January) but the only albums I have been truly ecstatic about are discoveries that were released before the pandemic and barely metal-adjacent4 But so it goes! Every year is so different, in both life and music. I already had a sneak peek of a likely lister for next year, so I know we’ll be off to a good start in that regard.

I must thank my colleagues and editors for putting up with my slacking ass.5 You are a good bunch and half the reason I’m still pouring my heart and soul into this site. The other half is the free promos. And what’s an end-of-year projectile vomit of thank yous and love yous without addressing the readers? If you’re still here and didn’t just skip through to the list, you have my thanks. If you did skip to the list, you still have my thanks, you just won’t know about it. Even those of you who just check the winners and move on. You are still part of the weird and lovely conglomeration of readers we’ve developed, so thank you as well. And I must give a shout-out to the Discord folks. Though I don’t pop in too often, you’ve made it a lovely and welcoming server, and uncommonly well-behaved! Now, who’s ready for the other half of the worst takes in AMG?

#ish. Xoth // Exogalactic – Xoth is back and thus back in my list, because Xoth remains every bit the cool as hell bunch of motherfuckers it’s always been. It’s a little bit more technical and a little bit less memorable compared to its predecessor, missing a “Mountain Machines” level riff, but I still have a really hard time sitting still in my chair when Exogalactic is playing. Too much bouncy fun and sick solos!

#10. Fires in the Distance // Air Not Meant for Us – I listened to an absolute ton of melodic death metal in my early metal years. I still have a soft spot for the genre, but it also needs to do something different to stand out for me these days. Fires in the Distance fully meets that criterium. The stern, strident tone, doom-adjacent pacing, and tasteful piano make Air an album of aching beauty. I’m reminded in part of Eternal Tears of Sorrow, but far more mature and with great emotional depth. The only reason it didn’t place higher is that it doesn’t keep me coming back somehow, and these lists are nothing if not places to go with my gut.

#9. Leiþa // Reue – Speaking of my gut, Reue was the first full-blown punch it received this year. It amuses me when people claim that all black metal screams sound the same because though the lyrics are as incomprehensible as ever, I feel every ounce of the bottomless pain and despair Noise conjures here. But on top of the throat-ripping gurgles of depression are some very sophisticated melodies and good use of dynamics between quiet passages and all-out raging desperation. Most one-man bands struggle to make one worthwhile project, meanwhile, this guy has Leiþa, Non Est Deus, and Kanonenfieber on his resume. I’d call it unfair if I didn’t love it so much.

#8. Megaton Sword // Might & Power – Traditional metal doesn’t often show up on my year-end list. Maybe Megaton Sword wouldn’t have either, although I do love me a batch of idiosyncratic vocals. But a medical situation in the family made the first half of the year an especially stressful affair, and Might & Power with its simple sense of fun was my main musical comfort in that time. But there’s more to it than that. So many strong melodies with few frills. So many fist-pumping horseback-riding sword-raising shield-carrying moments of triumph and awe. And all tied together by that uncommon voice, acerbically spraying dark heroism over the battlefield. The worst of the family situation is well behind us, but Might & Power still won’t leave my regular rotation.

#7. Carnosus // Visions of Infinihility – Is it unfair to say Xoth got out-Xoth’ed this year? It’s the obvious point of comparison, between the many-faceted vocals, high technical ability, tongue-in-cheek insanity, twisting multi-part riffs, and snaking bass. But if Xoth is the oblique unknowable architecture of cosmic horror, Carnosus is the fleshy depravity of body horror. It theatrically revels in its filth and cackles as the audience turns green around the cheeks. Most of the death metal highlights this year have been of the cavernous or slamarific variety, neither of which does much for me, but Carnosus has been an absolute delight that’s kept up my good cheers.

#6. Walg // III – The vast majority of my music recommendations originate here, but once in a blue moon, my partner will send me a link to something that popped up in her random music feeds and I just get blown away. That’s how I found this independent duo from Groningen, the Netherlands, who, without any black metal experience, started shitting out annual albums in the middle of the pandemic and manage to outdo most of their peers in the process. III is a furious album, with blast beats and histrionic screeching out the wazoo, but is tempered by a bevy of great melodic riffs and the occasional gothic chant. Because the lyrics are in Dutch, which really is not a good language for this kind of horrific imagery, there’s something endearing to the band as well. The combination makes for a very interesting, dark yet catchy experience and one I can well recommend.

#5. Wayfarer // American Gothic – Wayfarer was always one of those bands I kept hearing about and kept not hearing. No particular reason, either; I resolved to listen to them several times and it just didn’t happen. Then I finally heard them, by seeing them live at Roadburn. It was definitely a highlight of the festival, aside from an interlude that was far too long and not nearly interesting enough. Thankfully, American Gothic is more balanced, a perfectly tuned album that calls forth the man in black stalking the prairie on horseback. It’s an album redolent in atmosphere without forgoing a good hook, one that can carry tension on a single banjo string. In short, it has lived up to the hype and then some.

#4. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Pure prog metal often gets a reputation for being wussy and weenie. Sermon does it differently. What attracts me to this album the most is the sense of threat. Sermon looms a great dark ominous wall that swallows the background and casts everything in shade. For an album to hold its breath even while beating you down takes some exquisite songwriting, and Of Golden Verse is jam-packed with it. Closer “Departure” really opens the floodgates, too, for a satisfying and bombastic finale.

#3. VAK // The Islands – I called The Islands one of the flat-out coolest albums of the year and I stand by it. If anything, my appreciation for VAK’s latest has only grown since then. When you’ve listened to a million albums, the ones that really stand out and stick with you are the ones with the strongest personality. If you’d send me an unlabeled song that didn’t make the cut on The Islands I would recognize it as VAK immediately, guaranteed. While so much sludge tries and fails to get under my skin with a hammer, VAK succeeds by taking a shortcut as it pries off my fingernails with a rusty screwdriver. It’s deliciously uncomfortable and I love it.

#2. The Circle // Of Awakening – This was surely the most heinous underrating of the year. The opener alone should earn the band its 4.0, a perfectly tuned piece of proggy black/death. One thing that strikes me is how good The Circle is at finding the right dosages. Every time it feels like one thing has run its course, something replaces or enhances it, from the versatile vocals to the use of symphonics and from blast beats to breathing room. I’ve revisited this one a lot since the summer, and for a while, I thought it was gonna top my list…

#1. Night Crowned // Tales – …until Night Crowned bum-rushed the stage. Whereas many of my listening habits this year have been decidedly un-brutal, in the metal sphere I have found myself drawn to the combination of melodic and intense music, particularly in the second half of the year. Tales is an exemplary album in this regard. The intense blasting and no-holds-barred shrieking always hold a melodic thread that makes it more than a wall of noise, whether it be from extra vocal layers, subtly interweaved symphonics, or a goddamn hurdy-gurdy that works way better than it should. The track where the latter features most prominently, “She Comes at Night,” is what drew me in, but every track has its own face; its deviations make it stand out from the others, like the clean vocals on melodic mid-pacer “Loviatar” or the Dimmu influence on the grandiose closer “Old Tales.” While I would not rank it as highly as the winners of previous years, you owe it to yourself to grab Tales if you haven’t already.

Honorable Mentions

• Aetherian // At Storm’s Edge – Contrary to my point with VAK, this album doesn’t do much particularly new but it’s the embodiment of Finnish style epic melodeath done really, really well.
• Somnuri // Desiderium – Who knew Mastodon-style sludge could be improved with grunge?
• Mutoid Man // Mutants – Wild, reckless fun with more depth than a first glance betrays.
• Genus Ordinis Dei // The Beginning – Narrative albums aren’t easy, but Genus Ordinis Dei has that shit in the bag. Easy to listen to, easy to love, and feels like a complete, well-rounded movie in the guise of an epic metal album.
• Laster // Andermans Mijne – It’s deeply strange and gets at all the bits of my brain that have been gathering dust for years, but I can’t deny its continuous pull.

Disappointment o’ the Year

This is the first paragraph I’m writing this year because it’s the easiest. I always used to like Soen. With Lotus, I even loved them. Imperial was a clear step-down, branching out in the wrong directions, but it was still enjoyable in its own right, just not approaching list material. They put on some good live shows this year, too. But Memorial goes off the deep end like Thelma & Louise. The remaining semblances of progressive rock and metal are gone, replaced by refried alternative rock. Even Joel Ekelöf sounds downright bad, his buttery smooth croon awkwardly squished into a grungy mold that doesn’t suit him. It’s like the band members collectively decided to challenge themselves by trying to make an album without doing any of the things they’re actually good at. The experiment failed, boys.

Song o’ the Year

Last year I discovered Norwegian artsy prog rock outfit Major Parkinson and fell deeply in love with their quirky, bombastic, gloomy aesthetic and thoughtful, varied songwriting. Not long into this year, I found out that enigmatic vocalist Jon Ivar Kollbotn had suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of a concert in October. Though he managed to finish the set, he flatlined backstage. By some miracle, police officers happened to be just outside the building and they managed to restart Kollbotn’s ticker. When he was sufficiently recovered, the band re-wrote and recorded an old live track named “Take the Prescription” to commemorate his survival. The result is as addictive as prescription drugs, an upbeat and offbeat artful piece of prog-pop with an infectious whistled tune, beautiful smooth bass usage, and the band’s signature dark undertone. Kollbotn sounds as coarse and moody as ever, and new permanent member Peri Winkle offers an outside perspective to the frontman’s near-death experience. And even if the track hadn’t been one of the sweetest things I’ve heard this year, it’d still be my favorite track of 2023. If only because he was still around to record it.

#2023 #Aetherian #Ahab #BlogPosts #Carnosus #ElCuervoSAndGardensTaleSTopTenIshOf2023 #FiresInTheDistance #fromjoy #GenusOrdinisDei #Grails #Hasard #Laster #Leitha #Lists #Listurnalia #LunarChamber #MegatonSword #MutoidMan #Myrkur #NeObliviscaris #NightCrowned #Sermon #Shadowrunner #Soen #Somnuri #Svalbard #Sylosis #TheCircle #TombMold #Ulthar #VAK #Walg #Wayfarer #Xoth

El Cuervo’s and GardensTale’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By El Cuervo

El Cuervo

This list represents business as usual in Casa Cuervo. Four albums by bands that have previously hit my Album o’ the Year list. Four albums more-or-less fall into my preferred progressive death metal sub-genre. And one 80s-worshiping retrowave release. Only the very top and very bottom of my list feature acts outside my bailiwick.

You might think this would result in a year that I rate highly for musical releases. Sadly the opposite is true. I found it surprisingly easy to narrow down my list and surprisingly difficult to pick a real number one—both because there too few outstanding options to choose from. It says a lot that I reviewed two of my top three albums but I ‘only’ awarded these a 4.0. I admire all that’s been achieved by the entrants here but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed as we reach the end of 2023. Granted, my 2022 list was topped by two records that would be multi-year winners so the comparison was rough.

And yet, hope springs eternal. While it’s unlikely that 2024 will boast a list fitting so comfortably in my wheelhouse, I remain optimistic for a year full of new musical discoveries. Between now and then, enjoy the holiday season!

#10. Grails // Anches en Maat – Anches en Maat was my favorite music of the year to disconnect from reality and lose myself in a weird and wonderful world. There’s little left from the comparatively direct instrumental rock of early Grails, but their cinematic spectacle makes their recent music all the more intriguing. This one can loosely be bundled into post-rock but its range of influences, from blues to electronica to ambient to TV soundtracks, establishes a sound you won’t hear anywhere else. High-octane, minute-to-minute, and bursting with energy it isn’t. But what you will find is something endlessly evocative and endlessly repeatable in its lilting, laid-back spirit. I’m not a big post-rock nerd but I find everything released by Grails utterly engrossing.

#9. Svalbard // The Weight of the Mask – Svalbard have become more expressive and more creative as their career has progressed. While still firmly rooted in post-hardcore, The Weight of the Mask toys with musical boundaries more than ever. It features more of everything that has previously been a part of the Svalbard sound; from post-metal to post-rock to black metal. But it’s not the musical compositions that make these Brits so good. The emotive weight of their music makes each listen a passion-fuelled journey and I find myself returning for the feels it invokes above anything else. I’m not sure if I like Weight of the Mask more than When I Die, Will I Get Better? But, for those on the fence, it’s at least as good.

#8. Lunar Chamber // Shambhallic Vibrations – Few records from 2023 seemed as custom-built for this Cuervo as Shambhallic Vibrations by Lunar Chamber. Progressive? Check. Death metal? Check. Short run-time? Check. Incredible dynamism? Check. Buddhism?1 Check. Shambhallic Vibrations forges a new path through progressive death metal, leaning heavily on contemplative synths, impressive technicality, and doomy passages, all of which counter-balance the pace and ferocity of its core deathly style. Though shockingly varied for a release just running for 30 minutes, the release is unfailingly cohesive. From the breathy interludes to the brutal blasting, Lunar Chamber harmonizes their sounds into a satisfying whole. It isn’t a prerequisite for progressive albums to run for an hour or more. Shambhallic Vibrations does so much more with so much less.

#7. fromjoy // fromjoy – If you want to hear the coolest thing released in 2023, look no further than the self-titled EP by Houston’s fromjoy. It bottles insanity; conjures madness; flips the musical table. They do this with a fusion of various types of -core (grind, math, break) but streak this with winding, vaporwave synths. If this sounds like an unholy aberration, it is. But this aberration delights and energizes in equal measure. I’ve extracted more joy this year from these 26 minutes than full albums over twice that length. Almost every one of these ten tracks has a unique quirk; from wretched grind to stomping breakdowns to dancing trip-hop to smooth saxophones. fromjoy is a testament to pure creative energy and doing a lot with a little.

#6. Ulthar // Anthronomicon – Though it forms one side of a coin completed by its sister album Helionomicon, it was Anthronomicon that impressed me most of the concurrent release by pan-US collective Ulthar. What strikes me most are the compelling contradictions that Ulthar creates. Anthronomicon’s music is crushingly heavy yet repeatably memorable, while the instrumentation is oppressively other-worldly yet somehow human-performed. Blackened death metal cannot count itself among metal’s most penetrable sub-genres, but something about these warped arrangements hooks me. Ulthar might make strange, atmospheric music but Anthronomicon’s laser focus on outstanding riffs leaves a release I haven’t stopped spinning in nearly a year. It’s one of 2023’s most challenging but most rewarding listens.

#5. Tomb Mold // The Enduring Spirit – Why, after a run of critically acclaimed old-school death metal albums, is The Enduring Spirit the first Tomb Mold record to touch my AotY list? In short, because its music is far more inventive now. Switching out a cavernous aesthetic and unrelenting pace for tidier production and grandiose solos, The Enduring Spirit scratches that prog-death itch better than any other release from 2023. Though Tomb Mold has always been smarter-than-you-first-realize, this record represents a significant leap forward and feels like the next era of the band. Above all, it harmonizes Tomb Mold’s savage roots with newer, cerebral tendencies. While the immaculate transitions go some way to achieving this, the spacious soundstage and perfect instrumental tones ensure the release hangs together to my great satisfaction.

#4. Shadowrunner // Ocean of Time – Rebirth and Oblivion – For the first time, the Ocean of Time duo made me want to dislike a Shadowrunner release. Making the listener buy the same four songs twice in order to access the unique eight ruffled my feathers. But the music here is just so damn captivating that I can’t help but love the two sides nonetheless. Rebirth is as effortless and enchanting as any retrowave act from the last decade, while Oblivion is pure nostalgia bait. Warm synths, driving rhythms, smooth saxophones, and pleasant vocals; all are present and correct. Shameless pleasure and rose-tinted spectacles compel me to consistently choose something synthy for my AotY list and Shadowrunner made the best synth music of 2023. Do not sleep on one of the best acts in the scene.

#3. Sylosis // A Sign of Things to Come – I couldn’t be happier at my rediscovery of Sylosis since 2020’s Cycle of Suffering, and A Sign of Things to Come returns to deliver the goods once again. Despite the flack I took for describing Sylosis as how modern thrash should sound, I stand by that comment. 1986 already exists so go fucking listen to that again if you like. What this album will give you instead is music that fuses thrashy, melodic, technical, and hardcore influences into 10 super-charged tunes. They will fill you with rage, then re-energize you to exorcize that rage. For raw riff-craft, no other record was the match of this one. A sign of more things to come in the future? I fucking hope so.

#2. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Only one other record this year feels as complete as Of Golden Verse. It is a consummate album, expressing its music and thoughts in the exact amount of time it requires. Despite its poignance and emotive qualities, it feels incredibly precise; a work created by masters of their trade. Even with 4 tracks approaching or exceeding 7 minutes, there’s nary a wasted second. That’s a tough feat indeed in the world of prog, and Sermon exemplifies all that is great in the genre. Their undulating songwriting style results in music that ebbs from steely, tense atmospheres and flows to passionate, cathartic explosions. Dramatic, sure; maybe even melodramatic. But exciting and varied as Sermon dabbles in progressive, alternative, and doom metal. Of Golden Verse represents a huge step forward from their debut.

#1. Hasard // Hypnocentrisme – Though Hypnocentrisme wasn’t a clear winner, its complete singularity pushes it above everything else in 2023. Hasard paints stark, abstract images in shades of black; it’s an impenetrable, challenging release, obscuring its immense qualities behind oppressive heaviness and bewildering arrangements. Through the record’s black metal crust hides an accomplished orchestral core that’s just as disturbing—in some ways, more so—as its metal aspects. Purposefully deconstructing the screeching guitars, arhythmic drumming, ominous synths, and erratic counter-melodies delivers the year’s most thought-provoking music. Passively wallowing delivers the year’s most thought-crushing music. While it may not be the most enjoyable record of the year, it is certainly the most striking. No other 2023 record affected me like Hypnocentrisme.

Honorable Mentions

• Myrkur // Spine – Spine is just as sonically varied—arguably inconsistent—as any Myrkur release2 but this time it’s all high quality. From the poppy chorus on “Like Humans,” to the blast beats on “Valkyriernes Sang,” to the gentle folk on “Menneskebarn,” I’m emotionally invested throughout.
  Ahab // The Coral Tombs – Ahab is an indomitable force of doom metal, and The Coral Tombs didn’t miss a step after eight years away. Judicious variety and grand arrangements ensure that this is the best doom of 2023.
  Ne Obliviscaris // Exul – Balancing poignant string sections with crunchy death and black metal, NeO remains a stellar progressive metal band. Exul proves that even a NeO producing their weakest album is better than most others.

Songs o’ the Year

1. Godthrymm – “As Titans”
2. fromjoy – “Helios” / “Icarus”
3. In Flames – “Meet Your Maker”
4. Theocracy – “Return to Dust”
5. Hasard – “Hypnocentrisme”
6. Sermon – “Golden”
7. Angus McSix – “Master of the Universe”
8. Saturnus – “The Calling”
9. Sylosis – “Poison for the Lost”
10. ADMO – “Always”

GardensTale

In previous years, I wrote at least one paragraph about how the year went for me. But for the last 3 years, those have been pretty depressing, so I’m just going to skip that. Let’s talk about the good stuff instead. It’s strange to think that black metal is one of the last genres I seriously got into, around 5 years ago or so. Beforehand, I always thought all black metal was akin to lo-fi second-wave shit that sounds like someone sucked up a marble with the vacuum cleaner. Years before, Belgian unknowns Axamenta3 laid some groundwork to prove my misconception wrong, and Mistur hammered it home. Now the conversion is complete, thanks to a year that’s been absolutely stuffed with quality black metal. I could have made a very respectable list of only black metal records, HMs included. But I still like other genres, too, so it was inevitable a couple of other-minded rascals snuck in for color. At least Doom_et_Al won’t hate my list as much as usual. Probably.

I gotta add though, whilst I’ve heard a lot of praise for this year in metal, I still feel like I am missing a true winner. The order of my top 6 or so feels entirely arbitrary, and I’m not sure an extra month of listening would bring the necessary clarity. I’ve had plenty to love (my shortlist reached 10 albums by March or so, partially thanks to an unusually strong January) but the only albums I have been truly ecstatic about are discoveries that were released before the pandemic and barely metal-adjacent4 But so it goes! Every year is so different, in both life and music. I already had a sneak peek of a likely lister for next year, so I know we’ll be off to a good start in that regard.

I must thank my colleagues and editors for putting up with my slacking ass.5 You are a good bunch and half the reason I’m still pouring my heart and soul into this site. The other half is the free promos. And what’s an end-of-year projectile vomit of thank yous and love yous without addressing the readers? If you’re still here and didn’t just skip through to the list, you have my thanks. If you did skip to the list, you still have my thanks, you just won’t know about it. Even those of you who just check the winners and move on. You are still part of the weird and lovely conglomeration of readers we’ve developed, so thank you as well. And I must give a shout-out to the Discord folks. Though I don’t pop in too often, you’ve made it a lovely and welcoming server, and uncommonly well-behaved! Now, who’s ready for the other half of the worst takes in AMG?

#ish. Xoth // Exogalactic – Xoth is back and thus back in my list, because Xoth remains every bit the cool as hell bunch of motherfuckers it’s always been. It’s a little bit more technical and a little bit less memorable compared to its predecessor, missing a “Mountain Machines” level riff, but I still have a really hard time sitting still in my chair when Exogalactic is playing. Too much bouncy fun and sick solos!

#10. Fires in the Distance // Air Not Meant for Us – I listened to an absolute ton of melodic death metal in my early metal years. I still have a soft spot for the genre, but it also needs to do something different to stand out for me these days. Fires in the Distance fully meets that criterium. The stern, strident tone, doom-adjacent pacing, and tasteful piano make Air an album of aching beauty. I’m reminded in part of Eternal Tears of Sorrow, but far more mature and with great emotional depth. The only reason it didn’t place higher is that it doesn’t keep me coming back somehow, and these lists are nothing if not places to go with my gut.

#9. Leiþa // Reue – Speaking of my gut, Reue was the first full-blown punch it received this year. It amuses me when people claim that all black metal screams sound the same because though the lyrics are as incomprehensible as ever, I feel every ounce of the bottomless pain and despair Noise conjures here. But on top of the throat-ripping gurgles of depression are some very sophisticated melodies and good use of dynamics between quiet passages and all-out raging desperation. Most one-man bands struggle to make one worthwhile project, meanwhile, this guy has Leiþa, Non Est Deus, and Kanonenfieber on his resume. I’d call it unfair if I didn’t love it so much.

#8. Megaton Sword // Might & Power – Traditional metal doesn’t often show up on my year-end list. Maybe Megaton Sword wouldn’t have either, although I do love me a batch of idiosyncratic vocals. But a medical situation in the family made the first half of the year an especially stressful affair, and Might & Power with its simple sense of fun was my main musical comfort in that time. But there’s more to it than that. So many strong melodies with few frills. So many fist-pumping horseback-riding sword-raising shield-carrying moments of triumph and awe. And all tied together by that uncommon voice, acerbically spraying dark heroism over the battlefield. The worst of the family situation is well behind us, but Might & Power still won’t leave my regular rotation.

#7. Carnosus // Visions of Infinihility – Is it unfair to say Xoth got out-Xoth’ed this year? It’s the obvious point of comparison, between the many-faceted vocals, high technical ability, tongue-in-cheek insanity, twisting multi-part riffs, and snaking bass. But if Xoth is the oblique unknowable architecture of cosmic horror, Carnosus is the fleshy depravity of body horror. It theatrically revels in its filth and cackles as the audience turns green around the cheeks. Most of the death metal highlights this year have been of the cavernous or slamarific variety, neither of which does much for me, but Carnosus has been an absolute delight that’s kept up my good cheers.

#6. Walg // III – The vast majority of my music recommendations originate here, but once in a blue moon, my partner will send me a link to something that popped up in her random music feeds and I just get blown away. That’s how I found this independent duo from Groningen, the Netherlands, who, without any black metal experience, started shitting out annual albums in the middle of the pandemic and manage to outdo most of their peers in the process. III is a furious album, with blast beats and histrionic screeching out the wazoo, but is tempered by a bevy of great melodic riffs and the occasional gothic chant. Because the lyrics are in Dutch, which really is not a good language for this kind of horrific imagery, there’s something endearing to the band as well. The combination makes for a very interesting, dark yet catchy experience and one I can well recommend.

#5. Wayfarer // American Gothic – Wayfarer was always one of those bands I kept hearing about and kept not hearing. No particular reason, either; I resolved to listen to them several times and it just didn’t happen. Then I finally heard them, by seeing them live at Roadburn. It was definitely a highlight of the festival, aside from an interlude that was far too long and not nearly interesting enough. Thankfully, American Gothic is more balanced, a perfectly tuned album that calls forth the man in black stalking the prairie on horseback. It’s an album redolent in atmosphere without forgoing a good hook, one that can carry tension on a single banjo string. In short, it has lived up to the hype and then some.

#4. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Pure prog metal often gets a reputation for being wussy and weenie. Sermon does it differently. What attracts me to this album the most is the sense of threat. Sermon looms a great dark ominous wall that swallows the background and casts everything in shade. For an album to hold its breath even while beating you down takes some exquisite songwriting, and Of Golden Verse is jam-packed with it. Closer “Departure” really opens the floodgates, too, for a satisfying and bombastic finale.

#3. VAK // The Islands – I called The Islands one of the flat-out coolest albums of the year and I stand by it. If anything, my appreciation for VAK’s latest has only grown since then. When you’ve listened to a million albums, the ones that really stand out and stick with you are the ones with the strongest personality. If you’d send me an unlabeled song that didn’t make the cut on The Islands I would recognize it as VAK immediately, guaranteed. While so much sludge tries and fails to get under my skin with a hammer, VAK succeeds by taking a shortcut as it pries off my fingernails with a rusty screwdriver. It’s deliciously uncomfortable and I love it.

#2. The Circle // Of Awakening – This was surely the most heinous underrating of the year. The opener alone should earn the band its 4.0, a perfectly tuned piece of proggy black/death. One thing that strikes me is how good The Circle is at finding the right dosages. Every time it feels like one thing has run its course, something replaces or enhances it, from the versatile vocals to the use of symphonics and from blast beats to breathing room. I’ve revisited this one a lot since the summer, and for a while, I thought it was gonna top my list…

#1. Night Crowned // Tales – …until Night Crowned bum-rushed the stage. Whereas many of my listening habits this year have been decidedly un-brutal, in the metal sphere I have found myself drawn to the combination of melodic and intense music, particularly in the second half of the year. Tales is an exemplary album in this regard. The intense blasting and no-holds-barred shrieking always hold a melodic thread that makes it more than a wall of noise, whether it be from extra vocal layers, subtly interweaved symphonics, or a goddamn hurdy-gurdy that works way better than it should. The track where the latter features most prominently, “She Comes at Night,” is what drew me in, but every track has its own face; its deviations make it stand out from the others, like the clean vocals on melodic mid-pacer “Loviatar” or the Dimmu influence on the grandiose closer “Old Tales.” While I would not rank it as highly as the winners of previous years, you owe it to yourself to grab Tales if you haven’t already.

Honorable Mentions

• Aetherian // At Storm’s Edge – Contrary to my point with VAK, this album doesn’t do much particularly new but it’s the embodiment of Finnish style epic melodeath done really, really well.
• Somnuri // Desiderium – Who knew Mastodon-style sludge could be improved with grunge?
• Mutoid Man // Mutants – Wild, reckless fun with more depth than a first glance betrays.
• Genus Ordinis Dei // The Beginning – Narrative albums aren’t easy, but Genus Ordinis Dei has that shit in the bag. Easy to listen to, easy to love, and feels like a complete, well-rounded movie in the guise of an epic metal album.
• Laster // Andermans Mijne – It’s deeply strange and gets at all the bits of my brain that have been gathering dust for years, but I can’t deny its continuous pull.

Disappointment o’ the Year

This is the first paragraph I’m writing this year because it’s the easiest. I always used to like Soen. With Lotus, I even loved them. Imperial was a clear step-down, branching out in the wrong directions, but it was still enjoyable in its own right, just not approaching list material. They put on some good live shows this year, too. But Memorial goes off the deep end like Thelma & Louise. The remaining semblances of progressive rock and metal are gone, replaced by refried alternative rock. Even Joel Ekelöf sounds downright bad, his buttery smooth croon awkwardly squished into a grungy mold that doesn’t suit him. It’s like the band members collectively decided to challenge themselves by trying to make an album without doing any of the things they’re actually good at. The experiment failed, boys.

Song o’ the Year

Last year I discovered Norwegian artsy prog rock outfit Major Parkinson and fell deeply in love with their quirky, bombastic, gloomy aesthetic and thoughtful, varied songwriting. Not long into this year, I found out that enigmatic vocalist Jon Ivar Kollbotn had suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of a concert in October. Though he managed to finish the set, he flatlined backstage. By some miracle, police officers happened to be just outside the building and they managed to restart Kollbotn’s ticker. When he was sufficiently recovered, the band re-wrote and recorded an old live track named “Take the Prescription” to commemorate his survival. The result is as addictive as prescription drugs, an upbeat and offbeat artful piece of prog-pop with an infectious whistled tune, beautiful smooth bass usage, and the band’s signature dark undertone. Kollbotn sounds as coarse and moody as ever, and new permanent member Peri Winkle offers an outside perspective to the frontman’s near-death experience. And even if the track hadn’t been one of the sweetest things I’ve heard this year, it’d still be my favorite track of 2023. If only because he was still around to record it.

#2023 #Aetherian #Ahab #BlogPosts #Carnosus #ElCuervoSAndGardensTaleSTopTenIshOf2023 #FiresInTheDistance #fromjoy #GenusOrdinisDei #Grails #Hasard #Laster #Leitha #Lists #Listurnalia #LunarChamber #MegatonSword #MutoidMan #Myrkur #NeObliviscaris #NightCrowned #Sermon #Shadowrunner #Soen #Somnuri #Svalbard #Sylosis #TheCircle #TombMold #Ulthar #VAK #Walg #Wayfarer #Xoth

Lees tip -> PVV-Kamerleden bewerken foto’s van Timmermans met AI — mogelijk strafbaar | Naast strafrechtelijke vervolging kan Frans Timmermans ook een civiele procedure starten wegens onrechtmatige daad (art. 6:162 BW). | #AI #deepfake #digitalemanipulatie #FransTimmermans #laster #MaikelBoon #Nepbeelden #PatrickCrijns #Pvv #smaad #TweedeKamer |

https://hbpmedia.nl/pvv-kamerleden-bewerken-fotos-van-timmermans-met-ai-mogelijk-strafbaar/

GardensTale Goes to Roadburn 2024

By GardensTale

Roadburn is a unique festival. Many have no idea what it is, but those who know it often revere it. Starting in 1999 as a traveling stoner festival, it has grown into one of the most adventurous, envelope-pushing celebrations of music worldwide. The line-ups have grown increasingly experimental, and a few years ago the festival adopted the slogan Redefining Heaviness. It’s a mission statement that indicates the wide scope of the festival, exploring other forms of heaviness through the inclusion of genres beyond metal.

My partner and I have visited every Roadburn since 2017, when I last wrote a report on the experience. At the time, we had a sweet arrangement allowing free entry by playing host to a performing artist. Unfortunately, this option no longer exists since the pandemic, so instead we have been inviting random festival goers, which has netted us a steadily growing slew of festival buddies from across Europe. This year was no different, with a few old friends and a few new ones taking up residence in our living room. With the fires of friendship thus stoked, we set off on our sixth voyage into the depths of the heavy underground.

Day 1 (Thursday, 18th of April)

2:34 PM — Got to Hexvessel’s set playing Polar Veil a little late, because one of our guests needed a bracelet still. Good doom, played well, but doesn’t blow me away. Room is crammed, but it’s the first show of the festival.

2:44 PM — Watched a few songs, then went to grab merch. Hoodies were already sold out in several colors.

3:11 PM — Sunrise Patriot Motion is like “what if Ashenspire swallowed a synthwave band” and I like it. It’s a strange contrast but it works.

4:03 PM — Wiegedood were doing a live soundtrack to a Japanese experimental silent film from 1926 and it was as odd as that sounds.

5:44 PM — Grabbed some food during a gap in the schedule and afterward watched a few songs of Sean Mulrooney’s set (from Tau and the Drones of Praise). Dark folk with sparse vocals doesn’t really work unless the vocals are good, and these weren’t.

5:47 PM — Now sitting outside the venue where UBOA is doing her thing and it sounds like two supercomputers on train tracks colliding head-on. Bit above my maximum noise-to-music ratio.

7:16 PM — Inter Arma is pretty dang massive. Sound in the venue isn’t great so the guitars aren’t getting their due but faces are caving in.

8:26 PM — WHITE WARD IS FUCKING AMAZING

8:35 PM — Their saxophone player is in the army so they had to make do with samples, but after 4 canceled appearances due to Covid and the war, it was worth the wait.

9:46 PM — Everyone and the family dog wants to see Chelsea Wolfe, so being 20 minutes early still meant nosebleed spots in the balcony. Wolfe fills the room anyway. I don’t always click with her albums that much, but man she is a force to behold on stage.

10:54 PM — Shows hadn’t left much time for food today, so a big fat doner wrap will have to do. A fellow with too little blood in his alcohol walked into the door and cracked his head on the tiles. Walked away 10 minutes later. Hope he survived.

11:37 PM — Goddamn, Backxwash is heavier with her hip-hop than most bands are playing metal. No one on stage but a black woman in a poofy dress laying down the law over raw industrial beats. Fucking awesome set.

Day 2 (Friday, 19th of April)

3:14 PM — Started off crammed into the room like sardines to hear Fluisteraars do an experimental set: the droniest of drone with birdsong on top. Handled about 10 minutes of that before bailing. Not my jam and way overcrowded.

3:39 PM — Mat McNerney (aka Kvohst of Hexvessel and others) doing a commissioned piece called Music For Gloaming: A Nocturne. Very gothic doom/black mixture, pretty cool set with loads of atmosphere.

6:33 PM — After a meal we went to check out Lucy Kruger + The Lost Boys in the Hall of Fame venue. Very nice weighty dream pop, not unlike Emma Ruth Rundle.

8:31 PM — Good thing we were there because Inter Arma was drafted for a second performance, a secret set of material from their classic albums. Also in the Hall of Fame, the smallest venue of the festival. Absolutely brainscramblingly colossal. Easily the heaviest thing on the festival so far.

9:52 PM — Another secret set, this one by Couch Slut in the skate park. Harsh music under the harsh glare of the tubes. Great performance and the venue brought out their punky DIY spirit, looking forward to seeing them again early tomorrow for their new album playthrough.

Day 3 (Saturday, 20th of April)

1:24 PM — Knoll for breakfast is kind of terrifying and overwhelming but also kind of awesome in a “my skull is now 2D” kind of way.

1:26 PM — Suddenly a wild trumpet appears!

2:25 PM — Couch Slut playing their new album. Raw as all fucking get out. Great show! Excellent live band both performances, visceral as fuck. The frontwoman confessed to only sleeping 90 minutes that night, and occasionally it showed, but by and large, she killed it.

2:50 PM — Oneiroporeia is a super young band and it shows, but their blackened prog-goth sound is solid and promising.

5:04 PM — Roadburn has a queue problem this year, especially today, and primarily at the Spoorzone venues. It’s always unclear when a venue opens and the queues have gotten gigantic. After wasting some time in a queue in an attempt to see Agriculture, we decided to settle in at the Main stage and wait for The Keening.

5:52 PM — The Keening is as beautiful and fragile as the titular Little Bird, but could use a few more dynamic stanzas to balance out the mid-weight atmodoomfolk a little. Still quite pretty though.

8:37 PM — Between rain and queues we settled on Ni in the Paradox jazz club. Super skronky instrumental jazzmathcore is healing my soul right now.

10:44 PM — Ni turned out one of the best things I’ve seen at the festival this year. Cult Leader’s acidic sludgy hardcore made a run for the podium, but their gothic-doom passages just aren’t as captivating. When these guys go full blast though, they’re absolutely vicious.

11:32 PM — In the spirit of trying new things, we ended the day with a few Frail Body tracks. Safe to say that screamo is not my new passion.

Day 4 (Sunday, 21st of April)

3:05 PM — We dragged our exhausted husks to the Terminal for the final day. Kicking off with Laster is a good start. The weird psych black band with ghoulish masks are pretty much studio-tight. It does feel a little clinical or impersonal as a live show but it’s a very solid performance.

4:47 PM — Today really is black metal day at the Terminal. No complaints from me! Verwoed tears down the place with their ritualistic and reasonably melodic take. Good sound and a spirited performance. The Dutch black metal scene proves to be thriving once more.

6:27 PM — After all the doom and gloom, a little black thrash that’s all riffs and no brakes is just the ticket, and Devil Master hits the spot. Doing the second half of the set sitting on the floor by the wall because my feet are withered stumps at this point.

6:31 PM — I’m also surprised by the amount of delighted surprised faces I get from bartenders when I show them my order on my phone screen. Is it really that uncommon? It’s so much simpler than shouting!

8:32 PM — Biological necessities (aka food) and a queue meant missing the first half of Fluisteraars’ full black metal set. This is a shame because fuck me this is one of the best performances of the whole festival. It’s apparently only the second time the band performs live and they put most of their peers to shame.

10:18 PM — Dödsrit led a 50-minute war band to raid and pillage the Terminal. Baller set, tons of energy and extremely fun! Sound was a bit off, as is tradition in this venue, but it didn’t spoil a good time. Thought this would be the last show for us, but in the interest of a last drink with a few friends we went to…

11:29 PM — …the main stage for Cloakroom. Not a terribly engaging band even by shoegaze standards, but a nice lullaby to sing the festival to sleep.

Between collaborations, commissioned pieces, secret sets, and integral album presentations, not to mention a lot of bands that would not fit in at many other festivals, Roadburn’s line-up is always unique. I’d never have found bands like Ni or Lucy Kruger without the concerted efforts of Walter Hoeijmakers and Becky Laverty to keep Roadburn one of the most forward-thinking festivals out there. I found some new favorites and checked out some bands I knew only by reputation. But best of all is experiencing it all with an ever-expanding gaggle of friends. We’ve rarely watched a show with just the two of us; nearly every time we had the company of friends, and come rain or queues, that is the best way to experience this festival.

#Agriculture #Ashenspire #Backxwash #ChelseaWolfe #Cloakroom #CouchSlut #CultLeader #DevilMaster #Dödsrit #EmmaRuthRundle #Fluisteraars #FrailBody #Hexvessel #InterArma #Knoll #Laster #LucyKrugerTheLostBoys #ni #Oneiroporeia #SunrisePatriotMotion #TauAndTheDronesOfPraise #TheKeening #UBOA #Verwoed #WhiteWard #Wiegedood

Niedersachsen & Bremen: Laster kippt auf Seite – Fahrer mit 1,55 Promille am Steuer

Niedersachsen & Bremen Laster kippt auf Seite – Fahrer mit 1,55 Promille am Steuer 21.09.2025, 14:32 Uhr Nach…
#Bremen #Deutschland #Deutsch #DE #Schlagzeilen #Headlines #Nachrichten #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Fahrer #Germany #Laster #Niedersachsen #Promille #Seite #Steuer
https://www.europesays.com/de/441247/

Back to #tilburg for a post/experimental #blackmetal gig at #013poppodium featuring #DerWegeinerFreiheit #Heretoir and #laster We missed Laster unfortunately but enjoyed Heretoir and were predictably blown away by Der Weg Einer Freiheit. Their sonic tapestries translate well from the record to the stage.

Back to #tilburg for a post/experimental #blackmetal gig at #013poppodium featuring #DerWegeinerFreiheit #Heretoir and #laster We missed Laster unfortunately but enjoyed Heretoir and were predictably blown away by Der Weg Einer Freiheit. Their sonic tapestries translate well from the record to the stage.

Back to #tilburg for a post/experimental #blackmetal gig at #013poppodium featuring #DerWegeinerFreiheit #Heretoir and #laster We missed Laster unfortunately but enjoyed Heretoir and were predictably blown away by Der Weg Einer Freiheit. Their sonic tapestries translate well from the record to the stage.

Vuur & Zijde – Boezem Review

By GardensTale

Few things make as big a difference to genre as vocals. If it doesn’t have raspy screeching, can it still be called black metal? If it doesn’t sound like a certain blue monster swapped his addiction from cookies to craniums, can it still be called death metal? Vuur & Zijde is a new project that tests these questions with an odd blend of post-black and post-punk, eschewing harsh vocals entirely and glorifying love rather than hate. It’s no wonder that the line-up contains, among others, two-thirds of Laster, a band that also does not seem overly concerned with ‘genre conventions’ or ‘making sense.’ With other members cribbed from Terzij de Horde and Witte Wieven, Vuur & Zijde is a cross-section of the Dutch black metal scene, with only vocalist Famke Canrinus new to the scene. But is black metal about love really black metal to love?

The blend peddled on Boezem makes more sense when heard rather than read. The post-punk is a fair bit more prominent than the post-black. The influence of the latter is largely confined to the atmospheric streams of tremolos drifting off the guitars. The drums often remain fairly stoic, holding a steady yet sparse mid-pace with a focus on the snare and low-impact kicks, which keeps the overall energy reserved for the occasional few stretches of blasts. A surprise highlight is the bass, its dynamic compositions granting the music a bit more flexibility and soul. Overall, the darkly gothic and stifling atmosphere draws favorable comparisons with Killing Joke with forays into Alcest territory.

Miss Canrinus is the heart of the band, with a vocal performance hewing closer to occult rock like Coven with a warm, bewitching quality. Her timbre is clear and inviting, occasionally reminding me of Anneke van Giersbergen (Vuur et al), but despite her technical proficiency, her approach isn’t terribly dynamic, using the same delivery and intensity across most of Boezem. “Nest” is an outlier, showcasing several characterizations with phrases at turns sardonic and consoling, but a sense of repetitiveness diminishes their impact. Thankfully, the instrumental variety is stronger across the album. The aggressive bursts of “Onbemind,” the gothic doom “Us,” the energetic haunting of “Omheind” and the echoing atmosphere of “Naakt” all display different sides of Vuur & Zijde and demonstrate its aptitude for diverse yet cohesive songwriting.

Despite the unusual sound, Boezem sounds remarkably cohesive and lived in, as if the band has been honing its compositions for years. The only big compositional bump is in the center, the lethargic and repetitive “Kuier” which combines spoken word with a plodding, incessant melody. It completely halts the album’s momentum, and actually takes away from follow-up “II,” a powerful, synth-heavy and atmospheric track with a slow start that would have benefited from more contrast to its predecessor. It’s a sizeable mark on Boezem’s otherwise impeccable flow, but thanks to the strength of the rest of the material and the excellent production, it doesn’t sink the ship.

Though I’m the furthest thing from nationalistic, I do feel a little pride at the state of Dutch underground metal. Vuur & Zijde is yet another example of the innovative, envelope-pushing music emerging from our scene. Combining disparate well-trod genres into a new and engaging sound is no small feat, but here it feels effortless, as if the band has never done anything else. Considering the pedigree of the musicians, it should come as no surprise, but so often experiments like this fail miserably anyway. Boezem has its issues, the centralized momentum-robber chief among them. But it’s a bold demonstration of Vuur & Zijde’s qualities in both composition and execution and a very promising start to a hopefully fruitful project.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: vuurenzijde.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/vuurenzijde
Releases Worldwide: July 12th, 2024

#2024 #30 #Alcest #Boezem #Coven #DutchMetal #GothicMetal #Jul24 #KillingJoke #Laster #PostBlackMetal #postPunk #ProphecyProductions #Review #Reviews #TerzijDeHorde #Vuur #VuurZijde #WitteWieven

Vuur & Zijde – Boezem Review

By GardensTale

Few things make as big a difference to genre as vocals. If it doesn’t have raspy screeching, can it still be called black metal? If it doesn’t sound like a certain blue monster swapped his addiction from cookies to craniums, can it still be called death metal? Vuur & Zijde is a new project that tests these questions with an odd blend of post-black and post-punk, eschewing harsh vocals entirely and glorifying love rather than hate. It’s no wonder that the line-up contains, among others, two-thirds of Laster, a band that also does not seem overly concerned with ‘genre conventions’ or ‘making sense.’ With other members cribbed from Terzij de Horde and Witte Wieven, Vuur & Zijde is a cross-section of the Dutch black metal scene, with only vocalist Famke Canrinus new to the scene. But is black metal about love really black metal to love?

The blend peddled on Boezem makes more sense when heard rather than read. The post-punk is a fair bit more prominent than the post-black. The influence of the latter is largely confined to the atmospheric streams of tremolos drifting off the guitars. The drums often remain fairly stoic, holding a steady yet sparse mid-pace with a focus on the snare and low-impact kicks, which keeps the overall energy reserved for the occasional few stretches of blasts. A surprise highlight is the bass, its dynamic compositions granting the music a bit more flexibility and soul. Overall, the darkly gothic and stifling atmosphere draws favorable comparisons with Killing Joke with forays into Alcest territory.

Miss Canrinus is the heart of the band, with a vocal performance hewing closer to occult rock like Coven with a warm, bewitching quality. Her timbre is clear and inviting, occasionally reminding me of Anneke van Giersbergen (Vuur et al), but despite her technical proficiency, her approach isn’t terribly dynamic, using the same delivery and intensity across most of Boezem. “Nest” is an outlier, showcasing several characterizations with phrases at turns sardonic and consoling, but a sense of repetitiveness diminishes their impact. Thankfully, the instrumental variety is stronger across the album. The aggressive bursts of “Onbemind,” the gothic doom “Us,” the energetic haunting of “Omheind” and the echoing atmosphere of “Naakt” all display different sides of Vuur & Zijde and demonstrate its aptitude for diverse yet cohesive songwriting.

Despite the unusual sound, Boezem sounds remarkably cohesive and lived in, as if the band has been honing its compositions for years. The only big compositional bump is in the center, the lethargic and repetitive “Kuier” which combines spoken word with a plodding, incessant melody. It completely halts the album’s momentum, and actually takes away from follow-up “II,” a powerful, synth-heavy and atmospheric track with a slow start that would have benefited from more contrast to its predecessor. It’s a sizeable mark on Boezem’s otherwise impeccable flow, but thanks to the strength of the rest of the material and the excellent production, it doesn’t sink the ship.

Though I’m the furthest thing from nationalistic, I do feel a little pride at the state of Dutch underground metal. Vuur & Zijde is yet another example of the innovative, envelope-pushing music emerging from our scene. Combining disparate well-trod genres into a new and engaging sound is no small feat, but here it feels effortless, as if the band has never done anything else. Considering the pedigree of the musicians, it should come as no surprise, but so often experiments like this fail miserably anyway. Boezem has its issues, the centralized momentum-robber chief among them. But it’s a bold demonstration of Vuur & Zijde’s qualities in both composition and execution and a very promising start to a hopefully fruitful project.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: vuurenzijde.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/vuurenzijde
Releases Worldwide: July 12th, 2024

#2024 #30 #Alcest #Boezem #Coven #DutchMetal #GothicMetal #Jul24 #KillingJoke #Laster #PostBlackMetal #postPunk #ProphecyProductions #Review #Reviews #TerzijDeHorde #Vuur #VuurZijde #WitteWieven

GardensTale Goes to Roadburn 2024

By GardensTale

Roadburn is a unique festival. Many have no idea what it is, but those who know it often revere it. Starting in 1999 as a traveling stoner festival, it has grown into one of the most adventurous, envelope-pushing celebrations of music worldwide. The line-ups have grown increasingly experimental, and a few years ago the festival adopted the slogan Redefining Heaviness. It’s a mission statement that indicates the wide scope of the festival, exploring other forms of heaviness through the inclusion of genres beyond metal.

My partner and I have visited every Roadburn since 2017, when I last wrote a report on the experience. At the time, we had a sweet arrangement allowing free entry by playing host to a performing artist. Unfortunately, this option no longer exists since the pandemic, so instead we have been inviting random festival goers, which has netted us a steadily growing slew of festival buddies from across Europe. This year was no different, with a few old friends and a few new ones taking up residence in our living room. With the fires of friendship thus stoked, we set off on our sixth voyage into the depths of the heavy underground.

Day 1 (Thursday, 18th of April)

2:34 PM — Got to Hexvessel’s set playing Polar Veil a little late, because one of our guests needed a bracelet still. Good doom, played well, but doesn’t blow me away. Room is crammed, but it’s the first show of the festival.

2:44 PM — Watched a few songs, then went to grab merch. Hoodies were already sold out in several colors.

3:11 PM — Sunrise Patriot Motion is like “what if Ashenspire swallowed a synthwave band” and I like it. It’s a strange contrast but it works.

4:03 PM — Wiegedood were doing a live soundtrack to a Japanese experimental silent film from 1926 and it was as odd as that sounds.

5:44 PM — Grabbed some food during a gap in the schedule and afterward watched a few songs of Sean Mulrooney’s set (from Tau and the Drones of Praise). Dark folk with sparse vocals doesn’t really work unless the vocals are good, and these weren’t.

5:47 PM — Now sitting outside the venue where UBOA is doing her thing and it sounds like two supercomputers on train tracks colliding head-on. Bit above my maximum noise-to-music ratio.

7:16 PM — Inter Arma is pretty dang massive. Sound in the venue isn’t great so the guitars aren’t getting their due but faces are caving in.

8:26 PM — WHITE WARD IS FUCKING AMAZING

8:35 PM — Their saxophone player is in the army so they had to make do with samples, but after 4 canceled appearances due to Covid and the war, it was worth the wait.

9:46 PM — Everyone and the family dog wants to see Chelsea Wolfe, so being 20 minutes early still meant nosebleed spots in the balcony. Wolfe fills the room anyway. I don’t always click with her albums that much, but man she is a force to behold on stage.

10:54 PM — Shows hadn’t left much time for food today, so a big fat doner wrap will have to do. A fellow with too little blood in his alcohol walked into the door and cracked his head on the tiles. Walked away 10 minutes later. Hope he survived.

11:37 PM — Goddamn, Backxwash is heavier with her hip-hop than most bands are playing metal. No one on stage but a black woman in a poofy dress laying down the law over raw industrial beats. Fucking awesome set.

Day 2 (Friday, 19th of April)

3:14 PM — Started off crammed into the room like sardines to hear Fluisteraars do an experimental set: the droniest of drone with birdsong on top. Handled about 10 minutes of that before bailing. Not my jam and way overcrowded.

3:39 PM — Mat McNerney (aka Kvohst of Hexvessel and others) doing a commissioned piece called Music For Gloaming: A Nocturne. Very gothic doom/black mixture, pretty cool set with loads of atmosphere.

6:33 PM — After a meal we went to check out Lucy Kruger + The Lost Boys in the Hall of Fame venue. Very nice weighty dream pop, not unlike Emma Ruth Rundle.

8:31 PM — Good thing we were there because Inter Arma was drafted for a second performance, a secret set of material from their classic albums. Also in the Hall of Fame, the smallest venue of the festival. Absolutely brainscramblingly colossal. Easily the heaviest thing on the festival so far.

9:52 PM — Another secret set, this one by Couch Slut in the skate park. Harsh music under the harsh glare of the tubes. Great performance and the venue brought out their punky DIY spirit, looking forward to seeing them again early tomorrow for their new album playthrough.

Day 3 (Saturday, 20th of April)

1:24 PM — Knoll for breakfast is kind of terrifying and overwhelming but also kind of awesome in a “my skull is now 2D” kind of way.

1:26 PM — Suddenly a wild trumpet appears!

2:25 PM — Couch Slut playing their new album. Raw as all fucking get out. Great show! Excellent live band both performances, visceral as fuck. The frontwoman confessed to only sleeping 90 minutes that night, and occasionally it showed, but by and large, she killed it.

2:50 PM — Oneiroporeia is a super young band and it shows, but their blackened prog-goth sound is solid and promising.

5:04 PM — Roadburn has a queue problem this year, especially today, and primarily at the Spoorzone venues. It’s always unclear when a venue opens and the queues have gotten gigantic. After wasting some time in a queue in an attempt to see Agriculture, we decided to settle in at the Main stage and wait for The Keening.

5:52 PM — The Keening is as beautiful and fragile as the titular Little Bird, but could use a few more dynamic stanzas to balance out the mid-weight atmodoomfolk a little. Still quite pretty though.

8:37 PM — Between rain and queues we settled on Ni in the Paradox jazz club. Super skronky instrumental jazzmathcore is healing my soul right now.

10:44 PM — Ni turned out one of the best things I’ve seen at the festival this year. Cult Leader’s acidic sludgy hardcore made a run for the podium, but their gothic-doom passages just aren’t as captivating. When these guys go full blast though, they’re absolutely vicious.

11:32 PM — In the spirit of trying new things, we ended the day with a few Frail Body tracks. Safe to say that screamo is not my new passion.

Day 4 (Sunday, 21st of April)

3:05 PM — We dragged our exhausted husks to the Terminal for the final day. Kicking off with Laster is a good start. The weird psych black band with ghoulish masks are pretty much studio-tight. It does feel a little clinical or impersonal as a live show but it’s a very solid performance.

4:47 PM — Today really is black metal day at the Terminal. No complaints from me! Verwoed tears down the place with their ritualistic and reasonably melodic take. Good sound and a spirited performance. The Dutch black metal scene proves to be thriving once more.

6:27 PM — After all the doom and gloom, a little black thrash that’s all riffs and no brakes is just the ticket, and Devil Master hits the spot. Doing the second half of the set sitting on the floor by the wall because my feet are withered stumps at this point.

6:31 PM — I’m also surprised by the amount of delighted surprised faces I get from bartenders when I show them my order on my phone screen. Is it really that uncommon? It’s so much simpler than shouting!

8:32 PM — Biological necessities (aka food) and a queue meant missing the first half of Fluisteraars’ full black metal set. This is a shame because fuck me this is one of the best performances of the whole festival. It’s apparently only the second time the band performs live and they put most of their peers to shame.

10:18 PM — Dödsrit led a 50-minute war band to raid and pillage the Terminal. Baller set, tons of energy and extremely fun! Sound was a bit off, as is tradition in this venue, but it didn’t spoil a good time. Thought this would be the last show for us, but in the interest of a last drink with a few friends we went to…

11:29 PM — …the main stage for Cloakroom. Not a terribly engaging band even by shoegaze standards, but a nice lullaby to sing the festival to sleep.

Between collaborations, commissioned pieces, secret sets, and integral album presentations, not to mention a lot of bands that would not fit in at many other festivals, Roadburn’s line-up is always unique. I’d never have found bands like Ni or Lucy Kruger without the concerted efforts of Walter Hoeijmakers and Becky Laverty to keep Roadburn one of the most forward-thinking festivals out there. I found some new favorites and checked out some bands I knew only by reputation. But best of all is experiencing it all with an ever-expanding gaggle of friends. We’ve rarely watched a show with just the two of us; nearly every time we had the company of friends, and come rain or queues, that is the best way to experience this festival.

#Agriculture #Ashenspire #Backxwash #ChelseaWolfe #Cloakroom #CouchSlut #CultLeader #DevilMaster #Dödsrit #EmmaRuthRundle #Fluisteraars #FrailBody #Hexvessel #InterArma #Knoll #Laster #LucyKrugerTheLostBoys #ni #Oneiroporeia #SunrisePatriotMotion #TauAndTheDronesOfPraise #TheKeening #UBOA #Verwoed #WhiteWard #Wiegedood

GardensTale Goes to Roadburn 2024

By GardensTale

Roadburn is a unique festival. Many have no idea what it is, but those who know it often revere it. Starting in 1999 as a traveling stoner festival, it has grown into one of the most adventurous, envelope-pushing celebrations of music worldwide. The line-ups have grown increasingly experimental, and a few years ago the festival adopted the slogan Redefining Heaviness. It’s a mission statement that indicates the wide scope of the festival, exploring other forms of heaviness through the inclusion of genres beyond metal.

My partner and I have visited every Roadburn since 2017, when I last wrote a report on the experience. At the time, we had a sweet arrangement allowing free entry by playing host to a performing artist. Unfortunately, this option no longer exists since the pandemic, so instead we have been inviting random festival goers, which has netted us a steadily growing slew of festival buddies from across Europe. This year was no different, with a few old friends and a few new ones taking up residence in our living room. With the fires of friendship thus stoked, we set off on our sixth voyage into the depths of the heavy underground.

Day 1 (Thursday, 18th of April)

2:34 PM — Got to Hexvessel’s set playing Polar Veil a little late, because one of our guests needed a bracelet still. Good doom, played well, but doesn’t blow me away. Room is crammed, but it’s the first show of the festival.

2:44 PM — Watched a few songs, then went to grab merch. Hoodies were already sold out in several colors.

3:11 PM — Sunrise Patriot Motion is like “what if Ashenspire swallowed a synthwave band” and I like it. It’s a strange contrast but it works.

4:03 PM — Wiegedood were doing a live soundtrack to a Japanese experimental silent film from 1926 and it was as odd as that sounds.

5:44 PM — Grabbed some food during a gap in the schedule and afterward watched a few songs of Sean Mulrooney’s set (from Tau and the Drones of Praise). Dark folk with sparse vocals doesn’t really work unless the vocals are good, and these weren’t.

5:47 PM — Now sitting outside the venue where UBOA is doing her thing and it sounds like two supercomputers on train tracks colliding head-on. Bit above my maximum noise-to-music ratio.

7:16 PM — Inter Arma is pretty dang massive. Sound in the venue isn’t great so the guitars aren’t getting their due but faces are caving in.

8:26 PM — WHITE WARD IS FUCKING AMAZING

8:35 PM — Their saxophone player is in the army so they had to make do with samples, but after 4 canceled appearances due to Covid and the war, it was worth the wait.

9:46 PM — Everyone and the family dog wants to see Chelsea Wolfe, so being 20 minutes early still meant nosebleed spots in the balcony. Wolfe fills the room anyway. I don’t always click with her albums that much, but man she is a force to behold on stage.

10:54 PM — Shows hadn’t left much time for food today, so a big fat doner wrap will have to do. A fellow with too little blood in his alcohol walked into the door and cracked his head on the tiles. Walked away 10 minutes later. Hope he survived.

11:37 PM — Goddamn, Backxwash is heavier with her hip-hop than most bands are playing metal. No one on stage but a black woman in a poofy dress laying down the law over raw industrial beats. Fucking awesome set.

Day 2 (Friday, 19th of April)

3:14 PM — Started off crammed into the room like sardines to hear Fluisteraars do an experimental set: the droniest of drone with birdsong on top. Handled about 10 minutes of that before bailing. Not my jam and way overcrowded.

3:39 PM — Mat McNerney (aka Kvohst of Hexvessel and others) doing a commissioned piece called Music For Gloaming: A Nocturne. Very gothic doom/black mixture, pretty cool set with loads of atmosphere.

6:33 PM — After a meal we went to check out Lucy Kruger + The Lost Boys in the Hall of Fame venue. Very nice weighty dream pop, not unlike Emma Ruth Rundle.

8:31 PM — Good thing we were there because Inter Arma was drafted for a second performance, a secret set of material from their classic albums. Also in the Hall of Fame, the smallest venue of the festival. Absolutely brainscramblingly colossal. Easily the heaviest thing on the festival so far.

9:52 PM — Another secret set, this one by Couch Slut in the skate park. Harsh music under the harsh glare of the tubes. Great performance and the venue brought out their punky DIY spirit, looking forward to seeing them again early tomorrow for their new album playthrough.

Day 3 (Saturday, 20th of April)

1:24 PM — Knoll for breakfast is kind of terrifying and overwhelming but also kind of awesome in a “my skull is now 2D” kind of way.

1:26 PM — Suddenly a wild trumpet appears!

2:25 PM — Couch Slut playing their new album. Raw as all fucking get out. Great show! Excellent live band both performances, visceral as fuck. The frontwoman confessed to only sleeping 90 minutes that night, and occasionally it showed, but by and large, she killed it.

2:50 PM — Oneiroporeia is a super young band and it shows, but their blackened prog-goth sound is solid and promising.

5:04 PM — Roadburn has a queue problem this year, especially today, and primarily at the Spoorzone venues. It’s always unclear when a venue opens and the queues have gotten gigantic. After wasting some time in a queue in an attempt to see Agriculture, we decided to settle in at the Main stage and wait for The Keening.

5:52 PM — The Keening is as beautiful and fragile as the titular Little Bird, but could use a few more dynamic stanzas to balance out the mid-weight atmodoomfolk a little. Still quite pretty though.

8:37 PM — Between rain and queues we settled on Ni in the Paradox jazz club. Super skronky instrumental jazzmathcore is healing my soul right now.

10:44 PM — Ni turned out one of the best things I’ve seen at the festival this year. Cult Leader’s acidic sludgy hardcore made a run for the podium, but their gothic-doom passages just aren’t as captivating. When these guys go full blast though, they’re absolutely vicious.

11:32 PM — In the spirit of trying new things, we ended the day with a few Frail Body tracks. Safe to say that screamo is not my new passion.

Day 4 (Sunday, 21st of April)

3:05 PM — We dragged our exhausted husks to the Terminal for the final day. Kicking off with Laster is a good start. The weird psych black band with ghoulish masks are pretty much studio-tight. It does feel a little clinical or impersonal as a live show but it’s a very solid performance.

4:47 PM — Today really is black metal day at the Terminal. No complaints from me! Verwoed tears down the place with their ritualistic and reasonably melodic take. Good sound and a spirited performance. The Dutch black metal scene proves to be thriving once more.

6:27 PM — After all the doom and gloom, a little black thrash that’s all riffs and no brakes is just the ticket, and Devil Master hits the spot. Doing the second half of the set sitting on the floor by the wall because my feet are withered stumps at this point.

6:31 PM — I’m also surprised by the amount of delighted surprised faces I get from bartenders when I show them my order on my phone screen. Is it really that uncommon? It’s so much simpler than shouting!

8:32 PM — Biological necessities (aka food) and a queue meant missing the first half of Fluisteraars’ full black metal set. This is a shame because fuck me this is one of the best performances of the whole festival. It’s apparently only the second time the band performs live and they put most of their peers to shame.

10:18 PM — Dödsrit led a 50-minute war band to raid and pillage the Terminal. Baller set, tons of energy and extremely fun! Sound was a bit off, as is tradition in this venue, but it didn’t spoil a good time. Thought this would be the last show for us, but in the interest of a last drink with a few friends we went to…

11:29 PM — …the main stage for Cloakroom. Not a terribly engaging band even by shoegaze standards, but a nice lullaby to sing the festival to sleep.

Between collaborations, commissioned pieces, secret sets, and integral album presentations, not to mention a lot of bands that would not fit in at many other festivals, Roadburn’s line-up is always unique. I’d never have found bands like Ni or Lucy Kruger without the concerted efforts of Walter Hoeijmakers and Becky Laverty to keep Roadburn one of the most forward-thinking festivals out there. I found some new favorites and checked out some bands I knew only by reputation. But best of all is experiencing it all with an ever-expanding gaggle of friends. We’ve rarely watched a show with just the two of us; nearly every time we had the company of friends, and come rain or queues, that is the best way to experience this festival.

#Agriculture #Ashenspire #Backxwash #ChelseaWolfe #Cloakroom #CouchSlut #CultLeader #DevilMaster #Dödsrit #EmmaRuthRundle #Fluisteraars #FrailBody #Hexvessel #InterArma #Knoll #Laster #LucyKrugerTheLostBoys #ni #Oneiroporeia #SunrisePatriotMotion #TauAndTheDronesOfPraise #TheKeening #UBOA #Verwoed #WhiteWard #Wiegedood

Live verkiezingen | Zaanstad en Maastricht verwerpen aantijging Wilders: 'Pertinente onzin' - NU.nl

https://www.nu.nl/tweede-kamerverkiezingen/6374305/live-verkiezingen-zaanstad-en-maastricht-verwerpen-aantijging-wilders-pertinente-onzin.html

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Nog even en hij heeft weer een rechtszaak aan de broek...

@NOS
#wilders
#laster
#ondermijning
#ondermijningrechtsstaat