#novembersdoom — Public Fediverse posts

Regulating my mood by listening to #NovembersDoom to come down from Electric Callboy induced euphoria.

Since the last Filter dropped, it still hasn’t stopped raining and storming in my neck of the woods. Consequently, my minions trudge evermore through the thin sheet metal of our ducts as the thunder rattles everything like so many dice in a tabletop nerd’s clutches.1 Yet I must press them and push them, for we have quotas to meet and ravenous appetites to sate.

So it is with shaky hands and discombobulated craniums that my grunts hand over the goods. BEHOLD!

Kenstrosity’s Thrashed Thrall

Ascended Master // Crepuscular Gloom [May 8th, 2026 – Self Released]

Death thrash is best thrash, if you ask this sponge. Something about this unholy combo really rustles my jimmies, especially when its executed with great speed and riff-centered fervor. Cincinnati’s Ascended Master nail that combination right into the grave, boasting a sound that’s three parts Death, one part Atheist, and a pinch of Blood Red Throne. With a sense of groove that gives barnburners “Blood Spilled Upon the Stars,” “Crepuscular Gloom,” and rabid closer “Xenopaleontology” a deadly swagger liable to cause fierce whiplash in all who would headbang to it, debut LP Crepuscular Gloom” is a record pumped full of testosterone and adrenaline. Speedy rippers like “Midnight Mother” and “Ghoul Queen” put the pedal to the metal with a ferocity more commonly associated with Kvaen or Hellripper in the modern pantheon, but the record’s natural engineering and coherent screams hark to earlier times where Death reigned supreme in the scene. However, it would be inaccurate to call it pure worship. Ascended Master have an intense personality and a particular ferocity that allows Crepuscular Gloom to integrate smoothly into their respective category without blending into the crowd. As their career develops from this point, I expect we’ll see their identity bloom and rise with greater distinction, further setting them apart and threatening year-end lists all around. Just wait, you’ll see!

ClarkKent’s Prehistoric Pulls

Ilienses Tree // Toward the Storm [May 1st, 2026 – Meuse Music Records]

Ilienses Tree sow their roots deep into the island the band originates from—Sardinia, just off the coast of Italy. Their name, Ilienses, refers to an ancient Nuragic civilization that, during the Bronze Age, built impressive stone tower structures that still stand today. While the band isn’t nearly so old, their second album, Toward the Storm, dabbles in the sort of slow, deliberate doom that speaks of the patience of those ancient ruins. They lean towards a style of funeral doom that has the brutal power of My Dying Bride, but their record also contains the unpredictable dynamic drumming of Oromet and sneaks into speedier death/doom territory akin to Paradise Lost and Novembers Doom. Ilienses Tree have a mastery over melancholic lead riffs, such as the one that opens “To Not Be Forgotten.” “Sudden Rain” flexes the band’s creative muscle most impressively. Beginning in a slow burn and anchored by a poignant guitar lead, the song has a sudden burst of energy, turns in a lovely duet between arpeggiated riffs and bass, and features several more memorable and distinct guitar leads. Though the songs average nine minutes, they fit neatly into a 38-minute record, and thanks to progressive structures, they never feel overlong. If you’d like some music that simultaneously hits you in the feels and provides a shot of adrenaline, then go towards, not away from, this storm.

Anna Fiori // Metztli [May 21st, 2026 – Self Released]

Sometimes symphonic metal bands grow a touch stale from a failure to innovate, relying too heavily on the gimmick of symphonic instruments. Anna Fiori, however, has created something pretty special, with a Mexican/Aztec twist on the genre. Her band mixes “pre-Hispanic instrumentation” with cinematic symphonics and heavy guitars to create thrilling high-energy music. While some songs hit a more poppy Beyond the Black mold (“En El Vacio”), others take a longer-form route. The nine-minute “Luna Llena (Xiki Noeso)” blends indigenous chants and flutes with orchestral elements that sometimes sound like an exciting score to a whimsical adventure film. The highlight, “Luna Menguante (Nimotemak),” contains a mix of cool riffs, flutes, and blast beats before taking us on a bonkers ride involving operatic singing, off-kilter pianos, a few solos, and perhaps the summoning of a demon or two. While the song compositions are tons of fun, Fiori’s performance ties it all together. She sings in the sweet poppy manner of Epica’s Simone Simons, the operatic style of many a Therion singer, and even some growls in the spirit of Seven Spires’s Adrienne Cowen, if not quite her power. Fiori even briefly raps on a couple of tracks, with a pretty impressive section on the outro track, “Tetzahuitl, Pt. 2: El Origen,” and goes off-script with an infectious laugh on “Entre Mil Voces.” Clearly she’s having a lot of fun. Metztli hits some of the familiar symphonic notes while injecting enough personality of its own to make for an entertaining, and sometimes wild, ride.

Grin Reaper’s Spring Fling

Beyond the Veil // Oblivion [May 1st, 2026 – Wormholedeath Records]

There’s little online information about Tokyo prog metallers Beyond the Veil,2 and while I don’t recall how I stumbled across debut Oblivion, I’m glad I did. Upon listening, I was immediately enamored by their familiar yet enchanting blend of drama and technicality. Fans of Opeth and Dream Theater will uncover a trove of unapologetic prog where Beyond the Veil weaves gorgeously conceived instrumentation into intricate compositions. Oblivion also embraces long-form arrangements, sporting six tracks ranging between seven-and-a-half and sixteen minutes each. Credit to Beyond the Veil, though, because even with such robust runtimes totaling over an hour, Oblivion never feels repetitive or bankrupt of ideas. Quite the opposite, in fact, as each listen reveals new knots to untangle and coils to unwind. Perhaps the facet I’ve come to appreciate the most as I revisit Oblivion is Beyond the Veil’s merger of piano, mellotron, and orchestrations with guitar, bass, and drums. They’re hardly the first band to do this, but each song sounds well-attuned to incorporating the right instrument for the right part rather than spotlighting heavy-handed wankery, allowing Oblivion to soar. While Beyond the Veil doesn’t break the mold with this one, getting lost in Oblivion never sounded so sweet.

Lago // Vigil [May 8th, 2026 – Everlasting Spew Records]

Vigil introduced me to Lago and their infectiously abrasive death metal, and this album is forty-two minutes of unhinged brutality flecked with melody. The blood of Immolation, Morbid Angel, and Incantation pumps through Lago’s veins, delivering unapologetic tangles of dissonant, jangling guitars, fuming blast beats, and murky bass runs beneath Cole Jacobsen’s devilishly demented gutturals. Lago’s brew is potent stuff, swirling and churning with caustic acid that will leave your eardrums scarred and cowed with nary a moment wasted. Complimenting the devastating filth Lago dredges is Gus Barr’s warbling lead guitar, which cuts through the grime with off-kilter shredding. “Behold, Ruin” and “Initiation Rite” hit with the immediacy and aplomb of Immolation, lurching onwards with Brian Miller’s timekeeping straight out of Close to a World Below’s playbook. Meanwhile, “Procession into Slaughter” and “The Land Was a Desert” launch into Azagthoth-tinged, otherworldly riffs. Everything about Lago screams danger, yet once the blood starts flowing it’s impossible to turn away from their murderously addictive violence. Once Vigil has its hooks in you, you won’t want them to Lago.

Redshift // Down the Wire [May 29th, 2026 – Pale Wizard Records]

As a massive Rush fan, Redshift’s Down the Wire immediately caught my attention with ample parallels. A power trio wielding buttery smooth bass lines, Lifeson-leaning chords, and Tiago Martins’ tender tenor call to mind Canada’s greatest export for all the right reasons. Yet Bath, England’s Redshift is more than a Rush clone, and on Down the Wire they bounce and whip in syncopated flurries and chromatic runs while dabbling with vocoded vocals and deathly roars. As the best prog does, Redshift explores vast territory in a commensurately brief runtime. Opener “The Routine” hits the Rush influence hard and early, but “The Clown” draws upon Synchestra-era Devin Townsend kookiness while “The Rogue” dabbles in Yesified eclecticism and even features guest keys from Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen). One thing Redshift steers away from is the self-seriousness associated with a lot of prog, and Down the Wire radiates a pervasive sense of fun. Trumpets and samba-coded melodies enliven “The Rogue” while “The Singer” assaults with fierce growls, wicked solos, and perfectly balanced instrumental interplay. Down the Wire fires on all cylinders, scorching with progressive songwriting and so much replayability that I regret not getting the chance to write a review in full. If you’re Down to the Wire and need a prog fix quickly, Redshift is a clever choice that won’t disappoint.

Spicie Forrest’s Nostalgic Nugget

Haste the Day // Dissenter [May 1st, 2026 – Solid State Records]

I haven’t heard the name Haste the Day since 2008. At the time, I was on the tail end of my metalcore phase and pushing into heavier styles, so while I recognized their quality, I didn’t latch on to them as I did other acts of their ilk. It’s a shame, because Dissenter is the sound of my adolescence. Slinging the same emo-flavored metalcore as early As I Lay Dying and August Burns Red, the Indianapolis-based six-piece offers 39 minutes of beautifully aching nostalgia. Stephen Keech’s lead vocals sound pushed and strained (complimentary), evoking the emotion of early Linkin Park (“Shallows,” “Grave”). Guitarists Scott Whelan, Brennan Chaulk, and Dave Krysl are so in sync, delivering stellar layered riffs and leads felt in the soul (“Burn”). When Michael Murphy’s bass comes to the fore, as on “Liminal,” he brings a heaviness and intensity that hurtles me back to middle school like it was just yesterday. Dissenter is a bit heavier and faster on the front end, but even the not-quite-overwrought power ballads of the back half maintain their drive and pacing thanks to Giuseppe Capolupo’s kit work (“Adrift,” “Escape”). For those of us who cut our teeth on acts like Haste the Day, late-career and comeback albums can be an anxious affair, but I’m happy to report that Dissenter is a worthy walk down memory lane.

Wills Dissolve – The Heavens Are Not On Fire...
#BlackMetal #Metal #Opeth #PostBlackMetal #atmosphericblackmetal #deathdoom #doommetal #novembersdoom #postrock #Amadora
CC BY-NC (#CreativeCommons Attribution Non Commercial) #ccmusic
https://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-heavens-are-not-on-fire

SolNegre – Anthems for the Grand Collapse Review

Just off Spain’s Mediterranean coast lie the Balearic Islands. Among the approximately 1.2 million island residents is a…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2026 #3.5 #AnthemsfortheGrandCollapse #Apr26 #AU #Australia #BeachBoys #DoomMetal #Ennui #Entertainment #MeuseMusic #MyDyingBride #NovembersDoom #review #reviews #Saturnus #SolNegre #SpanishMetal
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/583471/

Just off Spain’s Mediterranean coast lie the Balearic Islands. Among the approximately 1.2 million island residents is a cadre of musicians who appear to have played together in a variety of projects for some time.1 SolNegre comprises four of these musicians along with a handful of guest contributors. Based on the photos of the beautiful sandy beaches and clear blue water, you might think these guys would play a cheerful genre like Beach Boys-core. Yet, even the beach life must have its woes because what SolNegre deliver is a slab of melancholic doom that has more in common with My Dying Bride or Saturnus than any band playing songs about Piña coladas. Just the sight of their apocalyptic album title, Anthems for the Grand Collapse, makes me want to soak in one of those lovely beaches to rinse off the bleakness. Let’s dive in and see how well these island dwellers do the sadboi.

While the intro for opener, “The Axiom – Song for the Inert Part II,”2 reveals SolNegre’s flair for using synths to create atmosphere, the meat of the song establishes their mix of crushing My Dying Bride riffs and growls with the more energetic death/doom of Novembers Doom. A hooky melodic lead wends its way throughout, culminating in an ambitious solo that takes the lead to new levels. The incredibly catchy follow-up, “The Hollow Inside,” includes a chorus that potentially has appeal for a mainstream audience, even if the track goes off in decidedly non-mainstream directions. The flip side to the death/doom is an Ennui-level funeral doom tune that casts a pall over the already dour mood (“For All that Could Have Been”). SolNegre play sorrowful tunes in an impressively varied number of ways.

The Axiom – Song for the Inert Part 2 by SolNegre

The band members’ strong chemistry shows in their talent and cohesiveness. Ûkh lays down a powerful vocal performance with some muscular death growls. He adds heft and punch alongside an impressively bass-heavy guitar attack. Gebre proves to be the glue that adheres the record together. His deep, chugging bass features on nearly every track, and he also gets to play a nifty jazz solo midway through “The Hollow Within.” Guest contributors add some varied character throughout, such as a solo from Mike Le Rosetti that comprises almost the entire back half of “The Axiom” and some cleans from Pedro Inglés during the jazzy segue on “The Hollow Within.” SolNegre hands the reins over to recurring guest singer Gadea es Ineseta3 and violinist Núria Luis on the remarkably lovely “In the Stillness of the Womb.” Though it skews more soft rock than extreme metal, it features such poignant and affecting performances from Ineseta and Luis that it feels right at home among these anthems to a grand collapse.

20260102_224403

A few iffy songwriting decisions do keep Anthems for the Grand Collapse from greatness, however. For one, SolNegre struggle with coherent lyrics on some tracks. This is especially problematic on “The Hollow Within,” where an awkward attempt at a metaphor combining loneliness, water, and drowning leads to the laughably bad line, “A room without doors or windows / Knowing how to swim is wise.” It’s a sore part of an otherwise terrific song. Further, the hot and cold pacing creates a stuttering feel throughout the record, with a few tunes creeping too slowly and others creeping on a bit too long. “For All That Could Have Been” in particular sags in the middle of the album. Individually, the songs are good to great, but transitions between them can be jarring.

Next time you want to balance out your bright and cheery beach vacation with some downer music, you should pack SolNegre’s Anthems for the Grand Collapse. It’s sure to have you and your family looking to drown out your loneliness and sorrows in the warm, beautiful waters lapping at your toes. This has proven to be a solid sophomore effort from the Balearic Islands. I love to hear the passion on display, and even where the band shows some warts, it only makes the record all the more endearing. I hope those island beaches don’t keep these guys happy and occupied for too long so they can put out another record sooner rather than later.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: April 3rd, 2026

Old Night – Mediterranean Melancholy Review

By ClarkKent

Loneliness is a theme ripe for the sadboi genre, and given the epidemic of loneliness in our modern era, it’s a relatable one. Yet Croatian doom outfit, Old Night, tackles a more obscure topic on Mediterranean Melancholy—lighthouse keepers.1 This record marks the quintet’s fourth since forming ten years ago, and it’s the first with Ivan Hanžek stepping up as lead vocalist, following the departure of his brother, Matej, who left for personal reasons. Sadboi doom is typically ape fodder, as evidenced by the glowing review for Dawn of Solace earlier this year, yet somehow this ended up in my lap. Time to find out if Steel Druhm will be shedding tears at this missed opportunity to review one of his favorite genres.

Old Night certainly has a lot in common with sadboi stalwarts, Dawn of Solace. They mix pensive cleans with harsher growls, leaning much more heavily into the cleans. Songs often begin with melancholic guitar leads, Insomnium-style, and delve into Novembers Doom-esque rhythmic chugs, but Old Night plays at a much slower pace than these other bands. These elements mix nicely on tunes like “Stormbirds,” where an Eastern-tinged melody combines with Hanžek’s solemn tones to tug at the heartstrings. It builds up to an impassioned call to “Unleash the storm / unleash the stormbirds,” among the record’s highlight moments. The formula throughout Mediterranean Melancholy is consistent, but breaks on the finale, “The Loneliness of Lighthouse Keepers.” This song opens with a bit of soft rock arpeggios before Hanžek croons about a lighthouse keeper and a man on the moon. It mixes magical realism with raw emotion and gentle strums with heavy riffs to wring tears from attentive listeners. It stands as the album’s emotional peak.

Compared to the likes of Dawn of Solace, Old Night proves to be a bit rough around the edges. This is most apparent in the vocals. Hanžek sings his heart out, but his pitch is all over the place. He fares better when singing at a lower pitch, such as the beginning of “Chasing Yesterdays,” but at higher volumes, his voice leans more shout-y than sing-y. Luka Petrović’s growls similarly lack the oomph required to be effective. A good growl here and there would certainly help to darken the tone, but it feels like Petrović holds himself back the few times he steps in. Instrumentally, Old Night fares better. On guitars, Bojan Frian and Ivan Hanžek excel at the sort of melodic leads that ooze sorrow. They strum some memorable hooks, though I wish these hooks had more airtime. The production doesn’t often allow Petrović’s bass to make itself known, but he lets loose with a nice bass line on the finale. Similarly, Nikola Jovanović commands the kit with some hefty, slow-paced beats that add to the record’s gravitas. These guys can play, but are let down by production and songwriting choices.

Underwhelming vocals are rarely a dealbreaker for me, but Old Night’s biggest issue lies in its songwriting. While the record wraps up at a tidy 43 minutes, each tune ranges from the seven to nine-minute mark, and not a single one earns its stay. While Mediterranean Melancholy features traditional song structures better suited to four to five-minute bites, Old Night pads each track with tedious instrumental passages and slow, repetitive choruses. Most egregious is “Ghosts,” which gets through its full progression after four minutes but continues on for another five and a half minutes, seemingly in search of a reason to keep going. Only “The Loneliness of Lighthouse Keepers” justifies going beyond six minutes, but even this could benefit from snipping a minute or two off.

Sadly, Old Night doesn’t quite scratch that sadboi itch. The elements are all there: the melodies, the lyrical content, the musicianship. Yet they fall prey to a common pitfall—bloat. With some cutting, Mediterranean Melancholy could have been a serviceable EP. As it stands, the long, meandering songs reveal how tough it is for doom to toe the line between causing listeners to shed tears of sorrow or tears of boredom. Next time I hope they can hone in on their strengths and trim the fat.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#20 #2025 #croatianMetal #dawnOfSolace #doomMetal #insomnium #mediterraneanMelancholy #meuseMusicRecords #nov25 #novembersDoom #oldNight #review #reviews

Album Review: Novembers Doom – ‘Major Arcana’

#NovembersDoom #MajorArcana #AlbumReview #ProphecyProductions #SeptemberReleases

Link: https://metalinsider.net/reviews/album-review-novembers-doom-major-arcana

Novembers Doom – Major Arcana Review

Chicago’s Novembers Doom have charted a unique course for themselves over the last 30 years. Their unnatural pairing…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Music #2025 #3.0 #AmericanMetal #DoomMetal #Entertainment #FieldsofNephilim #MajorArcana #NovembersDoom #ProphecyProductions #review #reviews #Sep25 #WoodsofYpres
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/167836/

Novembers Doom – Major Arcana Review

By Steel Druhm

Chicago’s Novembers Doom have charted a unique course for themselves over the last 30 years. Their unnatural pairing of beefy, cargo-beshorted death metal and highly emotional doom originally felt unstable and liable to erupt into chaos at any moment, but over time, they became adept at finding the ideal balance between madman and sadboi. Albums like The Pale Haunt Departure and Hamartia were loaded with ripping riffs and plaintive gloom, and at their best, Novembers Doom can tear at the heartstrings even as they snap your neck. The wild swings from hugely emotional, weepy sadboi melancholy and femur-fracturing death could sometimes feel forced, but more often it just fucking worked. 2019s Nephilim Grove had big moments but felt underbaked with too much filler. It’s been almost six years since, but now we get their 12th album, Major Arcana, and hopefully, a rebound for these Autumnal leaf reapers of despair.

Nothing’s really changed in the way Novembers Doom approach their trade. After an ominous and forboding intro piece, they come out swinging on the massive title track and hit you like a runaway battleship with a wide collection of primal feelz. Grinding riffs are coated with Paul Kuhr’s excellent clean and death metal vocals as the intensity builds and Kuhr warns, “This has gone too far.” The way his vocals increase in intensity is gripping, and all the usual melodic tricks Novembers Doom are known for come to the fore. This is really good shit. Another high point comes with “Mercy,” where the band hits gold with an emotionally crushing piece that evokes Woods of Ypres, Pink Floyd, and latter-era Anthema. It will break your fucking heart with its beauty and poignancy. Also quite tasty is album centerpiece “Bleed Static,” which uses its 8-minute runtime to explore a variety of despondent emotions effectively. Elsewhere, “The Dance” sticks out for its very Amorphis-esque airy, melodic guitar work and a chorus that you can easily imagine Tomi Joutsen singing.

Unfortunately, the rest of Major Arcana doesn’t operate at this level, and though most tracks have something worthwhile to offer, they won’t whisk you away in a leafblower maelstrom. “Ravenous” is a basic melodeath tune that should run 3-4 minutes, but gets stretched to 6 for no good reason. The back third of the album is significantly less enthralling than the early tracks, and while the songs work in the context of the album, they aren’t especially captivating individually. At 56-plus minutes, it would have been easy to drop 2 or 3 tracks to deliver a leaner, meaner release, but that isn’t the Novembers Doom way. This is a mood piece kind of listen, though, and if you’re in the right state of mind, it will all drift by without much resistance.

As ever, Paul Kuhr is the epicenter of the band’s sound, and he does his usual first-rate job. His singing voice is so perfect for doom that he should run a clinic on it.1 He sounds so desperately hurt and broken on “Mercy” that you can’t help but want to give him a big hug and tell him everything will be OK. At times, his singing reminds me a lot of the late great Eric Wagner of Trouble, and that’s great company to be in. His death roars are also as good as ever, big, booming, nasty, and venomous. His transitions between extremes are smooth and well-timed, and he knows how to wring a song for the maximum emotional impact. Lawrence Roberts and Vito Marchese wield potent riff hammers that often feel like they belong on a caveman death metal platter. When they do lapse into doom and melancholic sadboi mode, they deliver the goods there too. On cuts like the title track, “Mercy,” and “Bleed Static,” you can feel the pathos dripping from their fretboards. I just wish they spread that quality more evenly across the whole record.

Albums like Major Arcana can end up a frustrating experience because you get a few really amazing songs and the remainder ends up looking pale in comparison, even if nothing is bad. Novembers Doom have struggled with this issue over their career, and both 2019s Nephilim Grove and this one are held back by inconsistent songcraft. This is a good release with really high points, but you’re left feeling it could be so much more. I want MOAR leaf doom, dammit!

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: novembersdoom1989.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/novembersdoom1989 | instagram.com/novembersdoom
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #DoomMetal #FieldsOfNephilim #MajorArcana #NovembersDoom #ProphecyProductions #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #WoodsOfYpres

NOVEMBERS DOOM (Estats Units) presenta nou àlbum: "Major Arcana" #NovembersDoom #MelodicDoom #DeathMetal #Setembre2025 #EstatsUnits #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Falling Leaves – The Silence That Binds Us Review

By Twelve

Doom metal and I have not been getting along much lately. I’ve noticed this in recent years—the slow, the sad, the funereal, it just doesn’t have the impact it used to. Even the stuff I used to love has fallen by the wayside a bit. But something about Dubai’s (originally Amman) Falling Leaves has compelled me to dust off my hat and give it another shot. Maybe it’s the gorgeous cover art. Maybe it’s the fact that The Silence That Binds Us is only Falling Leaves’s sophomore full-length, despite having been around since 2009, with their debut released in 2012. Thirteen years is a long time between albums, but few genres benefit from long, careful consideration like doom metal. Suffice to say, I came into this assignment with high expectations—and walked away with new love for the genre.

Strictly speaking, though, Falling Leaves are probably closer to the “doom/death” category than simply doom metal, because their music is so energetic. Still, it is mournful, blending thematic elements from Altars of Grief and Shape of Despair. It includes guest vocals from Paul Kuhr of November’s Doom, which is another likely influence. The pacing for The Silence That Binds Us ranges from the lively (“The Angel on My Shoulder”) to the dismal (“The Everlasting Wounds”), but while the music often feels powerful, it never loses its woeful overtures (Fabio Alessandrini walks a tightrope on drums, but does an exceptional job). Bashar Haroun and Kuhr’s vocal talents are mighty: there is plaintive singing, impassioned roaring, and more narration than I usually care for in my metal, but Falling Leaves pulls it off—often, the sudden clarity on the touching lyrics is welcome and Haroun has a gravitas to his delivery that suits it well. In all, The Silence That Binds Us has a lot going for it, a strong foundation to build some strong songs on.

Fortunately, Falling Leaves can write strong songs. Opener “Carvings” is some of the best death/doom I’ve heard in a long time; its chorus in particular towers over the listener with aching melancholy. Ariel Perchuk’s (Liliumdust) keys do some serious lifting—I could go on for the entire review about well-placed, sweeping keyboard work—but here it’s a simple piano melody that lifts the chorus from something great to something amazing (a similar effect appears in “We Are Alone”). On “Ashes of My Mind,” a heavy, devastating piece that greatly highlights Ala’a Swalha and Fadi Stanboulieh’s talents on guitar, it is Perchuk’s ever-present piano that keeps the music grounded in doom territories, contrasting pained tremolos and heavy riffs that complement baleful roars. Swalha and Stanboulieh’s seamless transitions from hard-hitting riffs to soft notes to weeping tremolos allow Falling Leaves to write with variety, and no two songs on The Silence That Binds Us feel overly similar.

All of this would be for naught—or, at least, for less—if The Silence That Binds Us didn’t sound good, but Falling Leaves has that base covered too. Dan Swanö’s master brings his trademark clarity to every moment. As is perhaps typical for this style of music, Ali M.’s bass is very much a background player, but listen to the stirring pre-chorus of “Carvings” and you can hear it driving the tension. This is a rare moment where the bass gets to shine, but its contribution is exactly what it needs to be. Really, my only issue with The Silence That Binds Us is its pacing. With only one song shorter than six minutes, it feels a touch overlong at fifty-one minutes. If I were to continue nitpicking, I’d say “Shattered Hopes” has such a strong “closer” feel to it that I feel like the songs that follow it meander a touch. That’s not a knock on the songs themselves, mind—just a statement on how much I love “Shattered Hopes.”

Falling Leaves are reigniting my passion for an entire subgenre. You can hear the amount of work that’s gone into The Silence That Binds Us. If it’s not actually thirteen years of painstaking writing and planning, then it sure sounds like it anyway. The songwriting is stellar, the performances are great, and it sounds amazing. Minor issues with pacing aside, I really can’t find much fault here. If you read this, Falling Leaves, please don’t make me wait a decade for the next one! Your music is much too good to keep quiet.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Meuse Music Records
Website: fallingleaves.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: September 5th, 2025

#2025 #40 #AltarsOfGrief #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #FallingLeaves #Liliumdust #MelodicDeathMetal #MeuseMusicRecords #NovembersDoom #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #ShapeOfDespair #TheSilenceThatBindsUs #UnitedArabEmiratesMetal

New songs you may have missed – 8/4/2025:

#NewSongs #NewMusic #BeforeTheDawn #NovembersDoom #Stryper

Link: https://metalinsider.net/video/new-songs-you-may-have-missed-8-4-2025

Novembers Doom return with new album ‘Major Arcana,’ set for September:

#NovembersDoom #MajorArcana #NewAlbum #NewSong #SeptemberReleases

Link: https://metalinsider.net/video/novembers-doom-return-with-new-album-major-arcana-set-for-september

Grey Skies Fallen – Molded By Broken Hands Review

By Iceberg

There was a time when setting up a couple microphones and plugging in some line cables could yield an acceptable level of kvlt, capable of moving serious stacks of cassette tapes. These days things are more laborious; pre-production, tracking, retracking, multiple stages of post-production, all involving different professionals in different studios in different towns. New York doom metal veterans Grey Skies Fallen have been around the block a few times—since 1999 to be exact—and they know the right people to surround themselves with to craft a good album. With tracking duties helmed by none other than Mr. Menegroth himself Colin Marston, and post handled by Dan “The fucking MAN” Swanö my hopes were high for the band’s sixth full-length Molded By Broken Hands. Grey Skies Fallen know how to wrap a package, but is there substance beneath the surface?

Grey Skies Fallen have managed to fly under the radar here at AMG, despite releasing music for nearly a quarter century. While previous albums saw the band leaning into the more aggressive side of death-doom, the return of founding guitarist Joe D’Angelo has yielded a record steeped in the weepy sadboi doom of My Dying Bride and November’s Doom. Frenetic riffs sharpened with blast beats have given way to melody-driven harmonized guitar leads, and while Rick Habeeb’s impressive roar is still on display, there are more plaintive cleans here than usual for a Grey Skies Fallen record. Also notable for the band is the absence of keyboards, with only a few supporting synth performances by Marston. Although Swanö’s signature rich production creates a vast soundscape for Molded By Broken Hands, this is a leaner, more exposed version of Grey Skies Fallen, and that doesn’t always work out in their favor.

So much of Molded By Broken Hands feels like the band took one step forward and two steps back. Habeeb’s harsh vocals are on-style for massive doom, but his cleans aren’t nearly as strong, clashing with the energy of the band (“No Place for Sorrow”) or straining the limits of tuning (“Save Us”). The band show maturity in using minimal material per track, but they also have a fondness for unexpectedly shifting tempo or meter, creating a whiplash listen (“Molded By Broken Hands,” “No Place For Sorrow,” “I Can Hear Your Voice”). Seamless rhythmic transitions would help round out the edges here, but the drum parts often feel hesitant and too far behind the beat, almost as if the drummer wasn’t completely comfortable with the part being recorded (“A Twisted Place In Time,” “Molded By Broken Hands,” “No Place For Sorrow”). This is particularly egregious in the open, exposed moments of the title track, with far too much cymbal work filling the gaps in the music, when restraint might have lent some breathing room to both the song and listener.

It’s a shame because there are some bright spots hidden in Molded By Broken Hands. The guitars—particularly the melodic leads—by Habeeb and D’Angelo are noteworthy, shining in the coda of “A Twisted Place In Time” and standout closer “Knowing That You’re There.” The strings—credit to Ben Karas—that are so heavily featured in the album’s bookends are missed in the interior; their contrast with the weightiness of the band provides a welcome dynamic. 6 of the 7 tracks here approach 7 minutes in length, and while long-form is idiosyncratic to the style, it’s notable how strong of a cut “Cracks in Time” is. At a svelte 4:30 the riffs and melodies are distilled down to their purest form, the drums finally lock into step with the other instruments, and the band refuses to let the track overstretch itself. It’s telling that this is the only advance single available on Bandcamp, and thusly the embed; the band know where their strengths lie, but the final package doesn’t celebrate them.

I’m greatly vexed by Molded By Broken Hands. Grey Skies Fallen seem to have so many things going for them on the surface, from their musical maturity to their choice of recording partners. But the proof is in the pudding, and something went awry in the recipe for this album; it was difficult for me to get through a listen without asking myself “why?” track to track. Hopefully, the band can find a way to tighten up their recording and focus on their strengths on subsequent albums, but until then, I’d recommend looking elsewhere for your glorious sadboi fix.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Profound Lore | Bandcamp
Websites: facebook.com | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 8, 2024

#20 #2024 #AmericanMetal #DarkMetal #DoomMetal #GothicMetal #GreySkiesFallen #Mar24 #MoldedByBrokenHands #MyDyingBride #NewYorkMetal #NovembersDoom #ProfoundLore #Review #Reviews

The Crawling – All of This for Nothing [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Steel Druhm

U.K. doom-death act The Crawling had some decent to solid releases in the past, their doom-death style both familiar and comforting, but they never really blew me away. They’d been quiet since 2018’s Wolves and the Hideous White, but they roared back in a big way in August with their third 3rd album, All of This for Nothing. Taking their blend of influences ranging from Novembers Doom, Bolt Thrower, and My Dying Bride and pushing the envelope hard, they created what is their most expansive and entertaining album thus far. And it’s such an engaging release because it so adroitly marries big hooks with dark moods and heavy atmospheres while making their style come across as something reasonably new and refreshing. Not an easy trick to pull off these days, but The Crawling manage it and in the process make All of This for Nothing a standout moment in 2023.

Early on in opener “March of the Worm” it becomes clear The Crawling have stumbled onto something. The song moves through familiar territories fluctuating between doom, death and sludge, playing with moods and tempos to craft a strange beast of a song that keeps you attentive and alert. The shifting moods are handled very well and the ebb and flow is great. The material gets deeper and more engrossing as the album unspools, with “Another Vulture” sounding very Bolt Thrower-esque with a blackened doom overlay that keeps blowing off, exposing the chugging death metal core in all its horrid glory. “Thy Nazarene” wanders off into Moonspell and Heavenwood territory with side quests to raid Paradise Lost and it has a weird hypnotic aura to it that gets under your brain skin. The cleanly sung segment is especially biting and reminds me of the material on Heavenwood’s The Tarot of the Bohemians Part I.

Bigger still is the mega-bleak, grim but oddly uplifting “Bound to the Negative” which swills deeply from the Peaceville Three era while conjuring some uber-mournful Saint Vitus-friendly doom leads that chill the soul before segueing into OSDM chugs and thuggery. It’s an 8-plus minute song that doesn’t feel long at all and keeps you on your toes throughout. Another big high point comes with closer “Sparrow,” which sounds like November Doom borrowing from Katatonia and Swallow the Sun. It’s heavy as fook but oddly beautiful and hypnotic.

Andy Clarke knocks it out of the park with a huge collection of massive doom riffs, mournful trilling, and crushing death chugs. The guy is all over this thing and it’s hard to believe there isn’t another axe involved. Clarke and Stuart Rainey do a great job trading vocals, mixing nasty death roars, blackened cackling, and occasional clean bits to maximum effect. Clarke’s death vocals often sit between Paul Kuhr and Nick Holmes and provide a meaty heaviness to the material. Also well worth mentioning is the slick, nuanced drumming by Gary Beattie. He effortlessly bridges the gaps between the different genres the band dabbles in, keeping everything cocked and locked. The Crawling evolved into a much more dangerous act here and this thing is a relentless grower. Give it a chance to burrow into your overloaded music centers. You won’t be sorry.

Tracks to Check Out: “Thy Nazarene,” “Bound to the Negative,” “Sparrow”

#2023 #AllOfThisForNothing #BoltThrower #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #Heavenwood #MyDyingBride #NovembersDoom #TheCrawling #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023

Dusk – Dissolve into Ash Review

By Steel Druhm

Long, long ago (1995 to be exact), an unheralded Green Bay, Wisconsin act named Dusk threw their hat in the death-doom arena and dropped a short debut titled …Majestic Thou in Ruin. I stumbled upon it in a local record store while in law school and bought it based entirely on its tranquil cover art. I was quite taken with what was inside too, and the band’s rough, raw, yet highly atmospheric style resonated deeply. Dusk walked the same morose and tortured territory as diSEMBOWELMENT, but they opted to stick closer to the doom side of things, at times almost venturing into early My Dying Bride / Anathema soundscapes. The album was quite striking for the time with beauty and charm all its own. I relied on it often as a de-stressor throughout the rigors of law school and especially loved playing it during snow storms while residing in upstate New York. As much as I enjoyed …Majectic, Dusk dropped off my radar after that since they never released a follow-up. Since then, a bunch of other bands have assumed the Dusk mantle, so when I saw the promo for Dissolve into Ash, it didn’t initially occur to me that this would be those mysterious Wisconsiners back after 28 long years. Yet back they are with almost the same lineup and newly inspired by the isolation of the COVID lockdown. With virtually no chance of this recapturing the oddball magic of a bygone era, I went into Dissolve into Ash with well-managed expectations but secretly hoped for another blizzard beast of a platter.

Whatever cryofreeze these cats were locked in, it certainly preserved them well, though their overall approach is somewhat different now. Opener “Beacon Obscured” is a shockingly good piece of doom with heavy riffs pounding you as death roars pair with ethereal female vocals. Though the debut featured female vocals too, they play a larger role here, making them sound like a meaner version of Draconian with traces of Novembers Doom. The writing wrings the most emotion and drama possible from the beauty and the beast vocals, and the riffs are heavy enough to balance out the dialed-up Gothic edge. This is way heavier and more grinding than the usual Gothic doom outing, and cuts like “The Dim Divide” and “Ancient Passage” are borderline sludge in their abrasive, raw delivery. The nearly 8-minute “Libations Offered” is a big highpoint, with a grinding pace and raw vocals creating a massive and hypnotic groove that feels inexorable and unstoppable.

The album has a well-thought-out pace and though things remain locked firmly in heavy doom dirge mode almost the whole time, effective writing largely keeps things interesting. More importantly, things are kept very heavy. “Shrouded in Mist” feels like a proper death metal monster that just got hit with a tranq dart and is fighting the effects as it keeps coming after you slower and slower. Sadly, at over 8 minutes, you may wish the beast fell sooner. While no track is bad or filler-grade, there is some bloat here and there, and some cuts are good, but can’t rise to that next level. It’s also striking how little this album sounds like the debut. That’s understandable after so long a gap, but I want more of the olden days sound to seep in. At just under 49 minutes, Dissolve into Ash just manages to escape feeling overlong, and a few minutes could be chipped off the longer cuts without harming them. I’m a big fan of the production here which gives the guitars a threatening largeness and the drums a bone-shaking force.

The riffs that churn and pulsate across Dissolve Into Ash are the star of the show. Tim Beyer and Steve Gross do a good job of finding that sweet spot between mournful doom leads and skull-crushingly heavy riffs that owe more to sludge and death metal. The interplay of these elements is the key to making the compositions hum, and this they generally do. There are slight touches of black metal around the edges and a rough, ugly feel is well maintained. Steve Crane’s raspy, raw death vocals go down well, though I sometimes want him to go more subterranean. Dana Ignarski has a lovely voice and imparts an air of grace and beauty to what is an ugly platter. She’s used sparingly and quite well.

I’ll chalk up Dissolve into Ash as a happy surprise and credit Dusk for sounding way better than they have a right to after being defunct for more than a quarter of a century. There’s enough here to make me hope to hear more from them, and this is good enough to garner attention and some new fans. That said, I’d still recommend checking out the debut. I’d call it a cult classic, but I’m not sure enough people know the album to form a proper cult. This should be remedied and now is as good a time as any. Give this a try and then get thee to the past.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Dark Symphonies
Websites: duskusaofficial.com | duskusaofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/duskusaofficial
Releases Worldwide: December 8th, 2023

#MajecticThouInRuin #2023 #30 #AmericanMetal #DarkSymphonies #DeathMetal #diSEMBOWELMENT #DissolveIntoAsh #DoomMetal #Dusk #MyDyingBride #NovembersDoom #Review #Reviews

Finally took the plastic off this today and giving it a spin now. Really like how it's been presented. Just beautiful 🖤

Novembers Doom - Nephilim Grove

#NovembersDoom
#Doom
#Metal