#paradiselost — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/fi/323885/ Hellsinki Metal Festival 2026 lauantai – Opeth, Eluveitie, Paradise Lost ja metallin monet kasvot #AssembleTheChariots #eluveitie #Entertainment #FI #Finland #Finnish #HellsinkiMetalFestival #horna #Iotunn #kalmah #misþyrming #MISþYRMING&NERGAL #Music #Musiikki #numento #opeth #orly #ParadiseLost #Suomi #triptykon #viihde

Movie TV Tech Geeks #TVNews #DCComics #WarnerBros #ParadiseLost 'Wonder Woman' Series Officially Dead at DC http://dlvr.it/TTzn5S

Movie TV Tech Geeks #TVNews #DCComics #WarnerBros #ParadiseLost 'Wonder Woman' Series Officially Dead at DC http://dlvr.it/TTzn5S

Made some more copies of #ParadiseLost and dropped a few off at Mindset boardshop. I like the slow burn of independently published media—slowly making its way around town, reaching people one by one via word of mouth over a long period of time.

ICYMI: This is a #zine about the very beginnings of the #punk and #hardcore scenes in Sarasota County, #Florida where I live. It’s an oral history zine and an art book. Hit me up if you want a copy. More info: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

Made some more copies of #ParadiseLost and dropped a few off at Mindset boardshop. I like the slow burn of independently published media—slowly making its way around town, reaching people one by one via word of mouth over a long period of time.

ICYMI: This is a #zine about the very beginnings of the #punk and #hardcore scenes in Sarasota County, #Florida where I live. It’s an oral history zine and an art book. Hit me up if you want a copy. More info: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

Made some more copies of #ParadiseLost and dropped a few off at Mindset boardshop. I like the slow burn of independently published media—slowly making its way around town, reaching people one by one via word of mouth over a long period of time.

ICYMI: This is a #zine about the very beginnings of the #punk and #hardcore scenes in Sarasota County, #Florida where I live. It’s an oral history zine and an art book. Hit me up if you want a copy. More info: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

Made some more copies of #ParadiseLost and dropped a few off at Mindset boardshop. I like the slow burn of independently published media—slowly making its way around town, reaching people one by one via word of mouth over a long period of time.

ICYMI: This is a #zine about the very beginnings of the #punk and #hardcore scenes in Sarasota County, #Florida where I live. It’s an oral history zine and an art book. Hit me up if you want a copy. More info: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

Made some more copies of #ParadiseLost and dropped a few off at Mindset boardshop. I like the slow burn of independently published media—slowly making its way around town, reaching people one by one via word of mouth over a long period of time.

ICYMI: This is a #zine about the very beginnings of the #punk and #hardcore scenes in Sarasota County, #Florida where I live. It’s an oral history zine and an art book. Hit me up if you want a copy. More info: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

Starker Wacken-Gig von den great britains #ParadiseLost

https://www.magentamusik.de/paradise-lost-woa-2026-9208205928595568990

#Wacken

Starker Wacken-Gig von den great britains #ParadiseLost

https://www.magentamusik.de/paradise-lost-woa-2026-9208205928595568990

#Wacken

Starker Wacken-Gig von den great britains #ParadiseLost

https://www.magentamusik.de/paradise-lost-woa-2026-9208205928595568990

#Wacken

Starker Wacken-Gig von den great britains #ParadiseLost

https://www.magentamusik.de/paradise-lost-woa-2026-9208205928595568990

#Wacken

Starker Wacken-Gig von den great britains #ParadiseLost

https://www.magentamusik.de/paradise-lost-woa-2026-9208205928595568990

#Wacken

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

First Trailer for Korean Thriller ‘Paradise Lost’ About a Missing Child

First Trailer for Korean Thriller ‘Paradise Lost’ About a Missing Child by Alex Billington August 3, 2026Source: YouTube…
#EuropeSays #Korea #KR #baehyeon-seong #foreignfilms #kimhyun-joo #Korean #Koreanfilm #koreanthriller #missingson #paradiselost #psychologicalthriller #sci-fi #SouthKorea #thriller #tiff #towatch #trailer #YeonSang-ho
https://www.europesays.com/korea/107957/

Clear blue summer sky, an 18th century wool trading space modelled after an Italian piazza, and a selection of prog metal bands. I'm quite happy.
#HalifaxPieceHall #Katatonia #paradiselost #Opeth

Clear blue summer sky, an 18th century wool trading space modelled after an Italian piazza, and a selection of prog metal bands. I'm quite happy.
#HalifaxPieceHall #Katatonia #paradiselost #Opeth

Nick Holmes looks EXACTLY like my PE teacher back in the days. I despised him wholeheartedly. Love #ParadiseLost though. #Wacken

Nick Holmes looks EXACTLY like my PE teacher back in the days. I despised him wholeheartedly. Love #ParadiseLost though. #Wacken

Nick Holmes looks EXACTLY like my PE teacher back in the days. I despised him wholeheartedly. Love #ParadiseLost though. #Wacken

Day Three – Final, Electrifying Night With Electric Callboy, Lamb Of God, Nevermore, Paradise Lost And Deafheaven. Hills Of Rock 2027 Promo Tickets Sold Out In Just One Hour

https://metalphotos.org/2026/07/30/day-three-final-electrifying-night-with-electric-callboy-lamb-of-god-nevermore-paradise-lost-and-deafheaven-hills-of-rock-2027-promo-tickets-sold-out-in-just-one-hour/

"Could there be
Something that your world depends on in me?

Could it be
Nothing that you've learned from ash and debris?"

Paradise Lost - Ash & Debris

https://musiccloud.io/_EOPO

#Music #ParadiseLost

"Could there be
Something that your world depends on in me?

Could it be
Nothing that you've learned from ash and debris?"

Paradise Lost - Ash & Debris

https://musiccloud.io/_EOPO

#Music #ParadiseLost

"Could there be
Something that your world depends on in me?

Could it be
Nothing that you've learned from ash and debris?"

Paradise Lost - Ash & Debris

https://musiccloud.io/_EOPO

#Music #ParadiseLost

"Could there be
Something that your world depends on in me?

Could it be
Nothing that you've learned from ash and debris?"

Paradise Lost - Ash & Debris

https://musiccloud.io/_EOPO

#Music #ParadiseLost

"Could there be
Something that your world depends on in me?

Could it be
Nothing that you've learned from ash and debris?"

Paradise Lost - Ash & Debris

https://musiccloud.io/_EOPO

#Music #ParadiseLost

Watch: Kim Hyun Joo Reunites With Her Grown-Up Son Bae Hyeon Seong Who Went Missing As A Child In New Film “Paradise Lost” Teaser

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.soompi.com/article/1856268wpp/watch-kim-hyun-joo-reunites-with-her-grown-up-son-bae-hyeon-seong-who-went-missing-as-a-child-in-new-film-paradise-lost-teaser

As its creators dare, modern metal music holds the unique position of having decades of realized and celebrated sounds to guide it. Whether it’s the harmonized crunch of Iron Maiden, the forlorn, minor-scale weeping of Paradise Lost, or the twisting, chiming builds of Fates Warning, classic styles like these build a world that transcends the simple attachment of a good chorus or solo. And in the lineage of NWOBHM fury, gothic sorrows, and progressive tinkering, Mark Sugar roots his long-running prog-ish, doom-ish, always heavy Black Sites project. Album after album, Sugar has explored his wide range of musical influences to capture that hard-to-attain feeling of nostalgia without ever being comfortable living in the shadow of any one band. Does For Eternity, then, as installment number five, cement the growing legacy of this recognizable Black Sites synthesis?

Like a worn body, scuffed pickguard six-string, Black Sites has aged with a trustworthy action in its idiosyncratic and progressive foundations. As our beloved DANG once noted, earlier albums like Exile felt like a playlist of Black Sites’ favorite metal songs recreated in the Black Sites fashion—far from a misstep when the material is as quality as Sugar and co. produce. 2021’s Untrue began the path toward a more controlled vision. But then with an extra rhythmic flashiness, 2023’s The Promised Land? saw Black Sites taking greater risks on complex, longer-form tracks contrasted with slower, crowd-ready bangers. On that latter endeavor, For Eternity doubles down and adds an even more ’80s-loaded riff flair. In the construction of tracks like “Giving Up the Ghost” and “Silent Wars,” it doesn’t take much effort to hear the homage to the deadly and moody axe-led precision of classics like Dio’s “The Last in Line” or Ozzy Osbourne’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel.” Yet in the presence of these touchpoints, Black Sites never loses its course down Sugar’s own expression of heavy metal appreciation.

Throughout For Eternity, a thundering momentum defines the Black Sites attacks. In well-paced bursts of four-to-six-or-so minutes, trademarked open string punctuation in melodies finds weight in power chord progressions, tom-heavy drum drives, and growling, thumpy bass struts.1 For those desiring a pick scrape to pull-off riff-fest, “Above Soil, Beneath Sky” and “Silent Wars” stand at attention to raised horns. And if it’s Sugar’s nimble fingers ripping between muted crunch and piercing, melodic solo work, “Aquarius Betrayed” and “When Prophecy Fails” provide all the nimble fretboard action one could ask for in this context. Whatever the mass of metal movement, Sugar’s slithering and workmanlike warble push and pull on unexpected beats with a relatable melancholy dressed as attachable choruses. While never as bright and boisterous as new co-conspirator Chris Black and his work in High Spirits, this iteration of Black Sites, no matter the tempo, plows through every bar with heavy metal purpose.

In coordination with this honed songcraft, a touch more production panache helps For Eternity wear a bigger presence than its predecessors. The Dan “The Man” Swanö mix/master effort emboldens Sugar and new axe-partner Lee Smith (Professor Emeritus) to find a warmth in tone and classy fullness in reverb that let precise pedal action and pickup shifts feel swift, seamless, and vibrant (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “When Prophecy Fails”). And despite the diversity in total attack that each song presents, a uniformity in staging helps Sugar’s sneaky array of snippy licks stick to memory no matter how intense the main refrain or soaring the solo can be (“Aquarius Betrayed,” “Above Soil, Beneath Sky,” “Silent Wars”). Again, the veteran conductor Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits, ex-Pharaoh) as a co-producer unlocks fine details like gentle synth backings and sneaky vocal layering that add depth and tension to moody intros and triumphant crescendos (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “Unanswered for Eternity”).2 Every choice matters, and every choice elevates what For Eternity has to offer.

With this level of calculated prowess, however, For Eternity doesn’t pack any surprises, or rather, doesn’t expand the Black Sites playbook by any significant value. But novelty for the sake of achieving novelty isn’t necessary for an album to succeed. As the fifth step in the Black Sites journey, For Eternity strikes with finesse. And sticking to a tested and refined palette of hooky, hammering, and harmonious heavy metal, Sugar has delivered an experience that, while easy to digest, unfolds new layers with each successive listen.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: blacksites.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blacksites
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

As its creators dare, modern metal music holds the unique position of having decades of realized and celebrated sounds to guide it. Whether it’s the harmonized crunch of Iron Maiden, the forlorn, minor-scale weeping of Paradise Lost, or the twisting, chiming builds of Fates Warning, classic styles like these build a world that transcends the simple attachment of a good chorus or solo. And in the lineage of NWOBHM fury, gothic sorrows, and progressive tinkering, Mark Sugar roots his long-running prog-ish, doom-ish, always heavy Black Sites project. Album after album, Sugar has explored his wide range of musical influences to capture that hard-to-attain feeling of nostalgia without ever being comfortable living in the shadow of any one band. Does For Eternity, then, as installment number five, cement the growing legacy of this recognizable Black Sites synthesis?

Like a worn body, scuffed pickguard six-string, Black Sites has aged with a trustworthy action in its idiosyncratic and progressive foundations. As our beloved DANG once noted, earlier albums like Exile felt like a playlist of Black Sites’ favorite metal songs recreated in the Black Sites fashion—far from a misstep when the material is as quality as Sugar and co. produce. 2021’s Untrue began the path toward a more controlled vision. But then with an extra rhythmic flashiness, 2023’s The Promised Land? saw Black Sites taking greater risks on complex, longer-form tracks contrasted with slower, crowd-ready bangers. On that latter endeavor, For Eternity doubles down and adds an even more ’80s-loaded riff flair. In the construction of tracks like “Giving Up the Ghost” and “Silent Wars,” it doesn’t take much effort to hear the homage to the deadly and moody axe-led precision of classics like Dio’s “The Last in Line” or Ozzy Osbourne’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel.” Yet in the presence of these touchpoints, Black Sites never loses its course down Sugar’s own expression of heavy metal appreciation.

Throughout For Eternity, a thundering momentum defines the Black Sites attacks. In well-paced bursts of four-to-six-or-so minutes, trademarked open string punctuation in melodies finds weight in power chord progressions, tom-heavy drum drives, and growling, thumpy bass struts.1 For those desiring a pick scrape to pull-off riff-fest, “Above Soil, Beneath Sky” and “Silent Wars” stand at attention to raised horns. And if it’s Sugar’s nimble fingers ripping between muted crunch and piercing, melodic solo work, “Aquarius Betrayed” and “When Prophecy Fails” provide all the nimble fretboard action one could ask for in this context. Whatever the mass of metal movement, Sugar’s slithering and workmanlike warble push and pull on unexpected beats with a relatable melancholy dressed as attachable choruses. While never as bright and boisterous as new co-conspirator Chris Black and his work in High Spirits, this iteration of Black Sites, no matter the tempo, plows through every bar with heavy metal purpose.

In coordination with this honed songcraft, a touch more production panache helps For Eternity wear a bigger presence than its predecessors. The Dan “The Man” Swanö mix/master effort emboldens Sugar and new axe-partner Lee Smith (Professor Emeritus) to find a warmth in tone and classy fullness in reverb that let precise pedal action and pickup shifts feel swift, seamless, and vibrant (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “When Prophecy Fails”). And despite the diversity in total attack that each song presents, a uniformity in staging helps Sugar’s sneaky array of snippy licks stick to memory no matter how intense the main refrain or soaring the solo can be (“Aquarius Betrayed,” “Above Soil, Beneath Sky,” “Silent Wars”). Again, the veteran conductor Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits, ex-Pharaoh) as a co-producer unlocks fine details like gentle synth backings and sneaky vocal layering that add depth and tension to moody intros and triumphant crescendos (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “Unanswered for Eternity”).2 Every choice matters, and every choice elevates what For Eternity has to offer.

With this level of calculated prowess, however, For Eternity doesn’t pack any surprises, or rather, doesn’t expand the Black Sites playbook by any significant value. But novelty for the sake of achieving novelty isn’t necessary for an album to succeed. As the fifth step in the Black Sites journey, For Eternity strikes with finesse. And sticking to a tested and refined palette of hooky, hammering, and harmonious heavy metal, Sugar has delivered an experience that, while easy to digest, unfolds new layers with each successive listen.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: blacksites.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blacksites
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

As its creators dare, modern metal music holds the unique position of having decades of realized and celebrated sounds to guide it. Whether it’s the harmonized crunch of Iron Maiden, the forlorn, minor-scale weeping of Paradise Lost, or the twisting, chiming builds of Fates Warning, classic styles like these build a world that transcends the simple attachment of a good chorus or solo. And in the lineage of NWOBHM fury, gothic sorrows, and progressive tinkering, Mark Sugar roots his long-running prog-ish, doom-ish, always heavy Black Sites project. Album after album, Sugar has explored his wide range of musical influences to capture that hard-to-attain feeling of nostalgia without ever being comfortable living in the shadow of any one band. Does For Eternity, then, as installment number five, cement the growing legacy of this recognizable Black Sites synthesis?

Like a worn body, scuffed pickguard six-string, Black Sites has aged with a trustworthy action in its idiosyncratic and progressive foundations. As our beloved DANG once noted, earlier albums like Exile felt like a playlist of Black Sites’ favorite metal songs recreated in the Black Sites fashion—far from a misstep when the material is as quality as Sugar and co. produce. 2021’s Untrue began the path toward a more controlled vision. But then with an extra rhythmic flashiness, 2023’s The Promised Land? saw Black Sites taking greater risks on complex, longer-form tracks contrasted with slower, crowd-ready bangers. On that latter endeavor, For Eternity doubles down and adds an even more ’80s-loaded riff flair. In the construction of tracks like “Giving Up the Ghost” and “Silent Wars,” it doesn’t take much effort to hear the homage to the deadly and moody axe-led precision of classics like Dio’s “The Last in Line” or Ozzy Osbourne’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel.” Yet in the presence of these touchpoints, Black Sites never loses its course down Sugar’s own expression of heavy metal appreciation.

Throughout For Eternity, a thundering momentum defines the Black Sites attacks. In well-paced bursts of four-to-six-or-so minutes, trademarked open string punctuation in melodies finds weight in power chord progressions, tom-heavy drum drives, and growling, thumpy bass struts.1 For those desiring a pick scrape to pull-off riff-fest, “Above Soil, Beneath Sky” and “Silent Wars” stand at attention to raised horns. And if it’s Sugar’s nimble fingers ripping between muted crunch and piercing, melodic solo work, “Aquarius Betrayed” and “When Prophecy Fails” provide all the nimble fretboard action one could ask for in this context. Whatever the mass of metal movement, Sugar’s slithering and workmanlike warble push and pull on unexpected beats with a relatable melancholy dressed as attachable choruses. While never as bright and boisterous as new co-conspirator Chris Black and his work in High Spirits, this iteration of Black Sites, no matter the tempo, plows through every bar with heavy metal purpose.

In coordination with this honed songcraft, a touch more production panache helps For Eternity wear a bigger presence than its predecessors. The Dan “The Man” Swanö mix/master effort emboldens Sugar and new axe-partner Lee Smith (Professor Emeritus) to find a warmth in tone and classy fullness in reverb that let precise pedal action and pickup shifts feel swift, seamless, and vibrant (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “When Prophecy Fails”). And despite the diversity in total attack that each song presents, a uniformity in staging helps Sugar’s sneaky array of snippy licks stick to memory no matter how intense the main refrain or soaring the solo can be (“Aquarius Betrayed,” “Above Soil, Beneath Sky,” “Silent Wars”). Again, the veteran conductor Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits, ex-Pharaoh) as a co-producer unlocks fine details like gentle synth backings and sneaky vocal layering that add depth and tension to moody intros and triumphant crescendos (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “Unanswered for Eternity”).2 Every choice matters, and every choice elevates what For Eternity has to offer.

With this level of calculated prowess, however, For Eternity doesn’t pack any surprises, or rather, doesn’t expand the Black Sites playbook by any significant value. But novelty for the sake of achieving novelty isn’t necessary for an album to succeed. As the fifth step in the Black Sites journey, For Eternity strikes with finesse. And sticking to a tested and refined palette of hooky, hammering, and harmonious heavy metal, Sugar has delivered an experience that, while easy to digest, unfolds new layers with each successive listen.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: blacksites.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blacksites
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

As its creators dare, modern metal music holds the unique position of having decades of realized and celebrated sounds to guide it. Whether it’s the harmonized crunch of Iron Maiden, the forlorn, minor-scale weeping of Paradise Lost, or the twisting, chiming builds of Fates Warning, classic styles like these build a world that transcends the simple attachment of a good chorus or solo. And in the lineage of NWOBHM fury, gothic sorrows, and progressive tinkering, Mark Sugar roots his long-running prog-ish, doom-ish, always heavy Black Sites project. Album after album, Sugar has explored his wide range of musical influences to capture that hard-to-attain feeling of nostalgia without ever being comfortable living in the shadow of any one band. Does For Eternity, then, as installment number five, cement the growing legacy of this recognizable Black Sites synthesis?

Like a worn body, scuffed pickguard six-string, Black Sites has aged with a trustworthy action in its idiosyncratic and progressive foundations. As our beloved DANG once noted, earlier albums like Exile felt like a playlist of Black Sites’ favorite metal songs recreated in the Black Sites fashion—far from a misstep when the material is as quality as Sugar and co. produce. 2021’s Untrue began the path toward a more controlled vision. But then with an extra rhythmic flashiness, 2023’s The Promised Land? saw Black Sites taking greater risks on complex, longer-form tracks contrasted with slower, crowd-ready bangers. On that latter endeavor, For Eternity doubles down and adds an even more ’80s-loaded riff flair. In the construction of tracks like “Giving Up the Ghost” and “Silent Wars,” it doesn’t take much effort to hear the homage to the deadly and moody axe-led precision of classics like Dio’s “The Last in Line” or Ozzy Osbourne’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel.” Yet in the presence of these touchpoints, Black Sites never loses its course down Sugar’s own expression of heavy metal appreciation.

Throughout For Eternity, a thundering momentum defines the Black Sites attacks. In well-paced bursts of four-to-six-or-so minutes, trademarked open string punctuation in melodies finds weight in power chord progressions, tom-heavy drum drives, and growling, thumpy bass struts.1 For those desiring a pick scrape to pull-off riff-fest, “Above Soil, Beneath Sky” and “Silent Wars” stand at attention to raised horns. And if it’s Sugar’s nimble fingers ripping between muted crunch and piercing, melodic solo work, “Aquarius Betrayed” and “When Prophecy Fails” provide all the nimble fretboard action one could ask for in this context. Whatever the mass of metal movement, Sugar’s slithering and workmanlike warble push and pull on unexpected beats with a relatable melancholy dressed as attachable choruses. While never as bright and boisterous as new co-conspirator Chris Black and his work in High Spirits, this iteration of Black Sites, no matter the tempo, plows through every bar with heavy metal purpose.

In coordination with this honed songcraft, a touch more production panache helps For Eternity wear a bigger presence than its predecessors. The Dan “The Man” Swanö mix/master effort emboldens Sugar and new axe-partner Lee Smith (Professor Emeritus) to find a warmth in tone and classy fullness in reverb that let precise pedal action and pickup shifts feel swift, seamless, and vibrant (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “When Prophecy Fails”). And despite the diversity in total attack that each song presents, a uniformity in staging helps Sugar’s sneaky array of snippy licks stick to memory no matter how intense the main refrain or soaring the solo can be (“Aquarius Betrayed,” “Above Soil, Beneath Sky,” “Silent Wars”). Again, the veteran conductor Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits, ex-Pharaoh) as a co-producer unlocks fine details like gentle synth backings and sneaky vocal layering that add depth and tension to moody intros and triumphant crescendos (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “Unanswered for Eternity”).2 Every choice matters, and every choice elevates what For Eternity has to offer.

With this level of calculated prowess, however, For Eternity doesn’t pack any surprises, or rather, doesn’t expand the Black Sites playbook by any significant value. But novelty for the sake of achieving novelty isn’t necessary for an album to succeed. As the fifth step in the Black Sites journey, For Eternity strikes with finesse. And sticking to a tested and refined palette of hooky, hammering, and harmonious heavy metal, Sugar has delivered an experience that, while easy to digest, unfolds new layers with each successive listen.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: blacksites.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blacksites
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

As its creators dare, modern metal music holds the unique position of having decades of realized and celebrated sounds to guide it. Whether it’s the harmonized crunch of Iron Maiden, the forlorn, minor-scale weeping of Paradise Lost, or the twisting, chiming builds of Fates Warning, classic styles like these build a world that transcends the simple attachment of a good chorus or solo. And in the lineage of NWOBHM fury, gothic sorrows, and progressive tinkering, Mark Sugar roots his long-running prog-ish, doom-ish, always heavy Black Sites project. Album after album, Sugar has explored his wide range of musical influences to capture that hard-to-attain feeling of nostalgia without ever being comfortable living in the shadow of any one band. Does For Eternity, then, as installment number five, cement the growing legacy of this recognizable Black Sites synthesis?

Like a worn body, scuffed pickguard six-string, Black Sites has aged with a trustworthy action in its idiosyncratic and progressive foundations. As our beloved DANG once noted, earlier albums like Exile felt like a playlist of Black Sites’ favorite metal songs recreated in the Black Sites fashion—far from a misstep when the material is as quality as Sugar and co. produce. 2021’s Untrue began the path toward a more controlled vision. But then with an extra rhythmic flashiness, 2023’s The Promised Land? saw Black Sites taking greater risks on complex, longer-form tracks contrasted with slower, crowd-ready bangers. On that latter endeavor, For Eternity doubles down and adds an even more ’80s-loaded riff flair. In the construction of tracks like “Giving Up the Ghost” and “Silent Wars,” it doesn’t take much effort to hear the homage to the deadly and moody axe-led precision of classics like Dio’s “The Last in Line” or Ozzy Osbourne’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel.” Yet in the presence of these touchpoints, Black Sites never loses its course down Sugar’s own expression of heavy metal appreciation.

Throughout For Eternity, a thundering momentum defines the Black Sites attacks. In well-paced bursts of four-to-six-or-so minutes, trademarked open string punctuation in melodies finds weight in power chord progressions, tom-heavy drum drives, and growling, thumpy bass struts.1 For those desiring a pick scrape to pull-off riff-fest, “Above Soil, Beneath Sky” and “Silent Wars” stand at attention to raised horns. And if it’s Sugar’s nimble fingers ripping between muted crunch and piercing, melodic solo work, “Aquarius Betrayed” and “When Prophecy Fails” provide all the nimble fretboard action one could ask for in this context. Whatever the mass of metal movement, Sugar’s slithering and workmanlike warble push and pull on unexpected beats with a relatable melancholy dressed as attachable choruses. While never as bright and boisterous as new co-conspirator Chris Black and his work in High Spirits, this iteration of Black Sites, no matter the tempo, plows through every bar with heavy metal purpose.

In coordination with this honed songcraft, a touch more production panache helps For Eternity wear a bigger presence than its predecessors. The Dan “The Man” Swanö mix/master effort emboldens Sugar and new axe-partner Lee Smith (Professor Emeritus) to find a warmth in tone and classy fullness in reverb that let precise pedal action and pickup shifts feel swift, seamless, and vibrant (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “When Prophecy Fails”). And despite the diversity in total attack that each song presents, a uniformity in staging helps Sugar’s sneaky array of snippy licks stick to memory no matter how intense the main refrain or soaring the solo can be (“Aquarius Betrayed,” “Above Soil, Beneath Sky,” “Silent Wars”). Again, the veteran conductor Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits, ex-Pharaoh) as a co-producer unlocks fine details like gentle synth backings and sneaky vocal layering that add depth and tension to moody intros and triumphant crescendos (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “Unanswered for Eternity”).2 Every choice matters, and every choice elevates what For Eternity has to offer.

With this level of calculated prowess, however, For Eternity doesn’t pack any surprises, or rather, doesn’t expand the Black Sites playbook by any significant value. But novelty for the sake of achieving novelty isn’t necessary for an album to succeed. As the fifth step in the Black Sites journey, For Eternity strikes with finesse. And sticking to a tested and refined palette of hooky, hammering, and harmonious heavy metal, Sugar has delivered an experience that, while easy to digest, unfolds new layers with each successive listen.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: blacksites.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blacksites
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

Little Dutch doom-death band Doomcult have been lurking around for 10 years, releasing three albums that haven’t earned them a large slice of mainstream notoriety. Starting life as the solo project of one J.G. Arts, Doomcult has been a vehicle for expressing J.G.’s adoration for the classic Peaceville-era sound made famous by My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost. Early albums played out like a love letter to the 90s Gothic-doom sound, with long, meandering compositions wallowing in chronic sadboi dysfunction. Fourth release, Sacrifice All Life, finds J.G. still running the show, but this time he brought in a vocalist to help round out the sound. The overall sonic blueprint has also been tweaked to incorporate more aggressive tempos and a greater death metal element to anger up the doomy musings. This makes for an interesting collection of tunes with a surprising amount of in-your-face heaviness and extremity.

Opener “Necromancer” wastes no time waking the dead with big, burly riffs. It feels more like High on Fire or Orange Goblin in spirit than classic doom-death, and the Peaceville-loving days seem a million miles away at first. Soon, roof-rattling leads that cleave closer to death metal ride roughshod as new vocalist Rens van Herp (or possibly J.G.) delivers booming death gurgles while someone (J.G., I assume) offers clean, thrash-like shouts. It’s quite effective, and those mid-tempo dino-riffs are impossible to resist or ignore. This is some satisfyingly heavy, forceful noise. I especially like how similar the clean vocals are to Bob Mayo of Wargasm. “Consciousness” cleaves closer to the early Peaceville days with mournful, depressive harmonies laying Gothic flowers on the gravesite as large, ugly death roars dominate the field. The aggressive elements soon resurface, and the dual-vocal attack pays dividends once again. The spikes in tempo keep the nearly 7 minutes moving and grooving, and there are interesting ideas sprinkled throughout the corpse broth.

The real acid test comes with the 15-minute album centerpiece “Sacrifice.” At times, the music reminds of classic Candlemass, and at others it invokes the raw, early days of Paradise Lost and Cathedral. It’s a study in how to hold a listener’s attention over a long period via slick songcraft. Tempos shift at key moments to break things up and keep you on your toes, and time becomes meaningless. Some segments are scuzzy death-doom, others read classic epic doom, and a few isolated bits stink of funeral doom and even stoner booty-shaking. All this is accomplished with very simplistic riff patterns and very little in the way of decorative harmonies. You reach the halfway point before you know it, and the ebb and flow carry you along effortlessly. I’ve seen far better-known and respected bands tank on songs this long, so it’s a wonder how well Doomcult pull it off. They even uncork blastbeats toward the finale, finally unchaining the guitar to noodle and spew. It’s a aural geyser of cathartic release. The goods keep flowing with the caveman-simplistic, but hooky riff-rolling of “Barbed Wire,” and “All Shall Fall,” which nods to Novembers Doom and Cemetery as well as olde Paradise Lost while delivering a massive truckload of prime riff beef to your doorstep. Could I do without the album closing with a re-recording of a song off their debut? Sure, but it provides a nice comparison point for where the band started and where they are now. Does the album feel long at 57 minutes? Not really. I assumed it was a 45-minute platter and was quite surprised when I saw the actual length. That’s a feather in their cap to be sure.

With J.G. handling almost all the guitar work, all other instruments, as well as the songwriting, lyrics, and backing vocals, this is his baby, and he deserves the lion’s share of credit for how effective and listenable Sacrifice All Life ends up. Sure, the shouted cleans are one-dimensional and don’t always work as well as they could, but that’s a minor niggle in the wake of the things that do work. The riffs make this album seethe and bubble with energy, and there’s way more fire and fury here than any doom-death platter should be allotted. If it’s Rens van Herp doing the death roars, kudos to him, as they’re massive, raw, and primal, giving the material all the heaviness it needs. The real star of the show is the songwriting, which manages to use fairly simple, stripped-down music to make long-form compositions pop and sizzle. Not an easy task, but Doomcult do it well.

Sacrifice All Life is another easy-to-miss release you likely won’t hear much about, but it definitely deserves attention. It isn’t doom-death, and it isn’t death-doom, but it sits somewhere in that inky blackness between the genres, and it packs a big wallop. I’ve been spinning it over and over and keep finding new things to appreciate. I’m now investigating their back catalog and studying up on this little Cult that could. You should too. Be a joiner!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: doomcult1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/doomcultmetal | instagram.com/doomcultband
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

Little Dutch doom-death band Doomcult have been lurking around for 10 years, releasing three albums that haven’t earned them a large slice of mainstream notoriety. Starting life as the solo project of one J.G. Arts, Doomcult has been a vehicle for expressing J.G.’s adoration for the classic Peaceville-era sound made famous by My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost. Early albums played out like a love letter to the 90s Gothic-doom sound, with long, meandering compositions wallowing in chronic sadboi dysfunction. Fourth release, Sacrifice All Life, finds J.G. still running the show, but this time he brought in a vocalist to help round out the sound. The overall sonic blueprint has also been tweaked to incorporate more aggressive tempos and a greater death metal element to anger up the doomy musings. This makes for an interesting collection of tunes with a surprising amount of in-your-face heaviness and extremity.

Opener “Necromancer” wastes no time waking the dead with big, burly riffs. It feels more like High on Fire or Orange Goblin in spirit than classic doom-death, and the Peaceville-loving days seem a million miles away at first. Soon, roof-rattling leads that cleave closer to death metal ride roughshod as new vocalist Rens van Herp (or possibly J.G.) delivers booming death gurgles while someone (J.G., I assume) offers clean, thrash-like shouts. It’s quite effective, and those mid-tempo dino-riffs are impossible to resist or ignore. This is some satisfyingly heavy, forceful noise. I especially like how similar the clean vocals are to Bob Mayo of Wargasm. “Consciousness” cleaves closer to the early Peaceville days with mournful, depressive harmonies laying Gothic flowers on the gravesite as large, ugly death roars dominate the field. The aggressive elements soon resurface, and the dual-vocal attack pays dividends once again. The spikes in tempo keep the nearly 7 minutes moving and grooving, and there are interesting ideas sprinkled throughout the corpse broth.

The real acid test comes with the 15-minute album centerpiece “Sacrifice.” At times, the music reminds of classic Candlemass, and at others it invokes the raw, early days of Paradise Lost and Cathedral. It’s a study in how to hold a listener’s attention over a long period via slick songcraft. Tempos shift at key moments to break things up and keep you on your toes, and time becomes meaningless. Some segments are scuzzy death-doom, others read classic epic doom, and a few isolated bits stink of funeral doom and even stoner booty-shaking. All this is accomplished with very simplistic riff patterns and very little in the way of decorative harmonies. You reach the halfway point before you know it, and the ebb and flow carry you along effortlessly. I’ve seen far better-known and respected bands tank on songs this long, so it’s a wonder how well Doomcult pull it off. They even uncork blastbeats toward the finale, finally unchaining the guitar to noodle and spew. It’s a aural geyser of cathartic release. The goods keep flowing with the caveman-simplistic, but hooky riff-rolling of “Barbed Wire,” and “All Shall Fall,” which nods to Novembers Doom and Cemetery as well as olde Paradise Lost while delivering a massive truckload of prime riff beef to your doorstep. Could I do without the album closing with a re-recording of a song off their debut? Sure, but it provides a nice comparison point for where the band started and where they are now. Does the album feel long at 57 minutes? Not really. I assumed it was a 45-minute platter and was quite surprised when I saw the actual length. That’s a feather in their cap to be sure.

With J.G. handling almost all the guitar work, all other instruments, as well as the songwriting, lyrics, and backing vocals, this is his baby, and he deserves the lion’s share of credit for how effective and listenable Sacrifice All Life ends up. Sure, the shouted cleans are one-dimensional and don’t always work as well as they could, but that’s a minor niggle in the wake of the things that do work. The riffs make this album seethe and bubble with energy, and there’s way more fire and fury here than any doom-death platter should be allotted. If it’s Rens van Herp doing the death roars, kudos to him, as they’re massive, raw, and primal, giving the material all the heaviness it needs. The real star of the show is the songwriting, which manages to use fairly simple, stripped-down music to make long-form compositions pop and sizzle. Not an easy task, but Doomcult do it well.

Sacrifice All Life is another easy-to-miss release you likely won’t hear much about, but it definitely deserves attention. It isn’t doom-death, and it isn’t death-doom, but it sits somewhere in that inky blackness between the genres, and it packs a big wallop. I’ve been spinning it over and over and keep finding new things to appreciate. I’m now investigating their back catalog and studying up on this little Cult that could. You should too. Be a joiner!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: doomcult1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/doomcultmetal | instagram.com/doomcultband
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

Little Dutch doom-death band Doomcult have been lurking around for 10 years, releasing three albums that haven’t earned them a large slice of mainstream notoriety. Starting life as the solo project of one J.G. Arts, Doomcult has been a vehicle for expressing J.G.’s adoration for the classic Peaceville-era sound made famous by My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost. Early albums played out like a love letter to the 90s Gothic-doom sound, with long, meandering compositions wallowing in chronic sadboi dysfunction. Fourth release, Sacrifice All Life, finds J.G. still running the show, but this time he brought in a vocalist to help round out the sound. The overall sonic blueprint has also been tweaked to incorporate more aggressive tempos and a greater death metal element to anger up the doomy musings. This makes for an interesting collection of tunes with a surprising amount of in-your-face heaviness and extremity.

Opener “Necromancer” wastes no time waking the dead with big, burly riffs. It feels more like High on Fire or Orange Goblin in spirit than classic doom-death, and the Peaceville-loving days seem a million miles away at first. Soon, roof-rattling leads that cleave closer to death metal ride roughshod as new vocalist Rens van Herp (or possibly J.G.) delivers booming death gurgles while someone (J.G., I assume) offers clean, thrash-like shouts. It’s quite effective, and those mid-tempo dino-riffs are impossible to resist or ignore. This is some satisfyingly heavy, forceful noise. I especially like how similar the clean vocals are to Bob Mayo of Wargasm. “Consciousness” cleaves closer to the early Peaceville days with mournful, depressive harmonies laying Gothic flowers on the gravesite as large, ugly death roars dominate the field. The aggressive elements soon resurface, and the dual-vocal attack pays dividends once again. The spikes in tempo keep the nearly 7 minutes moving and grooving, and there are interesting ideas sprinkled throughout the corpse broth.

The real acid test comes with the 15-minute album centerpiece “Sacrifice.” At times, the music reminds of classic Candlemass, and at others it invokes the raw, early days of Paradise Lost and Cathedral. It’s a study in how to hold a listener’s attention over a long period via slick songcraft. Tempos shift at key moments to break things up and keep you on your toes, and time becomes meaningless. Some segments are scuzzy death-doom, others read classic epic doom, and a few isolated bits stink of funeral doom and even stoner booty-shaking. All this is accomplished with very simplistic riff patterns and very little in the way of decorative harmonies. You reach the halfway point before you know it, and the ebb and flow carry you along effortlessly. I’ve seen far better-known and respected bands tank on songs this long, so it’s a wonder how well Doomcult pull it off. They even uncork blastbeats toward the finale, finally unchaining the guitar to noodle and spew. It’s a aural geyser of cathartic release. The goods keep flowing with the caveman-simplistic, but hooky riff-rolling of “Barbed Wire,” and “All Shall Fall,” which nods to Novembers Doom and Cemetery as well as olde Paradise Lost while delivering a massive truckload of prime riff beef to your doorstep. Could I do without the album closing with a re-recording of a song off their debut? Sure, but it provides a nice comparison point for where the band started and where they are now. Does the album feel long at 57 minutes? Not really. I assumed it was a 45-minute platter and was quite surprised when I saw the actual length. That’s a feather in their cap to be sure.

With J.G. handling almost all the guitar work, all other instruments, as well as the songwriting, lyrics, and backing vocals, this is his baby, and he deserves the lion’s share of credit for how effective and listenable Sacrifice All Life ends up. Sure, the shouted cleans are one-dimensional and don’t always work as well as they could, but that’s a minor niggle in the wake of the things that do work. The riffs make this album seethe and bubble with energy, and there’s way more fire and fury here than any doom-death platter should be allotted. If it’s Rens van Herp doing the death roars, kudos to him, as they’re massive, raw, and primal, giving the material all the heaviness it needs. The real star of the show is the songwriting, which manages to use fairly simple, stripped-down music to make long-form compositions pop and sizzle. Not an easy task, but Doomcult do it well.

Sacrifice All Life is another easy-to-miss release you likely won’t hear much about, but it definitely deserves attention. It isn’t doom-death, and it isn’t death-doom, but it sits somewhere in that inky blackness between the genres, and it packs a big wallop. I’ve been spinning it over and over and keep finding new things to appreciate. I’m now investigating their back catalog and studying up on this little Cult that could. You should too. Be a joiner!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: doomcult1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/doomcultmetal | instagram.com/doomcultband
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

Little Dutch doom-death band Doomcult have been lurking around for 10 years, releasing three albums that haven’t earned them a large slice of mainstream notoriety. Starting life as the solo project of one J.G. Arts, Doomcult has been a vehicle for expressing J.G.’s adoration for the classic Peaceville-era sound made famous by My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost. Early albums played out like a love letter to the 90s Gothic-doom sound, with long, meandering compositions wallowing in chronic sadboi dysfunction. Fourth release, Sacrifice All Life, finds J.G. still running the show, but this time he brought in a vocalist to help round out the sound. The overall sonic blueprint has also been tweaked to incorporate more aggressive tempos and a greater death metal element to anger up the doomy musings. This makes for an interesting collection of tunes with a surprising amount of in-your-face heaviness and extremity.

Opener “Necromancer” wastes no time waking the dead with big, burly riffs. It feels more like High on Fire or Orange Goblin in spirit than classic doom-death, and the Peaceville-loving days seem a million miles away at first. Soon, roof-rattling leads that cleave closer to death metal ride roughshod as new vocalist Rens van Herp (or possibly J.G.) delivers booming death gurgles while someone (J.G., I assume) offers clean, thrash-like shouts. It’s quite effective, and those mid-tempo dino-riffs are impossible to resist or ignore. This is some satisfyingly heavy, forceful noise. I especially like how similar the clean vocals are to Bob Mayo of Wargasm. “Consciousness” cleaves closer to the early Peaceville days with mournful, depressive harmonies laying Gothic flowers on the gravesite as large, ugly death roars dominate the field. The aggressive elements soon resurface, and the dual-vocal attack pays dividends once again. The spikes in tempo keep the nearly 7 minutes moving and grooving, and there are interesting ideas sprinkled throughout the corpse broth.

The real acid test comes with the 15-minute album centerpiece “Sacrifice.” At times, the music reminds of classic Candlemass, and at others it invokes the raw, early days of Paradise Lost and Cathedral. It’s a study in how to hold a listener’s attention over a long period via slick songcraft. Tempos shift at key moments to break things up and keep you on your toes, and time becomes meaningless. Some segments are scuzzy death-doom, others read classic epic doom, and a few isolated bits stink of funeral doom and even stoner booty-shaking. All this is accomplished with very simplistic riff patterns and very little in the way of decorative harmonies. You reach the halfway point before you know it, and the ebb and flow carry you along effortlessly. I’ve seen far better-known and respected bands tank on songs this long, so it’s a wonder how well Doomcult pull it off. They even uncork blastbeats toward the finale, finally unchaining the guitar to noodle and spew. It’s a aural geyser of cathartic release. The goods keep flowing with the caveman-simplistic, but hooky riff-rolling of “Barbed Wire,” and “All Shall Fall,” which nods to Novembers Doom and Cemetery as well as olde Paradise Lost while delivering a massive truckload of prime riff beef to your doorstep. Could I do without the album closing with a re-recording of a song off their debut? Sure, but it provides a nice comparison point for where the band started and where they are now. Does the album feel long at 57 minutes? Not really. I assumed it was a 45-minute platter and was quite surprised when I saw the actual length. That’s a feather in their cap to be sure.

With J.G. handling almost all the guitar work, all other instruments, as well as the songwriting, lyrics, and backing vocals, this is his baby, and he deserves the lion’s share of credit for how effective and listenable Sacrifice All Life ends up. Sure, the shouted cleans are one-dimensional and don’t always work as well as they could, but that’s a minor niggle in the wake of the things that do work. The riffs make this album seethe and bubble with energy, and there’s way more fire and fury here than any doom-death platter should be allotted. If it’s Rens van Herp doing the death roars, kudos to him, as they’re massive, raw, and primal, giving the material all the heaviness it needs. The real star of the show is the songwriting, which manages to use fairly simple, stripped-down music to make long-form compositions pop and sizzle. Not an easy task, but Doomcult do it well.

Sacrifice All Life is another easy-to-miss release you likely won’t hear much about, but it definitely deserves attention. It isn’t doom-death, and it isn’t death-doom, but it sits somewhere in that inky blackness between the genres, and it packs a big wallop. I’ve been spinning it over and over and keep finding new things to appreciate. I’m now investigating their back catalog and studying up on this little Cult that could. You should too. Be a joiner!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: doomcult1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/doomcultmetal | instagram.com/doomcultband
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

Little Dutch doom-death band Doomcult have been lurking around for 10 years, releasing three albums that haven’t earned them a large slice of mainstream notoriety. Starting life as the solo project of one J.G. Arts, Doomcult has been a vehicle for expressing J.G.’s adoration for the classic Peaceville-era sound made famous by My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost. Early albums played out like a love letter to the 90s Gothic-doom sound, with long, meandering compositions wallowing in chronic sadboi dysfunction. Fourth release, Sacrifice All Life, finds J.G. still running the show, but this time he brought in a vocalist to help round out the sound. The overall sonic blueprint has also been tweaked to incorporate more aggressive tempos and a greater death metal element to anger up the doomy musings. This makes for an interesting collection of tunes with a surprising amount of in-your-face heaviness and extremity.

Opener “Necromancer” wastes no time waking the dead with big, burly riffs. It feels more like High on Fire or Orange Goblin in spirit than classic doom-death, and the Peaceville-loving days seem a million miles away at first. Soon, roof-rattling leads that cleave closer to death metal ride roughshod as new vocalist Rens van Herp (or possibly J.G.) delivers booming death gurgles while someone (J.G., I assume) offers clean, thrash-like shouts. It’s quite effective, and those mid-tempo dino-riffs are impossible to resist or ignore. This is some satisfyingly heavy, forceful noise. I especially like how similar the clean vocals are to Bob Mayo of Wargasm. “Consciousness” cleaves closer to the early Peaceville days with mournful, depressive harmonies laying Gothic flowers on the gravesite as large, ugly death roars dominate the field. The aggressive elements soon resurface, and the dual-vocal attack pays dividends once again. The spikes in tempo keep the nearly 7 minutes moving and grooving, and there are interesting ideas sprinkled throughout the corpse broth.

The real acid test comes with the 15-minute album centerpiece “Sacrifice.” At times, the music reminds of classic Candlemass, and at others it invokes the raw, early days of Paradise Lost and Cathedral. It’s a study in how to hold a listener’s attention over a long period via slick songcraft. Tempos shift at key moments to break things up and keep you on your toes, and time becomes meaningless. Some segments are scuzzy death-doom, others read classic epic doom, and a few isolated bits stink of funeral doom and even stoner booty-shaking. All this is accomplished with very simplistic riff patterns and very little in the way of decorative harmonies. You reach the halfway point before you know it, and the ebb and flow carry you along effortlessly. I’ve seen far better-known and respected bands tank on songs this long, so it’s a wonder how well Doomcult pull it off. They even uncork blastbeats toward the finale, finally unchaining the guitar to noodle and spew. It’s a aural geyser of cathartic release. The goods keep flowing with the caveman-simplistic, but hooky riff-rolling of “Barbed Wire,” and “All Shall Fall,” which nods to Novembers Doom and Cemetery as well as olde Paradise Lost while delivering a massive truckload of prime riff beef to your doorstep. Could I do without the album closing with a re-recording of a song off their debut? Sure, but it provides a nice comparison point for where the band started and where they are now. Does the album feel long at 57 minutes? Not really. I assumed it was a 45-minute platter and was quite surprised when I saw the actual length. That’s a feather in their cap to be sure.

With J.G. handling almost all the guitar work, all other instruments, as well as the songwriting, lyrics, and backing vocals, this is his baby, and he deserves the lion’s share of credit for how effective and listenable Sacrifice All Life ends up. Sure, the shouted cleans are one-dimensional and don’t always work as well as they could, but that’s a minor niggle in the wake of the things that do work. The riffs make this album seethe and bubble with energy, and there’s way more fire and fury here than any doom-death platter should be allotted. If it’s Rens van Herp doing the death roars, kudos to him, as they’re massive, raw, and primal, giving the material all the heaviness it needs. The real star of the show is the songwriting, which manages to use fairly simple, stripped-down music to make long-form compositions pop and sizzle. Not an easy task, but Doomcult do it well.

Sacrifice All Life is another easy-to-miss release you likely won’t hear much about, but it definitely deserves attention. It isn’t doom-death, and it isn’t death-doom, but it sits somewhere in that inky blackness between the genres, and it packs a big wallop. I’ve been spinning it over and over and keep finding new things to appreciate. I’m now investigating their back catalog and studying up on this little Cult that could. You should too. Be a joiner!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Meuse Music
Websites: doomcult1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/doomcultmetal | instagram.com/doomcultband
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

The Lowest Bid

The Lowest Bid by Stewart Stafford

The sceptre is cast to the shivering sea
with divine ordinance, codes of chivalry.
A blinding vision of the fallen from on high,
New roving dregs with a scavenger’s eye.

Yield up the light, coax out the dying flame,
Punishment for crimes revokes your name.
Was freedom built on ancient delusion?
It persists as the architect’s cold conclusion.

The most degrading and painful descent
is the one to the lower “kingdom” crescent,
Shadow throne invoked by seditious implication.
Collusion not coercion, mummified by mediation.

Trust not the expedient offer, the beatific start —
They can only embalm the chasms of the heart.

© 2026 Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.

The Lowest Bid

The Lowest Bid by Stewart Stafford

The sceptre is cast to the shivering sea
with divine ordinance, codes of chivalry.
A blinding vision of the fallen from on high,
New roving dregs with a scavenger’s eye.

Yield up the light, coax out the dying flame,
Punishment for crimes revokes your name.
Was freedom built on ancient delusion?
It persists as the architect’s cold conclusion.

The most degrading and painful descent
is the one to the lower “kingdom” crescent,
Shadow throne invoked by seditious implication.
Collusion not coercion, mummified by mediation.

Trust not the expedient offer, the beatific start —
They can only embalm the chasms of the heart.

© 2026 Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.

The Lowest Bid

The Lowest Bid by Stewart Stafford

The sceptre is cast to the shivering sea
with divine ordinance, codes of chivalry.
A blinding vision of the fallen from on high,
New roving dregs with a scavenger’s eye.

Yield up the light, coax out the dying flame,
Punishment for crimes revokes your name.
Was freedom built on ancient delusion?
It persists as the architect’s cold conclusion.

The most degrading and painful descent
is the one to the lower “kingdom” crescent,
Shadow throne invoked by seditious implication.
Collusion not coercion, mummified by mediation.

Trust not the expedient offer, the beatific start —
They can only embalm the chasms of the heart.

© 2026 Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.

The Lowest Bid

The Lowest Bid by Stewart Stafford

The sceptre is cast to the shivering sea
with divine ordinance, codes of chivalry.
A blinding vision of the fallen from on high,
New roving dregs with a scavenger’s eye.

Yield up the light, coax out the dying flame,
Punishment for crimes revokes your name.
Was freedom built on ancient delusion?
It persists as the architect’s cold conclusion.

The most degrading and painful descent
is the one to the lower “kingdom” crescent,
Shadow throne invoked by seditious implication.
Collusion not coercion, mummified by mediation.

Trust not the expedient offer, the beatific start —
They can only embalm the chasms of the heart.

© 2026 Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.

The Lowest Bid

The Lowest Bid by Stewart Stafford

The sceptre is cast to the shivering sea
with divine ordinance, codes of chivalry.
A blinding vision of the fallen from on high,
New roving dregs with a scavenger’s eye.

Yield up the light, coax out the dying flame,
Punishment for crimes revokes your name.
Was freedom built on ancient delusion?
It persists as the architect’s cold conclusion.

The most degrading and painful descent
is the one to the lower “kingdom” crescent,
Shadow throne invoked by seditious implication.
Collusion not coercion, mummified by mediation.

Trust not the expedient offer, the beatific start —
They can only embalm the chasms of the heart.

© 2026 Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.

Autumnblaze – Glut Review | Angry Metal Guy

Add Autumnblaze to the list of long-standing bands you’ve likely never heard of. Formed in 1996, this German…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2026 #3.0 #ArgonautaRecords #AU #Australia #Autumnblaze #DarkRock #Empyrium #Entertainment #GermanMetal #glut #GothicMetal #Jun26 #Katatonia #ParadiseLost #review #reviews #TheVisionBleak
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/781017/

Autumnblaze – Glut Review | Angry Metal Guy

Add Autumnblaze to the list of long-standing bands you’ve likely never heard of. Formed in 1996, this German…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2026 #3.0 #ArgonautaRecords #AU #Australia #Autumnblaze #DarkRock #Empyrium #Entertainment #GermanMetal #glut #GothicMetal #Jun26 #Katatonia #ParadiseLost #review #reviews #TheVisionBleak
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/781017/

https://www.europesays.com/ie/570308/ Autumnblaze – Glut Review | Angry Metal Guy #2026 #30 #ArgonautaRecords #Autumnblaze #DarkRock #Éire #Empyrium #Entertainment #GermanMetal #Glut #GothicMetal #IE #Ireland #Jun26 #Katatonia #Music #ParadiseLost #Review #Reviews #TheVisionBleak

Add Autumnblaze to the list of long-standing bands you’ve likely never heard of. Formed in 1996, this German duo found inspiration in early Katatonia, though their vision has changed throughout the years. Glut will be their ninth full-length album,1 and their third with Argonauta Records. In the years before signing with Argonauta, when they were with Prophecy Productions, they added a few tricks to their bag from fellow labelmates, Empyrium, and still view them as an important influence today. Their last two releases reflect the diversity in their approach, from the acoustic and gentle Welkin Shores Burning (2020) to the light gothic rock of Auf Zerfetzten Schwingen (2024). What drew my attention to Autumnblaze was the mentions of The Vision Bleak and Paradise Lost, along with Katatonia, in their promo materials. At 13 songs, is Glut too much of a good thing, or will it have you happily gorging on their vision of sadboi gothic metal?

Glut trends much heavier and more metal than anything they’ve released for Argonauta. While harsh vocals were present very rarely on their 2024 release, here they are a prominent feature. Vocalist Eldron slips back and forth between cleans and growls, which serve as effective foils for the harsh/gentle dynamic on the record. His growls, more raspy than deep-throated, lend a violent darkness, while the melodic tilt of his cleans brings a tender melancholy. The catchy chorus on “Kerkersonne” will have you singing along and seeking to brush up on your German to better understand the words tugging at your heartstrings.2 The guitar tone is also louder and heavier than on prior releases, and Arisjel sets an energetic, brisk pace on the drums that keeps things from growing too dark or saccharine. Autumblaze mix the gothic melodicism of Katatonia and The Vision Bleak with a more blackened, almost shoegaze-y edge on the guitars and vocals to create an impassioned record that is simultaneously joyful, angry, and sad.

Unlike the prog of Katatonia or the more unpredictable nature of Weird Tales, Autumnblaze favor a much more formulaic structure that proves both a boon and a bane. “Licht Aus” sets the general template for most songs, beginning harsh and heavy before Eldron’s cleans soften the tone for a more palatable chorus. This formula is a comfort, as Eldron’s cleans prove a balm to soothe the harshness of his growls—whether intentional or not, there is a sort of harm/heal dynamic to the music. Of course, where the formula proves a comfort, it also grows a touch repetitive. Glut is an incredibly pleasurable listening experience, yet hearing the same formula across 13 tracks becomes tiresome. It also doesn’t help that Autumnblaze write largely standard rock riffs without any melodic leads to help songs stand apart from one another.

When Autumnblaze mixes up their formula, it also comes with mixed results. “Glut” features some arpeggios that are a nice change of pace, while “Mondmann” forgoes the growls in favor of a pleasantly poppy, but still heavy, metal song. In other ways, their nuanced alterations to the formula prove nuisances. There’s an unfortunate focus on spoken word elements, with “Heilung,” “Glut,” and “Geisteskind” all using them in place of the growls. On top of that, instrumentally, the music is weakest during the spoken segments. “Heilung” and “Geisteskind” both opt for low-energy, uninteresting instrumentals during these moments, but they grow more enjoyable when the cleans kick in. “Heilung” in particular wastes a pretty terrific performance from Arjon by splitting half the song with the tedious spoken parts. Despite these issues, Glut’s strengths weigh favorably enough to make it more enjoyable than not.

Glut truly is a pleasant listening experience that effectively touches on a range of impassioned feelings. Autumnblaze have honed in on a successful formula that works for most of Glut’s 42-minute runtime, even if it starts to bow under the weight of its 13 songs. Having revisited their past stuff, I feel that Glut is the best they’ve ever sounded, both from a production and songwriting perspective. While it’s true they may have injected a little more variety in the past, their earlier stuff didn’t really stick as Glut does. So, sure, there are a few issues to work out, but if 30 years later you sound this fresh, that’s a win.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

Add Autumnblaze to the list of long-standing bands you’ve likely never heard of. Formed in 1996, this German duo found inspiration in early Katatonia, though their vision has changed throughout the years. Glut will be their ninth full-length album,1 and their third with Argonauta Records. In the years before signing with Argonauta, when they were with Prophecy Productions, they added a few tricks to their bag from fellow labelmates, Empyrium, and still view them as an important influence today. Their last two releases reflect the diversity in their approach, from the acoustic and gentle Welkin Shores Burning (2020) to the light gothic rock of Auf Zerfetzten Schwingen (2024). What drew my attention to Autumnblaze was the mentions of The Vision Bleak and Paradise Lost, along with Katatonia, in their promo materials. At 13 songs, is Glut too much of a good thing, or will it have you happily gorging on their vision of sadboi gothic metal?

Glut trends much heavier and more metal than anything they’ve released for Argonauta. While harsh vocals were present very rarely on their 2024 release, here they are a prominent feature. Vocalist Eldron slips back and forth between cleans and growls, which serve as effective foils for the harsh/gentle dynamic on the record. His growls, more raspy than deep-throated, lend a violent darkness, while the melodic tilt of his cleans brings a tender melancholy. The catchy chorus on “Kerkersonne” will have you singing along and seeking to brush up on your German to better understand the words tugging at your heartstrings.2 The guitar tone is also louder and heavier than on prior releases, and Arisjel sets an energetic, brisk pace on the drums that keeps things from growing too dark or saccharine. Autumblaze mix the gothic melodicism of Katatonia and The Vision Bleak with a more blackened, almost shoegaze-y edge on the guitars and vocals to create an impassioned record that is simultaneously joyful, angry, and sad.

Unlike the prog of Katatonia or the more unpredictable nature of Weird Tales, Autumnblaze favor a much more formulaic structure that proves both a boon and a bane. “Licht Aus” sets the general template for most songs, beginning harsh and heavy before Eldron’s cleans soften the tone for a more palatable chorus. This formula is a comfort, as Eldron’s cleans prove a balm to soothe the harshness of his growls—whether intentional or not, there is a sort of harm/heal dynamic to the music. Of course, where the formula proves a comfort, it also grows a touch repetitive. Glut is an incredibly pleasurable listening experience, yet hearing the same formula across 13 tracks becomes tiresome. It also doesn’t help that Autumnblaze write largely standard rock riffs without any melodic leads to help songs stand apart from one another.

When Autumnblaze mixes up their formula, it also comes with mixed results. “Glut” features some arpeggios that are a nice change of pace, while “Mondmann” forgoes the growls in favor of a pleasantly poppy, but still heavy, metal song. In other ways, their nuanced alterations to the formula prove nuisances. There’s an unfortunate focus on spoken word elements, with “Heilung,” “Glut,” and “Geisteskind” all using them in place of the growls. On top of that, instrumentally, the music is weakest during the spoken segments. “Heilung” and “Geisteskind” both opt for low-energy, uninteresting instrumentals during these moments, but they grow more enjoyable when the cleans kick in. “Heilung” in particular wastes a pretty terrific performance from Arjon by splitting half the song with the tedious spoken parts. Despite these issues, Glut’s strengths weigh favorably enough to make it more enjoyable than not.

Glut truly is a pleasant listening experience that effectively touches on a range of impassioned feelings. Autumnblaze have honed in on a successful formula that works for most of Glut’s 42-minute runtime, even if it starts to bow under the weight of its 13 songs. Having revisited their past stuff, I feel that Glut is the best they’ve ever sounded, both from a production and songwriting perspective. While it’s true they may have injected a little more variety in the past, their earlier stuff didn’t really stick as Glut does. So, sure, there are a few issues to work out, but if 30 years later you sound this fresh, that’s a win.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

Add Autumnblaze to the list of long-standing bands you’ve likely never heard of. Formed in 1996, this German duo found inspiration in early Katatonia, though their vision has changed throughout the years. Glut will be their ninth full-length album,1 and their third with Argonauta Records. In the years before signing with Argonauta, when they were with Prophecy Productions, they added a few tricks to their bag from fellow labelmates, Empyrium, and still view them as an important influence today. Their last two releases reflect the diversity in their approach, from the acoustic and gentle Welkin Shores Burning (2020) to the light gothic rock of Auf Zerfetzten Schwingen (2024). What drew my attention to Autumnblaze was the mentions of The Vision Bleak and Paradise Lost, along with Katatonia, in their promo materials. At 13 songs, is Glut too much of a good thing, or will it have you happily gorging on their vision of sadboi gothic metal?

Glut trends much heavier and more metal than anything they’ve released for Argonauta. While harsh vocals were present very rarely on their 2024 release, here they are a prominent feature. Vocalist Eldron slips back and forth between cleans and growls, which serve as effective foils for the harsh/gentle dynamic on the record. His growls, more raspy than deep-throated, lend a violent darkness, while the melodic tilt of his cleans brings a tender melancholy. The catchy chorus on “Kerkersonne” will have you singing along and seeking to brush up on your German to better understand the words tugging at your heartstrings.2 The guitar tone is also louder and heavier than on prior releases, and Arisjel sets an energetic, brisk pace on the drums that keeps things from growing too dark or saccharine. Autumblaze mix the gothic melodicism of Katatonia and The Vision Bleak with a more blackened, almost shoegaze-y edge on the guitars and vocals to create an impassioned record that is simultaneously joyful, angry, and sad.

Unlike the prog of Katatonia or the more unpredictable nature of Weird Tales, Autumnblaze favor a much more formulaic structure that proves both a boon and a bane. “Licht Aus” sets the general template for most songs, beginning harsh and heavy before Eldron’s cleans soften the tone for a more palatable chorus. This formula is a comfort, as Eldron’s cleans prove a balm to soothe the harshness of his growls—whether intentional or not, there is a sort of harm/heal dynamic to the music. Of course, where the formula proves a comfort, it also grows a touch repetitive. Glut is an incredibly pleasurable listening experience, yet hearing the same formula across 13 tracks becomes tiresome. It also doesn’t help that Autumnblaze write largely standard rock riffs without any melodic leads to help songs stand apart from one another.

When Autumnblaze mixes up their formula, it also comes with mixed results. “Glut” features some arpeggios that are a nice change of pace, while “Mondmann” forgoes the growls in favor of a pleasantly poppy, but still heavy, metal song. In other ways, their nuanced alterations to the formula prove nuisances. There’s an unfortunate focus on spoken word elements, with “Heilung,” “Glut,” and “Geisteskind” all using them in place of the growls. On top of that, instrumentally, the music is weakest during the spoken segments. “Heilung” and “Geisteskind” both opt for low-energy, uninteresting instrumentals during these moments, but they grow more enjoyable when the cleans kick in. “Heilung” in particular wastes a pretty terrific performance from Arjon by splitting half the song with the tedious spoken parts. Despite these issues, Glut’s strengths weigh favorably enough to make it more enjoyable than not.

Glut truly is a pleasant listening experience that effectively touches on a range of impassioned feelings. Autumnblaze have honed in on a successful formula that works for most of Glut’s 42-minute runtime, even if it starts to bow under the weight of its 13 songs. Having revisited their past stuff, I feel that Glut is the best they’ve ever sounded, both from a production and songwriting perspective. While it’s true they may have injected a little more variety in the past, their earlier stuff didn’t really stick as Glut does. So, sure, there are a few issues to work out, but if 30 years later you sound this fresh, that’s a win.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

Add Autumnblaze to the list of long-standing bands you’ve likely never heard of. Formed in 1996, this German duo found inspiration in early Katatonia, though their vision has changed throughout the years. Glut will be their ninth full-length album,1 and their third with Argonauta Records. In the years before signing with Argonauta, when they were with Prophecy Productions, they added a few tricks to their bag from fellow labelmates, Empyrium, and still view them as an important influence today. Their last two releases reflect the diversity in their approach, from the acoustic and gentle Welkin Shores Burning (2020) to the light gothic rock of Auf Zerfetzten Schwingen (2024). What drew my attention to Autumnblaze was the mentions of The Vision Bleak and Paradise Lost, along with Katatonia, in their promo materials. At 13 songs, is Glut too much of a good thing, or will it have you happily gorging on their vision of sadboi gothic metal?

Glut trends much heavier and more metal than anything they’ve released for Argonauta. While harsh vocals were present very rarely on their 2024 release, here they are a prominent feature. Vocalist Eldron slips back and forth between cleans and growls, which serve as effective foils for the harsh/gentle dynamic on the record. His growls, more raspy than deep-throated, lend a violent darkness, while the melodic tilt of his cleans brings a tender melancholy. The catchy chorus on “Kerkersonne” will have you singing along and seeking to brush up on your German to better understand the words tugging at your heartstrings.2 The guitar tone is also louder and heavier than on prior releases, and Arisjel sets an energetic, brisk pace on the drums that keeps things from growing too dark or saccharine. Autumblaze mix the gothic melodicism of Katatonia and The Vision Bleak with a more blackened, almost shoegaze-y edge on the guitars and vocals to create an impassioned record that is simultaneously joyful, angry, and sad.

Unlike the prog of Katatonia or the more unpredictable nature of Weird Tales, Autumnblaze favor a much more formulaic structure that proves both a boon and a bane. “Licht Aus” sets the general template for most songs, beginning harsh and heavy before Eldron’s cleans soften the tone for a more palatable chorus. This formula is a comfort, as Eldron’s cleans prove a balm to soothe the harshness of his growls—whether intentional or not, there is a sort of harm/heal dynamic to the music. Of course, where the formula proves a comfort, it also grows a touch repetitive. Glut is an incredibly pleasurable listening experience, yet hearing the same formula across 13 tracks becomes tiresome. It also doesn’t help that Autumnblaze write largely standard rock riffs without any melodic leads to help songs stand apart from one another.

When Autumnblaze mixes up their formula, it also comes with mixed results. “Glut” features some arpeggios that are a nice change of pace, while “Mondmann” forgoes the growls in favor of a pleasantly poppy, but still heavy, metal song. In other ways, their nuanced alterations to the formula prove nuisances. There’s an unfortunate focus on spoken word elements, with “Heilung,” “Glut,” and “Geisteskind” all using them in place of the growls. On top of that, instrumentally, the music is weakest during the spoken segments. “Heilung” and “Geisteskind” both opt for low-energy, uninteresting instrumentals during these moments, but they grow more enjoyable when the cleans kick in. “Heilung” in particular wastes a pretty terrific performance from Arjon by splitting half the song with the tedious spoken parts. Despite these issues, Glut’s strengths weigh favorably enough to make it more enjoyable than not.

Glut truly is a pleasant listening experience that effectively touches on a range of impassioned feelings. Autumnblaze have honed in on a successful formula that works for most of Glut’s 42-minute runtime, even if it starts to bow under the weight of its 13 songs. Having revisited their past stuff, I feel that Glut is the best they’ve ever sounded, both from a production and songwriting perspective. While it’s true they may have injected a little more variety in the past, their earlier stuff didn’t really stick as Glut does. So, sure, there are a few issues to work out, but if 30 years later you sound this fresh, that’s a win.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

Add Autumnblaze to the list of long-standing bands you’ve likely never heard of. Formed in 1996, this German duo found inspiration in early Katatonia, though their vision has changed throughout the years. Glut will be their ninth full-length album,1 and their third with Argonauta Records. In the years before signing with Argonauta, when they were with Prophecy Productions, they added a few tricks to their bag from fellow labelmates, Empyrium, and still view them as an important influence today. Their last two releases reflect the diversity in their approach, from the acoustic and gentle Welkin Shores Burning (2020) to the light gothic rock of Auf Zerfetzten Schwingen (2024). What drew my attention to Autumnblaze was the mentions of The Vision Bleak and Paradise Lost, along with Katatonia, in their promo materials. At 13 songs, is Glut too much of a good thing, or will it have you happily gorging on their vision of sadboi gothic metal?

Glut trends much heavier and more metal than anything they’ve released for Argonauta. While harsh vocals were present very rarely on their 2024 release, here they are a prominent feature. Vocalist Eldron slips back and forth between cleans and growls, which serve as effective foils for the harsh/gentle dynamic on the record. His growls, more raspy than deep-throated, lend a violent darkness, while the melodic tilt of his cleans brings a tender melancholy. The catchy chorus on “Kerkersonne” will have you singing along and seeking to brush up on your German to better understand the words tugging at your heartstrings.2 The guitar tone is also louder and heavier than on prior releases, and Arisjel sets an energetic, brisk pace on the drums that keeps things from growing too dark or saccharine. Autumblaze mix the gothic melodicism of Katatonia and The Vision Bleak with a more blackened, almost shoegaze-y edge on the guitars and vocals to create an impassioned record that is simultaneously joyful, angry, and sad.

Unlike the prog of Katatonia or the more unpredictable nature of Weird Tales, Autumnblaze favor a much more formulaic structure that proves both a boon and a bane. “Licht Aus” sets the general template for most songs, beginning harsh and heavy before Eldron’s cleans soften the tone for a more palatable chorus. This formula is a comfort, as Eldron’s cleans prove a balm to soothe the harshness of his growls—whether intentional or not, there is a sort of harm/heal dynamic to the music. Of course, where the formula proves a comfort, it also grows a touch repetitive. Glut is an incredibly pleasurable listening experience, yet hearing the same formula across 13 tracks becomes tiresome. It also doesn’t help that Autumnblaze write largely standard rock riffs without any melodic leads to help songs stand apart from one another.

When Autumnblaze mixes up their formula, it also comes with mixed results. “Glut” features some arpeggios that are a nice change of pace, while “Mondmann” forgoes the growls in favor of a pleasantly poppy, but still heavy, metal song. In other ways, their nuanced alterations to the formula prove nuisances. There’s an unfortunate focus on spoken word elements, with “Heilung,” “Glut,” and “Geisteskind” all using them in place of the growls. On top of that, instrumentally, the music is weakest during the spoken segments. “Heilung” and “Geisteskind” both opt for low-energy, uninteresting instrumentals during these moments, but they grow more enjoyable when the cleans kick in. “Heilung” in particular wastes a pretty terrific performance from Arjon by splitting half the song with the tedious spoken parts. Despite these issues, Glut’s strengths weigh favorably enough to make it more enjoyable than not.

Glut truly is a pleasant listening experience that effectively touches on a range of impassioned feelings. Autumnblaze have honed in on a successful formula that works for most of Glut’s 42-minute runtime, even if it starts to bow under the weight of its 13 songs. Having revisited their past stuff, I feel that Glut is the best they’ve ever sounded, both from a production and songwriting perspective. While it’s true they may have injected a little more variety in the past, their earlier stuff didn’t really stick as Glut does. So, sure, there are a few issues to work out, but if 30 years later you sound this fresh, that’s a win.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

https://www.europesays.com/at/245808/ Paradise Lost: Gregor Mackintosh erklärt langlebige Besetzung #AT #Austria #Band #BandMitglieder #Entertainment #Familie #Langlebigkeit #Music #Musik #Österreich #ParadiseLost #Unterhaltung #zusammenhalt

I'm printing a third run of #ParadiseLost this week. I'll be sending a handful to Dále Zine #Miami and possibly restocking a couple shops around town. If you're interested in a hardcopy, you're welcome to pre-order now. I'll probably print 20-30 copies this run.

The #zine is an oral history of the 80s & 90s #punk scene in a retiree-dominated beach town in SW #Florida where young skaters and surfers created their own subculture.

You can also read it online for FREE: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

I'm printing a third run of #ParadiseLost this week. I'll be sending a handful to Dále Zine #Miami and possibly restocking a couple shops around town. If you're interested in a hardcopy, you're welcome to pre-order now. I'll probably print 20-30 copies this run.

The #zine is an oral history of the 80s & 90s #punk scene in a retiree-dominated beach town in SW #Florida where young skaters and surfers created their own subculture.

You can also read it online for FREE: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

I'm printing a third run of #ParadiseLost this week. I'll be sending a handful to Dále Zine #Miami and possibly restocking a couple shops around town. If you're interested in a hardcopy, you're welcome to pre-order now. I'll probably print 20-30 copies this run.

The #zine is an oral history of the 80s & 90s #punk scene in a retiree-dominated beach town in SW #Florida where young skaters and surfers created their own subculture.

You can also read it online for FREE: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

I'm printing a third run of #ParadiseLost this week. I'll be sending a handful to Dále Zine #Miami and possibly restocking a couple shops around town. If you're interested in a hardcopy, you're welcome to pre-order now. I'll probably print 20-30 copies this run.

The #zine is an oral history of the 80s & 90s #punk scene in a retiree-dominated beach town in SW #Florida where young skaters and surfers created their own subculture.

You can also read it online for FREE: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html

I'm printing a third run of #ParadiseLost this week. I'll be sending a handful to Dále Zine #Miami and possibly restocking a couple shops around town. If you're interested in a hardcopy, you're welcome to pre-order now. I'll probably print 20-30 copies this run.

The #zine is an oral history of the 80s & 90s #punk scene in a retiree-dominated beach town in SW #Florida where young skaters and surfers created their own subculture.

You can also read it online for FREE: https://shotgunseamstress.blogspot.com/2026/02/paradise-lost-sarasota-florida-hardcore.html