#stack-overflow-in-corpse-pile-interface — Public Fediverse posts

Wow. Wasn’t May just the other day? It seems like it to me! The fifth month of our Lord bestowed much quality material on us, and there were at least 4 key releases that garnered strong, fanboying support from the AMG peanut gallery located deep in the recesses of the Skull Pit. Funny thing about that gallery – they’re all tasteless hacks, but they’re OUR tasteless hacks, so we try to honor their likes.

Panopticon finally completed their massive Laurentian Trilogy with the release of Det hjemsøkte hjertet [out May 8th from Nordvis Productions (Bandcamp)], and the concluding installment has been received very positively by the metalsphere and elite intelligentsia alike. While we’re definitely not part of that elite metal intelligentsia ourselves, we have to agree with their positive buzz this time. This is a deeply introspective and nostalgic work of atmospheric folked blackness, written as a reflection of things remembered and things lost as the final curtain closes on a life. The material feels cathartic and delivers a long-building release. As Thus Spoke beautifully summed up, “A more perfect way to end things could not exist. My heart clings longingly to the place evoked by Det hjemsøkte hjertet‘s consuming atmosphere and touching humanity.” Moods 4 sale!1

Runner(s) Up:

Draconian // In Somnolent Ruin [May 8th, 2026 | Napalm Records | Bandcamp] — Sweden’s eternal Gothic doom crew Draconian have been at the crying game for a long, long time. Some of the names and faces have changed over the years, but the core sound and formula remains much the same. On eighth album In Somnolent Ruin, their doom edge is still sharp and ready to cut holes in your heart as only well-executed Goth-doom can. Unhurried and loaded down with bittersweet, exquisitely sad vocals from returning original singer Lisa Johansson, and anchored by the death roars of Anders Jacobsson, the Draconian experience still plucks heartstrings as it shakes the spinal cord. Perhaps most surprising is just how good the songwriting is across the entire album. It’s no surprise Kenstrosity spelled it out as “A love letter to Draconian’s storied past and a celebration of their modern era, refined to staggering excellence.” Taste the tears!

A Forest of Stars // Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface [May 8th, 2026 | Prophecy Productions | Bandcamp] — Britain’s avant-garde prog metal weirdos A Forest of Stars never did things the easy way. They blend genres with little regard to what should and shouldn’t go together, and somehow things usually work for them. With doom as a central tenet, the oddly named Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface unrolls a lengthy tapestry of sounds and styles for the patient listener. Long song lengths are kept lively by creative, dynamic writing and often unhinged vocal performances. A wild ride awaits the daring listener. As Grymm elegantly concluded, “A Forest of Stars, in a just world, should be heralded as purveyors of odd, eclectic metal. Here’s hoping that Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface is as much a jumping-on point for many of you as it was for me.” Get this Forest package!

There’s a common misconception from readers of this fine blog that we writers are well-versed, well-traveled, and have kept abreast of all the happenings and goings-on within the world of our favorite genre of music. I hate to pop your bubble gum, but that’s wildly untrue. We all have lives, careers, and people in our lives that take time away from listening to new music from artists that we have always loved or, in my case here, artists we’ve been wanting to check out, but for some reason haven’t. A Forest of Stars, the British avant-garde septet, are that band for me. Their newest, Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface, their first album in eight years and sixth overall, is here for dissection, and I’m going in almost completely blind, and without a single note heard prior.

I’m already anticipating the hate mail for this, but from what everyone told me of AFoS, it’s a heady mix of British Black Metal,1 doom metal, and spoken word. All good things, in my book! Plus, Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts helped bring back the violins for My Dying Bride’s 2009 album, For Lies I Sire, which again is a good thing! And despite it being over 73 minutes, Stack Overflow rarely meandered or sat in place for too long, making for an engaging listen throughout. Opener “Ascension of the Clowns” sets a doomed tone, quietly and somberly setting the scene before Mister Curse begins ranting like the proselytizers across the street from where I work. Maniacal and unrelenting, Curse’s caustic delivery and unhinged performances sometimes seem at odds with the framework of the music, but the two sides need each other as much as they want nothing to do with each other.

And that odd dichotomy propels Stack Overflow, especially in the final half-hour-plus one-two punch of both “Sway, Draped in Vague” and “Not Drinking Water.” The former, also awakening a faux dreamy vibe before sending the listener careening through the backstreets of London, with Curse and Katheryne trading off vocal lines while Mr. T.S. Kettleburner and Mr. William Wight-Barrow unleash some incredible riffs and tremolo melodies blanketing Katheryne’s sweeping violins towards the song’s middle, making the song’s 17 minutes feel like a journey. “Not Drinking Water,” in contrast, feels downtrodden in the beginning, containing some of the album’s slowest moments, before hitting what could accurately be called a humdinger of a jam session right at the song’s midpoint, with solos and hooks galore to wrap up both a fantastic closer, as well as a hell of a way to finish out the album.

Of course, there are some issues with Stack Overflow. While most of the material flows seamlessly, there does seem to be some fat to trim, especially in some of the more atmospheric moments. Also, while there isn’t a single weak moment on the album, it really is best experienced in one sitting with most of the lights off, some candles, your favorite beverage, and (if you partake) your smoking implement of choice, and for some, 73 minutes is a big ask for many of us, especially if you’re busy like I am. However, if you can make the time and get in the right headspace, you will be rewarded handsomely.

I’m due for some weirdness, especially in the departure of Voices.2 Not only does Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface scratch that itch until it bleeds, but it also turned me on to a band that I went from “I need to check them out sometime” to “Okay, how much is their stuff on Bandcamp?” in record time. A Forest of Stars, in a just world, should be heralded as purveyors of odd, eclectic metal. Here’s hoping that Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface is as much a jumping-on point for many of you as it was for me. Believe me, you can do a hell of a lot worse.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 8th, 2026