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Author Pete Woods

Quickly discovering in formative years that I was never quite going to fit in anywhere, I spent time growing up listening to punk, futurist, goth, industrial, metal and psychedelic sounds ranging from Hawkwind to The Sex Gang Children via Japan through to Crass mangled in with Psychic TV and New Model Army. Catching my first band live by accident; The Poison Girls at a G.L.C. free festival, I never looked back. Musical tastes have developed accordingly and I now spend time writing for both Terrorizer and Dominion magazine as well as co-running www.avenoctum.com and pushing the boundaries of genre definition to mould around my own eclectic tastes. Not having the patience to play any instrument myself, I see my writing, to a certain degree as putting something back into the music I love. If I didn't spend time doing this I would be an alcoholic slumped without hope on the cold streets of London. Instead I can be found pint, camera and notepad in hand covering bands both old and new and will happily accept free cider without

Domkraft – Sonic Moons (Magnetic Eye)

Referring to Swedish power-trio Domkraft as “psychedelic Warlords” is not too wide of the mark. Indeed, on their fourth “Sonic Attack,” it’s evident that this is no gentle trip for aging old hippies to comfortably smoke a blunt to and… Continue Reading →

Lord Of Shadows – Echoes Of Yore (Meuse Music / Tragedy Productions)

The roots of Lord Of Shadows spread back to Romania where they were conceived under the name Cruish-Nir by Valentin Untaru aka Shadows. A couple of singles and EP were released and a name change to the present was initiated…. Continue Reading →

Taake – Et Hav av Avstand (Dark Essence)

Back with his 8th studio album and first since 2017’s Kong Vinter, Hoest presents four epic tracks of frostbitten Norsk Svart Metal here and there’s plenty to sink your teeth into. With title translating to ‘An Ocean Of Distance’ one… Continue Reading →

Till The Dirt – Outside The Spiral (Nuclear Blast)

A new band but some recognisable old hands here, turning over the soil and growing new things. Formed by Atheist vocalist Kelly Shaefer and including a couple of band members from the Floridian heavyweights along with players from acts such… Continue Reading →

Endstille – DetoNation (Ván Records)

It’s been all quiet on the Endstille front for the past decade since the release of ‘Kapitulation’ back in 2013. They did actually capitulate and had an album all lined up in 2015 called ‘Finis Germaniae’ but apparently decided it… Continue Reading →

Hell’s Coronation – Transgression Of A Necromantical Darkness (Godz Ov War)

Not all religions and beliefs portray hell as a fiery furnace, indeed some traditions describe it as a frozen bleak wasteland. That’s certainly the impression this Polish duo musically convey and entering into their brand of darkness will ensure that… Continue Reading →

Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree – Aion (Magnetic Eye Records)

Time to step into the musical apiary here, hopefully it will be sweet and we won’t get stung. Mind you it would not be surprising if the German quartet got a few barbed hooks into us, after all we are… Continue Reading →

The Crawling – All Of This For Nothing (Grindscene Records)

With a name like The Crawling I doubt anyone expects this band from Northern Ireland to be fast despite them ironically being signed to a label called Grindscene. This is the trio’s, (who comprise of members of Honey For Christ… Continue Reading →

Ashtar – Wandering Through Time (Eisenwald)

Back in Switzerland, I should be getting frequent flier points for all the time I am spending there are at the moment. Shame it’s only musically. Here we meet a doomy, blackened sorceress, namely Witch N who is now solely… Continue Reading →

Wyrgher – Panspermic Warlords (I, Voidhanger)

Do Panspermic Warlords disappear in spunk? No that would frankly be silly and Panspermia actually refers to the theory of life being carried through space by the likes of meteors and comets. That goes for nasty things as well such… Continue Reading →

Porta Nigra – Weltende (Soulseller Records)

It must have seemed like ‘the end of the world’ and indeed for many it was “as the generals left the game and only the wounded remained” (to quote another band). The folly and lunacy of the first world war… Continue Reading →

Cadaver – The Age Of The Offended (Nuclear Blast)

With a somewhat convoluted history stretching right back to 1988, Cadaver have essentially set up their body disposal shop over three periods, each to date releasing two albums in relatively short succession and then splitting up and going on hiatus… Continue Reading →

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