Your No. 1 Source For Extreme And Atmospheric Music And Film.

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

Vintersorg – Orkan (Napalm)

Quite a busy chap is Andreas “Vintersorg” Hedlund. It was only last year we had his ‘Pulse Of The Earth’ or ‘Jordpuls’ album and of course his unmistakable harmonious croons have only just been digested on latest Borknagar album Urd…. Continue Reading →

Doom Rider – David Gatward (Hodder)

We are more than happy to review the odd bit of genre fiction as well as factual books, if it ties in with our horror and atmospheric tag and that includes novels that are written more for a young adult… Continue Reading →

Sylvan Realm – The Lodge Of Transcendence (Reverie Recordings)

USBM is no longer an entity that can be considered clear cut and orthodox. The foundations laid down by the likes of Judas Iscariot and Krieg and later adopted by everyone from Kult Of Azazel to Nachtmystium entered new territories… Continue Reading →

Emperor Tribute – In Honour Of Icon E (Metal Swamp)

Although I am of the somewhat contentious opinion that all covers bands should be shot, the odd cover song by an original band can be more than welcome and tribute albums like this can be very good if treated with… Continue Reading →

Hawkwind & Nanobots – Holmfirth Picturedrome 3/6/12

Having caught Hawkwind at various places such as on the back of a van powered by a generator on a beach, the end of a pier and various festival tents I had been meaning to see them at the very… Continue Reading →

Blacklodge – MachinatioN (Season Of Mist)

Well done to Season Of Mist for picking up this home grown group whose career has always been intriguing to say the least. I first encountered these filthy French fucks around their debut album ‘Login:SataN’ 2003 which I described as… Continue Reading →

Thormesis – Von Leere und Tod (AFM)

We do sometimes have a bit of a joke about this label (in a nice way) but they have got a bit of a reputation for releasing rather a lot of “airy fairy metal.” Of course the industrial side of… Continue Reading →

The Cory Smoot Experiment -When Worlds Collide (Metal Blade Records)

Cory Smoot was probably better known as Flattus Maximus of GWAR, the band he played guitar for between 2002 and 2011. Whilst on tour he suffered a fatal heart attack and died at the far too young age of 34…. Continue Reading →

Abazagorath – ST (Novisible Scars)

Prior to reviewing this I took the time to reacquaint myself with this USBM hordes second full length album ‘Sacraments of the Final Atrocity.’ Whilst it has its good points and a couple of stand out hymns I found it… Continue Reading →

Aura Noir, Code, Disfago & Sepuku – London Underworld 24/5/12

It has suddenly got hot and that means Camden smells like a sweaty tramps pants. We glugged brews on street corners risking an asbo before going into the venue where we gladly discovered the air conditioning was working. The heat… Continue Reading →

Ihsahn – Eremita (Candlelight)

The prog wizard who really should need absolutely no introduction is back with (solo) album number four. Again it has cover art that is completely naff and leaves me thinking huh what on earth is that all about? (Later I… Continue Reading →

Ea – Ea (Solitude)

More mystery and intrigue from Ea a band who are rumoured to be from Russia but this could just be due to the fact they are on Russian label Solitude Productions. Little is known about them apart from the fact… Continue Reading →

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Ave Noctum — Powered by WordPress

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑