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

Jours Pâles – Dissolution (LADLO Productions)

After “dissolving” Asphodèle after just one album it’s as though vocalist Spellbound had something to prove. Quickly forming Jours Pâles he has gone into full creative mode releasing three albums in just over three years and the latest is another… Continue Reading →

My Silent Wake – Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief (Ardua Music)

It seems to be a fine time for atmospheric British doom right now. We are only just digesting recent albums from My Dying Bride and Arð and here comes another UK treasure. Active since way back in 2005 and conceived… Continue Reading →

Beholder – Dualisme (Avantgarde)

Not an uncommon name in the grand scheme of things but this particular Beholder are identifiable for being part of the fertile Québécois noir scene. With three members of the quintet previously active in the short lived Grande Pointe this… Continue Reading →

ACOD – Versets Noirs (Hammerheart)

Black verses and dark witchery are promised on the sixth album from French black death band ACOD. They have worked steadfastly since 2006 under the guise of founding duo Jérome and Fred, although only coming to my attention on recent… Continue Reading →

Arð – Untouched By Fire (Prophecy Productions)

If you are the sort of person that likes going out with a metal detector and looking for ancient treasure you may have unearthed the musical equivalent from historic Northumbria in the form of Arð, a project from native custodian… Continue Reading →

Folterkammer – Weibermacht (Century Media)

Well this stood out as looking a bit on the different side. Based both in New York and Europe this multi-national cast list comprises of a group clad in ecclesiastical costumes and looking more than a little pious. However, once… Continue Reading →

Dool – The Shape Of Fluidity (Prophecy)

Love it or loathe it but genre definition is one of those things us music writers seem unable to not dissect and in the case of Dutch band Dool it still makes me tut when I open go to site… Continue Reading →

Tomorrow’s Rain – Ovdan (AOP Records)

‘Hollow’ (2020) was an impressive debut album for Israeli band Tomorrow’s Rain who had previously been around as Moonskin. Within the realms of atmospheric doom, they had strong song-craft but got quite a bit of attention due to a large… Continue Reading →

The Lunar Effect – Sounds Of Green And Blue (Svart)

Admittedly as far as this writer is concerned listening habits are more inclined to shades of black, the darker the better but sometimes a change is necessary. So what exactly are the sounds of green and blue? Well as far… Continue Reading →

Nag – Boys Of Europe (Fysisk Format)

Has it really been seven years since I was last ‘Nagged To Death’ by this Norwegian outfit’s 2nd album? Arriving on vinyl at the time it had a real addictive personality and had the needle skidding across the record at… Continue Reading →

Corpus Diavolis – Elixiria Ekstasis (LADLO Productions)

By Satan and all his agencies, this is a (great) beast of an album. Running just shy of an hour and hitting you like the last 5-minutes of Ben Wheatley’s Kill List, (what do you mean spoilers, it came out… Continue Reading →

Austere – Beneath The Threshold (Prophecy)

A state of nothingness for 13 years and then two albums delivered within the space of just one. For whatever reason Australian musos Mitchell Keepin and Tim Yatras found the necessary spark to resurrect Austere, I’m sure nobody is complaining…. Continue Reading →

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