Author Andrew Doherty
This is the second album release from Structural, of whom it is said that bands such Lamb of God, Nevermore and Arch Enemy are influences. Death metal is at the heart of “Decrowned”, and with Cryptopsy’s producer doing the mixing,… Continue Reading →
I recently finished reading the autobiography of Behemoth’s Nergal, and one of many things which struck me about it was his Polish matter-of-factness. This didn’t surprise me at all. I mention this because it’s the same with productions from the… Continue Reading →
Thy Catafalque, the project of Hungarian artist Tamás Kátai, first captured me with the 2011 album “Rengeteg”, since when each album has brought new delights and wonderments. Soaring blackened metal with folk, cosmic and jazz elements doesn’t cover adequately the… Continue Reading →
Melodic death metal from Sweden is like a badge of honour. Scar Symmetry are known exponents of the genre, having been doing it since 2004. I know this band from their earlier works and live performances, which were always noteworthy… Continue Reading →
It’s hard to believe now, but less than 20 years ago I used to feast on a monthly newsletter which I received from a mail order company which sent out a list of obscure underground music and the odd compilation… Continue Reading →
If this French band had a slogan, may I suggest it would be “No Nonsense”. “Aucune Connerie”, perhaps? Excuse my French. Like their EP “Vermines”, this album is a collection of one word titles which give a clue that the… Continue Reading →
The first job was to re-acquaint myself with “Haar”, this band’s 2019 album which I liked very much. A year later “Woe Portrait” came out, which went down less well with my reviewing colleague. Such is the way of things…. Continue Reading →
Jazz meets psychedelia. Alternative meets progressive rock. That’s the billing of this album from Italy’s Klidas, who were formed in 2014. Upon reading that this album “represents a path of transcendence”, I set off on the journey. With a calming… Continue Reading →
In existence since 2007, having been born out of another band, Indonesia’s Demented Heart now release their second full album. The fare is technical death metal. It promises to be brutal. When reading the accompanying description that came with this… Continue Reading →
Minimal clues here: two 20 plus minute-long tracks, VI I and VI II, and a tongue twister of a band name. The band doesn’t appear to have released anything previously but I did establish that horrifying screams and a descent… Continue Reading →
The offer here is straightforward: relentless thrash metal. The Canadians are now releasing their 3rd album in their 11 years of existence, add another 10 in their previous guise as Skull Hammer. The race is on. It’s hard, fast, unyielding… Continue Reading →
So here we have so-called mystic prog metal with opera, jazz and of course metal, orchestral arrangements, a producer renowned for classical composition, culminating in an album with a “progressive doom opera style, adding modern elements to the symphonic metal… Continue Reading →