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Author Andrew Doherty

I’ve been obsessive about music since the late 60s and early 70s when during my childhood in Grimsby I used to watch Top of the Pops and bought 7” singles after saving up my pocket money. I really switched to metal when I first heard Dimmu Borgir. The ambience intrigued me, and through magazines and concerts I discovered new territory in the late 90s. For preference I now listen to black metal, heavy progressive music, Scandinavian-style melodic metal and any style which has an edge, or is downright unusual or bizarre. I managed the band Devillish Impressions, which was an exciting time as we had an album but no label or distribution method. We got the label and a European tour with Aeternus, and as the promoter’s plane was delayed, I finished up setting up the band’s first concert in Hamburg on 28th November 2006. I wrote for a while for Live 4 Metal but switched to Metal Team UK in 2007. Like any real music lover, I enjoy going to concerts and meeting people with the same interest and commitment.

Her Shadow – The Ghost Love Chronicles (Svart Records)

This album from the Finnish quintet is described as “a biography of dream noir”. Morricone, haunted house thrillers, Lynchian twists and in one case a mellow Motown mood are quoted. This self-confessed dreamy thing could go either way for me,… Continue Reading →

Chaos over Cosmos – A Dream If There Ever Was One (S/R)

I had the pleasure of reviewing Chaos over Cosmos’s 2021 album “The Silver Lining Between the Stars” and what an exciting album that was. It is, to say the least, an adventurous work which was awash with technical and progressive… Continue Reading →

Subseconds – Liminal Rain (S/R)

This EP comes from the same Finnish artist Sergei whose evocative and intensely vibrant EP “Chameleon Wasteland” I reviewed 3 years ago in his guise of Tørrential. The artist makes much of transcending genres, and I can vouch for that… Continue Reading →

Mord ‘A’ Stigmata – Like Ants and Snakes (Pagan Records)

If you like a diet of blackened metal, Mord A Stigmata will do nicely. They’ve been doing it for a while too, going back to the mid 00s, since when this Polish band has released six full albums including the… Continue Reading →

Behind Closed Doors – Caged in Helices (My Redemption Records)

A trio of European instrumentalists comprise Behind Closed Doors. Add some strings, “ferocious heaviness as well as delicate tenderness” and that’s the recipe for this album. A mournful violin dirge is interrupted by an explosive djenty section. It’s an interesting… Continue Reading →

Thotcrime – D1G1T4L DR1FT (Prosthetic Records)

Thanks to this, I discovered what a thotcrime is, but sticking to the matter in hand the band by this name is a cybergrind group, taking its influence from grindcore, mathcore and hyperpop amongst others. When I saw this album’s… Continue Reading →

Cabal – Magno Interitus (Nuclear Blast)

Drawing inspiration “from black and death metal to djent and hardcore”, Cabal embark upon their third album. I’ll add “melodic hooks” to that. It’s true that pungent death metal djent hardcore is their game, witness the opening song of this… Continue Reading →

Inhalo – Sever (Construction Records)

I saw Inhalo recently at ProgPower Europe where they played the songs on this album. The performance and music were impressive. This of course does not automatically mean that the associated album is impressive as it does sometimes happen that… Continue Reading →

She Must Burn – Umbra Mortis (Grey Rock Music)

London-based She Must Burn release their second album with “Umbra Mortis”, and are probably as well known for their live playing, having amongst other things supported Cradle of Filth and Carnifex, and having appeared at Download. Not much information comes… Continue Reading →

The Lovecraft Sextet – Miserere (Debemur Morti)

I don’t know of this particular project before I received this, but the description that went with is intriguing: “Doomjazz mercilessly mixed with the ambience of Black Metal, Gregorian soprano singing juxtaposed with unholy cavernous screams”. It’s all inspired by… Continue Reading →

ProgPower Europe 2022, JC Sjiwa club, Baarlo, Netherlands 2/10/22

Sunday 2nd October It may not be obvious but I do research these bands before coming here. I had trouble in this respect with Neverus, the band to win the post-party graveyard slot of 1.30pm on the Sunday. Every time… Continue Reading →

Acédia – Fracture (LADLO)

This is the third album release by Québec-based Acédia in their eleven years of existence. The fact that they produce black metal is no surprise, given the pedigree of the region in this genre, but Acédia are known for the… Continue Reading →

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