Author Andrew Doherty
I’m going to repeat myself and state that if I were to go down the route of creating a “favourite albums of all time” list, Farsot’s “Insects” (2011) would be in it. In fairness, these creators of black metal atmospheres… Continue Reading →
This third album by Aureole, whose creator is also behind Tchornobog, is based on a science fiction scenario, in which Alunar is the world and the Bellmaster is sacrificed and incarnated as a ghost. It’s a sinister world, represented in… Continue Reading →
Alfahanne return with their sixth album. Known for mixing black metal, classic rock and punk styles along with melodic grooves and bleak atmospheres, “Vår tid är nu” (Our Time is Now) is marketed as their heaviest album so far. A… Continue Reading →
Listening to “an unnerving excavation of ill health and Catholic guilt” in musical form doesn’t sound like a whole load of fun, but without going into the detail this album does reflect the personal experience of the vocalist, and as… Continue Reading →
An instrumental project, Vipassi proved their worth on their colourful and adventurous debut album “Sunyata” (2017). The band has been around since 2007. “Lightless” promises something more technical and experimental. Although there is gloom, the sounds are diverse and colourful… Continue Reading →
When a pagan black metal band is described as owing a lot to early Rotting Christ, Necromantia, thrash metal and even hardcore influences, then I’m interested. This is Corax B.M. from Greece. “Pagana” is the band’s first full length album…. Continue Reading →
I’m going to borrow the band’s own description of themselves here: “an ‘avant-garde post-metal project, delivering larger than life sounds through, deeply emotional music” Guhts are from New York, and many interesting links are drawn up, encompassing post-hardcore, atmospheric sludge,… Continue Reading →
From the world of technical progressive metal come Exocrine with their sixth album. I know two of them, and recall that they manage the complexity very well. So I hoped for more of the same here. After easing us in,… Continue Reading →
I sense humour here but seeing a song titled “1939”, perhaps not. The theme of that one is fairly obvious, but this Czech modern metal band also cover online bullying and nuclear destruction. But before we get the idea that… Continue Reading →
The concept behind this second album by the Glaswegian band Sgàile is interesting: “Traverse the Bealach is that of a nomadic traveller in post-apocalyptic Scotland, trying to figure out his fate and facing the elements while travelling north, battling inner… Continue Reading →
I don’t know if it’s me and the failing eyesight process, or just the winter dark, but the purple on black script meant that I couldn’t read any of the lyrics or information on any of this otherwise nicely packaged… Continue Reading →
The prolific Transcending Obscurity label is a byword for death metal productions, and here’s another one, this time by Saevus Finis from Portugal. The points of reference for this “chest-bursting heaviness” and “dark, hypnotic and suffocating death metal’ are bands… Continue Reading →