Author Andrew Doherty
For me, hardcore is one of those styles that whilst crude on the surface is not uniform and has a lot to offer. It would be too posh to call it a genre. Anger and energy stand at the centre…. Continue Reading →
To cut a long story short involving temporary releases, compilations and different band names, Manes are from Trondheim in Norway and thoroughly impressed me with their creative album “Be All End All” (2014). The trick lies in the moods and… Continue Reading →
Belgian band Carnation are responsible for meaty death metal. Not bad for a band who shares its name with a brand of evaporated milk. In their five years of existence they’ve managed to get to Asia and this year toured… Continue Reading →
Heavy and industrial …. it doesn’t have to be German but it is. Dirty rumblings and heinous growls get us under way on “Manes Impetus”, Essenz’s third album. Essenz are known for “bursts of transformation” in their music. What this… Continue Reading →
My recollection of Redemption from seeing them headlining at ProgPower Europe in 2011 is that they are big, brash and American. Since then they have replaced their then lead singer with Evergrey’s Tom Englund, acquired a keyboard player, and temporarily… Continue Reading →
For fans of Rotting Christ, Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon and Morgul, it says. This is the Danish band’s second album release. Leaving aside those comparisons, what I heard was a gothic-orientated doom-death chamber of horrors. The clue is in the titles:… Continue Reading →
I had to be reminded that I’d seen Distorted Harmony when they played at ProgPower Europe in 2016. That’s not the most auspicious start but the fact that they were there is good in itself. This nicely packaged album is… Continue Reading →
Raum Kingdom are from Ireland and acknowledge their influences as including Amenra, Acrimony, Acid Bath, Cult of Luna, Deftones and Tool. This is their first full album but they do have an EP, split and a live album to their… Continue Reading →
I wasn’t sure what a fugue is other than the fact it’s associated with Bach. Well to cut a long story short, it’s about counterpoint and repetition. The song “Frère Jacques” is an example of it through the way it… Continue Reading →
I’ve been lucky enough to experience Icelandic band Kontinuum’s two previous albums “Earth Blood Magic” (2012) and “Kyrr” (2015). Both are born of creative imagination, and whilst alternative, they are both accessible and colourful works. The music of Kontinuum is… Continue Reading →
This is black metal from Iran – not a common event, I imagine. “Forgotten Glory” is influenced by Iran’s art, literature, history, mythology and music. Akvan have been active and productive since 2015. It starts with an ostensibly calming and… Continue Reading →
French black metal is reliable and often edgy, so this second EP from Myrkvid and follow up to the “Pleasures of Hell” (2013) album attracted immediate interest. The album gets under way with a mish-mash of styles. First there’s the… Continue Reading →