Author Andrew Doherty
This is the second album from French black metal band Khaos Dei. I listened to the opening march and wondered if it was going to be representative, as preludes often aren’t. “A l’Enfant du Diable” (To the Child of the… Continue Reading →
All roads point to oblivion. This EP from Kalloused covers blackness from every stylistic angle. The first of these six dark pieces starts in measured fashion with a post apocalyptic sound. It’s haunting. There are distant cries and sound effects…. Continue Reading →
Thanks to considerable publicity, I have read a lot about modern metal band Brutai and was surprised to learn that this is their debut album. I was particularly interested in this release as they are due to play at ProgPower… Continue Reading →
An improbable union is the way that this combination of hardcore and classical musicians from France is presented to us. The classical guitar plays its part in a quiet dark folk song. This is “Athens”. The cello cuts in, as… Continue Reading →
Cwealm is a one man black metal project from Sweden. Comparison has been made with 1990s bands releasing material on the No Fashion label such as Lord Belial, Mörk Gryning and Sacramentum. After a spooky opening, “Pale Maleficence” fires off… Continue Reading →
I saw Downfall of Gaia headlining in 2015. It caught me out a bit as I didn’t really know the band but did find their murky representations interesting. A gloomy tone, accompanied by hard-hitting and indistinct screams, welcome us to… Continue Reading →
Rudra albums are normally ferocious affairs, so I braced myself. “Enemy of Duality” is the Singaporean band’s eighth album of Vedic metal, which translates as a spiritual and turbulent tribute to the band’s ancestral culture and the foundations of Hinduism…. Continue Reading →
In 2016 Swedish progressive band Wolverine recently released their fifth album “Viva Machina” and performed for the sixth time at ProgPower Europe. Intrigued about what motivates this band, Andrew Doherty interviewed vocalist Stefan Zell (SZ) and drummer Marcus Losbjer (ML)…. Continue Reading →
There’s a comment that goes with this album, stating “no pink unicorns here”. This is very true. The comment reminded me of the time when someone said to me “Andrew, you’ll never be pink and fluffy”. This is equally true… Continue Reading →
“Autumnal black metal” is the designation given to this work by French band Abduction. I guess that means the array of colours, shorter days turning into longer nights, wind, storms and the spirit of the album’s title which translates as… Continue Reading →
Long-established Polish black metal band Arkona, not to be confused with the Russian band of the same name, are back with their sixth album and a few other bits. I expected no frills. The intro is short because there’s hatred… Continue Reading →
Obake has nothing to do with a popular UK TV series, but is a Japanese term which means “that which changes” or “ghost of a departed one”. “Draugr”, which itself refers to a creature returning from the dead, is the… Continue Reading →