Author Reverend Darkstanley
If you’re used to judging a band by its name and album cover then you may already have decided to skip past The Spirit – but that, my friend, would have been a mistake. Because Sounds From the Vortex is… Continue Reading →
Swedish melancholy folk metal band Saiva have been out in the wilderness somewhere or other concocting the strange old brew of pagan melodies for a few years now. Until now, they’ve dropped the odd single and a split with Grift… Continue Reading →
There’s some solid stuff coming out on label Aesthetic Death whether it’s the sludgy, blackened doom of Ketch or the equally highly recommended quirky black metal of Lashblood. Indeed, it’s a label that’s becoming known for its appreciation of the… Continue Reading →
Monarch sets new lows when it comes to depressive, harrowing doom. Often only sparsely populated with what you might dismissively call music and more often bordering on ambient ‘noise’, this is a band that is intense, emotionally testing but clearly… Continue Reading →
Anyone who loves speed metal, but can’t stand the lashings of cheese usually served up by the speedier Euro brand of power metal, should love Portrait. The first album back in 2008 was a blast – a fantastic band still… Continue Reading →
I don’t know if there’s some cryptic message here that only truly makes sense when you’re seriously stoned, but something feels so fitting about the collaboration between The Wandering Midget and Hands of Orlac as if the two, albeit imaginary… Continue Reading →
Drudkh’s recent wave of splits feels like they have been a liberating experience for the band. Free from the relative confines of producing a full crop’s worth of Ukrainian grief and solitude, the Drudkh frontman Roman Sayenko et al have… Continue Reading →
While I had a soft spot for Lęk’s first release Sweven a few years ago (time flies, it was back in 2014) it didn’t achieve enough across its 40 minute span to raise itself clearly enough above the pack. This… Continue Reading →
Here’s a tempting treat for anyone whose tastes linger at the blackened end of the melodic death metal spectrum – Amon Amarth, Kataklysm, Immortal. Yes, you say, but I’ve listened to all that Viking death metal stuff a thousand times,… Continue Reading →
Well, these guys have come out of nowhere (after five previous albums, I must add) with a bit of a gem here for anyone who’s into the whole post-hardcore melancholy vibe and vocals powerful enough to cause a higher-level stratospheric… Continue Reading →
Penetrating the increasingly esoteric world of Acherontas V Priest and his various collaborators is becoming a bit of an adventure – albeit one that is bleak and unforgiving. The outfit undoubtedly made its initial impact with some impressive occult-driven black… Continue Reading →
The Swedes look determined to bring the doom flame home this year. First with February’s Dautha debut demo Den Förste getting the epic doomers their first proper release on Ván. Then this, Below’s second album, destined to keep the band… Continue Reading →