One look at the giant purple tower on the cover of Wraithfyre’s Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms was enough to let Peat know that this had to be frostbitten 90s melodic black metal and it had to be solid – an icy touch enough to peak your interest too, perhaps.
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Dark Tranquillity – Endtime Signals Review
No band has meant more to me than Dark Tranquillity. Yet somehow I’d have missed the release date of Endtime Signals if friends hadn’t reminded me. Part of that is me living a more complicated life now I’ve grown up. The other part though is that age has simultaneously fractured Dark Tranquillity’s line-up while also ushering in a calmer sound with less wild album to album evolution. They’re not releasing bad albums, but they’re not punishing heavens any more either.
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Vanessa Funke – Void Review
Funke writes and writes. It almost makes the album name Void quite ironic as that’s the opposite of her discography. However, it is an apt fit for the melancholic tone she often adopts for her work. Last time around I wanted more of that bleak, sad goodness in Funke’s work. Will she fill that Void?
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Nyktophobia – To The Stars Review
For those who do not know, Nyktophobia means a fear of the dark. I imagine a full quarter of those reading this have started whistling or imitating the air raid siren. Nyktophobia don’t have any particular ties to that sound, but it’s still a good name for them as their fourth album, To The Stars, features a dark and emotional take on melodic death metal.
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Liminal Shroud – Visions of Collapse Review
Peat counts himself an atmoblack fan but at the same time, believes there are a lot of bands that prove the haters right. It’s a tough style to get right. That’s why the intro of Liminal Shroud’s Visions of Collapse filled him with hope and fear at the same time. As the curtain falls, what will your vision be?
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Sear Bliss – Heavenly Down Review
There is space for many more brass instruments in metal. We have violins galore and keys by the score but not enough brass. Happily, Sear Bliss understand this. That’s why they have a trombonist. Come, everyone, let’s look at Anti-Peat’s tromboner.
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Mythologik – Blood in the Sky Review
Texan duo Mythologik proclaim that Blood in the Sky features a mix of melodic blackened death metal musical tendencies with aggressive/soaring vocals like 80s thrash metal. And you know what, these Texans have some of those 80s thrash metal tendencies in the music too. We reckon, anyway. Grab the thrash bull by the horns!
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Botanist – Paleobotany Review
Hey look, it’s Botanist, the band with the hammered dulcimer! A consequence of a world filled brimful of good metal bands is that bands become known by their unique thing. Paleobotany, though, is a concept album dedicated to the marvels of the gigantic plants that existed before the Chicxulub asteroid so rudely interrupted their existence. Come on in and see if this release is as big a hit as that!
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Kawir – Kydoimos Review
One of the seemingly endless joys of being a metal fan is stumbling across a band that’s old as the hills but somehow new to you. Kawir is a good example. They released their first demo in 1993 and Kydoimos is their eighth studio album. You could say that up until this point, it was all Greek to our poor Anti-Peat.
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Crypts of the Unknown: Bergraven – Det Framlidna Minnet
