Overall, I was not really sold on their debut, but Funeral for a King sees Stygian Crown return with significantly improved writing and performances, as they seem to lean into their death doom influence stronger than before. The amalgamation of death and epic doom tropes leads to a uniquely feeling album. But will it reign supreme in our Goat’s estimation?
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Fathomless Ritual – Hymns for the Lesser Gods Review
The Goat once waxed poetically about the challenges of wearing your influences on your sleeve a little too much. One potential offender, Fabricant, overcame this issue by adjusting for the time that had passed, imagining a Demilich that never stopped making music and took in new ideas without ever losing track of who they were. Fathomless Ritual is a Demilich worship band as well and similarly don’t feel like a total ripoff. Even still, do they do more than just play riffs like lesser gods?
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Golden Core – Kosmos Brenner Review
Golden Core have shoved a lot of black metal influence into their work here. At their very best they use it as a violent cathartic contrast to follow up passages of head-nodding, rumbling stoner fare. Cosmos Tremmer makes a Kosmos Brenner!
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Griffon – De Republica Review
Taking a decidedly anti-authoritarian and perhaps even antifascist perspective, each song here is about a different time period in history, with the prime focus being French history. Every track takes on a melancholic tinge, and can be considered laments, because nothing feels triumphant. What a Monday pick-me-up!
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Secrets – Towards the Nightside Review
There is probably a limit to how much love can be shown to a band that is so obviously reminiscent of those that came before but Secrets push at that limit. So what is the secret to Secrets’ success?
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Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She Review
As variety is the name of the game, you never know what sonic territory Wolfe explores on a new album until you press play. Will the direction of She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She (no this isn’t a typo) strike Croque’s fancy?
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Hulder – Verses in Oath Review
It’s safe to say Hulder exploded in popularity since signing to 20 Buck Spin in 2022 for their EP release, The Eternal Fanfare. Their debut album, released in 2021, Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry, didn’t leave a huge desire for Cosmo to revisit, though. As for this newest Verses in Oath… Hulder your horses, it’s about to get saucy!
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Everdying – Dimensions of Mortal Frailty Review
Blackened melodeath band Everdying know a thing or two about it taking forever to get things done. They released their first EP in 2009 and are only now releasing their full-length debut, Dimensions of Mortal Frailty. But has this ever delayed release been worth the wait?
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Eternal Storm – A Giant Bound to Fall Review
This Gator was instantly apprehensive, but curious to see if Eternal Storm have improved their writing. Starting out with the aptly named “An Abyss of Unreason”, the band puts its longest foot forward with an almost 14 minute long track. Is a Gator bound to fall?
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Crypts of the Unknown: Animosity – Animal
