Creating music as a duo can present a paradoxical dynamic. It can be both easier, as there is only one other person to get in tune with, and more challenging when conflicts do arise, as the intricate interplay between two artistic visions will require a fine balance of compromise and creative synergy. Maria and Coley, the two members of Ragana, take turns on guitar, drums, and vocals, and since 2012 this approach has allowed them to maintain interest with their hybrid of unrefined Black/Doom Metal. Two hearts blast beat as one.
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Dyssebeia – Garden of Stillborn Idols Review
Melodic Death Metal is truly a mixed bag of a genre. You often know what you will get when you press play. For every Carcass, The Black Dahlia Murder and Amorphis, there are thousands of At the Gates, In Flames and Insomnium clones. Are Dyssebeia also gardeners of eternal imitation?
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Suffocation – Hymns From the Apocrypha Review
The band lost a lot when Frank Mullen decided to pursue being an actor, gifting the world his performance as the Manhattan Mutilator in James Balsamo’s Sexy Time. Mullen was an icon, much more than any of the other members could be. Yet, Mullen isn’t the most unique sounding vocalist in 2023 and it makes sense that the vocal performance of current vocalist Ricky Myers is noticeably different. Definitely not asphyxiated.
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Plague Rider – Intensities Review
Watts’ vocal performance on Intensities sickens me in the best way; his unhinged, demented rasps on key tracks cementing some of my favorite album moments. Henderson also has a phenomenal performance: being extraordinarily technical yet never too much. Will these sounds absquatulate from Cosmo’s desiring ears?
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Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – SAVED! Review
Hayter’s name change to Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter is about switching focus toward healing rather than pain, and supplies ample reason for that change even if the music is a stone’s throw away from the Lingua Ingota project. The Christian Hater returns!
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Baring Teeth – The Path Narrows Review
Baring Teeth aren’t the most trope-oriented troupe for the most part, so the challenge in reviewing The Path Narrows lies elsewhere – if this is an above average or even good example of Dissonant Death Metal, why does our Goat not find himself particularly enjoying it? Size matters.
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Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex Review
What makes much of this material stick is that Steven Wilson is meticulous at sound production and getting a live feel out of the instruments. Mixing this with the Electronic focus of many of these songs makes for some music that operates, production-wise, on a level that is unusual today. Sometimes the future doesn’t bite.
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Uada – Crepuscule Natura Review
The songs on here are for the most part quite fun, with “The Dark (Winter)” and “Retraversing the Void” being standouts. Each of these tracks showcase Uada’s strengths: tight riffs, strong vocals, and a captivating atmosphere. But is it enough to evoke high praise from Cosmo?
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Undergang – De syv stadier af fordærv Review
This short release contains seven prime cuts of Undergang, clocking in at a tight 21 minutes. If you’ve listened to this band before, specifically Misantropologi, then this EP feels like a direct continuation of that album. Take a listen, don’t let the meat spoil.
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Crypts of the Unknown: Blunt Force Trauma – Vengeance for Nothing
