With a long and spicy Hungarian title, XII: A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek is by all counts a folk album. It uses folk music as a basis for its rhythms in bright and airy compositions, filled with a large variety of vocals. It’s also a metal album, which is what it presents as at first with the heaviest compositions landing in the first third of the album.
Read morePillar of Light – Caldera Review
The second a band chooses to use a Lewandowski painting for their cover, they set a certain expectation. Ever since his association with Bell Witch’s seminal funeral doom album, Mirror Reaper, this decision implies a certain confidence in quality. Detroit’s own Pillar of Light should know this. With the quiet-loud formula brought to bear on their debut album, Caldera, they make the case that they earn this monolithic cover through sheer emotional heft. It just might blow your top off.
Read moreThyrathen – Lakonic Review
“Thyrathen hail from Larissa, the birth place of Achilles, but have elected to honour a different group of the bloody-minded and bloody-handed with their second album, Lakonic. Laconia was home of the Spartans for those who don’t know, and as such, the name suggested I could expect some suitably belligerent, stripped back black metal.” If this is the case, Pete’s ears will rejoice, never to rumble in boredom again… if…
Read moreAtaraxie – Le Declín Review
Extreme metal can take many forms. But in this time of ours where acts try to out-Flanderize each other — essentially extremity fitting into the mold of extremity to be extreme — there is less and less that can actually be considered extreme. Ataraxie present their vision of funeral doom as a no-frills, heavily death metal inspired affair. It may be slow, but will it rush to the top of you doom metal essentials?
Read moreAdorior – Bleed on My Teeth Review
Bleed on My Teeth is a relentless assault on the senses, a sonic maelstrom that threatens to consume all in its path. British band Adorior’s third full-length is a masterclass in chaos and destruction, with vocals from Melissa Gray aka Jaded Lungs that defy reason and convention. Ride the red wave.
Read moreOdious Spirit – The Treason of Consciousness Review
James Oskarbski, the main brain behind Odious Spirit, is not afraid to use all kinds of effects to create the best kind of oppressive music. The main ingredient on this fantabulous album is psychedelic guitar witchcraft. Get spooky with Odious Spirit!
Read moreDark 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.
Read moreStress Angel – Punished by Nemesis Review
The death metal chugging bear has decided to stay at Goat Review, Welcome to our new writer Bobo Dupla! There’s so much death metal to devour and so little time, next in line is Punished by Nemesis by Stress Angel.
Read moreMayhemic – Toba Review
In yet another tale of a metal subgenre rapidly stagnating, blackened thrash finds itself needing revitalizing. But where there’s a riff, there’s a way.
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