Since diving into their body of work, fantastic experiments like the one-song prog excursion The Cavern speak of a restless band with a thirst for exploring. Both the hazy desert feel of Sulphur English and the at times show-off nature of The Cavern are important to New Heaven, as it turns out. New Heaven shocks from its first seconds by throwing its most dissonant foot forward in a jarring and feverish outburst. Welcome to dissoheaven.
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 19
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from Castle Rat, Vesperian Sorrow, Arð, and Couch Slut, you can do that too!
Read moreCouch Slut – You Could Do It Tonight Review
Couch Slut built their reputation on shocking violence, both sonically and lyrically. Join Alice F. as they navigate You Could Do It Tonight’s short, simplistic noise rock/sludge songs—that make you want to smash your head into a wall.
Read moreArð – Untouched By Fire Review
Untouched By Fire is a bleakly beautiful homage to Northumbria’s history. It tells the story of its founder, King Oswald, through the medium of doom metal. It’s bloody good doom metal too, powerful and insistent. Think Moonsorrow, think Árstíðir Lífsins. Arð you ready for some AOTY material?
Read moreCastle Rat – Into the Realm Review
I was sceptical of Castle Rat at first. For an indie band, the marketing seemed just a tad too purposeful and calculated. The band just nailed what makes a classic doom metal fan tick, with the lo-fi VHS style music videos, the hokey image and the sound in general. What happens when a Rat and a Goat enter the dungeon crawl?
Read moreVesperian Sorrow – Awaken The Greylight Review
At its best, the symphonic black metal subgenre produces moments of sublime awe. At its worst, it offers a different brand of experiences never to be repeated. Since Awaken The Greylight is Vesperian Sorrow’s fifth album, Anti-Peat has his doubts. Awaken the Peat-light.
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 18
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from Hamferð, Full of Hell, Nuclear Tomb, and Crawl, you can do that too!
Read moreCrawl – Altar of Disgust Review
Having listened to an obscene amount of death metal, a lot of it including Swedeath over the years, I’ve reached a point in my metal journey where I see a new Swedeath album and groan, because it’s most likely going to be another band beating an extremely dead horse. Dead horses makes Cosmo mad!
Read moreNuclear Tomb – Terror Labyrinthian Review
To get my thrash kick, I often have to look outside the genre to albums that merge a thrash influence into the band’s work, such as with Paladin, Hammers of Misfortune or Vektor. Not to be forgotten, Voivod were way ahead of the game in this regard, and they are relevant to newcomers Nuclear Tomb in just how much this band looks backward. Is our Gator looking forward to a good dose of atomic riffage?
Read more