Artistic depth has two possible extremes. One extreme tries to express itself with an increasingly diverse set of stylistic ideas, choosing to portray emotions with whatever musical idea suits them best. The other extreme of artistic depth is the exploration of a single idea from as many angles as possible. Robert Schumann once hammered the same a note on his piano until he went mad, looking for possibly the perfect expression of that one note. Steve Reich explored the shifting of rhythms, creating rhythmic polymeters as dense as they were fascinating. Cephalotripsy slam. And they do it a lot.
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Ceremony of Silence – Halios Review
Opening with a swarm of discordant riffs on “Primaeval Sacrifice”, the listener must adapt to Halios’ rapidly advancing tide or give in to the swallow of the maelstrom. Formerly a duo, Ceremony of Silence has now become a trio. And combined with a sleeker, fuller production, Halios sounds a lot more polished and a lot more mean than 2019’s Outis ever could.
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Sumac – The Healer Review
Brian Cook’s bass rumbles intently along in “Yellow Dawn”, Aaron Turner’s howls and screeching guitar solos are caustic, and Nick Yacyshyn’s drums regularly steal the show with powerfully precise hits. Sounds like our alligator is hungry for some SUMAC.
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This Week In Metal, 2024 Week 29
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 Octoploid, Vulvodynia, and Nyktophobia, you can do that too! IT’S DEATH METAL WEEK!
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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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Vulvodynia – Entabeni Review
Vulvodynia has built a solid following and reputation, proving that slam could be a gateway for bands from second-world nations, and that brutish, hardcore-inspired violence could be a tool for self-actualization. But sometimes knowing yourself isn’t good enough when all you want to do is punch a drummer.
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Octoploid – Beyond the Aeons Review
Somewhere deep in a Finish archipelago on a breezy and mild summer’s day a smorgasbord is taking place. At a wooden table surrounded by many Finns sits a metal loving bat. Looking more closely he has a huge grin on his face as 70s aesthetic sauce is dripping all over his chicken parm sandwich. Will you join him? Is this the sauce of the summer?
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 28
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 Black Hole Deity, Diskord / Atvm, and Liminal Shroud, you can do that too!
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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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Crypts of the Unknown: Animosity – Animal
