the Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2025 ... so far

This was set in motion two years ago when too many journalists tried to erroneously hail hot garbage as the best black metal album of the year. This compelled me to set things straight, as such a claim is disrespectful to the genre; therefore,
I decided to uphold this mid-year tradition. Just sounding good from a production standpoint is not going to make the cut, since studio magic alone is not what black metal is about. Though I am not looking for something to sound like trash in the name of being cvlt either. I am also not paying homage to bands that are just press darlings for whatever social reason of the day might be. After all, Blackbraid continues to show what he got right about Native representation is being an alcoholic. I want bands who are effective at creating darkness, so with that said, here are the top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2025 ...so far.

10- Ritualmord- "This is Not Lifelover" 

Lifelover's remains turned to Hypothermia and Kall. This comes from the guitarist who formed Hypothermia. This was where the songs that were too experimental for that project as they continued to evolve as musicians. This is the first full-length of the project following three EPS. The mood is similar to what they have done before, even if they are not using the typical sonic building blocks of black metal to get there.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/ritualmord-this-is-not-lifelover.html

9- Void of Hope- "Proof of Existence" 

Finland's black metal scene is expanding beyond the raw black metal bands like Horna. It is also cool that depressive black metal is making more of a comeback. It's dark and more emotive than the normal blasting black metal that wants to sound like Darkthrone when even Darkthrone doesn't sound like the band they are trying to imitate anymore. The vocals have a nasty howl. The music carries a very deliberate throb.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/black-metal-history-month-void-of-hope.html

8-Karg- "Maroduer" 

The band's 9th album finds attitude propelling the aggressive tendencies, and even in how the atmosphere is approached. The vocals are not screamed but shouted in a forceful yet pained manner. More melodic and angular than what I expect from any metal coming out of Germany

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/black-metal-history-month-karg-maroduer.html

7-Grima- "Nightshade" 

The theme of this album is to honor Taiga, the spirit of the Siberian forest. If these guys are from Siberia, I can only wonder what it's like getting to band practice, as it's pretty harsh there. This is their 6th album, so they have been doing this a while, and it's apparent in how things flow in their playing.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/black-metal-history-month-grima.html

6-Abigail Williams - "A Void Within Existence"

 Abigail Williams is one of the rare American Black Metal bands that has stood the test of time as a legitimate representation of its genre, with a sonic darkness on par with their European counterparts. This album effectively captures the darkness that this project embodies. The atmosphere brought by the guitar hits the sweet spot of making things sonically heavier.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/abigail-williams-void-within-existence.html

5-Morast- "Fentanyl"

This is what black metal should be. Darkness and misery forged into music. It carries a dreadful throb, that is not what you might think of as depressive black metal, but they succeeded in capturing the despair of junkie in a manner so real we have not heard it since mid-2000s Nachtmystium. I did not know fentanyl was big in Germany, but it's spread worldwide now, as I am sure the trailer parks of Europe in the Eastern Block are spreading it like roaches. 

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/black-metal-history-month-morast.html

4-Void of Hope- "Proof of Existence" 

Finland's black metal scene is expanding beyond the raw black metal bands like Horna. It is also cool that depressive black metal is making more of a comeback. It's dark and more emotive than the normal blasting black metal that wants to sound like Darkthrone when even Darkthrone doesn't sound like the band they are trying to imitate anymore. The vocals have a nasty howl. The music carries a very deliberate throb.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/black-metal-history-month-void-of-hope.html

3-Deafheaven- "Lonely People With Power" 

The band continues to balance out the varied elements of their discography, right down to the deliberate chug that the song transitions into. Having made their way onto the rock festival circuit, you had to wonder how much playing with big mainstream bands would influence them. Truth be told, when I saw them at Rockville, there was little compromise on their part to win anybody over. 6 albums into their career, I think it is safe to say if they were going to sell out, they would have by now.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/deafheaven-lonely-people-with-power.html

2-Hexvessel- "Nocturne" 

Seven albums into their legacy, this Finnish band continues to ebb and flow with both neo-folk and black metal in their veins. In some way, this picks up where "Polar Veil" left off; in other ways, it expands upon it, with more layered voices that sound like the hippie choir persona of their folk era, now haunting this album, and finds a more balanced blend of those melodic folk textures.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/hexvessel-nocturne.html

1-NITE- "the Cult of the Serpent Sun" 

The third album from this San Francisco metal band. They walk a line between black metal and traditional metal. I can hear where Tribulation might have occupied a similar sonic space at one time if they had not turned into a goth band. If you want a classic metal-sounding album that is just not reheating leftovers but is writhing with an inner darkness, this album is for you. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/nite-cult-of-serpent-sun.html

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May's Top 10 Albums

It's time for May's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them; I am just linking the reviews. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my inbox that are not coming out til August, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there tends to be a dominant theme of new wave, pop, and goth, though we have a couple of metal bands in the mix as well,  so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums of May 

10-HEXVESSEL- "Nocturne"  

Black Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/hexvessel-nocturne.html

9-Swans - "Birthing" 

Experimental Post Punk 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/swans-birthing.html

8-Katatonia -"Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State" 

Prog Rock 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/katatonia-nightmares-as-extensions-of.html

7-Sleep Token - "Even In Arcadia" 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/sleep-token.html

6-Ministry - "the Squirrelly Years Revisted"

 

New Wave / Goth 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/ministry-squirrelly-years-revisted.html

5-Peter Murphy- "Silver Shade" 

New Wave / Goth 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/peter-murphy-silver-shade.html

4-Age of Apocalypse - "In Oblivion" 

Hard-core 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/age-of-apocalypse-in-oblivion.html

3-the Callous Daoboys- " I Don't Want to See You in Heaven" 

Metal - Core 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-callous-daoboy-i-dont-want-to-see.html

2-Pixel Grip - "Perceptide the Death of Reality" 

Dark Wave  / Pop 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/pixel-grip-perceptide-death-of-reality.html

1-Freeze the Fall - "The Red Garden"

Hard Rock  / Nu-Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/freeze-fall-red-garden.html

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HEXVESSEL : "Nocturne"

Seven albums into their legacy, this Finnish band continues to ebb and flow with both neo-folk and black metal in their veins. In some way, this picks up where "Polar Veil" left off; in other ways, it expands upon it, with more layered voices that sound like the hippie choir persona of their folk era, now haunting this album, and finds a more balanced blend of those melodic folk textures. So if you are a fan of both the folk and black period, then this album is for you. What I like about it is how it darkness the hippy tendencies. I mean, my favorite hippy is Charles Manson, so I want it pretty dark. 

I don't remember harsh vocals on the last album, though they might have surfaced sparsely toward the end. I think the balance of vocal styles here works really well. There is a more Burzum feel to the cold riff that opens "Inward Landscapes". The vocals sit further back in the mix, with the guitars very forward.  This song is also broken up with a more drastic shift into folk guitar. When the electric guitar returns, there are a few layers with some of which have a more ghostly reverb.  The graceful vocal melody balances out the old-school black guitar on " Dark Graceful Wilderness". Synths also swirl around to create a deeper level of ambiance. 

The first time the vocals do not settle over the more jarring guitar in a flowing manner is on "Masked Spirit Wolf". It's a more belted vocal than what we are used to hearing from him. The darker, more deliberate chug to "Nights Tender Reckoning' feels like a metal version of Grave Pleasures, which  I am always up for. Things get pretty grim for "Mother Destroyer" but still work well. "Concealed Descent" is more of a folk interlude. The syncopated stomp of "Unworld" is one of the album's strongest moments. The last song finds his sung vocals trading off with screamed vocals, which align with black metal more expectedly. I want the unexpected. Still the strongest moments of this album feel more dynamic than the previous album so I will round this up to a 10.Dropping June 13th on Prophecy Productions.

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The Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2023 so far ...

Yeah I  know we already did a Top 10 metal albums of 2023 so far list which you can read right here...

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-top-10-metal-albums-of-2023-so-far.html

But after reading reviews that are erroneously calling the new Blackbraid album the best black metal album of the year, I felt like the record needed to be set straight, because such a claim is disrespectful to the bands listed below, who brought more powerful songs than Blackbraid did in a much more convincing manner. I will say the new Blackbraid, is an improvement over the first album and you can read the review here ... https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/07/blackbraid-blackbraid-2.html

While it might it sounds great from a production stand point, but studio magic alone is not what black metal is about, in fact all the albums below. Just because they are not being hyped for the reasons the press wants to hype Blackbraid again, does not mean they are not better at what they do and creating darkness more effectively, so with that said here are the top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2023 ...so far.

10-Høstsol :  'Länge Leve Döden"

This black metal super group of sorts caught my eye as it features the singer of one of my all-time favorite black metal bands Shining. Niklas Kvarforth brings his trademark scowls of agony to some icy Scandinavian black metal, that also finds Tor-Helge Skei on guitar. The result is something that uses atmosphere as a lubricant to dominate you with its commanding charge.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/hstsol-lange-leve-doden.html

9- vvilderness : "Path" 

 This Hungarian black metal band does a great job of incorporating folk elements without brightening their sound or making them sound like Summoning. They allow for a dynamic ebb and flow as the gaze deeply into the woods and invoke the spirits of their ancestors. They do use some of tropes of black metal like the tremolo picked guitar while employing the dynamic swells with a half time feel that reminds me of black gaze.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-vvilderness.html

8-Felsenmirror : "s/t"

This year it's about defying the traditions of black metal and rather than playing off the same tropes to experiment which this band does. They might be best summed up by saying they like like what Agalloch might sound like if you took away their folk and the the technical side of their guitar work and replaced it with crust then you would get something close to what goes down here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-felsebmirror.html

7-   Tulus : "Fandens Kall" 

 They are a piece of black metal history, but if you do not recognize the name do not turn in your cvlt card yet as you more than likely know Khold. If you do not know Khold, then you are a poseur and should burn a church with yourself in it. Granted Khold is not as big of a name in Norwegian black metal as Darkthrone, Mayhem, Emperor or ... well you can see where this is going. They are most impressive due to the fact they retained their rock n roll sense of groove, making their songs catchier than your average blast fest. Or really any blast fest for that matter, since they all sound the same. They prove themselves as songwriters here for sure. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-tulus-fandens.html

6-Altari : "Kröflueldar" 

 This band from Iceland thinks outside of the box. There is a darker more melodic throb. The bellowing vocals are the most black metal thing about the opening track. What I like about this album is two songs in and it is clear the darkness of the over all sound is the most black metal thing about this, as they are not hitting you with the normal metallic onslaught of blast beats. For that reason there is something more honest in the sound.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-altari.html

5-Monachopsis Art : "An Empty Existence"

 Not as raw as many of their Finnish country men, there is a more deliberate and majestic feel . The vocals are multilayered, with both the anguished scowling of the more wretched larynx torture along with the softer more operatic intonations of Natalie from the Abbey. The songs gallop more than they blast at you which is a testament to the commitment to songwriting as they progress to a melodic place that goes well outside of the ugly bounds of black metal.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-monachopsis-art-empty.html

 

4-Dødheimsgard : "Black Medium Current" 

 The 6th album this band has released since 1995 means that they value quality over quantity. Their first album in eight years. Yes, they are Norwegian black metal in the truest since of the term, but they are not just trying to replicate what Darkthrone once did. They are not afraid of blast beats , but are also not afraid of taking chances and breaking boundaries. Sung vocals are used almost in equal measure to the harsh growls. They shift through many melodic moods and atmospheres to create something powerful here.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/ddheimsgard-black-medium-current.html

3-Cloak-"Black Flame Eternal" 

This Atlanta band might have finally hit their creative stride with album number three. This does not mean that I am any closer to branding them a goth metal band. The elements that might bring that to one mind are perhaps more fleshed in places. The songwriting stomps with more debilitation. The influence of Dissection is still present, but tempered with a more dynamic range of sound. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/cloak-black-flame-eternal.html

 

2- Hexvessel -"Polar Veil" 

I am a fan of anything Kvohst does. The two main projects he juggles these days being Grave Pleasures and his often more folky band Hex Vessel , which their 6th album finds them taking a turn to black metal. There is an impressive buzz of guitar casting cold shadows behind the mournful vocal melody. Hypnotically pulsing against the dreary chant of the vocals it somehow works. He does have a black metal past, so this is not a surprise in how these sounds are married. What is the most impressive is how this album proves you can make a black metal album without screamed vocals.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/07/hexvessel-polar-veil.html

1-Downfall of Gaia-"Silhouettes Of Disgust"

This German band already finds themselves claiming the distinction of having s one of the best black metal albums I have heard this year,  it came out back in February and still stands strong. If you like forward thinking black metal with plenty of dark disgust this album is for you.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/02/black-metal-history-month-downfall-of.html

Hexvessel : "Polar Veil"

 

I am a fan of anything Kvohst does. The two main projects he juggles these days are Grave Pleasures and his often more folky band Hex Vessel, which is releasing their 6th album. It takes a turn from the beginning with the more black metal buzz of guitar casting cold shadows behind the mournful vocal melody. It moves at more of a drone, but with the dreary chant of the vocals, it somehow works. He does have a black metal past, so this is not a surprise in how these sounds are married. Things are darker going into the second song for sure. Bolzer provides backup vocals to this one with a call-and-response feel to the croon of  McNerney.

Chelsea Wolfe collaborator Ben Chisholm darkens things up with his synth contributions for "Listen to the River".  "A Cabin in Montana" drifts and drones in cold blackened darkness, which resonates with me but drapes it's self thickly in the background. The vocals find more focus on "Eternal Meadow" . There is some interesting laying of guitar midway into this song, that reflects what was their once folk side. A single note guitar melody weeps out from the proceedings as the song continues to drift into darker places. "Crepuscular Creatures" is like putting a Lovecraft short story to music. The melody is more introspective as the narrative stares out into the unknown. 

"Ring" finds things going in a more doom oriented direction. The guitars still find a tremolo picked shimmer haunting it despite this. The last song fully commits to more of a blast beat ruckus, though the vocals continue the expected croon that keeps this marginally more grounded in what this project does. Upon hearing this song a second time, it feels like his vocals are holding the constant amid the chaos summoned by the instruments around him.  I will round this album  up to a 10 and see how it grows on me.  This album drops September 22nd on Svart Records. 

Hexvessel : 'All Tree"

Had to take a break from black metal to check out this Finnish neo folk acts new album. Since Kvohst is singing they do have a black metal history, but this album is so hippy I could not file it under black history month. This is spurned more by my love for Grave Pleasures / Beastmilk . Not as tense as those post-punk projects, there is more melancholy than flower power. "Son of the sky" has a darker 60s rock sway to it . A neo folk strum running through it. Kvohst's voice sounds great as it always does. There is still that melancholy tremble to it , though it he keeps a very clean folk vocal tone on "Old Tree". The darker vibes carry over into the smooth flow of songs like "Changeling" even with a flute dancing around it. There is a heavier strum to "Ancient Astronaut" . The chorus is a little lighter than what I expected going into the song.

There are some instrumental interludes that I am for the purpose of the review not going to get into. Sure they sound cool, but are not actual songs. There is a very relaxed folk vibe to " A Slyvan Sign".They have some of the best acoustic guitar tones on this album. The guitars are very well layered.I like how groove is blended with the frolicking folk of "Wilderness Spirit". There is a more Pink Floyd feel to "Birthmark". The chorus to this one might have the most feeling to it so far. I obviously like the fact tht "Liminal Night: is about Halloween. There is a similar vibe to the last song, though musically it is much more minimal. It has a more solemn drone to it.

I will give this album a 9.5 ,as in terms of song writing and the over all sound they have expanded their scope on many levels. It's a great sounding album. This could help tip them over to more mainstream audiences as I  can see how indie rock kids might get into them, but then again it still might require more thinking than the average millennial hipster can muster,

the Top 10 Pop/ Rock Albums of 2016... So Far this Year

The year is at it's half way point so it is time once again to take a look at what has been the best pop and rock releases of the year so far. Pop and rock are being used to sum up everything that isn't metal, it includes some industrial and post-punk too. This one was much easier than the metal list which is still battling it out as a work in progress. These are based on how well made and performed the album is along with what I have actually been listening to. Rather than put streams or video with each entry there is a link to the full review that contains those.

 10- Death Index
 Carson Cox came out swinging with a more punk take on what he does than what we have heard from Merchandise in recent years.Overall there hasn't been a punk album dark enough to do much for me in sometime so it was good to hear something fresh from a voice I know and love.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/02/death-index-st.html

9 Alaric - "End of Mirrors"

 I've been a fan of this band since the whole death rock revival came into my consciousness. Now five years later, my fears that they might have broken up are put to rest making this a very welcome return. All the things that have made them work in the past are in place here. Like a doomed out version of Killing Joke the band plows into the post- apocalyptic wasteland their music conjures. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/alaric-end-of-mirrors.html br />

8- Hex Vessel - "When we are Death" This is way more rock n roll than I thought it would, but this band is fronted by Mat McNerney who we also know as Kvohst the lead singer of Grave Pleasures / Beast Milk. This album finds this project now occupying a more similar sonic space as Grave Pleasures , just dipping into a another decade . http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/hexvessel-when-we-are-death.html

7-Purson- "Desire's Magic Theater"

I've owned the band's previous EP and like what I have from them thus far. While summoning a retro vibe is part of their sound there was more of a hard rock under current to their sound which this new full length turns away from in favor of something that is supposed to be a rock opera aiming for Sgt. Pepper and Ziggy Stardust. Right from the get go it feels like it has more in common with T-Rex before colliding into more of a folkish hippy section midway into the opening song. There is more trippy Beatle like orchestration that meets with the band's previous Jethro Tull like prog leanings well. "Electric Landlady" not only has a clever title, but it pretty convincing trip into the 60's. These guys have more than their fair share of chops to make you a day dream believer. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/purson-desires-magic-theater.html

6- Future- "EVOL"

 This one I never reviewed, but I have listened to a ton, so I am not sure why I didn't review it as I have reviewed plenty of rap and hip-hop on here before, so why not trap rap. The song he does with the Weeknd " Low Life" is enough to earn a place on this list by itself.
 

5- Eagulls-"Ullages"

 The Sophomore effort by the British Post-punk band finds them maturing into a more melodic sound. Their debut had more of a punk energy to it and "Ullages" embraces lush textures of guitar and sharpened sense of song writing that brings a greater emotional depth to the table. The punk in the post-punk equation is taking a back seat much like it would as fellow Brits the Cure would.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/eagulls-ullages.html

4-Savages- "Adore"

No sophomore slump as this album enjoys the benefits of better production than their debut. The bass is thicker and Jenny Beth's vocals are up front and unencumbered by the mix. "Sad Person" hits a sweet spot between groove and punchy rock. The guitar still flirts with surreal layers leaving the hammer of the bass to carry the weight, but at other times the guitar takes on a much more rock feel than they had before, making this album harder than their first.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/savages-adore-life.html

3-Swans- "the Glowing Man"
 This is the last album by this incarnation of the re-vamped Swans. It opens with a darker elegance and a get deal of sonic texture. Gira's croon is a little more refined and less like the rants of "To Be Kind". This comes a little closer to what I want from the band though I enjoyed the albums of this phase of the band, the only thing I haven't liked it the hipster hippie crowd that began to show up post- Bonnaroo thinking they were a jam band and Gira's perhaps unintentional indulgence of this.My only real complaint being the length of  the songs that touch the twenty minute mark, the song writing could have been more efficient  and still gotten the point across, allowing them to jam it out more live if they so choose. Even with the twenty minutes songs Gira remains a master of his domain.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/06/swans-glowing-man.html

2- Youth Code- "Commitment to Complications"

 Heavy enough that it could have made it on the metal list, but the lack of guitars keeps it here/ Production wise things have stepped up another level along with the song writing. After a melodic and perhaps dramatic synth intro the kick into the first proper song which kicks more like a rock song energetically than your typical industrial. Unlike your typical industrial there is not an obligatory layer of 90s thrash metal guitar over it. The synths are capable of summoning their own heft. . Ben from Goatwhore lends his snarl to the title track and doesn't really have to switch it up in order to feel at home, but it's over a bunch of hammering synths.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/youth-code-commitment-to-complications.html

1-David Bowie- "Black Star"

 Its sadly funny how the review of this album was posted before his death, and then after his death everyone was changing their profile pictures to the album cover, when they showed little interest in it before he did, or did not even have the awareness of it's release. The lead single and title track opens the album, and found Bowie in a darker and more surreal place than his last album. There is a very experimental ambiance to things that will delight fans of his Brian Eno years. His collections of musicians  ranges from LCD Soundsystem to avant garde jazz , with the jazz contingent weighing more heavily. Now people have tried to look for clues that Bowie was warning people he was about to die. I find it sits nicely along side his body of work and while I still get more spins out of "Young Americans" I never skip past one of these songs when they pop up. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/david-bowie-black-star.html

Hexvessel : "When We Are Death"

This is way more rock n roll than I thought it would, but this band is fronted by Mat McNerney who we also know as Kvohst the lead singer of Grave Pleasures / Beast Milk. This album finds this project now occupying a more similar sonic space as Grave Pleasures , just dipping into a another decade . So perhaps Kvohst is a time lord and he hops back and forth from the 80s to the 60s collecting melodie. The folk has been dialed way back on the opener. This eases back into a mellower psychedelic trip on the second song, but the rock element are still dominate over the folk, which is not a complaint, perhaps if you are really invested in these guys being a neo-folk then it might need more time to grow on you , but the songs really handle the slightly morose melodies well. This is not totally happy hippy music that is just the undercurrent. It is totally groovy, but a lava lamp is not a requirement.Then things really ease back for "Cosmic Truth" that has more of a Moody Blues feel. There is more of a straight up 60's rock feel to "When I'm Dead" .

They take on a more folk tone for "Mirror Boy" which is a more morse song, with a very haunting melody.The vocals are very passionate. Things take on a more tripped out rumble with " Drugged Up On the Universe" the guitar carries a slight prog slant to it and the keys lay the atmosphere on sick, the vocals follow more of a Hawkwind like pattern and are not as centered on the sort of melodies present for the bulk of the album. This is a heavier song than what has been presented thus far , so it compensates for the lack of focus. There is a blues soaked groove to the dusk tinged swagger of "Teeth of the Mountain". I would speculate that "Green Gold" is about smoking pot, the lyrics try to point in another direction. Mcnerney sounds like Brendan Perry on this one and the lazy guitar melody gives a surreal backdrop to what is an other wise straight forward affair. The drugs must have really kicked in on "Mushroom Spirit Doors" aside from the Beatles like chorus, the riff is angular and the song is a little off in its center of gravity.The drums offer up a more primal pound to summon their tribe of shaman on " Hunter's Prayer". The music sits in a more minimalist fashion behind the vocals than the majority of the songs, giving the song a similar feel to "Spanish Caravan" .


 They close up the album with more psyche rock minded "Shaman You". The vocals are stronger here than the previous two songs and this one is darker than what you might expect from something with such strong 60s influence. A band like Bloodrock might be a good reference point here. With the more surreal swirl this songs comes with also brings less focus to the middle section, but the skeleton of the song is pretty solid and it returns to the more hook oriented chant of 'you are a false magician".I'll give this one a 9.5 and see how it sits on me Kvohst's performance is stellar as usual.

 


10