I noticed today how some metal sites are beginning to steer away from black metal as it's and hateful for them, so I must pick up the slack and dig deeper.. Here is a project based in Norway that offers a rather dynamic take on the genres rooted in solid songwriting. The first song smurpose on the second while ending on where you are in the song. The vocals are a wrath-filled scowl. Though more singing appears the further into the album you travel. The drums are more deliberate than not. They lock into a dense throb for "Avmakt." It is more than just senseless blasting.
"Hap" is more atmospheric and finds them weaving a beautifully bleak shade into the sonic fabric of the song. There was a hint of the more depressive elements as an undercurrent, but I enjoy them coming to the surface here, making this my favorite song so far. They kick into a higher gear of intensity for "Drom". They shift through several dark and dynamic layers of anguished sound as the song unfolds. There is a more epic swagger, empowering gallop to the riff of "Verdens Verste". It brings Enslaved to mind.
"Aversjon" comes clsoer to what you might expect from black metal as it flows from a sweeping tremolo-picked riff. The drums drive the last song until it dips down into a more sparse melodic break. When they build back into the blast, there is a more Deafheaven feel. Overall, I like where they go with this album and the emotional range it is willing to venture into, so I will give it a 9.5. Out on Season of Mist.
The bar was high for this album, as it meant this new incarnation of the band had to prove themselves after releasing the best album of the year, but without ICS Vortex, whose operatic vocal hooks were now a staple of their sound. They doubled down on the orchestrations with the drummer from Vader and Snowy Shaw on bass, who would also handle most of the clean vocals, though Agnete from Djerv also lent a hand most notably on the lead single "Gateways," which is one of the band's best songs. The opening track, "Born Treacherous," was hooky enough to work and prove they still had it.
This album showcases Shagrath's best vocal performance, as he was forced to show up and carry more of the melodic weight. He is called to sing a couple of times throughout the album and does so in a low, gothic baritone.I love how crazed Agnete's vocals sound when she flies into "Gateways". The album's hookiest melody comes in as the song builds to its climax at the end. By the time we get to "Chess With the Abyss," it is clear the motto for this album is go big or go home. The orchestral elements are often the center of the songs, but things stay dark and anthemic, which is a unique balance.
Snowy's voice sometimes almost sounds like Agnete's. "The Ritualist" is a case in point, and fitting that Snowy is on the track since he used to play for King Diamond, and the song reminds me a little of King Diamond. "The Demiurge Molecule" is a great display of songwriting. Darker than it is heavy, and the symphony haunting it does not detract from the tone by romanticizing it. The first song on this album that finds them embracing a more intense speed is "A Jewel Traced Through Coal". They, however, double down with the more aggressive "Renewal," which even then is balanced out by melody and shifts on the verse. The last song finds Snowy Shaw offering his best epic metal vocal to fill the gap left by Vortex, and it works. While I like both of the covers on this album, they were bonus tracks, so for the purpose of this review not digging into them, but will go ahead and give this one a 10 as they overcame and proved themselves once again. It's underrated and if you like their earlier work is worth a listen.
Technically, this is the French Synth wave purveyor's 3rd full-length since the first album wa a compilation of the eps. The opening track delivers what you expect, and the title track is hooky with its syncopated punch. They keep the momentum going, though the songs begin to run together for me about three songs in, as the uptempo drive of "She Rules the Ruins' sounds like video game music. I am not huge into instrumental music but have a surious respect for this genre and appreciate the aggressive nature of this music with its use of synths occupying the space guitars would normally occupy.
"Start Your Engines" continues to use the dance beat that the synth melodies bob over in a lighter fashion than some of the previous songs that sound more like an anime soundtrack. "Neon Requiem" indulges the more 80s-inspired side of the genres main stream tendcies and includes a saxophone dipping in for a minute. There is a marginally heavier pulse to "Iron Sanctuary".
There is more of a break beat to "The Misfits the Rebels," which hits with a more in-your-face energy when it kicks in, but ebbs back down to the more electronic shuffle. Artists like this can struggle with the balance of sound vs a song, since the entire genre is built on capturing this sound. But there are enough dynamics in play to prove he cares about songs. Funny enough to be called "Speed or Perish," the song is not the album's fastest and works off a pretty solid mid-paced groove.
Speaking of groove, the last songs find and almsot Nine Inch Nails-like groove. It's on the slower more introspective side. Think "Fragile", not "Downward Spiral". In fact, this album is not all that dark or heavy, though perhaps heavier than some of the Miami Vice soundtrack styled synth wave bands, but aside from the title track and maybe two other songs, this album is less metal adjacent in its heavier leaning. I will give it an 8.5. If you are into this sort of thing in the broader scope, it is going to deliver the soundtrack to the dystopian future you fantasize about that is not as dark as the one I have in mind.
Yes, there is still new Black Metal coming out of Norway, though four albums into their career, Misotheist are still new if you are comparing them to Mayhem and Burzum. There is also a fair amount of death metal aggression buried inthe cavernous darkness of their aggressive sound. The vocals bellow with a lower throaty growl. On the rawer more early second wave side of the classic equation, they balance this out with the sheer heft of their sound. To their credit, they are also not just dependent on blast beats. They can still summon a swirl of sound with this. I enjoy the opening track, so let's see if the rest of the album can hold up.
The second song, "Blinded and Revealed," hits with a more intense punch that harnesses a more chaotic anger. It reminds me of Marduk in the straightforward manner they hit you head-on with the sonic hammering; it is not until later in the song that an eerie melody rings out within the layers of guitar. "Kjetterdom" slows things down to a more icy tension, which helps the overall dynamics of the album and gives your ears the needed break.
The title track that closes the album is 21 minutes, and I can not think of any reason that a song needs to be that long. A great deal of the fat that needs to be trimmed is in the intro. It takes three minutes for the vocals to come in. The song moves at a slower pace that might warrant an 11 minutes if they are taking us to the intersection of funeral doom and depressive black metal. But it turns into a cavernous death metal closer to Incantation until the end of the song, when things take on a more intense darkness, cool sounds, but no reason for over twenty minutes of them. I will give this album an 8.5; it solidly puts them on my map, I wish they would focus more on songwriting, but if you want some black metal that takes from the Scandinavian roots and adds a more modern sonci intensity, this is worth your time.
Sometimes there are albums like this one that jsut hit the perfect place in time. It almost feels silly to review something this perfect. Hellhammer's playing solidifies his place as black metal's best drummer. It is the last Dimmu Borgir album we are going to hear ICS Vortex's voice on, which hurts them on albums to come. When everything falls into place like this, your dodn't want to mess with this chemistry. But the show had to go on, and the album after this is really great, but I think they set the bar so high for themselves it is intimidating to them to go back into the studio.
It is an aggressive album. But there are tremendous riffs that pull it all together. The production is stellar. The mix had to be rough as there is so much going on at the same time at great speeds. While I think Shagrath's performance reaches his peak level on the next album, it's clear the production is dialed in, and he covers a great deal of dyanmic vocal colorswith the limited range he has to work with, making him one of the best black metal vocalists. The lyrics are even more pronounced on this album. This is highlighted on "Sacralicious Scorn". Vortex's vocal hook is one of his strongest performances ever. The epitome of hooky black metal.
"The Sinister Awakening." find Hellhammer playing like a machine as the tension flows in a manner that makes the riffs more effective when they do punch. There is a harder-hitting syncopation to "the Fundamental Alienation." They are consistently packing the most dynamics and sonic layers into this five-minute format. One thing I like about digging back into older albums is the chance to rediscover songs I might have overlooked on previous listens, which is the case with the last song, which is pretty dark for a band that deals in a darker form of metal, but is a more cartoonish super villain manner to some extent no matter the amount of pentagram used. I will give this album a 10, it's almost an 11, more than likely would be in my top 40 metal albums of all time.
This is the pop artist's second full-length. She combines a catchy blend of rapping and singing. The wheel is not being re-invented, but what she doe ha a smart streak of creativity and perhaps more attitude now than when I first heard her. For someone from Nebraska, her approach is rather racially ambiguous, which plays to her favor when it comes to the more hip-hop elements. Her approach to rapping is fresh as she has plenty of hooks and an effective voice and lyrics that are almsot equal parts ghetto and whimsical. One of the lead singles, "The Fool" features Thot Squad, which helped pique my interest, though this is not the first time she has been reviewed here.
The more sexual elements do not feel like she is exploiting it any more than any other female rapper. But image-wise, she is not flaunting it, and her look is fairly conservative for rap. Almost more of a refined Lady GaGa thing going on. Why am I talking about her look rather than her music, ok go ahead and complain how if it wa a male artist, I wouldn ot do the same thing, which I would then refer you to reviews of bands like Ghost, Sleep Token, and President, who are selling image in equal proportion.
By the time we get to "High Priestess," it feels like the formula is well in place, even though it leans in a more melodic direction. "Medicine Woman" feels more like a song Shanin Blake would do. "Hacky Sack" is more in her wheelhouse, but this syncopated style of singing she employs is less varied than the first half of the album, so it kind of sounds like something we have heard from her already. I will give this a 9 as she understood the assignment and made a fun pop album that grooveswith enough hooks.
Portugal's GAEREA have been fairly consistent in their previous sonic assaults despite confusing pedestrians with their Sleep Token garb. This album is less black metal than the first two, as things slow into epic, sung choruses with more anthemic ambition. Even with these changes, it's hard to complain about them, as what they have captured here is very well done and sounds great. "Submerged" finds them leaning back into some of the more atmospheric dynamics to contrast the more hammering sections. It evolves into one of the more deliberate sections yet.
"Hellbound" is a more overt pounding with the melodic elements in the periphery. By the time we get to "UNCONTROLLED," there is some tremolo-picked guitar that flirts with their more black-metal-leaning sound, but the blunt-force Behemoth-style bludgeoning begins to fidns the songs running together a bit when we get into the meat of the album. It is the vocal hook in "Phoenix" that makes me pay more attention. "Cyclone" finds both the atmosphere and melody being dialed up. When the more forceful vocals come in, they are on the more mainstream side of metal, but overall, the song works.
This more mainstream approach to modern metal haunts the last two songs. "Nomad' carrying a more pummelling attack. The hook of the chorus does not snag me as strongly as moments earlier in the album. Technicallyu the last song is a modern metal power ballad, though more progressive in feel than say Sleep Token. Well produced and sounds good, it's a little blander than average, so I will give it an 8.5. This is consistent with their previous albums.
The band's 6th album actually hit the Billboard charts, which opened doors for the genre. Much to the chagrin of cvltists. This pushed black metal into more mainstream audiences and grew beyond the confines of the genre, earning disdain from purists, but here we are. I like the fact that there are industrial sounds creeping into things right from the opening track. The line-up from the previous returns, and there is a more tangible chemistry that plays into how everything flows so well, though Shagrath has a heavier hand in the songwriting. His vocals, being more articulated than those of your average black metal band, also aided them.
Listening back to this album now yopu can hear how the melodic nature of ICS Vortex's bass playing is also a key factor. Despite Shagrath being a more consistent songwriter this time around, it is Mustis, who penned the biggest song on this album, "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse," that is driven by a catchy gallop. For black metal, it is one of the best vocal production mixes ever. Much of the criticism exists regarding the increased use of symphonic elements, which is misguided, as they are used in a manner that makes things catchier. "Lepers Among Us" is one of my favorite songs from the album, thanks to the hooky guitar groove. This offsets the blast beat to come. They prove you don't have to throw out the blast beats, just don't rely on them.
There are a couple of songs like "Vredesbyrd' that check off the sonic boxes but do not grab me as strongly as other songs. "For the World to Dictate Our Death" has more purpose than the previous song, with the vocal carrying greater intent. "Blood Hunger Doctrine" collects creepy sounds and uses them wisely. While not offering symphonic grandiosity, 'Catacylsm Children" is one of the album's more dynamic songs. Thought the orchestra fires back up for "Eradication Instincts Defined". It is a song best played loudly that throws a great deal at your ears in the long and winding arrangement.
Epic is a word that gets tossed around a great deal with metal, but the last couple of songs capture a cinematic quality that is deserving of that description. They even refine what they are doing here in a tighter manner on their next album, but what happens here is stunning enough and impressive for a black metal band to achieve that. This album deserves a 10.
It's been over ten years since their last album. Now we are getting a three-song EP, which is something. They pick up where they left off with the rapid-fire thrash-influenced riffing that still puts hooks at the forefront, balanced out with aggression. The hateful sneer of the vocals is the most black metal part of their sound, though at times they remind me of Children of Bodom. Thankfully, there is less wanking than that band. In fact, musical excess is not indulged in here in any flavor.
"In Shadows In Light" finds a more rock n roll element possessing the heart of the song, as the vocal lashes out again, it's almost more like a feral version of Accept. The vocals have purpose and are not just a cathartic outpouring of hate as the screams are articulated in a manner that the lyrics can be deciphered. Lower sung vocals also surface in this song and offer a dynamic respite from jsut being screamed at.
If these guys came out in the 80s, they would have been a speed metal band, as that is the sonic weapon they hit you with on "Raptors of Anzu," the third and final song on this ep. Lyrically, it seems this is where the concept of this album really comes together. It is hard to sell the idea of a concept album when it's a three song ep, but maybe this is what was needed to get the band back in motion. I will give this an 8.5, it's good to have this project back on the scene, and hopeful to hear more from them, this will give their fans the taste they have been waiting for.
Austrailia's Karnivool have been around for almost 30 years, but this is their fourth album, meaning they are very calculated and meticulous when writing and producing music. Which can be heard on this album. They are not prog in the sense that there is a ton of guitar solos, but subtly shifting arrangements with djent like times changes bubbling up under anthemic rock songs that are also very moody and melodic. The second song has a little more groove. They are obviously influenced by Tool to some extent, and thankfully not trying to be Dream Theater.
The nuanced tenor of their vocalist is supple and slides gracefully up into its higher register on the chorus. The guitars carry enough punch to appeal to metal fans, but I would not call these guys a metal band unless something takes a dramatic shift midway into the album. They seem less metal-adjacent than Porcupine Tree, who had the Opeth connection to draw on. There are some formulas in place when it comes to their songwriting, but it works well, so I won't complain about them. "Animation" is the catchiest song thus far, which says alot as they write in a very hooky fashion for a prog band. "Conversations " blends pop vocals with what A Perfect Circle does in an effective manner.
"Reanimation" feels like the aftermath of " Animation", more nuanced with room to show off the singer's voice to a greater extent. There is a grittier groove that drives "All it Takes". In many ways, these guys also remind me of Pain of Salvation. But on a song like "Remote Self Control," you can hear the Rush influence. Lyrically, there seems to be a similar theme of self-control, mental health, and perhaps a struggle with addiction that is revisited on the ballad "Opal." The last song finds the bass line getting it moving. These guys are making this kind of prog mental relevant in a thoughtful manner that doesn't rely on shred. I will round it up to a 10.
This Canadian band proves you do not have to jsut be an intense blast of blasting to be black metal. They flirt with the shoe-gazing zip-codes that their genre finds itself being built against without conforming to any of the tropes. The vocals are anguished to the point of placing them closer to depressive black metal, while the atmosphere created is organic and kind of jams along. The second song unloads a cavernous chaos in a less structured fashion until the breakdown comes and adds melody three minutes into this 11-minute song. Maybe this is where the song should have opened to begin with.
"Aux bras..." drops everything down to a haunting piano line. Their vocalist makes it clear that he has no intentions of cheering up and is going to bathe in anguish; this time, he does it over a more cinematic post-rock sound. The range of dynamics is a cathartic explosion for the mental breakdown that is being heard on a level that might remind you of Sweden's Shining, before they added cock rock to their depressive cocktail. The 14-minute "À la douleur..." is more deliberate when it comes out of the gates with its grim heaviness. There is a great deal of effective dynamic ebb and flow to the song. A compelling song, not a catchy one. They do release a more metallic aggression here, which some might be a fan of.
The last thing finds things changing, namely the vocals coming out of the swirl of sound as a low, death metal-like growl. It's more of an echoing bellow than the type of punchy accents most bands of this kind use. It is interesting how such a shift of vocals can change the tone. As a song, it becomes more of a raging swathe of sound. I will give this a 9, as it sounds great and takes things in a new and original manner while being true to the genre or at least one corner of it.Out Marach 6th on Debemur Morti Productions.
Not a typical Charli XCX album, as she is making a soundtrack for the movie 'Wurthering Heights". It is more experimental than you might expect from John Cale on the first song, which was also a lead single from the album. It feels more like an intro than a song, so for the purpose of this review, I am using "Wall of Sound" as the first song. It's more atmospheric for sure, and the club classics don't kick in until "Dyning For You." String sounds are coloring the sounds to stick with the tone of the movie.
"Always Everywhere" is a light ballad that just floats off without the benefits of experimentation and dynamics like 'Chains of Love" which pits 80s sounds against a modern approach to pop. You are also reminded that she can actually sing. "Out of Myself" sounds the most like what we are used to from her.
"Seeing Things" is more likea quirky ballad that gives a different slant to what we have heard from her before. "Altars" is another ballad that has a dramatic build. Some of the vocal colors she employs here have more of a rock edge to them. Sky Ferreira joins her for "Eyes of the World". Her lower indie rock indifference provides a fitting contrast. "My Reminder" has an urgency that recalls the more new wave-minded pop of the 80s. The last song is "Funny Mouth," which is almost like an ambient Björk-style ballad. I will give this a 9.5 for taking chances and being what it is. Her voice sounds great, so that is a bonus.
This album makes no attempt at draping things in goth window dressing, and we get to see who Hoaxed are: a grunge band. The riffs are more arena-rocking, even when they add tension to a song like "Kill Switch", which at times finds them beginning to drift toward the more straight-up rock n' roll side of grunge. Sonically, they hold a great deal of common ground with the Pretty Reckless, though with more of a penchant for minor ket melodies. At times it casts a somewhat witchy shadow n things when it comes to "Promised to Me ", but this album is nowhere near as dark as the previous one.
I like how they vocal are produced as they have the right amount of effects on them and are not too forward in the mix. There is more melancholy; this is best heard on "The Fallen." They go into a more streamlined commercial approach with "Dead Ringer." If this were the 90s, you might argue that the upbeat "Wretched" was also more radio-friendly. Though it does build into a heavier stomp. There are screamed vocals throughout the album that find themselves echoing out from the edge of the mix, which I am just mentioning here as an attempt to be more metal.
They occupy a similar sonic space as Freeze the Fall when we get deeper into the album, and melodies become a little more ethereal against the hard rock punches. The vocals to the last are a little hookier and work for me. I will go ahead and give this album a 9.5, as they feel more in touch with who they are as a band, which sells me more on the songs. The hookier moments on this album are pretty awesome; it might take some time to grow on me, but fans of anthemic brooding rock from the 90s will dig this.
It has taken me a decade to resign myself to the fact their is little difference between where Rob left off with White Zombie and his solo work, which is almost as good. It seems he is eager to recapture his more classic sound, as this album opens with a heavier edge. "Tarantula' blends the two with a more aggressive guitar sound, grooves keeping this industrial thump moving even in the face of Rob's more rock n roll vocal stylings. He has never been a great singer, relying on effects and a keen sense of where to put the clever lyrics he spits out.
"Rock n Roller' almost feels more like My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. His declaration of being both an alligator and a space invader makes it sound like he is from Florida. "Heathen Days ' is heavier and more driving, making him sound just as vital in 2026. 'Black Rat Coffin" sounds like it came out after "Astro-creep", which is what you want from him. The groove to "Sir Lord Acid Wolfman" is cool, but no clue what the lyrics are about. "Punks and Demons" hits like 90s Ministry, "The Devilman" is very deliberate as an arena-shaking anthem.
"Revolution Motherfuckers" rides a rumbling bass line with a rowdy march. "Unclean Animals" demonstrates what I said earlier about the effects on his voice being almost an instrument unto themselves, which really helps set the mood here and makes any vocal limitations forgivable. "Grave Discontent" closes the album, which is more of an instrumental outro. Overall, this album is fucking fantastic, and shows that just because you came out in the 90s it does not mean you have to forsake your sound when you can just perfect itI give it a 10..
So here we are, closer to the final form of the classic line, the only difference being Nick Barker from Cradle of Filth on drums. Rather than Hellhammer, who I view as a drummer who stands next to Lombardo, Sandoval, and Hoglan as one of the all-time greats. Vortex is not taking over bass duties, and Galder is in the band. But even this lineup sets things on fire with "Blessing Upon the Throne of Tyranny". Shagrath has all the vocal effects dials in perfect, and every riff delivers a concise crunch to make things larger than life.
"Kings of the Carnival Creation" has some theatrical sounds to it that remind me of King Diamond. When it does race off into full blast mode, they have already set the stage for it work dynamically.
Then there are songs like "Hybrid Stigmata" which are not only one of the album's best songs butin the top 10 of their most classic songs. It uses all the elements you want from this band in the most grandiose yet catchy fashion ever. While still an effective song, "Architechture of Genocide Nature" is not as catchy. There are a lot of creepy carnival sounds on this album, a mood that it feels like ICS Vortex brough over from Arcturus.
The syncopated groove of "Puritania" also makes it one of the band's best songs ever. This balances out songs like "IndoctriNation" where they blast at you more rabidly. Though things unfold in a more melodic manner as the song progresses. "The Maelstrom Mephisto" starts off in your face and, like the previous song, benefits from dynamics that open up when they slow down. "Absolute Sole Right" is the first song that puts speed first and foremost, and stays relentless with it rather than expanding the dynamic. "Sympozium" expands the dynamics and hit a much better balance. "Perfection or Vanity" has the larger-than-life orchestral outro andd I am not counting the cover of Twisted Sister's "Burn in Hell" even though it is solid because it was a bonue track on later versions. I will give this version a 10.
Nothing's 5th album is a more organic excursion, with strummed acoustic guitar and vocals stepping out from behind the indifferent haze of effects. This is not so say Domenic has shed the idea of being a shoe-gaze, in fact he more closely aligns himself with that sound on the second song and lead single 'Cannibal World' that finds a break beat drum samplele moving things in a manner much different from what you expectg from shoe -gaze while still bathing you inthe woozy swirl of My Bloody Valentine influenced guitars. Even then, you learn to get too comfortable with what you assume this band to be.
Guitarist Doyle Martin is the only member to carry over from the "Great Dismal" sessions. The title track finds the more programmed drum beat leading the way into the song again, until they kick through the haze. It's only three songs in, but I am not hearing the more fuzzed-out guitar punch that once gave a nod in the direction of grunge. The vocals sit further back on the title track, which shifts through a slow-burning dynamic that adds intensity with each progressive step in the arrangement. The vocals are more thoughtful than your average shoe-gaze band, even when sitting back in the guitars.
Things drop back down to a more delicate strum for "The Rain don't care." There is a great, lonely reverb haunting the guitar tone of this song, which makes it sound more like something Chris Isaak might do, until the breathy plea of the vocals comes in to create more of a Smashing Pumpkins feel. It's dreamy, but the vocal arrangement is not as hooky, leaving the guitar to do most of the heavy lifting. Overall, the vocals have expanded the range of color they use on this album.
The acoustic guitar opening "Purple Strings" feels more like early Radiohead. It's fragile like their 90s era ballads. When the drums come in it even feels like it is building like "Creep". But unlike Radiohead, here they are not kicking in with grungy guitar and busting out power chords; they are just floating further down the dreamy trail. There is also more of a 90s feel to "Toothless coal," which does bring the power chords with it. It might be the album's best song as the melody works really well and is subtle. Sure, the band has it harder before, but this is a great compromise.
There is a more David Lynch feel to "Baller of the Traitor". It's like the nuance in the guitar riff that keeps the song floating in its introspection. The breathy vocals are another layer of sound. I appreciate how they weave around the guitar. The interplay of drums and guitar is more defined on "Nerve scale." This leads to the vocals fading more from the spotlight to a ghostly croon. The album closes with the hesitant strum of 'Essential Tremors.' it touches on the crossroads where early emo intersected with the atmosphere of shoe-gaze, before building into a more Hum-like rock climax.They had moved away from your typical shoe-gaze sound on the last couple of albums so taking a step back into this introspective atmosphere is an odd choice, but it works from a songwriting perspective, so I will give this one a 9.5, and see how it grows on me.Coming out on Run For Cover Records
Their mission statement is 40 years of conceptual continuity, but the concept expands in recent years, aside from the more rock n roll vibes the title track opens the album with, there does seem to be a similar vibe that checks off all the boxes you expect from the long-running electro-industrial band. They have a new guitarist that knows what the job descripstion call for, and Sascha continues to steer the ship in the right direction. There is a more ominous stomp that fulfills the dystopian obligations when it comes to "L'ETAT". It casts a darker mood over things, while the Lucia crooned "VAMPYR," finds them conscious of their goth-leaning fan base. Her delivery is aggressive as needed when it comes to an anthemic chorus.
Annabella Konietzko takes the mic for "YOU" which is a great deal poppier than what we expect from this band, but it works pretty well for what it is. In fact, even with the small sonic shifts into perhaps more accessible terrority the songs flow pretty well. Better than I expected. Perhaps their strongest work in a decade. Lyrically, it does not feel as overtly political as some of their more recent efforts. Though the first hints creep in on "OUTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION," which might be about aliens stepping in to sort through things on Earth. There is a more Gary Numan-like synth pulse to "A OKAY" when coupled with the vocal melody here, it almost soundsl ike k-pop.
They bring the dub back with "Stray Bullet 2.0." Not the first time they have flirted with this sound. Given the title "Catch & Kill" was not what I expected, which would have been more along of a "Light' style thrashing, there is very little on this album, but the melodic direction they go here works well enough. The highest doses of heavier guitar might be found on the instrumental."GUN QUARTER SUE". I listened to the last song through headphones, and the production sounded not only much better, but actually stellar, so high volumes with headphones is the recommendation for this album. it sounded much better . I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me, but it stacks up pretty well against their other stuff and is less poppy than the last album.Out on Metropolis
I would hope that at this point, these guys do not need an introduction. Converge wastes little time ripping into their vision of hardcore hyper-aggression, with less chaos on the title track that opens the album. With a gang vocal feel to the chorus, it's catchier than some of their earlier work. "Bad Faith" has a more Entombed-like stomp to it. They do throw themselves into a more reckless gnashing of teeth on "Distract and Divide". There is a similar energy to "Too Feel Something" in its frantic attack, but it is more nuanced.
"Beyond Repair" is one of the darker, more melodic interlude-like pieces they have sometimes built into full-on songs on previous albums. "Amon Amok" is not the songtitle you expect from these guys. It has a more deliberate menace to its sludge-tinged riff. They are known for creating some massive guitar sounds, and this can be heard on "Force Meets Presence." They allow the feral nature of hardcore to release with their metal influences here.
"Gilded Cage" finds Jacob using a less harsh vocal approach and a bass line providing a tense backbone for the song. In my first pass through the album, it might be my favorite side so far. There is a great deal more soice depth to the writing of the guitar parts this time around. The more punk-paced "Make Me Forget You" feels likea pretty accurate representation of what they sound like live. The breakdown in the middle is very effective. "We Were Never the Same" is more brooding and dynamic. I've seen some people say this album is just as chaotic as their other work, and I am here to tell you it's not, and that is a sign of growth. It feels more like "You Fail Me" if you had to compare this to other albums. I will go ahead and around it up to a 10 for the mature songsongwriting and stellar production.Out on Epitaph Records.
Atlanta's Malefic identifies as blackened thrash, which is fair enough, as the vocals carry most of the hateful weight on the black metal end of the spectrum, creating more of a Kreator feel. They are very much about the speed metal life when it comes to the pacing of the tight riffing. In some ways, this sort of thing makes me think of Children of Bodom. What they do works well enough on the opening track, making the question this album will be weighed against...so what else can you do?
These guys are a weird band where the drummer handles the vocals. It is only impressive as he is playing so fast, while he offers his dry raps scowling. This also makes the vocals more than just texture, though he is also capable of dropping into a lower death growl. The melodic centerpieces are the solo sections. The lyrics are not articulated in a manner that really highlights the fact that they are not screaming about worshipping the devil, but I can hear how these guys are making black metal for people who normally don't listen to black metal. In fact, it's just not that dark at all. "Idiocracy" is more nuanced than most of the first half of the album.
Though by the time I got to "Deserter' the songs started all sounding the same, so I had to dig back into them and give a closer listen. "Deserter" is more on the thrash side of things. Though the meat of the song lacks the hooks that make thrash work. "Disembodiment" sounds like a death metal mix of Kreator and Megadeth. They continue to pour on the speed for "Obsidian Earth' in a manner that begins to feel more redundant despite the change in syncopation. They continue down this path for the remainder of the album, with most of the melody contingent on the guitar solos. Even the last song, which is called "It Haunts" seems like it should be darker than it is. It is, however, clear that these guys can play their instruments and have the chops and chemistry, though, as long as they have spent perfecting them, perhaps a vocalist more focused on hooky intermingling with the riffs might be the missing piece. As it is, this album still works even if it is not dark enough for my tastes, I will give it an 8. Out on Terminus City.
Here is the first album that really finds them tapping into the peak sound for the band, as ICS Vortex sings on it, though Nagash is still playing bass. Mustis also joined as their keyboardist. Shagrath was well settled into being the vocalist. There is a chaotic mix to this album that gives it a rawer feeling than what they would go on to do. As a result, Vortex's vocal lines do not have the space to hold as much impact. It does feel more like their own path and not as fixated on conforming to what black metal had become at this point.
The second song follows the hyperblast formula more closely and rages off this aggression. Thus making it less effective than the first song. "Dreamside Dominions" is more purposeful and even epically majestic in its scope. The added presence of Mustis makes this more pronounced. Vortex's vocal accent on this one sits behind Shagrath's vocal in the mix. The songwriting is also more concise with less sprawling arrangements. This might add to a little of the chaotic feel as they are cramming just as much into a shorter time span. "United in Unhallowed Grace" has more aggressive riffing, but it's hooky.
There is more of a gothic feel to the orchestral arrangement of "The Promised Future Aeons." Even when being onically grandiose, they kept it inside the seven-minute mark. Today's black metal bands could learn from the songwriting of this album. "Blazing Monoliths of Defiance" lives up to its name and blazes in a very in-your-face fashion. This need for speed also keeps it from being one of the album's more memorable moments. "The Insight and the Catharsis" is a more melodic and balanced performance.
"Grotesquery Concealed " has some pretty ripping solos, but fits the mold of what you want from these guys without breaking new ground even for this era, though there are some cool effects on Shagrath's voice that they were experimenting with. The last song has the benefit of a creepy melodic touch being applied. Rather than a verse-chorus formula, the song works off a gradual build. I will round this up to a 10 as it's a huge improvement, and stacks up against their most classic work.
It's been a minute since we've gotten an album from Mr Miller. I guess he has been busy with Sleep Token. Part of the pop machine, there are 15 producers and 25 songwriters on the album, 21 tracks, and one of the strongest songs, the lead single "Pixleated Kisses" he created as he was left to his own devices. I appreciate the hip-hop cadance to "Cigarette" that keeps it from being the James Blake school of balladry. There is a little more of a drum n bass beat going through."Last of a Dying Breed".
"LOVE YOU LESS" has shoegazey guitars ringing out with their woozy haze in the background. An entire album of this sort of thing with instruments plugged into amps might be intersting though at this juncture it could just as easily be AI, as there are no instruments or musicians in the credits,s just engineers and producers. At a minute in length, "If it only gets better" is more of an interlude than a song. The moving beat to "Love Me Better" works well and he offers more vocal contrast, dropping down into a lower register and going up into his head rgister.
By the time we get to "Piece of You" we are beginning to get into the ballads. Giveon appears on the track, and it's really stereotypical millennial R&B. "Hotel California" is not a cover of the Eagles song but a moody pop song. which works better than the previous song. "Tarmac' is also effective with its slight hip-hop influence coloring the beat. "Forehead Touch the Ground" is more experimental and less focused. The 3rd single from the album"Past Won't Leave My Bed" is a ballad, but at least there is more going on dynamically, so it works. 4batz might be on "Fade to Black ' but it's a minute long and is more of an idea than a fully-realized song, so writing it off as an interlude. First exposed to 4batz, and he sounds like a child.
"Can't see shit in the club" is a down-tempo, chill ballad. I like it when he picks up the pace of his melodies to keep the song moving, which really saves the song, as it's pretty minimal otherwise. The beat to 'Sojourn" goes harder and is more of what I want from him. Dylan Brady from 100 GECs lent a hand on that one. "DYKILY" has an uptempo beat that is balanced by ambience as his vocals sit back in the mix. "Rose Colored" finds Yeat joining him, who is trying to make the most of using FUTURE's auto-tune tactics. Joji keeps his head in the game and works around this.
Don Toliver is on "Fragments" and is just a different shade of what is already being done here, so not much in terms of a dynamic shift. Joji works better on his own with "Horses to Water". "Strange Home" is both a work of the more tradmark Joji sound, which is a more melancholy pop ballad style. They work best when the beat is offering more support. The last song took an additional listen to sink in and carried a very familiar sound for him. I'll give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me, but one of the better pop offerings so far this year.
Sweden's In Aeternum have been around since the 90s, so every five years they seem to release a full-length, as this is only their 5th full length. The album opens with more of a black metal feel, as they do not tap into the more aggressive side of their death metal influence until the second song. What I like about this album so far is that it is not just in your face but also cares about songwriting with hooky riffs and vocals that serve a purpose. The more deliberate approach to "Spirits of the Dead." Makes this point apparent. It is driven by a powerful chug.
When they step on the gas and thrash more for "Mortuary Cult' the results do not grab me in the same way. It still works, but just not to the same effect, even though they do balance it a bit with creepy atmosphere peppered over it in places. When a song is called 'the Vile God Of Slime," I am not surprised it has a Morbid Angel influence. "Bow to None' is more powered by death metal, and when they lean into this, they begin to lose some of their personality and become another faceless death metal band.
By the time we get to "Goddess of Abominations' it is clear what helps these guys stand apart from other Swedish bands doing this sort of thing: they are more influenced by Morbid Angel than Entombed or At the Gates. "The Hourglass" does have a more wrathful black metal energy. But when they burn brighter is on the last song as the guitars offer more melody. It is the first song I have detected any Dissection influence. So much so that Erik from Watain lends his voice to the song.One of the album's most melodic moments, but still carries a punch.I will give it a 9.
With this album, we have Shagrath is on the mic, so things are now falling into place. There is a big difference, a huge leap in the refinement of sound. Took two albums to get it all dialed in. By the time we get to "Spellbound By the Devil," it just feels like Dimmu. Not sure how much of a difference bassist Nagash really made joining the bandd it jsut sounds like everyone was focused doiung what they should have been doing, but needed time to figure it out.
While the album sounds great, they had not perfected writing riffs as hooky as those to come, as it is not until "The Night Masquerade" that things begin to stand out after "Spellbound By the Devil." Most of the album is dominated by the really tight-picked flurry of buzzing guitar. It's more technical than the first album, but I might prefer the more traditional metal approach of the first album. Shagrath's personality is the winning touch with his vocals and the lock-in on "Tormentor of Christian Souls."
They are more focused and deliberate with "Entrance."Howwever they give in to the need for spped on the rapid fire "Master of Disharmony," and it is not as memorable, even when they slow down and get their feet under them going into the solo section. But it's pretty impressive that they have a guitar solo at this juncture in their career; it was a growth that showed there was more melodic depth. "Prudence's Fall" has catchier riffing. "A Succubust in Rapture" finds them heading into new areas of melodic guitar playing. The last song has some memorable riffing and is also epic in the manner in which it executes them. This album finds them locking into the direction they will continue to perfect. I will give this album a 9.5
Germany's Antrisch finds the sonic balance that allows enough room to experiment with melody, keeping it from becoming another blast-fest, yet it is still wrathful enough in its aggressive intent to appeal to your standard black metal fan who wants the barrage of sound. The opening track alone offers a dynamic oscillation between the two. "Hidalgo Infernal" leans more on the side of racing guitars, pausing to bathe in the creepiness. The acoustic guitar surfaces in this song to provide one of these moments. They blast back into the gray with renewed fury.
"Nattern & Narren" has a more distinct riff with a thrashy hook. "Bittergruen" is the first song that falls the closest to what you might expect from the run-of-the-mill black metal of today. There is a dark, ominous melody that runs through it, making it memorable. The overall tone of the album is kept balanced dynamically, as the song that follows this is darker and creepy, when it kicks in, there is more of a deliberate stomp. The vocals are pretty chaotic, but have a distinct personality to them.
This mood carries over into "Verschanzt" before it builds into a more raging blur of blast beats. The last song locks into an almsot rock n roll riff that inspires the vocals to take a different cadance. It builds into a more driving tremolo-picked section after this and turns around to find its groove once more. i will give this album a 9, it's dynamic and has its own personality, sounds great, and is really well done, so all you could want from a new black metal band without re-inventing the wheel. Drops March 27th on AOP Records
In prepping for the album's release Maynard dropped a "gpth" plalist of songs that were supposedly the inspiration for this album, along with the promo shots showing the band in darker make-up, while I am not surprised that he knows who Tones on Tail is, this is not a goth album, though there are more reverb drenched guitars in the opening track, I would not all it goth. In fact, the title track reminds me more of Devo. But you can here slight Gary Numan influence lurking around if you are the kind of savant like I am who can detect these sorts of things to draw that connection.
"Bad Wolf" is the most recent single and finds a bass line as the anchoring holding the groove down. It holds a tension not unlike what A Perfect Circle does at times. Most of what I hear as Bauhaus influence comes from the guitar tones, then it is typically on effects, opening tracks like"Self Evident". It's one of the more driving songs so far. This album feels heavier than the last A Perfect Circle album. "Public Stoning" opens in a way that reminds me more of Fugazi.
"The Quiet Parts" is more like an A Perfect Circle, as Maynard is singing in his more ballad-ready, subdued voice. "Mantastic" is not sonically anything new, and really, neither is it lyrically just more heavy-handed. It grooves enough so it works from that angle. "Pendulum" feels more like old Depeche Mode without the vocal hooks. "ImpetuoUs" works better as the vocals flow with the music. "Seven One" feels like an interlude from David Bowie's "Outside" album. The last song is live, but it was released on the new "American Pyscho" soundtrack in 2024, so I will count it as new. It's about typical for what you expect from them. I will give this album a 9.5. It has some great grooves, and obviously, Maynard knows what he is doing, and if you like what he does, it delivers.
In a shift from the dark synth pop of "Kissing Death," Mothica is shifting into a more modern metal sound that is not unlike what artists like Poppy and Spiritbox are doing. Heavier guitars are just being pushed more to the forefront, so it's not a huge leap from her previous sound, and it does not feel like she is jumping on a bandwagon. The pop sound that she toyed with on her last album is being refined and brought to a larger-than-life cinematic magnitude. Lyrically, it is not as conceptual, but it deals with themes of inner struggle.
With the slicker production comes more epic layers of vocals as well as huge electronic sounds crashing down. She has played big rock fests like Welcome to Rockville before so this is not far removed from the nu-metal anthems bands there normally pump out. The chorus to "Save Your Roses" is more dramatic. They brought out a great vocal performance that finds her belting it out when the dynamics call for it. "Bullet" has more groove and more emotional dynamic. McKenzie tugs feelings from her guts on this performance.
The title track closes the album, the opening verse almsot presents it as more of a ballad until the chorus kicks in and the down-tuned chug of guitar churns it up into something of more epic sonic proportions. Even with the larger-than-life production value this time around, the message she carried on the last album is conveyed here as well, just without the romnacing a personifcation of death motif this time around. Some of the more hushed vocal refrains remind me a little of Taylor Swift. I will go ahead and round this up to a 9.5, so it did not grab me as much as the last album. Perhaps some of this is just getting used to the more radio-ready mixing choices and streamlined elements, but it does show growth.
Dimmu Borgir's second album finds the line-up shifting again, this time with Shagrath moving over to lead guitar and Tjodalv taking a seat behind the drums. I think I prefer Shagrath's drumming, or it could be the production of the drums that makes them hold less weight in the mix than on their first album. "The Circle of Brotherhood" has more purpose, and the drums sound better when slowed to a more deliberate pace. "When the Soul is Brought to Hell' finds them locking into a bigger, more epic sound that they would continue to build off on future releases, it's beginning to sound more like the band we know now. Even with the wonky lineup.
Lyrically, things are more overtly satanic, which I can appreciate. "When the Christian Lost His Life" might sound like your average black metal song in 2026, but this came out 30 years ago, when it was not as common. The Title track kind of spills out from the previous song. A low spoken vocals emerges from this song, which is something Shagrath would also carry forward. The main melodypoweringthis song feels like it is also a staple of their legacy. 'Antikrist" has some more folk metal-leaning melodies that remind me of Summoning, but is not their best song. "Journey of Death" also works from a similar vibe, but with more vocal weirdness and less folk in the background.
"Winds From a Lonely Grave" is a little more memorable; the riff is at least catchy, and the drums have toned it down a bit. The last song has more of a punk feel; there was a song like this on the first album; it is something I am glad they grew out of. I will give this a 9 as I prefer the previous line-up. Soon enough, they figured things out; this was just a step it took to get where they are today. Thus, Black Metal History.
London's Unmother play a dark and unrelenting style of black metal that warms up into something catchier in its opening track, which the feral snarl they initially smack you with lets on to. The blast beats are offset by dissonance that paints a murky fog-coated landscape of dark alleys and the depression of urban life. The second song does not find s them stepping off the gas. The pattern of blast beats continues to force things ahead.
The rasped croak of the vocal is not well articulated, making the lyrics a moot point. Some anguished punk cries break from this, and if you told me these guys were in a punk band before thi,s it would make sense to me. The darker, more melodic passages that this wanders in are sounds they need to expand upon. I like the more depressive howls the vocals descend into. Deeper into the song, a lower death metal growl emerges, which plays to their favor by adding more vocal colors.
I appreciate the increased level of creepiness they slow into for "Modern Dystopia" and the purposeful build, which proves to be the most powerful moment so far, and helps sell me on these guys. The vocals shift to more of a Gollum-like muttering. Though when the chords crash down, and they take the precious, he is clearly upset and objects in kind. It builds into more of a seething storm of chaos, but this works as we have already been grounded in the song's purpose. Their cover of a Greek synthwavers ΟΔΟΣ 55, is pretty typical black metal, and you would have never guessed it was a synthwave song to begin with.
The title track is moodier and finds the vocals in a lower croak before transitioning into the more commanding rasp that is typically the more dominant narrative for this album. This song is also driven by a more typical black metal buzz. Its drone is gradually layered with other sounds, making it a little more intersting than your average blast fest. The last track, "Magda," is more of a simmering outro; it feels like something Nachtmystium might have done. I enjoyed the dark vibes and sonic depth they offered here; it resonated as real with me, so I will give this album a 9.It drops Febuary 20th on Fiadh Productions.
In keeping with the tradition of reviewing the entire catalog of an influential band, I am going to review the entire catalog of one of my favorite black metal bands, the Norwegian legends Dimmu Borgir. This is a weird one for me since Silenoz is the vocalist and Shagrath is the drummer. I am listening to the 2000 re-release since it sounds better, but only reviewing the 9 songs that appeared on the original album. This album is certainly a reminder that they did not just become a symphonic band; it was always a major part of what they do. The first track is more of a dramatic intro, making "Under Korpens vinger". The marked difference is a more deliberate traditional metal pacing, as the choked croak of Silenoz feels more tortured and less commanding than Shagrath's approach to vocals. In some ways it brings early Samael to mind.
It's funny how black metal purists who are apt to always claim the band's earliest work is the best, insist this is more cvlt, when their newer material is heavier and in some ways more black metal. There are already sung vocals on this album. It could be the charm of the lower production value, even in this remixed, remastered version. There are a few more blast beats on the second song, as the more traditonal sweeping gallop feel that follows the flow of tremolo-picked guitars. Even in their more primitive state, these guys are way better songwriters than most black metal bands, and this is a trait they continued to refine.
"Stien" finds the keys playing a more folkish melody, while they begin to blast around it. This is a perfect picture of a band ahead of their time. I don't think this album could truly be appreciated by the audience who was not quite ready for them til ten years later. "Glittertind" finds the pace picking up thanks to Shagrath's drumming, which was on point. He might not be Hellhammer, but he is better than I remembered, as it's been years since I went back and listened to this one. The title track is darkly melodic with a very measured pace. The guitar tone is the only thing that is really lacking on this album; the bass is much more present in the mix, so that helps.
"Hunnerkongens" has more of a punk feel, not the album's strongest song. The album really regains its footing on the last song by setting a creepier mood than I can recall hearing them step into; the guitar playing is more melodic than the more in-your-face epic riffing they would grow into, once again proving my earlier point. I'll give this album a 9.5, it's more important to black metal than you might imagine but proves points you are not expecting it to.
Sweden's LÖMSK has a distinct sound that bridges an underlying crusty croak of the vocals to a tremolo-picked drone. While it sounds great, it also creates a throb that finds the first two songs bleeding together. This is a good example of where our average black metal band is going to get into problems with me. They have a sound, but it needs to be applied to arrangements that are songs worth returning to. Here, it is a blur that fades into the background.
"Requiem of Fire" finds the vocals discovering more purpose than just trying to yell over the guitars and creates an accent that has an almost Behemoth like cadance. "Entropia" finds them slowing to let the riff ring out into a more atmospheric darkness. It works off this darker throb and accelerates into a tense storm of ringing guitars. It works better songwise, but still a pretty simple arrangement with little in terms of dynamics.
"Chimaera" finds the vocals making some different choices in order to stand out against the razor-sharp blur of guitars dominating the song."Stare into the Void" finds the void staring back in a manner that sounds pretty much like what we have already heard from these guys, boring me a bit. The same can be said for "Furia" which just rides the buzz of the tremolo-picked guitars. The fact that this is the longest song at nine minutes makes it perhaps more tedious. Overall, the album sounds great, so fans of early second wave black metal who just want something to storm the gates to will appreciate, I just need a little more, so I am going to give it an 8. Out March 6th on ALL NOIR.
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