My Bloody Valentine

Holy Fawn – Dimensional Bleed Review

By Dear Hollow on September 20, 2022 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Doom Metal, Shoegaze, 22 comments

“Death Spells was something special. Introducing us to the beautiful and devastating world of Holy Fawn, it showcased stunning restraint for an act with everything to prove. While undeniably built upon the foundation of My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive with saturated shoegaze drenching every movement, don’t be surprised if you’re surprised with swaths of electronica, climactic metal crunch, and a knack for heart-wrenching melody. Holy Fawn is undeniably metal, and like good metal, labyrinthine.” What is metal?

E-L-R – Vexier Review

By Ferox on March 11, 2022 in Reviews, Uncategorized, Post-Metal, 28 comments

“”Doom” plus “shoegaze” equals “doomshoe.” Wait, sorry–with Vexier, Switzerland’s E-L-R releases their second platter of so-called doomgaze. The sound, as you might guess from the tag, combines echoing, reverb-soaked vocals with riffs that repeat to the point of near-hypnosis. The heavier elements are closer to post-metal than they are to doom, with a psych-rock vibe that often recalls a late-era Kylesa.” Shoes of doom are dropping.

An Autumn for Crippled Children – As The Morning Dawns We Close Our Eyes Review

By Doom_et_Al on May 18, 2021 in Reviews, Shoegaze, 23 comments

“What got you into metal? For me, it was blackgaze. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe your pal Doomy wasn’t raised on a diet of Bathory and his enemies’ livers; but as a teenager in the 90’s, I was mostly into indie rock and shoegaze. My entry into metal came later on, when bands like Lantlôs, Deafheaven and Alcest combined the dreamy, ethereal tones of My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive with the fury of second-wave black metal. Within this group was the Netherlands’ An Autumn for Crippled Children, who leaned even more heavily into indie territory with their embrace of dream-pop and post rock.” Won’t someone think of the children?

Spotlights – Love & Decay Review

By Cherd on April 28, 2019 in 2019, Alt-Metal, American Metal, Doom Metal, Ipecac Records, Post-metal, Shoegaze, Sludge, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, Sludge, 42 comments

“The songs on Love & Decay are post-metal in structure with moments of sludge/doom heft, but damn it if Spotlights don’t frequently sound like My Bloody Valentine started down tuning their guitars and forgot to stop. Or like a much heavier Starflyer 59 back when they were accused of being a My Bloody Valentine knock-off. If you’re not following, take a break and go listen to Loveless. We’ll still be here when you get back.” Up in lights.

Spotlights – Seismic Review

By Mark Z. on October 7, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Ipecac Records, Post-metal, Reviews, Shoegaze, Sludge, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, Sludge Metal, 41 comments

“I used to love shoegaze. Back in the day, I relished the hazy, wistful atmosphere of bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and The Daysleepers, usually while lying on a beach and pondering the life I wasn’t living.” Spotlights glare and shoes gaze.

Astronoid – Air [Things You Might Have Missed 2016]

By Mark Z. on December 21, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Black Metal, Blood Music, Reviews, Shoegaze, Things You Might Have Missed 2016, Black Metal, Shoegaze, 35 comments

“Fearless. That’s the word I keep coming back to when trying to describe this Boston quintet’s debut. Sure, there may be better ways to describe the music – carefree, blissful, soaring – but nothing captures the spirit of Air quite like “fearless.”” Fear is the mind killer.

Boris with Merzbow – Gensho Review

By Roquentin on March 17, 2016 in Avante Garde, Doom Metal, Drone, Japanese Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Noise Metal, Shoegaze, 15 comments

“To write about Gensho, the latest in a 15 years long series of collaborations between illustrious Japanese experimental metal, rock, and everything in-between trio Boris and legendary noise musician Merzbow (alias Masami Akita), is to write about three different records: a Boris shoegaze-cum-drone meditation, a Merzbow harsh noise attack, and a mammothian combination of the two.” What’s with guys who like drone and writing run on sentences, anyway?

Killing Joke – Pylon Review

By Grymm on October 26, 2015 in 2015, English Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Spinefarm, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, 135 comments

“Many older bands, once established, will eventually coast by just on their name alone. Sure, they’ll cut a new album every few years, but it never lives up to their influential works of yesteryear. It’s often an excuse to go out on the road, play nothing but the classics, and bring home the money while also hocking wares that have nothing to do with the band’s original intent. England’s Killing Joke, however, are a unique beast.” The Joke is on you!

Nothing – Guilty of Everything Review

By Madam X on February 23, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Not Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Shoegaze, Not Metal, Shoegaze, 6 comments

“An odd album crept its way onto the Angry Metal promo list in this past month, one that while plenty dark, is far removed from metal, and despite all it’s heavily worded promise, as wholly lacking in anger as I’ve come across in a while. At its most basic, it appears the band couldn’t come up with a decent band name and so took the easy way out, calling themselves Nothing…” Madam X has reviewed nothing lately and frankly, we expected more from her. That said, here goes Nothing.