Akerblogger

Funeral Leech – Death Meditation Review

Funeral Leech – Death Meditation Review

By Akerblogger on April 20, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 13 comments

“The idea of combining death metal and doom metal is exciting. The viciousness of death metal combined with the depression of the slow an alluring combination for many bands. It’s in a metalhead’s nature – we’re not always angry and we’re not always solemn. Finding a way of unifying death and doom to perfection in a track, an album, is like finding the answer to the great mysteries of existence. Funeral Leech, with their debut release Death Meditation, attempt to merge both.” Some assembly required.

Barishi – OId Smoke Review

Barishi – OId Smoke Review

By Akerblogger on April 14, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Sludge Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge Metal, 22 comments

“Barishi’s 2016 release Blood from the Lion’s Mouth retained the peculiar progressive power of their inconsistent debut, adding a visceral and claustrophobic edge to their sound. It was a much more streamlined effort that showed glimpses of a band working towards something exciting. It lacked a sense of unity. Instead, it consisted of short tracks that dramatically varied in tone and mood, strong in their own right but less stable when held in context: a tasting platter. Old Smoke arrives after a four year silence, a long time between records these days.” Smoke em if you got em.

Foscor – Els Sepulcres Blancs Review

Foscor – Els Sepulcres Blancs Review

By Akerblogger on September 17, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Catalan Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 13 comments

“Two years ago I was hooked by Foscor’s Les Irreals Visions. The proud Catalans presented a varied mix of all things melancholic, dreamy and depressive. It was a strong and well-unified record which balanced the line between extreme metal and rock with tact and imagination. I was surprised when I found out they’d been around since ’97; Foscor just seemed to pop up out of nowhere.” Pop goes the Foscor.

Wrvth – No Rising Son Review

Wrvth – No Rising Son Review

By Akerblogger on August 24, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Post-Metal, 26 comments

“There’s an added expectation for a record when a band announce it will be their last one. Wrvth have been around since 2007, releasing three full-lengths. No Rising Son is their fourth and final before parting ways for good. Wrvth have a dense, chaotic -core style of metal at their heart; they merge a contemporary deathcore sound with the late 90s early 2000s metalcore of Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan et al. The band like layers, though, and there are frequent diversions and obstacles which the band sublimate into their sound.” Layer caked.

Wormwood – Nattarvet Review

Wormwood – Nattarvet Review

By Akerblogger on July 26, 2019 in 2019, Black Lodge Records, Black Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 37 comments

“In March 2017 Wormwood’s debut release Ghostlands: Wounds from a Bleeding Earth received a very positive review. I found it graceful and powerful, its montage of melodic sounds moving with a “ghostly smoothness that ebbs, flows, rises and falls with a mixture of beauty and malice that only impresses.” There were more than a few standout set-piece moments on that record which impress me still. However, the idea of the montage sullied my listens over the two years between records: Ghostlands, on reflection, felt too diametric in tone.” Contrition and evolution.

Slomatics – Canyons Review

Slomatics – Canyons Review

By Akerblogger on June 16, 2019 in 2019, Black Bow Records, Doom Metal, Irish Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 21 comments

“Since 2005, Belfast based space-sludge juggernauts Slomatics have scoured the cosmic plains for doomy inspiration. The universe is a vast place, and with their seventh album set to be released in 2019, Slomatics haven’t run out of inspiration. Every Slomatics’ record tells a story. Their 2016 release Future Echo Returns was an earthy beast, dense and direct. Bone-rattling heaviness in the form of fuzz-laden doom was the main tool used on that record; in my review of that release I desired more tenderness, more humanity. Canyons is more expansive, an exploration of the far reaches of the universe.” Star sludge.

Epectase – Astres Review

Epectase – Astres Review

By Akerblogger on June 13, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, French Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 25 comments

“When I saw that I, Voidhanger Records were releasing the debut full length of a progressive extreme metal band from Paris, I knew I had to snap it up quick. I’m always intrigued by the Italian label’s output despite not enjoying a lot of their releases. An I, Voidhanger release is usually a big hit or a big miss for me. Regardless, I’ll always check their roster out. So, here we are with Epectase, the next band on the experimental conveyor belt. Epectase are a two-piece consisting of multi-instrumentalist Vague and vocalist Avitus. Their style: an encyclopedic medley of everything.” Blackened buffet.

Heathe – On the Tombstones, the Symbols Engraved Review

Heathe – On the Tombstones, the Symbols Engraved Review

By Akerblogger on June 4, 2019 in 2019, Danish Metal, Experimental Metal, Reviews, Wolves and Vibrancy Records, Experimental Metal, 36 comments

“Heathe’s On the Tombstone, the Symbols Engraved won’t be receiving radio airplay. As a continuous 37-minute track that loosely splits into three discernible sections, close attention is required to reveal the intricacies and technicalities. But it’s important that a band know how to develop intricacies and technicalities in an organic fashion for us, the dearest listeners, to stay focused and intrigued. It’s a hard task and usually, for me, this sort of recording technique can go either way.” Etched in sound.