Altar of Plagues

Toadeater – Bit To Ewigen Daogen Review

By Dear Hollow on September 29, 2020 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 27 comments

“I see you sitting there, sipping coffee all judgmentally or taking a condescending dump on your break. You’re expecting the ol’ standby, but you ain’t gonna get it. You’re expecting me to call out that name Toadeater. Trust me, I know, it’s like a Princess and the Frog situation gone horribly wrong. But if you think I’m gonna rant, you’re wrong, buckaroo. Metal band names may be the first line of defense to size up the fortitude of your next blackened opponent, but I have the upper hand here.” Toad the wheat croquette.

Morwinyon – Pristine Review

By Dear Hollow on September 10, 2020 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 13 comments

“Italian duo Morwinyon formed in 2019 as a side project of post-black group Falaise, offering three full tracks and an ambient outro for an atmosphere worthy of its debut’s namesake – Pristine. Utilizing a synth-heavy ambient black metal template of Golden Ashes or Midnight Odyssey, there’s little new to be found. However, it revels in its saccharine melodic qualities, liberally serving serene soundscapes for the blackened escapist, even if it might only offer cavities and headaches to the more discerning listener.” Bittersweet.

An Evening with Knives – Sense of Gravity Review

By Dear Hollow on March 5, 2020 in 2020, Ambient Metal, Argonauta Records, Doom Metal, Dutch Metal, Groove Metal, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Ambient Metal, Groove Metal, Post-Metal, 5 comments

“Our latest post-metal loving Dutch trio An Evening with Knives is hoping to take a stab at the scene with their second full-length, Sense of Gravity. They advertise their sound as ‘where the wall of sound falls down into a sea of tranquility’ in a fusion of post-metal and stoner-doom. Does their intriguing premise succeed in a cut above the rest or will it just settle being another post-metal old knives‘ tale?” Falling blades.

Downfall of Gaia – Ethic of Radical Finitude Review

By Mark Z. on February 6, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, German Metal, Metal Blade, Post-metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 115 comments

“Downfall of Gaia hit me hard in recent years, blowing me away with 2014’s Aeon Unveils the Thrones of Decay and 2016’s Atrophy. Both albums explored the idea of a world in decline with a combination of post-metal and black metal that proudly upheld the torch of the almighty (and sadly defunct) Altar of Plagues. Yet fifth full-length Ethic of Radical Finitude initially made me nervous due to its somewhat pretentious title and the fear that the German quartet had no tricks left in the bag.” Is the downfall upon us?

The Ever Living – Herephemine Review

By Mark Z. on May 14, 2018 in 2018, Ambient Metal, British Metal, Chromism Records, Post-metal, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Post-Metal, 40 comments

“I’m always on the lookout for something new, and in that regard, The Ever Living seemed pretty promising. Formed in 2016, this British quintet label themselves with the unusual tag of ‘cinematic metal,’ and their vocalist claims they aren’t even really a metal band at all. Nonetheless, the group’s self-titled EP earned positive acclaim from some major heavy music publications back in 2016, and two years later these not-ThunderCat-villains have returned with debut full-length Herephemine. Having no idea what ‘herephemine’ means and no prior experience with Living, is ‘cinematic metal’ worth the trip to the theater or are you better off waiting till this comes out on Netflix?” The Ever Living and chill?

Allochiria – Throes Review

By Mark Z. on March 18, 2017 in 2017, Art of Propaganda, Greek Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Sludge, Post-Metal, 22 comments

“While I’ve enjoyed some Pelican, Isis, and Light Bearer in my day, often the genre’s huge soundscapes and slow-burning buildups are simply too demanding for me to enjoy on a regular basis. On 2014’s debut Omonoia, Greek quintet Allochiria seemed to fit largely in this same mold. Drawing comparisons to the sludgy expanse of Year of No Light, a cursory listen revealed a layered, cerebral album whose dystopian atmosphere was delivered via a measured, methodical pace. Throes, however, is a much different beast — and one I think I’ll be spinning far more often.” Post beast is the new game in town.

Mord’A’Stigmata – Hope Review

By Akerblogger on February 10, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Pagan Records, Polish Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 9 comments

“We’ve experienced the highs of weirdness with European stalwarts Dødheimsgard and Thy Catafalque but we’ve also experienced the very real lows with bands like Aborym twisting the weird nozzle just a bit too far. Mord’A’Stigmata, unwilling to release a plain-Jane of an album, have released Hope, a hopeless mixture of sullen atmospheres and ritualistic ominousness with the occasional bluesy lead. It sounds fantastically enticing on paper, but does the conceptual fantasy match up the aural reality?” Black metal hates paper!

The Great Old Ones – EOD: A Tale of Dark Legacy Review

By Eldritch Elitist on January 21, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, 90 comments

“Lovecraftian atmosphere in music is a tricky thing to nail down. The number of metal bands attempting to emulate H.P. Lovecraft’s pioneering brand of cosmic horror in aural form seems to increase exponentially from year to year, and while many of them come close, most fall short. I believe this is because people underestimate how many elements Lovecraft pulled together to craft his fiction.” Feel the tentacle!

Départe – Failure, Subside [Things You Might Have Missed 2016]

By Kronos on December 14, 2016 in 2016, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2016, Black Metal, 45 comments

“I’ve had my eye on Australian black metal unit Départe ever since they landed an opening slot on the most Kronos-approved tour Europe has seen in the last few years. Jet-setting around the continent with Wormed and Ulcerate is no laughing matte, and all of that exposure before release so much as a demo raised red flags all over the place.” The yearly miss lists are upon us. Take note.

Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy Review

By Mark Z. on November 11, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, German Metal, Metal Blade, Post-metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 29 comments

“When you get right down to it, the world fucking sucks. Even ignoring the current political situation in my home country and the environmental degradation occurring globally, what really gets me are the everyday frustrations. My printer stops working. My friends don’t text me back. My fucking car gets towed because it’s parked a few inches closer to the road than it’s supposed to be. Sometimes it feels like we’re all just stuck in a mad carnival of constant digital interruption and arbitrary regulation, to the point where we either drink ourselves to death from anxiety or say “fuck it all” and go live in a shack in the woods somewhere.” Doom Shack! Rusted.