Drone

Hellish Form – Remains Review

By Cherd of Doom on July 1, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Drone, Funeral Doom, Noise, Sludge, 21 comments

“I’m not entirely sure why, but it seems black metal musicians enjoy carte blanche when it comes to incorporating other genres into their music. Everything from Appalachian folk to shoegaze to African American work songs to opera has been shoehorned into the supposedly kvltest of all metal. Not to mention any other metal genre can just add a little “blackened” seasoning in the mix for tasty results. It’s like the sparkling wine of metal: pairs well with anything. American bi-coastal band Hellish Form has looked at those corpse painted musical polyamorists and asked a question so bold, so elegant it brings a tear to my doom-loving eye: If black metal can do it, why not funeral doom? WHY NOT FUNERAL DOOM? That’s right, Hellish Form take the niche-est of metal styles and cries “Moar niche-er!”” Beseech the Remains.

Bossk – Migration Review

By Carcharodon on June 23, 2021 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Drone, Post-Metal, 67 comments

“When post-metal gets talked about there are certain bands – the titans of the genre, if you will – that get routinely name dropped. While the UK’s excellent Bossk may not be on the level of genre progenitors Neurosis, for example, either in terms of influence or output – Migration is only their second full-length – they are, I believe, unfairly overlooked in post-metal circles. To test this theory in absolutely rigorous scientific conditions, I spent several minutes performing grueling searches of this site. Our post-metal tag has, at the time of writing, 263 articles associated with it. The Cult of Luna tag produces 53 hits, Neurosis 100, ISIS 82 … you get the picture. How many for Bossk, you ask? One.” Post-statistics and migration patterns

Spectral Lore – Ετερόφωτος Review

By Doom_et_Al on April 21, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Drone, 0 comments

“It’s no secret that I was a huge admirer of the 2020 Spectral Lore / Mare Cognitum split, Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine. Like an elaborate dance, the ethereal material from Spectral Lore waltzed perfectly with the more grounded, riff-driven focus of Mare Cognitum. I was fascinated to see how each band would follow this with their respective solo albums. Mare Cognitum clearly incorporated the introspective, mournful influence of Spectral Lore to great effect on Solar Paroxysm. The question was how Spectral Lore mastermind, the Greek Ayloss, would approach his latest collection, Ετερόφωτος.” Tales from the basement (sub-floor lore).

Midnight Odyssey – Biolume Part 2: The Golden Orb Review

By Carcharodon on March 17, 2021 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Drone, Heavy Metal, 71 comments

“In November 2019, I picked up the Midnight Odyssey-reviewing baton from a tired and broken Dr A.N.Grier, who had aged a number of cat years during his time with the 160-minute beast, Shards of Silver Fade. By contrast, I was able to listen to its successor, and first episode in a planned trilogy, Biolume Part 1: In Tartarean Chains, twice through and still have time for a 15-minute power nap, in the time it took poor Grier to labor his way through Shards. For anyone who thought this was a sign that Australian gloomster and one-man Odyssey, Dis Pater, had learned to curb his more expansive tendencies, however, Pater has all 102 minutes of Biolume Part 2: The Golden Orb to tell you otherwise.” Maximum adventures.

Five the Hierophant – Through Aureate Void Review

By Carcharodon on February 24, 2021 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Drone, Post-Metal, 51 comments

“The last time I encountered a hierophant, I 4.5ed it and slotted into the highly respectable – to me, at least – second spot on my 2020 List. While I dared not hope that London’s Five the Hierophant could reach such heights, a small part of me hoped that this band, which has been plying its trade since 2014 and bills itself as a psychedelic fusion of black metal, jazz, post metal and ambient drone, might just share some DNA with my beloved Hierophant Violent.” Holding out for a Hierophant.

Neptunian Maximalism – Éons [Things You Might Have Missed 2020]

By Dear Hollow on December 26, 2020 in Things You Might Have Missed 2020, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Folk, 38 comments

“Consisting of core members Guillaume Cazalet, Jean Jacques Duerinckx, Sebastien Schmidt, and Pierre Arese, alongside a massive entourage of musicians, Neptunian Maximalism (or NNMM) utilize a range of influences, genres, and instruments both traditional and contemporary, to create their second full-length and crowning achievement Éons. While it’s unclear if it is indeed metal, that matters little. It’s an immensely sprawling release, a two-hour-plus release over three discs, and its content is just as challenging.” MOAR to score.

Mizmor & Andrew Black – Dialetheia Review

By Carcharodon on November 19, 2020 in Reviews, Drone, 22 comments

“Gaze upon that stark, haunting, monochrome cover photo – shot by Emma Ruth Rundle by the way – and ask yourself, how likely is it that this is going to be like the Lewandowski-adorned Cairn, Mizmor‘s last outing? How much difference is it going to make pairing Mizmor mainman A.L.N. with experimental ambient specialist Andrew Black? Will Black soften a few of Mizmor‘s crushing edges, provide a few ambient interludes or should we expect a complete change of direction from this collaboration? These were my thoughts approaching Dialetheia.” Evolution or mutation?

Turtle Skull – Monoliths Review

By Dear Hollow on September 5, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Drone, Post-Metal, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, 9 comments

“While other monoliths stagnate in dark and gloomy dimensions, Australian quintet Turtle Skull prefers to rely on bright and sunny desert safaris with their unique brand of metal, dubbed “flower doom.”” Smell the doom.

Duma – Duma Review

By Roquentin on August 30, 2020 in Reviews, Drone, Electronic, Electronic Metal, Experimental Metal, Grind, Non-metal Metal Things, 25 comments

“The self-titled debut by Kenyan duo Duma (meaning “darkness” in Kikuyu) is a most peculiar rara avis, carrying the sort of art difficult to distill into words, let alone narrow down to a single genre indicator. So while “grindcore” might be easiest to associate with the often rhythmically driven and dark work of Martin Khanja (aka Lord Spike Heart) and Sam Karugu, any expectations or points of reference go out the window within the first ten seconds of Duma’s opening track.” World metal.

Vile Creature – Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! Review

By GardensTale on June 18, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, 41 comments

“A couple of years ago, I saddled myself with the record Cast of Static and Smoke by Ontarian duo Vile Creature. It turned out to be perhaps the most memorable 3.0 I have reviewed these past 4 years. Despite its flaws, it was an ambitious record that thrived on hideous, grimy textures, hypnotic repetition and glacial progression, rather than hooks or energy. A bit over 2 years hence, and its follow-up graces my inbox, with a disturbing, Midsommar-esque cover and featuring the unwieldy title of Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!.” Helm’s deep.