Heavenwood

The Crawling – All of This for Nothing [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Steel Druhm on December 22, 2023 in Things You Might Have Missed 2023, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 35 comments

“U.K. doom-death act The Crawling had some decent to solid releases in the past, their doom-death style both familiar and comforting, but they never really blew me away. They’d been quiet since 2018’s Wolves and the Hideous White, but they roared back in a big way in August with their third album, All of This for Nothing. Taking their blend of influences ranging from Novembers Doom, Bolt Thrower, and My Dying Bride and pushing the envelope hard, they created what is their most expansive and entertaining album thus far.” Crawl on your knees, oh hear the ugly voices.

Celestial Season – Mysterium I Review

By Steel Druhm on April 26, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 44 comments

“Second acts for bands are always interesting. Sometimes the years away from the tussle and grind of the record release schedule does a band good, allowing passion and creativity to flow anew as it did back in their early days. Sometimes that same passage of time provides maturity and a seasoned confidence that informs the new material. In the case of Dutch goth-doom act, Celestial Season, we saw a bit of both of these progressions on 2020s The Secret Teachings. Coming off a 20-year hiatus, the compositions felt surprisingly creative, confident, and adventurous. They retained enough of the original sound from their heyday but were unafraid to wander into new soundscapes. Two years later we get the follow-up, Mysterium I.” Mystery season is upon us.

Celestial Season – The Secret Teachings Review

By Steel Druhm on October 22, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 30 comments

“Talk about unexpectedly bumping into a long lost friend! Back in the 90s when the doom death movement was new and being driven by the “Peaceville Three,” there was a lesser known Dutch group called Celestial Season trying to horn in on the grimly emo fun. I first encountered them when I bought their 1995 sophomore album Solar Lovers and ended up quite taken with their gloomy yet accessible style. There were some great moments and I even loved their rendition of Ultravox’s classic 80s hit “Vienna.” After that I never heard from Celestial Season again.” Surprise homework assignment!

The Eternal – Waiting for the Endless Dawn Review

By Steel Druhm on August 13, 2018 in 2018, Australian Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 44 comments

“Long time readers of Angry Metal Guy Blogworks and Important Opinion Emporium, Ltd., know I have a soft spot for sadboy melancholic doom. This led me to heap praise on Swallow the Sun’s mammothly meandering, overblown triple album suite, Songs of the North back in 2013. In the fullness of time, I downgraded the original score on my Contrite Metal Guy confessional, and hard lessons were learned: Some albums are simply too long-winded to work as well as they should. Now comes Australian act, The Eternal and their sixth album, Waiting for the Endless Dawn.” Why the long album?

Heavenwood – The Tarot of the Bohemians – Part I Review

By Steel Druhm on July 21, 2016 in 2016, Gothic Metal, Massacre Records, Portuguese Metal, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 25 comments

“Heavenwood charted a strange course over their 20 year career. Coming out of the Portuguese metal scene at the same time as Moonspell, the two bands shared a love of dark gothic rock mixed with elements of black and death metal. Their Diva debut played like Wolfheart filtered through Crematory and The Cure and though less heavy than Moonspell, they were almost as interesting. Then came a ten year hiatus and a radical shift of direction toward the kind of hybrid symphonic goth/black/death style as Septicflesh, Nightfall and to a lesser extent, Rotting Christ.” Pick a card (and a genre).

Saturnus – Saturn in Ascension Review

By Steel Druhm on December 2, 2012 in 2012, 3.5, Cyclone Empire, Danish Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 2 comments

Saturnus is back after a six year hiatus to pummel us once again with their painstakingly sad and tragic variety of doom death. If having a dying bride is sad, these guys are more like My Dying Wedding Party and Flower Girl. Yeah, that sad! Steel Druhm got us this review before volunteering for 48 hour suicide watch. Don’t fear, they took his bullet belt.