Jan20

Grey Skies Fallen – Cold Dead Lands Review

By Huck N Roll on January 30, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Xanthros Music, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 48 comments

“It is somehow appropriate that I find myself listening intently to an album called Cold Dead Lands, by a band called Grey Skies Fallen, while we endure the coldest week of the year. Canada in the winter is pretty much a cold dead land, so it was fatefully wise of me to sign up for this review. There’s nothing more fitting to listen to when it is -33 Celsius outside than some long-form doom metal, especially if it comes from a veteran New York band’s fifth full-length, cunningly mixed by Dan Swanö.” Frozen and slow.

Folian – Blue Mirror Review

By Emya on January 30, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Anima Recordings, Drone, Noise, Reviews, Shoegaze, Drone, Noise, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, 12 comments

“It’s that time of year in Seattle when the rain is a comforting constant. It streams down in varying degrees of intensity, from barely-there mist to hefty droplets the size of large coins. As I was reading through Folian’s promo materials, I had a hunch the one-man band’s debut full-length Blue Mirror would be the perfect warm, dense, and fuzzy accompaniment to the drab winter weather.” Gaze into this shoe.

殞煞 Vengeful Spectre – 殞煞 Vengeful Spectre Review

By Kenstrosity on January 29, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Chinese Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Pest Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 105 comments

“‘I’ll have to wait,’ says the little voice in my head, ‘until that winter wonderland of Things You Might Have Missed returns at the end of the year.’ Well, it’s fucking January, and I’m not waiting another gotdamn picosecond. I have an album with which you should get yourselves familiar all quick-like, because it’s my favorite release this month.” Patience is for wimps.

Bütcher – 666 Goats Carry My Chariot Review

By Steel Druhm on January 29, 2020 in 2020, Belgian Metal, Black Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Speed Metal, 58 comments

“Did you ever stop and wonder what a collaboration between Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Agent Steel and Darkthrone circa Transilvanian Hunger would sound like? You probably didn’t, but Belgium blackened speed metal deviants Bütcher certainly did, and then they created 666 Goats Carry My Chariot to see if such a crazy musical time heist was even possible. It is, and I for one welcome our new time warping speed overlords, even as I flee from the super weapon of mass destruction they’ve wrought.” Goat show.

Kirk Windstein – Dream in Motion Review

By Saunders on January 29, 2020 in 2020, American Rock, eOne Music, Psychedelic Rock, Reviews, Rock, Sludge, Stoner Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Rock, 23 comments

“Founding Crowbar member, grizzled veteran of the NOLA metal scene, and all around sludge legend Kirk Windstein makes his first foray into solo territory on debut album, Dream in Motion. Although known for slinging tar coated slabs of sludge and doom with his main band, Windstein embraces a decidedly less metallic mindset here.” Iron dreams.

Reaper – Unholy Nordic Noise Review

By Holdeneye on January 28, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Speed Metal, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, Speed Metal, 55 comments

“Metal Archives lists ten bands that go by this name, but the metal realm’s equivalent of The Citadel of Westeros and the rest of the interwebz together yield precious little information about Sweden’s version of Reaper.” This is the story of one of them.

Deathwhite – Grave Image Review

By Steel Druhm on January 27, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Season of Mist, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Post-Metal, 42 comments

“Deathwhite have been playing it annoyingly coy for nearly 6 years now, releasing increasingly sophisticated music while steadfastly keeping their identities concealed. Grave Image is their sophomore full-length, and therefore a critical moment in their career of mystery. Their For a Black Tomorrow debut merged elements of goth, doom, and post metal with alternative rock, creating something unusual and highly compelling, and in the process nearly created a whole new type of mope rock. Back when I was absorbing Black Tomorrow and drafting the review, I was struck by the nagging feeling the band was only just getting started on its musical odyssey and things would only get weirder. Grave Image fulfills that expectation.” A grave you can live with.

Ereley – Diablerie Review

By Kronos on January 27, 2020 in 2020, Czech Metal, Massacre Records, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Rock, Industrial Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 19 comments

“I kind of forgot about Fear Factor for a while there. I can give no particular reason for it, they simply slipped out of my mind and slunk through the front door, down the stairs, into the street. But a band with such a unique sound was bound to return, at least in doppelganger form, burrowing back into my head. It took a minute to get my thoughts in order, but after mentally crossing out Godflesh, I knew who Ereley were pushing back into my brain. It wasn’t the pure stuff though.” Strange bedfellows.

Jordablod – The Cabinet of Numinous Song Review

By Mark Z. on January 26, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 33 comments

“I’m largely not interested in traditional black metal anymore, but Pyre was something different, an album that eschewed the typical ‘atmospheric’ or ‘melodic’ trappings to conjure something truly unique. The music was vast, haunting, psychedelic, and emotional, with an atmosphere that feels more enthralling the more I reflect on it. The Cabinet of Numinous Song is the band’s second album, and in addition to plunging listeners back in the otherworld created by Pyre, it also serves as a terrific continuation of that sound.” Beyond the black.

Sometimes We Make Music – Trail of The Fallen Review

By Twelve on January 26, 2020 in 2020, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 19 comments

“Apparently, these Norwegian musicians all live some 400 kilometers away from one another, and only make music sometimes. Lucky for us, this is one of those times. Trail of The Fallen is their debut full-length, a welcome offering of symphonic metal offering complete with a creepy skeleton on the cover. Between those two aspects and the band name, things are already looking good.” Long distance relations.