Season of Mist

Der Weg einer Freiheit – Noktvrn Review

By Eldritch Elitist on November 17, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 30 comments

“I have a tendency to expect too much from my favorite artists. For many, an attachment sparked by a particularly excellent record leads many to lifelong devotion. For me, it results in mounting expectations, which are all too easily extinguished. And extinguished they were by Der Weg einer Freiheit’s Finisterre, at least at first. The band’s stellar Stellar was already a black metal all-timer for me, and the fact that Finisterre dared dampen that album’s epic scope in any way felt like sacrilege. Of course, that feeling changed with time and acceptance; in fact, if I ever get around to writing a Contrite Metal Guy piece, it will be first up to bat for a promotion. Lessons were thus learned, and I dove into Noktvrn with zero expectations and an open heart.” Open heart, frozen veins.

Archspire – Bleed the Future Review

By Kronos on October 26, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 201 comments

“It brings me no pleasure to inform you that the new Archspire record kind of sucks.” If it bleeds, it leads.

Hooded Menace – The Tritonus Bell Review

By Ferrous Beuller on August 27, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 71 comments

“Finland’s Hooded Menace are lords of death-doom. Their back-catalog is a veritable boneyard of fatal furors that crawl at a corpse pace and exist on the edge of an undead pulse. Indeed, their last album, Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed, made a grave impression on many an end-of-year list, mine included. Now, sixth album The Tritonus Bell prepares to resound, and one thing is certain; Hooded Menace are masters of their craft. But this record’s new stylistic choice excludes heft in favor of history and the implication is almost unrecognizable.” Bells to the wall.

Thy Catafalque – Vadak Review

By Dr. Wvrm on June 28, 2021 in Reviews, 59 comments

“Few musicians have as long and varied a career as Tamás Kátai of Thy Catafalque. The one-man outfit may have attracted an entourage of impactful guests over the years, but the end product was always, is always him. The throughlines of his writing and personal touch continue to persist even now, a decade since he struck out on his own. However, his most recent outings, Geometria and Naiv, lacked that certain je ne sais qoui essential to his kaleidoscopic sound. Vadak marks Thy Catafalque’s fifth entry in seven years, a common cause of too much lack and not enough luster. Of course, just as I was ready to pass on Vadak with the same half-shrug as 2020’s Naiv, Kátai starts dropping bombs.” Thy bomber.

Withered – Verloren Review

By Doom_et_Al on June 23, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, 18 comments

“Metal subgenres can be a bit like high-school groups: comfortable if you fit easily into one, but a bit alienating if you’re a loner or difficult to pigeon-hole. Such has been the fate of Atlanta’s Withered. Over the course of four solid albums, their brand of blackened deathy sludgy doom has managed to endear itself to only a niche audience, and be mostly ignored by everyone else. Lest you were concerned, Withered has far too much street cred to be the geeky nerd, but they are the slightly weird loner no-one understands and therefore leaves alone to get on with whatever weird things they’re getting on with. Fifth collection, Verloren, finds Withered doubling down on their unique sound.” Toxic noise for the harsh palate.

Impure Wilhelmina – Antidote Review

By Grymm on May 17, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 178 comments

“Back in 2017, I was introduced to Swiss post-metallers Impure Wilhelmina via their sixth album, Radiation, having had absolutely no prior knowledge or experience with their brand of gloomy post-metal. If Katatonia was the metal equivalent of The Cure, Impure Wilhelmina is basically The Smiths, with guitarist/vocalist/main man Michael Schindl offering up his best velvet-smooth Morrissey-level crooning. I ended up loving Radiation… a lot. Not only did it grab the top spot in my 2017 year-end list, it’s held up ridiculously well over the years, with me pulling it out to give a spin when the mood strikes, which has been a lot lately. So when word dropped that their seventh, Antidote, was on the horizon, I honestly just wanted to like the album about as much as Radiation, tempering my expectations that topping Radiation would be a herculean task.” Purity is overrated.

Altarage – Succumb Review

By Kronos on May 13, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 64 comments

“I’ll just come out and say it; I have no clue what is going on in this record. As The Guy Who Explains Why Shit Like This Is Good, that really puts me in a bind. As a result, I’ve spent weeks putting off this review. But hey, maybe we can try something new; instead of me telling you what’s the point of Succumb, how about you tell me. For once, I’m going to read your comments and entertain the idea that your opinions are as valid as those of my own self, The Guy Who Explains Why Shit Like This Is Good. Go wild down there.” Late hit.

Vreid – Wild North West Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 30, 2021 in Reviews, Melodic Black Metal, 50 comments

“Like I Krig and Milorg, this new release is a concept album. Instead of learning some history, the concept here is the ups and downs of life as we wait for death. But, more specifically, bassist Hváll says the inspiration for Wild North West comes from his struggles, knowledge, and experience. One of the coolest parts about the album (not to bring Windir up again) is that some of what you’ll hear Valfar wrote back in 2002. Crazy enough, you’ll also hear him play it. He hasn’t risen from the grave, but it sure as shit feels like it.” Wild and dead.

The Lion’s Daughter – Skin Show Review

By GardensTale on April 10, 2021 in Reviews, Industrial Metal, Sludge, 21 comments

“Do you all miss Mark Z? I do, too. The poor bastard is eyeball deep in educational files and folders and here I am, cosplaying him in a misguided attempt to bring forth some of his essence. Two previous The Lion’s Daughter albums our dear slutgöatwitchvomitfuckerlörd reviewed, each scraping together very respectable scores and candid praise, but the burden now befalls me to continue the Big Z’s legacy concerning the St. Louis weirdos, a burden I declared to shoulder enthusiastically. Yet the promo for Skin Show gave pause.” Skinned to win?

Fuath – II Review

By El Cuervo on March 18, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 18 comments

“Representing a darker, meaner interpretation of black metal, Andy Marshall, better known for Saor, unleashed his Fuath (Gaelic for hatred) project around now over 5 years ago (fuck me, my life’s getting away from me). I excelled in black atmosphere and understated but sticky melodies and remains one of the decade’s better examples of atmospheric black metal, in a sub-genre full to the brim with mediocrity. It was intended to be a one-off but the inspirationally-entitled II is now primed for release.” Atmo-II: Electric Boogaloo.