Album Reviews

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    Arð - Untouched by Fire (2024)

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    After blowing us away with their debut release in 2022, Mark Deeks and Arð return with another monumental release titled “Untouched by Fire”. Perfectly mixing eerie choir arrangements with traditional Doom Metal, or monastic doom as the band has been pegged, this release is more epic, more solemn, and more dreamy than the last one. So be prepared for a truly immersive and mournful listening experience.

    Opening with the crushing riffs of “Cursed To Nothing But Patience”, this outfit sets a very ethereal and regal atmosphere that only a handful of bands can create, like Hamferð and Skepticism. The lush instrumentation adds an extra layer to the music, with tons of intricate elements perfectly introduced in precise moments to capture the cinematic experience of Arð’s music, as show in the opener and other excellent tracks like “Name Bestowed”, “Hefenfelth” and our favorite, the even more melancholic “He Saw Nine Winters” and its weeping lead guitars.

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    Blaze of Perdition - Upharsin (2024)

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    There must be something in the water in Poland that produces excellent Black Metal bands like Mgła, Kriegsmaschine, Behemoth, and Blaze of Perdition to name a few. On the subject of the latter, today we have their latest opus with “Upharsin”, a 41-minute beast filled with five tracks of punishing and hateful music. If you like intensity and nerve wrecking atmospherics, this release will satisfy your cravings.

    Opening with the monster “W kwiecie rozłamu”, the band unleashes eight minutes of uncompromising brutality and harshness. While not as clinical as outfits like Mgła, Blaze of Perdition compensates with sheer intensity and crafty sinister melodies, as the powerful “Przez rany” slowly builds its momentum and creates dissonant soundscapes. The band’s execution is immersive, as tracks like “Niezmywalne” perfectly deliver blistering drumming, alongside incisive guitars and engaging tempo changes.

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    Satanic North - Satanic North (2024)

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    Unleashing a fierce Black Metal debut, Satanic North comes out of Finland and is ready to rival any of the genre’s best bands with their raw and punishing style. In this self-titled full-length release, the band cranks out ten tracks and nearly 40 minutes of all-out war with their incisive style. Did we mention that this outfit also features Petri Lindroos and Janne Parviainen of Ensiferum fame? With this line-up we get a killer debut filled with old-school vibes.

    Opening with “War”, we get some foul opening riffs that show the band means business. Having that old-school 90’s BM vibe, the track quickly escalates to all-out rage with blast beats and strong shrieks. One of the band’s strengths is the raw power of their sound, with tracks like “Arise”, “Village”, and “Hatred and Blasphemy” being quite punishing, in part thanks to its double vocal onslaught, and yet featuring some clean and modern production.

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    Dialith - Alter (2024)

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    Unleashing a very lively and engaging EP, today we have North American Symphonic/Power Metal outfit Dialith with “Alter”. Featuring four bombastic tracks and around 14 minutes of music, this release is a great calling card from a promising young band. If you are a fan of bands like Visions of Atlantis, Xandria, Serenity, Delain, etc., this release will be a solid addition to your rotation.

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    My Dying Bride - A Mortal Binding (2024)

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    The legendary My Dying Bride is back with another mournful release filled with their magical Gothic/Doom Metal exploits. With nearly 55 minutes spread around in seven tracks that showcase the band’s signature powerful style. Never disappointing, the band always delivers very engaging and diverse releases and “A Mortal Binding” is no exception.

    Opening with “Her Dominion”, we instantly get the signature Andrew Craighan riffs alongside the band’s crafty tempo changes, with the drumming handled by Dan Mullins since his return to the band last year. The perfect balance between the fragility of the atmospheric elements like the subtle keyboards and violins is nicely outflanked by the staple combination of growls and dramatic clean vocals of Aaron Stainthorpe, and tracks like “Thornwyck Hymn” and “The 2nd of Three Bells” really exploit these elements.

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    Selbst - Despondency Chord Progressions (2024)

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    Having been fans of this one-man project since their early days on Sun & Moon records, Selbst has greatly matured over time and with “Despondency Chord Progression” the band reaches new heights in terms of demoralizing and punishing music. Featuring seven tracks and nearly 44 minutes of music, N takes a different approach with this release focusing more on creating layered atmospheres that are both crushing and yet elegant and refined.

    The release opens with the Spanish titled “La encarnación de todos los miedos”, a very typical Selbst track with fierce vocals and incisive guitar riffs. This track continues with the brutality and harshness of “Relatos de angustia”, making the perfect opener to set the vibe. The masterfully titled “When True Loneliness is Experienced”, mixes in some more melodic and highly melancholic passages, creating a very depressing and chilling vibe that is only exacerbated by the eerie clean vocals thrown into the mix.

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    DOOL - The Shape of Fluidity (2024)

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    After taking the scene by storm with “Summerland”, DOOL had set an impossibly high bar for their follow-up release. Fast-forward four years and the band is ready to unleash “The Shape of Fluidity” to the world, featuring nine tracks and nearly 50 minutes of their signature Dark Rock. Further improving their energy level and songwriting abilities, this release more than delivers on the potential and promise of this excellent outfit.

    From the opening single, “Venus in Flames”, Raven Van Dorst’s presence is immediately felt thanks to her signature vocals and guitar playing chops. The album starts with a bang, thanks to a very well crafted and energetic song with some epic passages and dreamy interludes. The band’s music is very melodic and guitar driven, with pieces like “Self-Dissect”, the album title track, and “Evil in You” delivering highly intoxicating riffs and perfectly crafted tempo changes. While other songs like “Currents” serve to create atmospheric pauses and brace the listener for what follows.

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    The Vision Bleak - Weird Tales (2024)

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    Schwadorf and Kontanz are finally back with another set of bizarre and playful tales of horror. In “Weird Tales”, the duo unleashes a single 41-minute long piece that is divided into 12 chapters, each with their own uniqueness and magic. For those that are not familiar with the band’s music, they play something they call Horror Metal, which is a horror-themed Gothic Metal, filled with eerie and playful atmospherics as well as excellent storytelling and even some theatrics.

    After opening with some spooky atmospherics that set a very cinematic vibe, Schwadorf and his melodic guitar riffs continue to build momentum as the dual vocal onslaught of a mixture of harsh and clean vocals unleash the band’s dramatic theatrical style. Chapters “In Rue d'Auseil”, “In Gardens Red, Satanical”, and “Once I Was a Flower” instantly transport the listener into the band’s sinister and fantasy-filled world, creating a very mystical and enjoyable vibe.

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    Hour of Penance - Devotion (2024)

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    Five years since their last release, Hour of Penance is finally back with the pummeling “Devotion”. Showcasing their mixture of Brutal and Technical Death Metal, this band is ready to wail at the listener with ten tracks and nearly forty minutes of intensity. Far from disappointing, this release sets a new bar in terms of brutality and execution for 2024.

    The release kicks off with the brutal “Devotion For Tyranny”, a track that packs powerful punches in the shape of pummeling drums and crushing riffs. Like a bag of bricks to the face, the opener alongside “Parasitic Chain of Command”, “Birthright Abolished”, and “Retaliate” quickly dominate the listener with their sinister vibes and crushing instrumentation. The band has refined the art of being brutal and incisive as these songs clearly show.

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    Sarcasm - Mourninghoul (2024)

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    Unleashing an interesting sounding mixture of Necrophobic-meets-Dissection hybrid, today we have Sweden’s Sarcasm and their latest offering “Mourninghoul”. Featuring eight tracks and nearly 45 minutes of fierce music, this release has a nice old-school vibe with a modern mix/production edge. If you are looking for ravaging guitar-driven melodic songs, this is certainly a solid release to check out.

    The album starts with the savage “As Northern Gates Open” and its waves of melodic riffs. The harsh snarls perfectly complement the velocity of the drumming and are nicely contrasted with lush melodic passages. As “Lifelike Sleep” and “Withered Memories of Souls We Mourn” roll in, we hear the band’s versatility as they incorporate crafty atmospherics and engaging headbanging moments into their crafty style.

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