Experimental

  • Nachtterror - Judgement (2019)

    cover

    Unleashing one of the most unique and unexpectedly awesome releases of 2019, today we have Canada’s Nachtterror with their debut release “Judgement”. Clocking in at over 60 minutes of music, this release has a bit of everything for everybody, from heavy riffs and fast-paced sections to more atmospheric and melancholic passages. As the band’s first full length release, it shows a unique trajectory path between different styles and influences through the tracks presented in this release.

    Setting a very dreamy and mellow vibe when starting with “Behold the Terror”, we have a certain Pyogenesis/Decoryah vibe. This track slowly builds up to blistering drumming and harsh vocals, marking a very interesting and yet drastic transition. Settling into an older retro Gothic Metal-ish style with “Sea of Dread”, the band again exploits their multi-vocalist approach and delivers a very harmonious track with excellent distorted guitars and tempo changes.

  • 夢遊病者 - Ѫ (2019)

    cover

    Better known as Sleepwalker (夢遊病者), this international band formed from people from multiple corners of the world like Japan, Russia and USA unleashes the latest EP with “Yus” (Ѫ). Combining Black Metal with unique elements and crafted very bleak atmospheres, it feels like Darkthrone and Kayo Dot had a very odd bastard child.

    Side A delivers an atmospheric opening which sets a mystical backdrop, only to quickly evolve into dissonant madness. This track perfectly transmits a feeling of helplessness with its odd atmospheric elements and brutal onslaughts. The harsh screams seem a bit distorted, but create a unique vibe that when paired with the rest, create a very uneasy vibe.

  • Mord’A’Stigmata - Dreams of Quiet Places (2019)

    cover

    Slowly building up, “Void Monolith” starts the performance with an introduction to craft psychedelic extravagance thanks to the warm and fuzzy distorted guitars and trippy synths. The madness truly begins with the chaotic “The Shamanic Vision” and its crushing drumming. The deranged vocals make this song even more terrifying thanks to their unique range and style. The underlying melodies of songs like “Seeker’s Reflection” and “Journey to the Center of Mass” are quite intoxicating with a certain jazzy vibe, and perfectly crafted around trippy tempo changes.

    Opening with the intricate atmospherics of “Between Walls of Glass”, the track sets a very hypnotic and ritualistic vibe that slowly builds up as the electric guitars come into play. Evoking the psychotic rhythmic powers of bands like Oranssi Pazuzu, the band sets a very unique vibe to this release. Keeping the weirdness going with its odd tempo changes, “Exiles” gives more of a Post-Metal vibe paired with hellish screams and pretty intense drumming.

  • GOLD - Why Aren’t You Laughing Now (2019)

    cover

    Hailing from the Netherlands, GOLD is a band that has been on our radar for quite a while since we saw them at Roadburn festival in 2013. Playing a interesting mixture of Dark Rock with Post-Metal/Punk/etc. elements, this band has a very unique and crafty sound that instantly makes them recognizable. With the current wave of bands playing Psychedelic Rock and all variants, GOLD is one that stands above the rest thanks to their crafty music and interesting amalgamation of styles.

    As soon as “He is Not” opens, we get a certain mysterious vibe and then the sultry vocals of Milena Eva take over the driver’s seat. As one of the signature elements of the band, Milena’s vocals are the perfect mixture of enigmatic and intoxicating. After the opening track ends with a Post-Rock-ish passage, the band changes pace to a more mellow lounge-ish tempo in “Things I Wish I Never Knew”. The guitar work is quite excellent and there are definitely more than a few layers to digest.

  • Waste of Space Orchestra - Syntheosis (2019)

    cover

    Luckily for those of us unfortunate to Waste of Space Orchestra at Roadburn, Svart Records releases a perfect quality recording of this event with “Syntheosis”. For the uninitiated, this project is a collaboration between Oranssi Pazuzu and Dark Buddha Rising, two of the most exciting genre-bending bands to ever come out of Finland. Clocking in at 65 minutes, this a unique musical exploration that transports the listeners to a bizarre plane of existence.

    Slowly building up, “Void Monolith” starts the performance with an introduction to craft psychedelic extravagance thanks to the warm and fuzzy distorted guitars and trippy synths. The madness truly begins with the chaotic “The Shamanic Vision” and its crushing drumming. The deranged vocals make this song even more terrifying thanks to their unique range and style. The underlying melodies of songs like “Seeker’s Reflection” and “Journey to the Center of Mass” are quite intoxicating with a certain jazzy vibe, and perfectly crafted around trippy tempo changes.

  • Laster - Het wassen oog (2019)

    cover

    Completely taking the boundaries of Black Metal for a spin, today we have Laster and their latest effort “Het wassen oog”. Featuring over 44 minutes of truly bizarre and yet completely intoxicating music, this release will have you listening to it over and over and over to discover all the little weird and quirky details baked into their music. If you like outfits like Mord'A'Stigmata and Fruze, you will find this band amazing.

    Opening with the dreamy and intense “Vacuüm ≠ behoud”, the band opens a can of weird after the first couple of minutes. This track features a very comfy pace and dreamy guitars, flanked by a mixture of intense harsh vocals and ethereal clean vocal sections. The overall atmosphere is quickly established to be kind of dreamlike and very trippy, thanks to the throbbing bass guitar lines and the funky jazzy elements thrown into the mix, like the piano arrangements of “Schone schijn”.

  • Yerûšelem - The Sublime (2019)

    cover

    Unleashing a truly psychotic and bizarrely mesmerizing release, today we have Yerûšelem and their debut release “The Sublime”. Helmed by Vindsval and W.D.Feld of Blut Aus Nord fame, this release blends Industrial elements with chilling atmospherics and sinister guitar riffs, sounding unlike anything you have heard before. This album creates a whole new dimension of music, which could be described as a mixture of Mysticum, Diabolos Rising and Manes, but with a completely different direction.

    The title track opens the release with a hypnotic pace, thanks to a drony vibe with subtle electronic elements and eerie guitars. The aural madness continues with the intoxicating beats of “Autoimmunity”, a song that nicely contrasts odd vocals with a catchy tempo and punishing guitar riffs. Other tracks create a very awesome discomforting claustrophobic atmospheres like the dissonant “Eternal” and the creepy “Joyless”.

  • Jinjer - Micro (2019)

    cover

    As one of the most unique up and coming bands, today we have Ukraine’s Jiner and their latest EP: “Micro”. Mixing up elements of Groove Metal, Progressive Metal, Nu Metal and even some Hardcore/Rapcore elements, this band turns heads with their intense style and charismatic front woman: Tatiana Shmailyuk. Featuring five tracks, this EP should stir up some more momentum for the band as they tour Europe with Amorphis and Soilwork this year.

    Wasting no time, “Ape”kicks things off with crafty tempo changes and intricate guitar work to set a vibrant and aggressive move immediately. Things get a bit more melancholic with the groveness of “Dreadful Moments”, which features some Meshuggah-like chops and brilliant hellish hash vocal onslaughts. The riffing power of “Teacher, Teacher!” when contrasted with the rap-like vocals make up for a very odd and yet intoxicating track.

  • Svoid - Spiral Dance (2018)

    cover

    Going completely ‘off the reservation’, today we have Svoid and their very strange and yet interestingly addictive EP “Spiral Dance”. Not showing any of their Black Metal influences, this release is a very weird experimental EP that explores the band’s more theatrical side with a few Post-Punk sprinkles thrown into the mix. Certainly this release is a very true to form album from Sun & Moon Records.

    The weirdness begins with the bizarre indie-anthem “Stand in Awe”, an interesting track that has some Post-Punk elements, but in general feels more like an NPR kind of song. Considering this release a complete outside the box release, we can certainly enjoy catchy tracks like the epic “The Very Hours” and its melancholic vibe. It even has a quasi-Depeche Mode vibe that caught our attention and we found ourselves playing this song quite a few times.

  • Adaestuo - Krew Za Krew (2018)

    cover

    Unleashing one of the most harrowing Atmospheric/Experimental Black Metal releases of 2018, today we have Adaestuo and their debut full-length “Krew Za Krew” . Created by VJS of Nightbringer fame, P.E. Packain ex-Horna, ex-Sargeist, and with Hekte Zaren handling all vocals, this outfit presents a very unique aural abuse that is quite intoxicating and engaging. For over 50 minutes the listener descends into the band’s suffocating madness, making it a very excruciatingly amazing experience.

    Wasting no time to make an impression, “Red Moon” creates a very tense and dominant atmosphere with hellish vocals and chilling atmospherics. The tension continues with the Ambient/Noise piece “Transcendental”, which provides some sort of an interlude to their next punishing onslaught: “Monument”. Clocking in at 10 minutes, the hypnotic riffing sets a very dire tone, but it’s the whirlwind raw Black Metal elements that brings the listener into the early days of bands like Emperor and Enslaved.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries