RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://lnk.to/martyrium The delightfully brooding and utterly compelling act known as Gurthang rarely fails to disappoint this scribe, and it just so happens that Martyrium is their most accomplished and impressive musical feat to date. Thoroughly drenched in a thick and impenetrably dark atmosphere that swallows you whole, these five addictive compositions merge somber…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://thanateros.bandcamp.com/ I distinctly recall reviewing the previous two offerings by Thanateros, namely Insomnia (2020) and On Fragile Wings (2022), and back then I was of the opinion that the German outfit had a lot of good ideas and that their records contained promise and potential. In other words, the albums had their noteworthy and enjoyable…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://gerseydeoful.bandcamp.com/album/reign-ov-hoof-and-wing I could not have been happier (nor more excited for that matter) when I saw that the New Jersey-based black metal outfit known as Gersey Deoful had unleashed a fresh new torrent of tunes collectively titled Reign ov Hoof and Wing. Their previous offerings have been a most welcome addition…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://theflyingnorsemen.bandcamp.com/album/the-flying-norsemen With a few original members of renowned prog rockers Arabs in Aspic in tow and a brilliantly designed album artwork, this is exactly the kind of thing that immediately caught my attention and let me tell you straight off the bat that I was not disappointed in the slightest by…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://trojkabergen.bandcamp.com/album/strobem-rke Norwegian prog-pop rockers Trojka is a rather engaging and entertaining musical experience and an entity that brings a certain warmth and humor to its eclectic brand of music. Quirky is certainly one word that comes into play here, and the great thing about this Bergen-based outfit is that these chaps…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/ritual.se/ Swedish prog rockers Ritual are back on the musical radar following a painfully long hiatus, but judging by the quality of the sprawling epics that constitute this grand-sounding opus of theirs, they have spent their time between albums wisely as The Story of Mr. Bogd – Part 1 displays great…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.apollonrecords.no/product-page/arild-br%C3%B8ter-a-spectre-of-sounds-james-bond-music-reimagined This staggeringly creative and hugely enjoyable album by Arild Brøter (who is primarily known for his work with Norwegian prog rockers Pymlico) totally swept me off my feet and instantly made me pay close attention. Arild is apparently a humongous James Bond fan, and rightly so, if you ask me.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/ Ever since I received and reviewed the Temple of Decay album titled Rigor Mortis (2022), which also came out via the awe-inspiring Godz ov War Productions, I have eagerly awaited a follow- up to that excellent piece of work, and the time has finally come to sink one’s teeth into…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://1349som.bandcamp.com/album/the-wolf-the-king The Norwegian black metal stalwarts 1349 have been a force to be reckoned with these past many years, and this fiery eighth output of theirs is yet another solid and tightly executed affair with plenty of venom and sinister power to it. To these ears, The Wolf and the King…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://klogr.net/ The good people over at Stampede Press were kind enough to mail me a promo copy of the eagerly anticipated new album by the Italian alt. rock/modern melodic metal group known as Klogr, which turned out to be a pleasingly impassioned affair containing several thrilling and darkly sensuous moments. These…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://oleteigen.bandcamp.com/album/skjebnev-ven Leave it to Gymnocal Industries (Norway) to release hauntingly evocative records such as this one, which sees the skilled composer Ole Teigen (Superlynx, ex-Den Saakaldte, ex-Dødheimsgard) weaving gentle and reflective piano motifs together to great effect. As with his introspective and somber Aske and Jord LP from 2021, Skjebnevæven is…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://omnibuspress.com/products/postcards-from-scotland-scottish-independent-music-1983-1995 This one is a rather fascinating piece of work that examines and tells the story of a hugely interesting phenomenon that took place in Scotland in the eighties and early nineties, namely that of Scottish post-punk and its closely related genres within that geographical area. Author Grant McPhee has basically…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/TremendousMusic/ The Birmingham-based glam rock outfit known as Tremendous released the rather impressive and well-written Relentless four years ago and garnered a lot of positive reviews and praise from fans and members of the press for that delightfully catchy piece of work. This stripped-down, singer-songwriter-esque acoustic EP is something completely different to the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://omnibuspress.com/products/nirvana-the-true-story Another excellent entry in Omnibus Press’ Remastered series is the classic Nirvana: The True Story by Everett “The Legend” True, the renowned music journalist who experienced the Nirvana phenomenon in ways that would leave most others green with envy. Just to list a few examples, True introduced Kurt to Courtney…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://omnibuspress.com/products/kate-bush-under-the-ivy-omnibus-remastered Omnibus Press recently launched the perfectly titled Remastered series, which sees some of the older and most popular entries in their catalog having been updated and expanded upon. One of those is the beautifully written and evocative Under the Ivy, which offers an incredibly sympathetic and heartwarming portrait of the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://tusm-rke.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-oberon With Norwegian prog rockers Tusmørke you never quite know what you are going to get, but one thing that you can count on is that they are going to fry your brain and offer something that is musically eclectic, unique sounding, perfectly charming, and outright quirky. Such is the case…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://floodgatemoodsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/solemn-traits Late August sees the digital release of the full-length opus titled Solemn Traits, which is a brand-new sonic curse that is firmly rooted in dark ambient drone experiments and disquieting textures – the kind that require and reward patience on the part of the listener. Spawned by thoughts and notions…
PHOTOGRAPHER: John Hesse.Photos copyrights belong to the photographer. No unauthorized usage allowed. Please contact photographer if you wish to reuse images in any context. About a month ago I happily stumbled on a ferocious and relentlessly intense 2-track EP on Bandcamp appropriately titled Entropic, which blew me away and instantly turned into a bit…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/descendants-of-evil You can never really go wrong with an inhumanely brutal barrage of blackened death metal from Poland when it is released by the long-running Godz ov War Productions, and this eight-track juggernaut by Upon the Altar is a perfect example of a solid and perversely enjoyable listening experience. The pure,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.georgiathunderbolts.com/ US rockers The Georgia Thunderbolts have a wonderful knack for churning out crisp and candid tunes with an electrifying vibe to them, and this spright sophomore album of theirs is simply an essential listen. Not only does Rise Above It All show how resolutely great this band is but also…
