THANATEROS – Tranceforming

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…

LETHE – Alienation

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://lethemetal.bandcamp.com/album/alienation This is my first encounter with the splendid experimental outfit known as Lethe and judging by the quality and infinite depth of this, their third full-length album, I feel utterly compelled to check their previous two offerings out. Alienation is anything but predictable or mundane, and the very act of…

MISTRA – Waltz of Death (single)

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://mistra.bandcamp.com/album/waltz-of-death-single What we have here is really interesting, and although I hardly ever bother reviewing singles, I simply could not resist the temptation to write a few short sentences about this wicked slab of vinyl that I was lucky enough to get my filthy paws on. Dark and melancholy and with…

VULTURE INDUSTRIES – 09.03.2024 – BERGEN

VENUE: Det Akademiske KvarterDATE: 09.03.2024 ORGANIZER: Propulsion MusicPHOTOGRAPHER: C. NepperPhotos copyrights belong to the photographer. No unauthorized usage allowed. Please contact photographer if you wish to reuse images in any context.   A concert like no other? You bet! The musically rewarding yet deviant purveyors of dramatic and carnivalesque avantgarde metal (or dark and dynamic…

HEXVESSEL – Polar Veil

RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.hexvessel.com/ Hexvessel is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and musically adventurous entities that I have had the great pleasure of listening to since the debut offering entitled Dawnbringer from 2011. There is an enigmatic aura to every single output of theirs, and with the gifted Mathew “Kvohst” McNerney in charge…

THE DAMNED – Darkadelic

RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.officialdamned.com/ Legendary British punk rockers The Damned are still firing on all cylinders regardless of whether they are on stage or in the studio. Should you need an example of the latter, Darkadelic, which is their brand-new slab of energizing and superbly crafted rock, finds the band in rude form and…

VULTURE INDUSTRIES – 15.04.2023 – Bergen, Norway

VENUE: KvarteretDATE: 15.04.2023 ORGANIZER: Det Akademiske Kvarter PHOTOGRAPHER: C. Nepper The uniquely gifted purveyors of dark and captivating avantgarde rock known as Vulture Industries never cease to amaze me regardless of whether we are talking about their recorded outputs or live performances. What this scribe is about to concisely sum up in the next few…

WINTER – Fire Rider

RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://winter5.bandcamp.com/album/fire-rider I was quite taken with Winter’s atmospheric and moving Looking Back compilation CD, which was released earlier this year and consisted of reworked and re-recorded tunes, but this latest output, Fire Rider is a frustratingly mixed bag in terms of cohesiveness and quality. It incorporates ideas and influences from hard…

WINTER – Looking Back

RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://winter5.bandcamp.com/album/looking-back Looking Back by Winter is not merely a retrospective anthology or a compilation but rather a collection of re-recorded and reworked tunes from the outfit’s back catalogue. Musically speaking, this is an eclectic and interesting mixture of many different things, and dark rock seems like an apt description here. Hard…

SILVER DUST – Lullabies

RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/SilverDustOnline The latest opus by Swiss act Silver Dust, namely the goth-tinged “Lullabies”, was a rather pleasant surprise to these ears in that it incorporates traits and elements from theatrical rock and dark electro rock to good effect. This is the outfit’s fourth full-length album and undoubtedly the most accomplished one…