Latest Reviews
There are way too many records released every week - which one should you listen to? Why is the new Bruit the best record of the year? Which post-metal record is the dark-horse of the year? Questions that we want to answer - we review lots of records every week and you can also check out a little teaser before reading the whole thing. And if you want to, you can also browse through our archive and have a look at the amazing records you might have missed out on.
Page 5 of 25
-
Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
07 Feb 2022 - Thorsten
Indie-Rock, Post-RockApart from the fact that one should always be proud of one’s children – especially if they do their best – today was one of the glory days for this author when our nine-year-old came to me while I was listening to Ants From Up There, the new record by Black Country, New Road. First and perfect comment: ”That is quite jazzy, huh, daddy? But it’s not real jazz!” So true, so proud!
Continue reading > -
Deeper Graves - The Colossal Sleep
04 Feb 2022 - Thorsten
Post-PunkAt the end of last year we had a sequence of three days with reviews of new releases by three different projects/bands that all shared one musician: Jeff Wilson, known for his work in many bands like Abigail Williams or Wolvhammer. A few days ago, Wilson’s project Deeper Graves released its next record and of course, I had to give it a listen and also a review as happy about the record as I am. Enter: The Colossal Sleep.
Continue reading > -
Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave
03 Feb 2022 - Thorsten
Doomgaze, Shoegaze, Indie-RockSomewhere in a non-existent universe there was a tiny bridge between the oeuvre of The Melvins and some faint and fleeting college-rock in the vein of “Walking After You” or “If You Could Only See” - a bridge that has been steadied and refurbished with some nice My Bloody Valentine-ornaments. Who built it? Cloakroom did! Why they built it? Because they can!
Continue reading > -
Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory
02 Feb 2022 - Gene
Progressive, Mathcore, Post-Hardcore, Post-MetalRolo Tomassi burst back onto the scene with the final part of an unintended trilogy that began with 2015’s Grievances and continued with 2018’s Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It.
Continue reading > -
There's A Light - For What May I Hope? For What Must We Hope?
01 Feb 2022 - Wouter
Post-RockI like that you don’t have to look to the obvious countries (hello US, UK and Scandinavia!) anymore to find really good post-rock. Good post-rock is being written all over the world these days. But to give credit where credit is due, Germany has been doing more than their fair share of heavy post-rock lifting the last couple of years.
Continue reading > -
Violet Cold - Səni Uzaq Kainatlarda Axtarıram
31 Jan 2022 - Jonas
Blackgaze / Voidgaze / Blackened TranceWhen you realize that Violet Cold has released a dozen albums since 2015, you definitely start to believe the biography that states that, and I quote: “Violet Cold is an experimental AI simulated music project from 40°22’37.7”N 49°50’51.6”E”, and that’s without counting the instrumental versions, the EPs, splits and standalone singles released along the way. A couple of days ago, on January 31, the project released yet another EP out of the blue, called “Səni Uzaq Kainatlarda Axtarıram” – Just like that!
Continue reading > -
Tears Of Fire - Relics Of Ancient Love
30 Jan 2022 - Thorsten
Oriental Doom, Blackened DoomThis record kind of closes the circle for me for this month as my first review of the month was on Dakhma‘s new album and on this last review for the month some similar kind of blackened doom metal with lots of Middle-Eastern influences can be heard. German-based band Tears of Fire gives us some cleverly arranged songs full of samples, sounds and strings!
Continue reading > -
Shoreline - Growth
29 Jan 2022 - Sebastian
Emo / Pop punkClean-ish guitars, heavy drums and lyrics with attitude. These three things sum up the music of Shoreline pretty well. The four musicians are the newest signing to End Hits Records who now finally, after a longer than expected waiting time, release their second album Growth.
Continue reading > -
Boris - W
28 Jan 2022 - Thorsten
Drone, Ambient, DreamgazeSometimes things must be clear cut and to the point as my friend Maarten would always advise me! So let‘s make it clear: Boris‘ new record W should be on a lot of AOTY-lists for 2022 because which other band is perfectly in the middle of SunnO))), Sigur Ros, and the Melvins?! None!
Continue reading > -
Amon Tobin - How Do You Live
27 Jan 2022 - Skyler
Ambient, Experimental, AvantgardeAmon Tobin is a long standing, experimental, and sonically complex composer who has completed 10 albums in 25 years. Beyond his work as Amon Tobin, he has also worked under the names: Cujo, Two Fingers, Only Child Tyran, Figueroa, and Stone Giants. The catalog of albums he’s built so far has established a strong and distinct sound, utilizing resampling and heavy amounts of synthesis played in on a Continuum. I recall a video in which he records tapping light bulbs together to make percussion sounds for a different album.
Continue reading > -
Nordic Giants - Symbiosis
26 Jan 2022 - Jonas
Post-Rock / Neoclassical / CinematicRôka and Löki are the highly enigmatic members that make up the cinematic post-rock duo Nordic Giants. Through a successful crowdfunding campaign, they are now back with their first album in five years – Symbiosis! Here are my thoughts on the album, my first experience with them, and how their audio-visual concept brings their live shows to a completely different level.
Continue reading > -
Deathcult - Of Soil Unearthed
25 Jan 2022 - Knut
Death MetalTrue to their roots in classic Death Metal, the Swiss Deathcult releases an album with crushing riffs, tight rhythm sections and intense growling death metal vocals. Just as frenzied, in a controlled way, as this kind of music should be. Their inspiration from Swedish Death Metal of the 90s is obvious, but they have their own distinct musical style and blend it with Black Metal and with some nods to Trash Metal. This mix makes it a riveting listen and makes you long for those tumultuous, sweaty gigs that we have been missing these past two years.
Continue reading > -
Lucida Dark - Of Death, Of Love
24 Jan 2022 - Jonas
Post-Rock / Progressive / Post-MetalBy now, the Nebraska-based post-rock outfit, Lucida Dark, has become a household name of the genre. What’s that? You’ve never heard of them? Well, buckle up kiddo, because you’re in for a ride! They just released their debut album, “Of Death, Of Love”, and it’s of the highest order.
Continue reading > -
Celeste - Assassine(s)
23 Jan 2022 - Jonas
Black Metal / Post-Metal / Screamo / Sludge metalIt’s been four long years since the French quartet, Celeste, released “Infidèle(s)”, but now they’re finally back with their aural mayhem, in the shape and form of “Assassine(s)”, their sixth studio album, which is also their debut on Nuclear Blast! I had the absolute privilege of experiencing a few of these new tracks live in concert last year, one of very few I had the chance to attend.
Continue reading > -
So Hideous - None But A Pure Heart Can Sing
22 Jan 2022 - Thorsten
Avantgarde MetalWriting a review about the latest record by New York-based Avantgarde-metal outfit So Hideous is, on the one side, really difficult – because there is so much to talk about. Writing a review about None But A Pure Heart Can Sing by New Yorkers So Hideous is, on the other side, pretty easy – because there is so much to talk about. It should be clear that this is a record to talk about!
Continue reading > -
Hollywood Burns - The Age of the Saucers
22 Jan 2022 - Daniel R.
SynthwaveHollywood Burns, not to be confused with the Johnny Depp/Alice Cooper/Joe Perry “supergroup” Hollywood Vampires or the rap-rock ensemble Hollywood Undead, is the name under which Frenchman Emeric Leverdon has chosen to release his brand of synthwave. He released the second album under the moniker, titled The Age of the Saucers in November, it’s the sequel (yes, sequel!) to 2018s Invaders and I’m not going to beat around the bush, because this album definitely doesn’t, it’s a cracker!
Continue reading > -
Gilmore Trail - Impermanence
21 Jan 2022 - Knut
Post RockSomewhere in the midst of their previous album, The Floating World, there is distant thunder. On this new album there is a rumbling thunderstorm nearby at the beginning of the sixth track. Let that be a metaphor for this new album which has expanded the scope of the band´s epic music. The high pitched melodic guitars, the heavy crushing parts, the distinct leading bass and the energetic drumming are all there with guest musicians creating a visionary new musical path for the band at the same time being deeply rooted in Post-Rock.
Continue reading > -
SOM - The Shape Of Everything
20 Jan 2022 - Simon
Doom-Pop / ShoegazeThe eagerly awaited album by SOM delivers exactly what you want from them. It’s a carefully crafted heavy gaze album with real heart.
Continue reading > -
WANHEDA - Desert of Real
19 Jan 2022 - Jonas
Post-RockBelgium. Home to exceptional pommes frites, a surfeit of waffles, as well as dunk!festival, which is arguably the most important festival of post-rock as a genre, but also home to a plethora of bands and artists operating within the realms of that movement, some of which probably came into existence because of said festival. Needless to say, it’s a dream for many to have the privilege of gracing their stages at some point. The Leuven-based sextet, WANHEDA, played dunk!festival in 2019, in support of their debut EP, The Cenozoic Implosion, and now they’re back with their debut album – Desert of Real!
Continue reading > -
Almeida Lopes Ernsting - Misanthrope
18 Jan 2022 - Stephan
Free Jazz, Impro JazzDespite - or because of - the plague, which still and again limits and cancels live shows worldwide, some artists have been remarkably prolific during 2021. Gonçalo Almeida is one of those guys. If you trace the nine different releases the Portuguese bass player, who switches between upright and electric bass, was involved in last year alone, you’ll soon find yourself on a wide sonic odyssey, which can keep you occupied for days. And something similar could probably be said about his two partners on this album, fellow countryman Luís Lopes on guitar and German drummer Phillipp Ernsting, fellow member of the sick Netherlands-based post metal/jazzcore trio Albatre.
Continue reading > -
Underoath - Voyeurist
17 Jan 2022 - Sebastian
Post-Hardcore / MetalcoreIn 2004 Underoath released They’re Only Chasing Safety which is still considered one of the best post-hardcore albums of all time and now, after 18 years, can be rightfully called a classic. Will their newest work Voyeurist achieve the same fame or will it be just a small side-note in Underoath’s discography? We gotta wait a few years to find that out, but that should not stop us from giving the album a close listen now.
Continue reading > -
Mizmor - Wit's End
16 Jan 2022 - Thorsten
Psychedelic Metal”And sometimes I question is this truth / even / worth / knowing”. I think I have hardly heard a sentence with more weight in the last few months. ALN, the mastermind behind Mizmor delivers another one of those records which walk perfectly on that razor-sharp edge between instant appeal and intricately-detailed songwriting.
Continue reading > -
Hadewych - Mes
15 Jan 2022 - Stephan
Experimental Dark Ámbient, Black Metal, IndustrialThe experimental dark ambient / black metal / industrial collective Hadewych features members of Trepaneringsritualen, Distel, Volksweerbaarheid and O Saala Sakraal. Having been around in different line-ups over fifteen years, they are about to call it a day with their final album Vier, while Johan Nÿland’s participation in the Dutch black metal Maalstroom special during the Roadburn festival 2019 might have been the last live show under this moniker. But now surprsingly there’s also another penultimate new album of the Dutch / German / Swedish project. Mes was initially only supposed to be the counterpart to the 2014 EP Nu, but it grew to a (still relatively short, but nonetheless) full album during its making.
Continue reading > -
Burial - ANTIDAWN
14 Jan 2022 - Jonas
Dark Ambient/DubstepBurial’s long been considered one of the most enigmatic figures of the UK dubstep scene, and while it’s been 15 years since he released his latest album, Untrue, to critical acclaim, there’s been a steady trickle of singles, splits and EPs since then. Six days into the new year, Burial’s back with yet another EP, called “ANTIDAWN”, but it’s different.. Very different.
Continue reading > -
Toundra - Hex
13 Jan 2022 - Daniel F.
Post RockToundra have always been subservient to the dark and mysterious, a mood they channel through the medium of sometimes murky, sometimes enlightening post rock music. Seven albums deep into their emphatic career, they have consistently dazzled with their immersive approach which is largely focused on driving, atmospheric rock with the odd exception - such as 2020’s ”Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari”, a soundtrack which was written to accompany the silent film of the same name in celebration of it’s 100th anniversary.
Continue reading >
Page 5 of 25