Finland is reported to be one of the happiest countries in the world. Even though it can produce some fantastically grim Metal acts, this Nordic nation has some jubilant bands as well. Continue reading
Tag Archives: album review
ALBUM REVIEW: Blind Channel – Exit Emotions
Taking over the charts in their home country, Finnish nu-metal outfit Blind Channel are on the road to spreading that stardom internationally with their fifth album Exit Emotions (Century Media Records). The album expands on their shameless blend of Metalcore, Rock, Hip-Hop, Electronic and Pop for a sound that is familiar, yet distinct and accessible to a wide range of audiences. Upbeat melodies are accompanied by bouncing and booming riffs, while breakdowns are emphasized with gleaming synth effects. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Je Est Un Autre – Flatworm Mysticism
As one half of the infamous Funeral Doom Metal band Bell Witch, Dylan Desmond is a musician renowned for powerful and contemplative soundscapes and is no stranger for emotive music. Following from the band’s Patreon launch a couple of years ago, Desmond has since been prominently experimenting with Ambient, synth-led music in part made to accompany segments of films (as anyone who has seen Bell Witch live will attest to their use of visual artistry in their performances). A further result of this is this solo output Je Est Un Autre, with a moniker taken from quotes of surrealist poet Arthur Rimbaud which, unsurprisingly, is a deep thought-provoking piece. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Suldusk – Anthesis
Anthesis (Napalm Records) is the second full album from Australia’s Suldusk, originally the one-women project of vocalist/guitarist Emily Highfield, but now expanded into a full-band lineup including a violinist and three guitarists, plus a bass player and drummer.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Timelost – Drained
It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of music genres and what defines a band; what they can and can’t be, are and are not, and what makes them “good”.
Strangely, subjectivity has taken a backseat to this artform. If it’s not pristine, perfect, polished, and full of impressive instrumental or vocal acrobatics, it’s boring. Worse, it’s bad. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Bloom — Maybe In Another Life
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, melodic metalcore band Bloom introduces their first album with Pure Noise Records, Maybe In Another Life. While there are undoubtedly some standout tracks on here, they are easy to overlook on first listen. Many of the songs flip flop between exactly the kind of quality melodic hardcore the scene is lacking in, and those sounding like filler tracks from a 2010s metalcore album. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Borknagar – Fall
Borknagar is one of Norway’s acclaimed heavy metal acts known for their striking Scandinavian sound and resolute resilience. Their beginnings sprouted thirty years ago and over that time they have proven their merit by cultivating complex concoctions full of genre-bending wonders. They are well seasoned in their affluent brewing of black, progressive, and folk elements making their work notable.
Their capabilities continue to shine bright on their next full-length record where they push boundaries and explore new depths of their skill sets on Fall (Century Media Records).
ALBUM REVIEW: Sundrifter – An Earlier Time
Small Stone Recordings, which is famous for the renowned Acid King and Wo Fat listed in their roster, sure got their thing going by releasing An Earlier Time (Small Stone Records), the third studio album of none other than Sundrifter. Having been around since 2012, the Boston-based desert rock trio has left significant marks through their 2016 debut Not Coming Back, and their 2019 sophomore album Visitations. They have also shared stages with a wide range of fellow heavy psychedelic units, King Buffalo and Gozu. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Being As An Ocean – Death Can Wait
It is not every day you come across a band like Being As An Ocean. The Californian genre-benders have always been experts at executing public service announcements in the form of poetic melodic hardcore songs. There are not many artists out there who can consistently put out such lyrically blunt music that still feels more motivational than pessimistic. As their first album to follow the dumpster fire year of 2020, Death Can Wait (Out Of Line Records) is a true test of the band’s longevity in staying true to that defining quality.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Big Scenic Nowhere – The Waydown
Ranging from members of Fu Manchu to Mos Generator to Yawning Man in their lineup, prolific Stoner Rock overlords Big Scenic Nowhere have left an everlasting legacy through their works for the past years. Now they are back with their third studio release, namely The Waydown– released via Heavy Psych Sounds. Consisting of seven tracks, the album presents the purest form of desert-styled riffs while also fusing them with jazz fusion-inspired elements. It’s fairly off-kilter to combine Desert/Stoner Rock with Jazz Fusion elements, so this has been a unique, newfound take, but of course in the finest way possible.Continue reading