Tag Archives: Avantgarde

ALBUM REVIEW: Tome of the Unreplenished – Earthbound

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Atmospheric black metal project Tome of the Unreplenished have upped the ante on Earthbound (Avantgarde), the band’s forthcoming album. After laying the groundwork on a few initial releases, multi-instrumentalist Hermes brought in a full-band for 2017’s Theurgy – Act I. A departure from the more musically straightforward debut, 2015’s Innerstanding (both I, Voidhanger), the first “full-band” release, probably alienated some listeners. If you aren’t open to noise and industrial experimentation (think more Throbbing Gristle than Nine Inch Nails) you may want to leave that one alone. The latest release is far more in keeping musically with the debut record and it’s a satisfying forty-six minutes of riffing and atmospherics.

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Enisum – Moth’s Illusion

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When you think of thriving underground metal scenes, Italy may not be the first place that springs to mind; but it is one that is criminally overlooked and that in recent years has become a hotspot for creativity bubbling under the surface. One of the most important players in this scene is the ever-reliably great Avantgarde Music, who have championed and showcased plenty of great Italian acts (as well as from other locales) such as Selvans, Progenie Terrestre Pura and the subject of this review Enisum. Continue reading →


SAOR – Forgotten Paths

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Folk Metal is a curious genre. Oftentimes it can be undeservingly treated with ridicule; when a pair of violins and a flute appear onstage alongside a BC Rich plenty of jeers can come the way of the performers. Sometimes the ridicule is fully deserved as the folk influence can become painfully twee affair: see Eluveitie or Turisas at times. On rare occasions, however, a traditional sway can produce truly beautiful results; see, in this case, SAOR.Continue reading →


Great Falls- A Sense Of Rest

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It is coming to the end of another year, a time with some celebration you may have heard of on the horizon and, more importantly, for end of year lists, where mostly sane people agonise and debate about ranking excellent things they enjoyed in an arbitrary list format which simultaneously means nothing and everything at the same time. It also means that albums released between now and the start of January will normally get overlooked; which, in the case of Great Falls and A Sense Of Rest (Corpse Flower Records), is a criminal injustice.Continue reading →


BEYOND THE BLACK: Reviews Round Up ft. Nature Morte, Second To Sun, Unreqvited and more…

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Tis the season… for Black Metal! To celebrate, Ghost Cult runs the rule over several of this Winter’s coldest releases… Continue reading →


Wolves In The Throne Room – Wode: Live At The Garage

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Only a couple of years ago it seemed like the presence of American Black Metal legends Wolves In The Throne Room on UK shores would become a fleeting experience, if indeed it occurred again. Following a UK tour in 2011 and then an All The Party’s appearance the following year, it would then be five years until the band would eventually return in support of latest album Thrice Woven (Artemisia) with a much anticipated UK tour. With this in mind, a second UK tour in 2 years on the back of Thrice Woven seemed a surprise, but a very much welcome one.Continue reading →


Al Ard – Al Ard

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Despite what many people might believe, Black metal as a genre was always about experimentation, evolution and about finding an identity, even amongst peers. Right from its roots, Black Metal was an ever-changing force with its famous ‘second wave’ icons consciously taking vastly different directions and styles.

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Cleric – Retrocausal

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Does no-one care about End Of Year Lists anymore? [shakes fist angrily]

Releasing an album like Retrocausal (Web Of Mimicry) in mid-December almost seems designed to antagonise self-righteous reviewers who freak out about making their lists as accurate as they can – but speaking as one, it’s easy to forgive Cleric when their slap comes in the form of an album this good.

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The Howling Void – The Darkness At The Edge Of Dawn

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On his sixth full-length, The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn (Avantgarde), The Howling Void has crafted an album that makes the most effective use of its runtime and rarely featuring a note out of place. I think we can chalk that up to Howling Void being the singular doom vision of Ryan Wilson, hence the number of LPs within just a decade of existence.Continue reading →


REVIEWS ROUND-UP: UGLY MUSIC FOR UGLY PEOPLE: King Goat, Sorxe, Pale Horseman, StoneBirds and more…

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The Ghost Cult album round-up is back in town for your vulgar delectation, with our penultimate selection of 2017 taking you down amongst the silt, with a selection of Sludge, Doom and post-Metal antidotes to any festive cheeriness that may be unsettling your disgusted souls…Continue reading →