Tag Archives: Chris Tippell

ALBUM REVIEW: Sorcerer – Reign Of The Reaper

Posted on by

 

Nearly ten years into their career return, Swedish metallers Sorcerer have proven to be a somewhat underappreciated but certainly formidable presence. Perhaps it is down to their sound which sits on the boundaries of traditional and Doom Metal which has hardly been flavour of the month in recent years. It is a timeless and reliable sound however which has seen them with some strong and sturdy releases since their 2015 return. Therefore, things were hardly likely to dramatically shift with a new album; but if Reign Of The Reaper (Metal Blade Records) does anything, it further cements their status.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: OWDWYR – Receptor

Posted on by

 

All the signs are there: this is not going to be the easiest listening experience. From the likely purposefully awkward moniker, the cacophony of guest musicians (mostly drummers) and the self-processed palette of influences that range from Technical Death Metal to Classical; it does seem that Extreme Metaller’s OWDWYR purpose is to intrigue and to baffle in equal measure. The result of this; debut release Receptor (Self-Released) is, as expected, manic and as such, warrants hearing.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Source – Emergence

Posted on by

 

As album titles go, Emergence (Self-Released) is a powerful and meaningful moniker for Progressive Metallers Source at this point in their careers. Firstly, it references the album’s inspiration and, in part, narrative of new realisation and “transformation” of vocalist/guitarist Ben Gleason’s worldview following global pandemic-forced lockdowns and the following readjustment.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Woe – Legacies of Frailty

Posted on by

 

It has been six years since we last saw new material from Chris Grigg’s Black Metal outfit Woe, and on a global scale it has certainly been an eventful and ultimately catastrophic time in which humanity seems consciously hell-bent on self-destruction and that of the world itself. It is pretty easy to see therefore just where Grigg’s inspiration comes from in the overarching narrative of Legacies of Frailty (Vendetta Records), an album that holds the anguish of such at its forefront alongside a sound of striking ferocity.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Great Falls – Objects Without Pain

Posted on by

 

Well into a decade now, Seattle, Washington’s Great Falls have perhaps been an underrated entity, but they certainly are a special one. Their sound embraces the arena around noise rock and post-hardcore, and they have proven to be a strongly emotive force. Some changes in personnel and a previous EP release in Funny What Survives created high expectations about a long-awaited follow-up album, if not quite preparing anyone for how quite distressing it would prove to be.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Celestial Sanctuary- Insatiable Thirst For Torment

Posted on by

 

In an ever-increasingly rich and exciting underground Death Metal scene in the UK, Celestial Sanctuary have been a prominent standard bearer and the ones most likely to break out to bigger things. 2021’s Soul Diminished was a case of a very strong debut album which also showed strong potential to be realised and was backed up with some feverishly received live outings, with the band maximising their opportunities with the likes of Undeath, so expectations on the follow up were always going to be high. Expectations which have been well and truly smashed with the immensely realised Insatiable Thirst For Torment (Church Road Records).

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: An Autumn For Crippled Children – Closure

Posted on by

Despite the mystique around the band itself (with the identity of the members largely unknown), musically The Netherland’s An Autumn For Crippled Children have been consistent and mostly familiar. Across the span of ten full-length albums, their sound has hardly deviated at all but has shown signs of refinement in the past, with their brand of post-Rock and shoegaze-tinged Black Metal being both despairing and simultaneously almost comforting with the consistency.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: The Sun’s Journey Through The Night- Worldless

Posted on by

 

Whilst perhaps not as highly regarded for the genre as the likes of Norway, the United Kingdom does have a formidable pedigree for producing Black Metal, whether that being down to recognisable names such as Cradle Of Filth up to a current and brilliant crop including the likes of Underdark and Dawn Ray’d. Adding to these ranks are the enigmatic The Sun’s Journey Through The Night, led by vividly masked architect No One (and now joined by equally mysterious Corvus, Deimos, and Lune) and quickly growing a formidable reputation following three, contrasting, full-length albums encompassing raw Black Metal and a full ambient release, plus several smaller releases and demos, leading up to this, their fourth full-length and most realised and adventurous work to date.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: The Zenith Passage – Datalysium

Posted on by

 

Having been seven years since the release of their stellar debut full-length album Solipsist (Unique Leader Records), it was sadly seeming to be the case that Technical Death Metaller’s The Zenith Passage were perhaps going to be lost to the annals of time. Therefore it is a given news of a follow-up on Metal Blade is very welcome news and perhaps a sign of bigger things to come from them and as evidenced on Datalysium, time appears to have been kind to them.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Calligram – Position – Momentum

Posted on by

In a world of ever-increasing hardship and struggle, it is easy to feel that dread is a more regularly present and less surprising companion day to day. Certainly, that is a sense that the multi-national (consisting of members from Brazil, France, Italy, and the UK), London-based Calligram convey throughout their sound with their roots consisting largely of Black Metal and Hardcore to a harrowing and ultimately relatable effect. Continue reading →