ALBUM REVIEW: My Dying Bride – A Mortal Binding


My Dying Bride might be the most important Doom band ever. Their second album Turn Loose The Swans (1993, Peaceville Records) redefined the genre, forsaking Sabbath worship, and creating a romantically depressing river of sonic darkness from which they sailed. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Coffins – Sinister Oath


Sinister Oath (Relapse Relapse), the sixth full-length from Tokyo-based Coffins, is a measuring stick for the Death/Doom scene, providing an undeniable starting point for anyone looking to dip their toes into the genre, performers and fans alike. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Saevus Finis – Facilis Descensus Averno


For quite some time now, but arguably in the last few years especially, Transcending Obscurity Records has been one of the most consistently excellent champions for new, exciting and often innovative extreme metal acts, both in quality and in the sheer volume of their releases. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Convocation – No Dawn For The Caliginous Night


Winter is undeniably creeping forward as the nights draw longer and the cold ever sharper. Even aside from this, happenings feel ultimately bleak and the world is increasingly grief-stricken as a result. Perhaps suitably, Convocation makes a welcome return; a band that conjures that sense of foreboding and misery, if in a general sense rather than at specific events.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Paradise Lost – Icon 30


 

Named after the epic 17th-century biblical poem by John Milton, Paradise Lost are without a doubt one of the real success stories of British Heavy Metal. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Vertebra Atlantis – A Dialogue With The Eeriest Sublime


 

There’s a solitary figure on a frozen plane, playing a strange melody, while a howling storm beats a furious march against his back. He’s probably being chased by goblins as well. That’s one way to describe A Dialogue With The Eeriest Sublime (I, Voidhanger Records) the second album by Italian (kind of one man) band Vertebra Atlantis. Another way would be as intricate, powerful, creative and atmospheric death / black metal. Evocative, lyrical, mysterious, magical.

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INTERVIEW: Hamish Glencross of Godthyrmm (ex-Vallenfyre, My Dying Bride) “Distortions” Album Breakdown


 

Ghost Cult Keefy caught up with Hamish Glencross of Godthyrmm (ex-Vallenfyre, My Dying Bride, Solstice) to discuss the just-released second album from the band – “Distortions!” It’s out now via Profound Lore! We chatted about the new album, his adjustment to being a frontman, their trilogy of albums, how their friendship with Pallbearer influenced the band, guest appearances, the influence of Metallica and classic metal, and much more!

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ALBUM REVIEW: Thorn – Evergloom


 

Allow me to go out on a limb here: the bathroom floor of a frat house on a Saturday night/Sunday morning has less bacteria and filth than Thorn’s newest record. But don’t be fooled into thinking Evergloom (Transcending Obscurity Records) is solely reliant on gag-inducing landscapes. The collective is armed with an innate ability to devise structured songs that possess personality and conjure truly frightening thoughts.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Urne – A Feast On Sorrow


 

London-based three-piece Urne announced themselves with the stylish Serpent & Spirit, one of the standout Metal debuts of 2021, and a gloriously dismal collection of songs that unashamedly paid homage to an influence of classic eighties Thrash Metal, mixed with an intriguing blend of traditional rock and melodic death metal.

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INTERVIEW: Derrick Vella of Dream Unending – “Song of Salvation” Album Breakdown


 

Ghost Cult caught up with Derrick Vella last fall about his band Dream Unending! The band is a side project of Vella (Tomb Mold) and Justin DeTore (Innumerable Forms, Sumerlands). We did a track-by-track review with Derrick of “Song of Salvation” which is out now via 20 Buck Spin! We chatted about side projects, concept albums, and more!

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