There are a few artists in history whose identity is shrouded in secrecy – The Residents, Buckethead, the majority of Goat and Darkplace. In an age where social media is so prevalent and where privacy is seemingly such a dirty word, it’s refreshing that Darkplace has chosen to keep himself/herself(?) anonymous so as to let the music do the talking. Based in Sweden About the End of the World (Icons Creating Evil Art) marks the mysterious entity’s debut full-length.
Grave Pleasures were one of those bands that had been stuck on my ‘must check out at some stage’ list, until now. In case you weren’t aware of the history, they originally formed as Beastmilk back in 2010 and put out debut Climax after which came the name change as well as a string of subsequent releases. Plagueboys is the band’s fourth full-length album overall and the follow-up to 2017’s Motherblood. Continue reading
When it comes to acrimonious splits within bands, some music fans have long memories. Tending to side with one party over the other, many loyal devotees can either be unwilling or simply unable to let go of the past no matter how much water has passed under the bridge in the meantime. The faint hope of some future reconciliation usually remains among the embittered faithful but when death becomes part of the story a grudge often turns into something unforgivable and can last a lifetime.
Formed in Asheville, North Carolina in 2013, All Hell aren’t exactly the type of band you would expect to discover in such an unassuming and picturesque mountain town. Located in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the main pastimes in Asheville appear to be walking, shopping, eating, drinking beer, and taking in the scenery. Certainly not listening to Black Metal/Deathrock/Punk/horror-influenced Thrash Metal.Continue reading
Chicago’s Disappears have been an interesting, if sometimes frustrating band to follow. Their garage rock sound, typically drenched in reverb, tremolo and plenty of distortion is fairly straightforward on the surface. But listen closely and there are subtle nods to everything from Krautrock, deathrock, shoegaze, psychedelia and funk. Suddenly they become a monstrously groovy prospect. Their first two albums, Lux and Guider set them apart as a band to watch. But the momentum was somewhat derailed thanks to a lacklustre third outing on Pre Language.Continue reading