EP REVIEW: Beyond Grace – Welcome To The New Dark Ages, Pt. 1


 

The conclusion of 2022 saw Beyond Grace split with Prosthetic Records, and as any innovative and adaptable band does, the four-piece took charge themselves and carved out quite the hype-laden release timeline.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Dystopia A.D. – Doomsday Psalm


 

The unmistakable pall of monochromatic fear and fright begs the question: should Dystopia A.D. have named their latest record Doomsday Bible? Instead calling it Doomsday Psalm, the album presents an anthology of horrors; a plethora of terror. The end of the physical world becomes the least of your worries.

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SPLIT RELEASE: Shrieking / Puddleglum Split


2020 has already been a busy year for San Diego electronic darkheart Shrieking. Debut album Let the Galaxy Burn (Self-Release) was released in January; a single, Truth About Demons (Self-Release) appeared at the beginning of May, and is closely followed by this Split (Self-Release) with St. Louis Dungeon Synth project Puddleglum. It’s a curious and enticing prospect, enhanced by both bands weighing in with a healthy representation of the material.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: In The Company Of Serpents – Lux


Denver Stoner/Sludge outfit In The Company Of Serpents has spent most of its eight years as a fluctuating two-piece, with only vocalist and guitarist Grant Netzorg as the constant. The arrival of Vermin Womb‘s JP Damron to the drumseat has seen an expansion to a trio with the addition of ex-Black Sheep of Kali stringman Ben Pitts and, maybe as a result, fourth album Lux (Self-Release) adds elements of invention and atmosphere to the core sound, demonstrating welcome growth.Continue reading


EP REVIEW: Wretched Empires – Bloom EP


I hadn’t registered so much as a whisper of St Louis trio Wretched Empires…until I learned that vocalist Tom Ballard was also the frontman for UK Sludge-Doomers Allfather. THEN my ears pricked up. Debut EP Bloom (Independent Release) shows the new outfit to be of a Blackened persuasion, which is even more of a surprise upon realising that the other two members of the unit were formerly part of Alt-Indie sextet Redbait. Curious indeed…Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Dukatalon – Involuntary Action


Ridiculously it’s a decade since Israeli juggernaut Dukatalon released debut album Saved By Fear (Relapse Records): a bruising yet incredibly inventive slice of Sludge that at times called to mind Led Zeppelin as much as it did the likes of Iron Monkey. Aside from a brief tour of the UK three years ago, little has been heard of the band outside of their native Tel Aviv, so what a beginning to 2020 with long-awaited new album Involuntary Action (Self-Release) hitting the hard drive. if only the band’s mouthpiece in the UK – Manchester’s ‘King of Nasty’, Eytan Wineapple – could’ve stuck around long enough to hear it.Continue reading


Etherius – Thread Of Life EP


When it comes to instrumental music, bands find themselves with the added challenge of how to captivate an audience without the charisma of a vocalist or a noticeable member fronting the band. It is not surprising then to discover the caliber of bands in the post-metal/post-rock community and the high bar they are setting fledgling ensembles that attempt to bring something new to the table.Continue reading


Son of Hawk – Son of Hawk


Hailing from South Africa, Son of Hawk’s self-titled, self-released debut is a visceral blast of hard rock, with the riffs of Rage Against the Machine, the energy of Clutch and the raucousness of the Dropkick Murphys. Here are twelve songs whose charms are obvious from the get-go.Continue reading


Daron Malakian & Scars on Broadway – Dictator


 

I owe Daron Malakian an apology. I was going to make every effort to try and disaggregate Scars on Broadway from System Of A Down, but Malakian is such a huge, distinctive personality and performer with a powerful influence and a unique (and that’s not a word that is used lightly on these hallowed pages) way of presenting his musical ideas that it’s impossible to do so. Added to this, we now know from statements emanating from both Malakian and Serj Tankian that some of the tracks on the second Scars… album, Dictator (independent release) had been mooted for a potential SOAD reunion album, but with that possibility, seemingly increasingly distant, Malakian, who recorded all the instruments as well as the songwriting and performing the vocals, has taken the step of releasing the album after sitting on the tracks for six years.Continue reading


Asylums – Alien Human Emotions


In the era of DIY, the music industry has seen a lot of success from self-made acts. When you can run your own record label and put out a very highly praised debut, the bar is set pretty high for anything that follows. The UK’s own Asylums have done just that. They released their debut in 2016 with rave reviews and two years later they are following up with Alien Human Emotions (Cool Thing). This sophomore drop from the Southend natives uplifts the alt./art rock genre in a direction that intrigues a younger audience from the second it’s turned on.Continue reading