Tag Archives: Occult Rock

ALBUM REVIEW: White Magician – Dealers In Divinity

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Consisting entirely of musicians from the eccentric Demon Bitch with equally esoteric pseudonyms, Detroit’s White Magician settles firmly into the world of heavy Occult Rock on their first full-length album. “The Agents Of Fortune”-esque cover art is enough to indicate that any comparisons to Blue Öyster Cult are likely intentional; the band exercises a similarly freerolling attitude with an ominous undercurrent. But while Dealers Of Divinity (Cruz Del Sur Music) gambles on a well-trod formula, the group seems to have a couple of aces up their sleeves.

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PODCAST: Episode #129: Andy of Thou on Working with Emma Ruth Rundle, Roadburn and More!

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Ghost Cult scratched one off the interview bucket list recently by chatting with Andy Gibbs of Thou! We talked all about Thou’s new collaborative album with Emma Ruth Rundle – May Our Chambers Be Full (read our review here), due out on October 30th via Sacred Bones. Andy candidly chatted about writing with Emma, long in the works and put into fruition via Walter Hoeijmakers of Roadburn, how the band and Emma complemented each other, the concepts delved into the album, working with photographer Craig Mulcahy, their hoped-for joint tour and festival plans for the album getting ruined by covid-19, the bands’ penchant for covers and slowing down on them in the future, and what the next phase of Thou music might look like. Purchase the album here and listen to our chat.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou – May Our Chambers Be Full

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Roadburn Festival, largely due to the impetus of its main organiser and curator Walter Hoeijmakers, has often acted as a hub for all manner of interesting collaborations between artists who sit in the arty or experimental corners of the heavy music world. May Our Chambers Be Full (Sacred Bones) the new collaboration album from Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou, is the latest creation which owes a debt to the festival, conceived as it was in the wake of the two artists’ joint set at 2019’s Roadburn.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Blue Oyster Cult – The Symbol Remains

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After nearly two decades spent exclusively on the live circuit, Blue Oyster Cult returns with their fifteenth full-length album, The Symbol Remains (Frontiers Records Srl). In a way similar to the recent releases by fellow Seventies Rock legend Alice Cooper, the band opts for a kitchen sink songwriting method. The fourteen tracks play out like a career retrospective of sorts, exploring a variety of moods between classic-minded rockers, synth-heavy AOR numbers, and atmospheric occult excursions.

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ALBUM REVIEW: SpellBook – Magic and Mischief

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After releasing two albums and an EP under the Witch Hazel moniker, the York, Pennsylvania quartet has rebranded as SpellBook. Their first album under this new moniker, Magic & Mischief (Cruz Del Sur Music), doesn’t deviate too far from their established Occult Rock style. There are a multitude of Seventies Rock grooves fitted with a slight Doom crunch that is quick to recall their contemporaries in groups like Lucifer, Demon Eye, and Icarus Witch.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Old Blood – Acid Doom

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It’s oddly satisfying when an album’s title is also an accurate descriptor for the music it contains. This is more or less the case with Old Blood’s second full-length album, Acid Doom (DHU Records/Metal Assault Records). While the group’s style may not be crushing in the traditional sense, their brand of Heavy Psych has a dark sultriness that should sit well with fans of groups like Uncle Acid and Blood Ceremony. And considering the four-year gap since their self-titled debut, it’s fair to say that things have only gotten more off-the-wall in that time.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Brimstone Coven – The Woes Of A Mortal Earth

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Having successfully reinvented themselves as a power trio on 2018’s What Was And What Shall Be, Brimstone Coven, doubles down on the template with The Woes Of A Mortal Earth (Ripple Music). The style remains rooted in Seventies-flavored Occult Rock with the songs largely being driven by simple guitar/bass grooves and wafting vocal harmonies. The atmosphere and drawn-out pacing further reinforce a trancelike mood that is relaxing, yet esoteric. Continue reading →


PODCAST: Episode 105: Iva Toric Talks Occult Rock, Self-Care, and More!

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Ghost Cult caught up with singer, musician Iva Toric recently to chat about her music career and her spate of singles and videos she has released in 2020. We chatted about the three tracks out now, ‘Finally Today’, ‘Actions Speak Louder’ (which Ghost Cult premiered), and ‘Dark Side Of Me’. We also discussed a myriad of topics such as Iva’s interesting musical training, her many influences, mental health concerns, her plans for her upcoming full-length album, and much more. Follow and purchase Iva’s music at this link and check out our chat below. Continue reading →

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ALBUM REVIEW: Vestal Claret – Vestal Claret

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While a self-titled album often serves as a summary of an artist’s particular style, Vestal Claret’s third full-length is unlike anything else they’ve done before. The Doom Metal that defined the occult collective’s past efforts has been completely phased out in favor of a subdued presentation that is somewhere between Folk and introspective Psych Rock. An esoteric aura still wafts with vocalist Phil Swanson (Hour of 13, Sumerlands) offering his signature mournful, nasally wail, but the vibe has more in common with Hexvessel or Sabbath Assembly than Pagan Altar.Continue reading →


Decibel Magazine Declares The Death of Mainstream Metal

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In an end of year article, Decibel Magazine’s veteran scribe Shawn Macomber has declared the death of Mainstream metal in his piece, ‘Mainstream Metal is F*cking Dead’. The piece was written in reaction to both Decibel’s top albums of the Decade 2010-2019 list as well as their top albums of 2019. The writer, one of the best at the magazine goes on to say that he isn’t against mainstream metal albums and actually likes some, but that the best quality releases from the last year or beyond are really coming from the underground bands and labels. Continue reading →