After many years of silence, German dark metallers Agathodaimon make a triumphant comeback with the seventh studio album “The Seven” bound to please their faithful acolytes with a charismatic blend of sheer brutality and melodic elegance.
The aggressive album opener “La Haine” showcases a primordial blackened formula through the vitriolic mix of ravenous riffage and unrestrained drums yet the polished guitar melodies accompanied by soulful clean vocals instantly evoke an overwhelming melancholia.
“Wolf Within” immediately unleashes a solid series of groovy blackened dynamics easily enhanced by the hellish growls while the sophisticated atmospheric textures ultimately lead to a cathartic melodic momentum.
Featuring a malevolent vocal performance by former vocalist Romanian Vlad Dracul, “Mother of all Gods” offers a rather ominous approach as the relentless guitar riffs amplify a savage black metal inspiration while the lavish symphonic arrangements lead to softer poetic passages.
Within the darkened sonic realm of “In my Dreams (Part 2 – In Bitterness)” the rhythmic section engages in faster obscure dynamics yet the passionate clean vocals and the mournful guitar melodies emphasize a contemplative mood.
Drenched in darkness “Kyrie / Gloria” continues to rely on the successful combo of frostbitten rhythmic blasts and sorrowful melodic guitar progressions enriched by the solemn baritone vocal delivery and the opulent orchestrations.
The majestic final track “The Divine” highlights the role of the intricate symphonic tapestries and the poignant piano harmonies as everything becomes increasingly darker due to the crestfallen guitar tonalities that often morph into a harsh blackened rampage.
Symbolizing a true rebirth “The Seven” naturally shifts from a ferocious rhythmic assault to an fascinating dramatic depth as Agathodaimon look forward proudly manifesting an ex novo creative force.
Author: Alexiel Divine
Darkher – The Buried Storm
English doom folk outfit Darkher fully embraces an evocative cinematic approach to create the immersive soundscapes of the sophomore full-length “The Buried Storm”.
On the eerie album opener “Sirens Nocturne” Jayn Malven’s otherworldly voice guides you through a dense atmospheric maze embellished by the stark beauty of the classical violin phrases.
Through the desolate world of “Lowly Weep” the ethereal atmosphere will morph into heavier doom laden rhythmic crescendos fueled by the mysterious distorted guitars and the monolithic drumming.
Like a hypnotizing dirge or a dark lullaby “Love’s Sudden Death” focuses on the lugubrious guitar tonalities and the heavy weight of doom metal influences to create monochromatic progressions adorned by the soft vocals that evoke a decadent romanticism.
“Immortals” constantly conveys immense melancholia through the mesmerizing vocal performance and the poignant arpeggios floating gracefully within a dreamy atmosphere ultimately leading to spellbinding rhythmic patterns revolving around a vibrant blend of impeccable strings and moody guitar harmonies.
The dramatic depth of “Fear Not, My King” becomes palpable as a dreary atmospheric ensemble surrounds the crestfallen cello tones and the delicate vocals while the gelid guitar progressions certainly increase the inner sinister vibes.
As Darkher delve deeper into a kaleidoscopic sonic realm where darkness and light become inevitably entangled “The Buried Storm” has the power to hypnotize you instantly and touch your soul.
Nite – Voices Of The Kronian Moon
Hailing from the Bay Area, blackened heavy metal band Nite aims to conquer your cold soul skillfully blending glorious N.W.O.B.H.M dynamics and perennial darkness on the sophomore full-length “Voices Of The Kronian Moon”.
The album opener “Acheron” doesn’t waste any time as the bold rhythmic section fully embraces a memorable groovy momentum enriched by the captivating darkened guitar tonalities and the polished melodic leads.
The aptly nocturnal atmosphere of “Kronian Moon” puts the spotlight on the ominous vocal delivery and the bewitching melodic guitar work offering an overdose of charismatic licks and sorrowful phrases.
Darkness inevitably descends on “Liber ex Doctrina” which features an ideal combo of deeply mournful harmonious progressions and inflamed rhythmic patterns highlighting once again the striking guitar work.
On “Edge of the Night” an alluring somber intro leads the way to a significantly faster & heavier rhythmic rampage enhanced by a dazzling guitar solo yet an overwhelming melancholia is bound to flourish through the sophisticated melodic aesthetics.
“Thorns” proudly showcases major classic metal influences through the soaring guitar riffs and the triumphant drum blasts yet you can instantly perceive the obscure presence of gelid blackened nuances and lugubrious melodic textures.
Channeling a timeless heavy metal force Nite confidently continue to shape an intriguing sonic vision that thrives within the shadowy grooves of “Voices Of The Kronian Moon”.
Abbath – Dread Reaver
Norwegian black metal legend Abbath fearlessly emerges from the darkest depths to drag you through the frostbitten grooves of the ambitious third full-length “Dread Reaver”.
An ominous atmosphere surrounds the fast wicked rhythmic core of “Acid Haze” as the steady roaring guitar riffs and the flamboyant leads accompanied by ruthless growls easily amplify the coldest black metal roots.
“Dream Cull” surprises you with a decadent eerie acoustic intro swiftly followed by fiery rhythmic patterns that can still convey intense grim feelings due to the dominant darkened guitar tonalities.
“Myrmidon” relies on glorious black ‘n roll dynamics as the gritty riffage showcases an entertaining classic rock attitude but the extra speed of the crushing drums inevitably leads to a pitchblack heavier momentum.
Under a shroud of frost “The Deep Unbound” fully embraces an obscure flair as the unrestrained rhythmic section and the venomous growls channel a primordial blackened force embellished by the polished charismatic guitar solo.
The monumental title track triumphantly unleashes a mid-paced groovy blackened rhythmic rampage as the visceral combo of memorable guitar riffs and furious drumming simply seem unstoppable and the theatrical sinister vocals definitely evoke epic vibes.
Within the perennial Nordic darkness of “Dread Reaver” Abbath seems to focus mainly on an audacious black ‘n roll formula that spontaneously generates a solid series of malevolent grooves bound to trigger instant headbanging.
GGGOLDDD – This Shame Should Not Be Mine
Dutch band GGGOLDDD has been developing a unique sonic vision bravely exploring diverse styles & sounds and the result of this intense evolution is the new full length “This Shame Should Not Be Mine” which for vocalist Milena Eva becomes the rightful creative outlet to confront the trauma of her personal experience with sexual assault.
“Strawberry Supper” focuses on Milena’s haunting vocal delivery flowing gracefully through an enigmatic atmosphere that becomes darker as the rhythmic section gains momentum channeling heavier rock roots.
As unsettling vibes linger though “Like Magic” the instrumental ensemble seamlessly shifts from faster gritty blackened patterns fueled by the unrestrained guitar work to blurry electro layers that seem to emerge from a distant dimension.
Monochromatic vocals are floating through the pulsating beats of “Spring” naturally expressing painful feelings and the rhythm becomes quite frantic with an edgy mix of industrial accents and crunchy guitar riffs.
The strength of “Notes on How to Trust” relies on the captivating nature of the eerie atmospheric maze and the darkly magnetic rhythmic crescendos that perfectly complement Milena’s eclectic vocal performance.
On the title track the electro arrangements feel like a heartbeat and Milena’s eloquent vocals flourish through the opulent atmospheric tapestries that also maintain a cinematic darkened allure.
The impactful final track “Beat by Beat” creates irresistible and borderline feverish grooves with a fascinating combo of multilayered electronic nuances and inflamed guitar riffs emphasized by the poignant vocal harmonies.
Throughout “This Shame Should Not Be Mine” GGGOLDDD reach a striking emotional depth blending moody electronic textures and evocative melodies that defy any standard musical category and ultimately have the power to instantly spellbind the listeners.
Meshuggah – Immutable
Swedish tech-metal icons Meshuggah aim to impress with an ex novo creative force embarking on a dystopian journey through the labyrinthine soundscapes of the ninth studio album “Immutable”.
Surrounded by a dense futuristic atmosphere “Broken Cog” is ready to unleash an overdose of abrasive guitar riffs naturally leading to an elaborate rhythmic maze yet the slower passages favor an appealing eerie melodic essence.
“Light The Shortening Fuse” showcases a quite aggressive approach as the dominant crunchy riffage dictates an unrestrained rhythmic rampage enhanced by the venomous growls while the intricate guitar leads create darkened melodic aesthetics.
On “Ligature Marks” the colossal rhythmic section ensures a ruthless groovy momentum fueled by the undisputable technical prowess and embellished by the refined lighter nuances of the magnetic guitar progressions.
“They Move Below” begins with deeply melancholic acoustic phrases but a monumental heavier ensemble is bound to take over as guitars unleash a meticulous mix of vitriolic riffs and complex proggy dynamics.
Throughout “The Faultless” guitars steal the spotlight effortlessly shifting from harsh riffage to moody progressions emphasized by solemn vocals maintaining an ideal balance between a familiar extreme metal inspiration and a will to push boundaries.
“Armies Of The Preposterous” delivers a massive rhythmic onslaught acquiring extra speed and the precise guitar work focuses on discordant tonalities and menacing patterns conveying grim feelings.
The instrumental final track “Past Tense” leaves behind the savage heavy frenzy to bring closure with haunting themes and eloquent acoustic passages.
After three decades Meshuggah continue to evolve fearlessly challenging the listeners and manifesting an expansive musical vision that defies space and time through the convoluted realm of “Immutable”.
Sum of R – Lahbryce
The musical journey of Sum of R started back in 2007 as an instrumental project by Reto Mäder and now featuring a full line up the new visionary release “Lahbryce” is bound to impress the listeners with a remarkable avant-garde approach.
“Sink As I” begins a dreamy journey as a dense atmospheric ensemble surrounds the slow burning guitar phrases channeling a psych doom energy that ultimately leads to monochromatic blurry rhythmic crescendos enhanced by shattering screams.
“Borderline” evokes hazy post-metal nuances as the delicate guitar melodies flow gracefully through a mysterious atmosphere yet a grave doom force will generate significantly heavier rhythmic patterns.
“Hymn For The Formless” aims to instantly spellbind you seamlessly blending dystopian drone accents and melancholic guitar harmonies embellished by moody vocals in contrast with the darker crescendo fueled by the sheer despair of the obscure growls.
Throughout “144th” a shimmering post-metal essence unfolds gently as the enthralling guitar work carefully crafts soulful melodic passages while the enigmatic finale can make you feel dizzy with quasi chaotic electro layers.
“Lust” focuses on the immense nostalgia of the gorgeous melodic motifs emphasized by the darkly soothing guitar tonalities and the ethereal atmospheric textures yet the resulting daydream feel is often interrupted by the vicious growls and the frantic rhythmic blasts.
“Lahbryce” has the power to take you far away from the dreadful reality as Sum of R deliberately create a hypnotizing sonic realm skillfully combining fragile melodies and heavy elements.
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats Live at Thalia Hall in Chicago
Finally Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats return to North America for an extensive tour destined to conquer a wider audience. In fact a large enthusiast crowd packed Thalia Hall in Chicago to join the intense psychedelic live experience offered by Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats as they performed an hypnotizing & groovy collection of songs including “Shockwave City”, “Mind Crawler”, “I’ll Cut you Down” and “No Return” enhanced by the colorful super trippy background projections.
Konvent – Call Down The Sun
Two years after a triumphant debut release Danish blackened death doom band Konvent is ready to conquer a wider audience with the fiery grooves and the perennial darkness of the sophomore record “Call Down The Sun”.
Funereal bells introduce the menacing world of “Into The Distance” which relies on the heavy weight of the monochromatic guitar riffs and the cavernous growls to build unstoppable harsh doom laden rhythmic patterns.
“Sand Is King” instantly evokes desolation and despair as the colossal guitar riffs and the hammering drums become the main focus generating a monolithic rhythmic ensemble in proper traditional doom fashion.
On “Grains” the mighty guitars can certainly unleash raw energy amplified by the ferocious screams cutting through the bleak atmosphere and the consequent ominous nuances are easily enhanced by the slower progressions.
“Fatamorgana” dwells within a harrowing sonic realm where everything feels inevitably hopeless due to the grim guitar tonalities and the hypnotizing riffage emphasized by the spine chilling chanting emerging from the darkest depths of an ancestral abyss.
“Harena” marks a grand finale being the most elaborate track with increased diversity as the classical elegance of spellbinding violin and cello harmonies create a gelid atmospheric gloom around the lugubrious rhythmic section.
Spreading undiluted darkness and sheer fury, Konvent proudly invoke the arcane forces of doom and death metal to deliver an overdose of obscure grooves throughout “Call Down The Sun”.
Slægt – Goddess
Danish black/heavy metallers Slægt are ready to impress the metal scene with a distinct obscure sonic vision that today generates the twisted soundscapes of the new full-length “Goddess”.
The ominous atmosphere of “Deceived by an Amethyst” introduces an intense groovy blackened rhythmic rampage constantly fueled by the soaring guitar riffs while the wildly charismatic solos clearly showcase a timeless heavy metal flair.
Within the pitchblack dimension of “Hunt Again” the darkened guitar sound leads the way to a cryptic rhythmic maze shifting from faster & ferocious blasts, easily amplified by the venomous growls, to the dazzling classic metal style of the extensive solos.
“Fealty, Thunder Whip” begins with bleak atmospheric textures but as soon as the edgy guitar work takes over the rhythmic patterns become quasi chaotic due to the subtle discordant elements in contrast with the hypnotizing melodic accents of the slower passages.
The title track manifests a fascinating esoteric essence with an intriguing blend of retro rock vibes and arcane atmospheric nuances leading to slower dramatic moments and the excellent guitar work has a chance to shift the focus to an epic melodic grandeur.
Throughout “Goddess” Slægt continue to channel a primal blackened force but can easily surprise the audience with a remarkable experimental approach that combines a wide range of musical influences.
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