Vhorthax - Nether Darkness

Solip - Without
An energetic, skillful and wonderfully captivating EP, full of great scale harmonies, Without, by Solip, an American group from Oakland, California, is a pretty reflexive, poetic and sensible work of art, ostensibly built on the axis of a profoundly philosophic and quiet serenity. With four tracks – Adaptation, Held In Place, The Burning Car and No Gomorrah – perfectly tied together by a formidable sense of unity, the purity of their sound is proportional to its intensity. With the logical propensity to wander above the dense fibers of their own fragile melodies, that seems to gravitate delicately over the everlasting rainbows of invisible, but palpable
|
Electric Hobo - Valkoinen Ratsu
This side project from Finnish act Junkyard Shaman delivers three psychedelic drone trips loaded with feedback, noise and shrieking vocals. The result is a one-man version of sludge doom bands, something between the haunting musicality of Amenra and the guitar noise insanity of Skullflower. Don't expect any tempos, percussion or soothing chamber music. This is harsh, intense and exorcising music that only those who understand this genre can appreciate. Yet, for them, this EP surely is a highly recommended gem. Best to be played loud, that's for sure.
|
Democide - Omen
Under the motto "experiments with techno", Democide ended last year with a two song + two remixes EP. Opener 'Lethe' is a gloomy, immersive and atmospheric track, thriving on breakbeats and soundscapes. 'Vanguard' follows that example and seems to add a touch of psytrance. The remixes are just as interesting, especially the last on, for 'Lethe'. This is a formidable dark electronics tune, one that can easily fill the dark dance floors. So my advice: check this out. If you like your beats broken and dark, this stuff is an absolute must-have.
|
Gurt - Skullossus
The UK sludge metal scene seems alive and kicking and this Gurt-vehicle is a perfect example of that. With monstrous riffs, thundering drums and howling sludge vocals, Gurt rage like madmen. While most sludge metal bands cause some hooded head-nodding, these guys guarantee moshpits, crowdsurfing and beer throwing. Yep, this is party-sludge, the "grindcore of the doom scene". Fans of everything between Dopethrone, Slabdragger and Iron Witch can easily trust Gurt to deliver the filth, the noise and the overwhelming sound they crave so much. Party on !!!
|
Neraterrae - The Nhart Demo[n]s
This album by Neraterrae contains remixes and reworks of his early work under the Nhart moniker. In nine rather short tracks, the artist seems to balance on the edges between dark ambient, noise, death industrial and drone. Personally, I think I would and will place it in my noise-folder, where acts like Gruntsplatter and Deathpile roam. With shrieking sounds, vague rhythms and eerie soundscapes, this album is probably not suited for everyone but seasoned noise-adepts live for stuff like this. I am damn sure that most of those people will absolutely adore this album. So yeah, this comes highly recommended, if you dare...
|
Day Before Us - Nihil Interit
This album got lost in my mailbox for a long time but I'd still like to push it a bit. I've reviewed his work in the past and I have always loved what I heard. Not surprising since I'm a dark ambient fan. Yes, this is dark ambient, laced with neoclassical music and a cinematic atmosphere. The production quality is excellent. The music is well varied, giving each track its own identity and the whole thing a conceptual feel. There are beautiful vocals and strange, eerie soundscapes. I think fans of acts like Penitent, Raison D'Etre and Dark Sanctuary will easily appreciate this album. So to them, this comes highly recommended.
|
The Veldt - Thanks to the Moth and Areanna Rose
Shoegaze / dreampop pioneers The Veldt deliver a solid EP with five new tracks and two remixes. As per usual, you can expect overwhelming guitars, dreamy vocals and an overall sound to lose yourself into. Furthermore, as atmosphere is concerned, everything about this EP seems to come directly from the soul. It's deeply emotional music that will make every fan of acts like Slowdive and Cocteau Twins burst out in joyous tears. The Veldt have been doing this for decades now and they still find room to improve and surprise. So naturally, this is a must have for all shoegazers.
|
Novaria - EP1
Heading from Amersfoort, The Netherlands, Novaria delivers four quite strong songs. Initially, this was a one-time studio project but apparently Novaria is being turned into a full band. Personally, I think that is a great evolution. These tracks deserve a stage and an audience. Fans of bands like Katatonia, Anathema and Paradise Lost will undoubtedly appreciate songs like opener 'Into Nothingness' while Evergrey fans will adore the brilliant 'Blindsight'. I'll leave the other two songs up to you but I promise, if you're into atmospheric and progressive metal, you'll probably want this one.
|
Centripetal Force - Eidetic
A very peculiar blend of thrash metal and progressive hard rock that you need to focus on multiple times to truly let it sink in. These three songs by Italian band Centripetal Force bring some unusual acts to mind, including Mekong Delta, Thought Industry and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. With surprising hooks, melodic vocals, tempo chances and bizarre twists, this EP will either blow your mind or go mad. My advice? I don't know. Think for yourself for once, these guys do that and they've come up with one of the most mind boggling metal releases I've heard in a while. Weird but awesome...
|