Category: Gothic

Sleep FUSE Subscription Series

Ashtoreth - Ciuthach

drone / ambient / folk

Ashtoreth joins the Sleep FUSE subscription series with an enigmatic one track EP, based on a Scottish folklore creature myth of the Ciuthach. This 23 minutes lasting track follows the same path as most of his releases, which is a good thing of course, especially if you love droning vocals, eerie soundscapes, field recordings and atmospheric ambient. As always, Ashtoreth invites the listener on a dark, somewhat haunting sonic journey, either through vast forests or you own imagination. That choice is yours. Recommended? Undoubtedly...

Zer0 れい - an overview

electronic / ambient/ synthwave

Afterglow 20XX

More experimental sounds from Belgium, this time with Zer0 れい . This music delves right into the eighties, inspired by old movie and video games soundtracks. The result is an unusual and somewhat eerie approach to so-called vaporwave; It's synth music, but coming at you in a gritty, raw and somewhat way. But what would you expect from a project from the same guy who gave us the harsh noise of Unholy Analog Noisemachine, Crucifix Eye and MxCx. This EP contains six songs, none of which being suited for radio stations. It's strange, but with minimalistic synth tunes like 'Pariah', this an become quite interesting.

Midihack

Released in June, 'Midihack' can please me a lot more than 'Afterglow 20XX'. The EP opens with 'Mods', a track that takes me right into either Mr Robot scenes or apocalyptic fun fairs. The EP shows a bit more, or more distinct, rhythms, making it a tad more digestible. However, don't expect some easy listening new age, this stuff is still rather dark, reminiscent of the gloomy, experimental side of eighties synthpop. For me, this is one of the most surprising releases of the year, with excellent synth tunes like 'Komatsu Subzero' and 'rax2'. So if you're hungry for something different, you might want to check this out.

Slipstream 20XX

The most recent effort by Zer0 れい begins with a sharp intro before the vaporwave kicks off again. Gradually, over the three releases i can hear this act evolving as the whole becomes more musical and varied. Here, some of the old noise exploits of the artist comes shining through, appearing in mostly harsh tracks like 'Anticipation' and 'Suspension'. But you can also fill the dark dancefloors with tracks from this album, including 'Broadcast' or 'Ossuary 20XX'. In all, this album is a lot tenser and heavier than 'Midihack' but still an excellent example of what musical experimentation can lead to.

Xasthur - Aestas Pretium MMXVIII

acoustic / folk

Legendary black metal act Xasthur is now an acoustic three-piece and I guess the black metal scene just has to deal with that. 'Aestas Pretium MMXVIII' contains five songs, all fully acoustic but still containing some of the aesthetics and technicalities of extreme metal. My favorite remains the opener 'Against Your Will'. I think old fans might have a problem with Scott Conner's clean vocals but then again, this is not black metal, this is "doomgrass", something between American folk music and the dark abyss that is extreme metal. My suggestion? Try it out, it just might be your thing now.

Black Market Heart - Who Put A Knife Through Your Heart?

post punk

Founded by Spencer Robinson (The Wolf Spiders, The Lords of Altamont), Black Market Heart delves deep into another dark side of the eighties, that of post punk and new wave. Their debut EP delivers three short tracks which might best be described as grinding version of Joy Division or a minimalstic version of Sisters Of Mercy. 'Can't Live On The Other Side' immediately got me hooked. 'Under the Ivy' brings Bain Wolfkind to mind, especially in the vocals. Finally, 'Silver' invites me to those dark dancefloors again. So, new wavers of all ages, there is still hope. Check out this gem!

The Lautreamonts - Who Are You Wearing

post punk

A more melodic yet experimental version of post punk comes from Brazilian act The Lautreamonts, and what a version it is. In opener 'The Adequacy Waltz' alone acts like Cinema Strange, Dead Can Dance and Dresden Dolls came to mind. 'Who We Were' is a fantastic track, nudging towards shoegaze and dreampop. Yet, there is more than that, I ever hear a tad of grunge in 'The Ones He Wore' and closer 'Black Sabbath' is exactly what you'd expect, a surprisingly enigmatic cover. I often found myself thinking "damn, this is good", not only from a personal standpoint but also as far is overall quality is concerned. This is high quality postpunk, destined to reach high peaks in that scene.

Ennui - End Of The Circle

funeral doom

Non-Serviam Records

Yes, a new funeral doom album. As a huge fan of everything slow and torpid, I can only be ecstatic about that. Hailing from Tbilisi, Georgia, Ennui keeps the funeral doom tradition in high regard, resulting in this crushing album. Three songs, seventy minutes of high quality music, quite similar to Esoteric, Shape Of Despair and Evoken. The atmospheric approach here is astounding, perhaps capable of gaining some fans in the post-post scene as well, if they appreciate growls and fierce black metal passages. But in the end, this is a perfect funeral doom album that will mostly and undoubtedly please the fans of the genre.

A Shoreline Dream - Waitout

shoegaze / dreampop

Shoegaze combi A Shoreline Dream continue their series of single with a new five-track, titled 'Waitout'. With a vast wall of jangling guitars and subdued vocals, this trio sets another step into their remarkable journey. If you are a fan of acts like Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and Ride, you might want to check out these dream-like anthems. The ballad 'Barnum' is probably my favorite track here while 'New York' will undoubtedly appeal to fans of danceable anthems. But eventually, I guess all of these tracks are certain highlights in the career of a band that honors that beautiful sound of shoegaze.

Rude Audio - Rude Redux

electronic / house / synth

Hailing from London, UK, Rude Audio delivers some neat dance tunes for late night clubbing and chilling. The tags on bandcamp mention the term "Balearic" but I'm not very familiar with that so I'll have to go with how this music makes me feel. Well, opener 'To The Sun' is a minimal house track which brings me to imaginary beach clubs. 'To The Half Moon' rings out the dub. 'Rumble On Arab St.' does something intriguing with eighties synths and sequences and 'Pipeline Dreaming' gently wobbles on. Eventually, the Rich Lane remix of 'To The Half Moon' reminds me of lengthy car drives in Grand Theft Auto or Miami Vice. Nice? You betcha!!!

Idle Hands - Don't Waste Your Time

hard rock

Well, since we're diving into eighties revivals, why not check out the heavy metal corners? Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Idle Hands honors the early sounds of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Yet, there is also a sense of goth rock present. 'By The Way Of Kingdom' brings bands like Killing Joke or Sisters Of Mercy to mind while ancient rockers like Boston or Toto aren't that far away either. That combination is interesting, to say the least. My personal favorite is 'Can You Hear The Rain', yet all track here are good old fashioned dark hard rock songs which all rockers should give a chance.

Lower Automation - Shoebox Companion

math rock / alternative rock / experimental / noise rock / punk

It's been a while since a band reminded me of Belgian's finest, Evil Superstars. Chicago based trio Lower Automation does something frenetic and deranged with punk, math rock and noise rock. Parts Dillinger Escape Plan, parts Sonic Youth and parts Jesus Lizard come at you with high velocity and with the sonic insanity of Melt Banana. This six track EP is as dynamic as a rhino stampede, even without twisting the distortion button on their amps. 'Tethered' might be the most radio friendly songs here but it's not radio friendly at all. So I guess you have been warned. If you like punky musical chaos, you need this.

Serge

Brieviews 50

23/8/2018

Boobs Of Doom - Thor's Womb

doom / sludge metal / drone / dark ambient

Scottish misanthropic noisemakers Boobs Of Doom do have a good heart. In aid of Carrie's Fund the duo recorded two lengthy tracks. Carrie, a former musician who has a a rare condition causing her spine to collapse crushing her brainstem, needs to raise £100K for life-saving surgery. Title track 'Thor's Womb' is a forty minutes long epos of drones, noise and gloomy soundscapes, a gritty version of Sunn O))) or a sonic dark ambient ritual, that choice is yours. There's also a radio friendly version on the EP. I'm just not sure which radio stations will play it. 'Loki' gift bridges the two in a seemingly everlasting array of drones.

This EP, or single, is long, seventy minutes but in that timespan Boobs Of Doom takes you on a trip through your own darkest imagination. Just download the album, because this is a full length, turn the volume knob to neighbour levels and drift away. Carrie will appreciate it, Boobs Of Doom will appreciate it.

Bara Bandai - Une Nuit Sans Sommeil

drone / ambient

The solo project of Clément Jeunet Fougerat, a member of several French rock bands, comes up with an interesting first EP. Armed only with a guitar and a limited pedal board, Bara Bandai delivers one track, lasting fifteen minutes. The music here reminds me of acts like Syndrome, Ashtoreth and perhaps the more minimal efforts of Barn Owl. Although mostly rooted in drone and ambient sounds, 'Une Nuit Sans Sommeil' (a night without sleep) often comes up with gloomy, emotional riffs and strums. Not easy digestible but definitely worth your attention if you're into music that breathes solitude.

Macabre Demise - 11

death metal

German extremist Macabre Demise have been blasting sickening death grind since 2007. Their latest output is a three track EP, titled '11' and it's one of those things that brutally invites the listener to twist the volume knob to intense levels. On the title track and 'Rot' a sick and twisted lovechild of Carcass and Dismember comes to mind while 'Death And Forget', a Bloodshot Eyes cover, tears and reaps and claws. For fans of mindboggling death metal, this is a neat addition to their homicidal record collection. For nu-death fans, this is how death metal should sound...

The Guests - Highlands

gothic rock

Russian gothic rock ensemble The Guests seems highly inspired by the gloomy side of the eighties. On this EP, they come up with a neat the Cure meets Fields Of The Nephilim track ('Highlands') and four remixes of 'Autumn Walk'. Where the opener is gothic rock pur sang, the Bruno Kramm (Das Ich) remix of 'Autumn Walk' reminds me a lot of acts like Diary Of Dreams or Wolfsheim. There is also a synth-pop remix ('Asper X') and two by Arkhangelsky, where first Depeche Mode comes to mind and then turns back to goth rock. Not bad, I'm curious for more.

Grist - Monads

drone / dark ambient

Sombre Soniks

Australian black ambient project Grist returns to Sombre Soniks with a new six track album. The keyword here seems to be "minimalism", judging by the repetitive and hypnotic opener 'See These Signs (1 8 18)'. Noise, drones and soundscapes once again form eerie tunes, slowly lingering but still powerful enough to guide the listener into a state of trance. With 'The Dark Song (1 8 18)', this album contains one of the strangest tunes I've ever encountered on Sombre Soniks, adding a decent dose of experimentalism to the often ritualistic drones. My favorite? 'We Do Not Seek Progress, Just Respite (25 8 17)', an impending piece of dark ambient.

Jinthra - Psychopath

drone / dark ambient

Sombre Soniks

Another new release by a constant in the Sombre Soniks label is 'Psychopath' by Druhá Smrt member Jinthra. Here, the focus is set on darkness, mental instability and nightmaric sounds, coming at you in four soul crushing piece of dark ambient. This album sucks you in from the very first second with its harsh and immersive drones. The next 35 minutes are the perfect soundtrack for a meditative inner search and an attempt to exorcise your inner demons. The intensity of the tracks is impressive, ranking 'Psychopath' among acts like Lustmord, Predominance and Nordvargr, to name a few. This four track is a must-have!

Akoustik Timbre Frekuency - Banishing Thee Dark Night Of Thee Soul

dark ambient / ritual / drone

Sombre Soniks

And Sombre Soniks throws even more soul searching drones into our ever expanding collection. This time the boss himself delivers two monolithic sets of drones, soundscapes, singing bowls and whatnot, resulting in some highly narrative ambient compositions. As a shaman Akoustic Timbre Frekuency reaches deep into the listener's soul, something haunting, something soothing but always immersive. I really like the way Sombre Soniks and its roster of artists is evolving. Within the new dark ambient scene, Akoustik Timbre Frekuency definitely is an act to keep an eye, two ears and an open mind on...

Loputon Suo - Portti Uuteen

death metal / black metal

If all that darkness is your thing but you prefer your music a bit more extreme, then I can recommend this four track EP by Finnish combo Loputon Suo. Formed in 2014, this band delivers a punishing, chaotic and obtrusive blend of black and death metal, here and there also showcasing elements of doom, sludge, post-metal and blackened grindcore. This EP contains three tracks and a fearsome intro. The overall atmosphere is crushing, the riffs are relentless and the vocals will haunt your dreams for many years to come. Extremists will undoubtedly love this EP, which is best to be played at neighbours punishing levels...

Mount Shrine - Winter Restlessness

drone / dark ambient

Cryo Chamber

Hailing from Brazil, Mount Shrine comes up with a gloomy yet alleviating album. Mildly repetitive drones and soundscapes build murky compositions which invite the listener to loosen up, sit down and enjoy the splendor of ambient music. With six tracks, each of them a highlight in its own right, 'Winter Restlessness' is near perfect ambient album, one which requests multiple listens. This is one of those albums that can end up in people's "favorites" shelves, right next to masterpieces from Atrium Carceri, Desiderii Marginis or Kammarheit, to name a few. Recommended? Hell yeah!

Glass Locus - Escapism

ambient / experimental / downtempo

Audiobulb

In ambient too there is often a nudge towards radio friendly behaviour, quite often by bringing in electronic percussion. By that, many artists wander into the world of trip-hop and downtempo electronic music. So does Matt from Glass Locus, but in the same effort Matt oversteps the boundaries of radio-friendliness and plunges into the experimental nature of acts like Autechre, Boards Of Canada or Plaid. 'Escapism' is an eight track exploration of soundscapes, electronics and jazzy basslines. The result is an interesting audio adventure that easily manages to keep the listener in its grasp. Splendid work, on that keep me hungry for more...

The Dark Third - Even As the Light Grows

dark rock / art rock / blackgaze

For those who are looking for something utterly unique I can recommend this EP by New Zealand's The Dark Third, an album that begins with a flash of free jazz, bursts out in post-blackened shoegaze and adds epic classical arrangements to progressive rock. Is that confusing? Well, you should hear this. Not only is this a one of a kind band that manages to find their way through tonnes of influences, they also write emotional and immersive songs. Then again, what would you expect from a band that claims to be influenced by Steven Wilson, Kayo Dot, Peter Gabriel, Swans and Anathema? Done right, that can result in pure brilliance, and this album is done absolutely right...

Skáld - Skáld

traditional / folk

website

Hailing from the French underground, Skáld delivers an astonishing view on ancient Nordic music. With intense percussion, traditional instruments and a multitude of epic vocals, this act walks in the footsteps of projects like Wardruna, Nytt Land, Tenhi and Faun, only more impressive, to be honest. This EP contains three tracks, the brilliant and heroic 'Gleipnir', the strong and potent 'Ódinn' and the melodic and dreamy 'Rún'.
Here come the vikings, from France but that doesn't matter. If there is one act to keep an eye on in the world of neofolk, Skáld will be your new pagan heroes.

Brieviews 49

31/7/2018

Naut - Raise The Lights

post punk / new wave / goth rock

Heading from Bristol, Naut decided to ignore all current trends and to look back to the dark eighties. Now, this five-piece comes with a baffling debut EP, containing five pitch black goth rock tunes. Influences from bands like Sisters Of Mercy and Killing Joke run rampant and come with the overwhelming energy of post punk acts like The Jesus and Mary Chain. Song like opener 'Disintegration' and 'I'm Here' are destined to fill dark dancefloors everywhere. My personal favorite here is closer 'XVI'. It makes me curious and hungry for more, but for now I'm sure that this EP will be an excellent addition to every post punk / goth rock collection.

Kurokuma - Dope Rider

doom / sludge

Sheffield doom mongers Kurokuma return with a two track EP, based on the Dope Rider strip from High Times in the 70s. The artwork comes from Paul Kirchner, the creator of the strip. The music is another slab of severe psychotic sludge doom, five and eight minutes long. Part 1 also showcases something industrial, reflected by repetitive, almost methodical drums. Part 2 simply continues to slow but brutal pummeling. Fans of bands like Conan, Dopethrone and Yob can easily trust Kurokuma to deliver the monolithic riffs and fierce vocals they crave so much. So if you want your sludge metal as destructive as a wrecking ball, this EP should do.

An Evening With Knives - Fade Out

post-metal / doom / alternative rock

Several months after the release of 'Serrated', Dutch heavy rockers An Evening With Knives unleash three songs that did not make the album because of the limited space on the vinyl. Yet, these songs were to important for the band to be ignored. Opener and title track 'Fade Out' deals with the death of Marco’s father due to Alzheimer disease. It's a long, heavy and cathartic lamentation, showcasing the darkest side of this band. The other two songs follow that example, be it a bit shorter. They all walk a similar path as the songs on 'Serrated', and thus would also fit perfectly into every sludge, doom and grunge collection. These guys are growing steadily, that's for sure.

Soho Rezanejad - World Breathes People

electronic / ambient / experimental

Silicone Records

An alienating two track EP that will leave you confused and entangled, that is what Soho Rezanejad delivers. Subtle electronics, minimalist drones, gloomy soundscapes and her vocals come together in two lengthy modern day folk songs. I can't help but think about a mix between Zola Jesus and Diamanda Galas, be it a bit less creepy than the latter. Yet, there is emotion, there is fear, mourning, wonder and hope in these two tracks. There is a mystifying atmosphere, one that borrows elements from dark ambient. Yet, above all perhaps, this is a unique piece of work, reminding me of an act like Dark Ensemble. Recommended only for eternally wandering souls.

The Man Within - The Man Within

post rock / post metal / stoner / sludge

In today's post rock scene, new bands pop up like mushrooms. Würzburg residents The Man Within are one of those newcomers. Mostly, that first effort comes with a low production and a careful introduction in what the band really is capable of. Yet, here that results in a full-blown post metal album with seven outstanding tracks. Most of them, including 'Mount Santo', my favorite 'Institution' (that rolling bass is hot!!!) and the massive 'Limitless' can easily entertain audiences far and wide. Although firmly rooted in the post-scene, elements from sludge metal, psychedelic rock and stoner rock are never far away. A great introduction, now let's hope they can confirm this in the near future.

EITR - Hädanfärden

dark ambient

Nordvis

The new brainchild of Nachtzeit, the man behind ambient dark metal project Lustre, comes up with an interesting dark ambient album. Although playful at time, this album takes us back to the mysterious and dark age of the Norse gods. Early in 'Drömmarna' acts like Mortiis (on Cold Meat Industry) and Wongraven come to mind. Synths, soundscapes and dreamy melodies guide the listening on a musical tour of medieval Europe, so it seems, highlighting in 'Löftet' and 'Tårarn'. Strangely, the title track 'Hädanfärden' has an X-Files OST feeling about it, which isn't bad, on the contrary. Fans of old school medieval dark ambient can easily appreciate this album.

Breakfast At Midnight - Breakfast At Midnight

alternative rock / hard rock / grunge

Belgian hard rock duo Breakfast At Midnight proves that two is enough to create heaps of noise. On this debut EP they blast seven tracks through our speakers, beginning with the heavy rocking 'Kidi Coke'. From then on, the rock doesn't seem to stop. Inspired by anything between Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age and Stone Temple Pilots, these two feed an everlasting fire. Most tracks drive on sheer energy but in 'What I'm To Say' and in '1813', the band delves deeply into the Pearl Jam version of grunge rock. Here, the vocals are excellent and clean while the other tunes contain heaps of aggressive screams. Not that I mind, this is pure rock 'n roll: raw, rough and heavy.

Goat Sperm - Voice in the Womb

black metal / death metal

Inferna Profundus

Grab onto something now because Ukrainian trio Goatsperm is about to unload a hellish, chaotic and vulgar EP, loaded with orthodox black/death metal. 'Voice In The Womb' contains three tracks, each one being a pummeling piece of extreme metal, as dark as Satan's butthole but with an ambient breather here and there. Somehow, this trio manages to combine atmospheric passages with sheer metallic terror, something that might indeed make a lot of banging heads turn their way in the near future. Besides, 'Into The Deep Waters Of Catacombs' is one of the fiercest black metal tunes I've heard this year. If you're a self-respecting extremist, you need this.

Teksti-TV 666 - Aidattu Tulevaisuus

krautrock / shoegaze / punk

Svart Records

What would have happened if Ramones used My Bloody Valentine's guitar effects? What would a punk rock cover album of Neu! songs sound like? Well, Finnish six piece Teksti-TV 666 might have a decent answer for you. 'Aidattu Tulevaisuus' delivers six high-octane krautrock tunes with the raw energy of punk and the immersive nature of shoegaze. I admit, it is something different from the usual slabs of rock 'n roll that appear here but 'Turbo-Mondeo' and 'Aidattu tulevaisuus' can easily get your behind shaking. My favorite here is the somewhat slower 'Rauhankone', which might be described as a down-to-earth space rock track. Recommended? Hell yeah!

Vitor Joaquim - Impermanence

ambient / electronic / experimental

Hailing from Porto, Vitor Joaquim is a sound sculptor and visual artist, active around the strange borders between soothing ambient and otherworldly noise. This new album, 'Impermanence' contains seven tracks, revolving around repetitive soundscapes, almost subconscious loops and immersive musical textures. Here and there vocals samples have been added to increase the narrative nature of the music. That, along with the minimal soundscapes, makes the title track my favorite here but I'm sure that every fan of decent ambient music can appreciate these sounds. Obviously, this comes highly recommended.

Han - Tuning the Invisible

ambient / drone / experimental / noise

An even more noisy and experimental variation on ambient sounds comes from Han, a project by Vitor Joaquim and Emidio Buchinho. This album revolves around live improvisation and real time processing, which results in something severely unusual and highly experimental. Yet, behind the gritty freestyle on the guitar, beautiful ambient loops lurk. These seven tracks are weird, immersive in one way, yet restrained and peculiar. Somehow this album feels like the early days of drone experimentation, when artists were exploring the other possibilities of their instruments. In all, this is an interesting release to dive into, but only for experienced avant gardists...

Serge

Brieviews 44

30/5/2018

An Evening With Knives - Serrated

post-metal / doom / alternative rock

"Dutch three-piece band jumps on post-metal bandwagon", that would be the most negative way to describe this album by An Evening With Knives. But that would also be a bit lazy. I mean, everything Tool and Amenra inspired is popular these days and thus many musicians give it a shot. In this case, the result is an interesting set of songs, slow, doomy, fuzzy, somewhat psychedelic and bloody intense. I'm sure that fans of the aforementioned bands will appreciate these guys, even though I think they yet have to reach their best possible sound. An interesting future might lay ahead for them.

Autger - God Kissing Carrion

dark jazz / ambient / experimental / trip hop

Russian one man act Autger returns with a new full-length, a personal story based on Dante's 'Inferno'. With a captivating mix of dark jazz, trip hop and what feels like ritual dark ambient, this album is something quite unique within the dark jazz world. The music here seems to come from a completely different dimension, even though that old "sax player under a bridge" atmosphere is still present. My advice? I urge everyone who is into strange, unusual and mostly electronic music to give this a shot. I bet you have never heard anything like this before. This definitely nudges the bizarre, and that's a good thing.

Lamirāl - This EP Has No Name And It's Alright

hardcore

Right, time for extremities, courtesy of Belgian hardcore combo Lamirāl. On this EP, they catapult six heavy rocking hardcore tunes to your face, stuffed with broken glass, needles, sulphuric acid and bile. The overall tempo is suffocating, the riffs feel like sounds from behind the gates of hell and if that vocalist stands in front of you, you have exactly six seconds left to live. So if you want your miserable life crushed by the sheer intensity of music, this EP is an absolute must have. This is about as intense as a concrete boot to the teeth...

Gray Dog - The Deal

acoustic blues

Now I need something to calm down and relax a bit. This five track EP by Belarus/Poland duo Gray Dog. Their music is a mix of blues and southern rock, brought to you in a minimal, acoustic setting. The result is an interesting late night bonfire soundtrack, best to be consumed with a cold beer. By the way, the fact that this is acoustic music doesn't mean that it lacks power. 'Why Did You Fuck Me And Leave?", for example is a damn heavy tune. Fans of everything between Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash and Pearl Jam can easily appreciate this. My favorite? 'The Pray Of Hangover'.

Paulie Jan - Yukio (A Brief Sonic Evocation)

dark ambient / noise

Composed as a tribute to Japanese writer Y. Mishima, 'Yukio (A Brief Sonic Evocation)' by French act Paulie Jan is a gloomy, haunting and often remorseless dark ambient release. These are deep sonic introspections, arranged by eerie soundscapes, deep but slow beats and a fearsome atmosphere. At first, I found it hard to get into this music but gradually the whole thing grew on me like only the best dark ambient anthems actually do. Now I can't get enough of these noisy skincrawlers. My favorite remains opener 'Kimitake' with title track 'Yukio' being a brilliant second. Recommended stuff!!!

Lachrymose - The Unseen

doom / occult metal

Hailing from Greece, Lachrymose delivers an occult driven version of female fronted melodic doom metal. With influences from bands like Moonspell, Paradise Lost and Avatarium, these Greeks dwell in a dark and almost operatic region of the doom metal scene. Besides, 'This Sickness' rocks like hell and is a definite fan favorite. In all, this might best be compared to a heavy metal version of Inkubus Sukkubus or a female fronted version of Lacrimosa perhaps. All I know is that this is pretty interesting, mainly because it isn't overwhelmed with bombastic symphonic elements. This is raw gothic doom!

Disowning - Battle of Neverness

death metal

Xenocorp

I don't often pick out death metal albums to review so when I do something special must be going on. On this EP by French combo Disowning I'm extremely impressed by the old school sound and the by the vocals. I hear elements from some of my favorite bands from back in the day, including Suffocation, Dying Fetus and Carcass, but mostly I hear those awesome growls over a punishing array of drums and riffs. Opener and title track 'Battle Of Neverness is a massive kick in the cojones and my personal favorite 'Inner Emptiness' doubles the torment. So, old school death metallers, I think you need this.

Gravecoven - Coughing Blood

black metal / doom / death metal

Gods Ov War

Some more vicious torment comes from Californian duo Gravecoven and their aptly titled EP 'Coughing Blood'. On this EP you will find four eerie and fearsome blackened death/doom metal tracks, mostly coming at high speeds and with a gruesome atmosphere. Personally, I would categorize this under black metal, especially the chaotic, occult driven version. I mean, with songs like 'Furious Fires' and 'The Ecstasy Of Hatred' leading the way, the path is one of total annihilation and utter destruction. So yeah, this is a massive, chaotic and punishing EP that deserves a place in every extreme collection.

Vandal Moon - Wild Insane

post punk / synth pop

Also hailing from California but residing in a whole different musical universe is synthpop duo Vandal Moon. If you love acts like The Human League, Modern English or the synth pop escapades by The Cure, you have to check out this album. Eighties synths, romantic themes and a new wave breathing guitar, everything you love about the gloomy eighties dancefloors is here. My personal favorite is 'Computer Love' but I'm sure that every old goth, new waver and synthpop adept can easily add this album to his collection. This truly is as close as it gets and comes highly recommended for blackdressers

Sense Fracture - In My Escape I look For A Weapon

breakcore / industrial

Haunter Records

Still completely electronic but from a copletely different level comes this little gem. Haunter Records co- founder, DJ, producer and writer Francesco Birsa Alessandri delivers a mindblowing EP in which "unpredictability" is a keyword. With harsh electronic beats, uncategorizable noises and eerie samples Sense Fracture creates a unique sonic universe, inspired by dark ambient, industrial, noise and breakcore. The five tracks on this 12" are relentless, harsh and abrasive. They remind me of something between Author & Punisher and Bong-Ra. Recommended? Only if you get stand musical insanity.

Richard James Simpson - Sweet Birds Of Youth

alternative rock / blues

... or dare we call them the bitter-sweet birds of youth? On his debut album, a compilation of older and more recent work, American guitarist and singer Richard James Simpson collaborates with friends (Joey Burns, Dustin Boyer and Theo Welch). He kicks the listener back in time to their wonder years, where one day you feel like an adult in a child's body and the other day things are vice versa. The variety in musical styles reflects this unsteady period; the majority of the songs has a stingy bluesrock feel but there's also a fantastic shoegaze track, some haunting dark ambient, some post-neofolk, experimentality in the

style of Tool and quite a bit of grunge - vocals that remind of Cobain included. So go buy this one if you appreciate something that refuses to fit into one box.

Nhung Nguyen – Oblivion

ambient / experimental

Pany Rosas Discos

And we finish this edition of brieviews with a one-track EP by experimentalist Nhung Nguyen. In this twelve minutes lasting track, Nhung Nguyen explores everything from ambient soundscapes and loops over field recordings and found objects to weird electronics and noise. Needless to say then perhaps, but this composition is a complex and mesmerizing sonic journey. Don't expect sweet and comforting ambient, much like the real world, this track is full of grittiness and strange elements. So, this comes highly recommended but only for seasoned ambient experimentalists.

Moonspell - 1755

4/11/2017

gothic metal

A few decades ago, Moonspell became one of my favorite bands ever. With masterpieces like 'Wolfheart' and 'Irreligious', the Portuguese gothic metal horde literally changed my life. For the record, Tiamat and The Gathering belong in that same category. That era was a defining one in my life, and in that of countless of other people.

Yet, as has happened with a lot of bands, I gradually moved away from the genre and into other things. Those two records remained a constant but most of the others simply passed me by. Again, Tiamat and The Gathering belong in that same category.

But recently, '1755' came in, and I, having returned back to my many roots since becoming a music journalist, was curious. On one hand, I didn't really want to review the album. The philosophy of Merchants Of Air is to push young, up and coming bands, which Moonspell is not. Second, there are those two albums from the nineties, which will forever haunt my image about Moonspell. Yet, eventually I decided to give it a listen and bark out a few words about the thing.

The album opens with a bombastic piece of neoclassical music, combined with those well-known grunts, in 'Em Nome Do Medo'. This might be one of the longest intros for metal albums ever. Either that or Moonspell turned into something even Richard Wagner would appreciate. The intense classical arrangements remain a constant throughout the entire album. Here and there, they even remind me more of Therion than Moonspell.

Nonetheless, once again Moonspell showcase their flair for combining excellent songwriting with immersive riffing. 'Abanão', for instance, is so epic that it immediately catapults the listener to those glorious nineties. That being said, perhaps some fans might find these arrangements and choirs a bit over the top. I have to admit, they are extremely present. But as far as nostalgia goes, this album is a smasher.

The verdict? Well, with brilliant pieces of music like 'Evento' and 'Ruinas' and headbangers like 'De Novembro', Moonspell delivered another classic in a genre that urgently needs this kind of forward thinking musicality. '1755' is no 'Wolfheart' or 'Irreligious' but it's undoubtedly a strong and vibrant Moonspell album which definitely earns a place in your ever expanding collection. Fans can easily trust this one to be to their liking, that's for sure. Check it out if you haven't already.

Serge

Medebor - Dark Eternal

16/8/2017

doom / gothic metal

Yesterday, I was at a friend's house, drinking Irish coffee and talking about music. The subject was differences in quality between classic albums and modern day attempts. Every musical genre has its classic, must-have albums, released years or decades ago. My friend claimed that modern day albums rarely, if ever, reach the overall quality of those old favorites. I respectfully disagreed, mostly because I know that people define their opinion on "classic, genre defining albums" around their 16th year. Everything that comes after that, is usually new stuff, not to be adored as much as the so-called pioneers. It's just how our brain works.

In my opinion, there are loads of classic albums out there. The old bands just forgot to write and record them, which leaves that possibility open to other ones. Of course, as a music reviewer I have actually encountered several of them. I think I have uttered the phrase "if this album was recorded in (insert year), this album might by now be a classic in the genre" many times before and I am going to have to use it again.

Polish gothic doom act Medebor takes us right back to the nineties. Founded in 1997, these guys obviously know their classics. Paradise Lost, Type O Negative, Tiamat, Moonspell, My Dying Bride, Anathema, November's Doom, Amorphis.... I too have heard them all, I've seen them all live and I recognize their influences in this epic album. In short: 'Dark Eternal' can easily stand right next to your favorite melodic doom albums.

The album opens with a strange, spoken word intro which lasts for a while before the guitars eventually kick in. But when they do, they immediately place themselves among the aforementioned giants in this genre. Melodic doom metal with both grunts and clean vocals, while the guitars and drums create a dark but immersive atmosphere. It's pretty much everything we loved so much back in the days.

I'm not sure which my favorite songs on this album are. I absolutely love the opener 'Forest Of Deranged' and the lingering doomer 'Never To Be Forgotten' but pretty much all the song carry the same quality, the same atmosphere and the same doom metal delight. In all, I can only recommend this beast to all you doomers out there, especially the ones who are nostalgic for that nineties era. Medebor will not disappoint you, that's a fact.

Serge

Ecnephias - The Sad Wonder Of The Sun

15/8/2017

gothic / doom / metal / darkwave

Amazon

A beautiful album with nine tracks, The Sad Wonder Of The Sun is best described as a dense, profound and renitent poetic quest for exceedingly perfect and pure melodies, constantly flirting with the light winds of an everlasting spring, flowing through a mosaic of surreal elevated majesty. The colorful and bright harmonious waves of Ecnephias, brilliantly mixing a very peculiar kind of soft gothic rock with a brave, intoxicating and marvelously melancholic, but smoothly melodic type of dark wave, inebriates the listener with an amazingly singular style of music, that infuses into an obscure realm of dreaming divinities the preordained sense of an oblique grandiosity, that engraves in their music the uniqueness of a symphony destined to shape in the world a more sensible and gentle perpetual twilight of comprehension and lucidity.

With a marvelously peculiar style that draws the strength of its inspirations from the sensible fugacity of an everlasting horizon of stone, Ecnephias merges a remarkable perception of profoundly poetic gothic aspirations with a more melancholic and melodic form of dark rock. The final result is a smooth, incisive, intense, dense and vigorously alternative sensible somber rock, that greatly uses gratifyingly delicate and expressively sensible harmonies to indulge their sonorous ambitions into a higher axis of literal rapture and commotion. Unfortunately, despite the ardently ascendant and formidable artistic sagacity of their music, Ecnephias sometimes gets too close to pop music and synthpop. Of course, not to the point of compromising the beauty of their art; nevertheless, some passages seem too overtly “happy”, indulging in what almost appears to be cabaret music.

Evidently, I completely understand the diversity, the uniqueness, the audacity and the experimentalism of their style – something which gets specially obvious in the fifth track –; Ecnephias is not just another band, let alone be qualified as an ordinary rock group. They are a melodic art act, and no ordinary label literally applies to them. This is something you really have to understand before listening to them. With Ecnephias, there is no ordinary music. Not at all. Labeling or categorizing them is not just extremely difficult: it’s impossible.

If there is a band capable of changing the entire scenario of the underground scene nowadays, and provoke a really consistent artistic, stylistic and sonorous evolution, this band is Ecnephias. Although I can’t really categorize The Sad Wonder Of The Sun as a masterpiece, there are songs on this album – like Povo De Santo and Nouvelle Orleans – that will literally blow your mind away. Fantastic symphonies of marvelously exponential beauty, if you like avant-garde metal, experimental music, or something completely out of the ordinary, you have to listen to this album. It is totally different from everything you’ve heard before. Be sure about that!

Wagner

Brieviews 25

15/8/2017

When I started these Brieviews series over a year ago, the initial idea is to empty my inbox by writing shorter reviews for EP's, reissues, singles and a few full length albums. Back then, I was talking about 900 unread emails. That amount has tripled since then and we're already at part 25. That's a lot of short reviews if you ask me. Anyway, here are some more Brieviews for your reading and listening enjoyment.

Vacuum Aeterna - Project:Darkscapes

dark ambient

Italian newcomers Vacuum Aeterna deliver a deep, ritual and industrial debut, drenched in both ancient occult rituals and modern day soundscapism. The album title is clear, it tells you exactly what to expect from the whole thing: dark, atmospheric ambient, sometimes nudging towards the noise scene. In a way this album sounds like a mix between Raison D'Etre, Predominance and Tho-So-Aa. Obviously, this is stuff for the die-hard dark ambient fans among us. They will find a highly promising debut with nine deeply droning tracks and a haunting atmosphere. Recommended stuff...

Power Theory - Something Old, Something New & Something LIVE!!! From Europe

heavy metal

Speaking about titles that perfectly cover the load, here is the new EP by American heavy metal combo Power Theory. The EP consists of new single 'Brace for Impact', re-recorded versions of 'Axe to Grind' and 'Colossus', and live versions of 'Dark Eagle' and 'The Truth Shall Set You Free'. Inspired by bands like Accept, Saxon and Judas Priest, Power Theory delivers some good old fashioned heavy metal and they do it in a highly convincing way. This EP proves that heavy metal is far from dead and that exciting headbanging tunes are still being made today.

Bewitcher - Bewitcher

black metal / thrash metal

American horde Bewitcher take heavy metal a bit further into the extreme. Formed in 2013, Bewitcher blends old school heavy metal with old school thrash metal and old school black metal. So yes, in all aspects, this band takes you back to the very beginning of the most evil of all musical styles. You can find influences from Judas Priest, Venom, Celtic Frost and Bathory. But most of all, you can find nine irresistible metal songs, created for the soul intention of corrupting your soul and banging your head. This stuff surely is not suited for the weak, but comes highly recommend to anyone else.

Gravita Silente - EP

post rock

This album came to me with the message "I'm a person trying to make nice music" and basically, that was all I needed to know. That person is right too, this music is nice. It's a blend of vintage psychedelic rock and post rock, created with loops, soundscapes, guitars, bass and some great solos. This EP contains five tracks, each one being an excellent composition and simply a joy to discover. Perhaps I can compare the music with something between Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd and God Is An Astronaut. I think a lot of nostalgic music lovers will appreciate these tunes. So check 'm out...

Sp3ct3rs - Sigils

drone / dark ambient

Canadian drone ambient act Sp3ct3rs returns with 'Sigils', a four track EP that delves deep into the dark minimalistic scene. These four tracks are electronic, almost industrial soundscapes. They showcase feelings of isolation, despair and angst, even though they almost continuously remain on a subdued, slowly lingering level. 'Sigil 7', the second track, is my favorite on this EP but I enjoy the entire EP. I guess I can safely recommend this album best to all seasoned dark ambient and drone fans out there. They will undoubtedly appreciate these immersive audio journeys.

The Fre3 Bastards - In Our World Of Bastards

stoner rock / hard rock

Here is yet another excellent example of excellent vintage hard rock meets stoner rock from France. I have no idea what's in the waters in "la douce France" but somehow it makes people rock their asses off. The The Fre3 Bastards are no exception. They delivered a solid five-track EP, inspired by Queens Of The Stone Age, Fu Manchu and Led Zeppelin. With groovy guitar riffs, energetic drums and raw, raspy vocals, this trio can definitely rock. My favorite remains opener 'You Don't Know Me' but I think all the songs here can easily satisfy your rock 'n roll needs.

Sinners Moon - Far Beyond The Stars

gothic metal / symphonic metal

Slovakian gothic metal prodigies Sinners Moon return with an exciting new EP and for fans of the genre, that is an excellent reason to celebrate. With four new tracks, a 2009 demo track ('Dawn Of War') and a beautiful piano version of 'Far Beyond The Stars', this band recorded a mighty fine follow-up for their 'Atlantis' album. The music is mostly uptempo, laced with symphonic elements and strong female vocals, alternative with deep grunts. Fans of bands like Epica, After Forever, and Nightwish. So if you're nostalgic for the nineties goth-metal scene, mourn no more, Sinners Moon did an extremely good job with this EP.

Satanize - Death Mass Execution

black metal

Larval Productions

There is a monster lurking in the Portuguese underground scene and it's name is Satanize. This EP is most chaotic, vile and tormenting one on this edition of Brieviews. The 7" contains three exclusive songs, each one out for nothing less than assaulting your senses and devouring your very soul. This is raw, obscure and intense black metal which even some true black metal adepts rather categorize as barbaric noise. So yes, I think this is one for the chosen few, the ones who crawl in the thick, muddy underground of the metal scene. For them, this is an absolute must-have.

New Zero God - Under the Influence of Captain Pan Ikatac

post punk / gothic rock

Greek dark rock combo New Zero God have been roaming in the gothic underground since 2006. Their music breathes the same gloomy air as bands like Killing Joke, The Ramones, Misfits, Virgin Prunes and Fields Of The Nephilim. At least, so do the first two songs, 'Hell Bet on Me to Lose' and my favorite here, 'Under the Radar'. The awesome 'Shadow of Wealth (Dark En Ciel mix)' then drags you to the gothic dancefloor. The last song, 'Shadow of Wealth' is a weird avant garde goth rock anthem, the most experimental one on this EP. In all, this is clearly a must have for nostalgic goth rockers.

Grid - Human Collapse Syndrome

grindcore

Formed in 2014, Swedish grindcore horde Grid demolishes venues and eardums far and wide. This EP, aptly named 'Human Collapse Syndrome' contains eight shorts but brutal d-beat driven grindcore tunes. Everything about this release is extreme, from the tempo to the growls. So obviously, this is perfect Tuesday evening music for fans of Napalm Death, Nasum, Rotten Sound and so on. My favorite track? I have no idea. After listening to the EP, I only feel like throwing massive rocks on passersby. So yeah, this is fierce, aggressive and brutal stuff. You'll love it...

Serge

Dark Sanctuary - Metal

22/7/2017

gothic metal / doom

Avant Garde Music

website

Many people will know French act Dark Sanctuary from the gothic and atmospheric anthems they have been creating over the years. But, and somehow that doesn't come as a surprise to me, Dark Sanctuary are metal fans. Occasionally, they use their recording breaks to flirt with guitars and drums and completely rework their songs.
Originally, this album was meant to be released in 2009 but it got left behind because the recording of their eponymous album 'Dark Sanctuary' was taking all their time and energy. Now the album finally sees the light of life. With six old tracks reworked, this album is remarkable one.

So how does the metal version of Dark Sanctuary sound? Apparently almost exactly like old Theatre Of Tragedy. Dark, gothic metal with angelic female vocals, bringing those amazing nineties back to mind, obviously also including bands like After Forever, Nightwish, Sirenia and so on. The way these songs have been reworked, you can hear flashes of the atmospheric Dark Sanctuary but if you don't know the band, you would definitely think that this was a vintage gothic metal band.

Of course, that comes with a little problem. Isn't gothic metal outdated? Isn't is something for melancholic nineties metal fans? Hey, I am one of those melancholic nineties fans and I damn well approve of this effort. In fact, I think Dark Sanctuary would make a lot of people happy by touring with this material. I definitely want to see this live one day. But even if they won't, this album goes right into my "heavy nostalgic" playlist, I don't care if it's 1996, 2009 or 2017. Good gothic metal is good gothic metal and this album is exactly that.

Serge

Blut - Inside My Mind Part II

16/6/2017

industrial / gothic metal

Sliptrick Records

Amazon

The hardest thing about writing a review, is starting it. The opening paragraph usually defines the way the entire review is going to. Sometimes, like now, it takes a lot of time to get that first paragraph written. Sometimes that difficulty is caused by the album itself and quite frankly, that is the case here. This is one difficult album to write about.

Blut is an Italian industrial gothic metal band, formed as a one man act but gradually turned into a full band. On this new album, Blut continues the path of its predecessor, a stubborn mix of gothic metal and industrial.

The album opens with the song 'Double Trouble', a decent uptempo song with some electronics, male and female vocals. Bands like Samael have clearly influenced this band, which is a good thing. However, there seems to be something wrong with the production. I miss the bass. I miss the blasting sound that usually comes with industrial metal. Theatre Of Tragedy also comes to mind, which makes it a bit better again.

In fact, the first song that really gets to me is, 'Jerusalem Is Calling Me', an intense piece industrial metal, one many fans will bang their heads to. The Samael meets Theatre Of Tragedy reference still stand and as such, this becomes my favorite on this album. From then on, things seem to get more interesting and I really start digging the used electronics. 'Kesswill 25-7-18-1875' is a great electronic doom-dub track.

But the stubborn experimentality of Blut isn't always a good thing. The song 'Sigmund Freud Ist Mein Nachbar' is a superfluous intermezzo with accordion and folkish vocals, a dark waltz so to speak. Sure, it adds variation to the whole thing, but still, I think some dark folk bands can do this better and more convincing. Luckily, the song is followed by another highlight in the heavy 'Wind Ego' and 'Folly Of Two' is is an excellent gothic metal banger.

Although 'Inside My Mind Part II' is not a bad album, I think it would have benefitted from a professional production, preferably by a Swedish producer. The band must have been influenced by the Swedish and Scandinavian innovative styles, so I think there is no harm in trying to sound a bit more intense, bass filled and dynamic. Most of all, I think Blut is a live band and the stage is a best place for them to convince the audience.

Serge