Draconian return with album number eight in hopes of maintaining the momentum from their last two triumphant albums: Sovran and Under a Godless Veil. Draconian have been one of the most consistent and one of the best death doom metal bands of the 21st century and In Somnolent Ruin is no exception. 

One thing that this band are remarkable at is creating tension. Some of that can be attributed to the unbearably slow grooves on "The Face of God" and "Misanthrope River", but some of that can be attributed to harmonic dissonance as well. Tracks like "The Monochrome Blade" have an eerie chord progression to them and they immediately stand out amongst the more romantic/passionate yearning throughout most of the albums promotional singles, including "Anima".

Despite the early returns, I actually did not mind the return of Lisa Johansson on vocals. In Somnolent Ruin is an album that is trying to follow in the footsteps of Under a Godless Veil, while at the same time bring in a nostalgic sound that also harkens back to the classic LP's like Arcane Rain Fell. Other reviews for this album suggest that they wanted more of a nostalgia trip with a return of the conceptual album, with even more of the quasi funeral doom that was present before. But in reality, Lisa is just returning to a band that has been in pristine form for just over a decade. I see no need for this band to just pack it up and start playing their old stuff again. And besides, Lisa has done a phenomenal job on In Somnolent Ruin anyway! The opening line of "I Welcome Thy Arrow" is such a harrowing moment for Lisa and the rest of the band, before Anders enters the fray with his iconic harsh scream that feels both contemplative and resolute at the same time.

This album is at its best when its playing into the classic death doom sound. The production is superb; produced almost all in house. The rhythm guitar and bass play with authority and power, while the lead guitar on "Lethe" and "Cold Heavens" is stunning. The percussion work is doing lots of heavy lifting as well; even though it might not seem like the drums are doing very much, the mixing allows those limited hits of the snare or kicks of the bass drum to resonate and drive the music forward. When the dreamy interludes happen ("Asteria Beneath the Tranquil Sea"), they sound good just as they did on Under a Godless Veil and give the album a sense of purpose. Unlike the Genghis Tron album I reviewed yesterday, these interludes and just that; they come in and bring down the intensity and volume of the record for only a moment, before the rhythm guitar, bass and drums return while Anders howls once again in the tried and true Draconian form.

While the album is really good and an easy recommendation for those who like Draconian or death doom in general, I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. Draconian fans know that this discography is titanic in quality, so a record that has aspects that feel very predictable may be a bit concerning. 

Best Songs: The Face of God, The Monochrome Blade, Misanthrope River

For Fans Of: Trees of Eternity, My Dying Bride, early Katatonia

I do not fuck with Cybergrind. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise since, prior to 2021, I had no idea what Cybergrind even was! It's the merger between industrial music and grindcore. That was the primary descriptor given to Genghis Tron's debut album, Dead Mountain Mouth in 2006. Since that time, the band has moved further away from that introductory sound and closer to dreamy post-metal. Alas the music has become more uninteresting the less heavy it became.

So hearing Signal Fire for the first time left me feeling a little bit more upright than I was expecting. You see, Genghis Tron have followed in Deafheaven's footsteps and released an album that shows an appreciation for the past and builds upon it. In short, Signal Fire is the love letter between Dead Mountain Mouth and Dream Weapon. It isn't grindcore by any account, but it does return to some of its heavier roots of their previous releases while still retaining some of that dreamy atmosphere that made up the last album.

The album starts off on a great foot with "I Am All" with its heavy bass presence and the return of harsh vocals by Tony Wolski. Then the album trips over itself with two interludes sandwiched around one of the albums weakest tracks, "Future Worship". I feel like "Tomorrow Mirage" has a great idea through the first four minutes or so, but spends the final half of the track meandering in a very uninspired dream segment. The whiplash that I felt when the interlude "Without Form" transitioned into hallowing blast beats and and more vicious screaming was intense, but even that song cannot maintain that momentum for its entire length and transitions into plainspoken vocals with a light instrumental texture that sounds closer to American Football instead of Cult of Luna.

I'd like to say that Signal Fire is a more interesting album than Dream Weapon, but it's a lot less cohesive. I think that the three interlude tracks that are dispersed throughout the album kill whatever momentum may have been building up to those points, and helped even less by songs that cannot retain momentum either. Despite all the negativity, I still think that Signal Fire is a step in the right direction for Genghis Tron. Hopefully this flame can get them back on the right direction and make the type of post-metal that sounds more like Genghis Tron and not a cheap copy of someone else.

Best Songs: Born Prey, I Am All, Nothing Blooms in the Hollow, A Love So Pure

For Fans Of: KMFDM, Neurosis, Chat Pile

Moonsorrow, one of the more creative bands in the folk metal spectrum, took a big risk and put out an album made entirely of two half-hour epics.  Already on a hot streak of one critical hit every two years, this would be the fourth and last album in a string of iconic entries influencing black, folk and viking metal.  And while it's not their strongest, it's a fun end to an era.  Sure, they'd have another album four years later, but this basically Moonsorrow's hayday just as Tarzan's the swansong to the Disney Renaissance, or the Black Album is to Metallica's hayday.  Because of the length, there's less of the folksy weirdness than in previous releases, making it more accessible.  But boy is this fucker epic.  Starting out wioth an even slow pace, it starts out like a careful epic intro, and the album just keeps it up without going right into the cinematics, allowing for a folksy yet dark and brooding metal experience that's well worth ever second.  If you just wanna relax with some blackened folk metal and let your mind be lead through the mountains for a good hike, this is what you're looking for.

Released in 1991, ‘As Ugly As They Wanna Be’ is the debut EP by funk rockers Ugly Kid Joe. Featuring just six tracks and clocking in at 26 minutes, it’s a brief, yet enjoyable CD, highlighting the bands energetic, riff-laden 90’s alternative style.

The first four tracks are all solid rockers, featuring great guitar riffs and some pretty charismatic vocals by frontman Whitfield Crane. The band would get early mainstream recognition with the song ‘Everything About You’, which no doubt helped elevate their name. And tracks like ‘Madman’, ‘Too Bad’ and ‘Whiplash Liquor’ all demonstrate a band who were ready in fill in that gap between rock, metal and grunge that the early 90’s desperately needed. 

The last two tracks, a Black Sabbath cover, and a humorous 26-second track, titled Heavy Metal’ don’t really add anything to the EP, but by this point, if you’re not already hooked from the previous four tracks, then there’s no hope for you at all.  

Very strong album over all, my favorites were I Drink Alone, Requiem Germania, and Steel Apocalypse!