Vinny's Forum Replies

I am taking nominations from non-clan members for the Sept playlist for The Pit.  Any submissions by 15th Aug please

It's okay to give things a pass though, especially if it preserves individual contentment at the time and a review being irrelevant also.  I have come to see the feature releases as an opportunity to share an album with others which is entirely at their own discretion to check out or not.  The ethos of the MA is that not of it is mandatory which is why the place works so well.

I don’t know that any of these tracks work particularly well in isolation, with my thinking being that they are best consumed as part of a whole album sitting. There are no finger buffet style pickings here, Damned is an experience to be immersed in. Herein could lie potential weaknesses for some listeners seeking a more immediate listening experience. It took me a few goes to understand exactly how to listen to Damned before its true majesty became obvious. Glad I got there though.

4/5

To some extent that is an observation that could be levelled at drone metal as a whole. It is a genre that relies heavily on atmosphere creation and doesn't really lend itself to today's pick 'n' mix listening habits.

Yeah, I think that has probably been my Achilles heel with drone in general, trying to pick at it.  Suggestions to “try this band” or me simply just dipping into single tracks have left me a bit confused as to what the hell is going on.  Based on this feature release, I will learn to listen to any such albums in full moving forwards.

I also believe that choosing the right time to listen to drone, or any more challenging style of music for that matter, is really important. I have found too often that since I have been checking out music from an internet nerd perspective I am sometimes listening to stuff that I am just not in the right frame of mind for, but continue on anyway and don't enjoy or appreciate it, only to return to it at a later date and wonder what I was thinking as it is actually pretty good (and sometimes vice-versa).

This was more obviously self-evident when we were reliant on physical music collections for the totality of our listening experience. Often when searching for something to listen to you would think to yourself "Nope, not in the mood for that today". Human perception can't have changed that much in thirty years, I just don't think we are as consciously aware of it as we were,  or we plough on anyway because we just have to check this particular album out right now. Sometimes we just aren't in the right frame of mind for it and that is fine. 

Of course, this may just be me!

No, not just you Sonny.  A lot of what you have written there resonates with me.  In fact, it is one of the things that can make the feature releases more challenging as these are (polite) intrusions into our listening habits which do require us to go into them with an open mind, especially when the clan in question may not be one of our own choosing.  I could not for example have appreciated The Revolution features probably at all last year, but now with a solid bed of hardcore punk listening under my belt they are much more valuable to me.  I make it sound like I have trained my listening habits and in some way I suppose I have.  Timing, mood and mindset is important, I definitely agree.

I don’t know that any of these tracks work particularly well in isolation, with my thinking being that they are best consumed as part of a whole album sitting. There are no finger buffet style pickings here, Damned is an experience to be immersed in. Herein could lie potential weaknesses for some listeners seeking a more immediate listening experience. It took me a few goes to understand exactly how to listen to Damned before its true majesty became obvious. Glad I got there though.

4/5

To some extent that is an observation that could be levelled at drone metal as a whole. It is a genre that relies heavily on atmosphere creation and doesn't really lend itself to today's pick 'n' mix listening habits.

Yeah, I think that has probably been my Achilles heel with drone in general, trying to pick at it.  Suggestions to “try this band” or me simply just dipping into single tracks have left me a bit confused as to what the hell is going on.  Based on this feature release, I will learn to listen to any such albums in full moving forwards.

Woah!! Come to halt there and apply the handbrake, taking the car out of gear please. Did you just say, “drone metal”? I mean, I know what that is, and usually I don’t like it, but I have been nodding along appreciatively for the past few spins of this one. Maybe we should hit play again and go around the block a few more times to make sure one of us isn’t wrong? That, or I could just admit that my tastes are broader than I thought and we can all just get on with our lives. Either way, as it turns out, Damned is a great record, whatever it is.

Before I had even picked up on the details for this one I had picked up on the Hell comparison and was therefore delighted to see that MSW was involved in the record. Crawl certainly inhabits that same claustrophobic, smothering space that Hell revels in yet at the same time I get a lot of Primitive Man in Crawl’s sound, which is equally high praise also. Considering I had never heard of Michael Engle until this release, it was surprising that his output musically was limited to this solo project and him also being the one-time drummer of a progressive sludge band called The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. I can see that he also toured with Boris in 2022 on their US tour, so this is a man with some serious heavy credentials.

This combination of rattling bass and oppressive atmospheres that dredge their way through various elements of noise, doom and drone creates a unique sense of discomfort, of solid things being displaced. The opening track is little more than heavy atmosphere, but it works so well as an introduction to the rest of the album that it is in its own way, perfect. I don’t know that any of these tracks work particularly well in isolation, with my thinking being that they are best consumed as part of a whole album sitting. There are no finger buffet style pickings here, Damned is an experience to be immersed in. Herein could lie potential weaknesses for some listeners seeking a more immediate listening experience. It took me a few goes to understand exactly how to listen to Damned before its true majesty became obvious. Glad I got there though.

4/5

Is there a version of this on YouTube that doesn't have ads does anyone know?  I just can't listen to albums on YouTube with ads in, it ruins them.  Doesn't appear to be on any streaming services either.

It is definitely on Spotify here in the UK Vinny, Link below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0vVJHcXVSGVJHCwW78HLIJ

Thanks, I don't know how I couldn't find that.

As the hotter months start to draw to a close let's keep The North tradition of having zero summer fun and dive into something probably a bit divisive that I came across this past month. Portugal one man Black Metal act Black Cilice came onto my radar with the release of Votive Fire this year and it reminded me of just how lo-fi Black Metal can really get after all this time. Apparently he's very consistent with his ideas, so I was interesting in diving into the back catalogue a bit to apparently his most popular release, 2017's Banished From Time.

So, let us know where you land on this one. Is this the true kvlt Black Metal atmosphere that people clamor for, or is it too much of a gimmick nowadays?

https://metal.academy/releases/14643

New one on me Xephs.  Looking forwards to checking it out.

Is there a version of this on YouTube that doesn't have ads does anyone know?  I just can't listen to albums on YouTube with ads in, it ruins them.  Doesn't appear to be on any streaming services either.

Are we due a Pit playlist for September, Vinny? If so, I am still compiling a few selections, but will get them to you as soon as I can and certainly well before the 15th.

Yes, that's crept around.  Good job you are on the ball Sonny.

I can see I have rated this one already but never took the time to write a review.  Initial listen through this morning stacks up with the rating but I will put some thoughts down at some point this month.

Hi Ben,

Could you please add the latest album from Altarage, “Cogwheel”.

For September please Sonny:

SolNegre - "A Path of Aloness (Parts I & II)" (from "Anthems for the Grand Collapse", 2026)

The Fifth Alliance - "Benandanti" (from "Stenahoria", 2026)

Hrob - "Genocída snov" (from "Brána chladu", 2026)

Saint Vitus - "Sloth" (from "Die Healing", 1995)

Sept please Sonny:

Doedsvangr - "Blodskam" (from "Within the Flesh", 2026)

Dessication - "Cursed in Cold Silence" (from "Legatum Motuorum", 2026)

Taubrą - "Rembrandt of Death" (from "Therizo", 2023)

Emperor - "Sworn" (from "IX Equilibrium", 1999)

Can only access via Safari on my iPad.  

Sandrayati "INHABIT" (2025)

I have fallen in love with this record (although I oddly found the largely instrumental version from this year first) from this multi-sub-genre embracing artist.  This is largely an ambient affair but there is a folk mentality to the songwritng also.  I am increasingly a sucker for an ethereal female vocalist and Sandrayati is amazing in this regard.  A possible purchase here.

I own in excess of 1000 releases on CD, but since my last laptop packed in, well over a year ago now, I have been unable to play them as my new one has no disc drive. I have been getting increasingly frustrated by my inability to listen to my own stuff, especially the ones that don't appear on streaming, so I finally bought an external CD/DVD player for my latest laptop from Amazon. I ordered it at lunch time on Saturday and it was here by teatime, which is frankly amazing to me. It's a cheapo chinese bit of kit (Bunud - never heard of them before), it only cost £20, but it is actually pretty fucking good and I get to listen to all my obscure doom shit once more, so thumbs up all round. 

I have nowhere near that amount of CDs but I have a couple of shelves worth and I have a Marantz CD player as part of my hi-fi set up.  I should play it more but life just gets in the way and if I am sat at home working next to my desktop PC it is easier to click on something to stream it.  My grandad on my mother's side had an amazing hi-fi set up in his living room, he was a proper connoisseur of set up.  He only did vinyl or cassette though on that set up, there was a CD player in the back kitchen dining room from memory as they used to live more or less exclusively in that room (despite having a three bedroom terrraced).  There's a few recordings of him singing songs to his wife for when he was away working so she could listen to them which is kinda cute considering to look at him, he was this big tattoed guy with a missing finger (in reality the nicest man I ever knew). He only used to play country and western though but whenever I went round with some records he'd let me play them.  I'd love to eventually emulate that set up that he had. 

I am really gonna show my age now, but I remember when I was a kid going to my gran and grandad's, they had a wind-up gramaphone that played 78s. The ones they had were almost exclusively brass band music because the local truck firm had a pretty famous brass band that my mum and her sister used to travel all over the country with. I don't really have any wish to emulate their setup!!

I own in excess of 1000 releases on CD, but since my last laptop packed in, well over a year ago now, I have been unable to play them as my new one has no disc drive. I have been getting increasingly frustrated by my inability to listen to my own stuff, especially the ones that don't appear on streaming, so I finally bought an external CD/DVD player for my latest laptop from Amazon. I ordered it at lunch time on Saturday and it was here by teatime, which is frankly amazing to me. It's a cheapo chinese bit of kit (Bunud - never heard of them before), it only cost £20, but it is actually pretty fucking good and I get to listen to all my obscure doom shit once more, so thumbs up all round. 

I have nowhere near that amount of CDs but I have a couple of shelves worth and I have a Marantz CD player as part of my hi-fi set up.  I should play it more but life just gets in the way and if I am sat at home working next to my desktop PC it is easier to click on something to stream it.  My grandad on my mother's side had an amazing hi-fi set up in his living room, he was a proper connoisseur of set up.  He only did vinyl or cassette though on that set up, there was a CD player in the back kitchen dining room from memory as they used to live more or less exclusively in that room (despite having a three bedroom terrraced).  There's a few recordings of him singing songs to his wife for when he was away working so she could listen to them which is kinda cute considering to look at him, he was this big tattoed guy with a missing finger (in reality the nicest man I ever knew). He only used to play country and western though but whenever I went round with some records he'd let me play them.  I'd love to eventually emulate that set up that he had. 

Chaotic month at home for me and so I have been more mercenary with what I have been listening to from across the features this month.  Saint Vitus hit top spot for me this month, with that 7 Angels 7 Plagues album a close second.  I lasted appprox 3 mins of that Lovebites record and only marginally more of that Krallice album (who appear to have taken to writing movie soundtracks).

I lose track of Gorgoroth very easily I find. The early movement of vocalists proper gets confusing for me and by the time we get to this record there’s three of them doing the vocals. There are also four different drummers (albeit one of them only does track three – and it is the mighty Frost). Taking time to bring myself up to speed on Gorgoroth goings on, I can see legal battles, prison sentences, court appearances, trademark registration challenges, firings and assaults of band members. No wonder the line up appears to stick in my mind as being unstable then.

Aside from the fact that most people involved sound like abhorrent individuals, Gorgoroth have always managed to make vicious and scathing black metal that is pleasing to my ear. Aside from the fact that this album has a stupid title that screams immaturity, the content itself is most entertaining. Anyone who thinks that Gorgoroth are smash and grab, one blistering pace of black metal in the vein of Marduk style of band, will find evidence to the contrary on their fourth full length offering. There is variety of pace and tempo on this album and tracks like ‘The Virginborn’ employ a much more exploratory style of writing than I was expecting going into the record.

At the same time, there is still enough necro to keep the kvlt crew happy. Album closer ‘Slottet i det fjerne’ (a Darkthrone cover) caters for this element perfectly, awash with feedback and production values straight from 1994. Similarly, opening track, ‘Destroyer’ makes no bones about the lack of pleasantries to begin the album. Whilst I accept discomfort as being expected and acceptable on a Gorogorth record, there is elements of a little overkill here. It could be my subconscious playing with me a little, knowing that there are multiple different performers on a revolving platter contributing to the record, but the album at times does sound like it may be two different albums put together. Not in terms of the pace and tempos, just more in terms of the content of the album overall.

I cannot say it is a fault, or a criticism as such even, yet there is a sense of layering being applied that sort of catches me off-guard. ‘The Devil, The Sinner and His Journey’ is a bit of a weird track for inclusion in my book and I would argue that the album is at its strongest in terms of consistency through the middle section of the record onwards. There is also a tendency for a crooning, folk-tinged vocal effect to creep into tracks at times, which sounds a bit amateur in all honesty. Still, it is distinctly a Gorgoroth record at the end of the day so there is still plenty to enjoy overall, despite my little niggles with it.

3.5/5

In my review of Saint Vitus’ self-titled debut album, I called out my enjoyment of Scott Reager’s vocals, highlighting their deranged style being a perfect fit for Chandler’s guitar sound. Just as with the debut album, Reager’s performance is front and centre on Die Healing also, yet this is never at the detriment of anything else on the record. For a guy who had straight up gone to ground for a decade, he appears to have just walked back into the studio like he had just nipped out for ten minutes to get a packet of cigarettes and some bourbon. There is no scenario in any parallel universe whereby Saint Vitus records this album with any other vocalist, and it works at all. He’s creepy to the point of having a skin-crawling effect. Tracks like ‘Dark World’, ‘Let the End Begin’ and ‘In the Asylum’ are perhaps unrivalled within my doom listening experience to date in terms of that true force being formed by this perfect marriage of the vocals and guitar.

Listen to the psychedelic musings on ‘Trail of Pestilence’ and just try and keep your jaw off the floor. Die Healing is a real all round band record though. For all the waxing lyrical I am doing about the vocals and guitar the album would not be anywhere near as successful without the drums of the late Armando Acosta and the bass of the also sadly departed Mark Adams. ‘Sloth’ might be one of the most appropriately named doom tracks in the history of the genre, it is so oppressively heavy it reaches the point of suffocation. It is albums like this that are the reason why I switched from The Guardians into The Fallen clan. The atmospheres here are so wonderfully threatening in such an effective yet completely inoffensive way; they are a genuine by product of the instrumentation, just so unforced sounding and organic in nature.

My only real criticism of the album is the lacklustre closing track. They should have closed the album with ‘In the Asylum’ in all honesty as anything trying to follow that was going to be struggling. ‘Just Another Notch’ is primetime filler unfortunately which even Reager’s vocals can’t save. Oddly, he sounds the tamest of all on this track in comparison to the others. Final track aside, there is much to be celebrated on Die Healing even if it marks the end of the band for at least a decade.

4/5

I have given this one a couple of spins over the past few weeks and whilst I could not say that it is as a direct result of this release, I did notice how much more accommodating I have become of these metalcore releases nowadays.  I think there is something about intelligence in most of the music I enjoy nowadays and this possesses intelligence no small quantity, and given that hardcore punk is often thought of as being such a simple style of music this perhaps seems like an OTT statement to some degree.  7 Angels 7 Plagues go beyond any basic template though.  The death metal chug on ‘Someday’ being one such example of this more exploratory attribute that the band can muster without making it sound intrusive, or just a selection of ideas thrown together.  At the same time the melodic elements of the album seem to possess an almost Deftones, nu-metal quality to them which only manages to further my enjoyment of the album.

I am on the fence about the vocals if I am honest.  They grate, yet at the same time I have to agree that they sort of fit perfectly.  As a contrast to some of the post-metal moments or just as a more stark opposing force to the great use of melody in general, it is hard to argue that they are not performed in an interesting way.  I am not offended by the inclusion of the interludes, but I could quite easily get through the album without them; they most certainly are the weaker tracks overall from the listing.  For a band that seemed to be capable of filling the space around them well enough with sound that was intriguing and thoughtful it does strike me as odd that they have included these “palate-cleansers” at all.  When you can write the droning chaos present on tracks like ‘Away with Words’ and accompany them to a backdrop of near cinematic percussion, you don’t need to provide fiddling acoustic numbers to prove anything really.

The mood for this current listen through this album tonight is perfect.  After a long day with lots of elements jostling for possession of my time, it is cathartic to listen to an album of a similar pulsing multitude of parts and hear them all so well balanced and clearly given space around each other.  Perhaps other than the vocals, there is little in the way of any one element dominating proceedings.  Overall it feels more of busy as opposed to a heavy record, and I say that without aiming it as a criticism.  It does settle into some weighty rhythms I concede but this is not my overarching takeaway from the listening experience.  I have a sense that as I listen to more early metalcore, I may get to understand better the importance of this record in terms of it genre developing credentials but at this early stage of my understanding of these things, I can only rate this record on individual merit.

4/5

  I think (if they do stay) they need freshening up a bit.  In terms of the playlist, maybe give them up to a rotation of the clan members involved in them, like the feature releases have a rota, do the same for the playlists, although this would work better with more active users.

This is a good idea, Vinny, obviously depending on who wishes to be involved. Bringing this idea back to the present, however, between us, you and I are responsible for the playlists for the four clans we are both members of, so I would be quite happy to work out a rota for the two of us to produce the playlists for those clans if that is something you would like to try now.

Thanks Sonny, but right now, time is not on my side.  Between work and effectively setting up my home for scratch following the break up, I would not be doing any of the playlists much justice - struggling to keep up with my nominations as it.  Let’s see how things are rolling into the new site when it comes.  Or if that is some ways off then we could review in new year.

If you were to implement the new site, Ben, would you still retain features such as the playlists and monthly clan features or do you envision moving on from them or replacing them with something else?

These are fun, when the time permits and the activity levels compliment them better.  The busier the site, in terms of membership numbers, the better these two features should be.  I think (if they do stay) they need freshening up a bit.  In terms of the playlist, maybe give them up to a rotation of the clan members involved in them, like the feature releases have a rota, do the same for the playlists, although this would work better with more active users.

The “party” playlist that Daniel does is a neat idea, one that could have some further legs in terms of a community playlist that everyone contributes to, showcasing the range of genres and sub-genres the site encompasses on monthly/quarterly basis.

I would highlight the same concerns around the points system in that there would need to be some controls on what is a genuine “accrual” contribution.  Years ago, over on my other forum, the owner had such a system in and the member with the highest number of points each month won some merch of their choice from limited lines in the shop.  First of all, posts in the “…Listening to” thread stopped contributing to the points tally and pretty soon then because nobody posted anywhere else, the system overall became redundant.  A lot of us also post our reviews both against the release page and also in the relevant forum thread (especially if a feature release) so there’s a risk of double counting I would guess.

I also agree on the cover art votes.  I rate a lot of album covers and can often have no idea what is going on in the album, sub-genre, genre or clan for that matter.  The Hall of Judgement has always been my least favourite feature of the site.  Even though it has grown on me slowly over the years, I still find it hard to see much value in it, but I can see the appeal for others.

I was just coming here to post the same as Sonny.  Feature release section is about two months behind I think.  Thanks Ben.

Death and Mayhem (D.A.M. for short) hailed from the northwest England seaside town of Morecambe Bay, which is not far from where I live. I can remember seeing them in the various metal mags back in the day advertising their wares, with the mascot that reminded of an unmasked Dr Doom from the Marvel comics, but somehow, I never got around to hearing them at the time. With this being my month for a nomination in The Pit, I thought there was no better an opportunity to sample their debut album from 1989. Human Wreckage scrapes a 50% mark on Metal Archives, but we all know how bonkers people’s opinions can be, right?

Well, Human Wreckage starts off well enough. Opening track proper, ‘Death Warmed Up’ sounds a lot more alert than the title would suggest. Some rugged chops and a decent solo make it a finer opener indeed. The first criticism is hard to ignore as an issue though. The drums are way too far back in the mix, relegated to more of a supporting role as opposed to a central driving position in the mix. This certainly helps the guitars and vocals to shine. However, it adds a timidness to the edges of what I am listening to. Riffs and vocals can only go so far as to flesh out a song, and without the firm skeleton of the percussion department things soon start to sound a little wishy-washy.

Some of the song writing is also unfortunately questionable. When they slow down the pace on Prophets of Doom, the cracks do start to show. The track at times sounds like it is falling over itself and this a theme that recurs sadly over the course of the rest of the album. It is as if D.A.M. exhaust their song writing prowess after three tracks. When they go slower, it really is a mistake. ‘Infernal Torment’ would only work with a Dave Mustaine style sneer on it, and Jason McLoughlin ain’t no MegaDave unfortunately. It is only really the late Mark “Elly” Etherington’s lead work that saves Human Wreckage from being a complete car crash at times. This is their debut album, coming just a year after their demo, so some leniency is perhaps well entertained in reviewing this album. However, as feature releases go, I have picked better.

2.5/5

Finaly catching up on my MA admin:

Slaughterday - "Astral Carnage" (from "Dread Emperor", 2026)

Ablation - "Lethal Abuse" (from "Lethal Abuse", 2026)

Six Feet Under - "Destroyed Remains" (from "Next to Die", 2026)

Sanguisugabogg - "Rotted Entanglement" (from "Hideous Aftermath", 2025)

Allegaeon - "Of Beasts and Worms" (from "Damnum", 2022)

Nile - "Annihilation of the Wicked" (from "Annihilation of the Wicked", 2005)

Devourment - "Mortiferous Dependency" (from "Pious Impiety", 2026)

Here you are fella:

Flame, Dear Flame - "The Millennial Heartbeat Part I" (from "Aegis", 2021)

Messa - "Thicker Blood" (from "The Spin", 2025)

Monolord - "Iodine" (from "Neverending", 2026)

Melvins - "Queen" (from "Stoner Witch", 1994)

Godthrymm - "Endure My Skin" (from "Projections", 2026)

Crowbar - "Planets Collide" (from "Oddfellows Rest", 1998)

Hi Sonny, for August please:

Sakna - "Alltid" (from "De Syv Dødssynder", 2025)

Mork - "Utryddelse" (from "Monolitt", 2026)

Svrm - "Попіл" (from "Мертвий край", 2026)

Bizarrekult - " Blikket Hennes" (from "Alt som finnes", 2026)

Vafurlogi - "Úr himinsölum" (from "Gneisti af eldi Guðs", 2026)

Finally found my contentment in gaining a well-ordered life after my estranged wife finally found a place to live.  She took one of the cats with her but I retained the other two and we are civil enough to have shared custody of all of them as we want to.  I work away a lot of late so it works as a cat sitting arrangement.  I had lunch with my mother and father at the weekend and my mother described this as “the end of an era”.  I disagreed as I genuinely see it as the start of a new era if anything.  I learned recently that the best sound in the world is the sound of your own feet walking away from things that were not meant for you.  

I turned 50 last week and genuinely had the best birthday ever by just doing it on my terms and spending most of the week with books as I had no internet (Ernest Hemingway is fast becoming one of my favourite writers).  The lack of WiFi for over a week was inconvenient, there is no point pretending otherwise, but it still provided a welcome break for the old brain, helping me to focus on reality for a bit.

Music wise, I have been enjoying my physical collection a lot more; one of the great advantages of having physical media when the internet is not available.  I have reconnected with some albums I hadn’t heard in a while (Horrorscope by Overkill and Storm of the Light’s Bane by Dissection to name a couple) and I am now looking forward to catching up on some releases I caught wind of during a brief hotel stay last week that fortuned me with some WiFi for a night.  The new Mork album is a banger and so my vinyl copy should arrive tomorrow to keep that physical collection a viable option in the future also.

I found metal thirty-seven-years ago and I am still at it, with no intention of stopping anytime soon.  Sure I don’t have another thirty-seven years to run at though, but I will more than make the most of whatever I have left.

So, this all looks fucking cool and I am sure however long it takes to come to fruition it will be worth it.  I am pretty flat on ideas at present as just got too much going on in my personal life right now to sit down and think about any valuable development suggestions to this venture.  Thanks for sharing Ben and best of luck with it.

I will echo the doubts about the value of lyrics being on the site as I am not a big lyrics guy and I tend to focus on the music more with the vocals rarely needing deciphering to a lyrical level to add any further depth.  That cover search feature sounds cool as I spend a lot of time rating covers.

On the new clan badges, I would think a younger looking figure would work better, or at least one that did not look like an ancient God.  I always have associated thrash, groove and speed metal with a more youthful or rebellious strain than that image may suggest.

??

Back from the dark ages and I have WiFi again so lots to catch up on.  Thanks Sonny for posting my feature picks.

Wojciech Kilar - "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992)

I purchased this film score shortly after the cinematic release, having very quickly fallen in love with the gothic romanticism of the movie's atmosphere. Ukrainian composer Kilar does a marvelous job at building tension & highlighting the nuances of the plot, creating an intimidating backdrop that played a big part in the success of the film as an unapologetically gothic piece of art. If my CD was vinyl it would have been worn out decades ago as I still return to this release quite often to bask in the glory of its dark majesty. I could probably do without the Annie Lennox pop song that closes out the tracklisting though.

For fans of Danny Elfman ("Sleepy Hollow"/"The Wolfman"), Trevor Jones ("From Hell") & Elliot Goldenthal ("Interview with the Vampire").

4.5/5

With you on this one.  Although I don’t play this nearly enough (which is good because mine is the vinyl copy).  Annie Lennox has no place here on such an otherwise dark and mysterious release.

Aron Shute may just be my new favourite black metal vocalist. His performances at times on The Transformation Room are deranged and demented which just so happens to be how I like my black metal orations to be decanted. He is also bassist and one of three vocalists in Koma, a sludge/doom band who are on my to do list also now. I stumbled across Crystal Coffin whilst researching inclusions for my The North clan playlist suggestions and I soon went all in on listening to the whole album. Whilst the conventional black metal tropes are more than evident, what appeals to me about CC’s sound is that there are also prog, ambient and electronic musings going on throughout the album. The band manage to incorporate these different elements without afflicting the listener with a sense of alienation from these perhaps unexpected inclusions.

Taking up the unusual or unexpected is not just limited to the music though, The Transformation Room takes the Holodomor that occurred in the Ukraine in the 1930’s (a man-made famine around the Soviet Union at the time that it is debated whether it was intentional or not, and was responsible for millions of deaths) as its theme, whilst exploring the relevance to personal suffering, pain and higher plains of existence. Despite its macabre subject matter, the album sounds like a thorough examination of this entire concept. It flows the earthiness and grounded nature of a reality of hell on earth into the transcendental possibilities of what lies beyond through those more eclectic musical choices well.

I am not a fan usually of instrumentals or passages in the middle of records but ‘The Inverted Burial of Taras’ is one of those ambient moments that provides some real respite before the band charges headlong into album highlight ‘I Emerge’ where Aron’s vocals really get to show their nefarious side. This an almost doom metal track. Where it not for the rasping vocals in fact, there would be little to stop you thinking this was a guest track. Lenkyn Ostapovich’s guitar and keyboards both get to really shine on this track and with drummer Rob Poirier also being in Koma, it should not perhaps be such a surprise of the doomier direction of this track. This horrendous event from 20th century eastern Europe is effectively portrayed in this melodic, harrowing and compelling concept album. If you like your black metal with a bit of variety, then this is most certainly worth a go.

4/5

Unexpected and completely unannounced, Myrath have landed in my world and made an almighty impact by way of this month’s Infinite feature release. On paper, there was a lot to alarm me with the tags of symphonic metal and progressive metal throwing up two of some of my least favoured sub-genres. However, the reality of the actual listening experience has proven far more empowering than I ever could have expected. Wilderness of Mirrors is catchy, hooky and as result incredibly memorable. The spontaneity that presented upon my first listen was just the catalyst to a consistently rewarding album that repeated listens through seem to only improve on that initial positive reception.

The symphonic elements are thankfully not huge orchestral movements, and nor are they washy keys that flood everything either. The Middle Eastern influences on show here are incorporated skilfully into varying tempos and rhythms. Accented vocals are not always done well (Orphaned Land come to mind here) but in the main the vocals here only add to the authenticity of the music. There is some clunkiness to them sometimes, like on the track ‘Until the End’ featuring Amaranthe’s Elize Ryd where there is the annoying extension of words to make them fit the music, or on the opening to ‘Les Enfants Du Soliel’ when the choral vocals get sung over by the band’s vocalist. Whilst they are isolated moments, they do linger on the mind for a while after.

Production wise, Wilderness of Mirrors is immaculately produced. It is to be expected though. Within a few minutes of album opener ‘The Funeral’ it becomes clear that anything less production values wise would be a travesty. This is an album that is wanting to soar from the off, taking little time to awaken that massive wingspan. I would have more stars for it if perhaps the record did not dip in quality towards the end. After my personal favourite track, ‘The Clown’ things do get a little samey for me. Even though the musicianship remains strong and exuberantly showy, there is a sense of the ideas tank starting to run on empty over the final four tracks. This has still been a revelation for my usually more extreme ear however and I must have played this album for around two weeks on a daily basis.

4/5

These occasional dips back into the heavy metal/traditional metal world seem to be a little easier on the ear than I have come to expect them to be, certainly over the past couple of months or so anyways. Another female-fronted outfit in the form of Tower follow hot on the heels of last months Serpent Rider feature release and they manage to land a bit more successfully it must be said. The spontaneity of Let There Be Dark is hard to not fall for. I recall the debut from this band back in 2021 and how it caused a minor ruckus amongst my online metal peers who celebrated it alongside many a favourable review also. I don’t recall anything particularly standout from the debut record and as such I have viewed Let There Be Dark on its own merits as a standalone record.

Tower give a good acquittal of themselves here, building a consistent and strong track listing that burns with the energy of Chastain without quite crossing into the speedier side of Sölicitör, but also espousing a health nod in the direction of Warlock along the way. The inclusion of two instrumentals feels a dubious choice in an otherwise well-constructed album, but when they focus their efforts into actual songs, Tower are at their very best I would say. Whilst the album may lack any genuinely stunning performances beyond the vocals of Sarabeth Linden, everything is played with competence with the caveat that some aspects (the drums) are a little staid overall.

It is hard for me to get too excited over such a regurgitated sound though. No matter how solidly it is played, this is nothing new to my ears and nostalgia alone is not enough to keep my scores higher than the mid-point for Let There Be Dark. Despite the unnecessary instrumentals, the album is succinct enough however, coming in at just under forty-minutes seems a sensible length to avoid boredom settling in for me and at no point do I scrabble for the skip button. For some, this record will be flying the heavy metal flag high, and I don’t dismiss that purpose. However, it is not one that I am as invested in as I was a few years ago and so it does sound to me like just another heavy metal record.

3.5/5

Figured I'd finally throw an update in here since it's been a very busy few years.

I try to be a very busy guy with a bunch of varied hobbies, so the time commitments caught up to me when my career started to further in a way that I both wasn't and was prepared for. It was a good problem to have for a little while, since I was getting some serious experience and carving my own little niche into the projects I worked on, but after a while it became concerning that things weren't getting easier. I'm a young-ish civil engineer who became my office's most senior design guy just by trying to do a good job and keep all the younger designers on track, not necessarily because I wanted any sort of title. That turned into way more stress than I figured, since I began to have to manage our managers to keep projects running in a way that made sense and didn't have us younger guys staring down missed deadlines or shoddy coordination. A lot of the work I did with music, whether that was listening or review writing, happened in-between stuff at work and I just couldn't keep up after a certain point. I still kept listening, but in a much less critical or focused way than I had done in the past. 

All that to say, I finally hit the point where I'm swapping jobs, hence why I'm back in action a bit more around here. I've been taking a month off between positions to reset a bit and catch up on some much needed stuff with friends, around the house, and with life in general. I'm headed to a company where everyone has only had good things to say about their management team, so I'm pretty confident that my day to day will open up a lot more and allow me to go back to being a bit creative here and there with less worries swirling around everywhere. I miss actually giving a shit and really diving into music, albums, and the scene in general, and I think I'm setting myself up well to be able to do that again. 

I even got back to my first show in over a year, seeing Callous Daoboys with one of the weirdest show billings ever. It was a blast, considering I Don't Want To See You In Heaven turned out to be my 2026 AOTY. Looking forward to being back in action!

Hey Xephyr, it is good to see you back.  Sorry to hear work became a drag for you.  I have been there, acting out of my pay grade and my comfort zone and it is not pleasant.  It is good to hear you have found somewhere that will appreciate you more and allow you to have some quality work/life balance which is so key.  I am typing this whilst sat in a hotel a few hundred miles from home as I am meeting clients up in Scotland.  I have gotten to a point job wise where I am more or less my own boss and I am therefore often pushing multiple people or departments to get things done.  The plus side is that I do feel the salary reflects the effort - for the first time in over 30 years of working - so the hit I take on my personal time is dampened somewhat.  

Looking forward to seeing some more reviews from you as you get to enjoy your free time more.

Not clan progress, however I have just finished running through my black metal ratings spreadsheet and added any missing ratings to the site.  Most of them were ones I planned to write reviews for but...well life gets in the way.  Those that I had reviewed, I have placed the review link in my spreadsheet and so now I can see where I have some reviews to do for important releases.  Plan to do the same with the other clans I am a member of over the course of the year.

I am familiar with Immortal Bird already and they are a difficult one to pigeon-hole in terms of clans for sure.  There’s definitely death metal in here but there is usually a lot more going on also.  This release is not all that fresh in my mind so I will welcome the opportunity to revisit and review.

A note on your comment above Sonny about not feeling you can bring the same level of depth as other users.  My take on the feature releases is that I nominate a release that I enjoy, that I have discovered and I don’t submit that for judgement of my taste from anyone (and in fairness there is none of that here anyways) more I submit the release to see the opinions of others on that release.  If anyone wildly disagrees it does not mean that evidences deficiencies in my knowledge of the clan at all.  Anyone could rock up here, get involved in the clan feature submission for The Horde and drop in Morbid Angel’s Altars of Madness for a release.  I wouldn’t think “safe choice” or “limited range of knowledge going for an easy one”, I would just drop in some thoughts or a review (time permitting) and enjoy the chance to revisit a classic.

This one has caught me off-guard from sure.  I heard the first track and thought “Oh my days, fucking Eurovision here we come!”.  But then I found myself listening to the whole thing anyway…and actually liking it.  This does happen occasionally, like with that Christmas album someone nominated as a feature release once that got 5 stars from me even though on paper I should have absolutely hated it. Prepping a review when time permits, busy few weeks ahead for me though so in case it never materialises I wanted to acknowledge the feature is a (surprise) winner.

Mind Wars falls too heavily on the speed metal side of things to ever be eligible for me to be talking about it in excited tones of appreciation. It is not that I hate speed metal as such, more that in the grander scheme of the many sub-genres of metal, it often finds itself somewhere towards the back of the queue. This is also not to say that Mind Wars is without its merits. The guitar work here deserves commendation for sure. Whether it is the frantic riffing or the rich sounding leads, Alvord and Kilfelt (or Colfelt to give the former Agent Steel man his birth surname) give a solid acquittal of themselves. Equally, whilst far from being a virtuoso performance, Joe Mitchell’s drumming stands out on most tracks. The meddling bass of Floyd Flanary manages to make its presence known throughout the record, a characteristic that makes me recall Metal Church when pitched alongside the vocals of the late Keith Deen.

If I am honest, the vocals are my main issue with Mind Wars. Deen’s performance is very inconsistent for me, ranging from passable all the way down to “Oh my God, please make it stop!” I absolutely get the argument that the style is not only a good fit for the music, but also reminiscent of many other acts of the time. I just feel that perhaps Deen pushed his range further than it could stretch too. Sometimes he sounds nothing short of half-arsed and so I am doubly grateful of the rest of the band’s work to distract me from this at times overbearing detail. At times though there are even sloppy elements to the instrumentation, and the title track, for example, seems to suffer from this. Notwithstanding that the production of the record leaves some call for question with its heavy and suffocating atmosphere that does on occasion make proceedings sound like they were recorded behind linen.

The heart is most definitely there, even if the outcome may not always convince you of this in the moment, there is usually an upcoming positive to alleviate momentary concerns. On balance though, whilst I am entertained by this, it is hard to get too excited by it and I cannot see me returning to Mind Wars anytime soon.

3.5/5

Here you are Sonny:

Firtan - "Innenschatten" (from "Innenwelt", 2016)

Heltekvad - "Ærbødig er den som sejrer" (from "Morgenrødens Helvedesherre", 2022)

Pillorian - "By the Light of a Black Sun" (from "Obsidian Arc", 2017)

Agastus - "Black Moon's Blood" (from "Dawn of Martyrdom", 1996)

Dimmu Borgir - "Ulvgjeld & blodsodel" (from "Grand Serpent Rising", 2026)

Serpent Lord - "Constrictor" (from "The Once Forgotten Ways of Old", 2026)

I am still less than halfway through the Groove Metal challenge after about a year.  I just don't have the time really.  I will complete it, eventually 

When you are guilty of the unpunishable crime of producing one of the most moving and memorable albums of a particular year, an artist must mine the very depths of their creativity to provide a follow up of any worthy repute. When Messa dropped Close in 2022, they were already two records into their career - two records which I have not heard to date incidentally – and produced an album that topped many AOTY polls and lists, my own included. Unafraid of boundaries and unwilling to accept much in the way of limitations on their sound, the Italians showed us all just how extensive their range was. Making it all sound so damn cool whilst putting this authentic exploration of their musical palate was just the icing on the cake really. Inadvertently, this set up the challenge of one day having to follow Close up and upon my first few listens to The Spin my opinion was that they had hit the exact wall that I feared they would.

The gothic tropes of the bands 2025 record were the first hurdle for me. Musically such a style does not sit all that well with me and, initially at least, this more sombre edge to proceedings seemed to rob the record of the same level of passion that its predecessor was awash with. It felt like between records, some alignment process had been undertaken in Messa’s life meaning that they were now drifting away from the wonderful connection we had once shared. I could hear the lead work of Piccolo clearly enough, but the feeling that had emanated from them so plentifully on Close seemed numbed somehow. After a few listens, I stepped away from The Spin altogether, resolute that my enjoyment of Messa was going to be limited, for now at least, to that one record.

Curiosity may have allegedly killed the cat but it sure as hell is the saviour of many album reviewers, I am sure when it comes to giving records a second chance. And so, I came back to The Spin recently. Reviews I had caught elsewhere still talked about the merit of the record. It did take a couple of super-critical listens, but this time it finally clicked. It is not as good as Close, I doubt they will ever top that record if I am totally honest. Yet those shades of grey that are applied this time around do not hinder the expression of the record anywhere near as much as I initially thought. It feels eclectic enough still, despite their being a more accessible if not all that mainstream vibe to it. Emotions are never quite at the point of being super-charged like they were on the previous album, yet they are not lost by any means. If anything, Messa are just showing that bit of maturity I mentioned earlier, losing some child like view of the wonder of their own soul in the process perhaps.

It is still well written, far too well written in fact for anyone to be unimpressed I would say. The musicianship is top-notch and the vocal delivery of Sara is perhaps the only element in here that I sense is dialled back a little from last time. If you look at The Spin as a standalone record, then it is no doubt going to hit the higher end of the scoresheet and in some ways, it is criminal to drop points off my final number based on a comparison of a previous record. Talented individuals when brought together in the right environment make great records and that’s what Messa have managed here, regardless.

4.5/5

For July Sonny, please.

Konvent - "Puritan Masochism" (from "Puritan Masochism", 2020)

Thorr's Hammer - "Norge" (from "Dommedagsnatt", 1998)

Crouch - "Hatchets and Hammers" (from "Breaking the Catatonic State", 2026)

Devil Electric - "Jill & Jack Shit" (from "Tahlia", 2026)

Ritual Arcana - "Subtle Fruits" (from "Ritual Arcana", 2026)

Rorcal - "Extinguished Innocence" (from "Silence", 2023)

Had a couple of listens through this one and another solid month.

Graves at Sea – I had this down originally as my feature release for this month but changed it last minute for Messa and glad I did as this track hasn’t worn well since I originally picked it.

Doomshine – vocally this is just wrong for me.

Opium Lord – this is more like it, not heard these guys before and good to see a UK band.

Ethereal Tomb – standout track. Nasty sludge goodness.

Mourning Beloveth – boring, trying to copy MDB to my ears.

Sunn 0))) – heard this album a couple of times and they are starting to grow on me (finally))).

Monolord – more death metal than I recall them being previously.

Slow – absolutely crushing, I am calling this regular funeral doom ending to the list a “Sonny Special”

I might be able to criticize another random driver, but I probably shouldn't tell a guy who has made it to NASCAR or F1 how to drive. That was what I meant.

My point still stands.  Own your point of view on something, don't run with the pack because something is popular.  Jeez.

I mean, let's be honest, you're hardly here anyway. That's not intended to sound as harsh it probably does but the fact is that if you aren't here to rate or review, what are you here for?  Based on your previous activity, you could be back here in another 3 months going the exact opposite way.  It's up to you obviously, but I just think you're making life hard for yourself and reducing your self-esteem which no human should have to do.

Oh yeah 100%. Life is good. 

I just feel like this: I'm a musician myself, and not one of any real note, so where do I get off being able to criticize the work of more successful artists than myself? I mean if an artist has sold say 100,000 copies of an album, and I haven't even gotten close to that, then what right do I have to call it mediocre or bad? I want to keep my future work just to things I really enjoy and can compliment easily. I don't want to write negative reviews anymore. 

I think rather than basing additional clan privileges on reviewing pre-selected lists, it makes more since to use a threshold system, but this isn't my house.  

This opinion is one I find odd.  That's like saying I am a driver on the road but I haven't taken an advanced driving course and so I can't call out bad drivers when I see them.  You are proposing to sacrifice your opinion/feelings/personal point of view on something based on the quantity of units it has shipped, which is an absolute self-inflicted slur on your own right to an opinion in the first place. 

The clan system ("privileges" is an odd choice of word) works well enough for the majority of the regulars here.

June 2026

1. Nervosa – “Slave Machine” (from “Slave Machine”, 2026) [Submitted by Vinny]

2. Epidemic – “Territories” (from “Decameron”, 1992) [Submitted by Sonny]

3. Sacrilege – “Shadow from Mordor” (from “Behind the Realms of Madness”, 1985) [Submitted by Sonny]

4. Exodus – “3111” (from “Goliath”, 2026) [Submitted by Vinny]

5. Hellbutcher – “The Sword of Wrath” (from “Hellbutcher”, 2024)

6. Örk Bastards– “Warmongers of the Gloomy Lands” (from “Warmongers of the Gloomy Lands”, 2019)

7. Barbarian – “Crossburn” (from “Reek of God”, 2026)

8. Torturer – “Demonic Possession” (from “Oppressed by Force”, 1992) [Submitted by Sonny]

9. Torture – “Ignominous Slaughter” (from “Storm Alert”, 1989) [Submitted by Vinny]

10. Destruction – “Satan’s Vengeance” (from “Sentence of Death”, 1984) [Submitted by Sonny]

11. Coroner – “When Angels Die” (from “R.I.P.”, 1987) [Submitted by Andi]

12. Acid Age – “State Your Business” (from “Perilous Compulsion”, 2025)

13. Corroder – “Prosperous Death” (from “Pyres of Uncreation”, 2025)

14. Razor – “Escape the Fire” (from “Executioner's Song”, 1985) [Submitted by Sonny]

15. Exciter – “Scream in the Night” (from “Violence & Force”, 1984) [Submitted by Sonny]

16. Slayer – “Captor of Sin” (from “Haunting the Chapel”, 1984) [Submitted by Sonny]

17. Acid – “Satan” (from “Acid”, 1983) [Submitted by Sonny]

18. Aphrodite – “Children of Night” (from “Orgasmic Glory”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Karloff – “A Violent Winter” (from “The Appearing”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Voivod – “Live for Violence” (from “War & Pain”, 1984) [Submitted by Sonny]

21. Power Trip – “Murderers Row” (from “Manifest Decimation”, 2013)

22. Inhuman Nature – “Taste of Steel” (from “Inhuman Nature”, 2019)

23. Zerre – “No Alibi” (from “Rotting on a Golden Throne”, 2026) [Submitted by Vinny]

24. Ascending Burn – “Braindead Zombie”, 2026)

25. Aggressive Perfector – “Return of the Axe” (from “Come Creeping Friends”, 2026) [Submitted by Sonny]

26. Strigoi – “Cauldron of Venomous Potion” (from “Black Magic Fumes”, 2024)

27. Lamb of God – “Omens” (from “Omens”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

28. The Haunted – “Bury Your Dead” (from “The Haunted Made Me Do It”, 2000)

29. Feed the Flames – “Firefight” (from “Kyk-over-Al”, 2017)