Daniel's Forum Threads
Lykathea Aflame
Afterbirth - "Four Dimensional Flesh" (2020)
The second & best of this New York outfits three albums to date sees the four-piece tackling a noticeably progressive take on the brutal death metal model, complete with super-gutteral, ultra-deep slam death metal style pig-grunts. Some of this record is so musical for a BDM artist & subsequently impresses with its ambition, even if those vocals will always be a limiting factor as far as I'm concerned. "Four Dimensional Flesh" is well worth checking out for our The Horde clan members though.
For fans of Lykathea Aflame, Wormed & Pyrexia.
4/5
Scorn - "Colossus" (1993)
I thoroughly enjoyed this Birmingham act's 1992 debut album "Vae Solis" & it's received many replays over the years. Their early E.P.'s were also worth checking out, particularly 1992's "Lick Forever Dog" (my pick of Scorn's early works) but "Deliverance" from the same year isn't too bad either. Scorn's sophomore full-length is not as essential as their more metallic debut album but it's still a decent listen, this time sitting somewhere between industrial, post-industrial & Scorn's trademark illbient sound. "Colossus" isn't the first Scorn record I reach for but you can certainly do worse, particularly given it includes gems like the dark ambient piece "Little Angel" or illbient anthem "Scorpionic".
For fans of Necro Deathmort, Einstuerzende Neubauten & Techno Animal.
3.5/5
Deteriorot - "Manifested Apparitions of Unholy Spirits" E.P. (1993)
I picked this dank, rotting two-track E.P. up through the tape trading scene during the mid-1990's & it left a significant impression on me even though the dubbed cassette recording quality wasn't the best. Thankfully, we're given the opportunity to listen to this material the way it was intended these days with Spotify offering an extended release that includes multiple remasters & extra tracks. You can expect to hear a filthy, swarming & doomy style of New Jersey death metal (aka Incantation/Immolation) that has its feet planted firmly in the graveyard with the ultra-gutteral vocals of guitarist Paul Zavaleta being a real highlight. Opening cut "The Afterlife" is nothing short of classic death metal & I have very little doubt that Sonny & Vinny will froth over this stuff.
For fans of Decrepit, Putrevore & Avulsed.
4/5
In Flames - "Whoracle" (1997)
While 1996's "The Jester Race" album may have been a huge record for these Swedish melodeath champions, it never connected with me personally & neither did In Flames' highly celebrated follow-up record "Whoracle". Whilst I do prefer it to "The Jester Race", "Whoracle" still suffers from many of the same failings in its quest for my affection. A good half of the tracklisting is really pretty entertaining but the other half does very little for me with the song-writing edging much too far into more accessible realms than I'm comfortable with. It's probably telling that my two clear favourites also happen to be the least popular tracks in "Morphing Into Primal" & the title track because it's a strong indicator that I can't appreciate the selling points that In Flames' audience live & die by. Sure... I'd take "Whoracle" over other In Flames releases from the period like 2000's "Clayman" but it still falls short of the mark for me personally.
For fans of Dark Tranquillity, Soilwork & At the Gates.
3/5
POiSON GiRL FRiEND - "Melting Moment" E.P. (1992)
This debut E.P. seems to have built up quite the following over the last decade or so but I have to admit that I find that hard to understand personally. Sure, it's one of the earlier trip hop releases but that doesn't give it the right to be mentioned in the same breath as records like Massive Attack's "Blue Lines" which clearly sits in another stratosphere altogether. The female vocals of nOrikO are intended to sound sweet & they do achieve that intent during the best parts but there are just as many moments where she sounds pitchy & amateurish in my opinion. Plus, the instrumentation is very heavy on the cheap bedroom synths that were around at the time which gives "Melting Moment" a disposable feel. I do quite enjoy the first couple of songs as well as the closing title track but the other material is a long way from the mark (particularly "The Future Is Now" which is fucking awful) & taints the overall experience for me.
For fans of Color Filter, Sugar Plant & Lily Chou-Chou.
3/5
Mastodon - "The Hunter" (2011)
While the fifth full-length from these Atlanta-base progressive metal heroes may be their least impressive to the time, I feel that it's been a little underrated over the years because it still showcases a class act that's not all that far off the peak of their powers. Those people still clinging onto the band's sludge metal roots will be sorely disappointed of course but the production & musicianship are both excellent with the vocal harmonies being a clear highlight (even if I'd suggest that they would have struggled to pull them off live from my couple of experiences with a live Mastodon). The B side does see the overall quality level easing off a bit but there are no weak tracks included & are enough highlights to make "The Hunter" essential listening for our The Infinite members. In fact, I'd suggest that "Stargasm" in particular is some of Mastodon's finest work. I think "The Hunter" has just suffered a bit from the public's lofty expectations coming off the back of 2009's transcendent "Crack The Skye" record.
For fans of High on Fire, Torche & Intronaut.
4/5
YMO - "BGM" (1981)
I hated the first two records from Tokyo synthpop legends Yellow Magic Orchestra to be honest. They were as primitive & cheesy as electronic music gets but the idea of YMO veering into early electro territory on their fourth full-length grabbed my interest & saw me exploring "BGM" this week. The assessment isn't inaccurate either as there is far more genuine electro on offer than there is synthpop here, to such an extent that I feel that a pop tag is pushing the friendship a little. Still... there's not enough consistent quality on offer to keep me interested across the course of the ten tracks with only two songs really standing out as high quality pieces of electronic creativity i.e. the catchy electro-pop of "Cue" & the deep ambience of closer "Loom" (my personal favourite). "BGM" isn't the disaster that I found YMO's first two records to be but it's still a bit flat in my opinion & hasn't done enough to turn my poor initial impressions of the Japanese group around.
For fans of Depeche Mode, Ryuichi Sakamoto & Kraftwerk.
3/5
Hermética - "Ácido argentino" (1991)
I was a fan of both of this Argentinian act's other two albums back in the day but had never heard their highly regarded sophomore record until this week. It's pretty decent too although I wouldn't say that it's had the same impact on me as 1994's "Víctimas del vaciamiento" release did during the 1990's. I'd place it slightly ahead of their 1989 self-titled debut though. "Ácido argentino" sees Hermética's sound sitting between speed metal & heavy metal with the odd thrashier moment here & there. There aren't enough genuine highlight tracks for me to think about my higher scores but there's certainly an energy to this material which is only enhanced by the primitive production values. The guitar solos aren't anything to write home about but that doesn't stop "Ácido argentino" from having the desired impact, even if I don't think it'll be a release that I'll return to very often.
For fans of Malón, V8 & Almafuerte.
3.5/5
These two metalcore album covers both have the same "bobcut hand-bra girl" image! Coincidence? Rip-off?!? I have no idea, but I should really check out that Ten After Two album sometime.
Jay Munly - "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" (2002)
It took me a couple of listens to get into the fourth full-length from this Canadian gothic country artist, mainly due to the fact that I find the first four tracks to be pretty boring. Things pick up after that though with the B side surprisingly being fairly consistent with most of the highlights residing there. The Nick Cave influence is very clear at times & I love the contributions of Sixteen Horsepower/Wovenhand front man David Eugene Edwards who is a bit of a favourite of mine these days. "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" is worth a listen but I wouldn't say that it's essential listening like some critics seem to.
For fans of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Sixteen Horsepower & Slim Cessna's Auto Club.
3.5/5
Fleshwater - "We're Not Here To Be Loved" (2022)
This was my first listen to a Fleshwater record & it's been a reasonably enjoyable experience too. Their debut album doesn't see them trying anything particularly new but they do what do well & the dual male/female vocal attack adds a bit of interest. Deftones have clearly influenced this Massachusetts act but the song-writing is consistent & the performances are strong too, particularly the drumming which is probably the highlight of this short 27-minute alternative metal release.
For fans of Deftones, Narrow Head & Loathe.
3.5/5
Rauhnåcht - "Zwischenwelten" (2025)
As the Burzum chimes grow heavier on 'Der Spalt zwischen den Welten' ('the gap between worlds') there is a sense that Rauhnåcht's fifth full length has arrived. I am very much a fan of that particular trait from the Filosofem album, so any use of that sound can only be a good thing in my book. For a band/artist that is advertised as pagan black metal, it was a bit of a surprise to hear ambient chimes, yet it fits the track aesthetic perfectly. There are other influences on show as well, such as the illusions of grandeur of Summoning or the earthy fortitude of Drudkh.
Zwischenwelten (‘between worlds’) is music for times of adversity. Acting as a balm with its soothing atmospheres yet also providing strength and hope in the chants and resonating tremolo riffs. As an album it has a succinctness in how it plays for just under forty-minutes, as if the artist is taking brief respite from some daily labour to share tales of mysticism and dark fantasy. As the album artwork alludes to, there is a darkness to the album that dress its contents as a warning, a collection of tales of what exactly it is that lurks in that gap between worlds; without ever stating which worlds are being spoken about.
Although less direct in approach than Drudkh, the timbre of the guitar matches on track such as ‘Naturgewalten’ (‘forces of nature’) as it builds up to full speed. Cleverly applying atmospherics in the vacant space around the instruments is well done. As with the album overall, the pagan/folk elements are obvious but never intrusive and as such Zwischenwelten feels like a more conventional black metal album than at first expected. I think the release is only let down by the fact that it lacks any genuine standout moments though. There is no raging intensity that takes the breath away at any point, nor any passages of true ethereal beauty to reflect upon either. Closing track ‘Alleinsamkeit’ comes close with its choral vocals and melancholic leanings but still comes up short in the long run.
3.5/5
Arkhaaik - Uihtis (2025)
Arkhaaik are a Zurich-based three-piece who, as their name, a stylised version of "archaic" suggests, are interested in exploring pre-history, in particular the culture and practices of Bronze Age Europe. Their debut album, 2019's "*dʰg̑ʰm̥tós", was an exploration of the religion and deities of this culture, with the somewhat questionable claim to being sung in the long dead Indo-European language of the time. This 2025 follow-up takes as its theme The Hunt in both a literal and an analagous religious context.
Musically, this takes the form of blackened, old-school, cavernous death metal with death-doom tendencies, which often utilises pounding rhythms and horn-like effects to give the album a paganistic and sometimes ritualistic vibe. The tracks are fairly lengthy affairs, with the almost fifty minutes of "Uihtis" containg only four, varying from ten to fifteen minutes in duration. This affords the band plenty of leisure to build the atmospheres and vibe of arcane hunting ritual that they are striving for. Whilst metal is rightly most often judged on the quality of its riffs, and the album contains some very nice death metal riffs to be sure, I think the strength of "Uihtis" lies in its percussion and the tribalistic patterns and atmospherics that it conjures up. To this end I think drummer Vâlant deserves huge praise as his work is crucial to the album's success. The vocals also contribute massively with the bellowing roars and growls being supplemented by the whoops and howls of the (presumably successful) hunters alongside some nice native-like chants.
Despite all this aesthetical window-dressing and conceptual exposition, I guess what most metalheads want to know is, "Does it fucking slay"? I would reply with a resounding, "Oh yes, you fucking bet". I don't think it leans as heavily into the death doom side of the equation as the debut did, this being more in the vein of blackened Autopsy-style OSDM than true death doom, but with some pretty fucking brutal blasting sections and those hulking, tribalistic throbs this could indeed slay a woolly mammoth by sheer bludgeoning weight alone.
In conclusion I would say that if you are someone who loves old-school, cavernous death metal and would like to hear it used in a slightly different context then this is definitely a release you should wrap your ears around.
4/5
Raphael-Weinroth Brown - Lifeblood (2025)
Cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne first showed up on my radar in 2015 as one half of the canadian neoclassical darkwave duo The Visit, alongside vocallist Heather Sita Black when their album "Through Darkness Into Light" attained the distinction of being one of a very exclusive club of non-metal albums to receive AOTY status from me. Despite this, I must admit that I haven't kept up with his solo work much since. He has tended to focus on releasing single tracks on Bandcamp, with 2020s World Within being his only other full-length prior to "Lifeblood".
The album is wholly instrumental and solely features Raphael's acoustic cello playing with the aid of amplifiers and effects pedals, apart from on a couple of tracks, "Pyre" and "Nethereal" which also feature a bass drum. He says in the Bandcamp blurb that this is his most personal album, with the theme of his relationship to his music and growth as an artist. The result of all this is a classical piece that has great crossover potential and, I believe, may well appeal to many a more open-minded metalhead. I mean, look at that cover, is that metal or what? There is a wide range of emotional scope presented within the albums runtime. As well as sweeping broad strokes that breathe air and life into things, there are moments of quiet reflectiveness and spells of fervent and rabid aggressiveness that complement and contrast each other effectively and are redolent with passion and feeling.
This passion and feeling are the two most apparent emotions I take away from "Lifeblood" and the album as a whole stands as a great testament to the compositional and technical virtuosity of a musician who, in this world of overhyped crap, by the sheer weight of his talent and passion, deserves to be heard by a much wider audience.
4/5
Zbigniew Preisner - "Trois couleurs: Bleu" (1993)
Another Krzysztof Kieslowski film soundtrack I picked up on CD in the mid-1990's; this one the first of the three-part "Trois couleurs" (aka "Three Colours") series which I adored at the time. I think this one might have been the first Kieslowski film I saw as well as the first Preisner release I purchased. While it may not be as classic as 1991's incredible "La double vie de Véronique (The Double Life of Veronika)" film score (4.5/5), "Bleu" still oozes of the poise & class that would become Preisner's calling card. From memory, I think the final installment "Trois couleurs: Rouge" was my favourite of the three CDs but this one is still an excellent example of the type of classical music I connect with. Deep, stripped back, emotionally engaging & slightly gothic. And I can't deny that I was somewhat infatuated with Juliette Binoche at the time either.
For fans of Georges Delerue, Yann Tiersen & Arvo Pärt.
4/5
Apocalypse Orchestra - "A Plague Upon Thee" (2025)
Apocalypse Orchestra are a five-piece from Gävle in Sweden and they have a penchant for doom metal heavily coloured by european folk music. They seamlessly integrate medieval folk instruments such as hurdy-gurdy, mandola, cittern and pipes with the modern electrified instruments of doom metal in a way that feels perfectly natural and unforced. The slow, plodding riffs of doom metal are used as a foundation upon which the band interprete medieval folk melodies for a modern metal-loving audience.
I do love folk music, but I am often disappointed by its unsubtle use when utilised as a trope in metal, with a lot of folk metal sounding trite and just downright cheesy. I never felt that way once though whilst listening to "A Plague Upon Thee" because it is just so tastefully done, with an apparently equal reverence for both folk and metal. You would be forgiven for suspecting AO of playing a doom metal version of viking metal, given their swedish origins, but there is a distinct lack of the whiff of longship and battleaxe within "A Plague Upon Thee", with it often being more celtic-sounding à la Saor than the Norse influences of a Bathory or Wardruna. The doom metal side of the equation is quite functional and, in truth, it doesn't vary hugely from track to track, with most of the eight tracks following the same tempo. It is perfectly well executed, but is utilised more as a foundation or rhythm section if you like, providing the staging upon which the folk melodies and instruments perform their magic.
The lyrical themes revolve around the harshness of medieval life, plague and the ever-pervasive presence and domination of religion over the lives of the peasantry. The lyrics are beautifully delivered by voclist Erik Larsson who has a great line in clean vocals, supported by almost symphonic backing vocals provided by the rest of the band. Despite the inate heaviness and mournfulness of doom metal and the generally bleak tone of the lyrics, the music still often feels almost hopeful, as if, despite the harshness of life, there is still a ray of light or shred of comfort to be gleaned amidst all the darkness and hardship.
I really enjoyed "A Plague Upon Thee" and found its folk-centric take on doom metal to be a refreshing twist on what can often be a conservative and predictable genre. That it also avoids the trap of cringy cheesiness that plagues so much folk metal is testament to the band's skillful songwriting and reverence for their sources of inspiration. If you are looking for a different take on doom metal then I would heartily recommend this.
4/5 (B+)