Daniel's Forum Threads
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+)
Various Artists - "Warfare Noise" compilation (1986)
"Warfare Noise" is a seminal compilation record that I picked up through a Chilean tape trader back in the day. It records the early days of Brazil's exciting Belo Horizonte extreme metal scene & features two tracks from each of the four artists, all of which were still learning to play their instruments which subsequently sees the material offering some seriously raw death/thrash from a time when death metal was still in its infancy. There's some good shit here (particularly from Sarcofago & Mutilator) but the release is seriously disadvantaged by the incompetent contribution of Chakal whose two songs open the tracklisting. I wasn't much of a fan of Chakal's debut full-length "Abominable anno domini" from the following year but this shit isn't even up to that standard. The closing track from Holocausto isn't worth writing home about either but I generally enjoyed the rest of the material. It's easy to see why Sarcofago would go on to be the most significant of the four artists though as "Recrucify/The Black Vomit" is a step up from the other material included.
For fans of Sarcofago, Mutilator & Holocausto.
3/5
Gary Moore - "Still Got the Blues" (1990)
The ninth full-length from this legendary Irish guitarist saw him veering away from his hard rock roots towards an electric blues rock sound for the first time (at least across an entire album) & making huge headway on the global charts in the process. There can be no denying Gary's skills behind his axe as his tone & chops are simply to die for but I have to admit that (despite having to hear this record over & over again as a teenager due to my father's obsession with it) I do tend to find a lot of this material to be pretty flat. Moore's voice isn't exactly the most compelling while the song-writing has a tendency to sound pretty generic for the blues genre. The best parts are when he goes for a deeper & more stripped back sound like he does on album highlight "As the Years Go Passing By" but there is more to interest me on 1995's "Blues For Greeny" record that I mentioned just above this review.
For fans of Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa & Derek Trucks.
3/5
Tornekrans - "Silent Whispers Echo from Forbidden Realms" (2025)
My reach into the underworld of raw black metal stretches further than ever before in 2025. Tornekrans from Norway are proof of this with their rampant charge of black metal that whirrs violently at the listener across ten tracks that rarely let up for breath. I stumbled my way to this one-man project after discovering Khaos Aura earlier this year and being the naturally inquisitive type that I am, my research soon directed me to other projects band members are involved with. Torkus, who does everything in Tornekrans, unleashes his debut full length following his demo from last year. Clearly worshipping at the altar of 90s second wave, he crashes and bashes his way through the album with the fury of Gorgoroth on crack.
This is a record steeped in the stench of that dank scene. Attacking each track with a seemingly inexhaustible level of enthusiasm, Torkus leaves me in no doubt of his intentions on Silent Whispers Echo from Forbidden Realms. There are no whispers or silence for that matter on the record, just echoes from forbidden realms. They come in waves, constantly. Like a hideous undead army of evil spirits, they just keep coming. Attack after attack makes for an unrelenting experience. Zombified warriors, drunk on their hatred and vitriol for the living just hack and slash away at all in their path. A record that is not for the faint of heart, Silent Whispers Echo from Forbidden Realms is a furious expulsion of black metal played against a pagan/folky backdrop.
The croaking harshness of the vocals slices through the wall of tremolos and percussive chaos, and they do elevate what are otherwise simple song structures. Nobody is coming to raw black metal for its complexity of arrangement and so this format works well enough. Whilst I am sure some will find this too frantic an experience, I cannot help but admire the approach. Unwavering and perhaps unnerving it may well be, but at the same time it stays true to the aesthetic it sits in. The folk instrumental that opens the album is the only respite you get folks, it is hell for leather from track two onwards.
4/5
Delerium - "Faces, Forms and Illusions" (1988)
Most people would probably only know Vancouver producers Delerium through their huge 1999 dance club hit "Silence" which features the wonderful vocals of Sarah McLachlan. The majority of punters wouldn't be aware of the fact that some of the duos earlier material was pretty spectacular though with records like 1991's "Stone Tower" & 1994's "Spheres" having become firm favourites of mine over the last fifteen years or so. Formed as the side project of Bill Leeb & Rhys Fulber (both of influential industrial act Front Line Assembly), the earlier Delerium efforts championed a more ambient & ethereal sound than what you might expect based purely on their later material with the debut spending as much time in IDM as it does experimenting with a number of ambient subgenres. The military style tempos of Front Line Assembly are still noticeable at times but the album features a strongly majestic & timeless feel as well as giving early glimpses of the Arabian & Eastern influences that would become stronger on later releases. It's difficult to pick out highlights as all tracks are very strong with the exception of the electro-industrial number "Mecca" which I feel lets the album down a bit & would've been better suited to Leeb's Front Line Assembly project. I really enjoy the more foreboding & ambient moments like the tribal rhythms of "Monument Of Deceit", the sinister darkness of "Inside The Chamber" or the building intensity of "Strangeways". The B side is particularly brilliant actually & has played a strong role in me bumping my score up from my traditional four stars on this occasion. I'm baffled as why this record doesn't receive more attention, especially when you consider the time it arrived on the scene which predated a lot of their competition in this field.
For fans of Front Line Assembly, Noise Unit & Synaesthesia.
4.5/5
Lewis - "L'Amour" (1983)
The debut album from this Canadian Singer/songwriter is a deep, minimal, introspective & synth-laden ambient pop record that's perfect for relaxing by yourself with a book & a glass of wine. I've quite enjoyed it, even though there are some parts that sound a little dated due to the synthesizer sounds employed.
For fans of Nick Drake, Arthur Russell & "Nebraska"-period Bruce Springsteen.
3.5/5
Scott Kelly - "The Wake" (2008)
After thoroughly enjoying my revisit to Kelly's 2001 debut solo album "Spirit Bound Flesh" recently, I decided to give his sophomore effort (generally regarded as my favourite of Kelly's three solo works) the same treatment. It's a slightly more consistent record than "Spirit Bound Flesh" with the highlight tracks (i.e. "Figures" & "Catholic Blood") both being utterly devastating. You can expect a ridiculously deep, dark & depressing while decidedly stripped back singer/songwriter style folk sound that won't appeal to everyone but will connect with its target audience on a visceral level. The album does tend to fade a little towards the end but there's enough quality in the opening five tracks to make this a rewarding & deeply introspective listen.
For fans of Steve Von Till, Johnny Cash & Red House Painters.
4/5
Pentagram - "Be Forewarned" (1994)
The 1994 comeback album from these Virginia-based doom metal legends is generally regarded as somewhat of a triumph in doom circles. And look... I won't deny that I've quite enjoyed the ride this week but I can't say that I prescribe to those lofty statements personally. "Be Forewarned" is certainly a step down from Pentagram's excellent self-titled debut album in my opinion but I do think it's slightly more appealing than their 1987 sophomore effort "Day of Reckoning" without reaching a level that would see me returning to it in the future. The Black Sabbath worship is incredibly extreme here with front man Bobby Liebling doing everything in his power to sound exactly like the Ozz man. There are some crushingly heavy riffs on offer with the production job being tailored to best showcase that element of Pentagram's sound but I don't take much away from the groovier stoner-ish material to be honest. It's also pretty hard to understand why they'd end the record with the three best tracks with the rest of the tracklisting being fairly hit & miss. Anyway... this isn't a bad listen for the more dedicated doom aficionado. Just don't expect fireworks.
For fans of Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus & Witchfinder General.
3.5/5