Daniel's Forum Threads
Kold - "Det falmede håb" (2025)
I have been slowly building focus on the black metal scene in Denmark. Having soon come across the likes of Afsky, Sunken and Solbrud, my attention was quickly alerted to Kold. A little-known duo who to date have released two full lengths, Kold have proven to be quite the discovery. With nods to WITTR in their sound, Kold also have a very modern take on their black metal, venturing into post and gaze territory (although thankfully not too much of the latter). Whilst similarities could also be drawn with Afsky, this pairing have a more restrained approach overall by comparison. The melancholy in their music really resonates through the notes on the guitar, yet they can also keep pace with the faster elements of black metal (check out ‘Forvitet Fortid’).
It was obvious from my first listen to Det falmede håb that there was something special about this record. My early alarm at the clean and gazey section on ‘Alt vi havde kært’ was unnecessary as this style is isolated to that fifteen-minute track and there is much, much more to savour in this lengthy performance alone. Kold are masters at shifting effortlessly from these cleaner, more melodic passages into the frenzied aggression of conventional, atmospheric black metal. Wielding melody with much the same threat as they do with their more intense movements, Kold deploy climbing riffs, soaring tremolos and icy crystal cut atmospheres to great effect. Even though most of the tracks are well over six-minutes, the total fifty-minute run time does not ever feel bloated or overdone.
Fans of Paysage d’hiver will recognise some of the tricks borrowed from the Swiss maestro here. The Kold sound is full of winter with more than an element of astral projection swirling around in the darkness also. The consistency levels across Det falmede håb are remarkable. As such, this is perhaps only the second album I have ever listened to that I can truly say I never want to end. I get utterly lost in its enduring majesty and can never stop marvelling at the attention to detail involved here. Driven by a clear passion for their artform, Kold have a real fire about what they do and this translates to an almost resplendent level of entertainment for me.
4.5/5
Rotting - "Crushed" (1998)
I really enjoyed this sole release from Canadian death metallers Rotting when I first discovered it back in 2009. It saw the trio creating a filthy sound that sits somewhere between conventional death metal & brutal death metal, leaning a little further towards the former than the latter. There's a hard-hitting Swedish influence in Rotting's approach with Grave coming to mind at times, particularly in the noisy production job & gutteral vocal delivery which also reminds me of Australia's Misery. The musicianship isn't amazing but this isn't the type of death metal that prides itself on being flashy. It's more about atmosphere & does a pretty decent job of creating it too. Some of the songs are quite short & fly past while others are more expansive. I do have to mention that there are a number of chuggy nu metal-ish type riffs employed across the tracklisting which have definitely brought my rating down a little which is a shame. I can't see our The Horde members not finding at least a passing interest in "Crushed" though as it's a long way from generic Suffocation worship. It simply feels more authentic than that.
For fans of Deaden, Gutted & Scattered Remnants.
3.5/5
The Lloyd McNeill Quartet - "Washington Suite" (1970)
This was my first time with the most celebrated releases from this Washington flautist & I've quite enjoyed the experience, although I have to admit that I prefer my jazz fusion with a little more of a rock edge to it, particularly with the inclusion of guitar & saxophone rather than a flute-led outfit. The opening track "Home Rule" is excellent with a lovely groove though & there can be no denying the atmosphere that this material creates so it's worth a listen or two. Is this really jazz fusion though? I think it's more traditional than that to be honest.
For fans of Miles Davis, Nucleus & Miroslav Vitous.
3.5/5
Pentagram - "Pentagram" (1985)
Firstly, unless you own the original 1985 vinyl, then you haven't heard "Pentagram" as it was originally released because this version has never been re-issued. The version most people (myself included) know is the 1993 Peaceville reissue which has a resequenced track listing which matches that of the 1982 " All Your Sins" demo from when the band were still called Death Row and which featured new artwork and a title change to "Relentless". As I am sure most doomheads know, Pentagram had originally formed in 1971 and gone through many lineup changes and tribulations that saw them issuing very little by way of official product with a 1972 seven-inch of "Be Forewarned" probably being the most significant. This meant that despite being around for so long, Pentagram's debut was pre-empted by the likes of Trouble and Saint Vitus who were already leaning further into doominess than the genre's godfathers Black Sabbath, so for many "Pentagram" could be seen as a backward step.
Pentagram's sound paid massive homage to Sabbath, who must have been a huge influence on sole remaining founding member Bobby Liebling back in the early 70's, which meant that they didn't lean as heavily into the slow, dirgelike pacing of Saint Vitus' debut, but more akin to that of the NWOBHM, particularly the likes of Witchfinder General. However I am not convinced that ultra-slow pacing is the be all and end all of traditional doom metal, with the riffs and guitar tone playing as much a part in creating the aesthetics of doom and here there can be no doubt of Pentagram's success with the shitty production lending a decidedly grimy filthiness to the riffs that feed fittingly into the album's occult aesthetic. A track such as "All Your Sins" could almost be a demo of an unused track from "Master of Reality" - and I mean that in the best possible way. The quickest tracks are where the band depart most from the accepted doom aesthetic with "Sign of the Wolf (Pentagram)" or "Relentless" kicking out riffs more reminiscent of "Stained Class"-era Judas Priest than "Master of Reality" or "Saint Vitus" and closer "20 Buck Spin" is essentially straight-up hard rock or heavy psych at best. Now this isn't an issue for me per se, being a big fan of late-70's Priest and early 70's heavy psych, but I must admit that the doomier stuff such as "The Ghoul" and "All Your Sins" are where it scores highest with me.
"Pentagram" must really be viewed as a band with a lengthy history finally getting to release their material in full-length form and can possibly be viewed as them 'clearing the decks' so that they could move forward now that they had a record deal. It must be put into context that, despite the emergence of bands like Saint Vitus and Trouble, "Pentagram" was released into a musical environment dominated by the aggressive high energy assault of thrash or the sleazy decadence of glam metal and didn't gain a huge following first time around, recognition not coming until the Peaceville re-release in the early Nineties. Personally, as an old 70s vintage metalhead, I think there are some good tracks here and, despite it's 1980s release date, it gives a perspective on the metal underground from the 70's that not everyone is necessarily au fait with, so it should at least be given some acknowledgement and respect within doom circles as well as the wider context of metal history.
4/5
Ministry - "Twitch" (1986)
I hadn't heard the sophomore record from these Chicago industrial metal legends since way back in the early 1990's but this revisit has seen me remembering "Twitch" is not half bad actually, this time taking the band's early synthpop roots & combining them with industrial rock for a sound that straddles both EBM & electro-industrial. The tracklisting suffers a little from inconsistency though with a couple of flat inclusions (see "All Day Remix" & "My Possession") taking some of the gloss off of high-quality material like "We Believe" & album highlight "The Angel". Al Jourgensen's vocals are generally very effective & I really enjoy the techy dance music components which are arranged to give them maximum effect. I feel that "Twitch" is too regularly overlooked by Ministry fans as it's arguably a more interesting release than anything I've heard from Al since the mid-1990's.
For fans of Front 242, Skinny Puppy & Cabaret Voltaire.
3.5/5
Metallica - "72 Seasons" (2023)
I've certainly taken my time getting to Metallica's latest full-length but that's perhaps no surprise when you consider that I haven't enjoyed any of their albums since the Black Album way back in 1991. Things were looking up early in my initial listening experience though with Rhino Bucket guitarist Greg Fidelman's crisp & well-separated production job giving this material the chance to fully capitalize on any merit that can be found in the song-writing. The first three songs are all pretty decent too so there was some reason for optimism. Sadly though, despite being arguably the best record Metallica have produced since 1991, "72 Seasons" suffers from many of the same misguided failings as 2016's "Hardwired...to Self-Destruct".
With twelve lengthy songs spread across a gargantuan 77-minute run time, this record is incredibly self-indulgent with every idea being milked for far longer than it has any right to be. There are also more losses than there are wins here, although admittedly none of those losses are as bad as the weaker inclusions on some of their other post-Black Album releases. The tightness in the performances is part of the reason for that as this is a clinically produced record that's been meticulously compiled to be as perfect as it's humanly possible to be with each component having been layered in just the right pocket. Unfortunately, the age of the various band members is certainly showing at this point though. Jame Hetfield's vocals have been pretty annoying for a long time with little of the aggression of a record like "...And Justice For All". Lars' drumming is very basic & quite rocky, seemingly attempting to emulate AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd a lot of the time which may suit the crunchy hard rock-infused production job but was never going to afford the riffs maximum metallic incision. And Kirk's guitar solos are incredibly uninspired, seemingly having been phoned in & offering nothing much to enhance the song-writing. There are a couple of stretches that have seen me enjoying myself though &, like with all of Metallica's modern-day records, those stretches live up to their name by squeezing every last drop of value out of their instrumental & vocal hooks. The opening three songs mentioned earlier are backed up by the one-two punch of "Chasing Light" & my album highlight "If Darkness Had A Son" to give me some sort of respite from the drearier material like "Crown of Barbed Wire" & "Too Far Gone?".
Overall, this isn't a horrible Metallica record but it's not one that I'd recommend to anyone either. It's just another example of how this ridiculously popular band has become so incredibly detached from their original fanbase & any sort of reality with self-indulgence being the driving force behind their ongoing existence. Despite the inclusion of a couple of thrashers here & there, I've long since accepted that Metallica are no longer a thrash metal band per se so it's not about that. "72 Seasons" simply isn't a high-quality heavy metal album when compared with the rest of the modern-day global metal market so it's not deserving of the attention it's received from an audience that is unwilling to dive deeper than what's fed to them by the commercial media.
For fans of mid-90's Megadeth, "The Ritual"-era Testament & post-2000 Anthrax.
3/5
Primitive Man - "Observance" (2025)
Primitive Man vocalist and guitarist, Ethan Lee McCarthy recently described the figure in the artwork for the bands fourth full length album as being indicative of him holding onto a snake that represents his struggle with depression and how for some days, he must hold onto that snake to stop it from getting out of control. If you needed any introduction to OBSERVANCE, then that’s about the best summary for what awaits us all on the seven tracks the Denver trio have committed to tape. Anyone who has caught sight of the disturbing video to lead track ‘Social Contract’ will have had a sneak peek into the truly horrendous view of the world that Primitive Man have. Their latest album does nothing to enlighten that outlook, despite it being billed in some quarters as their most positive album to date. Make no mistake folks, artistic flourishes aside, this is ugly music for equally ugly times.
The seemingly unfathomable depths of the cavernous vocals of ELM echo around the empty abyss of ignorance, division and hatred present in many of our societies today. Once again deploying noise alongside the sludge and doom elements, OBSERVANCE sounds like a modern record. It emits a sense of being written against a backdrop of real-world problems, and of that real world being oppressive and lacking any visible semblance of goodwill. The jangling guitar for the first three-and-a-half-minutes of ‘Devotion’ sounds like an extended noise rock intro that runs for a torturous period. For some listeners this might go on for too long, but it’s almost inescapable presence is representative perhaps of the things may of us cannot hide from. Broken relationships in broken neighbourhoods in a broken society.
Embracing OBSERVANCE is perhaps the only way to truly be able to pass any judgement on it. It is genuinely like the snake that ELM describes, except for the listener this is not something for us to hold any sense of control over. I can connect with the imagery, just as I can the music and as such, OBSERVANCE is already on a solid footing within a matter of just a couple of tracks. Like the Mares of Thrace album, LOSS from earlier this year, even though I cannot in all honesty allude to experiencing on a personal level much of what makes up the content of these tracks, despite these cultural, social, political and emotional differences, I attain the human sense of their importance to Primitive Man and their wider audience.
Credit must go to the performance of drummer Joseph D. Linden. His patterns follow their own free will for most of the record. If anything, it is the riffing consistency that provides traceable rhythm on the album. Often when listening to the album, I have found myself playing some kind of cat and mouse game with the drums. Expectant of a hit, only to be caught out by another less than predictable expanse of percussion. For a band who base a lot of their impact on repetition, this is truly an unexpected twist. I cannot neglect to pass comment on the importance of bassist Jonathan P. Campos either. His rumbling and brooding bass is the real underlay to the hellish textures on which OBSERVANCE treads. The “new” elements of melody and lighter tones are not as obvious to me, having never listened to a full-length from PM before this. I would be lying if I said that they standout for me, even after multiple listens, as being noteworthy. That is not levelled as a criticism either, more as a reflection of how well everything does fit together on the album.
A lengthy album justifies a lengthy review it seems. There is a sense that OBSERVANCE has lots more to it that I could describe but, in the end, there is no getting away from how gloriously bleak it is. Although I would hazard a guess that for some this barrage of hopelessness would be too much, I doubt anyone familiar with PM is coming to this record expecting spade after spade of positivity.
From ‘Natural Law’:
With the holiest gasoline in the sea
I will burn their ships down
A prayer of hatred, a spell of revenge
4.5/5
Heteropsy - "Embalming" (2025)
Japanese doom death merchants, Heteropsy (interestingly meaning relying on the observations of others who have previously examined something) have only released EPs to date. Embalming is their first full length after five years of existence. Based on the four listens I have now completed with the record, those five years have been well spent, honing and developing a potent sounding death metal sound that embraces a multitude of influences. Often, they will switch up styles mid-track, exhibiting a degree of skill in doing so very cleanly. They aren’t many modern death metal bands kicking about that can deliver what Heteropsy do, let me tell you.
Upon first listen, I was unsure of there being much in the way of doom death credentials. I located very quickly the Swedish death metal crunch in the riffs, obviously. What I did find myself wondering was if they were cloning fellow countrymen, Coffins. If I am honest, I have very little experience of Coffins and so I am spinning a few of their tracks whilst I write up this review. Similarities exist, yes. However, there is no cloning happening here to my ears at least. I am impressed by the variation on show during Embalming more than anything. It is much more than just a doom death record with some nods to Swedish death metal. There is a distinct heavy metal vibe to some of the leads (as early on as the intro track in fact) and the quartet’s palette stretches to incorporate frantic death metal on the likes of ‘The Sodomizer’, a true doom death trudge on ‘Asphyxia’ before sharing some exquisite Autopsy squall on the same track also.
The band describe their sound as “mourning death metal”, a mix of their favourite death metal sounds. Whatever the moniker is that is being adopted to describe their sound, Heteropsy know how to blend their influences superbly. Whilst overall I sense their pacing is less laboured than Coffins, they can still conjure up transcendental guitars on my album highlight, ‘Memento Mori’ as well as creating a superb atmosphere during the build-up on ‘Methadone’, combining slow picked strings and white noise to great effect. The album artwork is the only real area of concern of me but that shaves nothing of the rating here. The scores are kept away from perfection by a couple of tracks that seem to meander a bit. ‘Seventh Damnation’ takes its sweet time to get going and even when in full flow, still seems to flounder somewhat. Album closer, ‘Old Friends’ heralds equal, unrealised promise too unfortunately. Still, for a debut record, there is plenty to marvel at.
4/5
I thought I'd give Jeff Abbott another crack after enjoying "An Ambush of Widows" recently & I feel very similar about this 355-page murder mystery/who-done-it style thriller. It had me completely captivated until it dumped all of its secrets on me all at once at the end which nullified some of the value in the clever plot twists in my opinion.
We smashed out season 2 of "Nobody Wants This" this week after enjoying season one recently. This show is centered around the unlikely relationship between an outspoken, agnostic woman and an unconventional rabbi & is pretty decent too, even though nothing really happens & season two is essentially a rehash of season one. I have to admit that I have a bit of Kristen Bell thing going though after really digging "The Good Place" earlier this year.
The D.O.C. - "No One Can Do It Better" (1989)
The debut full-length from this West Coast hip hop MC & it's a pretty decent one too, although I can't prescribe to the praise it seems to receive in some circles these days.
For fans of EPMD, Eric B. & Rakim & Ice-T.
3.5/5
Solitude Aeturnus - "Through the Darkest Hour" (1994)
This is the fourth studio album I've heard from what has become my favourite epic doom metal band of all time these days & it's another high-quality release, even if it may be the least impressive of the four so far. I simply cannot get enough of the combination of front man Robert Lowe & the shredding metal guitar work of John Perez. Unfortunately though, there aren't enough genuine classics included to see me reaching for the upper echilon of my rating system, closing power ballad "Shattered My Spirit" being the clear exception.
For fans of Candlemass, Crypt Sermon & Solstice.
4/5
Here's my adjusted Top Ten Epic Doom Metal Releases of All Time list with Lord Vigo's "Danse de noir" dropping out altogether:
01. Solitude Aeturnus - "Beyond the Crimson Horizon" (1992)
02. Solitude Aeturnus - "Alone" (2006)
03. Candlemass - "Nightfall" (1987)
04. Solitude Aeturnus - "Into the Depths of Sorrow" (1991)
05. Candlemass - "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" (1986)
06. Isole - "Bliss of Solitude" (2008)
07. Solitude Aeturnus - "Through the Darkest Hour" (1994)
08. Solstice - "New Dark Age" (1998)
09. Candlemass - "Candlemass Live" (1990)
10. Candlemass - "Ancient Dreams" (1988)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/186
Various Artists - "Whom the Moon a Nightsong Sings" (2010)
A highly regarded double dark folk compilation that certainly has its moments, even if it is heavily driven by the highlight tracks which can be nothing short of transcendent. I absolutely adore Havnatt's "Dagen og natta" (which reminds me heavily of early The Third & the Mortal) & the wonderfully dark fourteen-minute closer in Syven's "How Fare the Gods?" in particular. There are a few duds along the way but they're comfortably overcome by the soothing atmosphere which emphatically takes me to parts of the world that I have never been before i.e. Scandinavia.
For fans of Empyrium, Current 93 & Of The Wand & The Moon.
4/5
Dark Throne - "Soulside Journey" (1991)
The early Darkthrone demo tapes were fairly underwhelming in my opinion but they started to hit on something of interest with 1989's "Cromlech" cassette which I've always quite liked. Thankfully, they managed to take that promise a step further with their debut full-length which I first encountered through late-night underground metal radio programming & subsequently hunted down through my tape trading circles before the stylistic change to black metal. "Soulside Journey" obviously showcases a very different Darkthrone (or Dark Throne as they were known at the time) to the one who would virtually single-handedly be responsible for the Second Wave of Black Metal boom just a year later but that's not to say that it's not an essential release for extreme metal fans because they were already quite accomplished song-writers by this stage. Fenriz's drumming is the clear highlight here & he shows himself to possess some more than decent chops & some pretty progressive ideas. The music is very much in line with the Swedish death metal sound that was so popular at the time however Dark Throne gave it a more melodic edge while still maintaining that lovely graveyard atmosphere. Nocturno Culto's vocals are very good & you can easily tell it's the same man who would produce such grim performances on future albums, even if they are a little deeper & more deathly. Overall, "Soulside Journey" has stood the test of time very well. It may not be the equal of the next four Darkthrone records but I'd still suggest that it should be essential listening for fans of the band & it'll also keep all of our The Horde members interested too.
For fans of Carnage, Entombed & Cenotaph.
4/5
Vladislav Delay - "Multila" (2000)
A really deep, ambient compilation of dub techno material from a prolific Finnish producer who would go on to release important records across a variety of different EDM subgenres. The best moments are generally found when there's a bit more structure employed, particularly when the beats are a little dancier like they are on the 22-minute epic "Huone" (my album highlight). Occasionally things descend into mush but generally I find easily enough to enjoy in the dense atmospheres on offer here.
For fans of Pole, Basic Channel & GAS.
4/5
Sleep - "The Sciences" (2018)
It's taken me some time to get to the latest full-length from these San Jose-based stoner doom merchants but it's been thoroughly worth the wait. I really enjoyed their two biggest records in 1992's "Sleep's Holy Mountain" & 2003's "Dopesmoker" but this one may be my new favourite Sleep record, taking everything I've dug about the band & celebrating it in a way that only the most seasoned & professional of acts can manage. As usual, it's the more cerebral & psychedelic moments that suit me best with instrumental closer "The Botanist" being my album highlight but there's not a weak track amongst the six on offer here & there's plenty in the way of simple yet crushingly heavy doom riffs too.
For fans of Electric Wizard, Om & High On Fire.
4/5
Hermann Nitsch - "Island: Eine Sinfonie in 10 Sätzen" (1980)
There are times when all serious music lovers subject themselves to long periods of aural pain in the interest of expanding their musical horizons & that is exactly what I've done this week while sitting through a full three active listens to this 3 hour 43 minute experimental release from Austrian composer Hermann Nitsch. "Island" is built on a concept that combines the early drone sound with modern classical arrangements however it regularly crosses over the border between music/art & meaningless noise for long periods, leaving the vast majority of listeners wondering just what in the actual fuck they're listening to with the sounds being emitted from the speakers often resembling the members of five symphony orchestras all warming up through completely disparate exercises before a show. When it comes together, you get some deep, unusual & quite cerebral drones but when it doesn't it's just a total mess &, given the really long track durations, you're stuck with it for what seems like an eternity before the next piece shows up, often providing more of the same. The length of this release is absolutely absurd as there are nowhere near enough different ideas to sustain even half of the run time. I'm afraid this one has just gone straight over my head, despite my enjoyment of a few of the thirteen pieces.
For fans of John Cage, Cornelius Cardew & Terry Riley.
2/5
Autechre - "Amber" (1994)
1993's "Incunabula" debut album was an incredible way to start Autechre's recording career & has been an all-time favourite of mine for around 25 years now. If anything, the 1994 sophomore record "Amber" is even better though & cemented this Manchester duo as a truly elite artist in my musical journey.
For fans of Aphex Twin, B12 & LFO.
4.5/5