With Diadem of 12 Stars, the debut album of Wolves In The Throne Room, appeared on 7 February 2006.
As vocal supporters of left-wing politics, ecofeminism, and environmentalism, the US trio's rejection of black metal conventions and their transformation of sadness and alienation into something fundamentally positive and life-affirming made them outcasts among the outsiders.
04. (A Shimmering Radiance) Diadem of 12 Stars
Yellow Eyes – Confusion Gate [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]
By Samguineous Maximus
Romantic sublimity. It’s the idea that something in nature or art can be both wondrous and terrifying. Few bands capture this feeling as vividly as Yellow Eyes. Led by the Skarstad brothers, the New York band has explored this duality across their catalog—from the more straightforward black metal of Silence Threads the Evening’s Cloth (2012) and Sick With Bloom (2015), to the atmospheric and dissonant soundscapes of Immersion Trench Reverie (2017) and Rare Field Ceiling (2019), and even the dungeon synth/dark ambient territory of Master’s Murmur (2023). Throughout these records, their alien guitar work, uncanny melodic sense, ability to craft music that is both beautiful and oppressive, and obsessive attention to aesthetic detail have made Yellow Eyes one of the most exciting contemporary black metal acts. Now, 6 years removed from their last “proper” black metal record, Yellow Eyes have returned with Confusion Gate, a surprise release and one of the last albums on the legendary underground label Gilead Media. They’ve also casually released one of the best black metal albums of the decade.
The best way to describe Confusion Gate is that Yellow Eyes have returned to a more traditional atmospheric black metal sound, but have taken with them all of the lessons from the albums they’ve produced since. Compositions are expansive and built on the standard black metal foundation (blast beats, tremelos, kvlt shrieking) but are imbued with a stunning sense of hypnotic melody from synths, nature sound effects, and layers of luminous guitars. The classic Krallice-like Skarstad guitar work, which defies all conventional logic, appears plenty here, but it’s nested in a sea of gorgeous harmonies. Songs introduce motifs, develop them, and return to them in a way that resembles classical composition, creating a cohesive and deeply textured sonic journey. Confusion Gate captures the Thoreau-tinged naturalism from Cascadian black metal legends Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room, runs them through the kaleidoscopic filter of Trhä, and finishes them with the distinctive melodic dissonance of Yellow Eyes. The result is an immaculate realization of the band’s sound that feels at once familiar and utterly novel.
In many ways, Confusion Gate feels like the full realization of the potential hinted at by Master’s Murmur. Several standout tracks (“Brush the Frozen Horse,” “Suspension Moon,” “I Fear the Master’s Murmur”) interpolate haunting melodies from their 2023 dungeon synth album gorgeously, elevating them to sublime heights at the center of these dynamic and powerful compositions. Combined with a series of subdued interludes, the record takes on the shape of a complete, carefully sculpted work. Across full listens, I find myself lulled into a dark, reflective haze by the album’s more brooding passages (“The Scent of Black Mud,” “A Forgotten Corridor”), only to be jolted awake by moments of startling beauty. For an hour-plus black metal album, there are no pacing issues, just a masterful display of contrast and tension that culminates in the breathtaking, blissful climax of the title track. All of this is rendered with a warm, crunchy analog texture, the result of a fully self-recorded and self-produced effort that defiantly rejects the oppressive polish of so many modern releases. Every synth line, kick drum hit, and ethereal guitar figure feels alive and organic in a way few contemporary records do.
It’s hard for me to adequately convey my thoughts on Confusion Gate because Yellow Eyes has produced a record that transcends the traditional logic that we analyze music with. When I’m listening to this album, I just experience a raw outpouring of feeling and emotion beyond what most art has the ability to convey. It’s a stunning achievement that stands as a testament to the sheer pathos music can conjure and it’s one of the best black metal records of the decade.
Songs To Check Out: “Brush the Frozen Horse,” “The Thought of Death,” “I Fear the Master’s Murmur,” “Confusion Gate”
#2025 #Agalloch #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #ConfusionGate #GileadMedia #Krallice #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #Trhä #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #YellowEyes
Stuck in the Filter: September 2025’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
At last, a burst of cool calms the blood after a brutal summer, and the leaves are turning. Which means I was able to recruit a bunch of grubby little leaf-lookers off the highway to serve as minions to my ever-needy Filter! With a temporarily replenished staff of fools who are unwittingly risking their lives for mere nuggets, I conduct with renewed vigor the search for quality finds.
Today, I bring you those finds, in all of their sparkly glory. WITNESS THEM!
Kenstrosity’s Jaunty Juke
Jordsjuk // Naglet til livet [September 19th, 2025 – Indie Recordings]
The lack of conversation I’ve seen surrounding this Norwegian black metal riff machine is highly disconcerting. Brought to my attention by my wonderfully wise—and devilshly handsome—owlpal1 from… GASP… another blog, Jordsjuk’s debut LP Naglet til livet has my spine whipping to a fro from the onset of ripping opener “Kollaps.” The whiplash doesn’t stop there as thrashy numbers “Grovt skadeverk” and “Skreddersøm” body me against several walls and even a couple of ceilings. For 36 relentless minutes, with only one song pushing the four minute mark, Naglet til livet is an unqualified triumph of editing and tight, effective songwriting. My immediate comparison is 2007-2013 Skeletonwitch, but some of these riffs, like the turbobangers on “Parasitt,” “Rottebitt,” “Klarhet og dybde,” and “Rennestein,” give those hallowed skellybois a serious run for their money. When they aren’t thrashing, Jordsjuk shift into a dour, but still ravenous black metal shadow. Wraiths like “Riv skorpen av såret” and “Svikter din neste” showcase this looming character quite well, and prove Jordsjuk to be dynamic, versatile songwriters. In short, Naglet til livet is a raucous good time for anyone craving black metal with sharp teeth and limitless energy.
Baguette’s Bouncy Blessing
Arjen Anthony Lucassen // Songs No One Will Hear [September 12th, 2025 – Inside Out Music]
A year without an Arjen record would be a much lesser one. It’s not often the crazy Dutchman reuses a non-Ayreon project title, but here we have his fourth solo album becoming the second under the full Arjen Anthony Lucassen name! Dropping 13 years after the previous one, Songs No One Will Hear announces the end of the world is a mere five months away, its tracks depicting the resulting stages of chaos, disarray, and human silliness. It doesn’t fall far off the catchy and melodic Arjen tree but casts a wider net than prior prog rock adventures. Much of the record reflects different eras of Ayreon, including the ’70s prog whimsy of Into the Electric Castle (“Dr. Slumber’s Blue Bus”) and the fun ’80s metal edge of The Source (“Goddamn Conspiracy”). Closing epic “Our Final Song” is a microcosm of his musical breadth, shapeshifting from Jethro Tull flute shenanigans to analog synth ambience to dramatic riff bombast at will. But it’s “The Clock Ticks Down” that steals the spotlight, marking a brief return to the dark, somber grit of Guilt Machine and 01011001. It’s an unusually normal-sized album from Mr. Lucassen as well, the regular, unnarrated version being only 46 minutes and change. A condensed, jovial jack-of-all-trades showcase with many of the usual great guest musician and vocalist selections! And it’s always nice to hear him sing more, too.
Thus Spoke’s Lurid Leftovers
Fauna // Ochre and Ash [September 26th, 2025 – Lupus Lounge/Prophecy Productions]
It’s been 13 years since Cascadian black metal duo Fauna released Avifauna, to quiet yet great acclaim. Given their preoccupation with human prehistory, they might just be operating on a larger timescale than you or I. Ochre and Ash—the two main ingredients used in ancient cave paintings—is an attempt to invoke the spirit of forgotten ceremonies during which the stories of the people were immortalised on stone. Building on an atmospheric black metal base familiar in their better-known exemplars Wolves in the Throne Room and Agalloch, Fauna give Ochre and Ash a distinctive edge by roaming further afield into the experimental. For every metal-dominated track (“Nature & Madness,” “Labyrinths,” “Eternal Return”), there is an ambient, decidedly unsettling counterpart (“A Conjuring,” “Femoral Sun,” “Mockery”), and the latter are not interludes, but integral parts of the ritual. Each infuses skin-prickling drone with eerie chimes and rattles, and uncomfortable vocalisations ranging from moans and wails to laughter and the howling, yipping cries of animals—or humans mimicking them. In their repetition of haunting, hollow sounds, they are both frightening and trance-inducing. Ochre and Ash’s metallic segments are no less ominous, treading as they do between confrontationally turbulent atmoblack2 and diSEMBOWELMENT-adjacent death doom that puts me right back in the void of madness last year’s Spectral Voice generated. This is not a casual listen, and Fauna could have helped it a bit with some editing, as the weirdness combined with an excessive 70-minute runtime makes some longer passages feel tired and could be off-putting to some. Still, it’s an experience I’d recommend trying at least once.
Spicie Forrest’s Sautéed Surplus
Piece // Rambler’s Axe [September 5th, 2025 – This Charming Man Records]
Finding gym metal has always proven difficult for me. It’s not about the fastest or loudest, but about striking a balance between weight and pace. Rambler’s Axe fits the bill nicely. Influenced by the likes of Crowbar and High on Fire, these Berlin-based doomsters peddle raucous and sludgy heavy metal. There’s a bit of Conan in Piece’s DNA, too, making sure to worship each riff long enough for you to make it through any given set. Beefy basslines and aggressive, chiseled drums make it easy to drop into a groove and get your pump on. Faster cuts like “Demigod” and “Rambler’s Axe” go great with chest flies and leg press, but they’ve got tracks for bench press and deadlifts too. “Bastard Sword” and “Owl Eyes” rumble forward like the slow but inevitable rise of the barbell at max weight. Whether marching or running, baritone shouts like tank treads hang over riffs just looking for an excuse to blow off steam. Whatever your reason for visiting the glorious house of gains, Piece has your soundtrack covered.
Heruvim // Mercator [September 12th, 2025 – Self-Release]
As each passing year leaves the almighty Bolt Thrower further in the past, the yearning for that sound grows. I was quite surprised to find a small amount of solace in Heruvim, hailing from Odesa, Ukraine. I say small solace, because debut LP Mercator is more than just a clone. Augmented with the unsettling atmosphere of early Pestilence and the vocal malevolence of Sinister, this platter of old school death metal carves its own niche in a storied scene. Off-kilter leads bubble up and spew out of a murky, tarred rhythm section like prehistoric gases in a primordial soup (“Gnosis,” “Lacrimae Rerum”). Lachrymose, doom-laden passages and violent death threats trade back and forth, anchored by volatile blast beats and percussive assaults in the vein of Cannibal Corpse (“Nulla Res,” “Mercator”). Stitched together with eerie, short-and-sweet interludes, Mercator’s lean 30 minutes fly by and always leave me itching for more. Heruvim riffs on a slew of classic sounds, creating a casual brutality and primal barbarism that is both compelling and uniquely their own.
ClarkKent’s Melodic Monstrosities
Galundo Tenvulance // Insomnis Somnia [September 17th, 2025 – Spiritual Beast Records]
Falling somewhere between symphonic deathcore acts Assemble the Chariots and Grimnis enters Japan’s Galundo Tenvulance. On their second full-length LP, Insomnis Somnia, the sextet demonstrates raw power and frenetic energy throughout its 41-minute runtime. Songs are anchored by catchy melodic leads, atmospheric symphonies, and punishing, relentless kitwork (no drummer is credited, so hopefully it’s not programmed). Galundo Tenvulance’s new vocalist, Sao, delivers the goods, bringing a spirited energy to her performance that elevates the already terrific material. While the symphonics don’t quite elevate the music the same way they do for Assemble the Chariots, it’s the melodic riffs that make these guys stand out. “Noble Rot” is the highlight, with a killer lead riff that uses harmonics to add just that extra bit of oomph. Other highlights include the catchy “Regret Never Sleeps,” evoking Character-era Dark Tranquillity, and “In The Realms of the Unreal,” which demonstrates their ability to transform solos into surprising melodies. This might be too good to have landed in the filter, but with my TYMHM slots filled up, it’s better than nothing.
Mortal Scepter // Ethereal Dominance [September 9th, 2025 – Xtreem Music]
As if we didn’t have enough thrash floating in the filter, French outfit Mortal Scepter finds itself as yet another piece of thrash dredged from the muck. This quartet has been around since 2012, yet Ethereal Dominance is only their second full-length release. Their sound lands somewhere between the melodic thrash of Bloodletter and the mania of Deathhammer—though a touch less zany. The persistent level of energy these bands can maintain never ceases to amaze me. While the constant beat of drum blasts threatens to make thrash songs sound too similar, the variety of melodies Mortal Scepter delivers ensures that things never grow repetitive. They have a raw, blackened sound that feels immediate and in your face. Drummer Guillaume keeps an impressive pace with fresh-sounding, nonstop blast beats, while vocalist Lucas Scellier snarls with enthusiasm, with a voice comparable to Deathhammer’s Sergeant Salsten. However, it’s the guitars by Maxime and Scellier that really bring the band to life, from the noodly melodies to the dynamic, lengthy, and impressive solos on each song. These guys prove they are more than just simple thrash metallers on the epic thrash, ten-minute finale, “Into the Wolves Den,” which uses a mix of tempo shifts and hooky melodies to make the song just fly by. With this second LP under their belts, these guys have proven themselves an exciting newish band on the thrash scene.
Grin Reaper’s Woodland Windfall
Autrest // Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves [September 5th, 2025 – Northern Silence Productions]
Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves merges atmospheric black metal with nature, resuming Autrest’s vision from debut Follow the Cold Path. Like Saor or Falls of Rauros, stunning melodies play across untamed backdrops that stir heartstrings in unexpected ways. Ethereal keys, mournful strings, and rapid-fire tremolos impeccably capture Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves’ autumnal artwork, bringing Autrest’s imagery to life. Harsh vocals sit back in the mix, evoking windswept trees as cool harvest gusts leach branches of color, while sporadic baritone cleans add variation. “Lobos (Offering)” sets the stage with melancholic guitar plucks bolstered by forlorn strings, giving way to a controlled spark as “Ashes from the Burning Embers” ratchets up roiling vigor. Through forty-two minutes, Autrest expertly guides listeners across shifting landscapes that are delightful in their earnestness. Mastermind Matheus Vidor establishes himself as a preeminent architect of mood, channeling transitions from gentle, wonder-filled serenity to unyielding wrath. The dynamic between aggression and introspection is marvelous, permeating the album with emotion. While I could understand a complaint that some songs blur together, the spirit of Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves is never stale or disposable. Rather, Autrest has taken what began two years ago and enriched it, composing an ode to self-discovery and transformation.3 My own experience with the music conjures wilderness’s last hurrah before succumbing to winter’s embrace. As days grow shorter and temperatures drop,4 I encourage you to seek refuge and draw warmth from these Burning Embers.
Dolphin Whisperer’s Very Not Late Novella
Sterveling // Sterveling [September 26th, 2025 – Self Release]
Between the world of atmospheric and post-tinged black metal, there exists a twisted form of progressive music that teeters about brooding moods and crackling tones to explore shrieking sadness and profound sorrow. Michiel van der Werff (Prospectors, Weltschmerz), primary Dutch proprietor of Sterveling, places his expressive guitar runs and lurching rhythm clangs in the company of trusted friends to carry out his tortured, baroque vision of black metal. Against the hissing design of synth maestro and Prospectors bandmate Matthias Ruijgrok, a fullness and warping warmth pervades the spacious amp textures and muscular rhythmic framework of each piece. And through the bloodied cries of Weltschmerz bandmate Hreim, a vocal lightning flashes to illuminate the nooks between pulsing synth lines and deathly bursts of full tremolo assault. In three longform pieces, all still totaling a generous forty-two minutes, Sterveling tints a monochrome narrative with vibrant shades from thoughtful tones and well-timed, emotional escalations. Committed to each careful iteration on a melody, the woven Sterveling web grows ever stickier with every passing moment, none of the ten-minute-plus excursions ever feeling even close to their declared runtimes. And with a sound construction that hits delicate yet forceful, creaking yet incising, it’s easy to wander through several journeys on this debut outing before realizing what time has passed. Fans of equally forlorn acts like Tongues or Andalvald will feel more at home here than others. But with a tonal palette that’s as inviting as it is crushing, Sterveling should attract the ears of fans across the extreme spectrum.
#2025 #agalloch #americanMetal #andavald #arjenAnthonyLucassen #assembleTheChariots #atmosphericBlackMetal #autrest #ayreon #blackMetal #bloodletter #boltThrower #brazillianMetal #burningEmbersForgottenWolves #cannibalCorpse #conan #crowbar #darkTranquillity #deathDoom #deathMetal #deathcore #deathhammer #disembowelment #doomMetal #dutchMetal #etherealDominance #fallsOfRauros #fauna #frenchMetal #galundoTenvulance #grimnis #guiltMachine #heruvim #highOnFire #independentRelease #indieRecordings #insideoutMusic #insomnisSomnia #japaneseMetal #jethroTull #jordsjuk #lupusLounge #melodicBlackMetal #melodicDeathMetal #melodicThrashMetal #mercator #mortalScepter #nagletTilLivet #northernSilenceProductions #norwegianMetal #ochreAndAsh #pestilence #piece #postBlackMetal #progressiveBlackMetal #progressiveMetal #progressiveRock #prophecyProductions #ramblersAxe #review #reviews #saor #selfRelease #selfReleased #sep25 #sinister #skeletonwitch #sludge #sludgeMetal #songsNoOneWillHear #spectralVoice #sterveling #stuckInTheFilter #stuckInTheFilter2025 #symphonicDeathcore #thisCharmingManRecords #thrashMetal #tongues #ukrainianMetal #wolvesInTheThroneRoom
Thaumaturgy – Pestilential Hymns Review
By Spicie Forrest
Changing your sound must be equal parts thrilling and intimidating. On the one hand, it’s an opportunity to explore and flex your creative muscles, to see what else you can do. On the other hand, it may alienate your listeners, but more simply, it may just be unsuccessful. This is the crossroads at which we find Kansas-based Thaumaturgy. While their debut, Tenebrous Oblations, was a cavernous voyage through Mortiferum’s lightless catacombs, sophomore effort Pestilential Hymns, is a notable departure from that sound. Founder KT has brought on the equally mysterious TG and DS to realize this new sound.1 Is this evolution a confident step forward or an ill-conceived stumble?
Thaumaturgy’s sophomore effort is indeed a big change from their debut, but it’s got the same bones. The reverberous cobwebs that swaddled Tenebrous Oblations may be gone, but the murky, serpentine structures remain, often taking on a blackened char in the clearer production. “The Oncologist’s Hymn” and “Awaken Ares” showcase this well, employing textures that evoke SVRM or Wolves in the Throne Room, although more sinuous than Cascadian. Pestilential Hymns further departs from its predecessor with new vocalist, TG. KT still provides deep, cavernous roars as a backing vocalist, but TG looks to Death and Pestilence for inspiration, employing more howl than scream or growl. This would be concerning were it not for the added classic death/thrash riffcraft of those forebearers that complements TG’s performance. The last major change in Thaumaturgy’s sound is the inclusion of synths, most often used to augment or reinforce the atmosphere fostered by their newly blackened edge (“Plague Ritual,” “Neuroticism Triumphant”).
The deployment of these new elements on Pestilential Hymns is a bit of a mixed bag. Riffs and leads seared black bring a compelling gothic tone to the album that pairs well with that classic death metal sound (“Forced March”). Thaumaturgy’s two main styles—classic death and cavernous death—largely alternate as TG and KT pass the mic, creating a shifting landscape that keeps me invested through Pestilential Hymns’ 46-minute runtime. This separated approach does, however, encourage comparison between such regimented styles and passages, and I tend to gravitate toward and appreciate one over the other. An approach more melting pot and less mosaic may have alleviated this pain point. In a rare attempt at a more cohesive whole, “Entropic Hegemony” features a great deal of interplay between vocalists, but the Beastie Boys call-and-response style employed can be distracting.
Each element of Thaumaturgy’s new sound holds its own in isolation, but solid combination or incorporation is an area where the band could improve. Synths sprinkled throughout Pestilential Hymns do succeed in establishing atmosphere and evoking intended emotions, but only when embedded within tracks rather than serving as outros to them. Throughout the album, there’s a combined four minutes of synthy outros that don’t do much more than delay the oncoming track or blunt a strong finish (“The Oncologist’s Hymn,” “Awaken Ares,” “Forced March”). Add a handful of instrumental passages that linger overlong (“The Shadow Approaches,” “Plague Ritual”), and bloat and pacing become real issues. This is exacerbated by interlude “An Ignominious End.” I like the atmosphere it builds—I immediately thought of Evoken’s exhausted shuffles—but at 2:30 and as the penultimate track, it kills any momentum leading into the album’s end. Smaller doses of this energy could have been incorporated into the meat of proper tracks to better effect.
Pestilential Hymns feels like a step back from Thaumaturgy’s debut, but one made out of exploration and experimentation. It’s a dip in cohesion, not a dip in quality. Everything here succeeds individually, and the majority does so holistically as well. But there are a few fundamentals—pacing, synthesis, bloat—that this broadened focus neglects. That said, Pestilential Hymns is still a fun listen and shows much promise toward a more unified future vision. My complaints seem easily attributable to growing pains and self-discovery, which, of all possible faults, are among the more commendable ones. And if there’s a choice between taking risks and retreading solid ground, I’ll support evolution every time.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Memento Mori
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 20th, 2025
#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #BeastieBoys #Death #DeathMetal #Evoken #MementoMori #Mortiferum #Oct25 #Pestilence #PestilentialHymns #Review #Reviews #Svrm #Thaumaturgy #WolvesInTheThroneRoom
By Twelve
Cascadian black metal is not a term you hear too often (unless you’re some kind of Cascadian black metal fan who regularly searches the term), but that’s what I was offered when I started looking into Returning. After I was done being enamored by the lovely cover art over there, I had to remind myself what it meant—and when I did, I was more than happy to dive in blind. The sophomore full-length from Numinous, Returning aims at a wild sound, boasting “emotional melodies, introspective ritual elements, and deeply thoughtful lyrics.”1 That checks all of the boxes for me—how does this particular branch of atmospheric black metal hold up to its inspiration and its contemporaries?
The natural imagery and theme to Returning is its most notable quality, and is expressed in several different ways throughout. Black metal this may well be, but it takes several minutes for the metal bit to get started and it makes up less of the album whole than you’d think. Still, I don’t mind a slow build, nor am I opposed to heightened thematic relevance. I don’t mind nature noises, acoustic guitars, plucked passages, tremolo riffs, all of which Numinous happily provide. The ambient passages are reminiscent of Wolves in the Throne Room, while the metal bits remind me, curiously, of October Falls—rough around the edges, but lively and spirited, with the tremolo leads in particular carrying melody and passion in a thematic, evocative way.
If only there were more of them! The lead guitar carries the emotional weight of Numinous, but gets little time to shine throughout, mostly on opener “Sacred Decay.” So much of Returning is dedicated to ambient passages or nature noises; so much of the metal songs use the same-sounding bludgeoning bass riff; and so much of the vocal approach is in a hoarse, not-a-growl, not-a-shout style that doesn’t land for me. When Numinous isn’t rocking an emotive, melodic lead, their music is often blending in with itself, losing memorability and impact. “Offerings to the Great Circle” has some strong ideas: an acoustic build to a thundering riff, an effectively creepy break around the one-third mark. These all represent great moments, but too often, they feel like they’re only moments—here one second, and gone the next, swept up by the next new idea that doesn’t make quite the same impact.
It doesn’t help that the full album is only three songs long, nor that “Offerings to the Great Circle” alone is twenty minutes out of forty-six. The three pieces are fairly distinct from one another, too—”Endless Dance” has no metal in it at all, but rather cycles through traditional drumming, nature samples, Forndom-style strings passages, and finally an acoustic build to the next song. All of this would be fine were the song not eleven minutes long, or maybe if it wasn’t following a thirteen-minute-long black metal song—or if didn’t “end” each time it introduces a new idea (it could easily be three distinct songs, with the acoustic end being far and away the best one). I mentioned earlier that “Offerings to the Great Circle” has some strong moments, but it similarly creaks under its weight, and could have been both shortened and split.2 All of this creates for me an image of an unrealized ambition, a vision Numinous has for Returning that I lost somewhere in the translation.
And it’s an honest shame, because I do think that somewhere or, perhaps, in several places—along the way, this band with a sound I like made some choices that I don’t care for, and now they and I are looking at two different things. The vision, passion, and technical skill are largely present, but as I listen to the four-minute-long ambient outro to “Offerings to the Great Circle” for what will be the final time, I can’t help but feel disappointed by the result.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Bindrune Recordings
Website: bindrunerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/numinous
Releases Worldwide: June 20th, 2025
#20 #2025 #AmericanMetal #BindruneRecordings #BlackMetal #Forndom #Jun25 #Numinous #OctoberFalls #Returning #Review #Reviews #WolvesInTheThroneRoom
Namebearer – Industries of the Fading Sun Review
By Twelve
I’ve a sneaking suspicion that the apocalypse isn’t actually as metal as everyone thinks it is. Can’t explain it, won’t elaborate—that’s just my gut feeling. Despite this, I can’t quite pass up a promo that promises “hazy visions of an apocalyptic world,” as Industries of the Fading Sun does. This album, a purported work of atmospheric black metal from US-based Namebearer, is their debut release and contains all the promise and potential a debut can have within it. How does it stand up to the mighty visions it aims to evoke?
The first thing to notice about Industries of the Fading Sun—the thing that stands out immediately upon pressing play—is the stifling, lo-fi production punch dominating the low end of the record. There’s plenty more to notice as the title track lurches to life, but that fuzzy, thick aura of black metal days gone by that aims right for your throat from second one is the dominating factor. Throughout the song, and indeed the album, this hazy, atmospheric, almost psychedelic quality allows it to blend multiple styles under a roughly black metal umbrella—synths and drawn out guitar leads evoke melodic ideas while the heavy backdrop of riffs give it the promised raw, atmoblack quality. Brian Tenison’s (Eave, Obsidian Tongue) vocals are raspy and vicious, while Brendan Hayter’s (Thrawsunblat, Obsidian Tongue) are clean and straightforward.1 The Blut Aus Nord/Wolves in the Throne Room inspiration is apparent, but put together, Namebearer boasts a sound very much its own.
That’s a win for Industries of the Fading Sun, but you might see it as a drawback too. On an album just barely inching past what we’d call an EP ’round these parts—it doesn’t quite reach the half hour mark—there is a lot going on. “Lumivyöry” is a good example, opening with a sense of urgency—wry tremolos and anguished screaming guide the song through to its halfway mark, where it takes a turn for the dramatic—low, short riffs, clean intoning, narration. From there, a synth lead carries the rest of the song to its end. It’s almost progressive in how unpredictable it is, but it does work, and “Lumivyöry” stands as one of the strongest songs here. On the other hand, it can make it difficult to distinguish individual songs; at first, Industries of the Fading Sun felt more like a long, single song than a collection befitting an album, owing to its comparatively short runtime and the consistency with which its structures, ideas, and paces change.
Ultimately, this disjointed sense of style is the most significant thing that holds Industries of the Fading Sun back. “Black Vein, Atom Drum” is a good example. It’s a grim and brutal piece that rolls and grinds, where the cleanly-sung chorus is the only sense of melody afforded to the whole—which makes it feel out-of-place when you first hear it. Hayter’s synths come in and out of the spotlight sporadically, but dominate “Crystals Distill to New Earth,” ending Industries of the Fading Sun on a very different note from its opener. I’ve already mentioned the strong fuzziness on each song, and the clean singing too, but often these two choices are strongly at odds with each other. Whether through guitars, synths, or singing, most of Namebearer’s melodic impulses fight against the lo-fi, black metal base that naturally takes up most of the listener’s attention—even more strongly than the drumming, which is often swallowed up by the void, robbing the journey of immediacy. Is that an intentional choice? It could well be—Industries of the Black Sun borrows inspiration from quite a few places, but I struggle to definitely name it one thing.
Of course, that’s not a bad thing on its own, but I feel like Industries of the Fading Sun never quite comes together for Namebearer. It aims high and does a lot, but is held back by a lack of cohesion, by seeming to not quite know exactly what it is just yet. The vision is there; hopefully that means there is something stronger on the horizon. There are many promising moments across Industries of the Fading Sun. I would love to hear an album full of them, so I’ll still be keeping an eye out for what Namebearer does next.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self release
Website: namebearer.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: May 2nd, 2025
#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlutAusNord #Eave #IndustriesOfTheFadingSun #May25 #Namebearer #ObsidianTongue #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #Thrawsunblat #WolvesInTheThroneRoom
Stuck in the Filter: November and December 2024’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
Seeing as how it’s already almost February, you must be wondering why we’re still talking about shit from 2024. Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I didn’t give my minions grueling tasks just so that I could not take the glory for their labors. That wouldn’t embody this blog’s continual aspiration of being terrible capitalists! And so, we press on, searching and rescuing worthy—but not too worthy—pledges for the barbaric, Hunger Games-esque event that is Stuck in the Filter.
BEHOLD! Gaze upon these late-year candidates with the appropriate levels of awe, ye ov little consequence!
Kenstrosity’s Wintry Wonders
Caelestra // Bastion [December 13th, 2024 – Self Release]
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For this sponge, I know something is beautiful when it ensnares me into otherworldly environments unlike those which mirrors terrestrial mundanity. UK post-metal one-man act Caelestra specializes in such ethereal worlds, with debut record Black Widow Nebula catching my attention under its blazing miasma of Countless Skies lushness, Astronoidal optimism, and Dreadnought-esque compositional vibrancy. Follow-up Bastion treads much the same path, but with an added emphasis on cathartic spells of intensity reminiscent of current Irreversible Mechanism (“Finisterre”), Kardashev (“Soteria”), or Devin Townsend (“The Hollow Altar”). Balancing these potentially disparate references, mastermind Frank Harper’s compositions flow with an uncanny smoothness without falling into a pit of homogeny. Bastion thereby represents a varied and textured affair built upon compelling guitar leads, unexpected riffs, multifaceted vocal techniques, and athletic percussive movements (“Finisterre,” “Lightbringer,” “The Hollow Altar”). Choosing the long form as Caelestra’s primary vehicle for this musical journey only deepens the experience, as each act offers a wide spectrum of moods, a rich tapestry of characters, and a lush layering of story to enrich any listener’s journey through Bastion (“Lightbringer,” “Eos”). Yet, the whole coheres tightly into a memorable and accessible forty-eight-minute span, easily replayable and effortlessly enjoyable. That, more than anything, makes Bastion a neat little triumph worth checking out.
Earthbound // Chronos [November 26th, 2024 – Self Release]
I have the honor of claiming this find all to my own—something that hasn’t occurred as often this past year as it has in those preceding. Bristol’s Earthbound offer a particular brand of melodic death metal that I want to love more often than I actually do, but they checked all my boxes here. Occupying a space somewhere between Amorphis, Countless Skies, and Dark Tranquillity, Earthbound’s style is simultaneously effervescent, introspective, and crushing on debut record Chronos. Boasting chunky riffs, soaring leads, classic melodeath rhythms, and buttery-smooth baritone vocals, Chronos throws blow after blow for forty-nine minutes of high-engagement material. Looking at standout tracks “A Conversation with God,” “The Architect,” “Cloudburst,” “Aperture,” and “Transmission,” Earthbound’s compelling songwriting tactics and knack for a killer hook recall underappreciated gems by modern contemporaries Rifftera and Svavelvinter. Some of their most accessible moments almost, but not quite, veer into pop-levels of accessibility, further accentuating Earthbound’s infectious energy (“Change,” “Flight,” “Transmission,” “Chasing the Wind”). This works marvelously in Earthbound’s favor, not only making Chronos a joy to listen to in its own right but also impressing me with how polished and professional the band is with only one full-length under the belt. Don’t let this one fall through the cracks!
Flaahgra // Plant Based Anatomy [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]
WWWWOOOOOORRRRRRMMMHHHHHHOOO… wait, what? Oh, no, this is Flaahgra. But, the riffs sound like my beloved Wormhole! What’s going on? Oh, well this explains it. Sanil Kumar of Wormhole fame is responsible for Plant Based Anatomy’s guitar work. Rounded out by Tim “Toothhead” Lodge (bass), Chris Kulak (drums), and Anthony Michelli (vocals), this Baltimore quartet concoct a fast-paced, riff-burdened blunderbuss of gurgling vegan slam meatier than the fattest flank this side of Texas. It may be based around plants (and Metroid), but there are enough muscular grooves, neat lead work, and boisterous percussive rhythms here to keep even the most ravenous death fiend stuffed to the stamen (“Blood Flower,” “Toxic Green Fluid,” “Solar Recharge,” “Plant Based Anatomy”). Oversaturated with killer hooks, Plant Based Anatomy feels every bit as headbangable as this group’s pedigree indicates, but their application is delightfully straightforward, allowing Sanil’s standard-setting slams to shine brightest (“Plant Based Anatomy,” “Garden Cascade,” “Venom Weed Atrocity”). At a lean twenty-five minutes, Plant Based Anatomy rips through my system as efficiently as any grease-laden, overstuffed fast-food chimichanga, leaving just as vivid an impression in its wake. If there was ever a quick and easily digestible example of what differentiates really good slam from two-buck upchuck, Plant Based Anatomy is it. FFFLLAAAAHHHHGGGRRRAAAA!
Tyme’s Time Turners
Solar Wimp // Trails of Light [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]
The richly dense knowledge and tastes of the commentariat here at AMG are a marvel. And despite the long hours of hard work the staff put in writing and keeping Redis at bay, not to mention the gut-wrenching task of pumping the n00b sump pit every Friday1 we continue to scour tons of promo to bring you the best and the rest of all things metal(ish). Invariably, some things trickle up from our most precious readers that deserve more attention than a few rando comments and respects. Such is the case with L.A.’s Solar Wimp. It was during my most recent stint in2 continued n00bdom that I scoped one of our commenters pimping the Wimp‘s who released, sadly to me now, their last album, Trails of Light, in November. As my ears absorbed the immediately quirky dissonance of the opener, “Entwined with Glass,” I was reminded of how blown away I was upon hearing Jute Gyte for the first time, this more due to my un-expectations than anything else. What followed was a journey I happily embarked on through fields of saxophonic freedom (“Strand and Tether”) and forests of long-form avant-garde brilliance (“Shimmer”). The black(ish) metal vocals and tech-jazz guitar histrionics of Jeremy Kerner, combined with Justin Brown’s bassinations and Mark Kimbrell’s drums, imbue so much passion into the music on Trails of Light, it has me guessing Solar Wimp may have very well saved their best for last. While I’m sure you’re ready to move on from 2024, I’d encourage you to dip back into last year’s well for a bit and give Solar Wimp’s Trails of Light a listen or five.
Thus Spoke’s Fallen Fragments
Yoth Iria // Blazing Inferno [November 8th, 2024 – Edged Circle Productions]
Yoth Iria’s sophomore Blazing Inferno arrived with little fanfare, which is a shame because they’re very good at what they do. Their brand of Hellenic black metal even charmed a 3.5 out of GardensTale with their 2021 debut As the Flame Withers. The new album very much picks up where its predecessor left off, in musical content as well as the fact that Yoth Iria clearly have a thing for giant demonic figures dwarfing human civilization. In a refreshingly to-the-point format, the group3 serve up some solid, groovy Satanic triumphalism that belies the relatively diminutive breadth of the songs that contain it. With thundering drums (“In the Tongue of Birds,” “We Call Upon the Elements”), spirited guitar leads (“But Fear Not,” “Mornings of the One Thousand Golds”), and a collection of classic growls, ominous whispers, and cleans, Yoth Iria craft engaging and very enjoyable compositions. Tracks manage to hold atmosphere and presence without detracting from the dopamine-producing tremolo twists and wails of drawn-out melody (title track, “Rites of Blood and Ice,” “Mornings…”) that draw it all together. This is black metal that makes you feel good about allying with the light-bringer. Not in any highbrow way, of course, just with great riffs, the right amount of tension and nuance, and convincingly massive compositions that steer away from the overwrought and cringe-inducing. It’s just plain good.
Botanist // VII: Beast of Arpocalyx [December 6th, 2024 – Self-Release]
Though recorded all the way back in 2016, the music of Beast of Arpocalyx has not seen the light until now. The seventh installment in the esoteric, botanical saga, VII: Beast of Arpocalyx focuses on plants with mythological animal associations. In comparison to last May’s Paleobotany, this is the solo work of founder Otrebor yet the heart of Botanist’s music has never been compromised. The distinctive tones of hammered dulcimer, make the black metal ring—literally and metaphorically—with playful mysticism when they engage in chirruping and cheerful refrains (“Wolfsbane,” “The Barnacle Tree”) and a weird eeriness when they stray into the dissonant (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “Floral Onyx Chiroptera”). Nothing is substantially different here, but Botanist’s style is an enjoyably quirky one that I, at least, am always happy to indulge in. In many ways, this is not far removed from raw black metal, with the prominent chimes of (not always tuneful) melodicism wrapping snarls and rasps in an iridescent veil that makes the psychedelic turns from whimsical peace to urgent and barbed blastbeat aggression (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “The Paw of Anigozanthos”) very compelling, pleasant even. Yeah, it’s kind of weird to hear chorals or synths under blackened rasps and clanging drums, while a dulcimer warbles along. But when the weirdness nonetheless succeeds in developing an atmosphere and inducing a desire to garner a similarly obsessive knowledge of flora, I can’t really complain.
Killjoy’s Atmospheric Attractions
Nishaiar // Enat Meret [December 5, 2024 – Self-Release]
2024 may technically be over, but there were a few releases in December that keep dragging my attention back to last year. First up is Nishaiar from Gondar, Ethiopia, whose sound resides at the unlikely intersection of traditional Ethiopian music, post-black metal, and Enya-style New Age. Coming off an arduous release schedule that yielded an EP and 5 full-lengths in only 4 years, Nishaiar took some extra time to recharge since Nahaxar in 2021. The results are readily apparent–Enat Meret features some of the punchiest material the band has written to date. “Yemelek” combines folk instruments, vibrant male chanting, and rending screams. An important element that elevates Enat Meret is the addition of a full-time female vocalist, whose moniker also happens to be Enat Meret. Her voice ranges from ethereal (“Idil”) to wistful (“Enat Midir”) to commanding (“Beheke”). There is some bloat—intro track “Semayawi” repeats itself for too long and “Awedal” through “Alem” leans too hard into atmosphere to be suitable for active listening. Even so, this is an album unlike any other you’re likely to hear anytime soon.
Atra Vetosus // Undying Splendour [December 20, 2024 – Immortal Frost Productions]
Next up is Atra Vetosus, who came to me by way of rec-master TomazP. Undying Splendour is a captivating work of atmospheric black metal that tempers the wanderlust of Skyforest with the melodic trem-picked fury of Mare Cognitum. It’s stuffed with triumphant, uplifting guitar melodies that contrast compellingly with mournful, anguished shouts and screams. Like a flowing stream, the graceful orchestrations smooth out any rough edges in their path, pairing exceptionally well with the rhythm section in the intro of “Forsaking Dreaded Paths.” The brawny bass lines throughout the album add satisfying oomph and the drumming is constantly engaging with lots of fleeting tempo shifts (“This Fallow Heart”) and expansive tom rolls (“Elysian Echoes”). Atra Vetosus have perfected the difficult art of long-form atmoblack—all the proper songs on Undying Splendour are between 7 and 11 minutes long and, crucially, feel purposeful without meandering. Though atmoblack is often maligned, I’ll happily get behind Atra Vetosus as one of the new standard bearers of the genre at its very best.
Skagos // Chariot Sun Blazing [December 21, 2024 – Self-Release]
They say that good things come to those who wait. Skagos makes an excellent case for this expression with Chariot Sun Blazing, an appropriate title given the tremendous glow-up that the atmospheric black metal group underwent since releasing Anarchic in 2013. While their woodsy black metal has always maintained similarities with the likes of Wolves in the Throne Room (who are also based in Olympia, Washington), this time around the music is infused with a real live string quartet and a two-horn section4. The effects of this additional instrumentation run way more than skin deep; Chariot Sun Blazing feels and flows like an actual symphony. For instance, the combination of the Wagner tuba with guitar plucking in the beginning of “Which in Turn Meet the Sea” evoke a misty morning which gradually warms up with guitar and string crescendos to thaw the leftover frost. The compositions are introspective and intimate, which is refreshing when compared with the usual grandiosity and bombast of symphonic music (metal or otherwise). While there’s nothing wrong with the raspy vocals, this is a rare instance when I would be completely okay if this were an instrumental album. This is an experience absolutely not to be missed.
Dolphin Whisperer’s Late-Blooming Bustles
Alarum // Recontinue [November 8th, 2024 – Self Release]
So many bands in the progressive and technical lanes forget to have fun. Not long, unheralded Australian prog/thrash/jazz fusion-heads Alarum, though. Truth be told, I had forgotten this band existed sometime before their 2011 release Natural Causes all up until about September of 2024 when I caught wind of this new release, Recontinue. Their oddball, heavily Cynic-inspired 2004 opus Eventuality… had stood the test of time in my archives plenty for its wild fusion antics woven into a riff-tricky, bass-poppin’ technical platform. And here, twenty years later, little has changed at Alarum’s foundation. A few things have shifted for the better, though, namely Alarum finding a more balanced resonance in production brightness and clarity, which helps highlight the flirtatious bass play of tracks like “The Visitor” and “Footprints” come to life. Additionally, this crisp and cutting mix allows the joyous neoclassical shredding escapades to carve a blazing path toward textures and alien warbles with a Holdsworth-ian charm (“Zero Nine Thirty,” “Awaken by Fire”). But, most importantly, Alarum continues to bring an ever-shuffling thrash energy similar to early Martyr works (“Imperative,” “Unheard Words,” “Into Existing”) while continuing to remember to toss in off-the-wall detours, like the funk-wah intro of “A Lifelong Question” or the bossa nova outro of “The Visitor.” Recontinue, as a late-career release from a continual dark horse from the land down under remains a consistent joy for the ears. If you’ve never heard Alarum to this point, and you’ve always wished that a jazzy, Cynic-inspired band would come around with a more metal attitude than the current trajectory of their inspirations, get Recontinue in your ears as soon as possible. And if, like me, you’ve fallen of the righteous path, know that time can correct all sorts of silly mistakes.
Gorging Shade // Inversions [November 11th, 2024 – Self Release]
With a sound that is as otherwordly and looming as it is terrestrial and bass-loaded, Gorging Shade has taken a vigorous and shaking progressive death metal form. The proficiency with which every performer weaves disparate melodic lines through echoing, ghastly samples and chaotic, witchy background chatter does not come entirely as a surprise, as the entire roster consists of the members of instrumental progressive act Canvas Solaris. Mood, atmosphere and a bellowing howl, though, separate this incarnation of Georgia’s finest. But the eerie space that Inversions inhabits too has manifested as a collective of talents on display with another offshoot from this act, the dark industrial Plague Pslams (composed of bassist Gael Pirlot and drummer Hunter Ginn, who also currently plays with Agalloch). As an experience layered between the history of sounds these tech wizards have created, Inversions lands dense and challenging. At its core, a rhythmic stomp propels each of its tracks alongside percussive riffs that echo the constant motion of Cynic, the blackened scrawl of Emperor, and the melancholy triumph of Ulcerate swells. But in a package uniquely Gorging Shade, a world emerges from each carefully constructed narrative. Sometimes energy rushes forth (“Disease of Feeling, Germed”). At others, noises creaking and crawling lay teasing grounds for careful exploration (“Ordeal of the Bitter Water,” “A Concession of Our City to Modernity”). Whatever the mode of attack, Gorging Shade delivers in a classic and meticulous wall of sound—perhaps a touch too volume-loaded on occasion—that hits first in waves of melodic intrigue, second in aftershocks of plotted and studied efforts. Its later in the year released may have kept Inversions’ treasures more hidden than I would have liked. The beauty of music, of course, is that we may sit with it as little or as long as we wish to parse its tireless arrangement.
#2024 #Agalloch #Alarum #AmericanMetal #Amorphis #Astronoid #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AtraVetosus #AustralianMetal #AvantGardeMetal #BlackMetal #BlazingInferno #Botanist #Caelestra #CanvasSolaris #ChariotSunBlazing #Chronos #CountlessSkies #Cynic #DarkTranquility #DeathMetal #Dec24 #DevinTownsend #Dreadnought #Earthbound #EdgedCircleProductions #Emperor #EnatMeret #Enya #EthiopianMetal #Flaahgra #GorgingShade #GreekMetal #Holdsworth #ImmortalFrostProductions #Inversions #IrreversibleMechanism #JuteGyte #Kardashev #MareCognitum #martyr #MelodicDeathMetal #Nishaiar #Nov24 #PlaguePsalms #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Recontinue #Review #Reviews #Rifftera #RottingChrist #SelfRelease #Skagos #Skyforest #Slam #SolarWimp #StuckInTheFilter #Svavelvinter #TechDeath #TechnicalDeathMetal #TrailsOfLight #UKMetal #Ulcerate #UndyingSplendour #VIIBeastOfArpocalyx #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #Wormhole #YothIria
Emperor announce 2025 U.S. tour dates:
#Emperor #USTour #2025Tour #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #Wayfarer #Agalloch
https://metalinsider.net/touring/emperor-announce-2025-u-s-tour-dates
@cotillion_89 Good enough bruh, all good. I always love me black metal. Do you dig stuff
like agalloch too? #Neofolk. Watain? Old shit like #Bathory.
#Hulder #Wolvesinthethroneroom
3. #WolvesInTheThroneRoom: Born from the Serpent's Eye
No panda paint, no ridiculous studded leather gear, just black metal from the bleak, cold wastelands of...Manchester - for @HailsandAles' #BlackMetalMonday:
#Winterfylleth: Dishonour Enthroned
https://song.link/dhzz5jhf5jh0c
🔊 Auf #radioeins läuft...
Wolves In The Throne Room:
🎵 Underworld Aurora
#NowPlaying #WolvesInTheThroneRoom
https://wolvesinthethroneroom.bandcamp.com/track/underworld-aurora
#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 July 8th, 2024🤘 EMPEROR, CRIMSON GLORY, QUIET RIOT, HELLOWEEN, JUDAS PRIEST
#Emperor #CrimsonGlory #QuietRiot #Helloween #JudasPriest #JohnPatrickJrMcDonald #GregTWalker #CarlosCavazo #SteveRamsey #TommyVetterli #GeorgeCorpsegrinderFisher #AndiDeris #UliKusch #DavidLeeRoth #PaulBaloff #KKRDowning #RichieFaulkner #Goatwhore #SteelProphet #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #ChelseaGrin #Centinex #Chevelle #Deadlock
Lascar – Equinox Flower Review
By Dear Hollow
Ah, my old friend. We look upon our very first reviews fondly, as opportunities for meditation and embarrassment alike as we grow older and just plain old. Six years ago, for my first assignment as a meek n00b (10), I was assigned to Chilean post-black act Lascar and its third full-length Wildlife. It was, uh, not a good experience. The biggest gripe was its obvious paper-thin Deafheaven worship, pretty ambient post-rock passages copied and pasted atop milquetoast blastbeats and shrieks, which gave it an ultimately disingenuous feel that undermined the post-black necessity for emotional connection. Mastermind Gabriel Hugo wasn’t a one-and-done, no sir, as his 2023 side project Voidmilker’s trver and rawer black metal attack offered meager redemption. Time has passed, so how will Equinox Flower fare?
Hugo has not been sitting on his hands; although Wildlife was the first release sent to our humble establishment, it was the third full-length and there have been three(ish) full-lengths and two EP’s since its 2018 release.1 In Hugo’s defense, Lascar has taken a more streamlined approach. Instead of a stark contrast between the heart-wrenching and the blackened attack, Equinox Flower feels more dynamic and balanced. While atmosphere is first and foremost, as you’d expect from myriad post-black acts, its more diminished chord progressions and fusion of lush ambiance and heavier black metal instrumentation set it above Lascar’s history. Old habits die hard, but Equinox Flower is a better album than I ever expected from this act.
The streamlined approach works for Lascar’s aesthetic better, that while Equinox Flower’s first priority is melody and beauty, it does awkwardly juxtapose it with black metal but rather fuses them. As such, the four tracks here are given more opportunity to flow and breathe, effectively utilizing its atmosphere in place of hooks, while the blackened attack gives it needed momentum. Also useful is that Hugo seems to have taken a more depressive approach not unlike Naxen or Austere which doesn’t undermine its blackened thrust while more diminished chord progressions and melodies recall Evilfeast or Midnight Odyssey. More long-form tracks do the album a fair amount of good, because while the atmospheric bombast felt rushed and muddled in Wildlife, Equinox Flower effectively balances, with a fairer production and mixing blueprint to go by, each of Lascar’s instruments given its due.2
Case in point, closer “Late Autumn” feels like a very solid black metal song complete with melodic tremolo, double bass, and blastbeats as a backbone while the soaring ambiance serves as a transcendent motif that enhances the nature-based vibe. The opening title track and “Early Spring” also utilize memorable hooks and passages of tranquility to provide an organicity that was sorely lacking in the stiff and unyielding Wildlife. In fact, aside from listener stylistic choices, third track “Floating Weeds” is the only track with issues. Existing as the only cut without lulling passages, the overwhelming synth hook gets incredibly old incredibly fast as the track length backfires. Of course, Lascar remains post-black or blackgaze or whatever, and an extremely triumphant version of it, the more subtle atmospheres of Wolves in the Throne Room or Alcest be damned, and thus listeners who are expecting more subtlety will be disappointed by the (albeit better) post-black bombast.
When I was alerted of Lascar’s new album, I sighed heavily, expecting the pretty and paper-thin shenanigans of Wildlife from my fledgling years to rear their ugly pretty heads. However, thanks to a more organic songwriting and safer utility of melody and ambiance, Equinox Flower turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant experience. It’s still stubbornly post-black with all the warts and bombast you expect, but channeled into a far more productive form. Sorry for ever doubting you, Lascar. Keep improving, you glorious bastard you.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Tragedy Productions
Websites: lascar.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/lascarmusic
Releases Worldwide: June 7th, 2024
#2024 #30 #Alcest #AmbientBlackMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Austere #BlackMetal #Blackgaze #ChileanMetal #Deafheaven #DSBM #EquinoxFlower #Evilfeast #Jun24 #Lascar #MidnightOdyssey #Naxen #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TragedyProductions #Voidmilker #WolvesInTheThroneRoom
Das Konzert von #wolvesinthethroneroom am Mittwoch im #Feierwerk war vermutlich mein bestes seit Ende der Pandemie.
Graveland 2024 is over. Check our Instagram page out for a reel featuring the mosh pit during the #Necrophobic set. On the YouTube side, this playlist captures performances from #mortiferum #wolvesinthethroneroom and #carcass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RwYqQtvqMo&list=PLmn2ED1LqEvCHIQME9qXk9v3VtnCyvDH7
As expected, we had a great time on the second day of Graveland Festival in the green fields of #Hoogeven. We saw #teratoma and #mortiferum followed by the giants of #wolvesinthethroneroom #Necrophobic and #carcass Some of the bands would have benefited from an indoor venue but we won’t complain too much.
Morgen bei #wolvesinthethroneroom im #feierwerk #münchen. Einlass nur mit Hipsterdutt.
In the clouds. Odd music for days off.
wolvesinthethroneroom.bandcamp…
#music for cosmic phenomenons #wolves in the throne room #cascadian ambient
