Artist: Cistvaen Album Title: At Light’s Demise Label: Independent Release Date of Release: 5 April 2024 I’m a little late again to the party but such has been the impact that this record has had on me, it seemed ridiculous, bordering on the insane, not to write a review of it. My hope is that by doing so, I can assist the band in some small way, by bringing them to the attention of a few more people than perhaps otherwise they might. That said, I’ve already noticed a steady increase in attention on various social media feeds as, one by one, fans of the more underground end of the metal spec ..read more

Artist: Belore Album Title: Eastern Tales Label: Northern Silence Productions Date of Release: 5 April 2024 I think it’s obvious by now, if it wasn’t already, that atmospheric black metal is a weakness of mine. When done well, it can provide some of the most glorious music within the metal sphere, full of melody and epic grandeur, alongside the heaviness and aggression of what is, after all, an extreme style of music. The latest name to find its way onto my radar is Belore with album number three, ‘Eastern Tales’. As is the way for a lot of atmospheric black metal, the music of Belore is ess ..read more

Artist: Austere Album Title: Beneath The Threshold Label: Lupus Lounge/Prophecy Productions Date of Release: 5 April 2024 It was almost exactly the same time last year that I received my first taste of the music of Austere, via their long-awaited third album, ‘Corrosion Of Hearts’. Seemingly making up for lost time then, the Australian duo of Mitchell ‘Desolate’ Keepin (guitars, keys, vocals) and Tim ‘Sorrow’ Yatras (drums, keys, vocals) return within twelve months with ‘Beneath The Threshold’, their fourth album. In keeping with my generally positive view of ‘Corrosion Of Hearts’, I have al ..read more

Artist: Acathexis Album Title: Immerse Label: Amor Fati Productions (physical) / Extraconscious Records (Digital) Date of Release: 20 March 2024 Reason 4,276 to dislike Spotify: this release is billed as an EP on that god forsaken platform. It may only be comprised of four tracks, but with a run-time of nearly fifty minutes, there is no way that this release could ever be referred to as an EP. Admittedly, the annoyance with EPs is when they try to sneak under the radar as a full-length album, not the other way around. But when I'm not a fan of streaming platforms in general because of the pi ..read more

Artist: Volcandra Album Title: The Way Of Ancients Label: Prosthetic Records Date of Release: 1 March 2024 When someone on social media suggests an album to listen to if you like melodic black and death metal, I’m going to dive right in. You all know me by now – give me some heaviness and then lace it with melody and I’ll be happier than a pig in muck. It was inevitable that I’d immediately take the recommendation about Volcandra, then, with this, their second album, ‘The Way Of Ancients’. One look at the cover only further enhanced the likelihood of listening too, as it screams ‘I’ll like t ..read more

Artist: Sgàile Album Title: Traverse The Bealach Label: Avantgarde Music Date of Release: 19 January 2024 If you’ve ever wondered what the soundtrack might be like to accompany “a nomadic traveller in post-apocalyptic Scotland, trying to figure out his fate and facing the elements while travelling north, battling inner demons along the way”, then wonder no longer, for this is it. For that’s the concept behind ‘Traverse The Bealach’ the sophomore album from Sgàile. As it turns out, Sgàile is a one-man project at the hands of Tony Dunn of Falloch, Saor, and Cnoc An Tursa fame. Dunn handles all ..read more

Artist: Hauntologist Album Title: Hollow Label: No Solace Date of Release: 8 January 2024 What in the name of the Gods have I inadvertently stumbled into? It was a drab, dreary day and whilst looking after a poorly child, I took the opportunity as she slept next to me to scroll through a couple of my social media accounts. In quick succession, I saw two mentions of an album that I’d never heard of, the front cover of which was as depressing, bleak, and drab as the reality with which I was faced out of my windows. I have no idea why but, with literally no knowledge of the band or the music, I ..read more

Artist: Dwarrowdelf Album Title: The Fallen Leaves Label: Northern Silence Productions Date of Release: 2 February 2024 My increased presence on social media since the turn of the year has been hugely positive on the whole, not just for the fun interaction I am experiencing with old friends and new acquaintances alike, but because of the sudden influx of recommendations from all directions. The latest is ‘The Fallen Leaves’ by Dwarrowdelf. I’d never heard the name before and now that I have, I can’t shake the feeling that the name was born through overhearing a three-year-old trying to take ..read more

Artist: Vemod Album Title: The Deepening Label: Prophecy Productions Date of Release: 19 January 2024 It has taken a decade for this album to see the light of day but there’s an argument to suggest that time has little meaning in the town of Namsos, Norway. Inhabited by just over eight thousand, Namsos is an historic timber trading town, tucked away in the Fjords, approximately three hours north of the nearest city of Trondheim, and the home to a trio of musicians that collectively go by the name of Vemod. ‘The Deepening’ is the sophomore release from Jan Even Åsli (lead & rhythm guitars ..read more

Despite going AWOL for large chunks of the year and not reviewing all of the albums I wanted to, I never stopped listening to new music at any time. And so, by (not so) popular demand, I thought I’d still put together a post detailing my favourite albums of 2023. My usual Top 30 daily countdown is in no way possible, but instead, here’s a rundown of the 30 best albums that the year had to offer my ears, in no particular order, either. If it’s here, it’s fantastic, end of story. Haken - Fauna InsideOut Music "Haken are a bona fide rarity, a band that are unafraid to try new things, and go in ..read more