Written by Kirk One Eyed Ancestor — Binate > Atmospheric industrial doom > British Columbia, Canada > Released March 29 > Syrup Moose Records Do you ever stop and think about how much the world changed as a result of COVID?  It had been 102 years—almost to the day—since the last global pandemic, and it changed the way almost every human being conducted their lives on a day-to-day basis.  Gone were a great many of the comforts and luxuries many of us had grown accustomed to, and yet it also created an opportunity for people to find new interests, new hobbies, and dis ..read more

Written by Kirk Castle Rat — Into the Realm > Doom/trad metal > Brooklyn, NY > Releasing April 12 > King Volume Records Somewhere deep in the heart of Brooklyn stands a lonely hill, lost and forgotten to the annals of time.  At the top of this hill and surrounded by a nigh-impenetrable forest and fog so thick you could lose your hand is a castle, its walls eternally wet and covered with moss.  Though the walls seem on the brink of collapse and the floors look as though they could give way at any second, it remains as sturdy now as it was the day it was built, a testa ..read more

Written by Kep, Westin, Ellis, and Kirk March felt like the first truly packed month of 2024 as far as releases go, as we were swamped by a tidal wave of Extremely Good Shit. We loved a lot of things, and we’re here to tell you all about them. As always, quick links to our reviews of March releases: Angmodnes – Rot of the Soul Cell Press – Cages Wounds – Ruin Hideous Divinity – Unextinct Cave Moth – In Memory Eternal And now on to the rest of the best! Iskalde Morket – Deleted Scenes from the Pandemic Ward Black/death metal from the UK Solo project Iskalde Morket has already released some rea ..read more

Written by Westin, Ellis, Kep, and Kirk Well friends, February is over and March has arrived. The neverending trudge of time carries on heedless of our protests and priorities. Each day brings us yet another step closer to the end of another month, the end of another year, and the end of our human existence. Onward we march; onward we toil. But February also brought us some killer metal and metal-adjacent shit, so let’s talk about that instead! As per usual, quick links to our reviews of February releases: Spectral Voice – Sparagmos Amiture – Mother Engine Stellar Remains – Wastelands Commande ..read more

Written by Kep Angmodnes – Rot of the Soul > Funeral doom > Netherlands > Releasing March 1 > Meuse Music Records Dutch funeral doom trio Angmodnes first caught my ears back in 2022 with their debut EP The Weight of Eternity. Their sound was sorrowful, plaintive, and crushing, with a penchant for poignant melodies and pervasive dreary atmosphere. It was a promising listen, but at only 36 minutes (the sound you hear is grindcore fans passing out at the concept of a 36-minute EP) I needed more to really come to a verdict on Angmodnes. Would their s ..read more

Written by Kep Spectral Voice – Sparagmos > Death/doom > Colorado, US > Releasing February 9 > Dark Descent Records Spectral Voice is one of those projects that it seems like everyone loves. And for good reason; their 2017 debut full-length Eroded Corridors of Unbeing is the stuff of death/doom legend. It blended the sort of down and dirty death metal of Undergang or Krypts with the evil trudging of Incantation and the ritualistic eeriness of diSEMBOWELMENT, crafting an atmosphere of cavernous cosmic horror that real ..read more

Written by Kep, Kirk, Westin, Rae-Aila, and Ellis Well would you look at that: not only is 2024 well underway, but a whole damn month is done already. And with one month down, that means it’s time for our Noob Heavy release roundups to get rolling again, too. January wasn’t a slouch, either; that motherfucker was packed with great music, and we’re here to highlight a bunch of our favorites for you. Quick links to our full reviews of January releases: Rough Justice – Faith in VainNeck Deep – Neck Deep Resin Tomb – Cerebral Purgatory Underneath – From the Gut of Gaia Lotus Thief / Forlesen – Lot ..read more

Written by Kirk Lotus Thief / Forlesen — Lotus Thief – Forlesen > Black/doom/post-/drone  > California, US > I, Voidhanger Records  > Releasing January 26 What do you know about black metal? While the history of black metal has been muddied by the racist and xenophobic tendencies of some of its forebears, nothing can compare with its inherently raw, amalgamous nature. Easily the most intense and extreme sub-genre of heavy metal, as an art form, it cannot, at its core, bear any singular meaning or ideal. These are and always have been inferred by the observer, often t ..read more

Written by Kirk Alright, fellow music lovers, the final push is here. I gave you my favorite singles of 2023, and then I gave you my favorite EPs. Now it’s time for the list you’ve all (not really) been waiting for: MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2023. But, before I get started, I just want to point out that I think I listened to more new albums in 2023 than I’ve ever listened to in a single year in my entire life. From the first two Gorgons Alter releases from January 1 through Espi Kvlt’s album on December 27, this year has been nothing but wall-to-wall music. And while not all of it was metal or met ..read more

Written by Kep Welcome in, folks. This is my list of 2023’s best albums. I’ve got five honorable mentions and then 24 ordered entries. Why 24? Because I started to attempt a top 10 and it quickly swelled to an unmanageable number, which I then pared down as far as I could. I’m on vacation and there’s no time to waste, so let’s get going! The Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): Acausal Intrusion – Panpsychism Convocation – No Dawn for the Caliginous Night Drache – Devenir le rien Fardeaux – The Den Has Become an Abyss Fires in the Distance  ..read more