Soul Blind "Red Sky Mourning" (2025)

 

I can't recall the last time I took to a record so swiftly. That's high praise considering my perpetual binging of its ten tracks has yet to dull. Opening up with a classy replica of late Alice In Chains, crunchy guitar grooves and that distinct harmonious singing kicks off a ceaseless run of moody, downtrodden aggressive goodness. With originality absent and familiarities running a mental list of possible mentions, Soul Blind's songwriting speaks volumes. A firm command of atmosphere and momentum seamlessly swings between hazy washes of bluesy grievance and rapturous head banging energy. Tracks tear through by on this engrossing fuzzy guitar noise, with splurges of Shoegaze melody, finding slick pivots into thudding romps of mammoth guitar groove. Sludgy, metallic, grungy and thunderous upon its arrival.

Ultimately, the aforementioned similarities seem skin deep, as emerging through obvious influences emerges a voice shaped to its own expression. Soul Blind house ill emotions. Frustration, sorrow, sadness and melancholy brood within to be exhaled through spurts of channeled aggression. The big riffs are memorable but its magic comes from the moody ruminations between. Early on the record plays these sways within tightly tuned songs. As it grows, more light is given to its aesthetic indulgence, the bluesy side, resulting in some beautifully sullen numbers like its title track. This dynamic keeps the record emotional and engaging till its final note. Its very hard to pick a favorite track, I want to play the whole thing front to back every time!

Rating: 9/10

Rune Realms "The Music Of The Starlit Waters" (2025)

 

Master of scenery sculpting, our beloved Rune Realms turns attention towards atmosphere. With this newest Tolkien inspired chapter, The Music Of The Starlit Waters, a subdued approach lends its gorgeous ensemble of naturalist instruments to lone hums of auric ambience. A craft of nightly beautify bestows one with tranquility, as foundations of murmuring mystic synths drone under fluttering, whimsical harps, flutes and bells. They twinkle like stars through the night sky mist, mystic melodies gracing us with a gentle yet illusive presence. Still with calmness, yet full of secrets.

Its eight numbers play as meditative drones. Ranging from five to seven minutes, each casts a different spell from the same motif. As soothing magics steeped in serenity, they pass with stillness, a restful tone established and dwelled within, as a cast of luscious instruments chime on by. With no grandeur or drama in sight, its subtle bends and pivots serve the quiet ease, keeping motion to its frozen moments.

One half of its casting has a distinct icy chill, reminiscent of snow topped mountains, untouched by man, lit by the moon, beautiful and deathly silent. Cuiviénen, The Water Of Awakening, The Starlit Mere, The Quiet Of The Land Beneath The Stars and Oromë's Discovery shared this captivating magic which brought me much joy. One to return to next time I am abroad in the snow capped winter mountains.

Rating: 7/10

Clipse "Let God Sort Em Out" (2025)

 

I Initially passed on this one. Nominations for rap album of the year pulled me back in. Brothers Pusha T and Malice both share cold blooded tones, sturdy and steady, highly articulate lyricists, delivering calm and collected comprehensible raps. Their cool and casual flows breeze by with the serious undercurrent easily overlooked on first pass.

With more spins I got deeper into these tracks, their veterans status swiftly emerging. Expertly architectured verses stack up crafty rhymes. Between them, all manor of puns, cultural references, innuendo and double entendres snuck in between straightforward raps. Lines roll back to back, slick and swift, pushing a variety of narratives. A classy affair always steeped in the air of status affirmation.

Behind the word play run dynamic instrumentals, Not shy of downplaying percussion to a minimal form, obscured sampling constructs slick beats, birthing engrossing moods where the hooks often skirt conventional melody. Its not all spun to this degree but even its more traditional approaches seem to find a distinct manipulation. Let God Sort Em Out plays smooth with streaks of aggression in its lyrics reflected in the beats. Some degree of Mafioso with one touch mystic and another of wealth, class and extravagance. Only POV hits like an obvious banger, the rest play on subtleties.

In conclusion, I'm glad to have returned to this one. It deserved more attention. A slick run of feisty substance stuffed raps not aiming to shock or rock but play braggadocio on the merits of its own sleek articulations. Feature from Tyler and Kendrick are an obvious highlights among a star studded cast of guests from Nas to Neptunes and Stevie Wonder. Within its 13 tracks every hip hop head will find a few to tickle your niche. For me, that was Ace Trumpets and All Things Considered.

Rating: 7/10

Howling Giant "Crucible & Ruin" (2025)

Its been a while since I last checked in with Howling Giant. Turning an ear back to The Space Between Worlds, an evolution in song craft and aesthetic balance becomes undeniable. As part of the nostalgia revivalist Metal scene, Crucible & Ruin sees the band downplay imitations and embark on a tale steeped in inspired vision. Best expressed over its two part Beholder songs, all tropes and characteristic of the genre blend serve an expressive purpose that easily lulls one into the albums flow.

 

Capable of toning down its heavy moments without loosing momentum, these songs intertwine melody and groove together for an inviting froth of naturalistic scenery. Expressed through the lens of Rock and Progressive Metal, touches of Sludge, Doom and Psychedelic worm their way into this colorful brew. Subtle melodies weave around the rhythmic section, forging a gentle power. Heavy yet smooth, bright but hazy.

 

Only on Scepter And Scythe do the band overplay their hand. The chorus borrows a familiar cadence from Ghost's Papa Emeritus. Its a stark reminder of the bold vocal influence. The rest of the record navigates its lyrical delivery wonderfully, but once you hear this track it blemishes the spell somewhat. Otherwise, Crucible & Ruin is a fine record, not quite to my personal preferences but one can appreciate how well crafted its mood is, playing strong front to back with every spin.

 

Rating: 6/10

Trevor Something "The Anima" (2025)

 

Quick of the heels of The Shadow, Trevor returns with a classy record, honing in on indulgent moods and soothing tones, executing this concept in confident stride. The Anima plays a tribute to love, lust and relationships, matters of the heart both painful and endearing, a sensual journey drifting through Ethereal emotive spaces.

With a woven tapestry of nostalgic influences, Synthwave and Dream Pop merge into an 80s fever dream, re-imagined for the modern day. Drifting by on easy tempos, touches of breezy Trap percussion drive its laid back engine. A Cloudrap akin ease brushes its lyrical casualness, as direct themes cross paths with the lingo of youth.

These eleven tracks feel naturally cohesive, each plays a different fracture of an overall chemistry. The albums spectrum feels built off simple beat production, looping instrumentals exploring vibes, occasionally crossing into grander territory as choruses and motifs elevate tracks, feeling like vague echos of unwritten Pop classics. 

Its reverb drenched nature, conjuring Vapourwave energy, possibly holds its melodies back from punching through. They and the gentle vocals meld into a singular flow, cloudy, melting forth as the minutes tick by in limbo, a precarious place of ambiguity between sorrow and sunshine. I personally interpreted this one with positivity.

Although darkness is housed within, rearing itself in Trevor's vulnerable singing, The Anima plays like intoxication, a smothering blanket luring one into its embrace. With each spin, a spell is cast, a sleepy trance of easy energy gushing forth. Its a delight tone but I could see how others might tap into deep pains with this one.

Rating: 7/10 

Steve Roach & Soriah "Curandero" (2025)

 

Still pumping out records and seeking fruitful collaborations, ambience master Steve Roach returns with a spellbinding record conjuring echos of his classic Dreamtime Return with a devilish twist. Absolutely suggested by its plunderous album art, one senses a Caribbean flavor of pirate mysticism and a tropical occult. These are worshiped gods of death, a darkly vein heard best in its curious voices that whisper in cryptic chants throughout the record. Curandero starts strong, Analog Cave, Citla & Shadow Current brew entrancing rhythms within dense nightly atmospheres. These are welcoming numbers, strapped with a strange sense of safety and tribal spirituality, despite dancing with estranged dangers. Perhaps its trippy psychedelic nature suggests its all in the minds imagination.

Stars Of Darkness takes a turn, a duller affair of droning ambience to bridge into the back half of this hour long record. Steppe Traveler goes hard on a shivering 70s synth arpeggio. Its abrasive, maddened by its own jolty nature, too much for indulgence with a now familiar sound design constructed around it. Shard Tribe showed promise with a striking Ethereal, shimmering synth, woven between cryptic chants, a power emerges but then sadly collapses into another dull drone. After a handful of spins, this sense of two halves is confirmed. A fantastic trio to start with but a swift drop off after.

Rating: 6/10

Trivium "Struck Dead" (2025)

In this age of drip feeding album hype cycles with a growing string of singles, its unclear if Struck Dead is a standalone EP, or the lead in to a full length. Unable to find mention of a new record, I thought these three tracks deserved a few kind words. Balancing punishing monotone grooves with melodic inflections, an act of swaying between the two plays a prominent theme. More so on its first two cuts are we treated to impressive stomps of guitar brutality that build tensions to be unleashed as Heathy rocks in with crooning guitar leads dripping with lavish color and his ascending voice.

 

 Its closer, Six Walls, blurs boundaries as harsher tones meld with choppy melodies echoing classic Metalcore guitar riffs. Its a more ambitious song, seeking an epic structure as gleaming guitar solos amp up the energy for a closing chorus repeating to a fade out. Impressive but often leaning on the lessons learned by a seasoned song writer, it lacked a vibrancy I heard bold and loud on Struck Dead with its ferocious guitar solos making quite the impression given how little room for originality there is in this performative art form. A short, welcome listen reigniting my curiosity in Trivium.

 

Rating: 4/10

Author & Punisher "Nocturnal Birding" (2025)

 

Contender for album of the year, Nocturnal Birding leaves me with a sense of guilt. As a renewed appreciation of brilliance settles in, I ask, how is it I don't return to their records? Once again, an uncompromising pursuit of crushing expression transfixes. A unique, dystopian breed of imposing brutality. A harsh design melding bleak aesthetics and rhythmic led musicality. Every aspect of this witchcraft serves its purpose, to burrow into the darkest recesses of ones mind and expose the suffering.

Achieved through dense industrial slabs of distortion guitar and bleeding synth, the battering drums perpetually bang and crash with such momentous force, a sluggish beast of enormity crushing all in its path. Most its pacing tends to be mid-tempo, feeling slower, with spurts of collapsing pulse like on the devastating end to Titmice.

Textural pleasures emerge as crashing walls of sound bend with malice, intermittent with quirky, unhinged melodies lurching in the spaces between. Overtop, siren synths cry out in pain, danger imminent. Through it all, ferocious screams and brooding shouts of anger shimmer in what little space this claustrophobic wall of sound offers.

Nocturnal Birding is a gripping experience, bleak visions exhaling demons brought to life in its unrelenting intensity. Author & Punisher continues on a predictable path yet finding the fruits of creative labor as the resulting songs bewitch once again. At thirty five minutes its a perfectly lean slice of mania served on a hot plate. Just stunning!

Rating: 8/10

Lorna Shore "I Feel The Everblack Festering In Me" (2025)

 
Current darlings of Extreme Metal, with a swiftly growing popularity, Lorna Shore seem poised to take off. This second incarnation with iconic vocalist Will Ramos serves as a monument to their craft. Laying in wait, over an hour of scorched earth fury blazoned by gleaming symphonic melodies. Trading blows between pelting drums and ever tuneful guitar leads, epic themes of rapturous adventure and embattled mythos collide in a theatric spectacle. Strangely reminiscent of Fantasy themes and Power Metal's melodic focus, Lorna Shore deliver on an engrossing darker Orchestral vision of extremity, the likes of which Dimmu Borgir once lit the path forward.

As a mood, this is an enthralling listen. The music swings and swells between varying intensities, ever led by this triumphant unison of symphony and lead guitar wail, a glorious expression that often feels like a singing voice given Ramos' roll as a gutteral screamer. Its a beautiful construct, gallant and uplifting, capable of traversing all terrain. Oddly, as the record endures, its nature starts feel repetitive, as if a single melody keeps re-emerging. This strips identity from its songs. Defining points and motifs become blurred by this reoccurring tone, which overpowers other ideas.

 In a similar counterproductive vein, over the top Post-Deathcore breakdowns conjure a similar lack of identity. Spurious eruptions of groove less, shuffling monotone guitar barrage and gravity blast beats make potent housing for impressive feats of utterly foul, deathly gutteral howls. Ramos has made a name for himself with this new level of ridiculous texture wrenched from his throat. Sadly, there aesthetic might lacks a bite as the breakdowns mostly amount to differing configurations of the same ideas.

I Feel The Everblack Festering In Me passes one by as a wildly captivating listen, yet lacks the hallmarks of good song writing to nail an identity in ones mind. The aesthetic lavish of its extremities and symphonic offering are a delight but it only extends so far. War Machine is a lone track that feels distinguishable purely because it pulls back from the aforementioned lead guitars. In its absence, some rhythmic assault and toned down symphony gives it much needed distinction in the runtime. No doubt many will love this but for me a vital component among their chemistry is still missing.

Rating: 7/10 

Ho99o9 "Tomorrow We Escape" (2025)

Where once a clear vision of anarchic rebellion stood fulled by societal frustrations and obligatory anger, Ho99o9 have descended into an exploratory realm of their own identity. No longer a rattling urgency pervades these abrasive constructs as tangents diverted from rage lack a chemistry to invigorate like their prior anger anthems do.

 

Half the songs, like Target Practice, OK, I'm Reloaded, Tapeworm, LA Riots and Godflesh, conjure the best of this duo, uniting dirty Punk power chord abuse with snappy mosh rhythms and gritty electronic noise abuse. So to do there attention grabbing lyrics and social-political themes echo the bands better material.

 

In deviating from their sharpest formulae, some ideas clearly echo others. Escape captures somewhat of the in vogue Turnstile soaring spirit. Psychic Jumper's jittered rhythm, quirky synths and feverish singing reeks of Tyler The Creator. Immortal's collaboration with Chelsea Wolfe sounds like two separate songs mashed together.

An improvement on Skin, Tomorrow We Escape is all listenable, enjoyable even. A fair record full of variety, mood shifts and interesting compositions. Whats lacking is that shock value, a hit of adrenaline, the spurious venom of urgency that defined previous albums and EPs. Their ideas were once fresh and original. Now feeling worn in and lacking suprise. The new efforts between those familiar grooves simply mediocre.

Rating: 5/10

Sabrina Carpenter "Man's Best Friend" (2025)

Striking while the iron is hot, Sabrina swiftly turns around another record. Leaning further into Country vibes with a competent arrangement of tracks, its the subject matter that dominates the albums tone. To a lesser extent, the cover art also provokes similar questions as to whats going on here. The devilishly flirtatious, mildly edgy nature of Short N' Sweet has its charms, elevated by fun instrumentals and joyous hooks. Man's Best Friend skews away from this chemistry. The Country roots less to my liking and its lyrical content slipping from cute and cheeky to crude and cringy.

Artistry is a curious interaction of intention and interpretation. In an attempt to be charitable, one could suggest a lack of context is available, however these things should make themselves self evident in the performance. I'm not sensing substance behind the provocative. No philosophy, food for thought or reflection thrust upon the listener to challenge perspectives. Sabrina's lyrics simply come off as shallow and childish, saying that which crosses the line simply to cross it. I'm all for artists challenging norms but there needs to be an actual reason behind it.

Thus Man's Best Friend tests once tolerance as mediocre Country music rubs up against a care free Sabrina dialing up her overtly sexual persona. Her words drift from cheeky to questionable. At times, this reach for shock value paints an unfavorable image of her values when it comes to relationships. If there is a point being made here, It went right over my head. Tears is the one track I'll come back for. Its Disco groove and comedic hook is crude but mostly plays as harmless fun. 

Rating: 4/10

Prince "Purple Rain" (1984)

With his legendary status firmly intact, jumping into an extensive discography such as Prince's can be daunting. Why not simply start at the peak? After all, Purple Rain is a frequent on top albums of all time lists. I have no excuses for how it took this long to get around to such a classic record but now, I am fully converted. I adore the genius that is Prince, a musical virtuoso channeling his extensive creativity for our pleasure.

 

Kicking off with Let's go Crazy, a clunky drum machine, soft organ keys and Hard Rock guitar licks whip one up into a feel good frenzy. Let your hair down and rock out! Immediately you'll sense eclecticism as each instrument plays like the lead, flashing its vibrancy through a range of influences that will only expand as the record grows.

 

Quite often Prince sings at equal measure to his instrumental pallet, becoming a part of the artistic canvas. His range of temperaments and techniques keeps each track feeling unique. However, he periodically finds apt moments to simply erupt and ascend to the limelight. His remarkable venture from soft tearful vulnerability to an outcry of raw passionate screams on The Beautiful Ones is just unforgettable.

Given my love of Metal, Compute Blue is an unsurprising favorite. Starting out with a plastic assemble of janky synth riffs and funk groove, its unusual charm suddenly pivots into a riot of slick metallic guitar shredding that ticks all my boxes. On paper, its quirky aesthetics and union of genres, including some Prog Rock vibes, shouldn't work. Its a common theme, Prince's compositions bend the rules of convention.

Darling Nikki is fascinating song. Toying with minimal elements, Prince lays out the thrills of his sexual escapade over bare instruments. Building to dramatic swells, his emotive singing follows suit, soaring into another screaming eruption of sensational energy. Alongside big synth stabs, a rapid fire double pedal drum groove rattles the cage. Another example of stitching oddities together with powerful persuasion.

 
A few more cuts roll by, delving into 80s moods better than most have done it. Its a notab aesthetic fit for the decade, however Prince's song writing survives the tropes and cliches. His musical indulgence into the range of these drum machines and chirpy synthesizers ascends through his fantastically adventurous and fun song writing.

Of course the record ends at the alter of an epic. Its title track Purple Rain needs no introduction, a nine minute embark into what I can only describe as beautiful sorrow, the sadness of great loss permeated by the subtly of its spiritual church organ tone. Crescendo' by his crooning howls and glorious guitar leads, the music eventually sees itself out through a wonderful deconstruction that has strings and pianos burying the moment. An epic conclusion to a remarkable record I'll adore for time to come.

Rating: 9/10

Deftones "Private Music" (2025)

 
Now over thirty years deep, the Deftones' tenth record packs little novelty for old heads, yet will enthrall the recent surge of new TikTok fans. Private Music's carefully measured cuts of revelry delve into the many fractions of their motifs established over the past two decades. Handled with love and care, the band's production alongside Nick Raskulinecz delivers a gorgeous indulgent guitar tone. Dense and crooning, a chromatic aesthetic resonates full of expression. Its a foundation fit for Moreno to swoon in with his range of sensitive softness to shrill screams. Drums and bass fall into place around the duo, who in tandem make up a majority of the musical magic.

In peculiarity, its clearest reminiscent tracks seem to hit hardest. Cut Hands echo's Goon Squad pivoting act between meat head brutality and Moreno led emotive obscurity. Ecdysis' tight and choppy metal guitar riffs echo's moments on Ohms. The opening rhythmic spasm and atmospheric lunging riffs of My Mind Is A Mountain has that distinct familiarity too. Milk Of The Madonna strikes me as the standout track, sustaining tensions of its speedy tempo through transitions of bouncy grooves and power chord shoe gazing. It too is a welcome yet accustomed temperament.

Where the lines muddy, the band don't exactly encroach on new territory bar a few minutes of indifferent synth noodling. Enjoyable but not quite as memorable, they do emphasize how good this records texture is. Flicking back through the catalog, comparison highlights how each record felt like a step forward in aesthetic evolution. This time, the distance feels like a leap into an ocean of clarity. A dense and rich sound, including plenty of acoustic guitars. So to do the synth play a subtle yet pivotal role, weaving their grain into the mix, yet brilliantly breaking into the light on occasion.

Private Music feels like the bands yet classiest effort to date but fails to conquer fresh ground in terms of songwriting. Its the perfect record to satisfy fans old and new yet may loose it potency with time as a record like Gore did. I'm doubtful, my gut says this one will stick. I'm still really enjoying each and every spin!

Rating: 8/10 

Travis Scott "Utopia" (2023)

Album four and the experience follows a now familiar form, another protracted stream of creativity lacking curation. Once again, sparks of genius emerge within a lengthy escapade touching deeper into the realms of Psychedelia, Ambient and Low-Fi.

Arranging unique aesthetics to conjure estranged and unconventional vibes that fit the trap formula, Travis dedicates a whole track to each idea, forging tame streaks of mediocrity between the bangers. The classic chicken or egg question emerges, as subdued beats devoid of percussive power tend to lull. One wonders if a little oomph from the drums is all that's needed to elevate, as the best numbers have the hardest grooves to propel his curious and distinct atmospheres forward, an unusual intersection of laid back, easy going energy entangled with dark and gritty tensions.

 

The record is star studded, a huge cast of big names reaching beyond his immediate scene on a couple occasions. Despite getting two shots to shine, The Weeknd doesn't have best tracks here, a trend I've noticed with his sublime guest appearances. It speaks volumes to a sense that these features just fill out the space between Scott's unimpressed raps and auto tune tangents. Lyrically, little stuck out within its lengthy runtime, a throwback to the CD filling days where bands would pack out a disc with plenty of filler. That's what most of Utopia was for, tone setting aesthetics with a lack of impetus.

 

Rating: 4/10 

$uicideboy$ "Thy Kingdom Come" (2025)

 

Its a smash! Returning swiftly from New World Depression, cousins Ruby and Scrim spin the wheels recycling their distinct but well refined formula. Now accustom with their gritty aesthetic, I found this thirty minute record to offer little fresh or exiting. Second track Napoleon leans into some classic 90s Southern Hip Hop themes, mustering a momentary flair as the records tone quickly resettles. Later on Grey+Grey+Grey ushers in scary movie soundtrack vibes with a Horrorcore style banger. The following Carried Away caught my ear too. A moody number, leaning on the hazy vibes of its depressing Ethereal atmosphere.

These where a couple of highlights among a lack of novelty. One of my biggest takeaways was noticing how many beats use the exact same drum kit, often with the same hi-hat rhythm. That lack of variety essentially parallels a very casual approach to songwriting. Hastily produced beats, flexing lyrics that feel expressive of the moment but lack a broader scope. Hooks are sorely missed too. Not a single track lands something truly memorable. Although their sincerity is endearing, that power wears off when the creative process feels routine and dialed in. Overall, a disappointment.

Rating: 4/10 

Scowl "Are We All Angels" (2025)

Catching my ear with their easy sways between scruffy Grunge chorus riffs and melodic Shoegaze tinged verses, Fantasy served as an intriguing song to pull me in. Sadly, Scowl currently stand as a band with plenty of potential. Are We All Angels' production out paces the bands depth of ideas. Brimming with a fiery aesthetic, their fusion of Pop Punk, Grunge, Hardcore Punk, Alt Rock, even touches of Metal - feels so fitting of this era. The ability to look back a couple of decades and revise such ideas has yielded magic with fresh faced bands like Turnstile.

 

Unlike their contemporaries, Scowl's riffs and motifs lack a spark of imagination. Arrangements and music ideas feel relatively basic, leaning on that stunning aesthetic to get by. Front loaded, the first string of songs will et pumped up but as the record draws on the songs dull into a mediocrity. Singer Kat Moss is the bands brightest light, her voice adds a smooth veneer of color to the crunchy aggression her band mates assemble. Her occasional unhinged shouts froth with an apt angst, anchoring her in this energized setting as she more often plays the counterpart.

 

Their chemistry is strong, the auditory experience is spot on but as stated the songwriting suffers. The record ends up muddling its way through half baked ideas, feeling like either record filler or I'm missing the point. Potential is the word, one to keep an eye on. At this incarnation they are still finding their voice and you hear it on occasion with songs like Special, Fantasy and Not Hell, Not Heaven.

 

 Rating: 5/10

Tyler The Creator "Don't Tap The Glass" (2025)

Arriving swiftly off the back of a remarkable Chromakopia, Tyler suddenly drops this fun fast and loose record. A surprise release, Don't Tap The Glass clocks in as one of his shortest albums under the thirty minute mark. Consequently, this pays without a dull moment, perfect for its restless energy, expressed through quirky tone and playful mood, something familiar of Tyler yet spun again, lively, renewed and fresh.

 

Working with layers of punchy instrumentation, rhythms and melodies overlap in a subtly dizzying frenzy of crunchy sounds, orchestrated with a stroke of class. Jolting grooves rumble with snappy and sporadically off kilter percussion. Plenty of instruments jive in with stabs, strikes and momentary contributions that stack up. It can be quite fun to pay attention and see how many sounds you can single out.

 

Too my ears, the big influences at play are 80s Hip Hop drum machines and 90s Southern Hip Hop melodies, often piano led. Not exclusive, but struck me as part of the approach to many of these tracks, the last three taking on Soul and R&B colors in its temperament. Of course its no surprise, central to it all, written in his name, a ceaseless thirst of creativity flows again. Fresh off a deep, introspective record, Tyler marvelously pivots into a playful avenue with this lively record I'll be enjoying for weeks to come.

 

Rating: 7/10 

Blood Incantation "Luminesecent Bridge" (2023)

  

Written in its name, this two track bridges Timewave Zero and Hidden History Of The Human Race, attempting to conciliate the colossal chasm between sounds. A bold ambition where some common ground gets merged, its two halves simply explore opposing aspects. Obliquity Of The Ecliptic sticks rigidly as the manic splattering of ghoulish Death Metal, transitioning through eerie atmospherics into a Progressive behemoth of sorts, eclipsed by a soaring guitar solo of epic reach. A powerful show of composition, pulling its best moment from the echos of  80s Metallica guitar lead.

The proceeding title track serves to tie its exploration of Dark Ambient with a caustic acoustic guitar phrase. The two meld under the eerie presence of what sounds like estranged bird calls. Building in tension, guitar lead and drums usher in a mystic atmosphere yearning for a grandiosity that never quite arrives. Instead trumpets mark its death as the peak fades into obscurity. It could of erupted into magnificence, yet seemed content on only a glimpse of its mystique. A bridge only partially explored, finding the obvious common connections and executing it with a touch of class.

Rating: 4/10

Blood Incantation "Timewave Zero" (2022)

Curious to hear more of Blood Incantation's fresh and exciting take on the tired Death Metal genre, Timewave Zero shocked me with its radical shift to a sound I'm fond of, perhaps even obsessed with! Comprised of two songs, both split into four movements, It wasn't to long into Io's dramatic shadowy tensions, did I realize this was no gradual build up to an eruption extreme metallic aggression. This was in fact an Ambient piece of work, dialed to a gravitational degree between the dark, eerie side of the genre and my beloved Cosmic Ambience. I knew immediately I would enjoy this record.

 

Devoid of any vivid animations, both halves play adrift of dramatic event or suggestive theatrics. The music stay resolute in a gentle journeying through its tensions and suggestions. To my ears, both Io and Ea explore similar deviations from their original impressions. Subtle arpeggios drone with a touch of Berlin School, swells of brooding ambiguity emerge and sullen synth strings yearn within its lengthy progressions.

 

Io feels like the "spacier" half, capturing a mystique devoid of intent yet both dangerous and mesmerizing, the strange allure of cosmic wonders visible only where no eyes wander. I find this sentiment mirrored in its fantastic cover art. A inhospitable landscape orbiting a giant red sun. Ea feels a touch more animated, as if observing similar places which have a history of failed life. Its touches of murmuring voices, Dungeon Synth and acoustic guitar give a sense of cultural echo to the astral sight seeing, Its fourth and final movement melting all this suggestion into a dense swell. This record fits perfectly into my growing collection of ambient works.

 

Rating: 7/10

Hunt The Dinosaur "Nefarious" (2025)

 

Nefarious made quite the excitable splash upon impact. With my apatite shaped for the lighter sides of music, a throwback to playful extremities was on the cards. Despite having had my fun, repetition has exposed novelty as Hunt The Dinosaur's "over the top" fusion of Metalcore, Djent and rapid fire Rap screams runs its coarse. Sadly, this brief record fails to carve out a classic like Destructo from its octane insanity.

Across its six cuts we are bombarded by barbaric thumps of sound. Low end eight string guitar pound assaulting grooves between splashes of dissonant guitar noise. Snarling screams spit spiteful lyrics, occasionally hurtling into sprints of the distinct memorable shout raps. Lyrics play with foul themes and periodically reference classic Rap one liners and motifs. Ferocious drums rattle like a raging beast, foaming at the mouth, holding firm grooves, then sporadically hurtling into dizzying blast beats. Wedged between it all, alien dystopian synth occasional meld unusual textures, a subtle dressing often understated and easy to overlook among the ravaging madness.

My main takeaway is a lack of memorability. A lack of songwriting fails to land hooks and riffs in a way that sticks. Instead, Nefarious feels like a ceaseless barrage of ideas aimless assembled together, unable to forge a bigger picture beyond the sum of its parts. That, or perhaps I am growing tired of this Post-Deathcore race to the bottom.

Rating: 4/10