Thornhill "Heroine" (2022)

 

Thornhill are an undoubtedly curious band. Inescapable of Deftones' shadow, yet vibrantly engrossing as familiar ideas find themselves funneled through youthful enthusiasm. Heroine struggles conversation without the hallmark Djent grooves and quiet loud dynamics of our aforementioned coming into focus at every turn. Not to mention the vulnerable vocal range emulating Chino Moreno and Radiohead to a lesser extent. Where one could hear some experimental originality filtering through on Bodies, this record is overtly married to its influences.

Despite this, Heroine's songwriting is utterly fantastic. Often propelled by exhilarating Djent guitar groove, the bands music consistently carries a high intensity. Navigating through emotive strains and pivoting into hard romps of obnoxious heaviness, their songs consistently toy with a range of dynamics. Their best flashes of originality emerge on Valentine and Something Terrible Came With The Rain, two interludes dabbling in ideas moved along by clunky drum machine patterns.

Subtle, or subdued but often drowned out, niche touches of sound design, electronics, pianos or strings lurch in this "wall of sound" production aesthetic. Closer inspection of its components reveal these elements, often a powerful part of the overall makeup. Perhaps this is one of Thornhill's biggest strengths, a keen touch to elevate the pervading sense of dystopian atmosphere each song comes attached with.

Its best tracks arrive early on, The Hellfire Club, Arkangel and Casanove hit hard. Its drearier numbers drag out the back end as its established tone continues to endure itself. Overall, an impressive record well suited for fans of modern Djent and Deftones.

Rating: 6/10

Enya "Amarantine" (2005)

 Potentially saturating my own Enya experience, Amarantine has struck me as a step backwards for such an esteemed, visionary artist. Held afloat by an ever persisting enchanted chemistry between her sublime voice and magical synths, a familiar cast of motifs emerge as creativity dwindles. From yearning folksy numbers to nocturne piano pieces and elegy hymns, the experience narrows in scope as fresh ideas elude.

 

Amarantine lacks an ambition, resulting in toned down approach less spectacular, sparingly subdued into commonality. Resting on ones laurels, Enya paints a beautiful soundscape, inescapable of familiarity's to her back catalog. On occasional, its gentler touch and moments of minimalism highlight her incredible singing, Water Shows The Hidden Heart, yet these quieter stints feel like lost space for inspired inventiveness.

 

 Its not without its merits. Amarantine certainly achieves to indulge one in Enya's Ethereal realm across its forty five minutes but more as a background piece. The title track itself plays a bespoke lyrical craft, touching deeply upon loving themes through the metaphor of its flower. A memorable song for that reason alone, as its instrumental make up seems bare bones in nature. That may just be the point, to strip things back, prove the magic works, however all that fantastical embellishment definitely elevates.

 

Rating: 5/10 

Slaughter To Prevail "Grizzly" (2025)

 

Despite the impressive talents of vocalist Alex Terrible, I've suffered the misfortune of writing off these masked menaces as another "race to the bottom" Post-Deathcore band. Their recent collaboration with BABYMETAL lured me in, Song 3 that appears again here, a fiery grind of brutality armed by slams of low end guitar and spurioys manic fretboard noises. On that track and throughout Grizzly, strong echo's of Slipknot characteristics, a total turn on when executed with class, as Slaughter To Prevail do.

Russian Grizzly In America drops in partially lifted lyrics from the iconic opener Sic. That motif and other inspirations occasionally rear an overt head. My linguistically challenged mind initially mistook Rodina for a cover of Rammstein's Mutter. So to does Behelit's massive slams of guitar melded with strings have an uncanny ring to it.

With a knack for decent song writing, this all works in their favor. A shared generation of influential bands rippling echo's through Slaughter's DNA, most notably aesthetics and rhythms Slipknot's Iowa album. Howling pinch harmonics, stomping grooves and a battering percussion to make the late Joey Jordison proud. Woven in between their own ideas, it bridges the gap into this "over the top" Post-Deathcore territory.

Thus Grizzly plays a romp, a wild blast of fun chaotic aggression with the sensibilities of a now classic era of 00s Metal reigning in the extreme impulses. The balance is ripe, ideas fresh. Plenty of headbanging goodness. At a meaty fifty minutes, it rarely tires to entertain. I'm left struggling to figure out my favorites from the bunch, a great sign of a record asking to be played front to back at each turn. A cracking introduction.

Rating: 7/10

IGORRR "Amen" (2025)

 

A clear contender for album of the year, French mastermind IGORRR returns with Amen, an unflinching committal to a bastardized union of Glitch, Breakbeat, Extreme and Death Metal, Opera and Baroque. An eclectic assemble, unsurprising to those indoctrinated yet intoxicating in its aesthetic excellence. Armed with familiar weapons, its devastating impact arrives through octane clarity reveling in the minute minutia of manic details and an overall sense of adoring care for its instrumentals. A corrupted orchestra of modern metallica, timeless traditionals and devilish electronic madness.

Amen ebbs and flows sublimely, delving into its diverse origins, shifting gears at any lull, unceasing with excitement. Stints of Death Metal roar between heavy, dramatic operas, pivoting into evocative Spanish guitars and menacing breakbeats with a natural authenticity. So to do its bizarre constructs jostle absurd obnoxious groove with graceful, transient esoteric ponderings. Its cultural tapestry has a distinct deserty sun soaked Middle-Eastern flavour. Its overtly pronounced on the piano demolishing Blastbeat Falafel. A joyful collaboration with the legendary Mr. Bungle among others.

One particular delight on this twisted journey is ADHD. A manic work of devotion to intricate sound design. It evokes groove whilst simultaneously subverting it, a rhythmic moving target, also a wild ride of audiophilic exhilaration as we are indulged in its glitched sampling. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Silence leans into Romantic era symphony, piano and opera, eventually melding its ends with surges of world bending, gravity defying percussion. My rather condensed words could elaborate further on this record but then we would be running through the genius' of each song one by one. Just go and experience this scintillating sin for yourself.

Rating: 9/10

Seotaiji "Seotaiji VI" (2000)

 

Having scraped the barrel of Nu Metal treasures from my youth, this recent surge of revivalist bands like Tetrarch, Ocean Grove and Narrow Head has brought about nostalgia tinged fun. Nothing will ever capture the tone and texture of that millennial moment quite like the original artists. Thus its a blessing to find such an authentic and fresh take of those times. Hailing from the other side of the globe, Korea, this platinum selling record remained a complete unknown if not for one peculiarity. Tank and a couple other tacks gave me the tremors, a sudden transformation to my teenage self. A dormant part of my mind activated again, I wondered where had I heard this before?

When Napster first emerged there was a trend to rename obscure artists with similarities as "rare tracks" or "b sides". Over the years, I'd eventually learn who the original bands were. Tank, probably renamed as Korn, was one of those. Although it feels uncanny now, this is a reflection of our ever connected, ever available world of culture, shrinking rapidly, as algorithms figure us out, resurfacing these lost gems.

Reveling in the Nu Metal spirit, producer and songwriter Seo Taiji captures the essence of a predominantly American scene with little suggestion to cultural or geographic distance. Only his Korean words create a distinction. Even on that front, his throaty screams and bursts of Rap and rhyme snuggly fit the manic texture and angered cadence of the scene. With an arsenal of bouncy riffs and well written songs, he delivers an all killer, no filler record clocking in at a "to the point" thirty minutes.

Where this record excels is with its textures. So often do these songs revel in the atypical aesthetics of Nu Metal. Estranged sampling, sporadic vinyl scratches, effects laden guitars and quirky vocal effects. With a touch of Alternative Metal it all shapes up to an exciting yet fresh familiarity. Even its shameless plundering of early Korn-alike riffs play with charm. Seotaiji VI is a work of love and inspiration for the times.

Rating: 7/10

Esoterica "Ether Metal" (2025)

 

Its title may just suggest a new genre of metal but no such concept awaits. Conjuring a compliment to its balance gentle melodies, metallic punchiness and emotional tenderness, Ether certainly suits the resulting chemistry. Frontman Tobias Keast remains king, his vulnerable voice and dramatic range serves as a focal point, breathing life in any instance from casual, to shouting or sailing on smooth soaring inflections. Like always, he is the illumination that gives Esoterica their distinct identity.

Working on an Alternative Rock / Metal temperament, a slew of soft Djent grooves and downplayed stomps whirl in the backdrop between power chords. Alongside its main leads, grandiose strides of symphony, united choral group shouts, flashes of nightly electronics, airy synths and other sound design elements forge succinct visions. Moody, slightly downtrodden, in search of reprieve, its tone appeal to the hurt within.

Its not until the halfway point with Heathen that a dystopian, disinformation and antiauthoritarian themes emerge, giving this stretch some lyrical unification. A play on words, Track Dysutopia seems to miss the definition of dystopia as the opposite of utopia. A minor blemish leading to the excellent closers Paper Skull, a Mental Health stint referring to a mind of holes, and the dramatic, swelling, upheaval of Burn.

Despite its clear excellence of execution, Ether Metal didn't exactly suck me in. Always a fair, enjoyable listen without weak points but unlike there prior effort, nothing grabbed me hard, got stuck in the mind or lured me back in. Its a curious takeaway from a clearly inspired and passionate record but sometimes the whims and inconsistencies of the human experience leave us in such strange places.

Rating: 6/10

Enya "Enya" (1986)

 

To experience it at the time, would have been something else. To now venture back to her origin after reveling in such masterful inspirations as Shepherd Moons and A Day Without Rain illuminates the soft amateurish blemishes with a most endearing charm. All the familiar and distinct songwriting approaches arrive matured and unique. Its the albums production and synthetic instrumentation that are yet indulge in sound design.

The aesthetic of these early Roland, Yamaha and Kurzweil keyboard synths play with a punch and immediacy, as so many early synths do, yet to nurture the crafts of soft attacks and roomy reverbs. It gives many moments in the record a feeling of bedroom composer, in the best of ways. Despite that, Enya's brilliance to sway between singer and instrument with her saintly voice often fills in that need for a gentler touch.

In terms of pacing, the music flows through a myriad of ideas, often lacking direction but given its indulgent nature, all destinations seem fantastical, other worldly, spiritual, humanist or even heavenly. With dashes of playfulness and colorful experimentation along the way, it rarely runs short of steam, just a couple of two minute songs feel unfinished. A wonderful variety that also lays foundations for many future Enya tacks.

Highlights include the dazzling arpeggio sequences of Aldebaran, the moving folk leads of The Sun In The Stream played on uilleann pipes. Its opening track, The Celts, another delight and a Hip Hop surprise with the darkly hummed Boadicea, which acts as the main sample for Fugees with their classic Ready Or Not. Fantastic debut!

Rating: 7/10

Oscillotron "Sniezna" (2025)

Seeking revival through experimentation, Oscillotron lands on a firm identity with succinct ties to its space horror ambience origins. Leaning on subtle wobbles of unsettled pitch shifting, disjointed pianos and old school synths evoke an eerie, uncomfortable setting. Accompanying them, ghoulish foggy synths in the backdrop conjure looming terror and sense of dread. The record toys with variations on this aesthetic arrangement, a feverish, unending, dreamy phantasmagoria. The resulting inspirations mainly birth three to four minute scenic stagnations on its initial idea.

The arrival of Natt always perks my ears, a proven promise of gradual evolution leaves a distinct impression. At thirteen minutes, it bucks the trend, leading us down nightmarish corridors of fright. The march of its synthetic pulse pulling us through macabre grown and howls, forever brooding in its cataclysm drum loop of distorted dissonance. Its an absurdly effective drone, a mediative trance of abysmal origins.

Lacking a fair amount of percussive force, Sniezna can feel understated with its ever transient presence. Familiarizing oneself with its craft, a brilliantly composed vision will emerge. An artistic, devoid of cheese, a soundtrack to the zombie apocalypse. Decimated wastelands of gravely atrocities, laid barren by its grim inhabitants, no longer fit for human survival. Somehow conjuring Halloween horrors with a serious foreboding tone. On recognition of this thoughts, I see how fitting the cover art is.

Rating: 7/10

Enya "The Memory Of Trees" (1995)

This could be my now established familiarity with Enya's remarkable music but The Memory Of Trees has a touch of "by the numbers" to it. The overall flow reveal a familiar structure, uniformity and similarities in songwriting find footing in cadence to that of other records. Anywhere Is has that playful tropical jollity to it, a charming track none the less. Pax Deorum takes an early dive into the dark side, conjuring echoes of Mordor war drums in the deep to guide its foreboding menace. A brief resolution of angelic respite emerges before plunging back into the fantastical devilish demeanor.

From there, the album drifts through its calmer sentiments. Endearing voice and string harmonies, emotive piano compositions and touches of childish joy on tracks like Tea-House Moon. That familiar mix of English, Gaelic and wordless singing guides the way. Ending with On My Way Home, that and the hymn-like Hope Has A Place strikes with an uncanny sense of Deja-vu. Surely I've heard these exact ones before?

Its a strange sentiment to emerge from an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable record. A stagnant moment from a musician in peak stride. Not something to complain about. The Memory Of Trees is a luscious listening experience, a craft of pure inspiration but seemingly the same inspiration, leaving me with a lack of fresh vocabulary to expel despite being enthralled once again, another wonderful chapter.

Rating: 8/10

Drudkh "Shadow Play" (2025)

 

As one of the finer Black Metal acts from decades gone by, Ukrainian outfit Drudkh's part natural, part mystic has always held my curiosity. Shadow Play marks a welcome return unmarred by the death of drummer Amorth, victim of the ongoing war. Somehow, life goes on and the band from the oblast continue with their earthly craft.

Released earlier this year, I held onto the record, knowing it would have its opportunity to strike a nerve. That moment has come hiking in the Austrian Alps. Stunning mountain ranges, blanketed in towering trees, mother natures beauty, entangled in the harsh reality of survival. Its all I see in this mighty conjuring of earthly Black Metal.

Opening with Scattering The Ashes, what I'd assumed was the sound of rustling leaves, arrives adorned by a lone morose synth note and depressive guitar chords. It sets a glum tone to be upturned as April drops us into a perpetual momentum driven by its galloping double pedal drum grooves. Tremolo guitars shred slow descending melodies alongside a brooding lonely synth to unite its esoteric, earthly tone.

Shrill screams cry out and haunting howls drop in at routine intervals, all the hallmarks of a now customary formula too familiar. Its in the back half of the record, Fallen Blossom, The Eve, The Thirst, that atypicality becomes exceptional. The balance of esoteric darkness, natures verdant muse and contemplative moods fines its stride.

Some combination of its elements bestowed one with an awe complimentary to my reverent surroundings. Perhaps it was the latter that let me connect with the music. Either way, I felt the ethereal earthly rumble of this primal music as its battering aesthetic droned away, letting the subtleties of its shifts take form on its lengthy songs. The union has created some wonderous memories of breath taking views, only to be relived though the music at a later date. Something felt but this time seen.

Rating: 7/10

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 

Enigma "Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!" (1996)

Album number three, Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! arrives an amorphus evolution of previous ideas. The prior potiency of Worldbeat dimishes as global cultral sounds subside into a stagnant midtempo troth of dreary passing moods. Michael Cretu takes the role of frontman. His milder vocals, slightly strained, strip the music of impact. Aiming high but landing short, his attempted grandiosity and questions of “im asking why” shys from evoking the deeper resonance these songs are searching for.

 

Meddling instrumentals noodle around with slugish atmospheric synths over dulled Woldbeat and Trip Hop percussion groves. It evokes mildly etheral vibes, somewhat contemplative but rarely do they peak or summit upon a destination. These songs simply circle on themselves as various instruments or vocals chime in on these travels. The moods conjured are dreamy, relaxing and indulgent but mostly as drifting emotions, passing one by. You could give your full attention to them… or not.

 

Thus many of Enigma's once impactful deployment of Gegorian chants, or the inclusion of dramatic female warblings, fall to is medicore persuasion. This third chapter isnt awful but the exicusion of its now established ideas end up drifting through routine, droning percussive loops. This religates a somehat decent round of listens as the novelety somewhat wears off. I now lack the appitite to return again.

 

Rating: 5/10 

Enya "Shepherd Moons" (1991)

 

Understated yet sublime, Enya returns with a seemingly subdued take on her previously adventurous, occasionly tropical music. Shedding the New Age traits, she hones in on deeper, humanist inspirations. Clearly inspired by Irish herritage, voice and instruments form a union around the spirit of Folk hymns. A harmonous, intimate tone emerges, capturing a spiritual connection through seeming but deceptive simplisity. Stripped back composotions commonly pair strings and pianos, laid bare against Enya's exemplary voice. They strike at the heart of a songs intention, without the melodic garnish and fluffy fanfare that could easily slip into these compositions.

Thus Shepherd Moons almost seems broody on first encounters. A lengthy foray into atmosphere over immenence. Regular intervals linger on these minimalist passages, maximized by the aesthetic claritty of immaculate sounds suspended in gentle, spacious reverbs. This approach leans into the spirtual sentiment, a soothing breeze of mortal meaning, profound and almost devine in its church hymn nature. So to does her singing in Gaelic evoke that emotive power found in traditional communal music.

 Describing the magic of Enya's voice is such a feat. Words evade yet a prevailing sentiment remains. She seems like a muse unto herself, channeling heavenly inspirations to a humane destination. Learning of her seclusion from the lime light and reluctance to perform live elevates this mythos. Citing she cannot do her carefully crafted songs justice, I end up with a sense of finding perfection that works.

When her voice graciously drifts over adorning strings or moving piano chords, its simply wonderous. So often she arrives in different measures, from gently singing words, to humming tunes and many places between. Layering melodies and chanting like choral synths, it all comes together with a touch of divinity. On this incarnation, it all flows like a river of time, continuously flowing, giving one a dose of tranquility.

Rating: 9/10 

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

Enigma "The Cross Of Changes" (1993)

 

In a pleasant surprise, it seems this assembly of musicians was no fluke. Evolving from MCMXCa.D., the group lean further into the Worldbeat sound, shedding some New Age vibes as striking a nerve with indigenous chants on a familiar Return To Innocence, another commercial hit preserved to memory through its recurrences in movies and adverts. Its a stirring union of loud, crashing, Hip Hop influenced drums and ritualistic cultural vocal chants. On paper a contrast, in performance an easy pleasure to take in. Oddly, its character stands apart from the rest of the record.

The Cross Of Change is mostly a moody, esoteric voyage through ambiguous avenues. Contemplative atmospheres, soothing in nature yet softly melancholic and mysterious. The archaic airy synths and subtle choral voices of its openers lay this foundation. Driven forth by drum machine grooves the music expands with drifting samples and instruments fleshing out its linear nature. Briefly interrupted by the aforementioned Return To Innocence, we then plunging further down the rabbit hole.

I Love You... I'll Kill You plays a remarkable pondering on loneliness. A darkly sorrow song, achieved without the usual hallmarks that often evoke such darkness. With Silent Warrior, we hear the Phil Collins influences again, punctuated by gated toms lifted from Genesis's Tonight Tonight Tonight. Its unnecessary but it fits in.

After Age Of Loneliness works its way through the established conventions that make up its identity so far. Out From The Deep serves as a closing pivot, drawing uplift and reprieve from the heavier themes. Deploying Eric B's classic sample of The Soul Searchers drum break, it barely manages to make sense as the music links up with a grandiose Glam Rock guitar solo. The Cross Of Changes then too pivots its synths to bright glossy chords, like the sun breaking apart storm clouds after the downpour. All in all, a strong record with a curious vibe to get lost in, if that's your cup of tea.

Rating: 7/10