Heriot "Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell" (2024)

Deep from the depths of metallic stagnation comes a rapid fire record I would have swiftly passed over if not for catching Heriot's energetic live performance. Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell also received some critical acclaim, convincing me to give it a proper go. I'm left convinced the Metal scene is lacking fresh innovation, as the genre matures into its sixth or so generation of existence, where does it venture next?

Described by Blabbermouth as "post-everything", one can hear a slew of subgenre ideals getting picked apart, then reassembled in this beastly collection of spiteful aggressive slogs. Focused on a mood of rage and tone of dread, its often a lurching background synth or atmospheric guitar distortion that glues together a songs identity. In barrels rumbling barrages of barbaric sound, dense with roaring bass but often devoid of much beyond amassing a terrifying textured vehicle of assault.

Thus its ten tracks aimlessly roam a desolate wasteland of destruction, sporadically lashing out in any available direction. Conceptually, it does sounds brilliant but in experience, most its songs lack a true musicality to latch onto. The dialed back, sullen Ethereal gloom of Opaline packs a genuine punch but its one cut from the many. The so called "post-everything" feels like a intentional choice to skirt prior conventions in search of something new. Only in brief glimpses does this search connect.

Rating: 4/10

Allan Holdsworth "Secrets" (1989)

Here's one for the record keeping, an entry which I couldn't possibly comment on its relevancy to late 80s Jazz Fusion. As a passing fan of the genre, Secrets has been a pleasurable soothing mood setter, one I discovered through reading on Fredrik Thordendale of Meshuggah. You can clearly hear a bold influence on his zany alien guitar leads. Allan lays a foundation for the dexterous dance of swift notation, a flashy guitar virtuoso seemingly orchestrating its charm through an arcane balance of tension and resolution in motion. Melodies drift by, casting spells through norms and a familiar charming dissonance that Jazz music loves to explore in earnest.

Allan finds a particular curiosity theorists could easily dive deep on, exploring odd tensions and easy tunefulness across eight tracks fitting of the decade. Slightly cheesy in its glossier incarnations, yet devilishly engaging from a performative perspective, these are dazzling displays of creative genius simply swirling in the magic of the moment. Its softer touches lull into the decades tropes whilst its musters of momentum mesmerize on a rousing journey to the unworldly stars above.

The record has variety within its tone, lending the spotlight to other instruments and singers on occasion, keeping dynamics in healthy motion. Opener City Nights is the standout track, one that packs a heavy lead guitar punch. A self evident influence on the aforementioned, as well as some bands I've listened to in the Progressive Death Metal scene. Secrets has been an impressive find to treasure, one that suits my tastes and further illuminates the rich tapestry of music and its many, many overlaps.

Rating: 8/10

Master Peace "How To Make A Master Peace" (2024)

 

Cruising by on sing along anthemic vibes, Master Peace's debut delivers a riot of carefree youthful energy, an unapologetic love letter to the highs and lows of responsibility free young adulthood. Powered by gritty baselines, sharp rhythmic chops and catchy guitar riffs, their brood of Indie Rock echo's a spirit the best of Britpop once had to offer. Blur's Park life comes to mind, with many of these lyrics cutting resonate insights into modern British life. So to do melodies and grooves also evoke vague memories from our countries musical history. More notably, a few familiar The Prodigy synth tones crop up on its aptly integrated Dance Rock numbers.

This is all high praise, without a touch of plagiarism, Master Peace writes a new chapter of British Rock, every track hitting with an infectious intent. The song-writing is class, tight catchy songs with purpose. On occasions they play rough around the edges, peaking instruments ruffle the feathers with a shirty attitude. As the singer, Peace handles the grit and sleaze of shouty, loud speaker hooks, pivoting to smooth tuneful singing and all in between. Swaying between obvious influences, Indie Rock, Punk, Dance Rock. Soft flashes of Shoegaze, EDM and UK Hip Hop add to the mix, a fun upbeat party concoction, both serious and cheeky. A good listen front to back.

Ones personal taste will influence the album experiences topography. The warmth of Panic101, Start You Up and Happiness Is Love were peaks. Shangaladang and its reprisal Santiladang were valleys. I could see what they were going for, just not quite my cup of tea. How To Make A Master Peace is a fast and brief record, a half hour of power totally worth checking out if you're fond of British sounding music.

Rating: 8/10

South Arcade "Play!" (2025)

 

Returning with another slice of 00s alternative culture reimagined, this fresh five track struggles to peak the heights of 2005 but builds out the bands setlist with a couple more lively, animated tracks. Supermodels is the standout, a rapid run of semi-rapped verses powered by stop start riffs interwoven with intricate drumming and slamming electronic textures at its crescendo. The influences present from Gwen Stefani's eclectic alternative No Doubt simply can't be unheard from this point onwards.

Fear Of Heights plays on similar vibes with heavy strumming powering forward underneath Cavelle's sailing chorus hook. Oddly it feels underplayed, she has quite the charming voice but sticks to the more casual sing-talk cadence. Drive Myself Home is my favorite, a metallic edged hitter with fantastic production, worming in some timely glitches and dense texture into its wall of sound aesthetic.

Bleed Out plays like a less potent blend of these ideas heard on the aforementioned cuts, its final track Blood Run Warm pivots towards an emotive acoustic torch song. Armed with a country tang on its verses and Emo flavor in its chorus, the band aim well for a diversity that charms despite not being my cup of tea. A sing along for fans who connect with its heart felt lyrics. A decent EP but one step behind the last.

Rating: 4/10

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

Skepta & Fred Again.. "Skepta .. Fred" (2025)

The title along says all it needs too, advertising an enticing collaboration between two big UK artists. Dance/House producer Fred Again.. and veteran Grime MC Skepta, a voice I've not heard in some time. I was hyped but to be frank, this mostly feels like padding for the killer track Victory Lap. Hard hitting and obnoxious, its gritty groove rocks off the bold synth baseline and tight drums. Kicking off with a wild monotone hook, the fast vocals chop and change with Skepta filling in a pair of atypical verses.

 

With a sense of adventure, Fred transitions through the first four tracks. Starting with a dirty Grime beat, steadily blending in his signature vocal snippet tunes and touches of House atmosphere. These are tricksy, intricate instrumentals, layered with intimate textures. By Last 1s Left we are fully submerged into the club vibes, holding onto a mysterious urban darkness. 21 Years sheds that Grime hangover, while his partner in crime leans into the sound harder than ever. Its as if their ideas don't quite align.

For me, Skepta is the weak link here. His confident persona an entertaining one, yet his cutting flow and slang laden rhymes feel predictable and aged, lacking a spark of freshness or urgency. Its acknowledged on the aforementioned track, referencing the unchanged nature of this now classic London rhyme style. Aesthetically, the two have chemistry but the overall mood feel somewhat off bar the powerful Victory Lap.

 

Rating: 4/10 

South Arcade "2005" (2024)

 

I can't get over how young and fresh faced this English four piece appear. Reminding me of how the years have gotten paste me, they look straight outta the alternative scene of my youth. 2005 is their only non-single release, a twenty minute EP who's title speaks to the sound and aesthetic their emulating. South Arcade look like post Tony Hawk's skater kids, birthed from a time capsule. I love it, my youth is cool again!

Aesthetic and appearance aside, South Arcades sharp ascension is based on merit. They have amassed almost a million monthly Spotify listeners off the back of this six track and a string of singles. A strong debut record could rocket them even further.

Its exciting and I'm hopeful they have it in them. Although influences are stark and obvious, even overtly stated through their intentionally imitating music videos, the band have enough individuality and expression of their own in the mix to define these songs as South Arcades'. Mainly a breed of Pop Punk, Nu Metal Alternative Rock, the fond influences of Linkin Park, No Doubt and Avril Lavigne are striking.

 Alongside its anthemic title track, Nepo Baby and How 2 Get Away With Murder have a similar magnetic pulls. Warm grooves and catchy hooks, with Harmony Cavelle's, note the name, easy voice leading a colorful aggressive charge. Powerful and poppy with these occasional dives into rapped lines, she seems like the magic ingredient.

The production style is loud and punch, fondly reminiscent of the heavier edged Ocean Grove. These bands actually share a lot of similarities. A tour together would be quite fitting. Tangents aside, South Arcade are a delight. Given their so young, the potential that comes with musical maturity is something to watch out for!

Rating: 6/10

State Azure "Paradise Star EP" (2025)

EP by name but double LP by duration, Paradise Star drops four lengthy serine mood pieces alternating between Berlin School inspired synth jostling and brooding ethereal percussion-less soundscapes. Its opening piece, the twenty minute title track, a clear favorite. Its lively, animated cycling melody a curious engagement. Seeming more mechanical than expressive, its burgeoning bustles and gradual unwindings guide the song through phases over top dreamy synths. Together, they paint a rich atmosphere.

 White Lake and We Sleep Beneath A Dying Moon act as layered tone setting drones, great for focus and meditative moods. Pathfinder feels like a mastery of texture, guiding its various sequenced instruments through gradual shifts as sharp attack-decay keys and drums exchange over soft elongated synth chords. Its a textural treat but in its lengthy incarnation, this aesthetic class becomes secondary to the musics lengthy trajectory. All in all, an impressive set of songs befitting of my taste right now.

Rating: 7/10 

Kae Tempest "Self Titled" (2025)

 The weight of depressive expressions heavies with age, my appetite for hearing such struggles continually diminishing. Self Titled acts as a firm reminder of this personal trend, a brutally unfurled delve into this latest chapter of mental health and gender identity issues. Its tone plays a smothering suffocation, as burdensome lyricism and downtrodden beats unite to paint an artistic doom and gloom matching the pains of this spoken word, rhyme rap poet.

 

 Breaking from the drudgery, Sunshine On Catford acts like a fleeting peak of sun between dreary rain clouds. An inflection of warmth, still lingering on the melancholy of minor chords, tinged by 90s Dance piano melodies in its chorus. A strange sullen lover letter of sorts that finds a similar tonality again on Prayers To Whisper. Otherwise, Self Titled's instrumentals are casually dark, hardly adventurous but competent at assembling percussive grooves with flashes classy instrumentation.

 

Diagnoses stands apart as anthem for self inflicted mental health saturation. Along with another track, a theme of contrast upon these internal obsessions and the world at large emerges. A strange blame game of victim hood that feels confusing as to its purpose. Otherwise the record is pretty coherent, a walk through the current woes of a struggling artist. The expression is powerful but as already stated, this broody temperament has been hard for me to endure these days.

 

Rating: 6/10 

Qendresa "Londra" (2024)

Shifting gears, refining the chemistry, Londra trades in its Vapourwave idiosyncrasies for a dusky flavor. This collection of mellowed out R&B dwellings settle on subdued night light vibes, with a touch of Noir Jazz gloom to it. It becomes more apparent as the record grows, early on moods are brighter. Its opener 2 Much revels in a groovy G-Funk shadow. Its all subtitles tho, as the musics tempo is consistently effortless.

 

 Despite having engaging instrumentals that consistently conjure these slick, dusky spells, its Qendresa herself who breaks the allure as the album progress. Early on her soft singing charms, Sweet Lies reminiscent of Grimes at her best. Toning down the presence of these smooth sung lines, opting in for a casual, spoken word approach to her verses, a social, conflict oriented braggadocio persona steadily emerges.

 

Its this lyrical focus that spoiled the musical magic for me. Status oriented, plain worded ventilations of social dramas and relationship woes cross' paths with seemingly shallow statements of boastful intent, aimed at putting down others. The self indulgence of it all added an unemphatic layer to the music hard to relate with. Otherwise a solid listen but this shift in tone to "harden up" was not to my liking.

 

Rating: 4/10 

Little Simz "Lotus" (2025)

 

Simz is one to deliver a slice of life within her ambitious records, however Lotus is precisely that slice alone. With little beyond delivering ruminations on life's current struggles, one sorely senses the absence of an anthem like Venom or Woman. I suspect Young may have been this intended beat, however its overt British jibe and cheeky tone plays like an echo of Blur's Park Life, lacking that oomph to sell itself.

Free strikes me as the records high point, a mellow spell, uniting Soul and Jazz Hop with periodic flashes of serenading string sections. Simz's expressive yet plain spoken raps make for easy listening through a soothing aesthetic chemistry. This however becomes the records fatal sticky point. So much of Lotus' affable energy fails to surpass itself and muster a meaningful gusto that can break this eternally gentle tone.

Enough comes close, livening up with a firm percussive dance beat. Frolicking hooks and mischievous baselines create a playful tone among its sporadic splurges of zany synth. So to does the records title track strive ambitious and bold with its big instrumentation. Simz' raps a firm source of intrigue and emotive release, yet the jazzy instrumentation feels underwhelming in comparison to the fires set in her lyrics.

Other chapters of Lotus' mellow out into scenic lulls, comparable to spoken poetry. Simz's lyrics feel more like intimate journals or exhaled thoughts than composed verses in a structured song. On one hand, a curious experience, on the other, repetition breeds a dullness as familiarity makes for a mostly uneventful album.

Rating: 6/10

Sikth "Death Of A Dead Day" (2006)

A blast from the past! This record I experienced mostly though my friends. Having devoured The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out, I recall not being particularly impressed with this new venture. We saw Sikth at Download Festival and then they split up. Its left this record buried deep in the memories. Unearthing it again highlights its flaws, an underwhelming sophomore from a group who set the bar high for themselves.

 

Death Of A Dead Day yields its twelve cuts to the metallic kneel, choking their own peculiarities as creativity gets channeled into what feels like convention. Despite being loaded with spurious fret tapping melodies, complex harmonies and the occasional poly rhythm, Sikth under deliver on what made them stand apart. The enigmatic beast is present but the compositional approach leaves ideas underwhelming.

 

With all that said, this is a very enjoyable record, full of musical virtuoso and chaotic melodies you wont hear elsewhere. An entertaining listen where twists and turns come fast and frequent, a restless nature always embarking on the next musical idea. Led by the exchanges of their duo front act, its what you'd expect from Sikth.

 

Having given it a bunch of spins once again, I'd discovered Summer Rain and As The Earth Spins Round to be exception cuts, the latter ending the record with a fantastic outro riff uniting a pacey choppy rhythm guitar with epic melancholic lead melody. These peaks are comparable with their best output but the record plays a clear grade below that fantastic debut album. Approaching twenty years, Its been a nostalgic trip.

Rating: 7/10 

Qendresa "Midnight Request Line" (2020)

Dropping in with a sleek 00s R&B voice, London singer Qendresa distinguishes herself from the crowd with genius instrumental chemistry. Its seemingly obvious in retrospect but I'd yet to hear this combination before. Given that Vapourwave often pitches samples from the umbrella of Soul, Funk and Disco, this is an obvious fit.

 

Taking the foundation of R&B, these instruments play slowed and slurred. Melodies and tempos descend into a dreamy Ethereal realm, as the breezy Vapourwave aesthetic emerges from this approach. Armed with slow G-Funk era baselines, the likes of Ice Cube's You Know How We Do It comes to mind, the music croons.

 

At a short twenty minutes, the craft blooms on tracks Real Luv and Be Mine, whereas the rest of the record descends into a vibe over substance tangent. Midnight Request Line exposes this fantastic chemistry, yet struggles to explore its potential depths, leaving one with a solid apatite for more. However this vibe is undeniably on point.

 

Rating: 6/10

State Azure "80s Ambient Reinventions" (2024)

 

 

Further exploring the "inconsequential" landscape of Psybient and Cosmic Ambience music has led me back to State Azure, an artist with a distinct approach to acute minimalism, crafting ambient tunes that simply captivating one in its moment only. 80s Ambient Reinventions caught my attention for its inspirations. Five big hits from the decade past, re-spun by glossy keyboard synths to linger in a incidental space.

 

The record starts steady, gradually building. Brief echos of motifs and melodies guide the music, borrowed from the original songs. As the album progress track by track, so to does its connection to the original source, deepening that connection. Opening with Save A Prayer, inspired Berlin School arpeggios drone in a melodic trance, propelled by a lean and hard percussive force. So to does With Love Comes Quickly.

 

Running Up That Hill and In The Air Tonight play soother cuts, calming renditions. The latter extracts distinctions like the 80s epic lead guitars and classic gated tom sound, pivoting them into an atmosphere roll. The enigmatic chords of the song linger in the fold, completely reshaping the original. Its a wonderful creation. So too is another 80s classic, Tears For Fears' timeless hit, Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

 

This one feels closest to its origin, the melodies play distinct, with similar aesthetics, yet appear spaced out, slowly merging closer together as the song grows its layers. This measured build up creates tension, an anticipation for some sort of crescendo that never arrives. Its my favorite of the five! Feeling like an endearing echo of the songs spirit, observed across time and space itself. A wonderful little record!

 

Rating: 7/10 

Sleep Token "Even In Arcadia" (2025)

 

 Lingering on the cutting emotive sensations of Vessel, this newest chapter, Even In Arcadia, plays like poetry in motion, a dwell of personal exorcisms originating from a lyrical inception. This impression could simply speak to the frontman's charming R&B leaning vocal inflections. As their key song-writer, this synergy unites voice and instrumental with a deeper, intentional chemistry than most. Its a now familiar formula but on this occasion, Sleep Token nail the album experience from front to back.

Shy of an hour, it breezes by effortlessly. Look To Windward opens, immersing us in artistic heavies as the throws of Djent yield to a grand gravitas carrying its tensions into soaring melody. Emergence and Dangerous lend their swells of momentum to metallic atmospheres as do other songs like the gorgeous Caramel. Concluding with blast beats and shrill howls, its ever curious how they seamlessly bridge such a chasm from their catchy 00s Garage beats with Pop vocals to untethered extremes.

 I'd often considered Sleep Token a stealth vehicle for Pop sensibilities into a genre usually adverse to such musical pleasures. Only its title track passes without a swell of metallic energy, a curiosity given how all my impressions stem from Vessel's delightful voice and the emotive melodies that accompany him. Its a wonderful orchestration of sombre piano that dissolves in tightening airy ambiences as the songs resolves itself in a common swelling. The violin on exit is a fine touch of craft.

 The thematic dance played between beauty, pain and introspection wrapped in sunny melancholy defines this record. Its reflection from words to sound a delight. On reflection, I appreciate its swells of intensity so much more. Their natural progression had me overlooking the dynamic shifts on a casual listen. That can't be said of closer Infinite Baths. Its groovy revelry in filth, a shock and horror to remember, seeing the experience out as if its all been sucked into a black hole. What a cracking album by a band reaching new heights. Along with the Saturday headline slot at Download Festival, this a moment that could ascend their profile even further.

Rating: 8/10

Amebix "Monolith" (1987)

 

I'll conclude my curiosity here, with the bands final original works of this era. Monolith, an overt Motorhead inspired step closer to Heavy Metal territory, fails to inspire as a grander heathen vision meets its Crust Punk roots. If anything, its the gritty, rotten rumble of the later that holds it back. Guitar melodies and song structures strive for a sullen burley might but fall short through this tarnished aesthetic tone. Its a messy record, slopy and loose performances birth dreary dismal moods. Some of its grooves and scaling power chord riffs try to escape this grasp but these creative strides seem to unravel unremarkably into a monotone grind. Its better songs kick off the record with some promise but rather swiftly the unrelenting gray dulls these forgiving ears.

Rating: 3/10

Amebix "Arise!" (1985)

Further exploring suggestions of proto-Black Metal coincidences we arrive at Arise! Amebix's sophomore effort venturing in 80s Heavy Metal. Casting of the shackles noisy Crust Punk tonality, stiff power chord oriented songs march through a metallic demeanor skating into Post-Punk territory for its hooks. Cutting riffs rot under tom pounding drums that lack an articulation fit for metallic aggression. Gruff heathen shouts spew forth, lacking charm, crying over a sea of mediocrity making strides for big theatrics. It falls short as repetitive song writing tends to sell its vision short.

Touches of something medieval, barbaric, even tribal emerge through lyrical suggestions and pounding repetition. Devoid of melody, this idea mostly emanates from front man Rob Miller. His rural presence conjuring similarities to an early Bathory. Songs could swiftly be transformed into grand visions with outbreaks of triumphant lead guitar melody, however they remain confined to the grinding shred and gallop of Heavy Metal rhythm guitar. Although to dated for my taste, it has some curious merits.

Rating: 4/10

Amebix "No Sanctuary" (1983)

 

Having recently entered some conversations on the origins of proto-Black Metal, this British Crust Punk outfit share some peculiar similarities at times with Bathory and to a lesser extent Venom. Given the confrontational nature of this music and expanding exploration of extremity, this seems a case of retroactive co-incidence, given a lack of mention from any originators of second wave Black Metal.

My ears immediately turn to fellow Post-Punk era Killing Joke. With a menacing fuzz of dissonance powered by a repetitive rhythm section, crashing walls of scratchy lead guitar noise wails alongside angered shouts of rage. Its gritty production rolls the instruments into an atonal mess of texture, spewing forth an unsettled mood. Lacking ferocity, these grizzly soundscapes make one feel like an observer, detached from gruesome atrocities the topicality likely depicts, given its harrowing cover art.

Mid-tempo marches revel in grinding repetition. Baselines articulate iterations, dodge a sense of melody whilst adding expression. The music routinely drags itself along with its charm seemingly buried in these strange chromatic rumblings. Barbaric strikes of percussion interrupt without groove, crafting a sense of anti-music inspirations.

Control seems to be the one song connected to Bathory. Its heathen like vocal choir tilts the atmosphere to something satanic and mysterious. The suggestion shapes its shredding guitar riff to a similar tilt. In juxtaposition, at the other end of the record, Sunshine Ward goes in an entirely different direction, sounding like The Cure or possibly a parody of. Interesting listen, curious atmosphere but not a lot to latch onto.

Rating: 5/10

The Brand New Heavies "Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol 1" (1992)

 

 

British act The Brand New Heavies try their hand at collaboration with rap heavy hitters of the era. Adding story driven rhymes to the mix, the Acid Jazz outfit come full circle on their Hip Hop persuasions that mostly shape up percussive loops with repetitious groove. The fit seems perfect, given the shared influences of Soul, Funk, R&B and Disco on both the bands style and young rappers parental music.

Working with a pre-Wu-Tang Clan Master Ace, Kool G Rap, Main Source, Guru of Gangstarr and legendary The Pharcyde, the band scoop up some top talent among other guests, each track receiving a guest act to layer in the vocal element. The band shape their slick Acid Jazz grooves into fruity, flavorful loops - lively, tailored with apt color and melody. Despite its organic nature, the performance stiffens, stripping out the opportunity for tangents, iterations or progressive leaning song structures.

 

Once a beat makes itself known, it sticks firmly, resting a lot of the music on its rappers who meld with the tone to various degrees of success. With such smiley, friendly instrumentals, its curious to hear Kool G Rap excellence on Death Threat. A strutting baseline and shimmering guitar leads add a soft gangster attitude to its tone. Kool takes it the rest of the way with fierce rhymes and aggressive energetic delivery.

Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol 1 is a competent listen, capturing the rap scene at the end of its Golden Era / Jazz Hop sound, right before big shifts in tone over the next couple of years. With quite a few weak performances and a lack of identifiable hooks, its served as a fun listen to plunder a couple of fun tracks from. Sadly wont have me returning for more, despite the disappointment, its a shame more crossovers like this haven't taken place in this era of Hip Hop. There was such potential here.

Rating: 5/10

State Azure "Stellar Descent" (2023)

 

 

This will be my last record for the year, a documentation of discovery. One for the "space music" playlist, State Azure caught my ear with a level of care worthy of attention. At a mammoth one hour forty five minutes, Stellar Descent plays as a astral mood setter. Carefully crafted compositions straddle between shimmering synths yawning in cosmic wonder and a digital counterpart of bustling, whirling synthetic instruments, skirting tuneful melody and conjuring echos of 70s electronica.

No compositions stood apart as distinct or memorable. With everything from its subtle mechanical percussive sways to melting galactic aesthetics serving its atmosphere, these songs drift by in a haze of temporal relaxation. Although structured with transitions and pivots, they flow by calm and understated. These instrumentals never lean into a hook or catchy tune but forge deep tones suited for the star gazing imagination. Excellent background music for focusing on a task of mental demand.

 

My time with Stellar Descent didn't unearth new ground or reach the emotional highs of a Dreamstate Logic. It was a familiar feeling, executed with class and care, finding the meditative balance I enjoy. Subtle by design and intent, I think this is a fair fit for anyone looking to add more to this type of niche listening experience.

Rating: 6/10