Written by: The Administrator
If this all looks very familiar, it's because it is. About a month ago, we slumbering scribes premiered the title track and lead single to Hellscape, the forthcoming third and (presumably?) final Through Mists album of 2024. Today, we're back with the whole damn thing. In said premiere, I said the track "wouldn't go amiss as a soundtrack looping through the busted speakers of a funhouse deep in the bowels of Tartarus," and closed by stating that "I can only imagine that demons frolic to music like this." As it turns out, this description also applies to the album at large. This is an abrasive yet exciting ride, chock full o' weird noises and oddities. Hellscape is hellishly fun, but is also a supremely weird and disconcerting listen. Which, in a sense, makes it even more fun. If you are aware of the Through Mists playbook, you have an inkling of what to expect. If this is your first exposure, prepare thyself accordingly. In that spirit: Hellscape will be released on Dec. 6th, but you can listen to in full a day early. Get a head start on that release day listening marathon below! As always, we'll catch you on the other side.
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Written by: The Administrator
If you are a purveyor of music review sites, you've undoubtedly learned to skip over the fluff that constitutes AOTY intros. The pointlessness of writing this isn't lost on me, let alone the fact that this is a list for, erm, the wrong year. In the music industry churn, an album released last year might as well be a million years old. Obsolete. Irrelevant. Forgotten. So: why 2023? Why not 2024, like unto a proper music review website? What's the rationale behind publishing this list a whole damn year late? There are two reasons. The first is that I think demonstrable longevity is an important aspect of music appreciation, and the ability of an album to outlast a narrow moment in time is a testament to its particular excellence. The second (and real) reason is that I am a profoundly lazy and frequently overwhelmed person, and compiling this list last December was a very large task that seemed, frankly, insurmountable. So here we are. These are 23 albums from 2023 that are, in significant hindsight, still very much my favorite albums of 2023. In terms of format, this list is alphabetical and purely unranked. The generally arbitrary structure of counting down to #1 simply doesn't demonstrate the way I enjoy music, nor is it an effective or accurate way to make recommendations. I'm also completely unconcerned about genre, as I listen to a lot of different stuff. If I'm writing a list, it should probably reflect the reality of listening habits instead of projecting a false image of metal exclusivity. Be prepared for eclecticism. I hope there's something lurking herein that catches your ear. A massive thank you to every artist who contributed to the releases below. And, dear reader, thank you for your readership and support of artists! You're the best. Yes, you. 
Written by: The Administrator
I joke about the ineffectiveness of publishing a standalone review for every track on an album. However, at this point I will have reviewed--on an individual basis--every track from the forthcoming Am I in Trouble? debut album. We covered "Red" here this spring, and more recently premiered "White" alongside the album announcement for Spectrum. Needless to say, I am A. a big fan of this project, and B. invested in doing whatever I can to hype up what will inevitably be one of the best albums released in January 2025. In that spirit, we're excited to premiere the third single, "Black," a few days ahead of release! "Black" features Alex Loach (of Ashenheart) on vocals, continuing the established Am I in Trouble? trend of incorporating a variety of guests. As you may recall, "White" features Ember Belladonna on flute, which helped give the song as a whole a lighter vibe. In stark contrast, Alex's guest spot lends a pointed viciousness that otherwise has yet to rear its head at this point in the album's runtime. This is a track that works so well because it embraces high-contrast juxtapositions, and ends up pushing and pulling the listener through a surprising array of tonal shifts. Before I get too far ahead of myself, I encourage you to give "Black" a listen below! When it comes to discussion, fear not: we slumbering scribes shall be waiting on the other side. As, y'know, we so often do. 
Written by: The Administrator
Look. This one came out a while ago and I am extremely and unfashionably late. There's no time nor reason for a meandering introduction: we're dealing with a bayou blastbeats recommendation featuring some sick as fuck cover art. Which is, frankly, already a winning combination in my book. Let's get into it, shall we? On the five-track Black Starless Sky, Lafayette, Louisiana's own Pale Misery play a unique brand of second wave black metal that revels in doomy dourness. Sonically speaking, this release does feel quite dismal and dreary compared to their 2019 EP Black Candles and Gutter Scum, which was generally more crusty, more explosive, more outwardly incendiary. In contrast, the tracks lurking herein center an overwhelming ominous gloom that melds with the harsher elements, lending the entire package a notably dark and caliginous aura. I wouldn't consider this "atmospheric" per se, but they have certainly done well to establish an atmosphere. This is depressing stuff, as morose as plumbing a decrepit well and finding nothing but the reflection of the titular black starless sky. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
If you know my taste at least relatively well, you’ll know that the later Necrophobic output is something I’ve come to love. Mark Of The Necrogram may be my favorite album since the debut, and the latest, Dawn Of The Damned, marched through with a flame nearly as hot. That takes us to In The Twilight Grey, being the Swedes’ tenth album overall, following the release patterns we’ve gotten their whole career. Going in, I was certainly curious to see which direction it would go, since the last two took the “don’t fix what ain't broke” route. Stylistically, there isn’t a whole lot of breaking away from the black/death style that the outfit has perfected several times. Much of Necrophobic’s career has been pretty consistent, with mild changes for the better or worse, and maybe a few experiments (ok, I guess I just contradicted myself a little). Thus, we find ourselves with another release full of sharply produced guitars built on tremolos and steep chugging. Backing this tactic up with explosive and impressive, albeit one-sided drum kicks meets the same deep and raspy but comprehensible vocal style, somewhat opting for a third iteration of what worked wonderfully before. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Bütcher are a Belgian act that has been around for decades, despite the first full-length record not hitting until 2017. They may not have sold me right away, but their second album titled 666 Goats Carry My Chariot absolutely blew me away (I mean really, how can a title like that not?) Considering their borderline parody-meets-evil speed metal with a blackened hue, I figured there was enough room for strong continuity. Enter the latest release, On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing, which does exactly that. From a foundational standpoint, Bütcher retained the exact same attitude that cemented their identity before this time around. Obvious odes to classic metal bands with tongue-in-cheek themes that you can still take a little seriously are very present. The frontman’s notable shriek-singing is still here, kicking out harsh passages that have a burning atmosphere without getting too raspy, and an emphasis on strong leads still takes precedence. Interestingly, what’s different now is that the band lays off the blackened tropes a bit. 
Written by: The Administrator
In the course of reviewing music, I've increasingly tried to exercise a degree of thoughtfulness when comparing an artist to another artist. Namedropping for the sake of it is practice that often feels a little presumptuous, especially when specific influences are an unknown. Besides, if I'm resorting to comparing artists because there is nothing else to say, the review is probably... a little empty. As such, I try to keep direct comparisons A. positive, and B. firmly within the context of my own listening experience. If a guitar tone or an approach to songwriting fondly reminds me of something, and if that association benefits the overall review, it might merit mention. Of course, this whole philosophy opens up a bit when an artist specifically mentions influences. Am I in Trouble?, a new project from friend of the Sleeping Village and Negative Bliss guitarist/vocalist Steve Wiener, makes these inspirations public. In fact, here's a convenient playlist. If you are a nerd like myself, and interested in digesting music in the overt context of the creative elements that led to its creation, said playlist makes for a pretty damn enjoyable listening experience. Anyways! "On to "Red," today's track in question. 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
Ohio’s very own Valdrin has actually been on my radar since their 2020 album titled Effigy Of Nightmares, though they didn’t really grasp my attention back then (and don’t worry, I’ve since grown fond of that album). Several years of me finding corners of black metal that I enjoy, and perhaps some musical evolution on their part would change my perception by late last year. Roughly three years following said 2020 release, the band dropped Throne Of The Lunar Soul, clutching ahold of my attention from the artwork alone. Thankfully the music held just as much substance, causing me to completely re-evaluate. On a stylistic front, Valdrin have stayed in their lane well enough, retaining a black metal base with some minor tampering in other landmarks of the extreme metal sphere. But at their core, this U.S. quartet took that base and expanded past measures that I could have seen coming. Rather than sticking to a crushing and punishing wall of sound, they’ve gone and mixed in melody, soft and acoustic layers, and concise, poetic themes around the mythical, ancient, and medieval. Perhaps they’ve always leaned toward these directions anyway, but the superb production and advanced construction found here made it stand out blatantly. 
Written by: The Administrator
In the mundane life of a music reviewer, there are few things more gratifying than witnessing organic excitement about a new project. From the moment Ashenheart released "Weave Thy Night Into Being"--what would eventually become the closing track on debut album Faded Gold--there was a notable buzz of anticipation in our small but earnestly supportive shared corner of the metal twitterverse. This track was frigid and exciting, and after a single listen, I found myself eagerly awaiting more. To quote my micro-review at the time: "the guitar is oddly intoxicating. I love the low rumble and the rolling drums, and the vocals are absolutely killer as well. Very excited to see where this project goes next!" The wait wasn't particularly drawn out. Another album single and a standalone dropped in short order, and then the full 6-track album not far behind. And let me tell you: Faded Gold did not disappoint. This is a very good album, as sharply conceived and well-executed as the singles indicated. I've enjoyed it relentlessly since its release a few weeks back.
Editor’s note: this review was originally published in 2020 at a now-defunct site for a collaborative Best Albums of the 2010’s Retrospective. As the internet has since swallowed said site, my retrospective review now appears here in lightly edited form.
Written by: The Administrator
When initially considering what album I wanted to draw into the light for an End of Decade retrospective, the sheer volume of possibilities sent me into a bit of a frenetic journey through a decade of heavy music. Let’s face it: in ten years, the metalverse spawned an unbelievable bounty. But, eventually, the only true option became clear. For such an event I needed to focus on an album that, beyond being excellent in its own right, somehow personally set the stage for the decade as a whole. That, for me, is Agrimonia’s Rites of Separation. This album singlehandedly determined the course of my music listening experience from 2013 to the present. “Talion,” the album’s first track, begins with a piercing riff, a crystal-clear clarion call. It serves as an assertive hook, cutting through the noise before the noise even begins. This is the track that pulled me into a world of harsh vocals and aggressive atmosphere, a world of deliberate and progressive songcraft. Because Agrimonia are so genre fluid, existing betwixt black metal, sludge, post-metal, post-hardcore, crust punk, death metal, and doom, it is remarkably easy to approach their sound without any particular expectations. As such, a young acolyte to heavy music gained perspective without necessarily committing to the trappings of a particular niche. |
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