Islander

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): CHAINS — “SUBJUGATE THE UNKNOWN TO THE YOKE OF REASON”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  No Responses »
Apr 022025
 

(written by Islander)

The Brazilian musician A. Enrique (aka Henry or H.) has fired his varied musical creations into the world through a number of cannons — among them, Astral Lore, Woe Bearer, Gateways, and Cavern, and if you click those links you’ll see that we’ve written about most of them. And now he adds one more to the battery.

The newest project is named Chains, in which H. is the lyricist and performs all instruments, joined by vocalist Thomas Prunet (also a participant in Astral Lore and Woe Bearer). As for why H. created a new project when he already had so many others, it’s because the music differs from that of his other endeavors. As he explains, “It’s a mix Sludge/Post-Black Metal, heavily influenced mainly by Andavald and Amenra, but turned out to sound quite different…”

Chains has recorded a debut album entitled Subjugate the Unknown to the Yoke of Reason that will be released by Primitive Archive on April 4th, but we’re giving you the chance to hear it today. Of course we have some thoughts to share with you about what you’ll hear, but to begin we have some insights about the album’s themes from H.: Continue reading »

TÓMARÚM: “BEYOND OBSIDIAN EUPHORIA”

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Apr 022025
 

(We present Daniel Barkasi‘s review of a new album by Tómarúm, which will be released on April 4th via Prosthetic Records.)

When it comes to the more progressive side of music, no matter the amalgamation, the albums that take one on a journey are the ones that tend to stick in yours truly’s brain. Case in point: Atlanta’s Tómarúm burst onto the scene in 2022 with a mammoth slab of progressive black metal via Ash in Realms of Stone Icons that seemingly came out of nowhere. Sure, their 2020 EP Wounds Ever Expanding showed plenty of promise, but we didn’t predict a debut full-length so mature, potent, and expertly crafted.

Since then, guitarists/vocalists Kyle Walburn and Brandon Iacovella started a fascinating death/doom project in Lunar Chamber, and have been getting Tómarúm out there on the road with regularity. We managed to catch them once, and it was a memorable, hair-raising experience of intensity and technical precision.

Inevitably, the time for album number two has arrived, and with that brings the usual contemplation – can they build off of their massive debut and knock it out of the park again, or will growing pains become evident? A task especially difficult for a band who displayed such nuance and veteran-level songwriting prowess on Ash in Realms of Stone Icons. Additionally, the band officially became a five-piece within the last few years, and as a result, we have what is the band’s first written material in that formation outside of just Walburn and Iacovella, who previously were the sole craftsmen of Tómarúm. Continue reading »

DEAFHEAVEN: “LONELY PEOPLE WITH POWER”

 Album Reviews  2 Responses »
Apr 012025
 

(The following is Wil Cifer‘s review of the new album by San Francisco’s Deafheaven, released on March 28th through Roadrunner Records.)

Six albums into their career, these guys are not out to win over any new fans. Yet this might catch the ears of casual listeners who got lured in by the hype surrounding 2013’s Sunbather, which found these guys the talk of hipsters at craft breweries everywhere.

The band seemed to not give a shit about critical acclaim, and rather than try to double down on the post-rock formula that made Sunbather successful, they have ventured into darker corners and toyed with varied blends of shoe-gaze, black metal, and even thrashing screamo. This new album finds the band striking a perfect balance among these stark contrasts, and creating an album that is in some ways more experimental than Sunbather but also darker and angrier. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: NAMEBEARER — “BLACK VEIN, ATOM DRUM”

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Apr 012025
 

(written by Islander)

Is it a coincidence, or something like the alignment of stars in a constellation? Over the last month I’ve repeatedly been struck by impressive new music from bands located in the great state of Maine, and then enthusiastically spilled words about each of them. Bands like Obsidian Tongue, Blood Chariot, Stone Crown, and now Namebearer.

By some measures that’s surprising: Maine is in the bottom 10 of our States in population, and its location is remote from most of the country, which creates challenges for bands to get outside of New England if they want to expose themselves through touring. On the other hand, there seems to be something about the State’s rocky coast, its rivers, forests, and mountains — and its distinctive history and culture — that proves to be conducive to the creation of distinctive forms of metal, and especially black metal.

And because the community of such bands isn’t large and sprawling, it seems to lead to inspirational connections among them. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: SUPREME VOID — “DISSOLUTION OF POWER”

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Apr 012025
 

(written by Islander)

The Polish metal band Supreme Void is a new outfit, but with a lineup that includes previous membership in such groups as Sphere, Bloodsoaked, Mesmerized, and Cancerfaust. What brought this trio together was a desire to make death metal that delivers an intense sensory experience, one that’s “striking, relentless, and deeply disturbing.” To do that, they drew inspiration from Ulcerate and Gorguts, and the results are revealed in their debut album Towards Oblivion, which will be released on April 25th by the French label Dolorem Records.

To help spread the word about this full-length debut, today we’re premiering the song “Dissolution of Power“. But before we get to that, we want to comment about the first song released from the album, “Remnants of Hope“. Continue reading »

CULTHE FEST 2025 — “LARGER, VASTER, FURTHER”

 Metal News  No Responses »
Mar 312025
 

(written by Islander)

Once again No Clean Singing is a co-sponsor of Culthe Fest, and its 2025 edition is rapidly approaching. The event will take place in Münster, Germany, on April 25th and 26th, and features 20 bands from more than 7 countries on 3 stages, headlined by Der Weg einer Freiheit and Ahab.

Culthe Fest proudly proclaims that this year’s edition will be “Larger, Vaster, Further”. Not only has the lineup expanded, more than half of the bands will be playing special sets, and the organizers will also be presenting a “Dark Arts & Crafts” exhibition that they plan to correspond closely with the musical program and bring together the works of various artists from several countries.

Below, we’ll share many more details about Culthe Fest 2025, but a main point we want to make up-front is that approximately 75% of all tickets have been sold, so if you want to attend the festival you should act quickly (we’ll tell you how to do that). Here’s the lineup scheduled for each day and notes provided by Culthe Fest‘s organizers: Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: OUTERGODS — “COSMIC ABOMINATION”

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Mar 312025
 

(written by Islander)

The cover art of Outergods‘ forthcoming second album is abominable, a skeletal devil-winged regent that clearly won’t die despite its lack of flesh. The album’s title, Dethroned & Devoured, is equally cursed. But the name of the album track we’re presenting today through a video promises something even more abhorrent — “Cosmic Abomination“.

The new album, which follows this UK band’s 2023 full-length debut A Kingdom Built upon the Wreckage of Heaven, is now set for release by Apocalyptic Witchcraft on June 13th. As the label represents, it offers “an unrelenting blend of blackened death metal, grindcore, and extreme intensity” and “promises to deliver the same raw intensity and unbridled chaos that fans have come to expect from the band.” Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: TIL THE END — “THE SUMERIAN”

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Mar 312025
 

(written by Islander)

Earlier this month the international melodic death metal band Til the End released their debut EP, Dark Kings, preceded by a full streaming premiere at Decibel that included these words of introduction:

Across its runtime, the band flexes their songwriting chops with razor-sharp melodies, relentless energy, and a deep-rooted understanding of what makes melodic death metal truly hit. Fans of Slaughter of the Soul-era At the Gates, early In Flames, and modern Arch Enemy will feel right at home in TIL THE END’s sonic assault.

“With Dark Kings, the band distills the essence of classic melodic death metal into a modern, high-impact form—balancing soaring hooks with high-speed aggression and intricate riff work. This is just the beginning for TIL THE END, but if this EP is any indication, they’re a new force worth watching.”

To help spread the word further about this very impressive debut EP, we have two things to share with you today. The first is a stunning music video for a song from the EP named “The Sumerian“, and the second is a track-by-track commentary about all the EP’s songs by the members of the band — vocalist Antony Hämäläinen (Nightrage, Armageddon), guitar virtuoso Kostas Sotos (Mystic Prophecy, Crystal Tears), drummer Márton Veress (Orgy, Armageddon), and bassist/rhythm guitarist Nic Svensson (Slaves For Scores). Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK: IMHA TARIKAT, ELEVENTH RAY, WALD KRYPTA, VARNHEIM, ANGLACHEL, GEMYND BEADU

 Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK  No Responses »
Mar 302025
 


Imha Tarikat

(written by Islander)

Today is my wedding anniversary (it’s a big one, with a number that ends in a zero). Today the Associated Press highlighted some other events that happened on this day in U.S. history:

  • In 1822, Florida became a United States territory.
  • In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward reached agreement with Russia to purchase the territory of Alaska for $7.2 million, a deal ridiculed by critics as “Seward’s Folly.”
  • In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited denying citizens the right to vote and hold office on the basis of race, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish.
  • In 1923, the Cunard liner RMS Laconia became the first passenger ship to circle the globe as it arrived back in New York after a 130-day voyage.
  • In 1939, Detective Comics issue #27 was released, featuring the first appearance of the superhero character Batman.
  • In 1975, as the Vietnam War neared its end, Communist forces occupied the city of Da Nang.
  • In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously injured outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley Jr.
  • In 2023, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on charges involving payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter, the first-ever criminal case against a former U.S. president.

Let’s celebrate! Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: OBSIDIAN TONGUE, HATE, OBSTRUKTION, JORDSJUK, APPLE OF BASILISK, SERIAL HAWK, CONTEMPLATION

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Mar 292025
 

(written by Islander)

I didn’t expect I would be able to pull this Saturday column together, or the usual one tomorrow either. I thought my spouse and I would be leaving home very early today for a weekend trip. I even prepared a short notice to post this morning saying there would be no music at our site this weekend. But for reasons there’s no need to go into, we canceled those travel plans late yesterday.

That left me flat-footed this morning. I mean, I’m usually still scrambling on Saturday mornings to get this column figured out and finished, but today was set up to be an even bigger scramble because I’d given no thought to which songs and videos I might include. I had done a pretty good job over the last week of saving links to potential choices as I saw news about them — 30 or 40 links! — but no way could I check out most of those.

So, aside from picking a couple because the band names made me feel I’d be in good hands, sheer impulse ruled the rest. It’s a sign of how healthy metal is these days that making choices by impulse still turned out to be good choices. Continue reading »

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