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Kingu's Music Tournaments<p>🖤 ROUND III - Phase 1 - match 7/18 </p><p>Which one is the best doom metal album? </p><p>:headbanger: Om, God is Good, (2009)<br>or<br>:headbanger: Paradise Lost, Gothic, (1991)<br> <br>➡️See pinned post on profile for the tournament rules</p><p>:mastodon: Please 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗧 </p><p>🎧 YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO GIVES EACH ALBUM A FRESH LISTEN BEFORE VOTING </p><p><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KingusMusicTournaments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KingusMusicTournaments</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/MusicTournament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicTournament</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Doom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Doom</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/DoomMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DoomMetal</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KMTPoll" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KMTPoll</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Music</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/OM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OM</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/theurgion-all-under-heaven-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Theurgion – All Under Heaven Review</a></p><p><i>By Steel Druhm</i></p><p>I’ll give it to the folks at Profound Lore’s PR department. As I processed the <em>All Under Heaven</em> debut by unheralded doom-death act <strong>Theurgion</strong> and prepared to hurl it into the reeking promo sump, I felt the irresistible urge to take it for myself due to this subtle teaser tidbit: “<em>comprised of seven sculptured sonic monuments that hail those that came before <strong>Solitude Aeturnus</strong>, OLD<strong> Katatonia</strong>, OLD <strong>Anathema</strong>/<strong>Paradise Lost</strong>, first <strong>October Tide</strong> LP….</em>” Those are mighty big FFO nods, and I fell victim to the hype like a lowly n00b, tucking the promo in my ape pouch and skulking into the sultry night. The PR spinners didn’t lie either. What <strong>Theurgion</strong> do is totally what I want doom-death to be. I initially feared a frightful blow to the Score Safety Counter might be as inevitable as a hangover after 5 glasses of <span><strong>Doc Grier</strong></span>‘s cactus pruno punch. The atmosphere is rife with weepy melancholy. The heavy doom riffs are there and effectively crushing. What could go wrong with so much rightness happening? Did I find the next <strong>Fvneral Fvkk</strong>?</p><p>Though I’m not much for instrumental openers, I can’t knock “Mourning Tide” at all. It’s a tremendously moody, engaging table-setter promising an album’s worth of despondent despair, and it’s well executed from soup to sadboi nuts. When the first proper track, the 10-plus minute “Lavender &amp; Silver,” kicked into existence with mournful chanting, weepy trilling, crunching doom riffs, and booming death vocals, <span><strong>Steel</strong></span> was in his happy place. As the pained and plaintive clean vocals arrived, they seemed solid and appropriate; a forlorn mid-range croon with muscle behind it, sort of halfway between Danzig and <strong>The Cult</strong>’s Ian Astbury. Things kept building upward toward greatness, with me held in thrall. For the first 7 minutes, all was right in the world, but as things started to wind to a conclusion, the clean vocals of vocalist/drummer L.C. started to go off the rails as he reached for ever higher registers with his macho man bellowing. He starts to sound like an old, tired Danzig, and increasingly struggles to stay in tune. It ultimately doesn’t ruin what is a very effective doom-death epic, but the chinks in the armor become very visible by the end. These vocal issues resurface immediately in follow-up “Thrice-Named” as L.C. tries to sound anguished and tormented. As the album develops, those shout/sing/bellows become more problematic. Eventually, you feel relief when he lapses into death roars. This is a real shame, too, as the song has a lot going for it. It reminds me of the early days of <strong>Deathwhite</strong>, and I love the Goth-infused atmosphere <strong>Theurgion</strong> craft here.</p><p>There are many high-quality moments to be found on <em>All Under Heaven</em>, and the band can certainly write compelling doom-death epics that grab the listener by the ghost nuts and squeeze. But the vocals become a kind of wrecking ball blasting through the carefully curated moods to bring disorder and irritation to the listener. On “The Storm,” L.C. tempers his delivery enough to beguile and enchant on a track filled with vibrant guitar work and a strong <span><strong>Enshine</strong>-meets-<strong>Primordial</strong></span> vibe. It’s a beautifully glum and downcast little number, and it works because the vocals largely compliment the music instead of sucker punching it with a sack full of antique doorknobs. Unfortunately, on the 12-minute title track, L.C. overdoes his shout-singing to the point where you’d gladly fork over funds to send him to Count Orlok’s quiet time retreat deep in the Carpathian Mountains. One could also quibble about the 3 instrumental interludes, including the intro and outro. They aren’t bad, but aside from the opener, they feel unnecessary.</p><p></p><p>The real shame of it all is that L.C. is actually a capable vocalist. His death roars are fully on point, and he can manage effective cleans when he stays in a middle range and refrains from forcing his upper range to the point where control flies out the window. He’s a case study on less is MOAR, and proves that MOAR can be way too much. Guitarists A.P. and R.F. do a rock-solid job across the album, creating richly melancholic soundscapes without forgetting to use the doom riff cudgel to keep the listener honest. There are nods to all the bands name-dropped in the PR material, especially <strong>Paradise Lost</strong> and <strong>Katatonia</strong>, and they know how to deliver grimly beautiful doom-death. If we are going solely on instrumentation, this thing is close to a 4.0. With vocals added, things get slicey dicey and make scoring <em>Under All Heaven</em> a real trial by fire.</p><p>There’s a lot to love on <strong>Theurgion</strong>’s debut opus. The atmosphere is dark and mournful, and the guitar work is inspired. Hell, even the vocals deliver the doomy goods about half the time. I struggled a lot with how to rate this thing, but ultimately, your enjoyment will come down to how well you vibe with L.C.’s “unique” style. For me, his “elderly Danzig on the toilet” style killed too many otherwise glorious moments. Mileage may vary, and I sincerely hope it does, because <strong>Theurgion</strong> have the potential to become something great.</p><p></p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 2.5/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 10 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://profoundlorerecords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Profound Lore</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> Too mysterious for the webz?<br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> August 8th, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2-5/" target="_blank">#25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/all-under-heaven/" target="_blank">#AllUnderHeaven</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aug25/" target="_blank">#Aug25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/deathwhite/" target="_blank">#Deathwhite</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/katatonia/" target="_blank">#Katatonia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/profound-lore-records/" target="_blank">#ProfoundLoreRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/theurgion/" target="_blank">#Theurgion</a></p>
Tom :damnified:<p>The first song on the new Paradise Lost album is exactly how I want Paradise Lost to be: melodic, slow, hard as nails! 💪</p><p>Very good! I'm looking forward to the new album! </p><p>Paradise Lost - Serpent on the cross<br><a href="https://song.link/s/01wpesgkbK6NLPhEnSJYFd" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">song.link/s/01wpesgkbK6NLPhEnS</span><span class="invisible">JYFd</span></a></p><p><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>metal</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/paradiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>paradiseLost</span></a></p>
Kingu's Music Tournaments<p>🖤 ROUND II - Phase 1 - match 20/27 </p><p>Which one is the best doom metal album? </p><p>🤘 Conan, Monnos, (2012)<br>or<br>🤘 Paradise Lost, Draconian Times, (1995)<br> <br>➡️See pinned post on profile for the tournament rules</p><p>:mastodon: Please 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗧 </p><p>🎧 YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO GIVES EACH ALBUM A FRESH LISTEN BEFORE VOTING </p><p><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KingusMusicTournaments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KingusMusicTournaments</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/MusicTournament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicTournament</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Doom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Doom</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/DoomMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DoomMetal</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KMTPoll" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KMTPoll</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Music</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Conan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Conan</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a></p>
DaveKaz<p>New <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a> songs are pretty “by the numbers.” New <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Deftones" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Deftones</span></a> song surprisingly intriguing. <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/NewMusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NewMusic</span></a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/the-bleak-picture-shades-of-life-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Bleak Picture – Shades of Life Review</a></p><p><i>By Maddog</i></p><p></p><p>It’s been a draining year. Lacking the mental energy for new music, I’ve subsisted on a diet of <strong>ISIS</strong> and <strong>Fvneral Fvkk</strong>. Clouded by the doomy stylings of the latter, I decided to make my return to reviewing with dismal death-doom. Despite releasing their debut just last year, Finland’s <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong> is a project of members of <strong>Autumnfall</strong>. That said, these two bands sound worlds apart, as their names betray. Abandoning the blackened scenery of <strong>Autumnfall</strong>, <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong> paints a bleak picture with melodic death-doom that reeks of Finland. Channeling the icons of sadboi history, <em>Shades of Life</em> is a flawed but worthwhile slab of morose doom.</p><p>You won’t find much innovation here, but <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong> has learned from the best. Blending harsh vocals and spoken word, doomy plains and deathy mountain ranges, <em>Shades of Life</em> consists of familiar elements. The opener “Plagued by Sorrow” offers the listener zero seconds of respite before launching into a persistent doom riff. Melodic guitar leads steer the album along, stitching the doomy cuts together in a manner that recalls <strong>Enshine</strong> (“Without the I”). Rather than slowing to a standstill, <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong> uses <strong>Insomnium</strong> riffs to push the album along without diluting its sorrow. The guitars (handled by Jussi Hänninen, along with the other instruments) are the core of <em>Shades of Life</em>, but Tero Ruohonen’s vocals broaden its horizons. While he largely dwells in standard harsh territory, Ruohonen’s cleans tinge the album with gothic influences, like the distorted spoken word of “Absolution.” Indeed, sections like the straightforward rock of “Without the I” recall <strong>Paradise Lost</strong>. However, lest this lengthy description fool you, <em>Shades of Life</em> is largely standard fare.</p><p></p><p>It feels criminal to listen to <em>Shades of Life</em> on a 90-degree summer day. <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong> conveys emotion through the sheer enormity of their riffs, burying the listener like an avalanche (“Absolution”). Elsewhere, <em>Shades of Life</em> deftly intersperses these assaults with tranquility, like the transition from an explosive chorus to minimalist bass-led instrumentals on “Plagued by Sorrow.” These strengths reach their apex on the 11-minute spectacle “Silent Exit.” Evoking <strong>Swallow the Sun</strong>’s <em>Plague of Butterflies</em>, the track progresses through a nightmarish acoustic melody, forceful doom riffs, and girthy bass lines. <strong>Cult of Luna</strong>-style drumming leads the song into a climactic ending that raises the bar even further. Across these highlights, <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong>’s sophomore release boasts a mature approach to songwriting.</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Shades of Life</em> still struggles to transcend its melodic death-doom formula. The album’s biggest weakness is its monotony. In their quest for chunky riffs, <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong> tends to overuse ideas, emulating an uninspired version of <strong>Rapture</strong> (“Code of Ethics”). Even the album’s best pieces sometimes fizzle out, like the abrupt ending of the otherwise-powerful “Absolution.” Similarly, while the penultimate track “Silent Exit” showcases the best of <em>Shades of Life</em>, the closer “City of Ghosts” settles into a low-energy doom routine that never picks up steam. Despite its apparent variety of influences, <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong>’s by-the-book approach to death-doom doesn’t always keep my interest.</p><p>An album like <em>Shades of Life</em> is difficult to dissect; its success hinges on the heart, not the brain. <strong>The Bleak Picture</strong> is on the right path, and tracks like “Silent Exit” hit hard with their bulky riffwork and creative variety. But as a whole, <em>Shades of Life</em> isn’t the gut punch I’d hoped for. It doesn’t match the raw power of <strong>Paradise Lost</strong>, the otherworldly sadness of <strong>Enshine</strong>, or the narrative prowess of <strong>Insomnium</strong>. Still, I have no regrets. There are strong whiffs of talent here, and with its mature and tempered approach to songwriting, <em>Shades of Life</em> is an easy, rewarding listen. It’s worth a shot for anyone who prefers moping over sunlight.</p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 2.5/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 9 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kb/s mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://www.arduamusic.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ardua Music</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="http://thebleakpicture.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">thebleakpicture.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/thebleakpicture" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/thebleakpicture</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> June 27th, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2-5/" target="_blank">#25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ardua-music/" target="_blank">#ArduaMusic</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/autumnfall/" target="_blank">#Autumnfall</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/cult-of-luna/" target="_blank">#CultOfLuna</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-doom/" target="_blank">#DeathDoom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathDoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-death/" target="_blank">#DoomDeath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-death-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/enshine/" target="_blank">#Enshine</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/finnish-metal/" target="_blank">#FinnishMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gothic/" target="_blank">#Gothic</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gothic-doom/" target="_blank">#GothicDoom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gothic-metal/" target="_blank">#GothicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gothic-rock/" target="_blank">#GothicRock</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/insomnium/" target="_blank">#Insomnium</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jun25/" target="_blank">#Jun25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodeath/" target="_blank">#Melodeath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodeath-metal/" target="_blank">#MelodeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodic-death-doom/" target="_blank">#MelodicDeathDoom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#MelodicDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/rapture/" target="_blank">#Rapture</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/shades-of-life/" target="_blank">#ShadesOfLife</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/swallow-the-sun/" target="_blank">#SwallowTheSun</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/the-bleak-picture/" target="_blank">#TheBleakPicture</a></p>
Kingu's Music Tournaments<p>🖤 ROUND II - Phase 1 - match 7/27 </p><p>Which one is the best doom metal album? </p><p>🤘 YOB, Clearing the Path to Ascend, (2014)<br>or<br>🤘 Paradise Lost, Gothic, (1991)<br> <br>➡️See pinned post on profile for the tournament rules</p><p>:mastodon: Please 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗧 </p><p>🎧 YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO GIVES EACH ALBUM A FRESH LISTEN BEFORE VOTING </p><p><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KingusMusicTournaments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KingusMusicTournaments</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/MusicTournament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicTournament</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Doom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Doom</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/DoomMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DoomMetal</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KMTPoll" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KMTPoll</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Music</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/YOB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>YOB</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a></p>
Jan::Flusenjongleur 👻<p>Tiefenentspannung mit einem meiner absoluten Lieblingslieder (Kann man das ohne YouTube Abo sehen?)</p><p>Paradise Lost - Joys of the Emptiness<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWYbRqDhKWA" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">youtube.com/watch?v=EWYbRqDhKW</span><span class="invisible">A</span></a></p><p><a href="https://norden.social/tags/music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>music</span></a> <a href="https://norden.social/tags/gothic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>gothic</span></a> <a href="https://norden.social/tags/doom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>doom</span></a> <a href="https://norden.social/tags/doommetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>doommetal</span></a> <a href="https://norden.social/tags/paradiselost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>paradiselost</span></a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/after-taste-hungry-for-life-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">After Taste – Hungry For Life Review</a></p><p><i>By Grymm</i></p><p>I’ll be the first to admit, right now, that I miss <strong>Type O Negative</strong>. Chances are that you do, too. When bassist/vocalist Peter Steele died in 2010, he and his merry cohorts of doom and lust left a massive, gaping hole in the world of metal that no one to this day could replace or replicate. That hasn’t stopped others from trying, however. <strong>After Taste</strong>, hailing from the Netherlands and featuring Dave Meester of <strong>God Dethroned</strong> on guitar and vocals, are the latest in a line of those who worship at the altar of Black and Neon Green. With their second album, <em>Hungry for Life</em>, these Dutch doom-peddlers are hoping you will give in to your carnal cravings.</p><p>On a couple of songs, they do the trick. “Morning XTC” gives off a <em>Host</em>-era <strong>Paradise Lost</strong> vibe, with its somewhat upbeat, danceable rhythms and simple-yet-catchy riffs. Elsewhere, “Mind Over Body” could slot itself alongside <strong>Katatonia</strong>’s <em>Night is the New Day</em> in both atmosphere and performance, but with Meester aiming for Peter Steele instead of Jonas Renkse vocally. Their influences are sound, and their passions are in the right places when it comes to capturing a particular snapshot of a lifestyle of non-stop partying, and the grotesque, inevitable come-down afterwards.</p><p>So why doesn’t this land as well as it should? In their one-sheet, they’re aiming for a sound that’s equal parts <strong>Type O Negative</strong>, <strong>Rammstein</strong>, and <strong>Alice in Chains</strong> with electronic and synthwave vibes. Instead, what this reminds me of are the Century Media bands of the late 90s and early 2000s that decided they weren’t metal anymore: <strong>Morgoth</strong>, <strong>Moonspell</strong>, and <strong>Tiamat</strong>. Not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but <em>Hungry for Life</em> sounds exactly like those aforementioned bands that were once inspirational, but had gone pedestrian with their sound, and this album captures that complacency a bit too well.</p><p><br>For example, opener “Sustain Me” crawls along at a snail’s pace and doesn’t move the needle much in terms of melody or memorability. “Lost at Sea” could have been a strong single, but it drags out for too long, all while being a scant four-and-a-half minutes, due to its repetitive nature. “Methmouth” and “Liquid Courage” both aim for lyrical grossness, especially in the former (“You’re lips are locked/’Round my member/Yet your breath still fills the air”), yet don’t really go anywhere of note musically to back it up. Granted, the last band to impress me going this direction lyrically and stylistically was <strong>Voices</strong>, but <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/voices-london-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>London</em></a> was released a long time ago at this point, and that band backed it up with chilling performances, compelling songwriting, and tight musicianship, all things that <em>Hungry for Life</em> lacks.</p><p>I wanted to like <em>Hungry for Life </em>more than I did. It had all the ingredients in place to make for a fantastic album. Sadly, other than a scant few moments, it did little to quell my thirst for music in the vein of New York’s sorely missed goth overlords. I can only recommend this album for those that really, <em>really</em> miss <strong>Type of Negative</strong>, and even then, it’s not going to hit the same way as the originals did, and the end result yields an aggressively okay album. It’s a shame, because it feels like it could be a whole lot more.</p><p></p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 2.0/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 8 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> Independent/Unsigned<br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aftertastenl" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/after-taste-hungry-for-life-review/#fn-216728-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> June 6th, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/20/" target="_blank">#20</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/after-taste/" target="_blank">#AfterTaste</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/alice-in-chains/" target="_blank">#AliceInChains</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dutch-metal/" target="_blank">#DutchMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/god-dethroned/" target="_blank">#GodDethroned</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hard-rock/" target="_blank">#HardRock</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hungry-for-life/" target="_blank">#HungryForLife</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/independent-unsigned/" target="_blank">#IndependentUnsigned</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jun25/" target="_blank">#Jun25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/katatonia/" target="_blank">#Katatonia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/moonspell/" target="_blank">#Moonspell</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/morgoth/" target="_blank">#Morgoth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/my-dying-bride/" target="_blank">#MyDyingBride</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/rammstein/" target="_blank">#Rammstein</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/tiamat/" target="_blank">#Tiamat</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/type-o-negative/" target="_blank">#TypeONegative</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/voices/" target="_blank">#Voices</a></p>
Kingu's Music Tournaments<p>🖤 ROUND I - Phase 1 - match 25/50 </p><p>Which one is the best doom metal album? </p><p>🤘 Katatonia, Brave Murder Day, (1996)<br>or<br>🤘 Paradise Lost, Gothic, (1991)<br> <br>➡️See pinned post on profile for the tournament rules</p><p>:mastodon: Please 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗧 </p><p>🎧 YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO GIVES EACH ALBUM A FRESH LISTEN BEFORE VOTING </p><p><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KingusMusicTournaments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KingusMusicTournaments</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/MusicTournament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicTournament</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Doom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Doom</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/DoomMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DoomMetal</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KMTPoll" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KMTPoll</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Music</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Katatonia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Katatonia</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a></p>
Kingu's Music Tournaments<p>🖤 ROUND I - Phase 1 - match 19/50 </p><p>Which one is the best doom metal album? </p><p>🤘 Paradise Lost, Draconian Times, (1995)<br>or<br>🤘 Pallbearer, Sorrow and Extinction, (2012)<br> <br>➡️See pinned post on profile for the tournament rules</p><p>:mastodon: Please 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗧 </p><p>🎧 YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO GIVES EACH ALBUM A FRESH LISTEN BEFORE VOTING </p><p><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KingusMusicTournaments" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KingusMusicTournaments</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/MusicTournament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicTournament</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Doom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Doom</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/DoomMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DoomMetal</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/KMTPoll" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KMTPoll</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Music</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Pallbearer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Pallbearer</span></a></p>
Brian M Knoblock 🇺🇸🇳🇴 🦊<p>I like the decorative gold-plated clown hammer that adorns Captain Sisko's office at Starfleet Headquarters.</p><p><a href="https://toad.social/tags/AllStarTrek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AllStarTrek</span></a> <a href="https://toad.social/tags/StarTrekDS9" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StarTrekDS9</span></a> <a href="https://toad.social/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/allstartrek" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>allstartrek</span></a></span></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/nydvind-telluria-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nydvind – Telluria Review</a></p><p><i>By El Cuervo</i></p><p>There are many heavy metal bands in the world. Intense genre stratification led to lots of musical hopefuls attempting to carve their own path. Despite their best efforts, it’s incredibly rare for a band to do something that hasn’t been done before. Citing a journey through the “raw energy of black metal,” “profound melancholy of doom,” and “organic vitality of folk,” France’s <strong>Nydvind</strong> are making another such attempt with their fourth album entitled <em>Telluria</em>. This unusual medley and a 20-year history ensured that I didn’t instinctively reject the one sheet’s notion that the group may be pioneering; there aren’t many bands operating in this genre that split 3 sounds. Is <em>Telluria</em> as distinctive as its genre promises?</p><p>The <strong>Nydvind</strong> style isn’t a part of the same scene as the likes of <strong>Agalloch,</strong> but they capture the earthen feel that such bands exalt. “Dance of the Ages” uses flitting, clean guitar lines and occasional chants to conjure a folksy effect, tied into acoustic guitar passages designed to evoke delicacy. This contrasts with the record’s opening heavy passages that blend trilling blackened guitars with deathly, guttural growls. Likewise, “Heart of the Woods II” opens robustly, with a doomy lick delivered via a shredding tone. The remainder of <em>Telluria</em> sometimes winds and sometimes stomps its way through passages that principally progress through a fusion of black, doom, and death metal. Despite its variety, the core of the music has a feel that won’t be totally unfamiliar to fans of <strong>Paradise Lost</strong>, but observed through a decidedly blacker lens.</p><p>When you first start with <em>Telluria</em>, the multitude of influences in the pot and frequent musical shifts make things interesting. But it’s definitely more ‘interesting’ than ‘exciting.’ Although there’s a lot to listen to when paying close attention, my overall emotional response is an unfazed one. The majority of the album is merely okay. This is undoubtedly compounded by the music switching between varied sounds in an uneventful way. “Heart of the Woods II” proceeds through its doomy opening and a blackened second passage then back again, but each transition simply ceases the prior music and commences the next. There are very few moments of sophistication or drama to signal change to the listener. The over-arching fusion of doom / black / death/folk influences sounds harmonious on first listen, but it’s not nearly as stimulating as it should be.</p><p></p><p>I find my initial interest thoroughly waned by <em>Telluria</em>’s back half. Ultimately, the inability to generate a visceral emotional response (even a negative one) consigns it to the sizeable heap of forgettable music I’ll not bother returning to. The shuffling, directionless song-writing contributes to my dispirited response. I find the doomy mid-pace passages the dullest of <strong>Nydvind</strong>’s sounds, and these passages sometimes stretch out over minutes at a time. The songs average 8 minutes, and only one runs for fewer than 7, with another exceeding 10. Only “Into the Pantheon of Absynthia” reaches a climax that’s reasonably satisfying, as it escalates with a crescendo that gets heavier over time. The remainder of the songs don’t justify their duration.</p><p>The only complete exception to the commentary I’ve provided above is the title track. Pretty much all the best passages on <em>Telluria</em> are locked within these 9 minutes. From the crunchy, blackened verse with piercing shrieked vocals to the layered leads that harmonize then counter-point, it did what no other track could by demanding my attention. It then proceeded to hold it by featuring the album’s best solo and one of its heaviest passages after its mid-point. And just before that heaviness becomes tiring, the ensuing quietness offers a welcome contrast. “Telluria” still fails to stitch together its varied passages in a subtle or engaging way, but separately they’re best throughout.</p><p>Despite the more exceptional moments that form the strongest <strong>Nydvind</strong> material, the vast majority of <em>Telluria</em> leaves me cold. Beyond those moments, it’s difficult for me to highlight any particular riff or melody as standouts; much bleed together into a grey sludge, even with the diverse influences. There’s the potential for a thought-provoking synthesis of styles here. But while the quintessential 2.0 commits the sin of disappointing its listener, <em>Telluria</em> commits the sin of leaving very little mark at all.</p><p></p> <p><strong>Rating</strong>: 2.0/5.0<br><strong>DR</strong>: 11 | <strong>Format Reviewed</strong>: v2 MP3<br><strong>Label</strong>: <a href="https://www.malpermesita.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Malpermesita Records</a><br><strong>Website</strong>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Nydvind" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/nydvind</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide</strong>: March 21st, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/20/" target="_blank">#20</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/agalloch/" target="_blank">#Agalloch</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/folk-metal/" target="_blank">#FolkMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/french-metal/" target="_blank">#FrenchMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/malpermesita-records/" target="_blank">#MalpermesitaRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nydvind/" target="_blank">#Nydvind</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/telluria/" target="_blank">#Telluria</a></p>
Bevan Thomas<p>"Here at least we shall be free; the Almighty hath not built<br>Here for his envy, will not drive us hence.<br>Here we may reign secure, and in my choice<br>To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:<br>Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."<br>- John Milton, "Paradise Lost"<br>🎨 Gustave Doré</p><p><a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/BookWormSat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BookWormSat</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/BookChatWeekly" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BookChatWeekly</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Mythology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Mythology</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Folklore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Folklore</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Christianity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Christianity</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Satan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Satan</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Religion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Religion</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Theology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Theology</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Lucifer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Lucifer</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Demon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Demon</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Devil" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Devil</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Literature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Literature</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/EnglishLiterature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnglishLiterature</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/Poetry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Poetry</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/EnglishPoetry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EnglishPoetry</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/JohnMilton" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JohnMilton</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/GustaveDore" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GustaveDore</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a></p>
Marcin „czach” Trzaska<p>Ale się te płyty starzeją…<br><a href="https://pol.social/tags/otd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>otd</span></a> <a href="https://pol.social/tags/paradiselost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>paradiselost</span></a> <br><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://a.gup.pe/u/muzykametalowa" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>muzykametalowa</span></a></span></p>
Tom Roberts<p>Listening to some doomy sorta stuff this arvo.</p><p>Paradise Lost on this album is kind of doomy, kind of gothy metal.</p><p><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/ParadiseLost" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParadiseLost</span></a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Metal</span></a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/atramentum-the-wrath-within-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Atramentum – The Wrath Within Review</a></p><p><i>By Killjoy</i></p><p>I heard more than a few times in these halls that 2024 was a lean year for the doomier side of metal. Indeed, I spent the better part of my n00b period last year longing fruitlessly to review that particular flavor of death-doom that hits the sweet spot between melancholy and aggression, so this year I seized the first available opportunity to fulfill my wish. <strong>Atramentum</strong>, formed in Hamburg, Germany in 2018, released debut album <em>Doomed in Time</em> in 2023 during a dalliance with TeufelsZeug Records that lasted only two years. Undaunted, they decided to “go big or go home,” now self-releasing a whopping 72-minute sophomore album <em>The Wrath Within</em>. A brazen move, to be sure, but was it warranted?</p><p>If the band photo below is any indication, <strong>Atramentum</strong> wear their influences on their chests rather than on their sleeves. These folks are among the many disciples of the legendary Peaceville sound that <strong>My Dying Bride</strong> and <strong>Paradise Lost</strong> propagated. They excel at writing sturdy twin guitar melodies (performed by Oliver Dermann and Tim Stopar) alongside a charismatic vocal performance by Sebastian Schlenker. That said, to call them mere copycats would be a disservice. The music wields a rougher edge than the traditional Peaceville style, with plenty of fast guitar solos and death riffs. Further, <strong>Atramentum</strong> swap much of the customary gothic atmosphere for dour black metal and occasionally even blues rock, demonstrating great progression towards crafting their own sound.</p><p></p><p><em>The Wrath Within</em> feels like a weighted blanket—cozy but not overly crushing or suffocating. “Higgs Field” and “Window” are on the hefty side, laden with big, ominous doom riffs and rumbling death growls. There’s plenty of mad to complement the sad; for instance, “Farewell” sees <strong>Atramentum</strong> unleash their <em>Wrath Within</em> in the form of aggressive drumming from Julian Gricksch and a killer guitar solo. No matter where any given moment lands on the death/doom slider, the guitar melodies are keen and enhanced enough to keep the bleakness at manageable levels. The vocal melodies, on the other hand, are where the record stumbles the most. While Schlenker’s voice is far from unpleasant, he struggles to imbue the low notes with force (“Living in Dystopia”) and his higher pitches sound tinny, particularly when double-tracked alongside his own formidable growls in the final chorus of “Lake of My Own Essence.” To be fair, there are other times when the singing fares better, but his cleans could surely use more training and practice.</p><p></p><p>Now it’s time to address the elephant in the room, both a figure of speech and a similitude of <em>The Wrath Within</em>’s runtime. With most of the 13 tracks lasting around 5-6 minutes, this is a case of the ideas being too numerous rather than too sizable. It helps that the songwriting is dynamic and at times unpredictable. The main guitar riff in “Emptiness Inside” and the soft bass grooves in the title track have a bluesy saunter which comes out of left field but integrates surprisingly well with the death-doom. While most songs are interesting enough individually, there is little sense of interplay between them, causing the album’s extreme length to work against it when consumed in one sitting. With so many disparate tracks, some are bound to be weaker (“Lake of My Own Essence,” “Another Life to Die”) and could have been left out to make <em>The Wrath Within</em> more digestible as a whole.</p><p><strong>Atramentum</strong> is a band brimming with potential that’s realized in some ways but not in others. They are great at writing vehement songs and aren’t afraid to experiment while doing so. <em>The Wrath Within</em> may be overlong and uneven, but I can’t say I ever became bored while listening. The positive side of a stuffed album is that most enjoyers of downcast death-doom will likely find something appealing within. With some tightening of the clean vocals and judicious self-editing, <strong>Atramentum</strong> will be a moody force to be reckoned with.</p> <p><strong>Rating</strong>: 3.0/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 5 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> Self-Release<br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="https://atramentum1.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">atramentum1.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/atramentumhamburg/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/atramentumhamburg</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> January 24th, 2025</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atramentum/" target="_blank">#Atramentum</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/german-metal/" target="_blank">#GermanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jan25/" target="_blank">#Jan25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/my-dying-bride/" target="_blank">#MyDyingBride</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-release/" target="_blank">#SelfRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/the-wrath-within/" target="_blank">#TheWrathWithin</a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mother-of-graves-the-periapt-of-absence-things-you-might-have-missed-2024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mother of Graves – The Periapt of Absence [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]</a></p><p><i>By Carcharodon</i></p><p>If, like me, you’re a sucker for classic death doom and <em>The Periapt of Absence </em>is a Thing That You Did, in fact, Miss in 2024 then you’ll want to remedy that. Now. The second full-length by Indianapolis quintet <strong>Mother of Graves</strong>, it channels all those sweet, sweet sadboi vibes from early <strong>Katatonia</strong>, <strong>Paradise Lost</strong> and <strong>My Dying Bride</strong>, or even classic <strong>Swallow the Sun</strong>. Huge, melancholic riffs roil like cloudbanks, always shifting and subtly changing shape, but never less than grey and brooding. This façade of misery and loss seems appropriate, since a periapt, as all you D&amp;Ders out there<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mother-of-graves-the-periapt-of-absence-things-you-might-have-missed-2024/#fn-207825-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> will know, is an item worn as a charm or amulet, meaning that the band is presenting a physical representation of absence and loss. And boy can you feel it. Whether it’s the keening, drawn out guitars that open the title track, or the sonorous keys that launch “As the Earth Fell Silent,” on each track <strong>Mother of Graves </strong>drink deep of their torment.</p><p>As <span><strong>Grymm</strong><span>—</span></span>who’s fast becoming a <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/a-swarm-of-the-sun-an-empire-things-you-might-have-missed-2024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">feature</a> of my TYMHM pieces this year—observed in his <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mother-of-graves-where-the-shadows-adorn-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">review</a> of <strong>Mother of Graves</strong>’ debut, <em>Where the Shadows Adorn </em>(2022), the influence of the Peaceville Three (and other 90s death doom stalwarts) is so strong here that it’s almost hard to believe you’re listening to a new band. As <span><strong>Grymm </strong></span><span>also opined, however, that is neither a putdown nor a suggestion that <strong>Mother of Graves </strong>are simply aping what has gone before. If that was true of <em>Where the Shadows Adorn</em>, it goes doubly for <em>The Periapt of Absence</em>, which marks a significant step up in quality for an already very good band. For all that they lean into that classic sadboi sound, <strong>Mother of Graves </strong>should be thought of as the heirs to that scene, rather than imitators of it. From the graceful incorporation of the keys (Brandon Howe) and strings, which at times recall <strong>Clouds</strong>, to Don E.’s excellent drumming, the songwriting feels fresh and vital, for all the heart-wrenching loss on show. </span></p><p></p><p>For a band this early in their career, <strong>Mother of Graves </strong>display not only incredible songwriting skill but also confidence. The backbone of their sound is Howe’s deep, tortured roars, which are both rich and crushing, paired with the bright guitar harmonies (Ben Sandman and Chris Morrison) that dance playfully around him. However, not only does this description suggest there is some element of levity or hope to <em>The Periapt of Absence</em>, but it also undersells the rest of what the band does. Their willingness to stop on a dime, mid-blast beat and drop down into delicate synth and organ work (“Apparition”) or to tease with stripped-back, percussive guitar lines and stark keys (back third of “As the Earth Fell Silent”), shows that <strong>Mother of Graves </strong>is willing to take some risks to evolve. Where <strong>Grymm </strong>bemoaned the lack of smooth build-ups or progressions on <em>Where the Shadows Adorn</em>, this thing is like quicksilver. It flows, thick and viscous, its gleaming surface belying its deadly depths. From the ponderous slow burn of opener “Gallows,” through the delicate, percussion-free first half of “A Scarlet Threnody” to the thunderous<b> </b>closer “Like Darkness to a Dying Flame,” which draws on early <strong>Opeth</strong>, the record is killer start to finish.</p><p></p><p>With Dan “the Fucking Man” Swanö back on mastering duties, <em>The Periapt of Absence </em>sounds gorgeous and I can find absolutely nothing to complain about on the sound front. Every element of <strong>Mother of Graves </strong>(including Corey Clark’s strong work on bass) exactly where it should be, each having room to breathe and complement everything else, with nothing dominating, nor going AWOL. This is so rare that it deserves an extra call-out. I really feel I’m struggling to do justice to what <strong>Mother of Graves </strong>have achieved with this album, which will undoubtedly occupy a high spot on my list. Suffice to say, if you like any of the many classic influences I’ve cited, but want a fresh and bold take on them, you need <em>The Periapt of Absence </em>in your life.</p><p><strong>Tracks to Check Out</strong>: “Shatter the Visage,” “As the Earth Fell Silent,” “Upon Burdened Hands” and “Like Darkness to a Dying Flame.”</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/cloud/" target="_blank">#Cloud</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-doom/" target="_blank">#DeathDoom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom/" target="_blank">#Doom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/katatonia/" target="_blank">#Katatonia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mother-of-graves/" target="_blank">#MotherOfGraves</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/my-dying-bride/" target="_blank">#MyDyingBride</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/opeth/" target="_blank">#Opeth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/profound-lore-records/" target="_blank">#ProfoundLoreRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/swallow-the-sun/" target="_blank">#SwallowTheSun</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/the-periapt-of-absence/" target="_blank">#ThePeriaptOfAbsence</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/things-you-might-have-missed-2024/" target="_blank">#ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/tymhm/" target="_blank">#TYMHM</a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/the-old-dead-tree-second-thoughts-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Old Dead Tree – Second Thoughts Review</a></p><p><i>By Dolphin Whisperer</i></p><p>The hibernal cool-down of December brings with it the urge to succumb to an early setting sun and frozen morning air.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/the-old-dead-tree-second-thoughts-review/#fn-207215-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> And with this desire for thick socks, fuzzy blankets, and warm, spiced beverages no matter the hour comes a call from the gothic and downtrodden. In both those words <strong>The Old Dead Tree</strong> lives, having waved the dark and morose flag since 1997 inconsistently through a minefield of break-ups and hiatuses. In fact, their 2019 EP <em>The End</em>—also a tribute to one of their founding members, Frédéric Guillemot, whose life came to a tragic end before <strong>The Old Dead Tree </strong>could grow—stood as an alleged conclusion to their idiosyncratic, sorrowful career. But a tree cannot stop growing just because it wants to, even if it’s old and dead.</p><p>Ambition overtook hesitance to allow <em>Second Thoughts</em> to be not a second wind but a rebirth for the French sadbois. While the lyrics still deal with subject matter like personal loss, mental struggles, and an unavoidable malaise for life, a thread of adventure colors the journey with footstep recordings, heavy breathing, clock tower gongs, scattering dog barks, and distant lightning, laying a pleasant, engrossing mulch world around <strong>The Old Dead Tree</strong>. This living soundscape against founding vocalist Manuel Munoz’s vibrant, weeping crack and croon builds a narrative that doesn’t need to be on the page in front of you to dive straight into your heart. And as <strong>The Old Dead Tree</strong> cycles through timeless, pathos-drenched passages like the alt-y, breathy yodel of “Better Off Dead” or the sudden mic-distorted, volume-loaded cry that opens “Story of My Life,” it is clear that the dramatic urgency that defined the draw of their past works hasn’t skipped a beat.</p><p></p><p><i>M</i>ore than a reliving of <strong>The Old Dead Tree</strong>’s past, <em>Second Thoughts</em> appears with plenty of new wrinkles that anchor important energy shifts. In a move informed by his time with melodic death/folkers <a href="https://arkanband.bandcamp.com/album/lila-h" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Arkan</strong></a>, Munoz has brought on a few friends<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/the-old-dead-tree-second-thoughts-review/#fn-207215-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> to lend tension-building barks to driving stomps and snarling diffusions (“Without a Second Thought,” “OK,” “The Worse Is Yet to Come”). And though that more aggressive harsh vocal stomp serves both thematic contrast and tonal divergence, long-time guitarist Nicolas Chevrollier maintains a twangy, petulant six-string strut that paints the bluesy waltz of <strong>Wovenhand</strong> in a light equally gothic but triumphantly troubled (“Don’t Waste Your Time,” “OK”). The diversity throughout makes for little downtime across <em>Second Thoughts</em>’ fifty-minute journey.</p><p></p><p>Despite its excursions into those more novel and often proggier territories, <strong>The Old Dead Tree</strong> keeps a firm footing in the established goth playbook for several cuts. The tremolo chord overlay that opens <em>Second Thoughts</em>, along with plenty of other wistful riffs, give hits of late ’90s <strong>Katatonia</strong>/<strong>Anathema</strong> guitar-forward melancholy that paints a frown long before any words can (“The Lightest Straw,” “Luke”). “Fresh Start,” on the other hand, leads with reverberating piano hits that morph into a throbbing bassline that swells with the mopey dance floor energy of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-indefensible-90s-weirdness-olde-paradise-lost-one-second/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>One Second</em></a> era <strong>Paradise Lost</strong>—you can take the Docs off the goth, but you can’t truly escape the urge to drag around a good beat. To class up some of the more rote and melodramatic musical conclusions that build with “The Trap” and “Solstalgia,” <em>Second Thoughts</em> invites the gifted cellist Raphaël Verguin (<strong>Psygnosis</strong>) to lay sullen lines against Chevrollier’s classically mournful melodies. All of this leads to a finale that too feels of the <strong>Paradise Lost</strong> playbook, albeit more of the lingering Mackintosh guitar wail, but Munoz’s ability to hold a comfortable yet discomforting tune keeps its roots firmly in <strong>The Old Dead Tree</strong>.</p><p>As a true return to the fray, <strong>The Old Dead Tree</strong>’s updated take on a well-tread but not widespread sound feels as fresh as it does nostalgic. Like a cozy blanket on a shiver-inducing night, <em>Second Thoughts</em> wraps the listener in a believable tale of emotional turbulence and life-informed loss. For those enamored enough by its scattershot, moody shuffle, the highest points of histrionics will hit that deep-seated sadboi within. It’s hard to say whether that same approach lands as a true boon, as some of the lesser moments feel unnecessary on repeat listens. But this sort of episodic narrative also means that you can pick up <em>Second Thoughts</em> from just about any point and let its gothy charms take over.</p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> 3.5/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 5 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="https://www.season-of-mist.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Season of Mist</a> | <a href="https://seasonofmist.bandcamp.com/music" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <a href="https://theolddeadtree.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">theolddeadtree.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheOldDeadTree.Official" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/theolddeadtree.official</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> December 6th, 2024</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/35/" target="_blank">#35</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/alternative-rock/" target="_blank">#AlternativeRock</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/anathema/" target="_blank">#Anathema</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/arkan/" target="_blank">#Arkan</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dec24/" target="_blank">#Dec24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/french-metal/" target="_blank">#FrenchMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gothic-metal/" target="_blank">#GothicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gothic-rock/" target="_blank">#GothicRock</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/katatonia/" target="_blank">#Katatonia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/season-of-mist/" target="_blank">#SeasonOfMist</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/second-thoughts/" target="_blank">#SecondThoughts</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/the-old-dead-tree/" target="_blank">#TheOldDeadTree</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/wovenhand/" target="_blank">#Wovenhand</a></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/rotpit-long-live-the-rot-review-happy-rotsgiving-to-all/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rotpit – Long Live the Rot Review (Happy Rotsgiving to All)</a></p><p><i>By Steel Druhm</i></p><p>2023 was a good year for death metal, and amidst all the quality knuckle-dragging, <strong>Rotpit</strong>’s <em>Let There Be Rot</em> debut was a most welcome unearthing. Spewed forth by fiends from such acts as <strong>Heads for the Dead</strong>, <strong>Wombbath</strong>, and <strong>Revel in Flesh</strong>, <em>Let There Be Rot</em> blended the worst angels of the Swedish and American schools of decay to deliver an entertaining dose of infectious medical waste with a shocking number of greasy hooks. It’s an album I return to often and it still sounds freshly deceased. This is why I was so surprised to see the <strong>Pit</strong> boys back only a year later with <em>Long Live the Rot</em>. With their commitment to all things rotten firmly in place (5 of the 10 tracks contain “rot” in the title) and a new drummer on board, can these pit demons once again show us where the slime lives while keeping things interesting and appropriately grotesque? Welcome to the first ever Rotsgiving!</p><p>Things open on an especially dank, brown note with “Sewer Rot” which is really the worst kind of rot if you think about it. It’s cavernous, slimy, slithering and oh-so unclean. It offers all manner of ear contamination, but somehow feels less bestial and brain-stimulating than the offal served up on the debt. The overall style is much the same as last time, with cuts like “Massive Maggot Swarm” and the title track throwing reverb-thick riffs and horrid vocals at the cavern wall to see what sticks. Enough does to keep you listening, but the overall fun levels are less than what I was hoping for. The <strong>Incantolation</strong> influence of the title track is quite endearing nonetheless. Prime cut “The Triumph of Rot” feels like it drops a cubic ton of wet concrete on you with its thick plodding advance that borrows muchly from <strong>Bolt Thrower</strong>. Standout “Tunnel Rat” is more urgent and in-your-face with a punky d-beat leading the way. It sounds like the earliest <strong>Entombed</strong> material and that’s always a good thing. “Funeral Mock” also stands tall with meaty riffage and enough aggression to infirm a femur.</p><p>While no track is completely barren of merit, the overall excitement and intrigue levels are lessened and none of the material hits as hard as the best stuff on the debut. I like that there are bits and pieces that recall the earliest days <strong>Paradise Lost</strong>, and the expected nods to <strong>Entombed</strong> and <strong>Dismember</strong> are fine (and, you know, expected), but the album feels overly restrained, which is not what one would expect from a band called <strong>Rotpit</strong>. Take “Dirt Dwellers” for example. It rides along in a doomy dirge with only brief hiccups into mid-tempo chuggery. It’s not bad, but it’s fairly dull and never takes flight. Maybe it’s just me, but I want more menace and anger in my mass grave of moldering corpses. At a svelte 35-plus minutes, <em>Long Live the Rot</em> doesn’t feel like a chore to get through, but a few cuts have flabby love handles that could have been trimmed. The production is cavernous, full of reverb, and skews a bit muddy, muting the instruments more than it should while lacking a big, oppressive guitar tone. That’s a miss for me, dawg.</p><p></p><p>Once again Jonny Pettersson (<strong>Massacre</strong>, <strong>Heads for the Dead</strong>, <strong>Wombbath</strong>) handles guitar and bass and brings chonky leads and gravely grooves to the decay ditch. His playing reeks of the early 90s Swedeath scene with frequent side quests into classic <strong>Incantation</strong> cave swamp doom riffage and the shitfun of <strong>Autopsy</strong>. I’m a sucker for the blueprint and when he executes it well, the songs crackle and pop like a diseased boil. However, the tendency to remain in a mid-tempo space for too much of the album saps a lot of energy from the material and truly killer riffs are few. Ralf Hauber (<strong>Heads for the Dead</strong>, <strong>Revel in Flesh</strong>) offers excellently ginormous, echoey death roars that suit the music and he sounds as large and in charge as last time. He’s the right man for the job and makes everything sound extra moist and squishy. New kit-man Erik Barthold (<strong>Darklands</strong>) brings plenty of percussive brutality to the crime scene, but again, things end up too restrained for him to work up a good mouth foaming.</p><p>I get the feeling the minds behind <strong>Rotpit</strong> spent the last year binging on old <strong>Incantation</strong> and <strong>Immolation</strong> albums and that oozed into their writing this time. The result is less about an orgy of violence and more about murky atmospheres. I prefer a potent blend of both and thus, <em>Long Live the Rot</em> leaves me feeling partially unburied.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/rotpit-long-live-the-rot-review-happy-rotsgiving-to-all/#fn-206698-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> This gives me the sadz, and on the first Rotsgiving no less! I truly enjoy this project since it’s essentially the modern-day <strong>Death Breath</strong>, so I hope they have a longer shelf life than those Swedish sickos did, and that they can regroup to shove us deeper into the putrescence in the future. In the meantime, I’ll still celebrate the Rot season so give me a maggoty turkey leg and a bottle of hobo pruno and I’ll go sulk in the pit corner.</p><p><strong>Rating:</strong> 3.0/5.0<br><strong>DR:</strong> 6 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kbps mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="http://www.war-anthem.de/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">War Anthem Records</a><br><strong>Websites: </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Rotpit666" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/rotpit666</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rotpit_official/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">instagram.com/rotpit_official</a><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> November 29th, 2024</p> <p><span><strong>Felagund</strong></span></p><p><span>The band’s name is </span><b>Rotpit. </b><span>Half the songs on their sophomore album </span><i><span>Long Live the Rot</span></i><span> have the word “rot” in the title. This is knuckle dragging, club wielding, marsh-dwelling caveman metal. This is grimy, slimy, choking-on-swamp water metal. So if you’re here desperately searching for a review of the latest avant-garde post-metal release by a critically-acclaimed one man black metal project, I suggest you take your frontal lobe and shove it (preferably into the steaming heap with the others), because the noise the Neanderthals in </span><b>Rotpit</b><span> produce is only fit for plaque-addled amygdalas. As the proud owner of such grotesque brain matter, I found their 2023 debut </span><i><span>Let There Be Rot </span></i><span>to be a splendidly nasty affair. But can the same be said for their follow up? Can</span><i><span> Long Live the Rot </span></i><span>live up to the brutish power of its predecessor? Will I walk away once more, id pulsating and hip waders overflowing with viscous offal? I should be so lucky.</span></p><p><span>This may come as a shock to many of you, but </span><b>Rotpit </b><span>don’t appear to be overly concerned with musical evolution or artistic growth. The band that so disgusted you last year are back with a vengeance in 2024, and not much has changed. </span><i><span>Long Live the Rot </span></i><span>continues the pummeling assault </span><b>Rotpit</b><span> introduced on their first album, bashing in your eardrums with landslides of rumbling riffs, driving drums, and serpentine solos that slink between and above the perilous mountain of ichor. But as the record thunders onward, you can’t ignore the whiffs of </span><b>Entombed</b><span> or </span><b>Bolt Thrower</b><span>, nor can you overlook the understated but no less pungent stench of </span><b>Sanguisanibog </b><span>or the odoriferous </span><b>Acid Bath</b><span> riffs. But taken together, </span><b>Rotpit </b><span>continues to be their very own disgusting thing, an ethos that is driven home on </span><i><span>Long Live the Rot</span></i><span>.</span></p><p><span>“Sewer Rot” is a serviceable, fetid opener that boasts burly riffs, a doomy chorus, and plenty of buzzsaw guitar work. But in my estimation, the album truly finds its greasy footing on second track “Massive Maggot Swarm.” You’ve got an </span><b>Acid Bath</b><span>-infused main riff that disappears and reappears in between bouts of thick, trudging guitar, punishing double bass, and searing solos, all played through what sounds like a generous coating of soggy slime mold. Truth be told, most of the tunes on </span><i><span>Long Live the Rot</span></i><span> conform to a version of this approach, weaving in impenetrable walls of murky sound alongside heaving, repetitious riffs, mid-paced grooves, cavernous death growls, and understated drums that maintain momentum even when the guitars refuse to be moved. “Long Live the Rot” and “Funeral Mock” are album standouts, equipt as they are with both choruses and riffs that find their success through repetition. And while “Triumph of the Rot” and “Tunnel Rat” bring some welcome freneticism to the party, I’m here for the buzzy grime; the kind of oozing, musical muck that would make Anton Arcane gag. </span></p><p><span></span></p><p><span>It’s hard to have too much of a good thing, and thanks to a tight runtime and their ability to strike just the right balance between brutality and brevity, </span><b>Rotpit</b><span> have crafted a fun album that knows exactly what it wants to be. That’s not to say that every song is a prime cut (although they’re all beginning to turn). “Dirt Dwellers” is probably the most egregious example, sandwiched as it is between two stronger tracks and falling victim to that age old problem of death metal maniacs everywhere who traffic in the big, the dumb, and the grungy: monotony. Fortunately, while the dreaded M-word may rear its head from time to time, </span><b>Rotpit</b><span> knows not to overstay their welcome, and </span><i><span>Long Live the Rot</span></i><span> is all the better for it. </span></p><p><span>While this type of metal won’t be for everyone, I found </span><b>Rotpit’s</b><span> second album to be a grimy good time. And while I admit to being overly critical of “serious” artists in my opening, I can’t close without identifying what I believe to be the overarching ethos permeating </span><b>Rotpit’s</b><span> entire oeuvre. Tongue planted firmly in cheek though it may be, titles like “Triumph of the Rot” speak to a larger ideal; a philosophical undercurrent demanding that we, the listeners, learn to accept, embrace, and ultimately laugh at our own fleeting immortality. Just as Camus demands that we imagine Sisyphus happy, </span><b>Rotpit</b><span> demands that we imagine Sisyphus, well…</span><i><span>rotting</span></i><span>. In this way, </span><b>Rotpit</b><span> compose album-length </span><i><span>memento mori</span></i><span>, inviting us to reflect upon the inevitable. …But they also have a song called “Shitburner,” so what do I know?</span></p><p><strong>Rating</strong>: 3.0/5.0</p> <p><span><strong>Ferox</strong></span></p><p>Ah, Rotsgiving… a holiday for those of us who feel most alive when contemplating our own demise. We gather round the butcher’s block, as did death metal fans of yore, to celebrate an abundance of decaying riches. The Rotsgiving Day Parade plays in the background while <span><strong>Steel Druhm</strong></span> and <span><strong>Holdeneye</strong></span> prepare a traditional feast of Mystery Carcass and N00b Innards. <span><strong>Felagund</strong></span> spins tales of the Olde School while <span><strong>Maddog</strong></span> and <span><strong>Thus Spoke</strong></span> argue for novel ingredients and a cruelty-free Rotsgiving. Some of us are at home here in the mausoleum, and some stop by to visit from time to time. <span><strong>Cherd</strong></span> reminds everyone to slow down, that sometimes death is best appreciated with a side helping of doom. Have you been off traveling for a spell, like <span><strong>Mark Z.</strong></span>? Welcome back to Rotsgiving–and even if you can’t make it home this year, we always leave a place open for absent family members like <span><strong>Kronos</strong></span> and <span><strong>Ferrous Bueller</strong></span>. There’s even a kid’s table, where <span><strong>Doom et Al </strong></span>is free to blather while <span><strong>Kenstrosity </strong></span>and <span><strong>Dolph</strong></span> mash everything on their plates together and rate the resulting slop a 4.5.</p><p>We have high hopes for this year’s main course. Various religions exist to sell you on what happens to your soul after you die. Sweden’s <strong>Rotpit</strong> knows what happens to your body, and that’s all the inspiration this trio of diehards needs. On the band’s 2023 debut <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/rotpit-let-there-be-rot-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Let There Be Rot</em></a>, guitarist and Guy in A Lot of Bands Jonny Pettersson (<strong>Wombbath</strong>, <strong>Berzerker Legion</strong>) teamed with fellow <strong>Heads for the Dead</strong>-head Ralf Hauber for a slab of scuzzed-up death built around the question: “<em>What if the meaning of life is to provide food for maggot</em>s<em> after you die?</em>” The album resonated bigly with <span><strong>Steel Druhm </strong></span>and with death-inclined staff and readers. A scant year later, <strong>Rotpit</strong> returns to bestow the blessings of <em>Long Live the Rot</em> upon all who celebrate Rotsgiving. Will the staff leave the holiday table satisfied, or is this just reheated fare?</p><p>The ingredients in <em>Long Live the Rot</em> are the same as the ones in last year’s meal, even if this dish emerges from the oven with a subtly different mouthfeel. Pettersson’s reverb-basted guitars still dominate. A <strong>Rotpit</strong> jam typically kicks off with a stomping, stöopid down-tuned riff, after which a dental-drill lead guitar line asserts itself. This is scabby, dank death metal in the vein of <strong>Undergang</strong> or <strong>Autopsy</strong>. Pettersson tamps down his gift for hooks in favor of an approach that emphasizes grime and atmosphere. Ralf Hauber’s vocals always sound like he’s nauseated, which suits these songs about decay and the maggots that cause it. So what’s different? <em>Let There Be Rot</em> found an elusive sweet spot between murk and mirth, managing to engage even as it sickened. <em>Long Live the Rot</em>, in contrast, goes heavy on the scuzz and fuzz at the expense of songwriting. It’s still a fast and fun listen, but the new album finds <strong>Rotpit</strong> falling back into the death metal pack.</p><p></p><p>Not to air my controversial opinions during Rotsgiving dinner, but the best songs on <em>Long Live the Rot</em> are the ones that have good riffs. Standouts like “Triumph of the Rot” and “Funeral Mock” entice even as they envelop you in <strong>Rotpit</strong>’s signature fetid cloud. “Tunnel Rat” kicks off with a killer passage that evokes a tunnel borer drilling through tons of earth. If the album came fully stocked with riffs of this quality, <em>Long Live the Rot</em> would be a worthy companion piece to <em>Let There Be Rot</em>. Instead, there are songs and sections where the perfunctory riffage makes it difficult to distinguish one ode to decay from another (“Eat or Be Eaten,” “Dirt Dwellers.”) Maybe <strong>Rotpit</strong> needed more time between albums, or maybe the concept is already losing steam. Either way, <em>Long Live the Rot</em> is a perfectly nice set of scabby death metal anthems… which makes it a disappointment compared to the band’s opening salvo.</p><p>So maybe the main course is drier than we hoped. That doesn’t make Rotsgiving a disappointment. Look around the table. There’s a tray of <strong>Stenched</strong> that just came out of the oven. The <strong>Void Witch</strong> and <strong>Noxis</strong> courses should be along shortly, and I hear there’s <strong>Ripped to Shreds</strong> for dessert. As for this dish? Meat and potatoes always have their place.</p><p><strong>Rating</strong>: 3.0/5.0</p> <p></p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/acid-bath/" target="_blank">#AcidBath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/autopsy/" target="_blank">#Autopsy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/bolt-thrower/" target="_blank">#BoltThrower</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dismember/" target="_blank">#Dismember</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/entombed/" target="_blank">#Entombed</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/heads-for-the-dead/" target="_blank">#HeadsForTheDead</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/incantation/" target="_blank">#Incantation</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/international-metal/" target="_blank">#InternationalMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/let-there-be-rot/" target="_blank">#LetThereBeRot</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nov24/" target="_blank">#Nov24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/revel-in-flesh/" target="_blank">#RevelInFlesh</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/rotpit/" target="_blank">#Rotpit</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/war-anthem-records/" target="_blank">#WarAnthemRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/wombbath/" target="_blank">#Wombbath</a></p>