Reviews
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Opera IX Sharpens Its Ancient Poison on ‘Veneficium’
‘Veneficium’ sees Opera IX anchor occult black metal in a precise historical concept, giving this lineup its most purposeful studio…
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Draconian Deny the Soul Its Peace on ‘In Somnolent Ruin’
Lisa Johansson’s return to Draconian creates more than a reunion — on ‘In Somnolent Ruin,’ two voices enact a Platonic…
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‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ and the Myth It Left Buried
The mummy franchise has survived Boris Karloff, Brendan Fraser, and Tom Cruise. It has not, in Lee Cronin’s hands, survived…
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Argovia Launches ‘Primal Repetition’ Through Intimacy at Hall 74
The Bogotá progressive quartet presented their second album at Hall 74 the day after its official release, joined by Medellín’s…
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Paradise Lost: Shattering the Illusion of Hope and Embracing the Fall in ‘Ascension’
Subverting its own title, the Halifax legends’ seventeenth album rejects spiritual transcendence for a crushing, guitar-driven confrontation with mortality. It…
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Novembre: Painting a Work of Mediterranean Melancholy with ‘Words of Indigo’
In a triumphant return, the Roman pioneers of atmospheric doom weave a tapestry of “sun-drenched mourning.” ‘Words of Indigo’ is…
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Herejía: ‘In Nomine Obscuritatis,’ a Symphonic Requiem for the Departed
The Colombian institution Herejía rises from tragedy’s shadow to unveil a monumental act of necromancy. Titled ‘In Nomine Obscuritatis,’ this…
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Sun of the Dying: ‘A Throne of Ashes’ Ignites Earth’s Silent Roar of Retribution
A profound metamorphosis occurs when the mourner lays down their wreath and picks up a torch. Moving beyond passive nature-worship,…
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Katatonia: On ‘Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State,’ a Singular Vision
On their first album as a singular creative entity, Katatonia and sole founder Jonas Renkse confront the ghosts of their…
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Heartlay: A Brutal Archaeology of the Self on ‘The Alteration’
On their new album, French industrial act Heartlay moves beyond genre performance, engaging in a raw, archaeological deconstruction of the…
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Cradle of Filth: ‘The Screaming of the Valkyries’ and the Art of Apocalyptic Escapism
Cradle of Filth’s fourteenth album, ‘The Screaming of the Valkyries,’ is a late-career triumph. A potent blend of their signature…
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Fleshgod Apocalypse: On ‘Opera,’ a Brush With Death Becomes a Masterpiece of Metal
Italian extreme metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse transforms personal trauma into artistic triumph on ‘Opera,’ their sixth studio album. Following frontman…
