Did I pick this record solely based on the band name? Yes, of course I did. Despite what the Pokédex might tell you, Snorlax is actually a one-man blackend/grind/death/doom band from Brisbane, Australia. Brendan Auld played, recorded, and mixed all instruments on II. He also handled most of the vocal duties, adding guest performances from … Continue reading Snorlax – II Review
It's weirdly satisfying when a band's name aligns perfectly with their sound. Blowtorch guitars and bass, pounding drums, and coarse, burly vocals comprise the Gothenburg, Sweden trio Firebreather. With an arsenal of molten riffs at the ready, the band unleashes stoner doom fury on their latest barnburner of an album Under A Blood Moon. The … Continue reading Firebreather – Under A Blood Moon Review
If you've had your ear to the ground, you're probably aware that there's a renaissance happening in stoner/doom metal. Pallbearer and Khemmis are the kings of melodic doom, Elder are the masters of all things prog and psych, and Spirit Adrift have recently taken the underground by storm with their latest album. With the release … Continue reading Howling Giant – The Space Between Worlds Review
Do I really need to do a cutesy intro for the most anticipated album of the decade? Let's jump right in! Tool aren't known for keeping things short and simple, and they've made no exception on their first album in 13 years. The four interlude tracks aside, the songs on Fear Inoculum all clock in … Continue reading Tool – Fear Inoculum Review
You're going to see (or have seen) a lot of hot takes about this album in the coming weeks. Lots of early calls for album of the year/decade. Lots of comparisons to Code Orange and their 2017 landmark album Forever. And lots of phrases like "genre-defining", "bar raising", and "the future of metal/metalcore/metallic harcore". In … Continue reading Knocked Loose – A Different Shade of Blue Review
Metal isn't known for collaborations. Perhaps the most common example of collaborations is supergroups, but those fall flat more often than not. Features are becoming more common these days, but still aren't as prevalent as in other genres like hip hop. But what we have here is neither of these. Although very different sonically, this … Continue reading Curse These Metal Hands (Pijn & Conjurer collab) Review
On their fifth album, Gold & Grey, Baroness have completed the rainbow they started in 2007 with the Red Album. Like many Baroness fans, I worried how this album would turn out after hearing the rough production job on the singles. So how did this latest addition to Baroness' color palette fare? Well the songs … Continue reading Baroness – Gold & Grey Review
