Exploring the grief of loss with gothic death doom melancholy! Losing someone you love sucks. It can weigh on you like a ton of bricks, suffocating in its pressure, some of the deepest and darkest melancholy one can feel. Many albums across genres have explored these themes, and one of my favorite metal albums from […]
Marianas Rest – The Bereaved – Album Review Read More »
Black, death, doom, and more! One of my favorite things about going to shows is discovering new bands. I have never gone to a metal show fully blind (though this one was close!), but there have been plenty of shows I have attended where I was only really familiar with 1 or 2 out of
Ulthar & Nightfell at Baba Yaga in Seattle, WA, February 7, 2026 – Concert Review Read More »
Speed metal, thrash, attitude, and fun! Seattle speed metal warriors Vanishment released their latest album, “…And Now We Die” on January 23 (read my review!), and to celebrate they held an album release show on January 31 at Baba Yaga in Seattle, WA. The show was a full-on speed / thrash showcase of local talent,
Symphonic technical blackened death metal that will crush and immerse you! I am kicking off my 2026 reviews with something quite a bit heavier than I usually review, but this album caught me by surprise and wouldn’t let me go. I wasn’t familiar with US-based Null Existence prior to an Instagram ad letting me know
Null Existence / Cryptic Monolith – Album Review Read More »
Notable metal albums from 2025 that are required listening I love seeing end of year lists and am always fascinated to see how different they are from person to person, molded by what they gravitate to and what resonates. I have definitely broadened the genres and bands I listen to, but I still bias toward
My Top Metal albums for 2025: Top 25 full lengths, Top 2 EPs, 16 more to check out Read More »
“Chill death metal” with killer melodies and great songs! Chill death metal. This is the moniker my son and I assigned to Finnish melodeath band Omnium Gatherum the first time we listened to them. They released their latest album, “May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way” last month, and it is the epitome of
Omnium Gatherum / May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way – Album Review Read More »
Pre-Hispanic instruments & Aztec lore bombastically melded with brutal death metal! The ehecachichtli, more commonly known as the Aztec death whistle, is utterly creepy. Shaped like skulls, they were apparently used during sacrificial rituals and emitted atmospheric wind-like sounds. Larger modern reproductions make a higher pitched shrieking sound (which may not be true to the
Kalaveraztekah / Nikan Axkan – Album Review Read More »
Symphonic classic mastery collides beautifully with brutal death metal! I was a band kid for half of my school life, an accomplished clarinet player who sadly didn’t do much beyond high school. During this time, my appreciation for classical and baroque music grew. There isn’t anything quite like it, with the complex arrangements, various movements,
Aephanemer / Utopie – Album Review Read More »
Technical, melodic, & atmospheric sci-fi influenced progressive death metal! I love science fiction, having read many novels by greats such as Asimov, Bradbury, and Herbert, and though I don’t read as much as I used to, I always enjoy diving into modern sci-fi as well as revisiting the classics. Sci-fi and metal go so well
Fallujah / Xenotaph – Album Review Read More »
Demon Hunter’s best since “The Triptych,” maybe their best period! American metal band Demon Hunter released their twelfth album last month, “There Was a Light Here.” I have been a Demon Hunter fan since the beginning, having seen their first tour well over 20 years ago and many many shows since, including their 20 year
Demon Hunter / There Was a Light Here – Album Review Read More »
