Among counter cultures, metal has always been something of an enigma. Staunchly isolationist. Relentlessly oblivious (and sometimes outright hostile) to the ebbs and flows of the outside world. Yet conversely replete with complex codes of conduct, contested lore, and hidden shibboleths. For these reasons and more, its relationship to wider cultural and historical trends is... Continue Reading →

The initial motiviation for taking a look at back at 2010 recently was part personal retropsect, part aversion to the relentless best-of lists we are pounded with at the end of the year. The sense of finality they encourage not only limits our horizons, but discourages deeper dives into recent history. Tens years is not... Continue Reading →

Early industrial didn’t so much point out the warping psychological effects of synthetic totalitarianism as it did aggressively revel in it. There is an unsettling bacchanalian fanaticism to some of these early works that speaks of minds truly unhinged. The contradictions at the heart of urban modernity: living and dying in suffocating proximity to others,... Continue Reading →

DomJord: Gravrost (2020) Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The energy poured into pointless b-tier black metal outfits with a respectable degree of popularity seems to bounce back into low-key ambient side projects with measurable predictability. DomJord – the passion project of Mortuus, of Marduk fame – finds itself two albums deep as... Continue Reading →

The clunky conglomerate of ideologies collected together under the Norwegian scene was always something a pick and mix free-for-all. Compelling as it was, extracting a coherent narrative thread from the loose ends of interviews and retrospects is a fool’s errand. Later abandoned by most of the originators in favour of the dollar, it left Varg... Continue Reading →

We’ve all had that conversation. You’ll be sat in the pub chatting with a passing acquaintance. They’re a serious music fan, but have only a cursory knowledge of metal. Being the responsible spokesperson that you are, when they ask what the appeal of metal is, you jump at the chance. At some point however, they... Continue Reading →

Asgardsrei: Dark Fears Behind the Door (out on Hessian Firm 29th December) Today's sonic hobbyist is faced with hitherto unprecedented choice. This tends to drive the mind into a state of decision paralysis. With access to limitless content, lifted from any period in human history, any region of the world, our focus is warped and... Continue Reading →

2020 will certainly go down as a year to remember. The devastating effects of Rona-19 on music scenes across the world have taken a severe toll. Already in a precarious position for many years, many small to mid-sized venues have been forced to closed. Abandoned by a system that insists that underground music is a... Continue Reading →

Boreal: The Battle of VOSAD (2020) Here’s a novel fucker, an American atmospheric black metal outfit that doesn’t suck balls. Although founder Ash Fox has apparently been at it since 2003, it was only in 2018 that he was joined by a rhythm section in JR and AW. 2020 sees them throw out a re-recorded... Continue Reading →

‘Consistency’ is a descriptive word. But when used to discuss discographies, beneath consistency’s benign exterior lurks the spectre of value judgement, a positive subtext. A consistent artist is one that can be relied upon to achieve a baseline level of quality. Both these artists are consistent. But this commonplace reading of the word carries with... Continue Reading →