Reverse Polarity – Get Heavy Soul(ed)
Heavy, of course, is relative. And I suppose, in a phrase, that’s the whole point of this damn editorial series. Too many of us, for too long, have willingly (or at least unthinkingly) participated in …
Usurpress – In Permanent Twilight Review
I will absolutely admit to signing on to do this review based entirely on the fact that Usurpress is such an ear-to-ear-smilingly fantastic name for a band. And really, why shouldn’t we let our baser …
Furze – Psych Minus Space Control Review
If there is one word that is practically unavoidable in any discussion of the Norwegian band Furze, that word is “weird.” To put it plainly, Woe J. Reaper, Furze’s prime mover, is a bona fide …
Immolith – StormDragon Review
New Jersey’s Immolith is about two decades late and several thousand miles shy of the epicenter of black metal’s second wave, but that hasn’t dissuaded these Garden State grouches from firing up the ol’ Icy …
Mares Of Thrace – The Pilgrimage Review
On its second album, the potent and diabolically toe-tapping The Pilgrimage, the Canadian duo Mares of Thrace occupies itself primarily with making a hostile racket. If public sentiment demands that we must get more specific …
Mgła – With Hearts Toward None Review
The immutable laws of statistics being what they are, it should come as no surprise that genre orthodoxy is a crutch much more often than a crown. Thus, when a band comes along that unswervingly …
Desultor – Masters Of Hate Review
Apart from the rather questionable choice of a name just one ‘y’ away from their semi-legendary countrymen in Desultory, and despite having a band logo that resembles a toothbrush cum torture device, Sweden’s Desultor impresses …
Reverse Polarity – Jarboe Wants To Fuck Your Soul
Jarboe’s metal bona fides are well in order. Since the original dissolution of Swans fifteen years ago, this avant-goth noisemaker has boasted an impressive number of collaborations across extreme music’s fertile underbelly: album-length statements with …