CD Reviews

This E.P is the follow up to this U.S band’s debut album containing melodic black metal with folk influences. The debut seemed well received in the underground press and this new release continues on from where their first full length left off.

It opens with an instrumental track ‘The Mortal Flare‘, one of two on the release, which the very start reminded me of Primordial’s ‘Imrama’ album before changing tack. Once the main body of music kicks in you get the picture of what this band are all about. Fast paced drumming and guitar riffage proceeds the mid range rasping vocals, that at times become emotive and almost change genre in style, which carry you along on a melodic wave but far from being repetitive it interjects the speedier sections with folk elements; acoustic guitar finger picked, subtle hand patted drums and most notably the violin sections. New violinist Valcek, a change from the debut album, sweeps 

Hailing from Reading and signed to Siege of Amida records in 2011, Ancient Ascendant are following rather hot on the heels of their excellent debut album ‘the grim awakening’ with this fantastic EP ‘Into the dark’. 

They are a refreshing blend of black, death metal and more than a casual nod to traditional Heavy Metal. When listening to AA, they immediately reminded me of modern version of late Finnish outfit ‘Gandalf’, but with guitar work which hints strongly at ‘Melechesh’. It is also immediately clear that AA are more than capable of writing songs you’re going to remember for a long time, and probably with a sore neck. 

Opening track ‘The veil’ is a rather nice, if sadly short, instrumental piece, which builds gradually, with some lovely guitar work. It’s evident immediately that there’s a

In 2012 alone Chelsea Wolfe released a collection of acoustic tracks under the title "Unknown Rooms" alongside a digitally released tribute to Rudimentary Peni, a Daytrotter live session and lastly, a recording of her performance at this year's Roadburn festival, put to wax as a gold coloured LP by Roadburn Records.  Busy. 

Here we have a set clocking in at roughly 40 minutes and being comprised of songs primarily taken from her 2010 and 2011 studio releases, "The Grime and the Glow" & "?ποκ?λυψις". Songs differ little from their original renditions aside from in atmosphere and intensity along with some musical additions most clearly exemplified on the performance of "Movie Screen", featuring an almost Tubular Bells sounding keyboard led introduction intermitted with bursts of heavily distorted guitar and crashing drums (sounding not too dissimilar to Menace Ruine), before shaping into the 

Album Review – Paradise Lost “Tragic Idol”

by Nicholas Holmes

The number “13” has long been thought of as representing bad luck, but in this case that proves not be. Yorkshire doom legends Paradise Lost have produced a thirteenth album that should satisfy long-time fans and hopefully bring onboard new ones too. The five-piece have experimented with electronica and an almost commercial hard rock-type sound at some points in their career, but the trend more recently has been toward the classic sound of the early to mid-90s, when “Shades of God”, “Icon” and “Draconian Times” helped define a genre. Some years ago, Paradise Lost were labelled by some as “the British Metallica”, and as the US mega-band attempted with 2008's “Death Magnetic”, “Tragic Idol” represents a back-to-basics approach. It is the sound of a band who know what they do best.

Having just returned from Roadburn we figured what better way to start back than with a review of Conan's new album Monnos.  The hype surrounding this band gets bigger everyday, and they played stage 01 at Roadburn to a crowd bursting at it's seams and spilling out into the outer corriders.  It was simple, if you got there late, you weren't getting in, and they absolutely destroyed the place along with a few eardrums on the way...

Conan - Monnos - 2012

By Gary Lukes

Darwinism be damned. Over the howling cycle of passing millennia, mankind has allegedly evolved from bacterial lifeform to troglodytic primitivism. From intrepid firestarter to destructive splitter of the atom. Not that I expect Conan give a shit. It’s probably fair to say “progression” doesn’t feature highly on their list of priorities. This is a band less concerned with reinventing the wheel and more preoccupied with exactly how hard to run the listener over with it.

A throwback to another time. One before vocoder vocals, polyrhythms and bass-drop breakdowns. This is the sound of purists playing with no regard to trends or scenes; endeavouring simply to create a timeless monument to doom.

But just because they possess a vision as singular as the cyclops gracing the cover, doesn’t prevent the band from standing out. In the short space of one EP and a split with

Review by G. Lukes

France sometimes gets a bad rap. Sure, it has its drawbacks; but how about we forgive and forget? Let’s not dwell on the likes of Napoleon, Arsene Wenger, the Renault adverts with Nicole and Papa, William the Conqueror or the nation‘s general propensity for arrogance. I suggest we remember the good things, like fine cuisine, Gérard Depardieu, Parkour, René from “’Allo ‘Allo!” and, of course, the thriving black metal scene.

The Norwegians may have held a monopoly on black metal throughout the nineties, but the French have blazed a trail through the scene over the last ten years. From the abstruse turbulence of Deathspell Omega and the blistering malice of Antaeus to the shoe gazing, quixotic sound of Alcest, the nation has moved on from the primordial buzz of early Les Legions Noire and forged a reputation as one of the most enterprising nations in the genre.