Doktor Grier has had one hell of a year. Thankfully, he’s here with his elite list so you all have something better to listen to then the shit that’s been posted by others.
In The Woods
Alekhines Gun’s, ClarkKent’s and Owlswald’s Top Ten(ish) of 2025
Alekhines Gun, ClarkKent and Owlswald came out of the deep freeze to have a busy 2025. Now they get Big Boy Top Ten(ish) lists and things are getting real.
In the Woods… – Otra Review
“As of 2022’s Diversum, In the Woods… has pretty much combined all their genre influences into one. In some cases, it works; in other cases, it’s a touch messy. That said, I think I liked Diversum more than Ferox because I thought the individual songs came together nicely to create the album—though there were obvious issues with some of the tracks. Some of it might be the new singer on staff. Or, it could be the songwriting as a whole. But Fjellestad is a solid addition to the crew, returning once again for this year’s Otra. The question is, will we see another side of In the Woods…, or will they finally reel in their influences to release something stunning?” Woods package!
Strange New Dawn – New Nights of Euphoria Review
“Once upon a time, there were two brothers, one played bass and the other a guitar. In 2000, these brothers helped create Journey to the End of the Night, Green Carnation’s debut album. From here, they went off to form the mighty In the Woods…, hoping to expand on the sound of yesteryear Green Carnation. After leaving both bands, Green Carnation and In the Woods… remained, drastically morphing their sound and pushing beyond the boundaries of long-winded progressiveness, orchestration, and flowing choirs. Come 2013, the Botteri brothers attempted it again with Strange New Dawn.” Woods, flowers, dawns, oh my!
In the Woods… – Diversum Review
“The average age of all the cells in an adult human is somewhere between seven and ten years old. We constantly replace parts of ourselves, so that you are mostly a different person every decade or so. That means if you really, like, think about it, no band that lasts longer than ten years has any of its original lineup left. This is how I explain In the Woods… to myself. The outfit is in its fourth decade of shuffling through lineups and genres, with drummer Anders Kobro and the ellipsis in their name the only constants.” Lost among the trees.
Green Carnation – Leaves of Yesteryear Review
“Though I’ve known these guys for damn-near twenty years, Leaves of Yesteryear is not what I expected. I guess I don’t know what I expected, but this isn’t it. Gone is the rocking character of A Blessing in Disguise and The Quiet Offspring. Gone is the absolute darkness of Journey and Light.” Flower power.
Grave Violator – Back to the Cult Review
“Does anyone remember Nattefrost and Carpathian Forest? Not that they’ve fallen from the face of the Earth but neither band has released a full-length album in thirteen fucking years. So, I wouldn’t blame you for moving on to other filthy, leather-clad black metal outfits. Hell, even most of the original members of Carpathian Forest got tired of waiting around for another release—instead branching off to a variety of other musical outlets. But, for all the hate, filth, satanism, and unholy loads of Nattefrost piss, puke, and jizz, these two bands hold a warm, throbbing spot in my heart. But, lo and behold, there is a young band with the same kind of perverted mindset.” Sticky.
In the Woods… – Cease the Day Review
“There have been so many strong comebacks in recent years that it actually seems more notable when one doesn’t go well. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to In the Woods…. In the 1990s, this Norwegian quintet captivated listeners with three albums that ranged in style from black metal to prog rock to avant-garde, all while maintaining an esoteric aura that was somehow only strengthened by their dissolution in 2000. Sadly, after their 2014 reformation, Woods released the disappointing Pure in 2016, a vapid piece of experimental doom metal that probably didn’t even deserve the 2.5/5.0 I gave it at the time.” Comeback redux.
Orkan – Element Review
“I don’t listen to much Taake (hell, I’m not even sure I pronounce their name right), and this lack of familiarity puts me at an immediate disadvantage for reviewing Orkan. Observant readers will note that “Orkan” is actually the title of a Taake song, but the connection goes beyond that: Orkan actually consists of Taake’s live guitarist and former live bassist, who formed the project in 2008 along with fellow members of Norwegian black metal band Enchanting Darkness.” Taaking it to the streets.
Ewigkeit – Cosmic Man Review
“James Fogarty has a bit of a dilemma on his hands. Having dismantled his solo project Ewigkeit some ten years ago, coupled with a rant about metal being conservative and out of touch, how on earth is he going to resurrect the project and make it relevant?” Metal never forgets.
