Panopticon

Weft – The Splintered Oar Review

Weft – The Splintered Oar Review

By Killjoy on January 25, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Progressive Metal, 30 comments

“Black metal and the violin go together like peanut butter and jelly, which makes it particularly exciting when an artist who is accomplished in both steps forward. Weft is the solo endeavor of Charlie Anderson, the live violinist for Panopticon. His debut album, The Splintered Oar, is one of two releases by Bindrune Recordings on the weekend before the beginning of Listurnalia 2025. Nevertheless, this is a record that should not go unnoticed during the time of year when many of us have adopted either a backward- or forward-looking mindset.” Black strings and negative feelings.

Panopticon – Songs of Hiraeth [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Panopticon – Songs of Hiraeth [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Thus Spoke on December 22, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Folk, 19 comments

“I spent so long this summer submerged in Panopticon’s discography, once I came back up, I was overwhelmed by the amount of things I’d missed or needed to get a headstart on. Consequently, I didn’t spend a huge amount of time with Songs of Hiraeth when it first dropped; I listened, loved it, made a note to TYMHM it, and moved on. It was only as Autumn started to turn into Winter and the seasonal chill reminded me of not just my end-of-year writing obligations, but the snowy wildernesses of Northern America (and Northern Europe, where much of Songs of Hiraeth was conceived).” Calls of the wild.

Waldgeflüster – Knochengesänge I and Knochengesänge II Review

Waldgeflüster – Knochengesänge I and Knochengesänge II Review

By Killjoy on November 11, 2025 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Folk Metal, Not Metal, 10 comments

“Waldgeflüster has been around for a while. Based in Bavaria, Germany and led by Winterherz, they’ve been weaving nature-themed atmospheric black metal since 2009. Waldgeflüster has passed through the hands of several atmoblack aficionados before me. El Cuervo enjoyed the Panopticon / Waldgeflüster split in 2016 but was less impressed by Ruinen later that year. Doom_et_Al found 2021’s Dahoam to be disappointing and unmemorable. Waldgeflüster used the four years since then to create double albums Knochengesänge I and Knochengesänge II. I is a more traditional atmoblack record, while II is a reconstruction of the same melodies from the standpoint of various non-metal musical genres. An intriguing idea, to be sure. Is Knochengesänge so nice you’ll want to listen to it twice?” Knoch two times.

Slomatics – Atomicult Review

Slomatics – Atomicult Review

By Alekhines Gun on September 15, 2025 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 34 comments

“Arguably more than any other subgenre, doom metal is as much about aesthetic as it is raw substance. The meshing of tone with riffs of tectonic heft to compensate the substitution of speed with glacial pace is key to the formula, with many a genre great being defined by the two elements in equal measure. Long running doom outfit Slowmatics, first founded in 2004, are here to drop their eighth LP Atomicult, and have opted to modify this approach a little by making a cosmic themed album. Being a sucker for space and all its aural manifestations, I was intrigued to see whether such a relatively rare framework could mesh well with the force and requisite black-hole summoning doom is known for.” Space in the face.

Panopticon – Laurentian Blue Review

Panopticon – Laurentian Blue Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on August 26, 2025 in Reviews, 111 comments

“With the mammoth Panopticon ranking the electrifying Månegarm review behind us, we can now look towards the album that the ranking was made in anticipation of: Laurentian Blue. What we weren’t quite expecting was that Laurentian Blue would be an unusual album to follow the ranking. After ten albums of post-black metal, this is the first standalone Panopticon work of purely dark, folksy Americana. It goes without saying that Americana has ever been a key component to the Panopticon soundscape, so do not mistake “unusual” for “unwelcome.”” 50 shades of bluegaze.

Liljevars Brann – Helja Kor Review

Liljevars Brann – Helja Kor Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on October 8, 2024 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 15 comments

They say 75% of a Finnish park ranger’s job is finding black metal bands lost in the woods shooting album covers. If Germany’s park rangers had a similar issue, they’d likely struggle most with newcomers Liljevars Brann, given how musically deep into the woods they venture in their debut, Helja Kor. Written in a fictional blend of German and Norwegian, and dubbed “mystical black metal with a folkloric edge,” does Helja Kor conjure roots that drag you into the forest’s heart, or are these woods still too close to the parking lot?