Everything about Pachinko is larger than life. It’s as colorful as its gorgeous cover, full of energy and possessed of an indomitable spirit, a quirky sense of humor, and endless love and compassion. The narrative, which seems to be inspired by isekai anime,¹ is merely a vehicle for philosophical ruminations on the nature of life, fate and human connection in a world designed to wear you down to apathy. No two songs are alike or tackle these subjects the same way, and you can get snippets of darker lyrics dressed in bright colors (“King Among Kittens”), pure silly nonsense (‘Meee, I’m a techno boy’ in “Pachinko Pt. 1”) or melancholy reflections on the follies of power (the brilliant “The Apathy of Kings”).

Despite its colorful outer layer, Pachinko is more than just feel-good vibes. It’s a masterwork of both composition and technical wizardry. The melodies are intricate yet catchy, and never go exactly the way you expect. Nor do the songs themselves, because the way they weave together different moods, genres, and tempos is nothing short of staggering. Violins over blastbeats in “Cormorant,” melancholy synthpop in “Okinawa Sky,” jazzy whirlwind intro leading into big band brass for “Alfredo and the Afterlife.” And the title track suite turns it up to eleven for a combined 16 minutes of head-spinning avant-garde genre-hopping madness.

Yet for all this craziness, it’s remarkable how tightly woven and cohesive the hour-long album is. Songs frequently cross-reference each other to really emphasize the album experience, with “Pachinko Pt. 1” even referencing A Boat on the Sea directly. This peaks with the magisterial finale, which effortlessly binds snippets from across the album together into a gorgeous feast of reprise. It doubles as a heartfelt farewell to Thore, whose drums are used for the outro. Moron Police has taken their grief and turned it into a grandiose, madcap celebration of life and friendship with a wink, a smile, and a tear. An instant classic and one of the best albums I’ve heard this decade.

Tracks to Check Out: All of them, front to back.

Editor’s Addendum ov Steel: The author was very clear that this would have received a rare 5.0 if done as a full review.

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Norway may always be most well known for its black metal history, but I’ve come to love the country’s progressive music more than anything else, with its penchant for the dramatic and theatrical yet heartfelt. Gazpacho is at the vanguard of this scene, their 2014 Demon a modern classic and one of the few albums nearly everyone at AMG seems to agree is a masterpiece. Demon was the start of a multi-album storyline about a being that lives in our collective subconscious and pushes us toward our worst impulses, culminating in the excellent Fireworker in 2020. Magic 8 Ball is the first album since, and the first in a few decades to not be a concept album, though there is a loose theme of fate or destiny. How does the shake-up work out?

Before I got the promo, lead single “8-Ball” already impressed upon me that Gazpacho was experimenting with new directions, as it’s both more catchy and more sardonic than the band’s done in many years, almost approaching pop sensibilities. But when I hit play on the full album, “Starling” set my expectations spinning once more, evoking a gentle serenity with fragile piano and Ohme’s wonderful voice. ‘Let us be reborn,’ he intones in dreamy harmony, and indeed, it’s clear that Gazpacho is testing different waters, without straying too far from their signature melancholy dark streak. “Starling” and “We are Strangers” shift tempo and timing around, placing phrases on the off-beat or interrupting itself with a choral line. “Ceres” runs with whirling canon vocals and “Immerwahr” takes the shape of a runaway poem set to song, gradually evolving across the running time. Much like its namesake, you never know quite what to expect next from Magic 8 Ball.

And it is downright wonderful. Though I very much appreciate Gazpacho’s albumcraft creating singular experiences, Magic 8 Ball feels like the band takes us on an adventure where they aren’t sure of the destination themselves, either. “Sky King” carefully sketches a mysterious longing and bursts into a mighty, dramatic melancholy for its choruses. It almost feels like “Ceres” inhabits a giant clockwork with its lithe tik-tik-tik rhythms and echoing bells. There’s more synth here than in prior albums, occasionally taking a lead role as in the solo in “Starling” or the climax of “The Unrisen.” Their most prominent footprint is on “We are Strangers,” however, as they load the unconventional compositions with futuristic atmosphere and kindle scenes of cyberpunk dystopia.

Only “Gingerbread Men” doesn’t quite convince, often seeking a more dynamic approach in its textures but unable to grasp it due to its incessant plodding tempo. I frequently find myself tuning out during it, only for “8-Ball” to resurrect me with its bright, uplifting keys. It is the sole smudge on an inspiring record, though. The production is beautifully clear and warm, without sacrificing heft when the guitars begin imposing their full weight. Small details showcase the amount of care that’s gone into Magic 8 Ball, such as the small glitchy sound when Ohme intones ‘I’m scratching at an itch’ or the subtle distortions dotting “We are Strangers.” It all culminates in “The Unrisen,” which starts off as gentle as “Starling” but erupts into a truly transcendent Moog passage that feels like passing through a galactic vortex. A breathtaking way to end the album.

Magic 8 Ball is an adventurous and eclectic record, with the band’s recognizable songwriting style and vocals keeping cohesion. Every track has its own face, its own feel, it own surprises. I might have spun it 20 times over the last few weeks, and it still feels fresh and invigorated. It doesn’t measure up to the lofty heights of Demon, of course, but there are exceedingly few albums that do. However, few bands looking to meddle with their own formula could pull it off with the skill, grace and craft of Gazpacho.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Kscope Music
Websites: gazpachoband.bandcamp.com | gazpachoworld.com | facebook.com/gazpacho.official.bandpage
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

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Of course, just because a lot of black metal bands don’t sound like second wave ‘too cool for production value’ bands anymore, doesn’t mean none of them do. “Am Ende der Zeit” starts off innocuous enough with warm plucked strings, but as soon as the distorted tremolo and phlegmy scream burst forth like Jack from its box, we are shunted onto the tin-can ice of 1992 Norway. Harpyr attempt a kind of merger between the cold notes of Immortal with the emotional impact of post-black like Harakiri for the Sky, and the combo is not without its merits. “Vanitas” is an early success as the wailing rasp gets underpinned by shimmering tremolos that convey a loneliness and desperation that really works. “Was wird bleiben…?” is where this combination of classic and modern black metal peaks, a stream of consciousness that is dynamic and gripping with its forlorn melancholy.

But just as often, Trist gets mired in predictability, often when the post part of the equation takes a back seat. “Unendliches Nichts” builds riffs, leads and vocal cadence out of the same semi-triplet pattern, and it gets run into the ground by the time the track’s only halfway done. The frequent tempo shifts of “Armageddon” make it a more dynamic affair, but the black-thrash adjacent leads retain the stodgy adherence to four-part repetitions without the flair or variation that makes you forget the stodgy adherence to four-part repetitions. These are structural flaws even found in the better tracks, and it makes the compositions feel safe, even meek at times, when sheer energy or emotional pull can not make up for it.

Which brings me back to the recording quality. I know that productions like this tend to be an aesthetic choice in this day and age, where advances in technology have made half-decent productions cost-effective for artists of any size and financial means.¹ It’s just not a choice I particularly agree with. You can truly do icy and cold-sounding production without resorting to this kind of shitty lo-fi sound, and the contrarian option affects everything Harpyr is attempting negatively. The drums are the worst; the snare sounds like somebody is hitting a bucket with a flat hand.² It sucks the emotional depth that could be had from the noisy, fuzzy rhythm guitars and thin leads, and creates a distance and a barrier between me and the music.

Trist is a frustrating album. Everything is present to build an enticing bridge between second wave and post-black, but a small shortage of derring-do in the songwriting and the thin and treble-laden production hold it back from becoming more than the sum of its parts. It is impressive as a debut, and shows promise that Harpyr may yet push themselves to greater heights. But as it stands, I would only recommend Trist to the most staunch adherents of voicemail tape recording in the back lot of a Spar.

Rating: 2.0/5.0³
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: harpyrofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/people/Harpyr/61565535621816
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

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As annoyingly hip the stylization of the band name is, so expertly crafted is In Your Absence. No two songs are interchangeable, and rarely does any track feel particularly overlong. Refreshingly for instrumental post-metal, we.own.the.sky does not often lean on languid melancholy. Most tracks have energy and momentum, emerging through the darker, djent-adjacent notes of opener “The Urge to Prey,” the effervescent bliss of “Everbreathing” and the feverish, drum-heavy “Eclipse.” The structures hew further from the expansive and exploratory, aligning closer to traditional verse-chorus setups, and it makes for an immediate, accessible album like few in this style can manage.

This is clearly a deliberate choice. Even longer tracks like “Swarm” and “Liminal Space” stay well under 8 minutes and use their extra time in buildups that return to established phrases and intelligent variations on the rich stock of melodies the guitars provide. “Swarm” is an especially powerful song, its gentle opening notes morphing into a grand ascending beast, the melody carried upon a shifting syncopated foundation. It’s a one-two punch with the sweeping joy of “Everbreathing,” whose bright tremolos remind me of the most recent Alcest. Closer “Silhouette” shares that similarity, and it’s the sole track that does contain vocals, which provides a warm well of emotional contrast and provides rich wonder as the album’s denouement.

The biggest bump in the road is “Fragile, Alive,” a slow and gentle track that skates dangerously close to saccharine soft rock. It’s smack dab in the middle of In Your Absence and is a hard stop for all the momentum built by “Swarm” and “Everbreathing”. The melody is fairly repetitive and a bit mawkish, and the track doesn’t move away from it until the midway point. It’s not outright bad, especially when it opens up and gains more heft, but it is the album’s Achilles’ heel, worsened by its central placement in the track list. Thankfully, the hard-hitting follow-up “Eclipse” is an immediate pick-me-up, and we.own.the.sky return to form within seconds. Dressed with a delicious guitar tone and even-keeled mix, the production¹ puts the cherry on the cake. It matches the compositions for an enticing, immediate sound that’s as listenable as it is versatile.

With In Your Absence, we.own.the.sky place yet another nail in the coffin of the idea that quality and fame go hand in hand. In fact, the band kicks over every assumption that crosses their path. Greek metal is known for grandeur and symphonies, yet In Your Absence is concise and introspective. Post-metal tends toward texture-heavy dreaminess, yet this is melody-driven and direct. With a decade and a half behind them and In Your Absence, their third album, under their wing, we.own.the.sky have proven themselves more than capable of producing music that’s beautiful, transporting, and downright addictive. The world’s been sleeping on this band. Don’t miss out.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Dunk!Records
Websites: weownthesky.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/weowntheskygr
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

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Well, technically, he does. The title track kicks off the album with a few minutes of lovely traditional Spanish guitar, weary and melancholy, imparting a suitable South American vibe, and although a little long-winded, it remains my favorite part of the album. Because once the heavy distortion kicks in, so do the vocals, a hoarse mumble that barely seems to make an attempt at hitting pitch and is frequently double-tracked without any discernable harmonization. They swerve from cleans to growls to everything in between seemingly at random across the front half of the album and rarely rise to the level of competent. Still, Uribe is clearly better at harsh vocals than clean, as “Double-Cross” succinctly demonstrates. The comatose front half of the track sports lethargic off-key murmuring, but some color returns to its cheeks when the biting snarls make their entrance.

Instrumentation-wise, there is likewise more bad than good, but the occasional bright spots give hope for a better future. For one, a few choice riffs dot Pombero. “Dueño del Sol” has a pretty sweet semi-Sabbathian one that’s played both slow and sped up and shines when accompanied by organs, though much of the track merely alternates that and stale single-chord plodding. The opener’s opening had me fooled with the quality of the guitar playing from the start, and when Uribe harmonizes his riffing with the (admittedly still dubious) vocals and follows it up with more of that sweet Spanish guitar, it begins to sketch what Haitón del Guarataro could grow into. But the back half of “Double-Cross” is the best 5 minutes of the album, even sporting a sweet solo and some genuinely nice transitions.

But I do find I have to really dig for the positives here, while the poor choices accumulate like beach-sand in an exposed buttcrack. Despite Uribe’s proficiency at blackened snarls, their double-tracked confusion and endless plodding make a tiring exercise out of closing duo “Karai Pyhare” and “Mopytũ,” especially the tuneless post-influenced wash of the latter. The former at least has the benefit of a few faster sections to change up the pace, but those underline the frankly awful drums, both their sloppy play and cardboard production. Also there seem to be maracas there, for some reason, and they hurt far more than they help. Whilst I always enjoy a clear bass, the twangy, almost funky sound here clashes with the sinister, trebly distortion of the guitars. Between the mismatched textures, ill-advised double-tracking, and messy timing, it seems to me that Haitón del Guarataro does his own production, and has much to learn in that regard.

Sadly, it goes for most other regards, too. I don’t much relish writing a review like this. Alexis Uribe is obviously passionate about his music, and I really want him to succeed. I still like the concept of slowly shifting from one subgenre to another, and it’s the kind of creative idea metal thrives on. But every aspect of the execution is flawed; the repetitive songwriting, haphazard timing, shoddy production, and subpar vocals are just a few examples. The riffs, when not overtaken by tuneless plodding, and the occasional solo are more solid, and give me hope that Uribe has something to expand upon, either with Haitón del Guarataro or in the context of a full band. With Pombero, I’m sorry to say, he’s not there yet.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: ~260 kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-released
Website: haitondelguarataro.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: May 16th, 2025

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That’s largely a yes, and I’ll get to the caveat later. If you’re new to the band, Walg is melodic black metal distilled to its purest form. Equally catchy and vicious, the studio-only pair has settled handily into a niche somewhere between modern …And Oceans, early Dimmu Borgir, and Old Man’s Child. They don’t break new ground, but are absolute experts at treading the old. Yorick Keijzer is a beast on vocals, his primary weapon a slavering snarl still chewing the meat from its last kill. But he flips just as easily to a hoarse howl straight from the DSBM handbook. Robert Koning adds the occasional ICS Vortex adjacent cleans, and also all of the instrumentation, which spans a fairly broad range of high-speed assaults, atmospheric folk intros and interludes, and intricate multi-part melodic movements.

50-odd quality tracks in 5 years is hard to do without some sort of formula, and it has become easier to recognize the handful of structural stencils Walg employs. Usually, the band can dazzle hard enough to distract from that sense of familiarity, but the back half of V consistently fails to draw my attention away entirely from the man behind the curtain. “Zielsalleen”¹ leans a little too much on the same hook and the decrease in pace of “Pijnlichaam”² is not accompanied by as gripping a riff as it needs. These tracks are not even a little bit bad, by the way; most bands would kill to write something as powerful as the final minute of “Ego-Dood.”³ They are just a smidge harder to love without reservation when I’ve heard the same band do better with the same tools.

But 4 tracks that are merely very good still leaves 5 that are every bit as strong as Walg has ever written. Opener “De Vlinder en de Dromer”⁴ takes all of 0.5 seconds to launch into an intense onslaught of ariose tremolos that reminds favorably of …And Oceans’ “Cosmic World Mother.” Follow-through uppercut “De Adem van het Einde”⁵ employs a riffing style that borrows from NWOBHM and speed metal for an exhilarating turn. And centerpiece “Daar Waar Stilte Spreekt”⁶ is downright addictive with its jaunty swinging rhythm that conjures imagery of ghost ships and haunted cliffs. There’s no fat on the compositions either. Walg may have a formula, but one of its most potent ingredients is a strict lack of bloat. Koning and Keijzer would rather end a track early than overstay its welcome, and the entirety of V runs a svelte 40 minutes. Combine that with the excellent, rich production and finely tuned mix, and you get some of the most replayable black metal in the scene.

Infinite growth is impossible, and Walg’s meteoric rise had to slow down somewhere. But in this case, it means nothing more than a small step below the pinnacle that was IV. The front-loading of the album makes the flaws of V a tad more noticeable and makes me less hungry to spin it again the moment it’s over. But every time I do, I still get my head caved in and my neck snapped in twain, and with Walg’s production speed, that remains a colossal achievement. If you like melodic black, you owe it to yourself to give V a few spins, and I would hardly be surprised to see this wind up on a few Top 10 lists anyway.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: walg.bandcamp.com | walgmetal.com | facebook.com/Walgmetal
Releases Worldwide: May 25th, 2025

The post Walg – V Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Laugh at the naysayers and scoff at the unbelievers, citizens, because Rift in Reality is everything one could want from a sequel to Vortex. Labyrinthus Stellarum is great at many different things: thick and evocative deep space atmosphere, enticing melodic lines on guitar as well as keys, dexterous energetic assaults, methodically constructed grandeur, and more. But whereas Vortex put some of everything in every track, the songs on Rift in Reality are more focused, more singular. The variety across the 37-minute album is astounding. Opener “Voyagers” is fast and furious, even bright, sketching a Star Trek-style expedition to boldly go where no one has gone before in its energetic riffs and supporting synthwork. It’s a colossal contrast with the gorgeous centerpiece “Lost in the Void,” where the understated keys and heavy mood paint the vivid picture of an astronaut gone adrift, life support slowly ticking down to the red as the music takes us through their stages of grief.

This kind of imagery invoked is purely down to the music, as the vocals are, by and large, unintelligible. Not that it detracts from elder brother Alexander’s emphatic, biting snarl, which manages to induce an emotional response with only minute variations. His cleans might prove more polarizing, as the heavy layering and vocode effects are often unpopular in the metal sphere, but these production choices fit the themes too well to be a detraction or distraction for me. Even where they are used more heavily, such as the abject heartsick of “Take Us Home,” they effectively serve to conjure a long-range transmission through interplanetary space. It all further boosts the diversity and recognizability of each individual track, and Labyrinthus Stellarum has even begun incorporating new sounds and songwriting elements; just check the brief but effective breakdown in “Rift in Reality” or the spacetime warping bends of “Ravenous Planet”‘s main riff.

Put it all together and Rift in Reality is an excellent, highly effective, and thoroughly addictive trip across the darkest corners of the universe. The only thing that detracts from the tracklist is closer “Nirlakh,” a fully electronic instrumental that would be great in a Metroid soundtrack but sounds curiously out of place here. Aside from that, the production has its good and bad sides. As with Vortex, I’ve come to enjoy the choice for mood over pure fidelity here. There’s a slightly hollow, muffled sound across the album, which supports the notion of being in a cramped spaceship with an unimaginable void all around you. But this should be possible with a little more breathing room on the master. In its current state, the programmed drums sound flatter than I believe they ought to. The mix does help retain enough depth to the music overall, but I do think Labyrinthus Stellarum can still improve on this point.

It will have to suffice for a list of improvements, because there’s scant little else to complain about regarding Rift in Reality. Despite a fast turnaround and the ongoing war, the Andronati brothers have not only retained the quality of its predecessor, but are clearly pushing themselves to evolve and diversify. Every track here feels like an episode in a sci-fi anthology series, jumping between infectious earworms and affecting atmosphere with practiced ease. It’s fun without sacrificing depth, it’s addictive like crack, and you can put it on repeat for a week without growing tired of it. One great album can put you on the map, but two in a row gets you a spot amongst the stars, and with Rift in Reality, Labyrinthus Stellarum have earned a constellation of their own.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Northern Silence Productions
Websites: labyrinthusstellarum.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/LabyrinthusStellarum
Releases Worldwide: May 2nd, 2025

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For the last few editions, Roadburn has spread its venues over several locations within a few hundred-meter radius. The 013 is the main venue, hosting the large Main stage with its signature staircase (a brilliant way to rest your feet while watching a show!) and the smaller NEXT. A 5-10 minute walk away, depending on your state of mind and soundness of body, is the old industrial hall known as Koepelhal, split for the occasion into the larger Terminal and smaller Engine Room. Attached is the diminutive Hall of Fame, where the smallest artists get to do their thing, with the ever-popular skate park next door regularly hosting secret shows, which are often announced only a few hours beforehand. Finally, the local jazz club Paradox is the place to be for the more unconventional material, which is saying something in this place.

What follows is a cleaned-up live thread I tapped out in hasty bursts between and during sets, my word-vomit witnessed in real time by my colleagues who gave frequent and often unhelpful commentary. Where applicable, I saw fit to include their remarks and any response I had to their tomfoolery. I can not promise this will result in a sane article, but I hope it can sketch a glimpse of what the greatest festival in the world is like.

Day 1 (Thursday, 17th of April)

2:51 PM — As usual, the larger sizes of the merch sell out lightning fast, and so I walk away with a single patch and disappointment. Let’s hope Glassing can obliterate the letdown.

Cherd of Doom: Surely they restock merch through the festival?

HAHAHA no
Everyone knows merch goes fast so everyone goes to merch first so merch goes fast
And they always underproduce the large sizes

sentynel: You’d think if the merch consistently sold out really quickly they might print more next time

3:12 PM — Yep, Glassing is fucking killing it. Pushing an almost Spartan setup to its limit. The drummer is just bonkers!

4:11 PM — Listening to Oranssi Pazuzu outside the main stage because we could no longer get inside. It sounds impressively oppressive. Wish we could have seen more of it, but I would not have wanted to miss Glassing. Choices choices.

4:24 PM — The electronics and psychedelics of Oranssi Pazuzu are really cool. I should have paid more attention to this band.

4:48 PM — Slowing things down a bit with Toby Driver’s new age project Alora Crucible. It’s pretty enough, but 10 minutes in, I am still waiting for it to develop into something more than a yoga class background music jam.

5:17 PM — It did not.

5:31 PM — Listened most of Alora Crucible from the lounge where they pipe down the music from that stage. Very relaxing, better way to experience it than the venue!

5:33 PM — Then sludge legends Kylesa reformed on the main stage. No second drummer sadly, but what a treat to see this band live again! Last time was at Graspop in 2011.

6:44 PM — Waiting for Faetooth to start. Their first European gig!

Dolphin Whisperer: love Faetooth, they got a new album on the horizon I believe

7:10 PM — Faetooth is decent but not amazing, the vocals are a bit one-note at least on stage. Some nice riffs and I wouldn’t have minded finishing the gig but my feet are too dead to settle for decent right now. At least we can still listen to them for a bit outside the venue.

9:20 PM — After a good big meal we went to the main stage for envy.
And it’s already entrancing just a few minutes in.

9:31 PM — I am in love, this is the greatest thing I discovered today. The intense and concentrated emotion divided between melancholic post-rock and colossal outbursts of post-metal-hardcore is divine.
This is their 2003 album, tomorrow they will play a modern era set.

Dolphin Whisperer: envy good

well WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME

Cherd of Doom: See, bands playing multiple themed sets is exactly why I’d love to go to Roadburn. The Inter Arma sets last year for instance

10:29 PM — Envy was my favorite show of the day easily. So intense, so emotional.

10:39 PM — Black Curse is apparently overrun, so instead we decided to wait for Concrete Winds. Dame Area was still playing in that venue, so we thought we’d check it out. We walked in and walked back out like Grandpa Simpson.

Dolphin Whisperer: CONCRETE WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINDS

11:30 PM — Concrete Winds sounds good for dense death metal but I am honestly too tired for death metal this dense.

12:42 AM — But I stuck it out! It was intense, but pretty cool. Sadly my phone died halfway through.

Day 2 (Friday, 18th of April)

12:49 PM — Heading in for the first performance on the bill today, a collab of Throwing Bricks and Ontaard. They’ve collaborated successfully before on record, but this is a new commissioned piece.

1:19 PM — It’s fucking awesome! 8 musicians on stage, massive sound, but the balance is great and it’s emotionally devastating.
The sound quality is also much better than most Engine Room performances.
Between the two bands you also have a lot of variety. Male and female vocals, synths, violin, two drummers. Gorgeous.

1:49 PM — I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of ‘beautiful serene passage, suddenly interrupted by the most devastating wall of noise.’

2:54 PM — Midwife was very pretty, very demure, and very much not what I was looking for right now. Sort of a shoegaze, dreampop, slowcore thing that feels more appropriate for a summer sunset than a dark crowded hall and foot pain. Will check again later!

3:20 PM — Now for one of my most anticipated shows of the festival: Messa playing their new album The Spin in full!

3:41 PM — Their stage presence is a bit static, but the album and execution thereof are so good it’s easy to forgive.

Dolphin Whisperer: They don’t typically have a big stage presence from what I gather. They didn’t when I saw em in a small club

5:11 PM — After Messa we intended to see CHVE, the solo project of Colin [van Eeckhout] from Amenra. The line was pretty long, so we declined to join it. But it was all speed 0 soundscapes and were even boring when listening from the lounge.

Dolphin Whisperer: why go fast when you can go sloooooooooooooooooooooow

5:13 PM — But now it’s time for round 2 of envy! Loved em so much yesterday, we wanted seconds. Today is the modern set, including all of Eunoia, their 2024 album.

6:36 PM — Envy was once again beautiful and crushing.

6:39 PM — After envy we went to queue for 40 Watt Sun. Patrick Walker is doing a solo show in Paradox, the jazz club, and it’s bound to be jam-packed. Thankfully we got in! Now having another beer and waiting for the man to make us weep.

7:02 PM — Walker surveying the crowd: “That does not look comfortable.”

7:34 PM — Between songs this man is the funniest fucker alive, then he starts playing again and instantly it’s misty eyes and goosebumps. What a character, what a musician.

8:52 PM — Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the Korean fried chicken.

9:22 PM — Now waiting for Genital Shame.

10:20 PM — Genital Shame was decent, but couldn’t hold our attention. Also I was much too close to the speakers and the kick drums were overpowering the guitars. Caught a friend heading out and decided to follow her to Gnod Drop Out with White Hills.

11:04 PM — Gnod was very particular music for a very particular audience under a particularly large amount of drugs. Endlessly spooling 70’s space rock psychedelics. We didn’t stay long. Instead we opted for Thou, playing Umbilical on the main stage.

Dolphin Whisperer: THOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU

11:19 PM
I always kind of skirted around Thou, but they put on a good show. Unforgivingly harsh and unstoppably heavy, with the biggest riffs I’ve heard today. I don’t feel the amount of heart I got from the best performances today, but it’s a fun and filthy way to end the day.

Day 3 (Saturday, 19th of April)

1:54 PM — Scarfed down a fresh stroopwafel, brought my ebook for breaks and waits, and shuffled into the Terminal for Dødheimsgard!

They’re playing Black Medium Current front to back.

2:05 PM — It’s more of a sardine pressure vat than a sardine can in here.

2:11 PM — But the show is great! The big hall works for the expansive spacy black metal and the band is performing with fire

2:38 PM — We escaped the crowd to join a different one and check out Haatdrager, a project from students at the Metal Factory in Eindhoven. Claustrophobic electro-laden sludge. It’s fucking awesome!

2:44 PM — The vocalist is a very talented young woman. Throat ripping screams, but she also focuses on flow and rhythm in a more hip-hop fashion which gives the music an urban fusion flair akin to Backxwash and dälek.

Dolphin Whisperer: Like and subscribe

3:42 PM — We left for ice cream, then headed back to catch the off-kilter hardcore punk of Gillian Carter.

3:49 PM — Instrumentation is cool, sharp riffs with unexpected turns and skronks. Vocals are very one-note though. Will try to get into Grey Aura instead.

3:52 PM — Samantha compared the vocals [of Gillian Carter] to Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit sinking into the Dip and it is 100% accurate.

4:29 PM — Grey Aura was worse though. Embarrassing vocals honestly. Yelling like he wanted the kids to get off his lawn.

Tyme: Boooo! Too bad. I dig Grey Aura.

Dolphin Whisperer: That’s really sad to hear :(

5:09 PM — We grabbed a drink and intended to get in line for Uniform. And so we did, but the Terminal filled to capacity before we got there. Not willing to face another sardine pressure vat, we went with plan B: a collaboration between Sumac and Moor Mother. Now waiting for that while giving our feet a rest on the main stage steps.

Tyme: Sumac?? Hmmmmmm. Interesting

Dolphin Whisperer: Sumac + Moor Mother sounds the kinda collab that is so high art it may be impossible to sniff it. Hope it’s enjoyable

You’re not far off. It doesn’t feel like they managed to glue freeform activist hiphop and sludge doom together cohesively. More like switching between the Moor Mother bits with heavy guitars, then Sumac bits where they play actual riffs.

6:23 PM — We left to see Coilguns instead. That turned out to be the right decision. Frantic hardcore punk with ketamine energy and acidic left field swerves; it’s not always sane but it’s highly entertaining!

6:25 PM — The vocalist is especially all over the place, pulling himself across the stage by the afro and using 5 different styles and inflections in the same song

6:29 PM — Also met one of our Discord users, inkster.

Dolphin Whisperer: inky is very social + nice

She was! We left before the end because it was a long set and our feet are so fucked, but Sammy and I had fun watching Coilguns with her for a bit

8:52 PM — Caught a couple songs from Denisa after dinner. A sort of raw post-punk meets Emma Ruth Rundle from Indonesia. Not extraordinary, but solid, sung and played with heart.

9:38 PM — Also a few songs from Doodseskader’s set. First saw them opening for Alcest, and their stark, raw nu-sludge, with intense visuals synced to the music, hasn’t lost its potency.

9:43 PM — Altın Gün is a big change of pace, though. They play a mixture of psychedelic rock and Turkish traditional music. It’s very danceable, but for me it lacks a little oomph, a bit of grit.

11:21 PM — Bidding the day goodnight with Chat Pile. They play their music well, but I was hoping that’d be enough to make me enjoy their music more, and it isn’t. Still, it’s an effective, brusque brand of spasmodic aggression. The frontman pacing back and forth barefoot in shorts like he’s in the Ministry of Funny Walks is quite the choice.

11:38 PM — Okay, “Why” was a hoot, fair is fair

Tyme: Still sounds like you’re having a blast tho!

I gotta admit it, that was a pretty fucking fun show yeah

Day 4 (Sunday, April 20th)

10:04 AM — Mild hangover. Went to the local metal dive bar last night with some of our festival pals. Partied til 3:30 am. I am getting too old for this shit. Except fuck that, it was a ton of fun and I’ll fucking do it again!

2:01 PM — Dragged my husk to the Terminal to see Vuur & Zijde play Boezem, which I gave a very positive review a few months ago. Curious to see how it plays on stage!

2:53 PM — Though the music was performed perfectly well, a giant industrial hall is probably not the ideal venue for Vuur & Zijde. I think they’d do better in a more intimate setting. But some minor sound issues aside, it was a pretty good show overall.

2:56 PM — Halfway through we decided to move to the smaller Hall of Fame to check out Bacht’n de Vulle Moane, a band that’s only a year old and supposedly plays some intense black metal festuring analog electronics.

3:05 PM — “Good evening Roadburn!” Dude it’s 3 pm.

3:14 PM — This sounds less like black metal with electronics and more like someone yelling over muddy hardstyle.

3:26 PM — It didn’t annoy me, but it did bore me. I didn’t come here for techno.

Dolphin Whisperer: Every time is the evening if you’re playing black metal

That’s great, maybe they should have tried that instead of playing techno haha

4:01 PM — Just watched an animated short movie called The Hunter made by Costin Chioreanu. Quite cool, though the plot was lost on me. Pretty imagery though!

4:32 PM — Frente Abierto plays flamenco, but a dark and heavy variation thereof. Interesting, but not really to my tastes.

6:11 PM — Michael Gira’s set with Kristof Hahn (both from Swans) was an exercise in patience. Slow droning soundscapes, eventually joined by slow droning vocals. At some point I could no longer stand the slow droning.

6:13 PM — Turns out Sumac has quite a lot of slow droning soundscapes as well. I don’t need to like everything Roadburn has to offer, but gee golly, I hope I’ll enjoy at least one thing more than Vuur & Zijde today.

7:37 PM — With a belly full of noodles we plowed on back to the Terminal to catch a slice of Big|Brave. More slow droning soundscapes, but the vocals help give it a slightly better sense of progression. Still, when the song devolves into crash cymbal taps and nothing else for a few minutes, I do get a bit restless.

7:41 PM — When the buildup is more noticeable the music is much more enjoyable, thankfully, and the vocals are powerful.

7:48 PM — All in all a good performance that requires a bit more patience than my exhaustion has left me with.

9:03 PM — Bo Ningen, heavy psych rock from Japan, is a lot of fun and the first thing with this much energy today. Quite diverse, exploring different moods and textures.

9:25 PM — They manage both heartfelt space-outs and extended high-octane jams. Exciting show and excellent musicians!

9:35 PM — “This will be our last song!”
They still had 15 minutes.
They still went over time.

10:58 PM — Closing out the festival for us is Haunted Plasma. The glitzy darkwave with an edge reminds me of that scene in Blade with the vampire nightclub. The woman on the mic has a sweet spectral presence. A bit one-note, but otherwise very enjoyable and a worthy festival finale.

Even though the line-up was a bit frontloaded this year, it still resulted in some of the most hardest-hitting and affecting live music I’ve yet experienced, even from bands I’d never heard of in the first place. Both envy shows and the Throwing Bricks collaboration with Ontaard were the stuff of legends, and this kind of discovery is what makes Roadburn such a joy to return to, year after year. And it’s all the sweeter having a great group of friends to experience it with, as my partner and I attended few shows without at least one other friend by our side. So dear reader… same time next year?

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Well, it’s clear that one has had more pull than the other, because From the Shallows of the Mantle will sound fairly familiar for anyone who’s heard Lör’s In Forgotten Sleep. Lithe, winding guitars dish out multi-layered riffs and whirling solos alike, largely at dazzling speeds. The compositions are progressive, and though they don’t eschew choruses altogether, the tracks are arranged in a free-flowing form, prioritizing a musical narrative thread over rigid structure. And it must be said, Wright is a crack at the axe. There are enough great solos dotted across the running time to supply 3 albums, and the rapid and evolving melodic riffs thrill without fail. Just check the triumphant ascending chords that kick off “Coral Throne” or the Fellowship-worthy “By Shank’s Mare.” Cheesy? Sure. But it is some of the catchiest riffing I’ve heard yet this year.

Which is why it’s such a shame that both vocals and lyrics weigh on the album like an anchor. It’s not a technical disaster. Wright does glance off pitch on occasion, but he doesn’t veer completely wild. But sometimes I wish he would, because as adventurous as the guitars are, so safe and consequently flat is the vocal performance, leaving little room for emotional involvement. Exacerbating this issue are the lyrics. The text itself is not awful when read on paper; the problem is the near-total lack of flow, which is ironic considering its oceanic themes. I’m of the opinion that a good flow is the most important and oft-overlooked element of lyrics in music. You can sing about utter nonsense and I’ll suck it up like a sponge if you get your cadance and prosody right. But Panthalassan sounds stilted and awkward across most of the album, with ‘The gasp that slips my lips’ the tongue-twisting nadir. The difference it makes when it does fall into place, in the closer’s chorus, is downright startling. It makes me wonder how much better From the Shallows of the Mantle could have been with this issue resolved.

The quality of the instrumentation might have been enough to overcome the above issue, and it almost does. Besides the sweet guitars, Crnković does a solid job keeping up the pace on the drums, and the tracks weave enough variation and supplementary instruments into the compositions to stay reasonably fresh. Even so, more than an hour is a long sit, and most of the tracks that push past 7 minutes should not. “Worth My Salt” overuses the title phrase, and the extended outro on the back of the otherwise excellent “Embers on our Shore” drags it out even further. On the bright side, I do enjoy the production, which is light but doesn’t lack in power. The guitars are crystalline and the bass gets enough space; the only unfortunate consequence of the mix is the attention the vocals get, putting more emphasis on the shortcomings there.

Still, From the Shallows of the Mantle is a very promising debut for Panthalassan. Most of the issues with the album are surface-level, not fundamental. A re-examination of how to write vocal parts that flow well is in order, and that might in turn help entice a more passionate performance. I’m also curious to hear how Wright would fare trying to move away from the trappings of Lör’s fairly specific sound, something I’m convinced he has the chops to. That, as well as keeping the album more concise, would be more than enough to make the next installment of this oceanic saga a smash hit, because the bones are all there: solid songcraft, virtuoso play on every instrument, and a knack for a good hook.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-released
Websites: panthalassan.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/panthalassan
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2025

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Well, not quite. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing of value in The State of Love and War. At its best, Napierdalać reminds me a fair amount of Valdrin, whose Effigy of Nightmares was a major highlight back in 2020. After the intro, the opening duo hits hard with aggressive and malevolent black metal backed by orchestration that sounds straight out of an evil king’s court. “DNR” steps it up another notch, its choruses blasting wanton brass like the band borrowed half of Fleshgod Apocalypse for a few minutes. “To Crown a Pale Horse” mixes portentous doom into the Emperor-esque blackened grandeur for a nice change of pace. The vocals sound truly vile in the best way, a nasty, gnarly rasp that conveys sheer iniquity and rage, and it combines really well with the pseudo-baroque symphonic sections.

Sadly, a lot of time is wasted on far less enticing experiments. “Sonnet 41” is one-third black metal ballad and two-thirds maudlin half-whispered spoken word poetry over lethargic open chords. The title track is nearly 7 minutes of staccato piano chords with little sense of flow or progression, killing all momentum and desecrating its corpse before unleashing the 10-minute closer “Exitus.” This track makes for a fine finale overall, but by the time it’s over, we have nearly an hour of music behind us, and it could stand to lose 20 minutes easily. Besides the mentioned momentum murderers, the first five tracks feel especially interchangeable, using similar formats in riffing and supplemental symphonics alike.

This may be at least partially attributable to the production as well. The State of Love and War sounds both stark and claustrophobic, like a dusty hallway in a poltergeist-ridden house with the contrast slider cranked way up. Its efficacy at conjuring a gothic atmosphere as well as the decent mastering score suggest that this has been a deliberate choice, and for that I must commend Napierdalać, but it’s not without its downsides. Without room to breathe, the orchestral contributions get squeezed into only the most forward components without adding further depth and detail. With the homogeneity in songwriting across many of the tracks, such depth and detail could have gone a long way to add more variation. Instead, the variation now primarily comes from the doddering deviations mentioned earlier.

The State of Love and War wins a few battles, but loses the campaign. Listening to one or two songs, their flaws may not immediately reveal themselves. Napierdalać has a solid grasp on an enticing sound that could have fueled a fun, more succinct version of this album to successful completion. Instead, conceptual overreach led the band to misjudge several inclusions and repeat themselves too often elsewhere. The more successful variations like “To Crown a Pale Horse” and the closer give me hope that the band can find a better way going forward, though, and I look forward to hearing its next attempt.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 128 kbps mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: napierdalac.bandcamp.com | napierdalacband.com | facebook.com/napierdalacband
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025

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