Experimental Metal

Swords of Dis, Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Midnight Odyssey – From the Waters of Death – A retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh Review

By Thus Spoke on February 12, 2026 in Reviews, Ambient, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, 40 comments

“In case you’re unfamiliar, The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian poetic narrative, whose first complete form is dated to approximately 1800 BCE. It follows a story of King Gilgamesh and his dealings with gods and other mythic monsters, culminating in a journey for the secret of immortality. What better way could there be to consume this rich, literary epic than have it interpreted by the collection of artists behind From the Waters of Death? Obscure black/doom duo Swords of Dis; death metal veteran and experimenter Serpent Ascending; Neptunian Maximalism’s darker, heavier incarnation Ôros Kaù; and ambient-black dreamer Midnight Odyssey.” Gil Ga Mesh, the perverted son, the holy man!

Stuck in the Filter: November/December 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on February 11, 2026 in Reviews, Stuck in the Filter, Death Metal, Deathcore, Djent, Experimental Metal, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, Synthwave, Technical Death Metal, 65 comments

2025 is fading in the rearview, but the Filters still need scrubbing. See what was left over after all the holiday debauchery.

Under – What Happened In Roundwood Review

By Samguineous Maximus on January 29, 2026 in Reviews, Experimental Metal, Noise Rock, Sludge Metal, 20 comments

“There’s something tantalizing about the brand of metal-adjacent noise rock that’s experienced a renaissance in recent years. It’s ugly, it’s loud, and it doesn’t give a damn if you’re comfortable. You’ve got breakout stars Chat Pile dragging nü-metal’s bloated corpse through the mud, Couch Slut dishing out dissonant, riff-heavy nightmare fuel, and Intercourse sounding like a feral animal tearing flesh for fun. This isn’t “revival” music; it’s bands weaponizing noise, smashing metal’s brute force into punk’s emotional hemorrhaging, and then deliberately breaking whatever’s left just to see it scream. Enter the UK’s Under, stepping into this mess with zero interest in playing nice.” Under the thunder.

Fleshvessel – Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded Review

By Spicie Forrest on December 8, 2025 in Reviews, Avant-Garde, Black Metal, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, Progressive Metal, 18 comments

“Sisyphus is my favorite character in Greek mythology. It’s why I picked up Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded, the sophomore release from US-based metal vanguard, Fleshvessel. You see, not only does Sisyphus cheat Death twice—which in itself is hella metal—but in being damned to eternally roll a boulder uphill, he becomes an allegory for the human experience. This endless toil and glorification of the struggle serves as the thematic foundation for Obstinacy, revolving around “our own stubbornness/persistence as human beings and how it can be both a detriment to, or deliverance from, our collective and individual struggle for a better world.”” Rock and a slanted place.

Doubtsower – The Past Melts Away with a Sneer Review

By ClarkKent on November 29, 2025 in Reviews, Avant-Garde, Doom Metal, Experimental Metal, Funeral Doom, Industrial Metal, Sludge Metal, 12 comments

“It’s amazing how quickly November, and my month of doom, has flown by. It seems the constant exposure to slow-paced music has made the days move faster, not slower. For my final November doom promo, what could be more appropriate than one described as “one long song funeral doom?” While the Welsh doom band containing this descriptor, Doubtsower, is new to me, the man behind the project, Matt Strangis, has three previous releases dating back to 2021.” Doubt is a doom killer.

Strigiform – Aconite Review

By Samguineous Maximus on November 19, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, 63 comments

“Sometimes, you catch a glint from deep within the festering promo heap and you know exactly what kind of beast you’re about to prod. Strigiform’s debut, Aconite, radiates the unmistakable stench of “I, Voidhanger-core”—that wonderfully cursed strain of aural decimation that critics slobber over while normal metalheads back away slowly, usually on smaller wierdo labels like I, Voidhanger or Transcending Obscurity. Think along the lines of AMG darlings from this year like Hexrot, Patristic and Ritual Ascension.” Voidbanger.

Tzevaot – The Hermetic Way Review

By Thus Spoke on November 19, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Experimental Metal, 52 comments

“Oh, to have half the confidence of the average solo artist dabbling in the esoteric. Their avant-garde opuses can’t all be the status-quo-subverting masterworks of music and philosophy they claim to be. For some reason, I, Voidhanger keeps signing them, and for equally opaque reasons, we keep choosing to review their albums. Tzevaot is the experimental black metal project of an individual known only as The Orator, who in The Hermetic Way explores occult ideas purported to unveil “actual hidden mechanisms of reality,” with heavy inspiration from the magical tradition made popular by who else but Aleister Crowley.” What went on in his head?

Agriculture – The Spiritual Sound Review

By Owlswald on October 6, 2025 in Reviews, Alternative Metal, Black Metal, Experimental Metal, 69 comments

“Black metal is rooted in extremity—a core toolkit of visual aesthetics, speed, power and atmosphere that naturally imbues it with an inherent spiritual essence. But that essence often collapses into a monochromatic buzz of tremolo and constant tempos. Los Angeles-based quartet Agriculture challenges this expectation with their second LP, The Spiritual Sound, moving beyond the solely dark and brutal in search of presence and illumination.” Digging in the hurt.

Stuck in the Filter: July 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on October 6, 2025 in Stuck in the Filter, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Experimental Metal, Folk Metal, Groove Metal, Hardcore, Instrumental Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Nu Metal, Pop Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, 55 comments

July Filters get sticky from the heat. It takes time to cool em down and unstickify those rascals. We did it though, for YOU.

Nuclear Dudes – Truth Paste Review

By Thus Spoke on September 5, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Electronic Metal, Experimental Metal, Grind, Powerviolence, Synthwave, 30 comments

“Nuclear Dudes is one step closer to living up to their moniker as they are now officially more than one person. Joined by Brandon Nakamura (Doomsday 1999, ex-Teen Cthulu) on vocals, Sandrider’s Jon Weisnewski bounces back from the synthwave moment of Compression Crimes 1 to resume the usual trajectory of insanity. 2023’s Boss Blades—my personal introduction to this madness—was a disarmingly likeable collection of silly and serious sounds heavy and light. It was also surprisingly good.” Waste no Nuclear, dudes.