Noise

Bong-Ra – Black Noise Review

By Thus Spoke on February 19, 2025 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Experimental Metal, Industrial Metal, Noise, 35 comments

“When I reviewed Bong-Ra’s last album, Meditations, I commented on the about-turn the project made moving into doom. I should have known that the individual behind Bong-Ra, Jason Köhnen, likes to keep the listener guessing. So it is that Black Noise, their ninth official full-length, sees yet another mutation. In a whiplash change, Meditations’ successor is not dreamy, sax-infused, instrumental doom, but uncanny blackened, industrial, electronic metal; synthetic elements are used now to splice in unsettling samples and twist the guitar sound rather than dominate the melodies.” Bong show.

Fós – Níl mo chroí in aon rud Review

By Carcharodon on January 27, 2025 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Electronica, Noise, Post-Metal, 24 comments

“When I reviewed Irish duo Fós’ last outing, Rinne mé iarraidh (which translates as “I Tried”), back in 2020, I wanted to be spellbound. And I was, in parts. Combining traditional Irish folk sean-nós singing (courtesy of Orla Cadden Patel) with the drone, electronica and the vaguely post-metal stylings of multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter Fionn Murray, it had a deeply emotional core. It was also rare in offering something genuinely unique. At the same time, the duo were finding their voice on that record, and it showed. Cadden Patel’s voice was stunning but, at times, rather than coalescing with the music, the two felt discordant and disjointed, while the music itself was rarely memorable. Four years later, with a record deal and a new singer—Susan ní Cholmáin—Fós are back with Níl mo chroí in aon rud.” Folking about.

La Torture des Ténèbres – V / The Lost Colony of Altar Vista [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

By Dear Hollow on January 3, 2025 in Blog Posts, Things You Might Have Missed 2024, Black Metal, Noise, 29 comments

“The breed of noise that courses through Ottawa one-woman act La Torture des Ténèbres is truly disorienting and off-putting, but it takes on a hypnotizing and triumphant quality when its curious blend of caustic and decadent settles into your bones. While 2016 debuts Acadian Nights and Choirs of Emptiness captured a predictable blend of raw black and spacefaring dark ambient, Civilization is the Tomb of Our Noble Gods found mastermind J.K. taking influence from classic science fiction and decopunk.” One person’s torture…

Mitochondrion – Vitriseptome Review

By Dear Hollow on November 6, 2024 in Reviews, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Noise, 71 comments

“Vancouver’s Mitochondrion has a knack for violence. The quartet has always hinted that its signature relentless breed of dissonant black/death war metal is a façade for a much darker reality, contrary to the lurid barbarousness of its counterparts. Longwinded compositions of unhinged brutality suddenly align into chuggy riffs and experimental prowess at the guidance of its triple-vocal attack from hell, making cohorts with just as much of the likes of Teitanblood and Adversarial as Ulcerate and Portal.” Tiny moments of terror.

Black Aleph – Apsides Review

By Dear Hollow on October 25, 2024 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Drone, Folk, Noise, Post-Metal, 15 comments

“Black Aleph is a sonic experiment devoted to ritual. Debut Apsides, blends drone metal with folk instruments and post-metal’s metamorphic crescendos. Yet, its value lies deeper, with a ritualistic heart pulsing beneath Middle Eastern modal traditions, guiding the movements into a divine, otherworldly experience. Make no mistake—Apsides will crush you, but as much in its serenity as its dense riffs. The weight it conjures suggests punishment rather than delivering it, resulting in something haunting, unique, yet full of untapped potential.” But like, is that all good?

Melted Bodies – The Inevitable Fork Review

By GardensTale on October 21, 2024 in Reviews, Alternative Metal, Experimental Metal, Noise, 20 comments

“I am more of an album guy than an EP guy. This makes the trend of releasing several EPs and combining them into a full album a bit frustrating. Thankfully, I glommed onto Melted Bodies’ plan to do the same with The Inevitable Fork. After reviewing the first EP in the 2022 roundup, I decided to leave the remainder be for the inevitable album review, which is now upon us in tandem with the third EP.” Toothsome sporking.

Oscillotron – Oblivion Review

By Dear Hollow on October 14, 2024 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Drone, Noise, 84 comments

“Oscillotron is the project of David Johansson, frontman of Kongh and live guitarist for Cult of Luna since 2013. If you’re expecting doom rock influences, aside from thick heaviness, you’ll be disappointed. Oblivion leans more toward drone than the atmospheric doom and electronics of 2016’s Cataclysm or 2012’s Eclipse. Oblivion delivers a continuous wall of noise—a relentless, hour-long track filled with droning guitars and Moog synthesizers.” Music with a bad case of the Mondays.

POHL – Mysteries Review

By Owlswald on August 27, 2024 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Noise, Noise Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Punk, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 22 comments

“There was a time when spending my nights playing in tiny, shoulder-to-shoulder music venues with the rank of perspiration, booze, and fog felt like home. These days, however, they are places I frequent rather than dwell, an aftermath of the stark reality that is the present-day music industry. Because— if nothing else— being in a band is hard work. This is a truth UK noise rock duo POHL understand. Despite suffering from various starts and stops over their twelve-year existence, guitarist/vocalist Will Pearce (ex-Hey Colossus) and rhythmist Dr. Linda Westman (ex-Old Hope) overcame adversity to release three EPs of gratifying experimental noise rock that pulled from a platter of influences like psychedelic, punk, stoner, and heavy metal. Four years have passed since their last offering and the Sheffield rockers have now returned with their debut LP Mysteries.” POHL watching.

The Mercury Impulse – Records of Human Behaviour Review

By Thus Spoke on August 21, 2024 in Reviews, Ambient, Drone, Noise, Not Metal, 21 comments

“Drone is an exceptionally difficult genre to analyse. By its very nature, it resists structure, memorability, and conciseness; its forms are indiscrete; monotony is a feature. Chicago duo The Mercury Impulse intensify and deepen this trait by channelling their drone through a noisy medium with a subtle undercurrent of dark ambient. Debut Records of Human Behaviour thus stands as a kind of mood music indifferent to musical norms and tangible emotions.” Alienist entertainments.

Skinwalker – Man Walks Backwards into the Ocean Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on August 19, 2024 in Reviews, Hardcore, Industrial Metal, Metalcore, Noise, 23 comments

“Alaska bears the honor of being the largest landmass of freedom—larger than even Texas—and also the most sparsely populated space in the union. Separated both geographically from the country and communally within its borders, living in the frozen frontiers can create a profound sense of isolation. Hailing from Anchorage, the industrial hardcore two-man assault of Skinwalker seems to find inspiration (or rather spite) in the kind of loneliness and frustration that a great, open land can bring.” Frozen skin…walking.