Blackgaze

Ashbringer – Subglacial Review

Ashbringer – Subglacial Review

By Lavender Larcenist on February 9, 2026 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 15 comments

“We here at AMG are impossible to please. Minnesota’s atmo-black four-piece Ashbringer have learned this the hard way. While we lavished praise across their discography, those who giveth can also taketh away. Ashbringer’s previous outing, We Came Here to Grieve, originally received glowing remarks. Unfortunately for them, resident shark and Ashbringer connoisseur, Carcharodon, decided, upon further reflection, that the clean singing on their previous outing brought the album to a screeching halt after time and distance brought clarity. So, as if in response, Ashbringer has returned with Subglacial, and there isn’t an ounce of clean singing to be found on the album, as it provides an incredibly stripped-back sound in comparison to their previous outings.” Ashes up!

Sylvanshine – The Offering Review

Sylvanshine – The Offering Review

By Killjoy on May 29, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Shoegaze, 8 comments

“The contrast of opposites is fundamentally important in art, and Sylvanshine is an apt name to illustrate this principle. As I just learned from Wikipedia, “Sylvanshine is an optical phenomenon in which dew-covered foliage with wax-coated leaves retroreflect beams of light, as from a vehicle’s headlights. This effect sometimes makes trees appear snow-covered at night during summer.” Fittingly, Ion Ureche’s blackgaze project from Bucharest, Romania, deals with opposing themes, specifically “love and loss, hope and desperation.” Shine gazing.

Esox – Watery Grave Review

Esox – Watery Grave Review

By Thus Spoke on May 8, 2025 in Reviews, Ambient, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Shoegaze, 41 comments

“Pikes—the genus Esox—are perfect predators whose size and ferocity have made them somewhat legendary. However, as an emblem, they are somewhat understated and powerful but unobvious: literally hidden under the surface of the water, part of the sempiternal and vital river ecosystem. This lends weight to the already evident fact that Esox is an incredibly personal project for its creator, Federico Sturiale. 5 years in the making, Watery Grave tells the story of a suicidal drowning, with the drowner’s final reflections making up the album’s acts. It’s a tale that feels every bit as organic and raw as it ought to.” Immersion therapy.

Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power Review

Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power Review

By Doom_et_Al on April 5, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, 181 comments

“You never forget your first love. The sense of wonder and excitement, a world you had only heard and read about, opening up to you like a flower on a Summer’s day. Deafheaven was my first (in a metal sense). The combination of furious black meal, searing post metal, and fuzzy shoegaze, mixed with a dollop of genuine longing, totally rewired my brain. Which means that if you’re looking for a coldly analytical review of a band’s sixth album, you should probably go elsewhere. Deafheaven is part of my DNA, and a new album will always be a big deal, even if we’ve drifted apart over the years. You see, while I’ve enjoyed the band’s output since the wondrous Sunbather, it’s been clear that Deafheaven and I have been moving in different directions.” Tonguebather.

Unreqvited – A Pathway to the Moon Review

Unreqvited – A Pathway to the Moon Review

By Carcharodon on February 6, 2025 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, Synthwave, 49 comments

“Unreqvited and I have history. The excellent Mosaic I: L’Amour et L’Ardeur (2018) was just the third review I wrote here and also my first 4.0. Since then, I’ve reviewed the slightly creaky Mosaic II: La déteste et la détresse (3.0) and the very good Beautiful Ghosts (3.5). Now back with seventh album, A Pathway to the Moon, Unreqvited are the band I’ve reviewed more than any other, and the bright, expansive synth work, paired with post-black explosions and howled, wordless vocals feel almost like a comforting hug at this point.” Like a comfortable shoe(gaze).

Weep – The Constant Strain of Life Review

Weep – The Constant Strain of Life Review

By Cherd on October 26, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, 14 comments

“The Constant Strain of Life is, in our dichotomy, drawing. Weep’s lone member, Cerastes, runs post-punk and shoegaze through a raw black metal filter but without the raw part. Comparisons can be made to fellow Minnesota bands Ashbringer or Wishfield, but this is a much more stripped-down, straightforward affair.” Tears in the void.

Agrypnie – Erg Review

Agrypnie – Erg Review

By Dear Hollow on September 4, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, 9 comments

“Perhaps I misjudged Agrypnie in 2021. Perhaps that 1.5 was a little harsh – maybe I read the words “avant-garde” and saw red. Still, Metamorphosis was a hodgepodge of all things post-y and melodic, dragging the lake with melodeath and symphonic black in reckless abandon, sporting vocal tirades with more propensity for destroying its crystallinity than creating it. In this way, Erg is better, streamlining its attack. It’s still your favorite post-black, with all the frills and hearts prominently planted on their sleeves you expect, but armed with a more prominent riff and a trver vibe, your favorite German post-black duo is back and badder than ever.” Erg-o-nomic gazing.

Dawn Treader – Bloom & Decay Review

Dawn Treader – Bloom & Decay Review

By Itchymenace on August 25, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, 87 comments

“I love black metal—especially when it’s drenched in an atmosphere that soars between heroic highs and guttural lows. But, finding quality records with dynamic songs that resonate with me on an emotional level can be harder than finding a needle in a Norwegian blizzard. Jorn knows I’ve dipped my scabbed hands into the sump numerous times only to pull out some third or fourth-generation Emperor copy put together by a couple of kids who are in 300 other bands that I’ve also never heard of. Patiently, I’ve waited for a band that has the hood-covered chops to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the great atmo-black bands I adore like Agalloch, Alcest, Panopticon and, dare I say, Deafheaven. So, it was as if Odin himself answered my prayers when Dawn Treader steered its mighty Saxon hull into my harbor.” Tread lightly.