Shoegaze

Last Leaf Down – Weight of Silence Review

By Killjoy on April 21, 2025 in Reviews, Alternative, Not Metal, Shoegaze, 33 comments

“I imagine we all have our own personal keywords that snag our attention and interest. Marketers (and record labels) know this and try their best to capitalize on our weakness. The descriptor “dreamy shoegaze from the woods” doesn’t sound particularly like something one might look for on Angry Metal Guy, nevertheless, it was the deciding factor for me to fish Weight of Silence out of the promo bin. Last Leaf Down originally formed in Switzerland in 2003 as a “dark doom” metal band. Whatever that sounds like, we may never know because on their debut album Fake Lights in 2014 they had already veered into the shoegaze sphere. Now, coming off a long break since 2017’s Bright Wide Colder, Last Leaf Down offers a reinvigorated interpretation of this timeless genre.” Watch the shoes…

Church of the Sea – Eva Review

By Tyme on April 11, 2025 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Shoegaze, 29 comments

“I’ve often thought Adam’s rib-mate, Eve, got a bad rap. Led astray by the pesky serpent, Eve took that first bite of the fruit from the Forbidden Tree and shared it with her man. This act not only resulted in their expulsion from the Garden of Eden, but in Eve becoming traditionally branded as the original sinner, who eventually suffered the pains of childbirth as part of God’s consequence. Formed in 2017, and after releasing their debut album Odalisque in 2022, Greek doomgaze trio Church of the Sea has partnered with These Hands Melt to drop sophomore effort Eva, which aims to reimagine the story of Eve, celebrating her defiance and casting her in a different light.” Apples ain’t cheap.

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).

Silhouette – Les Dires de l’Âme Review

By Carcharodon on October 23, 2024 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, 72 comments

“There’s a little bit of buzz about Montpellier, France’s Silhouette, ahead of their full-length debut, Les Dires de l’Âme. This is built on the undeniable strength of their 2022 EP, Les retranchements (which, passing the 30-minute / seven-track mark as it did, was arguably an LP but that’s by the by). There, the sextet blended various styles, including black and post-metal, and shoegaze to create a dark and dreamy atmosphere, which oscillated between ghostly beauty and harsh, post-black fury.” Tis the season of ghosts and gloom.

40 Watt Sun – Little Weight Review

By GardensTale on September 6, 2024 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Not Metal, Shoegaze, 38 comments

“”If [Warning’s Watching from a Distance] was the act of capturing a funeral march, and The Inside Room was the first few hours of sadness that lingers after the wake wraps up, then Wider is the first year of longing and sadness that follows.” This is how Grymm characterized the trajectory of Patrick Walker’s projects in his review of 40 Watt Sun’s sophomore album. The metaphor has stuck with me ever since, as great metaphors tend to do. 2022’s Perfect Light, then, slotted in beautifully as the first hope that the grief may pass, a first feeble ray of sunlight through a blanket of grey clouds. It appears Mr. Walker’s mental state has been improving, but how does that affect his music?” Crawl to the light.

Executioner’s Mask – Almost There Review

By Dear Hollow on August 30, 2024 in Reviews, post-punk, Shoegaze, 25 comments

“As a child of the ’90s, I was not around to understand the nuances of every synth-driven art rock movement that arose in the decades preceding. While the inimitable Cherd of Doom, the illustrious Kenstrocity and the sometimes-imitable Dolphin Whisperer explained to me the differences between post-punk, shoegaze, and goth rock, tossing out names like My Bloody Valentine, The Sisters of Mercy, and Wire, Executioner’s Mask gives no shits – they’re just out here just doing their thing.” Masks off at midnight.

REZN – Burden Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on June 30, 2024 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Progressive Rock, Shoegaze, 16 comments

“When choosing things to review, many of us choose based on genre affinity, name affinity, vibe affinity—just about any calling works. REZN’s whole concept of providing heavy shoegaze-laden psychedelic doom speaks deeply to me, even if the waters where music that self-describes this way provides an often less-than delivery, I accepted the band on their terms.” Freedom to psych-gaze.

Alcest – Les Chants De L’Aurore Review

By GardensTale on June 21, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, 90 comments

“The four seasons are one of the most common motifs in art and music since time immemorial, besides life, love, and death. The annual experience of days stretching and shrinking, heat swelling and dissipating, and trees metamorphosizing are ubiquitous outside of equatorial regions. Alcest’s body of work may not directly reference the seasons often, yet its discography frequently seem to traverse the course of the year. Debut Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde evoked the awakening world of early spring, as the cold withdraws and life creeps back in. Écalles des Lune, on the other hand, was a deep winter record, where the dark is absolute and the land falls silent under a coat of snow. Now, 5 years after the autumnal Spiritual Instinct trod the line between the light and dark, Les Chants De L’Aurore drops right on the summer solstice.” Marking time and navel-gazing.

Glassing – From the Other Side of the Mirror Review

By Dear Hollow on May 3, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Mathcore, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, Sludge Metal, 87 comments

“No one does music quite like Austin’s Glassing. Nearly impossible to pigeonhole in its blend of jagged riffs and crystalline melodies, critics have conjured the likes of post-metal, post-black, post-rock, mathcore, shoegaze, sludge, noise rock, screamo, and post-hardcore to describe it – none ever quite sticking the landing.” Square pegs, round holes. FIGHT.

Olhava – Sacrifice Review

By Carcharodon on January 29, 2024 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Shoegaze, 33 comments

“Less black metal than Trna, and more evocative synths a la Unreqvited, there is no rushing Olhava. Shimmering soundscapes are what they do, albeit that, where Unreqvited has (at least since 2018’s Mosaic I: L’Amour et L’Ardeur) hints of light and promise in the sound, Olhava is all shades of loss and a sense of hopeless grey.” 50 shades of sadboi.