Blues

Geese – Getting Killed [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Dear Hollow on December 4, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Blues, Noise Rock, post-punk, Rock, 93 comments

“When a non-metal album is this good, the Great Ape mandates that we write about it – it’s unclear if it’s for posterity or humiliation. But when you have a band called Geese, the latter seems more likely. New York City fowl collective owe just as much of their attack to Bruce Springsteen and Television as to Swans and The Velvet Underground, as its drawling and honkin’ blend of roots rock, noise rock, blues, country, funk, and post-punk is a clusterfuck that feels distinctly like something a band called Geese would make.” Genre-hoping and goose poop dropping.

LOMMI – 667788 Review

By ClarkKent on August 16, 2025 in Reviews, Blues, Doom Metal, Groove Metal, Stoner Metal, 86 comments

“LOMMI first formed in 2007, but these Swedes are essentially digital ghosts. You’d think an 18-year history would at least come with a multi-album discography, but I have no idea what these guys have done between then and the release of their latest (and possibly only) album, 667788. A Google search mostly pulls results for Tommy Iommi; they have no dedicated page on Metal Archives; and even their label, Majestic Mountain Records, has zilch about them on their site. This lack of a written history leads me to have some doubts about the promo’s claim that these guys are a “formidable force in [Sweden]’s heavy metal underground.” Still, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they’re just too trve to have built up a digital presence.” Not Iommi.

Volbeat – God of Angels Trust Review

By ClarkKent on June 6, 2025 in Reviews, Blues, Groove Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 49 comments

“Volbeat is one of those rare heavy metal bands that can ascend music charts and see mainstream radio play without sacrificing their core sound. They don’t resort to covers of classic songs (Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch) or write power ballads (Staind) to achieve popularity. People love them because they sound uniquely like themselves. I first heard Volbeat about twelve years ago on my local rock station. This was when singles from Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies were dominating the airwaves, and I was amazed by the energy of the performances. However, the problem with popularity is that bands often play it safe in order to broaden their audience.” Goats, vols, and making friends.

Messa – The Spin Review

By Carcharodon on April 9, 2025 in Reviews, Blues, Doom Jazz, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, post-punk, Psychedelic Rock, 101 comments

A double review of Messa’s latest opus, The Spin. Will it spin you round and round?

Blue Heron – Everything Fades Review

By Carcharodon on September 27, 2024 in Reviews, Blues, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 23 comments

“Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Blue Heron dropped their debut record, Ephemeral, in 2022. I remember briefly listening to it at the time, but it didn’t leave much of an impression. Dipping in again now, I think that was very much a Me Problem because Ephemeral was a solid slab of desert stoner rock, tinged with both blues and grunge. And I slept on it. Now back with their sophomore record, Everything Fades, whatever sort of journey Blue Heron wants to take me on, it’s one I’m determined not to sleep on!” Jacked up on Monster and ready to review some metal!

Mamaleek – Vida Blue Review

By Dear Hollow on September 3, 2024 in Reviews, Blues, Noise Rock, post-punk, Progressive Rock, 57 comments

“Vida Blue, Mamaleek’s ninth full-length, mourns the 2023 death of member Eric Livingston – paralleled by the Oakland Athletics’ relocation to Las Vegas. It reflects on legendary pitcher and namesake Vida Blue’s legacy – and Livingston’s. In honor and homage, Vida Blue takes the squelching and jangling hemorrhaging cyst-blues template of 2022’s impressive Diner Coffee, painting a ’70’s folk-, blues-, prog- and jazz-rock sheen across it with reckless abandon.” Memories, moments, baseball.

Zeal & Ardor – GREIF Review

By Carcharodon on August 23, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blues, Electronica, Progressive Metal, 108 comments

“There are bands you want to love and you know—I mean, you just know—have a great album in them, which they … continually fail to deliver. If you could just grab hold of their ankles and shake them upside down, you might even shake it out of them. Witchcraft is one such band. Zeal & Ardor was another. The black-metal-meets-delta-blues-meets-slave-gospel project, led by Swiss-American mastermind Manuel Gagneux, understandably caught a lot of people’s attention with 2016 debut, Devil is Fine. It offered something pretty well unique but it also suffered from bloat, unnecessary interludes and half-finished ideas. Its follow-up, Stranger Fruit, was actually my application to write in this hellhole and I suggested there was an absolutely gold-plated EP in there but, as an album, it failed to hang together.” Zeals in the safe harbor.

Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – Saved! Review

By Dear Hollow on November 5, 2023 in Reviews, Blues, Folk, Noise, 71 comments

“Brothers and sisters, welcome to our 9 o’clock service. I see many eager faces out there, hungry to receive the Word today. As Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, “if two or more are gathered in [h]is name, God will be with us and hear our prayer.” If this is your first time joining us, you could have been anywhere else and we’re thrilled you decided to be here. Feel free to fill out the visitor card in the seat in front of you and drop it in the offering plate – we’d sure love to hear from you and pray for you. I hope you know that God loves you and has a plan for your life. Now, I have a real treat for you today, a guest speaker: classically trained singer and songwriter, pianist, faithful servant and friend of Christ Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter.” Altar calling…

Swami Lateplate – Doom Jazz II Review

By Carcharodon on September 16, 2023 in Reviews, Blues, Doom Jazz, 25 comments

“It’s 11 years since New York’s experimental jazz duo, Swami Lateplate, released their debut, Doom Jazz. To be fair, both its members, Bobby Previte and Jamie Saft, are extremely well-respected jazz musicians and they have been busy with other ventures. Drummer Previte, now in his 70s, has been a presence on the NYC jazz scene since the late 1970s, collaborating with the likes of John Zorn and Elliott Sharp.” Swami, salami, doom Jazz bomby.

The Vagaband – Beautiful World Review

By Kenstrosity on March 10, 2023 in Reviews, Blues, Folk, Non-metal Metal Things, 95 comments

“I was given an unexpected shipment of lemons when I picked up The Vagaband’s fourth LP, Beautiful World, mistakenly labeled by our promo overlords as “Gothic Folk.” Turns out, there’s not a lick of metal—and only a hint of gothic—to be found on Beautiful World, but there’s a helluva lot of folk. With a brave heart and an uncertain spirit, I ventured forth despite the total lack of blog relevance possessed by these songs. Maybe I could make a nice, refreshing pitcher of lemonade out of this after all?” Beautiful accidents.