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digipack 2019

'The Shadowed Road' is the second album of Sojourner, one of the best surprises / emerging acts to come out in the last two years.

Atmosphere reigns supreme, as it always has in ÆVANGELIST, and comprehension of its infinitely writhing tendrils begins in the title itself. Blessed Be the Relic of Wicked Slumber: Nightmarecatcher is the grand rebirth of the true ÆVANGELIST - past, present, future, all ripped asunder and reinvigorated in search of The Truth. 

Black vinyl edition.

Composed during the pandemic-induced lockdown period of 2020/2021, "Isolation" features some of ColdWorld's most expressive compositions to date. Managing to transcend the conventional sounds pursued in what is best described as the "ambient/depressive" black metal subgenre, ColdWorld's newest sonic endeavor draws listeners into an incredibly immersive soundscape, rife with lush classical instrumentation and ethereal, yet occasionally harrowing vocals, the first of which is showcased brilliantly on the album's second track "Soundtrack to Isolation".

Clearly, this music is a truly honest and emotional representation of what the project's sole mastermind G.B. has experienced these past years. As such, the songs that comprise "Isolation" ebb and flow effortlessly, with even seemingly lengthy track durations being navigated masterfully by G.B.'s approach to songwriting and track placement. Throughout "Isolation", listeners may notice influences ranging from more traditional black metal and immensely heavy doom fused with post-rock leanings along the lines of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Of particular note is the use of classical string instrumentation and guitar lead harmonies that harken back to early My Dying Bride. However, it is the fusion of these elements and their interpretation through the creative mind that allows to confront listeners with an incredibly individualistic sound.

The creative and diverse vocal work featuring layered clean vocals, harrowing wails, a fascinating form of what is possibly throat singing as well as profoundly deep growls give "Isolation" an unmistakable edge over many of ColdWorld's contemporaries in a rather crowded scene. As such, listeners are sure to return to these eight tracks regularly, as this work is not easily grasped in its entirety on a first listen. Although it makes a staggering first impression, this record demands to be experienced repeatedly.

3rd print/3rd version.

6-panel regular digipak edition, with 12 pages booklet.

Dark Folk from France

CD in Digipack with golden hot stamping

For fans of folk guitars, rainy ambiences and medieval sorcery

 GOATS OF DOOM showed a new face on Rukous, where the mysterious atmosphere of old is shot through with more surging aggression and bewitching melody: in essence, a melodic blizzard, if you will. It's characteristically Finnish in its melancholy - melody can never be too saccharine, of course - but burns icy hot with a passion that makes its seven-song/42-minute runtime a nightsky treasure to behold. The theme of Rukous is suitably spirituality, and hereby do GOATS OF DOOM offer myriad ways to worship the dark.

Digipack CD with 8 page booklet.
2020 marks the first release of Feral Light under the Hypnotic Dirge Records roster. The name is not new to the scene, being led by guitarist Andy Schoengrund (ex. Empires, ex. Wolvhammer), who formed Feral Light in 2015 with drummer Andrew Reesen, and shortly thereafter released a demo, an EP, and two full-lengths - 2017’s Void/Sanctity and 2019’s excellent Fear Rides a Shadow.

Firmly anchored in Blackened Post-Metal, Life Vapor - their third album -, not only builds up on the foundations of its predecessor, but it also cranks it up on all fronts. It instantly pulls you in with its killer mix of melodic and dissonant riffing, combining and incorporating various styles including elements of post-metal, black n roll, doom, and second-wave black metal. This album is loaded with catchy riffs and memorable hooks exhibiting momentous black n roll sections that transform into triumphant post-metal, somber doom metal, and everywhere in between. Life Vapor is an album that manages to explore a wide berth of what the blackened sub-genres can manifest while remaining rooted by strong and purposeful songwriting and a balanced mix that highlights the instrumentation.

Deathbell is a five-piece band from Toulouse/France, that create eerie and heavy fuzz-laden Doom. Having released their debut album With the Beyond in 2018 that garnered underground attention, Deathbell have been lying in wait, taking their time to craft and hone their new juggernaut “A Nocturnal Crossing”. Incanting her melancholic and haunting vocals, Lauren Gaynor calls through cavernous walls of funeral organ and distorted slabs of riff-witchery to shepherd “A Nocturnal Crossing” into a hypnotic otherworld. With morbid clanging trips of psychedelic rhythms and shadowy atmospheres, Deathbell’s brand of mystical Doom is both transcendent and sombre.