Full Length Review: Appalachian Winter "Wintermountains Rise" (Nine Gates Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Appalachian Winter

Location: Schellsburg, Pennsylvania

Country: USA

Genre: Symphonic black metal

Full length: Wintermountains Rise

Format: Digital

Label: Nine Gates Records

Release date: June 9, 2026

Appalachian Winter first released "Wintermountains Rise" as a three-song EP in 2023; over three years they expanded it to an eight song full length, presenting a deeper exploration of its theme. With their 2013 debut EP “Ravenforest” they started crafting a distinctive, imposing black metal style that incorporated folk, ambient, and symphonic elements, putting a human face on nature at its most unforgiving.

For a US band, Appalachian Winter draw inspiration from nature and the past in a similar way to Scandinavian black metal bands. “Wintermountains Rise” draws from the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern part of North America, a very old mountain range extending from Newfoundland, Canada all the way to mid-Alabama. Believed to be among the oldest mountain ranges on Earth, the Appalachians formed more than a billion years ago. In modern times its holds deep cultural significance as indigenous Native American tribes like the Cherokee, Shawnee, Creek and Iroquois lived there for millennia.

The region has preserved a blend of Native American, African, and European cultures through music, craft and storytelling, traditions largely untouched by modern man. Personifying its history, cultural significance and especially its timeless nature, “Wintermountains Rise” carries impact through scope, breadth, and richness. Those folk, ambient and symphonic elements I mentioned, introduced with keyboards, horns and strings, all contribute to making their black metal greater than the sum of its parts,

For example, the track “Wolves” evokes a dark yet authentic sense of the land’s timelessness and reverence. It explores the enduring presence of this vast landscape, questioning whether humanity still remembers its many years of history. Not only does it give a face to the enduring nature but it gives a voice to the spirits who dwelled there from ancient times until today, hinting the real monsters are humans who attempt to erase them from history.

This motif recurs in the song and lyric writing of “Mountainwraith,” “Hopeforsook,” “All Coldness Comes,” and “So Howls the Wind.” Each track gives voice to different spirits from this ancient realm, the common themes being the loss of paradise, the inevitability of death, the destructive force of nature, a search for solace and hope for renewal, and a plea for divine strength and warmth in the face of isolation and loneliness. In the end however, the mood changes from darkness and despair to awakening and hope as you emerge from a long, cold, dark period to celestial awakening, a reclaiming of identity and purpose, signifying that nature is ultimately as patient as it is harsh and unforgiving. –Dave Wolff

Track list:

1. Mountainwraith

2. Wolves

3. Forestwhiten

4. Hopeforsook

5. Endless Ice Falls

6. All Coldness Comes

7. So Howls the Wind

8. Angelfrost

Full Length Review: Nequient "Avarice" (Nefarious Industries) by Dave Wolff

Band: Nequient

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Country: USA

Genre: Grindcore. hardcore

Full length: Avarice

Format: Digital, limited edition gatefold LP, limited edition cassette, limited edition CD (see Bandcamp link for more information)

Label: Nefarious Industries

Release date: April 24, 2026

Artists who, according to Nequient frontman Jason Kolkey, prefer to fit neatly into algorithmic recommendation engines are the least he feels alienated and frustrated about. Channeling these feelings into their third album, “Avarice,” the band appears to intentionally steer clear of algorithmic recommendation engines. Does this suggest they want to be overlooked, or are they pushing free expression and open-mindedness to an extreme?

Realizing how much worse the world has become over the past two decades, the band decides to raise their objections through even more bizarre and unconventional music than their previous works, their EPs “Infinite Regress” (2015) and “Collective Punishment” (2021), and their albums “Wolves at the Door” (2018) and “Darker than Death or Night” (2022). Essentially a hardcore/grindcore band rooted in extreme metal, Nequient surpasses the eccentric songwriting of even the most experimental bands, integrating prog elements with relentless intensity.

Intentionally crafting tumultuous, disorganized sounding songs, they deliver alarmingly authentic portrayals of the vexation and cognitive dissonance caused by a system that methodically dismantles what individuals personally value, justifying it with contradictory arguments. The staggering amount of aberrant material packed into less than three quarters of an hour creates a mind-bending experience, offering listeners who share these frustrations a powerful outlet for expression, while also providing an opportunity to listen to a grindcore band unlike any other.

Taking what they wrote into the studio, Nequient collaborated with producer Sanford Parker, known for his work with Yob and Lair Of The Minotaur and masterer Collin Jordan, known for working with Voivod and Harm’s Way. They couldn’t have found a better team to translate their intricate, manic compositions, achieving unrefined clarity, intensity and complexity. The album’s dissonance, blending jazz, blues and doom rock with its prog elements, along with sudden shifts in theme and mood, its controlled fury, its near-desperate vocals, all create a sense of imminent unravelling.

The album is like a massive dam on the verge of crumbling and unleashing floodwaters that will eventually engulf everything. It symbolizes an inevitable social and societal collapse, the result of years of corruption and manipulation, with humanity unable to undo the damage of decades past. Arifullah Ali and Scott Shellhamer’s cover art is as mind-bending as the album itself, existentially illustrating Nequient’s point. It depicts humanity, blinded and screaming in chaos and entropy, unheard amid the turmoil surrounding it. Because humanity ignored past warnings, it must now face the devastating consequences of its own hubris. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Jason Kolkey: Vocals

Patrick Conahan: Guitar synthesizers

Aaron Roemig: Bass, backing vocals

Chris Avgerin: Drums

Track list:

1. Mad King / Fool

2. Christofascist Zombie Brigade

3. Splenetic and Moribund

4. Brain Worms

5. Rintrah Roars

6. Obsolete Machines

7. Siege Mentality

8. Enshittification

9. Stochastic Terror

Full Length Review: The Stone "Kletva" (Immortal Frost Productions) by Dave Wolff

Band: The Stone

Country: Serbia

Genre: Black metal

Full length: Kletva

Format: Digital, digipack CD, vinyl (see Bandcamp link for more information)

Label: Immortal Frost Productions

Release date: November 28, 2025

Based on what I’ve read, Serbian black metal is rarely discussed. An example is The Stone, formed in 1996 as Stone to Flesh. Emerging under the shadow of the well-known Norwegian and Swedish black metal scenes, they have faced an ongoing uphill battle. It wasn't until their 2002 debut, "Словенска крв" (Slovenian Blood) that their lyrical focus shifted from Serbian paganism to themes of nihilism, misanthropy, and existentialism. This marked the beginning of a significant transition from traditional black metal themes to their own unique perspectives on life and the world, almost creating a philosophical side to nihilism and misanthropy.

With the lyrical evolution of "Kletva," The Stone refined their sound and the black metal style characteristic of their home country, transforming it into something persistent and urgent. This transformation made them compelling enough to attract black metal fans across multiple countries. Their style features a primitive, tribal percussion that uses its own momentum to shift the mood and tone of a song, embellishing the chosen tempos with consistent fills to enhance the sense of urgency. This fosters a tighter interplay with raw guitars and bass, combined with cleverly written progressions, ensuring everything is closely knit and cohesive.

The formula The Stone develops for this album strikes me not as a bleak, stormy outpouring of sarcasm and bitterness. Instead, it strikes me as an internal tempest, an intense struggle to reject doctrines and ideologies adopted by people, ideologies that lack true meaning or substance, or true spiritual worth. It captures the disenchantment and dissatisfaction that arises, alongside a passionate, fervent quest for personal understanding and authenticity. From this perspective, the tight restraint of the songs makes sense. It’s an internal process of discovering questions, forging answers, and developing a personal perspective—preparing it for eventual release.

"Kletva" travels far beyond black metal’s expected blasphemous content, as the existential questioning, challenging and forming of metaphysical thoughts putting to the test people who weaponize God and withstanding rebuke is pictured with monumental resourcefulness. The convictions that grew from Slavic paganism are symbolized by pensiveness, elegance and passion. Changes in tempo, sections with rumbling bass and relentless bombast, tremolo-picked lead guitar passages and enraged screams all represent this process of searching for answers, finding moments of clarity and moving forward to establish your own ontology. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Glad: Vocals

Kozeljnik: Lead Guitar

INIMICVS: Rhythm guitar

Vrag: Bass

Honza Kapák: Drums

Track list:

1. Sve sravnjeno, sve spaljeno

2. Kletve lovor

3. Trag u večnosti

4. Slutnja

5. Denying the Axiom

6. Besi

7. Sveća je dogorela

Review of "Kosturnice" (Immortal Frost Productions) by Jorge A. Trejos

Full Length Review: Leila Abdul-Rauf "Andros Insidium" (20 Buck Spin) by Dave Wolff

Artist: Leila Abdul-Rauf

Location: Oakland, California

Country: USA

Genre: Experimental

Full length: Andros Insidium

Format: Digital

Label: 20 Buck Spin

Release date: April 17, 2026

Drawing inspiration from Sumerian myth, Silvia Brinton Perera’s “Descent to the Goddess,” and ancient pagan feminism, Leila Abdul-Rauf expresses defiance and rebellion against a historically dominant patriarchal society. Described by her as the album she has wanted to create for years, “Andros Insidium” reflects experiences of marginalization and ostracism by communities that failed to understand her need to express rage, grief, and the tension between hope and despair through a dark, intimate narrative.

Having finally completed her ambitious project, channeling the passion of years of writing and recording, Abdul-Rauf imbues “Andros Insidium” with enough intimate darkness to evoke centuries of repression, bringing forbidden myths and legends to life and re-invoking the feminine divine as a transformative force. Uncompromisingly untamed, it seems to establish its own timeliness.

First published in 1983, Perera’s book reflects Abdul-Rauf’s longing for an inner female authority. She merges ancient scriptures with modern visions to resurrect and reintroduce the Great Goddess from numerous pre-Christian faiths into contemporary culture. Like the Necronomicon, it uses metaphor through the Mesopotamian myth of Inanna (Sumer) or Ishtar (Babylonia, Assyria), who journeyed to the underworld to confront her sister, the dark goddess Ereshkigal.

In the legend recounted many times over, Inanna was murdered by Ereshkigal, having given up her protection from the dark forces surrounding her, her body imprisoned, and she was later resurrected, a story somewhat akin to the legends of Christ and the Egyptian god Osiris. Abdul-Rauf’s work deeply, personally explores this transformative cycle of death and rebirth leading to redemption.

Cold, dark, ambient, and imposing, “Andros Insidium” can be seen as the culmination of Abdul-Rauf’s projects since 2013’s “Cold and Cloud.” While it shares affinities with Diamanda Galás, Dead Can Dance, Jarboe/Swans and Roberta Baum, its portrayal of the afterlife is so esoteric and abstract that it defies typical descriptions you would give to goth, dungeon synth, black metal or occult rock.

The ancient, lingering sensations woven through her multifaceted songwriting evoke a ritualistic echo carved in the blackest darkness known to man, or a ceremonial journey through the universe. An eternal state suspended between death and rebirth, until a slow, gradual awakening begins to restore consciousness, so at long last the legend of Inanna/Ishtar can be retold.

With guest musicians including Kienan Hamilton of Cartilage, Gregory C. Hagan of King Eider, and Drew Zercoe of Field Of Fear contributing to the material she wrote and recorded, Abdul-Rauf delivers a powerful sensory experience. Paired with Greg Wilkinson’s expert mixing and mastering, gained from his work with Autopsy and High On Fire, she crafts a cinematic narrative that penetrates deeply into your very soul. Using majestic songwriting, aboriginal percussion, evocative vocals, and sacred liturgy, she evokes centuries and millennia of primal self-awareness and female spirit wisdom, transcending any and all surface understanding.

As Abdul-Rauf pushes her imagination and skills beyond anything she has previously explored, your perception of Inanna’s descent into the underworld, her search for her sister, the goddess of perdition, their confrontation, and her sacrifice, are heightened and intensified, revealing profound and unexpected insights into the suppressed female archetype. You experience her pain, emptiness, and ultimately her metamorphosis and renewal, a reawakening of a spirit long believed to be lost in time and space, but whose time has come around again. –Dave Wolff

Track list:

1. Descent into Kur

2. Stripped Before the Eye of Death

3. Eros Anima

4. Senex Rule

5. Fractured Body

6. Andros Insidium

7. A Requiem for Ishtar

8. Return to Anu

Full Length Review: Thronium Vrondor "Drowning in the Distorted Light" (Immortal Frost Productions) by Dave Wolff

Band: Thronium Vrondor

Country: Belgium

Genre: Black metal

Full length: Drowning in the Distorted Light

Format: Digital, jewel case CD, vinyl (see Bandcamp link for more information)

Label: Immortal Frost Productions

Release date: April 25, 2025

Sven Houfflijn, aka SvN, has been an active vocalist since 1991, fronting Ascend-ency, Anesthesy, Wounds of Old, Fleshmould, Dodengod, and others. His bands have performed with obscure and well-known acts, and he has recently begun exploring composition on keyboards with his project This Scorching SvN. With his extensive experience, he seems comfortable delving into dark sound and unleashing hell from his gut, experimenting with the vocal textures emerging from his throat. His vocal work on Thronium Vrondor’s latest album “Drowning in the Distorted Light” highlights his passion for live performance and what he calls the creative process.

In an interview with Daniel Ryan a few years ago, SvN added Danzig, Dead Can Dance, and Neurosis to his list of influences. While “Drowning in the Distorted Light” presents Thronium Vrondor as stripped down to their abrasive, dissonant core, elements of doom, ambient, atmospheric, and post-metal styles are slowly becoming integral to their sound. This is evident not only in SvN’s experimentation but in the unsettling hubbub that permeates much of the material, especially in the guitar and bass.

From the opening section of “A Solemn Vigil,” an ominous mood sets in, like fog drifting into a darkened environment. Hypnotic rhythms and sharp guitar harmonics give way to controlled fury, threatening to descend into chaos at any moment. Inventive tremolo picking propels the chord-heavy composition forward. The menacing atmosphere introduced at the start reappears throughout the album, enveloping the listener in blackness. Moments like the brief intro of “Gruwlijke Leegte” lend a chilling realism; the relentless triplet rhythm resonates with gloomy harmonics and an underlying dank atmosphere, giving much meaning to the album’s title.

For an album with tendencies of calling back Mayhem’s “Wolf’s Lair Abyss” and Marduk’s “Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered,” “Drowning in the Distorted Light” fuses avant garde climate with profanatory severity so closely you can tell Thronium Vrondor have had a lot of practice channeling both into their songwriting. The way they deliver rawness with atmosphere is an ideal backdrop for the way SvN makes his nuanced vocals flow and overlap, almost as if multiple vocalists were hired for the recording sessions. The echo added to the vocal tracks match the contrast between the guitar and bass lines.

“Drowning in the Distorted Light” sometimes evokes the raw intensity of Mayhem’s “Wolf’s Lair Abyss” and Marduk’s “Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered,” blending avant-garde climates with profane severity. Thronium Vrondor’s experience in how seamlessly they combine these elements into their songwriting is evident, as rawness is fused closely with atmospheric layers. This creates a fitting backdrop for SvN’s nuanced flowing, overlapping vocals as if multiple vocalists were hired for the recording sessions. The echo added to the vocals enhances the contrast between the haunting contrasts between many of the guitar and bass lines.

In my opinion, the most promising track illustrating the band’s direction is near its end: “To Burn the Absolute,” featuring a guest appearance by Ars Veneficium bassist/vocalist S. This is the coldest, most dissonant track, with sharper tremolo picking, more menacing effects and relentless blast beats, and dual vocals making it the most immersive song here. "Skulptur Aus Fleisch" serves as a kind of epilogue to the carnage you've experienced, reserved for when your mind has been completely eroded. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

SvN: Vocals

Vrondor: Guitars, bass

Crygh: Drums

Track list:

1. A Solemn Vigil

2. Drowning in the Distorted Light

3. Gruwlijke Leegte

4. Cursed Salvation

5. All Spears Point Towards the Hunter's Moon

6. Zalvende Haat

7. To Burn the Absolute (ft. S. / Ars Veneficium)

8. Skulptur Aus Fleisch

Review of "Dies Tenebrosa Sicut Nox" (Immortal Frost Productions) by Daniel Ryan

Full Length Review: Emily Rach Beisel "Sumptuous Branching" (Amalgam) by Dave Wolff

Artist: Emily Rach Beisel

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Country: USA

Genre: Experimental

Full Length: Sumptuous Branching

Format: Digital album, limited edition 12” vinyl

Label: Amalgam (Chicago, IL, USA)

Release date: April 10, 2026

It’s not metal, it’s not rock, it’s not synth-electronica, though in the case of the latter, Emily Rach Beisel’s use of electronics, wind instruments, her own voice, and what’s called “extended techniques” creates soundscapes that cleverly blend electronic, organic and atmospheric elements. She seems to give birth to resurrected demons, unleashing them from an endless sea of cyber-hallucinogenic water that exists only in memory, with sounds never before heard in recorded history.

In what nameless, bottomless subterranean hell did these demons reside before they were brought into existence? We may never know for certain, as Beisel’s compositions stem from fleeting moments of inspiration lost in time, with no clear place in the grand scheme. Her second full-length album, “Sumptuous Branching,” begins with the haunting, ethereal mantra “You won’t find me…,” suggesting her ideas originate in a secret place known only to her, only to dissolve again into the ether.

Practically speaking, Beisel’s inspiration draws from the writings of Sun Ra, Homer, Guillaume de Machaut, and Mark Z. Danielewski. Co-produced with Bill Harris, the album particularly echoes Danielewski’s 2000 horror novel “House of Leaves,” which is described as immersive and disorienting. The novel is a metafictional journey featuring layered, intricate ideas about a labyrinth discovered inside a family’s home. Its multi-perspective theme seems to have influenced Beisel’s songwriting, not as a mirror to the soul, but as a door or window into a world that’s both realistic and surreal.

Balancing imagination, ambiguity and personal interpretation, “Sumptuous Branching” offers chant throughout its ever-changing musical landscapes. The album shifts from one section of the labyrinth to another, refusing to define itself with any single theme. This approach keeps listeners uncertain of what path they’ll take next, where they’ll end up, or what entities might be waiting around the corner, smiling sweetly and inviting you onward.

The promotional video Beisel created for “Catilovers” showcases the natural beauty of her work on a broader scale. Filmed in a single take, it captures the ambiance of being there, every sound recorded as if you were present during filming, surrounded by strategically placed, otherworldly lighting. Strange camera angles evoke “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits,” while the instruments seem to come at you from all sides, plunging you inescapably into Beisel’s world. –Dave Wolff

Track list:

1. Introit

2. To Rise In Arms

3. Cantilevers

4. Hollow Ships

5. Her Still Singing Limbs

6. We Who Behold the Bright Surface

7. Sumptuous Branching

Single/Video Review: Mindlapse "Rage of Masses" (Ragebreed Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Mindlapse

Country: United Kingdom

Genre: Melodic death metal

Single/video: Rage of Masses

Format: Streaming

Label: Ragebreed Records

Release date: January 18, 2026

Besides her involvement with Lake of Dreams, Karina Sher is the frontwoman of Mindlapse and builds on their melodic death metal roots by blending gritty vocals with increased melody and fluent hardcore/rap metal elements. Their website bio cites Angela Gossow, Cristina Scabbia, and Tairie B as vocalists relatable to her. Active since 1996, a time when underground metal was beginning to reach new heights of originality, Mindlapse has had ample opportunity to incorporate progressive and gothic metal elements for atmosphere, technical proficiency, and a spooky edge, finding a direction to explore freely.

Sher’s commanding presence in Lake of Dreams’ video, “Hold Me,” showcases beauty within darkness and order within disorder. A duality reflected in Mindlapse’s stage performances, energizing their shows with an emotional balance between existential dread and inner catharsis. Their promotional videos for “Visions,” “Haunted,” “The Prophecy,” “Love My Hate,” and “Risen” visually represent each song in story form, exemplifying why critics across rock, goth, and metal communities regard their long period of experimentation as noteworthy.

Unlike “Hold Me,” which uses nature imagery to depict its story, Mindlapse’s videos feature nightmarish images of violence and trauma, images seemingly buried in the unconscious but suddenly dragged into the light. “Rage of Masses” has thematic ties to Sher’s upcoming film project (which I discussed while reviewing “Hold Me”), with the druidess lead character undergoing a transformative journey to hell, not as damnation but as a rite of passage. It parallels the idea of confronting challenges and undergoing profound change, a central theme in the film.

In hell, she witnesses the souls of fallen soldiers engaged in a battle with demons, where the stakes are either redemption or eternal damnation. As life, death, and salvation intertwine into a single concept, she uncovers the secret of redemption through spirit guides and spiritual warriors who came to comprehend and master darkness without losing their core essence. This is a pivotal moment in Sher's story, serving as a crucible that prepares her for future conflicts in the realm of the living.

Through this ordeal, she learns to become a more resilient healer. The chaos of her environment, her rite of passage, and her unwavering commitment to her true self are embodied in her songwriting (performed by John Mitchell), which merges powerful guitars, raw and ethereal vocals, and subtle piano melodies to symbolize her external terror and inner resolve. The song soars to great heights and plunges into the darkest depths of the underworld, with immersive qualities that evoke a visceral desire to experience the druidess's journey as vividly as possible. Transcending music and film, this project could be a significant step in metal’s evolution. –Dave Wolff

Single/Video Review: Lake of Dreams "Hold Me" (Ragebreed Records) by Dave Wolff

Project: Lake of Dreams

Location: Leicester

Country: United Kingdom

Genre: Folk

Video/single: Hold Me

Format: Streaming

Label: Ragebreed Records (distributed through Earache Records)

Release date: December 29, 2025

Karina Sher, frontwoman of the UK melodic death/groove metal band Mindlapse and founder of Ragebreed Records, launched Lake of Dreams as a visionary project. As the vocalist of Mindlapse, her style is reminiscent of bands like Otep, Arch Enemy, and The Agonist, but she has also explored deeper, more personal facets of her artistry. Her motivation for creating Lake of Dreams was to develop a conceptual fantasy project that transcends traditional music and film by merging haunting melodies with cinematic storytelling.

Since 2022, Sher has released a self-titled EP and four promotional videos. Her latest, “Hold Me,” uses music and film to explore the ephemeral and spiritual aspects of nature, mysticism, and existence. It demonstrates her ability to intertwine sound and imagery into a cohesive tapestry. “Hold Me” is a short film that reflects both the light and dark sides of her personality, relying on her voice and folk music composed by John Mitchell. The film breaks the fourth wall through compelling visuals and emotional intimacy.

The opening scene’s tranquil, mystical setting is enhanced by serene guitars, which quickly shift to tension and apprehension. The story introduces two characters on opposite sides of a conflict, a druidess and a king’s knight tasked with killing her, infusing a fairy-tale-like narrative. Unlike traditional fairy tales that only hint at the villain’s danger, “Hold Me” presents well-rounded characters, offering multiple perspectives. The carefully crafted guitars and vocals convey the compassion and doubt experienced by both characters. The theme centers on unresolved longing, lingering long after the story ends.

Based on Sher’s bio, it seems this ending is intentional, as the four videos form part of a larger narrative that will include a full-length film and a screenplay. The film will expand on the story told in the videos, incorporating spoken word passages, dream imagery, and symbolism to complement the deeply spiritual folk music that forms the foundation of her video singles. Sher and Mitchell’s musical and visual work has piqued my interest in how the final film will turn out. Since they are in the earliest stages, this project holds the potential to evolve into something truly profound. –Dave Wolff

Full Length Review: Corrosion of Conformity "Good God, Baad Man" (Nuclear Blast Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Corrosion of Conformity

Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

Country: USA

Genre: Doom rock, southern rock

Full length: Good God, Baad Man

Format: Digipak CD, vinyl, digital

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release date: April 3, 2026

I've been a fan of Corrosion of Conformity since their socially and politically charged era; “Eye for an Eye,” “Animosity,” “Six Songs with Mike Singing” and “Technocracy.” These releases established their sound and helped lay the groundwork for hardcore punk in the 80s. In the 90s, they shifted toward a traditional doom rock style, finding their niche and beginning a long process of reinvention.

When I heard their longstanding lineup; drummer Reed Mullin, bassist Mike Dean, and guitarist Woody Weatherman; was ending their late 2000s hiatus to perform live and record again, and that they were considering reforming as a four-piece with guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, my interest was reignited. After they released “Corrosion of Conformity,” “IX” and “No Cross, No Crown” (featuring Keenan), Mullin passed away in 2020, and Dean left the band in 2024. Weatherman and Keenan began writing with a new lineup to do Mullin’s memory justice.

Realizing they’d accumulated a diverse collection of songs, more than could fit on a single album, they decided the best path forward was a conceptual double album. Thus, “Good God, Baad Man” was born. Each song, crafted with patient delivery and gritty production, was written in casual circumstances that reflected the mood of the band at the time.

Drawing from Beatles-like psychedelia, Black Sabbath-style doom, stoner metal, southern rock, rhythm and blues, post-punk and something entirely new for them, the album is unified by the raw sound engineered by Warren Riker, who has experience producing Cathedral, Down, and Fugees.

The band’s improvisational approach, sometimes improvising between songs, gives the album a lived-in, edgy and infectious feel. Several writers pointed out songs that spoke to them on different levels. For me, one was "Run for Your Life," one of the album’s longer songs. Evolving organically from doom rock, it bore similarities to Jimi Hendrix, Ted Nugent, Pink Floyd, The Obsessed, Bongzilla, and Cathedral. Difficult to categorize, it showcased the band’s potential for continued evolution.

Another experimental track, "Asleep on the Killing Floor," also resonated with similarities to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Butthole Surfers, and Black Sabbath. "Surviving the Amplified" featured unexpected turns, hypnotic melodies, and background vocals inspired by soul music, evoking Saint Vitus at times. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Pepper Keenan: Guitar, vocals

Woody Weatherman: Guitar

Bobby Landgraf: Bass

Stanton Moore: Drums

Track list:

1. Good God?/Final Dawn

2. You Or Me

3. Gimme Some Moore

4. The Handler

5. Bedouin's Hand

6. Run For Your Life

7. Baad Man

8. Lose Yourself

9. Mandra Sonos

10. Asleep On The Killing Floor

11. Handcuff County

12. Swallowing The Anchor

13. Brickman

14. Forever Amplified

Review of single/video "Fire and Water" (Nuclear Blast Records) by Dave Wolff

Mini Album Review: Cryfemal "Puro Carbón" (Immortal Frost Productions) by Dave Wolff

Band: Cryfemal

Country: Spain

Genre: Black metal

Mini album: Puro Carbón

Format: Jewel case CD, vinyl, digital (see Bandcamp link for more information)

Label: Immortal Frost Productions

Release date: February 28, 2025

"Puro Carbón" is Cryfemal’s latest release, following their 2023 full-length album, "La Gran Victoria Del Mal." If you’ve heard that album, you may recall its profound depth and atmospheric richness, evoking sensations of descending into hell’s deepest recesses, immersed in a tempest of searing heat and unquenchable flames. Minimal songwriting deviations created a massive layered sound reflecting Spanish occultism, which involves hidden traditions, Catholic superstition, medieval legends, and European paganism.

The lower-tuned seven-string guitars enhanced the portrayal of eternal damnation, subjecting you to an unending fall while infernal fire and tormented screams intensified and converged, reaching an agonizing crescendo. The lower scales conveyed unfathomable darkness; tremolo picking resembled flames licking and melting flesh from bone; the thick atmosphere depicted furious winds relentlessly buffeting you; and the shrieking vocals rose from the depths, promising endless torture at the inevitable terminus.

With their new outing, Cryfemal pushes themselves to surpass the chaos they crafted previously. However, if you’re expecting an exact copy of their last album, your expectations may be subverted. If "La Gran Victoria Del Mal" was like paying a visit to hell and back, then "Puro Carbón" is being irrevocably possessed by all the devils of hell, embarking on a spree of calculated violence.

"Puro Carbón" features less atmosphere and shorter track durations, with a slightly refined sound and streamlined, precise musicianship. The energy and focus they previously channeled into creating a vast atmosphere are now redirected into fitting greater violent intensity into the shorter tracks. The push toward chaos needed to represent this is as tangible as the sensations of being roasted, flayed, and suffocated in that realm below the ground, but Cryfemal makes it easy to discern the form of their tremolo picking and the manner in which they shape their arrangements.

The raspy vocals, instead of being high-pitched, carry a harrowing edge, searing into your mind like countless condemned souls loosed to take control, urging you to vomit forth fire as the volcano erupts. The lyrics, poetic, conveyed through those rasping, harrowing vocals, evoke a solitary, isolated mood, leaving it open to interpretation whether the narrator is experiencing a delusional psychotic break or truly connecting with occult secrets, such as those linked to the Spanish occultism mentioned earlier.

This is just my personal interpretation, but for me, it amplified the psychotic qualities that accompany the occult-themed lyrics, creating a sense of uncertainty about what’s truly happening as you listen to the album. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Ebola: Vocals, guitar, bass

Guayota: Drums

Track list:

1. Atlantico Caos

2. Guadana Alzada

3. La Muerte Masturbada

4. Sonambulo Profanador

5. Satan Autista

6. Panteon Mental

7. Sangre De Deceso

8. Karma Invertido

9. Nobrac Orup