Full Length Review: Nightfall "Children of Eve" (Season Of Mist) by Dave Wolff

Band: Nightfall

Location: Athens

Country: Greece

Genre: Melodic Black death metal, gothic metal

Full length: Children of Eve

Format: Digital, CD, LP

(see Bandcamp link for complete information)

Label: Season Of Mist

Release date: May 2, 2025

What makes "Children of Eve" stand out is not only Nightfall's crossing over varying hues of black metal, melodic death metal and gothic rock, but also its perspective on the possibility of organized religion turning arbitrary and dictatorial, from a despondent outlook. Efthimis Karadimas, the band's vocalist since their 1991 inception, was reportedly diagnosed with depression from what I’ve read. Channeling some of it into his performance he showcases a notable vocal range that remains engaging, complementing the musicianship without becoming monotonous or weighed down.

I’ve read Nightfall’s longevity is attributed to their unpredictability between albums. While I can't speak for everything they’ve come out with, on "Children of Eve" they employ several techniques to initially guide the listener in one direction before suddenly veering into another. The first example is "I Hate" which opens with a bleak, atmospheric intro featuring tense chants and spoken word expressing bitterness over some unspoken offense to humanity. This shifts into an atmospheric guitar riff, exploding into guttural vocals and melo-death metal that’s layered with choral female voices during the choruses.

The lyrics, written in a fragmented but poetic style, dramatically blur the lines between good and evil, emphasizing chaos over order and suggesting (revealing?) a space where any and all distinction between the two dissolves. This creates a connection between themes of devotion, whether to higher ideals or apocalyptic destruction, and the gothic overtones that permeate the fusion of black and melodic death metal. It’s also possible the lyrical style is meant to create overtones of inner turmoil.

As "Children of Eve" shifts in tone with each track, from relentless Viking metal to even more bizarre, chaotic fusions of black, death and goth, something begins to emerge from the ambiguities and gray areas established earlier on the album. This emerging presence feels less mystical and more bent on pure darkness, evil desires and rampant wrath. "Inside My Head" takes another unexpected, almost existential turn, exploring inner turmoil and a desire for peace overshadowed by memories of forgotten gods sacrificed in ages past. The conflict between private darkness and longing for freedom is set to dissonant tremolo picking and heavier crunch.

"Seeking Revenge" features cold, surreal tremolo-picked intensity, angelic female vocals, and a tighter fusion of black and death metal. It portrays rising anger and a desire for retribution, edging toward a massive religious conflict. This theme of religious conflict continues on a deeper level in "For the Expelled Ones," which seemingly opens a doorway for beings emerging from the shadows of banishment by oppressive forces, finally liberated to revolt against what left them there. The existential crisis revealed earlier reappears with themes of silence and a loss of hope, but from this bleakness comes a subtle suggestion of possible rebirth.

After this, the rest of “Children of Eve” explores various forms of spiritual conflict and moral decay: greed, deception, treachery, betrayal, the desire for power and control, and the rejection of faith. Paradoxically, it also examines redemption through resistance and renewal through the darkness inherent in rebellion against injustice, especially the sanitized, whitewashed versions of it. The final track, "Christian Svengali," with its closing line “save me from religious evil,” encapsulates this ongoing spiritual struggle, an enduring quest for salvation amid all the pessimism and despair, salvation from evil and corruption in all its forms. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Efthimis Karadimas: Vocals

Kostas Kyriakopoulos: Guitars

Vasiliki Biza: Bass

Fotis Benardo: Drums

Track list:

1. I Hate

2. The Cannibal

3. Lurking

4. Inside My Head

5. Seeking Revenge

6. For the Expelled Ones

7. The Traders of Anathema

8. With Outlandish Desire to Disobey

9. The Makhaira of the Deceiver

10. Christian Svengali

Full Length Review: Fucked Up "Year of the Monkey" (Tankcrimes) by Dave Wolff

Band: Fucked Up

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Country: Canada

Genre: Hardcore, post hardcore, prog, experimental

Full length: Year of the Monkey

Format: CD, digital, vinyl

(see Tankcrimes link for complete information)

Label: Tankcrimes

Release date: June 6, 2026

The aptly named band Fucked Up unveils “Year of the Monkey,” the second installment of their “Grass Can Move Stones” trilogy, initiated in 2025 with “Year of the Goat.” This trilogy is part of a much broader series called “Zodiac,” launched in 2021 with “Year of the Dog” and inspired by sixteenth century literature. The series, resulting from a long search for identity, explores the possibilities of lyrical and musical development arising from the punk and hardcore origins they’ve cultivated since their inception in 2001.

From the outset of their extensive recording career, Fucked Up was never what one might expect from a hardcore band. They’ve consistently embraced conceptual shifts rich in imagery and symbolism, building toward writing intricate soundtracks for their narratives. The creativity they explored far exceeded that of typical hardcore bands from Canada or any other country. During their first decade they garnered enough recognition to progress from 16-millimeter films about their ties to Canadian hardcore and radio appearances to roles in the 2007 TV movie “Burn,” which received a favorable response in the New York Times.

Their most prominent mainstream exposure was probably their appearances on MTV Live following their tour through several European countries, including Spain, England, and Germany. Does anyone remember Fear’s Halloween 1981 guest spot on Saturday Night Live? When television viewers got a firsthand sense of what hardcore bands and their fans were like? In some ways, Fucked Up’s introduction to Middle America was similar, only much more extreme as band and fans caused considerable damage to the studio. The first appearance, moshing was banned. The second, MTV was actually concerned about the band’s safety.

After an endless succession of demos, singles, twelve-inches, EPs, split releases, promotional videos, albums, and live recordings, the disciplined energy that fueled Fucked Up’s dedication to create remains part of the significant strides they’ve made in their development. But first, take a look at the literary work that was the stimulus for “Grass Can Move Stones.” “Journey to the West,” a classic novel attributed to poet, author, and politician Wu Cheng'en, abridged and translated into English by Arthur Waley for 1942’s “Monkey,” was written and published during the Ming Dynasty and is still regarded as one of the great Asian novels.

Based on historical accounts (including that of Xuanzang, a Chinese monk who traveled to India in search of Buddhist scriptures) and rooted in Chinese folk religion Buddhist folklore, Confucianism, and Taoism, its enduring popularity, religious and spiritual themes, social satire, and allegory have influenced modern-day anime and Chinese, Korean, and Japanese comics.

Given the novel’s cultural importance, it’s no surprise that "Year of the Monkey" assumes such monumental proportions. Building on the storyline from the previous album, it follows The Monkey and The Good Goat, dramatically voiced by Damian Abraham and Tuka Mohammed, as they explore uncharted territories. Reflecting the band’s extensive journey with adventurous mystery few authors can come close to today, their travels compare with such epic sagas as "The Lord of the Rings" and Robert E. Howard’s “Conan” novels as they confront concealed threats, magical beings, and mighty gods in their pursuit of self-awareness.

Experiencing the vast scope here, newcomers might never guess Fucked Up started as a hardcore band. Through improvisational interplay and character interaction, they create a narrative rich with cinematic motifs, writing enough inter-genre material to push one track beyond twenty minutes. Included are four of these pieces, enough to comprise a double album. Sustaining consistent raw energy throughout, they lean heavily toward prog rock and metal, incorporating operatic sections and a storytelling approach that completely immerses you so that you can sit through the entire recording without distraction or boredom.

Featuring John Brannon of Negative Approach, Carson McHone of The Outfit, Walter Schreifels of Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, Dan Bejar of Destroyer, Keith Morris of Circle Jerks, Jacob Bannon of Converge, Annie-Claude Deschênes of Duchess Says, and various others taking on multiple roles, "Year of the Monkey" is as daring as what a hardcore band can achieve when they make monumental efforts to go beyond what they had in the beginning. The “Grass Can Move Stones” trilogy will conclude with “Year of the Rooster.” –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Damian Abraham: Vocals

Mike Haliechuk: Lead guitar, keyboards, bass, backing vocals

Josh Zucker: Rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

Sandy Miranda: Bass, drums, backing vocals

Jonah Falco: Drums, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

(see Bandcamp link for full recording lineup)

Track list:

1. Looking For Heaven and Not Finding It

2. Before Us Tigers Stood

3. Monkey Meets The Dragon

4. Empty Is the Hand

Interview with Sergio Jordan of Nagare by Daniel Ryan

Interview with Sergio Jordan of Nagare by Daniel Ryan

What’s your name and what do you do?

We are Nagare, an Experimental Doom Drone band from Madrid, Spain. Two guitarists that explore the path of dense and slow atmospheres, obsessed with tone, distortion and feedback. We also collaborate with other musicians from other disciplines. The name is a japanese word that means "flow". It's a concept that includes the flow of water and something that is never the same and flows towards a metamorphosis.

How long have you been making music for?

We are two seasoned veterans musicians with extensive experience in doom and stoner bands within the spanish underground scene. We met by chance and connected through our shared vision of experimental music.

What is your favorite instrument to play on?

We think that it's obvious. The guitar. We are essentially two guitarists. We have also played synths, and Juan Carlos has parallel projects of synths music (Vako and Wolf Petrus), but for this album (Nigredo), we have the collaboration of Girón on the synths.

What acts have you played with before if any?

As we said before, we are veterans on the spanish underground scene, so before Nagare was born we had played in many acts like festivals and smaller events in Spain and Europe for previous projects. But we are totally focus on Nagare now.

If you had to layout all the bands in order you played in as a timeline what would they be?

We have a large experience in Doom and Stoner bands and other experimental projects, but we are totally focus on Nagare, so we want to priorized it above all.

What is the coolest experience you have had as a musician?

We think that it's different for everyone, but we came from the world before internet, so one of the coolest experience is to know people for all over the world with the same vision or interest in music. Some of this people are still friends.

What inspires you to keep doing what you do?

It's something visceral for us. It's not rational, it's a physical need, a dependency. We are absolutly obsessed with research of tone limits and experimental music. Distortion, feedback, research... that's our inspiration and our need.

If you had to name some influences what would they be?

The obviuos influence is the drone music, but there are so many. From jazz to techno. Everything that has something to say is welcome. The main influence, of course, is drone and experimental music, but also black metal or dark ambient. It's hard to say only one.

What is your favorite venue you been to or played in?

As we said before, we have played at festivals and smaller events. Our only concern is tone and music, so we don't care where we are if that place offers what we need, a good acoustic and the hospitality to let your mind go.

To sum up this interview which website can we find your latest music and anything you like to share for the readers of Asphyxium zine?

You can hear our music in every streaming platform, like Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music or Google Music, etc. You can also visit our BandCamp (nagareband.bandcamp.com), YouTube channel (youtube.com/@NagareBand) or Instagram (instagram.com/nagareband) to stay in tune. We hope you enjoy our album Nigredo released digitally on 1st june 2026 (and we hope physically soon!).Thank you very much. See you in the path.

Thank you very much!

Cheers!

Sergio.

-Daniel Ryan

Full Length Review: Trobar de Morte "Carpe Noctem" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Band: Trobar de Morte

Location: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Genre: Gothic medieval folk

Full length: Carpe Noctem

Format: Digital, CD

Label: Independent

Release date: October 31, 2023

Since their 2003 EP “Nocturnal Dance of the Dragonfly,” Trobar de Morte has ingrained Celtic, medieval, and neofolk melodies with ancient myths and legends. Infused with healthy doses of darkwave and classical, and an existential essence of their native Barcelona, they offer enduring atmospheres and dark cinematic sensibilities both ghostly and exquisite.

Founded in 1999 by Lady Morte, Trobar de Morte is reputed to be her most ambitious project alongside her work with Ordo Funebris, Opus Eclypse and Mater Tenebrarum and her session work with Northland, Atrexial and Celtibeerian. Making full use of the modern and traditional instruments they compose with, and their tales of witchery, dark mythology and ancient tradition, their live performances include interpretive dance, ritual, ceremony and psychodrama.

Their latest full length “Carpe Noctem” immerses listeners as much as their shows immerse audiences. On the album, chills in the air surround an unseen, unconsecrated presence that had lurked in the shadows for eons, evoking timeless moments where past and future merge and then fade into obscurity. Replacing distinctions between genres is a unifying warmth buried within the cold, a solace that inspires you to remain rather than ensnare you in chaos. It is an untouched pocket in time and space, an immortal, dreamlike place calling to the deepest recesses of your subconscious.

Once those recesses are opened, a long-dormant pagan soul awakens, and you begin to see a part of the world they create within yourself. Only it’s not all a world of light, love and New Age sageness. An album with a title translated as “seize the night” does precisely that by celebrating the kind of witchcraft practiced after sunset, according to centuries-old folklore. Flying to isolated mountaintops on brooms or shapeshifting animals, feasting with demons, and conspiring with the devil to bring profound misfortune to the unsuspecting.

People in the medieval age had quite a vivid imagination, and the songs on “Carpe Noctem” seem at least partly designed to strike a few nerves with the very fears and superstitions historically leveled against Wiccans, witches, and pagans. These legends are accompanied by an invocation to darkness in Latin, a goth-metal sonnet to the underworld in Catalan, and odes to the infamous Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, New Orleans voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau, and the mythological Algonquin cannibalistic colossus known as the Wendigo. Furthermore there are tales of Celtic fertility festivals and the Salem witch trials of the seventeenth century.

Impassioned, suspenseful, picturesque and vivid, “Carpe Noctem” awakens a macrocosm of mystery and melancholy connecting centuries of lore and mysticism. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Lady Morte: Vocals, hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki, moraharpa, keyboards

Ealaeth: Guitar

Ondine: Violin

Luka: Drums, percussion

Track list:

1. Descensum

2. Incantation

3. Rubor Sanguinis

4. Bathory

5. Shapeshifter

6. Wendigo

7. The Gathering

8. Salem

9. Marie Laveau

10. Ghost

11. Imbolc

12. Black Oath

13. Through the Black Veil

Full Length Review: Godthrymm "Projections" (Profound Lore Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Godthrymm

Country: United Kingdom

Genre: Death/doom metal

Full length: Projections

Format: CD, LP, digital

Label: Profound Lore Records

Release date: May 29, 2026

Featuring members formerly associated with My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Solstice, Godthrymm revives essential elements of melodic death-doom metal that seemed to have been lost after 1999. Namely heartfelt emotional depth and a drive to convey profound tragedy, qualities that were rare in extreme music when those bands first emerged.

Drawing on guitar and percussion techniques founding members Hamish Glencross and Shaun Taylor-Steels contributed to those bands, Godthrymm channels years of passion and experience into a unique sound that amplifies emotional intensity and tragedy. The lineup also includes members with diverse backgrounds of their own and a keyboardist-vocalist who is being recognized as a promising new talent in the melodic death and doom subgenres.

Over nine years, four EPs, two singles, and three full-lengths, Godthrymm underwent lineup changes while striving to unify their style into a distinctive sound. Their three albums form the "Visions Trilogy," a cohesive narrative exploring interconnected themes. Following 2020’s “Reflections” and 2023’s “Distortions,” “Projections” showcases how the band has refined their signature formula.

Every riff, lyric, section, tempo change, and mood does its part to contribute to their overarching vision, testing its relevance by stretching it across three albums. Their range and emotional intensity is further enhanced by a variety of melodic and slightly gruff vocals. During their evolution, Godthrymm has sharpened their ability to swiftly modify guitar tones and vocal styles, and Taylor-Steels consistently drives them through fluctuations in tempo and mood, supporting every shift with precision.

Newest member Catherine Glencross’s keyboards add atmospheric layers behind the guitars and bass, enriching their sound when additional character is needed. Since joining in 2022, she has become adept at supporting and augmenting the band’s vocals and instruments, enhancing their emotional impact. The same can be said for nimble-fingered guitar solos from Glencross and Kris McLaughlin that carry the emotional intensity here without overindulgence.

Glencross also shows her ability to deliver soothing and powerful vocals. In “Jewels” she demonstrates her skill at delivering high, sustained notes that showcase her strength and control. “Hope is Eternal” offers her opportunities to display more of her range, blending low and high vocals with overlapping melodies.

This heartfelt sense of tragedy, imbued with a grandiose feeling of triumph and a distinctive nineties vibe (these qualities are elevated from their roots with a vengeance) is given a few rougher edges, accentuated by guest appearances Aaron Stainthorpe formerly of My Dying Bride, Adie Bailey formerly of English Dogs and Jay Walsh of Xentrix. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Hamish Glencross: Vocals, lead guitars

Kris McLaughlin: Lead, rhythm and acosustic guitars

Catherine Glencross: Keyboards, vocals

Bob Crolla: Bass

Shaun Taylor-Steels: Drums, percussion

Guest vocalists:

Aaron Stainthorpe: Additional vocals on “Endure My Skin”

Adie Bailey: Additional vocals on “Trenches Deep”

Jay Walsh: Additional vocals on “Trenches Deep”

Track list:

1. Trenches Deep

2. Truth In My Own

3. The Sun Never Fell

4. Endure My Skin

5. Jewels

6. Hope Is Eternal

Full Length Review: Deafkids "CICATRIZES DO FUTURO" (Neurot Recordings) by Dave Wolff

Band: Deafkids

Location: Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro

Country: Brazil

Genre: Experimental

Full length: CICATRIZES DO FUTURO

Format: LP, CO, digital

Label: Neurot Recordings

Release date: May 29, 2026

As easily as punk rock mixes with experimental noise, Deafkids mix world music and percussion with industrial and darkwave, making the combination work. Using organic and electronic sounds, the project transforms the air you breathe, the ground you walk on, the liquid you drink, and the music you groove to into a cyber-human environment, either utopian or dystopian, depending on your perspective. Since 2013 Deafkids has pushed this sonic formula into sensory-overloading assaults on your senses, serving as metaphors for human struggles and trauma.

"CICATRIZES DO FUTURO" is a ritualistic critique of a system rooted in self-delusion, where people transfer that delusion through every channel to influence the hearts and minds of the masses. The album’s title, translating to “Scars of the Future,” aptly captures a society convinced it is being built by a system that actually tears it apart. This system leaves people addicted to false promises, trapped in a cycle of dependency and in desperate need of a remedy, any remedy, to restore their lost humanity.

The organic-electronic balance both members bring to the project symbolizes a hunger to heal the body and mind by breathing empathy and compassion into a world fragmented by deception and brutality. Tribal Latin rhythms convey a vital, frenetic energy that surpasses typical ethnic pop from Latin countries; their earnestness echoes the primordial cadence Sepultura infused into their songwriting in the nineties. The percussive pulse is relentlessly repetitive, serving as a counterpoint to mechanized bass, guitars, electronics, and samples. This uneasy harmony reflects a continual struggle between individualism and collectivism—the clash between the desire for liberation and freedom and the urge to dominate and control.

While the rhythms remain constant within each track, they evolve across the album, taking different forms in each song, illustrating how this conflict permeates every aspect of our lives. The bass and guitars strike a precise balance between traditional and industrial elements, symbolizing conflict in the mind. They embody the tension between the essence of what makes us people and concepts imposed upon us daily. This reflects how primal instincts and societal constructs are in constant opposition, while rasping vocals, staccato exclamations, and echoes of tortured screams and suppressed moans evoke a sense of being lost within the machine.

In some ways it reminded me of the classic material Pink Floyd came out with in the seventies. Unlike Pink Floyd’s skim-the-surface reflections, these songs delve deeply into the machine’s inner workings, revealing how deeply immersed we are. "CICATRIZES DO FUTURO" is a multifaceted, impassioned and urgent statement about where our society is and the possible paths ahead in a scarred future. It's not a warning but a wake-up call about a future that's already found us, with the capacity to grow larger with each passing day. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Douglas Leal: Vocals, guitar, electronics, samplers, percussion, cover art

Marian Sarine: Bass, drums, percussion, electronics

Track list:

1. PARASITA (PARASITE)

2. CICATRIZES (SCARS)

3. PROFECIA (PROPHECY)

4. SIMULACRO (SIMULACRUM)

5. ADVERTÊNCIA (WARNING)

6. REFLEXO (REFLEX)

7. FEITIÇO (SPELL)

8. POSSESSÃO COLETIVA (COLLECTIVE POSSESSION)

9. EM TRANSE (IN TRANCE)

Full Length Review: Godes Yrre "Feelings Can Burn You" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Band: Godes Yrre

Location: Zurich

Country: Switzerland

Genre: Doom, stoner, goth

Full length: Feelings Can Burn You

Format: Digital

Label: Independent

Release date: April 1, 2025

When former Sectarium guitarist Oliva started Godes Yrre in 1994, he released a single demo before his project quickly faded into obscurity. Godes Yrre mysteriously reemerged from the void more than two decades later to release “Inside The Whale” in 2017. This album, as I understand from my research on the project and its releases, was the first chapter of a trilogy exploring hell and its eternally damned citizens, continuing with “Ghost Warriors” in 2018 and “Das Nichts” in 2020.

After organizing older songs into “Symphony of Termination” (2021) and releasing two parts of the compilation series “Nothing Inside the Ghost,” the project remixed and remastered songs from previous EPs for “Feelings Can Burn You.” These reworkings included an additional track and featured appearances by guest guitarists, organists, and string musicians. This helped expand Godes Yrre’s fusion of goth, stoner, and doom metal into a wider visual and sonic perspective.

The EPs the songs are taken from are “LOhaVEte,” “CALManNESSger” and “HAPsadPYness,” all released in 2024. In these reworked tracks, Godes Yrre wastes little time showcasing layered guitars, bass, lead guitars, and keyboards, with varying mixes and sharper production. The drums have an exotic flavor, and the vocals are somewhat reminiscent of Rob Zombie. Riffs inspired by Black Sabbath and Trouble are paired with organs and keyboards reminiscent of the 1930s and 40s. Some tracks evoke waves flowing over bluesy guitars, others resemble rainwater dripping into the ocean, and some feel lifted from progressive rock.

This frigid quality saturates the musicianship, creating a bizarre blend of devil rock and death rock. Yet, the layering of these elements makes it work, often resulting in powerful, monumental soundscapes. In sections like the title track, the musicianship veers toward thrash-based guitar crunch, industrial, darkwave, and black metal, generating a disorienting contrast between each song. This becomes more evident with each listen, drawing influences from bands like Alice in Chains and Pink Floyd. The bonus track “Meditating Inside,” an acoustic reimaging of “Meditating Inside a Coffin” that comes across as personalized and self-reflective.

For example, “Kill the Jocker” delves deep into folk territory. Throughout the album, the inclusion of guest solos and diverse stylistic shifts seem to complement the profound themes explored in the lyrics—emotions and sentiments rooted in historical and mythological contexts. It’s worth noting that these are reimagined songs from EPs recorded at different times, when Oliva was in different mindsets. While the guest solos are intended to hold your attention, they don’t overshadow the original material. Instead, efforts appear to have been made to complement each song’s intended mood, resulting in a richly varied yet cohesive listen. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Oliva: Guitars, bass, keyboards, programming, vocals, lyrics

Guest musicians:

Neiver Diaz: Guitar solos on “Meditating Inside a Coffin”

Iolanu: Guitar solos on “Stranger Black Things”

David Nieves: Organ and orchestration on “Feelings Can Burn You”

Jorge Almarales: Guitar solos on “Medusa’s Sighs”

Hansel Arrocha: Guitar solos on “Swimming in the Sea of Fire”

Ismel Leal: Violin solos on “Kill the Jocker”

Mike Haller: Guitar solos on “She Kisses Like a Mummy”

Manuel Varela: Guitar solos on “Loving with Hate”

Juan Paz: Guitar solos on “Poisons & Spells”

Iolanu: Guitars and vocals on “Meditating Inside”

Track list:

1. Meditating Inside a Coffin

2. Stranger Black Things

3. Feelings Can Burn You

4. Medusa Sighs

5. Swimming in the Sea of Fire

6. Kill the Jocker

7. She Kisses Like a Mummy

8. Loving with Hate

9. Poisons & Spells

10. Meditating Inside (bonus track)

Full Length Review: The Freqs "No God on the Gold Coast" (Independent, Gum Cuzzler Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: The Freqs

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Country: USA

Genre: Noise rock

Full length: No God on the Gold Coast

Format: Digital, CD, cassette

Label: Independent (Digital, CD), Gum Cuzzler Records (cassette)

Release date: May 29, 2026

Progressive avant-garde noise rock has made significant headway over the last five or ten years, with bands using a bit of imagination to advance their music right from the outset of their recording careers. Starting with what are often basic foundations, be it punk, doom, or stoner rock, they clear new paths for invention and change. These paths often lead to ambitious syntheses of genres that hadn’t existed.

As thrash metal, once a stripped-down musical statement, spread into an endless variety of categories, the growth continues to flourish, with bands playing styles that challenge categorization more and more. The Freqs, who formed and set out to break convention in 2019, is yet another example. The four EPs they released since they got together are careful, thorough explorations of how early hardcore punk, early grunge, stoner rock, and psychedelia can intersect.

Add huge doses of noise rock, post-hardcore, and avant-garde punk, along with a fresh new band's resolve to blur the lines between them and see what grows from it, and you have something sure to shatter your eardrums. "Poachers" (2023) particularly showcases their acquired ability to blend noise and trippy atmospheres into stoner rock, with catchiness reminiscent of arena rock from decades past.

At varying levels of astringent, corroding noise from shifting musical perspectives, The Freqs escalated their energy output until they achieved an almost inexhaustible vitality capable of stirring a visceral, blood-boiling response. Any restraint that was present in "Poachers" is completely cast aside on "No God on the Gold Coast," where everything you knew about their sound is ramped up and magnified.

With the momentum to consolidate eight tracks in under twenty-six minutes, they have created a new album that is a high-octane exploration of how much energy they can channel through the fuzz and noise they recorded, while also reinforcing and strengthening the elements where their diverse musical perspectives converge into something grimy, monstrous, progressive, and momentous.

Opening with the sound effect of a computer dialing the internet, "No God on the Gold Coast" is every bit as dark, chaotic and frantic as new or upgraded new directions go. The first track “John Travolta,” even slightly over three minutes in duration, rushes in with a metal-funk groove that bore some comparability to Rage Against The Machine, set to a raunchy no-wave timbre like Sonic Youth and an aura of attending a seedy out of the way city club early in the 80s.

The band plays that song, which also abounds with feedback, atmospheric lead guitars and complex meter signatures, with a resolute eagerness to launch the new direction they’re taking and convince you of their earnestness. This is followed by “Chainsawman,” featuring heavy, repetitive guitars interspersed with single notes, dissonant lead lines, and vocals evocative of isolated psychosis.

This track pushes emotional boundaries with “Lo IQ,” a sharp critique of mankind’s greed. The vocals reach manic heights, while the instruments build a tense atmosphere that carries through “CLEARANCE WRECK.” The song also reveals softer facets of the album, again having similarities to Sonic Youth as well as The Pixies. As if louder, more frantic sections were needed to sustain heaviness, the tension escalates, embodying a conflict between introspection and rage. The concluding effects suggest this struggle remains unresolved.

By this point, the energy has built enough to carry through the next four tracks, creating a cohesive sense of unity across the album. Even when “Secondhand Jesus,” tighter riffs evoke a blend of metal-infused grunge and avant-garde metal, drawing comparisons to Soundgarden and Voivod and “Nite Hag” leans toward Rage Against the Machine and Limp Bizkit. Despite some people thinking heavy, gritty musicianship constrains song structure, it blows a space open enough to allow The Freqs to enrich their songwriting. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Seth Crowell: Guitar, vocals, theremin, short-wave radio manipulation

Ian Mandly: Bass, backing vocals

Zack Fierman: Drums, aux percussion, backing vocals

Nicholas Pentabona: Additional vocals on “Lo IQ”

Andrew Wong: Additional vocals on “Secondhand Jesus”

Track list:

1. John Travolta

2. Chainsawman

3. Lo IQ

4. CLEARANCE WRECK

5. It Might be Rabies

6. Secondhand Jesus

7. Short King

8. Nite Hag

EP Review: Carnivore A.D. "Transmutation" (Apostasy Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Carnivore A.D.

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Country: USA

Genre: Thrash metal

EP: Transmutation

Format: Digital

Label: Apostasy Records (Germany)

Release date: March 27, 2026

Founded in 2017, Carnivore A.D. emerged as a tribute to Peter Steele’s pre-Type O Negative band, Carnivore, an apocalyptic blend of thrash and doom metal. Over the years Carnivore A.D. performed extensively, steadily building a reputation and cultivating a dedicated following from intimate clubs to prominent festivals.

If you recall Carnivore shows at L’Amour Brooklyn and CBGB among other local clubs, they had a unique, distinctive sound that couldn’t be easily imitated. Their dirge-heavy approach to thrash metal, heavily influenced by Black Sabbath and early hardcore punk, featured a thunderous bass tone that contributed to their signature style. This sound bled over into Type O Negative, establishing them as innovators in the evolution of gothic metal.

Carnivore A.D. was conceived by founding member Baron Misuraca and original Carnivore drummer Louie Beataux. Rather than being a mere carbon copy tribute band, it was intended as a heartfelt homage to Peter Steele and guitarist Keith Alexander, both of whom are no longer with us.

Misuraca, having been friends with the band members since the eighties, considered the project a sincere effort to preserve Steele and Alexander’s memories for new generations of metal enthusiasts. His purpose was not only to celebrate their place in thrash history but also to ensure the spirit of Carnivore remains alive and relevant.

On their debut EP "Transmutation," Carnivore A.D. has transitioned from reviving Carnivore’s classic songs for modern audiences to recording original material built on Carnivore’s singular sound. The title alone gives substance to Carnivore’s original concept as Carnivore A.D. is metaphorically mutating into a new form of life, reshaping itself, channeling Steele’s vision of a cataclysmic future ravaged by war, disease and starvation.

That vision, and the idea that mankind can devolve regardless of technological advancement, is enriched by the band’s backgrounds: Misuraca with the goth-metal band Vasaria, guitarist Chuck Lenihan with the crossover band Crumbsuckers and the prog-rock/metal group Psychic Orgy, and drummer Joe Cangelosi with thrash metal bands like Whiplash and Kreator. Together they forge both a tribute that mutates into a post-modern horror the band thinks Steele would appreciate.

"Transmutation" appears to pick up where Carnivore’s album "Retaliation" left off years ago, heralding a new global apocalypse. It opens with piercing feedback and somber, morose chords, with booming bass that suggests humanity is hurtling toward disorder and entropy. It implies humanity is devolving into primal animalistic instincts, heading toward a devastation from which there’s no recovery.

Then we’re treated to the aftermath: a harsh, unforgiving world where laws have disintegrated, the landscape is a toxic, irradiated wasteland, and the rules of survival of the fittest reign supreme. This bleak environment is vividly conveyed through rumbling vocals and barbaric roars over dark, sinister Sabbath vibes and energy from a time when hardcore was raucous and unruly.

While this theme remains consistent, each song is seasoned with varied elements, showcasing precise musicianship, inventive songwriting, meticulous percussion, goth-inspired vocals, and sporadic effects. Together, all this is arranged to create a cohesive conceptual narrative, reminiscent in some respects to Carnivore’s debut album. With momentum and creative vision, this approach sparks curiosity about how Carnivore A.D. might further develop if they continue to produce new material. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Baron Misuraca: Vocals, bass

Chuck Lenihan: Guitars

Joe Cangelosi: Drums

Track list:

1. Prologue

2. Transmutation

3. I Stand Alone

4. Social Decomposition

5. Mine Is the Hand

Full Length Review: My Heart, An Inverted Flame "My Death Is More Beautiful Than Your Life" (Crucial Blast) by Dave Wolff

Band: My Heart, An Inverted Flame

Location: San Francisco, California

Country: USA

Genre: Synth doom

Full length: My Death Is More Beautiful Than Your Life

Format: Digital. CD, cassette

Label: Crucial Blast (USA)

Release date: May 15, 2026

Prepare for another thunderous, apocalyptic sound that will be heard and felt globally. The seasoned musicians of My Heart, An Inverted Flame, Marc Kate, and Andee Connors aim to create something monumental and doom-laden using only synthesizers, electronics, and drums; no guitars or bass. Their relentless, creeping drone is driven by instruments traditionally found in techno and electro, complemented by a colossal, organic drum sound amplifying the sentiment of their lyrics.

Their 2020 debut album “Plague Notes, Unnamed, Unknown, A Finger Dragged Through Dust” started expanding doom ever outward and upward through minimalist yet ambitious songs, expanding its duration over an hour. These tracks were built from single notes and cold overtones, layered with waves upon waves of reverberations carving out space for themselves. Its ponderously mammoth sound was crafted from scratch, self-sustaining, and relentlessly growing from the momentum of their songwriting and the direction the band was heading in.

The last project to compose music this profound was Neptune Towers, a solo undertaking founded by Darkthrone drummer Fenriz who you may know from Isengard, Dødheimsgard, and more recently Coffin Storm. Or his session work with Ulver, Satyricon, Aura Noir, Damnation’s Hammer and other bands. Neptune Towers’ "Caravans to Empire Algol" and "Transmissions from Empire Algol," released by Moonfog Productions in 1994 and 1995, were among the first ambient/electronic/psychedelic/noise albums to emerge from second-wave black metal, and created opportunities to blend musical variety into something entirely new.

In many respects, their sophomore album “My Death Is More Beautiful Than Your Life” surpasses any and all previous efforts to cross rock, metal, and electronic music over. Its minimalist foundation of single notes and chords gradually penetrates your expectations of keyboard and synth compositions, patiently taking its time, working slowly and persistently to establish their presence. This crawling drone is the auditory equivalent of soaring over an earth ravaged by natural disasters and ecological collapse, searching endlessly for signs of life and finding none. Or maybe even heaven itself falling to earth to forever fade away.

Above the drone, there are near-inhuman noises that appear unattainable with a synthesizer. Some resemble screeching guitar feedback or rumbling bass tones, while others approach levels that no instrument on earth could generate. It seems it was hours of experimentation and trial-and-error ultimately resulted in the creation of these extraordinary downtuned tones.

More conventional keyboard and synth sounds frequently emerge, weaving in and out of the more surreal noises. Driven by drum patterns played with relentless intensity, sometimes erupting as sudden, thunderous bursts, these songs resemble a trance-like improvisational ritual designed to give you time to contemplate and reflect on the unspoken questions the band explores about life, mortality, and death.

The aim is not only to pull traditional doom rock from its box but to annihilate the box entirely, scattering the fragments and using alchemy to lead us all to oblivion. While comparable to bands across various genres, but never exactly like any of them. “My Death Is More Beautiful Than Your Life” dismantles convention with systematic precision and is sure to alter many perceptions of what doom rock can entail. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Marc Kate: Synths, effects, vocals

Andee Connors: Drums

Track list:

1. Every Step Is Corpsed

2. My Body, My Problem

3. Whispers In Dead Languages

4. Yes (__________)

5. Necrosomethingology

6. You. Alone.

7. No And Never

8. Some Leave Forever. Some Leave Forever Through Memory. Some Leave.

9. This Has Always Been The Disappearing Floor

10. We Forgot Who We Wanted To Become