It’s been a long four years since the sophomore release from Australian post-black metal outfit Hope Drone. Cloak of Ash, released July 2015 through Relapse Records, was the group’s shot at a breakout, and it was certainly a devastating and compelling release, earning a four-out-of-five score from us back when…
The Australian music scene. Having been oft-forgotten in other parts of the world for many a decade, over the past dozen years or so we’ve seen this country’s musical output burst from the underground and make waves the world over. Indeed, many a publication has spoken of the fact there…
Since the vast majority of Heavy Blog contributors fall on the left side of the map (shocking, we know), focusing on the latter seems like the way to go. Criticizing the other side of the political map is easy enough; taking a hard look at your own camp is where things get tricky. Thus, let us turn our eyes on one of the most typical leftist refusals to engage: the retreat. There are few places in the cultural world where this retreat is more obvious than in music and, more specifically, in metal. Even more specifically, the current throes which are black metal is undergoing are even more lucrative for our needs. There, leftist retreat is alive and happening right now, both because of the virility of the claims on the other side (read: the amount of black metal that’s truly awful) and because the themes of black metal have already been declared by the larger, more abstract “left” as anathema in the past.
Today we’re joined by none other than Michael Gagen, guitarist extraordinaire at bands you may have heard of, like hazards of swimming naked and (ex-) Arcane, and bands you’ve probably never heard of, like Echotide, agrammeofsoma and more. We don’t know which of those bands you’ve heard of, but we…
If you combine TCSoL-era Rivers of Nihil with Gojira’s The Way of All Flesh, you’d have a pretty accurate representation of what Sanzu is. The band have nailed the perfect balance between paying homage to their obvious musical influences while also maintaining a large element of individuality in terms of…
It’s getting to be that time of the year again in the Northern hemisphere. The transition from late fall to early winter will be upon us soon. The seasons, they’re a-changin’. The costume parties are starting, the pumpkin beers and pumpkin pie and pumpkin ice cream and, of course, pumpkin…
One of the most interesting things about 2015 as a year of metal is that many of the best albums have integrated a great deal of emotion and atmosphere in some way or another. From WRVTH’s self-titled techdeath landmark to Hope Drone’s post-rock/atmospheric black metal masterpiece, there’s been a huge…
For those who missed our last installment, We post biweekly updates covering what the staff at Heavy Blog have been spinning. Given the amount of time we spend on the site telling you about music that does not fall neatly into the confines of conventional “metal,” it should come as…
Starter Kit analyzes the ins-and-outs of some of the more obscure and niche sub-genres within the metal spectrum and offers a small group of bands that best represent the sound. Read other Starter Kit entries here. Comprised of lilting, reverbial cleans, and hard-hitting, harsh walls of distorted aggression, the disparate…
Hope Drone’s Cloak of Ash is without doubt one of the most enthralling albums I have heard this year. Its flawless production coupled with the band’s instrumental mastery allows the listener to be completely immersed in the bleak, desolate mental environment this record brings forth. Having anxiously looked forward to…
