Mini Reviews From Around the Bowl (10/24/24)
Reviews for Cemetery Skyline, Pøltergeist, Hadit, Tlön, and Soulmass
Cemetery Skyline – Nordic Gothic
Century Media Records | October 11th, 2024
The Scandinavian melodic death metal scene has given us a number of amazing bands that have put out an incredible album. When members of Dark Tranquillity, Amorphis, Insomnium, and Dimmu Borgir get together, you know it’s going to be fantastic. What you may not expect, though, is that what they will produce Nordic Gothic, a triumphant blend of synth-driven, emotional goth rock. Mikael Stanne, who may be the hardest working person in heavy metal, shines with his clean vocals, punctuated by the melancholic melodies of the band. Nearly every song on Nordic Gothic is a hit with a killer mixture of wailing, triumphant guitars, moody synths, and vocals that can be accurately described as having a sincere yearning. Beautiful and purposeful, simply put, Nordic Gothic is a fantastic album. – 365 Days Of Horror
Pøltergeist – Nachtmusik
Bad Omen | October 25th, 2024
Throw on your shades, grab your clove cigarettes, and party like it’s 1986. Canada’s Pøltergeist goth-and-synth drenched style is the perfect sound for blasting out of your Trans-Am on your way to the vampire club. Nachtmusik is the soundtrack for someone being force-fed The Cure and Tribulation, handed a pair of sunglasses, and unleashed onto the world. Full of dance-worthy grooves and an ice-cold demeanor, each track stands on its own as a solid representation of the band. Even the synthy interludes, reminiscent of John Carpenter or Zombi, are great. If latest from Unto Others left you feeling empty, let Pøltergeist fill your soul with their metallic goth-rock sound, just in time for Halloween. Give me more of Nachtmusik because this is cool as hell. I can’t wait to see what Pøltergeist does next because they deserve your attention…and maybe some black coffee. – 365 Days Of Horror
Hadit – Metaphysical Engines Approaching the Event Horizon
I, Voidhanger Records | March 15, 2024
Amidst the much-deserved praise for the new Cosmic Putrefaction record, it bears pointing out that main man GG is one of those madmen who’s in like six different projects that are all worth checking out. Second-most recently, he lent his talents to countrymen Hadit to enrich their sophomore effort with a wider vocal range and more instrumental variety. The result is not too far a cry from his solo work, as the now-trio mows labyrinthine paths through a field of blackened death, although they may cast fewer glances to the vast starlit sky above them and instead look inward more often. In other, less pretentious words, while the amount of variety on display should still satisfy curious cosmonauts, the music eschews some of CosPut’s proggier escapades, instead remaining slightly more rooted in OSDM and peppering its ominous darkness with a bit of melancholia. –Hans
Tlön – Through Nebulous Scars
Independent | May 24, 2024
I’m gonna be real with you, I’m mostly writing this because it’s a release that out resident disso-expert seems to have overlooked, so I thought I’d rub that in his face. Take that, you fresh-out-of-puns weirdo! Okay, I’m gonna be even realer and say that I actually don’t care, I just needed a hook to start writing. It do be like that sometimes. The third level of realness is that I don’t know much about dissonant metal, but I like Thantifaxath, and they’re not the worst reference point for Tlön. It’s a bright, somewhat brittle sound, straining with manic energy, creaking under the burden of forbidden knowledge gleaned from cosmic horrors. It’s perhaps a tad more accessible than what the seasoned Canadians put out, but no less of a harrowing experience that I’ve been coming back to regularly. –Hans
Soulmass – Promise
Independent | September 8, 2024
I was pretty unenthused with Soulmass’s most recent LP. Despite my pretty ho-hum review, however, I do consider myself a pretty big fan of the duo’s work. Their first two albums were some of my favorite death metal releases I heard last year. Their new EP Promise has joined the ranks among my favorite entries in their discography. The release – which draws inspiration from the 2022 survival horror game Signalis this time around – is replete with old-school death metal flair. Not only are the riffs and chugs driving and exciting, the doomier sections of the EP, while relatively sparse, always feel well-placed. Clocking in at an even 17 minutes, it’s time well-spent and definitely worth checking out! -Reliquary Tower
