The Silver Age of Metal
Among the most elitist circles of metal fans it is quite common to hear, for some time now, that nothing is as good as it was in the first era,…
Posted inInterview
Interview with Danny Cinicolo of Maleficarum
Italian art is known for being very emotional and dramatic, this comes through in Maleficarum’s music, was this by design or subconscious? Well in the period that I composed the…
Posted inInterview
Interview with Daniel Lake, Author of USBM: A Revolution of Identity in American Black Metal
Decibel Books just announced their newest tome, ‘USBM: A Revolution of Identity in American Black Metal’, which will be released late November. For the first time, someone has interviewed innumerous…
Posted inReview
Anna von Hausswolff – “All Thoughts Fly” (2020)
"All Thoughts Fly" is the latest album by swedish composer Anna von Hausswolff, consisting entirely of instrumental and minimalistic organ soundscapes tending to the ethereal, oneiric and enchanted. Von Hausswolff…
On the purpose of modernism and the place of heavy metal
On his study on aesthetics titled Beauty, English philosopher Roger Scruton outlines the most noble mission for modern art to accomplish, if it does wish to attain greatness: "Moreover, there…
Posted inAnalysis
The majestic beauty of Morbid Angel – “Desolate Ways”
In our previous analysis of "The Rack" by Asphyx, we noted that sometimes complexity paradoxically presents itself as elusive simplicity: the ascetic attempt at communicating as much as possible through…
Posted inReview
KK Null – Terminal Beach (1996)
This early album by Japanese noise master KK Null can be described as a cross between Tangerine Dream and noise music, and possibly the most successful attempt yet at such…
An Hessian Guide to Folk Music
Folk music aspires to animate the vestigial remains of forgotten traditions whose symbols and perennial soul still arouse the fascination of the moderns. A particularly immersive and picturesque form of…
Posted inAnalysis
Arrangement Analysis: Asphyx – “The Rack”
Asphyx’s debut album is on the whole an undisputed classic of death-doom and underground metal in general, but for this time we’ll focus on the title track that finishes the…
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
American cinema is a farce. Major Hollywood studios churn out cookie-cutter pap for the sole objective of high profit margins. The current 10 highest-grossing movies include three comic book movies…