Minimalism is something that people take too often for granted as easy to pull off. The truth is that simplicity and minimalism don’t work for everyone, but those who can execute it effectively can conjure atmospheres even the most bombastic, frenetic bands could never dream of reaching: this is particularly true of Sweden’s Hypothermia, and … Continue reading “Skogens Hjärta” – Hypothermia
For me, creation is a solitary voyage. It’s difficult to unburden myself from the distractions of fatherhood, work, and other responsibilities at length, and so I often find myself in a slump of inactivity as far as my more personal endeavors are concerned, and that’s when the seeds of doubt truly begin to germinate in … Continue reading 4.7.21
When I was first discovering black metal around the year 2004 and began diving deeper into the genre outside of gateway bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, one of the first bands I discovered that really made an impression on me was Immortal, particularly their 2000 release, “Damned in Black”. All it took … Continue reading “Damned in Black” – Immortal
Today was a bad day: not a miserable day or nightmarish or horrible, but just bad, made so by trivial things at my day job. I’m not going to let that spoil my evening though, and thus far the evening has been pretty good thanks to a small but filling meal prepared by my missus … Continue reading Blog – 12/14/2020
As a longtime fan and player of tabletop games of every sort I’ve always found it helpful to have music selected for writing material for games, whatever the setting, especially those that are bleak or horror oriented, in which case, Undead Magic User’s “Master of Dungeons” has satisfied my profane desires. The subtle charms of … Continue reading “Master of Dungeons” – Undead Magic User
Today is Halloween, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with some top-notch music, so here are my top five albums for All Hallow’s Eve. 5: “Under a Funeral Moon” - Darkthrone Darkthrone’s “Under a Funeral Moon” was a particularly special album that expertly captured the raw, monochromatic aesthetic of Norwegian black metal in … Continue reading Towers of Rust: Top Five Albums for Halloween
While Stoner Rock was not my first encounter with Bong, it was definitely the most climactic. Comprised of but two tracks clocking in at over thirty minutes each, this was an incredibly dynamic and nuanced release. Every time I listen to it I hear something I missed previously. Bong is heavy, but not in a … Continue reading “Stoner Rock” – Bong
Four years after the release of “A Journey Through the Dark”, Dungeons of Irithyll has embarked upon yet another jarring and dangerous raid of dungeons deep, this time carrying listeners to a fresh setting which emulates “a small DLC area that could potentially be found within the Dark Souls universe” called “The Dire Pass, That … Continue reading “Quest II: The Dire Pass, That Few Have Known as Sarnath” – Dungeons of Irithyll
Comfort and contentment are the enemy of productivity. I’ve grown too comfortable, too complacent; I’m much more apt to produce when I feel a balance between anxiety and despair or acceptance of my circumstances, where the former is a driving force demanding escape or death, and the latter state of acquiescence only keeps me still … Continue reading “Shackles of Malaise”
Blending elements of death metal, blistering grindcore and d-beat, Florida’s WØRSEN released “Grand Scheme” August 16, 2016 and it’s an absolute hammer of an album. Featuring eight short but grueling tracks of misery-fueled sonic vomit, Grand Scheme eschews the pomp and overdriven technicality of some of today’s popular metal and gets straight to the point, … Continue reading “Grand Scheme” – WØRSEN
Towers of Rust 