Style: Post-metal, post-rock, post-black metal (harsh vocals, German lyrics)
Recommended for fans of: Harakiri for the Sky, Ellende, Svalbard, Alcest
Country: Austria
Release date: 18 April 2025

I’m a big Harakiri for the Sky fan, but even as an apologist I’ll admit their last four albums have been virtually the same. Without a drastic change in sound, it’s hard to imagine how they’ll grow their current audience—and honestly, that’s fine. The formula works for me, and if that’s all they continue to do, I’ll keep showing up. After releasing Scorched Earth earlier this year and touring North America to support it (I’m currently wearing the shirt I got at their stop in Salt Lake City), I didn’t expect a new album from Karg—another post act fronted by Harakiri’s Michael Kogler (aka J.J.). The two bands are currently touring together in Europe, so Kogler is pulling double duty at each stop. The man is a machine.

Though Karg became a fully staffed band in 2014, it began as Kogler’s one-man melodic black metal project in 2006, releasing debut Von den Winden der Sehnsucht in 2008. With each release, the grip on a core black metal sound loosened, as Karg began monkey-branching toward post-metal—and on Marodeur, their tenth full-length, they might just be reaching for a post-rock branch. That’s not to say the black metal roots are gone; Marodeur still offers plenty of double-kick intensity and fiery tremolo-picked passages. The monkey’s tail, so to speak, is still gripping that particular vine for balance. But post-rock has taken firm hold—clean intros frequently give way to distorted walls of sound, vibes and feels from violins and pianos texture the soundscape with a heavy sorrow, and when repetitions occur, they are done with some variation.

My favorite track on Marodeur is undoubtedly the opener, “Schnee ist das Blut der Geister,” beginning with a spacious ambient gaze, soon joined by a delicate guitar motif that floats just above the mix. As low, distorted power chords and bass-heavy drums crash in, the soft lead line continues threading through the noise, underscored by Kogler’s raw, anguished shouts. A bridge follows, almost nu-metal in its stripped-down power chord structure, and it’s punctuated by flashes of natural harmonics. From there, the song returns to the main motif—now reimagined in a higher octave, inverted, and layered with distortion—before it folds into a lower register and variation while the clean lead line rejoins. The track closes with a gentle dolce piano outro, softly setting down the weight of all the emotion that came befo–… Wait a minute. Doesn’t that description sound vaguely familiar?

For all the introspection and atmosphere Marodeur conjures, I kept circling back to one distracting and unavoidable thought: this sounds so much like Harakiri for the Sky. Kogler’s signature, angst-drenched caterwaul, emotional melodies charged by arpeggiated guitar passages, all pushed along by an intense rhythm section—it’s all here. Which raises the question: Why does this album exist separately at all? If the soundscape, voice, and even the emotional register are nearly identical, what is Marodeur really trying to say that hasn’t already been screamed into the void?

After several playthroughs of Marodeur, I’ve started to think the question isn’t what this album is trying to say, but why it needs to say it. Maybe it’s not about novelty, but necessity. Kogler is still processing the same emotional terrain, but with a different cast of collaborators. Beyond the full Karg lineup, the album features guests like Firtan’s Klara Bachmair, whose mournful violin appears on half the tracks. Svntarer’s Marko Kolac and Perchta’s Julia-Christin Casdorf also lend subtle vocal contributions to “Kimm” and “Schnee ist das Blut der Geister,” respectively. These voices and textures don’t rewrite the book, but they do help shape its sonic prose a bit differently.

With each listen, the Harakiri déjà vu still lingers—but so do new details that draw me in. The post-rock and alternative elements become more pronounced on repeat spins. “Anemoia” opens with a drum-and-bass groove and high, strummed guitar chords that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early ‘00s alt-rock tune. “Reminiszenzen einer Jugend” is similar to the opener’s dynamic arc, slipping from a quiet bridge into chunky, drop-tuned riffs that pass through nu-metal territory. And “Kimm” features a screechy lead guitar in the opening verse that feels almost like a heavy, mournful echo of Catherine Wheel or Failure. Marodeur rewards revisiting—not because it transforms, but because its layers slowly reveal themselves.

In yet another way that mirrors Harakiri for the Sky (I promise I will commit harakiri for myself if I make this comparison again), Marodeur occasionally stretches its songs beyond what their ideas, hooks, and variety (or lack thereof) can sustain. Even though I enjoy each track, I can’t escape the feeling that the longer ones could say the same things in less time. “Annapurna” delivers all its emotional weight in five minutes, so eight and a half feels bloated. The same goes for “Yūgen,” and even the opener “Schnee ist das Blut der Geister”—my favorite track. The emotional core here is powerful, but sometimes the songs linger long after they’ve made their point.

Marodeur redefines Karg in some minor ways compared to their recent releases, but it doesn’t carve out a wholly distinct identity from Harakiri for the Sky. Yet it doesn’t feel redundant either. The album aches with sincerity, draws from a wider musical palette than it first appears, and—despite its length and familiar voice—keeps pulling me back in. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe Marodeur isn’t about saying something new, but about the need to keep saying it.

Recommended tracks: ”Schnee ist das Blut der Geister,” “Reminiszenzen einer Jugend,” “Anemoia,” “Verbrannte Brücken”
You may also like: Zéro Absolu, Avast, Artificial Solitude
Final verdict: 6.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives

Label: AOP Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Karg is:
Michael J.J. Kogler – Vocals
Paul Färber – Drums
Daniel Lang – Guitars
Georg Traschwandtner – Guitars
Christopher Pucher – Guitars

With guests:
Klara Bachmair  – Violin
Julia-Christin Casdorf (Perchta) – Guest Vocals on “Schnee ist das Blut der Geister”
Marko Kolac – Guest Vocals on “Kimm”
Michael Eder – Piano on “Schnee ist das Blut der Geister”

The post Review: Karg – Marodeur appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Artwork by: Dr. Winter

Style: Dissonant death metal, technical death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Ulcerate, Artificial Brain, Gorguts
Country: Austria
Release date: 28 March 2025

“Oh, how I crave a sweet, aching melody. Pinch up the atmosphere with a tinge of sadness and let that melancholy wash over me. Give me an emotive, borderline melodramatic singer who croons and trauma dumps all over me because only that pain, that longing, exhibits the emotions that matter. Give me warmth in the darkness to escape the cold of my mental state and bring forth catharsis to my sorrows.”

“Sir, this is a Dissodeath’s.”

“…right. I was well aware of that, thank you. Would you perhaps happen to have anything with strong melodies, and an atmosphere I can get lost in?”

“Err… we have dissonance, sir.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Well…”
Glances at the menu.
“I would like one large serving of Pillars of Cacophony, please. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Right away, sir.”

Chuckles, faintly. “I’m in danger, aren’t I?”

Such a conversation may or may not reflect the process of me blindly claiming Paralipomena barely two minutes into the album. See, I am a melody guy. I want emotion, atmosphere, and vulnerability in my music. In a way, Pillars of Cacophony convey all of these things, but let’s just say that they do so in a more…visceral manner than what I tend to go for. From the get-go, Paralipomena melts your face off with stanky tech riffs, deep guttural vocals, and proggy drumming, all while sections of dissonance and strangely melodic harmonies permeate the songwriting. The record is versatile, too, showing elements of angular tech thrash, thick, slowed down riffs redolent of 90s death doom, and hypnotizing tremolos with a black metal tinge interspersed for atmosphere on top of the usual dissonance. Make no mistake though: pummeling your senses into mush is by far Pillars of Cacophony’s highest priority, and my weaksauce melody-seeking ass was not made for this level of spanking.

Writing about a genre you are unfamiliar with can be a difficult task, but certain things like production quality and structural cohesion are more universal. Paralipomena is fairly old school in sound with a dirty, slightly muffled lower end, fuzzy atmosphere, and organic guitar and drum tones, but it also maintains the clarity and polish of a modern production, which is especially poignant when the dissonant and/or black metal aspects come to the forefront. Some of the heavier, chugging parts also have a tasteful mechanical aspect, making them as heavy as possible without compromising on the cavernous old school vibe—I even noticed some pick scrapes! All things considered, the resulting soundscape is surprisingly light on the ears for how chaotic and vile the music can be.

But production is not the only component which makes Paralipomena so digestible: its pacing is also done quite well. Pillars of Cacophony will regularly drop the intensity completely for quiet, minimalist sections which relish in dissonance and, occasionally, melody. Sadly, these sections rarely provide sufficient musical nourishment—see, for example, the disappointingly underdeveloped Pink Floyd homage in “Mitosis” with a minimalist guitar solo that goes nowhere. But on the bright side, the mental and emotional cool down they provide from the onslaught is extremely welcome. This is much in contrast to a band like First Fragment, whose technical and emotional maximalism extends down to the melodic breaks, making even a masterfully performed album like Gloire Éternelle an exhausting listen. 

Cliff jumps in intensity aside, however, Paralipomena also shines in its frequent tempo shifts, keeping the listener engaged with cool transitions between different modes of neck breaking, thus allowing the band to smoothly incorporate all the different death metal flavors into their writing. In particular, Pillars of Cacophony do exceedingly well in releasing tension through slowing down the tempo for either massive, doomy riffs (“4 Degree Celsius”, “Retina”) or very deliberate, technical arrangements (“Cachexia”, “Landscapes of Permanence”), but are also capable of sharp intensity spikes or maintaining high momentum despite slowing down a tad. The pummeling did tire me out near the end, but for a good 80% of the album I was having a being blasted.  

Having just finished my Paralipomena meal, I sit at my table in silence, hazily processing all the madness my taste buds were exposed to these past forty-odd minutes. As I try to figure out how on earth I do not feel the need to puke, but instead experience an estranging form of contentment, that same waiter who took my order approaches me.

“So, how was your meal, sir?”

“It was…I survived—err, satisfactory in ways I had not anticipated.”

“Glad to hear that, sir. Would you like to order anything else?”

Chuckles, somewhat painfully.
“No, thank you—perhaps another time. I would like the check, please.”

With slightly contorted insides, I pay my bill and do my best not to stumble as I exit the restaurant. In the warm embrace of the afternoon sun, I make my way over to the local park and crash on the nearest bench. I open my phone and take a look at our spreadsheet to see what’s available for my next review, but quickly realize that I first really, really need to listen to some Adele to cool myself off again. What a day.

Recommended tracks: Of Plagues and Fibrils, Cachexia, The Discord
You may also like: Convulsing, Baring Teeth, Heaving Earth, Replicant, Anachronism
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram | Metal-Archives

Label: Independent

Pillars of Cacophony is:
– Dominik (vocals, all instruments)

The post Review: Pillars of Cacophony – Paralipomena appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Album art by Bruno Gonzalez

Style: Blackgaze, post-metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Deafheaven, Alcest, Saon, Lantlôs, Agalloch
Country: Austria
Release date: 24 January 2025

Since 2011, Harakiri for the Sky have made themselves a notable presence in the metal scene—not a headliner band nor a forgettable opener. Their sound defines an accessible fusion of the deeply layered and atmospheric aspects of post-metal, with a sprinkling of melody infused black metal. All of this crystallizes into melancholic journeys through somber, aural landscapes.

Everything about the creation of Scorched Earth set the stage for a massive return to form. The band’s 2018 album Arson was followed by a series of middling, unremarkable albums. When their 2021 release, Mære, left both me and critics cold, it was clear that Harakiri for the Sky needed a new creative spark. This inspiration took root in the hiatus that occurred from 2021 to 2025, which involved J.J. (Michael V. Wahntraum) going on a personal pilgrimage of self-discovery; he was processing the end of a long-time relationship, which led him to a family-owned cabin far off in the woods, where he could find himself in solitude. Simultaneously, civilization itself was in the middle of the COVID pandemic, which added a world-weary angle to J.J.’s contemplations.

Harakiri for the Sky are masters of painting a gloomy vista: the use of emotive, if somewhat predictable harmony, layered vastness with piercing high melodies and ostinatos, and a strong sense of when to break from a momentous riff. Whether it’s a rainy day, a break up, or sense of existential unease, their sound functions as the backdrop to them all. The issue is, can they make a collection of songs that offers more than just a vibe—an album worth keeping?

The potential of being a keeper is present in Scorched Earth, manifested particularly in “With Autumn I’ll Surrender”. It is structured around a catchy motif which glides over the blackgaze/post-metal landscapes constructed by the rhythmic escalations of the harmonic beauty—starting slow, then reaching a gallop. Across the song’s eight minutes, this motif is built up, deviated from, and reintroduced in ways that keep the idea fresh and impactful. The issue, however, is that none of the other tracks measure up to it.

The band can’t escape the trap of songs having a convincing aesthetic but a vanishing trace of substance. This might not be apparent on a moment-to-moment basis, but the album’s overall songwriting leaves much to be desired. The beginning theme of “Heal Me,” consisting of a post-rock-esque soaring melody, becomes indistinct by drawing itself out and consisting mainly of tremolo-picked long notes—in this case, if the theme had more substantial variations that introduce a busier texture beyond tremolo picking, it might have been a keeper. “Keep Me Longing” has a theme containing a series of arpeggios, but its use in the song could easily be mistaken for some kind of secondary section, as it just doesn’t seem to have much of an identity. Although this theme is busy, it lacks contrast. Contours and textures that aren’t arpeggio-like would have gone far in making the motif more unique, and perhaps a more engaged rhythm section would have made the overall songwriting stronger. But a lack of diversity and memorability plague nearly the entire album.

In an ideal world, every song would be equally distinct, based firmly on ideas that compelled a relisten. Instead of lamenting its failures, I would suggest that the band look to the highlights of The Ruins of Beverast and Absu to develop a bit more sophistication in their composition in order to push themselves further. However, such a hope for Harakiri Of The Sky is a pipe dream, since they consistently fail to make songs that stand out from one another at all. Scorched Earth is a beautiful, but ultimately forgettable album. The only possible way forward from here is to take cues from the likes of Agalloch and Alcest in terms of motif-work.

Recommended tracks: With Autumn I’ll Surrender
You may also like: Together to the Stars, Constellatia, Asunojokei
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: AOP – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Harakiri for the Sky is:
– J.J. (vocals)
– M.S. (guitar, bass, producer)
– Krimh (drums)

The post Review: Harakiri for the Sky – Scorched Earth appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Stoner Metal, Sludge Metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Mastodon (Remission era), Baroness, Mastodon (Leviathan era), Mastodon (Blood Mountain Era), Mastodon (Crack the Skye era), Mastodon (the other ones too)
Review by: Dave
Country: Austria
Release date: 12 April 2024

Humans love big things. In the United States, we have an entire state which prides itself on its ever-stretching grandeur; we are so moved by mountain ranges that they become associated with religious entities; and Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot” speech never fails to move with its ability to radically shift our perspective on size. This, for me, is why stoner and sludge metal work so well: the choice of riffs and pacing work together magnificently to create a sense of crushing incomprehensible size. Pryne’s debut, Gargantuan, seeks to add to stoner and sludge metal’s repertoire of earth-shattering grooves, which begs the question: how gargantuan is Gargantuan?

The first thing to notice on Gargantuan is the generous Mastodon influence: from the first few riffs of “Can’-Ka No Rey,” Pryne make it known that they are a lover of all things Mastodon, shown through the mid-paced, mid-toned, crushingly heavy riffs accentuated by occasional harmonized vocals and a touch of progressive songwriting thrown in for good measure. One could easily describe it as “worship”, but don’t mistake this as a pejorative term, as the Mastodon songwriting approach is a workhorse formula that makes for an enjoyable listen. The aforementioned opener, “Ramification,” and “Cymboshia” hit hard with stoner metal riffs that trample the listener under hoof. The vocals are serviceable, occasionally piercing through the instrumentation in a satisfying way, and the drums and bass play along nicely, but the other instrumentation generally falls into the background as the main focus on Gargantuan is the guitar work, providing the backbone of interest and atmospheric heft across virtually every track. Occasionally, quieter yet pleasant acoustic sections make themselves known as well, such as on the interlude “Hollow Sea” and the idiosyncratic intro to “The Terrible End of the Yogi”.

Gargantuan is at its most exciting when it changes pace. While a mid-paced foundation is quintessential for Pryne’s style of metal, the occasional jump to a faster tempo cranks up the intensity even further, especially when bookended by riffs that make you want to jump into a volcano. “Ramification” maintains a quick clip throughout and “Abordan”’s mid-song speedup makes my blood boil in the best way. On the flip side, the slower moments of the strange and introspective “The Terrible End of the Yogi” add atmospheric variety and the slowed reprise at the end of “Cymboshia” feels like being trapped underneath a rockslide.

Despite the overall excellent execution here by Pryne, the album is missing a bit of variety. The aforementioned pace changes add lots of excitement in the moment, but could be utilized more often across the album. Moreover, despite the fact that virtually every song has at least a couple interesting riffs, sometimes Pryne play it a little too safe, like on the opener “Can’-Ka No Rey,” which begins very strong but loses its teeth by the end. One secret ingredient that makes the Mastodon formula work so well is its mix of theatricality and weirdness: they are unafraid to just get weird with it sometimes (see: “Bladecatcher” from Blood Mountain), and that weirdness is often accompanied by cinematic moments that hammer home the feeling of hugeness.

For a debut, Gargantuan does an excellent job executing the basics of stoner/sludge metal, showcasing plenty of delicious and heavy riffs that are taken to the next level by tasteful speed changes. With a bit more eagerness to experiment in a way that augments the hugeness and drama inherent in this style of stoner/sludge, Pryne could easily establish themselves as prominent figures in the genre. Overall, Gargantuan pushes the tides in Pryne’s favor, but fully encompassing this style is currently a bit more than they could chew.

Recommended tracks: Cymboshia, Abordan, Ramification
You may also like: Vokonis, Cobra the Impaler, Howling Giant/Sergeant Thunderhoof
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives | RateYourMusic

Label: StoneFree Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Pryne is:
– Christoph Grasser
– Roland Grasser
– Manuel Schober
– Patrick Windischbauer

The post Review: Pryne – Gargantuan appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive Metal, Post Metal (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Cult of Luna, Hypno5e
Review by: Christopher
Country: Austria
Release date: 2 June, 2023

The titans of progressive post-metal, The Ocean, recently released their hotly anticipated ninth album, Holocene, and it was something of an experimental work—certainly progressive—but it’s proved controversial here at the Subway. I’m one of Holocene’s defenders even if it isn’t my favourite The Ocean album, but perhaps my disappointed fellow writers should be looking to the underground for up and coming progressive post-metal? How about, for example, the sophomore work from Austrian trio Hills Like White Lions? 

Meander consists of seven parts, but it is, essentially, one long song and journey. The album does what it says on the tin: meandering through an ocean of sounds, swelling and retreating through stillness and turbidity. The Ocean’s Pelagial is a clear influence here, particularly in the style of the instrumental work and the heavier emphasis on post metal influences utilised to progressive ends; the jangling clean guitars, the flowing lead lines, and punishing drum work which changes up constantly.

Singer, Florian Wagner, has a rather unique baritone, with a pleasingly nasal quality to it and a mournfulness to its timbre—overall the effect isn’t a million miles away from a more polished Brent Hinds of Mastodon with a bit of Peter Steele’s full-bodied depth—which puts in the emotional work, as on the sustained climactic chorus of “Pt. IV: Black Tide”. Meander is all clean vocals, a rarity in this corner of the genre, and yet Hills Like White Lions consistently manage to sound crushingly heavy.

While Hills Like White Lions err on the side of the post-metal more than the prog, there are some flourishes of creativity that prove satisfying, such as the brass accompaniment in the bridge of “Pt. V: Cataract” (which leads into an explosive finale), or the short but sweet key change on Pt. II: Maelstrom as Wagner sings “and I will come with blazing suns”, as well as some playing in 3/4. Meanwhile, they utilise the swollen chords and pregnant build-ups of post-metal to elevate the emotion, with calm breaks of ambience acting like calm waters between tempests.  

However, the transitions between songs are ruthless on Meander, which does rather cut through the meandering quality. You’d imagine an album divided into parts like this to flow seamlessly, but the cuts between songs are distractingly choppy. One would expect the interlude “Pt. III: Acedia” to gracefully segue into “Pt. IV: Black Tide”, but it feels almost as though we skipped two seconds and cut the changeover off. And “Pt. IV: Black Tide” hasn’t even truly concluded when “Pt. V: Cataract” interrupts it. It feels a great shame to undermine the totality of the finished product with this odd choppiness. Hills Like White Lions are consummate professionals in most regards, so either this is a conscious choice completely at odds with Meanders’ tone or it’s uncharacteristic sloppiness. 

Progressive post metal can be somewhat formulaic at times, and while Hills Like White Lions refusal to deviate far from the usual course means they aren’t soon going to dethrone the likes of The Ocean. Nevertheless, Meander offers a dynamic and emotive take on post-metal’s well-worn tropes that has full sincerity and talent behind it, aided strongly by Florian Wagner’s powerful vocal performance. I’d love to see a little more innovation from these guys, and Meander showcases the resolve and aptitude necessary to do just that in future.

Recommended tracks: Meander Pt. II: Maelstrom, Meander Pt. IV: Black Tide, Meander Pt. V: Cataract
You may also like: Sikasa, Athemon, Seyr, East of the Wall
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives Page

Label: Independent

Hills Like White Lions is:
– Florian Wagner (vocals, guitars)
– Alexander Augustin (bass)
– Hannes Lettner (drums)

The post Review: Hills Like White Lions – Meander appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Post/Doom-Metal (harsh vocals)
Review by: Callum
Country: Austria
Release date: November 20, 2020

Yes, 2084 is a fairly conspicuous reference to George Orwell’s influential social science-fiction novel, 1984. Dystopian themes from Orwell’s masterpiece are especially poignant in today’s sociopolitical climate so artists needn’t look far for inspiration. They are a fairly well established concept in music, especially in progressive rock and metal (see Operation: Mindcrime, 2112, The Wall), however some are more subtle about it than others. Anderwelt have opted for the unabashed waving of direct or bastardized references to the novel in your face with mentions of ‘thought police’, ‘big sister’ and doublethink slogans like ‘war is peace’. You may be able to tell the direction this review is taking but, despite my distaste for on the nose references at the expense of coming across as edgy, I will try to separate the themes from the music itself as best as I can.

Well, the music isn’t great either. Each band member is competent, and there is a fair amount of atmosphere building for a relatively short 40 minute play time. However, the song structures of each of the four tracks are unimaginative considering the flood of post- and doom metal acts active today. Generally this structure is a slow intro to a heavier doom riff, back to a slower, quieter break and finally ending on the same doom riff with more intensity and some tremolo-picked post-metal sections scattered throughout. There are exceptions to this: “Luv” is a much faster track where the same riff doesn’t actually get repeated much, an interlude in “Pax” calls back the nursery rhyme intro to the record, and “True” features some groovier riffs. “Pax” also has the most varied use of melody, both in guitars and in the harsh vocals that verge on sounding like Joe Duplantier of Gojira. Later on in the same track, however, the intensifying repetition of the lyrics ‘Yes, you’ll make me a traitor’ could have come from the metalcore playbook. The cello work is the most interesting feature of 2084, its prevalence in the atmosphere-building sections is noteworthy, and it adds some much needed texture to the otherwise run-of-the-mill post-metal climaxes.

It is impossible to ignore the heavy handed references to Orwell. The nursery rhyme I mentioned is ‘Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree’, taken word for word from the novel. Then there is the dramatised public address over a tannoy in the middle of “Luv” that alerts of some kind of intruder and decries sedition against the government etc. This was the moment that ruined the entire album for me. You could get away with this in dramatic 80’s rock operas like Operation: Mindcrime, but considering the intended seriousness of the doomy metal music, it comes across as farcical. I can’t really recommend this album except for exemplifying what not to do when incorporating or paying homage to a great dystopian novelist like Orwell.

Recommended tracks: Pax, Plenty, True
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Amenra, Cult of Luna
Final verdict: 4/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page

Label: Electric Fire Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Anderwelt is:
– Phil Wintersberger (vocals)
– Simon Öller (guitar)
– Dominik Königsdorfer (bass)
– Andreas Pilsl (cello)
– Thomas Kössler (drums)

The post Review: Anderwelt – 2084 appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive/Symphonic Death Metal, VGM (instrumental)
Review by: Sam
Country: Austria
Release date: September 9th, 2020

Instrumental metal usually bores me. The inherent limitations of only using a guitar to provide melody often results in very static, predictable compositions that turn into a shredfest more often than not. Because what else can you do? Metal riffs lose a lot of their expressive power without a vocalist giving some variety. Having aggressiveness as your only mood is just too monotonous for instrumental music. Hence the key to making instrumental metal (or ‘instrumetal’ if you will) interesting is using other genres and instruments to spice it up. Ever since The Night Watch managed to keep me hooked to an ‘instrumetal’ album for over 70 minutes with their stunning record An Embarrassment of Riches last year I’ve been a lot more open to the genre. So when I found Seth Angerer on Bandcamp with a seemingly varied (and competent!) ‘instrumetal’ album, I just had to review it. Can they keep me hooked?

Yes they can. Utrotningen (which is Swedish for ‘eradication’) is a very symphonic album that incorporates dozens of genres and different instruments into its largely symphonic death metal framework. I believe everything is synthesized (except the guitar playing), but it’s done well enough not to form a detraction. If anything, it’s all mixed really well as you can hear each element crystal clear and the volume mastering is pleasant. Tonally it sounds exactly like what you expect a bedroom VGM/instrumetal project like this to sound like, which is as much a positive (or a negative) as you dig other VGM (= video game music) metal production. I enjoyed it an any case.

But production is not the main reason I like this album. Its largest strength is in how dynamic it is and how cohesive the compositions are. It knows when to be epic, when to be dreamy, when to be fun, when to swell, and when to shrink. All the different sounds used to emphasize the different moods keep you on your toes, but he keeps it consistent by using recurring themes and motifs. I wouldn’t be able to mention all the genres this incorporates since my genre knowledge basically evaporates once we leave the wider metal sphere, but I can take a shot at describing the instruments and soundscapes used. The meat of this album is in your typical symphonic/VGM epic sounds, and while it doesn’t leave the VGM framework much, I’ve also detected use of the flute, the xylophone, a violin, and even an accordion in spots. In any case, the album has bunch of really nice surprises to elevate it from being just another VGM/instrumetal album.

Unfortunately I have to say that “just another VGM/instrumetal album” is a pretty accurate description of a lot of its core sound. The riffs especially I found very lackluster, going not much further than basic bitch Fleshgod Apocalypse style symphonic death. For all the work that went into keeping it varied, I wished Seth would have put in similar effort to make the riffs worthwhile by themselves instead of just being content with keeping them as a support tool. Make ’em meaner, more explosive, slap them in my face like you promised with the album title. Instead they feel like an afterthought. Another thing that irked me is that the more epic synths are very run of the mill on the record. Maybe it’s just my relative ambivalence to the VGM genre, but those choir-y epic sounds to me always sound more epic than that they actually make me feel epic. Because of this, the record lacks peaks that feel earned. There’s no moment on this that blew my socks off. The best moments on this album are when he throws a curve ball at you, but those ultimately don’t have the impact they could have because the core sound of this album is lacking.

Overall Utrotningen is not nearly the best thing I’ve ever heard, but it’s certainly an enjoyable album that avoids the common traps of instrumetal riff and/or shred-fest monotonicity. However in return for that increased variety, it falters in the other direction, often neglecting its metal roots, ultimately making the album a somewhat shallow experience. I do recommend this for background music though.

Recommended tracks: Erövring
Recommended for fans of: VGM, Fleshgod Apocalypse, background music
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Independent

Seth Angerer is:
– Seth Angerer (everything)

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Style: Classic Tech-Death (harsh vocals)
Review by: Dylan
Country: Austria
Release date: 07-08-2020

Tech-Death is one of the prog sub-genres that has been through the most amount of transformations throughout its 30 year history. You can easily be into the 90’s tech-death (popularized by Atheist), which was very eclectic, punchy, and at points jazzy, and at the same time dislike the early 00’s dissonant-like tech death (eg. Gorguts) whilst you enjoy the modern trend of batshit insanity (popularized by Necrophagist).

Even though it is far from trendy nowadays, a lot of bands have been doing what is called OSDM (Old-School Death Metal) worship, and if we add a T there, there’s also OSTDM worship going around. Sacred Serenity is exactly that; a blast to the past of early tech-death, both in it’s songwriting and production.

Let’s get one thing clear: This album has a pretty amateur-ish vibe to it. It feels like a dude that loves Atheist or Death just wanted to pay a tribute to these acts by writing songs that are heavily influenced by their style. Not to mention that the production also has a very DIY feel to it. But amateur doesn’t equal to bad in my book, especially on styles that don’t take themselves too seriously to begin with

So it’s great that Redefining Life doesn’t feel like that. It’s a 24 minute blast from the past, that’s digestible, head-bangable, and fun. You should not expect anything more out of this release, as it does not want to do more than that. With that in mind, I’d consider this album to be a success for what the band was going for. It’s not going to be in my AOTYs, I won’t even listen to it obsessively, but it’s a nice addition for a throwback-style that’s been getting some deserved love over the past years.

Recommended tracks: Redefining Life, Eternal Decay
Recommended for fans of: Atheist, Death
Final verdict: 6.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Independent

Sacred Serenity is:
Gravedweller (all Instruments)

The post Review: Sacred Serenity – Redefining Life [EP] appeared first on The Progressive Subway.