AFI have always been band not scared of reinvention from their hardcore beginnings where they went though the toilet scene circuits, to their punk middle period that transcended into their emo embracing gothic rock era that gave them massive critical acclaim and in recent years they embraced the alternative rock scene.
However with their new record they change things again shapeshifting towards the late 70's and early 80's post punk and death rock, guitarist/producer/engineer Jade Pudget, naming bands such as Echo & The Bunnymen, Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus, and Siouxsie & The Banshees as their major influences for Silver Bleeds The Black Sun.
Starting from a conversation about how they can reinvent AFI as a band 33 years into their career, they have down so by channelling the bands above as they begin this new journey with the atmospheric The Bird Of Prey, which has the newly moustachioed Davey Havok, crooning with the power and dramatic flair of Andrew Eldritch.
From the phasered Behind The Clock, through the pulsating Holy Visions which is guided by the bass of Hunter Burgan as Blasphemy & Excess as Spear Of Truth puts acoustic scrubbing from Pudget with the sprawling drumming from Adam Carson, both taking strongly from that gothic aesthetic while Voidward, I Bend Back and Marguerite bring back those jangly guitars and thumping rhythms while A World Unmade creeps ahead with lots of synth.
In their new guise AFI have evolved logically, punk and goth combined with the maturity of a band with more than three decades behind them. 9/10
Weft - The Splintered Oar (Bindrune Recordings)
Weft is the creation of Charlie Anderson who you may know as the violinist from Panopticon, away from being a part of that band he has channelled a lifetime of experience into The Splintered Oar his debut album under the Weft banner. The Splintered Oar is a record that involves you from the first moments of the evocative Leaves.
Taking a very atmospheric style of black/death, drawing from bands such as Saor, Winterfylleth and of course Panopticon, however Weft don't use the folk influences of these bands though, preferring to add the country/Americana meets prog of a band such as Huntsman.
Anderson plays the lions share of music on this record, including bass/guitars/synth/piano/percussion along with vocals and of course violin and strings and while he flourishes at all elements, the way that he uses the strings and violin brings soundscapes that you don't always get in the metal scene.
For this record he's joined by drummer Austin Lunn, violinist/vocalist Andrea Morgan (Falling Leaves/A Dream Of Oaks) and vocalist Jordan Day (A Dream Of Oaks), the collaboration creating a broad soundscapes that makes for a brilliant musical experience. From the deep string-laden Leaves, the first track proper is the explorative False Kingdoms, which is intensely cinematic and tells you everything you need to know about Weft.
That ever-present violin meets blast beats on The Hull, switching between crushing doom, cathartic black metal and lead guitar driven melodeath as the acoustic elements weave between all these extreme sounds. The vocals as well are particularly impressive as clean and harsh tones are merged together, giving the whole album the sound of a band like Opeth.
The Splintered Oar is a fantastic debut record from Weft and if you missed it off your 2025 listening list then you definitely need to rectify that now. 9/10
Neverseer - Neverseer (Self Released)
A bit of Scottish muscle now from new Edinburgh project Neverseer. Created by ex-Iron Altar guitarist Daniel Drever, this is a modern metal record that swaggers in with a huge whack of sludge that Drever says was influenced by Mastodon and Crowbar while also bringing some progressive songwriting and the beatdown heavy styles of any 'core' bands.
Recorded, written and played by Drever, he's joined by Daniel Lambie on drums, Alo Lander of Ageless Summoning on vocals and Big Iron's Kieran Johnston adds some lead guitars. As a debut it's full of experience, everything has been created to hook you if you're a fan of heavy music. Disintegrate bulldozes but has a few atmospherics while both Ouroborean and Prism crush.
Daniel Drever has launched Neverseer with a lot of loud riffage and it gets critical acclaim from me. 7/10
Dreaded Spirits - C'est La Vie (Self Released)
Born from grief, anger, regret, guilt and reflection, C'est La Vie is a way for James Wicks to channel his emotional trauma around family deaths, doing so through 90's gothic and doom rock, the songs that he was brought up with, the bands that inspired him, helping him through some of the toughest times of his life.
The main influence on these three songs is Type O Negative, deep sonorous vocals and thumping goth/doom drenched in synths and horror movies atmospheres. The title track is a eight minute brooding crawl through pain and catharsis as Black Mass convenes a synthwave communion.
The EP concludes with the spooky vibes of Devil's Night and with these three tracks Dreaded Spirits pays homage to its influences om C'est La Vie. 7/10
The EP concludes with the spooky vibes of Devil's Night and with these three tracks Dreaded Spirits pays homage to its influences om C'est La Vie. 7/10
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