For those unfamiliar with Darkspace ( such as myself) an internet search will tell you that they are the Swiss pioneers of cosmic atmospheric death metal. Their works are titled only by Roman numeral and their fifth album. II comes with no information but a grainy image of the void and a single 47 minute song. Wondering how I’ve not come across this fascinating concept and cult classic of this subset of atmospheric death metal before I approach their first transmission in ten years with the excitement and curiosity of an explorer destined for damnation as they traverse the unknown.
Soundscapes pan through the mind warping senses of time as pulsing industrial beats crash against the shaper blackened surroundings produced by the guitars. Samples of human communication become distant and hard to decipher over the jagged imposing obstacles vocalised by Wroth. By fifteen minutes in, the hair on the back of my neck stands to attention at the sonic embodiment of both awe and torment.
At half an hour the bass drum acts like the heartbeat slowly working at the centre of a surge of dark atmospheric synth and the repetitive chug of black metal guitars. As the rhythmic contractions speed the music expands outwards in the dark purples and reds of a nebula augmenting outwards from a dying star. Beautifully constructed drones of melancholy, space feel both vast and crushing.
As, I am yet to listen to their previous works (I definitely will be) so I cannot tell fans how this album weighs up against their discography. II as it stands alone is an epic twisted soundscape that I would recommended to fans of Sun O))), Godspeed You Black Emperor, Deafheaven, Post Rock/Metal, Shoegaze and Psychedelic Black Metal.
As, I am yet to listen to their previous works (I definitely will be) so I cannot tell fans how this album weighs up against their discography. II as it stands alone is an epic twisted soundscape that I would recommended to fans of Sun O))), Godspeed You Black Emperor, Deafheaven, Post Rock/Metal, Shoegaze and Psychedelic Black Metal.
Being almost fifty minuets of quite a slow tempo it could alienate fans of the genre who may be expecting something more traditionally ferocious or technical in the riff department, but what this album lacks in speed and riff it makes up for in the brutality of its heavy drones and intelligent sound design. 9/10
Sundrifter - An Earlier Time (Small Stone Records) [Rich Piva]
We music fans can be a greedy bunch, always wanting more great material from our favourite artists. There is something to be said, however, for the band that makes you wait, sometimes many years, for their next record. But when that album drops and you realize it was so worth the wait, there is some magic in that too.
Sundrifter - An Earlier Time (Small Stone Records) [Rich Piva]
We music fans can be a greedy bunch, always wanting more great material from our favourite artists. There is something to be said, however, for the band that makes you wait, sometimes many years, for their next record. But when that album drops and you realize it was so worth the wait, there is some magic in that too.
This is the case with the new album from Boston, Massachusetts band Sundrifter, who bring us their first release since 2018’s Visitations, An Earlier Time, brought to us by the also less is more leaning label, the awesome Small Stone Records. Visitations is universally loved by the chose few who have heard it, and I dare to say that An Earlier Time is even better, which is a seriously bold statement, but one I think the fans of the bands and new fans alike will agree with, because this record simply kills.
For those not familiar with the band’s sound, I would call them fuzzy space grunge or maybe if Soundgarden was from outer space instead of Seattle. Another good reference point would be the High Priest record from last year or maybe Hum And Failure, the two most underrated bands of the 90s.
For those not familiar with the band’s sound, I would call them fuzzy space grunge or maybe if Soundgarden was from outer space instead of Seattle. Another good reference point would be the High Priest record from last year or maybe Hum And Failure, the two most underrated bands of the 90s.
Whatever you want to call it, the eight tracks on An Earlier Time are pretty much perfect. Limitless is the perfect example. We have killer guitar work, vocals that are even better than the last record, and a heaviness that says F U to gravity. The atmosphere that surrounds the heavy is something to behold, with the perfectly titled Space Exploration. This song is simply put, mind blowing.
Nuclear Sacrifice is just as good, a slower burn but with no less awesomeness and another outstanding vocal performance. Prehistoric Liftoff has some serious low end and a nice, slow chug to it. This track is a huge as space, filling up the universe with speaker rattling heaviness, but some of the cleanest heavy you have ever heard, if that makes any sense at all.
Could the second have of this album be better than the first, which is amazing already? Well, in a word, yes, because Begin Again is the best track on An Earlier Time, with that guitar work, next level vocals, and grungy space rock vibe that they have perfected. We got some riffs too with Want You Home that has such a great 90s feel to it, and more heavy space grunge goodness with the both fuzzy and chunky Final Chance. Last Transmission is a fitting way to end this space odyssey, or is it over?
So, is six years a long time to wait for a follow up from a band that blew you away and left you wanting more? Maybe, but the feeling you get when you finally get to experience recorded perfection in a follow up record, all those years melt away and you realize how lucky you are to be alive at a time when music like that can grace your ears. Yeah, I love Sundrifter and An Earlier Time that much. 10/10
So, is six years a long time to wait for a follow up from a band that blew you away and left you wanting more? Maybe, but the feeling you get when you finally get to experience recorded perfection in a follow up record, all those years melt away and you realize how lucky you are to be alive at a time when music like that can grace your ears. Yeah, I love Sundrifter and An Earlier Time that much. 10/10
Bloom - Maybe In Another Life (Pure Noise Records) [Matt Bladen]
Australia is a fertile ground for music, away from the normal Aussie stereotypes, there's a real glut of talented metallic/modern metalcore/deathcore bands. Sydney's Bloom edge more towards the melodic style of metalcore that brings huge emotive choruses.
Australia is a fertile ground for music, away from the normal Aussie stereotypes, there's a real glut of talented metallic/modern metalcore/deathcore bands. Sydney's Bloom edge more towards the melodic style of metalcore that brings huge emotive choruses.
Forming in 2017 they wear their heart on their sleeves as they deal with grieving, emotions and hardship, you know all the things that make metalcore great. Releasing their second EP in 2020 during lockdown and then started to record this new album Maybe In Another Life. An Entry is an atmospheric intro to the record but from here the metallic hardcore of Bloom comes at you as an unstoppable emotional force.
Distorted sharp guitar riffs, that chop and change into hardcore punk stabs, metalcore breakdows and harmonic metal phrasing, all within one song on Bound To Your Whispers, a track that reminds me of Rise Against though with a huge beatdown at the end. Vocally the melodic cleans and snarled harsh vocals are great, the latter moving into some black metal nastiness.
Bloom have a lot of similarities to bands such as Counterparts and Of Virtue, bands who successfully merge introspection with aggression and on Maybe In Another Life, Bloom have mastered that art. 7/10
Alfahanne - Var Tid Ar Nu (Dark Essence Records) [Erick Willand]
As an American that hasn’t traveled there yet I’m convinced Sweden is a magical place carpeted in deep dark wintery forests populated by mythical creatures and Metal Heads. Alfahanne hails from this cold mountainous place and like most of their country men they drag that long winter chill with them into the realms of making music.
Alfahanne - Var Tid Ar Nu (Dark Essence Records) [Erick Willand]
As an American that hasn’t traveled there yet I’m convinced Sweden is a magical place carpeted in deep dark wintery forests populated by mythical creatures and Metal Heads. Alfahanne hails from this cold mountainous place and like most of their country men they drag that long winter chill with them into the realms of making music.
In Alfahanne’s case this is a heady mix of raw Black Metal, noisy Punk and straight Rock’n’Roll they call “Alfapocalyptic Rock”. A style and attitude all their own that they have perfected over four previous albums. So I’m throwing on some old sports gear for armor, grabbing a gas mask and going to Alfapocalyptic Rock-out!
A short, ambient intro greets us with what sounds like a Swedish vampire whispering in a wind tunnel, it's seconds over a minute so we’ll give that a pass, it’s the apocalypse after all. First proper track is 9:e Cirkeln, not sure what 9:e stands for but Cirkeln translates to The Circle. This song opens quickly, choice fuzzed up guitars and driving rhythm, dive bomb, rage scream, begin! It's a clear street level, leather and denim song. It’s great despite the production being a bit fuzzed out. 4
A short, ambient intro greets us with what sounds like a Swedish vampire whispering in a wind tunnel, it's seconds over a minute so we’ll give that a pass, it’s the apocalypse after all. First proper track is 9:e Cirkeln, not sure what 9:e stands for but Cirkeln translates to The Circle. This song opens quickly, choice fuzzed up guitars and driving rhythm, dive bomb, rage scream, begin! It's a clear street level, leather and denim song. It’s great despite the production being a bit fuzzed out. 4
Track 2 starts with a bagpipe I think but I’m under the impression it’s synth and quickly this slips right into a more fuzzy grove and my head starts moving before I realize it. Google tells me Eremiten means The Hermit but if he’s rocking this hard he’s not hiding in a cabin in the woods. Elden Har Vaknat - The Fire Has Awakened leans more into the bands Black Metal elements with harsher guitars and a more relentless drum delivery.
Alfa Omega is a lesson in proper Black’n’Roll with special guest Nattefrost and not going to lie, my fav track here. Solid black fuzziness with a great chorus. Wolfman is a right ripper, a rocker complete with English sing along chorus and tambourine. Nar Allt Faller again leans into the Black Metal zone but still maintains an underline swagger that you can feel.
So we’ve come to the last three tracks of this Blackened little apocalyptic rock’n’roll hell ride. The last few tracks of an album are just as important as the first few, either the band has dropped what they felt were the weakest tracks here or they’ve saved the best for last. Here Alfahanne don’t disappoint, both 213 and Var Tid Ar Nu are quick paced and vibrant.
So we’ve come to the last three tracks of this Blackened little apocalyptic rock’n’roll hell ride. The last few tracks of an album are just as important as the first few, either the band has dropped what they felt were the weakest tracks here or they’ve saved the best for last. Here Alfahanne don’t disappoint, both 213 and Var Tid Ar Nu are quick paced and vibrant.
213 with it’s interesting guitar elements and title track Var Tid Ar Nu is the anchor piece, a dark, anguish coated epic just over 7 minutes, usually this run time kills a song like this for me but I didn’t even notice and that’s good. The mostly ambient, creepy piano outro is actually a nice touch that ties the album up with the beginning like a successful scavenging run through the “Alfapocalyptic Rock” wasteland.
Unfortunately the ball is dropped hard on this album cover, which is just a Photoshop filtered pic of the band circa early ‘00s style and it feels lazy. At least it’s not AI art but…Anyway, I’m going to wash the post-apocalyptic dust from out between my toes and sort the scavenge run loot, Alfahanne comes back to base camp with a 7/10.
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