Avant-garde Black Metal? Oh, go on.
There’s nothing wrong with striking whilst the iron is hot, at least that is the approach that has been taken by Veilburner as they release album #8, maintaining their momentum that was built after the release of The Duality Of Decapitation And Wisdom and the positive reviews it received. I’m all for this, if the artist creative juices are flowing then bring it on. I’ve never come across them before but I have encountered avant-garde black metal in the past and to be honest results have varied. They certainly approach their art in a way that feels unique to them and what I would suggest is that you have to listen to this either loud or with good earphones because if you don’t you will miss a lot of the detail that is present.
Initial thoughts was that the kick off track, Longing For Triumph was a mess, a collection of ideas and themes stitched together that barrelled along without saying anything over its 7-minute length. We definitely got off on the wrong foot as I was expecting it to blast out of the gate as every good opening track should. Certainly, heavy enough, with a crisp production it felt disjointed but then started to make more sense on a subsequent play through.
Initial thoughts was that the kick off track, Longing For Triumph was a mess, a collection of ideas and themes stitched together that barrelled along without saying anything over its 7-minute length. We definitely got off on the wrong foot as I was expecting it to blast out of the gate as every good opening track should. Certainly, heavy enough, with a crisp production it felt disjointed but then started to make more sense on a subsequent play through.
There was no complaints with Pestilent Niche, which was more immediate with a belter of a riff set that’s locked and loaded with a drum arrangement that is perfectly in synch. Its sounds fantastic and continually moves forward, with focused vision. Their progressive nature comes in but in a more measured manner with a beautiful lead break that shines. One thing I’m still struggling with is the way the vocals are delivered. They don’t stay with one form of expression, adding in effects to it and sometimes it detracts from the power of the song but in other ways at least it is different, showing that they are not set in doing things in one fixed manner.
Rigor And Wrath takes you on an alternate path, using a slower tempo and build that weaves and turns. That feeling of heaviness is still present but is nestled within guitar lines that seem to be bent out of shape. The drumming on this one is exemplar, dragging those melodic lines and giving them an expansive feel. Three songs in and its definitely not what I expected at all. That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur opens with the sound of thunder and then uses it as a percussive tool.
Its uncompromising in its delivery, keeping that aggressive movement whilst still throwing in odd sounds to expand their soundscape once more. A lot of the success can be traced to the way they make sure that the guitars and drums are in sync, they demand you stay and listen in full to them. Razor sharp and immediate moving to discordant, muted and back again. This is not something that can be truly absorbed in one listen, you have to put the graft in to really appreciate what is going here. It’s the same story for the songs that follow, if anything they seem to really warm to the task after this.
Da’ath Ye Shadow Portrait goes for an almost traditional black metal attack but is one that is forced through their personal filter where nothing is straight forward over to Ouroboreal Whorl which uses a central guitar line to form the base from which they expand and deliver blackened hard rock which is content to loop in on itself. That description does not do it justice, it has an amazing closing section with another quality lead break that just appears and guides you gently to the exit. Its those little touches that permeate each song, elevating the material and results in an emotional payoff.
Speaking of payoff’s, they return to the hardened edge of their sound with Matter O’ the Most Awful Of Martyrs, a bullet train blast where the vocals seem to exist outside of the music they are singing over. It feels that this is a conscious decision just to fuck with you, as it would be so easy for them to arrange this in that conventional way so they do it this way. In no way does it detract from the song itself, its furious build takes care of itself until burns itself out, slowing and changing as the speed decreases and they throw another storming closer your way. It’s the way they just snap their fingers and drop it on you because its effortless in the way it comes in.
Reeking Of Tragedy is their last statement and is as unhinged as you might expect given the 7 tracks that have preceded it. Even in its heavier moments, their trademark method of stretching the sound comes through whilst they attempt to beat your brains in with that super tight drumming. Just as Longing for Triumph started us off with an odd manner, Reeking bookends proceedings in that same manner.
It has to be one of the most singular unique listening experiences I’ve had this year. It’s also one of the hardest as the vocals (yes them again) seem to be delivered almost in direct opposition to the music accompanying it. I suppose this is part of the Avant garde approach they have, and with anyone else I’d have probably skipped forward.
It has to be one of the most singular unique listening experiences I’ve had this year. It’s also one of the hardest as the vocals (yes them again) seem to be delivered almost in direct opposition to the music accompanying it. I suppose this is part of the Avant garde approach they have, and with anyone else I’d have probably skipped forward.
They operate outside of traditional norms, yes, they have riffs and double bass but you have to really give them your full attention in order to absorb what they are doing. Even if this doesn’t sound like your thing, you have to check them out and give this the attention it deserves. It is a fantastic piece of work, 9/10
Chairmaker - Leviathan Carcass (Self-Released) [Joe Guatieri]
Grindcore, one of my biggest and most recent loves in terms of sub-genres! Insane, intense and comedically short, I’ve attended a lot of gigs and seen many different bands in the space. Unfortunately, I’m quite cultured on the subject of extreme music, sorry about that.
Today I’ll be taking a look at Chairmaker’s debut “full-length”, Leviathan Carcass. I have never heard of them before this review, Chairmaker is a one man Grindcore project headed up by Neil Erskine. He’s so far put out a demo in 2023 which is 2 minutes long, how will he take on a bigger project, we shall see. I’ve never had much difficulty with taking notes while listening to an album before but this one broke me. I struggled with not putting the same description down again and again, blast beat this and breakdown that, but this is fucking Grindcore, it’s beyond description!
How the hell do I start? The drums are directly above your head, banging your skull deeper and deeper into the rotten earth throughout the duration or shall I say, test of the album. AK47 rapidness, showing insane ability, sometimes overshadowing every other instrument, just as it should be. The guitars are often dirty and blinded by distortion, climbing up the threat board like a spider scaling a wall. The riffs are a constant, often squealing at the top of their lungs, very reminiscent to me of Dillinger Escape Plan and even System Of A Down at times.
The bass is incredibly prominent one time on the album, although it is always a present, it takes centre stage on Making Nails. 26 seconds into the song, it stomps around, it’s a Frankenstein’s monster of a moment. It leads you into a false sense of security as by 32 seconds, you’re running for your life as zombies join in with a thirst for blood, then by 48 seconds you’re dead, ironically when the song finished. The guitars then echo the bass line in a ridiculous way as they then take a more mid-paced speed as the drums somehow tighten up with it, despite being so much more frenetic, blasting off into space. It’s a technical marvel which is the reason why it's my favourite song on the record.
Chairmaker - Leviathan Carcass (Self-Released) [Joe Guatieri]
Grindcore, one of my biggest and most recent loves in terms of sub-genres! Insane, intense and comedically short, I’ve attended a lot of gigs and seen many different bands in the space. Unfortunately, I’m quite cultured on the subject of extreme music, sorry about that.
Today I’ll be taking a look at Chairmaker’s debut “full-length”, Leviathan Carcass. I have never heard of them before this review, Chairmaker is a one man Grindcore project headed up by Neil Erskine. He’s so far put out a demo in 2023 which is 2 minutes long, how will he take on a bigger project, we shall see. I’ve never had much difficulty with taking notes while listening to an album before but this one broke me. I struggled with not putting the same description down again and again, blast beat this and breakdown that, but this is fucking Grindcore, it’s beyond description!
How the hell do I start? The drums are directly above your head, banging your skull deeper and deeper into the rotten earth throughout the duration or shall I say, test of the album. AK47 rapidness, showing insane ability, sometimes overshadowing every other instrument, just as it should be. The guitars are often dirty and blinded by distortion, climbing up the threat board like a spider scaling a wall. The riffs are a constant, often squealing at the top of their lungs, very reminiscent to me of Dillinger Escape Plan and even System Of A Down at times.
The bass is incredibly prominent one time on the album, although it is always a present, it takes centre stage on Making Nails. 26 seconds into the song, it stomps around, it’s a Frankenstein’s monster of a moment. It leads you into a false sense of security as by 32 seconds, you’re running for your life as zombies join in with a thirst for blood, then by 48 seconds you’re dead, ironically when the song finished. The guitars then echo the bass line in a ridiculous way as they then take a more mid-paced speed as the drums somehow tighten up with it, despite being so much more frenetic, blasting off into space. It’s a technical marvel which is the reason why it's my favourite song on the record.
Going into the vocals, the delivery is constantly strained like Neil is losing his voice on every word. Whilst it’s not the most animalistic vocal for Grindcore that I’ve ever heard, it does match the energy that the album provides. I just think that more focus could have been put into making the voice more frightening, you could have had quieter moments within the songs, to really make it sound like a tortured soul. Given how technical the instruments are, there are only really a handful of dynamics going on, despite being performed well.
Overall, Chairmaker has made in every positive sense of the word, a living car crash of a listening experience. Anti-quiet, no breaks and a full assault of the senses, listening to Leviathan Carcass is like being kept up all night by the builders next door, you’ll get no sleep. As the sample in Half A Puppy says, “I think we’re all feeling some tension”. 7/10
Asira - As Ink In Water (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
If the information says that an album is for fans of Alcest, Steven Wilson, Opeth, Devin Townsend and Soen, then you have my attention. These comparisons are obvious when As Ink In Water, the second album from Asira begins with Science Of Mind.
Those melancholic, melodies and emotive vocals of Wilson start the track but in true progressive style it's not long before there's a blast of extremity and black metal screams (with some soprano from Lydia Williams behind it) then back to jazzy flourishes and the off time riffs. As Ink In Water comes a eight years after their debut album Efference, and while that one was a band showing their skills with a limited budget and time, this second record is a more mature, seasoned act who let these songs develop, the band say it's "eight years of emotional and musical exploration." Using their guitarist Martin Williams studio to explore ever inch of their music. They let these songs engulf you with the various influences, from English prog rock, through Scandinavian black metal, European shoegaze and even choral/classical music, these tracks carry plenty of emotion around them.
It's an album about humanity, every facet of it, through mental illness, death, trauma, they leave no stone unturned, in their exploration of the human condition, though expansive soundscapes, but never languishing in sadness, always focussed on hope. Vocalist Jack Reynolds provides angelic crooning for tracks such as In Sunrise which takes from Leprous and Haken. On the other side of the coin Martin Williams is the demonic growler, for the moments when it it all gets heavy.
Martin is also part of the guitar team as I said, locking in with Ethan Bishop as they move from tech metal riffs, to ambient atmospherics, trading off solos and melodies with virtuoso skill, mixing everything together with final song Still which reflects the inspirations of the opener. Alex Taylor gives the album it's bottom end, those jazzy grooves underpinning the sprawling experimental environment of As Ink In Water, as drummer Sam Greenland returns from the debut, giving depth and definition from behind the kit.
As Ink In Water follows up on Asira'a debut in epic style. Eight years in the making, they have sharpened their skills to create a near masterpiece. 9/10
Monograf – Occultation (Overhead Productions) [Martin Brown]
Occultation is the sound of something vast unfolding in perfect control. Monograf have taken the post-metal framework of long crescendos and tectonic shifts, rebuilding it with the precision and patience of progressive rock. Every movement breathes. Every rise and fall feels earned. Where so many bands chase heaviness, Monograf chase coherence, and the find it.
The production alone is striking. The record carries a wide dynamic range that’s rare in this era—quiet moments are truly quiet, giving the heavier surges a physical impact. The transitions between sections are seamless, each new layer introduced with care rather than shock. Guitars and folk-tinged textures expand and contract like a living thing, while the clean passages shimmer with an almost chamber-music stillness.
Martin is also part of the guitar team as I said, locking in with Ethan Bishop as they move from tech metal riffs, to ambient atmospherics, trading off solos and melodies with virtuoso skill, mixing everything together with final song Still which reflects the inspirations of the opener. Alex Taylor gives the album it's bottom end, those jazzy grooves underpinning the sprawling experimental environment of As Ink In Water, as drummer Sam Greenland returns from the debut, giving depth and definition from behind the kit.
As Ink In Water follows up on Asira'a debut in epic style. Eight years in the making, they have sharpened their skills to create a near masterpiece. 9/10
Monograf – Occultation (Overhead Productions) [Martin Brown]
Occultation is the sound of something vast unfolding in perfect control. Monograf have taken the post-metal framework of long crescendos and tectonic shifts, rebuilding it with the precision and patience of progressive rock. Every movement breathes. Every rise and fall feels earned. Where so many bands chase heaviness, Monograf chase coherence, and the find it.
The production alone is striking. The record carries a wide dynamic range that’s rare in this era—quiet moments are truly quiet, giving the heavier surges a physical impact. The transitions between sections are seamless, each new layer introduced with care rather than shock. Guitars and folk-tinged textures expand and contract like a living thing, while the clean passages shimmer with an almost chamber-music stillness.
The percussion deserves particular attention. The drums aren’t mechanical. They feel played, with shifts in touch and weight that mirror the emotional direction of the music. Cymbals swell and recede like waves. Rhythmic phrasing changes subtly across the album, engaging beautifully even in the longest tracks. Vocally, Occultation sits closer to progressive than post-metal tradition. The voice is restrained, sometimes buried, and occasionally flat. It’s the only real weakness, but even that understatement fits the album’s sense of contemplation. The vocals becomes another instrument within the structure, and a human thread amid the elemental sound.
What makes the record so effective is how naturally it builds. Every song begins from stillness and expands outward, adding instruments and harmonic depth until the release feels inevitable. There’s no gimmick, no forced climax; it’s architecture rendered in sound. For progressive listeners, this is post-metal with all the compositional intelligence and emotional pacing of the very best long-form albums. It’s heavy music that values movement over aggression, and patience over density.
What makes the record so effective is how naturally it builds. Every song begins from stillness and expands outward, adding instruments and harmonic depth until the release feels inevitable. There’s no gimmick, no forced climax; it’s architecture rendered in sound. For progressive listeners, this is post-metal with all the compositional intelligence and emotional pacing of the very best long-form albums. It’s heavy music that values movement over aggression, and patience over density.
Occultation is a beautifully produced, deeply felt album that rewards immersion from start to finish. It's a near-perfect example of what happens when precision and atmosphere finally find each other. 9/10
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