Eight studio albums and 35 years behind them, Italian gothic doomsters Novembre are veterans of the genre, contemporaries of the Peaceville Three, they took have become one of the leading bands in this style in Europe.
Then they were named Catacomb but now they spread sadness under the Novembre guise releasing their last album, URSA in 2016, they took an extended break before commencing work on this new album Words Of Indigo.
It's the first album without longstanding guitarist Massimiliano Pagliuso, leaving just founding vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Carmelo Orlando from the early days of the band.
He's joined by Fabio Fraschini (bass), Alessio Erriu (guitar), Federico Albanese (guitar), and Yuri Croscenko (drums), this injection of new blood has meant that Words Of Indigo is perhaps the most diverse collection of introspection in their catalogue.
The songs are densely layered, crafted with care and passion to make sure the melodic elements interlink with the more ferocious death sounds that come in.
Though neither ever feels forced or overbearing, the opening track Sun Magenta, reintroduces you to Novembre with an anthemic start, big choruses and propulsive drive, the undercurrent of growls and death riffs coming underneath the gothic open chords.
From here it goes into Statue a track that owes a lot to the likes of Amorphis. Chiesa Dell’Alba and Onde are both on the lighter side as Ipernotte doubles down on the death blasts while Post Poetic comes with some acoustic moments.
Released via Peaceville (obviously), the mix and mastering was done by the legendary (an understatement) Dan Swanö, who, refines their sound into new levels, an impressive epic album that celebrates their 35 years brilliantly.
With the melodeath of Brontide Ann-Mari Edvardsen, (The 3rd & The Mortal) joins to bring added emotion to House Of Rain, which reminds me of Dogs by Pink Floyd.
Words Of Indigo sees Novembre deliver a multifaceted, emotionally resonant, atmospheric and fantastic ninth record. 9/10
The Devil's Trade - Nincs Szennyezetlen Szép (Pelagic Records)
Dávid Makóbis the driving force behind The Devil's Trade, forming the band in 2014, he takes the vocals, guitars and keys, having started the band as an acoustic based project that dealt with Americana, Hungarian folk and involved capturing the haunting emotional nature of these music traditions.
However he's also moved into heavier sounds with this project embracing post doom artists such as Neurosis and Amenra, firmly placing him on the Pelagic Records roster. With the fifth album Nincs Szennyezetlen Szép (There Is No Uncontaminated Beauty) being the heaviest so far.
An album about grief, between the death of his mother and the birth of his son was two weeks, emotions were high during the writing process and this is all brought out on this new record. He's joined by drummer Gaspar Binder and these songs manage to keep it sounding close and confidential while also having that cinematic and sprawling heaviness.
It's got a lot of similarities to a band such as Warning, That Dragged You Away, immediately with swathes of crushing hopelessness coming from the torrent of guitars and the aching baritone of Dávid ringing out for catharsis on Weltschmerz and All This Sadness Will Be Gone, vocally he carries the weight of Silvert Høyem and it makes these all-consuming tracks just that more evocative.
Another album I nearly missed and another one that is absolutely brilliant. If tear jerking post doom is your bag, the prepare for a blue Xmas with The Devil's Trade. 9/10
Caskets - The Only Heaven You'll Know (Sharptone Records)
Caskets are a band band on the cutting edge of the UK metal scene, having been critically acclaimed on their last two records they look to build the legacy with album three, The Only Heaven You'll Know.
The Post Hardcore crew from Leeds are about as modern as it gets with music these days, emotive lyrics are delivered with passion by vocalist Matt Flood, the angst and catharsis in his vocals means that on a track such as The Only Heaven You'll Know, you can feel his pain.
There's heavy inspiration from the post-hardcore scene here but there's plenty of modern metal riffage from Benji Wilson and Craig Robinson, who switch between atmospherics into muscular heaviness on Make Me A Martyr. With Wilson giving the lead guitars that add the melodies, Robinson shoulders a lot of the burden due to their lack of bass player.
Both l helped by the keys/synths that are now a part of every modern metal band, from the dancey beats on Closure and What Have I Become, the electronic beats are integral to The Only Heaven You'll Know as much as the guitar riffs, vocals or the huge drums from James Lazenby, who for me does some of his best work on the slower paced Save Us.
Caskets call The Only Heaven You'll Know an 'honest album' escaping from darkness and trying to pull yourself out of it, they put everything they have into al UK three, embracing their standing as one of the UKs best modern bands, retaining intimacy amongst the sky-scraping music, there's real, raw emotion on this record, much of it taken from Matt's personal experiences.
The Only Heaven You'll Know saw the band recording the record in L.A and they've adopted a cocksure swagger with album three, despite it's fragile lyrical themes, it's a bold and boisterous new release from Caskets. 8/10
Darktribe - Forgotten Reveries (Scarlet Records)
Another one for the, things we should have reviewed earlier this year. This time it's French band Darktribe, they play philosophical prog power metal which reminds me a lot of bands like Everygrey, Symphony X and DGM. The guitarist of the latter's Simone Mularoni has mixed and mastered the record to give it that modern sheen making sure that all the technicalities in the music can be heard.
An album about grief, between the death of his mother and the birth of his son was two weeks, emotions were high during the writing process and this is all brought out on this new record. He's joined by drummer Gaspar Binder and these songs manage to keep it sounding close and confidential while also having that cinematic and sprawling heaviness.
It's got a lot of similarities to a band such as Warning, That Dragged You Away, immediately with swathes of crushing hopelessness coming from the torrent of guitars and the aching baritone of Dávid ringing out for catharsis on Weltschmerz and All This Sadness Will Be Gone, vocally he carries the weight of Silvert Høyem and it makes these all-consuming tracks just that more evocative.
Another album I nearly missed and another one that is absolutely brilliant. If tear jerking post doom is your bag, the prepare for a blue Xmas with The Devil's Trade. 9/10
Caskets - The Only Heaven You'll Know (Sharptone Records)
Caskets are a band band on the cutting edge of the UK metal scene, having been critically acclaimed on their last two records they look to build the legacy with album three, The Only Heaven You'll Know.
The Post Hardcore crew from Leeds are about as modern as it gets with music these days, emotive lyrics are delivered with passion by vocalist Matt Flood, the angst and catharsis in his vocals means that on a track such as The Only Heaven You'll Know, you can feel his pain.
There's heavy inspiration from the post-hardcore scene here but there's plenty of modern metal riffage from Benji Wilson and Craig Robinson, who switch between atmospherics into muscular heaviness on Make Me A Martyr. With Wilson giving the lead guitars that add the melodies, Robinson shoulders a lot of the burden due to their lack of bass player.
Both l helped by the keys/synths that are now a part of every modern metal band, from the dancey beats on Closure and What Have I Become, the electronic beats are integral to The Only Heaven You'll Know as much as the guitar riffs, vocals or the huge drums from James Lazenby, who for me does some of his best work on the slower paced Save Us.
Caskets call The Only Heaven You'll Know an 'honest album' escaping from darkness and trying to pull yourself out of it, they put everything they have into al UK three, embracing their standing as one of the UKs best modern bands, retaining intimacy amongst the sky-scraping music, there's real, raw emotion on this record, much of it taken from Matt's personal experiences.
The Only Heaven You'll Know saw the band recording the record in L.A and they've adopted a cocksure swagger with album three, despite it's fragile lyrical themes, it's a bold and boisterous new release from Caskets. 8/10
Darktribe - Forgotten Reveries (Scarlet Records)
Another one for the, things we should have reviewed earlier this year. This time it's French band Darktribe, they play philosophical prog power metal which reminds me a lot of bands like Everygrey, Symphony X and DGM. The guitarist of the latter's Simone Mularoni has mixed and mastered the record to give it that modern sheen making sure that all the technicalities in the music can be heard.
I'd not heard the band before this and I'm not sure why that is as I'm usually on top of this style of prog power metal. I went back to them and the melodic elements on this record are much more pronounced. On Eden And Eclipse and From Star To Dust especially they deliver anthemic choruses where the vocals of Anthony Agnello soar with all the questions of life and death that they pose on this record.
Forgotten Reveries has some metallic power under the melodies, bassist Bruno Caprani and drummer Guillaume Morero move between the big whacks of galloping and groove on Mornings Of Fear. While on Kings In The Sand moving between these and the guitar driven melodies from Loïc Manuello, who also brings the synths and keys, giving Reality a pulse and Sea Of Illusion some drama.
While many may see Darktribe as another prog power band, if say that with this new record they're able to balance the anthemic moments with heavier ones. 8/10
Forgotten Reveries has some metallic power under the melodies, bassist Bruno Caprani and drummer Guillaume Morero move between the big whacks of galloping and groove on Mornings Of Fear. While on Kings In The Sand moving between these and the guitar driven melodies from Loïc Manuello, who also brings the synths and keys, giving Reality a pulse and Sea Of Illusion some drama.
While many may see Darktribe as another prog power band, if say that with this new record they're able to balance the anthemic moments with heavier ones. 8/10
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