If you’re going to name your band Dimscûa and specifically instruct your audience that it is not pronounced "Dim Skewer" you’re already establishing a sense of distance. You’re asking the listener to do a bit of legwork before the first chord even rings out.
Hailing from the relatively leafy environment of Berkshire, UK, this trio has managed to craft a four-track EP in Dust Eater that feels entirely disconnected from the suburban sprawl, opting instead for a brand of atmospheric sludge and post-metal that feels like it was excavated from a much older, much bleaker landscape.
The record begins with Elder Bairn, a nearly eight-minute immersion that serves as a masterclass in sustained tension. The guitars don't just provide a riff; they create a climate. It’s a slow-burning opening that allows the "atmospheric" side of their post-metal tag to really settle into the room, building a sense of ancient, heavy-set dread that feels more like a physical weight than a musical genre.
The title track, The Dusteater, is where the "sludge" element truly shows its teeth. It moves with a glacial, sticky momentum and there’s a specific grit that refuses to be polished away. The vocals are cavernous, buried just deep enough in the mix to sound like they’re fighting against a rising tide of distortion. It’s a relentless, rhythmic chug that captures the exhaustion of the titular "dust eater," leading directly into the existential crisis of Existence/Futility.
What’s impressive here is the band’s refusal to rush. Existence/Futility isn't interested in a quick payoff; it’s a study in layering and texture, where the "futility" isn't just a lyrical theme but a sonic environment. The production is raw and unvarnished, allowing the natural friction of the instruments to speak for itself. It feels honest, a record made by people who understand that in post-metal, the atmosphere is the message.
The true tectonic heart of the EP, however, is the finale: On Being And Nothingness. Clocking in at over ten minutes, it’s a sprawling, ambitious bit of songwriting that finally allows the band to stretch their legs. It’s a cinematic descent that moves from a contemplative, almost fragile opening into a wall of feedback that eventually just... collapses.
By the time the final vibration of On Being And Nothingness fades, the lore is complete. Dimscûa hasn't just delivered a "post-metal" EP; they’ve documented a state of mind. It’s a heavy, thoughtful bit of survival that suggests Berkshire has a far darker undercurrent than the postcards would have you believe. 8/10
Suplecs - Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
Suplecs are a band I never thought I would hear from again. I remember buying one of their CDs purely based on the wrestling themed album cover and it being in the “Heavy Meal” section at my local store at the time. I absolutely loved it, and tried to get all I could from the band.
The record begins with Elder Bairn, a nearly eight-minute immersion that serves as a masterclass in sustained tension. The guitars don't just provide a riff; they create a climate. It’s a slow-burning opening that allows the "atmospheric" side of their post-metal tag to really settle into the room, building a sense of ancient, heavy-set dread that feels more like a physical weight than a musical genre.
The title track, The Dusteater, is where the "sludge" element truly shows its teeth. It moves with a glacial, sticky momentum and there’s a specific grit that refuses to be polished away. The vocals are cavernous, buried just deep enough in the mix to sound like they’re fighting against a rising tide of distortion. It’s a relentless, rhythmic chug that captures the exhaustion of the titular "dust eater," leading directly into the existential crisis of Existence/Futility.
What’s impressive here is the band’s refusal to rush. Existence/Futility isn't interested in a quick payoff; it’s a study in layering and texture, where the "futility" isn't just a lyrical theme but a sonic environment. The production is raw and unvarnished, allowing the natural friction of the instruments to speak for itself. It feels honest, a record made by people who understand that in post-metal, the atmosphere is the message.
The true tectonic heart of the EP, however, is the finale: On Being And Nothingness. Clocking in at over ten minutes, it’s a sprawling, ambitious bit of songwriting that finally allows the band to stretch their legs. It’s a cinematic descent that moves from a contemplative, almost fragile opening into a wall of feedback that eventually just... collapses.
By the time the final vibration of On Being And Nothingness fades, the lore is complete. Dimscûa hasn't just delivered a "post-metal" EP; they’ve documented a state of mind. It’s a heavy, thoughtful bit of survival that suggests Berkshire has a far darker undercurrent than the postcards would have you believe. 8/10
Suplecs - Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
Suplecs are a band I never thought I would hear from again. I remember buying one of their CDs purely based on the wrestling themed album cover and it being in the “Heavy Meal” section at my local store at the time. I absolutely loved it, and tried to get all I could from the band.
This was around 2002. Not hearing anything about them for many years after that, I pretty much gave up on the band still being a thing. Fast forward to last year, when Ripple Music swoops in to not only announce reissues of the band’s amazing back catalog but also a new record from the band, which is why we are all here today, to discuss a new freaking Suplecs record! Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky is the first new material from the band since 2011 and we should all be grateful to have more Suplecs material in our lives.
If you are not familiar with the New Orleans trio, they give out a high energy, stoner metal with punk rock leanings sound that just rips. Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky is twelve tracks of ripper after ripper, both punk and fuzzy, with the killer track I See You being the perfect meld of all of the stuff Suplecs do well. The opener, Got Nothing, is more straight up heavy stoner rock, with fuzzy riffs and a killer groove. Lead vocalist and bassist Danny Nick spent some time in Eyehategod, and you can certainly hear a bit of that influence in the almost sludgy Forest Of Fire.
If you are not familiar with the New Orleans trio, they give out a high energy, stoner metal with punk rock leanings sound that just rips. Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky is twelve tracks of ripper after ripper, both punk and fuzzy, with the killer track I See You being the perfect meld of all of the stuff Suplecs do well. The opener, Got Nothing, is more straight up heavy stoner rock, with fuzzy riffs and a killer groove. Lead vocalist and bassist Danny Nick spent some time in Eyehategod, and you can certainly hear a bit of that influence in the almost sludgy Forest Of Fire.
Speaking of, the six-minute Damn These Pills is like a sludgy Fu Manchu, which is as cool as you think it may be. I love the riff on the song Mountain, and the punk comes out in the band on $6 Man. The trio gets melody too, sounding like a stoner rock Descendants on Heartless Bodies. I really dig the closer, La Ti Da, which has a surprise horn section and a serious New Orleans death march vibe.
I am so happy to have Suplecs back. I can’t wait for people to hear their old stuff that Ripple is re-releasing, but don’t sleep on the new material on Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky, because the 2025 version of the band is as killer as the stuff from the turn of the century. 8/10
Clawfinger – Before We All Die (Perception) [Cherie Curtis]
Clawfinger are no strangers to the scene with an extensive career in their back pockets so much so; they have previously toured with the likes of Anthrax and Alice In Chains. Clawfinger now has presented us with 12 loud and extremely defiant anthems. Each track is a furious middle finger to crappy world leaders and holds up a mirror to hold accountable those who are ignorant to what’s now suffering the consequences of inaction.
Before We All Die, is essentially a protest of our current world structure with themes such as the world's environmental crisis, fascism as well as personal issues like self-mortality, complacency and finding inner–directed free thinking. The album itself is quite short; 12 tracks seem like a fair amount but with a run time of about 3 to 4 minutes per track, it’s easy to get through, and it doesn’t take away from the overall hefty substance the album provides.
This one is emotionally charged and fiery, with substantial depth that’s handled expertly to feel raw and honest without coming across as either preachy or performative. This album is endlessly energetic and biting with a much-needed morbid sense of humour, and what really stands out is that even while the overall message is dire, there is an undercurrent of hope that feels like a complete riot – It's very fun.
Clawfinger in style feels nostalgic; it’s very late 90s rap metal mixed with old school alternative rock that shines through in the catchy choruses and punky earworm hooks. Clawfinger is a melting pot of genres with deep and distorted instrumentals and sharp, whiny riffs contrasted with slow paced 90s rap style drums. This isn’t something I would usually listen too but I'm glad I did because these guys are indescribably interesting.
As a whole, Before We All Die is brutally honest, grisly and disorganized in the best way possible. Its delivery is forceful and invigorating, and the different styles mashed together make for an overall satisfying listen. 9/10.
Internal Decay - Fires Of The Forgotten (Hammerheart Records) [Mark Young]
Returning with new music, their first in 30 years, Internal Decay have dropped a tidy 3 track EP that shows that to them, writing melodic death metal that still sounds fresh is the same as breathing for the rest of us. I’m assuming that the three tracks are acting in much the same way as dipping your toes in the water. Is there an appetite for them? Well, there is based on the three songs here.
Fires Of The Forgotten (Dance Upon Your Grief) leads us off and is replete with all of those chef kiss melodic moments you might expect from them. It eschews velocity for an arrangement that looks to make its point using deft touches rather than hammer blows. It is a cracker, a blend that doesn’t forget that you need a little brutality in there to keep the momentum going. I’d mentioned elsewhere that February has shown signs of 2026 finally waking up, with some quality extreme metal coming through.
You can add Internal Decay to that list. A Demon’s Bow opens with a gentle piano led segment that gradually makes way for the guitars. It’s a bit more in the face than Fires, and I’m perfectly happy with that. It dives in with great use of atmosphere, not overladen with it but used enough to give it a difference. There is quality descending line around the 2minute mark, with cleans used to support. It’s a grand song, with an expansive and in some respects epic feel to it.
Both of these lead us to Dying Wish, the closing track that further refines that methodical and melodic approach. Its position as the end track is no mistake, its set up perfectly to properly show off that you don’t always need super-speed. There is a killer lead break here too, which just arrives at the right time, does its thing and leaves. It’s the attention to detail that gives the EP its strength.
My main take from this is that there is more where this came from, should they so desire it. Appreciate that its only three songs to go off, but if you consider that they are three well crafted and delivered melodic tracks, which you can’t go far wrong with. 7/10
My main take from this is that there is more where this came from, should they so desire it. Appreciate that its only three songs to go off, but if you consider that they are three well crafted and delivered melodic tracks, which you can’t go far wrong with. 7/10
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