Recommended by @Elynescence.

When someone thinks of Neue Deutsche Härte, they'll immediately think of Rammstein, the prodigal son of the genre. If you're me, you're probably also thinking of Oomph, who came before and helped form the genre. Obviously, this genre which at its simplest is industrial metal + electronic, isn't just these two; you have others like Eisbrecher, Megaherz, Unheilig and Hämaton. And I confess, though the list might be small, I never came ... read more

Recommended by @ezkaton2000.

Now, here's the recommendation I was most excited about. Usually, the recommendations I get sent are either AOTY users' own projects or niche artists / albums people know I'll probably like. Such was the case for my first recommendation, Bent's "Ariels", and most of @Elynescence's recommendations, including the one I'll be getting to after this one. But this one is a first for me. This is a recommendation of an album I was ... read more

Recommended by @Brey.

Released in the second week of February, '[GAME NEVER ENDS]' is the lead single for his now released Electronic album "Fotokorinzu". While this album wasn't recommended to me (probably because I haven't even touched his single until now), this experimental / electronic song goes for seven and a half minutes of cleverly used chiptune with dashes of assorted electronic ideas thrown into this melting pot of proof-of-concept production that ... read more

Recommended by @B0AH.

And now I can finally dedicate some time to clear the recommendations I have been accumulating for months. I'm sorry for everyone that sent me recommendations so far, some of these are three months old but only now I have the time to actually check them out. Starting off, we have B0AH's debut project "GEARSHIFT", which released in January.

Eleven tracks plus a bonus one comprise this Instrumental Hip Hop / Rage project, and I definitely like this one ... read more

If LP3 was a cold dawn, LP4 is the long night.

I don't hide my love for American Football's perfect blend of Midwest emo and math rock that touch, no, grips the soul and heart in ways rarely seen. After seven years of waiting, Kinsella and Co. grace us with their crestfallen presence once more to the delight and sorrow of everyone involved. If you've read my LP3 review, which still remains as my favorite album from them, you'll know I have dived into what each LP felt like. ... read more

Quite a long ways from their last album, the Scots of Cnoc An Tursa make an unexpected comeback after nine years of total silence broken only last year to announce they were working on a new project. Lo-and-behold, that time is finally upon us; or it was a week ago. I promise this is the last of my tardy reviews for new releases.

I was pretty excited when I heard the news and then when 'Alba In My Heart' released. It might not have felt like the Cnoc An Tursa from "The Giants Of ... read more

It's been a hot minute since Failure was in the spotlight. Truly, it's been five years since their last effort, "Wild Type Droid", and silence has set in ever since. But no longer, as the iconic space rock / grunge / alt rock trio popped out of the woodwork to release their seventh album "Location Lost".

I wasn't expecting Failure to make a return after so long; even more so considering, like Alice In Chains, they have a historical hiatus on their record. ... read more

Three years since their heartfelt, powerful and surprisingly hard-hitting "But Here We Are", the Seattle's best-known come out to produce something so far removed from their previous work I'm honestly thinking if Dave Grohl is right in the head. This album is like the audio version of locking in for a serious talk and then resuming with silly, goofy antics.

Starting with 'Caught In The Echo', the pervasive garage rock revival sound takes over all the others. The ... read more

I was neither excited nor pessimistic about Skindred's ninth studio album. I've been a distant fan since ever on account of 'Nobody', but it was only a couple years ago I fully dived into their discography. While I do like some of their older albums, as the years pass I find myself noticing they put out a couple bangers here and there and don't release albums I can 100% get behind. This probably started with "Volume" for me, and "Big Tings", easily ... read more

And all things must come to an end.

I've kept a certain degree of hope that Lord Of The Lost's trilogy "OPVS NOIR" could've been the gothic injection they kind of needed to bounce back after "Blood & Glitter" and the cover LP "Weapons Of Mass Seduction". While it has been somewhat decent and enjoyable, particularly "Vol. 2", the third and final installment in the series leaves me aghast, uncertain of what their future might hold if ... read more

Perhaps my most anticipated album from this first quarter, alongside Hanging Garden's, "The Unyielding Season" is Winterfylleth's return to the center stage two years after their previous work. While my computer ordeal continues and my AOTY yearly subscription ends for a time, I'm still going to clean out every new album release that comes out, if not to pass time. But as I was saying, two years after the solid "The Imperious Horizon", the Manchester crew is ... read more

Another year, another Dance With The Dead release!

Like clockwork, the Californian duo have been steadily releasing an album every two years, with 2024's release being the lukewarm EP "Dark Matter", which I kind of liked. Now, four years after the latest LP, "Driven To Madness", "Malombra" comes to scratch a synthwave itch I'm left with after a weaker Carpenter Brut album earlier this year.

From the get-go, 'Beyond The Curse' brings a ... read more

I have made a couple Hanging Garden reviews now. I have been a fan for a couple years as well - ever since "The Garden" in fact. In these past reviews I've said they never really found their sound until "I Am Become" in 2017 or "Skeleton Lake" in 2021 at the latest, always sounding like a discount Swallow The Sun, Draconian or more prevalently, Insomnium. In light of this, I kept a cautious look towards their future, which seemed unassuming, per their release ... read more

It's been quite some time since Mongolian folk band The Hu skyrocketed into public view and swung hard with their debut, "The Gereg". This solid introduction was later dialed down into a boorish, more standard metal with their second album, "Rumble Of Thunder". But now, after a couple of collaborative EPs that were duds at best, they come out of the woodwork with "The Men", a short three track EP that gets my hopes up for their future.

Opening with the ... read more

It turns out my computer problems were not over. It turns out in my weeks-long isolation from music, I couldn't stand it no more and decided to write these missing reviews on my phone and listening to their YouTube Music version. And it turns out one of the albums I looked forward to the most dropped the ball unashamedly and unequivocally. Believe me it brings me no joy to declare that band are my countrymen Gaerea.

It's a long story. From the explosive rise with Limbo and Mirage, to ... read more

Today is the day I talk about Fires In The Distance's second and currently most recent album, "Air Not Meant For Us". I remember seeing this pop up in my AOTY front page when it came out. I remember falling victim to its large hype at the time and checking it out. I remember really vibing with it. And now, I remember once more why I like Fires In The Distance.

After their 2020 debut, "Echoes Of Deep November", the Connecticut group was hard at work, producing firstly a ... read more

Peering into Norway in the early 90s, the Scandinavian country was dominated by the black metal waves. But in the southern municipality of Nord-Odal in 1993, the siblings Agnete and BP Kirkevaag would form a little doom/gothic project called Mystery Tribe. This name would remain for four years until it changed to the one we know today, Madder Mortem. And not long after, in 1999, the first album "Mercury" came out under Misanthropy Records.

I don't remember how I came across ... read more

On this Friday the 13th, we are graced by Lamb Of God's tenth studio album, "Into Oblivion". Finally laying their iconic Papyrus typeface logo in favor of a simpler one that honestly fits the album cover better, I am forced to preface this review with the warning I haven't heard "Omens", the prior album, yet. As far as Lamb of God goes, they're a relatively recent addition and I've only heard mostly the earlier years; so forgive me if I can't really ... read more

Continuing down Broadcast's discography, we reach their third and final studio album, "Tender Buttons". While it wouldn't be their last release (compilation albums, a collaborative LP and an EP were still on their way), it's certainly their most memorable one. After a lot of the band quit, only two remained: Keenan herself and James Cargill. This allowed Broadcast to make their rawest sounding effort to date. Again, though I like "Haha Sound", "Tender ... read more

And now, the other half of "8/80", also sometimes titled as "8 Ou 80", has come out. While I wasn't all that blown away from the first disc, it was still a pleasantly enjoyable experience. Heading into this disc 2, way later than I intended, I find it to be more enjoyable than I would've estimated.

'ansiedade', the opener, has a smooth chill-pop touch in its instrumentals which is then complemented by Rita's good vocals. I confess I liked this one ... read more