agonia records

Album Review: Hanging Garden — “The Garden”

HeraLeave a comment
hanging garden - the garden album cover

It had been a few years since I properly listened to a Hanging Garden album, so when I heard they were releasing a new album this year, it made me want to see how and what the band was doing. Between this and their 2017 effort, the band had some line-up changes including a new vocalist, whose voice was featured in I Am Become, and expanded into what I like to call melodic death-doom. While I am heavily acquainted with death/doom – Swallow the Sun being one of the most prominent – this style of death-doom reminded me heavily of my favorite Draconian album, A Rose for the Apocalypse. Curiosity now fully piqued, I decided to see what The Garden was all about, and whether nostalgia was informing my enjoyment.

Spoiler alert: If this album is not a 2023 AOTY contender, someone come find me.

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Second Circle: Polymoon and Entropia

ZykloniusLeave a comment

In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.

It’s time for a heroic dose of heavy psychedelia administered by two of my old favorites that have found new imaginative pathways on their latest albums: Polymoon’s Chrysalis and Entropia’s Total.

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CANTO: Raum Kingdom, Tribunal, Grymmstalt, and More

CoreyLeave a comment


There are busy, but fun, days ahead! The metal news, however, is light and notably less fun this time of year.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

CANTO: Der Weg einer Freiheit, Blackbriar, …And Oceans, and More

CoreyLeave a comment


Last roundup this week! Enjoy, or don’t. I don’t care.

  • Bookending with Season of Mist today. A new song emerged from …And Oceans titled “Likt Törnen Genom Kött”, taken from As in Gardens, so in Tombs. That new album will be out on January 27.
  • Blackbriar have signed on with Nuclear Blast Records, as they work towards the release of their sophomore full-length effort. Today they unveiled a new track titled “Crimson Faces”, which you can check out here.
  • Dutch pagan and folk metal veterans Heidevolk are releasing Wedekeer on February 24 through Napalm Records. Today they unveiled “Klauwen Vooruit”, the video for which you can check out here.
  • Hour of Penance are re-releasing Misotheism on January 27 through Agonia Records. Originally released back in 2019, it will now be made available on CD, LP, and tape for the first time.
  • Let’s transition into the weekend with a new live video from Der Weg einer Freiheit for “Eiswanderer”. That footage was recorded during their last headlining tour with Regarde Les Hommes Tomber and Bizarrekult, this past September. And, of course, that track is taken from Stellar, my favorite Der Weg einer Freiheit album.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb

Initial Descent: June 12 – 18, 2022

JoshLeave a comment
Denouncement Pyre

By the time you read this I’ll be pushing sand and ocean waves through my toes on my annual ‘get the hell outta dodge for a week’ trip. Fear not, however, as my brothers in metal will be holding down the coffin. Too much? NAH, never too much in the land of all things extreme. You bet your ass I loaded some sweet tunes to jam to whilst beachside and some of which are from this week’s loaded stable of new releases. What exactly might these jams consist of you may ask, well… blackened death metallers Denouncement Pyre are back with a vicious slab of sinewy goodness, Tombs hit that metal of all sorts sweet spot on their all-too-quick EP, Inexorum offer up a delicious dish of black metal, Consecration get the lead out death doom style, and there’s many more in the list that follows to sink your fangs into. Nothing left to do now except to go GET SOME. Happy hunting and we’ll be seeing you here throughout the week. Oh, and yes I will bring you back a good sunburn…

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