avant-garde metal

Album Review: Thy Catafalque — “Vadak”

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thy catafalque - vadak

I will say this again, louder this time: Tamás Kátai has one of the most impressive and extensive musical catalogs, standing on par with the likes of both Devin Townsend and Colin Marston, which makes him one of the hardest-working musicians in this industry. Also, to no one’s surprise, I am here once again talking about my love for Thy Catafalque and how ecstatic I was when I heard that the band was releasing a new album. Having loved last year’s Naiv, I knew Vadak was going to exceed my expectations and further show how music can be expanded across textures, sounds, and atmosphere into a cohesive experience worth its runtime – a true avant-garde metal staple.

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Thy Catafalque’s Tamás on “Vadak,” creating music on a Commodore Amiga, the art of blending multiple styles and genres, and much more!

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Photo by Orsolya Karancz

Thy Catafalque hold the great distinction of simply sounding like no other band out there.  Hot off the heels of their stunning 2020 release Naiv comes Vadak, and it’s no secret to say the entire 9C crew is in the bag for more twisting songs that break genre convention yet maintain a level of heaviness that will induce even the most discerning of metalheads to thrash with abandon.

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The Path to Paradise Begins in Hell — Avant-Garde Metal

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The Path to Paradise Begins In Hell

Surprise! Thought you had seen the last of me, huh?

Well, joke’s on you.

I am not dead. I have just been incredibly busy and now I return to bestow upon you more stories about listening to different genres. The story will soon end, but I have such sights to show you in the meantime.

Now that I have graduated and have more free time, I can talk about the more important things in life: the weirdness of music. Granted, my journey coming into this genre has been an interesting one, and while I aim to show you things that most people aren’t familiar with, I also want people to listen to these albums. Thus, I started with albums that have less barriers to cross than others that I will mention for the sake of the story.

It’s time we talk about Avant-Garde Metal.

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Receiving the Evcharist: Lament Cityscape and Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale

Angela Block1 Comment
Receiving the Evcharist 2018

Hello friends!  Happy Friday and Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate.  Christmas is a wonderful day to partake in a boozy beverage whether you are with family/friends, or keeping it tight in quarantine.  I was determined to find a Christmas-related libation for this column, and I was able to do just that!  This week’s offerings:  Lament Cityscape‘s The Old Wet and Great Lakes Brewing Company‘s Christmas Ale.  Enjoy and have a happy, healthy holiday!

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Album Review: Imperial Triumphant — “Alphaville”

Ian1 Comment

In a romantic sense, New York City embodies a perfect sampling of America.  Opulence and poverty, history and revision, thriving culture and commodified gentrification, honesty and corruption, passionate vision and stubborn ignorance, grandeur and insignificance — all these things come together to make up a city that is as beloved for its endless opportunity and diversity in people and worldviews as it is reviled for its deep-seated association with power, money and depravity.  Imperial Triumphant have taken it on themselves to tell the whole story of the city they call home, and Alphaville is the next chapter in that tale. Continue reading →