shoegaze

Album Review:  Holy Fawn — “Dimensional Bleed”

Angela BlockLeave a comment

Blooming into something strong and dynamic, combining elements of shoegaze, rock, metal, electronic, and more, Holy Fawn are back with their sophomore full-length album Dimensional Bleed.  Getting into their stride, this release brings something a little new and a little more experimental while still showcasing the sounds and vibe fans fell for in the band’s debut.  Dimensional Bleed offers electronic and ambient passages that feel cosmic and otherworldly, while at the same time grounding listeners with lyrical themes around death, nature, and the cosmos.  The dynamic between the music and the lyrics make for an immersive and enlightening experience making this album something special and Holy Fawn a creative force to indulge in.

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Rainbows in the Dark: Pencey Sloe — “Neglect”

VincentLeave a comment

I have not been listening to much, if any metal in the month of August at all. What started as a lack of interest in the vast majority of new releases coming out turned into a sort of challenge for myself to see how deeply I could dive into my other musical passions. As briefly mentioned on our last Album of the Month podcast episode, 2022 has seen me reignite my love for, and attempt to fill in, the gaps in my knowledge of the classics of goth rock, and August has seen that expand via exploring the venerable 4AD records roster, to include early 90s shoegaze as well. Through discovering classics I had previously missed like Ride’s Nowhere and Pale Saints’ The Comforts of Madness to revisiting old favorites like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine, I remembered just how much I really enjoy shoegaze outside of when it mixes with black metal. It felt like a good portent, then I saw the promo for Pencey Sloe‘s Neglect coming out when my fervor for the genre was at its height.

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Album Review: Astronoid — “Radiant Bloom”

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astronomic - radiant bloom

Sometimes it’s all about refinement. You take a thing, you make something of it and the people take a look and say, “yeah, that’s it!” But you know it’s not, and if you can just whittle a little more away from the body you know you’ll see it. You try again, and some folks look and say “Eh, that’s not what I thought it was going to be.” Still others come by and exclaim “yeah, that’s IT!” But you know there’s more to pare away. Astronoid have been at this sonic whittling session since 2012, and on their third full length Radiant Bloom the quartet have further sliced away more of the abrasive, metallic bits. What is left is still recognizable as Astronoid (it really couldn’t be anything else), but honed to a point where I think the band can sit back and marvel at the sonic sculpture they’ve exposed, even if it’s only until a further turn unearths another form the band wishes to explore.

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Album Review:  Mur — “Cut The Rivers Vein”

Angela BlockLeave a comment

Heavy doom riffs, wailing clean vocals, menacing growls, sludge textures, black metal interludes, and dark acoustic folk guitar—what more could a girl want?  Mur has delivered all of these eclectic elements into the six-track album Cut The Rivers Vein and I am here for it.  Even more impressive than this combination and the music itself is the fact that it was all created by one individual.  Cam Sather is the mastermind behind Mur and his latest release is a creative cumulation of heavy Romantic-era themes, quiet folk passages, hypnotic soundscapes, and head-banging metal dramatics.

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Album Review: Low Flying Hawks — “Fuyu”

Angela BlockLeave a comment

Masters of shoegaze, Low Flying Hawks, have returned with their third full-length release and final part of their musical trilogy centering on the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphos, King of Corinth.  The story is of the trickster king who cheated death twice and was then punished by the gods to spend eternity pushing a massive rock up a hill.  Every time he neared the top, the rock slipped and rolled back down for him to start the grueling process over again.  This conclusion album titled Fuyu means “winter” in Japanese and centers on the ups and downs and struggle of life.  It is an emotive and beautiful album that stands perfectly on its own while also acting as the last piece of the puzzle in the band’s five-year long project.

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