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The post The Number Ones: The Cast Of <em>Encanto</em>‘s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” appeared first on Stereogum.

Mastodon's Brann Dailor discusses his fondness for the 1986 film 'River's Edge,' how it received a nod on the 'Marrow Deep' album and how it played into his friendship with Joey Jordison. Continue reading…

“Sorceress”, the latest new single from Mistress Of Our Time‘s forthcoming studio record Watcher, is out now and available for streaming with an official music video.
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A decade after the release of their debut album Seraphical Euphony, Swedish melodic death black metal operatives Hyperion are now ready to unleash the new one. Dubbed Elysia, it will be set free later this year through via Willowtip Records. Cover artwork and tracklist can be checked out below.
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You already know that Opeth has the Sweden spot, but WHICH Opeth album did we pick?! Continue reading…

Who is this man who bears a pentagram and drapes his horse with astrological signs? Why does he carry a scythe, and why is he wearing armor? What does he see in the distance beyond the farmland? As the face of Armageddon Scars—debut LP of Louisiana sludge-doom duo Fane—he stands as a symbol for its contents, “[e]xploring themes of endurance, damage, and aftermath” by referencing an old world perhaps not so dissimilar from the present one. We may not get answers to our opening questions, but Fane’s musical expression can speak for itself. But in this genre epitomised by down-tuned dourness, is what it says any less vague and unanswerable?

Armageddon Scars sounds exactly like you think it does: a bit fuzzy, a bit wobbly, steady, sometimes groovy, but all in moderation. It finds some middle point between the promo’s advertised YOB, Primitive Man, and Crowbar, which manages to be quite listenable despite how that may sound. There’s a consistent atmosphere of stoicism, formed through the variously soft and spikey aspects of stoner-adjacent guitar drawls and grittier sludge chugs, that’s more than endearing. As opener “Flatline” fades in through the chirping of crickets and muted chords, this feeling starts to increase, augmented by the biting gutturals that take the lead and the tempo upshift that is echoed in the consistent turns of the album’s remainder.

Fane come into their own with a textured hook and the coalescence of passion with rhythmic delivery. It takes a while to get there, but “Flatline”‘s lead refrain hits a satisfying groove in its blended stoner-sludge riffs and crashing cymbals; “Poisoned Crown” fares better in delivery speed and general quality, but you do have to wait until the end of the album to reach its syncopated percussion and drawling soloing. This percussion is consistently enjoyable to listen to, but hits best when the album steps out of the template just a tad and messes with patterns (“Flatline,” “Passages”). Likewise, while Armageddon Scars remains melodically driven by simple yet effective riffing—and the theme in “Mariner” stands out particularly here—it’s usually when Fane mix in a little more dissonance or complexity that their solid base feels strongest. A guitar line whose twisting dissonance (“Dead Shepherd”), or high mirroring of another (“Flatline”) adds welcome urgency and intrigue. The bouts of atmosphere in the mix—to bring in the sounds of the sea, introduce the opening chords, or cloak the album’s only true solo—also contrasts nicely with the more solid foundation. When screams pitch above the fracas for vicious (“Passages,” “Mariner”) or agonised (“Dead Shepherd”) emphasis, they successfully pull their sober surroundings up with them, whose weight then lends these moments the punch they need.

Yet despite such signs, Armageddon Scars falters in large part because it fails to distinguish itself. There’s a fine line between a reassuring familiarity and staleness, and Fane fall on the bad side more often than not, with the bulk of the riffing and rhythms occupying that middle Venn diagram of their influences. It’s seemingly not for lack of imagination or skill, as the above indicates the band are experimenting a little and adding at least some layers and elements of darkness, atypicality, or poignancy. What’s there is just not enough to counteract how quickly the admittedly good rhythms and refrains lose their vivacity, and sometimes it even goes badly, as with the spoken-word (“Mariner,” “Passages”) that comes across as bland and non-committal. Perhaps the album’s greatest compliment just is its commitment to a singular sound and the fact that Fane have still made it just that bit more modern, but it feels like a shame in the face of their evident efforts beyond this.

Armageddon Scars is a strong album buried in a forgettable one. There’s enough to it that any fans of this sludge-doom sound will likely find something to believe in, even though it doesn’t convince me personally. Fane may have a brilliant journey and mysteries to unravel ahead of them, but currently there appears to be only unexplained adornments on a well-trodden scene.

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Rating: Mixed
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta Records (Octopus Rising)
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: August 28th, 2026

The post Fane – Armageddon Scars Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Album Review: Green Lung – Necropolitan

Reviewed by Matthew Williams

After a majestic headlining performance at this year’s Desertfest London armed with new track “Evil in This House”, Green Lung signalled their return to live action. Having seen them several times over the past few years, at Gorilla and the O2 Ritz in Manchester, they’ve grown in stature and this album could prove to be the most pivotal in their career.

The London quintet has a more polished and professional sound on this, their fourth album, which will attract new listeners, but will it turn off their loyal fanbase? Dominating the stage at The Roundhouse in May, frontman Tom Templar looked every inch the rock god as the rest of the band matched his level to give notice that this is a band who are destined to take over arenas and stadiums in the not-too-distant future.

They welcome us all into their world with the mysterious and alluring “Open to Hellmouth” as their love letter to Gothic London begins. The album title comes from the seven garden cemeteries (necropolis) all built in the Victorian era, which circle the city, and we get to hear Templar in full flight on “Dance to the Grave”. He immediately takes you back to that time with haunting and enthralling vocals, but it’s the organ from John Wright, which gives the song real impetus, before Scott Black takes over with a doomy solo that had me smiling.

We were given warning of the heavier, Sabbath/Priest inspired sounds from one of their previously released single, “Black Magick Radio” and what impresses me most is the swirling hammond and haunting melodies which adorn the music. Yet somehow, it still feels raw and passionate with their thirst for the occult and macabre shining through. This leads into the epic “Necropolitan Lane” where Motorhead meets Deep Purple head on, with lyrics inspired by the real-life Necropolis Railway which transported the dead beneath the city in the early 20th century.

The steady rhythm section of bassist Joseph Ghast and drummer Matt Wiseman allows Wright and Black to explore an array of expansive tones to deliver one of the standout tracks, just before lead single “Evil in this House”. This is a bruising song, full of gloomy intent and powerful vocals, which draws you into the narrative with more epic organ undertones and guitar solos. They doff their collective caps to Alice Cooper on “Together in Death” which adds a Baroque touch to the album, with a ballad that fits in perfectly.

They open a different musical adventure with “Ozymandis” as the percussion arrangements are inspired by 70’s Afrobeats but the guitar riff is still crunchy, as they muse upon an 1818 sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This is one of many songs where their storytelling technique shines through, with a joyous jazzy solo section before they enhance their growing reputation for creative and lyrical flair by using narration from Castle Rat’s Riley Pinkerton on “Alostrael (Be My Babalon)”.

The curtain falls with the epic “To The Gallows Born”, a song inspired by stories of the Tyburn gallows, which has an fervent 70’s feel to it, with a modern twist. Green Lung have returned and are fully prepared to carry the torch for British Heavy Metal, and they aren’t afraid to mix things up with a truly grandiose finale.

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The post Album Review: Green Lung – Necropolitan appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

We recently caught up with punk rock poet Andrea Janov, featured in the latest Ten Poets #3 (Earth

Their just-announced expanded reissue of 1979's 'Head Games' will arrive partway through this run of concerts. Continue reading…

Less than a month prior the release od their debut record Violent Visions, blackened thrashers Ludgar offer in listening the third advance single “Serpents Poison”.
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