NTTR - No Time to Review

An oppressive and atmospheric black metal album, combining abrasive guitars, relentless drumming and ritualistic ambient passages into a dark and coherent musical experience. Fyrnask create some impressive moments of tension, but the dense production, repetitive arrangements and limited melodic development make the album more interesting for its atmosphere than for its individual compositions. With Íosir , German black metal project Fyrnask returns with its fifth studio album, following 2021's VII – Kenoma . The album explores a journey through death and the unknown, combining atmospheric black metal with ritualistic ambient passages and occasional doom influences. It's an ambitious concept, and the music certainly creates a convincing sense of darkness, although I find the result somewhat exhausting and not particularly memorable. What I appreciate most is the contrast between the aggressive black metal passages and the more restrained, almost ceremonial arrangements . The gui...

An enjoyable but rather conventional symphonic black metal album, combining aggressive guitars, elaborate keyboards and fantasy-inspired melodies with occasional clean vocals and orchestral arrangements. Stormkeep create an impressive atmosphere, and several compositions contain beautiful melodic passages, although the predictable songwriting, excessive arrangements and strong reliance on established genre conventions make the album less interesting than it initially appears. With The Nocturnes of Iswylm , American band Stormkeep return with their second studio album, following 2021's Tales of Othertime . Across seven compositions, they continue to explore their fantasy-inspired universe, combining melodic black metal with symphonic keyboards, dungeon synth influences and occasional clean vocals. It's a musical direction I generally appreciate, particularly when the melodies and atmospheric arrangements are strong enough to support the aggression. Here, however, I find the resu...

A delicate and intimate live recording, bringing together fifteen years of Ichiko Aoba's acoustic folk compositions, fragile vocals and atmospheric guitar arrangements. The performances are often beautiful, and the appearance of Anmi Yamada introduces some welcome variety, although the extremely restrained dynamics, repetitive atmosphere and excessive running time make the album considerably less engaging than its individual moments might suggest. With 15th Anniversary Concert , Japanese singer-songwriter Ichiko Aoba celebrates fifteen years of music with a concert recorded at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall in January 2025. Across twenty-one tracks, she revisits different periods of her career, accompanied for part of the performance by her mentor Anmi Yamada. It's a personal and carefully constructed retrospective, although I find the listening experience somewhat demanding, particularly because of its consistently restrained atmosphere. What I appreciate most is the simplicity...

With Dissolved in Time , Swedish band Kongh return after thirteen years with three compositions extending across almost forty minutes. Their combination of sludge, doom and atmospheric post-metal remains immediately recognisable, with massive guitar riffs, deliberate rhythms and extended instrumental developments. I appreciate the atmosphere and the power of the production, although I find the songwriting considerably less convincing. What I appreciate most is the contrast between the enormous guitar sound and the quieter psychedelic passages . The distorted riffs have an almost physical weight, while the atmospheric introductions and electronic textures provide some welcome space. The production is particularly effective, allowing the instruments to retain their character even during the heaviest sections. However, I sometimes feel that the band relies too heavily on the impact of its sound rather than developing sufficiently interesting compositions. "Staining the Ether" op...

A pleasant and intimate electronic album, combining Latin American folk traditions, organic percussion and warm synthesizers with a strong sense of atmosphere. The collaborations bring plenty of personality and the production is particularly enjoyable, although the restrained songwriting, limited rhythmic variety and short duration prevent the album from becoming more memorable. With Hogar , British producer Robin Perkins, better known as El Búho, returns with an album exploring the idea of home, not simply as a physical place but as something connected to memories, people and the feeling of belonging somewhere. It's a concept that fits his music particularly well, combining Latin American folk influences with contemporary electronics, field recordings and organic percussion. I appreciate the intention and the warmth of the arrangements, although I find the result somewhat uneven. What I appreciate most is the natural combination of traditional instruments and electronic production...

A pleasant and atmospheric post-rock album, combining delicate vocals, shimmering guitars and ambient textures with occasional powerful instrumental developments. Immanu El create some beautiful soundscapes, and the production is particularly enjoyable, although the relatively predictable structures, limited rhythmic variety and lack of memorable melodies make the album less engaging than I had hoped. With Woven Light , Swedish band Immanu El return with their seventh studio album, following 2021's Distance . The music combines atmospheric post-rock, dream pop and ambient influences, moving between delicate vocal passages and more expansive instrumental arrangements. It's a musical direction I generally appreciate, particularly when the melodies are strong enough to support the atmospheric developments. Here, however, I find the result somewhat uneven. What I appreciate most is the warmth and spaciousness of the arrangements . The guitars are heavily reverberated, the keyboards...