Arcturus took a decade off of creating studio albums after Sideshow Symphonies and have returned with this, a pretty solid release which, though it lacks any fully-fledged epics (with all the song lengths at less than six minutes), still offers a confection of progressive-minded metal with symphonic and black metal touches, with the inclusion of an actual string section really allowing them to bring their symphonic aspect to the fore. Sebastian Grouchot guests on violin and adds a nicely melancholic touch to pieces such as "Crashland".
Like the preceding Sideshow Symphonies, this does not feel like as striking and groundbreaking a release as any of their first three studio albums (up to and including the classic Sham Mirrors)…

Disguised Masters was created more as a sinful pleasure for the die-hard fans, rather then a strange, marketable album, for which the band is usually known. Only a few of the tracks should even be considered metal. Arcturus, being the eccentric bunch they are, instead provide listeners with one new track, "Deception Genesis," which is very similar in style to La Masquerade, and a series of techno/hip-hop/industrial remixes from the aforementioned album. Don't misunderstand, it is an interesting album, just very different. For the most part, it is an instrumental album, minus the new track, the re-recording of Aspera Hiems Symfonia's "Du Nordavind," and the gangsta-rap remix of "Master of Disguise" (who knew Garm had it in him!). This makes a challenging listen for those new to Arcturus and their brand of brain-numbing madness, better known as symphonic metal.

A graceful mixture of classical majesty and black-metal brooding and aggression, Aspera Hiems Symfonia is a powerhouse album chock full of charged riffs, sinister chants and howls, and some wonderfully foreboding atmospheres. "Wintry Grey" is a metal tune worthy of the Clockwork Orange soundtrack.

Over its first three albums (if you include the "remix" disc Disguised Masters), Arcturus established a pattern of radically changing its sound each time, a trend that continues with The Sham Mirrors, the band's third "official" studio album. The constant thread throughout all the group's work, and again here, comes from keyboardist/songwriter Steiner "Sverd" Johnsen, whose sinister, often carnival-esque harmonies and dramatic synth arrangements have a pretty clear stamp by now. Beyond that, though, comparisons to other Arcturus albums are difficult. For one thing, the drums and guitars are heavier and more forceful than ever before, and there is more of a traditional metal foundation on this album than on its predecessor, the bizarre, operatic La Masquerade Infernale…

Never has a more apt title for a release been used. Arcturus have looked at the rule book, and although they haven't actually ripped it up and started again, they have taken its core, twisted, manipulated and totally transformed the damn thing. Okay, other bands have tried this, most of whom have fallen flat on their arses in the process, which is where Arcturus differ dramatically. This is sensational stuff. Dipping in and out of elegant dreamy sound scapes that fit perfectly into the mix. Nothing sounds out of place, although in turn nothing sounds like anything before it. Comparisons shouldn't really be identified in any review because to be honest there isn't really anything relevant in the current scene. This is original, majestic and a true piece of modern day art…

Arcturus, like only a few bands, during their career managed to change their sound on every album. The famous debut album is a classic Symphonic Black Metal release, but 1997's "La Masquerade Infernale" is everything but Black Metal. Garm's shrieking is put aside, (Garm himself actually is) letting G.Wolf do the job, with the occasional help of ICS Vortex on a few tracks. Black Metal being gone, Arcturus create a strange, unique sound that is surely metal sounding, but it doesn't have its attitude, not one bit. For starters the music is very theatrical, especially in the weird vocals, high pitched and sort of operatic. The music is very orchestrated, meaning that all the instruments, keyboards, strings, guitars, vocals, have all a very classical attitude when playing, keyboards being the main attraction. The combination of instruments, or more accurately the music itself, is changing pretty frequently, a characteristic that can be found in a lot of Avant-Garde Metal…

The new studio album from the Japanese legends. An opus of dark and eclectic Blackened Heavy Metal, shrouded in traditional Eastern influences.
"Shiki" marks the latest chapter in the Sigh legacy, and includes some of the band’s heaviest and darkest material for some years; a fine hybrid of at times primitive black metal akin to early influences such as Celtic Frost amid more epic melodic heavy metal riffing and solos. The album also utilises a whole host of instruments to give further texture and dynamics to the compositions and eerie atmosphere, incorporating traditional oriental instruments such as the Shakuhachi & Sinobue flutes.

Free Salamander Exhibit is a 5-piece progressive band comprising members of the now defunct art rockers Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Employing a variety of homemade instruments in addition to guitars, bass, and drums, Free Salamander Exhibit doles out barbed rhythms, pungent harmonies, and itchy textures that are somewhat softened by occasionally lyrical and even joyful interludes. With lyrics exploring the slippery passage of time, the fantastical visions of Joyce, and the prison musings of Leonard Peltier, Free Salamander Exhibit delivers a thought-provoking, cathartic experience for the eyes, ears and mind.

The Diablo Swing Orchestra dates back to 1501 in Sweden, where history tells the tale of an orchestra that played like no other. With music so seductive and divine that the ensemble overwhelmed audiences all over the country, and people from all social classes took them to their hearts. Their performances rapidly earned a reputation of being feral and vigorous and gained the orchestra a devoted crowd that followed them around…

The audio + video release of Mr. Bungle's 2020 livestream event, The Night They Came Home. Includes performances of songs from their album, The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo, along with cover songs, official music videos, behind-the-scenes bonus features and celebrity guest cameos…

Thy Catafalque’s humble genius Tamás Kátai abandons any and all prenotions of tradition. Intertwining elements from a vast swath of unrelated genres, from jazz to pop to folk, and everything in between, Thy Catafalque masterfully crafts an eclectic sound that breaks down any generic barriers or borders. Following the massive success of 2020’s critically-acclaimed ‘Naiv,’ the entity returns with "Vadak," another esoteric monument in its already storied catalog. At its core, "Vadak" expresses the familiar hallmarks that are unique to only Thy Catafalque, and yet, it is an unpredictable magnum opus, showcasing the latest evolution from Kátai and his esteemed co-conspirators. The album puts forth an elegance that cannot be matched or rivaled by any musical contemporary, taking fans on an adventure that is rife with excitement, drama, and unbridled craftsmanship.

The stark frailty of the human condition is the overall theme running through the veins of KAYO DOT's 10th regular studio album "Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike". In the sprawling, churning musical multiverse of mainly multi-instrumentalist Toby Driver's creation that has never accepted nor cared for any artificial borders of genre and incorporated for example rock, metal, classical music, goth, indie, pop, and jazzy structures, this avant-garde album appears to tilt towards a more harsh as well as heavy approach than on some of the previous recordings – and considering its dark and melancholic undertones may be given the epithet doom.

Townsend: "So what is The Puzzle?.. well, its not technically my new record, it's more a collaborative, multimedia art project that acts as a stopgap between Empath and the next record, Lightwork (due out in March of next year on Inside Out Records). The Puzzle includes two 'soundtracks' of sorts (the highly orchestrated 'Puzzle' and the very chill 'Snuggles') along with a film, graphic novel, novel, and a huge amount of multimedia. It includes many artists (upwards of 50) that participated via Zoom during the pandemic and the experience gave me a chance to purge and be completely creatively free. As such, it is a stream of conscious, and very abstract collection of music that includes a narrative (in the form of a film) and is meant to be a documentation of what the pandemic felt like to me.

Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole is the fifth studio album by Swedish avant-garde metal band Diablo Swing Orchestra. It was released on 2 November 2021 via Candlelight Records. The album combines elements of jazz, swing, classical, and progressive rock with just about everything in between. The band push musical boundaries to the extreme with humor, creativity, and a healthy dose of positive aggression. Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole is by far their most ambitious undertaking and which pays tribute to all four previous releases. DSO once again teamed up with producer Roberto Laghi (In Flames, Hardcore Superstars) who has become somewhat of the ninth member of the orchestra.

Townsend: "So what is The Puzzle?.. well, its not technically my new record, it's more a collaborative, multimedia art project that acts as a stopgap between Empath and the next record, Lightwork (due out in March of next year on Inside Out Records). The Puzzle includes two 'soundtracks' of sorts (the highly orchestrated 'Puzzle' and the very chill 'Snuggles') along with a film, graphic novel, novel, and a huge amount of multimedia. It includes many artists (upwards of 50) that participated via Zoom during the pandemic and the experience gave me a chance to purge and be completely creatively free. As such, it is a stream of conscious, and very abstract collection of music that includes a narrative (in the form of a film) and is meant to be a documentation of what the pandemic felt like to me."