Under the needle

A Pale Horse Named Death wandered into doom metal’s brooding Asphodel Fields back in 2011. The poetically-named outfit was formed in New York by Sal Abruscato, a former drummer with Type O Negative, on the back of the collective outpouring of grief - and consequent dissolution of the band - following the tragic death of frontman Peter Steele. While Pale Horse’s offerings are suffused with all the moody, gothic broodiness the masters of doom were renowned for, Abruscato serves

Sirenia are a goth metal rollercoaster ride of unrelenting energy. A kaleidoscopic, ever-evolving treat of styles and genres, their songs are continually shifting into fresh patterns, one minute soaring to giddying heights of operatic melody and synthetic symphony, the next racing along to hard rock and plunging into unforgiving, raw heavy metal. Over the years the band have honed their curious sound into something undefinable and yet uniquely Sirenia. This is through the pur

An unstoppable force of nature on the goth metal scene, Sirenia’s latest release ‘Arcane Astral Aeons’ should come with an extreme weather warning. Formed on the back of supremely talented guitarist Morten Veland’s success with the mighty Tristania, Sirenia have embraced the genre’s ‘beauty and the beast’ aesthetic of metal aggression and classically-inspired harmonies to record one spirited, fast-paced record after another, each a wind-whipped jolt to the system as potent as

From the outset, Beyond The Black’s latest release 'Heart Of The Hurricane' makes it very clear that, despite an entirely new line up backing Jennifer Haben, this is not the fledgling effort of a new collective. Having toured extensively as a unit before even stepping into the studio, it becomes clear very early in the album that, even though Jennifer is the driving force, the band as a whole is very much of one mind. This album is very much an experiential piece; whilst it c

Storming out of Sheffield to take on the flamboyant fantasy-verse of operatic metal, newly formed band Aonia hit like a thousand-watt surge of pure energy. A seven-piece powerhouse that take their influence from an eclectic mix of theatrically-minded bands from Nightwish to Within Temptation, Cradle of Filth to Amon Amarth, Aonia boast a wealth of established musical talent in their mix, including a classically trained soprano. After winning the Bloodstock Metal to the Masses