Rating: 4/5
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Back in 1993 when “Earth 2″ hit the streets, nobody would have said that Earth would end up a psychedelic country outfit, but look where we are now. “Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1″ may not be a landmark for the band, but it stands with its two predecessors as a strong statement for any artists who wish to redefine themselves. In this case, it took a suicide and drug addiction, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t another way.

Rating: 4/5
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In the ten years since “Dopethrone”, it’s hard to believe few similar bands have emerged. Maybe the revolution has been delayed, as Adrift for Days slowly floated over from their Australian homeland. Well they’ve landed, and I know I’ll be spinning “The Lunar Maria” for a while.

Rating: 4.5/5
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Agalloch builds music that stands as a strong and fortified structure, with every little piece working to create something mesmerizing in the end. You want a good album to listen to this winter? Well, here it is, staring you straight in the face.

Rating: 5/5
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To describe Fields of Locust in one word is impossible. While this review might give a little insight into their sound, it cannot be fully understood until listened to. It’s one of those types of things.

Rating: 4.5/5
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Del Rey takes of the best parts of progressive, sludge, doom & post-rock and lays them out for the listener to decipher—”Immemorial” is certainly one of the most interesting albums I’ve heard all year long!

Rating: 4.5/5
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“Ausserwelt” is a milestone in the international Metal scene that will stand next to such albums as Isis’ “Panopticon”, Mogwai’s “Young Team” and Pelican’s “What We All Come To Need” as inspirations for future bands. Essential.

Rating: 3.5/5
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I puzzled over the name Horseback as an appropriate title for ambient black metal. Perhaps this is what it feels like to have a heroin addiction that’s hard to shake, so instead of a monkey on your back, there’s a horse, get it?

Rating : 3.5/5

“A Determinism of Morality” is not bad. Not at all. It sounds completely and wholly like Rosetta. Every square milimeter of these songs is typical of their style. It just disappoints in comparison to their past, as they don’t quite execute the sound with the same fervor that you might expect them to. If you would like a recommendation of a good Rosetta album to start with, look earlier in their career. If you’re looking for good albums thusfar this year, look here. It may not be on any best of lists, but it certainly deserves a couple listens at the very least.

If you’re looking to escape the stresses of life, this is a good place to start. The harmonies are always consonant, the guitars always sound pleasing, and the songwriting is fluid and consistent. The only thing that really bumps this down from a 4.5 to a 4 for me is the lack of creativity. They don’t go out of their way to make their own unique sound. When you get down it, though, that really doesn’t matter.