Mon. Aug 11th, 2025

Review: Swans – Birthing

In what stands as perhaps their most nuanced and introspective work to date, Birthing emerges as a masterful distillation of Michael Gira’s four-decade-long sonic odyssey. This final chapter in the band’s storied history represents not just a conclusion but an evolution – a thoughtful synthesis of all that has come before while simultaneously charting new territory.

The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard

In Flames, a pioneer in shaping the early Swedish melodic death metal scene during the 1990s, shifted towards an alternative metal sound starting from their album Reroute to Remain and continued until I, The Mask . This change was met with dissatisfaction among many long-time listeners who yearned for the days of The Jester Race and its successors.