February 2024 bids farewell with an exceptionally strong release week: 70 releases, 9 highlights!

8 albums into their already more than 2 decades spanning career, boasting already a stellar reputation for both their studio work and their intense, sweaty live appearances, Swiss Psychedelic Stoner four piece Monkey3 are now ready to ascend with their brand new magnum opus, “Welcome to the Machine”. Five lengthy compositions that manage the balance between interstellar cosmic trance and a certain earthy groundedness in a unique and exemplary fashion. Where their French counterparts Slift were diving into sludgy, dirty, heavy madness any chance they can get on their January masterpiece, the otherworldly beauty of Pink Floyd lurks behind every corner in Monkey3’s sonic universe, spiced up with heavy stoner grooves to an irresistible orgasmic sound experience. An album that is not to be missed, and neither is the upcoming European tour (more dates to be added)! It was always my dream to dive headfirst into a Stoner Floyd Borg cube. Finally I can! Dario

It’s only a small step from Psychedelic Stoner to Melodic Doom, so to shine a spotlight on Fragment Soul’s new EP “Galois Paradox” after Monkey3 feels only natural. A brand new discovery for me, what struck me first about the Greek/Canadian sextet’s sound is the beyond gorgeous vocal harmonies, be it Marc Dukee or Tamara Filipovic doing their own thing individually with different layers or when they come together: there’s something absolutely magical about both their timbres and they absolutely know how to use it to stellar effect. Add to that an instrumental foundation that matches this beauty equally, wrapping you in a warm blanket of melancholy, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. Constantly reaching an emotional depth and impact not unlike Oceans of Slumber throughout the entire half an hour of it’s runtime, this EP is a true revelation and November can’t come quick enough until their European tour supporting Draconian and Nailed to Obscurity they just announced. If heaviness is not the main ingredient you’re primarily looking for in Doom Metal, but atmosphere and dark beauty instead, there’s no way around Fragment Soul this year for you! Dario

Wake up! Open your eyes, Salamander and breathe! The Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is back after 17 years! Salamander, in two worlds, water and fire! Without a doubt the comeback of the year, “of the Last Human Being” is as challenging and demanding as expected. Dangerous, threatening, apocalyptic, SGM’s music is unclassifiable, truly unique and not for the faint of heart. You’d think. And then comes a dark, beautiful gem like ‘Silverfish’ and you basically wanna lie down in the vibrations of the bass string. Don’t let that fool you though. The last human being is a thing to behold, it is sick and it won’t get any better! Or so we’re told… What on earth did I just listen to? The last human being on earth is an ape, but it’s worth your consideration! And so is this one of a kind, absolutely sensational, partly unlistenable stroke of genius from a bunch of visionary artists. Dario

After this harrowing, apocalyptic avant-garde ordeal that was the genius vision of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s comeback album, it is an aural delight to come back to the familiar worlds of The Chronicles of Father Robin from Norway. “The Songs 7 Tales of Airoea – Book 3: Magical Chronicle” is the third and final part of the trilogy following the journey of the titular Father Robin. Wonderfully anachronistic in these overpolished modern djent times, Book III is an excellent finish to what was hopefully only the first trilogy of The Songs & Tales of Airoea. I for one wouldn’t mind to spend some more time in Airoea. Dario

Staying in Norway, going significantly heavier though, but not any less in tune with nature: Borknagar’s very own brand of quintessentially Norwegian anthemic Viking Metal turns 30 this year and shows no sign at all of slowing down. “Fall” is their 12th album to date and despite spring slowly approaching (in Europe at least), it feels like it arrived at exactly the right time, oddly enough. The voices of ICS Vortex and Lars A. Nedland seem to age like fine wine, towering high above the surefooted compositions of Mastermind Øystein G. Brun. There’s something inherently primordial and pristine in Borknagar’s music that’s truly unparalleled and that didn’t change with the 12th album in a line of classics. I truly hope, this album didn’t mark the beginning of a fall season for Borknagar, as they’re truly invaluable to the global metal scene, in the form of their lives, going from strength to strength. Dario

From Borknagar’s ‘Stars Ablaze’ to Job For A Cowboy’s “Moon Healer”. Where the main ingredients for the Norwegian’s concoction were Folk and Black Metal, the returned Arizona-Cowboys brew up a lethal cocktail of Progressive Death Metal with properly flamboyant bass splashes throughout an equally brutal and blisteringly technical guitar hurricane. Held together by the precise punch of guest drummer Navene Koperweis (Entheos), and topped by properly aggressive growls, this could be any Tech Death lover’s wet dream. A final epic with some anthemic hook-lines would have worked wonders after the relatively abruptly ending of ‘The Forever Rot’ and ensured the album a top spot in any Extreme Prog list of the still young year. For the time being, it will more than suffice though and satiate my Tech Death cravings. Dario

Truth be told, I can’t really remember when was the last time I listened to a new album that was clearly rooted in the classic melodic prog metal of the 90s. Let alone a 77 minute monster from Thailand. Composer and keyboardist Title Tanpawat Suttipong takes us on a “Messenger’s Quest” with his Triton Project and apart from Odd Logic (no wonder with the prominent involvement of vocalist and guitarist Sean Thompson), class acts like Thought Chamber and Sun Caged come to mind as reference point to both sound and quality at hand. Maybe it could have been a good idea to release the final 28 minute epic ‘Lighthouse of the World’ separately as littler teaser or appetizer EP, or as a quick, ready follow-up to give the album a bit more of a 55 minute precise impact. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that we’re dealing with some excellent compositions and performances here, so fans of the genre take heed: the Triton Project needs and deserves your undivided attention! Dario

Care for some quick and frantic Modern Prog Metal/Mathcore before I give you over into the capable hands of my dear colleague Lykle and his Finnish Melancholy highlight of the week? Canadian Bird Problems got you covered with their “Flight or Flight” EP, though I guess the hardcore side of the vocals is more representative of the Dinosaur past of birds. Clean vox check out with current iterations of feathered sky animals at least, and the music with their erratic behavior. Luckily, the whole thing doesn’t sound flight inducing at all. On the contrary. Can I nest here? Dario

Risen from the ashes of the mighty Rapture, Counting Hours made quite an entrance in the melodic doom/death metal scene with 2020’ debut album “The Will”. The album was widely praised as a wonderful piece of melancholic metal and set the bar high for its successor. Now, in 2024, that successor is finally there and exceeds all expectations. Stylistically, “The Wishing Tomb” doesn’t offer anything new, but the band have managed to improve themselves in all aspects. Leaning heavily on a melancholic atmosphere, the album offers nine amazing songs with lush guitar work, a perfectly balanced mix between soothing and rasping vocals, and a sound that brings back the glory days of the gothic/doom metal scene of the early 2000s.

I am unable to find any flaws in “The Wishing Tomb”. It’s a stellar album that must be heard by anyone who enjoys the renowned Finnish melancholy, and a must-have for fans of bands like Paradise Lost, Swallow the Sun and Katatonia. I don’t make a habit of announcing my album of the year in February already, but nothing short of a miracle could surpass this. Lykle