Velarium, special shade by Ashen Sun!

Ashen Sun - Velarium - Album Cover

Does anybody remember Johnny Hagel? You know, the bassist who kept popping up here and there on this zine. Most notably on records sponsored by an ancient incarnation of Tiamat and – yes – more recent Sorcerer, too. But since then, he seemed to have taken a deep dive. Like them anal nuclear subs that disappear into nowhere.

Thus, the RMR crew was mighty surprised to see him emerging astride a Gothic Rock gig called Ashen Sun. One that wallows darkly in echoes of dystopian melancholy, electronica-driven Darkwave without the bodices, and soft-spoken messages of fire and … [...] Click to raid more!

Locus Noir – Shadow Sun (2026) – Review

Locus Noir - Shadow Sun - Album Cover

2026 seems to turn into an interesting year in rock ‘n’ metal. And it may well be the out-of-the-box section of our musical universe that will take on some weight this time. And in truth, sometimes one needs a hefty counterweight to the endless supply of beastly metal that the underground ceaselessly regurgitates.

So, why not some gothically tainted rock (and metal) that seems to reach us straight from the past? Melancholy writ large on yet another canvas of the dead and dying, with a whiff of that graveyard smell. Shadowy greetings from a sun weeping tears, but not of … [...] Click to raid more!

Darkyra – Life Force (2025) – Review

Darkyra Life Force - Album Cover

Does anybody remember the folks of SAVN? The Gothic Metal jockeys with only one self-titled album to their credit, dating back to 2014. The one fronted by Carmen Elise Espenæs, you know, Liv Kristine‘s sister. Now, this record was literally the first really failed record of this zine’s long career. And we’re still traumatised. But to this day, we just can’t stand the weak tea metal this record exudes in abundance.

So here we got ourselves a piece from an obscure act called Darkyra. One that sounds eerily similar to the aforementioned band. Their 3rd full-length Life Force… [...] Click to raid more!

Odd Tidbits: David Gilmour – Luck and Strange (2024) – Review

David Gilmour - Luck and Strange - Album Cover

Let’s jump off the feisty metal planet for a while, this whirlwind of pointy objects and guttural sounds. Time to step back and check out what other seasoned musicians are up to these days. Artists that had an undeniably massive influence on contemporary rock music without screaming themselves out of their vocal cords.

This time, the RMR crew took a fancy to David Gilmour‘s 2024 solo piece Luck and Strange. Yeah, him. The one that his daughter Romany so pointedly called “…that guy from Pink Floyd.” He’s no founding member of this world-famous Psychedelic Rock band, but for … [...] Click to raid more!