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Listening Notes: Playlist Clearance Vol. 5

The short-review materials in this playlist are starting to narrow down to a few artists who happen to have multiple releases—so yes, things might get a bit repetitive. But hey, what’s the harm? After all, this is basically just a personal log for every release outside of singles and compilations, as well as an attempt to keep my writing habit alive—even if there’s little to no improvement in quality. I’ll keep using the random-selection method until only the same names remain; then I’ll add new releases into the stock. So, what shows up in this fifth batch? Let’s see! Aygan – Aygan (2010) 71% The session opens with the self-titled album from Brazilian progressive metal band Aygan —a complex genre that always feels intimidating for a casual reviewer like me. Even as a relatively small band, the production quality is solid, leaning toward Dream Theater with a lighter weight reminiscent of Fates Warning , at least based on what I know from Long Day Good Night . The heavi...
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Listening Notes: Playlist Clearance Vol. 4

Fourth playlist-clearance session has arrived. Anything interesting this time? Let’s take a look. Chained – I Tried Catching You But You Fell Through Me (2022) 78% Well, after running into Sunnata with its spiritualistic world wrapped in psychedelic-muted riffs, Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean entertained me with abrasive, emotionally screamed sludge/doom metal right from the start of this EP. Even though the tempo stays mostly mid-paced, I couldn’t help but follow the swing of “ Decadence in the House of Rats .” Unfortunately, the euphoria fades quickly once the other two tracks roll in, even if there are moments with rapid drum barrages. Still, the EP leaves a lingering taste, and I think “Decadence in the House of Rats” deserves a spot on the favorite playlist. Immortal Slave – Cantilena (2002) 73% Basically, gothic metal has roots in gothic/ post-punk , so what Immortal Slave presented back in 2002 feels like a faster melodic variant—especial...
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Listening Notes: Playlist Clearance Vol. 3

Playlist Clearance is not over yet—and maybe it never will be. Lol. Without further ado, here are some releases summarized in this session: The Abyss Inside Us – Circuits (2022) 74% The Abyss Inside Us returns with Circuits , which feels more energetic thanks to heavier guitar tones plus electronic additions on the title track and “ Lack of Gravity .” Overall, the crescendo formula is still used, and “Rebirth” works as a kind of interlude with a fairly emotional tremolo ballad presentation, though personally I’m not fully convinced to pick it. The main candidates are “Last Breath” and the actually quite aggressive closing track, “Firecracker,” while “Lack of Gravity” sits in the honourable mention category. Anoice – Stories in White (2024) 74% An album with artwork and themes similar to the dark, melancholic The Black Rain (2012), though this one might feel more tense. You can sense it right from the opening—even “Resonance,” “Kill Lies All,” and “The ...
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Listening Notes: Playlist Clearance Vol. 2

Ah, the end of a holiday always feels melancholic. Time suddenly feels so short. Looking at unread books at home reminds me that money can’t bring back the days when I had plenty of free time. Is this what people mean by *“suffer first, enjoy later”*? Will there really be a time to enjoy things later? I don’t think so. So it’s only natural that today’s music rotation feels more emotional than usual—especially since it’s still morning. But will everything on this list be able to touch my heart the same way? Let’s find out. Abraham – Look, Here Comes the Dark! (2018) 71% Alphabetically speaking, Abraham returns once again with a conceptual album containing 19 songs divided into four acts—definitely longer than a typical sludge/post-metal release. So which one is better compared to Débris de mondes perdus ? From “I Ride the Last Sunrise” and “Invocation,” I can sense a Psychonaut -like aura. Instrumental interludes “To the Ground” and “All the Sacred Voices” mark the beg...
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Listening Notes: Playlist Clearance Vol. 1

If a store has a term called clearance sale, then I have a new agenda called playlist clearance . This agenda is meant to clean up releases sitting on my playlist shelves—sometimes for months—without any written listening notes. This matters a lot to me personally, since I prefer listening to music offline rather than streaming, even though platforms like Spotify also offer offline features. I’m already too used to downloading music, even if it means I’ll probably never really get into mainstream artists, which automatically reduces public attention. Hahaha… As for that issue, I do have my own alternative—but for now, I don’t yet have a map to avoid being overwhelmed and confused when diving into streaming platforms just to consume popular releases. Alright, back to cleaning up the playlist. What’s in here this time? Let’s take a look! Abraham – Débris de mondes perdus (2022) 73% Sometimes music can feel like a stab—or a cause of headache—like this fourth album from Sw...
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Listening Notes: Special A

Turns out there are still some short comment archives that fit perfectly with my current Listening Notes format—and coincidentally, they contain six releases from artists whose names start with the letter A. Not bad as installments for next month. Lol :v Here they are: A-Gnosis – Death to War (2024) 79% A solid core-driven album with atmospheric vocals and instrumentation, without abandoning modern traits such as electronic elements, chugging guitars, or proggy touches. What surprised me is that I can honestly say this has become the most enjoyable pure post-hardcore album I’ve encountered so far in my journey through this genre. AADM – AADM V – Spaghetti Western Post-rock Doom (2008) 66% Well, album titles don’t always reflect the actual content. Despite the “post-rock” tag, none of the tracks really touch that genre. Instead, it’s all about acoustic guitars with a Latin/country cowboy flavor, just like the cover art suggests. The country style here f...
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Listening Notes: Special Z

Time passed so quickly that January finally reached the end of the road. As I mentioned before, this moment would be filled with seven releases from artists whose names start with the letter Z. Here we go! Zabumbo – Shallows.1 (2024) 76% Zabumbo actually sits at the very end of this playlist, below Zatrebil , making it function nicely as a cooldown. Starting with a typical atmospheric hip-hop/vaporwave opener, it then shifts into a comfy ambient style from “ Mrcnhrtbrk .” onward, all the way to the finish. For me, the best tracks are those other than “Mrcnhrtbrk.” and “2023-12-05.” The reason is simple: they carry stronger experimental vibrations. Zac Crye – Three Finger Lid (2020) 72% A solid EP in the grunge/rock realm, although the cover art is rather gory. The track “Possession” brings to mind Papa Roach , Three Days Grace , and Nirvana . The other two tracks have slight touches of stoner/southern rock, but they don’t quite click with me. Overall, T...
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