Attempting to return to the ultimate format with a randomized tracklist, even though my patience is wearing thin trying to endure this never-ending, long-ass queue. 1. Celer – Jima (2015) 80/100 Slowly drifting waves that morph into pure emotional substance right when I’m hitting peak frustration. A beautiful moment arriving at the exact right time, though it might sound completely foreign under different circumstances. Highlight: all tracks 2. Coltaine – Afterhour in Walhalla (2020) 75/100 Coltaine adds another name to the list of female-fronted post-metal bands, so welcome to Valhalla . Sipping wine, reveling in Viking traditions, or simply unwinding while nodding along to a doom/post-metal atmosphere laced with Scandinavian folk/post-rock is definitely a vibe. I’m only just truly feeling it now. Highlight: God is Nature, God is Dead; Green Table, Intergalaktische Mondzuckerpiraten, Reflections, Surfing Skeleton Undead, Verlust 3. Dive – Complete Discography (2021) 70/100 An ex...

Is it finally time to focus on my favorite genres? If so, I’ll need yet another strategy to eliminate everything else. Right now, I am being sucked dry once again by eight doom metal and derivative offerings. There is undeniable dissatisfaction, but I keep returning to it regardless—perhaps it has truly become my final resting place. -YCH – Мозаїка (2023) 65/100 Post-metal isn't widely known on a global scale, let alone when it comes out of Eastern Europe. The only names that usually come to mind are Show Me a Dinosaur and Nebulae Come Sweet . Meanwhile, -YCH hails from Ukraine. I can't offer a definitive commentary on this one. The music crawls at a mid-tempo—and thankfully I am not mistaken in citing Isis and Rosetta as their actual influences—yet it doesn't lean into the typical atmospheric crescendos that I usually associate with Cult of Luna . I couldn't grasp any emotional moments here the way Moanaa manages to deliver them. So, for the time being, I am fo...

Time for another ambient session! This time it’s heavily dominated by Carlos Ferreira , serving as a farewell to him. Hopefully, there are other albums of his that I can grab for free. :v Carlos Ferreira – Hakanai (2021) 75/100 Carlos Ferreira still leaves three albums in my queue, and Hakanai once again strikes a chord within my soul with his signature gentle lull. The only parts I avoided here were the synth ripples on "A Gentle Goodbye," followed by "Solitude," which is actually peaceful enough but just failed to reach my heart. Highlight: Vortex, Nausea, 1987 Carlos Ferreira – In Praise of Shadows (2022) 70/100 This particular Carlos Ferreira release is crafted with clipping and noise effects, giving it a more honest, bare-bones feel. The formula utilizing piano-like tones and ambient texturing is obviously welcome, but the inherent abrasiveness creates a boundary line—it's honestly much better viewed from a distance. Highlight: - Carlos Ferreira – Si...

My wishy-washy and inconsistent nature has once again ruined what I said in the previous session. I’m running out of energy to keep starting things with my usual categorization method, even though that approach is clearly more organized since it keeps everything looking homogenous within the same space. Therefore, after being left half-dead by those 20 pop/alternative/indie releases, I am returning to the six-release format for now. This time around, it features doom metal and its derivatives, heavily dominated by death/doom , sludge , and post-metal . (0) – (0) (2017) 70/100 (0) kicks off their career with a death/doom/post-metal style that carries a progressive flair akin to Dvne , but with a colder edge that serves as a solid hook in "(1136)". They then venture into slightly wilder territory on "(338)" before wrapping up with "(441)", which fits perfectly as a doom/post-metal closer. Unfortunately, there is a 12-minute interlude, "(1212)"...

Recommendations for alternative streaming apps have driven me crazy once again. Now, I’m randomly diving into mainstream artists or those only available on major streaming platforms, since the habit of using wildcard discovery methods has stuck with me ever since I became obsessed with freebies on Bandcamp . Below are 20 releases within the alternative, indie, and pop spectrum that I eventually picked up from those platforms and Bandcamp. The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022) 70/100 "About You" became everyone's favorite, and it was lingering in my mind, which prompted me to give The 1975 a shot through this album. Musically, it's quite close to Walk the Moon and even features some folk/country elements, but whatever. They are massive, popular, and undeniably catchy. My first impression didn't actually stop at the aforementioned track, but rather at "Part of the Band," "Oh Caroline," and "When We are Together." That...