After releasing what is (or at least what I consider to be) one of the more remarkable albums within the ‘blackgaze’ niche, Heretoir took a bit of a step backwards on the originality front with a very Alcest-indebted follow-up record. Solastalgia heads...

Of all the different metal genres, the ‘blackgaze’ or ‘metalgaze’ niche is one that I’m perhaps most neutral to; there’s usually one or two albums each year that stands out, but most of it is ‘good, not great’ content. One exception is The Circle, Heretoir’s...