Written by:	RaduP, musclassia, corrupt, Roman Doez
Published:	January 12, 2025

Wait A Minute! This Isn't Metal! - December 2024
Metal Storm's outlet for nonmetal album reviews





We here at Metal Storm pride ourselves on our thousands of metal reviews and interviews and article; metal is our collective soul and passion, which is why we bother with this junk. That being said, we'd be lying if we stuck to our trve-kvlt guns and claimed that metal is the only thing we ever listen to. Whether we want to admit it or not, we do check out some other stuff from time to time; some of us are more poptimistic than others, but there's a whole world out there aside from Satan-worshiping black metal and dragon-slaying power metal. We do already feature some nonmetal artists on our website and have a few reviews to back them up, but we prefer to limit that aspect of the site to those artists who have been a strong influence on the metal scene or who are in some way connected to it. This article series is the place for those artists who don't matter to metal in the slightest but still warrant some conversation - after all, good music, is good music, and we all know metal isn't the only thing on this planet for any of us.

Down below, you might find some obscure Bandcamp bedroom projects or some Billboard-topping superstar; as long as it ain't metal and the album itself isn't a best-of compilation, it fits. Obviously, we're certain that not everything will be for everybody (you guys can be viciously territorial even when metal is the only thing on the menu, and we're all supposed to like the same things), but we do hope you find at least one thing that you can enjoy, instead of just pointing and screaming in horror "Not metal!" as if that would be an insult.

Here are our previous features:

November 2024
October 2024
September 2024

And now to the music...

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In June 2022, while attending an annual free music festival in my neighborhood, I discovered Grundeis. The festival features mostly smaller, local acts, so I had no idea what to expect when I walked into a show by a band I had never heard of that the festival booklet said played "post-punk/shoegaze".

What I got was an almost life changing experience. I remember being completely overwhelmed by a totally unexpected mix of dreamy shoegaze guitars, and stabbing, almost blackened climaxes with a singer who scored a solid 7.5 on the ten-point Sharon Shazzula scale of eerie female voices. To say I was in love would be an understatement. I bought their debut (and at that point, only) album as soon as I got home and would listen to nothing else for the entire summer and fall of that year. Memories of biking through sunny Hamburg and Berlin with Grundeis' hauntingly beautiful sound and heartbreakingly desperate lyrics ringing in my ears are some of my fondest in recent years, and I return to that album often. It was quite literally a game changer for me. Music I never knew I needed, that spoke to me in a way few bands have in the last decade have.

Two years later, Grundeis are back with a new drummer, and a new LP, with a capital “L”. Every Second An Ocean is a 14-track, 1 hour and 4 minute force of nature that embodies a skillful, yet faithful evolution of their sound, both musically and vocally.

If Amygdala was an emotional outburst of rage and despair, Every Second An Ocean is quiet, somber contemplation. Laura’s vocals have evolved along with the lyrical themes, and both are front and center on a stage of dreamy shoegaze, melancholic wave rock, and plenty of post-punk.

Every Second An Ocean is a warmer album overall, with less emotionally violent climaxes and more carefully crafted tension. The band masterfully builds layer upon layer, holding the tension just long enough to deliver one satisfying release after another in the violent climaxes of their songs. I shy away from calling the album more "mature" (because I hate that word), but I will call it more diverse. Amygdala had a certain innocence to its dark-wavey atmosphere and unfiltered emotions, which give way to more developed structures here on Every Second An Ocean, further supported by Laura’s more dynamic vocals.

It’s a pretty noticeable development, but one that puts this album on par with the debut, not second to it. Every Second An Ocean does not try to be Amygdala II, but rather Amygdala after some time to process, Amygdala in a later stage of grief. A more experienced, more confident version of Amygdala, that, despite the lost love and social angst at the center of its songs, will absolutely love you back.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by corrupt







Yeah, that's the kind of provocative fire that rock music needs sometimes. The band's name (whose shock value is something I've touched on in another similar case), to the album's name and title, to the opener all scream something that wants to be in your face. You have to put in effort to ignore this thing. With such a reliance on shock, whatever is inside the album has to live up to it, and thankfully this kind of post-punk/hardcore thing filled with industrial tinged noise and explosive bolstering really does live up to it.

There's a lot on Attempted Martyr that reminds me of bands like Daughters or Maruja with the blend of a very immediate explosive impact but also a focus on creating an anxiety inducing atmosphere, evident in the 6-7 minutes runtimes of some of these tracks. The way that Prostitute balance these two often relies on the manic performance of vocalist Moe, but there's a lot of kudos to be given to the oddball industrial synth melodies and the wild percussion. There's also that horn section on "Senegal" that's such a sweet palette change. For a debut album, Attempted Martyr really hits it at leaving an impression and showcasing a lot of potential.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by RaduP





Whirr debuted back in 2010 under their original name Whirl with the Distressor EP, a noisy shoegaze offering that evoked a strong sense of nostalgia and generally showcased the genre's ability to create those types of feelings with its wall of sound soundscapes. Further releases under their current name did continue the sound but somehow never felt like they managed to capture quite the same type of magic, partly because the noise pop aspect of the sound was slowly diminished in favour of a more straight-forward shoegaze sound, which did dull the impact a bit, though it didn't make them not worthwhile.

Now with a couple of days left for Raw Blue to still be classed as a 2024 album, Whirr deliver a continuation of that same shoegaze sound, but whose staying power might revert some of the aforementioned dulling. Noise pop is still not one of the main genre tags I'd attach to it, and a lot of its melancholic haze feels less noisy, but the way that haze does work to still create something that feels dense. The whispery vocals are the most monotonous aspect of it, although they do offer a sense of intimacy, and the bittersweetness that results in the contrast between the quiet vocals and the loud instrumentation. As it is, it is no Distressor, but it might become my favourite Whirr since.

Bandcamp

by RaduP





Ladies and gentlemen: furry prog!

Alright, I know that's potentially the most unappealing thing out there. Trust me, I also wasn't overly entranced by the prospect when I first stumbled upon the album, and certainly not the only time such a thing has happened, but something about the two-headed calf in the cover art and all the genre tags it had attached to it, plus the huge guest / session musician roster did their job to convince me to give it a chance. I don't regret it one bit.

I know I called 867 prog, but that might be a bit misleading, since there's very little that's akin to the retro-prog that usually comes to mind when using the name. Instead there's a lot more that takes from developments in the 90s that ran alongside indie / math / post rock, but pressed into prog song structures. The quite emotional vocals have a lot of gravitas and character, and the huge instrumental palette that comes from the huge roster, full of horns and strings and extra percussion do give 867 the necessary grandeur. For what is essentially a one-man band that gets by with a lot of help from their friends, 867 feels like a very big album. The 70 minute runtime might be indicative of that, though the album makes very good use of that time.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by RaduP





Another month, another Norwegian prog rock album: Motorpsycho, Needlepoint, Kosmodome, Meer and Airbag are just a few of the names to appear in these articles over the years. These groups have offered differing perspectives into prog, however, from the heavy retro-ism of Needlepoint’s Canterbury recapitulation through to the modern symphonic/indie quirks of Meer, not to mention Motorpsycho covering a whole spectrum of ideas. On their second album, Oslo’s WIZRD arguably bring the old and new together; the vibrant cover betrays influence from 60s psychedelia, but at the same time, there’s hints of modern alt rock and indie that cannot be overlooked, as well as a strong background in jazz (WIZRD being formed at Trondheim’s Jazz Conservatory).

With such a fusion, it’s probably not surprising that the four-piece (including 2 members of Soft Ffog, also once covered in these pages) conjure more than a few moments that should play to fans of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, as well as acts such as Yes and Spock's Beard. At the same time, though, the mellotron and vocals midway into “GT, Me & My 6610” remind me of a similar moment in the opening song of Pure Reason Revolution’s latest record (which itself brought to mind Porcupine Tree). There’s brashness and exuberance to the virtuosity of “Mesmerized”, but a quirky understated feel to the synth-heavy “Fylkesvei 33”, while “Fire & Flames” changes gears entirely for 70s rock that would have slotted onto Flight B741. While they’re not quite noteworthy enough to be rivalling the more significant names in the Norwegian prog scene just yet, WIZRD are already showing some real potential and promise.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by musclassia





There’s not really an obvious answer to the question: “What do Dead Neanderthals sound like?” A band with both ‘grindcore’ and ‘free jazz’ in their Metal Storm genre tags, they have crafted some thoroughly unorthodox music over the years, and particularly as they’ve gravitated towards metallic drone music, earning a nomination in the Ambient/Drone/Noise category of the 2023 Metal Storm Awards with Specters. Having said that, Other Worlds is very dissimilar to anything that one might state in response to that opening question; ironically, this new release is remarkable in its orthodoxy. Plainly put, Other Worlds is a krautrock album.

Considering that the two main-stay members of Dead Neanderthals have most typically been credited with synths and drums on recent releases, they have the equipment to perform such a pivot, but it is quite disorienting initially to enter this album with expectations built by the likes of Specters and Metal, only to hear what sounds like an impression of Zombi's synth-prog run through a krautrock filter. In a way, “Through The Clouds” is still built on drones, with a single synth tone sustained for the first half of the song, but the up-tempo and upbeat drums are eventually accompanied by bright, radiant keyboard melodies. Later on, the pulsating “Faster Than Light” and spacious “The Outer Rim” sustain the joyous futuristic vibe; Kokke brings out his saxophone once more on the latter, but in contrast to the group’s spastic and cacophonic past, the bluesy solo here in tandem with the synth background feels less Ornette Coleman and more Blade Runner. Released in the final hours of 2024, Other Worlds reprises a forgotten end-of-year tradition for the band, but in most other ways is a taste of something entirely new from Dead Neanderthals.

Bandcamp

by musclassia







I have covered some pretty strange releases within this series, with both of PoiL Ueda’s 2023 releases being well outside of my comfort zone. And it seems like 2024 threw one last curveball my way.

Belgium’s Avalanche Kaito play a mix of experimental rock and griot music. While I have listened to my fair share of experimental rock, griot music is a genre I had never even heard of before. Griots are musicians and storytellers in some West African communities, passing down stories and traditions through music, and Avalanche Kaito blend those traditional sounds with some pretty eclectic experimental rock, as there are hints of different styles in every track. “Borgo”’s hypnotic atmosphere is reminiscent of Zeuhl, while “Donle” and its spoken word has some clear post-rock influence and “Viima” leans closer to avant-prog. Those different influences all come from a similar place, but coupling them with griot music creates something truly unique. The vocals especially stand out from your usual experimental rock formation, and the parsimonious use of unconventional instruments like the flute in several tracks such as “Talitakum” truly elevates an already really well-made release. The drumming especially stands out and ties the whole thing together on tracks like “Lago” where the band’s hypnotic qualities shine the best.

Talitakum is well worth your time if you are interested in unconventional music, and I will have to keep an eye out for whatever Avalanche Kaito have next in store.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by doez





Another case of an album I decided against covering when it dropped and then regretted it, partially because I was surprised at how large or a positive reception it got, and now I'm taking the last opportunity to do it. I didn't cover it back in March, partially because of its absence from streaming (it was instead on a Geocities website of all places), which I always find a bit odd, especially considering how the playlist at the end of our articles is a pretty significant element of them; but also because the more than two hour runtime of it is especially daunting. What did end up making me give it another chance was this video by Polyphonic, that did end up recontextualizing it for me enough to make me forego my excuses for not including it.

Cindy Lee is the drag queen persona / alter ego of Patrick Flegel, formed out of the breakup of the more post-punky Women, and it's a project that revels in the lo-fi slacker indie elements that were present in that band's music, albeit with a more old school vocal pop flair. Think really sunshine-y stuff from the 60s and 70s through a lens of 90s indie and a noisy production to boot it off, making the entire thing feel both anachronistic and full of weirdo nostalgia. In a way, this isn't a top to bottom listen first and foremost, even though it doesn't feel as long as it actually is, but more like a portal to a parallel old pop world where you can tune in to whichever song you want and let it take you from there.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by RaduP







After a modern classical re-envisioning of his previous work with Forndom on piano (last year’s Alster), Ludvig Swärd returns to a more ‘expected’ sound for this project on Moþir. 2020’s Faþir did an excellent job of growing Forndom’s reputation with its wonderfully tender and atmospheric interpretation on Nordic folk, and it’s one that would be easy to repeat here, particularly as both albums (perhaps aptly, given they share their names with the traditional parental figures) meditate on the cycle of life, death and rebirth. However, in exploring the maternal through the lens of Scandinavian spirituality, Swärd has captured a sound that is stripped down to its foundations, and imbued with some genuine darkness.

Forndom eschews the use of synths this time around, removing a background layer that was important in shaping the soundscapes of Faþir. An at-times cold and barren backdrop sets the stage for compositions rendered using predominantly strings, percussion and vocals (albeit with some additional instruments performed by the Uppsala Temple Orchestra). On opener “Tunridor”, violins and cellos frantically bowing back and forth create a real sense of urgency, while choirs backing up Swärd’s vocals lend the song both a gloom and majesty. It’s a very stark departure from the tone that was set for Faþir by “Jakten”, but the darkness is sustained across the ritualistic “Urd”, only to gradually dissipate as the album continues. The spiritualistic drones, percussion and chorals of “Disar” and “Rán” will feel more familiar to long-term Forndom/neofolk fans, and by the end of the album, real beauty begins to emerge, whether in the stirring violins sweeping through “Jord” or the triumphant closing stages of “Den Kärlek Som Vi Gav”. Moþir is not as immediately accessible as Faþir due to unfamiliar elements, but with time it reveals itself as probably Forndom's greatest work to date.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by musclassia





It's an album literally titled "Heavy Metal", of course I have to cover it. Yes, it is very much false advertising, as there is nothing on this album that is even close to being metal. Though that's very reflective of a tongue-in-cheek-ness that's also reflected in the cover art, and also very much so in the music. Cameron Winter is the frontman of indie rock act Geese, which I've discovered last year through their amazing 3D Country record, one that blended their punkier leanings with a lot of somewhat ironic country sensibilities. It makes a lot of sense that a record that introduced those country elements would be followed by the band's singer going solo and pursuing that.

Heavy Metal is a lot more straight-forwardly folk-ish in a singer/songwriter way rather than following the country branch, though that's still something that remains as a nuance. Cameron's voice and certain affectations it makes do give the record a bit of an ironic edge, which makes sense, but that's coupled with some lyricism that feels completely earnest, making the listening experience one that can be appreciated with or without the tongue planted firmly in the cheek. Plus, there's quite a bit of chamber music in the record's instrumentation to expand the record's palette beyond a mere backdrop for the voice. Cameron might be an extremely atypical folk singer, but Heavy Metal does carve a lane for it.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by RaduP





Chelsea Wolfe's latest record, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, being a career highlight is perhaps not such a surprise, but it did mark a return to more loud and expansive darkwave backdrops compared to its more stripped back solo predecessor, Birth Of Violence. There's pros and cons to each approach, as the more stripped back approach does allow for a more intimate feeling. Perhaps listeners missed that feeling with She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, and would love to hear how those songs would sound like with only the bare skeleton left.

Having already released an extra EP of remixes from the album, Unbound takes the alternate direction of having Chelsea Wolfe herself at the helm of these new versions, stripping them back towards a more straight-forwardly singer / songwriter folk, with the acoustic guitars and / or pianos leaving more room in the soundscape for the voice compared to their louder and more intense original versions. Putting more emphasis on one element does change the emotional appeal a bit, even if the only thing that is surprising about the result is how it is closed by a pretty good Spiritbox cover.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by RaduP





I'll admit that I haven't checked on Fennesz's music since first discovering them when I first did a more expansive dive into ambient, and I'm not sure whether I've listened to 2001's Endless Summer or 2004's Venice or both. Needless to say, I'm coming towards Mosaic with fresh years, not trying to place it among the many albums and collaborations that Christian Fennesz has done since the 90s. So when it is self-described as his most reflective album to date, I have to take that at face value. What we have here is a pretty straight-forward ambient album, one whose 43 minutes runtime is almost uncharacteristically short for the genre. At least that would avoid any criticism of being too long for its own good.

The short runtime does run hand in hand with how the album seems to have a pretty eventful pace, and with all songs being in the 5-10 minute range, they feel like they're given just enough space to develop their soundscape and sit on the feeling for a bit before moving on. Processed drone-y guitars and hypnotic synths do create some pretty interesting soundscapes, and they're ones that captivate some pretty hauntingly beautiful emotions, managing to sound both very personal, but also eerily naturalistic, so I guess it does make sense why that "most reflective album" description was attached to it.

Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

by RaduP





You know what? I lost. Not liking this album when it first dropped back in June despite having been a Charli XCX fan, and deciding against covering it, were things that have sat in the back of my mind throughout the whole year, seeing how Charli basically had the album of the summer and the biggest mainstream moment since "Boom Clap" with an album that is more indebted to the hyperpop sound that she since dabbled on, and also seeing it now pop up on a lot of music year end lists. Brat summer came and went, but even as this album has lived very brightly in the public consciousness, I still didn't feel like I was completely resonating with it as much as I wanted to. Especially with how many versions of this album seemingly popped up, with either extra songs or remixes. But now that this is literally my last chance to cover it, I realized just how many of the songs on this album ended up being my most listened to songs of the year.

I am someone who likes pop music, and sometimes even revels in how obnoxious it can be, and I'm aware that the average metalhead's tolerance for music like this is minimal. Brat is an extremely obnoxious album, and if it's too obnoxious for me, it would feel awkward to recommend it in earnest. That character of it, often expressed in a lot of autotune and similarly unnatural bombastic vocal processing, is something that's quite hard to take in during the full listen, especially because I find it being something that works better during the more in-your-face dance tracks rather than the more mellow emotional tracks, which might explain why I could listen to "360" or "Von Dutch" or "Guess" on repeat, but the full listen still feels like too much for me. Having also gotten the chance to take in the newer duet versions and the remixes, there are some, like what Billie Eilish brings to "Guess" or what Lorde brings to "Girl So Confusing" that have rewritten the songs to me to the point where listening to the originals makes it feel like something is missing, while other are more eh. I know that's a lot of words for "I still don't really like it as an album experience, but a lot of it is amazing".

Apple Music | Spotify

by RaduP

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