Metal Storm's outlet for nonmetal album reviews
The place where we'll talk about music without growls or blast beats
unless they still have those but still aren't metal
unless they still have those but still aren't metal
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:
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
And now to the music...
Antropoceno - Natureza Morta
[Post-rock | Samba | Shoegaze]
Sir, another metal album has hit the not metal article.
Antropoceno is the new project of Lua Viana, who you might know from her participation as Sonhos Tomam Conta to the split album Downfall Of The Neon Youth with Parannoul and Asian Glow. This time around, Lua tries her hand out at what she calls “experimental samba”, which can be summarized as a mix of samba, post-rock, and shoegaze, with some metal elements. If you’ve been interested in Brazilian metal lately, you will have noticed that my description sounds suspiciously similar to Kaatayra, and that’s for a good reason, as this record was definitely influenced by the likes of Inpariquipê. Kaatayra even lends vocals on Natureza Morta’s fifth track.
Much like on Inpariquipê, Natureza Morta’s layers of instrumentation and rougher production create a really dense and lush atmosphere. Each track is brimming with little details and tons of different arrangements that really make the record as a whole feel alive. The buildups and climaxes are perfectly handled and lead to some very satisfying sections borrowing from post-metal and even hints of black metal in the vocals. And those vocals are important, as Natureza Morta stands as an outcry against the current environmental crisis, which perfectly fits the detailed jungle-like atmosphere created by Lua. All these genres, themes and inspiration blend together to create an ethereal, serene and ultimately very impactful experience. Don’t miss out on this one.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by doez
Frankie And The Witch Fingers - Trash Classic
[Psychedelic Rock | Garage Rock]
Frankie And The Witch Fingers are quite the prolific act; rarely a year goes by without a studio or live album, and with first Live At KEXP and now Trash Classic, 2025 has one of each for fans to enjoy. That said, they’re not quite as prolific as Osees (or whatever name they’re currently going by), a band that has had a clear influence this time around on F&TWF’s signature blend of garage, psychedelic and krautrock (new wave is also clearly part of the equation, with Devo and The B-52s noted as influences on this album; it’s a lot to go into an album that opens with synth-accompanied Looney Tunes clips and never threatens to turn dull or boring afterwards.
Wacky rocker “T.V. Baby” drives forth with a flurry of vocals overlapping and trading off from one another in time with its relentless rhythm, while the punky “Fucksake” and janky “Out Of The Flesh” lack for nothing in terms of pace or energy. “Dead Silence” is slightly steadier, but no less wonky, from the discordance between the riffs and guitar leads to the frequently shifting rhythms and cheesy synths. “Economy” initially parks the guitars away in favour of futuristic synths, but trades off the electronics with stabbing guitar chords for a post-punk anti-capitalistic anthem, and later on, the lengthy closing title track dives fully into the electronic experimentation that at times turns borderline industrial, even as sporadic guitar leads bounce and shred around on top. Trash Classic is unpredictable, full of personality and as fun as the world it describes is hellish.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by musclassia
Holy Scum - All We Have Is Never
[Noise Rock | Post-Punk]
Comprised of members from the likes of Gnod and Dälek, Holy Scum is a Transatlantic supergroup that offers a particularly bleak take on noise rock. At times industrial, at other times leaning more towards post-punk, the band’s sophomore record All We Have Is Never is grim and raging; right from the off, thick, menacing distortion pounds out of opening track “Waves Of Laughter” in tandem with thundering drums. Mike Mare handles production in Dälek, but takes on vocal duties here with a roaring post-punk attitude.
The album is not just pure anger; there’s a lot of groove to tracks such as “These Hills” and “Trying In Hell”, but these tracks are still often shrouded in suffocating noisy distortion, and then the likes of “Thieves” twist that knob further. The real bleakness comes with the grim, hypnotic crawl of “Liar”, the whispered and distant voices in which crawl insidiously under one’s skin, and the scratching, brooding creep of “Just Tell Me How It Ends”. The real sting in the tail comes at the end, however, as 9-minute closer “Like December” spills over into metal territory as it shapes imposing, industrial walls of distortion that snuff out all light and hope.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by musclassia
Caroline - Caroline 2
[Post-Rock | Avant-Folk]
When I first covered Caroline with their 2022 self-titled debut album, I made the joke that one would, on first impression, assume that this would be a singer/songwriter album by someone named "Caroline", but that this is a full group of a whooping eight members in which none of them are named as such. The cover art and overall presentation of Caroline 2 also does nothing to change that potential initial impression, still looking as singer/songwriter-ish as ever, which makes the actual music a mix between being a rug pull and being very fitting for its presentation.
What Coraline play, even with being a very expansive band, is music that is quite vocal centric, folky, and introspective, especially due to its very quiet subdued vocals. It's like one took chamber folk and slowcore, but then the instrumental part of the songwriting decided to experiment with unusual time signatures and dissonance to create something really avant-garde. The large number of members involved does make the layering and texturing of instruments here feel very expansive, even if a large part of the album is quite minimalist and subdued, as if knowing when to push into experimentation and when to be more accessible. At least the inclusion of Caroline Polachek as a guest vocalist does mean at least one Caroline was involved in Caroline.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by RaduP
Strange Boutique - Let The Lonely Heart Sing
[Alternative Rock | Post-Punk]
musclassia's pick
A one-off reunion in 2004 aside, DC gothic rock act Strange Boutique had been defunct for over 2 decades when founding guitarist Fred “Freak” Smith died in 2017; the event inspired remaining members Monica Richards and Steve Willett to reminisce on their days playing together and the music they created. This ultimately led to the pair reforming the band with new guitarist Dennis Kane, and the successfully rekindled musical energy resulted in first a new EP in 2021, and now their first album in over 30 years in the form of Let The Lonely Heart Sing (featuring three different session drummers across its 8 tracks).
It's probably not a surprise that a band that’s been away for so long finds itself writing music that harks back to those golden years; the guitar melodies on the dreamy opener “The Night Birds” has a clear touch of The Cure to it, but that’s absolutely not a bad thing. It’s a really warm and lush first song, and the likes of “Twelve Chimes” and “Zoid In Dreamland” are similarly serene. Richards’ gentle vocals go very naturally with the dainty guitar instrumentations crafted by Kane, while Willett gets a chance to take centre stage on the sullen “Calliope”. As a capsule back to the past, Let The Lonely Heart Sing is a really tender experience that fully justifies the decision to reform the group.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by musclassia
Gösta Berlings Saga - Forever Now
[Progressive Rock]
Pelagic Records seldom miss, either with their metal or their non-metal signings, and having previously enjoyed Gösta Berlings Saga when checking out Konkret Musik back in 2020, it was natural to lend an ear to their Pelagic debut Forever Now. My main memory of Konkret Musik was of synth-heavy and sometimes oddball prog; Forever Now bucks that trend by opening with a full jazz band piece, setting saxophone loose on “Full Release”. With that out the way, however, the band’s own particular take on prog rock comes to the fore.
“Through The Arches” is lively and driven, with guitars and space rock synths duelling and harmonizing along to a swift and energetic groove; the title track is steadier, more complex and tonally diverse, sounding positively euphoric and triumphant with some of its melodic synth blasts yet weaving the odd twisted note into its steady space rock progressions. Several interludes break up the album’s flow, including the melancholic piano ditty “The Spring And The Birch”, and following that with the hazy guitar and drum jam “Fragment II” does a lot to reveal the breadth of Gösta Berlings Saga’s tonal range within the span of a couple of minutes.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by musclassia
The Dear Hunter - North American EP
[Progressive Rock | Indie Rock]
They’ve built their reputation on multi-album conceptual story arcs and at-times elaborate prog, but with genre-spanning multi-EP projects alongside stripped-down standalone releases and crowdsourced EPs, The Dear Hunter are not a band willing to be pigeonholed. Their latest wildcard endeavour is a tour quasi-documentary that apparently goes in a surrealist direction, and it comes with an accompanying EP. In spite of the oddities of its companion piece, North American EP is also fairly concise and direct with its songwriting, to generally good success.
There’s a psychedelic vibe to the synths and vocal effects laid upon dreamy opening track “Magic Beans”, but also an unusually dirty solo for the band; there’s a bit of a dirty guitar tone also to the rocking riff intro to “Four Amigos”, but there’s also familiar mellow grooves in the track’s verses, everything coming together in a manner reminiscent of “Ouroboros” from Act IV: Reprise And Rebirth. Even with such wacky titles, there’s a real earnestness to the multifaceted album highlight “Shlammin’ Salmon’, which traverses King Gizzard-esque psychedelia, somewhat bombastic vocal and horn arrangements, and a big grandstand funk conclusion, as well as the tranquil, languid yet consummately arranged closer “Burritokyo”. If there is an intentional goofiness to the combined North American project, then this EP at the very least is evidence that The Dear Hunter in silly mode can outshine most of their peers writing at the height of seriousness.
Apple Music | Spotify
by musclassia
Yeule - Evangelic Girl Is a Gun
[Alternative Rock | Indietronica]
First discovering Yeule through a user suggestion about artists similar to FKA Twigs, and then being very impressed with the transhumanist glitch pop of 2022's Glitch Princess, I was a bit taken aback by its follow-up, 2023's Softscars, which took the electronica in a more 90s pastiche direction, full of shoegaze and indie rock leanings, and I ended my writeup of it wondering whether that's gonna be a one off or if that's the direction that Yeule will move forth in from now on. Evangelic Girl Is a Gun answers that question. It's the latter.
It feels like Evangelic Girl Is a Gun is an even deeper dive into 90s and early 00s sounds, with a lot of alt rock, trip hop, indietronica, pop rock, dream pop, alternative dance being shoved into the mix of sounds that still retain some of that glitch pop edge, though one that seems to subside more and more with each record. Conceptually, Ćmiel (the artist behind the project) paints a character here that they describe as a darker "persona non grata", though it doesn't really feel like the album is as overtly a concept album as its predecessors. It feels more dreamlike in an ethereal sense than a nauseous way, but with the occasional glitchy noisiness.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by RaduP
GoGo Penguin - Necessary Fictions
[Nu Jazz]
musclassia's pick
It’s not that easy to recognize and discuss a band undergoing musical evolution in a style that you are very unfamiliar with; still, sometimes it’s obvious enough for even me to pick up on. I’ve been unusually fond of Manchester’s GoGo Penguin ever since I heard their self-titled record in 2020, and the loss of their drummer Rob Turner the following year didn’t overly affect this, as I was similarly appreciative of 2023’s Everything Is Going To Be OK. That album, while still clearly belonging to the realm of mellow modern jazz, had something of an atmospheric, arguably ‘cinematic’, slant to parts of it; on the trio’s next outing with Turner’s replacement Jon Scott, they’ve gone in something of a different direction.
The increased synth presence on Necessary Fictions may have befitted a further exploration of a cinematic style, but the album as a whole is livelier than its predecessor, with busy intricate bass patterns lighting up opening track “Umbra”. “Fallowfields Loops” feels more familiar to someone previously acquainted with the trio thanks to its warm keys and rhythm, but the big surprises arrive later, especially on “Forgive The Damages”. Featuring the first of several guest appearances, the subdued song is accompanied by the hushed voice of Daudi Matsiko, before both band and singer gradually dial up the volume for a glowing, soulful conclusion. This is the first appearance of vocals on a GoGo Penguin album, and the only one here, but violinist Rakhi Singh and strings ensemble Manchester Orchestra lend their talents to two tracks later, and lend a particularly stirring richness to “Luminous Giants”. The dabblings with guests on Necessary Fictions pay off handsomely, but GoGo Penguin themselves are firing on all cylinders once again.
Apple Music | Spotify
by musclassia
Dolven - In My Grave...Silence
[Acoustic Doom]
So, this is an album that is not metal, but it should definitely appeal to metal fans. Dolven is a band that has been around discography-wise since 2015, and it is the brainchild of guitarist Nick Wusz, who used to be part of Sculptured once upon a time. Bassist Jason Walton also of Sculptured and Agalloch, percussionist Hunter Ginn (of Agalloch, again), and new vocalist Jori Apedaile (known from Eneferens) complete the band that recorded In My Grave...Silence. They call their music 'acoustic doom', which is a pretty accurate description, along with some neofolk element that permeates the compositions.
Dolven’s third album is devoid of distortion and delivers a fully acoustic, deeply intimate, and emotional experience. It’s definitely doom, but not in terms of heaviness; instead, the doom is conveyed through the mood, the guitar melodies, and the lyrical themes. The vocals have an evocative feel, the guitar and bass strings hum with a bittersweet character, and the gentle drumming breathes life into the compositions without sabotaging the overall quietness of the record. Mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö, In My Grave...Silence leaves no room for hiding, and each touch of the strings or every reflective pause between notes becomes part of its melancholic beauty. The 9 minute-long “You’ve Chosen” is the highlight of the album, featuring a whistling melody that reminisces the Titanic theme. Highly recommended for fans of Agalloch, Warning, and 40 Watt Sun.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by nikarg
Alan Sparhawk & Trampled By Turtles - Alan Sparhawk With Trampled By Turtles
[Americana | Contemporary Folk]
RaduP's pick
There is something that is quite tragic about this album, even though it doesn't exactly imbue the album in that feeling. Alan Sparhawk was one half/third (depending on the period) of Low, alongside his partner Mimi Parker, who sadly passed away in 2022 after battling cancer. Their last album was one I really really enjoyed, and if her death hit me, I can't imagine what it must've been like for Alan. I haven't exactly kept up with what Alan has been up to since, though it seems he did start performing in a funk band with their two children, which is pretty sweet, but that's not the band that's relevant here.
Trampled By Turtles also come from Duluth, MN, just like Low, and the ties between the two run deep. It makes a lot of sense that eventually they'd intersect for a full record. I know Low had folkier moments, but hearing Alan in an honest-to-God folk album, one full of americana and bluegrass, is quite a surprise, but one that really works with just how emotional and commanding his vocal performance is. The overall emotion isn't exactly the grief I was expecting given its context, but emotions of all kind permeate the record, and the organic production really helps to transmit it.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by RaduP
All Men Unto Me - Requiem
[Experimental Rock]
One of the upsides of Ashenspire’s prolific touring of the UK is getting to regularly witness the impressive theatrics of live vocalist Rylan Gleave in person. Outside of Ashenspire, Gleave pursues a variety of musical endeavours, including his solo project All Men Unto Me, which is impressive in an altogether different way. With Ashenspire’s Scott Mclean involved in the production and songwriting of sophomore record Requiem alongside covering guitar, bass, and organs, along with Alasdair Dunn recording the drums and Healthyliving’s Amaya López-Carromero also contributing additional organ, All Men Unto Me isn’t quite a solo record, but Gleave’s vocals and artistry dominate the sound of this record.
I’m not entirely sure what to categorize Requiem as; at times, it almost feels like a twisted take on singer-songwriter music, Gleave’s almost choral vocals often accompanied by nought but church organ and bells as he recontextualizes traditional mournful music with modern queer-centric themes (see “Kyrie Eleison”), but pretty much every track has a moment or passage in which it spirals in an altogether different direction. That may be the stripped-down acoustic guitarwork of “Pie Jesu” or the dissonant noise rock of “Sequentia”, but it might be something altogether darker and more twisted; “Agnus Dei” has horror organs, roars and janky guitars, while “Sanctus” outright embraces the members’ metallic backgrounds by bringing gloomy doom riffs to the fore beforeee escalating into a cacophony of pounding drums and frantic screams. Requiem feels like the kind of album that one is more prone to admiring rather than outright enjoying, lacking the relative accessibility and musicality of recent chamber metal hybrids such as Laudare or Ode And Elegy, but it is a remarkably creative effort.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by musclassia
Juana Rozas - Tanya
[Electropop | Post-Industrial]
I’m always on the lookout for pop that goes into harsher territories than the genre’s usual standards. If that sounds up your alley, you should immediately put Juana Rozas on your radar. I tend to associate Spanish-sung pop to bland “summer hit” songs, but the one-two punch of “Puerta” and “Bad Choice” immediately makes it clear that this is not what we are getting on Tanya. Juana Rozas presents us with a very diverse album, with songs jumping from industrial techno to industrial rock, electropop, and pop rock, and all those genres are surprisingly well executed. As someone generally into harsher music, the first half of the album is where I really find what I want, while the mellower tracks like “Ridiculo” don’t do much for me, but they fit well into the album and its narrative.
As Tanya jumps around from genre to genre, it becomes really evident that there is a strong and coherent vision behind the project. It might seem contradictory for a release so all over the place, but the album flows at a very natural pace, and the short movie that comes with it makes it evidently clear that nothing here is filler or superfluous, all the tracks really serve a purpose. And when they’re so well executed, it makes you want to check the album out again to see if you missed any details, and any album that makes me want to listen to it again is a success in my books. Thank you, Juana Rozas, for redeeming the Spanish language for me, now I’m going back to listening to “Qué Importa” and “Wanna Hotel”.
Apple Music | Spotify
by doez
McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
[Jazz Rap | Conscious Hip Hop]
RaduP's pick
There is something about the hip-hop genre that makes it, even if the album might have some sort of over-arching theme, more of a song focused genre. But also some of the best hip-hop albums lately , like To Pimp A Butterfly, usually ones that are more "conscious", have taken the concept album in hip-hop beyond the over-arching theme level. And that's something that McKinley Dixon has been working towards with his albums up to this point, but none of them felt as overtly conceptual the way that Magic, Alive! does. Of course it's not just about concepts, albums like 2021's For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her and 2023's Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? stood out for how well soul and jazz was blended into the instrumentation.
Magic, Alive! takes that jazz instrumentation and while it does use it as a backdrop in looped beats, a lot of it is pushed beyond that into feeling like the orchestration is "alive" alongside the rapping, feeling almost cinematic at times. Conceptually, the album is about a bunch of kids who try to deal with the death of their friend by finding a magical solution to the situation, which is a pretty unique perspective to rap from, and that works with how the album's vibe is quite jovial without being overly whimsical. Just like its predecessor, Magic, Alive! is concise in its runtime and it feels like a breeze where no moment is wasted, and all of its elements, from the lyricism to the organic instrumentation to the how well Dixon's flow works with the guests like Ghais Guevarra, Quelle Chris, or Blu.
Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify
by RaduP
Little Simz - Lotus
[Conscious Hip-Hop]
Not having covered Little Simz's Grey Area back in 2019 is something that I seemed to regret even back then, but in retrospect that was the beginning of one of the best album runs in recent hip-hop history. I rectified with 2021's Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, an album that was one of my picks for that edition for its ambition and scope, something that I felt was slightly lacking from the follow up in 2022's No Thank You, though part of it was my surprise at how soon after its predecessor it arrived. Now I've had time to properly digest them.
It seems like a lot of the reason for this longer gap between releases comes from a falling out that Little Simz had with a music industry person, something that is clearly also thematically part of the record, obvious from the opening "Thief" track. Musically, Lotus is in between SIMBI and No Thank You in terms of it not being as grandiose as the former and not as to-the-point as the latter. There's a lot of darker and moodier introspective cuts, a lot of them helped by vocal contributions from guests like Obongjayar and Sampha, but there's also some contrast with some tongue-in-cheek fun in other tracks, and the instrumentation seemingly taking cues from both jazz and post-punk.
Apple Music | Spotify
by RaduP
And that was it. You've made it through still alive. Congrats. See ya next month. Here's a Spotify playlist we compiled out of stuff featured here:
