TEKARRA - Great Divide (Album Review)

Release Date: November 20th 2025. Record Label: Psychedelic Salad Records / Interstellar Smoke Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Great Divide - Tracklisting

1.Great Divide 19:26

2.Endless Winter 16:09

Review

Drone/Doom Metal collective TEKARRA return with their third full length album Great Divide which continues their grand sonic excursion into the heavier depths of AMPLIFIER WORSHIP and LOW & SLOW musical passages. This is the same type of attitude they created on their previous two albums but this time the sound is more desolate, aggressive and emotionally detached from reality with a sense of sludge metal mechanics appearing.

The music is deliberately and purposely slow-paced with echoes of SUNN O))) appearing for an ice-cold Progressive style of melody and warped effects allowing the psychedelic kinetic energy fusing to the bleakest parts of the album. The album contains two tracks with a final running time near thirty six minutes in length. TEKARRA wisely take their time building up a LOUD VOLUME of noise for the opening epic title track of The Great Divide.

There are vocals within the record but they only appear when they’re fully needed and they’re brutally harsh and minimal but one full of profound aggression that moves the record further into Post-Black Metal territory. There are shades of BORIS experimentation on the title track but TEKARRA keep everything close to their chests that gives The Great Divide a highly mysterious quality even when the most violent moments appear to FUCK UP your peaceful and tranquil state of mind.

The second track Endless Winter is less abrasive and aggressive compared to the opening track but one that never turns away from its Post-Black Metal surroundings. Perhaps more Ambient and Drone driven which shows a different side to TEKARRA. The mood is still full of violent promise with a sense of distorted melody being delivered from all corners of the DRONE METAL spectrum.

Another cool aspect of the record to admire is TEKARRA’s wicked interpretation and deconstruction of the LOW & SLOW and AMPLIFIER DISTORTION themes that feels quite different. As they create their own unique take on that part of the Drone/Doom Metal movement. This record isn’t going to be for everyone but if you’re a fan of music where playing SLOW MUSIC is key then you’ll find this album very hard to beat.

Great Divide is another mind-expanding journey from one of the best Doom/Drone Metal bands that the Canadian underground scene has offered recently. I recommend you check this masterful release at earliest opportunity and be prepared for a first-rate DRONED OUT release of the highest order.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

BREATHS - Melt Away (EP Review)

Release Date: 19th January 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Melt Away - Tracklisting

fade apart

barbarella (melt away)

waves

shaken

Review

Alternative/Doomgaze/Post-Metallers BREATHS are back with their new EP Melt Away which serves as a preview of their upcoming full length album. Melt Away is a collection of haunting and emotionally charged sounds that sees BREATHS move across the Post-Metal spectrum with moments of Doomgaze, Grunge and a healthy does of Post-Black Metal distortion witin the EP's heaviest moments. It's been a while since I've ventured into BREATHS creative world and I've forgotten how wonderfully complex their music can actually be. Drawing influences upon bands such as Deftones, Spotlights Deafheaven, Cult Of Luna and Russian Circles with a passionate outlook across over musical sounds such as Grunge and Alt Metal. 

The four tracks that make up Melt Away lasts for over sixteen minutes in length with BREATHS merging the Post-Blackened/Doomgaze grooves with the more mellower Alt Rock and Post-Rock sounds of the EP. There's a lush vocal delivery being sung throughout each song even when the moody environment transpires to be more Sludge/Post-Metal orientated.

The production values are quite unapologetic with it's aggressive and raw sounding moments but BREATHS brings a 1980's and 1990's Alt Rock perspective to the EP. The use of different Ambient textures really shines through and comes alive on the standout tracks of barbarella (melt away) and waves with a classic GRUNGE aspect being played against a flurry of down-tuned sludgy guitars and trippy psychedelic elements. 

Melt Away could have maybe used one final longer track to draw all the different sounds, creative ideas and heavy themes together for final push of aggression. However, that hasn't stopped BREATHS delivering a powerful and emotionally charged release which has got myself excited for the upcoming full length album. 

Words by Steve Howe 

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Dolor - Let Rain Fall Eternal (Album Review)

Release Date: June 01st 2022. Record Label: Blue Bedroom Records. Format: CD/Cassette/DD

Let Rain Fall Eternal - Tracklisting

1.Separate From Yourself 10:54

2.One More Cut 07:00

3.Blighted 05:28

4.The Collapse Of Truth 08:30

Members

Trent Kremeier - Vocals

Cameron Davis - Guitars, Synths, Piano

Arthur Callies - Bass

Aaron Budny - Drums

Review

Let Rain Fall Eternal is the new album from Progressive/Post-Metallers Dolor with the band adding a twisted and blackened vision to the mix. Partly inspired by Deafheaven and Pallbearer. This album is on the harsher side of Post-Metal and some may consider this Post-Black Metal with the heavy shrieking vocals that firmly remain in the more extreme side of metal.

Opening song Separate From Yourself has all the classic hallmarks and tricks from the Post-Metal underground but the atmosphere is quite noisy, glitchy and abstractly violent. The tone of the song has a fresh “DIY” appeal and Dolor plays some excellent Sludge based grooves whilst injecting a little bit of Ambient/Psych/Post-Rock surroundings into their overall sound. Abstract vibes appear when the clean vocals make an appearance and you feel you’re listening to an entirely different band but it works to Dolor’s favour. As they show many different sounds and multiple identities to create an engaging and complex listen.

Second song One More Cut carries on with the bleak grooves that have a certain distorted and downtuned feeling to them. Dolor plays a more riff-heavy blackened approach on this song with the Deafheaven aspect and influence coming into play. The song has a wicked stop/start approach with the rapid fire guitar sounds working quite well with the slower elements of the song. Perhaps the most calming and aggressive song on the album with Dolor living outside the Post-Metal world and more within the Blackened underground whilst making a song that’s easily accessible to outsiders as well. The instrumental work is first-rate with the harsh extreme vocals from Trent. All building up to perhaps my favourite song on the album.

The final two songs Blighted and The Collapse Of Truth allow Dolor to take things further with more experimental sounds coming into play on Blighted.

Blighted is more of an Ambient/Drone/Doom based song with purely an instrumental focus. It’s good to see a different side to Dolor.

Things do become heavier and gloomier which Dolor handles with creative ease on the final song The Collapse Of Truth which is another one of the album's finest moments which leaves you wanting more.

The album isn’t the best produced but that’s what Dolor wanted to achieve with this release as the band give this description of the album:

Salvaged from a corrupted hard drive, Dolor's "Let Rain Fall Eternal," presents four cuts of something uncompromisingly bitter and morose. This album is the product of years of neglect, stunted progress, and resurrection. Progressive post sludge for those of us still stuck in the muck. Languishing in a pit of despair. Longing for a way out...

However, the whole sound of the record is quite captivating with its raw intensity you can hear from start to finish.

Let Rain Fall Eternal isn’t going to be for everyone. However, if you’re looking for an album to unleash your aggression against today’s uncertain times then Dolor is the band for you. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

https://www.facebook.com/bluebedroomrecords/
https://twitter.com/blue_bedroom
https://www.instagram.com/bluebedroom_records/
https://bluebedroomrecords.bandcamp.com/