In A House Of Heartbeats - Divination Of Dreams (Album Review)

Release Date: January 16th 2026. Record Label: Ripcord Records. Formats: CD/DD

Divination Of Dreams - Tracklisting

1.In A Perpetual State Of Wonder

2.Cambion 09:24

3.Parasomniac

4.Oneiromancy For Beginners 06:46

5.A Head Full Of Ghosts

6.Drift Into Sleep...

7....Perchance To Dream 08:34

Review

Instrumental Post-Metallers In A House Of Heartbeats offer a different cinematic journey for their debut album Divination Of Dreams where they blend areas of Doom, Post-Punk, Goth and Shoegaze into their music. The end result is a mysterious and beautifully heavy mix that draws upon the likes of heavyweights PELICAN, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, MONO, THIS WILL DESTROY YOU and CULT OF LUNA but with a more grounded appeal which is perhaps down to the band’s epic use of Shoegaze soundscapes and world weary Progressive dynamics.

The record weaves different Post-Rock and Post-Metal themes against a muscular backdrop of Post-Sludge attitudes where everything can be wonderfully dark and brooding with a sense of danger that develops within the stunning opening track of In A Perpetual State Of Wonder. This epic slice of CINEMATIC METAL captures a darker side of Post-Metal that Pelican and Russian Circles ruled the airwaves with in their earlier years which In A House Of Heartbeats captures in their own great way. The later stages of the track sees the band employ a style of gloomy and post-apocalyptic mix of Middle Eastern sounds against a backdrop of monolithic sludgy guitars. 

Second track Cambion continues with that style of weird sounding and gloomy Psychedelic energy which results in a thunderous bevy of Atmospheric Sludge and demented Shoegaze passages for the most part of the song.. The whole sound is quite eclectic and experimental but there’s a manic Post-Metal dimension holding everything together but the band always experiment with their music where they feel they’re about ten steps ahead of their nearest rivals. 

Divination Of Dreams does manage to find a harsh Post-Industrial sound within the quieter and refined moments which becomes part of the creative narrative which gives In A House Of Heartbeats their own unique voice within the instrumental Post-Metal realm which is only solidified even further on the tracks of Parasomniac, Oneiromancy For Beginners and A Head Full Of Ghosts. These tracks allow the band take upon a more reflective journey with an intense “LESS IS MORE” approach being developed within the Psychedelic and Ambient surroundings of the whole musical journey.

A House Of Heartbeats continues to play epic and progressive sounding Post-Rock / Post-Metal grooves that have a real sense of meaning, purpose and uplifting quality to them which include areas of GOTHIC momentum when the mood calls for this style of music to appear. This style of music becomes quite convincing on the final two tracks of the album - Drift Into Sleep… & ....Perchance To Dream which also allows the band to become master storytellers of their own making before everything is said and done.

Divination Of Dreams is a first rate Post-Metal record and will hopefully propel In A House Of Heartbeats to greater heights within the underground Post-Rock / Post-Metal scene. They have the songs, creative vision and talent to go a very long way indeed and this great album only proves that time and time again.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo.

Divination Of Dreams is available to buy now on CD/DD via Ripcord Records.

In A House Of Heartbeats Links

https://www.facebook.com/InAHouseOfHeartbeats
https://www.instagram.com/inahouseofheartbeats
https://inahouseofheartbeats.bandcamp.com

Ripcord Records Links

https://ripcordrecords.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/weareripcord
http://www.instagram.com/weareripcord

Instrumental Post-Rockers CIVIL SERVICE announce new album ‘DARK ///’ | Out Nov 21st 2025

Civil Service Announce New Album ‘DARK ///’, out November 21st via A Cheery Wave Records and Ripcord Records.Manchester-based instrumental rock collective Civil Service return with their heaviest, most uncompromising work to date: ‘DARK ///’.

Following the band’s 2024 release ‘/// LIGHT’, which was a narrative exploration of humanity’s fleeting search for meaning - whereas its stark counterpart DARK /// shifts focus to the immovable obstacles in our way. Across its sprawling, atmospheric soundscapes, the record confronts the weight of mental health struggles, the silent toll of undiagnosed conditions, the futility of power against tyranny, and the desperate but faltering attempts to find solace in chaos.

“Where ‘/// LIGHT’ searched for illumination, ‘DARK ///’ is about all the walls we crash into along the way,” the band explains. “It’s isolation, despair, collapse—and the fractures in ourselves and our societies that we can’t escape.” - Civil Service

Formed in the aftermath of their previous indie projects dissolving, Civil Service took shape after the members’ shared experience at early editions of ArcTanGent Festival. Their vision was to create expansive, atmospheric instrumental rock, drawing inspiration from acts like Mogwai, 65DaysOfStatic, Mono, God Is An Astronaut, MaybeSheWill, and Alcest.

After a string of early singles, they emerged from the pandemic with Life///Death, before embarking on their ambitious double album project—split into /// LIGHT and DARK ///—both recorded with Dave Sanderson at Crystal Ship Studios.

Since 2022, Civil Service have carved out a reputation as a powerful live act. They’ve curated their own shows in Manchester, inviting peers such as Din Of Celestial Birds, Kusanagi, LOE, Mount Forel, and La Bestia De GavAudan, while also touring alongside Overhead The Albatross, FORT, and Blackshape. Their journey has also seen them share the stage with And So I Watch You From Afar and The Dear Hunter.

With DARK ///, Civil Service delivers an uncompromising soundtrack to a world on the brink—an album steeped in dread, but equally in defiance.

Track listing:

1. An Infant Wave On A Savage Ocean
2. Black Giraffes
3. These Cities Are Ruins
4. URBNDCY
5. The Heurist
6. Every Beam Of Light Is An Invitation To Death
7. Distraction Tactics
8. Turn Out The Light

Band Members:

Francis Atkinson - Guitar, Keys, Programming
Alex Coates - Guitar, sample arrangements
Thom Hamper - Drums
James Wilkes - Bass

You can pre-order DARK /// from the links below:

Ripcord Records and A Cheery Wave Records

Links

Official | LinkTree | BandCamp

Thanks to Since Always Press for the details.

Codespeaker - Scottish Post-Metal Act Announces New Album "Scavenger" and Releases New Single "Verte"

Edinburgh-based post-metal band Codespeaker is set to release their second album, Scavenger, on November 8th via Ripcord Records. This new release marks a significant evolution in the band’s sound, building on the critical acclaim of their 2022 self-titled debut, which was praised as “a richly textured tapestry of modern post-metal mastery” by Distorted Sound Magazine.

Ahead of the album release, Codespeaker has released their latest single, "Verte" which you can hear below:

The band explains the theme behind the song: ‘”Verte” looks at our notions of sacrifice. The difference in expectations of the powerless and the powerful. The justifications we give for valuing one human life over another. “Verte” was written at a time when people were being asked to make incredible sacrifices and the nature of these double standards was shown in stark light. It is an attempt to stand in the shoes of those who are deemed acceptable collateral damage.‘

Scavenger promises to expand on the heavy, atmospheric sound that Codespeaker is known for. Featuring thunderous drums and colossal guitars reminiscent of bands like Neurosis and Cult of Luna, the album offers a towering sonic experience that shifts between mammoth-sized riffs and intense vocals, while also embracing quieter, more introspective moments.

Reflecting on the writing process, the band shared: “Scavenger was an interesting album for us. With 3 of 5 members joining since our last album, we wanted to create something that felt like a new incarnation of Codespeaker while remaining true to our sound. It was challenging, but we’re proud of how it all came together.”

 
They added: “While our self-titled album had a certain warmth and wonder about the human experience, Scavenger is more pointed and aggressive. It reflects the darkening sociopolitical landscape we were living through—there’s a sense of desperation and anger. The lyrics focus on power structures and those who suffer under them. It’s an ode to the powerless.”

Prepare for Scavenger, arriving on November 8th, 2024. Pre-orders are now available at this location.

Codespeaker Links

https://www.facebook.com/codespeakertheband
https://www.instagram.com/codespeaker
https://open.spotify.com/artist/codespeaker
https://codespeaker.bandcamp.com

Ripcord Records Links

https://ripcordrecords.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/weareripcord
http://www.instagram.com/weareripcord

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for all of the details.

Vnder A Crvmbling Moon - II: Aging & Formless (Album Review)

Release Date: April 05th 2024. Record Label: Ripcord Records. Formats: CD/DD

II: Aging & Formless- Tracklisting

1.Nomad

2.Nocturnal Passenger

3.Procession

4.Breach The Sky 

5.The Breathing of Monsters

6.Fall...Still

7.Bury Me With The Fallen Trees

Members

 

Andy Price - Bass

John Davidson - Guitar

Ray Arrell - Vocals

Scott Taylor - Guitar

Steve Humphreys - Drums

Review

Post-Metal collective Vnder A Crvmbling Moon return with their second full length album with II: Aging & Formless which continues the Post-Metal journey heard on their acclaimed debut release I: Oblivion. That record showed a band forged by the creative forces of Doom Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal and Post-Black Metal dynamics for a mournful journey that captured a soulful Psychedelic energy within the harsher and extreme movements of the Post-Metal arena.

Vnder A Crvmbling Moon don’t stray away from that mission with this new album with a more Post-Doom and Post-Black Metal dominated sound which has moments of classic sounding Ambient Heavy and Prog Metal guitars aligning to the band’s overall sound. The whole tone can ultimately be described as a “destructive force of nature” where the band wisely use uplifting Post-Rock cinematic themes with the more aggressive melodies that the band use as their main weapon to impress listeners with.

Taking cues from bands such as Neuroris, Cult Of Luna, ISIS and Russian Circles within their music but with a Black Metal outlook being injected into the overall dynamics that drift eerily to their next destructive target.

Each track is beautifully deconstructed to the more pitch-black sound that Vnder A Crvmbling Moon excels at with swirling Ambient rhythms and Progressive melodies on each individual track which showcases some of the best Post-Metal musicians the UK scene has to offer with members of the band previously being part of bands such as Garganjua, Conjurer and Codex Alimentarius. 

There’s a lush contemporary Black Metal or Blackened Sludge Metal energy heard on outstanding tracks such as: Nomad, Nocturnal Passenger, Breach The Sky, The Breathing Of Monsters and Bury Me With The Fallen Trees. These tracks are lengthy compositions with the tracks running between eight minutes to thirteen minutes in length but Vnder A Crvmbling Moon never overstays their welcome. They deliver music that is always welcoming despite the brutal onslaught of Post-Metallic sounds though the extra level of uplifting Post-Rock energy gives the album a deeply emotional core you don’t initially expect.

II: Aging & Formless can be quite experimental with Vnder A Crvmbling Moon never playing it safe and delivering a haunting journey of complex sounding Post-Metal melodies with the added aggression of Black Metal sounds that work its magic with the more Sludge Metal dominated parts of the album.

Overall, this is a superbly constructed and highly creative album which showcases why Vnder A Crvmbling Moon are quietly solidifying and building up their place as one of the most interesting creative forces within the UK Post-Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Ripcord Records for the promo.

II: Aging & Formless will be available to buy on CD/DD via Ripcord Records from Friday April 05th 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Helve - To Be Forgotten (Album Review)

Release Date: September 29th 2023. Record Label: Ripcord Records. Formats: CD/DD

To Be Forgotten - Tracklisting

Dark Clouds

Guns Heal The Sick

The Bones Of Giants

Teeth

Review:

UK Doom/Post-Metallers Helve debut album To Be Forgotten draws upon the complexities and progressive sounds of bands such as ISIS and Cult Of Luna with the band adapting to a more secluded style of Ambient Post-Rock for the more calmer sounds contained on the album. The four tracks on offer here showcase a band who aren't afraid to bring a more Alternative creative flow to their music. The music is always emotionally charged with a sense of moody intelligence behind the intense lyrics for the whole album.

Helve draws up a world-weary style of Post-Metal with that sombre Doom Metal heaviness that grows at a measured pace within the more Ambient and Psychedelic sounds the record contains throughout. To Be Forgotten does take some time for the sludgier and post-metal aspects to appear with the haunting melodies of the excellent opening track Dark Clouds. The track is perhaps classed Post-Rock for the first half with an ice-cold atmosphere and slowly played guitars. When the vocals appear, Helve start drafting in areas of heavier music which expand into a primal Sludge/Post-Metal force where brutality and beautiful melodic sludgy guitars go hand-in-hand for the band to venture into areas of music that remind me of Fall Of Efrafa at times.

Second song Guns Heal The Sick wastes no time delivering a more aggressive and raw style of Post-Metal with harsh vocals adding a Crust Punk environment for Helve to build their sound further upon. The lyrics are violently bleak and have a raw sense of honesty to them. The instrumental work is impressive indeed with DIY leaning production values just adding to the Crust Punk element of the whole song. There's a great use of distorted sounds that feels quite "Alternative" and "Shoegaze" in places but this still retains a vibrant Post-Metal sound.

Third song The Bones Of Giants combines Psychedelic backdrops and Post-Rock themes for a song that works amazingly well as an instrumental piece for the first half of the song. Ambient rhythms and extended sludgy grooves appear around the halfway mark with Helve experimenting with their sound that does have a strong ISIS influence within. Vocals are a mixture of harsh growls and background based clean vocals that gives a thrilling "LIGHT vs DARK'' illusion that doesn't deter from the intense instrumental sounds but only adds to the overall effect.

Final song Teeth is an absolute monster of a track running for almost twenty minutes in length. The track comes across like a Post-Rock/Post-Metal mini-opera with the track having different styles of music that can easily be condensed into multiple chapters. The song is wonderfully bleak and aggressive again with the lo-fi production values once again adding a murky style of music that Helve ultimately thrive upon. Intricate sounds, harsh growls and Ambient driven Psychedelic grooves is where I found the most enjoyment of this track. As Helve delivers an original blend of Post-Rock, Psychedelic Metal and Ambient Post-Rock which is all held together by that ferocious Sludge/Post-Metal sound that Helve ultimately excels at.

To Be Forgotten is an exciting, bold, brash and quite frankly an outstanding slice of Doom/Post-Metal that allows Helve to be considered another thrilling addition to the UK Doom/Post-Metal/Sludge Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Ripcord Records for the promo.

To Be Forgotten will be available to buy on CD/DD via Ripcord Records from September 29th 2023.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Linktree

Ripcord Records, have just released 2 compilations to raise money for Refuge

Ripcord Records, have just released 2 compilations to raise money for Refuge - a charity in the UK that helps women and children who have experienced domestic abuse (refuge.org.uk). 100% of the money made is going to them.

Refuge: Part I is a post-rock/math rock compilation featuring 72 bands from 22 countries and over 7 hours of music.

 

Refuge: Part II is a post-/black/sludge metal compilation featuring 78 bands from 22 countries and over 8 hours of music.

They are both "pay what you like".

You can find both compilations on our bandcamp at www.ripcordrecords.com.