Fields of Mildew - IV (2025)

Fields of Mildew is a one-man band, described on his Bandcamp page as "a German minimalist folk project originally inspired by the area around the Teufelsmoor with a conceptual focus on the late 19th/early 20th century rural life. Founded in 2015." IV is its second album. It's one of the best folk album I've heard in recent years, excelling at building a melancholic atmosphere (could also be described as dark folk and could evokes also neofolk), with great guitar playing (mostly acoustic) and vocals. I really enjoy listening to it when I'm not in the mood for roaring guitars and screams.

 

The BC page. 

 

Ramleh - Hyper Vigilance (2025)

Hyper Vigilance, the new Ramleh album keeps the psychedelic noise rock formula of the two previous albums, but is also enriching it with new elements and more diversity overall. The main new thing is the use in several songs of acoustic guitars, bringing a somewhat neofolk feel at times, with also more vocals, and on the other hand there are some harsher industrial/noise moments, making it maybe the most interesting of recent Ramleh albums. In any case, it's another awesome addition to their fantastic discography. One of my favourite album for this first half of the year. Totally recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Shannon Rowley - The King Departs (2022)

You can always count on Svart Records for delivering something unusual, and of quality. The first album from Shannon Rowley, released in 2022 and called The King Departs could be described as an unusual take on dark americana, but it's also rocking, there's a haunted intensity and epicness that evokes heavy metal (there's a Hallowed Be Thy Name something in the first track, Says The Dead Sailor). I suppose Son House covering Birthday Party and Iron Maiden would have produced a similar vibe.  Yes, it's that good. 

The BC page.

 

Goat - Oh Death (2022)

Goat might not be the greatest band of all time, but they definitely are a strange and intriguing beast. The music of this Swedish band is mixing heavy rock psychedelia with elements of afrobeat, folk, free jazz and whatnot. And each of their albums have a different twist. They release "Medicine" in 2023, one of their more traditional psych/folk album, a good album, nicely trippy, but more classical than the rest of their discography. That's why I prefer reviewing the previous album Oh Death, my favourite Goat album. Oh Death could be described as their "Voodoo bayou funk rock" album, an addictive mix of Black Sabbath, Jefferson Airplane, Dr John and The Meters. Shorter song, more rocking, funky and nervous than their usually more progressive stuff, but with a dark and mystic feel. Highly recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Big Blood - First Aid Kit (2023)

Big Blood is one of the band I really should have reviewed a long time ago... But their new ambum First Aid Kit is definitely a good occasion to do it, since it's an excellent one. We could say they play a special kind of psychedelic folk/rock. But what they do is so different it seems more fitting to say they play "weird folk" or "freak folk". Not weird like some frantic and noisy free jazz, you could (almost) play it at your Christmas family gathering, and First Aid Kit is among their more melodic albums. But it's melodies that have an uncanny feel, sounding a bit like from another dimension. But I'll stop wasting my time trying to describe the undescribable. Just listen to it, and to their older stuff. You won't regret. Oh, and the two singers are mother and her thirteen years old daughter, the father playing the instruments. Isn't that nice? 

The Bandcamp page.

 

Wovenhand - Silver Sash (2022)

David Eugene Edwards, mainman of Wovenhand (singer/guitarist/composer) has first been known as the leader of 16 Horsepower and their dark armericana/gothic folk feel also lives in Wovenhand (which has now released more albums than 16H I believe). But Wovenhand is also even more a rock band, and their new album Silver Sash, following the path taken by other recent albums, is rocking harder than ever. One way or another they manage to always keep the intensity at a high level and it's good.

Wovenhand website

 

Of The Wand & The Moon - Your Love Can't Hold The Wreath Of Sorrow (2021)

I usually don't listen to a lot of neofolk, but I listen a lot to the new Of The Wand & The Moon called Your Love Can't Hold The Wreath Of Sorrow. Excellent from start to end, with many memorable songs / tracks, of different kinds (dark folk parts of course but also noise, spoken words...). Great melodies and atmosphere. Easily one of my favourite albums this year (well, last year now, but I still listen to it).

The Bandcamp page.

 

Cancer Bats - You'll Never Break Us - Separation Sessions Vol. 1 (2020)

To be honest I have never been interested in Cancer Bats usual records, but I'm really happy I gave a chance to this EP called You'll Never Break Us - Separation Sessions Vol. 1 and featuring acoustic reworking of 6 of their classic songs (with banjo, guitars, organ and drums and percussion). I totally dig this EP. Less electricity, more intensity! Whether you like Cancer Bats, hardcore, metal, metalcore, folk, country, and whatever, just try it.

Highly recommended !

The BC page.

 

Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L - Matilda (2017)

Pekko Käppi is a jouhikko player (a jouhikko is a Finnish string instrument) and an ethnomusicologist, and joined with his band K:H:H:L he produces a music hard to describe, that's why, despite liking it instantly (the opening track is really awesome with its screaming riff à la Hendrix, somewhat), it took me four years to review their second album Matilda. They play some psychedelic folk rock rooted in Finnish traditional music (and sung in Finnish) but with also hard rock elements and even bits of funk. Very "exotic" and also enjoyable. Interesting and cool stuff. Not surprisingly it  (like their more recent album from 2019) is released by the excellent Svart records, specialized in all kinds of weird Finnish music.

The Bandcamp page.

Kan Mikami - Barking Practice / White Lines (2007)

Barking Practice / White Lines is one of the Kan Mikami albums released on the famous PSF label, a Japanese label specialized in experimental/free music (Keiji Haino, Fushitsua, etc.). On this one Kan Mikami is at it most minimalist/raw bluesy and at the same time there's also an abstract/free vibe, his guitar playing and his singing are very special, very simple but wild and emotional. Among the few albums I know from Kan Mikami this one is my favourite. Highly recommended!

Hexvessel - Kindred (2020)

 

It's about time I review an Hexvessel album! I intend to do it since their second album in 2012 No Holier Temple, and since that day they kept on releasing good music (that I failed each time to review... damn!). But Kindred, the new album from the Finnish band with a British singer (an outstanding singer who also sang in Beastmilk) is absolutely worthy of a review, maybe even more than their previous releases. Kindred covers with ease and elegant class different spaces between quiet folk, heavy rock and psych/prog. The opening track, the very King Crimsonian Billion Year Old Being is highly memorable and one of their best song yet, and the rest of the album is also excellent. Highly recommended!

The Bandcamp page

Christian Kjellvander - Wild Hxmans (2018)

This one's quite different from what I usually review on Blasting Days, but so far it's the album that made the strongest impression on me this year. Really. Christian Kjellvander (from Sweden) already impressed me a lot, that was with his first album "Songs from a Two-Room Chapel" back in 2002, but then I was disapointed by his second album (although it's good, but after the tour de force of the first I had big expectations), and I lost track of him. Until I listened to his new album "Wild Hxmans", and whoah! it's maybe even better than "Songs from a Two-Room Chapel", excellent folk-americana with a great voice and vibrant atmospheres. But with "Wild Hxmans" it feels like the music is given another dimension with some brilliant parts that are exploring new directions that could maybe be described as embracing some post-rock/free-rock elements. The music gets heavier, trippier, stronger. (from my exploration on Bandcamp of what he released between his second and latest album those elements are starting to appear on the previous album "A Village : Natural Lights".)
Wild Hxmans is an awesome album and I can't recommend it too much.

The Bandcamp page

Dylan Carlson - Conquistador (2018)

Conquistador is a solo album from Dylan Carlson, the guitarist/composer of Earth and, guess what, it sounds like... the guitars parts from Earth! No surprise at all then, but it's ok since it is so good. The atmospheres created by these five instrumental guitar tracks have a kind of "dark western" feel that reminds earth's Hex album. One of my favourite so that's good. If you like Earth you'll enjoy this album, if you don't know Earth, well, you really should know Earth you know...

The Bandcamp page 

Tom Carter - Long Time Underground (2015)

Minimalistic but full. Close but wide. That what comes to my mind when I try to describe Tom Carter's music on this solo album (he plays also in a psych folk band called Charalambides) called Long Time Underground released last year. This is guitar only. With a bit of distortion, bringing a bit of a psych / drone feel. Earth could be a comparison, both are excellent at creating a strong atmosphere. Quiet and very deep. Great stuff!

The Bandcamp page.

Steve Von Till - A life Unto Itself (2015)

You probably know Steve Von Till, singer / guitarist in Neurosis also releases solo accoustic albums (like Scott Kelly), last year's A Life Unto Itself is the latest one. It is a brilliant dark americana / folk album. Of course Steve Von Till is a good singer and composer and it also shows on this album, but what is also excellent is the viola parts from Eyving Kang and even more the pedal steel parts played by Jay Kardong. It really brings the songs a special feel. And no, it does not really sound "country music", but yes definitely American roots music. It's not "heavy" in the way Neurosis is heavy, but the atmosphere is as deep and strong as it is quiet.

The Bandcamp page.

Blackbird Raum - Destroying (2015)

Destroying, released last year, is the fifth album from the american folk-punk band Blackbird Raum. Like the fourth previous albums it is really good, strenghtening my opinion that Blackbird Raum is the best band in the "folk-punk scene". Entirely acoustic the main instruments are the accordion and the guitars, with also percussions and strings and dual male / female vocals that are excellent. The lyrics are really good ("All that praises heaven slanders earth", "adder", and the other songs as well actually...) and the singing sounds really heartfelt. That and the really good songwriting makes their music feel really intense and passionnate (as much as any "loud" band can).

Their Website

Their BC page.

Stara Rzeka - Zamknęły się oczy ziemi (2015)

Stara Rzeka is a solo project of Kuba Ziołek of the polish collective Milieu L'Acéphale. Zamknęły się oczy ziemi is the second album and is intended to be the last one (which is a pity but I'm sure Kuba Ziołek will continue to bring us good music in other contexts). The album was done with the help of musicians from the Innercity ensemble (also part of Milieu L'Acéphale). Some songs were written before the first album but this one does not just sound like the other half of the first, for example there's not metal vocals any more. But the basis stays the same :  folk, drones, noise and krautrock played by acoustic and electric guitars, synth, electronic noises and beats, a bit of drumming, and only clean vocals this time. Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders and Moondog are cited as influences. The result is fascinating and moving music, mostly quiet and trippy but with also some moments fitting the usual song structure (riffs, singing, etc.). This is a great album, with a unique atmosphere, and I'm impatient to listen to  Kuba Ziołek next project (solo or with a band).

The Bandcamp page

Laike - Fången i Det Senaste (2014)

Laike started as the solo project of Christofer Ståhle, from Sweden. I completely fell under the charm of the first album, released in 2012 (read HERE my review, going with an interview with Christofer Ståhle). I discovered recently that the second Laike album was released in november 2014. It is called Fången i Det Senaste (which means Trapped in the Latest) and it is another marvel. What kind of music is it? We could say it's folk rock with roots in the 70' and elements of prog' and psychedelia. Christofer Ståhle composes, sings and plays the flute. And maybe this use of flute (and how it is played) explains with it's great expressivity and delicacy the richness and subtility of the atmospheres created. The songs really develops rich moods and feels, sometimes very quiet, sometimes more upbeat, very lively and joyous, often with a very subtle balance between slight melancholy and wonder (at least that's how I feel it...). The singing in swedish is very good and adds (at least to non swedish ears!) to the uniqueness of the music. There's also a nice use of piano (or Moog or Wurlitzer, Mellotron and stuff like that), clean guitars, drums and percussions plus some harp, violin, vibraphone, etc. but mostly flute, guitars, keys and drums, and singing. If you're into 70' folk / prog / psych rock Laike will sounds nicely familiar, but without never sounding boringly retro, it really has it's very special personnality, its own kind of melodies and moods (it's all about melodies and moods). The main difference between the first and this second album is that the new one is more a collective effort (with musicians from Lisa o piu and Me and my kites, among others) and sounds like it is. The songs are more complex and there's less parts with an introspective feel. Maybe some would regret the more mysterious and nearly mystical feel of the first album but I think it's great that the two albums are different, with a different global atmosphere and character. The new songs sounds enriched with more subtilities that you'll discover after a few listen, also it sounds, overall, more "positive", upbeat and groovy. I really love both albums, and hope the third one will bring another taste as well...

Very special and highly recommended stuff!

The Bandcamp page

 

VETTER - Vetterkult (2012)

Released in 2012 this album did not get the attention it deserves. Vetterkult by the norwegian one man band VETTER is a very interesting black metal related album. it shows a wide diversity, and while always sticking to a genuine black metal feel it displays it in a variety of different musical forms. a classical an choir samples instrumental intro, then one of the most black metal songs of the album, but with dissonant riffing and some cold distorted industrial elements, then a song with loud and heavily distorted bass and repetitive mid tempo beats. then another dark classical instrumental with choir samples. follows a long black metal / industrial song with some clean singing in the end. then a kazoo interlude (yes!) before a folk / neofolk song. then you have a noise instrumental before a last black metal song. an excellent album that stays true to the spirit of norwegian black metal while experimenting sucessfully with different musical forms. recommended!

the Bandcamp page.

Munly & the Lee Lewis harlots - self titled double LP (2013 reissue)

This album was first released in 2004 by Alternative tentacles and was reissued last year by Pesanta urfolk. Munly & the Lee Lewis harlots plays some finely crafted dark americana, with touches of bluegrass (banjo, strings), rockabilly and some post-punk vibes. it reminds bands like Nick Cave and the Bad seeds, 16 Horsepower (Munly played in a band with David Eugene Edwards before he formed  16 Horsepower) or the softer part of Swans. excellent songwriting, very good dual male / female vocals, and a great atmosphere. I also recommend Munly's most recent releases, "Petr and the wulf" in 2010 with The Lupercalians and in 2011"Unentitled" with the Slim cessna's auto club.

Munly website