Weekly Spotlight, Week 08 / 2025

This week it's heavy stoner groove, evolved darkness and furious aggression from Warlung, Kosuke Hashida and Decline of the I

Warlung – The Poison Touch

Genre: Stoner/doom metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: USA

Texas band Warlung successfully combines a whole bunch of related flavors on their latest release, showcasing the band's proficiency with moderate genre fluidity, without for a moment breaking off from, or losing track of, the stoner/doom core. You are introduced to elements of classic heavy metal, psychedelic rock, blues and old school hard rock, implemented as suits the overall feel of any given track, and so amplifying groove, dreamy immersion, chillout-factor, melancholy, urgency and fun as necessary to give each song individual character. Now, I won't say that they succeed in sounding different from any other band in the subgenre, but if you feel like too much of current heavy stoner lacks variation and true melodic affinity, then this might be just what you're looking for.  

Highlight: "Spell Speaker" and "White Light Seeker"

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Kosuke Hashida – Outrage

Genre: Grindcore/thrash metal

Subjective rating: 4/5

Objective rating: 3.5/5

Country of origin: Japan

Do you love grindcore's unchecked aggression, roughness and short structure, but wish it could be a bit more generous with the groove-centric riffs? Japan's Kosuke Hashida has you covered. This stuff is ultra direct, savagely relentless and absolutely furious, but just enough thrash instrumental control shines through to get a feeling that someone's actually holding the reins to the mayhem. It's not what you would call varied, but in the fast-paced grindcore world of sub-3 minute tracks it also certainly doesn't feel repetitive. In line with the theme, it feels like an outright slaughter by means of merciless tactics and overwhelming firepower.

Highlights: "Strangulation" and "Corruption of Faith"

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Decline Of The I – Wilhelm

Genre: Avant-garde black metal

Subjective rating: 3.5/5

Objective rating: 4/5

Country of origin: France

The most consistent thing on this album must be the mood, which is solemn more or less all the way through. The rest is far more mercurial, although the prevailing expression is certainly black metal. At its core-centered peak it strikes with demonic, near-symphonic force, closing in on the brutality of blackened death metal. At other times it almost completely shuts down into unnerving chanting, hip hop beat samples, classic instrumental bits or scary atmosphere. If you're not paying attention, you might be left thinking you've covered about 15 different songs, when there are in fact only 5 on the album. This exploratory approach certainly makes for an unpredictable and mentally stimulating listen, and the songwriting really is top notch. But you might be left feeling that the overall impact has been somewhat lessened from lack of focus.

Highlights: "L'Alliance Des Rats" and "Entwined Conundrum"