Utopia Platafórmica

Narrow Head "Moments of Clarity": A Sonic Nostalgia Trip with a Modern Edge   By... Me!   Houston’s Narrow Head has been carving a name for itself in the ever-expanding world of heavy, melodic guitar music. “Moments of Clarity”, saw the band redefine its identity, balancing weighty grunge influences with an ethereal, shoegaze-inflected sensibility. If their previous efforts captured the raw, fuzz-drenched angst of ‘90s alternative, this album feels like a lucid dream, a space where heaviness and melody coexist in perfect harmony.   From the opening moments, it’s clear that “Moments of Clarity” is an evolution rather than a departure. The production is sharper, the songwriting more dynamic. The title track immediately sets the tone: thick, hazy guitars swirl around a melancholic vocal delivery, creating a sense of longing and euphoria all at once. It’s the kind of track that makes you want to stare out of a rain-streaked window, lost in thought.   Songs like “...

Lucifer’s Child Unleashes "The Illuminant" A New Chapter in Black Metal Darkness   Greek black metal force, Lucifer’s Child has returned from the shadows with their long-awaited third studio album, "The Illuminant". Released via Agonia Records, this new offering solidifies the band’s position in the extreme metal world, blending ritualistic intensity with melodic grandeur.  A Journey Through the Flames   It has been seven years since Lucifer’s Child last graced the scene with "The Order" (2018), an album that garnered praise for its unrelenting aggression and atmospheric depth. Now, with "The Illuminant" , the band takes another bold step forward. The album presents eight tracks of pure blackened majesty, invoking both chaos and transcendence.    Founding member George Emmanuel (ex-Rotting Christ) describes the record as an intense journey that blends the dark, the emotion, and the melody. The compositions reflect a mature, refined approach to bl...

  Mysterium “Cimmerian Storm” (Sonorous Night, 2024)   Mysterium is a Norwegian Black Metal entity, a quite recent one for that matter. The man behind it is Are Liseth (Altertum, Cage of Torment, Illvilje, Infernal Wind, Moonshrine, Through Your Eyes, Vorgfang). If I may, Vorgfang is amazing. Please go check it out. I adore that this work carries melodies of old, an almost palpable sense of ancient times. I know that many bands try to replicate all the atmosphere, and many are able to put it into their music, but it is always a pleasure when you hear the music, and you feel taken back in time when you first discovered Black Metal. Musically speaking, what we have is straightforward Black Metal, and nothing else. But this is what we are looking for, this sort of sound! it is raw, but also melodic, it is reminiscent of old days, yet it does not sound dated! I will not say that it sounds like a simple replica, for it does not! It holds on to a beautiful sound, a sound tha...

  Shoegazy Alternative I am old enough to have live through the Nu Metal era and see how it impacted on the global Music scene. As a young lad, one would despise many of the bands labelled as Nu Metal, and praise those that rebelled against it, putting out music that was even more brutal than what they did before, as a way to show a sort of “fear us, weaklings” attitude. Looking back at it, it made no sense, and it only showed a caveman behaviour one tends to associate with Heavy Metal. Today, I ignore what does not have an impact on me. I like it, I listen to it, I do not like it, I do not listen to it. Is it not simple? Indeed, it is… I did enjoy some of the bands that were “thrown” into the pit of emotionless and unclassy music, because they were – and still are – actually great musicians, that really never lived the scene, never rode that wave, per se. A band like the Deftones, for instance, one can consider them as being part of such scene to a certain extent, yes; however...

  Kire “Carta de Despedida” (La Plaga D.I.Y., 2024) I believe the first artist I heard, that sang in Spanish, was Julio Iglesias, a massive romantic singer that was, before becoming an artist, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper. Now that is one odd equation. Well, time went by, and I discovered a different band: Héroes del Silencio; and 90ies kids will definitely remember the name. I lived close to the boarder, so I had an almost constant contact with their music on TV and on the radio. They were never a favourite of mine, but it did open the way for me to appreciate music sang in Spanish, and that first record is good. Fast forward a bunch of years, and we have Kire and their “Carta de Despedida”. And this is a really cool and enthusiastic album! It has Punk, it has Pop melodies, it has a bit of that Spanish Punk sound, it has a bunch of elements that make a kick-ass release! It is all in the melodies the band puts out, all in the melodies. Spanish language does have a melodic side to i...

  Congruity “Inferno” (BoneSaw Entertainment, 2024)   Before jumping to the most recent one, allow me to recommend their previous, a split with Hate Disposal, where the band offers a fantastic example of their experience and quality, and where I first heard the band. It took me a while, I know… November 2024, and Congruity comes forward with a new release: “Inferno”. This 6-track EP was released by BoneSaw Entertainment, and it shows the band taking their Death Metal to higher levels. Blasting production, no doubt about it. All crystal clear and clean. And what this does, is giving the music a lot more power and energy! And all done by the band. Kudos to you, gentlemen. I dare say they had more Black Metal elements in their Split with Hate Disposal, but maybe I am mistaken. Victor’s vocals are overwhelming! They take over the music, making themselves shown and heard! Overall, Congruity’s Death Metal is all an Old School Death Metal fan needs, and requires, from a Death M...