Release date: 11/29/2023
Origin: Ely, MN
Personnel: Austin Lunn-vox/guitar/bass/keyboards/flute/accordian/pedal steel/lap steel/drums
I have such a soft spot for Panopticon. Everything Austin Lunn does with this project is epic in scale. I love the blending of American black metal with folk and bluegrass music. There’s also an endearing protest streak running through the message of his albums concerning both environmental and socio-economic matters. It’s always a lot to digest both musically and intellectually. This latest album isn’t as expansive and the last couple of releases. And, honestly, I think the concentration of the songs on this release make it all the more strong. Now, granted, even though it is a bit more compact than past releases, don’t expect Raining Blood level brevity. There are still very long songs that run the course of black metal blast beats to quiet acoustic meanderings. Just another wonderful release from a really special project.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
8. Panopticon-The Rime of Memory
9. Mutoid Man-Mutants
10. Enslaved-Heimdal
11. Thron-Dust
12. Harboured-Harboured
13. Herod-Iconoclast
14. Insomnium-Anno 1696
15. Spirit Adrift-Ghost At the Gallows
16. Church of Misery-Born Under a Mad Sign
17. Primordial-How It Ends
18. Imperium Dekadenz-Into Sorrow Evermore
19. Royal Thunder-Rebuilding the Mountain
20. Katatonia-Sky Void of Stars
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 