Tag Archives: doomgaze

Album Review – The Sun Through a Telescope / Warm, Grey Day (2025)

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Ottawa, Canada’s own Drone, Doom and Sludge Metal lone wolf will crush our senses with his new offering, capturing the rawness of the BBC Radio One and Peel Sessions in his distinctive sound.

Incorporating elements of Post-Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Rock, Doomgaze, Psychedelic, and Ambient in his music, Ottawa, Canada-based lone wolf Leigh Newton (aka Lee Neutron) and his Drone/Doom/Sludge Metal beast The Sun Through a Telescope strike again with a brand new offering, titled Warm, Grey Day, the thirteenth release (and fourth full-length album) in the project’s already solid career. Written, recorded and mixed by Leigh himself at G-West Studios, and mastered by Topon Das at Apartment 2 Studios, Warm, Grey Day captures the rawness of the BBC Radio One and Peel Sessions, which Leigh was listening to a lot during the writing and recording of the album, being therefore recommended for fans of Godflesh, Jesu, Oranssi Pazuzu, Zeal & Ardor, and Sumac, among many others.

The album kicks off with the 12-minute experimental tune Eyes Lambent, arising from the underworld like a devilish creature, feeling like a sonic mantra where Leigh delivers minimalist, haunting sounds from his instruments before all hell breaks loose in a feast of Drone and Doom Metal. Then Leigh and his sharp riffs ignite the sluggish Fantastic Waste, overflowing melancholy and obscurity to Leigh’s harsh vociferations; followed by Pathways I, presenting eight minutes of a space and time voyage in the form of Doomgaze, with Leigh experimenting with countless sounds in the background, flowing into the harsh Pathways II, a grim fusion of Drone, Doom and Sludge Metal, with Leigh hammering his drums while also gnarling nonstop.

We’re then treated to two and a half minutes of distorted yet melodious sounds in The Mercy, working as an interlude before we face Yellow Darkyard, the second song of the album that surpasses the 12-minute mark, sounding very emotional with a striking, passionate vocal performance by Leigh, who also does an amazing job on the guitars and drums, adding an extra touch of heaviness to the overall result and ending on a high and caustic note. In Green (Again) our lone wolf offers a lighter version of his project, almost like an acoustic track with his guitars exhaling hope and peace, before the album ends with the pure Ambient track Grey, putting a whimsical conclusion to such a diverse and interesting album.

It’s been a while since our last review of any release by The Sun Through a Telescope, with the lats one being the project’s 2017 album Black Hole Smile, and I must say it’s a pleasure to get in touch once again with such a talented musician and his unique take on the genre, always pushing the boundaries and always experimenting with new sounds and techniques. Hence, if you want to give Leigh a shout you can find him on Facebook, and of course purchase a copy of Warm, Grey Day from BandCamp (with a limited run of 20 cassettes available), which is also available on all streaming services like Spotify. I don’t think it will take long for us to hear again from Leigh and his The Sun Through a Telescope as the guy seems to be unstoppable, and as long as he keeps delivering to our avid ears high quality noise like what’s found in Warm, Grey Day we’ll be more than happy with that.

Best moments of the album: Fantastic Waste, Pathways II and Yellow Darkyard.

Worst moments of the album: The Mercy.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Eyes Lambent 12:21
2. Fantastic Waste 6:16
3. Pathways I 8:04
4. Pathways II 5:31
5. The Mercy 2:33
6. Yellow Darkyard 12:11
7. Green (Again) 3:25
8. Grey 5:01

Band members
Leigh Newton – vocals, guitars, bass, drums, programming, samples

Album Review – E-L-R / Vexier (2022)

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This Swiss Post-Metal/Doomgaze outfit is inviting us all on an adventurous journey through their multi-dimensional musical cosmos to the sound of their sophomore album.

Formed in Bern, Switzerland in 2016 by bassist I.R. and guitarist S.M., and joined by drummer M.K. soon after, Post-Metal/Doomgaze outfit E-L-R lures and seduces the listener with glimpses of deeper meaning and the constant discovery of new layers that reveal further ones once peeled away, which is exactly what will happen to you after listening to their new opus entitled Vexier. Produced by E-L-R and Remo Häberli, recorded, mixed and mastered by Remo Häberli at Hidden Stash Tonstudio, and featuring a charming cover photography by Laura Petresc and portraits by Ramon Lehmann (with layout and design by the band’s own S.M.), Vexier, which title derives from the Latin word “vexare” meaning “to plague” or “to irritate” and in German a “vexierbild” means a flip-flop image while in some dialects a “vexier” is a puzzle game, presents massive, sweeping doomscapes that swallow you whole with epic riffs, allowing the band to take another decisive step forward and invite the listener on an adventurous journey through their fascinating and multi-dimensional musical cosmos.

If you enjoy melancholic, atmospheric passages you’re in for a treat to the opening track Opiate the Sun, growing in intensity to the sluggish, doomed beats by M.K. until the guitars and bass by S.M. and I.R., respectively, add an extra touch of insanity to the overall result (not to mention how mesmerizing the vocalizations by S.M. and I.R. sound and feel), with its soothing ending exploding into the venomous Three Winds, showcasing a fusion of Post-Metal with Atmospheric Black Metal where M.K. shows no mercy for his drums while S.M. slashes her axe in great fashion. Put differently, it’s the perfect alternative for metalheads who want to experiment what “doomgazing” is for the first time. Then we have Seeds, where the vocals by S.M. and I.R. walk hand in hand with their own stringed weapons, therefore resulting in a headbanging, obscure wall of sounds with the trio jamming like there’s no tomorrow until the song’s sharp ending; and their strident riffage keeps permeating the air in the visceral Fleurs of Decay, a stunning Post-Metal feast tailored for admirers of the genre where E-L-R will drag you to their atmospheric lair with their slow, dense and captivating sounds. Lastly, tribal beats ignite the closing tune entitled Forêt, where the trio once again carefully and slowly builds a somber ambience before the sound of the guitars and bass offer guest vocalist BAZE all he needs to shine on vocals, putting a beyond hypnotizing, epic and gentle ending to the album.

As aforementioned, E-L-R want to lure and seduce you to their darkened lair to the sound of their new album Vexier, which is not only the ideal follow-up to their 2019 debut album Mænad, but a lecture in Doomgaze that will certainly open the ears and minds of the unbelievers. Hence, in order to show the girls and guy from E-L-R all your support and admiration, you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream all of their creations on Spotify, and above all that, purchase a copy of Vexier by clicking HERE. The world of Post-Metal, Doomgaze and other sinister, underground subgenres of heavy music has just been graced with one of the finest albums of the year thanks to the talent, creativity and hard work by S.M., I.R. and M.K., placing them among the most interesting bands of the current scene and, consequently, bringing to us all the undisputed soundtrack to gaze at the stars on a pitch black night.

Best moments of the album: Three Winds and Fleurs of Decay.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Prophecy Productions

Track listing
1. Opiate the Sun 12:07
2. Three Winds 8:08
3. Seeds 6:37
4. Fleurs of Decay 7:15
5. Forêt 12:11

Band members
S.M. – guitar, vocals
I.R. – bass, vocals
M.K. – drums

Guest musicians
Remo Häberli – additional guitars
BAZE – vocals on “Forêt”