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Album Review – Duncan Evans And The Weeping Starlight / The World is a War Zone (2026)

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Led by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Duncan Evans, this three-piece Dark Folk and Post-Punk outfit explores faith, doubt, suffering, transcendence and the search for meaning in a fractured world in their new album.

The collaborative evolution of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Duncan Evans, built around a committed three-piece lineup that transforms intimate compositions into expansive, emotionally charged performances, Leeds, England’s own Dark Folk/Post-Punk/Gothic Rock outfit Duncan Evans And The Weeping Starlight is back in action with a brand new album, titled The World is a War Zone. Recorded between The Nave and Duncan Evans’ home studio in Leeds, produced and mixed by Duncan Evans himself, engineered by Tom Orrell and Duncan Evans, and mastered by James Plotkin, the new album by Duncan Evans on vocals, guitars, synths and software instruments, Ol Jessop on bass, and Kev Reid on drums, with additional percussion by Gareth Hodgson of A Forest of Stars and Darkher, unfolds across nine tracks and 45 minutes of intense, cathartic Post-Punk melancholia rooted in the dark and primal spirit of folk music, exploring faith, doubt, suffering, transcendence and the search for meaning in a fractured world.

Working as an extended theatrical, captivating intro, The Starlight Weeps showcases all three musicians revving up their rockin’ engines for The Path, offering a Blues Rock-infused blend of their core sound led by the melodic vocal lines by Duncan, as if Jethro Tull and Nick Cave decided to jam together while watching the night sky. Kev and Ol then bring the groove to the band’s music armed with their respective bass and drums in The World is a War Zone (a fitting title for a song in 2026, by the way), while Duncan extracts whimsical sounds from his guitar; followed by Loss, which feels like the soundtrack to an Oscar-nominated movie. Furthermore, it gets trippy after a while, obviously in a very good way, keeping the album as captivating as it can be.

Sierra Delta might be a bit too slow compared to the rest of the album, and maybe some extra heaviness from Duncan’s guitar would have added more taste to the overall result; whereas Waiting for Rain is the epitome of their trademark fusion of Dark Folk with Post-Rock elements, with Duncan once again declaiming the song’s words like a Rock N’ Roll poet. Deathless is a beautiful, dark ballad by the trio, with Kev hitting his drums just hard enough to bring that kick to the music; and Duncan’s classic guitar lines walk hand in hand with the bass by Ol in River of Milk, alternating between ethereal moments and the heaviness of modern-day Gothic Rock. Lastly we have Suffer, led by the pounding beats by Kev, putting a striking ending to the album. Needless to say, it should sound very enfolding if played live.

Listeners drawn to the emotional depth of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Emma Ruth Rundle, Swans and Richard Thompson will surely find resonance in The World is a War Zone, yet the album ultimately stands as its own statement, burning with conviction and carrying a persistent belief in redemption amid turmoil. The result is a sound that feels somber, mournful and fiercely committed, grounded in the traditions of Post-Punk and folk music yet shaped by a distinctly personal vision. The indomitable Duncan Evans and his henchmen can be found on Facebook and on Instagram, and don’t forget to also stream their music on Spotify, and to purchase their new album from their BandCamp or webstore. The world is indeed a war zone, but fear not, my dear friends, as Duncan Evans will protect us all with the power of our good old Rock N’ Roll.

Best moments of the album: The Path, River of Milk and Suffer.

Worst moments of the album: Sierra Delta.

Released in 2026 Widowbird Records

Track listing
1. The Starlight Weeps 3:39
2. The Path 4:23
3. The World is a War Zone 6:46
4. Loss 6:23
5. Sierra Delta 5:10
6. Waiting for Rain 4:54
7. Deathless 4:56
8. River of Milk 4:04
9. Suffer 5:14

Band members
Duncan Evans – vocals, guitars, synths, software instruments
Ol Jessop – bass
Kev Reid – drums

Guest musician
Gareth Hodgson – additional percussion

Album Review – NONE / NONE (2017)

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Over 30 minutes of chilling and despondent Atmospheric Black Metal by an unknown entity from the Pacific Northwest that will darkly guide you on a one-way journey to emptiness.

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Chilling and despondent music from the Pacific Northwest is what you’ll hear on the impressive self-titled debut album by Atmospheric/Depressive Black Metal entity NONE, a dark, full-bodied album comprised of three freakish and distinct arias interconnected by the howling winds of winter that will certainly appeal to fans of the Atmospheric Black Metal and DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black Metal) crafted by groups such as Shining, ColdWorld and Woods of Desolation. Misery, grief, negativity and hopelessness are just a few elements you’ll find in the music by NONE, darkly guiding you on a one-way journey to emptiness.

Formed in 2015 in the city of Portland, Oregon, in the United States, NONE doesn’t carry its simple but enigmatic name in vain. NONE is precisely that, as they have no faces and they are no one, being solely represented by the depressive and obscure sounds emanating from each one of the three multi-layered compositions of the album. Drawing influences from the most melancholic and austere forms of atmospheric extreme music, NONE can quickly become the soundtrack to your most obscure moments, showing you that solitude might not be a bad solution at all in our lives.

In the opening track, simply titled Cold, the atmosphere couldn’t feel more sinister and disheartened, with its background noises and smooth piano notes quickly exploding into a puissant sonority. This is beautiful Depressive Black Metal perfect for closing your eyes and letting darkness embrace you, showcasing not only demonic gnarls and Stygian Black Metal guitars, but also presenting acoustic elements to bring some sort of false peace and hope to our hearts, before its climatic ending gets back to a somber and heavy sonority.

Also phantasmagorical and doomed, Wither is a direct sequel to its predecessor, with its Black Metal sounds invading our ears and souls while its hellish growls transpire hatred and despair. Furthermore, it brings forward a distressing aura found in the most sluggish and evil form of Blackened Doom, resulting in a delicate and at the same time powerful creation by NONE. And in Suffer we finally reach the stage where all songs together become one, displaying anguished screams and slow-paced Doom Metal beats complemented by the song’s serene piano notes. It’s a strong conclusion to the story being told by this arcane creature known as NONE, morphing into a desolated ending where it’s clear that darkness has taken full control of our souls.

You can purchase a digital copy of NONE at the Hypnotic Dirge Records’ BandCamp, but if you prefer to actually put your hands on such bitterly cold and mordant Depressive Black Metal work-of-art, the album is available in a 6-panel digipack (limited to 300 copies) at the Hypnotic Dirge Records’ webstore, where you can also find it as a T-shirt + CD bundle, or at Discogs. You already know that after following the dark path crafted by this unknown entity there’s no way back, but I guess you really don’t care about the consequences. Quite the contrary, that’s exactly where you want to be.

Best moments of the album: Wither.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2017 Hypnotic Dirge Records

Track listing
1. Cold 11:57
2. Wither 8:45
3. Suffer 9:25

Band members
*Information not available*