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PICK OF THE WEEK: Yellow Eyes dig deeper into black metal’s psyche with blistering ‘Confusion Gate’

I’m starting to really hate surprises considering we wake up to so many bad ones each day. Yet, a few weeks back, I found an unexpected one in my inbox, one that instantly made me pine for the day and get everything out of the way so I could absorb this album properly: in total seclusion.

That’s how I fully digested my first listen of “Confusion Gate,” the mesmerizing new record from black metal force Yellow Eyes, an album that would have topped my list of most anticipated music of 2025 had I known it was coming. To say the album is moving, monstrous, breathtaking, and completely from this band’s artistic DNA would almost go without saying. But there’s more depth, different sounds, and a reinvigorated machine—vocalist/guitarist Will Skarstad, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Sam Skarstad, bassist Alex DeMaria, drummer Michael Rekevics. Inspired heavily by their 2023 release “Master’s Murmur,” this record takes that spirit and electrifies it, making it a full on beast of the woods, stalking and opening strange doorways to realms not before considered. It’s a stunning display, and I literally cannot stop listening to it. It’s a surprise release you can hear today digitally, with physical forms soon to follow as the second-to-last opus in Gilead Media’s storied history.

“Brush the Frozen Horse” opens with familiar chimes and the gentle arms of nature before everything erupts, keys blaring and guitars bending you into corners. Howls snarl as the steam rises, the guitars taking on a higher tone that noticeably ramps up, the tempo spiraling and crushing, disorienting as the leads soar. Speed strikes as the pace combusts, blasting into a synth scape that melds with the fog. “The Thought of Death” starts with airy sax you would expect from an adult contemporary song, but it’s a misdirect as riffs explode out of that, and the vocals maul. Emotional waves crash down as guitars sparkle and melt, and a strong, violent push jolts every bone. Riffs loops as the keys wash over everything, a dream emerging from fire as the glorious melodies fade into an acoustic blend and encircling whispers. “Suspension Moon” is sooty at first as the guitars emerge and blend with the stars, vocals slashing through a tornadic pace. The pace shifts as the elements grow more volatile, a driving, potent streak tearing at psyches, the drums leaving everything in the goddamn dust. The ferocity continues from there with the guitars blasting and snarling in a storm. “i. Nocturne” is the first of three instrumental pieces, leaning into dark acoustics, strange bubbling, and voices smearing into a miasma. “A Forgotten Corridor” hangs in the air before igniting, the vocals smearing as the power overwhelms, taking over with a show of strength. The playing then scrambles brains, the howls echo, and the intensity spikes, slowly fading into an oncoming squall.

“I Fear the Master’s Murmur” opens with acoustics ringing out and voices swirling, and then everything goes off, fierce growls pounding the way, beastly sentiments making the pressure even more intense. The playing splatters into strange melodies, the guitar lines tingling your spine, confusion overwhelming as you try to find your balance. Savage echoes pulse as the smoke thickens, and then the pace blisters harder, the melodies overwhelm, and the guitars light a fire that burns toward “ii. Beyond” is the second instrumental, a ghost that is situated in a bizarre dream. Voices call from your conscience as bagpipes sounds in the distance, leading into “The Scent of Black Mud” that starts in mesmerizing form. The drums punish as the vocals strengthen their grip, wrenching as the playing plasters and undoes some brain wiring. The leads turn to icy tributaries, and then the playing rampages forward, wrecking as everything scatters, impulses continuing to fire until the notes fade. “iii. The Entrance” is the final instrumental piece, basking in cosmic keys, animals bleating, and damaged guitars creating a haze that wafts into the closing title track. The piece erupts, and though it moves a little slower, it remains heavy as can be. Howls gut as the speed spreads, dizzying as thundering force mixes with impossibly catchy guitar melodies that feel heartfelt and spirited. The riffs keep coming as the storm crests, sounds agitating as raucous waves crush the shore, smoke choking again as it mixes into chimes and synth before disappearing.

“Confusion Gate” certainly is a nice surprise in this chaotic time and as the winds grow colder and less inviting, which always seems like a great time to indulge in a Yellow Eyes record. There are some nice new wrinkles and directions they take here, which keep intact their black metal intensity and ability to keep what they do interesting. This is one of the best black metal albums of the year, one that feels like it is locked on repeat with little chance of that stranglehold loosening anytime soon. Indulge in this incredible record and rediscover your fire along the way.

For more on the band, go here: https://yelloweyes.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/collections/gilead-media-releases

For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/

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Kayo Dot continally push what’s possible with metallic music on ‘Every Rock, Every Half-Truth…’

Photo by Bob Shelley

For all I know, what I’m about to say could be happening for more than I realize, but there will be a time pretty soon when mainstream radio will be artificially generated, and no one will know the difference. I don’t mean to shit on pop music, because you obviously need talent to create it, but it feels faceless enough that I think I’d be easily fooled.

Which takes us to avant-garde metal chameleons Kayo Dot, a project long helmed by Toby Driver that hasn’t even come close to making the same record twice. In fact, they sound like a completely different band every time out, and their stunning and wonderfully perplexing 11th record “Every Rock, Every Half-Truth Under Reason” is no exception. Driver had AI on his mind when creating these songs, attempting to conjure something so bizarrely human that no machine could hope to duplicate it. To do so, Driver brought back members who played on the band’s debut record “Choirs of the Eye,” with this lineup containing Greg Massi (guitars), Matthew Serra (guitars), Jason Byron (voice), Sam Gutterman (drums, vibraphone, other percussion), Terran Olson (clarinet, flute, baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, Rhodes piano), and Timba Harris (violin, viola, trumpet). Like all Kayo Dot records, it’s a mind-bending experience, and it definitely is not designed for all audiences. Not even close. But it’s also very much the product of real people expressing genuine emotion and ability, looking at a murky, uncertain future.

“Mental Shed” runs 10:53, and it starts with strange howls and keys slithering, ringing out in a strange aura that exists beyond this plane. The playing is eerie and unsettling, with a constant racket trailing underneath the beast, crying out about being haunted by something phantasmal, the playing ringing into the dark and a sound bath. “Oracle by Severed Head” feels liquified at the start, with horns calling, the singing tracing a higher register, everything situated in fog as the keys grows jazzier and more tingly. A detached voice warbled as the brass melts, situated under shadowy guitars, the playing jolting as the strings scrape, the bass plods, and the drama peaks. “Closet Door in the Room Where She Died” has sounds swelling and manic screams, strings lathering as the feeling grows more deranged, unhinged moments weighing on you. The vocals lurch as the keys glow and quiver, howls snarling, psychosis creating strange visions, everything bleeding away.

“Automatic Writing” is the longest track here, running 23:06, and it really pushes you to the brink, dreamy lasers cutting through thick afternoon clouds. The guitars surge as the singing balances emotion, the sentiment feeling ashen and moody, the horns sweltering, the ghosts leaning into the misery. “You are the ocean, the brine of my tears,” Driver calls, guitars tangling as whispers spiral through your mind, oddly soothing at times, bubbling up and over the edge. Closer “Blind Creature of Slime” is punchy and active, growls and snarls flexing, jarring as the playing jangles, and the sax bustles. The pace drives as the guitars angle around bends, warm melodies providing a hint of comfort, whispers splashing, the playing chiming before melting away.

No Kayo Dot experience is the same as another one, or even close for that matter, and “Every Rock, Every Half-Truth Under Reason” might be the one that keeps most people at an arm’s length. That said, that’s the case for a lot of their music, and the challenging compositions, the mental duress, and the reimagining of what’s possible musically here makes this a record more ambitious listeners are bound to devour. There’s plenty to fear from the future, a lot of spirits pulling us backward, but as long as bands such as Kayo Dot are operational, the pathway forward can remain unpredictable, exciting, and human.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.kayodot.net/

To buy the album, go here: http://lnk.spkr.media/kayodot-everyrock

For more on the label, go here: https://en.prophecy.de/