Old Year | No Dissent | Apocalyptic Witchcraft

 

Release Date: October 24th, 2025

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl

Genre: Drone Doom Death Metal

Country: USA

Old Year began their existence in 2017 as a duo in Boise, Idaho, drifting like a rumor through the underground, a band more spoken of than seen. For years they created in silence, hidden away, until 2021 when their numbers grew to three and they finally brought their suffocating sound to the stage. Their first release came in 2023, a single track that lasted ten minutes and set the groundwork for what was to follow: long form, oppressive, droning metal steeped in visions of decay. Now under the banner of Apocalyptic Witchcraft, they unveil their first full album, "No Dissent".

The album runs for just over 36 minutes, divided into four long tracks. "Death Frequency" opens the descent, dragging the listener into a nightmarish slow-motion collapse, where every guitar tone hovers like an insect swarm and the vocals come through like a voice speaking from a tomb. "Rotting Illusion" continues with tension stretched to breaking point, wringing out every last ounce of despair, its riffs echoing like echoes from an abandoned cathedral buried under earth. "Mechanical Birth" lurches forward with a more immediate menace, as if something monstrous has awakened and begun to crawl. The final track, "Lock Step", ends under crushing pressure that seems to paralyze, leaving silence heavy and strange after the album ends.

Old Year’s music is about immersion. Listening to "No Dissent" is like standing in the shadow of a monolith, where the longer you remain, the more its presence alters you. It strips away energy, drains you of certainty, and offers only the echo of ruin in return. The atmosphere is consistent, oppressive and ritualistic, with every note serving to deepen the abyss.

The album artwork and Orwellian quotes tie into the sound perfectly, reinforcing the sense of control, submission, and bleak futures. The band’s trio formation keeps the music raw and unrelenting, each instrument locked into the dirge, each part of the whole crushing forward together.

This is not music for casual background listening. It’s heavy in the most psychological way, dragging the listener into a state of slow erosion. Those who embrace drone and doom will find "No Dissent" an absorbing and punishing ritual, while others may find it too overwhelming to return to often. This album is like a long march into darkness, and Old Year makes sure the destination is as bleak as the path itself.

Score: 7.0

https://www.facebook.com/OldYearBoise

https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/apocalypticwitchcraftrecordings