A Ritual of Sound, Sight, & Story

Editorial Manifesto

The Sanctum We Keep

Athenaeum of Sin Reviews is an independent altar of sound rooted in County Durham, UK. Here, critique is ritual, discovery is devotion, and every review is scripture etched for the underground.

We commune with black metal, doom, dungeon synth, ambient horror, and every shadowed genre that thrives beyond the mainstream.

Disciples of the Craft

The Athenaeum is helmed by two sworn disciples, Kris and Gemma, who tag‑team every rite of creation — writing, editing, site maintenance, and ceremonial design. In 2025, a new brother joined our circle: Alessandro Paiz of Brazilian doom band Coldwinter. For our brethren in Brazil, we now print a monthly edition — available exclusively there.

Kris — Extreme and black metal define my world. Horror and cult cinema — The Wicker Man, The Crow, Predator, Alien — fuel my vision.

Gemma — Devoted to bands like The Raven Age, Amon Amarth, and Lordi. Inspired by V for Vendetta and Ghibli artistry, I sketch while listening to my favourite bands and explore witchcraft and Viking/Pagan history.

Seven Sins, One Review

Our reviews follow the Seven Sins system — a ritual format that replaces hollow scoring with deep analysis:

• 01) Strings/Keys — tones, riffs, rhythms, and synths
• 02) Vocals — styles, tone, delivery
• 03) Percussions — beats, tempo, energy
• 04) Overall Discussion — production, instrumentation, artistic merit
• 05) Memorable Elements — standout moments, treasures we never forget
• 06) Artwork — visual themes and presentation
• 07) Disrelish — elements that may not align with our tastes, noted constructively. “Disrelish” is our way of acknowledging what didn’t resonate — without descending into harsh critique.

Thirteen Questions, One Interview

Our interviews all come with thirteen question system — a ritual format that replaces hollow interviews

The Ritual of Review

• (a) Publishing Days: Monday to Friday
• (b) Submissions: Accepted daily
• (c) Special Requests: Date‑specific reviews by arrangement
• (d) Holiday Delays: Submissions welcome, responses may be slower

Boundaries of Sound

We embrace diverse styles: dungeon synth, ambient horror, doom, thrash, black metal, hard rock, gothic, industrial, aggrotech, heavy metal.

• We reject music that promotes political, religious, or extremist ideologies
• We reject NSBM, porno/gore grind, AI‑generated music, and plagiarism
• Music must unite. At Athenaeum of Sin, we forge an inclusive sanctum where devotees commune and discover new soundscapes.

Formats We Sanctify

Albums, singles, EPs, demos, splits, compilations. Our focus is on releases from 2020 onward, though earlier works may be considered if republished or remastered.

Echoes Beyond the Page

Once published, reviews are promoted via Facebook and Instagram, tagging artists, labels, and PR teams to amplify the word.

Our Ritual Lexicon

• Forbidden Fruit of Art / Fruit of Art — with permission from Acherontia Styx, celebrating exceptional artistry
• Devilmanship — our own term, fusing musicianship, craftsmanship, and showmanship in a gender‑neutral rite
• Usage Guidelines — our terminology, name, tag lines, and review format may be referenced only with explicit consent (See our T&C page for further details.)

Philosophy of the Sin

We sanctify strengths and use “Disrelish” to note what didn’t resonate.

• Review Philosophy — in‑depth, attentive, objective reviews of music and lyrics
• Privacy & Confidentiality — we protect anonymity
• Exclusive Access — files and music used strictly for review purposes
• No Third‑Party Sharing — we do not share content externally
• Criticism as Rite — no negative reviews, only constructive “Disrelish”
• Discovery — spotlighting new, underrated, and unsigned artists