“Though Germany’s Full Assault has been around for over fifteen years, I’ve never heard of them. I was even surprised they’ve never been reviewed before in these halls. But that might just be the lack of a label. Until now. Their Iron Shields debut, Dying World, is here with neothrash tendencies that combine a Crisix-like vocal approach with At the Gates thrashery.” Assault and BATT-ER-Y!
“I’d be a fool for not giving Almost Dead some credit for not giving two fucks what anyone thinks of their straightforward and sometimes strange style. That said, Destruction Is All We Know is the oddest album of them all—no doubt with some help from dial and toggle man Zac “Friend o’ the Blog” Orhen.” Odd Fellows warchest.
“Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released a behemoth in the form of Imperial Congregation. After dozens of listens, it proves it’s one of the band’s greatest achievements. Fast forward to 2024, and they’re back with their eleventh LP, Nonagon. Continuing where they left off, Nonagon is a destructive motherfucker that incorporates the butchery of Panzerchrist, the relentless riffage of Old Man’s Child, and the melodic subtleties of Hypocrisy. But, no matter what’s sprinkled throughout, Nonagon remains 100% BRT.” Blood in the throne room.
Listurnalia is almost over. But we can’t conclude it without a list from your favorite AMG writer, can we?
![Malokarpatan – Vertumnus Caesar [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Malokarpatan-Vertumnus-Caesar-01-768x768.jpeg)
‘I don’t know about the rest of you, but work has been a fucking bear this year. Since starting tenish years ago, 2023 might be my lowest contribution to the site. It also caused me to miss a lot of great records I was looking forward to. Thank the sweet metal lord that we have TYMHM. And this one is special.”
“Once upon a time, there were two brothers, one played bass and the other a guitar. In 2000, these brothers helped create Journey to the End of the Night, Green Carnation’s debut album. From here, they went off to form the mighty In the Woods…, hoping to expand on the sound of yesteryear Green Carnation. After leaving both bands, Green Carnation and In the Woods… remained, drastically morphing their sound and pushing beyond the boundaries of long-winded progressiveness, orchestration, and flowing choirs. Come 2013, the Botteri brothers attempted it again with Strange New Dawn.” Woods, flowers, dawns, oh my!
“If it wasn’t for the wise Madam X, I might never have stumbled on Sweden’s Mephorash. After our Queen of Darkness shared the nifty little Covid concert the band released in 2019, I was hooked. Released the same year, Shem Ha Mephorash remains one of my favorite black metal releases. Now Mephorash is back, hoping to achieve an impossible task: releasing an album better than Shem Ha Mephorash.” Mephorash whiplash.
“I’d be lying if War Curse’s new offering didn’t take me aback. It is so different from anything they’ve done before that it took me a few spins to grasp. Like many bands before them, Confession will either be a stroke of genius or their weakest album.” Curse of evolution.
“Long Island’s Executioner also thinks El Cuervo is an idiot as they reveal their debut album, False Idols. An album that doesn’t give two fucks about being unique, trendy, or even famous. False Idols feels like a band playing a gig at the bar down the street. There’s no talking to the crowd, complete with short interludes for other band members to switch guitars or chug Jager. False Idols ain’t gonna win any awards for originality or change the face of the scene, but that’s not its purpose. This is how thrash should sound.” High speed or die.
“For all the hype, Nervosa has never blown me away. With each release, I hope for that breakout record that’ll drop me to my knees, but instead, they’ve established a catalog of solid releases with a handful of stellar pieces. For a minute, I was intrigued by the release of 2021’s Perpetual Chaos because the band picked up a new vocalist. In doing so, I hoped that it would be that great album, but it never panned out. This time around, founding guitarist Prika Amaral takes to the stage and lends her growls and barks to Jailbreak.” Jailbait.
