Shadow Kingdom Records

Vanik – II: Dark Season Review

By Angry Metal Guy on November 10, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 22 comments

“There are many ways to celebrate Halloween: candy; costumes; horror movies; punk-influenced thrash metal albums from Cleveland. The latter is brought to you this October [Er, November… my bad – Ed.] by Vanik, a thrash band Frankensteined together from punk and metal musicians harvested from the likes of Toxic Holocaust, Ringworm and Vindicator. Following up their self-titled debut, Vanik have now sharpened their Voorheesian machetes in preparation for spreading terror with their new Halloween-themed record II: Dark Season, released by Shadow Kingdom Records.” Is one of the ways you can celebrate Halloween as dressing up as a retro thrash band and releasing a record? That answer, inside!

Iron Void – Excalibur Review

By Steel Druhm on October 22, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, English Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, 79 comments

“Few things are more epic than the tale of King Arthur, Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, and the original sword of poser pokery, Excalibur. Fewer still are as big and bombastic as John Boorman’s mammoth, sweeping retelling of the fairy tale in his 1980 film named after said mega-blade. Since Excalibur happens to be my favorite movie of all time, when I heard English doom mongers Iron Void were doing a conceptual album based on it, my interest was piqued.” Knight fall.

Haunt – Burst into Flame Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on August 14, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Heavy Metal, 75 comments

“A couple years ago, I put Spellcaster’s Night Hides the World on my top ten list. But, now that they appear to have folded, I’m in search of a replacement with the same amount of pizzazz. In walks Haunt and their debut record Burst into Flame. A record with plenty of Spellcaster-meets-Angel Witch vibe. But is it what Grier‘s been waiting for?” Calling Doctor Olde. Doctor Olde, please report to the past.

Speedclaw – Beast in the Mist

By El Cuervo on April 23, 2018 in 2018, Croatian Metal, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, 20 comments

“I enjoy Hellripper to a fairly significant extent. Last year’s full-length release tore up its thrash competition and took home fifth place in my top ten records of 2017, leading to my deeper exploration of his repertoire of splits and EPs. It’s fair to say that the little Scottish bundle of energy is one of my favorite discoveries from the past few years of metal. Where before I would have avoided promos tagged with speed metal, I now take note with the intention of unveiling the next underground speed gem.” Speed is a lifestyle choice.

Nupraptor – The Heresiarch Review

By Steel Druhm on December 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, 28 comments

“One-man bands, once the exclusive domain of basement dwelling, meatloaf-consuming black metal denizens, are now becoming a trend in doom as well. Spirit Adrift impressed the AMG staff earlier this year and Via Vengeance is making a name for themselves (himself?) as well. Now make room for Nupraptor, the project of one Matt St. Our.” Doom is the loneliest number.

Horrified – Allure of the Fallen Review

By Dr. Wvrm on September 28, 2017 in 2017, British Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 55 comments

“Horrified is in a bit of an odd place. Parallels to Philadelphia death outfit Horrendous are apt, with Horrified’s first two albums delivering exactly the slabs of modernized Swedeath you might expect. Though 2016’s magnificent Of Despair put the band on the map, Horrified mastermind Dan Alderson himself immediately touted their next album as ‘something with an even larger and dynamic range of influences… more original and diverse than the material presented on Of Despair.'” Big words. Big album.

Temple of Void – Lords of Death Review

By Ferrous Beuller on August 3, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 61 comments

“Death/doom is a deceptively mercurial beast, possessed of a tangential tendency to meander in directions that range from the darkly romantic to the downright bludgeoning. Detroit’s Temple of Void are plainly with the latter and dole out the kind of stomach churning Asphyxiation that had me at hello.” Skull and void.

Venomous Maximus – No Warning Review

By Huck N Roll on August 2, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Occult Rock, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Occult Rock, 25 comments

“Venomous Maximus try their darndest to move past the “occult” label and appeal more generally to the metal masses. Like their records before it, No Warning is an attempt to appease fans of both the sinister and the catchy. In other words, they seem to be striving for ownership of the same plot of land Ghost lay claim to. Stealing the ghost.

Condenados – The Tree of Death Review

By Steel Druhm on January 6, 2017 in 2017, Chilean Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, 33 comments

“Those who know me will tell you that Steel Druhm is a man of refined tastes. As such, I don’t always listen to cult underground doom, but when I do, I like it the same way I like my chili – extra meaty and full of crippling regret. Obscure Chilean doom purveyors, Condenados have their own homestyle recipe they’d love to share and on their second album, The Tree of Death they’re looking to serve it to a wider audience.” Ent no thing.

Cardinals Folly – Holocaust of Ecstasy and Freedom Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on May 25, 2016 in 2016, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, 26 comments

“It seems like only yesterday I was writing clichés sitting on a balcony overlooking the idyllic Okinawan sea, sweat streaming down my balls, and Cardinals Folly’s second album blaring from my headphones as I tackled my first Angry Metal Guy review. But of course it wasn’t yesterday, it was nearly two years ago, and since then much has changed.” Not all of it for the better.