Angry Metal Guy

Dies Irae // Secret Veils of Passion
Rating: 1.0/5.0 — Cannot be unheard.
Label: Chaos Records
Websites: facebook.com/diesiraeonline | myspace.com/diesiraeonline
Release Dates: US: 01.09.2012 | EU:  Unknown

So, last year (also known as last week) we introduced this thing called the “Top Records We Wish We Could Unhear” and I’ve already gotten to my first nomination for the year of 2012. Dies Irae (no, not that one, the Mexican one) is apparently an old melodic death metal band that has remade itself in the image of “post-metal” (no, not that kind of post metal, the kind from 1999) and got themselves signed by Chaos Records, who otherwise have pretty good taste in bands. Secret Veils of Passion is, therefore, the first of the band’s new, updated versions of itself and it is a remarkable record to behold. But no, not that kind of remarkable. Think more like: I am remarking upon it.  Continue reading

Denial Fiend // Horror Holocaust
Rating: 1.0/5.0 —I’m in denial how shitty this is
Label: Ibex Moon Records
Websites: myspace.com/denialfiendband
Release Dates: Out now!

Like a swift kick to the frank N’ beans, the new release by this death metal “super group” is shocking and very painful. I really loved Denial Fiend‘s quirky 2007 debut They Rise. It merged nasty, old school American death metal and punk rock with a party atmosphere and although very tongue  in cheek, it rocked and raged convincingly. To this day it remains in regular rotation at stately Steel Druhm manor. That debut featured some grizzled veterans of the old school scene like bassist Terry Butler (Death, Massacre, Six Feet Under, Obituary) and mega Cookie Monster Kam Lee (Death, Massacre) on vocals. What made They Rise work was the strong similarity to the classic Massacre sound (their From Beyond album is one of the all time best American death metal albums). The songs were savage and raw but also catchy and fun. Basically, it was a damn fine treat for death metal fans. When I heard a new Denial Fiend album was pending, I got giddy like a school girl. When I heard Kam Lee had taken his immense vocal talent elsewhere, I was sad but still hopeful. Well, hope is officially dead. Horror Holocaust features the “vocals” of Blaine Cook (The Accused) and he destroys everything as surely as cops destroy fun and work destroys free time. While there are some decent musical moments, he renders the bulk of the album unlistenable and there’s no denying that it sucks, bigtime. Continue reading

Some records are so monumental that you need more than one opinion on them, particularly if those records have created this kind of feedback. In this case, we will be reviewing Morbid Angel‘s newest record. This is monumental, there is no other way to put it.

Continue reading

Deadlock // Bizarro World
Rating: 1.0/5.0 — It’s a bizarro world where anyone likes this
Label: Lifeforce Records
Websites: xdeadlockx.com | Stream at Metal Hammer
Release Dates: EU: 2011.02.28 | US: 03.15.2011

Heavy metal was once the most popular music in the world. Sure, it was glam rock, but bands that were genuinely cool were doing really well even if they weren’t getting radio play. Think about the success of Metallica pre-black album, or Iron Maiden selling out the Long Beach Arena 4 nights running on the tour for Powerslave. The music was technical, but it was still accessible and the mass appeal was still synonymous with good bands. But since the 1980s the quality of pop music has declined dramatically, and popular rock with it. We have now landed in a bizarro world, where bad, fundamentally not very catchy or interesting bands that lack all content are popular, and where innovators and interesting bands have trouble getting any recognition. But there’s an even more terrible place, and that’s the ill-advised attempts of people to try to blend these two things. No good can come of this. Continue reading

Against the Flood // Against the Flood
Rating: 1.0/5.0 — Form Above Function
Label: Siege of Amida Records
Websites: againsttheflood.co.uk
Release Dates: January 3rd, 2011

So apparently the UK has a lively metalcore and deathcore scene that is being picked up and flown around the world right now. Against the Flood is one of those bands that sits right on the border between the two genres (which are basically just one genre if you look at their girl jeans and stupid hair cuts) and who have taken from me nearly 60 minutes of my life that I will never, ever, ever, ever get back. As a punishment, I will pee on them publicly—from my blog (and wait for their stupid oaf fans—and buddies—to come here and insult me). Continue reading

The Acacia Strain // Wormwood
Rating: 1.0/5.0 — Puts me to sleep
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: myspace.com/theacaciastrain
Release Dates: Out Now Worldwide (I think)

I seem to remember The Acacia Strain being an In Flames copy, but I think I must be thinking of another band entirely. Which means that I have no reference for these guys as I’ve never heard them before and I thought they were a metalcore band. Turns out, I’m wrong. Instead, they’re a deathcore band. Now, I try to not generalize about genre conventions while reviewing a band (I mean, it’s unfair to review an entire genre every time you review a band’s record), but I think that I’m starting to figure out what it is about endless breakdowns that I hate. And I’ll tell you. Oh yes, I’ll tell you. Continue reading

Fimbulthier // Arise
Rating: 1.0/5.0 – Fimbulful of awful
Label: Trollzorn
Websites: fimbulthier.de | myspace.com/fimbulthier
Release Dates: EU: 09.07.2010 | US: No available date

Into every reviewer’s lap, some crap will surely fall. Now, I can’t complain too much since I’ve had a pretty crap-free run so far as a scribe for the mighty and esteemed Angry Metal Guy. Sadly, that run has now come to a sudden and painful end with Arise, the second album from Germany’s Fimbulthier. I had never heard of these gents before but apparently their 2007 debut was some kind of viking/death metal hybrid, which by the looks of online reviews, didn’t exactly warm the cockles of the metal minded among us. Arise however, is about as viking as Pee Wee Herman in drag. No, seriously, maybe I misread the band description and it said Tricycling metal because there is nothing remotely close to viking metal here. What there is plenty of however, is awfulness and dreck. Continue reading

In This Moment // A Star-Crossed Wasteland
Rating: 1.0/5.0 — Every time you play this record a Metal God dies…
Label: Century Media
Websites: myspace.com/inthismoment
Release Dates: EU: 12.07.2010 | US: 07.13.2010

So I admit, I’ve never heard SoCal pop rockers In This Moment before. This review will be completely devoid of comparisons to their last two records. Nor will it be filled with witty insights into how the band has changed over their time and whether or not this is a darker record (of course, every new record is the darkest, heaviest, etc., that any band has ever done, so trust the bio about as far as you can throw Arnold Schwarzneger). No, this is going to pretty much be a tirade about how much I really don’t like this album at all or the style of music or basically anything about this at all except for Maria’s clean singing voice, which is very good. You are warned. Don’t throw a fit in the comments because I hate your favorite band: I’ve already warned you. If you read past the jump then it’s your own fucking fault. Continue reading

Sonic Syndicate // Rebellion EP
Rating: 1.0/5.0 – This is everything that is wrong with modern metal
Label: Nuclear Blast (EU | US)
Websites: sonicsyndicate.com | myspace.com/sonicsyndicate
Release Date: Nov. 6th, 2009

Sonic Syndicate are a pop rock band that somehow got signed to Nuclear Blast. Apparently they’re from Sweden, but I wonder if other metal guys from this country would actually agree to that. I think many of them would say “Well, don’t they have an English singer?” Why yes, they do! He’s new, in fact!

The rundown is simple. Sonic Syndicate is poppy metalcore. Do not let their Wikipedia page fool you. Sonic Syndicate are not melodic death metal. There is nothing remotely death metal about this EP or this band. “Burn This City,” sounds like the theme song from a bad action flick, and the new vocalist sounds like the guy from Killswitch Engage. While “Rebellion in Nightmareland” is a little bit better than the title track, it too is far too formulaic to stand. Oh, he sounds like the dude from KSE on this track, too.

In fact, the only thing that I can say good about this band is that they’re all very pretty. So pretty, in fact, that one wonders when they found time to write this music between all the primping and preening they must do every day. When the fuck did becoming a metal dude mean becoming a goddamn hair model? Other than that, this is an example of everything that is wrong with modern metal. The production is so mechanical that it is totally soulless. The keyboards are high and unnecessary, the drums are fake and lifeless. The vocals are standard metalcore vocals, some screaming lots of 2nd tenor whining about girls.

This whole EP clocks in at 11 minutes long. Oh, and let me tell you something. There’s a 1 second difference between the “Radio Cut” and the normal version of “Burn This City.” I’ve listened to this whole thing several times and I can’t tell the difference. So in reality, the new material on this EP clocks in at about 7 minutes. And that’s 7 minutes you’ll never get back.