After donning the blue and gold on AngryMetalGuy.com for a whole month and making every red-blooded Swede vaguely uncomfortable due to the latent nationalism that they can’t possibly ever admit to, it’s time for a change. Indeed, 2013’s first month has passed and while it hasn’t been extraordinarily explosive, it brought with it a few great releases that deserve a second (or third or fourth) look. So, without further ado…
Voivod // Target Earth — Frankly speaking, it’s a goddamned serious surprise that this record is as good as it is. There just seemed no way that given everything a new Voivod record could show up and be awesome. But it is. Voivod’s progressive weirdness is here on display, with a guitar performance from Dan Mongrain that apes Piggy’s style and feels completely genuine. This is the real deal. A shame about that fucking cover art1.
Cult of Luna // Vertikal — Sure, Cult of Luna may be on the border of metal at best, but because they’re from Umeå and because Alex Franquelli couldn’t help himself, this record makes it onto this list. And really, sometimes you catch a band in its element, and that Cult of Luna is on its latest record. Take the time to check out this post-Neurosis hardcore thingymabobber. Worth your time.
Nightfall // Cassiopeia — Steel Druhm apparently has been wetting himself repeatedly ever since getting his hands on these Greek extreme metallers’ latest disc. He’s admitted that he underrated it; words rarely uttered at Angry Metal Guy Industries Ltd. Indeed, he claims that it should be a record of the month, but since it’s not the new Voivod it was relegated to place #3. Still, remarkable record is remarkable and note: we have remarked.
Riverside // Shrine of New Generation Slaves — This record did not live up to my expectations, honestly, but it definitely has continued to grow on me and I appreciate it a lot. I think it deserves recognition for being a very cool record, even if it not the record I was after.
