“Tanner Anderson, Carl Skildum and Matthew Kirkwood unofficially formed Majesties in 2016 with melodic death metal in mind and Gothenburg, Sweden in their hearts. It wasn’t until 2022, however, that their debut album, Vast Reaches Unclaimed, coalesced to present a classic conundrum for conscientious music reviewers: how do we talk about a really good pastiche?” Majesty and decay.
“I’ve written already about Ulthar and their ambitious attempt to overturn norms by releasing 2 separate but related albums concurrently. Anthronomicon offers a death metal tour de force, bending surprisingly sophisticated songwriting and exemplary riffs into an oppressive but imaginative album. Helionomicon, however, goes even further. It’s described on its one sheet as a “psycho-cerebral spectacle,” indicating its grand designs and contemplative approach. And all of this across just two 20-minute tracks.” A-lotonomicom.
“Ulthar represent one of the strongest ascents in death metal that I can think of. Their debut was a sloppy and unrefined affair but their sophomore was a precise, punishing powerhouse. Many modern metal bands operate on a 3-year album cycle with Ulthar’s announcement of a new record in 2023 not being particularly surprising. What was surprising, however, was that they announced two albums. Not a double album; rather, two concurrent releases following an apparent overflow of creativity during the last couple of years. While this sounds like a recipe for an uninspired disaster, their immense quality on the last record meant I withheld pre-judgment. First, Anthronomicon.” Double the pressure.
“The new year brings a fresh fervor to search out and seize interesting things from the ghastly promo sump. Having heard a bit of low-level buzz surrounding the debut by Vancouver-based gothic doom act Tribunal, I was interested to see what the fuss might be about. The promo sheet name drops My Dying Bride and boasts the presence of a classically trained cellist, and so I dove into The Weight of Remembrance hoping for something a bit more interesting than a MDB clone. And boy did I hit the goddamn motherload!” And justice for all.
![Dream Unending – Song of Salvation [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Dream-Unending-Song-of-Salvation-01.jpg.webp)
“Almost exactly one year ago, Dream Unending’s debut Tide Turns Eternal dropped out of seemingly nowhere but instantly lived up to the band’s ethereal moniker. Its lush blend of uncompromisingly heavy death doom with a peaceful melodicism made for one of the most chill death metal albums ever. With Song of Salvation, the duo (with several other talented musicians in tow) have doubled down and improved on their expansive sound.” The never unending story.
“Daeva carries some serious post-2000 metal credibility among its ranks. Guitarist Scott Jansson and drummer Enrique Sagarnaga are longtime members of Crypt Sermon, and bassist Frank Chin joined Crypt Sermon in 2019 after spending eight years laying down rhythms for progressive thrash titans Vektor. Joining these fine instrumentalists is Infernal Stronghold vocalist Eddie Chainsaw, and together, these four nefarious gentlemen produce some of the most violent blackened thrash I’ve ever heard.” Strange sermons in the brutality vektor.
“Industrial metal is an extremely difficult genre in which to stand out. Part of this challenge lies in the relatively limiting set of attributes that defines the style. A lot of industrial music relies on robotic, crushing synth tones, backed by throbbing beats with gritty distortion slathered over almost everything from drums to vocals. The specific niche that industrial music fills in turn creates an incredibly crowded and competitive field for new artists intending to make their mark. To stand out, you have to deliver something that breaks new ground in either sound or songwriting quality. Oklahoma City-based one-man-band Black Magnet aim to do just that with their new album, Body Prophesy.” Body hammer.
“Every now and then, while minding my little ol’ business as I knock shit off my dresser like a good cat, the random thought of “Hey, whatever happened to such-and-such band” will pop into my furry cranium and, like clockwork, that band will release something new almost immediately afterward. In this case, said band is Australian funeral powerhouse Mournful Congregation, a band that doesn’t always drop new things at a constant rate, but when they do drop those new things, they’re always heavy, reflective, and… well, mournful.” Short mourning.
“Kyle Morgan gets around. The versatile guitar player features in Ash Borer, Superstition, Vanum and, most relevant here, Predatory Light. What stands out about each of the first three projects is the unique sound they bring to their respective sub-genres; whether the cavernous malevolence of The Irrespassable Gate, or the passionate intensity of Ageless Fire, there is a cutting edge to separate them from pretenders. So the somewhat milquetoast first album from Predatory Light, 2016’s Predatory Light, came as a bit of a surprise. Its somewhat formulaic combination of doom and black metal caught Mark Z. on a good day, but even he felt more innovation was required. Six years later, and Predatory Light are back with Death and the Twilight Hours.” Pale horse on the plague playground.
“Now, technically, Egregore’s full title is, ahem, The Word of His Law: An Address to Abraxas in His Time and Place, Through His Grand Viseer, Thine Pansychopompos. If that gives you any idea, this duo fuses their chaotic tunes with a shroud of supernatural haze that represents their occult nature. Punctuating aural punishment with layers of guitar, synth, and chanting, and undergirded by an unhinged aesthetic, you can expect your ears to bleed, but by, I don’t know, ghosts?” The Code of Harambe.
