Acid Bath

Viral Tyrant – Vultures Like You Review

Viral Tyrant – Vultures Like You Review

“Diving headlong into the promo sump, I decided to take a gamble on the debut album from Portland, Oregon’s raucous Viral Tyrant and their debut LP, Vultures Like You. Formed in 2018 the fiery four-piece have a lone demo and single behind their name, before arriving at this first foray into full-length territory. Being that sludge is a notoriously grimy, seedy back-alley style, let us dispense with the pleasantries and determine whether Vultures Like You is any good.” Sludge is a disease.

Angerot – The Profound Recreant Review

Angerot – The Profound Recreant Review

Angerot ventures deep into the Valley of Ov on The Profound Recreant, leaning hard into the strain of theatrical Satanism that ran through their first two albums. We’re defiling daughters here, swallowing other people’s mucous, and slaking the lust of the recently widowed. Choirs chime in to document the various blasphemies, with horns and keys dropping by to add occasional symphonic flourishes.” Devil by the tail.

Sanguisugabogg – Homicidal Ecstasy Review

Sanguisugabogg – Homicidal Ecstasy Review

“I first discovered the deliciously wretched Sanguisugabogg, not on the pages of this blog, but thanks instead to The Algorithm ™. There I was, click-clacking away to the dulcet tones of death metal, when my ears perked up. What was this? Why, none other than the opener of the ‘Bogg’s first full-length album, Tortured Whole. I was immediately taken by their 2021 debut, and I spun that (very) bad boy many times, taken as I was by its grimy groove, brutal efficiency and the vast amounts of fun these low lives are clearly having as they squeal their way through such a pungent platter. Now here I sit, two years later, with their follow-up Homicidal Ecstasy grasped firmly in my muck-encrusted mockery of a hand.” Bogg standard.

Goatwhore – Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven Review

Goatwhore – Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven Review

Goatwhore is an institution, and in 2022 celebrate their 25th anniversary, fittingly capping the occasion with their first album since 2017’s solid, if safe, Vengeful Ascension. During a recent binge-to-end-all-Goatwhore-binges, alongside several of my esteemed colleagues, I gained a renewed appreciation of what a consistently kick-arse and reliable outfit the NOLA legends have been over the years. Despite honing a well-worn thrash/black/death formula, each Goatwhore album possesses skillful tweaks, creating distinctive album-to-album character.” Rocking the Goat.

AMG Goes Ranking – Goatwhore

AMG Goes Ranking – Goatwhore

“The life of the unpaid, overworked metal reviewer is not an easy one. The reviewing collective at AMG lurches from one new release to the next, errors and nOObs strewn in our wake. But what if, once in a while, the collective paused to take stock and consider the discography of those bands that shaped many a taste? What if two three aspects of the AMG collective personality shared with the slavering masses their personal rankings of that discography.” Vote Goatwhore.

American Anymen – Cities Changing Names Review

American Anymen – Cities Changing Names Review

“We’re no stranger to bands who claim more sub-genres than they have members (or fans). You’ll routinely see tags for things like “symphonic doom” and “blackened death” and “hardcore Viking sludge.” It’s also not surprising when musicians change course from one album to the next. We’ve all perused reviews about a band with an established sound veering off into wildly new directions. Really, adding new sub-genres seems to come with the territory. But what happens when a non-metal band takes a running leap into the dark side? Such is the case with New York-based act American Anymen, a group that, up until very recently, played a vitriolic form of anti-folk on a slew of singles, EPs, splits and one full-length. Now, it appears they’ve leapt headlong into the metal game with Cities Changing Names.” Duct tape-core.

Without Waves – Comedian Review

Without Waves – Comedian Review

“Cover art can be make or break. Despite that old axiom, I do indeed judge a book by its often horrific cover. I tend to avoid the intentionally bad (looking at you, Voivod’s Target Earth) and the unabashedly anatomical (I’ve already seen The Reek of Putrefaction, thank you very much.) However, there’s plenty of room between the two extremes to play, and you can always count on a few quality covers lurking around the primeval AMG promo sump; the kind that just begs for a spin or three. Such was the case with Comedian, the latest from Chicago-based progressive metalers Without Waves. Their fortuitous choice to immortalize a moment in the life of one very unlucky flamingo has earned them one whole review.” Flightless.

Franklin Zoo – The Dandelion Child Review

Franklin Zoo – The Dandelion Child Review

“I know we’ve been harping about shitty band names a lot this year, but come on. Franklin Zoo? Why? Is your music about 6-year-olds getting their first biology lesson because two bonobos decided to get exhibitionistic? Do you have a tearful ballad saluting Harambe? Apparently not, since The Dandelion Child addresses the philosophic studies of Soren Kierkegaard.” Animal farming.

Eyehategod – A History of Nomadic Behavior Review

Eyehategod – A History of Nomadic Behavior Review

“Legendary sludge metallers Eyehategod is another high profile and revered NOLA band from the wrong side of the tracks, carving out a punishing career of ugly, hateful, feedback drenched sludge, including genre classics, Take as Needed for Pain and Dopesick. Built upon foundations of immense hardship, personal pain, resilience, and rocky turbulence, particularly those of troubled frontman Mike IX Williams, Eyehategod returned with a self-titled comeback album in 2014, their first LP since 2000’s Confederacy of Ruined Lives. It was a solid return, staying true to the band’s gnarled roots. The passage of time and age shall not weary Eyehategod.” Transient ugliness.

Nemesium – Continua Review

Nemesium – Continua Review

“There are times that that little hunger for the visceral creeps up, and I need to have that itch at the very least tickled, and only the most extreme of extreme metal can satisfy that particular pang. Do Aussie newcomers Nemesium succeed in flaying my skin raw with their debut, Continua?” Rage show.