Altarage

Altars – Ascetic Reflection Review

By Dear Hollow on July 8, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 73 comments

“Beyond its cover’s deceptively pastoral mountain scene, Altars offers something lurking underneath. On paper, the trio deals in a collision of dissonant death metal name-drops we’ve come to expect, and it would be easy to stop there. But we won’t, because there’s something else. Ascetic Reflection’s unique take settles in the negative spaces between lurching and punishing with clarity and nimbleness, allowing its meditative lurch to burrow into listeners’ skin. Holding mirrors of the self and the divine and the futility therein, the aptly named Ascetic Reflection deals in shredding pain.” Altars of radness.

Thorn – Yawning Depths Review

By Dear Hollow on February 7, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 22 comments

“Thorn, a one-man act from Arizona, used to dwell in the chunky sloth of death/doom with debut Crawling Worship, focusing heartily on concrete-thick slogs and hell-scraping gutturals. Amping the tempo while letting old habits die hard, sophomore effort Yawning Depths offers a beatdown not unlike sole member Brennen Westermeyer’s other brutal deathgrind project Fluids. Borrowing influences from post-metal and doom, it’s a shape-shifting experience that is as relentless as it is meditative.” Sleepy bulldozers.

Vertebra Atlantis – Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss

By Dear Hollow on November 24, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 24 comments

“Mastermind behind such acts like Summit, The Clearing Path, Cosmic Putrefaction, and Turris Eburnea, G.G. or Gabriele Gramaglia’s resume is vast and varied, and sets a pretense for new project Vertebra Atlantis. Working with drummer/vocalist R.R. from Homselvareg and Vrangr from Spells of Misery, debut Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss offers a fusion of dissonant death metal and atmospheric black metal, not unlike labelmates Prometheus’ debut.” Dissonance dissidents.

Antediluvian – The Divine Punishment Review

By Dear Hollow on September 1, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 15 comments

“Antediluvian has always been a strange beast. Although undoubtedly akin to the aforementioned hordes of black/death density-meisters, these Oilers have always been slickly produced and solidly written. While acts like Grave Upheaval and Altarage are lost at murk in swaths of ambiance and distortion, Antediluvian prioritizes a strong tether of percussion to guide it.” You can’t punish the willing.

Acausal Intrusion – Nulitas Review

By Dear Hollow on May 21, 2021 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 46 comments

“If I’m being truly honest, I have a difficult time with death metal. It feels unfair, as these acts rear their guttural heads on my AOTY’s yearly, but they’re often adjacent strains: black/death, dissonant tech-death, Lovecraftian, or other pretentiously experimental concoctions. But old school and Swedeath? Gimme somethin’ else, because I overthink the hell out of it: at the risk of sounding like my parents, it all sounds the same to me. However, a new weird death metal release from the label behind groups like Prometheus and Thecodontion? Acausal Intrusion, sign me the fuck up.” Ruptured Nulitas.

Altarage – Succumb Review

By Kronos on May 13, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 64 comments

“I’ll just come out and say it; I have no clue what is going on in this record. As The Guy Who Explains Why Shit Like This Is Good, that really puts me in a bind. As a result, I’ve spent weeks putting off this review. But hey, maybe we can try something new; instead of me telling you what’s the point of Succumb, how about you tell me. For once, I’m going to read your comments and entertain the idea that your opinions are as valid as those of my own self, The Guy Who Explains Why Shit Like This Is Good. Go wild down there.” Late hit.

Grymm’s and Kronos’ Top Ten(ish) of 2019

By Dr. Wvrm on December 30, 2019 in 2019, Blog Posts, Lists, 136 comments

Grymm and Kronos serve up a rich helping of metal opinions with their Top Ten(ish) of 2019.

Ignivomous – Hieroglossia Review

By Dear Hollow on November 29, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear War Now! Productions, Reviews, Death Metal, 13 comments

“I hate being sick. I recently recovered from a cold that I received from my year-old nephew that me and the Mrs. Hollow kept passing back and forth to each other ad nauseam. If a cold can be that frustrating, puking is even worse—breaking out in cold sweats and chills while worrying about keeping any form of nutrition down is truly frustrating because nothing seems to make one feel better. It’s probably even worse vomiting fire, which apparently is something Australian death metal group Ignivomous has on their mind because that’s what their name means. Must hurt.” Burning throats and ears.

Altarage – The Approaching Roar Review

By Kronos on January 25, 2019 in 2019, Avante Garde, Death Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist Underground Activists, Spanish Metal, Death Metal, 142 comments

“In their first two albums, Altarage began a career—and a successful one at that—by walking just a few steps behind Portal. Sure, Portal’s most avant-garde ideas never made it into Nihl or Endinghent, but the Australians’ influence on Altarage has always been as clear as either band’s music was murky.” Now THIS is Portal racing!

Altarage – Endinghent Review

By Kronos on October 20, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Spanish Metal, Death Metal, 45 comments

“Altarage’s debut turned quite a few tar-covered heads, each new adherent drawn in by its tendrils of sticky ooze, a concoction of lo-fi hideousness that languished in the bogs somewhere between Portal and Teitanblood. Not the most original of albums, but it pounded a chord for metalheads oppressed by melody and clean production.” The sound of chunder.