American Metal

Sacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis Review

Sacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis Review

“There’s that strain of black metal, straddling if not disregarding boundaries between atmospheric, post, melodic, dissonant, and second-wave, where the music, true to its occupying the less-mainstream corners of the genre, sits like a shadowy presence in peripheral vision—preoccupying itself not with Lovecraftian horrors, or overt, antagonistic portrayals of Satanism, but with terrors less far-fetched and obscure. An occultism of an introspective, existential bent, premised on the human mind. Sacrificial Vein, comprised of fragmented members of Nothingness, Aegaeon, and a mysterious JU, follow this dark trajectory.” Tapping some veins.

Vltimas – EPIC Review

Vltimas – EPIC Review

“International supergroup Vltimas crashed upon the Earth early in 2015, dropping their well-received debut roughly four years later. Comprised of Morbid Angel’s very own David Vincent at the mic, Cryptopsy’s Flo Mounier manning the kit, and Aura Noir’s Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen slinging axe, the project deals in grooving, swaggering blackened death metal singing Satan’s praises and glorifying the destruction of all the world. You know, the usual.” Super epic?

Grey Skies Fallen – Molded By Broken Hands Review

Grey Skies Fallen – Molded By Broken Hands Review

Grey Skies Fallen have managed to fly under the radar here at AMG, despite releasing music for nearly a quarter century. While previous albums saw the band leaning into the more aggressive side of death-doom, the return of founding guitarist Joe D’Angelo has yielded a record steeped in the weepy sadboi doom of My Dying Bride and November’s Doom.” Three shades of Grey.

The Dread Crew of Oddwood – Rust & Glory Review

The Dread Crew of Oddwood – Rust & Glory Review

“We’re no strangers to “pirate metal” ’round these parts, are we? There’s just something about the enduring and relatable ideals of pirate-themed music that we at Angry Metal Guy universally love, commenters, readers, and writers alike. I’ve opened my review with this entirely uncontroversial statement as a way to share with you my own excitement when I received the promo copy for Rust & Glory, the fifth full-length release for the U.S.-based pirate musicians that make up The Dread Crew of Oddwood.” YAAARR’s revenge.

Stuck in the Filter: January’s Angry Misses

Stuck in the Filter: January’s Angry Misses

It’s becoming apparent that our filtering systems work quite well! The crew has done a fine job pulling filth from the workings and releasing the pressure to the system. A second too late and the toilets would have backed up.

Volcandra – The Way of Ancients Review

Volcandra – The Way of Ancients Review

“My roommate and good friend once got to meet Kentucky melodic black metal troupe Volcandra at work while I was stuck doing something infinitely less fun, I’m sure. I know this because she, familiar with how deeply entrenched I am in the metal scene, messaged me to ask, ‘Hey, do you know this band called Volcandra?’ I, of course, responded, ‘Yeah, they’re pretty good! Why?’ She replied, to paraphrase, ‘Yeah, I just got to meet them, and they seem really cool and nice.’ Imagine my thinly veiled jealousy as I came back with, ‘Oh that’s super cool!'” Womp womp.

Skeletal Remains – Fragments of the Ageless Review

Skeletal Remains – Fragments of the Ageless Review

“In the realm of reliable old school death metal, Skeletal Remains looms large. Over their decade-plus existence, they’ve provided quality, high-energy brutality with strong similarities to classic Morbid Angel and pre-prog/pre-AI fetish Pestilence. Albums like Condemned to Misery and The Entombment of Chaos brought the bat and the boots to the beatdown and gave fans everything they could want. They’re masters of the basic death metal experience and don’t dabble too much with their sound from album to album.” Morbid bones.

Isenordal – Requiem for Eirênê Review

Isenordal – Requiem for Eirênê Review

“There’s one music quality I treasure above all else: dynamism. Without conscious thought I find myself drifting towards music in the promo pool promising varied or creative music. In the case of Washington’s Isenordal, the one sheet for their third full-length release, entitled Requiem for Eirênê, described music fusing funeral doom, black metal and neofolk. Few albums pledge such dynamism so I was eager to hear their take on this blend, and discover whether it would be as exciting as the description.” Dynamism or death.

Exhorder – Defectum Omnium Review

Exhorder – Defectum Omnium Review

“With this year’s Defectum Omnium, it’s clear Exhorder aren’t finished proving their relevance and reinventing themselves in the eyes of their dedicated fanbase. But, with such a strong outing five years ago, will Defectum Omnium be a step forward for the band or will it be, well… a defectum?” Omnium Blatherum.