Angry Metal Guy

Bonded by Blood // Exiled to Earth
Rating: 2.5/5.0 — Re-run of the mill
Label: Earache
Websites: myspace.com/bondedbyblood
Release Dates: EU: 16.08.2010 | US: 08.10.2010

Here comes another entry into the retro-thrash movement, for better or worse. Exiled to Earth is the second album by California thrashers Bonded by Blood and much like their debut, it’s firmly rooted in the 80’s thrash movement. Back in the days of the original thrash invasion, for every top-notch band like Slayer or Exodus, there were ten sub-par, generic clones like Atrophy, Devastation and Gothic Slam. Sadly, this release falls closer to the latter category. Continue reading

And Hell Followed With // Proprioception
Rating: 1.5/5.0 – Painfully medio-core
Label: Earache
Websites: myspace.com/andhellfollowedwith
Release Dates: US: Out Now | EU: 26.07.2010

Steel Druhm likes NOT this whole “deathcore thing.” There, I said it! Now, all you deathcore teen weenies can pull your collective jaws off the floor and prepare to dismiss the following review as biased, or perhaps, “reviewed in bad faith,” whatever the fuck that means. However, before you do so, kindly consider that the reason for my dislike of Proprioception, the second album by Michigan’s And Hell Followed With is way more because of how bland and average the material is and less because of its regrettable deathcore style. Sadly, this material isn’t good regardless of the genre.

Continue reading

Allegaeon // Fragments of Form and Function
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Colorado by way of Sweden
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: myspace.com/allegaeon
Release Dates: EU: 19.07.2010 | US: 07.20.2010

I read somewhere recently that music reviewers who cite to other bands as a means to explain what an album sounds like do a disservice to themselves as writers by taking shortcuts and a greater disservice to the band by depriving them of individual creative identity. Upon reading this, I felt anger, then shame, then finally, acceptance. I pledged my very next review would be entirely devoid of such pathetic comparisons and my writing would thereby ascend to new heights of greatness.  Then I listened to my assigned album and that went out the fucking window.  Before me I have the debut album Fragments of Form and Function by Colorado’s own Allegaeon. It’s very good and I like it plenty. However, there is no way I get through this review without the crutch of comparison and I apologize to all who read this forevermore.

Continue reading

Iron Thrones // The Wretched Sun
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Sophomore slump (but still great!)
Label: Who Needs a Label?
Websites: ironthrones.com | myspace.com/ironthrones
Release Date: July 27th, 2010

Those of you who have been reading Angry Metal Guy since the beginning will remember that I lauded heavy praise on a Minneapolis, Minnesota based band called Iron Thrones last year after I downloaded their record (for free) and had myself a little Angry Metal Hernia™. The band was incredible. Like some kind of unholy cross between Opeth and Jesus… or whatever. I promptly declared the record amazing, gave it five stars and then took a cold shower. In any case, Visions of Light, the debut, still ranks as the best unsigned act I’ve ever heard and I have had very, very high hopes for the follow up record—The Wretched Sun—which will be self-released on the 27th of July after the very talented band went and won the No Label Needed contest and got sent to a pro studio. Continue reading

Nachtmystium // Black Meddle II: Addicts
Rating: 4.5/5.0 — Sick, dirty and most definitely black
Label: Candlelight | Century Media
Websites: myspace.com/nachtmystium
Release Dates: Out Now!

If you ask any black metal purist what real “black metal” should sound like, you will probably get a slew of bands that, seem to blur into each other somewhat in a slew of blast beats, tremelo-picked riffs and shrieked vocals – and woe betide he who dares to experiment with this time honoured recipe. Black metal is a cutthroat genre among its fans, and bands that defy the trends of the genre yet still dub their metal “black” are quick to draw the ire of the once faithful. Blake Judd’s Nachtmystium took a major gamble when they decided to pursure a more avant-garde approach to black metal with Instinct: Decay and have both won and lost fans, but so far, (In this angry metal guy’s opinion, at least) their less orthodox releases have been consistent and relevant to the modern black metal landscape. Continue reading

Circle of Dead Children // Psalms of the Grand Destroyer
Rating: 2.0/5.0 – Who let the pigs out? Who? Who?
Label: Candlelight
Websites: myspace.com/circleofdeadchildren
Release Dates: EU: 07.06.2010 | US: 06.08.2010

Here at Angry Metal Guy Industries™©®, staff is small [by which he means "little people" - Ed.], deadlines are many and mercy is neither asked for nor granted. Therefore, we of the reviewer caste don’t always get to cherry pick bands or genres we love. Because of this ugly truth, sometimes a review must be done for something outside our musical wheelhouse. That is the very dilemma facing yours truly with a review of Psalms of the Grand Destroyer by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s own Circle of Dead Children. Album number four by these purveyors of inhuman deathgrind is sick, twisted, chaotic and brutal for brutality’s sake, but is it good? That is a mighty tricky question. Continue reading

Annihilator // Annihilator
Rating: 2.0/5.0 – Alice ain’t well.
Label: Earache
Websites: annihilatormetal.com | myspace.com/annihilatorofficial
Release Dates: Out Now!

No metal band has managed to frustrate and baffle me as consistently as Annihilator has over their long career. Their 1989 debut album Alice in Hell was a classic in the thrash genre and showed a band brimming with talent and energy. Founder, lead songwriter and guitarist Jeff Waters was hailed as a rising star and someone to watch closely. Since then, Annihilator has struggled mightily to live up to the hype garnered by their debut and their subsequent albums have come nowhere near that level of quality. In fact, many of those albums were either complete disasters (Refresh the Demon, Remains, All for You) or near disasters (Set the World on Fire, Metal). Each time a new Annihilator release was set to drop, I would pray for greatness and a return to form but mostly get mediocrity. Now it’s 2010 and we get their thirteenth album, simply titled Annihilator, and again the goods are not delivered.

Continue reading

Necronomicon // The Return of the Witch
Rating: 3.5/5.0 – Epic death metal that doesn’t sound fruity.
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: myspace.com/necronomiconmetal
Release Dates: EU: 04.06.2010 | US: 06.08.2010

There was a time where I loved all death metal and I mean all of it! When the death metal explosion started up in the mid to late 80s, I couldn’t get enough of the stuff whether good, bad or really awful. I just loved those Cookie Monster vocals. Over time however, as more and more bands glommed onto the style, my tastes refined and I steered toward those bands that were trying something different or unique within the genre. Canada’s little known death metal three piece Necronomicon (not to be confused with German thrashers of the same name) was always a band that did things a little differently and always earned my respect. In fact, Necronomicon helped jump start the whole “Egyptian themed death metal” style alongside Nile with their debut album Pharaoh of the Gods in 1999. Happily, their efforts to create unique death metal continue on their third album The Return of the Witch.

Continue reading

Exodus – Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Rating: 3.5/5.0 – Last of their tribe
Label: Nuclear Blast (EU | US)
Websites: exodusattack.com | myspace.com/exodus
Release Dates: Out Now Worldwide

Back in the olden days of the original 80’s thrash invasion, it seemed Exodus always got a raw deal and lost out on the respect and exposure as one the top dogs of the movement. While Metallica, Slayer, Medadeth and Anthrax hogged the lion’s share of the limelight, Exodus was always relegated to second tier status. That’s all water under the bridge nowadays and Exodus has been on a serious comeback tear since 2004’s Tempo of the Damned all the way through 2007’s The Atrocity Exhibition – Exhibit A. With this second lease on life, Exodus has essentially surpassed all the former top dogs by virtue of being the last band standing and still releasing quality, worthwhile metal music. Now comes the second part of the Atrocity Exhibition series, Exhibit B: the Human Condition and Exodus seems damned determined to hold onto their newfound position.

Continue reading

Nevermore // The Obsidian Conspiracy
Rating: 4.0/5.0 – Less complex, more accessible, don’t freak out!
Label: Century Media
Websites: nevermore.tv | myspace.com/nevermorefans
Release Dates: EU: 31.05.2010 | US: 06.08.2010

Nevermore has always held a special place in the metal community with both fans and other bands alike looking up to and respecting them. It isn’t hard to see why they command this level of respect, with world-class guitarist Jeff Loomis and vocalist extraordinaire Warrel Dane both calling Nevermore home. Because of this high profile and superb talent, a lot is expected from Nevermore and for the most part, album to album, Nevermore have consistently delivered the goods. Therefore, the arrival of a new slab of metal from these guys is always a pretty big deal and after waiting five years since The Godless Endeavor, we finally get The Obsidian Conspiracy.

Right off the bat it becomes obvious The Obsidian Conspiracy is a bit of a departure for Nevermore. While the trademark Nevermore elements are all still present, long-time fans may notice this is less complex and more accessible than The Godless Endeavor and other older works. Now, before diehard Nevermore fans get their panties in a bunch and jump out a window, this is still classic Nevermore and a very technical album with some very heavy moments. Additionally, this is far from some pop metal album. When I say accessible, I mean in the context of past Nevermore albums, which could be very dense and heavily technical and require patience to get into. Here however, the songs are all shorter in length than on previous albums, some tracks are instantly memorable and others quickly become so. For example, both “Emptiness Unobstructed” and “And the Maiden Spoke” jump out and stick in your head very quickly. I don’t recall this being the case with earlier albums, especially The Godless Endeavor. Perhaps the added accessibility comes from a growing maturity as songwriters or maybe some of it bled over from Dane’s solo album. Whatever the cause, the result is a collection of well crafted songs which ebb and flow very well from mood to mood.

As The Obsidian Conspiracy unfolds, you get everything from classic progressive thrash (“The Termination Proclamation,” “The Obsidian Conspiracy”), to brooding, morose epics (“And the Maiden Spoke,” “The Blue Marble and the New Soul”) all the way to more straight-forward metal (“Your Poison Throne,” “Emptiness Unobstructed”), all past elements of the Nevermore repertoire are showcased well even in the more accessible format.

Mood-wise and lyrically, this is definitely not an uplifting, feel good album. It oscillates between rage, despair, grief and other sinister, haunting emotions, all expertly presented by the writing and execution of some truly top flight musicians. Warrel Dane’s vocals shine as always and few are as convincing at emotional expression. It’s easy to believe Dane feels the pain of the lyrics he creates and sings and it makes the songs much more powerful. Similarly, Jeff Loomis shows he can write technical yet accessible riffs and keep things powerful and energetic even during the slower, moodier tracks.

At the end of the day, this is a Nevermore album so you know it will be quality and contain excellent musicality. The Obsidian Conspiracy has no truly weak tracks and is interesting throughout its varying moods. The added accessibility makes the material easier to digest and appreciate for the average listener, yet this hasn’t caused the music to lose its edge or overall technicality. While I can foresee some negative feedback forthcoming for the slight shift in style and some considering this a disappointment of sorts, don’t be swayed. This is still Nevermore and it’s a solid, quality release and definitely worth checking out.