Amorphis

The Night Eternal – Fatale [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

The Night Eternal – Fatale [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

“Sometimes we get a promo and for whatever reason, it languishes in the sump unloved and unexplored, and later on we find out we missed a real gem and feel collective shame. Other times we just don’t get the promo at all. The latter was the issue with Fatale, the sophomore outing by German goth/heavy/occult metal act The Night Eternal.” Fatale if swallowed.

Serpent Corpse – Blood Sabbath Review

Serpent Corpse – Blood Sabbath Review

“Montreal’s Serpent Corpse have a pretty badass name and that’s a great place for a retro death act to start life. And in fact, these lo-fi scuzzbuckets have only just begun living, dropping their first demo in 2021. Blood Sabbath is their official debut and it’s a murky, scabby blend of classic Swedeath, early days Autopsy, grim doom-death, and crustpunk. If there was ever a recipe for success in the deathverse, that particular proprietary blend would seem a solid candidate.” From grave worm to Serpent Corpse.

Before the Dawn – Stormbringers Review

Before the Dawn – Stormbringers Review

“There’s a group of Finnish melodeath bands that put out a run of absolutely fantastic albums in the early days of AMG: Amorphis, Barren Earth, InsOmnium Gatherum, and of course Before the Dawn. This was a hugely formative time for my music taste, and all those records stick with me over a decade later.” Return of the Dawn.

Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us Review

Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us Review

“Back in September 2020, as the UK enjoyed respite between Covid lockdowns, and the air started to grow colder and the leaves duller with the promise of autumn, I heard Echoes from Deep November, the debut of melodic death metallers Fires in the Distance. It sounded—to my ears—like no one else, despite having elements reminiscent of Omnium Gatherum, Amorphis, and Be’lakor. And it stayed with me long after the leaves were dead and fallen. Fast-forward two and a bit years, when the singles from sophomore Air Not Meant for Us began to drop, and I was flooded with nostalgia and excitement as I heard that signature sound again.” Fires closer than they may appear.

Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty Review

Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty Review

“It’s a dreary, overcast March afternoon as I type this review. The ground remains caked in mud, the air battles between the dampness of southern humidity and the frigidity of winds that blowing in from the north, and even though it’s not raining yet, the weather-induced migraine that I’m currently nursing indicates that it desperately wants to pour any given minute now. Needless to say, it would be par for the course for the last, oh, couple of weeks here in weather-temperate Florida. Normally, I would also say it would be an ideal day to review The Loss of Beauty, the fourth full-length by Italian doom merchants Shores of Null.” Metal for all seasons.

Insomnium – Anno 1696 Review

Insomnium – Anno 1696 Review

“1670 A.D. through 1700 was not a good time for Scandinavia. Famine put large swaths of the population in the ground and religious fervor led to horrific witch hunts with scores of women executed in gruesome ways. It is these especially dark times that Insomnium turned to for the inspiration for ninth album, Anno 1696. The concept revolving around the clash between Christianity and paganism, ruthless religious persecution, and the supernatural all plays out to Insomnium’s signature blend of melodeath, doom, and dark folk/goth.” The bad olde days.

Ontborg – Following the Steps of Damnation Review

Ontborg – Following the Steps of Damnation Review

“Italian they may be, but Ontborg play melodic death metal of the sadboi persuasion starring the classic Swedish tones of an HM-2 pedal. This old-school Amorphis meets Omnium Gatherum by way of Carnation and Helslave combination threw me for a big loop when I first spun it. Few and far between are my encounters with slow and somber melodeath with such a gritty, serrated sound, and yet Ontborg make it work seamlessly.” Resistence is brutal.