Angry Metal Guy

It’s a week-long reflection on the year in metal music here at Angry Metal Guy and we’re getting all sorts of nostalgic and sentimental. We’ve already covered the worsts, so now let’s get to the firsts! For the very first time, we’ve decided (by that I mean AMG decided) to name our top ten best songs of the year. Though it sounded like an easy task, once I tried to create said list, it proved quite difficult. There were so many potential candidates, it became an arduous culling process to find the ten metal gems to rule them all. While the list seems final, I’m sure I forgot some amazing stuff and I’m also sure you bastards will point it out to me. Steel Druhm awaits your scorn, disapprobation and silent judgment. Continue reading

Orphaned Land // The Road to OR’Shalem
Rating: 4.5/5.0 — Pristine. But what’s with the silly English guy?
Label: Century Media
Websites: orphand-land.com
Release Dates: Out Now Worldwide!

It’s no secret that right now my favorite band in the world is Orphaned Land. And if it was a secret, I guess it’s not really a secret anymore. Orphaned Land does what no other band alive does and they do it so very, very well. Mabool was fantastic, but 2010′s The Never Ending Way of OR’WarriOR was my record of the year and is really my standard for what a modern progressive metal record should be like. The mix and production from Steven Wilson was excellent, the song writing was tremendous and it’s one of the very few records over about 45 or 50 minutes that I can even handle these days. So I was super pumped when I got a promo copy of the band’s DVD The Road to OR-Shalem. I’m not a huge fan of DVDs, as I’ve said in the past, but this one is definitely worth your time—both as fans and non-fans.  Continue reading

Insomnium // One for Sorrow
Rating: 4.0/5.0 —Finland = Winland
Label: Century Media Records
Websites: insomnium.net/  myspace.com/insomniumband
Release Dates: EU: 17.10.2011 US: 10.18.2011

Once considered the ”other Amorphis“ due to the style and sound of their well regarded debut In the Halls of Awaiting, Insomnium have since evolved into one of the premier melo-death units in operation. Along with fellow Fins Omnium Gatherum, they’ve been steadfastly keeping the melo-death banner flying and the style alive and viable. In fact, no one is doing this style better, as One for Sorrow and Omnium Gatherum‘s ginormous New World Shadows  amply demonstrate. Both albums employ hyper-melodic guitar-work alongside sub-woofer blowing death vocals and both shroud everything with the melancholy and sadness that seems to seep from the very ground of Finland. Over the course of four albums, Insomnium has churned out consistently high quality melo-death of this nature with very few stylistic shifts or changes. This has, at times, made their material feel a bit samey and can give the impression of roaming over well worn ground. While this was never a big issue for me personally, those concerns are still present here as they continue to hone their tried-and-true sound to a razor edge. Insomnium gives you ten new tracks of excellently melodic death that incorporates doom and elements of old Amorphis, classic In Flames, Brave Murder Day era Katatonia and Noumena. While there are no surprises, this is some great, emotionally powerful music and exactly the kind of listening material to stockpile as we head into the cold gloom of winter.  Continue reading

Today over on Twitter I got pointed in the direction of Invisible Oranges’ (great name, btw) new post called “Are album reviews obsolete?” Here at Angry Metal Guy our “bread and butter” so-to-speak, is the album review. We do a lot of them. We average about 6 a week, and aim for 7 or more. We also enjoy doing them, but as I have previously touched on, the review is a strange thing in a strange place and, let’s face it, the music industry is screwy in kind of big ways. I thought I’d maybe add some fuel to the author’s fire by adding some more reasons as to why the review is becoming obsolete—in some ways. Continue reading

Tarot // Spell of Iron
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Up the I-ruhns!!
Label: Nuclear Blast [EU | US]
Websites: wingsofdarkness.net | myspace.com/tarot
Release Dates: EU: 2011.05.06 | US: N/A

Ah, nostalgia. My very first review upon joining Angry Metal Guy Industries was Tarot‘s 2010 release Gravity of Light. Now, just about a year later, Finland’s longest running metal act returns with a re-recording of their 1986 debut Spell of Iron to mark the album’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Much like fellow countrymen Amorphis, they apparently decided these ancient songs would benefit from a sonic face lift using modern recording technology and the modern day Tarot stylings. In the spirit of full Angry Metal Disclosure, as with many metallers, I wasn’t aware of Tarot back in 1986 and didn’t discover them until founder and front man Marco Heitala rose to worldwide prominence with Nightwish in the early 2000s. Therefore, Spell of Iron isn’t some sacred talisman album in my mind as it may well be for long time Tarot fans. That said, I’ve spun it on and off over the years and found it a very solid, highly engaging slab of traditional metal falling somewhere between Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and W.A.S.P., while always maintaining a unique sound (largely due to Marco’s excellent and distinctive vocals). Also worth noting, it’s one of their most consistent albums from start to finish and less plagued by the Filler Gremlin™ than their subsequent releases were. With the housekeeping done, let’s see what’s in the cards shall we? Continue reading

Amorphis // The Beginning of Times
Rating: 3.0/5.0 — Angry Amorphis Fanboy = Disappointed
Label: Nuclear Blast [EU | US]
Websites: amorphis.net | myspace.com/amorphis | facebook.com/amorphis
Release Dates: EU: 2011.05.27 | US: 06.06.2011

I have to say that Amorphis‘ The Beginning of Times is one of the most anticipated records of the year and it marks a little bit of an Angry Metal Milestone™ as it was my review of Skyforger that really was the first review I posted that blew up and attracted a lot of new visitors. It’s been a busy couple years since the band released Skyforger, having released a live DVD and a disc with re-recordings of the band’s older material, they’ve really been everywhere (except here in Sweden playing shows that I could attend). But I think it’s fair to say that my expectations for The Beginning of Times were through the roof and when I finally received the promo I was practically shaking with anticipation to get tracks into iTunes and to slap on the monitors. Continue reading

OK boys and ghouls, we’ve officially reached the meaty epicenter of  heavy metal excellence. After thirty warm ups (50-41, 40-31, 30-21 | And here’s AMG’s: 50-41, 40-31, 31-20), these are the brightest of gems, the most gleaming of chromes. Here begins the twenty songs that define all that is heavy, all that is metal. Bow down then get the hell up and HAIL as the True Masters enter the building. Steel Druhm roll please.

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Well, we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty here folks. As the list spirals down to #1, the acclaim and criticism of Steel Druhm’s tastes will escalate exponentially. That’s fine, for Steel Druhm cares not what others think and his metal tastes are sublime and unassailable. Without further ado, here is my last ten before we get to the crucial top 20 metalpieces of all time (look, I made up a cool word, Pat. Pending). [Read the previous lists by Steel Druhm: 50-41, 40-31. And by Angry Metal Guy: 50-41, 40-31, 31-20.] Continue reading

After Steel Druhm’s fine addition to this discussion about awesome metal songs, here’s the continuation of my ridiculously superior list. No need for a rant. Just jump right on into the joy contained below. Here’s the first one.

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Corpse Molester Cult // Corpse Molester Cult
Rating: 4.0/5.0 — Using Clips from Night of the Living Dead is the way to my Angry Metal Heart
Label: Hammerheart
Websites: myspace.com/corpsemolestercult | Stream
Release Dates: March 15, 2011

It’s important to remember that despite being known for their folk metal, doom metal, melodic death metal and well, just for being the official metal mecca of the modern world, Finland also has been home to some pretty sick and impressive old school death metal acts like Hooded Menace and Claws, and going back to the early 90s bands like Demilich and Amorphis were pushing into new territory; and I think it’s safe to say that we should maybe think about adding Corpse Molester Cult to that list. Apparently, in 2005 Tomi Joutsen (you know the new vocalist from Amorphis) started Corpse Molester Cult with a couple buddies and filled out the band in 2006. In 2008 they released this 4 track EP which is now seeing an official release (though it appears to be available for download still here). And really, can you go wrong with any disc that starts with a Night of the Living Dead quote? I think not. Continue reading