“It’s been said that “when the gods want to punish you, they answer your prayers.” I first came upon Loss and their brand of unrelenting funeral death-doom back in 2011 when Steel matched wits against the almighty Despond. Prior to this, I’d never been exposed to anything that sounded so grudgingly drawn out or so full of crushing personal failure. It mesmerized me! Not the funeral doom genre itself, but rather the arresting approach specifically promulgated by Loss. It’s been six years since Despond, and lo and behold, Loss are gifting us with a new experience aptly titled Horizonless.” Feel the pain of Loss.
Caïna
Sons of a Wanted Man – Black Days Black Dust Review
“Who are Sons of a Wanted Man you ask? In short they’re a fledgling band, hailing from Beringen (Belgium). Citing the influence of Gojira, Deafheaven and Alcest, Sons of a Wanted Man dabble in introspective post-black metal, forcibly heavy sludge and raw hardcore with Black Days Black Dust claiming to journey through beauty and frenzy in equal measure.” This looks suspiciously like an EP….
Cold Fell – Irwell Review
“It’s no secret: I love me some black metal. But, even I, have gotten tired of every other album we review being a product of the genre. And none of it is good. So, it’s no surprise that I have to ignore a large portion of the releases that sneak by our oh-my-god-I’m-so-sick-of-black-metal filters. Again, I love the genre and still listen to way more black metal than even the sickest doctor would dare prescribe. But many of the new black metal outfits just don’t do it for me.” Feel like you’re drowning in excessive blackness?
Madam X’s Least Disliked Ten(ish) of 2016
“As the year winds to a close I find myself reflecting on what this year has been for me musically, and I have to say, unlike other reviewers on the site, I’ve found it extremely difficult to doll out any significantly high scores. This has led me to just one conclusion, Madam X’s Top Ten(ish) of 2016, shall instead be titled Madam X’s Least Disliked Ten(ish) of 2016.” There is no X in team.
Record(s) o’ the Month – July 2016
“Rare is the month where the AMG staffers can come together in the spirit of brotherhood and goodwill and choose a Record o’ the Month without hurling insults, chairs and lead at one another. July was one such rare and joyous occasion, if only because chairs and firearms were not available at the ice cream social/selection meeting.” Yay, team building!
Caïna – Christ Clad in White Phosphorus Review
“Dante Alighieri once said “The path to paradise begins in Hell.” Andy Curtis-Brignell and Laurence Taylor, the backbone of Caïna, hold these powerful words true and no album makes this more apparent than their new outing – Christ Clad in White Phosphorus.” If you’re going through Hell, keep going.
Caïna – Setter of Unseen Snares Review
“Caïna certainly aren’t your typical black metal band, they’re not Norwegian, Swedish, American or French as you would expect. In fact, Caïna is the labor of heartache by Englishman Andrew Curtis-Brignell and his band’s discography is all over the map.” Constantly changing and mutating, this act is very hard to pin down. But Madam X has many pins and a will to win.