Cobalt

Dead to a Dying World – Litany Review

Dead to a Dying World – Litany Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 19, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Tofu Carnage Records, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 51 comments

“I’m not sure if it’s “fitting” or “ironic” that I received a promo from a band called Dead to a Dying World. After a week of some unfortunate shit hitting way too close to home, I’m further convinced that “the world is going to hell in a hand basket” (as a close friend would say). The thought of being a voiceless observer watching the world kill itself is a heavy burden to carry into Dead to a Dying World’s sophomore outing, Litany.” When real life is depressing, doomy music like this can actually make things seem a little less bleak.

Svärta – Sepultus Review

Svärta – Sepultus Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on July 13, 2015 in 2015, A Sad Sadness Song, Black Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 11 comments

“Oddly enough, when I was dropped Svärta’s Sepultus, I immediately thought of last year’s debut from Madmans Esprit. Not that the Swedish black metal outfit is completely comparable to the gothic/black metal band from South Korea, but they share their love for disrupting standard black-metal frenzies with perfectly executed transitions of melody and pure sadness.” Sad boy black metal? Let’s kick sand on it!

Sumac – The Deal Review

Sumac – The Deal Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on February 16, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Post-metal, Profound Lore Records, Post-Metal, 10 comments

“One of my favorite things about metal is just how small of a world it can be. Like all metalheads out there, I have my favorite bands and musicians. Many of these musicians have a tendency to venture out into new projects and/or genres and I stalk them from band to band and genre to genre.” And this creepy stalking has led him to a bad case of…Sumac.

Madmans Esprit – Nacht Review

Madmans Esprit – Nacht Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 6, 2014 in 2014, A Sad Sadness Song, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Gothic Metal, Korean Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Gothic Metal, 4 comments

“It turns out I’m a judgmental son of a bitch. I admit it, I label people before they even open their mouths and I usually find many decisions made by others to be dumb and immature. I don’t mean to be this way, but I’m very much a person that “judges a book by its cover.” However, I have to say that nothing pleases me more than discovering that the dickhead talking to me with his Corona Light and sport coat over a Superman shirt is actually cool as shit. I like to be proved wrong about someone’s character. It makes for a much better conversation. The same goes for music.” We like judgmental types around here, since we’re in the judging business and all. And this one deserved some real serious judgment.

Steel Druhm Reflects On What’s Wrong With Black Metal

Steel Druhm Reflects On What’s Wrong With Black Metal

By Steel Druhm on October 9, 2011 in 2011, Black Metal, Blog Posts, Black Metal, 32 comments

Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say it. Black metal as a genre has stagnated and become very boring. While that inevitably happens to every musical genre (power metal has had it bad for about six years), with this particular style it seems far more pronounced and chronic. Although I’ve appreciated the scene and sound from its earliest origins (as a Bathory fan in the 80’s) and essentially grown up alongside the genre, the past year has seen things run into the creative wall and slowly slide into a morass of tedium and lethargy. Be it the symphonic or the raw and primitive, very few bands are doing anything new, interesting or compelling (even the new Agalloch felt samey and safe). While some solid albums surfaced in 2011,they feel increasingly rare and even those offered little in the way of innovation or originality. Obviously, of all the subgenres of metal, black metal is the most rigid, inflexible and laden with rules and expectations of scene orthodoxy. Throw a saxophone solo on a power metal album, it may be daring and ballsy. Try that on a black metal album and you’ll be burned in effigy across Norway (and parts of New York).

Winterfylleth – The Mercian Sphere Review

Winterfylleth – The Mercian Sphere Review

By Angry Metal Guy on July 20, 2010 in 2.5, 2010, Black Metal, Candlelight, Reviews, Black Metal, 1 comment

Winterfylleth is a pagan black metal band from Manchester, England who previously has a full length that was released on Profound Lore. They join the ranks of modern black metal bands who, while conforming to many aspects of the genre, are still fighting against the basics: grindy Satan worship. Instead, Winterfylleth produces atmospheric, but melodic black metal that fits in perfectly with a lot of what’s going on around the world in black metal, but that definitely couldn’t be grouped in with sort of “post-black metal” crowd. The Mercian Sphere has the basic foundations of what could be a highly successful record in 2010, but there are a few things that get in the way for this Angry Metal Guy.

Top 10(ish) of 2009

Top 10(ish) of 2009

By Angry Metal Guy on January 5, 2010 in 2009, Blog Posts, Things You Might Have Missed 2009, 2 comments

Well, everyone else under the sun has been releasing their Top 10 lists, and for those of you faithful readers out there I’m sure you’re also interested in what I’m going to say about the best records of 2009. First, let me say that for the first half of this year I was not indeed Angry Metal Guy, but instead, I was just a normal guy buying my metal and hoping that it was going to be fucking awesome. Now, I’m a bitter critic. As a bitter critic I hear a lot more, but this year has still been characterized by some of the biggest bands on the scene for me. Mainly, Amorphis, who in my opinion have released the finest album of the year, if not the finest album of their very distinguished career. But, let me get to that later. There have been some great records this year, but there has been a lot of mediocre shit. Think of this list as being two-tiered, top 10 and then top 20. The top 10 are the records that I think were really awesome, elite albums, the second 10 are records that I think are great and worth your time and effort. Note that I haven’t heard certain albums that I’d like to hear due to that whole poverty not being offset by stealing music thing. With this, I hope to launch AngryMetalGuy.com into the new year on a new note: one where bands suck less.