Darkest Era

Primordial – How It Ends Review

Primordial – How It Ends Review

By Ferox on September 27, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 50 comments

“”Is this how it ends?” “We are devoured by time.” The latter phrase is the first lyric on Primordial’s How It Ends; the former is one of the last. The champs of epic metal return with their first album since 2018’s Exile Amongst the Ruins and tenth overall. The new batch of material obsesses over endings and the concept of finality, filtering this preoccupation through Primordial’s long-established formula of galloping rippers and stately marches. The slab’s title and its themes reflect both the state of the world and, inevitably, the state of Primordial.” Glory fades.

Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2022

Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2022

By Steel Druhm on November 14, 2022 in Blog Posts, Record o' the Month, 151 comments

“Where is the horse and the writer? Where is the ale horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow. The days of 2022 have gone down in the West behind AMG HQ into shadow. Who shall gather the smoke of the dead staffers burning? Or behold the flowing promos from the Sump returning? How did it come to this? Why is the Score Safety Counter bleeding? Welcome to the September Record(s) o’ the Month.” A sword day. A red day.

Darkest Era – Wither on the Vine Review

Darkest Era – Wither on the Vine Review

By Steel Druhm on September 29, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Viking Metal, 74 comments

“Talk about making fans wait for a new album. Way, way back in 2014 I was gobsmacked by Severance, the sophomore release by Irish epic doom act Darkest Era. It had a near-perfect blend of doom, black, goth and Viking genres and felt like a heavy-duty emotional journey through dark, trying times. It stitched together the best parts of Primordial, Atlantean Kodex, Ereb Altor, and Iron Maiden to create an album grander than the sum of its parts. There was a brooding, melancholic beauty and power to it that few albums could equal. I was very anxious to get a followup, and nearly 8 long years later, it finally shows up.” Dark days.

Death the Leveller – II Review

Death the Leveller – II Review

By Steel Druhm on March 13, 2020 in 2020, Cruz Del Sur, Doom Metal, Irish Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 15 comments

“Every now and then you stumble across a young band and find yourself in the presence of enormous potential. Sometimes that potential is on full display and impossible to miss, and sometimes it’s partially concealed behind flaws or kinks yet to be worked out. My experience with the promo for II by Ireland’s Death the Leveller has been an odd combination of both these scenarios.” Irish eyes are crying.

Celtachor – Fiannaíocht Review

Celtachor – Fiannaíocht Review

By Grymm on April 25, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Irish Metal, Reviews, Trollzorn Records, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 28 comments

“As a young lad, I took great pleasure in diving deep into the mythologies of the world. Little Me buried himself in books detailing Greek mythology like most people would with comic books. As years progressed and I discovered the joys of metal music, I found plenty of inspiring stories from around the world. From the books of J.R.R. Tolkien to Elias Lönnrot’s timeless Kalevala (thank you, Amorphis), my appreciation for stories of different cultures and lands would not be so rich had it not been for the music you and I love so very much. Now, Ireland’s Celtachor crafted Fiannaíocht, a 57-minute epic based on the stories of hunter-warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill, long-regarded as the bravest, strongest warrior to ever walk the Emerald Isles.” Fightin’ Irish.