Dimmu Borgir

Keep of Kalessin – Katharsis Review

By Maddog on March 29, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 34 comments

“Despite the positive review we gave to Epistemology, Norway’s Keep of Kalessin polarizes the rowdy AMG staff. For reasons I can’t fathom, despite the band’s 30-year history and commercial success, nearly none of my peers has heard of them except Grier, who hates their guts. I enjoyed Epistemology when it came out. Keep of Kalessin’s over-the-top brand of symphonic black metal lacked consistency, but the best parts of the album steamrolled me with a vigor that I still feel eight years later.” Keeping the faith.

Godiva – Hubris Review

By Kenstrosity on February 2, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Gothic Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 29 comments

“Portuguese symphonic death metal outfit Godiva founded in 1999. Between that year and 2007, the fledgling band released a couple of demos and an EP, only to go on hiatus until their resurrection in 2018 with a revamped lineup and a new single, “Empty Coil.” Now, after 24 long years of toil underground, Godiva ready their first full-length LP, Hubris, in a rather saturated market for symphonic and gothic death metal.” Not just for dessert anymore.

…and Oceans – As in Gardens, So in Tombs Review

By El Cuervo on January 28, 2023 in Reviews, Melodic Black Metal, 40 comments

“2020 saw the overdue restoration of Finland’s …and Oceans, lost to the wastes for nearly 20 years despite their earliest music releasing in parallel with such peers as Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. Cosmic World Mother was a strong return to their original melodic black metal, tinged with symphonic and electronic elements they had acquired over subsequent releases. It featured a couple of my favorite black metal tracks from recent years which set up expectations for a successor. As in Gardens, So in Tombs has arrived but does it deliver?” Surf’s up.

Kampfar – Til Klovers Takt Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 15, 2022 in Reviews, 45 comments

“For those of you posers that don’t know, Kampfar is untouchable in the pagan/black metal realm. And they’ve been ruling it with a bloody battle axe for almost 30 years. Now, they are back again to threaten my year-end list with Til Klovers Takt. But, unlike Profan or even Ofidians Manifest, Til Klovers Takt explores all that is Kampfar. It plays out more like a best-of-release than a standalone record. Each song explores songwriting structures from the band’s past and present. Yet, somehow, it’s brought together in a strategic tracklist. Welcome to pagan metal heaven.” Kamping bastards.

Diabolical Raw – Elegy of Fire Dusk Review

By GardensTale on November 8, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 18 comments

“Remember when Dimmu Borgir was one of the biggest bands in metal? For a while in the mid-aughts they shared the ‘sort of black metal but palatable to a wider audience’ throne with Cradle of Filth, and no gig could be found that wasn’t saturated with Dimmu and Cradle shirts. Whereas Cradle filed down the black metal barbs with gothic theatricality, though, Dimmu blunted them with bludgeoning symphonics and death-adjacent melodicism. Plenty of Dimmu-like acts have sprung up over the years, following in its footsteps to greater or lesser extent, drawing inspiration from the titan even as its own status diminished. Diabolical Raw, hailing from Türkiye, is one of these adherents.” Dimmu, Dimme.

Nordjevel – Gnavhòl Review

By Carcharodon on October 5, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 11 comments

“All the way back in March 2019, Norwegian black metal quartet Nordjevel impressed Grymm with sophomore effort Necrogensis. Snagging a 3.5 from the Grymmster, Nordjevel brought icy riffs and Norwegian fury to his Floridian home but it was not a record completely free from issues and had a notably stronger second half, suffering also from a little bit of bloat and/or lack of self-editing. With a line-up that has held steady since Necrogenesis and features former members of Dark Funeral, 1349 (drummer, Dominator), Morbid Angel and Zyklon (guitarist Destructhor), can Nordjevel now up their consistency, tighten their songwriting and take things to the next level on third album Gnavhòl?” Beyond the Grymm horizon.

Behemoth – Opvs Contra Natvram Review

By Holdeneye on September 15, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 113 comments

“While I don’t consider myself to be a huge Behemoth fan—in fact, I haven’t even listened to all of their releases—I rather enjoy most of the band’s albums with which I’m familiar. Demigod is a blackened death classic, and I like The Apostasy quite a bit too—and not just because it features an appearance by my beloved Warrel Dane (R.I.P.). The Satanist had some great moments, but the amount of pretense on display was a bit unnerving. And that sense of foreboding was ultimately justified with the release of its follow-up, the at times cringy I Loved You at Your Darkest. While initially hesitant to cover that album’s successor, I was overcome by curiosity.” Curiosity and the beast.

Blood of Indigo – Dawn of the Shaded World Review

By Grymm on August 24, 2022 in Reviews, Gothic Metal, 20 comments

“Here’s an interesting factoid for you: in my formative metal years, one of my all-time favorite “guilty pleasure” genres of metal was of the Gothic variety. Back in the 90s, groups like Moonspell, Tiamat, and Samael ruled my heart and eardrums with their combined ferocity, ingenuity, and dark energy to the point where I searched out many a band bedecked in frilly shirts and side-laced leather pants. So when Toronto upstarts Blood of Indigo look to welcome back a treasured sound which, combined with their love of gaming(!!!), I thought that this should be a no-brainer, win-win scenario, especially when you consider they spent five years working on their debut, Dawn of the Shaded World.” Goth is the new purple.

Daidalos – The Expedition Review

By Felagund on August 21, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Epic Metal, 18 comments

“The Expedition is a concept album that tells the story of the doomed 1845 voyage of Captain John Franklin and his crew of 129 men and their frost-filled journey through undiscovered portions of the northwest passage. Grizzled sea captains? Ice pirates? Adventure? Excitement? A Jedi may not crave such things, but I sure do. Daidalos have certainly plucked a worthy story from the annals of history on which to base their album. And as is their right, the band has chosen the soothing sounds of symphonic, epic black metal to tale this tale.” Voyage of the damned.

Carrion Vael – Abhorrent Obsessions Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on August 13, 2022 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 30 comments

“What I like about their sound is the mix of The Black Dahlia Murder burliness with the relentless speed and riff changes of Mors Principium Est. Both albums run a similar course, but the sophomore release, God Killer, started dabbling with more technicality and subtle At the Gates vibes. You’ll even find some clean vocals rearing their ugly head on ‘Psalm of Lies.’ With an obvious desire to explore and expand their sound, one can only guess where this year’s Abhorrent Obsessions will take them. And, believe you me, it was not what you’d expect.” Carrion my wayward sons.