jazz metal

Kilter/Andromeda Anarchia/Growlers Choir/Seven)Suns – La Suspendida Review

By Dear Hollow on March 19, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 48 comments

“Never before had I met a Promo God-designated genre-tag so perfect: “silliness.” La Suspendida is a wildly experimental Silent Pendulum-backed collaboration of four artists – and I’m not gonna pretend I know each of the act’s respective history or discography. Mostly based in Brooklyn, Kilteris a jazz metal trio featuring Imperial Triumphant drummer Kenny Grohowski, Andromeda Anarchia is an opera soprano and also a member of the opera/black metal Folterkammer project, the Growlers Choir is a Montreal-based group of metal vocalists, and Seven)Suns is a “dystopian” string quartet dedicated to translating metal to strings.” Gang’s all here!!

Stuck in the Filter – June’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on September 2, 2023 in Stuck in the Filter, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Hardcore, Melodic Black Metal, Progressive Metal, Slam, Thrash Metal, 45 comments

The boys of Summer were stuck ungunking the Filter for months. Salute them with pumpkin spice things as they emerge into a chilly Fall.

Fall of the Albatross – Rite Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on August 26, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 19 comments

“The NYC instrumental quartet Fall of the Albatross hides much behind their progressive metal label. Prog has always been a melting pot of any genre that wanders too close, but the genre mosaic of Fall of the Albatross is especially vivid. Their newest LP Rite evokes a diverse swath of influences ranging from the crushing mathcore of Car Bomb to the jazz fusion of Masayoshi Takanaka, with some dreamy Sithu Aye post-rock to round things out.” Prog bombing.

Threadbare – Silver Dollar Review

By Roquentin on June 26, 2020 in Reviews, Experimental Metal, Noise, 24 comments

“Mimic, Guillermo del Toro’s 1997 creature feature, revolves around a mutated, highly evolved sort of insect capable of making itself look like a human being. Embracing a predatory strategy called aggressive mimicry – with people as their prey of choice – the insects’ appearance becomes an interplay of shadows and deception. Their humanoid silhouette is unstable and misleading, made of moving organs and chitin exoskeletons, yet strangely beguiling in its alienness. Silver Dollar, the debut record by Chicago trio Threadbare, is a similar creature in style, with a fluidly metallized, rocking, and faintly dangerous exterior projected from within a free jazz organism.” More than meets the ear.

Azusa – Loop of Yesterdays Review

By Kronos on April 7, 2020 in 2020, Experimental Metal, Hardcore, Indie Recordings, International Metal, Reviews, Solid State, Thrash Metal, Hardcore, 10 comments

“Loop of Yesterdays enters with a burly thrash riff that gives way in seconds to a lull of shady jazz chords. Two minutes later, Azusa are playing both at once. The record’s dichotomous approach spawns many such treasures, oddities that are hardly surprising considering the source. An Extol/The Dillinger Escape Plan supergroup could hardly produce a pedestrian sound.” The future is fleeting.

Selcouth – Heart is the Star of Chaos Review

By Treble Yell on June 25, 2017 in 2017, Experimental Metal, I Voidhanger Records, International Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Experimental Metal, Progressive Metal, 23 comments

“I’m always skeptical when the term “avant-garde” is flung in the direction of a work of art. Declaring with any degree of certainty that an artistic creation surpasses the confines of the status quo is a fool’s errand. Time is the great leveler, and only on its scales can we weigh an artwork’s impact against the feather of the chattering masses. So, when I received the promo for Selcouth’s debut album Heart is the Star of Chaos and saw it described by the label as “avant-garde,” my hackles raised immediately in response to such hubris.” Dare to be different.

Exivious – Liminal Review

By Grymm on November 11, 2013 in 2013, Dutch Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Instrumental Metal, Progressive Metal, 7 comments

“Guitarist Tymon Kruidenier and bassist Robin Zielhost were introduced to the metal masses as the new members of reactivated prog/death gods Cynic back in 2007, with Zielhost replacing bassist/Chapman wizard Sean Malone for live purposes, and Kruidenier handling both guitar and growling duties both live and on Cynic’s incredible comeback album, Traced in Air. Both members would end up departing after the subsequent tours for Traced in Air, instead working on their own muse, the all-instrumental Exivious.” Anytime someone mentions Cynic, metaldom gets all agog. Grymm boldly mentions them here in relation to an all instrumental, prog-metal monster. What comes after agog?