KScope

TesseracT – War of Being Review

By Thus Spoke on September 18, 2023 in Reviews, Djent, 64 comments

“There’s promoting an album, and then there’s the campaign surrounding War of Being. Aside from the usual—social media updates, music videos, etc.—there is a literal game associated with this album that you can download for a fiver on Steam and that was created solely based on its sci-fi odyssey concept. Lead singer Daniel Tompkins is also lead director and designer of the eponymous game, alongside a host of developers, and is apparently a huge gaming nerd himself. Kudos I guess, for combining two things he’s passionate about. Bassist Amos Williams is writing a novel about it too. But a game or a novel—however good can’t compensate for flaws in the music.” Core wars.

O.R.k. – Screamnasium Review

By Huck N Roll on October 26, 2022 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 36 comments

“These guys create exciting and vital music that cannot be compared to that of Porcupine Tree. There’s a spontaneity here that is rivaled only by Boss Keloid – in fact, that’s a great comparison. O.R.k. may not be as heavy, but the quirkiness and unique delivery is there in spades, and Screamnasium is no exception.” Fewer quills, more thrills.

O.R.k. – Ramagehead Review

By Huck N Roll on February 27, 2019 in 2019, International Metal, Kscope, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Progressive Rock, 93 comments

“It’s not often that so-called super-groups stick around for more than one or two albums. Invariably, the novelty of working together wears off, and competing priorities pull members in other directions. That hasn’t been the case with multinational prog rockers O.R.k., though: Ramagehead is the band’s third album, appearing like clockwork almost two years to the day after their superb Soul of an Octopusrecord. The quartet remains unchanged as well: the big names are Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson) on drums and Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) on bass, but guitarist Carmelo Pipitone and singer/composer LEF are not to be ignored.” Ramage Inc.

Corrective Measures: Angry Metal Guy’s Stack o’ Shame Edition

By Angry Metal Guy on July 6, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Blood Music, Death Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Italian Metal, Kscope, Melodic Death Metal, Napalm Records, Neo-Classical Metal, Norwegian Metal, Progressive Rock, Prosthetic Records, Reviews, chiptunes, 86 comments

“Like with video games or books, one’s “Stack o’ Shame” is the stuff one intends to do but has not been able to do for one reason or another. These reviews are all too late to write full 600-800 word reviews for. On the other hand, I am going to be way too busy this winter to be able to handle writing a bunch of TYMHM. So, I am invoking my right to rule through this (hopefully one-off) post that rounds up some stuff that I fully intended to review and didn’t. So by ways of an apology to both you, the readers, and the albums in my Stack o’ Shame, I bring you some angry, metal blurbs. Mea culpa.” Sometimes sorry is enough.

Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase. Review

By Angry Metal Guy on March 30, 2015 in 2015, Kscope, Not Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Rock, 63 comments

“Unlike many of my friends and colleagues, I’ve rarely been moved by Steven Wilson’s music. With notable exceptions, Porcupine Tree’s studio work put me to sleep. Nor, I must admit, was I a fan of Insurgentes or Grace for Drowning at release. Despite having long been harangued for being an Opeth fanboy, I could not get into Storm Corrosion. In fact, if you’d asked me 5 years ago, I would have said that Steven Wilson’s genius is the ways in which he makes other bands sound incredible. That changed for me, however, with The Raven Who Refused to Sing from 2012. So when I heard that Wilson had a new record coming, I was intrigued: would it keep up the momentum and style of The Raven?” Well, can it?

Gazpacho – Demon Review

By Angry Metal Guy on April 6, 2014 in 2014, Kscope, Progressive Metal, Reviews, 16 comments

“It’s no use making fun of Gazpacho for the name. I did that once already and unfortunately they’re still named after a type of tomato soup. While this tomato soup isn’t cursed, it does contain MSG, which is about as close to ‘metal’ as one needs to get to be reviewed here at AMG.” The Angry Metal Guy himself drops in to wax not-particularly-eloquently about the Norwegian progressive band Gazpacho’s newest full length. Don’t miss this review.

Gazpacho – March of Ghosts Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 14, 2012 in 2012, 3.5, Kscope, Not Metal, Reviews, Not Metal, Progressive Rock, 0 comments

Gazpacho has to be the worst name for a band ever. The soup itself is frankly a little on the unexciting side as it is, being a vegetable soup served cold. It’s actually Spanish or Portuguese, isn’t it? Being Norwegian, couldn’t they have chosen say, lefse or something? Not only is it tastier (Mmm, a bit of sugar and butter and I’m a Happy Metal Guy! NOMNOMNOM!), but it’s Norwegian! Like the band! Get it!? Well, anyway, needless to say I was less than stoked to actually dig my ear-fingers into this record. How could a band that can’t come up with a decent band name come up with good music? I mean, this is an existential question… really.