Liturgy

Victory Over the Sun – Dance You Monster to My Soft Song! [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Dear Hollow on January 3, 2024 in Things You Might Have Missed 2023, 29 comments

“Victory Over the Sun is a project of the Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Vivian Tylińska who, along with Jute Gyte’s Adam Kalmbach and Kostnatění’s D.L., represents the diversity and power of the unorthodox take of microtonal black metal. You’ll find Tylińska is more inspired by Liturgy than Darkthrone, touches upon Kayo Dot more than Mayhem, actualizing a more triumphant and avant-garde take on black metal – although her more blackened passages are nothing short of vicious.” Wictory in black.

Stuck in the Filter – July’s/August’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on October 17, 2023 in Stuck in the Filter, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, Punk, Symphonic Metal, Technical Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 72 comments

When 2 months of Filter crud collects, things get sticky. We got our hands dirty in July and August so you could have nice, fancy fingernails.

Liturgy – 93696 Review

By Doom_et_Al on March 29, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, 75 comments

“93696 is, apparently, the numerological representation of heaven. It is also the numerological representation of Liturgy with the dial turned to 11. If you aren’t familiar, explaining Liturgy is a challenge. It’s black metal meets avant-garde sparkliness meets weird trills meets progressive djentiness meets dissonant noisiness, all of which thunders uneasily around your brain.” Math and insanity.

Tombs – Under Sullen Skies Review

By Doom_et_Al on November 18, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, 66 comments

“In the early 2010s, powered by bands such as Deafheaven and Liturgy, “hipster metal” became the favorite pejorative for acts that thumbed traditional metal conventions. Embraced by the mainstream, many of these groups, unfortunately, just weren’t very good, which led to metal purists rejecting them. This resulted in said mainstream accusing said purists of being snobby gatekeepers. Cue lots of sulking, posturing and finger wagging. In among the noise, however, were some real gems that were unfairly tainted by the “hipster metal” label. Although less overtly “subversive” (read: “pretentious”) than their Brooklyn counterparts, Liturgy, Tombs weirdly found themselves in this boat with their excellent debut, 2011’s Paths of Totality.” Trend Tombs.

Nightbringer – Terra Damnata Review

By Grymm on April 11, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, 38 comments

“In 2017, I can safely say that I’ve had my fill of black metal. I mean, you can only rehash icy cold Norwegian riffs or French angular awkward atonality so many times before it becomes old hat. And in North America, things are a bit different. When you mention American black metal to anyone, you’ll either get Agallochian followers of differing quality, or guys who write manifestos and tell you what is or isn’t true black metal while doing bad Bone Thugs-n-Harmony impressions. But Nightbringer? They’re a bit different.” Dare to be Nightbringer.

The AMG Staff Picks the Top Ten Records o’ 2015: There’s No Accounting for Anything Anymore

By Angry Metal Guy on December 21, 2015 in 2015, Blog Posts, 210 comments

“We’ve reached the end of 2015 and this year I’m personally editing these Top Ten lists. For the first time (ever) I am reading the production of the different writers we’ve assembled over the last few years. I am shocked. I am dismayed. I feel angry, offended, galled. But I am not surprised. Under Steel Druhm and Madam X‘s indulgent care and averted gaze the young Angry Metal Staffers have run amok. Alas, after having actually consumed of the words these gentlemen produce, I’m firing them all. It’s back to the drawing board: me, Steel Druhm, and as much metalcore as you can eat!”

Krallice – Ygg huur Review

By Roquentin on August 12, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Reviews, 23 comments

“Krallice is a band that often gets misunderstood. Forcibly shoved into a conveniently labeled drawer of “black metal,” the New York group was an easy target of both the trve black metal kvltists, condemning them for “mocking and desecrating the genre,” and the mainstream public, that couldn’t stand such “noisy wankery.” They’ve been cynically called “controversial,” “divisive,” “hipsters,“ and “ostentatious,” often being mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Deafheaven and Liturgy, with whom they have little in common.” Notice how New York is becoming the Mecca of interesting black metal?

Grymm Comments: On the Separation of Art from Artist

By Grymm on June 22, 2015 in Blog Posts, 143 comments

“I’m sure by now you all know that your favorite artists don’t exactly live the lives they write about. Slayer’s Tom Araya is a devout Catholic and a proud family man. Similarly, W.A.S.P.’s Blackie Lawless gave up fucking like a beast for Jesus. Glenn Danzig loves his cats and Morbid Angel’s Trey Azagthoth is a gamer and a Sailor Moon fanatic. In other words, it’s not all that often you encounter a musician (or band) that lives up to the extreme lyrics they pen. They’re just regular, mundane human beings like you and me.” How disappointing….

Antagoniste – The Myth of Mankind Review

By Roquentin on April 4, 2015 in 2015, Avante Garde, Black Metal, French Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Post-metal, Shoegaze, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 18 comments

“The French black metal scene has given us some truly great bands and releases through the years, especially of the avant-garde kind. The likes of Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Peste Noire, and even Alcest are still pushing out some of the most interesting and innovative metal music. This time around, it’s the French avant-garde black metal one-man project Antagoniste that introduces a début whose mission is to reach and eclipse the sonic standards set by his countrymen.” Trying to out weird the weird is a tough task.

Liturgy – The Ark Work Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on March 28, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Thrill Jockey, Black Metal, Experimental Metal, Rap Metal, 31 comments

“Whenever anyone proposes that an artist, album, or condiment is something I’ll “love or hate,” I feel an intense compulsion to remain ambivalent about whatever art, music, or Marmite they’re talking about. “You don’t know me!” my brain spits, “your artificial dichotomy is patently absurd, and I’ll prove it by maintaining a neutral and balanced view!”” Objective, subjective. Love or hate. This is the life of the metal reviewer.