Napalm Records

Crypta – Shades of Sorrow Review

By Kenstrosity on August 1, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 48 comments

“In 2021, Brazil’s Crypta unexpectedly tripped my radar with rancid debut platter Echoes of the Soul, a ripping slab of thrashy death metal. It ripped so hard, in fact, that shortly after I covered the beast for June 2021’s Filter, AMG The Man, The Myth, The Legend saw fit to award it a Runner Up spot for the Record(s) o’ the Month and later his #9 spot on his Top 10(ish). Two years and two months later, Crypta return with their follow-up, Shades of Sorrow, a record which several of the staff, myself included, highly anticipated.” Rocket from the Crypta!

Evile – The Unknown Review

By Steel Druhm on July 13, 2023 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 45 comments

“As a die-hard Metallica fan in my teens, I worshipped their first 4 albums mightily, and since Evile’s entire existence seemed to be based on mining the best of Metallica’s early days for inspiration, it seemed they would be easy to love.” Well knowns and Unknowns.

Sammath – Grebbeberg Review

By Maddog on June 27, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 8 comments

“Sammath’s style isn’t my usual cup of tea, but Godless Arrogance still wowed me nearly a decade ago. Avoiding any pretense of variety, the Netherlands’ Sammath played war metal in the truest sense. Monotony can be hit-or-miss, but Sammath made it work through the emotive power of their music. Godless Arrogance both sounded and felt like being in the trenches during a losing battle. Its successor Across the Rhine Is Only Death shattered the underpaid Score Safety Counter in 2019, leaving me with high expectations for 2023’s follow-up Grebbeberg.” Back to the front!

Before the Dawn – Stormbringers Review

By sentynel on June 26, 2023 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 20 comments

“There’s a group of Finnish melodeath bands that put out a run of absolutely fantastic albums in the early days of AMG: Amorphis, Barren Earth, InsOmnium Gatherum, and of course Before the Dawn. This was a hugely formative time for my music taste, and all those records stick with me over a decade later.” Return of the Dawn.

Legion of the Damned – Poison Chalice Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 13, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 34 comments

“I remember being blown away by the badassery that is 2007’s Sons of the Jackal. Whenever I find myself thinking back on that album, I typically spend a week with it on repeat. But, no matter how old these gents get, they never soften. And this year’s Poison Chalice once again proves that there’s no room for posers, and please keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times.” Damned if you don’t.

Thulcandra – Hail the Abyss Review

By Maddog on May 30, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 29 comments

“A confluence of circumstances made this review an eon late. Napalm sent us a late stream, and none of my lazy co-writers checked if we’d gotten a promo until I did so last week. But I was happy to save the day, as usual. Germany’s Thulcandra has been freezing up a melodic blackened death storm since 2003, and their past work earned high marks from the Ape Himself, but we’ve mysteriously missed their last twelve years of material.” Ressection.

DevilDriver – Dealing with Demons vol. II Review

By GardensTale on May 12, 2023 in Reviews, Groove Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 47 comments

“DevilDriver is not the most popular band with dyed-in-the-wool metalheads. Founded by Dez Fafara after the merciful death of Coal Chamber, this outfit embodies “you’ll grow out of it.” Core screams that aren’t quite growls, lyrics full of nonspecific angst and anger that appeal to teenagers, chug-laden straightforward riffs and simple solos. The Hot Topic crowd goes wild. But as such, it has been an important gateway band to many, and in my opinion, one of the few with redeeming qualities.” On the road again.

Angus McSix – Angus McSix and the Sword of Power Review

By Twelve on April 20, 2023 in Reviews, 99 comments

“Hello, reader—can I call you reader? Let’s be honest with each other. You know exactly what to expect here. You know what kind of music this is; you know what this review is going to say; you do not need to skip to the end to know what score is coming. Even if you don’t know that the former vocalist for Gloryhammer Thomas Winkler has, since his dramatic departure from the group, started up anew with a Europe-spanning band called Angus McSix, even if you didn’t know that Gloryhammer and Winkler are well-known for their cheesy, over-the-top tales of fantasy, even if you haven’t glanced down and noticed that the preview song on Bandcamp for Angus McSix and the Sword of Power is called “Laser-Shooting Dinosaur,” you know.” Six appeal.

Kamelot – The Awakening Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 17, 2023 in Reviews, Power Metal, 98 comments

“I don’t really feel nostalgia for Kamelot. I tried getting into them when they released The Black Halo in 2005, which, though widely regarded as their best work, bounced off my DragonForce-pilled adolescent mind. To me, Kamelot was slow and boring, a brand of power metal that sacrificed the genre’s trademark excess in a bid to win over music intellectuals, socialites, and critics. Older and much wiser was I when the excellent Silverthorn dropped in 2012, which rekindled my interest in Kamelot as I devoured their back catalog. And then came the slow decline.” Of empires forlorn.

Katatonia – Sky Void of Stars Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on January 20, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 117 comments

“I’ve been a long-time admirer of their Swedish sadperson exports, and after putting out what stands as one of my favorite releases of the past decade, Fall of Hearts, they went and put out City Burials, which was just not good. Regardless, Katatonia, the institution of gloom they are, have remained a steady force of sullen output. As such, Renkse and co have been predictably busy distilling from tear water and stained diary pages this latest collection of twilight tunes for Sky Void of Stars.” Star diary.