Old Man’s Child

Urarv – Aurum Review

Urarv – Aurum Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 25, 2017 in 2017, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Black Metal, 24 comments

“Without a doubt, the darkest moments of my life have involved vocalist Aldrahn. At first, it was an unfortunate coincidence. But then his voice and his music became my go-to during those dark days and nights. Be it his groundbreaking introduction with Zyklon B and Old Man’s Child, his psychotic direction with DHG, or his genre-setting contributions to Thorns. This one man has haunted my dreams (and nightmares) for close to two decades. I’ve considered suicide as his voice rang out on my speakers and I even attempted it while listening to Thorns. Then, no more music. But, three years ago, Aldrahn came back to us with The Deathtrip’s Deep Drone Master. While Deep Drone Master was fun, Urarv’s Aurum is something else.” The voice of pain returns.

Darkestrah – Turan Review

Darkestrah – Turan Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 25, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Kyrgyzstan Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 21 comments

“It’s always fun to pick up a promo from a band that you’ve never heard before. Especially one hailing from a country you know diddly shit about. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of researching bands like this is reading about the rich heritage that surrounds the music. And on today’s exotic expedition into the unknown, we will explore Darkestrah, a black-metal outfit from Kyrgyzstan.” Turan the money!

Syn Ze Şase Tri – Stăpîn Peste Stăpîni Review

Syn Ze Şase Tri – Stăpîn Peste Stăpîni Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 27, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Code666 Records, Folk Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 6 comments

“Syn Ze Şase Tri is a Romanian band hailing from from—no joke—Transylvania, and whose material I had the pure luck to discover by my naïve dedication to trying to review everything that ever landed in my mailbox back in the early days. The band’s first record, Între două lumi, was the victim of brutal mastering job which rendered the mp3s I received in the promotional material unlistenable. ” Will these Carpathian creepers have the aural bite to win AMG’s love this time around?

Ethereal – Opus Aethereum Review

Ethereal – Opus Aethereum Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 27, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Candlelight Records, English Metal, Symphonic Metal, Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, 16 comments

“I’m just going to come out and say it. I enjoyed Dimmu Borgir’s big-assed Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Yep, I said it. Haters be a hatin’ but its elements of bombastic orchestration and “beauty and the beast” vocals introduced a balance of demonic and angelic qualities that expanded on a style bands like Emperor and Limbonic Art had/have nurtured for years.” Don’t hate the keyboards, hate the player.

Dreamgrave – Presentiment Review

Dreamgrave – Presentiment Review

By Angry Metal Guy on November 22, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Epic Metal, Hungarian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 26 comments

“Metal has been extremely retro in the last 5 years. From rethrash to retro death metal, the whole scene has crawled into its proverbial ass in order to wallow in the digested remnants of metal music that is just plain better. Rethrash celebrates the 2.5 years when thrash was the heaviest and most exciting music on the planet. Retro death celebrates a time when bands would scrape together their last Swedish kronor to put a record together that would still sound like total shit. All the bands who wish they were Black Sabbath celebrate a time when amplifiers didn’t actually have overdrive. But all of these celebrated sounds appeal to us because they were authentic: times when newness and creativity gave the world something exciting and special. One such scene for me is the melodic death and black metal scenes of the Scandinavian 1990s. It’s an era when metal was heavy, engaging, abstract, and yet melodic—it felt exciting and new. While not all of the best ideas from this era were executed perfectly at the time, it laid the groundwork for the late ’90s and the early aughts when great metal bands produced great music.” What the hell does this have to do with anything? Click and find out!

Stilla – Ensamhetens Andar Review

Stilla – Ensamhetens Andar Review

By Grymm on February 9, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Nordvis Produktion, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 1 comment

“Sometimes, when you hear a new band, you are reminded of a long-forgotten gem that is hidden in the recesses of your mind. As years pass, you forget certain things, sure, but it’s always interesting when something jostles your memory banks and brings back a flood of missing memories. Stilla, the alter ego of Sweden’s Bergraven plus vocalist A. Petterson (De Arma) are an interesting proposition. Atmospheric, moody, and cold, Stilla have a very creative little gem of an album with Ensamhetens andar [Spirits of Loneliness in translation – AMG], their second full-length. In their pursuit of atmosphere and the desire to be at one with nature, they opened up an unexpected floodgate.” Grymm waxes nostalgic for black metal’s younger days as he examines some new darkness. Ah, black stuff….

Astrophobos – Remnants of Forgotten Horrors Review

Astrophobos – Remnants of Forgotten Horrors Review

By Madam X on January 19, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Releases, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Triumvirate Records, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 5 comments

“Following on from their 2010 self-released EP, Arcane Secrets, Swedish band Astrophobos have arrived at the funeral dressed in all all their Triumvirate Records finery, in a manner that I can only describe as just a smidgen outside of fashionably late. Yup, the eulogy’s in the process of wrapping up – can you say awkward silence?” Awkward silence at a funeral? That sounds weird.

In Vain – Ænigma Review

In Vain – Ænigma Review

By Angry Metal Guy on March 6, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, Death Metal, Indie Recordings, Melodic Death Metal, Norwegian Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 19 comments

In Vain hails from Norway, famous for its black metal, its fjords, its oil, its social democracy, but certainly not its progressive death metal. It’s actually a little strange that the land that brought us Borknagar, Enslaved, Ulver, and Solefald has never really produced its own Opeth or In Mourning, instead outsourcing that to its less affluent and pampered neighbor to the east (that’d be Sweden for the geographically challenged). Without getting too much into regional politics, it’s safe to say that given how high on the hog these Norwegians live—exploiting their Swedish workers and guzzling crude oil at the state’s expense—it’s surprising that none of them have wandered into the melodic, progressive death metal genre. They certainly have access to enough subsidies for the arts to do so if they wanted to.

Rotting Christ – Κατά τον Δαίμονον Εαυτού Review

Rotting Christ – Κατά τον Δαίμονον Εαυτού Review

By Madam X on February 27, 2013 in 2013, 3.0, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Rating, Releases, Reviews, Season of Mist, Uncategorized, Black Metal, 21 comments

“I’m always enchanted by a band or album that pushes me to think outside the box, compelling me at 2 am to seek out the translation of an old Romanian curse, making me read up on Voodoo and at the same time the i’m knee deep in the teachings of Aleister Crowley – now that’s what metal’s about [Mister Crowley, won’t you write for my blog? – Steel Druhm]! Aleister Crowley wrote ‘Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law’ and I’m pleased Greek icons Rotting Christ decided to use this credo as the basis for their 11th full-length release Κατά τον Δαίμονον Εαυτού (meaning ‘Do what thou wilt’).” Mister Crowley and Madam X are like two peas in a devil pod, so join her as she discusses the new opus from Greek black/death act Rotting Christ and all things sacrilicious.