Two members of the esteemed AMG staff attended the ArcTanGent Festival in Somerset, England. How many returned? Read the journal entries we recovered and pray for those we lost.
Opeth
An Abstract Illusion – Woe Review
“As the title might suggest, Woe is a record packed with bleak soundscapes and drenched in misery. Sprawled across almost an hour of beautiful depression, An Abstract Illusion’s latest work feels like a single flowing composition, rather than the seven tracks it’s presented as. Heavier and channeling a more blackened and atmospheric edge into the progressive death metal of its predecessor, there is a swirling sense of barely controlled chaos that lies just beneath the surface of Woe.” Woe to we.
Becoming the Archetype – Children of the Great Extinction Review
“Like my colleague Dear Hollow, I cut my metal teeth (and nails) on heavy Christian music, and Becoming the Archetype is, without a doubt, the greatest extreme metal band of the faithful persuasion. We don’t normally receive promos from Solid State Records, but when BtA shocked their fans in June by announcing a surprise album after a ten-year hiatus, I knew I’d do terrible things to get my hands on the promo. Fortunately, all I had to do was email the band, who got me in touch with the label and its PR firm, and here we are. Phew! I quickly enlisted Hollow’s help, thinking that such a momentous occasion demanded a two-pronged attack.” Acts of faith.
Oceans of Slumber – Starlight and Ash Review
“Anyone who follows Oceans of Slumber on social media is aware of the stylistic evolution the band has been undertaking. The band, notably leaders Cammie Gilbert and Dobber Beverly, have been hammering on the fact that this new album will not be another progressive doom metal outing. Starlight and Ash is the band’s fifth album; fourth with Gilbert at the helm, and second in a row with the current lineup. The fact that they have all stuck around through the turmoil of the last couple of years and have also all bought into the stylistic shift is a positive thing.” Different tides.
Vidres a la Sang – Fragments de l’esdevenir Review
“If I have to draw any comparisons, Vidres’ goth-tinged blackened death reminds me the most of Usurpress. There is a similar inventiveness in the riffs, and an atmosphere of cosmic horror that slithers under the skin. Vidres keeps the scope much smaller, though, and this is entirely by design.” Local horrors.
Nechochwen – Kanawha Black Review
“It seems like forever since Nechochwen graced our collective lobes with an album. It’s actually been 7 years since the excellent Heart of Akamon, but it feels longer given everything that’s happened since it dropped. Now we finally get new platter Kanawha Black and with it, a different approach for the West Virginia twosome. The Native American themes are still present, and their fusion of genres is still in play, but now the breadth and scope of it all has been thrown wide open.” Mad ambitions.
Haunted Shores – Void Review
“Washington, D.C. progressive instrumental duo Haunted Shores returns after a seven-year absence with second full-length, Void. This is the follow-up to 2015 EP, Viscera, and 2011’s self-titled debut album. Haunted Shores members Mark Holcomb and Misha Mansoor are better known as members of Periphery, where both handle guitars and Mansoor is also responsible for programming, synthesizers, orchestration and drums. And once you know that, you can’t unhear Periphery in what the duo turn out.” Crawling eyes and void fanciers.
Dessiderium – Aria Review
“December is an exceptionally bad time to release any album. Between all the list compiling and TYMHM-ing that comes with the territory, I like to try to squeeze in a review or two for the “good enough” albums that find themselves caught out in the cold amid list season celebrations. Mind you, I don’t let them inside to partake, but I at least open the door just a crack to grant them a fleeting breath of celebratory warmth. For an album like Aria, this is an exceptionally disappointing fate. Had this been released even a few months prior, I feel that I would have had the time to digest this immense record to its fullest by list season.” Scrooged.
Khemmis – Deceiver Review
“Khemmis, along with Pallbearer, Crypt Sermon, and Spirit Adrift, were once at the vanguard of an exciting new wave of American doom metal. Between 2012 and 2016 these acts burst onto what appeared to be a promising and burgeoning scene, each offering an exciting mixture of old and new sounds. 2021 finds most of these once-promising acts on a bit of a downward trend.” Deceive or reprieve?
Trance of the Undead – Chalice of Disease Review
“Sometimes you just need an audio beating, to crank that funky brutal music to 11 and let your ears bleed. The issue with a lot of beatdown music is that there’s simply too much of it and not enough contrast, which is why bands like Isis or Opeth were applauded in their heyday, while Tetragammacide and Deiphago are chastised like a class clown. Having your skull beaten in is fine and dandy, but you need some sophistication. A baseball bat made of maple instead of ash, perhaps, or a titanium crowbar instead of iron. Maybe a fist with some pretty rings or maybe even a bedazzled tire iron? Brazil’s Trance of the Undead utilizes predictable beatdown techniques in its blackened death attack.” Discount diseases.
