Swiss Metal

Anachronism – Meanders Review

Anachronism – Meanders Review

“The word ‘meanders’ itself describes more than just the state of lesser dissonance heavy or atmospheric acts who clash songs out of existence with contrapuntal Tetris. Rather, Anachronism with their latest leans on the artistic concept of the meanders as they might appear in a mosaic, ornamental patterns of winding or interlocking lines.” Musical blocks in sonic temples.

Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

Zeal & Ardor have always been a band of “buts” (with only one “t”!): individual songs have been great but previous albums haven’t quite coalesced into a consistent whole. The live show is fantastic but the energy is lost in the recording studio (compare the scintillating live performance of “Baphomet”—with its classic “Right hand up! Left hand down!” chorus—to the tame studio version). Their schtick of combining slave gospel with black metal is great but it’s also limited in its options and will become overdone soon. Which meant a great deal rode on their third album, Zeal & Ardor. Was the band going to fulfill its promise, or remain an interesting, if flawed, mishmash? A “but” band, if you will?” But rock.

Ateiggar – Tyrannemord Review

Ateiggar – Tyrannemord Review

“On the evening of December 24th in the year 820 AD, Byzantine emperor, Leo Armenius – also known as Leo V – went to Christmas mass. Little did he know that several members of the chorus were assassins in disguise with swords hidden beneath their robes. Fortunately for Leo, in the dim candlelight of St Stephen’s chapel, the hit mob accidentally filleted a priest instead of the unpopular emperor. In the confusion, Leo ripped a large crucifix from the wall and used it to defend himself. He called for his guards, but the doors were barred. During the ensuing melee, Leo was eventually hacked to pieces and his body unceremoniously dumped into the snow outside. 1,202 years later, Ateiggar, a black metal duo from Switzerland, announce the debut of their first full-length LP, Tyrannemord.” Violent night.

Amputate – Dawn of Annihilation Review

Amputate – Dawn of Annihilation Review

“The Boss Ape looked perplexed. ‘Why is my favorite reviewer…’—My grin widened—’…of basement-dwelling, one-man, atmoblack projects choosing to cover death metal?’ I gingerly pointed him to AMG policy 5a: ‘Man cannot live by black metal alone. Thou shalt expand thine horizons.’ He nodded suspiciously and slipped Amputate’s second album, Dawn of Annihilation, across the desk. ‘You’ll be pleased to note that there’s no falsetto,’ he added. ‘Just try not be an ass-clown about this one… or it’s more Minipony for you.’ Wheelhouse or pony stall?

Algebra – Chiroptera Review

Algebra – Chiroptera Review

“Ask most folks around the world to describe Swiss culture in a word, and I’d bet that “precise” ends up in the top ten most common responses. Switzerland is known for producing precision-made watches, cutlery, and chocolates, and thanks to Coroner’s technical version of the genre, we can probably add precision-made thrash metal to the list. And if we want to emphasize that last point, we need look no further than Swiss thrashers Algebra.” Fast maths.

Deep Sun – Dreamland – Behind the Shades Review

Deep Sun – Dreamland – Behind the Shades Review

“Wherever I end up in life, I’ll always have a soft spot for symphonic power metal. As much as I’m happy to malign the genre for its general lack of innovation, I always try to make some time to let it prove me wrong. Discovering Dreamland – Behind the Shades, the third full-length release from Swiss Deep Sun gave me what felt like my first chance this year to do exactly that.” Night(wish) falls in Dreamland.