Unearth

Hatchet – Dying to Exist Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on July 11, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Combat Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Metal, Thrash Metal, 67 comments

“The best metal is not purely contemplative music, but the music of action that’s worth attention. The kinetic element of metal is present in the energetic rhythms and soaring harmonies, through the murk and the ice, in the slam and the breakdown; it’s baked into the idea of heaviness itself. This music makes those who get it move; we mosh, we furiously bang our heads, throw up the horns, or play an air instrument. The gut feeling that good metal gives me makes me need to do something: have a lively night with friends, furiously scribble a review draft, play an instrument, work out, or even just pace about and enjoy the music.” Chopping spree!

Battlecross – Rise to Power [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]

By Dr. A.N. Grier on December 18, 2015 in American Metal, Metal Blade, Things You Might Have Missed 2015, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 23 comments

“It comes of no surprise to those of you restlessly commenting on EVERY FUCKING review, YMIO, and TYMHM article that I got truly thrashed this year. Being a product of the Bay-Area heyday, I haven’t had much fun with any of the modern thrash output storming the iTunes racks in the last decade or so. But 2015 gave me a few monsters I will love for eons to come.” The Doctor is a thrashard.

Kronos’ Top Ten(ish) of 2014

By Kronos on December 28, 2014 in Blog Posts, 37 comments

“Through my own charm, genius and palpable immodesty, I have single-handedly, along with Grymm, convinced the Angry Metal Elders to grant me a big boy year-end list. My year’s tenure in the catacombs of AMG headquarters has proved fruitful beyond measure thanks not only to my brilliant colleagues and our dedicated readers…” Pretty much anybody gets a list these days. There goes the neighborhood!

Unearth – Watchers of Rule Review

By Mark Z. on November 15, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, eOne Music, Metalcore, Reviews, Metalcore, 15 comments

“Unearth are among the last of their kind. The New Wave of American Heavy Metal – if there ever was such a thing – has crashed, receded, and carried away a flotsam of recycled Gothenburg riffs, open string drop-D breakdowns, and post-Pantera toughguy groove. Bands not dissolved in the fizz of waning popularity and ill-conceived murder-for-hire plots have either distilled themselves into Top 40 radio rock (Avenged Sevenfold) or continue struggling to recreate the glory of their heyday (Killswitch Engage). Unearth stand alone….” So much for progress and evolution.

Angry Metal Guy Speaks: On Genres as Pejoratives

By Angry Metal Guy on August 26, 2012 in Blog Posts, Alternative Metal, Deathcore, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Nu Metal, Technical Death Metal, 85 comments

A really curious thing happens from time to time that I think it’s time to comment on. Because we all (that is, those of us who read and/or write AngryMetalGuy.com) love heavy metal, we all essentially draw boundaries for it. It all depends on your perspective, but largely we say that one thing is metal and another thing is not. We make fun of the things we find to be not metal and we praise (and often deify unnecessarily) that which we find to be super metal. This is not a surprise. In fact, I’d guess that it’s a natural part of the human brain: we group things and put them in their place so as to better order our world. We also use cognitive short cuts in order to reach conclusions about the vast seas of information that exist outside of our existence.

Ennead – Frozen Eyes Review

By Angry Metal Guy on May 16, 2012 in 2012, 4.0, Groove Metal, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Unsigned Bands, 5 comments

It is, as you all know, difficult to keep up with the number of unsigned bands that we get music from. But, usually as a matter of luck, I occasionally decide that I have time to check something out (or I’m just avoiding my work). Fortunately, I followed the link to a Bandcamp (that’s usually a thing that gets me to click unsigned bands) for some itsy-bitsy, teeny, teeny, teeny-tiny Swedish metalcore-influenced prog-metallers Ennead who are writing music better than a lot of signed acts that I get these days when they can’t even grow facial hair. Sometimes I follow links and am unimpressed and turn the shit off, saving the band face. In this case, however, Ennead snuck up on me and surprised—and impressed—the hell out of me.

Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 14, 2011 in 2011, 3.0, American Metal, Century Media, Reviews, Sludge, Sludge, 6 comments

So I’m super unqualified to review this record because I a) don’t like sludge and b) have never listened to Crowbar before this moment. Sure, I’m sure I should have heard them, but I gotta be honest with you, I’ve been sort of busy. There are plenty of scenes that have developed since the 1990s and the slow, southern rock post-thrash stuff has never been my thing. Name bands from south of the Mason-Dixie line and I probably don’t like them unless they’re Kris Kristofferson. Always hated Down, didn’t think Corrosion of Conformity was terribly special (and this one’ll really burn your ass), I never liked Pantera or its postbellum incarnations. (Oh and I don’t like Black Label Society because they want to be a southern band even though Zakk Wylde is from fucking NEW JERSEY.) Given all of that, then, I was pretty fucking stoked that listening to this record wasn’t torture! In fact, it was really enjoyable. Let me regale you with the tale.

Artas – Riotology Review

By Steel Druhm on February 1, 2011 in 2.0, 2011, Austrian Metal, Eurocore, Metalcore, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 10 comments

Well, I’m not sure what I did to end up on the Angry Metal Guy’s Official Shit List. However, his assigning me both the new Lazarus A.D. and Artas albums proves I’m on it bigtime. I can just picture AMG up there on his throne all high and mighty, laughing as he contemptuously sneers, “let him eat metalcore.” Steel Druhm does not like being on the Shit List and Steel Druhm will have his wengeance! Anyway, Riotology is the second album by Austrian metalcore/quasi-thrash bandwagon jumpers Artas. Up until now their claim to fame was a wildly ill-conceived cover of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” which ended up being funnier than Weird Al Yankovic’s “Amish Paradise.” Now, with Riotology they can truthfully claim recording two average metalcore albums. Hey, congrats guys! As soon as I saw the album cover which looks like a screen shot from the Assassin’s Creed video games I should have known where this was heading. The second clue I was in trouble was the band’s prominently displayed claim that they play “modern metal.” Apparently that’s record industry speak for tired metalcore by bands that yearn to be At the Gates and In Flames with poppier, radio-friendly choruses. Because I’m merciful, I will now implore you all to leave this review and save yourselves. I can’t go with you however, for I must write it.

Lazarus A.D. – Black Rivers Flow Review

By Steel Druhm on January 28, 2011 in 1.5, 2011, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Metalcore, Thrash Metal, 6 comments

There are plenty of myths that sane folks know to be false like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and honest politicians. However, one should never count the sophomore slump among those fairy tales and urban legends, for it is very real and very painful to behold. Exhibit A for 2011 is Lazarus A.D. who had a decent if not remarkable debut with 2009’s The Onslaught. Many seemed to lump them in with the retro-thrash revival and while there was some Exodus aping to be sure, they always sounded more metalcore-ish to my ears. Although I hate metalcore like I hate taxes, there was enough aggression, energy and nods to the old school throughout The Onslaught to make it semi-palatable and I didn’t totally hate it. Well, there is simply no digesting their second platter Black Rivers Flow, as Lazarus A.D. have firmly embraced their inner mall kid and all things Shadow’s Fall and the result is a veritable black river of crappy, overused grooves, tough guy posturing and general mediocrity.

Saeculum Obscurum – Into the Depths of Oblivion Review

By Angry Metal Guy on January 19, 2011 in 2011, 3.0, Death Metal, German Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Thunderblast Records, Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 1 comment

As you can tell, my resolution for 2011 was to review more obscure and underground music that no one has ever heard of. I want you to know that this means that I am reviewing like everything I get, if it’s possible, and really I’ve had some good luck and some really fucking horrendously terrible luck. I’m going to say that Saeculum Obscurum falls on the good side of the luck barrier. I figured with a name that means “The Dark Age” and a logo by the mighty artist and logo magnate Christophe, this one deserved a fair shake at least.