Akerblogger

Hyvmine – Earthquake Review

Hyvmine – Earthquake Review

“I don’t often jump into a review without even a smidgen prior knowledge of a band or genre. Usually, armed with a fine-toothed comb and a cuppa, I’ll spend hours entering a band from the promo list into ol’ Encyclopaedia Metallum researching them. Making Sophie’s choice is usually tough — I never want to do a band a disservice by not researching or placing myself confidently within their musical world. However, all the promo for the next month was already selfishly taken by my fellow staff members and so, feeling like a lonely Zoidberg in ‘Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?’ I settled for the Los Angeles-based progressive hard rock and metal band Hyvmine (a purposeful misspelling of hive-mind).” NU LA Land.

Entheogen – Without Veil, Nor Self Review

Entheogen – Without Veil, Nor Self Review

“New year, new me, so they say. In 2018 I’m going to root myself deeply into a black metal chasm. Too often black metal albums are left to rot in the pits of the promo bin. Things must change! On behalf of the forgotten, I’ve made a resolution to pick from the black metal bones in the hope of extracting a smidgen of excellency from these rotting vessels. Enter the long-form, cavernous, winding noise of Without Self, Nor Veil, the debut album by Entheogen.” Sworn to review the dark.

Godflesh – Post Self Review

Godflesh – Post Self Review

“Many fans breathed a sigh of relief when A World Only Lit by Fire sounded like a cleaner Streetcleaner , and so did I to a certain extent, however part of me wanted Godflesh to channel the softness of Hymns, the atmospherics of Jesu, and the electronic denseness of JK Flesh into their unforgiving sound. When Godflesh announced that Post Self would embody a lot of different sounds, I was both intrigued and concerned.” Post notes.

Usnea – Portals into Futility Review

Usnea – Portals into Futility Review

“Like labelmates Graves at Sea and Lycus, and fellow American’s Bell Witch and Samothrace, Usnea live life in the slow(er) lane. Their brand of doom features a rotating spit of tasty off-shoots: funeral doom, black metal, sludge, and progressive metal all permeate through the five dense and atmospheric tracks of Portals into Futility, the band’s third full-length. A vague and ethereal science-fiction concept runs through the album, too. I’ve deduced this not from the lyrics but from the reading list supplied by the band: the works of Gene Wolfe, Ursula Le Guin, Carl Sagan, Margaret Atwood, Philip K. Dick, and Frank Herbert are expected to be cosmically crumbled into this curious concoction.” Sci-ops.

Akercocke – Renaissance In Extremis Review

Akercocke – Renaissance In Extremis Review

“I created my moniker out of a weird obsession with Akercocke. A close friend and I would muse over the lyrical and conceptual themes from Goat of Mendes, watch videos of the band being interviewed by Irish religious nuts, and generally make long-winded jokes over Jason Mendonca’s LinkedIn profile and his love for tweed and sophisticated exhibitionism. Beneath this was a love for the eclectic and unique extreme music that Akercocke crafted.” Tweed the demons.

Morbid Evils – Deceases Review

Morbid Evils – Deceases Review

“Tantalizingly labeled as being a grind-drone hybrid, Morbid Evils — a side project of Rotten Sound vocalist and guitarist Keijo Niinimaa — doesn’t play by the rules. That’s not to say that the feelings these two extreme sub-genres stir up aren’t present. The suffocating and oppressive atmospherics found both in the gargantuan monotone sound of drone and the stifling chaos of grindcore are an ever-present force here, shifting with the force of planet sized icebergs. The name of the game is oppression and the aim of the game is to hammer the brain into a pulp.” Morbid and evil is no way to go through life, son.

Void Ritual – Heretical Wisdom Review

Void Ritual – Heretical Wisdom Review

“The little I know about Albuquerque, New Mexico comes from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The last thing I’d expect to come to this dry and rift ridden desert landscape is frosty Scandinavian inspired melodic black metal. But, Void Ritual don’t play by the rules, like a unicorn entering a two-horned race.” Rule breaker, horn faker.

Atriarch – Dead As Truth Review

Atriarch – Dead As Truth Review

“I’m fed up with wizards, dragons, and leather-cladded warriors in metal. I’m fed up with corpse paint, studs, and leather-cladded necromancers in metal. I’m fed up with groove, headbanging, and flannel-cladded bong wizards in metal. I’m fed up with melody and happiness in metal, that’s why Atriarch – with their fourth full-length Dead As Truth – have arrived at the perfect time.” Celebrate the sludge.