Carcharodon

King of the North(ish).

Canis Dirus – Independence to the Beast Review

By Carcharodon on March 6, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Bindrune Recordings, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 36 comments

“Our sharky hero runs, surgically-repaired legs pumping, swag clutched to his chest. He doesn’t look back. He doesn’t need to. He knows what’s chasing him: a velveteen puppet and a number that is two times six. Eventually, lungs heaving, he sinks down behind a dumpster to study his haul… This, dear reader, is a more a less accurate depiction of what it takes to successfully smuggle something tagged as ‘black folk metal’ out of the promo sump and how I come to be reviewing Minnesotan duo Canis Dirus’ third full-length, Independence to the Beast.” Free beasts and folk thieves.

$RED\\SHIFT – Grow.Decay.Transform. Review$

RED\\SHIFT – Grow.Decay.Transform. Review

By Carcharodon on February 28, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge, Metalcore, Sludge, 34 comments

“There’s a statement in the promo blurb that a “catastrophically drunk dive-bar patron” once described Minnesotan trio RED\\SHIFT as being like “Mastodon mugging King Crimson in a back alley on New Year’s Eve.” There was also mention of wolves with swords for arms.” The right to arm wolves.

Seven Planets – Explorer Review

By Carcharodon on February 22, 2020 in 2020, American Rock, Hard Rock, Instrumental Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Reviews, Small Stone Records, 16 comments

“Sometimes, vocals — however good they may be — detract, or at least distract, from really listening to the moods the music is conjuring. This is how I feel about, for example, the instrumental records that accompany releases from The Ocean — while I typically listen to the full version, every now and again I will put on the instrumental version and float away. While West Virginia’s Seven Planets are a very different beast from that Berlin-based collective, their brand of instrumental rock, rooted in blues and groove, also aims to carry you away.” Seven paths to Uranus.

Mondo Generator – Fuck It Review

By Carcharodon on February 21, 2020 in 2020, American Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Psych Sounds Records, Punk, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Hard Rock, Punk, 23 comments

“It’s hard to say why I grabbed Mondo Generator’s subtly titled Fuck It from the promo bin but, if you’re putting me on the spot, I think excitement probably got the better of me. Not, I should be clear, excitement because I love Mondo Generator – I do not – but simply the excitement of seeing a band I had actually heard of, which had not already been snapped up by one of the nimbler reviewers. The brainchild of Nick Oliveri – and sometimes also known as Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator – of Kyuss, Dwarves and Queens of the Stone Age fame (among others), Mondo Generator has been around for quite a while.” Bad attitude.

Lucifuge – The One Great Curse Review

By Carcharodon on February 16, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 19 comments

“If you are thinking that Lucifuge’s choices of band logo and cover art — not just on this record but on previous outings too — point towards them being fans of the old black metal guard of Venom, Celtic Frost, and Bathory, you’re spot on. And these tastes are reflected, to a significant degree, in the music, too.” Olden evils.

Necrowretch – The Ones from Hell Review

By Carcharodon on February 13, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Death Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, 45 comments

“I tend to steer clear of death metal as a genre. There are two principal reasons for this. First, I don’t really like death metal – the unrelenting nature of the music, coupled with the dying frog vocals, just doesn’t do it for me. Second – and as a function of the first – I don’t know much about it. But, if you stick a ‘blackened’ tag in front of ‘death metal,’ shit, I guess I’ll give it a go. So, French stalwarts Necrowretch, I hope you feel suitably honored by the amateur treatment your fourth full-length, The Ones from Hell, is about to receive.” Death for dummies.

Nero Di Marte – Immoto Review

By Carcharodon on January 23, 2020 in 2020, Italian Metal, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Uncategorized, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 32 comments

“I am a big post-metal fan. I have admitted to this before without shame, despite the unkind words that are thrown around about the genre, including in the skull pit by my fellow word slaves scribes. And, as a fan of the genre, I firmly believe that The Ocean, Cult of Luna and others have shown it can be so much more than ten-minute, riff-less songs that feature sudden eruptions of heaviness. Despite this categorical proof, a number of ‘post-metal’ bands appear not to have got the message.” Post-memo.

Dominia – The Withering of the Rose Review

By Carcharodon on January 20, 2020 in 2020, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Morning Star Heathens Music Group, Reviews, Russian Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 17 comments

“The Withering is the follow-up to 2017’s Stabat Mater, which represented another slab of heavy gothic metal in Dominia’s catalog, as violins and keys did battle with harsh vocals and doomy riffs. Does the latest offering from Dominia see further growth or, well, a withering on the vine?” Roses are dead.

Porta Nigra – Schöpfungswut Review

By Carcharodon on January 15, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, German Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Soulseller Records, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 46 comments

“I feel that I have not had the opportunity to review enough stuff from my countryfolk. It was with a certain amount of anticipation, therefore, that I pulled Schöpfungswut (Wrath of Creation), the third full-length by Porta Nigra, from the toxic waste of the promo pit. I had assumed, given their name, that they hailed from Trier, a town that houses the Roman Porta Nigra (Black Gate) and of which I am rather fond. We can safely dispense with the Trier history lesson I was planning to embark on, however, as they are from Koblenz, a city I know nothing about.” Hug your neighbors, then stab them.

Nachtterror – Judgement [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Carcharodon on January 8, 2020 in 2019, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Hypnotic Dirge Records, Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, Things You Might Have Missed, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 61 comments

“Earlier this year, I channeled all the might that my status as an exalted AMG writer imbues me with and demanded the promo Maeskyyrn’s Interlude from Hypnotic Dirge (read: I sent a politely-worded email). They obliged and sent not only Maeskyyrn but also Nachtterror. Reviewing schedules being what they are, we couldn’t get to symphonic black metal six-piece Nachtterror’s record in time for its release. And that is a damn shame because Judgement is a seriously good and incredibly varied slab of metal.” Metal cup runeth over.