Carcharodon

King of the North(ish).

Quiet Man – The Starving Lesson Review

By Carcharodon on July 13, 2023 in Reviews, Drone, Noise, Sludge, 26 comments

“I think it’s fair to say that the planet we inhabit has seen better days. It’s hot and getting hotter. Not insignificant portions of it are actually on fire and other, still larger parts will soon be underwater. It is packed with rubbish that will outlast all of us, even as we expand exponentially to fill the ‘space’ left behind by all biodiversity we have, directly or indirectly, wiped out. And on its debut, Philadelphia quintet Quiet Man (formerly God Root) would like to draw your attention to this dire state of affairs. Their message? We’re all fucked. Their chosen medium? Psychedelic sludge, noise, and drone.” Loud quietus.

NONE – Inevitable Review

By Carcharodon on July 10, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 21 comments

“Were you to look up the Pacific Northwest’s NONE on Metal Archives because, you know, you wanted to find out something about them, you’d be disappointed. A picture with the faces scratched out, a list of members stated, appropriately enough, as “(none).” The promo materials from NONE’s label, Hypnotic Dirge, tell me that the band is “anonymous” and has “no social media presence.” OK, I get it, these guys aren’t in this for the fame, money, and sex. Fine.” In it for the nothingness.

1476 – In Exile Review

By Carcharodon on July 6, 2023 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Folk, Neofolk, Punk, 54 comments

“Well, 1476’s In Exile is certainly more than I bargained for. Having dropped my previous promo for this week because I had suspicions about the political leanings of its members (that it was bollocks made this a happy development), I picked up 1476 on a whim. And it’s a lot. Of many things. A lot of music, clocking in at over an hour. A lot of styles and influences—the accompanying blurb describes In Exile as “wonderfully all over the place”; the latter part of that statement isn’t wrong but the adverb, we’ll see.” Leatherface and open space.

The Anchoret – It All Began with Loneliness Review

By Carcharodon on June 23, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 70 comments

There are some labels that you just know will deliver something interesting. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll like what you get but it will be different. I, Voidhanger is one such label. The Anchoret’s label, Willowtip is another. So, despite knowing nothing about progressive five-piece The Anchoret, or its debut, It All Began with Loneliness, I was ready for a journey.” Strange places, dark spaces.

Johnny the Boy – You Review

By Carcharodon on June 16, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 27 comments

“If you didn’t know there was some link between Crippled Black Phoenix and Johnny the Boy, you would be hard-pressed to divine it by listening to You alone.” Johnny B. the Good Boy.

Vexing – Grand Reproach Review

By Carcharodon on May 31, 2023 in Reviews, Post-Hardcore, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 10 comments

“Despite a nagging sense that sludge, particularly of the progressive variety, has probably peaked for 2023, here I am, taking in another fetid puddle of progressive sludge, just in case I’m wrong. You never know, could happen. Denver, Colorado trio Vexing has been around since 2017, with only a demo and 2020 EP Cradle to its name. Now, however, the band is ready to drop its debut LP on a suspecting public. Suspecting because if you brand something as “progressive sludge,” it engenders certain expectations. Can Vexing confound these preconceptions on Grand Reproach?” Vex mix.

Inherus – Beholden Review

By Carcharodon on May 24, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Progressive Metal, 43 comments

You know that scene in The Last of Us where we first meet the clickers, which can’t see but are attracted to the slightest sound? This is how I regard my fellow AMG scribes, as sightless fungi that I must not alert to the tastiest morsels in the sump until that point in time when AMG Promo Pit Rules allow me to make a breakneck sprint for the album I’ve been eyeing up. Until then, I have to stay absolutely silent. So it was that for almost a month after (the apparently, and happily, rejuvenated) Hypnotic Dirge Records alerted me to the existence and impending release of Beholden, the debut by Inherus.” Shroom squad.

Servers – The Vertical Plane Review

By Carcharodon on May 18, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 11 comments

“It’s been quite a while since I last reviewed anyone hailing from even close to my neck of the woods but, this week, I present for your perusal Servers. Hailing from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, UK, the band—the label blurb tells me they’re a quintet and then proceeds to name only three members—return with their fourth album, the follow-up to 2019’s Ad Nauseam. Servers take the title of The Vertical Plane from a book of the same name about the (apparently) infamous Dodleston mysteries in 1985.” To serve mankind prog.

Non Est Deus – Legacy Review

By Carcharodon on May 11, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 60 comments

“The last record from Non Est Deus, Impious, impressed me. I’ll admit, not to quite the same degree as Leiþa or Kanonenfieber, the other two projects from Germany’s black metal maestro, Noise. Still, it scored a highly respectable 3.5 and, really, my complaints were minor quibbles. When I recently sat down to interview Noise, he explained to me the concept for the fourth Non Est Deus platter. He took stories from the Old Testament and, essentially, imagined what would happen if you took God or the Holy Spirit, or whatever you want to call it, out of the equation. Answer? Everything goes to shit.” God’s away on business.

Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean – Obsession Destruction Review

By Carcharodon on May 8, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Sludge, Sludge Metal, 64 comments

“Massachusetts quartet Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean (who, I assume, take their name from the 2007 song “Fucking Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean” by Louisiana sludge legends, Thou) have made a bit of a name for themselves on the sludge scene, despite having only one (short) LP to their name, 2017’s Decay and Other Hopes Against Progress.” Chained by an anchor?