Cherd

Sludge is the word.

Imprecation – Damnatio Ad Bestias Review

By Cherd on March 27, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 21 comments

“Join me, dear reader, as I travel back through the mists of time to that forgotten era known as the early 90s, when all you needed to form a death metal band was a healthy love of Satan and the letters A-T-I-O-N. Yes, back when Bart Simpson’s puckish irreverence first caused prudish parents to clutch their pearls. Back before some of the writers on this site were yet saddled with existence, but well after Steel Druhm had received his first pension check. While Tampa Bay and New York became hotbeds for the burgeoning death metal scene, Imprecation coalesced in the relative obscurity of Missouri City, TX.” Olde as death.

Superlynx – New Moon Review

By Cherd on March 16, 2019 in 2019, Dark Essence Records, Doom Metal, Norwegian Metal, Occult Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Occult Rock, 47 comments

“Stoner doom can frequently be heard in the House of Cherd. I enjoy it in my rotation, being, as I am, of Doom. Mrs. Cherd, however, takes particular delight in it. Whenever we’re doing housework to one of her playlists, it’s not uncommon for three Windhand songs from different albums to be followed by Bongzilla, then Electric Wizard, all while she promises that there are other genres in there and the next song probably won’t be stoner doom.” Family friendly doom.

Bergraven – Det framlidna minnet Review

By Cherd on March 11, 2019 in 2019, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Experimental Metal, Nordvis Produktion, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 97 comments

“Ah, trveness. That concept that sits opposite “poseur” on the coin of black metal. Plenty of metal fans, bands and critics love to point out its folly, but there’s a reason we have to contend with the idea in the first place. Any fandom, especially if it grows from small, kvlt status to more widespread acceptance, will develop gatekeepers. Like if Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons wore bullet belts and spiked gauntlets, these trve believers will snicker at your more mainstream metal t-shirt while muttering something about Pitchfork under their breath and complain loudly that you got shoegaze all over their precious black metal. If you just read that and said “It me!” you’ll probably want to skip Bergraven’s latest tossed genre salad Det Framlidna Mennet.” Tossed salad days.

Abyssic – High the Memory Review

By Cherd on February 28, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Norwegian Metal, Osmose Productions, Death Doom, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 64 comments

“Metal, as a rule, is an exercise in excess. Of the ‘popular’ musical styles, it’s the loudest, the heaviest, the angriest, the most extreme. Thematically, topics of death and darkness are presented with superlative hyperbole. For non-fans, it’s all about as subtle as a volcanic explosion. We, of course, know better. Within each metal sub-genre, bands fall on a relative spectrum ranging from ‘tastefully restrained’ to ‘over-indulgent like, whoa.’ But what does the latter look like when the sub-genre is already known for being the -est? Say, funeral doom? It looks something like Norway-based Abyssic’s second full-length, High the Memory.” The duck confit of doom.

Mastiff – Plague Review

By Cherd on February 24, 2019 in 2019, APF Records, British Metal, Doom Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Sludge, Doom Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, 34 comments

“My first review under my own moniker here at AMG LLC Sole Proprietorship & Sons was for an unholy mix of plodding sludge doom and breakneck hardcore. If you can remember lo those many weeks ago, I concluded that however much you enjoyed each individual component, the combination never truly gelled. Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about metal, it’s that if a hybrid style exists at all, someone out there is doing that shit right. I submit to you now Plague, the second full length from misery making monsters Mastiff (Muppet, meet thy match) who play just such a mix.” Dog bites metal.

Vanum – Ageless Fire Review

By Cherd on February 15, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Profound Lore Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 161 comments

“Vanum caught my attention with this gorgeous image of a violent geological process–a particular interest of mine–that is both legibly pictorial and pulling at the edges of abstraction. Tasteful typography and minimal framing compliments rather than competes with the painting. Interest piqued, I dug further and discovered this to be a project of K. Morgan and M. Rekevics of American black metal bands Ash Borer and Yellow Eyes, respectively, both of which I enjoy. Now firmly on the hook, my main question is: does the musical carpet match the visual drapes?” For lavas of fine art.

Maestus – Deliquesce Review

By Cherd on February 6, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Code666 Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Death Doom, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 96 comments

“Funeral doom is the cilantro of the metal world. Those who like it tend to love it. Others wonder why anyone would want to ~~eat a little leaf that tastes like soap~~ listen to a twenty-minute song with four beats per minute. On the occasions it’s reviewed here, there are usually a few predictable cries from the peanut gallery of “Only listened to 30 seconds! Why this boring? Me want fast!” That’s right. I made you sound like Cookie Monster.” C is for Cookie and it’s better than you deserve.

Pulchra Morte – Divina Autem Et Aniles Review

By Cherd on February 2, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Ceremonial Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 34 comments

“When a metal musician says he’s been thinking about death, it’s easy to dismiss this as a given. Like, yeah dude. It comes with the territory. You’re wearing a t-shirt with twelve skulls on it. But when Jason Barron talks about the low point that led to the creation of Pulchra Morte—meaning “beautiful death”—things sound more serious: ‘I was going through an extremely dark time in my personal life… severe depression… complete and total loss.’ Barron, a veteran of the St. Louis, MO metal scene, recalls writing what would become the first song on Divina Autem Et Aniles. It was about an individual ‘composing his own epitaph, completely accepting his own failure, giving up.'” Darkness and divine inspiration.

A Secret Revealed – Sacrifices Review

By Cherd on January 28, 2019 in 2.5, 2019, Black Metal, German Metal, Hardcore, Lifeforce Records, Metalcore, Post-metal, Reviews, Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, 64 comments

“I’ve learned that when it comes to the promo sump, metalcore sneaks in the back door. This makes sense. we at AMG like to joke about all things -core, so why explicitly say you’re a metalcore band in your promo? Why not say you play post-metal, and when you’re safe inside the city gates, sneak out of that Trojan horse and stab the shit out of us with your VERY EARNEST SCREAMING and siq breakdowns? And so it is that I find myself reviewing Sacrifices, the second full-length from Germany’s A Secret Revealed.” Core at the door.

Ars Magna Umbrae – Lunar Ascension Review

By Cherd on January 22, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Polish Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 151 comments

“Dissonant black metal is having a bit of a moment. With the late-aughts explosion of woodsy atmoblack now a decade old and on the wane—if ever so slightly—and artists turning to other inspiration for blackened evolution, those reclusive and mysterious French musicians of Deathspell/Aus Nord who first pioneered a more technical, terrifying sound are suddenly elder statesmen of a mini-movement. Now there’s K. M., the appropriately cryptic single member of Poland’s Ars Magna Umbrae, with a new album of dissoblack tunes.” Magna opus.