Dolphin Whisperer

EEEEE EEEEEEEEE, San Jose State University

VoidCeremony – Threads of Unknowing Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on April 13, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Technical Death Metal, 29 comments

“The ghost of Kronos past summarized on the previous word count abusing outing Entropic Reflections Continuum: Dimensional Unravel that “the parts are all there, but they’re not strung together in a sensible way.” So the real question for VoidCeremony is what’s changed? Certainly, it’s not the adherence to the progressive death metal laid out by our forefathers of late Death, Domination-era Morbid Angel, or Pestilence—though the production here is spacious yet modern, but the sound is as dusty and indulgent as you would assume.” When you noodle into the void…

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Slumbering Sun – The Ever-Living Fire

By Dolphin Whisperer on April 12, 2023 in Angry Metal Guy's Unsigned Band Rodeo, Doom Metal, 37 comments

“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.” Brutal Rodeö meets Slumbering Sun.

Netherlands – Severance Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on April 9, 2023 in Reviews, Noise Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Sludge, Sludge Metal, 19 comments

“Netherlands has been kicking, screaming, and blowing out subs with furiously fuzzed twangs for a little over ten years now. Up until receiving this promo for their seventh album, Severance, I had no idea this band existed. Powered primarily by Brooklyn native Timo Ellis, ever busy with various groups (Cibo Matto and Morningwood, to name a couple) ranging from power pop to stoner rock to art rock, Netherlands explores the loudest and proudest of what the multi-instrumentalist has assembled over the years.” No sleep til…Netherlands!

Anareta – Fear Not Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on April 6, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 42 comments

“Somethin’s a brewin’ down in Nawlins, and it’s not just the festering street sludge that remains from this year’s Mardi Gras bash that has gone and passed. In fact, despite the region’s historical connection to the genre of that festering namesake, Anareta hasn’t an ounce of that groove and vitriol-fueled sound in their DNA—Fear Not comes with its own determined sense of dread and horror, though. You see, this sextet of stringed things and a drum kit play a form of gloomy and rollicking blackened metal led by the screech and saunter of a chamber orchestra trio—cello, viola, and violin fill the air of this grief-laden venture.” Crouching ferocity, hidden chamber pot.

Black Sea of Trees – The Spiritual Beast Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on April 5, 2023 in Reviews, Gothic Metal, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 31 comments

Our promo sump feels piled these days, a good thing! And, it may be my attention to these distinctions that has grown over the year that I’ve now been with AMG, or it might just be the world we live in, but the independent release sub-pool seems to be growing drop by drop every day too. This fledgling, self-guided troupe, who funneled from afar to Australia, hasn’t even yet landed on the Encyclopedia Metallum (though they qualify), but they’ve graciously given us 2.4 gigabytes of WAV files to review for their debut outing The Spiritual Beast.” Forest packages available.

The Turin Horse – Unsavory Impurities Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 29, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Noise, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, Psychedelic Rock, Sludge, Sludge Metal, 32 comments

“Just look at that cover! I didn’t quite care what it ended up being when I saw that brazenly bright, composite-faced figure with its many mouths open in… anguish? Excitement? Both? Of course, I knew it had to foreshadow noise to some degree—something so frighteningly stitched could only be the result of frequencies scraping the boundary between pique and pleasure.” Horse show.

REZN – Solace Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 23, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Shoegaze, 42 comments

“I admit, I avoided this band in the past because weed pun names rub me the wrong way. I have nothing against hazy plant explorations—I dabble—but you can only laugh so many times at joke titles like “Kief Castle” or Stoned Jesus. Heck I’m sure in the right state of mind I’ve even made my own joke band names. Chicago’s REZN isn’t here to joke around though. Eschewing comical escapism, this young quartet aims for a more conscious and guided meditation.” Two bongs may make a light.

Lunar – The Illusionist Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 18, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 24 comments

“I hold concept albums dearly as a style that occupies many of my most treasured proggy excursions. Cautiously, though, many a lesser outing bloat the barrel of this contentious niche. Confidently Lunarߵs third full-length, The Illusionist, inhabits this realm—a dramatic telling of a magician’s struggle with what his work has made of his own life. We all ask this question to ourselves of a great many things in this world. Was it worth it? Was it worth it to park between the lines when the lifted F-150 went and snagged three spots? Was it worth it to pen 700 or so words when the tags read deathcore?” Deathcore and the Moon.

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Haxprocess – The Caverns of Duat

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 9, 2023 in Angry Metal Guy's Unsigned Band Rodeo, Death Metal, 46 comments

““AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.” Brace for Haxprocessing.

Entheos – Time Will Take Us All Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 7, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Deathcore, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, 60 comments

“Animosity—a lesser-known early deathcore act—ripped wild through riff and breakdown alike, a different breed to the normally bass drop and breakdown-filled style. Not wanting for talent, Animosityߵs rhythm section would continue to pulse through other veins. Bassist Evan Brewer would lend his qualified thump to The Faceless, Fallujah, and more. Drummer Navene Koperweis briefly pounded tricky skins with Animals as Leaders and found other high-profile session gigs, including the most recent Machine Head album. Always reaching, though, the two reunited in 2015 to continue to progress their idea of rhythm-focused, technical death metal through Entheos.” Death goes on.