El Cuervo

I'm not deliberately contrary.
Shark Infested Daughters – These Tides, Our Tombs Review

Shark Infested Daughters – These Tides, Our Tombs Review

“It seems misogynistic violence is on trend in metalcore. Feed Her to the Sharks led the aquatic way with Zombies Ate My Girlfriend chomping in its wake, both exacting satisfying chugs and saccharine melodies unto the metal public in a reasonable throwback to the All That Remains– or Bullet For My Valentine-dominated scene from the mid-’00s. Now Shark Infested Daughters steps up to invoke unpleasant images of ravaged women with their debut, These Tides, Our Tombs.” Please don’t feed the freakin’ sharks!

Hail Spirit Noir – Mayhem in Blue Review

Hail Spirit Noir – Mayhem in Blue Review

“Tensions remain, not just between Greece and the overlords of the EU but within the country: between those who support the economic freedom conferred by greater government spending and those who advocate fiscal responsibility. It’s in this turmoil that Mayhem in Blue was written.” Frugality breeds insanity.

Prevail – War Will Reign Review

Prevail – War Will Reign Review

“The interesting tag of “gloomy death metal” was what initially intrigued me of War Will Reign. I envisaged atmospheric darkness or gothic strains mixed in with death metal which was definitely appealing. Well more fool me as it turns out this was not entirely accurate: instead, Prevail emerge from their dark, Dutch hole brandishing a more straight-forward, brutal form of vitriol.” The promo sheet fibbed? How dare they?!

Waldgeflüster – Ruinen Review

Waldgeflüster – Ruinen Review

“Having first encountered Munich’s Waldgeflüster on their split with Panopticon earlier this year, I was intrigued and further encouraged to investigate their brand of atmospheric black metal. A couple from our valued community rate their work as among the best in the genre. Try though I did, I found myself somewhat underwhelmed.” El Cuervo vs. buzz.

Skálmöld – Vögguvísur Yggdrasils Review

Skálmöld – Vögguvísur Yggdrasils Review

Vögguvísur Yggdrasils is the fourth full-length from Iceland’s most (only?) notable Viking metal band, Skálmöld. I’ve formerly criticized this genre tag in my review of the album’s predecessor but ultimately conceded that it was a neater way of describing the number of influences at play in their energetic interpretation of Northern European mythology.” Let your blood eagle fly.

Aum – Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum Review

Aum – Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum Review

“Just in case there was any ambiguity following the above band name and album title, yes: Aum are kvlt as fvck. Social media is unworthy of their presence. The supplied photo does that stupid intentional enigma thing. I cannot locate any information about the band besides their French nationality. Their exploration of Buddhism through the medium of blackened death metal seems confused.” Putting the K in kvlt.

Voidspawn – Pyrrhic EP Review

Voidspawn – Pyrrhic EP Review

“The heart of the black magic cast over Pyrrhic is its sound. Now I know this appears a redundant observation but this goes beyond melody, instrumentation or structure. Or maybe it precedes these. What I mean is that it sounds evil. Oppressive. Monstrous. A cloying sense of darkness bleeds from its every orifice and it’s quite unlike anything I’ve heard before, despite compositionally not falling far from Chthe’ilist or Blood Incantation.” Into the heart of darkness.