“I’m not going to lie. I chose to review this promo on the basis that Draugnim sounds like Draugr – an entity which should be familiar to fellow Elder Scrolls nerds. On this basis, I predicted vaguely folkloric Scandinavian black metal. Indeed, Vulturine boasts Finnish Pagan metal similar to a popular band whose new album is also soon to drop.” Super nerds unite!
“We’re familiar with Austin Lunn’s home-grown, folk metal Panopticon around these parts. His bluegrass-infused black metal has garnered justifiable (though some say excessive) acclaim, especially as his work has progressively become more melodic and accessible. But this time around he’s sharing album space with German folk-meisters Waldgeflüster, with whom I am less familiar. The split apparently had its roots in the bottom of many beers – as many of the best ideas do – shared between Lunn and Winterherz (of Waldgeflüster) and I was eager to hear what they’d produced.” Split the album, don’t split the beers.
“It’s rare that I find music I can appreciate on a superficial, musical and a cerebral level. Too much of the former and it likely won’t stick with me in the long term; too much of the latter and the smell of shit wards me off as groups examine how far they can reach up their rectum. It’s great to hear that ideal fusion of the two, particularly when it comes out of left field – in this case, Russia.” From Russia, with folk.
![Grey Heaven Fall – Black Wisdom [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Grey-Heaven-Fall-Black-Wisdom.jpg)
“Regret. We all experience it in one way or another. Some feel it after a heavy night of drinking before a working day. Others after indulging amorous emotions with an ex’s mother. Me? The regret I feel is for missing great music the first time around. It was in the process of skimming year end lists to uncover my omissions that I was directed towards Black Wisdom by Grey Heaven Fall.” We also regret that whole White Wizzard thing.
“As you may have noticed, we’re prog wusses at AMG. We look favorably on innovation, strong atmosphere and where progressive isn’t a synonym for purely technical. Enter Headspace. Comprising high profile musicians such as vocalist Damian Wilson of Threshold, keyboardist Adam Wakeman of Ozzy’s band (and son of the Yes legend) and Lee Pomeroy, of note for his work with almost everyone ever (including Steve Hackett), the line-up is experienced and successful. ‘Supergroups’ are, however, plagued as strong personalities pull the music in various directions, often devolving into vain wankfests.” The curse of the supergroup continues.
“I was relatively surprised to find I wasn’t yet acquainted with Crimson Moonlight. Party to the ‘unblack’ metal scene emerging in the latter 90s in Scandinavia, their Swedish roots stretch back to the infertile earth of 1997, associated with the relative popularity of the likes of Extol and Antestor in their unorthodox fusion of black metal with Christianity. The 19 years since their first demo has only seen 2 studio albums and Divine Darkness is their first in 12. This leaves question marks over their contemporary relevance and lack of recent experience with the project: would they be able to harness the anachronistic spirit of their unblackened origins, wherein Christian black metal was almost as sacrilegious as black metal itself?” Can this much metallic irony be good?
“I probably over-utilize the term ‘potential’ when describing new bands, when what I really mean is ‘not good enough yet.’ I’d already resolved to remedy this issue of my own volition and be more accurate when summarizing how I feel about a new artist. Yet, when Lamentations came across my desk with their debut Echoes in the Wind, I couldn’t help but think that these these guys have potential.” Wait, does that mean they’re bad? Or like, good? I’m now pretty confused. I’d better click this here link…
“I would very much have enjoyed to be present in the early planning stages for An Outsider, the sophomore release by Seattle’s Rhine. They were presumably too sincerely engrossed in masturbatory discussions of how their favorite bands have “influenced our sound” and solemn declarations that “I just wanna make good music man, fuck genre-conformism” to notice that the net result is beyond kaleidoscopic.” Mixer metal has arrived!
If you’ve been around since 2014, you may be aware that I’m rather taken with Andy Marshall’s solo project, Saor. As a talented song-writer and multi-instrumentalist, he has capably demonstrated that he knows his way around Gaelic culture and melodic intensity. Fuath—Gaelic for ‘hate’—is more fierce, more ominous, more closely tied with Norwegian black metal than Marshall’s other work, but it retains the profoundly evocative atmosphere for which his work is known. The imaginatively-titled I is his first release under this new moniker and it seems he’s on to another winner.” Come for the Christmas trees, stay for the music.
“Consolidating an existing 2015 EP with new material, Vol. 1 & 2 is the debut full-length from Vancouver’s Seer, drawing on the likes of Kyuss in molding their heavy, riffy stoner doom sound. There’s a charming, rustic aesthetic to the music, and their dedication to simplicity is admirable—but this is far from a perfect record.” Well, El Cuervo certainly can’t be accused of burying the lede…
