Eldritch Elitist

Hand of Kalliach – Corryvreckan Review

Hand of Kalliach – Corryvreckan Review

“A Scottish husband and wife duo, Hand of Kalliach is self-described as melodic death metal that is interwoven with Celtic and Gaelic folk music and has been making wholly distinct music defying implied genre confines since 2020. Their yet-brief existence has already spawned an independent EP and LP, and now a sophomore full-length under the Prosthetic Records banner. Swift underground successes and unique sonic signifiers are all well and good, but when it comes to Corryvreckan, does innovation translate to a worthwhile listen?” Marriage Metal!

Far Beyond – The End of My Road Review

Far Beyond – The End of My Road Review

“In 2016, Far Beyond’s A Frozen Flame of Ice felt like a big deal. The sophomore outing of one Eugen Dodenhoeft saw his budding solo project, having originated as rough-hewn symphonic black metal, blossom into massively ambitious melodeath with a pioneering work of post-debut Wintersun knock-offery. It’s a somewhat clunky effort, but a lively and lovable one, and one whose charms have prompted several return visits over the last decade. While impressive and novel for its time, many a band has since come knocking at the sauna door.” Road closure.

Solbrud – IIII Review

Solbrud – IIII Review

IIII, the aptly titled fourth album from Denmark’s Solbrud, comprises ninety-four minutes of atmospheric black metal and HOLY SHIT WHERE ARE YOU GOING HOW ARE YOU RUNNING THAT FAST?? Well, anyway. For the die-hards who didn’t immediately flee at the concept of a double LP of atmoblack, I can guarantee a valid reason for why I’m endeavoring to cover this thing at all. I’ve made it no secret that this meandering, often forceless subgenre has not so much a home in my heart as a lean-to fashioned from three sticks and a handful of dental floss.” Three times the atmoblast.

Mega Colossus – Showdown Review

Mega Colossus – Showdown Review

Mega Colossus has more fun than your favorite band. Not that it’s much of a contest given the typically joyless answers most metal fans give in response to the “favorite band” question in the name of cred preservation, but it’s true all the same. Nevermind that these North Carolina dudes can’t help but give the widest of grins in their promo shots; though ostensibly traditional metal, undiluted joy permeates their music on a level most power metal bands could not fathom. Unbridled exuberance seeps from every riff, lick, lyric, and vocal hook.” Mega fun, mega metal.

Manticora – Mycelium Review

Manticora – Mycelium Review

“AMG’s Law of Diminishing Records is a generally reliable metric that a handful of bands continuously defy, and Denmark’s prog-power mainstays Manticora is one of them. It’s easy to see why; looking retrospectively at their nine prior albums, there is no entry where the band could be accused of failing to innovate or experiment in some respect, a decades-long discographic evolution culminating in the towering To Kill / To Live duology. I maintain that the second act of that duology is their best effort to date, and I lowered my expectations for Mycelium accordingly.” Evolutionary side quests.

Sea of Consciousness – Sea of Consciousness Review

Sea of Consciousness – Sea of Consciousness Review

“Credit where credit is due: Sea of Consciousness might be the first band outside of Napalm Records-core to don color-coordinated robes, and I think that’s just kinda neat. It’s further refreshing to see this band releasing their unsigned debut in January, rather than in the slaughterhouse of the autumn pre-awards season. I’d like to think Sea of Consciousness realizes that an early-year release gives them a larger platform by default.” Into the depths of metaldom.

Neverus – Burdens of the Earth Review

Neverus – Burdens of the Earth Review

“To any germinating young metal bands reading this, please heed my advice: Don’t attempt what Neverus has done here with your first record. Without so much as a public demo under their belt, this young Dutch act simultaneously revealed themselves and began releasing singles in 2022, culminating in this debut LP, Burdens of the Earth. But it’s not just that Neverus started releasing music with no pent-up hype or a label to back them; it’s that they did so while swinging for the damn fences, sprinting before anyone knew they could even crawl.” The burden of potential.

Kamelot – The Awakening Review

Kamelot – The Awakening Review

“I don’t really feel nostalgia for Kamelot. I tried getting into them when they released The Black Halo in 2005, which, though widely regarded as their best work, bounced off my DragonForce-pilled adolescent mind. To me, Kamelot was slow and boring, a brand of power metal that sacrificed the genre’s trademark excess in a bid to win over music intellectuals, socialites, and critics. Older and much wiser was I when the excellent Silverthorn dropped in 2012, which rekindled my interest in Kamelot as I devoured their back catalog. And then came the slow decline.” Of empires forlorn.

Frozen Crown – Call of the North Review

Frozen Crown – Call of the North Review

“In the early days of Frozen Crown, I was unsure exactly what they wanted to be. Hell, I’m not sure they knew the answer themselves. I described their formula as “awkward” in my review of The Fallen King back in 2018, and as much as I love that debut, its mashing together of Sonata Arctica, Wintersun, and Nightwish feels as charmingly disjointed today as it did five years ago.” The Crown and the bling.

Transgressive – Extreme Transgression Review

Transgressive – Extreme Transgression Review

Transgressive strikes me as a novel melding of post-Endorama Kreator and Judicator (tragically disbanded in 2020; R.I.P.). The latter influence comes as no surprise, as both guitarist/vocalist Alicia Cordisco and guitarist Joshua Payne are Judicator alums. Cordisco has an extremely distinct style of writing lead guitar melodies, which translate over to Transgressive in a work of black magic.” Raging transgression.