Eldritch Elitist

Tales of Gaia – Hypernova Review

Tales of Gaia – Hypernova Review

By Eldritch Elitist on September 7, 2017 in 2017, Fighter Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Power Metal, 102 comments

This album absolutely fucking broke me. You see, the AMG style guide requires blog contributors to make careful scoring decisions based on how good or bad an album is. In terms of quality, Tales of Gaia’s debut Hypernova, in direct defiance of this foolproof system, is absolutely paradoxical. It is both one of the best and worst power metal albums I have ever heard, an amazing contradiction of a record that lacks so much as a hint of self awareness while also never taking itself seriously.” Power without responsibility.

Botanist – Collective: The Shape of He to Come Review

Botanist – Collective: The Shape of He to Come Review

By Eldritch Elitist on September 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Avantgarde Music, Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 33 comments

“While some avant-garde bands attempt to breach genre boundaries by removing as many traditional melodies and discernible rhythm patterns as possible while still qualifying as music, these Californians take an experimental approach by simply modifying the tools of the trade. By swapping six-string guitars for the obscure yet beautiful hammered dulcimer, they practice modern black metal on a structural level with a completely unique sound capable of moments more beautiful and more terrifying than one is likely to find anywhere else in the genre. Collective: The Shape of He to Come, their seventh LP in as many years, is an attempt to further not only the boundaries of the scene but also their own aesthetic.” Bring down the hammer!

Der Weg einer Freiheit – Finisterre Review

Der Weg einer Freiheit – Finisterre Review

By Eldritch Elitist on September 1, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, 39 comments

“Their sound is an excellent encapsulation of the dynamic nature of modern black metal, splicing post-black sensibilities with melodic bombastic and explosive drum performances. Due to the misguided hype, their fourth LP, Finisterre, was inescapably disappointing for my first few spins; much of what I love about Der Weg einer Freiheit’s prior album’s just isn’t here. With time, though, Finisterre blossomed into what I now regard as a complicated work of heartbreaking beauty, becoming the most impressive ‘grower’ of the year in the process.” Finisterre. Oh, Finisterre baby….

Crafteon – Cosmic Reawakening Review

Crafteon – Cosmic Reawakening Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 23, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Melodic Black Metal, 54 comments

“Cthulhu rises from the depths. Seawater cascades in waterfalls down its body; its colossal form dwarfs a nearby castle, a monument to mankind’s delusions of superiority as if it were some child’s plaything. The logo in the top left reads “Crafteon,” a nod to Lovecraftian[1. Get it? Huh? Do ya?] fiction, complete with dangling tentacles. Sure, this album’s exterior presentation pretty much screams “Eldritch bait,” but you know what? This is my 50th review for AMG, and I feel like indulging my base impulses in celebration.” Celebrate with Cthulhu!

Eagleheart – Reverse Review

Eagleheart – Reverse Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 18, 2017 in 2017, Czech Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Power Metal, 54 comments

“As this particular combination of band name and album art has probably deterred the chunk of our visitors who are power metal-phobic, these next words will likely fall on the ears of those who want to hear them least: most power metal is bad. My love affair with the genre will never completely fizzle, but with so many start-ups crutching on knock-off Helloween choruses executed through dreadful vocal performances and robotic rhythm sections, picking out the diamonds in the rough is often a fruitless task.” When the eagle doesn’t cry.

NYN – Entropy: Of Chaos and Salt Review

NYN – Entropy: Of Chaos and Salt Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 14, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Vmbrella, Technical Death Metal, 35 comments

“Okay, look. Look. I get that I’m not “The Tech Death Guy” around these parts, but I have valid opinions about the genre, too, I swear! In my high school days, whenever I wasn’t practicing Helloween riffs, I was trying (in vain) to replicate Gorod licks. And records like the latter band’s Process of a New Decline and Spawn of Possession’s Noctambulant were some of the most–spun records of my teenage years. Though I no longer ingest the stuff at a ravenous rate (my doctors told me all those noodles were bad for my health), the genre still holds my interest, with bands like Polyptych giving me hope that there’s life for the scene outside of countless Necrophagist clones.” Noodles through the ages.

Lör – In Forgotten Sleep Review

Lör – In Forgotten Sleep Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 9, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Folk Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 104 comments

“Maybe it was the strange appearance of an unsigned progressive power metal band from Philadelphia of all places (or maybe it was Lör’s use of the most sacred of all metal naming conventions, the umlaut) that drew me to it, but I instantly reserved In Forgotten Sleep when it popped up in our promo queue. A totally unjustifiable anticipation grew in the back of my mind in the weeks leading up to my acquisition of the album.” Hope in the promo sump.

Seven Spires – Solveig Review

Seven Spires – Solveig Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 26 comments

“Enter Seven Spires, a Boston-based act I blindly picked as a personal punching bag after going soft from weeks of reviewing great material. Featuring Adrienne Cowan of Light and Shade (a band we largely panned last year), their debut Solveig, armed with the most excruciatingly mediocre cover art of the year, is doomed to fail… right?” Books, covers, judgments, etc.