Eldritch Elitist

Locust Leaves – A Subtler Kind of Light Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 24, 2017 in 2017, Greek Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 44 comments

“Even the most stigmatized genres within the metal canon were born out of an earnest desire to innovate, and as such I’m willing to give any style — or in this case, a combination of styles — a fair shake. Enter Greece’s Locust Leaves, a band I was rather eager to cover due to their proclaimed fusion of prog, black, thrash, and doom metal. Locust Leaves does indeed cover all of these styles (and more!) in the span of just thirty-six minutes on their long-gestating debut A Subtler Kind of Light.” Many Greek chefs, small kitchen…FIGHT!

Cellador – Off the Grid Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 7, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Power Metal, 72 comments

“In January of 2007, I received one of the best packages of my teenage years, purchased with a Best Buy gift card I received for Christmas. The box contained two CDs: The Best of Led Zeppelin, and Cellador’s Enter Deception. While the former helped kickstart my affinity for classic rock, the latter, an uncharacteristically high quality American power metal record that did Euro-power better than most Euro-power bands, cemented my newfound love for the genre.” Best Buy always knows.

Light of the Morning Star – Nocta Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 2, 2017 in 2017, British Metal, Gothic Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 27 comments

“I’ve always found gothic metal to be, much like viking or pagan metal, a phrase that is more evocative of a specific feel rather than a genre with finite boundaries. It’s one of those styles that manages to fit a deceptively diverse array of bands under its umbrella; Type O Negative, Moonspell, and The Vision Bleak differ greatly from a purely mechanical standpoint, yet the thick, gloomy atmosphere is ever present.” Ready for a graveyard romance?

Manetheren – The End Review

By Eldritch Elitist on February 26, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Avantgarde Music, Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 21 comments

“One of my favorite subjects in any form of media is the end of the world. There is an indescribable (and perhaps sadistic) pleasure I gain from witnessing people grapple with the prospect of the complete obliteration of their species and its history; the more micro the focus, the better. Zooming in on a select few and examining how they choose to spend their final, consequence-free hours feels like the purest hypothetical exploration of the human psyche.” I’d rebroadcast NFL games without express written consent.

Henry Kane – Den Förstörda Människans Rike Review

By Eldritch Elitist on February 17, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 23 comments

“There are a handful of obscure record labels that I’ve learned to pay attention to when their output finds its way into our promo bay; the aptly named Transcending Obscurity is one of them. In recent months they’ve distributed some seriously weird novelty projects that, though not always great, typically provide something fresh that stands out in the crowded sphere of extreme metal. Thus, when I saw they had delivered us a Swedish death metal album, I was immediately intrigued.” You deserve a Kaning.

Hymn – Perish Review

By Eldritch Elitist on February 6, 2017 in 2017, Doom Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Doom Metal, 27 comments

“As a music critic I am strictly prohibited from judging albums by their covers, yet it’s a behind-the-scenes hobby of mine to analyze album art as a thematic companion to the sounds that lie within. A successful album cover shouldn’t just serve as a pretty face; from art style to color palette, it should be a reflection of the band’s ideas and personality, something that sticks in one’s subconscious as a valuable piece of the overall experience. Norwegian doom duo Hymn opt for an exterior aesthetic that’s more in line with black metal than doom on their debut record Perish, exhibiting a stark, monochromatic mountain ridge.” Feel the mountain.

Thormesis – Trümmerfarben Review

By Eldritch Elitist on February 1, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, German Metal, MDD Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 14 comments

“Listening to Trümmerfarben, the fifth album of Germany’s pagan black metal vets Thormesis, is like going to dinner with a promising blind date seated across from an incredibly obnoxious couple. Your date is attractive on a surface level and, after a few minutes of conversation, you discover that they possess a unique personality and an emotional depth that’s not overbearing. Yet, just as you’re starting to form a connection, that damned couple across from you begins an argument, raising their voices to a deafening roar that drowns out your dialogue.” Sound of a romance fading.

Lorn – Arrayed Claws Review

By Eldritch Elitist on January 26, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Italian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 112 comments

“Recall, if you can, your first exposure to black metal. If you’re a grizzled follower of the genre, its sinister novelties have become an aspect of your daily listenings that ceased to faze you long ago. I imagine, however, that you reacted to your first encounter with the style much in the same way your parents would; a knee-jerk response of “what the fuck am I listening to?” that shocked you in a way music never had before. My initial listen of Italian duo Lorn’s Arrayed Claws instantly recalled my reaction to the loss of my black metal virginity.” You never forget your first.

The Great Old Ones – EOD: A Tale of Dark Legacy Review

By Eldritch Elitist on January 21, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, 90 comments

“Lovecraftian atmosphere in music is a tricky thing to nail down. The number of metal bands attempting to emulate H.P. Lovecraft’s pioneering brand of cosmic horror in aural form seems to increase exponentially from year to year, and while many of them come close, most fall short. I believe this is because people underestimate how many elements Lovecraft pulled together to craft his fiction.” Feel the tentacle!

Thron – Thron Review

By Eldritch Elitist on January 15, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Clavis Secretorvm, German Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 27 comments

“Relentlessly picking on black metal bands whose members opt for anonymity is a favorite pastime of ours here at Angry Metal Guy, but it kinda sorta makes sense when you look at the practice from the band’s perspective. When trying to break into the scene, withholding one’s identity means that critics have only the music to go on, and if the musicians happen to suck, it eliminates any possibility of cred shredding in the eyes of the masses.” Secret identities are metal.