Emya

Wÿntër Ärvń – Abysses Review

By Emya on March 2, 2021 in Reviews, Neofolk, 75 comments

“My album review output in 2021 thus far has been barely admissible at best. Wading my way through through a handful of uninteresting and mediocre albums to start the year surely hasn’t helped. So when El Cuervo was looking for a neofolk fan to cover Wÿntër Ärvń’s second album Abysses, I pounced. I now regret ever questioning why I put so much blood, sweat, and tears into writing for this blog. For every 10 lukewarm albums I review, there is one gem that stands out and makes me so giddy with delight that I have the opportunity to share my experience listening to it with the rest of the AMG community. Abysses is one of those gems.” Wÿntër songs.

Everdawn – Cleopatra Review

By Emya on February 11, 2021 in Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 52 comments

“4.0ldeneye gets all the attention around these parts when it comes to the topic of overrating. I try to be more reasonable with the scores I dish out than my fellow Pacific Northwestern coworker, but I admit I feel I have slipped under the radar with the multitude of high scores I have handed out, particularly to bands hovering in the symphonic metal sphere. My point is, I’ve dished out my fair share of very good and above scores, and this review of Everdawn’s Cleopatra is yet another example.” A plague of overrating?

And Now the Owls are Smiling – Dirges Review

By Emya on January 30, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 35 comments

“While padding lightly through the damp forests of local Seattle trails, I’ve encountered foreboding signage cautioning passerby of barred owl swoopings. In broad daylight, owls have been known to swoop down with virtually no sound and claw at the back of people’s heads with their sharp talons, oftentimes drawing blood. Thankfully, I have not yet experienced such a spooky and downright horrifying encounter myself, but I do know of multiple runner friends who have found themselves in one of these harrowing situations. I have little reason to believe And Now the Owls are Smiling’s band name was inspired by the vengeful owls of the Pacific Northwest seeing as the one-man band hails from Norfolk, England.” Hoot force.

Seven Spires – Emerald Seas [Things You Might Have Missed 2020]

By Emya on January 3, 2021 in Things You Might Have Missed 2020, Symphonic Metal, 59 comments

“Let me cut straight to the chase. Emerald Seas is my favorite metal album of 2020.” Nuff said.

Slow Fall – Beneath the Endless Rains Review

By Emya on October 23, 2020 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 58 comments

“Slow Fall are the newest kids on the Finnish melodeath playground. They’d been skirting the chain link fence, peering in since 2016. Now, finally satisfied with their chosen lineup, the band is coming out swinging, seemingly out of nowhere, with their very first full-length album. On their first try, Slow Fall nail an impressive formula for melodeath.” It’s the slow knife that cuts the deepest.

Amiensus – Abreaction Review

By Emya on October 2, 2020 in Reviews, 28 comments

“It beats me how the grief-stricken yet gorgeous and woodsy, black metal of Minnesota’s Amiensus flew under the radar of my hawk-like colleagues here at AMG up until now. After my first few listens of the ten year old band’s newest material, however, I couldn’t help myself from feeling taken aback and even pouting a little. Where are the beautiful, aching cleans and shimmering synths of 2013’s Restoration and 2015’s Ascension, I wondered? Amiensus’s first two albums, arguably more accessible than their latest, were especially formative for me. They pulled me into the metal genre deeper than any other metal albums I had listened to before, more so even than Panopticon’s Autumn Eternal.” Gourd songs.

Memories of Old – The Zeramin Game Review

By Emya on September 20, 2020 in Reviews, 33 comments

“As if the cover of Memories of Old’s debut wasn’t enough of an indicator, this one is for all the fantasy nerds out there. Promo materials for The Zeramin Game identify Memories of Old’s music as symphonic power metal, but if we’re talking specifics, The Zeramin Game is a spirited cross between castle metal and pirate metal. It’s the kind of album I’d expect might be born if Serenity and Alestorm had an inkling for each other — an album concerning equal parts ancient times, legend, and prophecy and equal parts a journey across turbulent seas.” Game-core.

Thurisaz – Re-Incentive Review

By Emya on September 3, 2020 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 24 comments

“Thurisaz is a Belgian band blending together an atmospheric concoction of black, doom, and death metal. Their latest album is heavy on the atmosphere and lighter on the death and doom. Despite being a part of the metal scene for over two decades now, Thurisaz’s sound on Re-Incentive is beautiful and unassuming.” Dark incentives.

Reasons Behind – Project: M.I.S.T. Review

By Emya on August 19, 2020 in Reviews, 25 comments

“Reasons Behind is a four-piece Italian symphonic power metal band trying their hand at synth metal on Project: M.I.S.T., their second full-length album. Given that Reasons Behind’s debut album sits squarely in pure symphonic metal territory, I can imagine the band had fun getting their hands dirty experimenting with synths and chasing after more trance or dubstep inspired sounds for their new release.” M.I.S.T. opportunities.

MIGHT – MIGHT Review

By Emya on July 16, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 8 comments

“I’ve been wondering for the past several months when I might find myself reviewing promo altered or inspired by the global pandemic and quarantine life, and MIGHT just might be the first one in my hands. A mere two days before the planned start of recording of their new album, life as we know it came to a staggering halt. Lockdowns became the norm in Europe, and Ana Muhi (vocals, bass) and Sven Missullis (guitar, vocals, drums) decided to move into their studio and forge ahead with recording on their own terms.” COVID-core.