“Moon Unit traffic in a tongue-in-cheek brand of progressive metal that’s heavily influenced by groups like Faith No More, with a dose of Spock’s Beard and an undercurrent of Saturday Morning Apocalypse’s wackiness. On paper, at least to this humble reviewer, that sounds like quite the conglomeration; one with the potential to produce a fun, over-the-top but ultimately rewarding prog metal album.” Lifestyle choices.
“Way back in the golden, halcyon days of 2019, Wormwitch’s The Heaven That Dwells Within, with its wonderful mix of melody and brutality, became a consistent go-to album for a much younger, much less masked Felagund. Just two hellish years later, this Canadian quartet is back with Wolf Hex, their third full-length and another slab of melodic black metal. But does their latest measure up to my unfair expectations?” Of worm and wolf.
“For a relatively young genre, metal has found its fair share of adherents who quickly discovered their musical niche and haven’t budged from that sound. While this applies to both listeners (I’ll proudly wave the tattered OSDM banner until the day I die) and practitioners, it’s most noticeable with new and emerging bands not only harken back to a particular sound, but actively refuse to grow beyond it. Much like the Vogons in the immortal tome A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, these bands refuse to evolve. This may merely be my own bias showing, but this phenomenon seems to be most pronounced amongst the black metal set. Ever committed to all things trv, it would appear these corpse painted cretins believe that metal peaked somewhere around 1993. So when I picked up Viserion’s debut Natural Selection, I was understandably apprehensive.” Status woe.
“It’s not controversial to say I miss shows. And while it seems there was a brief window where venues were opening back up, it looks like the next opportunity to catch an honest-to-god show won’t be until 2036, when each ticket comes with a complimentary hazmat suit. One thing that has increased my yearning for concerts over the past year and a half isn’t just the pandemic-induced down-tuned drought; it’s also reviewing bands that I know would be an absolute blast to catch live. Even if the score wasn’t particularly high, I can concede just how fun it would be to see that same band tear things up in person. Such is the case with Nothing is Good, the first album from Denmark-based metallic hardcore heathens Rot Away.” Aggressively rotting in a sick world.
“Occult rock has undergone something of a renaissance. Over the past few years, it would seem that a crop of Blue Öyster Cult devotees have taken a collective step outside of their salt circle and onto the lighted stage. Whether it’s the pop metal Satanism of Ghost, or the 70s-tinged stylings of groups like Lucifer, Blood Ceremony and Witch Mountain, occult rock with just the right amount of metallic edge has taken a very specific subset of the world by storm. So where does New York’s Mama Doom fit into the pentagramed paradigm?” I dismember mama.
“I’ve never made it a secret that I’m a die-hard Tolkien fan. If there were any doubts about that, you need look no further than my moniker and my avatar, both of which pay homage to Finrod Felegund, the elf king of Nargothrond (easy, ladies). While I like to think of myself as simply wise in the lore of the Elder Days, fellow AMG reviewer and good friend Doc Grier tends to prefer terms like “nerd” and “worthless” and “please stop.” It’s no surprise, then, that the first full-length release from Olórin (taken from the wizard Gandalf’s original Maia name) would set my Hobbit-loving heart all aflutter.” Orc vs. dork.
“What more can be said about the indefatigable Rogga Johansson that hasn’t already been said by my esteemed colleagues overlords here at AMG? From his “main” band Paganizer to his self-titled work, from the duo Johansson & Speckmann to the war-themed Just Before Dawn, we’ve reviewed our fair share of this prolific Swedish death metaler’s output. And that only scratches the surface. As we’ve previously pointed out, the man has over a hundred credits to his name, with no hint of slowing down, taking a break or staying hydrated. With that in mind, today we’re taking a look at yet another Johansson side quest: Swedish Death Metal band Eye of Purgatory and their second album The Lighthouse.” Rogga! Rogga! Rogga!
“I’ve always appreciated metal bands willing to include a hefty dose of comedy in their work. In a genre known for taking itself too seriously at times, wedding irreverence with heaviness can be an artistic gamble, and I appreciate that commitment. Melted Bodies’ Enjoy Yourself was a favorite of 2020, Slugdge’s amazingly ridiculous Slug God mythos has had me sold ever since The Cosmic Cornucopia, and who can forget modern thrash’s obsession with hard-partying zombies? The fact that such bands employ comedic imagery, satirical lyrics or non-traditional instrumentation while addressing real issues (whether personal or public) make their output all the more impressive. It’s why I was quick to jump at the chance to review Kissing Strangers During an Outbreak, the latest from Sectlinefor, a deranged duo who perform, in their own words, “freshly squeezed cinematic rock music you didn’t order, sir.”” Plague tongue.
“During my latest sojourn through the tepid waters we writers wade through to scoop up our latest promo, I encountered Stormbringer, the latest from French black metal outfit Conquerors. Confronted with Witch King-esque cover art, a Slayer-inspired logo and the knowledge that this was the band’s third full-length album, I was more than willing to give these Fenriz lookalikes a chance. Curse you, expectations.” No storm, no conquest.
“Thrash was my first true introduction to all things metal. Like many of the morally derelict denizens who write for this site or haunt the comment section, I dipped my toe in the swamp with Sabbath, but it wasn’t until I took a deep dive into the likes of Testament, Kreator, Slayer and Anthrax that I knew I was more than willing to drown in this sea of riffs n’ roars. Though now I now prefer my metal far more fetid, thrash still holds a special place in my heart. This led me to pluck the latest from blackened thrash outfit Siniestro from the oft-mentioned but rarely-survived primordial promo sump.” Cloudy with a chance of thrash attack.
