Grymm

The beard knows who is trve.

Darkher – The Buried Storm Review

By Grymm on April 11, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 56 comments

“I still remember the initial impact Realms, the 2016 full-length debut from singer/songwriter Jayn Maiven, aka Darkher, left when it was first released. Her stripped-back instrumentation, multi-layered vocals, and hefty command of atmosphere reshaped what doom metal could be if a little bit of creativity were applied, and in doing so, set one hell of a bar for similar acts to try to surpass. Thanks to numerous delays, word on a follow-up was sparse, and it looked like anything that would follow such a tremendous album would be a letdown.” Dark expectations.

Et Moriemur – Tamashii No Yama Review

By Grymm on April 5, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 13 comments

“There’s an underlying majesty and mysticism emanating from the Land of the Rising Sun that causes many to flock to its call (like yours truly). Czech doom/death metal Et Moriemur also find inspiration to Japan’s alluring siren song, and on their fourth album, Tamashii No Yama (or “Mountain of Soul”), the band drew upon the country’s rich instrumentation, land, and mysticism to craft an album honoring its history and aura.” Honor or horror?

Morrow – The Quiet Earth Review

By Grymm on March 31, 2022 in Reviews, Crust Punk, 22 comments

“When you mention epic storytelling, your brain will zero in on the usual suspects: novels (The Lord of the Rings), movies (Star Wars), and video games (Mass Effect). Music normally doesn’t spring to mind unless you’re aware of the work of Alex CF. The former Fall of Efrafa vocalist crafted an epic tale of post-apocalyptic tribalism that has spanned not only eight releases so far, but across three separate bands: the sludgy futuristic Archivist, the overdriven doom of Anopheli, and today’s band, the downtrodden-yet-defiantly hopeful Morrow.” Unquiet epics.

Crowbar – Zero and Below Review

By Grymm on March 4, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Sludge, 27 comments

“For over 30 years, Louisiana’s own Crowbar have been an institution, with guitarist/vocalist/main man Kirk Windstein helping redefine how downtrodden doom can be, and creating a pathway for future sludge worshippers to follow in his sizeable footsteps. During those years and eleven albums, Windstein and his crew of (forlorn) merry men provided a wealth of classics, with the likes of “All I Had (I Gave),” “Time Heals Nothing,” and “Planets Collide” (among a slew of others) laying the groundwork for many purges and cathartic sludgery. That said, with the exception of an occasional curveball, you pretty much know what to expect from Crowbar at this point.” Welcome to the Iron Bar.

Sylvaine – Nova Review

By Grymm on March 1, 2022 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, 96 comments

“I’ve become a jaded man-cat over the last few years or so. I can blame Covid, or humanity’s lack of… well, humanity towards one another, or a myriad of other reasons. The fact of the matter is whenever I turn on the news or see yet another impossibly bad hot-take on Twitter, the anger that begins to well up inside me can power my home city for months. So, what’s a grouchy man-cat to do? Listen to Nova, the fourth full-length by Norwegian/French multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Kathrine Shepard, aka Sylvaine, that’s what. Having reviewed not one, but two, albums of hers, I knew what to expect. Or so I thought.” Prime Nova.

Deathbell – A Nocturnal Crossing Review

By Grymm on February 25, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 20 comments

“I’m not going to lie here; when I first saw A Nocturnal Crossing, the second album by French doommakers Deathbell, listed in our promo pick-up software, my brain autocorrected the title into Animal Crossing. From that moment, I wondered to myself what it would be like to have a concept doom album where our hapless main (unnamed) character would strike a deal with The Devil, selling his soul for bells while interacting with damned-but-adorable lost animal souls while trying to cross the River Styx on a dragon boat powered by Blathers the Owl.” Hell bells.

An Isolated Mind – A Place We Cannot Go Review and Album Premiere

By Grymm on February 15, 2022 in Reviews, Not Metal, Progressive Rock, 35 comments

“I’ll admit right now that after almost nine years of listening to hundreds of promos for review, there’s a ton of music that may have left an impression during that time, but honestly doesn’t stay with me once the review is submitted. Call it lack of staying power or my own need to move on to the next promo for review, but with a few notable exceptions, many albums that I’ve fallen for on first listen end up drifting to the wayside, destined to be forgotten. An Isolated Mind’s 2019 debut full-length, I’m Losing Myself, was certainly not one of those albums. An unflinching look at mental illness, I’m Losing Myself tackled a difficult subject with care and grace, and landed my top spot of 2019 in doing so.” Isolated but not lost.

Grymm Comments: On Coming Out and Acceptance in the Metalverse… Again.

By Grymm on December 14, 2021 in Blog Posts, 205 comments

“Back in 2014, I wrote a piece on what it was like to be a gay metalhead, trying to find acceptance not only from the metal community when they find out about my orientation, but also from the gay community when one of “their own” doesn’t exactly march to the same drum that they do. The amount of people who weighed in on it, giving support while thanking me off-site for writing it was staggering, and to this day I’m amazed at how many people it touched when I wrote it. And in those last seven years, the scene shifted dramatically.” Updates.

Funeral – Praesentialis in Aeternum Review

By Grymm on December 7, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 37 comments

“December is the month where my favorite beers and coffee beverages make their welcome reappearance, and all is right with the world once more. Also making their welcome reappearance? Long-dormant Norwegian doom legends, Funeral. When we last heard from them, it was 2012’s Oratorium, but with a new label and members, how does Praesentialis in Aeternum stack up against their legendary classics?” Funeral for Christmas.

Churchburn – Genocidal Rite Review

By Grymm on November 5, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 29 comments

“So many outside motivators have this way of impacting everything you do in life. You set a plan down, put it into motion, get all your t’s crossed, your i’s dotted, and you always remember to carry the one over to the next column on the left whenever you’re adding…and then, you’re blindsided by a person, situation, or some other thing that topples your best-laid intentions like a house of cards. For Churchburn’s Dave Suzuki, it was the loss of a family member last year.” Time burns us all.