Holdeneye

When you wield the 4hammer, every album looks like a nail.
Necrophobic – In the Twilight Grey Review

Necrophobic – In the Twilight Grey Review

“When I covered Necrophobic’s 2020 release, Dawn of the Damned, I spoke at length about what this band means to me as a reviewer and fan of heavy metal music. These guys singlehandedly got me into black metal, and when I hear other bands playing a similarly melodic, death metal-infused version of the genre, I can’t help but hold them up next to these guys, my personal archetype of what this style is supposed to sound like.” Necro-mongering.

Firewind – Stand United Review

Firewind – Stand United Review

“When I pulled reviewing duty for Firewind’s self-titled release way back during the bizarre spring of 2020, I wasn’t prepared for how hard the record was going to hit me. Aside from the band’s debut and a handful of tracks throughout Firewind’s discography, I’d never really been grabbed by their sound, so when Firewind arrived on-scene with the gnarly vocals of front man Herbie Langhans alongside some of Gus G’s tightest songwriting ever, it managed to land a sucker punch right in my sweet spot.” Hot winds blow warmly.

Vitriol – Suffer & Become Review

Vitriol – Suffer & Become Review

“When our resident death metal professor, Ferrous Beuller, covered To Bathe from the Throat of Cowardice, the debut full-length from Portland’s Vitriol, he was struck by the sheer heaviness that dominated the record. And while he noted the enormous potential displayed by the band, he bemoaned the lack of balancing contrast, a lack that prevented the monstrous material from making the intended impact.” Impact is imminent.

Abhoria – Depths Review

Abhoria – Depths Review

“In case you haven’t figured it out by now, music critics are generally complete morons. We listen to music, feel some feelings, think some thoughts, and then write some words, all the while thinking that our opinions might actually matter to anyone besides ourselves. In fact, we often times don’t even agree with our own opinions when given enough time and distance from when and where we originally formed them. Case in point: my review of Abhoria’s self-titled debut record, in which I nitpicked that the almost uniformly aggressive nature of the songs made the tracks blend together a bit” Reviews are for suckers.

Legendry – Time Immortal Wept [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Legendry – Time Immortal Wept [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

“I had every opportunity to grab the promo for Time Immortal Wept, the fourth full-length release from Pittsburgh’s Legendry. Unfortunately, I was slated to cover two other albums for that release week, neither of which I actually completed. But for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been spinning this delicious morsel of Manilla Road-meets-prog/psych-rock, and it has been worming its way into my mind relentlessly.” Frosty the Swordman.

Owlbear – Chaos to the Realm [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Owlbear – Chaos to the Realm [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Eldritch Elitist first brought Owlbear to my attention by mentioning the band in the AMG back channels, and it was a tip that I forgot almost immediately. Fortunately, I rediscovered the band independently after being drawn by the name and the album artwork. When I started the album, my heart was immediately set ablaze by “Fiend of Fire,” Chaos to the Realm’s fantastic opener and one of the finest trad-metal tracks you’ll hear all year.” Whose sword is this anyway?

Gatekeeper – From Western Shores [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

Gatekeeper – From Western Shores [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

“It is with great shame that I come before you today to admit that I initially missed Gatekeeper’s second full-length album From Western Shores when it released back in March. As Vice Premier of All Things Olde here at AMG, it is my responsibility to cover anthing traditional that happens to sneak through the Steel Filter™, and in 2023, I have failed mightily in this duty.” Dishonor and redemption at the Gates.

Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul Review

Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul Review

“Back in 2020, I heaped an enormous amount of praise upon Effigy of Nightmares, the third full-length album from Ohio’s Valdrin, and while that record constitutes the exceedingly rare occurrence where time tempers my initial enthusiasm (I’d probably bring it down to a 4.0 at this point), I still hold it in high regard. I was caught up not only by Valdrin’s melodic black metal songwriting ability but also by the band’s incredible brand of storytelling.” Lords of stories.