Saunders

Unleashing Hell from Down Under: Blood, sweat, venom & beers

Electrocution – Psychonolatry Review

By Saunders on February 7, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Goregorecords, Italian Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 24 comments

“Electrocution emerged from a lengthy hibernation to drop their 2014 comeback album Metaphysincarnation, recharging the batteries for contemporary times. The album was a solid update from their early roots, taking a darker, more technical turn while boasting a cleaner modern sound. Despite being impressed by Metaphysincarnation at the time, I admit to rarely revisiting the album during the past five or so years. Yet my curiosity about another Electrocution album spiked when I spotted Psychonolatry in the promo dump. Coming off a monumental year of deathly delights, can the old dogs muster a mean enough bark for their gestating third LP?” Don’t pull the plug.

Fusion Bomb – Concrete Jungle Review

By Saunders on January 25, 2019 in 2019, Iron Shield Records, Luxembourgian Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 52 comments

“Although we all love and respect the genre’s marvelous ’80s heyday and the myriad of timeless albums that particular decade produced, thrash shouldn’t just be some endless fucking nostalgia trip either. Necropanther probably released the best thrashy album I heard last year, but it doesn’t exactly qualify as straight-up thrash either. Meanwhile the future of the mighty Vektor remains clouded in uncertainty. But I’m determined to forage around the promo portal throughout the year and hopefully stumble across a thrash album deserving of high praise. Perhaps a new shining light to guide us to a pot of gold at the end of the thrash rainbow.” Light the fusion.

Into the Obscure: Rune – The End of Nothing

By Saunders on January 19, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Blog Posts, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Grind, Into the Obscure, Post-metal, Willowtip, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge, 72 comments

“We all have our dirty metal secrets that we selfishly keep to ourselves, only sharing with a select few close to us. Or alternatively, we incessantly talk up underground gems and spread the gospel to anyone that will listen, as we cherish our slice of underground cred. Into the Obscure aims to right the wrongs and unearth the artists/albums that for whatever unjust reason didn’t get the exposure or credit they sorely deserved the first time round.” Everything’s Rune(ed).

Contrite Metal Guy – Mistakes Were Made

By Saunders on January 17, 2019 in 2019, Blog Posts, Contrite Metal Guy, 100 comments

“The life of the unpaid, overworked metal reviewer is not an easy one. Cascading promos, unreasonable deadlines, draconian editors and the unwashed metal mobs – it makes for a swirling maelstrom of music and madness. In all that tumult, errors are bound to happen and sometimes our initial impression of an album may not be completely accurate. With time and distance comes wisdom, and so we’ve decided to pull back the confessional curtain and reveal our biggest blunders, missteps, oversights and ratings face-plants. Consider this our sincere AMGea culpa. Redemption is retroactive, forgiveness is mandatory.” Bygones begone.

Yer Metal Is Olde: Nasum – Inhale/Exhale

By Saunders on January 6, 2019 in 2018, Crust Punk, Grind, Relapse, Swedish Metal, Yer Metal Is Olde, Crust Punk, Grind, 35 comments

“Nasum’s influence on modern grindcore and the entire history of the genre can not be overstated. Across a relatively short recording career, featuring four full length albums, the Swedish legends created an intimidating, high quality body of work that helped propel grindcore into the modern era. Along with other modern innovators like Pig Destroyer, Nasum played a crucial role in raising the genre’s underground profile, without losing an ounce of the white knuckle intensity and raw aggression typical of grind.” It’s all in the grind.

Yer Metal is Olde: Opeth – My Arms, Your Hearse

By Saunders on December 4, 2018 in Candlelight Records, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Swedish Metal, Yer Metal Is Olde, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Death, 141 comments

“There’s raging debate about which Opeth album sits on the pedestal as their greatest achievement. I’m not here to proclaim My Arms, Your Hearse as their best album, but it holds a special place in my heart and is a fundamental stepping stone towards the band’s momentous career peak. Fittingly it was the first Opeth album I heard around the turn of the millennium, setting me on course for a hell of a ride across the band’s decorated career.” Once were metal.

Obliteration – Cenotaph Obscure Review

By Saunders on December 3, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 47 comments

“Obliteration hail from Norway and boast an esteemed pedigree, garnering loads of underground cred and respect. Unfortunately I hadn’t heard of the band until recently and still have much catching up to do. But after listening to 2013’s Black Death Horizon I was impressed with their style. And with a name like Obliteration I expect some goddamn punishing, murky, blood and pus filled death. And in this regard, Obliteration certainly don’t disappoint.” Blood and pus for all.

Wolf King – Loyal to the Soil [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Saunders on December 1, 2018 in American Metal, Black Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Prosthetic Records, Sludge, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Black Metal, Hardcore, Sludge, 20 comments

“Wolf King’s impressive debut LP Loyal to the Soil dropped back in April and marked the young Californian band as an act to watch. Vitriolic blackened hardcore sits at the core of Wolf King’s sound, with sludgy beat-downs and whiffs of grind fleshing out their confident and aggressive formula. Although by no means a pair of peas in a pod, there’re certainly some aesthetic and tonal similarities with Germany’s Mantar, with Wolf King arguably having the upper hand when comparing their 2018 releases.” Wolf King can do anything.

Yer Metal Is Olde: Metallica – …And Justice for All

By Saunders on November 26, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Elektra Records, Thrash Metal, Yer Metal Is Olde, Thrash Metal, 133 comments

“While other bands and individuals in my life played critical roles in sculpting me into a proud metalhead, Metallica’s famed and nearly flawless ’80s canon will always hold a place in my heart. I fondly remember family car trips listening to Metallica cassettes on an old Walkman while reading along to the lyric sheets. …And Justice for All isn’t my favorite Metallica album, although it certainly was during various stages of my childhood, but it’s something of a sentimental favorite and an album I still cherish to this day.” Olde justice.

Revolutio – Vagrant Review

By Saunders on November 8, 2018 in 2018, Alt-Metal, Inverse Records, Italian Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Alt-Metal, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, 22 comments

“When I look back, there’s been a notable lack of quality thrash, aside from the weirdo avant thrash of Voivod’s latest. Maybe my ears have been directed in the wrong places, but the genre in which I cut my teeth on many years ago continues to largely disappoint. So with a flicker of fleeting optimism I jumped on the chance to check out unheralded Italian thrashers Revolutio on their debut platter, Vagrant. But how does it fare? And should you give a shit?” Revolto, resisto.