Mystikus Hugebeard

Adon – Adon Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on April 22, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 34 comments

“When I happened across one of the singles for Adon, I recall thinking it sounded, quote, “impossibly good.” Adon formed in 2019 and has thus far released one EP, Arkane, in 2020. They currently maintain a humble online presence; unsurprising for a relatively new band, but from what I’d heard I couldn’t help but believe they deserved better. When I got the chance to review their self-titled debut I felt excited at the prospect of potentially helping their following grow… but that depends on the music, doesn’t it?” Expectations, reality, Adon.

Keygen Church – Nel Nome Del Codice Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on March 29, 2024 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Synthwave, 48 comments

“”In the name of the Code, and of the Sacred Disk, and the Holy System. Our Core, which art in Data, Hallowed be Thy Code.” These words adorn the lavish brochure you were handed as you stepped into the Keygen Church. There, behind the altar, stands the robopastor/technosorcerer Victor Love. You recognize him; our IT prophet Sentynel has lauded Love’s work in Master Boot Record twice, but now the doors to Love’s liturgical side project Keygen Church have swung open.” Room and motherboard.

Messiah – Christus Hypercubus Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on February 27, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 30 comments

“Formed in 1984, their first two albums—1985’s Hymn to Abramelin and 1986’s Extreme Cold Weather—have been cited as classics of the proto-death/thrash era, before they split up in 1995. Messiah then stepped through time to their reformation in 2018 into a far more convoluted world of metal, thanks to the ever-increasing emphasis on sub-genres, trends, and streaming. Messiah’s response was to ignore all that hubbub, holding fast to their aggression of yore as they released the well-received comeback album Fracmont in 2020. 2022 unfortunately saw the untimely passing of Messiah’s original vocalist Andy Kaina, but an undeterred Messiah pressed on and are now set to dish out another beating in the form of Christus Hypercubus.” New age Messiah.

Ember Belladonna – The Grove Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on February 18, 2024 in Reviews, Folk Metal, 56 comments

“I was a clarinet player as a child, but I tried my absolute darndest to learn the flute for a time (5 minutes). I found the mouthpiece simply impossible to figure out, and I could only produce the sounds of pathetic, tinny flatulence. Moved on though I have, I’ve always loved the music of professional flute players. Thus was my interest piqued by Ember Belladonna, the moniker of one Emma Kramer-Rodger, a classically trained flutist from Saskatchewan, Canada.” Blowing in the wind.

Wandering Oak – Resilience Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on February 5, 2024 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Progressive Metal, 34 comments

“Come, weary wanderer, join us around the fire here in the Folk Metal Corner of AMG. Look upon Resilience by Wandering Oak; does it not look at home here? Such indicators as the band’s name and logo, Resilience’s album art, and the big “folk metal” tag attached to the promo could only suggest the folksiest of metal. But wait, put down those lutes, I say, before you stumble into Wandering Oak’s trap!” Trapped and folked.

Sgàile – Traverse the Bealach Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on January 19, 2024 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 58 comments

“I get few opportunities for hiking thanks to my urban-adjacent residency, but were I to pick my ideal hiking spot, the Scottish Highlands would be up there. In lieu of a plane ticket, it seems I must settle for yet another spin of Traverse the Bealach, the long-distance hiking-inspired concept album about a nomad’s journey through post-apocalyptic Scotland, from Tony Dunn’s Sgàile. Dunn has an impressive resume that spans playing bass in Cnoc an Tursa, singing for Falloch, and some live performances with his former bandmate Andy Marshall’s Saor, but Sgàile is his one-man show.” Walkabout-core.

Subsignal – A Poetry of Rain [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Mystikus Hugebeard on January 10, 2024 in Things You Might Have Missed 2023, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 37 comments

“Subsignal, the German progressive metal/rock outfit that rose from the ashes of Sieges Even, has gradually evolved from “a band I quite like” into “a core tenet of my musical identity,” and it pains me that they’ve never been covered on this site. Granted, even at their heaviest, Subsignal’s style of progressive metal leans toward gentleness, but they’re still no less heavy than some other groups featured on AMG. I hoped that after all this time their newest opus might get a full review, and I was crestfallen that we never received their promo. I guess sometimes you’ve just gotta be the change you want to see in the world.” You can’t stop the signal.

Ravenstine – 2024 Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on January 9, 2024 in Reviews, Hard Rock, 31 comments

“If you were to ask me how I began 2024, my answer would be, “Why, with 2024, of course!” More specifically, 2024, the sophomore outing of the German hard rock outfit Ravenstine. A silly album title to be sure, but it piqued my interest, and I was in just the zone for a cut of Jorn-ish hard rock. Something that stuck out to me in the marketing around Ravenstine was the focus on them being first and foremost a group of friends. Could that mean 2024 is a pile of well-meaning but messy jams by a gaggle of lads taking the piss? Or is it perhaps a collection of great songs by artists all on the same wavelength.” The Album of the Year.

Axenstar – Chapter VIII Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on November 28, 2023 in Reviews, Power Metal, 63 comments

“”Is it necessary for artists to grow?” A question that haunted me as I listened to Chapter VIII, the eighth album by Swedish power metal act Axenstar. When an artist finds their niche, deviations always run the risk of alienating their audience from what they found appealing in the first place. Power metal in particular carries plenty of clear expectations—soaring choruses, galloping drums, warbly vibrato for days—and it’s easy for a band to fall into a groove. But where is the line drawn between comforting familiarity and stagnation?” Chapter and old verse.

Æolian – Echoes of the Future Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on November 24, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 32 comments

“It’s difficult to fully articulate why I feel so strongly about Spain’s melodic death metallers Æolian. I stumbled upon their debut album Silent Witness shortly after its release in 2018, and while I saw lots of potential in their aggressive take on melodeath, Silent Witness ultimately left me unimpressed to the point that I ended up passing over their 2020 release The Negationist. So when Æolian’s name appeared within the promo sump, why did I feel such hope that this time, this time Æolian would nail it?” Hope and reality.