Kenstrosity

Destroying AMG's metal cred from within.
Vltimas – EPIC Review

Vltimas – EPIC Review

“International supergroup Vltimas crashed upon the Earth early in 2015, dropping their well-received debut roughly four years later. Comprised of Morbid Angel’s very own David Vincent at the mic, Cryptopsy’s Flo Mounier manning the kit, and Aura Noir’s Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen slinging axe, the project deals in grooving, swaggering blackened death metal singing Satan’s praises and glorifying the destruction of all the world. You know, the usual.” Super epic?

Stuck in the Filter: January’s Angry Misses

Stuck in the Filter: January’s Angry Misses

It’s becoming apparent that our filtering systems work quite well! The crew has done a fine job pulling filth from the workings and releasing the pressure to the system. A second too late and the toilets would have backed up.

Volcandra – The Way of Ancients Review

Volcandra – The Way of Ancients Review

“My roommate and good friend once got to meet Kentucky melodic black metal troupe Volcandra at work while I was stuck doing something infinitely less fun, I’m sure. I know this because she, familiar with how deeply entrenched I am in the metal scene, messaged me to ask, ‘Hey, do you know this band called Volcandra?’ I, of course, responded, ‘Yeah, they’re pretty good! Why?’ She replied, to paraphrase, ‘Yeah, I just got to meet them, and they seem really cool and nice.’ Imagine my thinly veiled jealousy as I came back with, ‘Oh that’s super cool!'” Womp womp.

Myrath – Karma Review

Myrath – Karma Review

“Alright, earMUSIC. We have to talk. It’s important to know that Myrath is one of my favorite bands on the planet. I’ve been listening to them for well over a decade now, so every time the Tunisian five-piece announces a new album, my rapt, anxious anticipation skyrockets. Frustratingly, since the announcement for sixth LP Karma dropped, album leaks and fake release dates ran amok and led hopeful fans like me to dead Spotify links and rampant misinformation. The repeated PR foibles alone were enough to make me worry that the album wouldn’t be any good. Then, to top it all off, you hand us stream promo? Very naughty! But, that’s okay. All is forgiven because god damn was Karma worth it in the end.” Forgiveness and my wrath.

Traveler – Prequel to Madness Review

Traveler – Prequel to Madness Review

“Calgary heavy metal five-piece Traveler received consistently favorable coverage from our beloved Huck n Roll since their self-titled debut dropped in 2019. With Huck‘s retirement just over a year ago, somehow Traveler ended up in the land ov Ken. While the hands of Steel are primed to wield this kind of heavy metal with grace, poise, and POWERS, rest assured that I am versatile, strong, and more than capable of handling these wares. Thus, Traveler’s imminent third launch Prequel to Madness earns a session in my court.” Madness meets Kenness.

Blood Red Delusion – Ruthless Behaviour Review

Blood Red Delusion – Ruthless Behaviour Review

“Riff-focused yet stuffed to the gills with exuberantly melodic leads, Blood Red Delusion’s second salvo strikes me as something fans of classic melodic death metal albums by In Flames and At the Gates—along with more modern records like Parasite Inc.’s Time Tears Down—might flock towards. Ruthless Behavior’s no-frills, no-nonsense, and aggressively death-metal-forward approach to the genre forgoes all traces of the sweeter and smoother caresses of lushly adorned modern melodic death metal records.” Blood and poor behavior.

Litosth – Cesariana Review

Litosth – Cesariana Review

“Despite their frosty, dour tunes, the first comparison I draw when listening to Cesariana is Oubliette’s warm and rich The Passage. The second is Ethereal Shroud’s magnum opus Trisagion. Aesthetically falling somewhere between these two disparate references, Litosth’s style sounds epic without resorting to double-digit song lengths, feels relaxed in pacing without lacking passion, and manages to be memorable without possessing especially unique songwriting tenets.” Black haze.

Distorted Reflection – Doom Rules Eternally Review

Distorted Reflection – Doom Rules Eternally Review

“Formed by Sorrows Path co-founder Kostas Salomidis, nascent Greek epic doom metal trio Distorted Reflection are so new that they don’t even have a Metallum profile up yet. Established in 2022, the young band follows Kostas’ vision of epic doom metal after nearly thirty years with his original band.” Reflections of depression.

Exocrine – Legend Review

Exocrine – Legend Review

“Despite the middling average score French tech death quartet Exocrine earned on this here blog, I’m a staunch defender of the band’s style. I loved Molten Giant and The Hybrid Suns musically, and thought Maelstrom was an interesting, albeit flawed, exploration of their established sound. The biggest issue holding them back has always been production, cursed to gasp for breath and struggle for room inside a dense concrete block. It’s a shame because if someone else with a gentler touch helped them out in the mastering suite, I’m convinced Exocrine’s track record on this blog would be a more positive one. I picked up their latest, entitled Legend, in the hopes that it shifts that legacy in the right direction.” Of myth or of legend?