Kenstrosity

Destroying AMG's metal cred from within.
Celestial Grave – Vitriolic Atonement Review

Celestial Grave – Vitriolic Atonement Review

By Kenstrosity on September 22, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 17 comments

“Three years ago, I covered Finnish black metal mourners Celestial Grave’s debut record, Secular Flesh. At that time, the album was released under a label which today gives me pause. That label isn’t a friendly place, for several reasons upon which I won’t elaborate here. However, Celestial Grave is now releasing their sophomore album, Vitriolic Atonement, under the much smaller and less problematic (for now, anyway) The Sinister Flame. And thus, I picked it up to give it the full treatment. I’m glad I did, too.” Welcome is a grave.

Altars Ablaze – Life Desecration Review

Altars Ablaze – Life Desecration Review

By Kenstrosity on September 15, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 31 comments

“Metal fans are stupid, mindless idiots just looking for their next fix, demanding MOAR of the same exact shit they’ve heard a billion times over. That includes me, and that most certainly includes you. Especially you. With this powerful knowledge in hand, bands who tailor their music for themselves rather than for their fans are free to produce some of most unique and compelling metal around. On the other side of the same coin, some bands with this same knowledge often phone it in, delivering a fan-servicing slab of decent material without a lick of personality in the name of album sales. Czechia’s Altars Ablaze, a blackened death metal quintet formed from members of Heaving Earth, Supreme Conception, and others, explicitly refuse to cater to the unwashed masses.” Fan service or fan sacrifice?

Warforged – The Grove | Sundial Review

Warforged – The Grove | Sundial Review

By Kenstrosity on September 7, 2022 in Reviews, Deathcore, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, 64 comments

“It took an unprecedented length of time for me to appreciate Warforged’s debut I: Voice back in 2019. In fact, I was so moved by the record once it finally clicked that I awarded it an enthusiastic 1.5-point upgrade. Naturally, that puts a lot of pressure on the follow-up, entitled The Grove | Sundial. Upon learning that Adrian Perez—who was in charge of lead vocals, keyboards, sampling, piano, and lyrics on I: Voice—separated from the project, I balked.” Forging a new weapon.

Gone Cosmic – Send for a Warning, the Future’s Calling Review

Gone Cosmic – Send for a Warning, the Future’s Calling Review

By Kenstrosity on September 2, 2022 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, 20 comments

“One of the cruelest fates to befall any given record that comes across my desk at Angry Metal Guy Judgment Emporium is to be totally forgotten. It happens, more often than I’d like. Gone Cosmic’s last record, Sideways in Time, succumbed to such a fate. It was a good record, with tons of groove and fronted by a passionate, powerful vocalist. But it was only because I caught the Canadian quartet’s upcoming sophomore full-length, Send for a Warning, the Future’s Calling, in the promo bin three years later that I remembered that Gone Cosmic existed.” Sleeping on the cosmos.

Stuck in the Filter – July’s Angry Misses

Stuck in the Filter – July’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on August 30, 2022 in Stuck in the Filter, 88 comments

“It’s fucking hot as balls outside. Sweat pours from every pore. The scent of hard work and filth emanates from my flesh, despite only just arriving at the exterior ingress point of our HQ’s needy filtration system. I can feel the scalding metal of the grate threatening to blister my fingers before I even touch it.” Hot 4 Filter.

Parasite Inc. – Cyan Night Dreams Review

Parasite Inc. – Cyan Night Dreams Review

By Kenstrosity on August 16, 2022 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Melodic Metal, 12 comments

“Parasite Inc. is one of those bands that I want to fall deeply in love with, but I have no idea why anymore. This inexplicable yearning for that special spark with this German quartet no doubt owes its existence partially to the group’s super-fun debut, Time Tears Down. Since then, Parasite Inc. rapidly declined into cheesy, stale melodic metal that made me cringe more often than not. I had hoped that Cyan Night Dreams, the band’s third full length, might be the start of their redemption arc.” Hopes and dreams (and parasites).

Grigorien – Magtens Evangelium Review

Grigorien – Magtens Evangelium Review

By Kenstrosity on August 8, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 16 comments

“They play black metal, olde and colde and so very full of molde. There’s not a synth or twinkly chime to be found, nor are there any solos, clean vocals, or leads. This is wall-to-wall riffs filled to the brim with a trademark disdain for organized Christianity and humans in general. As you would extrapolate from that information, you may or may not also find a macro-boner or two for Satan. Not that you would be able to guess that based on the lyrics, as the vocals are as unintelligible as black metal vocals have ever been, just as they should be.” Maximum Satan.

Black Magnet – Body Prophesy Review

Black Magnet – Body Prophesy Review

By Kenstrosity on July 28, 2022 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Industrial Metal, 7 comments

“Industrial metal is an extremely difficult genre in which to stand out. Part of this challenge lies in the relatively limiting set of attributes that defines the style. A lot of industrial music relies on robotic, crushing synth tones, backed by throbbing beats with gritty distortion slathered over almost everything from drums to vocals. The specific niche that industrial music fills in turn creates an incredibly crowded and competitive field for new artists intending to make their mark. To stand out, you have to deliver something that breaks new ground in either sound or songwriting quality. Oklahoma City-based one-man-band Black Magnet aim to do just that with their new album, Body Prophesy.” Body hammer.