Twelve

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Nordgeist – Frostwinter Review

By Twelve on April 23, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 20 comments

“Black metal is a tricky beast to pin down. More, I believe, than many other sub-genres of metal, black metal is about feeling. Of course, they’re all about feeling, but black metal gets points for versatility – some black metal is designed to make you feel angry, some cold, some sad, some alone, some despairing, and the list goes on. Frostwinter, the debut full-length by Serbian single-person (known to us only as “T”) metal crew Nordgeist, is black metal that wants to make you feel something altogether more complicated.” Winter 4 eva.

Betrayal – Disorder Remains Review

By Twelve on April 19, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 6 comments

“You might not necessarily think it based on how often I laud cheese-wielding power metal enthusiasts, but every once in a while, I enjoy diving into the catalogue of bands whose primary function seems to be inducing catastrophic rage into the listener, taking them down an inescapable path of unfathomable destruction. It was in hope of this particular catharsis that I began listening to Disorder Remains, the sophomore release from German death metal band Betrayal. Betray the remains.

Les Chants du Hasard – Livre Troisième Review

By Twelve on April 9, 2021 in Reviews, Experimental Metal, 45 comments

“Sometimes, you have to try something different. Stagnating into a limited pool of metal quickly leads to burnout, and if there’s one thing I can’t stand… well, it probably wouldn’t be burnout explicitly, but that’s up there for sure. To stave off that awful feeling for as long as possible, I’ve made a conscious effort to be reasonably variable in what kinds of music I review for this site. I tell you this so you’ll understand why it was that when I first scanned through the promotional material for Livre Troisième, the third full-length release from French act Les Chants du Hasard, and saw the line “is it still metal? The question is now irrelevant,” my response was to dive right in, sight unseen.” Les Pretentious.

Avaland – Theater of Sorcery Review

By Twelve on March 31, 2021 in Reviews, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 33 comments

“The metal opera is, enduringly, one of my favorite concepts of the genre. Avantasia and Ayreon are the two projects that I return to most often, and it seems I’m not the only one. Adrien Gzagg, of Grenoble, France, has been similarly inspired, which is why today I’m introducing you to Avaland and its debut full-length, Theater of Sorcery, a symphonic power metal opera with a fantastical backstory.” Another rainy night at the metal opera.

Ghosts of Atlantis – 3.6.2.4 Review

By Twelve on March 24, 2021 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 25 comments

“The best way to get my attention is with an awesome album cover. More than genre tags, credits, stylistic themes, or lyrical themes – more than nearly anything else – an awesome album cover is what I go by when I explore the wonderful world of metal. That’s how the English band known as Ghosts of Atlantis got my attention, although the rest did line up very nicely: they credit themselves as something of a supergroup, boasting experienced musicians from bands across various well-known labels trying out something different, tagged in my promo package as “symphonic progressive extreme metal.”” Ghost in the calculator.

Rise to the Sky – Let Me Drown with You Review

By Twelve on March 15, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 10 comments

“Since I discovered Rise to the Sky last year with their tremendous EP In the Grave of a Forgotten Soul, Sergio G., the one man behind the one-man-band has put out a second EP and sophomore full-length album, A Cold Embrace from Life and Death Will Not Keep Us Apart respectively. So the fact that I’m now sitting down to review his third full-length, Let Me Drown with You, less than a year after that initial encounter, is staggering. Rise to the Sky, is nothing if not consistent, melding doom metal together with slices of funeral and death metal atop thick layers of crushing sorrow.” Stop the world and drown with you.

Malist – Karst Relict Review

By Twelve on March 8, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 32 comments

“Like distant thunder, the world of atmospheric black metal is simultaneously a comfort and a terror. I’ve been craving new atmospheric music lately. Thinking back, my two most recent forays into its claws have been the most recent offerings by Old Growth and Winterfylleth. Good enough albums, but neither really grabbed me the way I’ve been hoping for. Whether because of too much atmosphere, not enough variety, or just an altogether lack of menace or edge, atmospheric black metal of this particular vein was not all that good to me in 2020. So when I encountered Karst Relict, the third full-length in as many years from Malist, the solo project of one Ovfrost (Bewailer), I was cautiously optimistic.” Malist in Hell.

Innersphere – Omfalos Review

By Twelve on February 25, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 13 comments

“So there I am, reading a book of poetry in the filth and muck of the Angry Metal Guy Promo Pit — totally minding my own business — when I overhear some kind of commotio. Raised voices, overblown guitar solos, agonized screaming, the whole nine yards. “Ah,” I think to myself. “Holdeneye did the 4.0 thing again.” I move to refocus on my book when I see something out of the corner of my eye: Innersphere. Omfalos. “Melodic death doom metal.” Pause for effect. Melodic… death… doom… metal. I try to wrap my head around the concept, and decide, with no chance remaining that I’m going to have the peaceful afternoon I’d planned for, to snatch up the album and leave, because, frankly, I need to know what exactly this thing is and how it works, because I’m telling you right now, there’s no way that’s a thing.” Face the thing that could just be.

Mastord – To Whom Bow Even the Trees Review

By Twelve on February 19, 2021 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 22 comments

“One of the best things about seeing the “progressive metal” sign rotting beside some long-forgotten deposit in the Promo Pit is how little that actually tells you about what’s going on with the album. As much as I have been frustrated with prog recently, I adore the genre for its boundless potential and ability to truly amaze, even when all other metal feels stagnant.” He who grabs the prog from the pit.

Keys of Orthanc – Of the Lineage of Kings Review

By Twelve on February 10, 2021 in Reviews, 27 comments

“The title track and introduction for Of the Lineage of Kings, the fourth full-length release from Canadian Lord-of-the-Rings-meets-black-metal fans Keys of Orthanc, amusingly, feels like the perfect theme music for me as I compose this introduction paragraph. For one thing, this review is late — I’m not sure I’ve ever penned a review quite so long after the album has already come out. Life, it gets in the way. And yet, I am determined — determined, against all odds, to overcome the aforementioned life and get news of Of the Lineage of Kings out to you, the reader.” What heroes do.