Ambient Metal

Pyreficativm – संसार का पथ Review

By Mark Z. on August 13, 2018 in 2018, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Chilean Metal, Living Temple Records, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, 36 comments

“When it comes to our promo bin, the old adage holds true: the early bird gets the worm, the late bird gets the obscure Chilean black metal album with the unpronounceable name. Seriously, what the fuck is all that squiggly shit? Google tells me it’s Hindu for ‘world path,’ which makes sense given that Pyreficativm’s sole member Melek R. N. accompanied this album with a lengthy promo blurb containing several references to Eastern mysticism (amidst a torrent of other philosophical gibberish). After seeing he also referred to this debut as a ‘vehicle and ritualistic vessel,’ my pretense sensors went off the charts. Suddenly I feel like I’ve stumbled upon a South American version of Vardan that Enjoys ov Deep Soma.” I am become daft.

The Ever Living – Herephemine Review

By Mark Z. on May 14, 2018 in 2018, Ambient Metal, British Metal, Chromism Records, Post-metal, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Post-Metal, 40 comments

“I’m always on the lookout for something new, and in that regard, The Ever Living seemed pretty promising. Formed in 2016, this British quintet label themselves with the unusual tag of ‘cinematic metal,’ and their vocalist claims they aren’t even really a metal band at all. Nonetheless, the group’s self-titled EP earned positive acclaim from some major heavy music publications back in 2016, and two years later these not-ThunderCat-villains have returned with debut full-length Herephemine. Having no idea what ‘herephemine’ means and no prior experience with Living, is ‘cinematic metal’ worth the trip to the theater or are you better off waiting till this comes out on Netflix?” The Ever Living and chill?

Ross the Boss – By Blood Sworn Review

By Steel Druhm on April 16, 2018 in 2018, AFM Records, Ambient Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 56 comments

“Steely D loves him some Manowar. As ridiculous as their persona became over time, they were one of my favorite bands growing up and I still love that kind of epic, chest-thumping warrior metal. Ross the Boss was the guitarist during the band’s golden era and helped write many of their best songs. He left the fold following 1988s Kings of Metal, and since then he’s dabbled in a solo career only in fits and starts. By Blood Sworn is his third album under the regrettable Ross the Boss moniker, and the first since 2010s Hailstorm.” The crown and the gory.

RÛR – RÛR Review

By Master of Muppets on March 29, 2018 in 2018, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Epic Metal, Northern Silence Productions, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Epic Metal, 64 comments

“Oh, departures. Not traditionally a wildly anticipated experience, and yet to know someone is to invariably set the stage for a future farewell; all roads end in goodbye, whether spoken aloud, though silently alone, or else whispered in the dark before an audience of no one. Some goodbyes sing of poignant possibility, others give voice to the shape of grief to come. But the declaration of egress I now deliver unto you, my children, sounds… waaay more fuckin’ bleak than I had intended to, yo, good Jørn. In a nutshell, what I mean is that RÛR’s self-titled triumph is the last black metal review I intend to write for a while and it’s as befitting the occasion as they come.” Goodbye to necromance.

Eryn Non Dae. – Abandon of the Self Review

By Master of Muppets on March 12, 2018 in 2018, Ambient Metal, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Debemur Morti, French Metal, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, 114 comments

“Eryn Non Dae.’s follow-up to 2012’s Meliora is something I’d long dreamt of, and thanks to France and the promo bin I – with humble objectivity and tact – get to demonstrate to you bitches once again why Muppet taste is best taste. Spoiler alert: this album is fucking glorious.” Franks and fiends.

Lustre – Still Innocence Review

By El Cuervo on November 11, 2017 in 2017, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Nordvis Produktion, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 78 comments

“Sweden’s Lustre has proven divisive across the two prior releases reviewed. The first was heralded as a great atmospheric record and bestowed with a 4.0, while the second was quite the opposite and summarily handed a 1.5. I presume you’ve already skipped to the bottom for the score so I’ll address this now: my review of Still Innocence falls far closer to the second. For some reason the metal tab on Bandcamp is rammed with atmospheric black metal of this ilk so I suppose there’s an audience somewhere.” The silent majority is silent.

Siinai – Sykli Review

By Huck N Roll on October 31, 2017 in 2017, Ambient Metal, Finnish Metal, Instrumental Metal, Non-Metal Metal Things, Reviews, Svart Records, Ambient Metal, Instrumental Metal, Non-metal Metal Things, 37 comments

“One of the best quotes of the year comes from the promo blurb for Siinai’s new album, Sykli: “…this album burst out of us, like when a ketchup bottle loses its cap when you are violently shaking it.” This from a band that in the past has also released an instrumental concept album about supermarkets.Yes, Siinai are a strange Finnish act that do odd things. This album’s concept isn’t as weird as “music to shop to.” Instead, Skyli professes to be about the cyclical nature of life. Considering that this is an instrumental album, figuring out how well it conveys a concept can be tough, but that’s why we get the big bucks, right?” Clean up in aisle Life.

Myrkur – Mareridt Review

By Saunders on September 18, 2017 in 2017, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Danish Metal, Folk Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Folk, Post-Metal, 61 comments

“Like or hate her heavily indebted style of enchanting folk and atmospheric, Scandinavian blackened metal, talented Danish singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Amalie Bruun has taken the metal world by storm since her inception operating under the Myrkur moniker. Moving from strength to strength in a relatively short period, her potential began to crystallize on 2015’s debut full-length, M. Despite her share of detractors and some ignorant bashing of her supposed black metal credentials, M revealed a musician in a rapid mode of artistic development, where prominent influences were largely trumped by Myrkur’s confident, charismatic vocals and improving song-writing skills.” Myrkuring in the shadows.

The Soundbyte – Solitary IV Review

By GardensTale on July 4, 2017 in 2017, Ambient Metal, Post-Rock, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Temple of Torturous Records, Ambient Metal, Progressive Rock, 21 comments

“Norway’s The Soundbyte, a project of The 3rd and the Mortal guitarist Trond Engum, seeks to improve the reputation of scene-setting noisescapes with its 4th experimental platter, Solitary IV. Full disclaimer, it’s only tangentially in the camp of metal, but few experimental albums are and the material on display here is not something we want to keep from you. Let’s get to it.” We’re givers.

Anima Nostra – Atraments Review

By Mark Z. on June 16, 2017 in 2017, Ambient Metal, Doom Metal, Industrial Metal, Malignant Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Ambient Metal, Doom Metal, 38 comments

“In my time writing at AMG, I’ve described albums as everything from ’emotionally gripping’ to ‘the pungent air inside my friend’s asshole.’ Yet I’ve never heard something I’d actually call ‘scary.’ That changed, however, upon my first listen of Anima Nostra’s sophomore album Atraments.” Fear is the Mark killer.