Australian Metal

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: The Schoenberg Automaton – Vela

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: The Schoenberg Automaton – Vela

By Kronos on December 20, 2013 in Australian Metal, Death Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2013, Death Metal, 3 comments

“The Schoenberg Automaton first caught my eye with their self-titled 2010 EP, which I probably found while browsing Bandcamp in a Meshuggah-induced stupor, keeping an eye out for anything promising that my penniless ass could download. The three-track tour de force immediately turned me on to the Brisbane based tech-death group and their jittering, atonal, and surprisingly refreshing style. Since that excellent EP, the Aussies have had three years to muster all of the necessary insanity for a full-length release that matches the intensity and freshness of those three songs which first put them on my radar. Vela had better damn well deliver.” Our man Kronos tells you about an Australian death crew you might have missed and probably shouldn’t have!

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Vyrion’s Soundcloud Releases

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Vyrion’s Soundcloud Releases

By Steel Druhm on December 14, 2013 in 2013, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2013, Black Metal, Death Metal, 3 comments

“AMG loyalists may recall my review of Vyrion’s debut way back in late 2011 and how impressed I was by this unheralded upstart act from Australia. If you missed that review or drank away the memories thereof, Vyrion plays a fairly progressive style of black metal with post-rock, melo-death and traditional metal influences. The material on their eponymous debut effectively blended these disparate styles into some really impactful and memorable moments and left me wanting more.” Steel Druhm is once again singing the praises of largely unsung Aussie black metallers, Vyrion. He’s also demanding you all cease and desist from missing their new material. You have been warned….

Thrall – Aokigahara Jukai Review

Thrall – Aokigahara Jukai Review

By Madam X on December 12, 2013 in 2013, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Moribund Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 2 comments

“Aussie black metal is unchartered territory for me, but if not, why not, right! From my early judgments, it doesn’t appear that black metal dominates or has the Aussie metal scene on its knees cowering in fear of the Dark Lord’s return, but certainly a few names lit a fire and I suppose you could say, spiked my interest. Ruin’s Place Of No Pity kicked off my grim journey of discovery, delivering mighty appealing song structures and evolvingly doomy interludes. Gospel Of The Horns followed suit with ex members of Bestial Warlust making up their dank mix and finally, Deströyer 666’s Phoenix Rising hit all kinds of home. Their brand of blackened death-thrash can only be described as packed to to the hilt with truly bestial riffing and it set the bar and my expectations sky high for Thrall.” Join Madam X as she throws another blackened band on the barbie in her analysis of Australia’s own Thrall.

Denouncement Pyre – Almighty Arcanum Album Review

Denouncement Pyre – Almighty Arcanum Album Review

By Noctus on January 24, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 8 comments

Don’t lie to me – you know that you absolutely adore fast-paced black metal. Who doesn’t? What’s not to love? Exhilarating, evil and when done right, it’s just about infinitely enjoyable. Highly distorted, often dissonant riffs, pounding drums with snares that sound like machine guns, rasps that sound like the vocalist swallowed a naga chilli that only made it half way down his throat, the many pleasures it can contain thrill and frighten. Throw a small helping of death metal riffage into the mix, perhaps even some speed metal and you have Denouncement Pyre. If you’re not excited by that description, or already buying it, you’ll probably remain unconvinced and should close this tab and go back to your knitting or whatever it is you do when you should instead listening to black metal. Did I mention black metal is great? Let me say it again – it’s great, and so is Denouncement Pyre.

Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression Review

Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 2, 2012 in 2012, 3.0, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear Blast, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 1 comment

Psycroptic may be one of the best known technical death metal bands out there today. Their high profile is largely the result of the fact that they make a type of technical death metal that moves about a mile a second, but while managing to not be too abstract. The band has historically had catchy hooks and great melodic parts, while never backing down on the guitar gymnastics and with vocals that have been just as diverse and unique as the music behind it. Psycroptic is the real deal, so there was never any hesitation on my part when I got a hold of the Tazmanian band’s 5th full-length The Inherited Repression.

Vyrion – Vyrion Review

Vyrion – Vyrion Review

By Steel Druhm on December 16, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Rockdale Records, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 11 comments

Steel Druhm doesn’t ask for much. Beyond undying devotion to the Angry Metal Guy website and Steel Druhm personally, I expect so little. In a rare moment of selfishness however, I deigned to demand more innovation in the field of black metal music. Predictably, much brouhaha ensued and I was labeled a rabble-rouser, blasphemer and enemy of the scene. Happily, I can now report my heartfelt demand has been masterfully answered by a crew of Aussie upstarts by the name of Vyrion. Never heard of them? Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either until I stumbled upon them quite by chance. It was a fortuitous stumble indeed, for their self titled debut is a mammoth slab of progressive blackness with scads of death, doom, traditional metal and post rock blended in seamlessly. After only a few minutes of listening, I knew this was something special. Across the length of this interesting creature are myriad surprises, twists and turns and the end result is an exceptionally well done and very heavy slice of innovation. For those who regard black metal as a static art form, immune to the fickle influences of time and trend, this will be like a loathsome disease. If however, you agree with me that the genre is badly in need of a newness injection, don’t let this one fall through the cracks.