“Formed out of the ashes of post-hardcore/prog act Light Bearer, Poseidon drop the hardcore, keep a bit of the prog, and infuse it all with 70s metal, dollops of doom, and a hint of sludge. Sound enticing? It does to me.” Unleash the cracking.
British Metal
Ewigkeit – Cosmic Man Review
“James Fogarty has a bit of a dilemma on his hands. Having dismantled his solo project Ewigkeit some ten years ago, coupled with a rant about metal being conservative and out of touch, how on earth is he going to resurrect the project and make it relevant?” Metal never forgets.
MRTVI – Negative Atonal Dissonance Review
Thanks to divine intervention and a quark-sized attention span, I find myself faced with my second super-dense slab of black metal in two weeks. I could take responsibility for this and actually look at my upcoming review calendar from time to time, but I’m American and my right to complain about things I have total control over is in the Constitution. A disclaimer on MRTVI’s bandcamp warns that “Negative Atonal Dissonance is not an album. It is a statement.” Under this guise, it’s quite easy to recommend this eclectic work of art. For many, myself included, it will be one of the most memorable experiences of the year.” Hold onto something firm.
Zedi Forder – Zedi Forder Review
“Listening to this debut release from Zedi Forder makes me think of a rephrasing of a now-famous commercial: I don’t always review radio-friendly alt-metal, but when I do I review good radio-friendly alt-metal. My selections (read: offal) this month have ranged from bad to worse, but I’ve been granted respite with the debut album from this British trio.” Zedi or not, here they come.
Final Coil – Persistence of Memory Review
“Whenever AMG Industries receives a promo package from an unknown act, it invariably hails them as the next big thing or a breed apart from the usual metallic fare. It’s a natural thing to do from a marketing perspective, but how many bands have a hope of living up to that kind of hype? When the promotional materials accompanying Final Coil’s debut, Persistence of Memory refrained from such workmanlike braggadocio, it caught my attention. Rather than waxing on about impending superstardom, the promo material spoke of emotion, beauty, depth and musical substance. Nicely played, chaps. That got me to spin your promo and here we all are.” No hype, plenty of persistence.
Vallenfyre – Fear Those Who Fear Him Review
“Team-ups are all the rage nowadays, ditching the confines of comic book crossovers for screens both small and large. Vallenfyre struck while the crossover iron was hot. Since 2010, they’ve smashed members of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and At the Gates into a throwback Swedeath outfit as gloomy as it is doomy.” Super groups to fear.
Morass of Molasses – These Paths We Tread Review
“Lust. Greed. Pride. Jealousy. Gluttony. Vengeance. Six emotions that I experience on my daily commute to and from work. What’s better than having a heavy-blues inspired stoner album, shaped by these sordid vices, to accompany me on my soulless journey into this sick and weary world? Hailing from my beloved Blighty, Morass of Molasses thrust sexy, groove-laden shock-waves that send old-biddies reeling, cups of tea a-spilling, rich-tea biccies mushing, and tea doilies dampening.” Sounds of a tea party fading.
The Riven – Blackbird Review
“70’s revival bands pop out of the ground like hallucinogenic mushrooms in this day and age, but despite making up half the population of the planet, there’s a somewhat depressing lack of female-fronted material. It’s an issue that has plagued rock and metal for decades, but when the annals contain such timeless talents as Heart and Janis Joplin, it doesn’t feel like a counterweight for all the testosterone should be too much to ask.” More Venus, less penis.
Memoriam – For the Fallen Review
“Bolt Thrower are an important band to me. They were the group that I’d turn to, to motivate a wrathful rush of endorphins when I first started working out and a consummate musical aperitif to beer consumption. In short, I grew up with their atom-smashing death metal and I was close to openly weeping when I realized that 2005’s Those Once Loyal would be their last album to worry my ears.” From the grave comes war metal.
Light of the Morning Star – Nocta Review
“I’ve always found gothic metal to be, much like viking or pagan metal, a phrase that is more evocative of a specific feel rather than a genre with finite boundaries. It’s one of those styles that manages to fit a deceptively diverse array of bands under its umbrella; Type O Negative, Moonspell, and The Vision Bleak differ greatly from a purely mechanical standpoint, yet the thick, gloomy atmosphere is ever present.” Ready for a graveyard romance?
