Century Media

Hank Von Hell – Egomania Review

By Huck N Roll on November 6, 2018 in 2018, Century Media, Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Glam Metal, 53 comments

“November: the time of year when Madam X rules the roost with her iron fist. Meaning, this month I’m taking my orders from her, and the first order of business is this Hank Von Hell record. Name ring a bell? It does if you were (or for some reason still are) a Turbonegro fan. Von Hell, then known as Hank Von Helvete, sang for those punky fellows for seventeen years and six records, then stepped away for a variety of reasons both sordid and domestic. His short-lived band, Doctor Midnight & the Mercy Cult, put out an album in 2011, and then he faded away again until now, where we are presented with Egomania.” Turbo ego.

Witherfall – A Prelude to Sorrow Review

By Steel Druhm on October 30, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Century Media, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, 64 comments

“Witherfall was one of the biggest surprises of 2017. They came out of left field and blew my doors off with a hyperactive, highly technical take on power-prog rivaling Symphony X and Nevermore. Formed by several White Wizzard ex-pats including guitar titan, Jake Dreyer (Iced Earth), their Nocturnes and Requiems debut was bigger-than-life, over-the-top and spared no wankery or noodling for a rainy day. Luckily, their songwriting was stout enough to stand up to the onslaught of more is MOWWRRR musical showboatery. Just over a year later and they’re back with a new drummer and backing guitarist, and poised to drop their sophomore outing A Prelude to Sorrow.” Draining the wank bank.

Ultha – The Inextricable Wandering Review

By Akerblogger on October 8, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Century Media, German Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 18 comments

“As the album title suggests, Ultha play a tangled, cryptic black metal which treads many a well-worn path. What it seeks to release forth from its befuddled loins is a sense of emotional strife and confusion, a feeling many bands in this progressive black metal quagmire seek to explore.” No one likes befuddled loins.

Aborted – TerrorVision Review

By Mark Z. on September 21, 2018 in 2018, Belgian Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Death Metal, Grind, 53 comments

“Everyone loves a good horror movie, and for years Aborted have given us the musical equivalent. Since vocalist and Belgian native Sven de Caluwé began the project in 1995, he’s taken everything from goregrind to Carcassy death metal to melodic groove experimentation and bludgeoned it into his grotesque sonic mold. If you want to know what Aborted sounds like, shove your fist into a jar of old mayonnaise while watching the grossest horror film you know.” Special sauce and TerrorVision.

Voivod – The Wake Review

By Dr. Fisting on September 17, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Century Media, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, 119 comments

“I, Dr. Fisting, am back—but much more importantly, so is Voivod.” Strange never dies.

Deicide – Overtures of Blasphemy Review

By GardensTale on September 12, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 102 comments

“Despite being a household name in Floridian death metal, Deicide have had a track record as consistent as Nicolas Cage’s acting career. The godslaughtering murder machine fronted by the ever controversial Glen Benton set the tone with a couple of fledgling gems but since then, the quality of their output has been dice rolls all around. The only reviewed records on AMG were the sterile, unconvincing To Hell With God, and In The Minds Of Evil. Though the latter was a step up, its lack of spirit utterly failed to impress Lord Druhm. With no big wins under their belt since 2006’s The Stench of Redemption, Glen and the boys desperately need a slam dunk to convince the world they still belong at the top of the geographical niche they helped create.” Rebranding the cross of Floridian death.

Krisiun – Scourge of the Enthroned Review

By Ferrous Beuller on September 8, 2018 in 2018, Brazilian Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 64 comments

“Metal fans are fucking hard to please. We bitch when a band becomes predictable, and then we bitch some more when they experiment outside of our comfort zones. But whether you’re a contrary bastard or not, dependability is always a risky approach. We can investigate the paradox, in part, by applying two methodologies. First: the Slayer Equivalency. The act of happening upon a winning formula and then bleeding it to death despite rapidly diminishing relevance. And the second: the Angel Corpse Optimisation. A fast and frantic existence, knowingly brief, but with enough foresight to burn out with a nuclear burst of atomic violence. Brazil’s fatal fraternity, Krisiun, are on the cusp of releasing their latest full-length, but on which side of the hypothesis do they stand?” Brazil returns to wax your ass.

Omnium Gatherum – The Burning Cold Review

By Steel Druhm on August 27, 2018 in 2018, Century Media, Finnish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 118 comments

“I wasn’t all that impressed with 2016s Grey Heavens. To my ears it felt flat and a bit boring, and the inclusion of a more stripped down modern sound didn’t feel like it fit the band’s tried-and-true formula. Naturally this led me to approach The Burning Cold with some trepidation, hoping for a return to form but bracing for diminishing returns. So which will it be for this Finnish melo-death institution? Newfound glory or further decline?” It’s very cold in sadboy world.

Motorowl – Atlas Review

By El Cuervo on August 6, 2018 in 2018, Century Media, Doom Metal, German Metal, Hard Rock, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Stoner Rock, 21 comments

“In 2016, The Underground yielded a cool troupe of hard rockers hailing from Eastern Germany called Motorowl. Their debut, Om Generator (“OG”), was an accomplished and mature outing for such a fresh group and they naturally caught my eye when they reappeared in our promo bin, replete with Century Media record deal intact and spacey new artwork. I like exposing small bands even if signed to (relatively) big labels so permit me 600 words or so to explore Atlas.” Who??

Lucifer – Lucifer II Review

By Ferrous Beuller on July 17, 2018 in 2018, Century Media, Doom Metal, German Metal, Hard Rock, Occult Rock, Reviews, Occult Rock, 37 comments

“Now is the summer of my discontent. Not only because the sun incessantly threatens to ignite my beard, but having reviewed too much of one thing, the urge to consume an entirely different animal has reared its ugly head. Borne atop a moldering mound of lesser reviewers by those most metal of saints, I spied a beckoning light in the recesses of the perdition manifest we affectionately call the promo pit. Said bastion was none other than German-based doom/rock act, Lucifer, and their compactly titled second album, Lucifer II.” The Devil you should get to know.