“Ever notice how we at AMG Conglomerated Blogworks, Ltd. spend our time bitching and carping about album length and the need for slavish adherence to the 45 Minute Rule? In an age when even EPs are running close to 40 minutes, it gets pretty hard to to uphold the “less is more” banner and remain a defender of editing and artistic restraint. Then in our darkest hour, Chris Black arrives with his High Spirits project.” Expectations and spirits are high.
“Much like veganism, not liking Slayer is completely beyond my comprehension. Why would anyone deny themselves the great stuff which food and metal have to offer them? Once you reach either point of denial, why not fully commit and start only listening to records with a 2 or below on the DR and/or AMG scale, only drinking wine that comes in an oversized juice box, or talking about philosophy exclusively with stoners? If you, for some reason or another, feel the utmost need to deny yourself the pleasure of indulging in great things, you’re in luck!” If you’re not into Slayer, you are not my friend!
“As soon as I heard note one of this thing I knew I was in for it. I’d end up falling in my 80s nostalgia hole preaching to the very small choir of 45-plus geezers who grew up on this kind of raw, simplistic proto-metal. Praising this would inevitably lead to abuse from my youthful AMG peers and readers while further cementing my rep as a metallic fossil, but what can a middle-aged Steel Druhm do?” My name is Steel and I have a metal problem.
“Man, I really miss Alchemist. Much like Anacrusis, Alchemist were so far ahead of the curve with their heady blend of progressive melodies, Killing Joke-inspired riffs, and the raspy growls and otherworldly banshee shrieks of guitarist Adam Agius. The amount of times I spun Organasm and Spritech can’t even be measured, and when word got out in 2010 that the band dissolved after the sheer heft of 2007’s underrated Tripsis, yours truly was crushed. Wasting no time, Agius formed spiritual successor The Levitation Hex.” Cool name but weighty legacy to live up to.
“Protector first hit the scene with 1988’s Golem; a crushing mix of Kreator and Possessed sound that straddled the line between thrash and death. This approach continued with 1989’s Urm the Mad until founder Martin Missy left the band. Missy was replaced with guitarist/vocalist Olly Wiebel, whose contributions brought a more thrash-focused sound to A Shedding of Skin and The Heritage. But after The Heritage, the band pretty much fell off the face of the earth.” And now they’re back!
“I’m getting rather tired of raving about Chris Black and his many musical endeavors (Pharaoh, Dawnbringer, High Spirits, etc.). Not because they don’t deserve the praise, mind you. I’m just reaching the point where I feel and sound like a shameless fanboy, and Steel Druhm doesn’t like that. Not. One. Bit. Apparently, Mr. Black cares little for my critical dilemmas, as he’s now released another winning musical project where he’s joined by Jussi Lehtisalo and Tomi Leppanen of the strange Finnish act Circle.” Black + Circle = Spin this black circle!
“Following along with Avatarium, little know Chilean act Procession released a high quality slab of doom in 2013 that you may have missed. In fact, I probably would have missed it were it not for a tip from a loyal reader. Their sophomore opus To Reap Heavens Apart is right in line with early Candlemass (think debut and Nightfall), While Heaven Wept and Solstice and as such, it’s weighted down with weighty, glum and downtrodden riffs and despairing, yet epic vocals that call to mind the styling of Messiah Marcolin, albeit a more restrained version.” Steel Druhm missed his share of good doom this year and it has him rather perplexed an confuzzled.
Steel Assassin is a mighty obscure act by anyone’s reckoning. They were knocking around all throughout the 80s and 90s but could never get a proper album released. Then, quite out of the blue, they released War of the Eight Saints in 2007 and totally blew me away with their ballsy, aggressive take on American power metal and NWOBHM. It was one of the best albums of that year, but didn’t bring them as much attention as it deserved.
