Inverse Records

Rifftera – Across the Acheron Review

By Doom_et_Al on February 10, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Inverse Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 37 comments

“From a metal perspective, 2019 has been decidedly underwhelming so far. When the promo bin threw me a melo-death album by a band whose name sounds like an adolescent parody of iconic metal giants, I had little hope that things would improve. This sophomore effort by Finnish band Rifftera follows 2015’s Pitch Black; a self-produced smorgasbord of melodic death metal, thrash, power and prog, smashed together with the grace of a junkyard compactor, and then played with the dial at 11. It was fun, but it was a mess.” Have these Finnish melodeath-thrashers gotten their shit together?

Wolfhorde – Hounds of Perdition Review

By Lord Doom on January 18, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Finnish Metal, Folk Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 72 comments

“Taking the leap from trolling in the comments section to writing serious reviews made me realize how little I really know about an increasingly complex metal genre. Perhaps this is endemic of an ever more experimental metal scene where genre-spanning efforts are becoming more common and reviewers throw out increasingly long lists of sub-sub-categorizations. Perhaps I’m young and lack the knowledge base of my elders. Perhaps there is just more music around these days. Whatever the case, Wolfhorde have let the dogs out with the genre hopping Hounds of Perdition, but is this sophomore effort about to get Old Yellered by yours truly?” Blackened dogs.

Splendidula – Post Mortem Review

By Carcharodon on January 12, 2019 in 2018, Belgian Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Stoner Metal, 29 comments

“Coming from the Latin ‘splendidus’, ‘splendid’ is defined—by one (free) online dictionary that this n00b found, anyway—as an adjective meaning ‘magnificent; very impressive.’ Of what relevance is this to Post Mortem, the second album from Splendidula? Quite possibly none but having made the splendid-Splendidula link in my head, I got my hopes up.” Album autopsy.

Atlas – Primitive Review

By Mark Z. on November 13, 2018 in 2018, Finnish Metal, Inverse Records, Metalcore, Reviews, Metalcore, 63 comments

“Modern metalcore is such a tease. For every killer band like While She Sleeps, there’s a dozen more that leave me unmoved. Nonetheless, I always hold out hope that a new metalcore band will show up and blow my balls off, and that’s exactly why I grabbed Primitive from the promo bin.” Madballz.

Revolutio – Vagrant Review

By Saunders on November 8, 2018 in 2018, Alt-Metal, Inverse Records, Italian Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Alt-Metal, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, 22 comments

“When I look back, there’s been a notable lack of quality thrash, aside from the weirdo avant thrash of Voivod’s latest. Maybe my ears have been directed in the wrong places, but the genre in which I cut my teeth on many years ago continues to largely disappoint. So with a flicker of fleeting optimism I jumped on the chance to check out unheralded Italian thrashers Revolutio on their debut platter, Vagrant. But how does it fare? And should you give a shit?” Revolto, resisto.

Black Lotus – Sons of Saturn Review

By Huck N Roll on October 19, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Doom Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, 44 comments

“Back in 2017, the epic doom of Sorcerer’s excellent The Crowning of the Fire King marched its way onto a couple of Top 10(ish) lists, coming in at #5 for The Huckster and #1 for our great ape, Steel Druhm. Nothing has really come close to emulating that feel so far this year — perhaps the closest we’ve come is the satisfyingly thick platter of Týr-ish goodness that was Khemmis’ Desolation. But that album didn’t hit home like Sorcerer did, nor has it had the staying power. Enter Spanish newcomers Black Lotus, and their debut album, Sons of Saturn, which promises to be chock full of epicness.” Black Wizzard?

Wrestling – Ride on Freaks Review

By Akerblogger on September 17, 2018 in 2018, Finnish Metal, Heavy Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 26 comments

“Few metal bands use wrestling as a conceptual driving force and I don’t know why. It has everything a band needs to produce chaotic, vibrant, wildly imaginative music. Well, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, weighing over a thousand pounds for sure (five members), hailing from Oulu, Finland, please welcome old school heavy-metal body-slammers Wrestling. They’re here to bust your spine and insult your mothers with their speedy mix of Accept and Judas Priest on Ride on Freaks, their debut release.” Sweat and regret.

The Eternal – Waiting for the Endless Dawn Review

By Steel Druhm on August 13, 2018 in 2018, Australian Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 44 comments

“Long time readers of Angry Metal Guy Blogworks and Important Opinion Emporium, Ltd., know I have a soft spot for sadboy melancholic doom. This led me to heap praise on Swallow the Sun’s mammothly meandering, overblown triple album suite, Songs of the North back in 2013. In the fullness of time, I downgraded the original score on my Contrite Metal Guy confessional, and hard lessons were learned: Some albums are simply too long-winded to work as well as they should. Now comes Australian act, The Eternal and their sixth album, Waiting for the Endless Dawn.” Why the long album?

Imperial Domain – The Deluge Review

By Steel Druhm on August 6, 2018 in 2018, Inverse Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 63 comments

“When Gothenburg’s Big Three uncorked their defining early 90s works followed quickly by Finnish death misers, Sentenced releasing their groundbreaking Amok opus, the world saw that death vocals could be successfully integrated with classic metal in the vein of Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate. Thus was melodic death metal created and in the preceding years, one billion copycat bands spewed out in a torrid frenzy of imitation and mimicry. Sweden’s Imperial Domain was one of the faceless horde of bastard offspring to drop from that overly fertile womb, releasing their debut in 1998.” A cry from the 90s.

Unborn Generation – Vøid Review

By Mark Z. on June 23, 2018 in 2018, Crust Punk, Finnish Metal, Grind, Inverse Records, Reviews, Crust Punk, 31 comments

“The hallowed Angry Metal Spreadsheet Ov Promos was the first time I’d heard of Unborn, and thus I decided to leave my reservations at the door, enter the Vøid, and find out just what these Finns were all about. Does this sixth full-length grind n’ roll, bump n’ grind, or just stand around looking ominous in a hooded sweatshirt?” Roll out the grinder!