“With multiple platinum records under their arms from the 00’s, the glam-turned-goth collective has been active since the early 90’s. One might assume they intended to be a Sisters of Mercy that actually releases new music. That lengthy career path is evident in some of the stronger tracks.” Goth by the numbers.
Sonata Arctica isn’t a yoga pose or a finishing move. No siree, they’re the subject of today’s AMG Primer! Prime the mover and get moving.
“I’d like to think that AMG writers listen to an album many more times than the average music critic before penning a review. We all own records that grew on us exponentially, whether through casual or critical listening, and we know full well that it’s impossible to decipher the full scope of a work upon first exposure. Except, of course, for the times where that’s totally possible. From the very first notes of NorthTale’s debut, their mission statement of resurrecting power metal’s glory days is laid plain, with multiple rotations failing to unearth compositional complexity or deeper motives.” Power outage.
“As a rowdy teen thrashard, Destruction was my favorite part of the 80s Germanic thrash wave, for a while anyhow. On seminal early albums like Infernal Overkill and Eternal Devastation, their oddball sound and penchant for quirky but biting riffs set them apart from and above fellow countrymen Sodom and Kreator. After 1987s Release From Agony however, things went off the rails for the band and they weren’t able to get their heads straight until 2000. Their second act has been solid if inconsistent, with some albums feeling rushed and half-baked. That brings us to their 14th thrash platter, Born to Perish.” Thrash never dies.
“Carnifex released their best record to date in 2016’s Slow Death. What happened? Mick Kenney of Anaal Nathrakh was credited with production, programming, and writing. This was an interesting development: deathcore had been creeping into Anaal Nathrakh’s sound over the years, and now Kenney was directly influencing the genre which influenced his main project. Kenney is credited for vocal recording on World War X but is not credited as a writer. Nonetheless, Carnifex continues wisely down the path of deathcore influenced by the Anaal Nathrakh material influenced by deathcore.” Positive influences.
“Australian deathcore stalwarts Thy Art Is Murder have joined the Big Deathcore Moment Club as of 2012, with the “I am the purest strain of hate” smackdown on “The Purest Strain of Hate.” It seems they’ve joined the big leagues—and, to top it all off, they’ve even been reviewed here on Angry Metal Guy. These dudes are truly a big deal in deathcore, so the release of Human Target is surely exciting for at least some of our readership.” Die for art.
“Sabaton has made singing about war nearly as lucrative a proposition as Motley Crüe made singing about their dicks. And unlike their cock rocking elder’s chosen idiom, nation on nation violence translates far better into the metal ethos. Tales of bravery, battle and death are the bloody blocks upon which metal was originally built, and it drinks deeply of that Bathoryian tub to this day.” Draft day.
“Despite some understandable fits and starts as they shook off the cobwebs of a fourteen year lay off from 1990 to 2004, Death Angel has had a pretty successful second act on the metal stage. Releases like The Dream Calls for Blood and 2016s The Evil Divide showcased a seasoned band comfortable with their place in the thrasherverse and still turning out engaging material true to their glory days. Those albums are as good or better than almost anything the “Big Four” have released lately, and there’s been growing reasons to look upon Death Angel as one of the few survivors of the 80s Bay Area thrash wave still capable of cutting your throat with an ill-tempered riff. That brings us to their ninth album, Humanicide.” Run with the pack.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse—known affectionately at the AMG offices as “Death Metal Rhapsody of Fire”—had a meteoric rise from its humble beginnings on 2009’s innovative Oracles. Though these Italian death metallers started on a Candlelight/Willtowtip, Nuclear Blast wasted no time elevating them to underground metal’s biggest stage. That pickup resulted in a larger budget, bigger productions and an evolution beyond the band’s death metal quartet status.” One of the brightest stars in the death metal universe is back with its fifth album. Will this be the one that makes us all go “Uuaaaaaauuuu”?
“Of all the bands I worshiped during my misspent youth in the 80s, Possessed felt like they had the most unfulfilled potential. After helping set the foundation for both death and black metal with their genre busting Seven Churches debut, the band shifted toward a more traditional thrash sound on sophomore outing Beyond the Gates, disappointing most of their fanbase with its underwhelming, often half-baked writing. They released the Eyes of Horror EP a year later showcasing a much slicker, more polished sound, and just like that, they were done and gone.” Repossessed.
