![Aether – In Embers [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/aether-in-embers-02.jpg)
“Wintersun has long been a favorite of mine. Sure, it’s a band with a whole bunch of frustrations, but Jari Mänepää is a strong composer, and he’s got a cool sound that I can’t help but like. His wild blend of melodeath, power metal, black-tinged folk, and symphonic over-the-top wizardry appeals to me. It’s always a good Time T(w)o listen to well-composed symphonic heavy metal, and this is where the Polish group Aether come in.” Less spa, more metal.
“If there is one word that kept coming to mind over and over while I played through Unsought Salvation, it was “potential.” Tylor Dory Trio are a group with a ton of it, showing throughout that they have the musical chops to pull off something truly remarkable. All that seems to be holding the band back right now is experience.” PE = mgh.
![Iapetus – The Body Cosmic [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Iapetus-The-Body-Cosmic-01-768x799.jpg)
“Metal offers incalculable aural interpretations of outer space. Darkspace focuses on the inhospitable nature of the infinite vacuum. Gamma Ray pitches a trip through a black hole as the ultimate roller coaster ride. Ghost Bath dwells on the melancholic isolation of the cosmos while also sounding like something out of Sonic Adventure. Yet it takes Iapetus just over three minutes to craft a moment more compelling than any of those with their sophomore LP, The Body Cosmic.” Space in your face.
![Obsidian Tide – Pillars of Creation [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Obsidian-Tide-Pillars-of-Creation-768x768.jpg)
“I love TheKenWord, but the problem is, if you skip an hour on the AMG Slack channel, you’ll probably miss one of his 1462 album recommendations. Lucky for me, at the precise day and time when Kenny waxed on about Obsidian Tide’s new album I just happened to be lurking on the forums, and I caught the link. The young fella did himself proud with this recommendation. Obsidian Tide are an Israeli progressive metal trio, and Pillars of Creation is the band’s debut album, a seven-song, 55-minute concept album detailing a man’s journey to enlightenment.” Tides and tidings.
![ShadowStrike – Legends of Human Spirit [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ShadowStrike-Legends-of-Human-Spirit-01-768x768.jpg)
“Legends of Human Spirit, the debut LP from Long Island’s ShadowStrike, does the unthinkable: it places the intro track second. The record’s opening track explodes forth with an instantly gratifying blast of power metal, and only upon its completion does the band indulge in 95 seconds of overwrought narration backed by symphonic bombast. I loathe intro tracks, yet this simple restructuring of Power Metal’s Worst Trope is one of my favorite moments on this record. The act of postponing the intro, while bizarre, exemplifies what makes ShadowStrike so successful.” We’re easily pleased.
![Reign of Fury – Exorcise Reality [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Reign-of-Fury-Exorcise-Reality-01.jpg)
“I can’t believe it’s been four years since I first listened to Reign of Fury. For those of you that don’t remember, or weren’t alive during that time, Reign of Fury’s 2015 release, Death Be Thy Shepherd, was so good it landed atop my year-end list. As I read over the words I wrote long ago, three things are clear. First, I’m still a shitty writer. Second, boy, a lot has changed in what seemed like a perfect life for ole Grier. Third, Exorcise Reality is no Death Be Thy Shepherd, Part Deux.” Reality bites.
“I feel bad for bands who release albums in December. We are so focused on crafting our year-end lists (and panning each other’s) that we really aren’t that interested in listening to even more new music. Still, Perihelion hold a special place in my heart. Not many bands hail from my ancestral breeding ground of Hungary. I’m sure there’s more, but these guys and Thy Catafalque are the only two that come to mind. And two years ago Perihelion released Örvény, which was quite a nice piece of work. Now comes Agg, the band’s third full-length.” Hungary for more.
![Tardigrade Inferno – Mastermind [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/tardigradeInferno_mastermind_albumArt-768x768.jpg)
“Mastermind is one odd duck. Put one way, this album is literally my personality written into a metal record. Put another way, it’s a circus-tent nightmare from clown hell, and Frontierer happened to play there once and left their chunky guitar tone there by accident.” What the hell did you miss??
“Fans of Eyes of Blue Light, the sophomore masterpiece from Denver, Colorado’s Necropanther, take heed: The Doomed City is not the record you are expecting.” Much Panther.
“Woodhawk’s debut, 2017’s Beyond the Sun, slipped by all of us, but thanks to some friends who I can reliably state are stoner rock aficionados, that album ended up in my collection. If I had reviewed it here, it would have received a healthy 3.5, as it was loaded with catchy, energetic, desert rock songs, and I simply love Turner Midzain’s voice. For Violent Nature, the band reconvened in Vancouver to record once again with Jesse Gander (Anciients), a relationship that clearly pays rich dividends.” Canadian deserts, man.
