Maltese Metal

Beheaded – Only Death Can Save You Review

Beheaded – Only Death Can Save You Review

“Sometimes you just want a death metal record. No problem – I have hundreds of hours of the things stashed away for this very emergency. It gets tricky when you just want a death metal album you haven’t heard before. They’re not hard to find. The problem you now have is one of option paralysis; there are literally too many death metal albums to know where to start. Do you just pick one at random? Do you poll a bunch of snobbish pedants to figure out which ones are the best use of your time?” You axed for it.

Abysmal Torment – The Misanthrope Review

Abysmal Torment – The Misanthrope Review

“Death metal is all about bludgeoning with extreme prejudice, but it also used to coincide with great songwriting. While the former has never been in question, I can’t consistently say the same of the latter. In an effort to cohesively combine the two, modernity has mutated penmanship into an almost grotesque caricature, often mistaking style for substance. Sometimes, however, proficiency and profusion meet in the middle to summon a storm of genuine portent. The Maltese death dealers, Abysmal Torment, have embarked upon a run of sustained quality and their fourth full-length, The Misanthrope, shows no sign of slowing.” Misanthropic brutality done right.

Forsaken – Pentateuch Review

Forsaken – Pentateuch Review

“Malta’s Forsaken is often cited as their country’s answer to Candlemass and the long-dormant-and-sorely-missed Solitude Aeturnus, it should check off all the tick marks for a good-to-great album. And with their fifth full-length (and first album since 2009’s After The Fall), Pentateuch, it would seem like a solid grand slam of Epicus Doomicus Malteseum Metallicus.” “Seem” is a red flag.