Melodic Death Metal

Ascend the Hollow – Echoes of Existence Review

By Kenstrosity on June 24, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Deathcore, Dr. Music Records, Dutch Metal, Electronica Metal, German Metal, Industrial Metal, Irish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Melodic Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Electronic Metal, Industrial Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, 52 comments

“I am ashamed. Why? Because I almost let this badass record slip through my greedy clutches. You see, my good friend (who we know as Septic ’round these parts) randomly pops in now and again to apprise me on some of his choice metallic discoveries. He introduced Irish/German/Dutch quartet Ascend the Hollow to me and I was instantly hooked. Like, so fast my head spun. I needed to share my excitement for Echoes of Existence with as many people as possible, but how? It would’ve been grand if we received promo, I thought. Then, all of a sudden I received a virtual sucker punch while rooting around the bin—the thing’s been sitting there since the end of April! How in the actual heck did I miss that??? And lo I experienced great embarrassment. I nearly neglected one of the coolest new bands to materialize out of absolute nowhere this year.” Finder of nearly lost things.

Gravefields – Embrace the Void Review

By Kenstrosity on June 6, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, International Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Redefining Darkness Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 22 comments

“Life kinda sucks. Or, I suppose more accurately, the realization that I have no control over how everything changes despite my every last effort to keep things stable kinda sucks. Unexpected alterations to my goals and plans abound. I question decisions I once thought sound, only to later circle back after realizing the alternatives were ill-fitting. Those close to me change in ways I fail to anticipate. Introducing further complications, I change and impact others in ways they can’t anticipate. It is because of the relentless fickleness of life that I appreciate the things that remain consistent. Thank the abyssal lords who art burning in the depths of hell, death metal is often one of those things. And Gravefields, an Irish/French/Egyptian (respectively, one guy from Ireland, one guy from France, and the band as a unit operating/recording mostly out of Cairo) death metal band supply ample evidence supporting this claim.” Death adds life.

Psychotool – Rotten Paradise Review

By Lokasenna on June 2, 2019 in 2019, Black Sunset Records, German Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 13 comments

“Coming off a short hiatus from this ~~fetid cesspit~~ exalted hall, I find myself digging through the promo bin for something familiar, something to kickstart the ol’ critical faculties. Black metal? Nah, wrong weather. Doom? Certainly rainy enough to fit, but nah. Melodeath it is then!” Something is rotten in…paradise??

Belzebubs – Pantheon of the Nightside Gods Review

By GardensTale on April 26, 2019 in 2019, Century Media, Finnish Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 231 comments

“The concept of the virtual band is hardly a novel one anymore. The first was arguably Alvin and the Chipmunks all the way back in 1958, though it was Gorillaz who popularized the concept. Metal has dipped their toes in the idea a few times as well, most notably with Dethklok from Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse cartoon. Yet something just feels different about Belzebubs, a new virtual band formed around the webcomic of the same name by Finnish author JP Ahonen. The comic is high quality in and of itself, mixing black metal tropes, an Adams Family theme of a dark and weird yet loving family, and a Calvin & Hobbes sense of adorable bubbly slapstick. But comics and music are extremely different media. How serious can we take an actual album by the bumbling ink-drawn band?” Anime to the Nightside Eclipse.

Atlas Pain – Tales of a Pathfinder Review

By El Cuervo on April 23, 2019 in 2019, Folk Metal, Italian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 62 comments

“2017 brought with it many things. Chief among them was the debut record by Italy’s Atlas Pain. Featuring speedy, bombastic folk metal, it was enjoyable and stuck with me more than its 3.0 may suggest. The passing of two years has brought a sophomore release called Tales of a Pathfinder at a make-or-break stage in any band’s career. Atlas Pain have approached this challenge with all the bright colors, zany attitude and symphonic trimmings which I enjoyed on the first go around and I’m delighted to write that their Italian charm has not been lost.” Can’t let it go.

Allegaeon – Apoptosis Review

By GardensTale on April 15, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 160 comments

“Almost three years ago, as a probationary noob, I was tasked to review the bloated, brickwalled behemoth that was Allegaeon’s Proponent for Sentience. I argued that taken as a whole, the 72-minute album was beyond overwritten and overwrought even before the utterly crushed production ruined what was left. It turned out to be my least popular opinion since I argued in high school that metal bands without growls or screams were still metal (that actually happened.)” Bruise the messenger.

Hath – Of Rot and Ruin Review

By Kenstrosity on April 13, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Willowtip, Death Metal, 89 comments

“Pure originality is overrated. I mean, yeah, it’s nice when something newfangled pops up and smacks you in the kisser. However, I would much rather see an already existent construct improved upon, re-imagined or perfected in some way. I don’t care if it takes three iterations or four trillion, five-hundred billion, three-hundred-forty-seven million, twenty-thousand-and-two iterations to get there.” If it ain’t broke, improve it!

Eluveitie – Ategnatos Review

By Dr. Wvrm on April 5, 2019 in 2019, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Swiss Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 149 comments

“Taking in Eluveitie’s closing performance on 70K Tons with sentynel, I recognized something: Eluveitie is popular. Not like entry-level popular, not poser popular (well, maybe), but actually popular. The boat’s Mosh Pit Residentia showed up in spades for that set, but with the floor so choked with the trve and weeb alike, group activities like conga lines and dance parties sprung up instead. Everyone knew the songs—hell, I knew the songs. The nonet put on too great a show to discount, far better than other bias-confirming trainwrecks I witnessed that weekend. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve written Eluveitie and Ategnatos off too soon.” Then again…

Crown of Autumn – Byzantine Horizons Review

By Twelve on April 2, 2019 in 2019, Italian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, My Kingdom Music, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 81 comments

“Love at first listen. Is there any better feeling? Byzantine Horizons and I have been nearly inseparable since the album first came into my hands. I’d never heard of Crown of Autumn before that happy day, but between the cool band name and awesome cover art, I really didn’t have much choice but to investigate.” Crowned in glory.

Orpheus Omega – Wear Your Sins Review

By Twelve on March 28, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, EVP Recordings, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, 41 comments

“One of my favorite things about melodic death metal is its versatility. Alone, death metal is a style that I can appreciate but don’t often enjoy. So when you fuse it with aspects of other genres that I love, it’s easy for me to enjoy the result. Subsequently, this has long been one of my favorite genres of metal music. So much so that I’ve been hunting for some to review basically since the moment I got here. At long last, here they are, Orpheus Omega, who hails from Victoria, Australia, and Wear Your Sins, their fourth full-length effort.” Wish upon a scar.