Noise

Lord Mantis – Universal Death Church Review

By Cherd on November 27, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Noise, Profound Lore Records, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Noise, Sludge, 21 comments

You would think after ten years of existence and an ever increasing stable of writers seeking out the new and the good, that there wouldn’t be any notable metal bands left who haven’t been reviewed on AMG. I suppose it’s a testament to the sheer volume of the metalverse that this isn’t true. I was shocked when I realized that Akerblogger‘s review of Thou’s 2018 release Magus was our first time covering one of the most prolific American metal bands of the last 15 years. Equally great was my disbelief when I found that no writer before me had squatter’s rights to Universal Death Church, the first full-length in five years by Chicago’s blackened sludge veterans Lord Mantis.” Always room for one more.

Buildings – Negative Sound Review

By Cherd on November 20, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, American Rock, Gilead Media, Noise, Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock, Reviews, Noise, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, 28 comments

It’s late in the year, and list season is upon us. For the past eleven months, trying to keep up with all of the quality extreme metal has felt like trying to drink from a fire hose. The volume of stellar releases has only multiplied in recent weeks, and for every one I manage to catch, three more stack up on my “get to” pile. So with all that metal practically begging for my attention, now seems like the perfect time to take a break from it. I was unfamiliar with Buildings when I chose Negative Sound from the promo pit, but its tag of “noise rock” and distinctly non-metal artwork seemed the ideal pallet cleanser.” A clean pallet is a terrible thing to taste.

Griiim – Pope Art Review

By Kenstrosity on October 31, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Experimental Metal, French Metal, Noise, Purity Through Fire, Rap Metal, Reviews, Trap, Ambient, Black Metal, Electronic, Experimental Metal, Noise, Rap Metal, 27 comments

“Once upon a time there was a dude named Maxime Taccardi. Max has a twisted and dark mind, and I fear it. His music is equally frightening, and it makes me uncomfortable. Yet, I can’t turn it off. Try as I might to fend it off his insidious vision haunts my imagination, conjuring the most depraved scenarios for me to weather. For Max, it seems, this place of nightmares which he creates represents the repugnant underbelly of his Paris home. And so he put all that we refuse to see inside the “most romantic city in the world” to music. Ladies and gentlemen, Griiim’s Pope Art.” Warhol’s twisted Id.

Opium Lord – Vore Review

By GardensTale on October 10, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Noise, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Sludgelord Records, Sludge, 20 comments

“Vore, for the blissfully unaware amongst us, is one of the stranger fetishes the internet has given a home. It is the fetish for being consumed. Yes, like in Bloodbath’s “Eaten.” In their infinite wisdom, the internet has even made sub-categories to such a specific fetish, namely soft vore (being swallowed whole) and hard vore (to see your body ripped and torn). Now, I don’t know why Birmingham’s Opium Lord decided to name their sophomore album after this infamous fetish. Their nasty, noisy sludge is about as arousing as battlefield amputations.” Mouthful of noise.

Torpor – Rhetoric of the Image Review

By Cherd on October 5, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Doom Metal, Medusa Crush Recordings, Moment of Collapse Records, Noise, Post-metal, Reviews, Sludge, Sludgelord Records, Doom Metal, Experimental Metal, Noise, Post-Metal, Sludge, 15 comments

“I have my own boxes to check as I look for the next Cherd friendly album, so when patterns emerge, I take note. Recent positive experiences with doomy, noise tinged post-metal from the United Kingdom packaged in black and white cover art, namely Sūrya and Bismuth, led me to take a chance on Torpor’s Rhetoric of the Image. Will the sophomore effort from this three-piece keep the hitting streak alive?” Post-gambling.

Meth. – Mother of Red Light Review

By GardensTale on September 2, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Mathcore, Noise, Prosthetic Records, Reviews, Mathcore, Noise, 57 comments

“Do you enjoy life? Do you feel like we are living in a world that is beautiful and rich in spite of the flaws of us humans? Do you look forward to each new day, full of light and possibilities? Well, fuck you, you worthless pile of nothing. We’re all but stains of blood encrusting the crime scene that is society, the festering remnants of everything good a long forgotten memory that is buried deep beneath the tar pits of our dying planet. That is the sentiment Meth. express with Mother of Red Light.” Beaten back to zero.

Lifes – Treading Water Review

By Kenstrosity on June 29, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Here and Now! Records, Knochen Tapes, Middleman Records, Noise, Powerviolence, Reviews, Triple Eye Industries, Grind, Hardcore, Noise, Powerviolence, 14 comments

“Instead of focusing on a general trend of social injustice and political bullshittery that all too many grind bands pursue, Lifes are all about stumbling throughout the various lives in which we involve ourselves on a daily basis, failing at most of it, and doing whatever we can to keep our shit together. According to their bandcamp bio, “Music can’t save us, but it can help us cope.” I’ve heard music described this way countless times before, but for whatever reason in this instance it resonated.” Life is a grind.

Those Darn Gnomes – Calling Whitetails to a Tuned Bow Review

By Huck N Roll on June 26, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Avante Garde, Death Metal, Nefarious Industries, Noise, Non-Metal Metal Things, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Avante Garde, Death Metal, Noise, Non-metal Metal Things, Progressive Metal, 20 comments

“Imagine being at a party with your musician pals. They’re all very accomplished. Suddenly, they decide to put on an impromptu jam. Everybody joins in–like, a dozen people. They decide they’re going to play, oh, I don’t know, some weird number, like from Harry Partch or something. Only they all play a different Partch composition at the same time, and add some slam poetry, pound on some homemade instruments, and one guy starts growling death metal vocals. Now comes the choose your own adventure part: do you sit there mesmerized, in awe of the spectacle unfolding, or do you stand up and leave due to your churning stomach, unable to handle the confluence of disparate styles, rhythms, and sounds? Welcome to Those Darn Gnomes.” Chaos is a ladder.

K.F.R. – Démonologue Review

By Master of Muppets on May 31, 2019 in 2019, Ambient Metal, Avante Garde, French Metal, Noise, Purity Through Fire, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Avante Garde, Noise, 62 comments

“As I stare into the night sky, casting wishes and cigarette smoke to a lonely moon, a faint tapping sound breaks the silence and the grip of my reverie. I peer into the surrounding dark, curious as to who or what might be sharing this moment with me, but the hushed scenery offers no evidence of an intrusion. I shrug off this immaterial disruption and redirect my gaze towards my lunar companion, when something catches my eye; there, at the skirt of the moonlit lake that I’ve come to sit and think beside, stands a ghost. Before the icy grip of panic can steer my body into a flight of terror, I realize that this spectre is but a reflection in the water—and I am no less relieved.” Keep your sock puppets inside the ride at all times.

Full of Hell – Weeping Choir Review

By Cherd on May 18, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Noise, Powerviolence, Relapse, Reviews, Sludge, Death Metal, Grind, Noise, Powerviolence, Sludge, 30 comments

“Trumpeting Ecstasy’s untempered viciousness and surprising experimentation was a breath of putrid air amongst the usual Cherd-bait of 2017. Had I been employed by this hallowed site at the time, I would have seriously considered slapping a 4.5 on it and endured the cries of ‘Overrating bastard!’ hurled at me from my superiors. So when I saw follow-up Weeping Choir pop into our promo bin, I jumped on it faster than Game of Thrones’ quality tanked once it outstripped the books.” Hallowed grind.