Progressive Death

Sadist – Spellbound Review

Sadist – Spellbound Review

Sadist are a band who have always toed the line between cult classic and second tier. Their progressive death metal has run the gamut between introspective fusion and ham-fisted rhythm, but aside from their excellent debut, Absence of Light, our relationship remains regrettably distant. Now, imagine my intrigue when faced with the Italians’ eighth full-length, Spellbound, a record based on the work of the infinitely influential Alfred Hitchcock. Surely combining my favorite core genre with the oeuvre one of the greatest auteur directors of all time is a recipe for success? Don’t call me Shirley…” Sadism comes in many forms.

Gorod – Æthra Review

Gorod – Æthra Review

Æthra, which is being released from the band’s new home at the French label Overpowered Records, is Gorod’s sixth slab of techy goodness. Through all of it, Gorod has yet to release a bad album. Therefore, the question I wanted the answer to when I finally got a chance to pop the album on was ‘will Æthra be good or, like, really good?'” Fanboy ahoy?

Beyond Creation – Algorythm Review

Beyond Creation – Algorythm Review

“After The Aura catapulted them up to the front of the tech death field, Beyond Creation have enjoyed continued success based on a surprisingly small oeuvre and touring with seemingly continuous regularity both as support and as a headliner. They took the success in stride, releasing Earthborn Evolution three years after the debut and capitalizing on the record’s fusion influence to produce an even more dynamic live show. Three records in, Algorythm tweaks the approach once more, producing a brooding and grandiose expanse that’s as honest in its execution as in its pretensions.” Just how pretentious is it?

Concert Review: Obscura, Beyond Creation, Archspire & Inferi at Oakland Metro – September 13th, 2018

Concert Review: Obscura, Beyond Creation, Archspire & Inferi at Oakland Metro – September 13th, 2018

“I’m surprised so many people are there early enough to see Exist, especially given that the show started at seven. Presumably, I also missed Anisoptera before them, since I will later find one of their shirts in the pit during Obscura’s set. That doesn’t matter so much to me; I’m here for the first show of what is likely the best tech death tour that the US will see for a decade, hand picked by the big shots in Obscura. Beyond Creation, Inferi, and tucked into the middle, Archspire. What a time to be alive.” Death in Oakland.

Binah – Phobiate Review

Binah – Phobiate Review

Binah hope to align themselves with well-loved death metal bands like Morbus Chron and Horrendous who have spliced psychedelia into the classic death metal sound. It’s at once progressive and regressive, hearkening back to the genre’s early ’90s heyday while venturing far outside of the footprint of a typical death metal band. And while these Englishmen are not quite so adventurous as either of those touchstone bands, Phobiate still wraps itself around unexpected corners combining Swedish heft and a sprinkle of Finnish eccentricity.” Serious Binahess.

Revocation – The Outer Ones Review

Revocation – The Outer Ones Review

“In just over a month I’ll be celebrating (with metalcore, most likely) my fifth year writing for Angry Metal Guy’s family feedbag, and what better way to do that than with the latest LP from Boston’s own prog-death-thrash torchbearers, Revocation. My review of their self-titled album way back in 2013 was the first of my many ill-bred proclamations from these servers to you, and the band have done me a solid by producing material at a pace brisk enough to suit biennial navel-gazing.” Revoked.

Irreversible Mechanism – Immersion Review

Irreversible Mechanism – Immersion Review

Irreversible Mechanism’s debut caused a bit of a stir when it came out in 2015, becoming one of the most successful new releases at the time for the now well-known metal/synthwave boutique label Blood Music. The appeal of Infinite Fields came from both its epic scale and technical wizardry, but like a lot of metal acts, the band achieved that scale via levels of choral and orchestral synthesis that would make Jari Maenpaa himself blush. As fun as it turned out to be, it was easy to write off the band as a young guitar wizard’s opulent vanity project, accomplished but ultimately lacking in the sort of levity that such maximalism chafes against. It’s not so easy to do the same with Immersion.” New flesh prevails?

Aethereus – Absentia Review

Aethereus – Absentia Review

“Since the label’s inception, The Artisan Era has been edging into Unique Leader’s territory like it’s the South China Sea. With Inferi, Augury, and a slew of up-and-coming tech-death acts under its thumb, the label has established an ear for quality in an overindulgent niche. And as much as The Artisan Era’s output tends towards the frilly, keyboards-and-synth-orchestra side of the genre, I’m still keen to hear from their bands, and Washington’s Aethereus have my attention.” Absentia makes the heart grow brutal.

Parius – The Eldritch Realm Review

Parius – The Eldritch Realm Review

“It’s good to have friends in high places; for prospective subjects of a review here, that means being buddies with an Angry Metal Guy hall of famer. Such were the means by which I became aware of Parius, a melo-prog-tech death metal act that shares a state — and on multiple occasions, a stage — with fellow Pennsylvanians Lör, the toppers of this blog’s 2017 aggregated list. Their enthusiastic social media plugging of Parius’ second LP, The Eldritch Realm, intrigued me as it came from a group that clearly has an ear for talent. Plus, given the record’s title, it would have been an irredeemable crime to not cover it personally.” Tales of the Elitist.

Burial Invocation – Abiogenesis Review

Burial Invocation – Abiogenesis Review

“Truly am I an Angry Metal Malcontent. I haven’t enjoyed ov deep black metal since my early 20’s: I wish folk metal would collectively gather up the pointy ears and LARP the fuck off and, to make matters worse, I’m not entirely sure I’m on board with Lord Yngwie’s position that less cannot be more. While the extreme genres admittedly lend themselves to excess more readily than most, I’ll often wrap up a tech or prog record just wishing the band would take a step back and more fluidly translate their material, or perhaps highlight the weft and warp of the transitions with increased clarity.” Prog-death with extra fluid.