Progressive Death

Inanimate Existence – Under a Melting Sky Review

By Kronos on August 23, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, The Artisan Era, Technical Death Metal, 36 comments

“I love to see a band you can’t quite pin down. I picked up the thread on Inanimate Existence with their sophomore effort, A Never Ending Cycle of Atonement, an album which couldn’t decide whether to be brutal or proggy — and was much better at the latter. Then came Calling from a Dream, and a radical redirection towards the band’s strengths. It was concise, melodic, interesting, and above all, memorable, an experiment in storytelling and fantasy that worked remarkably well. Just a year later, the band is back, this time with yet another new direction.” Tech-mech.

Execration – Return to the Void Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on July 20, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Progressive Death, Black Metal, Death Metal, 38 comments

“It’s easy to wonder if death metal is currently in the midst of an existential crisis. In one sense, it perpetually is; its obsession with mortality is such that everyone from Martin Heidegger to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine would tell the genre to chill out a bit. On the other hand, the acts that find themselves popular with critics wear a different sort of existential crisis on their sleeves, one of existential malaise. As one should always be wary of virtually everything that critics (along with intellectuals and “experts”) tell them, everyone ought to be extremely cautious about the “future” of death metal and the current state of the classic sound. Norway’s Execration is one of the bands in the thick of this existential crisis.” Musical Pokemon.

Beyond Grace – Seekers Review

By Ferrous Beuller on July 10, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, English Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 81 comments

“If perhaps, you have had the misfortune of laboring through any of my previous reviews, you may have picked up on my shameless love of death metal. You may have also noticed I’m a little picky when it comes to that genre’s melodic side. There’s nothing insightful in my complaint – I just find a lot of it to be somewhat toothless, and death by gums is no way to go. Beyond Grace, know these tenets well, and if debut album Seekers is anything to go by, won’t be happy until we’ve all been consumed by an omnidirectional wave of death metal to bleed the brain and skin the soul.” Melodeath, camels and conquest.

Madrost – The Essence of Time Matches No Flesh Review

By Saunders on July 2, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Unsigned Bands, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, 43 comments

“One of my earliest review assignments here at Angry Metal Guy was for the sophomore album from unsigned Orange County thrashers Madrost. With the benefit of hindsight I was a tad generous with the scoring, however,Into the Aquatic Sector proved a highly competent and ripping affair of sci-fi themed retro thrash, bolstered by death and prog elements. Fast forward to 2017 and Madrost is back for another round of thrashing fun, but this time the musical quotient has been flipped.” Sector Vektor eat them all.

Artificial Brain – Infrared Horizon Review

By Kronos on April 20, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Profound Lore Records, Progressive Death, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 82 comments

“With the release of Labyrinth Constellation in 2014, New York’s Artificial Brain won themselves an immediate following of fans and critics alike, myself included. With a shudder and a scream, Labyrinth Constellation pulled me by the throat out into a borderless realm of cavernous sci-fi horror as bizarre as it was enticing. The album managed to feel vast without losing the down-to-earth grit of death metal, and even among other Gorguts-influenced groups, Artificial Brain had created a unique sound and a fantastic debut. Following that up will be difficult.” Upgrade or system error?

Persefone – Aathma Review

By Ferrous Beuller on March 2, 2017 in 2017, Andorran Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, ViciSolum Productions, 64 comments

“Cherry picking the best parts of acts as diverse as Symphony X, Opeth, Arcturus and even Pain of Salvation, whilst focusing them through an unmistakably melodeath filter, Persefone manages to be impressive from pretty much all angles.” Name dropping is both art and science.

Sunless – Urraca Review

By Saunders on February 21, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, Progressive Death, Technical Death Metal, 44 comments

“They say it’s important to remain challenged, to help stave off boredom and keep the motivation and creative fires burning. Life certainly throws up plenty of challenges without invitation in our fast-paced and volatile modern world. But with music, and extreme metal, in particular, we have a unique outlet and greater control to challenge ourselves. Unfortunately, it’s easy to rest on our laurels and stay firmly entrenched in our comfort zones.” Into the riff maelstrom.

Nailed to Obscurity – King Delusion Review

By Steel Druhm on January 27, 2017 in 2017, Apostasy Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, German Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 59 comments

“One of the best parts of the job of a music reviewer is stumbling across new, relatively unknown bands that deserve attention for what they’re doing. In what I hope is a good omen for the year, I’ve already encountered my first left-field surprise with Germany’s Nailed to Obscurity. As their name ironically suggests, these chaps have been toiling away without much attention, but King Delusion may be about to change that for the better. Nailed play an interesting fusion of death/doom and post-metal, and as the album unfolded, the list of bands their style borrows from grew long and prestigious indeed.” Nailed it!

Yer Metal is Olde: Edge of Sanity – Crimson

By GardensTale on January 25, 2017 in Black Mark Production, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Swedish Metal, Yer Metal Is Olde, 47 comments

“Dan Swanö. The name won’t mean much to the public at large. “Sounds Swedish,” some might say. “Is he an IKEA designer?” You facepalm, shake your head and move on. But sometimes, every now and then, you find yourself opposite another discerning metal listener. You drop the name, and a knowing smile spreads on their face. Because they know. They know that Dan is The Man.” When The Man comes around.

Concert Review: Ulcerate, Zhrine, Phobocosm, and Vukari at Reggie’s, Chicago, Illinois – November 27th, 2016

By Kronos on January 8, 2017 in American Metal, Bindrune Recordings, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Icelandic Metal, Live Reviews, New Zealand Metal, Progressive Death, Relapse, Season of Mist, Technical Death Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 22 comments

“So it was with great portent that night fell upon Reginald’s Emporium of the Fine Arts, cloaking Chicago in a sickly sodium glow. Just on the edge of Chinatown, next to a bombed-out taco joint under the Green Line, brutality was brewing, summoned in darkness from the ragged edges of the Earth. And as the sun set, than the venue was assailed by… no one at all.” The abyss is a lonely place.