Rating

Black Sun Aeon – Darkness Walks Beside Me Review

By Angry Metal Guy on July 1, 2009 in 2009, 4.0, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Stay Heavy Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 3 comments

I have often commented that Finland is really producing the best metal in the world right now. Of course, when I say that I’m usually associating with bands like Moonsorrow, Finntroll or Amorphis, but apparently I’ve been leaving out a band from that whole list because they’re on a small label: Black Sun Aeon. Right now I’m going to add Black Sun Aeon to the pantheon of excellent metal coming from Finland, but unlike those other bands, they’re not wandering on the folk/viking side of things, but instead they’re doing more old-fashioned mid-paced death, intermingled with a doomy goth element that I haven’t heard done well for a long time.

Riverside – Anno Domini High Definition Review

By Angry Metal Guy on June 30, 2009 in 2009, 4.5, Blog Posts, InsideOut, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 1 comment

Riverside – Anno Domini High Definition Rating: 4.5/5.0 – Excellent composition – Stays with the listener for days Label: Inside Out Music Websites: myspace.com/riversidepl | riverside.art.pl Riverside was a band that I approached with some caution. I’ve often been unimpressed with progressive metal in the modern era. Not just unimpressed, but often so much as […]

Suicide Silence – No Time to Bleed Review

By Angry Metal Guy on June 30, 2009 in 2.5, 2009, American Metal, Century Media, Deathcore, Reviews, Deathcore, 0 comments

Suicide Silence – No Time to Bleed Rating: 2.5/5.0 – Excellence offset by core Label: Century Media Websites: myspace.com/suicidesilence | suicidesilence.net (last updated 2005) Suicide Silence is a study of oppositesâ€”a dichotomy of sorts.Â On the one hand, they appear to be a talented band, musically varied, very interesting and capable of building intense grooves.Â […]

Death Maze – Prodigy of Death Review

By Angry Metal Guy on June 26, 2009 in 2009, 3.5, Death Metal, Rating, Releases, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Unsigned Bands, Death Metal, 2 comments

Death Maze – Prodigy of Death Rating: 3.5/5.0 – Very good Label: Unsigned Website: myspace.com/deathmazeswe Few unsigned bands in Sweden have been getting the kind of press that UmeÃ¥’s Death Maze has gotten in the last 6 months or so. There are probably a few reasons for this, firstly, there are a lot of unsigned […]

Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage (II) Review

By Angry Metal Guy on June 25, 2009 in 2.5, 2009, American Metal, Metalcore, MySpace, Reviews, Roadrunner, Metalcore, 0 comments

Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage Rating: 2.5/5.0 – Good for a band I thought was a mediocre institution, but not terribly special Label: Roadrunner Records Websites: killswitchengage.com | myspace.com/killswitchengage Killswitch Engage is pretty much the institution of metalcore on this planet, having artistically trimmed the genre into a tightly packaged, perfectly polished formula which appeals […]

Diemertus – To See Skies Fall Review

By Angry Metal Guy on June 25, 2009 in 2009, 3.0, American Metal, Deathcore, MySpace, Reviews, Unsigned Bands, WIMetal.org, Death Metal, 1 comment

Diemertus – To See Skies Fall (Demo/EP 2009) Rating: 3.0/5.0 – Good demo, has room for growth and improvement Label: Unsigned Website: myspace.com/diemertus Frankly, I had no idea what to expect when I was given Shorewood, Wisconsin-based Diemertus’ EP To See Skies Fall to review.Â Of the bands from Wisco that I’m familiar with, they […]

Pain of Salvation – The Second Death of Pain of Salvation

By Angry Metal Guy on June 17, 2009 in 2009, 3.0, Labels, Progressive Metal, Reviews, SPV, Swedish Metal, Progressive Metal, 1 comment

Pain of Salvation – The Second Death of Pain of Salvation Rating: 3.0/5.0 – Live records don’t get much better than just Good Label: Inside Out Music Band Websites: painofsalvation.com | myspace.com/painofsalvation Pain of Salvation is definitely the modern darling of the progressive rock/metal scene for a reason.Â Their intense musicianship, varied work and extraordinarily […]

Stratovarius – Polaris

By Angry Metal Guy on June 4, 2009 in 2.0, 2009, Finnish Metal, Labels, Power Metal, Releases, Reviews, Sanctuary, Power Metal, 7 comments

Stratovarius are serious veterans of good ol’ fashioned Euro Power Metal and despite the never-ending rush of silliness that surrounded this band for roughly the last three years–they have still managed to put out an album of middling quality in time. A record of middling quality, you say? Why yes, says I. All Stratovarius records are of middling quality, some are just more middling than others. Some say that this band is the pinnacle of all Finnish power metal bands–but if one listens to Polaris they’d never know that.

Vienna Teng – Inland Territory

By Angry Metal Guy on June 3, 2009 in 2009, 5.0, Not Metal, Releases, Reviews, 17 comments

Every Angry Metal Guy has a soft side, right? Not necessarily. I think lots of angry metal guys sort of lack soft sides, at least when it comes to music–which is a shame, because they often miss very musically interesting records that are being put out by other bands and musicians throughout the world. Sure, I agree that the majority of what pop music has to offer is pointless, unentertaining, drivel that hurts me somewhere deep down inside… Regardless of the state of pop music, though, every once in a while you stumble onto an artist that somehow manages to bridge that gap between the angry, stubborn four year-old who just wants to hate things that don’t fit into his very small view of the world and your inner connoisseur who is willing to set aside those judgements to just enjoy excellence when confronted with it.