2010

Annotations of an Autopsy – The Reign of Darkness Review

Annotations of an Autopsy – The Reign of Darkness Review

Every once in a while a record just jumps out at you and kicks your ass every which way. The originality, the brutality, everything that you want from death metal just hits you right in the face and leaves you dazed, but pleased. The Reign of Darkness, the sophomore release of UK death metallers (or deathcorers if you read the interwebs, though I’m inclined to just call this death metal) is not one of those records. And while it can be very difficult to write about just how good a band is or how bad a band is, I find the most difficult reviews to write the ones where you have to say “I don’t like it, but you might if this is your thing.”

Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR Review

Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR Review

Few bands will ever make their own mark on a genre of music. it’s just a statistical rarity. Someone once told me that there are something like 5 million bands on MySpace, if that gives you an idea of the breadth which exists when one is thinking in terms of how many musicians there are out there. Of those, most of them probably last longer than a year, never produce much of a demo much less get signed to a real label, and how many ever produce a real step forward into a new decade with a statement of great things to come? The chances of becoming a professional musician are basically NIL and then of the number that do, how many ever produce something that will be remembered and affect enough listeners to ever influence any? That number is even smaller. Orphaned Land is one of the few bands that will ever exact change in metal and they are doing so now with their new record The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR.

Mnemic – Sons of the System Review

Mnemic – Sons of the System Review

Mnemic has been around in the ether for a while but I’ve never given them a proper listen until now. The band has good promo, they’ve toured Europe twice with metal giants (like ’em or not) Metallica, they look like real metal dudes and they’ve got cred because a couple people I know compared them to Meshuggah back when they first came out. Unfortunately, Sons of the System sounds a lot less like Meshuggah and a lot more like Sonic Syndicate. This record is another convergence point for things that I’m not really keen on in the world of metal and I’ll give you a short run-down.

Orphaned Land Post a New Track on Myspace and get Confirmed for Wacken!

Orphaned Land Post a New Track on Myspace and get Confirmed for Wacken!

One of this Angry Metal Guy’s most-anticipated records of 2010 is definitely Orphaned Land’s forthcoming record The Never Ending Way of the ORwarriOR (which, btw, I’ll be posting a review of shortly). According to a press-release that I received today have put up a new track on MySpace “Disciples of the Sacred Oath II”. This song is awesome (actually the whole album is awesome) and everyone should go check it out. There are already two tracks up there, the first single “Sapari” and “Vayeh OR”, both of which are also excellent. Here’s the presser:

In Mourning – Monolith Review

In Mourning – Monolith Review

In 2008 the underground was taken by storm by a little-known Swedish progressive death metal band called In Mourning that released a tour de force entitled Shrouded Divine. A powerful combination of melodic death metal, Opeth-y style progressive bits and death metal with just a touch of core (trust me, just a touch), they were ranked highly on many year end lists and, frankly, left a bit of an impression on this Angry Metal Guy. See, there is life past Opeth in Swedish progressive metal, something that I had been coming to doubt. In Mourning managed to put out a record that had all of the great heaviness and thickness that one wants in a death metal record, while still managing to keep the haunting progressive parts fresh and interesting. The question is can they keep it up? Is it possible that they’re able to follow up such a lauded record with something even better?

Borknagar Details Revealed!

Borknagar Details Revealed!

Well, apparently this is another two (or possibly three if you count Gravisphere) Andreas Hedlund (Vintersorg, Otyg, Havayoth, etc.) record year. The first of the year will be the February 22nd release of Universal by Borknagar! Yes, yes, yes! I’m very interested to hear this album, as the stuff that I’ve heard thus far has been fantastic.

Blaze Bayley Tour Dates and Release Information

Blaze Bayley Tour Dates and Release Information

More information on Blaze Bayley’s 2010 release Promise and Terror were released today including some tour dates! The new album will be released on the first of February (01-Feb-2010) and will be available on the band’s website for presale as of the 1st of December! Each pre-ordered copy will be signed by the band.

New Blaze Bayley Record

Blaze Bayley has a new record on the way and as of today the band has released more information about it. Here’s something from the official presser about it: Former Iron Maiden/Wolfsbane frontman Blaze Bayley has set “Promise and Terror” as the title of his new album, tentatively due on February 1, 2010. The CD […]