2015

Angra – Secret Garden Review

Angra – Secret Garden Review

By Angry Metal Guy on January 15, 2015 in 2015, Brazilian Metal, EarMusic records, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, 54 comments

“Angra needs no introduction. The band has been a power metal fixture since the early 1990s and are one of the biggest metal bands to ever breach the borders of their native Brazil. Still, the last decade(ish) has been rocky for these guys, and you might not be blamed for having thought they called it quits. Not only did half the band quit in the early-aughts to go and start Shaman, but they’ve had dust-ups with management and were put on hold—even having been mistakenly reported as split-up entirely. Hell, between 2010’s Aqua and the release of Secret Garden they lost both a singer—who was replaced by Rhapsody [of Fire]’s Fabio Lione—and got a new 23 year-old drummer to boot. Consistency has been hard to come by for Angra of late.” Mr. The Metal Guy takes on Angra’s newest record. Does he bite the cheese?

Slug Lord – Transmutation Review

Slug Lord – Transmutation Review

By El Cuervo on January 14, 2015 in 2015, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, MDD Records, Reviews, Sludge, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, Sludge Metal, 9 comments

““Five overlength songs of Sludge-Doom-Metal.” This is the opening statement made of Slug Lord’s sophomore release, Transmutation, on their one sheet. As far as inspirational and enthusing promotional materials go, this resides somewhere next to “chlamydia – perhaps the most average of all sexually-transmitted infections” and “Volvo – the best example of Swedish culture.”” Prepare the salt baths!

Einherjer – Av Oss, For Oss Review

Einherjer – Av Oss, For Oss Review

By Grymm on January 13, 2015 in 2015, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Viking Metal, Viking Metal, 13 comments

“Norway’s Einherjer were a band I always meant to check out, but never got around to back in the late 90’s. With all the big releases that were popping up left and right back then, it was hard to keep up in the days before the Internet, and with me being a young’n with limited funds and no means to check out bands save for issues of Metal Maniacs, I was thrown out of the loop on many groups, Einherjer among them.” These chaps are vestiges from the olden days of Viking metal, but once a Viking, always a Viking!

6:33 – Deadly Scenes Review

6:33 – Deadly Scenes Review

By Roquentin on January 13, 2015 in 2015, Avante Garde, French Metal, Kaotoxin Records, Reviews, 11 comments

“Avant-garde metal as a subgenre nowadays is really devoid of meaning. Nothing more than an umbrella term to include all those bands that don’t fit neatly onto well-established shelves of “traditional” metal styles. In other words, it has become shorthand for “this is weird.”” The weird don’t need to fit in, but they should expect some wedgies nonetheless.

Desolate Shrine – The Heart of the Netherworld Review

Desolate Shrine – The Heart of the Netherworld Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on January 12, 2015 in 2015, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 23 comments

“Great, for my first review of 2015 I have a cold. My head is a slime factory, and some genius cephalic operations manager has decided that the best place to store the snot-stock awaiting delivery to my nostrils is behind my eardrums. I’m fortunate that the band I’m reviewing is Desolate Shrine, then, as their ultra-dense death metal is one of the few things powerful enough to penetrate through the aural mucus wall.” Tastes like death, but it’s snot.

Orden Ogan – Ravenhead Review

Orden Ogan – Ravenhead Review

By Steel Druhm on January 12, 2015 in 2015, AFM Records, German Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 40 comments

“Orden Ogan has a name that greatly irritates me, but they’ve been a positive force in Euro-power over the years with semi classics like Vale, Easton Hope and the very respectable To The End. What I always enjoyed about them was how effectively they could fuse the vintage sounds of countrymen Rage and Blind Guardian into something enjoyable and at least partially unique.” Love the player, hate the name. That’s just how it goes sometimes.

The Crown – Death Is Not Dead

The Crown – Death Is Not Dead

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 11, 2015 in 2015, Century Media, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 48 comments

“Honestly, I haven’t been excited for a new release from The Crown in a long time. For one, the quality of their releases has slowly declined since their epic Hell Is Here debut back in 1999.” These cats have an uneven history with more than their share of lineup issues, but they’re back and we have opinions (and some of them are silly).

Gnosis – The Third Eye Gate Review

Gnosis – The Third Eye Gate Review

By Al Kikuras on January 10, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Black Metal, Nuclear War Now! Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 14 comments

“There is a duality I struggle with any time I have to write a review. As a critic, I listen to an album and try to find the good things along with the bad. As a musician, I know that criticism stings. If you’ve read more than one review here at AMG, you know that we don’t write fluff. We don’t pander to the labels or the bands. It’s our mission to be unmerciful.” Lots of hand wringing and Hamlet-esque internal struggles went into this review. Angst Rating: 9.5.