Who needs seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) when you’ve got Draconian?
Releases
Wobbler – Dwellers of the Deep Review
“Those of you who insist we review nothing but the purest and most extreme metal, step away from the computer. The next five paragraphs will upset and irritate you, causing you to lob hit pieces at the Huckster down in the comment section. For there is nothing remotely metal about today’s band of choice, Wobbler. This is music to prance to, not music to bang one’s head to. In fact, one has to be an El Cuervo-like old soul to truly want to dive into this band’s immaculate take on 70’s progressive rock.” Hit pieces go wobbly.
Armored Saint – Punching the Sky Review
“Armored Saint is like that comfortable pair of jeans you’ve held onto forever, steadfastly ignoring the badly frayed cuffs, rips, and discolorations that accumulate over a lifetime of wear and tear. They’re a familiar and reassuring part of your life and you’ll brook no talk of replacement. These overperforming underdogs have been delivering their hard scrabble, punchy take on heavy metal since their 1983 EP, and through the 37 years since then the only things that have really changed are their hairlines.” Fist of the Saint.
Angry Metal Primer – Armored Saint
The Saint is marching once again, so let’s look back on where they’ve been and who they conquered. People should know when they’ve been conquered.
Crippled Black Phoenix – Ellengæst Review
“I’ll open this review with the sentence I used to close my last Crippled Black Phoenix review: Crippled Black Phoenix are a band I want to like more, but the material continues to fall short of their potential. And with that thought the band’s latest album, Ellengæst, was bestowed upon me, giving me several weeks to think about how I’d be going in with high expectations and coming out feeling like I’d only eaten half a meal. A quick scan of the promo material did raise an eyebrow: the size of the band has been cut in half (CBP have always been immersed in drama), and there are a number of interesting guest vocalists as a result.” Crippled but dangerous.
Spirit Adrift – Enlightened in Eternity Review
“Look up “prolific” in the dictionary, and there’s a good chance you’ll see Nate Garrett’s name somewhere in there. Besides spending time in doom/death merchants Gatecreeper, Garrett’s also tirelessly spent energy and time with his main project, Spirit Adrift, having released three acclaimed albums in the span of four years. However, with 2020 being the year that it is, Garrett felt the need to do some massive soul-searching, choosing to focus on the more positive aspects in ourselves, and decided a massive upheaval was necessary in order to survive, let alone succeed. In doing so, he’s stepped down from the ‘creeper and put all of his energy back into his main gig. With renewed focus and a change of attitude, Enlightened in Eternity, the fourth album in five years, is upon us.” Enlighten the dark.
Madrost – Charring the Rotting Earth Review
“California’s Madrost have cultivated a solid track record of high octane thrash, spiced with deathly impulses and technical flair. The band’s last couple of efforts have made for solidly entertaining platters, packed with energy, riffs and lofty ambition. Kicking round the traps for some time now, Madrost is an underrated and confident band, continuing to improve.” Prog-rot.
Raven – Metal City Review
“Ah, Raven. Lovable goofballs from the dawn of the NWoBHM, perhaps best known for having a drummer who wore hockey equipment and their rather exuberant brand of “athletic rock.” Having been a teen during the dawn of this bygone era, I ate up most of Raven’s discography through the eighties, and played my All for One cassette to the point of it being worn out. Sadly, the band’s attempt to join the ranks of the hair metal bands with 1986’s The Pack is Back was a bad move that alienated the band’s fanbase, and they never really recovered.” Metal City. The city by the bay.
Exist – Egoiista Review
“It wasn’t until a couple of months ago that I heard of Exist. However, this Baltimore band has been around for over a decade, with their debut EP coming out back in 2010, and Egoiista is the group’s third full-length release. Most of the material here was conceived at the same time as the band’s last album, 2017’s So True, So Bound, and has been honed and refined over the past few years. Max Phelps is the leader here. He had a brief stint as guitarist in Cynic earlier this decade, and one can definitely hear that influence at times on Egoiista. This is a modern progressive metal album in the sense that it makes use of plenty of instrumental dynamics, and plenty of clean/harsh vocal transitions. Plenty of bands do this; not all succeed. So how about Exist?” Leggo my Ego!
Record(s) o’ the Month – July 2020
“Another month grinds by as we squirm in the grips of a global pandemic. Toilet paper made a big comeback recently, but most of life’s little pleasures are still off-limits or subject to restrictions and regulations. Music is still flowing though, and for that we should all be very grateful.” Music is still alive even if rumors have that AMG isn’t.
