Reviews

Record reviews

Iron Fire – Among the Dead Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on September 10, 2016 in 2016, Crime Records, Danish Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 24 comments

“Formed at the turn of the millennium and billed in their promo material as “Denmark’s best-selling power metal band,” Iron Fire have consistently put out strong records with distinctive characters. 2014’s Voyage of the Damned was perhaps their darkest album to date, sounding like a cross between Dark Tranquility and Kamelot, but with more balls. Since then the band has seen some personnel changes: original drummer Gunnar Olsen has returned to the fold, and they’re now operating as a three-piece. What does this mean for new record Among the Dead?” Big in Denmark!

Sumerlands – Sumerlands Review

By Steel Druhm on September 9, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, 39 comments

“As always, I’m dating myself with my taste in music, but so be it. Sumerlands is an unheralded act set to explode on the nostalgia-core scene with their self-titled release and let’s just say, I’m fully on board. Featuring Phil Swanson (Hour of 13, Briton Rites, et al) on vocals, Sumerlands plays exactly the kind of music I couldn’t get enough of in the late 80s/early 90s. It’s dark, brooding, traditional American metal with traces of prog and doom around the edges.” The boys of summer never sounded so olde!

Bloodnut – Blues from the Red Sons Review

By GardensTale on September 9, 2016 in 2016, New Zealand Metal, Revaulting Records, Reviews, Sludge, Stoner Rock, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, 31 comments

“I’m a big supporter of not taking yourself too seriously. From bands like Gloryhammer to movies like Tucker and Dale vs Evil, a little tongue in cheek, self deprecating humor can get you a lot of sympathy. Case in point: Bloodnut is Australian slang for redhead and the whole band pride themselves on being gingers all around. They don’t take themselves too seriously either.” Red is the new black.

In the Woods… – Pure Review

By Mark Z. on September 8, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Debemur Morti, Doom Metal, Norwegian Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, 36 comments

“I have a strange relationship with In the Woods…. Back when I was first discovering underground metal and devouring all the obscure releases I could find in the Internet’s further reaches, I remember being taken aback one night by a mysterious 1995 debut called Heart of the Ages. Both the record’s hazy cover art and the esoteric black metal contained within conveyed a haunting, archaic timelessness that, oddly enough, was so powerful it actually discouraged me from returning to the album after my initial awestruck listens. The mystique was furthered by the fact that Woods broke up in 2000 – years before I ever heard of them.” Mystique and aura aren’t just friendly girls at the local gentlemen’s club.

High Spirits – Motivator Review

By Steel Druhm on September 8, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Heavy Metal, High Roller Records, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Retro Metal, 84 comments

“Ever notice how we at AMG Conglomerated Blogworks, Ltd. spend our time bitching and carping about album length and the need for slavish adherence to the 45 Minute Rule? In an age when even EPs are running close to 40 minutes, it gets pretty hard to to uphold the “less is more” banner and remain a defender of editing and artistic restraint. Then in our darkest hour, Chris Black arrives with his High Spirits project.” Expectations and spirits are high.

Narnia – Narnia Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 7, 2016 in 2016, Neo-Classical Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Swedish Metal, Power Metal, 71 comments

“It’s not every day that you see C.S. Lewis’ name in a metal review. But a Lewis cameo is inevitable when reviewing a band called Narnia. If you’ve never heard the band before, I bet you’re picturing seven full-album concepts based on Lewis’ Narnia saga. Well, put those thoughts away because they’re wrong. This Swedish power-metal outfit does indeed have seven records, but not a single one of them is a front-to-back concept. There are the occasional Narnia-influence songs but, for the most part, the band uses Lewis’ folklore as an instrument to spread the word of God; and not in a subtle way.” I think you’ve been lion!

Evergrey – The Storm Within Review

By Steel Druhm on September 7, 2016 in 2016, AFM Records, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, 33 comments

“This time I just wasn’t ready for the bi-annual dose of inner turmoil, depressive introspection and damaged psyches that come with every Evergrey album. Personal issues have conspired to keep me away from reviewing as much as I’d like and I’ll admit to feeling a bit beaten down of late. That’s either the worst time to spin an Evergrey release or the best, depending on the level of masochism present in your twisted black heart. I personally would have preferred a brainlessly bombastic dose of barbarian metal or some hideous cheesy power metal about unicorn husbandry, but Wotan had other plans.” Storming and nothingness.

Tardive Dyskinesia – Harmonic Confusion Review

By Kronos on September 6, 2016 in 2016, Djent, Greek Metal, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Djent, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 32 comments

“I’ve commented before on the excellence of select album covers and continue to keep an eye out for the very best of the bunch, often discovering new music simply on the merits of a killer Bandcamp icon. After all, if you’re an independent band with little in the way of PR, it pays to invest in a jacket that gets a listener’s proverbial foot in the door. Such seems to be the strategy of Tardive Dyskinesia, who know that even if you have a poor memory for names, at least you’ll remember this face.” Face-palm.

Aum – Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum Review

By El Cuervo on September 6, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Death Metal, French Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 45 comments

“Just in case there was any ambiguity following the above band name and album title, yes: Aum are kvlt as fvck. Social media is unworthy of their presence. The supplied photo does that stupid intentional enigma thing. I cannot locate any information about the band besides their French nationality. Their exploration of Buddhism through the medium of blackened death metal seems confused.” Putting the K in kvlt.

Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude Review

By Kronos on September 5, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, English Metal, Releases, Reviews, Sevared Records, Death Metal, 30 comments

“One of my friends, a classicist and lover of classical music, has a few favorite metal bands he’s never heard. It’s not the music that makes him love Necrophagist or Abominable Putridity; it’s just the absurdity of their names, the contortions of language that must occur for brutality to surge forth. Unfathomable Ruination is a band he can get behind. And well he should, because it would be foolish to try to get ahead of them.” Unfathomable fanboyism.