Record reviews
“Having finally stepped out from the shadow of Roman numerals and single-track full-length albums, the French Monolithe has returned with their fifth LP, Epsilon Aurigae. I considered Monolithe IV a slight regression from the monumental Monolithe III, and it seems the decision taken to step away from the established formula (which had already been more-or-less perfected by III) was a smart one.” Attach the Rock of Triumph again!
“I like my death metal like the Swedes like their herrings: putrefied to the point of being potentially hazardous to consumers. Come to think of it, that’s also how the Swedes like their death metal. No wonder I’ve been enjoying the waves of throwback Swedeath that have splashed across my eardrums with remarkable frequency since Bloodbath’s debut re-popularized the Stockholm sound over ten years ago. But even the pungent flavor of semi-rotten fish becomes bland and unsatisfying when consumed in bulk, and so it is with retro death metal.” When is too much really too much?
“Whether you know it or not, Jon Mikl Thor is a living legend. His bizarre 40 year journey through the entertainment wood chipper has taken him to the disparate worlds of bodybuilding, live quasi-porn theater, proto-heavy metal and Grade-Z horror films. Through it all and come what may, the amiable Canadian Juggernaut just keeps smiling and flexing away, forever awaiting his big break.” The hammer will fall on all those who deny Thor’s trveness.
Ladies and germs, we have come to that time of year where we prepare for the holidays. Trees are cut down and decorated garishly, propped up in living rooms for approximately one month before being tossed aside or used as kindling in your fiery pits of Hades. But us writers? We’re putting together our lists, checking them twice, and solidifying them for all to see. Does German black metal duo Kvltist have the chops to usurp my solidified year-end collection of subjective metal importance with their debut, Catechesis?” Grymm has a list and he’s checking it thrice.
“We’ve come a long way from “No Core No Mosh No Trends No Fun” haven’t we? Straying incredibly far from Euronymous’ proposed attitude for black metal, we now have a record from Root guitarist Blackosh’s eponymous solo project about three things that I like: Whores, Booze & Black Metal. Combining good things doesn’t always work though; have you ever made a steak, scotch, and hamburger shake? I haven’t either, but it would probably be repulsive.” But this has whores!
“It’s difficult striking out into the musical mire in the Internet era. There are almost-literally limitless bands out there vying for the contents of your wallet and it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. The Moth Gatherer seem to genuinely offer something a bit different: their sophomore album The Earth is the Sky is something akin to Agalloch but with more doom and less earthy production, or Secrets of the Sky but with more post-rock tendencies.” Like moths to the flame, hipsters come to post-metal.
“There are times where I suspect that this website exerts some sort of observer effect on the bands we review. AMG writers have had several interactions with musicians that likely influenced their output, and at least one band that seems to have reunited for no reason other than being in a 90’s Metal Weirdness column here. This brings me to international tech-death collective Serocs, whose album The Next was critiqued here a couple years ago.” Respect our authoritah!
“Being the black metal fan I am, I’ve scared many a girlfriend with my devil-worshiping, goat-sacrificing practices; which – according to these people – are not the result of the music but because that’s who I am and why I listen to metal music. All people have opinions and metal fans are no different. Many were recently offended because of the semi-regular appearance of the Christian deity in this year’s releases. As you can probably surmise, Signum Regis is here to continue this God-fearing trend.” We’re reviewing so much godly music lately that we may qualify for tax exempt status!
“When I hear ‘sludge,’ I have a very specific sound in mind. I want wretched vocals, whiskey-soaked guitar riffs, and lyrics about living at the absolute nadir of human existence. I want it to live up to its name, flooding the sonic landscape with riffs that sound like they were written in an abandoned warehouse during an opium binge. Thus, I was a bit disappointed when first researching Ontario’s Adrenechrome and finding that the ‘sludge’ tag often used to describe them is, alas, very loosely applied.” What’s wrong with happy-go-lucky sludge?
“The holidays are nearly upon us, and your favorite gore fiends are back from the dissection convention with a new EP titled Skull Grinder, perfect for jamming in the stockings alongside the usual yule entrails and raw meat. Apparently intended as a vinyl only release, Skull Grinder offers seven new tracks of raw, sloppy and unhinged American death metal and it’s as endearing and gonzo as ever.” The gift that keeps on grinding.
