“Despite falling broadly into the category of “death-grind,” Australia’s King Parrot are one of the most strikingly original and twisted bands to emerge lately. 2012 debut Bite Your Head Off was every bit as violent and direct as the title suggests, but set itself apart via songs with actual hooks (“Shit on the liver AGAIN!”), vocalist Matthew Young’s unique squawking style, and a deranged sense of humor furthered by the visual aesthetic of their music videos – establishing them as something like the Die Antwoord of grindcore.” We don’t always review grind, but when we do, it’s grindy.
Reviews
Record reviews
Pyramaze – Disciples of the Sun Review
“Pyramaze is a tough nut to crack and an even tougher one to anticipate or graft expectations onto. They released two very well done platters of crisp progressive power metal with Lance King at the helm in the early 2000s, the latter of which, Legend of the Bone Carver, ended up one of my favorite albums of the decade. When Lance left, they acquired the mighty Matt Barlow of Ice Earth fame and released the far heavier, very Iced Earthy Immortal. Then they fell silent and despite rumors of this singer or that joining the fold, no new material was forthcoming. Now, seven years later they finally reemerge from the Danish hinterlands with a new album, new guitarist and a new singer. But what do they sound like after so much time away? Like a completely different band, that’s what.” Are you ready to worship the sun? You better be.
Ashbringer – Vacant Review
“When one thinks of one-man black metal projects, one immed… WAIT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING!??!?!? NO, COME BACK HERE!!! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING? Yes, I know, another one-man black metal band. But this one is different, I swear! Come back… it’s okay… I love you.” It’s time for more basement metal. You love basement metal.
Nekrogoblikon – Heavy Meta Review
“We all have a little touch of crazy inside us. You know what I mean; trapped laughter that rumbles out with such force it makes your belly hurt. Sadly with all the hullabaloo and day-to-day grind we forget to stop and breath, but more importantly, we forget to laugh. American melo-death merchants, Nekrogoblikon have made it their mission to remind us that tapping into our crazy and embracing the silly is just downright necessary and I support that!” Goblins are the medium, meta is the message.
Skinless – Only the Ruthless Remain Review
“For years I’ve tried to figure out why I can’t stand Suffocation and the only reason I can come up is that they are from New York. Which gets me thinking about Skinless. Which makes me sad that they haven’t put anything out since 2006’s crushing Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead. Then it dawns on me that the real issue I have with the whole bru/oo/00tal death scene is that I just miss Skinless.” Flay it again, Sam.
Öxxö Xööx – Nämïdäë Review
“It doesn’t quite do justice to refer to Öxxö Xööx as a mere band. Reading through their biography documents a total cultural project encompassing not just the music, but art, language and philosophy. It is the veritable definition of the self-satisfaction of an ambitious artist, and a stunning depiction of arrogance.” We at AMG know unchecked arrogance when we see it.
Cult of Endtime – In Charnel Lights Review
“If being wrong about things ranks amongst your favorite hobbies, you probably answer the question of “which country has the overall best death metal scene?” with something other than “Finland.”” Finland, Finland, Finland! It’s always about Finland.
Valborg – Romantik Review
“Admittedly, Valborg’s fifth full-length Romantik was selected for review by yours truly based solely on one thing: Valborg apparently sounds like Triptykon. I know; that’s not exactly the best approach when selecting a promo. However, being the fan I am of Tom G. Warrior Inc. (look no farther than my pick for 2014’s Album of the Year), how could I go wrong?” Did someone get trick-tykoned?
Chabtan – The Kiss of Coaticue Review
“>We’re all familiar with the uncanny valley, yes? When something bears most of the aesthetic qualities of a living being, but a few crucial little details are off and the whole thing gives you the heebie-jeebies? Metal has such a valley, and the ambiguous beast called “modern metal” lives there.” We know you all secretly love deathcore.
Secrets of the Sky – Pathway Review
“It’s a rare occurrence when a band completely floors me with a debut release. Not just show bright glimmers of potential mind you, but seriously blindside me with a sound that is fresh, unique and remarkably well developed for a first release. Such was the case when Oakland’s Secrets of the Sky seemingly emerged from nowhere with their brilliant opus To Sail Black Waters in 2013.” The hype is strong with this one.