Record reviews
“The first thing that came to mind when this death metal Colombian necktie of an EP came across my radar is the similarly-titled 2007 King Diamond album, Give Me Your Soul…Please. Like every King release of the past few decades, a disappointing slab that folks bolstered up higher than they should have because we all love King so damn much.” But is this a diamond in the rough?
“Longtime readers of this blog know that I have a fraught relationship with Enslaved. Once one of my favorite bands, these Norwegian Viking metallers’ releases between 2003’s Below the Lights and 2008’s Vertebrae make for one of those unbroken strings of heavy metal glory that few bands ever unleash. Unfortunately for me, since 2008’s masterpiece, the band has released two records (Axioma Ethica Odini and RIITIIR) which left me cold.” So, what’ll it be? Will In Times be another disappointment for Ye Olde Angry Metale Guye?
“I don’t think it’s any secret that I love me some good ole fashioned black metal. I like it old and cold, trebly and chaotic, raspy and harsh. When done correctly, not even the above-average, desert temperatures can keep my spine from growing cold or force me to remove my Darkthrone hoodie.” Leave it to Satan to keep spines frosty and cold.
“Rogga Johasson gets more time in the AMG spotlight than any other artist (yes, even including Jorn the Mighty). With more musical projects than anyone can keep track of, the man is everywhere in the Swedish death metal scene all at once, all the time. The Grotesquery is yet another of his myriad projects, this one teaming him with death metal legend Kam Lee (Massacre, Denial Fiend) and members of Demiurg….” Dick Tracy meets John Wayne Gacy? Could work…maybe. And stick around for the surprise bonus!
“One visit to The Monolith Deathcult’s website or Facebook page and you’ll instantly have the same problem I do when trying to take these guys seriously. I mean, come on. If you met me in a bar and I was holding a baseball bat, outfitted in atrocious sunglasses, and sucking on a cigar, you’d be looking to trade me for the lead man of Bad Guys as your designated wingman, and rightly so.” No one’s getting lucky tonight.
“Spectral Darkwave seems very confused. Last First Contact is a testament to the fact that it’s better to nail one style than incorporate many seemingly for the sake of it. Fusing strains of death-doom, melodeath, classical and electronic, it’s rare that it all functions as a cohesive package.” Anyone up for some genre stew?
“The art of the comeback is tough to master, and the odds are against any band who decides to return to the fold after years of inactivity; the weight of nostalgia, expectations, and respecting an artistic legacy make for a heavy burden. Germany’s Morgoth have returned, bearing the burden to bring the unwashed masses a full LP of death metal after teasing us with two new songs last year on the God is Evil EP.” Everything gets a return, and it’s time for Morgoth to get their just returnage.
“Talk about coming full circle. I remember visiting the pages of Angry Metal Guy for the first time in 2010 and reading the review for Heidevolk’s Uit oude grond by our esteemed Mr. Angry Metal Guy. I bought that album and the two previous ones that fucking day (so don’t lose too much sleep over spending money on AMG recommendations; it’s been happening for years).” We review, you buy. That’s just how it folking works, sheeples!
“As an employee in a soul-sucking government bureaucracy, I’ve heard plenty of hollow buzzwords over the years. But amidst the ‘paradigm shifts’ and ‘synergy’ is a phrase I’ve always thought had actual merit: ‘disciplined initiative.’ Meaning: don’t be afraid to dream and try new things – but maintain quality control. Keep a grip on reality. Don’t fling a bunch of shit around in the name of innovation. It applies as much to the workplace as it does to music. Case in point: Canada’s Éohum.” Prepare to expand your bandwidth with this piece of educational mindshare.
“Dramatis Personæ is the sound of a band trying to relocate the European orchestral metal canon into their snakey and spidery Southern-Hemispherical home. Australia’s Rise of Avernus would love to have Fleshgod Apocalypse’s authentic Italian heritage of classical music and opera informing their extremity – it’s this quality which made Oracles so ground-breaking.” They can’t all be Italian….
