Reviews

Record reviews

A Swarm of the Sun – The Rifts Review

By Steel Druhm on February 1, 2015 in 2015, Doom Metal, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Version Studio Records, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 24 comments

“As my home gets buried under layers of ice and snow, an album arrives to bring that same bleak midwinter experience to everyone, no matter how sunny and tropical their geo-positioning. A Swarm of the Sun is a deeply depressive post-metal, atmospheric doom duo from Sweden, and their sophomore album The Rifts brings you all the isolation, cold and melancholy of being trapped in a cabin surrounded by nothing but whiteness, death and frozen silence.” Tired of feeling positive and happy? This will fix that, maybe permanently.

Callisto – Secret Youth Review

By Mark Z. on February 1, 2015 in 2015, Finnish Metal, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Post-Metal, Progressive Rock, 5 comments

“Post-metal had something of a heyday in the last decade, with seemingly everyone on the Internet gushing over Isis’ Panopticon, Neurosis’ Given to the Rising, and whatever Cult of Luna and Pelican were up to. While there’s still quality post-metal coming out today (The Ocean’s Pelagial in 2013, Beak’s debut last year), I think it’s safe to say the genre is no longer as in vogue as it once was.” And if you don’t have vogue, what do you have?

Hate – Crusade: Zero Review

By Madam X on January 30, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Death Metal, Napalm Records, Polish Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 41 comments

“Polish band Hate are adding to their already dense blackened death catalogue. Crusade: Zero makes its presence known two years after the release of Solarflesh, and while I’m excited Hate are making a speedy return, I’ve felt some apprehension that they’ll suffer the same criticisms they’ve been labelled with in the past…” Mini-Behemoth is back and filled with hateful respect…for Behemoth.

Steve Rothery – The Ghosts of Pripyat Review

By Roquentin on January 30, 2015 in 2015, English Metal, InsideOut, Not Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Not Metal, Progressive Rock, 17 comments

“If I were tasked to imagine what a typical instrumental progressive rock album led by a guitar virtuoso sounded like, I’d probably envision exactly the music that Steve Rothery and co. prepared for his first real solo album. Created with the help of fans through crowdfunding and riding on a wave of ideas cultivated for the better part of 30 years, The Ghosts of Pripyat once again shows just what kind of a creative mastermind and a driving force behind Marillion Steve Rothery actually was.” Instrumental prog rock? On a metal site? Yes!

Visigoth – The Revenant King Review

By Steel Druhm on January 28, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, 47 comments

“I wasn’t aware how much I needed my ass kicked by some epic, trve metal of the olden style until said ass kicking was delivered by Utah’s Visigoth and their debut, The Revenant King. Their mega hefty, uber manly metal owes a lot to ancestors like Grand Magus, Argus, Sinister Realm and of course, Manila Road, and naturally, they specialize in long, bulky odes to swords, battle and honor (“Oathcore” for short).” The barbarians were at the gates and they left a giant wooden beer. Let’s go get it!

Venom – From the Very Depths Review

By Al Kikuras on January 27, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Spinefarm, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, 32 comments

“If you’ve clicked on over to Angry Metal Guy and need an introduction to Venom, you’re probably at the wrong web site, lady. My obsession with this band started at the ripe old age of eight or so and has never really faltered….” The original Lords of Chaos are back to prove…something. Are they still at war with Satan, or just yelling at kids to get off their lawn?

Cóndor – Duin Review

By Grymm on January 26, 2015 in 2015, Colombian Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Gomorrah Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 24 comments

“If there’s anything that can be gleamed about the giant web that is the world of heavy metal, it’s that you can always draw influence from outside of the genre’s comfort zone to provide a fresh flavor to the oftentimes stagnant scene. Whether it’s pulling from other sounds beyond metal, bringing in a new philosophical or religious slant, or simply injecting your culture into your sound, it’s pretty much guaranteed that, good or bad, you will be remembered.” Is Condor ready to be remembered?

U.D.O. – Decadent Review

By Steel Druhm on January 25, 2015 in 2015, AFM Records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 14 comments

“Except for AC/DC, few acts are as unchanging, predictable and satisfying as U.D.O. Since departing from Accept in 1996, Udo Dirkschneider has been a one man Germanic metal sweat shop, mass producing albums with startling regularity and consistency. While his style never strays far from what Accept did in their prime, the unsinkable lawn gnome of metal has made it his mission to keep the 80s sound alive.” Giving you exactly the same metal since the early 80s, Udo is prepared to give just a little more. He’s a giver…of metal.

Periphery – Juggernaut Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on January 25, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Djent, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sumerian Records, Djent, Progressive Metal, 79 comments

“Believe it or not, we tend to research the bands we review here, even if it’s occasionally more tempting just to mash our palms against the keyboard for five hundred words, assign an arbitrary score, then knock off down to the pub. This week has, therefore, seen me listening to an unhealthy amount of the genre that discerning metalheads love to hate: djent (the ‘d’ is silent).” Djent is a challenging genre, but then again, a double album of material can make any genre challenging. We like challenges.

Winds of Genocide – Usurping the Throne of Disease Review

By Mark Z. on January 24, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Crust Punk, Death Metal, English Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Pulverised Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hardcore, 5 comments

“Usurping the Throne of Disease gave me two things: one, a delightfully rotten piece of blackened death-crust (which, typing it out now, actually sounds more like a spicy appetizer than a genre); and two, a reason to move past my failed no-jerking-off New Year’s resolution and slave away at a review that will, inevitably, be given the ‘Quilted Northern’ treatment by my Great Overlord.” I like my crust blackened and radioactive with a side order of cold saw.