Reviews

Record reviews

Audrey Horne – Pure Heavy Review

By Steel Druhm on September 15, 2014 in 2014, Heavy Metal, Napalm Records, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 26 comments

“It pains me to say it, but the best American rock band hails from Norway. Their name is Audrey Horne and they’re mercy ruling the competition out of the game. This brilliant, idiot-manchild side project of Ice Dale (Enslaved) and Thomas Tofthagen (Sahg) has blazed a shockingly catchy trail of pure rock lunacy since 2005s Confessions and Alcohol. Their eponymous 2010 album was a positively brilliant amalgam of Faith No More and Stone Temple Pilots, surpassed only by 2013s Youngblood for skin snagging hooks and mega memorable rock anthems. This is the kind of band that serves up frothy, foamy good times music with so much swagger they can barely walk in a straight line. That’s right, it’s big pimpin, hard rocking, dirty rolling, greasy rock that sticks to the ribs and makes you cooler just by listening.” Resistance is futile, you will be converted to the Horde of Horne.

Myrkur – Myrkur Review

By Saunders on September 15, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Danish Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 17 comments

“The old PR hype machine has been cranking out the pre-release superlatives and playing up the mystery surrounding the debut EP from Scandinavian one woman black metal project Myrkur. Typical of male dominance in the metal community, the gender novelty has been thrown around, however it’s the identity of this apparently Danish born artist that has raised much speculation and underground sleuthing from dedicated metalheads.” We love a mystery here at AMG, and this one is a riddle wrapped in an enigma and coated with Scandinavian ice.

Nostril Caverns – Inside the Cell/The Dying’s Last Breath Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on September 14, 2014 in 2014, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Death Metal, Grind, 1 comment

“Nostril Caverns is a bizarre entity for more reasons than the incredible name. It’s the creative repository for one Chris Balch’s musical outpourings – he plays all the instruments and vocalizes – which over the past few years have included records of free jazz improv, tech-grind, noise, and a concept album about couples eating dinner at a restaurant. At this point you’re probably wondering whether Mr. Balch’s lack of band-mates is entirely of his own choosing.” This guy did a metal My Dinner With Andre? Now I can die in peace because I’ve heard it all.

A New World – Intimate Music from Final Fantasy Review

By Angry Metal Guy on September 13, 2014 in 2014, Not Metal, Reviews, Classical, 9 comments

I’ve written elsewhere that metal isn’t always just about the use of heavy drums or distorted guitars. I suspect most metalheads would agree that Wagner is straight up metal. When I reviewed Pale Communion recently, I was struck by how “metal” some of the structures of the record were—despite lacking these trappings. In that same review, I jokingly referenced Anathema’s Weather Systems, where I declared “You can take the dirty hippy out of metal, but you can’t take the metal out of the dirty hippy!” That record, in all its post-Pink Floyd glory is a testament to the fact that often times the trappings of that which is metal is more about being epic, layered, and intense. Intimate Music from Final Fantasy also falls into this category: things that are metal, but not metal.

Aphyxion – Earth Entangled Review

By Mark Z. on September 13, 2014 in 2014, Danish Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, Mighty Music, Reviews, Death Metal, 4 comments

“The past two years have put to death the oft-spoken cliché that only young hungry bands make exciting music anymore. 2014 alone has given us career highlights from genre titans Vader and Behemoth, while last year’s Gorguts/Carcass one-two comeback punch still has me walking around like our gore-obsessed friends across the pond personally shoved their captive bolt pistol up my ass. Now on the eve of an At the Gates reunion record, it’s no surprise newcomers like Denmark’s Aphyxion have trouble finding a place to surface in the churning sea of the current scene. Even with three EPs and over 100 shows logged since forming in 2007, their debut album Earth Entangled shows them fighting their damnedest to breathe as a modern metal group.” I hear mercy drownings are on the rise these days….

Xerath – III Review

By Kronos on September 12, 2014 in 2014, Candlelight, Death Metal, English Metal, Groove Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Death Metal, Groove Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 12 comments

“Let’s face it: traditional symphonic metal is a playground of melodrama that’s nowhere near brutal enough. That’s why Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septicflesh (get mad about that concretion) are such popular bands – no matter how much we complain about their loud as hell albums here, there’s no denying that symphonic death is the perfect step forward for the maligned fusion genre.” Madam X will not take kindly to this Septicflesh bashing….

Solace of Requiem – Casting Ruin Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 12, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, ViciSolum Productions, Black Metal, Technical Death Metal, 9 comments

If there is one thing that can be said about Solace of Requiem, it’s that these guys have yet to pick a style and run with it. Comparing their albums to one another is like comparing metal to sushi. However, their lack of staleness is breath of fresh air (or in this case “putridity?”). Appearing on the scene in 2004 with their self-titled debut of Morbid Angel worship, these guys stuck to the time-tested formula of old-school death metal; mean, fast, and in-your-face. From there they expanded that style by introducing some groove and thrashier elements on Utopia Reborn before incorporating a black-infused tech death approach on their third release, The Great Awakening. Do you like brutal sushi? Do you enjoy an ever shifting musical template? One stop shopping right here, folks!

Evergrey – Hymns for the Broken Review

By Steel Druhm on September 11, 2014 in 2014, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, 11 comments

“Every few years like clockwork, Evergrey shows up to expose their innermost turmoil, angst and self loathing and generally harsh our collective mellow with their unique brand of misanthropic dark metal. Few bands are as adept at expressing the inner doubt, depression and ennui that make the human experience such a flawed one, and for that they certainly deserve praise and respect. Whether you care to have those particular emotions rubbed raw is a personal decision, but for those who relish their scar diaries, this act always provides the ideal soundtrack for ritualized self abuse.” Are you feeling too happy? Well, Evergrey is back to put the gum in glum.

Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain Review

By Al Kikuras on September 10, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Death Metal, 43 comments

“There’s another tidbit that escaped me as I drifted from the pulse of the underground: among a large faction of metalheads, Cannibal Corpse has passed out of vogue. I’m fully aware of the phenomena of a band achieving a level of commercial success and no longer being considered the REAL DEAL. That everyone here wasn’t scrambling to review the new Cannibal Corpse album came as a surprise to me. I remember reading about them in the pages of old metal rags when Eaten Back to Life first came out and they were being slagged left and right. People just didn’t get death metal yet.” Al Kikuras is old and out of touch and Cannibal Corpse is possibly out of vogue. What is this world coming to?

Sorxe – Surrounded By Shadows Review

By Grymm on September 9, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Sludge, Post-Metal, Sludge, 0 comments

“The very idea of being a musical conduit is intriguing. A lot can be said about people who, instead of hopping on fading bandwagons or changing themselves to create some kind of spark that may or may not keep them relevant, decide to follow their dormant spirits and let them guide their fingers, feet, and voices to craft something that is truly their own. Forget about trends, man; it’s about the feeling of those spirits. That feeling is fucking celestial.” People who deny the existence of spirits may be spirits themselves.