Reviews

Record reviews

Pyrrhon – The Mother of Virtues Review

By Kronos on March 27, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, 5 comments

““New York City’s PYRRHON emerge with a mind bending album of surrealistic death metal for fans of Gorguts, Ulcerate & Portal!” Brave words, promo guy, brave words. I as much as I admire your confidence, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. When you invoke Ulcerate and Gorguts in order to hawk your wares, you’ve certainly caught my attention, but lying won’t go unpunished. Besmirching the name of my favorite band of Kiwis is a cardinal sin, so either Pyrrhon has their shit really together, or an overzealous Relapse employee is going to find rat feces in his Cheerios tomorrow.” We at AMG disavow any knowledge and/or awareness of food tampering or promo vendor harassment.

Sabbath Assembly – Quaternity Review

By Steel Druhm on March 26, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Avante Garde, Gothic Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Progressive Metal, 9 comments

“In the mood for something really different? Sabbath Assembly certainly qualifies. As explained in my review of their Ye Are Gods opus, this is a bizarre project based on the teachings of the mega-obscure Process Church of the Final Judgment; a strange apocalyptic hippie cult from the 60s that believed in a union of Christ and Satan that triggers armageddon. Led by Jamie Myers (Hammers of Misfortune, Wolves in the Throne Room) and Dave “Xtian” Nuss (ex-Angkor Wat), they craft an unusual hybrid of 60s hippie folk rock and religious hymnal music.” Need religion in your life? Feel the urge to join a Satanic cult? Here’s the one album that meets all your needs! Now with added scripture reading.

Forteresse/Chasse-Galerie/Monarque/Csejthe – Légendes Review

By JF Williams on March 25, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Reviews, Sepulchral Productions, Black Metal, 5 comments

“The French-Canadian province of Quebec has a rich black metal scene, and Canadian black metal label Sepulchral Productions has strung together a real gem in the form of Légendes, a four-way split EP of proud Québécois darkness. In keeping with each group’s dedication to Québécois cultural and national identity, the split unites some of the scene’s more well-known groups – Forteresse, Chasse-Galerie, Monarque and Csejthe – to explore Quebec’s folklore.” Ready for a rare four-way split of French-Canadian blackness? Wendigos unite!

Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion

By Kronos on March 24, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Djent, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sumerian Records, Progressive Metal, 15 comments

“It’s a bit early to assess the impact of the djent scene on metal overall, given that its rapid boom and bust occurred so recently, but preliminary findings are that it produced and popularized some definite keepers. One of the foremost are poised to release their third album. Tosin Abasi’s inventive instrumental ensemble took metal by an impressively subdued and nuanced storm with their eponymous début, carving out a canyon for current sweethearts like Exivious to wash into. For all of their stylistic idiosyncrasies, Animals as Leaders gets billed as a jazz-influenced prog-metal band, but I like to think of them more as a jazz group caught in an unlikely love affair with Meshuggah. Whatever you call them, and what you call them is likely to be overwhelmingly positive, you should be expecting something great out of The Joy of Motion.” Join Kronos as he delves into Djent and what wonders it has wrought in the music world.

Lacuna Coil – Broken Crown Halo Review

By Grymm on March 23, 2014 in 2014, Century Media, Gothic Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 19 comments

“When a band hits a certain level of fame, usually it gives them free reign to do whatever their innermost muse guides them to create without fear of their label dropping them. They can craft new masterpieces to guide the listener to unknown lands, and hold them there for the duration of the album’s captivating length. They can also lull the unsuspecting fan into a false sense of security before bludgeoning them to a wet, slushy pulp. In other words, no matter what the band does, it’s guaranteed that their label will back them up, as they are proven to sell like virtual gang-busters.” Which approach will Lacuna Coil take? Are you sure?

Invertia – Another Scheme of the Wicked Review

By Madam X on March 22, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Industrial Metal, Ohm Resistance, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Industrial Metal, 0 comments

“There’s something about the call of psycho-bombastic, industrialized black metal shunning the hypocrisy of cult religions that arouses my curiosity. To give you a bit of background, Invertia are in the process of launching their second full-length release via ultra-angry, techno geeks Ohm Resistance Records.” Madam X likes dark stuff. This is dark stuff. Does she like it? Find out!

Brainstorm – Firesoul Review

By Steel Druhm on March 21, 2014 in 2014, AFM Records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 16 comments

“Ever since hearing the Ivanhoe albums way back in the late 90s, I’ve been a huge fan of Andy B. Franck’s vocals. He has pipes that could only be destined for a life fronting a metal band, though he possesses the range to do virtually any kind of music. His slightly proggy, but hyper-accessible albums with Symphorce are always in rotation at Casa de la Druhm, as are his many releases with traditional metal act Brainstorm. The latter are especially tasty, blending Judas Priest’s Painkiller era with the punch and crunch of American power metal like Iced Earth and Pantera, then layering in a plethora of earwormy vocal hooks and monumental, anthemic choruses that cannot be forgotten. Albums like Mentus Mortis, Soul Temptation and Liquid Monster are nearly perfect examples of pure heavy metal and whenever I spin them for someone unacquainted, they wonder how they could have missed the boat.” Intrigued yet?

Massacre – Back From Beyond Review

By Steel Druhm on March 19, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 6 comments

“Massacre holds a special place in the annals of American death metal. They were one of earliest true death metal bands, and along with Death, they started the infamous Florida death metal scene. Hell, original vocalist Kam Lee is even credited with inventing the death metal growl! At one time or another, members of Obituary and Death passed through their ranks and though they released a series of highly influential demos like Aggressive Tyrant, their plans to release a debut album in 1988 were hamstrung when Terry Butler, Rick Rozz and Bill Andrews all jumped ship to record Death’s immortal Leprosy album instead.” The co-originators of American death metal are finally back from beyond with a new album. But should we seal the portal from whence they came?

Shores of Null – Quiescence Review

By Grymm on March 16, 2014 in 2014, Candlelight, Doom Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 6 comments

“Swimming among an overcrowded sea of retro-thrashers, tech-death wankers, and sweepy-haired shoegazers playing post-whatever-the-fuck-the-flavor-is-this-week, there’s a band from Italy that’s looking to Finland and Seattle for the inspiration behind their début, Quiescence. Shores of Null may be a brand-spankin’-new band, but they are looking to capture your attention in pretty interesting ways. And they succeed to a degree.” Grymm just might have stumbled on something interesting here.

Aurora Borealis – World Shapers Review

By Madam X on March 15, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, MDD Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 4 comments

“From palpable obscurity, tumultuous streams of glory gushed, ten thousand thousand rainbows rushed and reveled through the boundless sky, in jousting, flashing radiancy.” That was David Vedder’s description the Aurora Borealis back around the 1800s, and today it remains a fitting description of these Maryland-based blackened death metallers that deliver a brand of bludgeoning melodicism reminiscent of Carcass and Morbid Angel.” Madam X shakes off the oppressive yoke of black metal to review…blackened death metal. No wonder she’s so dark of demeanor!