Reviews

Record reviews

Kampfar – Djevelmakt Review

By Madam X on February 3, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 5 comments

“With a career spanning a near lifetime (20-years to be exact), Kampfar refuse to sit squarely in any one particular niche. They shamelessly delivered their self-titled EP, Mellom Skogkledde Aaser and Fra Underverdenen as part of their first creative wave, hitting you up with old school black metal with the typical raw traditionalism you’ve come to expect of a two-man Norwegian act. When that didn’t translate into a particularly nifty live performance, more members were added and the the band forged ahead with with their second creative wave delivering Kvass and Heimgang….” Madam X surfs the waves of black metal as brought to you by Kampfar. But is their next wave worth catching?

The Unguided – Fragile Immortality Review

By Steel Druhm on January 30, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 28 comments

“Lovers of modern metal and Amaranthe groupies, take heed! Rising from the ashes of Sonic Syndicate, The Unguided is the newish project by ex-Syndicate members Richard Sjunnesson and Roland Johansson which strives to answer the immortal question “just how cheesy, poppy and crappy can you make melodic death metal sound?”” If this question has been gnawing at you, The Unguided may have the answer you seek.

Grand Magus – Triumph and Power Review

By Steel Druhm on January 29, 2014 in 2014, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Heavy Metal, 8 comments

“Swords gleaming in the sun, banners battered by the wind as men fight and die, a shoreline awash with red: all images vividly conjured by the punchy, but regal music on Grand Magus’s last three albums. Though their style resists easy classification and has shifted and squirmed between the cracks of several genres over time, they’ve always been a band you could count on to release classy, high quality music.” Is this yet another stellar release by the mighty Magus or did they jump the Viking helmed shark?

Slough Feg – Digital Resistance Review

By Dr. Fisting on January 28, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, Rating, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 3 comments

“For the uninitiated, San Francisco’s Slough Feg has been producing high quality old-school rock since the dark ages known as the mid-1990’s. Their signature sound combines elements of early metal and Celtic-inspired hard rock topped off by the bizarre lyrics and unique vocals of Mike Scalzi. Think Thin Lizzy with Professor X on vocals, and you’re in the ballpark. Digital Resistance is the band’s 9th album, and according to their bio, it’s a semi-concept record about “the digital age not only in terms of music, but how technology affects life itself.” Old school metal bands doing concept albums about the horrors of technology? That makes me feel cranky and old.

Iced Earth – Plagues of Babylon (Vinyl Mix) Review

By Angry Metal Guy on January 27, 2014 in 2014, Angry Metal-Fi, Century Media, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 32 comments

Iced Earth is a bonafide heavy metal institution, and part of their long staying power and general widespread appeal has got to be attributed to their fearless leader and head riff master Jon Schaffer, whose strong work ethic, unwavering live free or die attitude, and keen sense of aesthetics, has kept this machine rolling for over the last two decades. With his tried and true formula of power, thrash, and lyrical armageddon, Schaffer has churned out a number of genre leading staples, ranging from 1995’s Burnt Offerings, with all of its dark imagery and heavy riffing, to 1998’s Something Wicked this Way Comes, whose last three songs became the basis for the multi-record Something Wicked Saga, an epic fantasy about the rise and fall of man.

Retro-spective Review: Obsession – Scarred for Life

By Steel Druhm on January 26, 2014 in American Metal, Heavy Metal, Retro Reviews, Heavy Metal, 11 comments

“Of all the albums one listens to in a lifetime, there are always those elite, sacrosanct platters that never get old, always sound fresh and perpetually deliver that same thrill they did upon the virgin spin. For whatever reason, Obsession’s debut Scarred for Life is one of those special pleasures for yours truly.” Steel Druhm takes you on a tour of one of his most beloved albums. Beware of chronic fanboyism.

Soreption – Engineering the Void Review

By Grymm on January 25, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Unique Leader, Death Metal, 6 comments

Technical death metal. You know the images and sounds those three words conjure up: endless sweep arpeggios, slapped bass with only the freshest of strings, fast double-bass drumming, an album cover that utilizes colors on the cooler side of the Color Wheel (mostly hues of purple and blue) and has an alien somewhere in it, the band logo in a sharp, nigh-symmetrical font…. And for the most part, you know what to expect when someone tries to take the throne from the likes of Decapitated, Gorguts, or Necrophagist. We’re all about the Color Wheel here at AMG, but only the cool side. We also appreciate some good tech-death. Does this qualify?

Suicidal Angels – Divide and Conquer Review

By Steel Druhm on January 24, 2014 in 2014, Greek Metal, NoiseArt Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 3 comments

“Just weeks into 2014 and I’ve fallen off the rethrash wagon for a second time. That’s because long-suffering Greek thrashers Suicidal Angels are back with a fifth album full of music striving to recreate the second wave of Bay Area thrash. Naturally, that means heaps of Exodus, Slayer, Vio-Lence worship and where you stand on that is a wholly personal issue. While I only became aware of these chaps on their past few albums, I’ve never been totally sold on their brand of rethrash. It’s always reasonably enjoyable, competently performed, meat-and-potatoes speed, but there was always a sense of “been there, done that, got punched by the bouncer” about it that left me on the sidelines.” Did you know thrash was as big a part of Greek culture as gyros and big weddings? Me either.

Retro-Spective Review: The Autumn Offering – Embrace the Gutter

By Happy Metal Guy on January 23, 2014 in American Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Retro Reviews, Reviews, Victory Records, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 7 comments

“The name “The Autumn Offering” evokes the mental image of a hooded cultist bent down on his knees, holding up a platter of orange, rotting leaves as a leafy sacrifice of some sort to some leaf-munchin’ goat demon. But as a band that was once signed to Jamey Jasta’s Stillborn Records, The Autumn Offering is hardly obsessed with the environment or the occult.” Happy Metal Guy goes back to 2006 to regale us with tales of quality metalcore. Fairy tales maybe? You make the call.

Omnivore – Omnivore Review

By JF Williams on January 22, 2014 in 2014, Italian Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 2 comments

“Reductivity is hard to resist when reviewing a band like the Italian death/thrash 4-piece Omnivore. If I were lazier, my review of their self-titled debut would be comprised entirely of Youtube links to various songs by Sadus, Kreator, Demolition Hammer and early Sepultura. I’d be a jerk, but accurate nonetheless.” JF Williams is a jerk, but he’s our jerk, so it’s okay. BTW, here’s more re-thrash.