Reviews

Record reviews

Code – Augur Nox Review

By JF Williams on November 18, 2013 in 2013, Agonia Records, Avante Garde, Black Metal, English Metal, Finnish Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, 2 comments

“Genre tags such as progressive and avant garde are kind of paradoxical terms in metal. Surely something truly progressive or avant garde should traverse the outer fringes of musical expression, bringing to the table a metal forged of fearless, arcane exploration? Often that’s not the case – those terms are in many ways boxes only slightly larger than thrash, death, and other tags of old. Does the anticipated third album of England’s Code break free of these restraints?” JF Williams asks and also answers. That’s why we keep him around.

Eye of Solitude – Canto III Review

By Grymm on November 17, 2013 in 2013, Doom Metal, English Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 8 comments

“Its been a long time since I’ve been impressed by a doom metal record. You would figure it would be a pretty easy thing to get the hang of, if you think about it: create an atmosphere of (circle one: sorrow, solitude, deep introspection) utilizing well-timed (female vocals, violin, acoustic guitar) passages before (crushing ruthlessly, lamenting sadly, turning loose some swans). Yet somehow, at best, recent doom releases have given me a feeling of “meh,” and at worst, eliciting some unintentional chuckles. Eye of Solitude have a few things going for them: they’re young (only been around since 2010), they’re UK-based (and they KNOW their doom metal over there), and they’re hungry. Canto III, their third album, not only has given me hope for the genre once more, but they also have a serious contender for a Best of 2013 record.” Grymm is notoriously difficult to impress when it comes to doom/death, but that’s exactly what Eye of Solitude did.

Deicide – In the Minds of Evil Review

By Steel Druhm on November 16, 2013 in 2013, American Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 9 comments

It’s time for some Double Deicide!! Yes, I know that sounds like a professional high dive maneuver, but here it’s Steel Druhm and Madam X weighing in on the new opus from those infamous Floridian demon lords. Is In the Minds of Evil a return to the glory days or another safe and stale dose of by-the-numbers death? Opinions may differ, even in this here post!

Eudaimony – Futile Review

By Madam X on November 15, 2013 in 2013, Black Metal, Cold Dimensions, German Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 3 comments

“Ever wondered what hell the unholy union of Germany’s Dark Fortress and Secrets of the Moon would spawn? Alright, now let’s make things a little more interesting and maybe just a little more sordid. Let’s bring in Sweden’s Naglfar and turn this into a lascivious little three-some. Taking it a step further, ever wondered what their bastard child would sound like? Well here you have it! Eudaimony is the spawn of just such an unholy, messy union, with former Dark Fortress front man Matthias Jell (Azathoth) on vocals, Naglfar’s Marcus E. Norman on guitars, bass and synthesizer and Secrets of the Moon’s Jörg Heemann (Thrawn Thelemnar) on drums.” Grim, unhappy blackness from a veritable super group of black metal luminaries? That’s got Madam X written all over it…in BLOOD!

Satan’s Wrath – Aeons of Satan’s Reign Review

By Madam X on November 13, 2013 in 2013, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 9 comments

“It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it is told.” “It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.” “Yes, it will, Precious, won’t it? It will get the hose!” Just like Buffalo Bill strutting his handiwork, Satan’s Wrath have returned full of, thrashy, blackened, Greek bombasity. They’ve recovered their Frankensteined Venom and Possessed skin-suits from the far reaches of their respective musty wardrobes and with the help of their trusty BeDazzler, they’ve given them a brand spanking new lease on life!” BeDazzled by the Devil? What else needs to be said about this homage to old school black/death/thrash and all things Venom and Possessed. Nothing!

Slave Zero – Disambiguated Visionary Review

By Kronos on November 12, 2013 in 2013, Death Metal, Double Standard Prouductions, Grind, Irish Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Grind, 2 comments

“Slave Zero is a band I’d never heard of before this review, and I’d wager you haven’t either, despite their thirteen years of brutality. These devious Dubliners are poised to release their second EP Disambiguated Visionary, and it’s about time we all took note, because they’re bringing a new force into deathgrind: Aliens. The dastardly extraterrestrials have spread into slam via Wormed, colonized technical death metal through Rings of Saturn and are now, thanks to Disambiguated Visionary, invading deathgrind. I, for one, welcome our new grayish overlords.” Join Kronos as he leads the pro-alien overlord cheer squad and examines some extraterrestrial themed death grind. Turn on your heart lights!!

Retro-Spective Review: Barren Cross – Atomic Arena

By Steel Druhm on November 12, 2013 in Blog Posts, Heavy Metal, Retro Reviews, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 13 comments

“We don’t get much “white metal” around these here parts. Not that we’re opposed (well, Madam X and Noctus are), but there isn’t much of it out there and even less that’s actually notable. There was a time where it was more in vogue though, and acts like Stryper crafted an entire identity around being good Christian soldiers under God’s righteous command. While I never cared much for those preachy yellow jackets, I did enjoy one release by a band standing in their pious shadow. Barren Cross was a Christian act hailing from Los Angeles of all places and though they were preachy too, they backed it up with far more metal than Stryper ever did.” It’s time for some good, old fashioned God Metal here at AMG. Wait, come back!! It’s hardly Godly at all, you wicked biscuits!

Exivious – Liminal Review

By Grymm on November 11, 2013 in 2013, Dutch Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Instrumental Metal, Progressive Metal, 7 comments

“Guitarist Tymon Kruidenier and bassist Robin Zielhost were introduced to the metal masses as the new members of reactivated prog/death gods Cynic back in 2007, with Zielhost replacing bassist/Chapman wizard Sean Malone for live purposes, and Kruidenier handling both guitar and growling duties both live and on Cynic’s incredible comeback album, Traced in Air. Both members would end up departing after the subsequent tours for Traced in Air, instead working on their own muse, the all-instrumental Exivious.” Anytime someone mentions Cynic, metaldom gets all agog. Grymm boldly mentions them here in relation to an all instrumental, prog-metal monster. What comes after agog?

Prospekt – The Colourless Sunrise Review

By Lord Doom on November 10, 2013 in 2013, English Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sensory Records, Djent, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 4 comments

“Prospekt is a British tech-prog metal band, whose debut full length, The Colourless Sunrise features a blend of traditional progressive metal, melodic metal, and djent. While it’s always a fun game to pick out a band’s influences, Prospekt spoiled that job for me, as their Facebook page proudly lists the likes of Symphony X, Dream Theater, Opeth, and Meshuggah, among others. Sadly for Prospekt, they don’t quite measure up to the lofty standards of the aforementioned influences. Still, for our more astute readers, that mention of Meshuggah has got to stand out a bit, so let’s spend some time examining that.” Another day and another probationary writer joins the AMG fray as Dagg sheds some light on the prog-metal scene and up and comers, Prospekt. Do they have the chops to impress in such a cerebral, artsy-fartsy genre? They certainly packed the right influences!

Vastum – Patricidal Lust Review

By JF Williams on November 8, 2013 in 20 Buck Spin, 2013, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 0 comments

“First of all, I think Paolo Girardi should come up to center stage and take a bow. His artwork decorates the covers to a whopping 13 releases this year alone, including Inquisition’s Obscure Verses for the Multiverse, reviewed on AMG not too long ago. Here Giraldi strikes again – take a good, long look at the horrific Freudian nightmare of an album cover adorning Patricidal Lust, the debut release from San Franciscan death metal horde Vastum, and I dare you to tell me with a straight face that such a beautifully disgusting work of art doesn’t make you salivate like one of Pavlov’s dogs. Just like the deliciously putrid artwork decorating the cover of Patricidal Lust, the music contained therein is a fetid, hot-and-ready splattering of meat-and-potatoes doom/death metal.” If fetid meat and potatoes didn’t hook you in, you must be hungover and/or lame. Either way, read on as JF Williams delves into the death metal muck with the low tech charm of Vastum.