Spanish Metal

At the Altar of the Horned God – Through Doors of Moonlight Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 15, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Folk Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 84 comments

“Seriously. Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Like ‘pagan’ wasn’t already a bad word to most of the Christian population. Now it’s a bad word for Christian-hating metalheads. Unfortunately, the folky, melodic, and, at times, quite beautiful qualities of the genre veil the National Socialist squabble from many-a anti-Semitic band and label. Which, for someone that loves this style of music, is frustrating as hell. Many writers—not only of this website—won’t touch the stuff. Though plenty of writers skip over one-man black metal outfits because there’s a bajillion of them—all blurring together in one chaotic sound after another—’pagan black metal’ bands get tagged and placed in a cold locker. Not a band name mentioned. Not even out of spite. But, neither I nor Spain’s At the Altar of the Horned God will let these motherfuckers spoil a good time.” Nazis bad, pagans good.

Ruinas – Ikonoklasta Review

By Mark Z. on March 17, 2020 in 2020, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Spikerot Records, Crust Punk, Death Metal, 13 comments

“The world today is a frustrating place. You try to go on vacation and miss your flight because some idiot got into a fender bender and caused a traffic jam. You try to go out to eat and can’t find anywhere to park. You try to take a shit and are forced to wipe your ass with an old washcloth because every store within 100 miles is sold out of toilet paper. In times like these, nothing helps more than a pure blast of raw aggression, an aural rampage that obliterates any and all sense of frustration from your mind. I find deathgrind works particularly well in this regard, especially albums like Death Toll 80K’s incendiary and rifftastic Harsh Realities. Seeing Ruinas listed under the deathgrind tag, I hoped this newfound Spanish group would offer just what I was looking for during a time in my life that’s been more frustrating than usual.” Ain’t no cure for the TP blues.

Rosy Finch – Scarlet Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 9, 2020 in 2020, Discos Macarras, LaRubia Producciones, Lay Bare Recordings, Reviews, Sludge, Spanish Metal, Spinda Records, Stoner Metal, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 37 comments

“The hallway that led to my office in grad school was red. Both walls. I shit you not. To make matters worse the hellish tunnel narrowed as you approached its end—where, to no one’s surprise, you could find my office. Trust me when I tell you that five years of red walls can fuck with a person. Like grad schools, animals also use the color red to ward off people. Red can represent everything from lovers to the most gruesome of deaths. And Spain’s grrrl sludge group, Rosy Finch, is every bit as varying in its topics and delivery. With artwork that looks as though poor Carrie got it again, this is Scarlet.” Red is a slow color.

War Dogs – Die By My Sword Review

By Huck N Roll on January 8, 2020 in 2020, Epic Metal, Fighter Records, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 26 comments

“Now we can get down to brass tacks, which in the case of War Dogs is a tasty combination of old Iron Maiden, Manilla Road, and maybe a hint of Visigoth.” Dogs with swords.

The EP, Split, and Single Post Part II [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By El Cuervo on December 24, 2019 in Ambient, American Metal, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Doom Metal, English Metal, Heavy Metal, International Metal, Italian Metal, Scottish Metal, Spanish Metal, Synthwave, Technical Death Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Thrash Metal, Ambient, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Speed Metal, Synthwave, Technical Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 29 comments

Did you miss all the rest of the crucial EPs, splits and singles in 2019? We’ve got you covered again, broheim.

We Are Impala – Visions [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By El Cuervo on December 1, 2019 in 2019, Instrumental Metal, JetGlow Recordings, Post-Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Spanish Metal, Stoner Rock, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Instrumental Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, 49 comments

“It’s a surprisingly fresh combination of psychedelic atmosphere and proper riffs, nestled between the post rock and stoner rock genres. These composite genres are often anything but fresh, comprising musicians who are unable to write riffs and musicians who smoke too much weed respectively, but Visions nails its singular fusion.” Weed out, cotton-candy flavored edibles in.

Crusade of Bards – Tales of Bards and Beasts Review

By Kenstrosity on November 13, 2019 in 2019, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 37 comments

“Hello, my name is Twelve. I am an addict. I use symphonic metal and Nightwish. I…wait a second. I’m not Twelve! Silly me. But I too enjoy symphonic metal a whole lot, perhaps too much. Even at its cheesiest it makes me unreasonably happy to listen as richly layered orchestrations mesh with distorted guitars and galloping double-bass kits. I especially love it when, like on the incredible Imaginaerum, the band is able to afford recording with a full-blown orchestra and choir—or at least when part of the symphonics come from actual instruments instead of digitally reconstructed simulations. It is this last feature that drew Spanish sextet Crusade of Bards to my attention.” Symphonomania.

Come Back from the Dead – The Rise of the Blind Ones Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on October 1, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, 11 comments

“Every Entombed clone thought of themselves as carrying on a lineage, writing riffs in the vein of their favorite albums—not being derivative or boring as we may find some of them. This disconnect is fascinating—an album we may hear and not give a second thought to afterward likely consumed weeks, months, years of every member of the band’s life. When this comes to mind, my chief question about middling releases is ‘why?'” Dead again.

Graveyard – Hold Back the Dawn Review

By Holdeneye on September 19, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, War Anthem Records, Death Metal, 46 comments

“The promo in question is Hold Back the Dawn, the fourth full-length — and third of a planned four dealing with Lovecraftian horror — from Barcelona death metallers Graveyard, and it has so many good riffs that it just might be worth getting fired for. As it rises from the depths, you will find yourself powerless to move or even make a sound as the band’s influences writhe and constrict around you.” Tentacle porn is reborn.

The Holeum – Sublime Emptiness Review

By Master of Muppets on September 1, 2019 in 2019, Doom Metal, Lifeforce Records, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Spanish Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 18 comments

“One of the only neat things about this angry metal gig is how you can select an album to review and within a spin or two have a pretty good guess as to which of these other cretins will enjoy said album. Today I present to you The Holeum’s somber sophomore escapade, Sublime Emptiness, with the strong suspicion that our silverbackedest scribe will scoff this stuff up.”Embrace the hollow.