Spanish Metal

Unbegotten – Proem of the Unborn Review

By Madam X on August 13, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Forever Plagued Records, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Black Metal, 20 comments

“The phrase “Spain is different!” seems to roll off the tongue of many a Spaniard. And rightly so; as a country its culture, cuisine and even the architecture, are markedly recognizable in flavor, style, look and feel. So how does that relate to Unbegotten’s debut release Proem of the Unborn? Have these mutinous Spaniards turned against their Spanish roots? Or have they perhaps added a little Flamenco or maybe some Latin pizzazz to their black metal offering?” Spain’s Unbegotten isn’t that different after all…

Sheidim – Shrines of the Void Review

By Lord Doom on June 26, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 7 comments

“One of the little rituals this modern world has created around music is the five-second Google “research” for whatever relevant info we can find on a new or unknown act. Doing this for Spanish black/death metallers Sheidim pointed me to a wiki-page about the shedim, demons from Jewish tradition that follow death and fly around graves. It also gave me a bunch of names that were as unknown to me as this young group. But there were two repeatedly referenced names that I knew. The first was Watain.” That’s funny, I never knew Watain was Jewish.

Crisix – From Blue to Black Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 16, 2016 in 2016, Listenable Records, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 31 comments

“When “Spain” and “thrash” are mentioned in the same breath, I immediately think of Angelus Apatrida. While they kind of lost me with their newer stuff, their first two albums (especially sophomore release, Give ‘Em War) are essentials. The mold is a familiar one for fans of Testament, Death Angel, Exodus, and Megadeth, but those first two albums deliver. However, a couple weeks ago my definition of Spanish thrash metal changed forever when Crisix appeared in my inbox.” That sounds promising!

Wormed – Krighsu Review

By Kronos on March 9, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Releases, Reviews, Season of Mist, Spanish Metal, Slam, 40 comments

“The wait is finally over, slam nerds. If, like me, you have been long awaiting the next chapter in the story of Krighsu, the Terrax, and stellar depopulation in the year 8K, then fear not; the new Wormed album, Krighsu, is cresting over the pseudo-horizon, so it’s time to leave that geodesic dome and begin vortex mitosis.” The wait is over, or has it just begun?

Suspiral – Delve into the Mysteries of Transcendence Review

By Grymm on March 9, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Death Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 59 comments

“When I was younger, I remember pre-ordering Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete for the original PlayStation, back when it was announced at my local Babbage’s in the fall of 1996. It would be a full three years later before it was released. In that timeframe, I graduated from high school, worked at Babbage’s then-competitor (Electronics Boutique), quit acrimoniously from said competitor, went Straight-Edge very hard, got unnecessarily angry at life and everything around me, gave up being Straight-Edge very hard, and moved around the same town three times Yet I still had my eyes on the prize. When I got the game, it didn’t quite live up to the expectations despite all the delays. This story illustrates that some would say I have the patience of that unfortunate Bible character, Job.” Oh, that can’t be good…

Obsidian Kingdom – A Year with No Summer Review

By Kronos on March 4, 2016 in 2016, Progressive Rock, Releases, Reviews, Season of Mist, Spanish Metal, Progressive Rock, 15 comments

“Catalonian prog-rock quintet Obsidian Kingdom caught my ear with Mantiis, an ambitious and cinematic debut that I’ve come back to often since its 2012 release. The album bordered many genres, but its kaleidoscopic diversity was more than a gimmick; Mantiis felt like a truly complete experience, complete with groovy death riffs, Floydian ambience, acidic snarls, and heartfelt synth-piano ballads. As the band like to say, it’s “hard-to-classify,” and just when I got my hopes up for more of the same, A Year with No Summer comes along to cleverly sidestep them.” The summer wind came blowing in from across Catalonia.

Dark Moor – Project X Review

By Steel Druhm on November 7, 2015 in 2015, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Spanish Metal, Power Metal, 41 comments

“Dark Moor has been tilting at windmills a very long time. As one of Spain’s longest-running power metal bands, they’ve had successful early albums like The Hall of the Olden Dreams and The Gates of Oblivion which benefited from crisp writing and the raspy roar of Elisa Martin. When she was replaced by Alfred Romero on the band’s eponymous 2003 album, they lost a bit of what made them stand out.” Grab your tinfoil hat and open your X-File!

Atavismo – Desintergracion EP Review

By Lord Doom on June 24, 2015 in 2015, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Temple of Tortorous Records, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Psychedelic Rock, 25 comments

“Truth is, I envy the good people of Spain. Even if they didn’t host those big metal festivals and benefit from constant visits by artists who would never think of coming to my native México, their concert-goer logistical advantages are undeniably desirable. For example, they can jump on a train for a few hours for the chance to, say, attend one of the Altar of Plagues farewell tour dates (fuck, that hurt more than it should’ve), whereas, if I want to catch a train to the US, it would have to be “La Bestia.” Yes that’s Spanish for “The Beast,” also un-ironically known as, “The Death Train.”” And don’t try to use that as excuse to work from home either, son!

Ered – Night of Eternal Doom Review

By Grymm on June 3, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Thrash Metal, War Anthem Records, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 25 comments

“TV Tropes is a website that talks about tropes, idioms, and cliches in various forms of media. Whether it’s television, movies, or even video games, the website does an incredible job of educating would-be writers as to what pitfalls to avoid or what “crazy plot twists” have been done to beyond death. It makes one wonder if there’s such a thing for black metal and its various offshoots.” And there isnt, so we at AMG must act as the Anti-Trope Troopers.

Dantalion – Where Fear is Born Review

By Steel Druhm on December 2, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Sleaszy Rider Records, Spanish Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 7 comments

“The Spaniards in Dantalion have been knocking around for quite some time in Iberian obscurity. Having never heard of them, it was the cover for their fifth album, Where Fear is Born that grabbed my steely eye and got me to listen, and I’m quite thankful I did. Though their older albums feature a blend of depressive black metal and melancholic doom, they abandoned the blackened aspect of their sound in favor of melodic, goth-tinged doom death, and from what I’ve heard of their older style, they’re all the better for the switch.” Don’t you just love a surprise? Steel Druhm does. He also loves arts and crafts and long walks in the woods.