Hamferð – Men Guðs hond er sterk Review

Hamferð – Men Guðs hond er sterk Review

“Like so many things doomy, Hamferð doesn’t move quickly. Back in ’18, these Faroese doomsters—fronted by my golden voiced arch-nemesis and all around begrudging ‘friend o’ the blog’ Jón Aldará—released their second album Támsins likam.” I heaped love and adoration upon it and them. And given my history of fickle tastes that shift like the wind, one can only assume that I hate the followup, right?

Dödsrit – Nocturnal Will Review

Dödsrit – Nocturnal Will Review

“It’s not like I really need any convincing, but it’s great when an album comes along and reminds me that black metal is, in fact, fucking fantastic. 2023 was a comparatively dry year for the genre, especially as far as the more straightforward, unadorned variety was concerned. 2024 is already making up for it. Swedish/Dutch four-piece Dödsrit are one of the voices in the scene quietly but confidently proving how effective some no-frills (crust-adjacent) melodic black metal can be.” Black is the olde black.

Apparition – Disgraced Emanations from a Tranquil State Review

Apparition – Disgraced Emanations from a Tranquil State Review

“As I get older and hopefully wiser, I find myself wanting life to become simpler and less cluttered. When it comes to my death metal, I want more caveman idiocy with a greater emphasis on scuzz, murk, and swamp. Based on these sage guiding principles, Apparition’s sophomore opus Disgraced Emanations from a Tranquil State seemed a safe flyer for me to grab out of the promo sewer. Hailing from the City of Angels, their sound is anything but heavenly, ripe as it is with the ghastly cavern creeping of Incantation and early Tomb Mold.” Swamp n’ pomp.

Mastiff – Deprecipice Review

Mastiff – Deprecipice Review

“No one plays sludgy hardcore grind quite like the UK’s Mastiff. Not that many people play sludgy hardcore grind to begin with, but if they’re out there, they don’t play it like these Kingstun upon Hull lads. True to their canid namesake, which, if you saw them casually out for walkies in your neighborhood, would illicit a “Jesus Christ, that’s a big dog” exclamation, Mastiff shock with the weight and size of their sound.” Toothsome and clawsame.

Leaves’ Eyes – Myths of Fate Review

Leaves’ Eyes – Myths of Fate Review

“Symphonic metal is a tricky genre to review; it is, at this point, so steeped in clichés that critiquing it for leaning on clichés is itself starting to feel like a cliché. Ever since Nightwish lobbed Once at the masses, it’s been easy to feel like everyone else is trying to do the same thing. Sometimes it’s effective, and sometimes you’re damaging your fist on a completely intact and rather thick layer of ice. For Leaves’ Eyes, who have been around for over twenty years now, I get the sense that the goal is consistency.” Do the Eyes have it?

DragonForce – Warp Speed Warriors Review

DragonForce – Warp Speed Warriors Review

“We’ve all had that moment when we hear a new single from a band we love and think “well, maybe that’s just the worst song from the album!” In the case of “Doomsday Party,” I could not afford DragonForce and Warp Speed Warriors such optimism. Sure, Napalm Records releases are often heralded by absolute stinkers in an apparent gamble at mass appeal, but with the British power metal wanksters’ ninth record arriving on the heels of what was easily the band’s worst showing to date, my thin hopes for a makeup album quickly disintegrated.” Dragon, why do you cry?

Defect Designer – Chitin Review

Defect Designer – Chitin Review

“Where do you even start with a band like Defect Designer? Part Trollfest, part Diskord—one fewer part now that bassist Eyvind Wærsted Axelsen has moved on since his brief participation on 2022’s blasting EP Neanderthal—and three parts weird, this eclectic Russian-by-way-of-Norway export hasn’t defined one singular sound for itself over the years.” Genre inwasion.

Kilter/Andromeda Anarchia/Growlers Choir/Seven)Suns – La Suspendida Review

Kilter/Andromeda Anarchia/Growlers Choir/Seven)Suns – La Suspendida Review

“Never before had I met a Promo God-designated genre-tag so perfect: “silliness.” La Suspendida is a wildly experimental Silent Pendulum-backed collaboration of four artists – and I’m not gonna pretend I know each of the act’s respective history or discography. Mostly based in Brooklyn, Kilteris a jazz metal trio featuring Imperial Triumphant drummer Kenny Grohowski, Andromeda Anarchia is an opera soprano and also a member of the opera/black metal Folterkammer project, the Growlers Choir is a Montreal-based group of metal vocalists, and Seven)Suns is a “dystopian” string quartet dedicated to translating metal to strings.” Gang’s all here!!

Aborted – Vault of Horrors Review

Aborted – Vault of Horrors Review

“I know what you’re thinking: ‘How in the hell does Grier like Aborted?’ I know. Everyone has asked it since I chose to lead this charge and give you my opinion on Aborted’s Vault of Horrors. While I do have plenty of issues with grindcore, in general, there’s something about bands like Aborted and Pig Destroyer that speaks to me. I can’t explain it because there are a lot of bands like Aborted that I just loathe. You know, like Dying Fetus.” Grinding Griers.