“Before I delve into the guts of this self-titled debut from Indiana’s Skeleton Wolf, I’d like to pose a question to our loyal readers here at Angry Metal Guy. What is your favorite drunken party metal album and/or band? You know the kind of metal that just lifts a gear and thrives with the accompaniment of alcohol.” Okay, who said Men Without Hats? You leave the hall right now!
“Much like Behexen, Dark Funeral have been at this whole black metal thing for some time. Not sure if “pioneer” is appropriate for these Swedish tremolo-crafters, but they are influential. Their approach is straightforward, their black metal is classic, and their releases consistent.” Classic and consistent is an okay way to go through life, son.
“It seems legendary front man and self-proclaimed “Voice of Rock” Jorn Lande is at the point in his lengthy career where he gives zero fucks and does just as he pleases. As much as it pains me to reference yuletide rom-com Love Actually, Jorn is like a heavy metal version of the character Billy Mack, played so righteously by Bill Nighy. He’s old, jaded and out for a buck, a bit of fun and maybe the odd shag. And that’s where Jorn’s ridiculous new vehicle Heavy Rock Radio comes in.” This crow’s watch has not ended.
“In the case of Finnish five-piece Vuolla, nomen really est omen. Their name, which translates as “carve” or “whittle,” is an apt symbol of the group’s reductive and appropriating approach. As they chisel away at a body of work developed from various genres, from post-rock to death metal, it’s difficult to ignore that the essence of their sound is still based in a rehashed version of melancholic doom metal.” Turn loose the sads.
“Somewhere on a wind swept beach in a far-flung corner of the Pacific Ocean was a buried treasure chest. That chest was filled with all the riffs Running Wild had yet to use but wanted to keep from their scurvy competition. And there it sat for decades in it’s sandy repose, unknown to all but Rock n’ Rolf. That was until upstart Italian buccaneers Silverbones jacked the riff-booty, leaving empty bottles of Limoncello as their calling cards.” YAARR’s revenge?
“When you think of Massachusetts, many images pop into your head immediately. Legendary sports dynasties, people with goofy accents, cities with tough-to-pronounce names, the Big Dig, the entire Kennedy clan… oh, and metalcore. Lots and lots of metalcore… and Converge. You don’t look at the Bay State and think to yourself, “Gee, I’m sure there’s quality doom metal afoot here.” Hell, I sure didn’t!” Let’s listen to doom metal as we potty!
It’s that time again. And by “that time,” I mean the time when Steel Druhm throws a public fit because his little slice of nostalgia isn’t going to be the Record o’ the Month. He will complain loudly in the comments. He will post complaints and whine. But alas, this month it was pretty obvious who the RotM should belong to. Break out your flamethrowers! Commence the wailing and/or gnashing of teeth! The misery is gonna get Biblical up in here.
“Oh, Kvelertak. Five years ago and hot on the heels of their 2010 self-titled debut, it seemed the Norwegian sextet were the subject of every third MetalSucks post, and their wild live shows were the stuff of legend. In a metal scene curdling from years of cvlter-than-thou extremity, the group’s insanely catchy combination of blistering black metal, hooky arena rock, and party-hard attitude not only appeased metalheads with a repressed desire to let loose and rock out, but also broke through to listeners who seldom dipped their toes in the insular metal blogosphere.”
“Those of you who were in high school when the deathcore thing really took off like I was will instantly recoil a bit at Shed the Skin’s “VERB the NOUN” Fad-Libs type of name, but fear not; Harrowing Faith won’t send your mind pit-ninja-dancing back to the neon-tinted halcyon days of Myspace where there was little more to life than finding the most brutal of chugs.” Ah, Myspace, where did you go so wrong?
“Despite picking up plenty of positive press for their debut Produces Reason a couple of years ago (including a glowing review from yours truly), Sleep of Monsters don’t seem to have penetrated far into the metal public’s collective consciousness. Comprising former members of underrated Finnish goth rockers Babylon Whores, overrated Finnish goth rockers HIM, and a host of other decorated musicians, Sleep of Monsters go beyond the narrow confines inhabited by the aforementioned acts, incorporating all manner of different musical ideas into their remarkably coherent overall sound.” Don’t sleep on these monsters.
