“Ah, Deathwhite is back to antagonize music reviewers who expect to know things like: who’s in the band, what do they play, where are they from, who is their daddy and what does he do? Yes, Deathwhite scoffs at such outdated formalities, opting to exist in complete secrecy like goth-metal’s answer to those masked marauders in Ghost.” Straight from the Witness Protection Ensemble, more intrigue and confusion.
“Genre-defining albums don’t come along every day – or every year – so when they do pop up, it’s important to take note of them for future generations like me. When The Gallery saw release in 1995, so many moons ago, I was not really prepared to appreciate its artistry due to a preoccupation with jaundice.” Prepare for some yellow journalism.
“There’s always risk involved when you reach into the Grymm Grab Bag™. Sometimes, I unearth gems that impress and floor me, and then I get those that just don’t even. I can say with absolute confidence that I’ve never pulled a release from not only a new band, but also from a new label, and that is exactly what I grabbed this week.” Grymm likes to gamble.
“France has become quite the hub for memorable extreme music in recent times: Deathspell Omega front a dissonant black metal current; Blut Aus Nord fluctuate between various avant-garde stylings but have been a driving force in modern black metal; Cowards fiercely object to perceived façades of beauty and political correctness in their hardcore-influenced anger. Now Antropofago has stepped up to the mark, attempting to wrestle the tech-death reins from their compatriots Gorod, new material from which has been notably absent.” France wants to be the new Sweden.
“Bust out your steel umbrellas, it’s raining fucking anvils! The thrashing Bay Area trio Chemical Burn return a decade after releasing their Bury Your Demons debut with an album that is not quite what it seems.” Do you like groove metal and rap-metal shoehorned into your thrash? Uh huh, that’s what I thought.
“Another day, another album from Max Cavalera. Soulfly’s latest offering, Archangel, arrives just 22 months after its predecessor Savages, during which time Max also released a Cavalera Conspiracy album and participated in the supergroup Killer Be Killed. Now, you if you’re thinking, “Gee, Dr. Fisting, that sure sounds like an awful lot of releases for a guy who’s also touring most of the time! I wonder if that affects the quality of the music,” you might be onto something.” Not everyone is cut out to be Vardan.
“If there’s a Svpreme Kvlt Covrt ov Trve Metal, I’ll officially lose whatever remains of my KVLT CRVD for this (spelling in accordance with THV WVRTH VCT OV 2015). Deiphago is an extreme metal band from Costa Rica that’s been terrorizing the world since 1989. Their fourth full-length is called Into the Eye of Satan and it’s being released by the excellent Hells Headbangers Records, a label I’ve given plenty of Canadian money to throughout the years. You damn well better believe there’s gonna be a cassette pressing too. Perhaps I’m getting too old and can’t handle the kvlt anymore? Maybe not.” Where’s my 8-track? Now that would be kvlt.
“Even though I spend a lot of time listening to black metal (and anything and everything King Diamond), I hold a very special place in my heart for power metal. At any given time, you can walk by my office and hear an Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, or Metalium (yep, I said it) song reverberating off the walls and echoing down the hallway.” The good doctor is a power metal weenie.
“When it comes to turning an extremely limited sound into a career spanning decades, Fear Factory stands alone (or with AC/DC). And as we approach the 20th anniversary of their “cyber metal” style and reflect on how heavily the band utilized themes of technological advancement, artificial intelligence and mutation, the irony of how little their approach has “evolved” should be obvious even to the most Neanderthal of metal fans.” Fear Factory is back to single-handedly disprove all your fancy theories of evolution and kick circuit boards in your face.
“Trials’ lucky third record—This Ruined World—poses a problem. It is a unique, modern thrash album—and I don’t mean -core, seriously—with few peers and little grounds for reference in 2015. And Trials has been growing into this for some time. While I enjoyed the debut album Witness to the Downfall, I was floored by 2013’s In the Shadow of Swords, which hit the #3 spot on my Top 10(ish) of 2013, and which still ranks as one of the best records I’ve heard in the last 5 years. So This Ruined World comes with a world of expectations, so to speak.” Goddammit. Expectations can only lead to disappointment. Or can they…?
