“You might consider a band to be losing momentum when they go four years without releasing any original music, yet Katatonia’s profile has risen since 2012’s Dead End Kings. With two live albums as well as Dethrowned and Uncrowned – a mellow reworking of Dead End Kings – under their collective belt since then, they’ve managed to keep their name in the press despite a lack of new material. If any band deserves this continued level of recognition and praise it’s Katatonia.” Praise to the sad boys!
"soen"
Bombus – Repeat until Death Review
“I should probably hate this album. I’ve been having some difficulty trying to explain why I like Bombus’s sophomore Century Media release, Repeat until Death, but as Jordan Campbell would tell me: that’s my job. But it’s possibly easier to let me explain, first, why I shouldn’t like it. Because, trust me, I’m as confused as anyone about this whole thing and I need to get my thoughts straight.” AMG needs some space.
Caligula’s Horse – Bloom [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]
“Caligula’s Horse is one of those bands I managed to get out in front of because of my Angry Metal Father-in-Law. Turns out that a guy who owns every cool record since 1975 is still on the hunt for great music—and the more obscure the better—so he has his ear to the ground in the progressive metal scene in a way I could hardly imagine.” Father-in-Law knows best.
Avatarium – The Girl With the Raven Mask Review
Candlemass’ 1986 debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus had a big impact on my young metal mind and made me a lifetime convert to Leif Edling’s concept of what doom metal should sound like. Decades later, he surprised me again with his Avatarium debut and how it leveraged the prodigious vocal gifts of Jennie-Ann Smith to create a refreshing take on the classic doom template. While I expected The Girl With the Raven Mask to be a quality follow-up, I wasn’t prepared for this!” Get prepared post-haste!
Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2014
“The Year of Our Angry Overlord 2014 has been a crazy ride. One year ago this week I was finishing up one of the most stressful terms of my entire life, and this year has been a rush of teaching prep, reading, researching, and “OMFG.” You have certainly noticed that AngryMetalGuy.com has been pretty short one Angry Metal Guy in 2014, and that’s been tough for everyone involved I’m sure.” In this massive post Angry Metal Guy reflects on 2014, ranks a bunch of records, and is waiting prepared with his flamethrower for when the whine hits the fan.
The AMG Staff Picks the Top Ten Records o’ 2014
“It’s that time of the year, folks! Time to unleash a torrent of lists loaded with non-objective, mega-subjective fanboy bias, questionable tastes and flat out idiocy (AMG and Steel Druhm’s lists are obviously the exceptions).” Prepare to be outraged, mortified and enlightened.
Record(s) o’ the Month – November 2014
November follows up an October that was pretty phat in terms of the number of phat ass records that dropped on our unsuspecting, and largely also phat, asses. And while 2014 has been an extremely up-and-down year for me, November has produced what I think are the year’s most consistent albums across the board. So while I can be sassy about the lateness of this post, or the ways in which Steel Druhm‘s heavy metal credibility is in constant question due to his love of Jørn, I almost feel like that downplays what an extremely good month for heavy metal November really was. So let me just get right down to it. The Record o’ the Month for November was…
Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) Songs of 2012
In our first of many lists, we will focus on the greatest songs from the year 2012. I started this last year because I thought it was important to point out that just ’cause a whole record isn’t amazing doesn’t mean there aren’t moments of brilliance even on the most banal of records. This year, I’m happy to say many of the best songs are from very good records, but that’s not true across the board. Instead, I’ve compiled songs that have forced me back to them again and again, like some sort of Angry Metal Obsessive Compulsive. Over and over I have listened to these songs and I’ve narrowed it down to the 10(ish) that I think really stand out from the year 2012. I’m assuming no one will agree with me. But hey, who has the eponymous website? Yeah, that’s motherfucking right, bitches.
Ennead – Frozen Eyes Review
It is, as you all know, difficult to keep up with the number of unsigned bands that we get music from. But, usually as a matter of luck, I occasionally decide that I have time to check something out (or I’m just avoiding my work). Fortunately, I followed the link to a Bandcamp (that’s usually a thing that gets me to click unsigned bands) for some itsy-bitsy, teeny, teeny, teeny-tiny Swedish metalcore-influenced prog-metallers Ennead who are writing music better than a lot of signed acts that I get these days when they can’t even grow facial hair. Sometimes I follow links and am unimpressed and turn the shit off, saving the band face. In this case, however, Ennead snuck up on me and surprised—and impressed—the hell out of me.