Kult Ofenzivy – Nauky ruznic Review

Kult Ofenzivy – Nauky ruznic Review

“Black metal has become so diverse that the tag has practically lost all meaning. What does it refer to these days? The post-black style first whisked from Cascadia in 2007 with Wolves in the Throne Room’s seminal Two Hunters? Or the stomach-churning dissonance of Deathspell Omega? Or maybe legacy acts like Mayhem, still trudging on and attempting to rekindle the fires that burned so fiercely in the early 90s?” Black metal has been seriously wounded, but the fire still burns.

Necrophagia – WhiteWorm Cathedral Review

Necrophagia – WhiteWorm Cathedral Review

“If you’re a death metal fan and haven’t at least heard the name Necrophagia, you either aren’t much of a fan or you’re deaf, in which case you have a really good excuse and aren’t listening to death metal anyway. Or nu-metal. Or polka.” These fiends have been lurking at the periphery of extreme metal since the 80s and just wont die. Die, monster, die!

Anguish – Mountain Review

Anguish – Mountain Review

“Sweden’s Anguish have a lot of hype going for them. Their debut, 2012’s Through the Archdemon’s Head, turned the heads of fans, critics, and foxes the world over, bludgeoning everyone with their massive mix of Candlemass, Trouble, and the *ahem* unique vocals of J. Dee. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to check that album out, but when news hit that their newest release, Mountain, would take their sound and streamline it, cutting out the fat and giving us just the meaty morsels of their maddening dinner spread, I took the opportunity to jump in…” There may or may not be some minor hype about this band, but we ignore the buzz and deal in facts. Just the facts.

Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel Review

Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel Review

“The Seasons of Mist promo team must have collectively flipped their titties when the Sydney Conservatorium of Music announced they were to use Ne Obliviscaris’s “And Plague Flowers The Kaleido” on their teaching syllabus. In a world of increasingly simple and commercial music, nothing screams musical credibility more than appreciation from a prestigious classical school. Mutual respect and musical coalition of the ‘complex’ and ‘respectable’ genres of classical, jazz and metal are commonly used by bands and fans for self-validation and in intellectual dick-waving contests.” El Cuervo braves the dick wavery and boards the hype train like Phallus in Wonderland.

Crazy Lixx – Crazy Lixx Review

Crazy Lixx – Crazy Lixx Review

“You know how Kurt Cobain killed Hair Metal? Of course you know; we’ve been through this already. He didn’t. Yes folks, it’s time for your second dose of hair metal in under a month! You see, while AMG has been distracted dealing with Steel Druhm’s incessant efforts to inject more Jorn onto the site by any means necessary, I’ve launched my own elaborately coiffured campaign to restyle Angry Metal Guy into the far more fabulous Hair Metal Guy.” Jorn in the U.S.A.!

Decaying – One to Conquer Review

Decaying – One to Conquer Review

“Some bands make fans wait years between releases and drive them bonkers with their lack of productivity. Others like Finland’s Decaying release an album every year like clockwork. One to Conquer is the fourth album I’ve been dealt since joining AMG and though they started as a blackened death act, they quickly morphed into war metal enthusiasts, taking heavy inspiration from Bolt Thrower, Hail of Bullets and Asphyx.” The war goes on, but some must be sent to the rear to do the filing.

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: He Is Legend – Heavy Fruit

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: He Is Legend – Heavy Fruit

“Once upon a time, in the days of MySpace, there was a band called He Is Legend. They had the misfortune of association with the mid-2000’s metalcore scene, and worse yet, they had a long way to go in the songwriting department. Over time they went through awkward growth spurts, thankfully ditching their core trappings, but struggling with finding their own style.” Mr. Fisting rings in the holiday season with the very first of our “Things You Might Have Missed” recommendations, and this time, it’s all about the fruit!

Fides Inversa – Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans Review

Fides Inversa – Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans Review

“It’s a common argument that winning formulas are difficult to beat and they can be repeated time and time again without diminishing appeal. The triteness of modern black metal has been well documented on this website, and it has to be admitted that I enter every black metal review these days with a sense of apprehension.” And rightly so, buddy!

Ghost Brigade – IV – One With the Storm Review

Ghost Brigade – IV – One With the Storm Review

Ghost Brigade are tough to neatly pigeonhole into a specific genre. Their early material was definitely post-metal/post-hardcore, but as they matured their sound evolved to include doom, gothic rock, alternative music and slight touches of black metal and prog. By the time they released Until Fear No Longer Defines Us, their style was quite the interesting stew of influences, yet their music remained accessible, direct and highly emotional.” Lineup changes abound, so does the classic sound stick around? We have…the DEETS!

Giant Squid – Minoans Review

Giant Squid – Minoans Review

“Firstly, before I delve into the guts of this review, here’s a bit of context regarding the elaborate conceptual narrative San Francisco’s Giant Squid have once again crafted with their latest weird and wonderful musical trip, entitled Minoans. The Minoan civilization emerged on the island of Crete and thrived from roughly 2700 to 1450 BC. I’m not here to give you a fucking history lesson, but for those seeking to get the full engagement of another carefully constructed and highly ambitious Giant Squid concept album, there’s an interesting backstory behind this mysterious civilization well worth investigating.” I feel like we just got a fucking history lesson.