“It’s the month of December, and there be some slim pickings here at the Angry Metal Guy Fortress. With the exception of a potential End of Year Candidate, it’s the month where bands that you haven’t checked out all year are scrutinized, lists are finalized, and if you are at all like me, you are avoiding all shopping centers as if they were quarantine zones.” Grymm may lack the proper holiday spirit and the requisite love for all Mankind, but the man knows his metal.
“Paris is shit. Above all else, that is what the Paris-based Cowards wants to leave with the listener. Having missed this the first time round in 2012, Shooting Blanks & Pills has earned a well-deserved re-issue.” You might have missed this in 2012, and you may have missed the 2014 re-issue. Don’t be a two-time misser!
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…
“While the cover art looks more like it belongs on a Municipal Waste album, Brazil’s NervoChaos aren’t a current band playing the music of their elders. They are the real deal.” Al Kikuras has history with these creepers. Ugly history!
“Being the metal fan that you are, I can only assume you’ve had that late-night trip to the record store, hell-bent on purchasing a new album. It doesn’t even matter what album. However, tonight it turns out your favorite record store doesn’t have shit in the way of metal. Either you own it or don’t want it. So you base your purchasing decision on close examination of the “fans of blah blah blah” labels, the artwork, and the band name itself. You finally come across an album just released that week and buy it knowing there’s the possibility for one-of-three outcomes.” Buying blind, oh the thrill!
“Last year, two EPs caught me totally off-guard. For a long time I just couldn’t get on with any form of punk – despite my penchant for good grind – though in recent years my tastes have developed and I’ve been increasingly delving into the –core end of things. But I was totally unprepared for how much I would enjoy Tide of Iron’s split with Grace (The Hard Work EP), and even more so Enabler’s Flies.” When we at AMG get surprised, we make sure you hear about it toot sweet.
“Taake are back and pimping their Norwegian black metal wares as only the gloriously bare chested Hoest can do! Yes you read right, it seems the obligatory three year wait since the release of Noregs Vaapen is over and it’s time for the sixth and newest “exciting” chapter in the band’s extensive catalogue. So what of it?” Bare chested bravado only goes so far in black metal, even if Madam X appreciates it more than most.
“If there was ever a band making music because they wanted to and not caring if anyone else liked it, Zero Down is it. These cats have been lurking in the most obscure corners of metaldom since 2002 and managed to self release three prior albums, with No Limit to the Evil being the latest. They rock an olden style of metal something like a mash up of British Steel era Judas Priest mixed with Motorhead, hard rock and punk, and in all honestly, it’s a bit of a hot mess.” That cover says a lot, but doesn’t tell the whole story.
“Many moons ago, during this very wintery time of the year, I first began to explore the sub- and sub-sub-genres of black and death metal. For me, it was the combination of the calming snowfall and the lonely/depressed state-of-mind at the time that made me a willing victim to the symphonic/melodic black metal and melodic death metal genres. To this day, I go back to those classic albums.” Since winter is truly coming, it’s time to get all depressed, and this might help.
“Execration appears to be quite the popular name for death metal bands, so I’ll begin with a clarification: this review concerns the Norwegian death metal band Execration – not the Italian death metal band Execration or the Colorado death metal band Execration (who themselves are not to be confused with defunct Michigan death metal band Execration, nor with disbanded Arizona death metal band Execration).” Eh, what’s in a name anyway?
