1.5

Mist of Misery – Shackles of Life Review

By El Cuervo on September 3, 2017 in 2017, Black Lion Productions, Black Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Symphonic Metal, Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, 28 comments

“Such is the dearth of my trveness, humility, and years, I’ve recently realized that I tend towards double-adjective metal. That is, types of metal with an additional adjective in their genre tag. Progressive death metal? Check. Post black metal? For sure. Symphonic power metal? Come at me. I could therefore scarcely avoid swiping at the tantalizing fruits surely offered by the three adjectives in the ‘depressive symphonic black metal’ labeled on our promo sheet.” A three metal combo, now with a side of cold saw.

Leprous – Malina Review

By Angry Metal Guy on August 23, 2017 in 2017, InsideOut, Norwegian Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 154 comments

“Leprous is one of Norway’s finest acts and one of the excellent stable of modern prog bands that we have covered here at AMG in the last 5 or 6 years. In recent times, their profile has risen as their singular approach to progressive metal has inspired high praise from myself, Kronos, and the metal world at large.” When a rare double review arrives, it means the staff has been a beefin’.

Rabid Bitch of the North – Nothing but a Bitter Taste Review

By Huck N Roll on August 21, 2017 in 2017, Heavy Metal, Hostile Media, Irish Metal, NWOBHM, Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 46 comments

“Come on, with a name like that can you blame me for grabbing this band’s album? It’s the equivalent of promotional clickbait. Crazy band name, goofy album title, and even goofier band picture, all topped off with the fact that the band consider themselves purveyors of the NWOBHM (despite the fact that this is really their debut album). It all adds up to something that, if Steel wasn’t already double-dipping this week in the review pool, he would have grabbed for sure. Which means I get his sloppy seconds.” The bitter taste of rabies.

Doom Side of the Moon – Doom Side of the Moon Review

By Treble Yell on August 4, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Doom Metal, 74 comments

“In the royal chamber of overrated albums, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon sits atop a burnished throne that has cradled its posterior for many decades. I’ve tried countless times to love DSotM, bouncing between the CD, the SACD remaster, and an 180g vinyl pressing in desperation to discover what it is about this album that has resonated with so many people. Alas, illumination eluded me, and while I found portions of the record appealing, I struggled to generate more than a shrug when consuming the album as a whole. Not everyone shares my ambivalence, least of all Kyle Shutt, who has decided to honor the 50 year anniversary of DSoTM with the self-titled Doom Side of the Moon.'” Commence to fightin’.

Tchornobog – Tchornobog Review

By Eldritch Elitist on July 31, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 57 comments

“Tchornobog is Soroka’s attempt at infiltrating the extreme metal sect occupied by the likes of Portal and Abyssal; a brew of cavernous, cacophonous death metal, dripping with fringe-style elements that blur genre lines.” Gesundheit!

Hexenklad – Spirit of the Stone Review

By Dr. Wvrm on July 29, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, CDN Records, Folk Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 11 comments

“Hailing from the wooded glens of Ontario, Hexenklad come bearing as many cursed furs as their teetering carts can bear. Many will recognize SIG:AR:TYR guitarist Mike Grund, but only those hooked into the Canadian black metal scene may notice frontman Timothy “Voldemort Voldamares” Johnston, former member of the now-defunct Eclipse Eternal and contributor to David Gold tribute Heart of Gold.” From the Great White (Blackened) North.

Execration – Return to the Void Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on July 20, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Progressive Death, Black Metal, Death Metal, 38 comments

“It’s easy to wonder if death metal is currently in the midst of an existential crisis. In one sense, it perpetually is; its obsession with mortality is such that everyone from Martin Heidegger to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine would tell the genre to chill out a bit. On the other hand, the acts that find themselves popular with critics wear a different sort of existential crisis on their sleeves, one of existential malaise. As one should always be wary of virtually everything that critics (along with intellectuals and “experts”) tell them, everyone ought to be extremely cautious about the “future” of death metal and the current state of the classic sound. Norway’s Execration is one of the bands in the thick of this existential crisis.” Musical Pokemon.

Heaven in Her Arms – White Halo Review

By Huck N Roll on July 11, 2017 in 2017, Hardcore, Japanese Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Translation Loss, Hardcore, Progressive Metal, 69 comments

“The AMG Overlords are vengeful overlords. One wrong step, one missed tithe, and an underling can find oneself working in the boiler room again. Or worse yet, getting duped into a review of something unexpected. Case in point, someone we all know and love was late with a review and thus, scrambling to get back in Madam and Steel’s good graces, frantically grabbed a promo described by the Overlords as “post-something.” I’ve been had. Heaven in Her Arms are a Japanese hardcore act who incorporate some progressive elements, some death elements, and some screamo, but not really any post-something.” Post-punishment.

Valor – Arrogance: The Fall Review

By Huck N Roll on June 16, 2017 in 2017, Greek Metal, Pitch Black Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 18 comments

“I had such great luck with my review choices in May that I decided for June I need to bring myself back down to earth, so this month I’m choosing predominantly power metal. Okay, that’s not why, it’s because all the good stuff was already gone by the time I remembered to look for June promos. Anyhow, for better or worse June is Power Metal Month in the Huckster’s household, and we kick things off with the powerfully-named Greek band Valor, blessing us with their third album, Arrogance: The Fall.” Haughty and naughty.

Space Witch – Arcanum Review

By GardensTale on June 15, 2017 in 2017, Doom Metal, English Metal, HeviSike Records, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, 48 comments

“All musicians have to cope with the amount of music similar to their own. There are thousands of bands in any given sub-genre: how do you distinguish yourself? Lately, I have felt this stronger with stoner-doom than any other metal genre. Every band peddles 15-minute songs of plodding cyclical riffing, various sorts of harshly belted vocals, and a slow stomping rhythm section. The bands that do anything different are far and few between, and quickly drop from their bin into a differently labeled one, like sludge-doom or progressive-something.” Space Witch, mother_________.