1.5

Fatuous Rump – I Am at Your Disposal Review

Fatuous Rump – I Am at Your Disposal Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on May 1, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Slam, 48 comments

“Slam and goregrind go together like week-old roadkill and a mid-July heat wave—between flail and fester this oft-maligned corner of brutal death metal hobbles with neither functional brain nor censor. Well, no censor on Bandcamp if you rock with goregrind and not pornogrind. Bandcamp has standards after all. At the slampicenter of these thick string rattling, pong snare clanging, sample-infested in-joke bands rests a bevy wildly stylized vocalists, allowing the throat-singing influenced snorter Larry Wang (Gorepot, Virginity Fraud, and many more…) a dank spotlight.” Rump truck.

Läjä Äijälä & Albert Witchfinder – Ordeal and Triumph Review

Läjä Äijälä & Albert Witchfinder – Ordeal and Triumph Review

By Dear Hollow on March 10, 2023 in Reviews, Drone, Electronic, Noise, 57 comments

“Läjä Äijälä and Albert Witchfinder are both veterans to the Finnish music scene, the former best known for his time with punk band Terveet Kädet, while the latter is renowned as vocalist/bassist of Reverend Bizarre – although their collaboration has nothing to do with either. Like 2021 debut Centuries of Youth, Ordeal and Triumph offers three tracks and an hour of a polarizing blend of power electronics, industrial, analog noise, dark ambient, and spoken word.” Enter the Ordeal.

Old Spirit – Burning in Heaven Review

Old Spirit – Burning in Heaven Review

By Carcharodon on February 23, 2023 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 17 comments

“When I shared with the slack hacks gathered in the AMG Break Room, the offensively purple artwork for ,b>Old Spirit’s Burning in Heaven, the Boss Ape piped up, “That the guy from Vanishing Kids,?” I shrugged noncommittally. I didn’t know whether it was the guy from<,b>Vanishing Kids, had never heard of Vanishing Kids and was unsure whether expression on those leathery features was a smirk or just a sign the old fella had gas again. I just wanted to revel in a group at how awful the artwork was. Denied this opportunity, I trudged back to my cubicle and started working the foot pedal that powers up AMG-issue computers to do some research.” Old spirits and missing kids.

Oceanhoarse – Heads Will Roll Review

Oceanhoarse – Heads Will Roll Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on February 20, 2023 in Reviews, Groove Metal, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, 12 comments

“Heads Will Roll sounds like an idea sparked after a rekindling of enjoyment for In Flamesߵ infamous Reroute to Remain. Now that’s a hoarse of a different color. Defend whatever album you want, but In Flames at their most alternative and least melodeath is not the act you’d expect to see aped in 2023—even In Flames agrees. Yet, here we are, Oceanhoarse in full Björiff meets Breaking Benjamin territory, partying like an 80s arena rock hero got stuck in Sounds of a Playground Fading.” Old flames.

Lüger – Revelations of the Sacred Skull Review

Lüger – Revelations of the Sacred Skull Review

By Crispy Hooligan on February 15, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Speed Metal, 14 comments

“Montreal moshers Lüger have certainly taken their time crafting their follow-up to their 2018 debut, Hellraisers of the Waste. Such a long gestation between first and second albums often brings dark portents—with the infrequent exceptionally brilliant album. What such a gap most rarely brings is mediocrity. Revelations of the Sacred Skull squarely takes aim at Crispy’s heart with its blend of punk, trad, and doom, wrapped together in a delightfully sordid smut package.” Dead shot or major misfire?

Veilcaste – Precipice Review

Veilcaste – Precipice Review

By Kenstrosity on February 13, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 6 comments

“Alright, here’s a puzzler for you. Indianapolis sludge metal band Conjurer released their first full-length Old World Ritual in 2015. Then, in 2019, follow-up Sigils dropped. In 2020, Conjurer chose to swap names, now operating under the moniker Veilcaste. Same band members and everything. As Veilcaste, their first release listed is, naturally, Old World Ritual, dated 2015. That’s fine, people rebrand their older albums all the time. Anyway, back to business. Veilcaste play a lumbering, ponderous sort of stoner sludge doom with little in the way of frills or other decoration.” Sludge by any name…

Ominous Scriptures – Rituals of Mass Self-Ignition

Ominous Scriptures – Rituals of Mass Self-Ignition

By Dear Hollow on February 3, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 38 comments

“I don’t know what I’m doing here. I liked the title – I thought it sounded cool. Belarus is fun to say. You all know by now that I am not a brutal death kinda guy, so this will be a learning experience for everyone. Slams, crunchy riffs, sticky production, and a vocalist from hell combine for maximum vitriol, and I have never felt so bewildered in my life. How did we end up in track eight? We were just listening to track two. I’ve got my work cut out for me.” Death in effect.

Autumn’s Child – Starflower Review

Autumn’s Child – Starflower Review

By Itchymenace on January 30, 2023 in Reviews, Pop Metal, 37 comments

“Why do these retro 80’s pop/metal knockoff records keep clogging the promo sump? And why am I the only one here willing to pry them out? And why do bands think it’s a good idea to keep making this schlock in the first place? Autumn’s Child is one of Swedish vocalist/muti-instrumentalist Mikael Erlandsson’s many projects. While not familiar with Mr. Erlasndsson before I dislodged Starflower from a tar-like mass of solo black metal projects,” Flowers in the 80s attic.

Mask of Prospero – Hiraeth Review

Mask of Prospero – Hiraeth Review

By Dear Hollow on January 26, 2023 in Reviews, Djent, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, 26 comments

According to the promo, “Hiraeth” is a Welsh description of pain: “…a mixture of longing, referring to the sense of homesickness tinged with grief and sorrow over the loss. A yearning for that which has passed.” Mask of Prospero channel this grief into their sophomore effort Hiraeth, crisp metalcore weaponized with progressive metal to a complex and atmospheric degree.” The misery shows.