2.5

Æolian – Echoes of the Future Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on November 24, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 32 comments

“It’s difficult to fully articulate why I feel so strongly about Spain’s melodic death metallers Æolian. I stumbled upon their debut album Silent Witness shortly after its release in 2018, and while I saw lots of potential in their aggressive take on melodeath, Silent Witness ultimately left me unimpressed to the point that I ended up passing over their 2020 release The Negationist. So when Æolian’s name appeared within the promo sump, why did I feel such hope that this time, this time Æolian would nail it?” Hope and reality.

Bloodphemy – Dawn of Malevolence Review

By Saunders on November 21, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 8 comments

“So here we are again. End-of-year shenanigans are nearly upon us, as we AMG folk get geared up and frantically weed out the pretenders and consolidate our end-of-year lists for what is sure to be another actioned-packed and contentious edition of Listurnalia. But let us not get too carried away. Although the primo releases start to dry up as we close in on December, there are usually a handful or more of key releases to fuck up your list preparations. Enter Netherlands band, Bloodphemy.” List breaker or list faker?

Hinayana – Shatter and Fall Review

By Dear Hollow on November 19, 2023 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 10 comments

“We’ve been waiting for this for years. With only 2020 EP Death of the Cosmic to tide us over from Hinayana’s excellent 2018 debut Order Divine, which received the TYMHM treatment from the great and mighty Dr. Wvrm, it has been a dry spell. The Austin, Texas quintet’s sound lends itself to the melodic death/doom, notably Finnish, melancholy of Insomnium or Swallow the Sun, but with tight songwriting and a patient unfolding through relentless plodding of Amon Amarth, Order Divine became a bit of a sleeper hit for 2018. Featuring a tight and concise bite that will soothe your soul before forcing you to spit out broken teeth, will you invite follow-up Shatter and Fall’s slow-motion beatdown?” Soundtrack to Fall or stumble and fall?

Sadus – The Shadow Inside Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on November 16, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 22 comments

“The late 90s may have seen Sadus wandering too deep into (then) modern, groovy, and progressive sounds, and the 2006 offering Out for Blood leaning further into weird synth intros, drop-tuned guitars, thrash heresy. But, at the core of their most beloved outings, the backbone of Sadus was always a neck-snapping, zig-zag riffcraft.” Unsung but vicious.

Nahasheol – Serpens Abyssi Review

By Dear Hollow on November 15, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, 11 comments

“Black metal is a petty mistress, a femme fatale. Promising the void with cupped hands only to say “made you look” when thousands of one-man bedroom projects jump on your face like deranged sugar gliders, black metal will lull you in and punish you for your optimism. That said, I know better, so I approached the Dutch duo Nahasheol cautiously.” Fear of the dark (and snakes).

Howling Giant – Glass Future Review

By Dear Hollow on November 12, 2023 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 17 comments

“Last we met Howling Giant they were dueling with Somerset’s Sergeant Thunderhoof in groovy stoner split Turned to Stone Chapter 2: Masamune & Muramasa, which deserved a word, not a numerical score, to describe its quality. Howling Giant strung together a fun-loving single track with multiple movements, their meat-and-potatoes approach slightly outdueling da Hoof’s bombastic and flashy performance.” Howling at stones.

Vastum – Inward to Gethsemane Review

By Steel Druhm on November 8, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 18 comments

“San Francisco’s Vastum have been an interesting act to follow since they hit the scene in 2011. Employing an especially moist, slimy cavern-core sound owing much to Incantation, Autopsy, and Funebrarum, their savage attack was hard to resist on ace offerings like Patricidal Lust and Hole Below. With current and former members of Hammers of Misfortune, Acephalix, and Ulthar involved, they crafted some unsettling, evil-sounding shit and their writing felt more interesting than the average death output. 2019s Orificial Purge felt like a comedown in quality and inventiveness, though it was still an enjoyable platter of mostly mid-paced death. Now comes Inward to Gethsemane and with it, a hope for a rebound to the vile magic of their earlier days.” Is ugly enough?

35 Tapes – Fabric of Time Review

By El Cuervo on October 20, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Rock, 33 comments

“Despite my general distaste for band names that include numbers, I was immediately struck by Norway’s 35 Tapes and how fitting a name that is. When I think of tapes I think of something old school, reflective and nostalgic. When I think of 35 tapes I think of King Crimson and Mellotrons. These qualities align with 35 Tapes and their new album called Fabric of Time. It advances through 45 minutes of progressive rock with a subtle lilt, unveiling more with repetitions in a way that feels like a tape unraveling.” Sticky enough?

Sylvatica – Cadaver Synod Review

By Carcharodon on October 18, 2023 in Reviews, Avante Garde, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 37 comments

“Danish melodic folk death quartet Sylvatica has been around since 2009, with two full-lengths plus an assortment of EPs and singles under its collective belt. The band’s debut EP, Sagn og sagaer, had a stomping folk metal edge to it that recalled early Blind Guardian but with harsh, growling vox. By the time of their first LP, 2014’s Evil Seeds, Sylvatica’s sound had evolved somewhat, bringing them closer in tone to Skyfire or maybe Stormkeep, while on their sophomore outing, Ashes and Snow (2021), that progression continued.” Evolve or die a corpse.

Salacious Gods – Oalevluuk Review

By Iceberg on October 15, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, 6 comments

“Second-wave black metal worship is like that regular at your local dive: omnipresent, predictable with their order, and armed with the same old stories for whoever happens to be within earshot. They’re not bad for business per se, but familiarity has been known to breed contempt. And few styles are as familiar as Norwegian black metal of the early ’90s, inspiring generations to revere and—occasionally—innovate upon that trademark of “trve evil.” Enter mercurial Dutch black metallers Salacious Gods, rising from the ashes of self-imposed exile to bring us their first record in 18(!) years.” Salacious layoffs.