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Aposento – Bleed to Death Review

Aposento – Bleed to Death Review

“How many death metal records today are worth stealing from? Not many, I’d wager; we simply have too many of them to keep track of. Look to the language: the promo writers are bored, ‘brutal’ only has so many synonyms, and hearing that somewhere’s latest upstarts sound like old Deicide is only titillating for so long. But what else can be said? For the average death metal fan, the overabundance of material is a boon and a bane: you’ll never run out of grisly tunes, but you’ll never really dig into a record like older ‘heads did Altars of Madness because a brand new platter o’ splatter is ready and waiting.” Single serving death?

Hollow – Home Is Not Where the Heart Is Review

Hollow – Home Is Not Where the Heart Is Review

“A funny thing happened to metalcore in the last six years or so. After the Killswitch Engages and As I Lay Dyings of the world spent years churning out Gothenburg riffs and tough-guy breakdowns like cheap beers at a frat party, metalcore bands finally listened to Periphery and started latching on to this new thing called ‘djent.'” Metalcore through the ages.

Morass of Molasses – These Paths We Tread Review

Morass of Molasses – These Paths We Tread Review

“Lust. Greed. Pride. Jealousy. Gluttony. Vengeance. Six emotions that I experience on my daily commute to and from work. What’s better than having a heavy-blues inspired stoner album, shaped by these sordid vices, to accompany me on my soulless journey into this sick and weary world? Hailing from my beloved Blighty, Morass of Molasses thrust sexy, groove-laden shock-waves that send old-biddies reeling, cups of tea a-spilling, rich-tea biccies mushing, and tea doilies dampening.” Sounds of a tea party fading.

Akroma – Apocalypse Requiem Review

Akroma – Apocalypse Requiem Review

“The tying together of metal and classical music can be such a mutually beneficial endeavor. Classical’s range of instruments and diversity of mood with metal’s intensity and rhythmic prowess? A match surely made in Heaven. And yet it’s a match which can so easily become a torrid mismatch.” Heaven or Hell, who can tell?

Slagduster – Deadweight Review

Slagduster – Deadweight Review

“In the big and scary world of progressive music, fusion jazz is definitely among the most divisive. The heady complexity of the riffs, the drums that jerk back and forth with different tempos and measures and the structural integrity of a house of cards constructed by a madman often invite words like showing off, musical masturbation, or simply wanking.” Jazz hands be wanking.

Doublestone – Devil’s Own Review

Doublestone – Devil’s Own Review

“If I’ve learned anything from the Metallicas and Carcasses of the world, it’s to leave ’em wanting more. Knowing when to put out a tunneling candle is preferable to producing an nigh unsurpassable album that embarrasses all future output. Any career based on one-upping yourself will likely end in disappointment.” Doublestone’s double tap.

Distillator – Summoning the Malicious Review

Distillator – Summoning the Malicious Review

“Thrash has deflowered many a metal virgin over the years, myself included. As such, regardless of the modern state of the thrash metal scene, it’s easy to fall back into cozy nostalgia, despite my belief that the majority of thrash bands are caught in a perpetual loop of attempting to rehash the genre’s past glories and ’80s heyday rather than forging their own path of destruction. Pulling strands from the much pillaged Bay Area thrash scene of the ’80s, spiked with whiffs of old school Slayer and Destruction, Distillator go about their business with minimum fuss and plenty of throwback thrash attitude and tightly executed chops.” Distillation was never this heavy.