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Semper – Kháos Review

By Saunders on March 24, 2017 in 2017, Djent, Groove Metal, Metalcore, Necromance Records, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Djent, Groove Metal, Progressive Metal, 27 comments

“Repeat after me: Djent is not a dirty word. It certainly appears that way with the general consensus in the metal community of the often maligned offshoot sub-genre of progressive metal. The potential is definitely there for bands to take the basic template of the djent formula and manipulate the components in a myriad of interesting and innovative ways, yet the quality bands able to do this effectively appear few and far between.” Semper fi, or semper die, there is no semper try.

Anomalie – Visions Review

By Akerblogger on March 23, 2017 in 2017, Art of Propaganda, Austrian Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 16 comments

‘Your daily dose of self-loathing, self-pity, and existential dread is brought to you by Austrian nihilists Anomalie. Visions, their third full-length, is 51-minutes of lead-heavy post-black depressiveness that’s intensified by stretches of sparse atmospherics and solemn neo-folk.” Ennui for you and me.

King of Asgard – :taudr: Review

By El Cuervo on March 21, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Trollmusic, Viking Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Viking Metal, 37 comments

“King of Asgard’s brand of Viking-themed, folksy, black metal was praised for its stellar riffing and sword-swinging energy. In light of their tenure, the green light was given to review their new EP, :taudr:. Comprising just five tracks over thirty minutes, I anticipated something sharper than the hour-long albums which are becoming the norm.” Sword swinging and review bringing.

Lòdz – Time Doesn’t Heal Anything Review

By Dr. Wvrm on March 20, 2017 in 2017, French Metal, Klonosphere, Post-metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Post-Metal, 17 comments

“Upon being handed the Lòdz torch, Grymm advised me to approach the Frenchmen from an emotional standpoint. Post-metal’s enjoyment is often predicated on embracing the primal, rather than the technical. Someone like myself who struggles to connect with the genre’s hardscrabble nature might fail to embrace the passion hidden within. For Time Doesn’t Heal Anything to resonate in my heart, Lòdz would have unlock my emotional chastity.” Only AMG can unlock those goddamn belts!

PH – Eternal Hayden Review

By Huck N Roll on March 14, 2017 in 2017, Ambient Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Finnish Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Ambient Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Post-Metal, 10 comments

“Last week I reviewed an album called Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light. This week, my album of choice is called Eternal Hayden. Both albums are post-metal. Both bands — Junius and PH — have done trilogies of albums, and these Eternal albums are their fourth.” What did we say about triple albums?

Disharmony – Goddamn the Sun Review

By Grymm on March 6, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 36 comments

“A great wise man once said, “You have your whole life to craft your debut album for the masses.” It’s true, though. The time taken to craft an impressive debut is, quite literally, limitless. While some bands gloriously fly against this logic, many of them take extra care to make sure their debut shines brighter than a million incandescent suns. Some bands take a few months after inception to write, while others, like Greece’s Disharmony, took a while. And by “a while,” I mean 26 years.” Band meets world.

Light of the Morning Star – Nocta Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 2, 2017 in 2017, British Metal, Gothic Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 27 comments

“I’ve always found gothic metal to be, much like viking or pagan metal, a phrase that is more evocative of a specific feel rather than a genre with finite boundaries. It’s one of those styles that manages to fit a deceptively diverse array of bands under its umbrella; Type O Negative, Moonspell, and The Vision Bleak differ greatly from a purely mechanical standpoint, yet the thick, gloomy atmosphere is ever present.” Ready for a graveyard romance?

Cataleptic – Forward Review

By GardensTale on March 1, 2017 in 2017, Archaic Sound, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 16 comments

“Using different tempos, introducing secondary instruments, changing style of vocals or inviting guest singers, I could go on and on about the many ways a band can break the bonds of monotony. And maybe I should, just in case Cataleptic read this review.” Free pointers because we care.

Vendetta – The 5th Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on February 27, 2017 in 2017, German Metal, Massacre Records, Releases, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 65 comments

“Vendetta is a very old and very German band, with their full-length debut being released back in 1987. Like one particularly moronic German who took it upon himself to draw the dumbest conclusions out of philosophy’s oeuvre humanly possible, Vendetta really like the idea of Violent Revolution.” Who doesn’t like the idea of some vintage Kreator?

Born Again – Strike with Power Review

By Treble Yell on February 24, 2017 in 2017, French Metal, Heavy Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 5 comments

“Motörhead may no longer be around to kill your lawn but, in their wake, churn flotsam and jetsam inspired to take up the axe and split our eardrums asunder. The aptly titled Born Again proffer to raise a pint to the metal gods of yore with their debut Strike with Power in the hopes of rekindling the embers left by Lemmy, et al. The danger in carrying the flame left by music’s Übermensch is that it can be difficult to escape their long shadow and the line between homage and second-rate irrelevancy is thin.” We miss Lemmy.