2014

Indian – From All Purity Review

By Kronos on January 16, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Black Metal, Noise, Sludge Metal, 37 comments

“”Noise” is a term often used to describe metal by those who haven’t yet submersed themselves in the genre. When you’re not used to being assaulted by distortion and screams, the whole panoply of extreme genres undoubtedly poses a seemingly impenetrable thicket of bloodied thorns; it seems insane that people would choose to settle in such an environment, make their homes there, and grow the forest ever greater. Indian are the fetid leaf litter of the forest, the floor of grimy, wet, compacted remains where plantae gives way to fungi and fungi to bacteria.” Kronos weaves a strange tale of forests, mulch and mouse bones as he unveils an early candidate for Album of the Year.

Red Dragon Cartel – Red Dragon Cartel Review

By Dr. Fisting on January 16, 2014 in American Metal, Frontiers Records, Heavy Metal, Reviews, 10 comments

“Many guitarists have passed through the ranks of the Ozzy Osbourne band over the years, but only one has inspired whole generations of axemen. Only one is mentioned in the same breath as legends like Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen; only one has had first-born children named after him. That man, my friends, is Mr. Jake E. Lee.” Mr. Fisting dusts off his 80s man-crush on the legendary Mr. E. Lee and gives us the straight skinny on his new solo project. Hint Hint: The “E” stands for “ehhhh.”

Primal Fear – Delivering the Black Review

By Steel Druhm on January 15, 2014 in 2014, Frontiers Records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 10 comments

“Primal Fear never claimed to be innovators or trail blazers. They just want to rock their Judas Priest inspired, traditional metal shtick and write catchy, anthemic songs. They’ve been good at it too and certainly made a career of it, since Delivering the Black is album number ten for the Teutonic terrors. However, with their innate lack of innovative spirit, the risk of staleness becomes an ever present stalking horse, and some of their discography has suffered it’s awful sting…” Ready for more music Judas Priest could have/should have written after Painkiller? No matter how you answered, here it is!

Warfather – Orchestrating the Apocalypse Review

By Kronos on January 15, 2014 in 2.0, 2014, American Metal, Death Metal, Greyhaze Records, Reviews, 1 comment

“Other than being a young blood on the review team here, I’m a young blood in general, meaning that I popped onto this rock just around the time death metal was in its youthful heyday, and was introduced to it late, more or less in its modern form, without any experience with its gritty adolescent years. For the most part, the 90s sound is a relic for me, fossil evidence of the gradual evolution of death metal. Warfather seems determined to re-educate me. The throwback quartet, headed by ex-Morbid Angel bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker, has crept onto my radar with a name too ridiculous to pass by and a sound 90s enough to warrant a presidential apology to the American people.” Kronos is young and in need of guidance. Can Warfather provide the parental authority he needs or are they just a bad influence?

Graveborne – Through the Window of the Night Review

By Noctus on January 14, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Séance Records, Black Metal, 2 comments

“To kick off 2014 there really is no more fitting genre to review than black metal. Why? Because it’s proof that absolutely nothing ever changes. In fact it’s almost a sign that the apocalypse most certainly is not nigh; the wind still blows, the trees still grow and black metal bands still wear bullet belts and corpse paint. But at some point as a community of metalheads we simply have to pull the wool from our eyes and admit to ourselves that there is absolutely no purpose to bands like Graveborne any more….” Noctus returns with a whole lot of angry and some lessons for our black metal brethren! Don the asbestos suit, Noctus!

The Kennedy Veil – Trinity of Falsehood Review

By Kronos on January 14, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, 12 comments

“For every Voivod album that teaches us not to judge a book by its (horrendously poorly made) cover, there are dozens of other albums with laughably bad artwork that also contain laughably bad music. This was somewhat the case with The Kennedy Veil’s debut disc, which hid uninteresting death metal behind a photoshop abomination. They can’t be faulted for this, seeing as the it was self-released, but it’s nice to know this time around they’ve put forth a properly constructed, though again clichéd face for themselves.” Sometimes we make note of album artwork, but Kronos really takes that to a new level of visual obsession. Fortunately, he also reviews the music… eventually.

Culted – Oblique to All Paths Review

By Grymm on January 13, 2014 in 2014, Canadian Metal, Doom Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 3 comments

“The Internet is a wonderful thing. You can find pretty much everything via the web: your future ex-wife/husband, unnecessary lists you never knew you wanted to read, questionable porn based on whatever, and yes, even band members. Culted are a unique group. Three-quarters of the band live in Manitoba, Canada, and they’ve never met their vocalist, Swedish-based Daniel Jansson, with the exception of file-sharing and email correspondence. Remarkably, even without ever being in the same room, they craft some seriously cold, bleak soundscapes.” These guys run their band like AMG runs this website. It’s all about distance, isolation and cold, inhuman technology!

Lethe – When Dreams Become Nightmares Review

By Grymm on January 12, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Debemur Morti, Gothic Metal, Not Metal, Reviews, Not Metal, 3 comments

“When I throw the label “experimental metal” out to you, what does your blastbeat-addled mind conjure for images and sounds? Does your brain picture off-the-wall time changes, weird instrumentation, musical concepts foreign to metal, or something truly out of left field? Or, like me, does it simply explain that what you’re about to listen to, well, isn’t really metal? Sadly, 9 times out of 10, most “experimental” bands fall into the latter category. Lethe is a new project featuring Anna Murphy (Eluveitie) and Tor-Helge Skei (Manes) waving the “experimental metal” flag with their debut, When Dreams Become Nightmares. Does Lethe carve a new path through the thickets, emblazoning new trails, and sending the hordes kicking and screaming, welcoming the dawn of a new day in the world of heavy metal?” Grymm answers this thorny question and weighs the relative worth of this experiment in metal and/or non-metal.

Hexis – Abalam Review

By Madam X on January 11, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Danish Metal, Halo of Flies, Hardcore, Musicfearsatan, Releases, Reviews, Black Metal, Hardcore, 7 comments

“Danish band Hexis have been torturing the masses since back in 2010. Up until now, their tales of atheism and abstract thought have been dished out via a bunch of demo’s, EP’s and splits with the likes of French post-metallers As We Draw, Russian atmospheric, post-hardcore band Euglena and Danish post-black metallers Redwood Hill. Now, as the new year kicks into full swing, Hexis have finally grabbed the demon by the horns and they’re all set to deliver their first full-length consisting of 13 stripped down abominations that bring to mind the harrowing events of an exorcism.” Demonic possession and metal go together like beer and another beer, so on paper at least, this seems like a marriage made in Hell. Madam X tells us if they need counseling.

The Isolation Process – The Isolation Process Review

By Steel Druhm on January 10, 2014 in 2014, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Version Studio Records, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 10 comments

“Are you one of those people who wish Paradise Lost never strayed from the sound of Draconian Times? If so, The Isolation Process has a belated Christmas/Festivus gift with your name on it. The eponymous debut from this Swedish three-piece made up of members of Lingua and Come Sleep (neither of which I ever heard of) features a style strikingly similar to that classic album, while adding select elements of Tool, Sinamore and To Die For. As gothic-tinged doom metal goes, that makes for quite the heady stew in which to dunk your biscuits of despair and oyster crackers of unresolved childhood issues.” Do you like Paradise Lost? If so, hug this album to your breast and sing it a sweet love song.