2018

Misotheist – Misotheist Review

Misotheist – Misotheist Review

“At its cold heart, black metal is supposed to be angry, dangerous, uncomfortable. And while the genre has broadened to include some generally more benign (and often very enjoyable) off-shoots of the originally evil vision, Misotheist, hailing from Trondheim in Norway, have arrived to remind us of how dark and malevolent black metal can be. The band, whose name means “Hatred of God,” combine the blasphemy of Batushka with the frozen hellscapes of Havukruunu, sprinkled with some dissonant elements of Deathspell Omega. Anonymous members playing evil music in black cloaks emphasize that the lush landscapes of some recent atmoblack albums are as absent as warmth on a Scandinavian midwinter day.” Miso thorny.

Odious Devotion – Odious Devotion Review

Odious Devotion – Odious Devotion Review

“Every now and again I crave to venture forth into uncharted territory, at least as it pertains to my musical imbibements. I yearn to take in new music totally blind, without expectations or prior knowledge of the artist or the genre. Thankfully it’s December, a month where a decent crop of obscure bands creep out of the darkest corners of the metalverse, one of whom are newcomers Odious Devotion. I suspected that I would uncover little about this band other than that they were Finnish, played black metal, and were ready to drop an eponymous debut just before Christmas. Despite best efforts, my suspicions proved well-founded.” Suspicious minds.

Sönambula – Bicéfalo Review

Sönambula – Bicéfalo Review

“Before hearing Deathhammer by Asphyx a few years ago, I didn’t think that death/doom was something that I wanted or needed in my life. Its combination of crushing heaviness and blistering extremity immediately grabbed me. I love that album so much that I named one of my favorite workouts after it. “Deathhammer” is what happens when I go out to my garage, put the title track on repeat, and beat a giant tire with a 20 pound sledge until I can no longer breathe. You can imagine my glee upon finding out that my latest promo counts the mighty Dutch juggernaut among its primary influences.” Hammer time.

Feral – Flesh for Funerals Eternal Review

Feral – Flesh for Funerals Eternal Review

“I never get sick—except during Christmas and New Year’s. It never fails. Every. Single. Holiday. Season. Thankfully, I have Feral with their latest drop to keep me warm and energized as I cough my lungs out. Flesh of Funerals Eternal is the band’s third full length effort, and these Swedes are here to prove that they are exactly as their name suggests: frantic, vicious and unrelenting death metal.” Cat scratch blood fever.

Vanha – Melancholia Review

Vanha – Melancholia Review

“As a mere music critic, I’m well aware I’m not in the music business in a meaningful way. Still, I’m entirely baffled when artists choose to release albums at the very ass end of the year. Even more perplexing is when an album drops on December 30th when a sizable portion of the world is distracted by holiday cheer and excessive eggnogery. Call it bad capitalism or extreme trvism, but one man doom death act Vanha decided to release an album on this of all days in what seems like a calculated attempt to get it overlooked. Luckily for all concerned, Steel isn’t letting this slip into that good night unnoticed.” Bad timing, good doom.

AngryMetalGuy.com’s Aggregated Top 10(ish) of 2018: The List to End All Lists

AngryMetalGuy.com’s Aggregated Top 10(ish) of 2018: The List to End All Lists

“We have finally reached the conclusion to 2018’s list season: the AngryMetalGuy.com Meta List. In all, despite our best efforts to bemoan the quality of metal in 2018, 221 unique releases have made their way into our compiled lists which span the entire heavy spectrum. This not only goes some way to dispel any notion that metal is dead but also illustrates that the Angry Metal Hall is now shockingly crowded despite Steel Druhm‘s frequent and violent ejections. I am intrigued and entertained to observe which records which rise to the top of the heap and am delighted to honor our collective favorite records from 2018.” The best of the beasts as determined by maths.

The EP, Demo, and Oddity Post [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

The EP, Demo, and Oddity Post [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

“As a younger man I had no concept of the “EP,” nor the “demo,” nor the “split.” When was the last time Iron Maiden had to curb their excesses by squashing ideas into half an hour? When were Judas Priest not able to afford a professional recording studio and production job? And when’s that Metallica/Megadeth split due again? Such formats are reserved for the underdogs of the metal world, those bubbling beneath the surface of popularity who write music for the sheer creative expression and who will never see monetary reward for their time and effort.” Short is sweet.

Acrid – Wonderland [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

Acrid – Wonderland [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

Acrid is a Dutch melodic death metal band that dropped its first album in 1999 after forming in 1994. The band still features three original members and they hail from The Hague in the Netherlands. Acrid plays tight, noodly death metal with a strong Gothenburgian timbre. And they do it remarkably well.