“Okay, I’ll admit that what first drew me into Dangerous Days, the debut offering from Italian traditional metal act Hyperion, was its eye catching artwork. I don’t usually gravitate towards heavy metal albums, but I guess that, deep down, I’m no better than a toddler, drawn to bright colors, sci-fi spacesuits and cool-ass monster designs like my 1.5 year old son to literally anything he isn’t supposed to touch.” Free metal and candy.
3.0
The 3rd Attempt – Egocidal Path Review
“While another release from The 3rd Attempt wouldn’t get so much as a shrug from most metalheads, I’ve been fucking waiting all year for Egocidal Path. As anyone might be able to tell from reading 2015’s Born in Thorns review, I love anything Tchort gets his hands on. Be it Carpathian Forest, Green Carnation, or Blood Red Throne, I’m there. And being that the debut was a solid release of Nattefrost and Carpathian Forest-inspired black ‘n’ roll, I can’t help but get excited about the follow-up.”
Degial – Predator Reign Review
“It’s that time of year again where people are scrambling for gifts to buy people, malls to populate, and year-end lists to create. It’s also the time of year when I try to step outside of my blackened, doom-laden comfort zone and try my hand at less bleak, more visceral waters. In other words, I done burned myself out on black metal for a bit, and what better pick-me-up is there than Swedish death metal?” Satisfying like Swedeath Fish.
Nupraptor – The Heresiarch Review
“One-man bands, once the exclusive domain of basement dwelling, meatloaf-consuming black metal denizens, are now becoming a trend in doom as well. Spirit Adrift impressed the AMG staff earlier this year and Via Vengeance is making a name for themselves (himself?) as well. Now make room for Nupraptor, the project of one Matt St. Our.” Doom is the loneliest number.
Morbid Angel – Kingdoms Disdained Review
“To review a record by a band whose career is as storied as Morbid Angel’s, in the hopes of any kind of objectivity, is fraught. Is Kingdoms Disdained a return to form? The answer is a resounding yes, but let’s be honest, standards were treacherously low.” Are you Morbid? Are they?
Sorxe – Matter & Void Review
“But, the two biggest differences between Surrounded by Shadows and Matter & Void are the ones our beloved Brother Grymm had the biggest issues with—bass presence and song length. Justifiable complaints considering the band have two bass players and a nine-track sludge debut that carries on for almost an hour. But the band appears to have nipped these in the bud. Matter & Void is bassy, beefy, and its six tracks clock in at a mere thirty-five minutes. Not to mention, Sorxe has a label this time around. Time to find out what Matters and what’s Void.” Sludge matters.
Death Toll 80k – Step Down Review
“Along with Wormrot’s Abuse, Death Toll 80k’s 2011 debut Harsh Realities was one of the few works I found that actually matched Insect Warfare’s Extermination. Sure it had the insanity, but more than that it had the RIFFS — riffs that thrashed, riffs that grooved, riffs that crawled up my ass and exploded and then sent my remains to Mom in a shittily taped box along with a picture of goatse and a copy of the latest straight-to-DVD John Cena movie. Point being, Realities was a great album, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw this Finnish quartet was finally returning after six years with sophomore full-length Step Down.” Social justice for metal warriors.
No Return – The Curse Within Review
“My first plunge on that trip occurred somewhere late 2003, almost half a lifetime ago. It was the release of Dance of Death by Iron Maiden, though I had been primed by popular bands such as Rammstein and System of a Down, and my father’s extensive classic rock collection before that. Soon I found myself rocking out to the unprecedented brutality of Children of Bodom and Norther, diving headfirst into the world of melodic death metal. Listening to No Return, I am transported back to those halcyon days, despite never hearing the French band before picking The Curse Within from the promo bin.” History-core for dummies.
Jupiterian – Terraforming Review
“Atmospheric doom/sludge. Ponder that tag and allow the words and your imagination to create a world, a special place of their design. Personally, there’s no light where those words take me. I see the genre before me and am transported somewhere dark, cold; visions of Errata convulse under Clouds which Swallow the Sun, and I begin to dream of a place that I could call home. Norway, Finland, Russia, Canada… the lands of ice and snow dance behind my eyes.” Weather forecast: Grim.
V – Pathogenisis Review
“V is a project of Daniel Liljekvist (In Mourning, ex-Katatonia) and on their Pathogenisis debut they’re peddling a take on post-metal that clings close to the early days of the style, while also incorporating a good dose of doom. The hardcore element that’s slowly becoming watered down in much modern post-metal is quite prominent here, making V’s sound muscular, aggressive and confrontation. Most importantly of all, it’s chocked full of spleen softening riffs.” V is for Post-metal?