Alice In Chains

Lamassu – Into the Empty Review

Lamassu – Into the Empty Review

By Carcharodon on September 5, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, Sludge, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 29 comments

“Stoner rock is one of those genres where it’s hard to put into words what separates the great records from the tediously competent. What is it that makes Kyuss’ Welcome to Sky Valley or Sleep’s Dopesmoker nigh-on perfect records, while another album with all the same constituents just barely scrapes a 2.0? Well, as I say, it’s hard to put into words but, possibly because of its close relationship with the blues, great stoner has a ‘feel’ to it, a ‘know it, when you hear it’ quality.” Empty feelz and bluesy thrills.

Damn Your Eyes – Kill the Outside Review

Damn Your Eyes – Kill the Outside Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on August 5, 2019 in 2019, Adrenaline PR, American Metal, Groove Metal, Hard Rock, Reviews, Groove Metal, Hard Rock, 11 comments

“Though absurd on so many levels, let’s imagine what it would be like to combine the aggressiveness of Down’s ‘Lifer’ and the catchiness of ‘On March the Saints’ with the comeback power of Machine Head’s ‘Imperium’ and the apocalyptic ‘Halo,’ all wrapped up in VH1’s second favorite grunge band, Alice in Chains. That must mean Damn Your Eyes’ debut record, Kill the Outside, sounds like ‘Aesthetics of Hate’-meets-‘Down in a Hole’-meets-‘Bury Me in Smoke,’ right? Wrong.” Damn you ears.

The Offering – Home Review

The Offering – Home Review

By Holdeneye on August 1, 2019 in Reviews, Death Metal, Deathcore, Groove Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Nu Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, 109 comments

“In 2017, Boston band The Offering dropped a self-titled—and killer—EP that got them noticed by Century Media. Well, it’s time to check out their debut full-length Home, so grab something olde, something nü, something growled, and something blues, because today we’ll be haunting the chapel to see if the band can successfully marry an unhealthy number of musical influences into a cohesive whole.” Holy headlock!

Black Passage – The Veil Review

Black Passage – The Veil Review

By Kenstrosity on July 22, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Deathcore, Melodic Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Self-released, Deathcore, Melodic Metal, Metalcore, 8 comments

“Every now and again we at AMG receive promo that defies genre classification. Out of those, one or two make us crazy trying to decide whether we even like it or not. This review marks the first time I get to experience said phenomenon firsthand. Black Passage, a “metalcore” quintet out of Bay Area, CA, are releasing their debut LP The Veil at the tail end of July.” Pigeons without holes.

The Odious – Vesica Piscis Review

The Odious – Vesica Piscis Review

By Kronos on June 19, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Djent, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Releases, Reviews, Self-released, Progressive Metal, 52 comments

“I didn’t know this album was coming. I thought The Odious had faded out of existence long ago, trapped behind an ever-thickening glass of ‘what-if’s’ that both magnifies and distorts the legacy of bands that disappear just as they reach their creative zenith. You’ve heard swansongs before, but never from as fluffy and yolk-drenched a cygnet as The Odious were, releasing a career’s worth of great ideas over the course of two years and two releases – 2012’s Joint Ventures LP preceded by the That Night a Forest Grew EP in 2011. Now reaching for an altogether opposite avian metaphor, the band have reformed.” From swansong to phoenix.

The Wandering Ascetic – Crimson Review

The Wandering Ascetic – Crimson Review

By Holdeneye on February 17, 2019 in 2019, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Singaporean Metal, Transcending Obscurity Asia, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 26 comments

“Who determines the subgenre of an album? Is it the band itself? The label? Metal Archives? The listener? Satan? Honestly, this is a question that hadn’t really seemed important in my mind until reviewing this album from Singaporean band The Wandering Ascetic. Crimson is the band’s first full length, but they began playing together in 2011 and released an EP in 2013. The project is being touted by Transcending Obscurity Asia as the more streamlined blackened thrash outlet for vocalist Kathir, whom fans of Rudra may recognize as that band’s longtime frontman. Streamlined blackened thrash sounded really nice while I was perusing promos, so I decided to join The Wandering Ascetic for a walkabout.” Lost in the woods.

Spillage – Blood of Angels Review

Spillage – Blood of Angels Review

By Steel Druhm on January 11, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 53 comments

“Spillage is the brainchild of one Tony Spillman (get it?), a true journeyman of the Chicago metal scene who worked as a guitar tech for Trouble and appeared in Earthen Grave with Trouble alum Ron Holzner. After the unfortunate demise of Earthen Grave, Mr. Spillage wanted to pursue his own creative endeavors, founding Spillage and releasing a self-titled debut in 2015 featuring Trouble’s Bruce Franklin on guitar. Fast forward a few years and the band has a new lineup, with Franklin producing instead of performing. With all these connections to Chicago’s premier doom act, you’d expect sophomore opus Blood of Angels to be a chip off The Skull, and they do bill themselves as “power doom.”” Troubled.

Thou – Magus Review

Thou – Magus Review

By Akerblogger on August 30, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Sacred Bones Records, Doom Metal, 41 comments

“Thou” are a band constantly mutating. Obscurity and convolution are key forces of their cryptic, esoteric approach to sludge and doom. Three vastly different sounding EPs have already been released this year, a trilogy that acts as a prelude to Magus, their fifth full-length that unifies and reconciles the disparate nature of EPs The House Primordial, Incosolable and Rhea Sylvia. 2014’s Heathen hit me hard – the band’s combination of monstrous sludge noise, ethereal melodies, solemn interludes, cryptic poetic lyrics, and painful snarling vocals mesmerized me, at first at least. Spells can be broken.

Crone – Godspeed Review

Crone – Godspeed Review

By GardensTale on April 16, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Hard Rock, Post-metal, Prophecy Productions, Reviews, Hard Rock, Post-Metal, 40 comments

“As I’ve mentioned around these parts before, I am first and foremost an emotional listener. Technical prowess means little to me if it doesn’t serve to elevate a certain subset of sensations. This explains a lot about my listening habits. Progressive metal, which frequently employs storytelling techniques to build towards crescendos of sentiment, is commonly my favorite subgenre.” Into the prog bog.