American Metal

Inter Arma – New Heaven Review

Inter Arma – New Heaven Review

By Cherd on April 26, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 89 comments

“It’s been almost exactly five years since Inter Arma’s last full-length, not counting their album of cover songs, Garbers Days Revisited. Not that the vicious take on Neil Young’s “Southern Man” wasn’t a welcome addition to their catalogue, but after the gut-churning aural ruination that was 2019’s Sulfur English, you could hardly blame fans for hoping the band would follow it up in short order. A global pandemic and personnel turmoil intervened, so here we are in 2024 just getting our ears around the band’s fifth LP, New Heaven.” Large things arrive late.

ACxDC – G.O.A.T. Review

ACxDC – G.O.A.T. Review

By Dear Hollow on April 24, 2024 in Reviews, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Powerviolence, 43 comments

“If you don’t know ACxDC, then what are you doing with your life? Like listening to actually good metal? Too bad for your sorry ass. The LA natives are back in black for their own highway to hell, and it’s too good to be true. For the woefully uninformed and uncultured, don’t even think alternate or direct current and Brian Johnson, you swine. It’s Antichrist Demoncore, and the peanut butter cup moniker of divine apathy is so sweet and gummy.” Vote for G.O.A.T..

High on Fire — Cometh the Storm Review

High on Fire — Cometh the Storm Review

By Ferox on April 22, 2024 in Reviews, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 93 comments

“This site suffers from a High on Fire appreciation deficit. Staffers from the prog-and-scones salon brush them away like so much dandruff from the shoulder of their tweed blazers. The caveman contingent, meanwhile, sends no love to this sludge institution. We’ve only reviewed them one time! The oversight heaps discredit on snobs and slobs alike. With the release of their ninth slab Cometh the Storm, I, Ferox, pounced on the opportunity to acknowledge these facts and correct the record. Cometh the Storm just needs to deliver the groceries one more time so I can cram it in the face of my fellow staffers.” High on fanboying.

Adon – Adon Review

Adon – Adon Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on April 22, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 34 comments

“When I happened across one of the singles for Adon, I recall thinking it sounded, quote, “impossibly good.” Adon formed in 2019 and has thus far released one EP, Arkane, in 2020. They currently maintain a humble online presence; unsurprising for a relatively new band, but from what I’d heard I couldn’t help but believe they deserved better. When I got the chance to review their self-titled debut I felt excited at the prospect of potentially helping their following grow… but that depends on the music, doesn’t it?” Expectations, reality, Adon.

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Veriteras – The Dark Horizon

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Veriteras – The Dark Horizon

By Dolphin Whisperer on April 15, 2024 in Angry Metal Guy's Unsigned Band Rodeo, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 19 comments

““AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene.” Ride to the Dark Horizon!

The Absence – The Absence Review

The Absence – The Absence Review

By Saunders on April 13, 2024 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 11 comments

“Florida’s The Absence have carved out a tidy career of dependable material across two separate career arcs since forming way back in 2002. Their first few albums were thrashy, slightly blackened melodeath bangers with killer riffs, striking melodies and catchy hooks in tow. Hardly groundbreaking stuff but solidly entertaining, nonetheless. Following an eight-year recording hiatus, The Absence kicked back into gear in 2018 and now we arrive at the third album of their recharged second era, and sixth overall, following on from 2021’s reliably solid Coffinized release. On this occasion, the veteran act decided to go the self-titled route, which often translates to a stylistic reinvention, or assertive back-to-basics approach.” Absence makes the heart do something.