Amon Amarth

The Vision Bleak – Weird Tales Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 15, 2024 in Reviews, Gothic Metal, 44 comments

“Utilizing Type O Negative-esque booming vocals, surprisingly heavy riffs, and bombastic key-driven atmospheres, every The Vision Bleak album is Gothic metal goodness that’ll leave your skin crawling, hands bloody, and eyes leaking. Funny enough, 2016’s The Unknown was the first time any album I reviewed was chosen as the RotM. These eight long years have been quiet, undoubtedly due to the band brewing their next horrific release. Now it’s here and it’s like nothing they’ve ever done before.” Weird is the new bleak.

Necrot – Lifeless Birth Review

By Eldritch Elitist on April 12, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 40 comments

“When it comes to the new school of old school death metal, Necrot occupies a refreshing niche. By that, I mean that they don’t much fall into a specific niche at all. None too interested in the bleeding edge of the style and similarly distant from its grimiest, slimiest depths, Necrot stands alone, simply wanting to rock.” Rock in a dead place.

Hand of Kalliach – Corryvreckan Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 9, 2024 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 25 comments

“A Scottish husband and wife duo, Hand of Kalliach is self-described as melodic death metal that is interwoven with Celtic and Gaelic folk music and has been making wholly distinct music defying implied genre confines since 2020. Their yet-brief existence has already spawned an independent EP and LP, and now a sophomore full-length under the Prosthetic Records banner. Swift underground successes and unique sonic signifiers are all well and good, but when it comes to Corryvreckan, does innovation translate to a worthwhile listen?” Marriage Metal!

Darkest Hour – Perpetual | Terminal Review

By GardensTale on February 24, 2024 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 35 comments

“How deep is your backlog of albums you intend to give a full spin sometime, but you never get round to it? I couldn’t even begin to tally mine. One of the albums that has languished in this limbo is Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora, the previous release from melodeath veterans Darkest Hour. I remember liking the slice I tried, but with so much to listen to and so little time I failed to give it my full attention. Grymm sure loved it, though, and in his absence, I was more than happy to step up and finally give the band the attention they deserved from me.” In the darkest hour, we cried more, more, MOAR!

Full Assault – Dying World Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on February 8, 2024 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 36 comments

“Though Germany’s Full Assault has been around for over fifteen years, I’ve never heard of them. I was even surprised they’ve never been reviewed before in these halls. But that might just be the lack of a label. Until now. Their Iron Shields debut, Dying World, is here with neothrash tendencies that combine a Crisix-like vocal approach with At the Gates thrashery.” Assault and BATT-ER-Y!

Blood Red Throne – Nonagon Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 26, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 56 comments

“Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released a behemoth in the form of Imperial Congregation. After dozens of listens, it proves it’s one of the band’s greatest achievements. Fast forward to 2024, and they’re back with their eleventh LP, Nonagon. Continuing where they left off, Nonagon is a destructive motherfucker that incorporates the butchery of Panzerchrist, the relentless riffage of Old Man’s Child, and the melodic subtleties of Hypocrisy. But, no matter what’s sprinkled throughout, Nonagon remains 100% BRT.” Blood in the throne room.

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 1, 2024 in Blog Posts, Lists, 116 comments

Listurnalia is almost over. But we can’t conclude it without a list from your favorite AMG writer, can we?

Hinayana – Shatter and Fall Review

By Dear Hollow on November 19, 2023 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 10 comments

“We’ve been waiting for this for years. With only 2020 EP Death of the Cosmic to tide us over from Hinayana’s excellent 2018 debut Order Divine, which received the TYMHM treatment from the great and mighty Dr. Wvrm, it has been a dry spell. The Austin, Texas quintet’s sound lends itself to the melodic death/doom, notably Finnish, melancholy of Insomnium or Swallow the Sun, but with tight songwriting and a patient unfolding through relentless plodding of Amon Amarth, Order Divine became a bit of a sleeper hit for 2018. Featuring a tight and concise bite that will soothe your soul before forcing you to spit out broken teeth, will you invite follow-up Shatter and Fall’s slow-motion beatdown?” Soundtrack to Fall or stumble and fall?

Sigir – Rainmaker Review

By GardensTale on November 7, 2023 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 15 comments

“Us metalheads have an above-average reverence for classic bands, I feel, but the genre is doomed to die without ample young blood. Finland, officially the most metal country in the world, is fertile ground for such saplings to sprout, and Sigir is among its freshest crop. After a previous project named Ritual of Terror never made it off the runway, three of its members found a new guitar player and plowed on. Rainmaker is their debut, the first full-length any of the foursome ever released, promising a fresh take on black-infused melodic death metal. A bold claim from a troupe of greenhorns; can they live up to it?” Making it rain (blood).

Sodomisery – Mazzaroth Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 8, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 71 comments

“The Great Demise combined Dissection black, Hypocrisy death, and Amon Amarth melodeath to deliver a rollercoaster of intricacies, riff changes, builds, and atmospheres. At times, it worked. At times, it didn’t. As a whole, The Great Demise was missing the fluidity to pull everything together. Now they’re back with a Covid-inspired follow-up whose theme concerns mental health. This concept alone instills high-charged emotion into the album. But how Sodomisery delivers it completely floored me.” Sodom misers!