Apr16

Diamond Head – Diamond Head Review

By Dr. Fisting on April 15, 2016 in 2016, Dissonance Productions, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 13 comments

“British heavy metal forefathers Diamond Head are best known for their debut album, 1980’s Lightning To The Nations. That album rightfully earned them a cult following due to its bombastic metal-via-Zeppelin riffage, and its classic status was cemented when 5 of the album’s 7 tracks were covered by a certain San Francisco quartet called Metallica. For most people, the story ends there, but Diamond Head went on to endure several decades of lineup changes, mismanagement, and questionable musical direction.” And now for the rest of the story.

Aborted – Retrogore Review

By El Cuervo on April 15, 2016 in 2016, Belgian Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Death Metal, Grind, 27 comments

“Sometimes you’ve just got to sit back and appreciate simplicity. The first lyric here is “Retrogore!” The first non-introductory song is “Retrogore.” The album is Retrogore. Hell, Aborted is retrogore. There’s no other band more deserving of such a title. Their songs are filthy, dripping with the viscera of whichever woman they’ve just verbally brutalized, and their activity now spans over 20 years.” Violence is now in session.

Goatess – Purgatory Under New Management Review

By Saunders on April 14, 2016 in 2016, Doom Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Swedish Metal, Doom Metal, 14 comments

“Goats and metal go together like macaroni and cheese or beer and pretzels. These mischievous grass munching fiends have shared a long affiliation with the dark arts, Satan, generalized evil and of course, heavy metal. Plus they have really cool-looking skulls and boast a strong track record of being paired up with various complimentary descriptors in the metal band name stakes. Sweden’s Goatess is another band raising their horns to goats, returning with their second full-length platter, Purgatory Under New Management.” Don’t rock the goat!

Mantar – Ode to the Flame Review

By Saunders on April 13, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Doom Metal, German Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 20 comments

“German duo Mantar stormed the underground, cracking skulls and galloping to glory with their scorching debut album, Death by Burning in 2014. Fusing raucous black metal with spiteful sludge and doomy slogs, Mantar’s punked-up energy, fuck-the-world attitude and an abundance of primal riffs and gnarly hooks kept me gripped and hungry for more. On the back of the album Mantar deservedly scored a deal with Nuclear Blast for the anticipated release of the all important sophomore album. So with the big wigs behind them, can Mantar deliver on the considerable promise they displayed first time round?” So much buzz!

Boudain – Way of the Hoof Review

By Steel Druhm on April 13, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, 25 comments

“Those who have malingered around this site for a few years may recall the name Boudain. They were one of the contestants in AMG’s infamous Unsigned Band Rodeo of 2013. Now in 2016 they get the added distinction of being the very first of those involved to send us a promo for an actual full-length album (though they’re still unsigned).” Go pig or go home.

Zealotry – The Last Witness Review

By Kronos on April 12, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Lavadome Records, Progressive Death, Reviews, Death Metal, 30 comments

“I’m not particularly invested in movies, but Danny Boyle’s Sunshine is one I recommend; an unlikely but enticing story of a handful of astronauts on a mission to restart our dying star. It has a compelling atmosphere, a beautiful minimalist score, and portrays scientists, for the most part, as real and diverse people – something that films rarely accomplish. Zealotry seem to like it as well.” Progressive death is always a ray of sunshine.

Alkerdeel – Lede Review

By Roquentin on April 12, 2016 in 2016, Belgian Metal, Black Metal, ConSouling Sounds, Drone, Reviews, Black Metal, 30 comments

“Harsh and fairly abstract genres such as drone, noise, and left-field black metal are conceptually subtle, fragile things that require a careful balancing act to pull off properly. There are two ways that successful bands do this. One group of musicians immerses itself fully into the abyss of extremes, slowing down tempos to the point of near immobility and amplifying texture beyond thresholds of painful saturation (Sunn O)))). The other group carefully crafts concoctions that are ultimately dynamic in their repetitiveness and cohesive in their chaos (Aluk Todolo). Belgian four piece Alkerdeel belong to the latter.”This high-wire act is about to get real.

Howls of Ebb – Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows Review

By Roquentin on April 11, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, 41 comments

“There’s a lot of pent up anger and frustration going around these days. Whether that certain something bothering you is serious like the weather or banal as your governing politicians spewing hatred, it’s always nice to be able to turn to metal in search of some escapism. To find a way out. A portal to a safe space. A wonderful soundtrack for hollow and bitter soliloquies. You might think, at first, that San Francisco’s ex-trio, now duo, Howls of Ebb provide exactly that with their experimentally tinged blackened death adorned with dark and threatening atmospheres and hints of aggression.” And you would be extremely wrong.

The Zenith Passage – Solipsist Review

By Kronos on April 10, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 33 comments

“I love getting debut records to review, partially because debuts are usually where bands try to bring something new to the table, and partially because it means I have a lot less contextualization to do before I write about the album. But then there are sometimes cases in which I’m actually familiar with a band prior to their release, and in this instance I have The Zenith Passage covered.” Hey Kronos, you gonna pick up all those names you just dropped?

Victims – Sirens Review

By Mark Z. on April 10, 2016 in 2016, Crust Punk, Hardcore, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Tankcrimes Records, Crust Punk, Hardcore, 9 comments

“They say old soldiers never die, they just fade away. But what about old crust punk bands? If Victims are any indication, they don’t die either – instead, they just charge right through their mid-life crisis in a fog of Skitsystem riffs and shattered beer bottles.” This smells like shitty beer and anarchy.