Astronoid

Putrescine/Kosmogyr – Desolate Tides [Split] Review

Putrescine/Kosmogyr – Desolate Tides [Split] Review

By Eldritch Elitist on October 9, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 18 comments

“Desolate Tides should not make sense. The concept of the split record is one born of shared musical ideals, a joint undertaking made with inherent crossover appeal in mind. The pairing of the melting pot of OSDM worship that is California’s Putrescine, and the modern melodic black metal of international duo Kosmogyr, doesn’t exactly scream “crossover appeal” on paper. While the two acts don’t find a firm sonic middle ground within Desolate Tides, each uses this record to explore the boundaries of their respective sounds in a way that feels thematically aligned with the other. The resulting experience is one of the most intriguing split releases I’ve heard.” Tides bring strange flotsom.

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Asu no Jokei – Island

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Asu no Jokei – Island

By Dolphin Whisperer on August 18, 2022 in Angry Metal Guy's Unsigned Band Rodeo, Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Hardcore, 36 comments

“Back in the primordial days of this here blog, we attempted something called “AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö.” The basic idea was to select a bunch of unsigned bands and give them the collective review treatment to find the most worthy buried gems. It was our humble effort to remind folks that the metal underground is still an important part of the world of metal.” Unsigned in the East.

Astronoid – Radiant Bloom Review

Astronoid – Radiant Bloom Review

By Eldritch Elitist on June 8, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Shoegaze, 23 comments

“In the six years that have passed since Astronoid’s first LP, I have yet to hear a debut record spring from the ether as novel and fully realized as Air. While possessing a youthful vigor and innocence characteristic of an enthusiastic upstart, Air sounded like the product of several albums’ worth of honed identity. As Mark Z so eloquently summarized, however, that once-perfect brew of black metal, post-rock, and shoegaze became unbalanced with Astronoid’s self-titled follow up. Its songwriting was flat, its energy and atmosphere were tempered, and they took away the fucking blastbeats; an automatic point deduction for any metal record. I’m happy to report, then, that Radiant Bloom is something of a return to form.” Embrace the Noid.

Seven Nines and Tens – Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers Review

Seven Nines and Tens – Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers Review

By Carcharodon on January 7, 2022 in Reviews, Post-Metal, 61 comments

“Well, List season is pretty much over, TYMHM posts are drawing to a close and here we are, back to the grindstone. I am kicking off the year of our Jørn 2022 on a high. Well, so I am told. You see, I have in my clutches the third full-length from Canada’s Seven Nines and Tens, an album that—I am informed by the accompanying blurb— “aims to be one of the finest metal albums to be released in 2022″. I have no problem with bands setting themselves lofty aspirations but, when you come out swinging like that in the first week of January, you kinda have to deliver.” Tree hangover.

Latitudes – Part Island Review

Latitudes – Part Island Review

By Kenstrosity on April 9, 2019 in 2019, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, British Metal, Debemur Morti, Doom Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 49 comments

“I have historically shown more than a little apprehension towards the post-metal tag. At first, I felt it screamed pretension, a trait that tends to break my enjoyment of music if not kept in check. Lately, though, I’ve reassessed my opinion after finding deep enjoyment of bands often placed within the post-metal spectrum—Astronoid, Downfall of Gaia, and more recently, Latitudes.” No man is Part Island.

Thormesis – The Sixth Review

Thormesis – The Sixth Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 8, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, German Metal, MDD Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 227 comments

“Thormesis is a band that should have been doomed to eternal mediocrity. As a long-time follower of this blog, I’ve seen similarly underwhelming bands succumb to a vicious cycle: album falls to an unwitting reviewer; reviewer, underwhelmed, doles out a middling score; band releases follow-up record two years later; reviewer, out of obligation, hands out a nearly identical score, irritated by the lack of improvement. When I eyed The Sixth in the promo pit, I was all but certain that I was about to cement Thormesis’ place in this cycle.” Rise above.

Astronoid – Astronoid Review

Astronoid – Astronoid Review

By Mark Z. on January 31, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Blood Music, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Shoegaze, Progressive Metal, Shoegaze, 69 comments

“You wake up and everything seems better. The air is fresher, the sun is brighter, and you feel a sense of hope you haven’t felt in years. That’s what it was like listening to Astronoid’s 2016 debut Air for the first time. From out of nowhere, the Massachusetts quartet burst onto the scene with a style that hit the perfect sweet spot between fresh and familiar. Combining Deafheaven-esque music with airy, poppy singing, the band built off their experience in Vattnet Viskar to create something truly original, something that soared through a world of timeless innocence right onto my Album o’ the Decade shortlist.” Following a dream.

Paths – In Lands Thought Lost Review

Paths – In Lands Thought Lost Review

By Eldritch Elitist on November 5, 2018 in 2018, Bindrune Recordings, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 35 comments

“Twenty-seventeen’s tide of incredible black metal releases has considerably waned in 2018, and thank fucking Christ for that. While hardly anything excites me as much as a well-executed black metal record, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. This year’s stagnated schedule of blackened goodness has allowed me considerable breathing room to delve into new metal in several genres, but it offers an even greater boon for an act like Canada’s Paths. If In Lands Thought Lost had dropped last year, it may have been immediately lost as another drop in the blackened flood, but as of its release window, it comes across as a curious little record that offers a somewhat unique experience.” A new path through old territory.