“Here at the elucidation-station that is Angry Metal Guy, EPs usually slip beneath the review radar in favor of a meatier morsel. But it’s cutting season, dammit, and no tyrannical filthy ape tells me what to review. Virginia’s Affasia are preparing to release their debut EP, Adrift in Remorse, an offering full of doom-death and a beckoning melodic charm — and when the sad-boy signals, you best believe I answer the call.” Late winter feelz.
“Sweden’s Lustre has proven divisive across the two prior releases reviewed. The first was heralded as a great atmospheric record and bestowed with a 4.0, while the second was quite the opposite and summarily handed a 1.5. I presume you’ve already skipped to the bottom for the score so I’ll address this now: my review of Still Innocence falls far closer to the second. For some reason the metal tab on Bandcamp is rammed with atmospheric black metal of this ilk so I suppose there’s an audience somewhere.” The silent majority is silent.
“Like or hate her heavily indebted style of enchanting folk and atmospheric, Scandinavian blackened metal, talented Danish singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Amalie Bruun has taken the metal world by storm since her inception operating under the Myrkur moniker. Moving from strength to strength in a relatively short period, her potential began to crystallize on 2015’s debut full-length, M. Despite her share of detractors and some ignorant bashing of her supposed black metal credentials, M revealed a musician in a rapid mode of artistic development, where prominent influences were largely trumped by Myrkur’s confident, charismatic vocals and improving song-writing skills.” Myrkuring in the shadows.
“I’ve reached a conclusion in recent times that the enjoyment gleaned from music at any particular time very much depends on my mood. I pick myself up by joining The Night Flight Orchestra; relax by basking in Mitch Murder‘s warm glow; wallow in self-loathing by screaming with Deadspace. While such a sentiment may seem obvious I also mean in a wider sense. My life was ebbing low at the turn of the year and I was finding new releases sincerely disappointing.” Mood is the medium, Coldfells is the message.
“A couple of years back I reviewed the sophomore album from Finland’s Oceanwake. I commended their compelling fusion of sheer power with delicate atmospherics and it made my year-end list. They’ve now returned with Earthen and the scope is huger than ever. Comprising just two tracks of over 20 minutes apiece, I feared drone and repetition had taken hold. The succeeding album to the one with which I discover a good band is always a dicey affair as I have expectations as to quality and style. And so it was with trepidation that I clicked play…” Doom with a view.
“I know that ectoplasm is an actual thing. Wikipedia tells me it’s ‘the more viscous, clear outer layer of the cytoplasm in amoeboid cells.’ But it also has its paranormal applications: that which is left behind by ghouls and ghosts and has been utilized by classic comedy (‘He slimed me’). Unfortunately for Poland’s Suffer Yourself, it’s this latter use to which I default.” Gunk in the trunk.
“No, Kronos hasn’t died. But yes, this is a Unique Leader record which he isn’t reviewing. Rather than his cold, dead hands, I obtained it via the surprisingly bureaucratic AMG promo distribution system instituted this year by our Weberian overlords. A quick glance at the Unique Leader roster will leave you entirely unsurprised by the record in question: Suffer by Lord of War, a US-based death metal troupe.” Enter the Iron Cage of rational thought!
In a very special Yer Metal Is Olde, Grymm explores the beautiful, unique Mandylion by The Gathering. This induction into the Yer Metal Is Olde Hall of Fame is particularly special and particularly personal.
“The lines are so blurred now. To a large extent, gone are the days when you could look at the geographical location of a band and know exactly what they had in store for you. Nobody made the death of the old order clearer to me than an obscure band operating out of the rural mining areas of Bergslagen, Sweden going under the chic moniker of Murg.” I hate those blurred lines….
“When it comes to selecting albums to review, I rely on a tried-and-mostly-tr00 method of meticulous selection that’s been proven to garner conversations around water bubblers and soda machines the world over: I sometimes randomly just pick shit from a list and think, “Okay, that’s cool. Let’s give that a shot.” Behold, today’s selection is Iceland’s Dynfari.” In the game of chance, you win some and you lose some. Are the odds in Grymm’s favor this time around?
