“In theory, Georgia’s Black Tusk is a band I should like more than I do. Admittedly I’ve lost touch with them and haven’t revisited any of their material recently, but previous experiences haven’t exactly compelled me to come back for more, despite never really being able to pinpoint what the problem is.” Fear of the Tusk.
“Hailing from this hallowed homeland of haunted hopelessness and hunting for a home in your heart are Lurk, a four-piece sludge-doom act who really know how to pick an album cover. Fringe is the band’s third full-length and, as you can probably guess, there will be no happiness here, but that’s not always a bad thing, is it?” No joy, no love in Finland.
“Bands like Hypocrisy and Dark Tranquillity were like gateway drugs for me. I remember getting heavy into the style about a decade ago and then it seemed to run its course. And, as most of my favorite bands carry on with run-of-the-mill material, while others—like Soilwork, Arch Enemy, and In Flames—continue to bore me to fucking death, it’s become even more clear that I’ve fallen away from the genre. So, in hopes of rekindling some of those flames, I grabbed Parasite Inc.’s Dead and Alive. What the hell was I thinking?” The Doc has worms.
“I’m not the kind of guy who typically gravitates towards ’emotionally driven’ metal. At least, not metal that is driven solely by emotional expression. Metal, in essence, represents an outpouring of some sort of strong feelings that may vary widely by genre. But the sadboy sect devoted to mashing up dour poetry and uninvolving chord progressions robs the style of what makes it so special in the first place.” Against sadboys (and widows).
“What’s this? Someone other than Dr. A.[1. bigail]N.[2. utjob] Grier reviewing a Mercyful Fate-worshiping release? Say it ain’t so! Well, sorry for all you King Diamond weenies, but it’s true. With the good Doctor tied up on other things, it falls to me to tackle this new album from Spain’s Witchfyre.”
“I first stumbled across prolific one-man Australian riff machine Bob Nekrasov and his solo outfit Rebel Wizard on the band’s impressive 2016 opus, Triumph of Gloom. What impressed me most about the album was its cohesively disparate combo of scorching dual guitar harmonies and triumphant heavy metal gallop, ugly lo-fi aesthetic, and black metal core. Due to >b>Rebel Wizard’s ripping song-writing, impressive riff-craft, and ear for splendidly catchy melodies, Triumph of Gloom earned solid rotation, so naturally I was pleased to hear Rebel Wizard had landed under the Prosthetic Records roster and were ready for wider spread metal domination.” Not your dad’s wizard.
“To most people, the word ‘carnation’ refers to a frilly colored flower. Belgium’s Carnation aren’t most people. In fact, if the music on this death metal quintet’s debut is any indication, to them a ‘carnation’ is a 14-foot Venus flytrap-esque monstrosity with teeth like steak knives and vines that could crush your puny little ribcage like a bag of potato chips.” Morbid flora.
“Over the past few years, Copenhagen’s most gruesome residents have established one of the world’s most fetid death metal breeding grounds, with acts like Phrenelith, Undergang, and Taphos garnering global attention. But with one look at the album art — say nothing of the band photo — you’ll recognize that we’re not going to hear from that ilk today. Instead, Piqia forces us to consider the lighter side of the city’s metal scene.” Pastels and prog.
“There are some truths which we all hold to be self-evident no matter who we are. Examples of such universal certainties include that you will breathe oxygen under a blue sky, fire will be hot eleven times out of ten, and that, one day, you will die. Most do their damnedest to disarm that last trvth bomb, but it’s the only thing Germany’s Arkuum are thinking about on their sophomore effort, Die Letzte Agonie. With a fittingly foreboding production and a staunch refusal to smile, one man fatalist army Arkas cradles that aforementioned bombshell like a kvlt and cvddly baby, singing life itself to sleep with a 50-minute blackened lullaby.”Hvsh little baby.
“Stepping out of your comfort zone is often a healthy thing. Slither away from the soft bed you know into the cold bath of the unknown and you might find yourself with a new affection you never knew existed. When it comes to metal, by and large, this means black metal for me. Though I’ve run into the occasional band that surprises me with articulate frostiness, such as Mistur and Gaerea, the genre as a whole tends to linger outside my grasp. So here I am once more, venturing into the obtuse murk, with the harsh glare of Essenz, a German outfit of cryptically abbreviated band members.” From comfort to cvlt.
