Bathory

Valdur – Pathetic Scum Review

By Madam X on June 25, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Black Metal, Bloody Mountain Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 13 comments

“From Vardan to Valdur, the jump doesn’t seem huge from a naming perspective, but in terms of what the two bands offer, the chasm couldn’t be wider. Hailing from a small mountain town in the beating heart of the Sierra Mountains where the Death Valley desert meets Mt. Whitney, Valdur drew its first rattling breath back in 2005 with a short independently released demo. What I can tell you is that if you go all fanboy over Bathory’s The Return… then Pathetic Scum could be the return you’ve been waiting for.” American Bathory? That sounds like a great movie title.

Total Negation – Zeitzeuge Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 13, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Temple of Tortorous Records, Black Metal, 6 comments

“Those that know Total Negation know that Wiedergaenger can do more than just play the drums. New release, Zeitzeuge, continues down the road of weird, depressive black metal that Wiedergaenger built; full of depression, German lyrics, oddball percussion instruments, and even some of those stringed ones.” Can the stringed ones carry these tunes above mediocrity?

Indefensible Positions: El Cuervo Defends Chinese Democracy

By El Cuervo on June 7, 2015 in Indefensible Positions, Hard Rock, 30 comments

“Every once in a while the metal scene collectively pisses on a band or record and someone needs to step up and defend why they like it. We normally don’t spend a lot of time defending shitty records, but sometimes genuinely interesting or good records get lampooned by an overly conservative heavy metal scene and that calls for a professional contrarian to defend it! If ever there were professional contrarians, it would be the staff of AMG.” Cold Lake would be easier to defend!

Midnight Odyssey – Shards of Silver Fade Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 6, 2015 in 2015, Austrian Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 16 comments

“Ok, be honest. If I told you today’s review was for a double album that clocked in at nearly 160 minutes and consisted of atmospheric blackened doom metal, what would you say? Well, if you’ve heard of Midnight Odyssey, my guess is that you would either say, “No shit, it’s out?” or “Fuck, not them again…” If you don’t know of the band you might say, “Oh wow, I gots to hear me some of that” or “fuck that dribble.” Honesty from Honest Abe Grier, my initial thought veered to the latterest of the latters.” Have two hours to spare? Sure you do.

Possession – 1585-1646 Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on June 5, 2015 in 2015, Belgian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Invictus Productions, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 27 comments

“It’s no big revelation to state that music doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so in the spirit of spicing things up and non-sequitur literary devices, let’s talk hamburgers.” Hope you like yours dead, blackened and from the 80s or you’re going to leave hungry.

Ereb Altor – Nattramn Review

By Steel Druhm on April 20, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Cyclone Empire, Doom Metal, Epic Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Epic Metal, Viking Metal, 11 comments

“Ereb Altor, the other project by the men behind Isole, are back to wage the next phase of the battle for my favoritism. I enjoy both acts and it seems with each new release my loyalty shifts, with Isole’s recent The Calm Hunter putting me back in their camp, at least temporarily. Is it moving day again? I feel so temporary.

Skálmöld – Með vættum Review

By El Cuervo on November 16, 2014 in 2014, 3.0, Icelandic Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Viking Metal, Viking Metal, 3 comments

“I dislike ‘Viking metal’ as a descriptor. It’s a vague term which alludes to lyrical content above the music itself. It can entail black or folk metal-derived darkness (Bathory), epic doom (Atlantean Kodex), raucous melodeath (Amon Amarth), and even power metal (Týr). Iceland’s Skálmöld falls somewhere between Amon Amarth’s melodeath and the galloping triple-axe attack of Iron Maiden, stopping off at black metal for its raw tone and dabbling in doom for its long songs. See, wasn’t that easier than just ‘Viking metal’?” It is easier, but then Wotan will smite us.

1349 – Massive Cauldron of Chaos Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 25, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 16 comments

“Since 1997, 1349 has evolved a lot. And I mean a lot. They’ve changed so much that their musical career can only be compared to driving down the freeway at 70 miles per hour and hitting black ice. First, you accelerate along the on-ramp (Liberation and Beyond the Apocalypse), until you achieve top speed (Hellfire). When you come upon the ice, it sends you into uncontrollable spins (Revelations of the Black Flame) that you miraculously manage to steer free from.” Winter is fast approaching so it’s time to check your snow tires and drive safely out there!

Provocator – Antikristus Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on August 23, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Moribund Records, Reviews, Slovenian Metal, Black Metal, 3 comments

“These days it seems difficult to find the black metal of old; the kind that Hellscream, the sole member of Slovenia’s Provocator claims to play. Even the originators of the dark, raw, and minimalistic style have chosen to delve into experimental, avant-garde, symphonic and punk-driven crust that take the primitive and simplistic foundation of the 90s to bigger and (sometimes) cleaner heights. That being said, these new hybrids have created some incredible material and the old walls of Scandinavian black metal have burned down along with several churches.” Yet another newbie reviewer tackles yet another black metal band. Give Dr. A.N. Grier a warm welcome as he tells of church burnings and old school yearnings.

Principality of Hell – Fire and Brimstone Review

By Mark Z. on August 15, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, W.T.C. Productions, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 6 comments

“Metal is an inherently backward-looking style. For every band that’s pushing the envelope and driving things in new directions (see Fallujah’s stellar attempt at so-called ‘deathgaze’ on their newest), there are two or three proudly waving the tattered flag of the old-school, seeking to recreate the glory of the genre’s innovators. Enter Principality of Hell, a Greek trio formed last year by veterans of other Greek acts Thou Art Lord, Necromantia and Ravencult. They specialize in black-thrash – not the modern kind exemplified by Nocturnal Graves and the like, but the classic variety that hearkens back to when the two genres were first emerging through common ancestors like Venom, Celtic Frost and Bathory.” These Greek black thrashers want to take you back to the 80s in a DeLorean. Don’t forget your Walkman™.