Celtic Frost

Obituary – Inked In Blood Review

Obituary – Inked In Blood Review

“Way back when Obituary were big, they delivered the kind of ripping death metal that rivaled Florida peers Malevolent Creation, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and Deicide. To say that they once peeled the skin from your face is no understatement… think back to the pungent stench of Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death. It was them along with Winter that first incorporated the Celtic Frost dirge element into death metal, and when combined with John Tardy’s lunatic vocals left you wondering whether music could get any heavier.” The old boys are back to kill once again, but are the tools still sharp enough?

Crucifyre – Black Magic Fire Review

Crucifyre – Black Magic Fire Review

“Pulverised Records sure know how to sell an album! Crucifyre’s promo pack is stacked up the wazoo with perfectly sharpened, shiny meat hooks that’ll slide with ease into that soft fleshy bit just under your chin. And just think, while you’re hanging around at attention, Crucifyre will assault you mercilessly with their second full length release, Black Magic Fire. Titbits like album art from computer-game graphic designer Stefan Hansson, that the band is made up of members from Morbid, Crematory and Repugnant and that Hank Shermann (Mercyful Fate, ex-Volbeat) contributed on “One And One Is One” all give that prickly feeling that you’re on the verge of something great.” Still using the “y” instead of the “i”, eh? What’s the point ov that?

Principality of Hell – Fire and Brimstone Review

Principality of Hell – Fire and Brimstone Review

“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™.

Incantation – Dirges of Elysium Review

Incantation – Dirges of Elysium Review

“Wow, another accessible Incantation album. As you remove your jaw from your keyboard, let me make clear, the use of the word “accessible” in the same sentence as Incantation does not denote any sell out or radical style shift. Instead, these long running murk merchants continued what they started on 2012s Vanquish in Vengeance and eased back on the dismal sludge.” Folks, this is where the slime live.

Vainaja – Kadotetut Review

Vainaja – Kadotetut Review

“Finnish folklore tells the tale of a small rabid cult in the 19th century, performing blasphemous actions on followers of old Finnish religions, including ritual sacrifice and burying innocent townsfolk alive. This small cult was discovered, and sentenced to die by fire on the altar in their own mansion, burned alive with most of their scriptures, save for one book which was left miraculously intact. Such is the story of Kadotetut, told by relative newcomers Vainaja. Svart Records labeled this as “one of the heaviest records ever made in the Finnish language,” and I’ll be hard pressed to disagree.” Really heavy shit about creepy Finnish murder cults. That my friends, is metal.

Vallenfyre – Splinters Review

Vallenfyre – Splinters Review

“We haven’t reviewed any Swedish retro death for a spell, so here’s a big chunk of it to fill our crust quota. But Vallenfyre isn’t your average Swedish retro death band, mind you. They hail from the U.K. and are a super group of sorts, helmed by Gregor Mackintosh, longtime guitarist for goth/doom troupe Paradise Lost. Joining him in these brootal endeavors is Hamish Hamilton Glencross of My Dying Bride and Adrian Erlandsson of At the Gates.” Quite the pedigree of death, eh? It’s all in the breeding.

Autopsy – Tourniquets Hacksaws and Graves Review

Autopsy – Tourniquets Hacksaws and Graves Review

“Well, that cover and the title pretty much say it all. Autopsy is back again rather soon after last year’s The Headless Ritual, and they’re up to their usual sick, crusty, gore-soaked death metal shenanigans. Rocking their old school style of death mixed with doom and horror movies shtick, these shameless fiends show no interest in evolving and if anything, they’re actually devolving further into a grisly stew of sticky unpleasantness. No surprises await the Autopsy fan, just more reliably unhinged sonic mayhem that approximates being on a condemned rollercoaster with zombies, serial killers and hostile ex-girlfriends.” Don the gore-gore boots and join the kickline of the dead, because Autopsy is back to bloody the waters.

Triptykon – Melana Chasmata Review

Triptykon – Melana Chasmata Review

“Tom G. Warrior has had a lot to prove since his blunders in the early 90’s. But it seems metalheads can finally put to rest any doubt that Tom knows what he’s doing, more than anyone, when it comes to punishing and dark recordings. The most startling thing is that even over 30 years into his career, he’s still getting better at it; his hybrid of black, doom, death and thrash metal never more convincing than in his latest effort, Melana Chasmata.” Noctus dons his Tom G. Warrior scarf and t-shirt for a hugely fanboyish salute to the man, the myth, the creator of Triptykon.

Indefensible Positions: Steel Druhm Defends Cold Lake

Indefensible Positions: Steel Druhm Defends Cold Lake

“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. So here we are to re-hash a record from our past that (some of us) love that everyone else seems to have soured on (or never liked in the first place).” This time, Steel Druhm gamely tries to defend one of the most universally hated albums in metal history: Celtic Frost’s Cold Lake. Godspeed, good Steel.

Shroud of the Heretic – Revelations in Alchemy Review

Shroud of the Heretic – Revelations in Alchemy Review

“”This band would absolutely crush live.” That’s pretty much what was running through my head constantly throughout the entirety of Revelations in Alchemy, the debut full-length from Portland, Oregon’s Shroud of the Heretic. Those scenic, picturesque sounds brought forth by fellow Portlandians Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room are nowhere to be found here. Instead of beauty and introspection, you get a sludgy, slimy atmosphere that will prove hard to wash off, even after repeated listens. The problem is, will you return for those repeated splashings?” Slimy sludge splashings are always hard to refuse. But should you pass on this particular muck?