Cirith Ungol

Acerus – The Caliginous Serenade Review

Acerus – The Caliginous Serenade Review

The Chasm have been cracking skulls since 1994 with their riff-intensive, wildly creative death metal. Over the years they evolved from ass-scratching caveman death to technical insanity engineers, but skulls were always smashed just the same. Though I’ve been a fan forever, somehow I missed that The Chasm’s bassist/guitarist/vocalist Daniel Corchado had an epic/trve metal side project called Acerus and had been releasing albums since 2014. For this, I feel great shame and now I must make amends. The Caliginous Serenade is their fourth release and this one will be properly exposed to the AMG masses!” Ride of the Gorge Warriors.

Cirith Ungol – Dark Parade Review

Cirith Ungol – Dark Parade Review

Cirith Ungol always seemed mysterious and enigmatic to me as a metalhead growing up in the 80s. Their earliest output sounded like it came from a bygone age when Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper were in their primacy, and no one else sounded anything like them. They were the most cult of bands and that made them all the more interesting. From the clumsy acid rock meets metal of 81s Frost and Fire to 84s massive, doomy, and epic King of the Dead, there was just something odd and fascinating about them. 1986s One Foot in Hell was more traditionally metal but the band’s unique character remained in full force. After a 5 year absence, they dropped the lackluster Paradise Lost and then vanished completely. Thus concluded the strange case of Cirith Ungol. Or so we thought.” No one expects the Cirith Inquisition!

Megaton Sword – Might & Power Review

Megaton Sword – Might & Power Review

“Swiss trve metallers Megaton Sword made quite the impression on my war helm with 2020 debut full-length crusade, Blood Hails Steel – Steel Hails Fire. Using my name twice was a sure ticket to getting my attention, and their raw, rough, and epic sound did the rest. It was an imperfect album, but the highs were very high and it reeked of Manopotential. Now a few years on we get the next installment of the Megaton saga and I’ve been eager to wield its unreasonable mass once again.” POWERS.

Fer De Lance – The Hyperborean Review

Fer De Lance – The Hyperborean Review

“From the mean streets of Chicago come the epic doom metal warriors in Fer De Lance, out to conquer the world and fly the banners of trveness for all the world to see. Featuring members of Satan’s Hallow and Professor Emeritus, Fer De Lance rock a sound blending elements of Atlantean Kodex, Visigoth, Crypt Sermon, and Bathory, with folk elements woven through reminiscent of SIG:AR:TYR. If that sounds like a winning stew of influences, you aren’t wrong.” Boots n’ Lance.

Ryghär – Thurmecia Eternal Review

Ryghär – Thurmecia Eternal Review

“Conan’s mighty name is heavy upon the wind of late around the stately AMG offices/black market organ emporium. Ancient Empire just released a Cimmerian-themed outing and now Texas trve metallers Ryghär are set to drop their Hyborian age debut. Adopting a sound somewhere between Savage Grace, Manilla Road and Sumerlands, this unheralded act has an iron fist locked firmly on the olden ways and know how to craft epic odes to all things rusty, tarnished and ancient.” Sëize the umlaut.

Blazon Rite – Endless Halls of Golden Totem Review

Blazon Rite – Endless Halls of Golden Totem Review

“As spring slowly gives way to a hopefully post-Covid summer, thoughts turn to sunshine, sand, and SWORDS! Yes, summertime is when a young man longs to launch campaigns of conquest and quaff strange brews from the skulls of mortal enemies. Philly-based trve metal ensemble Blazon Rite timed their debut full-length to hit right when the urge to pillage begins to take hold, and Endless Halls of Golden Totem promises olde timey, proto-metal worship hopelessly stuck in the early 80s with Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road influences present and accounted for.” Don’t count your totem until they’re defiled.

Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron Review

Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron Review

“There are more swords hanging over our heads than usual lately in the Skull Pit of Unsafe Hanging Cutlery. With Megaton Sword fresh in our collective mindsheaths, here comes the might and majesty of Austin, Texas natives Eternal Champion. Ravening Iron is the band’s sophomore opus and it’s an improvement over 2016s entertainingly olde school The Armor of Ire.” Sword hoarders.