Converge

Ambassador Gun – Tomb of Broken Sleep Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on July 16, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Grind, Metalcore, Reviews, Metalcore, 4 comments

““Awesome, more grindcore, I love reviewing grindcore!” I thought when the AMG carrier pigeon delivered this record to my PO box the other week. Then I became concerned for the state of my memory, because I haven’t ever reviewed any grindcore. I also don’t remember Steel Druhm or Madam X implementing a carrier pigeon-based promo distribution system, but at least that explains where all those record label bribes have gone to. Training good pigeons ain’t cheap you know.” The eagle has landed. I repeat, the eagle has landed!

High on Fire – Luminiferous Review

By Grymm on June 18, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Doom Metal, eOne Music, Reviews, Sludge, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, 29 comments

“There are certain things in life you just come to depend on and expect. Hollywood will try to recreate your favorite movies, and they will all suck. People will place themselves above the proletariat to assume a level of faux superiority. We will all die, some more gloriously than others. And, without fail, California’s High on Fire will pummel the bejeebus out of you with every record they release.” Get your bejeebus in order.

WRVTH – WRVTH Review

By Grymm on June 15, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Death Metal, Djent, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Djent, 23 comments

“Before I progress further, I want to make something clear: I’ve long held the belief that the letter “V” is not a vowel. Yes, I know, look at my screen name, but bear with me here. Call it being stubborn from years of having it drilled into my head in elementary school, but when I see it used in words like “kvlt” or “trve,” I cringe. Or if it’s used in place of an “f”, I also shudder. Case in point: Cali tech-deathsters WRVTH. How do you even pronounce that? “Ruhth?” “Rooth?” “Rivith?”” Spelling is fun.

Dissident Clone – State of Dysphoria Review

By Grymm on March 16, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Grind, Reviews, Tridroid Records, 6 comments

“I seem to have a knack for grabbing consecutive promos by two-piece bands. Last year, it was the one-two punch of Brits Godflesh and Anaal Nathrakh. This week, it’s Dynfari and the subject of this review’s intense scrutinizing observation, Minnesota’s Dissident Clone.” Here’s something short and nasty to start off your week.

Kronos Comments: On Sampling Bias and the Seedy Underbelly of the European Metal Scene

By Kronos on February 8, 2015 in Black Metal, Blog Posts, Djent, French Metal, Groove Metal, Hardcore, Non-Metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Progressive Metal, Russian Metal, Unsigned Bands, Black Metal, Djent, Experimental Metal, Hardcore, Non-metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Progressive Metal, 16 comments

“Just about every day, Angry Metal Guy pushes out a review of an upcoming or recently released album, producing press for the album whether we love it or hate it. It exposes readers to a lot of material, but disadvantages artists who aren’t putting out music at any given time. Given a small temporal window, this creates a very biased sample of the music scene. I love reviewing albums, but a lot of great and criminally overlooked bands are in between releases right now, and it kills me to see their hard work go unseen. So in order to rectify their invisibility, they’re being talked about here, where you can be held captive by the unbreakable bonds of html and subjugated to my terrible opinions.” Next stop, Europe!

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Idylls – Prayer for Terrene

By Mark Z. on January 31, 2015 in 2014, Australian Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Things You Might Have Missed 2014, Hardcore, 7 comments

“I once had a roommate who assured me Converge was “really just noise.” At one point in his life he had played guitar for a metal band, so my naïve young self believed him. My surprise when I finally listened to Jane Doe and was blown away by the sheer emotion inherent in the spastic, ballistic dissonance. Idylls have much the same thing going on – traditional melody is eschewed, and at times, it does sound like four guys trapped in a room trying to make as much commotion as possible.” Bring forth the noise room!

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: Enabler – La Fin Absolue du Monde

By Jean-Luc Ricard on December 10, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Century Media, Hardcore, Metalcore, Things You Might Have Missed 2014, Doom Metal, Hardcore, Metalcore, 13 comments

“Last year, two EPs caught me totally off-guard. For a long time I just couldn’t get on with any form of punk – despite my penchant for good grind – though in recent years my tastes have developed and I’ve been increasingly delving into the –core end of things. But I was totally unprepared for how much I would enjoy Tide of Iron’s split with Grace (The Hard Work EP), and even more so Enabler’s Flies.” When we at AMG get surprised, we make sure you hear about it toot sweet.

Cavalera Conspiracy – Pandemonium Review

By Dr. Fisting on October 24, 2014 in 2014, Brazilian Metal, Grind, Napalm Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 24 comments

“There is a car parked in my neighborhood that has Sepultura, Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy stickers on the back window. I see it every day, and I can’t help but feel bad for whoever the owner is. Not just because he probably has a closet full of urban-camo shorts, but because he has been holding out on a lost cause.” The Cavalera brothers are back and we’ve made Mr. Fisting go with them. Hilarity ensues.

Burn The Army – The Tide to Sink the Summit EP Review

By El Cuervo on October 17, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Metalcore, Post-metal, Reviews, Mathcore, Metalcore, 10 comments

“Citing likenesses to Isis, Converge and Tool, Indianapolis’s Burn The Army drew me with its promo blurb promising technical and progressive post-metal. Someone notify The Official Metal Categorisation Agency™ because it’s taken twenty years, but technical and progressive post-metal has officially been redefined! Unfortunately, what you’ll find on The Tide to Sink the Summit, their first EP, is fantastically average metalcore.” Once there was a time when Steel Druhm had to review all the metalcore. Now, we have people who do that for him.

Baptists – Bloodmines Review

By Roquentin on October 14, 2014 in 2014, Canadian Metal, Hardcore, Reviews, Southern Lord, Hardcore, 2 comments

“Bushcraft, the first album by Vancouver’s Baptists, was a record that I fancied quite a bit. Clearly inspired by the likes of Converge and Botch, the band delivered some fine metallic hardcore with various subtle influences mixed in, from crust to noise rock. It was raw, angry music, just as expected from bands in the genre (and from comparable groups on Southern Lord). A year later, they’re back with their sophomore release, again produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou and promising “fast, exhilarating music of rage, oozing with genuine raw emotion and punk rock fury.”” But are promises kept and rage delivered with emotional fury?