Cult of Luna

Besra – Transitions Review

By Steel Druhm on September 26, 2023 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge Metal, 14 comments

“Tension and release. This relationship is a core tenet of musical composition (and most other art forms for that matter), and in the wide world of metal few genres rely on it as heavily as those with “post” attached to them. The swell and crash that is so endemic to the style requires precise attention to detail to succeed. One can dwell too long in the simmering buildup and risk losing the listener’s attention, or approach the climax too quickly and cheapen the crushing effect of the arrival. The middle road reveals a maxim of post-metal; simple form yielding complex expression. Finland’s Besra aim to thread this needle with their second full-length, Transitions.” Sound and fury signifying….

Black Oak – Egolution Review

By Maddog on April 25, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 20 comments

“Egolution was a tough nut to crack. I picked up the debut from Sweden’s Black Oak based on the promo’s bold namedrops of Cult of Luna, ISIS, and Palms. When I started listening, I expected standard sludgy post-metal. I was wrong. Fifty-three minutes later, my head spinning with variants of “what the hell did I just listen to,” I panicked. Black Oak’s restless blend of post-rock and hardcore with electronic influences, prog, classical flourishes, and more left me confused.” Let go my Ego.

Lethvm – Winterreise Review

By Grymm on April 7, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 45 comments

“In all my years of being a music consumer, I’ll freely admit that little surprises me anymore. Sure, every now and then, something will come along and provide an unsettling moment, like a ragtime ditty or a handclap breakdown, but overall, well… we know what to expect from just about everything these days. Even within the confines of metal, things have gotten a bit comfy and cozy. So when Belgian quartet Lethvm drops a mixture of post-hardcore, post-metal, doom, and black metal on my furry lap in the form of their third album, Winterreise, I cracked my murder mittens, donned my noise-canceling cans, and kept my mind as open as felinely possible.” Blacknip.

TheKenWord’s and Carcharodon’s Top Ten(ish) of 2022

By Kenstrosity on December 28, 2022 in Blog Posts, Lists, 129 comments

TheKenWord and Carcharodon bring their special sets of skills to Listurnalia and things get…interesting.

Huck N’ Roll’s and Cherd’s Top Ten(ish) of 2022

By Dr. A.N. Grier on December 28, 2022 in Blog Posts, Lists, 85 comments

Huck N’ Roll and Cherd have important opinions on what was the cream of the crop in 2022. Now you’re going to hear about it.

Sentynel and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) of 2022

By Dr. A.N. Grier on December 27, 2022 in Blog Posts, Lists, 108 comments

Sentynel and Twelve crafted Top Ten(ish) lists with great care and you must stuff them in your stockings or beware.

Gloson – The Rift [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

By Maddog on December 19, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2022, Post-Metal, Sludge, 27 comments

“Most sludge is boring. Repeating chords for an hour doesn’t make you ISIS, just like playing a 16-string guitar at 65,536 bpm doesn’t make you Archspire. Excellent post-metal requires even more self-control than other genres, since it needs to be repetitive but not dull, simple but not lazy, and creative but not flashy. Enter Gloson.” High glos.

Sonja – Loud Arriver [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

By Huck N Roll on November 22, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2022, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, 35 comments

“Normally these things we missed are because we didn’t get promo and stumbled upon the album post-release. Not so in the case of Loud Arriver,<,b>Sonja’s debut album. This one sat in the promo bin unnoticed for all of September, and it wasn’t until I read some flattering press about the album that I dove in. Thank god I did because this little gem delivers a delicious knockout punch.” Big (loud) entrance.

ArcTanGent 2022 – A Triumphant Return

By Carcharodon on September 20, 2022 in Live Reviews, 44 comments

Two members of the esteemed AMG staff attended the ArcTanGent Festival in Somerset, England. How many returned? Read the journal entries we recovered and pray for those we lost.

Abest – Molten Husk Review

By Dear Hollow on August 16, 2022 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Hardcore, Post-Metal, 22 comments

“Molten Husk is an album built on a balance of synchrony and glitches, a duel of cohesive riffs and splattering experimentation. We embark on a journey with Abest, witnessing this dichotomy and wondering what the hell we do with its lesson. As the journey dwindles to its final moments, Molten Husk fully succumbs to the chaos. A corrosive and unforgiving beast, whose growls are abruptly interrupted by a spare moment of humanity in the haunting “Possessor,” it pummels and unnerves in a soundtrack of breathing darkness. But this is no black metal, though it makes sporadic appearances. This is not death metal, although listeners may be reminded of it. Although based in sludge, density is eschewed for a palpable crunch instead of earth-shaking weight. At the end of Molten Husk, Abest will challenge what you think about post-metal.” Abeast.