“You gotta hand it to Artillery. They just keep firing away long after the original thrash wars faded into memory and many a speed détente was put in place. Longevity aside, it seems they’re taking their second (or third) run at metal immortality quite seriously. 2013s Legions was a solid dose of Danish steel with a more melodic bent courtesy of new voice Michael Bastholm Dahl.” And the cannons of wrath did thunder once more….
“If anything can be said about HateSphere, it’s that they know how to please their fans. Though many of us crave a bit more diversity across a fifteen-year career, the fact that HateSphere drops consistent album after consistent album every couple years is enough to please (almost) anyone. HateSphere’s consistency is the result of founding guitarist Peter Hansen and his continued navigation along the course set by 2001’s self-titled debut.” And it’s always tough to know if consistency is a virtue or not.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Jon Nödtviedt decided to put Dissection to rest after the highly-influential Storm of the Lights Bane and decided to join Dark Tranquillity? Yes, I know, total blasphemy, but weirder things have happened. I mean, W.A.S.P. put out a better record last year than Slayer, for crying out loud. Nothing is completely out of the realm of possibility, right?
![VOLA – Inmazes [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/12371041_10208087369732906_1742163103346762917_o-768x768.jpg)
“VOLA are highly unusual in their approach to modern progressive metal. The most apt description I can define is prog-power by way of djent, offering the catchy melodies of Anubis Gate and Voyager but executed with the staccato, modern heaviness of a post-Meshuggah era.” Some things just sell themselves.
“Danish five-piece Cold Night For Alligators are described by their press kit as “progressive death metal with brutal technical hardcore, layered with tremendous atmospheric ambient sounds.” Doesn’t that sound great? I salivated at my luck, dreaming of this great new band that sounds like Cynic, Gaza and Hope Drone.” That’s our Kronos – forever drooling and droning.
“Grab your plush Cthulhu, throw away your textbooks on Euclidean geometry, pack a few snacks, and look reanimated, folks: the Dissonance Train to R’lyeh with a temporary stop in Obscura-ville is now boarding. If there are two things that seem to captivate plenty of minds in modern metal on the extreme side of the fence, they’re H.P. Lovecraft stories and how to translate the outer reaches of sanity into music via an incredible amount of dissonance.” Cthulhu 2016.
“At this point, it’s really is no secret that I’m 100% all about anything that has to do with King Diamond and Mercyful Fate. I’ve chased down Black Rose and Zoser Mez demos, have purchased every original and remastered pressing of every KD and MF album, still listen to both Force of Evil albums every Halloween, and even love the odd Illwill side project.” Dr. Clickbaiter is a tad obsessive over things like clicks and Kingly projects.
“Royal Hunt has been knocking around the prog-metal circuit forever, and though they’ve dropped a few killer releases, I’d describe their overall discography as a bit spotty. There are those classic albums where their melodic AOR/metal style really hit a sweet spot, and others were it feels like they’re stuck in a lower gear. Their golden age was in the mid 90s with vocalist extraordinaire, D.C. Cooper (Silent Force, Steel Seal) and most fans would likely point to 1997s Paradox as they crowning achievement.” The hunt resumes. Tally ho!
“Danish one woman black metal project Myrkur burst onto the scene in a shroud of mystery with her debut self-titled EP last year. When her identity was revealed to be New York based artist Amalie Bruun of indie-pop duo Ex-Cops, the fickle factions of the wider metal community were seemingly more concerned about her apparently dubious metal cred than the frigid blast of old school Norwegian black metal, post-metal atmospherics and melancholic folk the EP delivered.” Damn those fickle factions to Hell!
“Prepare for a journey into a colossal hole, into the deepest chasm, into a cavern of fetid stench and ooze. Bet you thought I was going to make a “yer mom” joke there didn’t you? ” Is there any better place to listen to nasty death metal?
