“‘But.’ No other word in the English language possesses the sheer life-building/soul-crushing power of that three-letter word. It tears someone down after a volley of praise and it also builds them back up following harsh criticisms. When that word appears, shit goes down and gets real immediately.” Ifs, ands and buts.
“Desecresy is conservative by way of being aware they’ve inherited something good, to crib the excellent contemporary philosopher Sir Roger Scruton’s understanding of the term. Desecresy has inherited the Finnish melodic death-doom sound, and is obviously aware of its goodness along with its inner workings.” Inherit the icy wind.
“”This is silly.” That was what was running through my head as I was reading an article by former Handshake, Inc. label boss David Hall over at CLRVYNT. He pontificated in rapturous fashion about how metal, once pure and innocent, is going through its death throes due, in no small part, to San Francisco’s favorite punching bags not named Colin Kaepernick, Deafheaven.” So much fussin’ and a feudin’.
“When Boston’s Summoner came into being back in 2009, they were originally known as Riff Cannon. Made up of members of black metal bands Plagues and Deafheaven, Summoner is clearly a vehicle for these fellas to shed their black metal overcoats and give some love to the Baroness/Kylesa/Torche side of the bill.” Black does sludge.
“Every year, something special takes place in my hometown of Tilburg, The Netherlands: the festival of Roadburn. Roadburn isn’t like your average festival. There’s no marquees, no fields of green devolving into mud, and no crowds the size of small towns worshiping the biggest bands. Instead, thousands of people dressed in black gather from every corner of the continent, and some from other continents, to see over 100 doom, stoner and other kinds of acts whose success lies almost entirely in the underground.” Welcome to the dope show.
“Tearing apart hearts and comment sections since 2014, the career of China’s North Dakota’s Ghost Bath has been deceitfully brief. The 14 months between debut Funeraland follow-up Moonlover catapulted the crew from the depths of obscurity to the position of most hyped (and most hated) band in recent memory. I’ve seen the band treated like the Second Coming, and I’ve seen the band described as “such a bag of ass.” Whatever your opinion on the matter, Starmourner puts the polarizing magnetism of Ghost Bath on full display.” Starmourner, Sunbather, Overrater?
“Who are Sons of a Wanted Man you ask? In short they’re a fledgling band, hailing from Beringen (Belgium). Citing the influence of Gojira, Deafheaven and Alcest, Sons of a Wanted Man dabble in introspective post-black metal, forcibly heavy sludge and raw hardcore with Black Days Black Dust claiming to journey through beauty and frenzy in equal measure.” This looks suspiciously like an EP….
“Post-black has often struck me as expressing a decadent sort of misery, one which is more malaise than malice, an effeminate whimpering against the dying of the light. It seems to cry out to the God it vehemently denies exists and beg for a purpose, painting a bleak sort of hopelessness; a musical version of an off-brand Sartre, if you will. Like Sartre’s Roquentin, post-black bands create to find a purpose, but they end up stuck in the slime, accepting the hilariously overstated “death” of God and tradition, whining like Nietzsche’s Last Man for the dull pain of a meaningless existence to stop.” Feel the Nietzsche.
“Wiegedood’s debut may not be as pretentious as a band like Deafheaven (hallelujah!), but it’s thick with atmosphere and post-black attitude. The sequel hints at this heavy atmosphere, but De Doden Hebben Het Goed II never lets it meander for long. II, instead, unleashes a brutality fitting to a second-wave Norwegian outfit like Gorgoroth. The amount of hate and emotion set forth from II is enough to burn a hole right through your black heart.” That wasn’t part of the deal, Black Heart! That…wasn’t…part!
![Astronoid – Air [Things You Might Have Missed 2016]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Astronoid-Air-768x768.jpg)
“Fearless. That’s the word I keep coming back to when trying to describe this Boston quintet’s debut. Sure, there may be better ways to describe the music – carefree, blissful, soaring – but nothing captures the spirit of Air quite like “fearless.”” Fear is the mind killer.
