Death Metal

Embalmer – Emanations from the Crypt Review

By Al Kikuras on March 26, 2016 in 2016, 4.0, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Hells Headbangers Records, Death Metal, 37 comments

“The most lauded element of Ohio gorehounds Embalmer’s past work was the deranged voice of former vocalist Rick Fleming. As cited on their Wikipedia page (clearly written by someone close to if not in the band), “In 2013 the band parted ways with vocalist Rick Fleming, who subsequently robbed the band of the remainder of the band fund before going into hiding.” Under the “Former members” section he is listed as “Dick Fleming.” Not likely a typo. Ahhhh, Wikirevenge!” Wikirevenge is a dish best served with embalming fluid and sauteed tomatoes.

Demonstealer – This Burden Is Mine Review

By Grymm on March 21, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, Demonstealer Records, Indian Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, Thrash Metal, 26 comments

“In my almost three years of reviewing for AngryMetalGuy.com, very few things surprise me anymore. Yet, while doing research for This Burden Is Mine, the second album by Indian one-man project Demonstealer, I hopped onto their Facebook page, and realized just how prolific one Sahil Makhija, aka The Demonstealer, is. Not only is he the guitarist and vocalist on here (as well as in his main band, Demonic Resurrection), but he also runs his own eponymous record label (which is also India’s first extreme metal label). He also has his own online cooking blog. In fact, the first thing I saw on Facebook was was a link to a YouTube video for making bacon cake. I didn’t know such a concoction of magnificence even existed on this lowly plane, proving that magic does indeed manifest on Earth.” Bacon cake impresses even the jaded staff of AMG.

Horrified – Of Despair Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on March 20, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, English Metal, Stormspell Records, Death Metal, 23 comments

“Newcastle (upon Tyne [UK]) based Horrified released their debut about a year and a half ago, and the AMG staff collectively shrugged. A throwback death metal record with some neat riffs and an authentic sound, it lacked in both originality and execution, and was summarily dismissed by yours truly. But wise old man of the AMG staff, Al Kikuras saw something in the band, a certain rough charm and attitude that’s missing in the majority of retro-death.” Al knows retro-death.

Izegrim – The Ferryman’s End Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 19, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Listenable Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 10 comments

“For those new to Izegrim, it only takes a few descriptive words to describe these Dutch metallers. What if I described the vocalist as a blonde woman with raspy, deathy vox? What if I categorized their sound as melodeath with thrashy breakdowns? What if I described their mission as causing inner-ear damage and venue deconstruction?” I know what you’re thinking: NIGHTWISH!

Vredehammer – Violator Review

By Grymm on March 15, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Death Metal, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 28 comments

“Norway’s Vredehammer started off as a solo-project for mainman Per Valla in-between work with his other bands, Elite and Allfader, as a way to branch out of the traditional sound of his country’s musical export of choice. Until most recently, Valla was hired on as a live second guitarist for Abbath’s band, but quit to concentrate on completing Vredehammer’s second full-length, Violator. I bring this point up because Violator isn’t dissimilar in style and approach to the lovable crab-walking ex-mainman for Immortal.” We like crabs, and Abbath.

Decrepit Soul – The Coming of War!! Review

By Mark Z. on March 14, 2016 in 2016, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 14 comments

“I’ve always found the crude, no-fucks-given approach of Australian blackened death band Sadistik Exekution quite endearing. With their sloppy live performances, reports that their founding guitarist lived in a Sydney dungeon, and insistence on spelling ‘fuck’ with two ‘k’s (a tendency I’ve often found myself adopting in drunken text messages), everything about the band is appealing in the same way as a B-grade 80s horror movie: extremity for the sake of extremity, with an underlying camp nurtured by splatter-happy nastiness and an utter lack of technical aptitude. It was in search of other groups with this aesthetic that I decided to check out Aussie duo Decrepit Soul’s sophomore LP The Coming of War!!” Fuckks were given about this here review.

Miasmal – Tides of Omniscience Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on March 13, 2016 in Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 18 comments

“One lesson I’ve learned in my tenure at AMG is that burgers can be successfully compared to just about anything. Just like burgers are a great plan for a meal in a pinch, they also work in that annoying pinch when a lede just refuses to come to mind. I think we can largely agree that listening to Swe-death records is like the endless quest for the perfect burger.” In dining, as in death, it’s the seasoning that counts.

Convulse – Cycle of Revenge Review

By Kronos on March 12, 2016 in Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Svart Records, Death Metal, Progressive Death, 23 comments

“For whatever reason, bands tend to get less and less extreme as they age. Sometimes it’s the extremity of earlier albums being too much to match. Some musicians just get tired of metal, like Brent Hinds or Mikael Åkerfeldt. Bands can change style completely, like Opeth and Cynic, or they can just write more choruses, as Kurt Ballou says of Converge. Yet for all the diversity of unmetalification, there are some very consistent pathways that musicians and bands tend to follow. Today’s example, most notable in Cynic and Opeth, is something I like to call Kronos’ Law of Increasing Hippietude[1. It is suspected that this contributes directly to Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings.].” Kronos is working on his thesis and his advisor seems to have disappeared.

Suspiral – Delve into the Mysteries of Transcendence Review

By Grymm on March 9, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Death Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 59 comments

“When I was younger, I remember pre-ordering Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete for the original PlayStation, back when it was announced at my local Babbage’s in the fall of 1996. It would be a full three years later before it was released. In that timeframe, I graduated from high school, worked at Babbage’s then-competitor (Electronics Boutique), quit acrimoniously from said competitor, went Straight-Edge very hard, got unnecessarily angry at life and everything around me, gave up being Straight-Edge very hard, and moved around the same town three times Yet I still had my eyes on the prize. When I got the game, it didn’t quite live up to the expectations despite all the delays. This story illustrates that some would say I have the patience of that unfortunate Bible character, Job.” Oh, that can’t be good…

Sulphur – Omens of Doom Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 7, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Dark Essence Records, Death Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 47 comments

Sulphur (or sulfur in the States) is ungodly, foul smelling shit. This isn’t exactly news to anyone but you don’t know the half of it until you have actually jousted with the likes of benzyl or ethanethiol. There aren’t many chemicals I’ve worked with that linger on your mustache and penetrate your clothes like sulfur. It’s pungent, it’s offensive, and it’s fucking nauseating. While I’ve had my fair share of encounters with sulfur, I have never encountered its black-metal equivalent—which is odd considering I’ve been a fan of Øyvind Madsen’s other project, Vulture Industries, for years. With a name like Sulphur, I had expected some unsettling, engulfing black metal to match the stomach-turning feelings I get when “sulfur” is mentioned.