Death Metal

Triptykon – Melana Chasmata Review

By Noctus on April 18, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Swiss Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 23 comments

“Tom G. Warrior has had a lot to prove since his blunders in the early 90’s. But it seems metalheads can finally put to rest any doubt that Tom knows what he’s doing, more than anyone, when it comes to punishing and dark recordings. The most startling thing is that even over 30 years into his career, he’s still getting better at it; his hybrid of black, doom, death and thrash metal never more convincing than in his latest effort, Melana Chasmata.” Noctus dons his Tom G. Warrior scarf and t-shirt for a hugely fanboyish salute to the man, the myth, the creator of Triptykon.

Pyrrhon – The Mother of Virtues Review

By Kronos on March 27, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, 5 comments

““New York City’s PYRRHON emerge with a mind bending album of surrealistic death metal for fans of Gorguts, Ulcerate & Portal!” Brave words, promo guy, brave words. I as much as I admire your confidence, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. When you invoke Ulcerate and Gorguts in order to hawk your wares, you’ve certainly caught my attention, but lying won’t go unpunished. Besmirching the name of my favorite band of Kiwis is a cardinal sin, so either Pyrrhon has their shit really together, or an overzealous Relapse employee is going to find rat feces in his Cheerios tomorrow.” We at AMG disavow any knowledge and/or awareness of food tampering or promo vendor harassment.

Invertia – Another Scheme of the Wicked Review

By Madam X on March 22, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Industrial Metal, Ohm Resistance, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Industrial Metal, 0 comments

“There’s something about the call of psycho-bombastic, industrialized black metal shunning the hypocrisy of cult religions that arouses my curiosity. To give you a bit of background, Invertia are in the process of launching their second full-length release via ultra-angry, techno geeks Ohm Resistance Records.” Madam X likes dark stuff. This is dark stuff. Does she like it? Find out!

Massacre – Back From Beyond Review

By Steel Druhm on March 19, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 6 comments

“Massacre holds a special place in the annals of American death metal. They were one of earliest true death metal bands, and along with Death, they started the infamous Florida death metal scene. Hell, original vocalist Kam Lee is even credited with inventing the death metal growl! At one time or another, members of Obituary and Death passed through their ranks and though they released a series of highly influential demos like Aggressive Tyrant, their plans to release a debut album in 1988 were hamstrung when Terry Butler, Rick Rozz and Bill Andrews all jumped ship to record Death’s immortal Leprosy album instead.” The co-originators of American death metal are finally back from beyond with a new album. But should we seal the portal from whence they came?

Aurora Borealis – World Shapers Review

By Madam X on March 15, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, MDD Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 4 comments

“From palpable obscurity, tumultuous streams of glory gushed, ten thousand thousand rainbows rushed and reveled through the boundless sky, in jousting, flashing radiancy.” That was David Vedder’s description the Aurora Borealis back around the 1800s, and today it remains a fitting description of these Maryland-based blackened death metallers that deliver a brand of bludgeoning melodicism reminiscent of Carcass and Morbid Angel.” Madam X shakes off the oppressive yoke of black metal to review…blackened death metal. No wonder she’s so dark of demeanor!

Epistasis – Light Through Dead Glass

By Kronos on March 12, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Crucial Blast Records, Danish Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 6 comments

“Imagine that you mated Gorguts and Dodecahedron and left their bastard progeny on the doorstep of The Ocean. By the time Light Through Dead Glass flies out the F1’s mouth, nature and nurture have taken their course in shaping their grubby offspring. Passed down from their father are incoherent shrieks and furious black metal riffs, complementing the intricate bass lines and scintillating guitar tone contributed by their mother. Both parents passed on the recessive atonality and strangeness alleles, and somewhere along the line a mutation occurred giving rise to the novel trumpet player feature. Despite Epistasis’ breeding, their adopted parents have taught them some manners, instilling upon the young band a sense of melody and introspection. With such a colorful bouquet of attributes, Epistasis is an impossible specimen to miss in a screen, even for the amateur metal geneticist.” In our ongoing quest to marry ivory tower academia with metal analysis, here’s Kronos discussing insect genetics and their relation to progressive and black metal. Huh?

Morbus Chron – Sweven Review

By Steel Druhm on March 7, 2014 in 2014, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 21 comments

“The times they are a changing! If you were around for my review of Morbus Chron’s 2011 opus Sleepers in the Rift, you know how impressed I was with their Autopsy-laden salute to early American death metal. That album was a sewage leak of nastiness and I still spin it often. Naturally, I expected more of the same with their follow up, but I didn’t get it. Not even close. That’s because Sweven (yea olde English for “visions”) is an enormous departure in style and approach, veering off into the world of proggy, tripped out weirdness, while somehow still remaining death metal.” Wow, this one really knocked Steel Druhm off his feet, and he’s notoriously difficult to knock over. You best read on.

Shroud of the Heretic – Revelations in Alchemy Review

By Grymm on March 3, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Blood Harvest Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 1 comment

“”This band would absolutely crush live.” That’s pretty much what was running through my head constantly throughout the entirety of Revelations in Alchemy, the debut full-length from Portland, Oregon’s Shroud of the Heretic. Those scenic, picturesque sounds brought forth by fellow Portlandians Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room are nowhere to be found here. Instead of beauty and introspection, you get a sludgy, slimy atmosphere that will prove hard to wash off, even after repeated listens. The problem is, will you return for those repeated splashings?” Slimy sludge splashings are always hard to refuse. But should you pass on this particular muck?

Crematory – Antiserum Review

By Steel Druhm on February 22, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, German Metal, Gothic Metal, Reviews, SPV, Death Metal, Gothic Metal, 9 comments

“Few bands have dipped their toes in more genre pools than Germany’s Crematory. Over the course of their career, they’ve cobbled elements of death metal, gothic rock, electronica, industrial and even club music into what could called the “Crematory sound.” As the years went by, certain elements would drift in and out of prominence, but in recent times, the sonic space between them and countrymen Rammstein has narrowed to a fine line. These guys are heavier and more death-oriented, but the basic sound is essentially the same. While I’ve followed them since 1997, I’ve always found them frustratingly inconsistent.” Do you like your death metal backed by throbbing club music? If so, Crematory is here to fill that specialized niche.

Kuolemanlaakso – Tulijoutsen Review

By Steel Druhm on February 19, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 9 comments

“The majesty and grandeur of the Finnish wilderness has been source material for a veritable fuckload of metal bands over the years, with Amorphis and Korpiklaani, being the better known examples. Those untamed forests and pristine lakes apparently beckoned to the folks in Kuolemanlaakso as well, since their sophomore album is a loose conceptual piece focused on the Finnish countryside and the national folklore that featured it so prominently.” Nature-themed doom death from Finland seems like an easy sell. Are you buying?