DragonForce

Qantice – The Anastoria Review

By Eldritch Elitist on May 9, 2019 in 2019, French Metal, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Power Metal, 95 comments

“Somewhere in my timeline of metal fandom, the term “symphonic metal” ceased to act as a flame for my moth-like tendencies. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when this occurred, but the source is not. Over time, artists began to implement symphonic elements as less of an enhancer and more of a blatant crutch. Bands utilizing full orchestrations have proven so successful under the Nuclear Blast banner that the ensuing deluge of Nightwish and Dimmu Borgir knock-offs still taints the AMG promo sump to this day. And that’s part of what makes Qantice so dadgum charming: they play highly ambitious symphonic power metal on their own terms.” Symphony for the Devil.

Deiphago – I, the Devil Review

By Dear Hollow on May 3, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, 71 comments

“Pretense is a bitch. I’ve found myself being more and more cynical through the years about people who claim to be the best at what they do. From athletes and artists to people I interact with on a daily basis, I prefer action and art to speak for itself. Therefore, I found myself suspicious with Filipino blackened death metal three-piece Deiphago, who proclaim to be ‘arguably the most violent band on the planet, as well as one of the most envelope-pushing.'” Heavy is as heavy does.

Them – Manor of the Se7en Gables [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Diabolus in Muzaka on January 10, 2019 in 2018, International Metal, Power Metal, Steamhammer, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Power Metal, 115 comments

“I have fond memories of poring over classic spooky stories like Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” or “The Tell-Tale Heart” at my grandmother’s house and being repulsed and fascinated with the characters, settings, and actions. I got hooked and read Poe’s short stories over and over. Metal is too gore-obsessed to reliably deliver the classic spooks, save for King Diamond… but he hasn’t put anything out since 2007. Who will deliver good old-fashioned spooky stories through the medium of metal?!” BOO(urns)!

Divine Ascension – The Uncovering Review

By Carcharodon on November 16, 2018 in 2018, Australian Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, ViciSolum Productions, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 53 comments

“Australian progressive metallers Divine Ascension are back with their third album, The Uncovering. Apparently. To be honest, I was blissfully unaware they were here in the first place or that they’d gone anywhere. But this appears to be a failing on my part. Their previous outing, Liberator, saw them touring in support of genre stalwarts Stratovarius, as well as getting on the road with the inimitable Blind Guardian. Whilst I have something of a soft spot for both these bands, it is undeniable that their (extensive) back catalogs are patchy—although I won’t hear a word said against Blind Guardian’s Nightfall in Middle Earth—and I can’t help but query how much space there really is in what might be termed progressive-power metal.” Cover up, Buttercup.

Immortal Guardian – Age of Revolution Review

By Eldritch Elitist on September 28, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, M-Theory Audio, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, 79 comments

“When I was first testing the waters of various metal subgenres over a decade ago, in order to familiarize myself with the scene as a whole, something became immediately apparent: I do not like virtuoso-helmed acts. Though bands like DragonForce, that relied on high-flying technical artistry, were standbys in my early days of metal fandom, it was clear to me as soon as I encountered a seventy-five minute, single-track instrumental shred album that indulgence at the cost of songwriting was standard practice.” Shred is not dead.

Eunomia – The Chronicles of Eunomia Part I Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 24, 2018 in 2018, Norwegian Metal, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Power Metal, 101 comments

“Every tepid, derivative power metal act I’ve ever reviewed for this humble blog, pay attention: This is how it’s done. Please, for the love of Turilli, don’t take this to mean that Eunomia’s The Chronicles of Eunomia Part I, the brainchild of one Peter Danielsen, is a sterling example of a refined power metal release; mimicking this record’s technical foibles would be, on all fronts, an objectively bad idea.” War clubbing.

Ewig.Endlich. – Auf Grund Review

By Eldritch Elitist on May 15, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Dedication Records, German Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, WOOAAARGH, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 36 comments

“I love last year’s Ghost Bath release. I say this not to stir up yet another round of fruitless discussion debating the validity of the band, but rather to place this review in context. As much of a fan as I am of traditional black metal, I’m by no means a purist, and I see value in the genre’s post-rock inspired incarnation as a means of borrowing and remixing traditional blackened tropes in an unexpectedly serene context. Ewig.Endlich. displays an acute understanding of how this formula works; their debut LP, Auf Grund, runs the gamut from melancholic post-rock to traditional black metal and does so with a respectable level of competence.” Competence is its own reward.

Judicator – The Last Emperor Review

By Eldritch Elitist on April 10, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Power Metal, 68 comments

“Before diving in, let’s make one thing clear to newcomers to this band: Judicator worships Blind Guardian, and has been doing so since vocalist John Yelland and guitarist Tony Cordisco decided to form a band after meeting at a BG concert in 2012. Over the course of four albums, the band has displayed a steadfast dedication to carrying on the German pioneers’ legacy, splicing hooky, thrashing power metal with mountainous vocal harmonies while simultaneously carving their own melodic niche.” Judicator is Blind!

Hardcore Anal Hydrogen – HyperCut Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 28, 2018 in 2018, Apathia Records, Experimental Metal, Monacan Metal, Reviews, Experimental Metal, 70 comments

“Greetings, internet traveler! My name is Eldritch, and I’ll be your guide on this unexpected detour to Angrymetalguy.com. I’m sure you’re wondering how you ended up at this humble metal blog. You see, the metal community is a distinctly no-filter bunch, which inevitably generates quite the colorful array of band names and album titles. As a direct result, consumers of discerning taste may find themselves unwittingly whisked away via a search engine to our humble blog while in search of ‘black fucking,’ ‘piss vortex,’ or, in your case, ‘hardcore anal.'” A foul wind blows.

Novareign – Legends Review

By Dr. Wvrm on February 15, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, M-Theory Audio, Power Metal, Power Metal, 0 comments

“Risking sideways looks around the break room, I harbor an innate soft spot for DragonForce. You can say what you want about their incessant need to beat their frets to death, but it still resulted in some damn catchy songs. Plus, I was that kid who was way better at Guitar Hero than everyone else. DragonForce couldn’t repel more girls if they wore orthodontic headgear with a d20 strapped to it, so naturally Teenage Mutant Metal Wvrm loved them. Novareign clearly feel the same way.” Welcome to Wankville.