English Metal

Hell – Curse and Chapter Review

By Steel Druhm on November 29, 2013 in 2013, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 10 comments

“There’s an interesting history behind Hell. As a part of the original NWoBHM, they were close to releasing an album alongside contemporaries like Saxon and Iron Maiden, but bad luck and personal tragedy brought them low and derailed their best laid plans. Though they never made it past the demo stage, they were influential in the scene and championed by folks like producer and former Sabbat guitarist Andy Sneap. So taken with their old demos was he, that he encouraged the members to reform and give it another go with him on guitar, which resulted in 2011s Human Remains opus. That platter featured some ancient tunes loaded with NWoBHM flair and a noticeable Mercyful Fate influence, and while the music was highly enjoyable, I struggled mightily with the delivery of front man David Bower, which was overdone, uber-theatrical and at times, very cheeseball parmesan.” Now that they’ve had some time to sort things out, can Hell deliver some metal for the ages or are they still suffering from Drama Overload Disorder? Steel Druhm has the prognosis.

Code – Augur Nox Review

By JF Williams on November 18, 2013 in 2013, Agonia Records, Avante Garde, Black Metal, English Metal, Finnish Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, 2 comments

“Genre tags such as progressive and avant garde are kind of paradoxical terms in metal. Surely something truly progressive or avant garde should traverse the outer fringes of musical expression, bringing to the table a metal forged of fearless, arcane exploration? Often that’s not the case – those terms are in many ways boxes only slightly larger than thrash, death, and other tags of old. Does the anticipated third album of England’s Code break free of these restraints?” JF Williams asks and also answers. That’s why we keep him around.

Eye of Solitude – Canto III Review

By Grymm on November 17, 2013 in 2013, Doom Metal, English Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 8 comments

“Its been a long time since I’ve been impressed by a doom metal record. You would figure it would be a pretty easy thing to get the hang of, if you think about it: create an atmosphere of (circle one: sorrow, solitude, deep introspection) utilizing well-timed (female vocals, violin, acoustic guitar) passages before (crushing ruthlessly, lamenting sadly, turning loose some swans). Yet somehow, at best, recent doom releases have given me a feeling of “meh,” and at worst, eliciting some unintentional chuckles. Eye of Solitude have a few things going for them: they’re young (only been around since 2010), they’re UK-based (and they KNOW their doom metal over there), and they’re hungry. Canto III, their third album, not only has given me hope for the genre once more, but they also have a serious contender for a Best of 2013 record.” Grymm is notoriously difficult to impress when it comes to doom/death, but that’s exactly what Eye of Solitude did.

Prospekt – The Colourless Sunrise Review

By Lord Doom on November 10, 2013 in 2013, English Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sensory Records, Djent, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 4 comments

“Prospekt is a British tech-prog metal band, whose debut full length, The Colourless Sunrise features a blend of traditional progressive metal, melodic metal, and djent. While it’s always a fun game to pick out a band’s influences, Prospekt spoiled that job for me, as their Facebook page proudly lists the likes of Symphony X, Dream Theater, Opeth, and Meshuggah, among others. Sadly for Prospekt, they don’t quite measure up to the lofty standards of the aforementioned influences. Still, for our more astute readers, that mention of Meshuggah has got to stand out a bit, so let’s spend some time examining that.” Another day and another probationary writer joins the AMG fray as Dagg sheds some light on the prog-metal scene and up and comers, Prospekt. Do they have the chops to impress in such a cerebral, artsy-fartsy genre? They certainly packed the right influences!

Eden’s Curse – Symphony of Sin Review

By Steel Druhm on October 12, 2013 in 2013, AFM Records, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 5 comments

“Standing at the crossroads of catchy hard rock and traditional metal, Eden’s Curse has been quietly killing it since 2007. Founded by vocalist Michael Eden, this quasi super group (composed of players from bands I mostly never heard of) has released three albums of high quality, hook-filled, anthemic music similar to Leverage, Masterplan, Starbreaker and the Russell/Lande albums. Though the members have ample musical chops, they eschew wankery in favor of simplistic, rocking tunes with memorable choruses and their approach invokes the charms of 80s style, bluesy, quasi-hair metal.” In the mood for something light and sweet? Eden’s Curse has just the thing for your musical sweet tooth. Oh, the sugar rush!!

Jesu – Everyday I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came Review

By Noctus on September 19, 2013 in 2013, English Metal, Hydra Head Records, Reviews, Shoegaze, Drone, Shoegaze, 2 comments

“I can’t say I went into this album with much faith considering both Infinity and Ascension, Jesu’s previous two albums, seemed so lopsided and emotionally detached. But fear not, Justin Broadrick, seems to have found his voice again. It might not be all that striking or eventful, but it perfectly encapsulates every musical avenue his Jesu project has travelled in a subtle and concise package that delivers an interesting and touching listen and makes the mouthful, Everyday I Get Closer to the Light from Which I Came, one of his strongest releases yet.” Everyone remembers Mr. Broadrick from his Godflesh days, but how is this whole Jesu thing working out for him?

Grumbling Fur – Glynnaestra Review

By Alex Franquelli on September 9, 2013 in 2013, 4.0, English Metal, Not Metal, Reviews, Thrill Jockey, Not Metal, 3 comments

‘“Why did you start making music?” I asked, while pretending to sip the amazingly cheap red wine in my half-broken glass, scouting for what was left of my dignity while lying on the cold floor. I don’t think he ever gave me an answer, but there are times when Daniel O’Sullivan does not even bother formulating a reply. He breathed out another puff, I turned my head and gave an intoxicated nod to the ceiling while looking nowhere ahead of me. Grumbling Fur’s music is exactly like that whiff. It is not an answer because nobody has ever posed the right question.” If we ever needed someone to decipher that whiff of smoke, you know we’d call Alex to do so. He speaks smoke and obscurity, after all.

Black Sabbath – 13 Review

By Angry Metal Guy on June 12, 2013 in 2013, 3.0, 3.5, Doom Metal, English Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 44 comments

A new Black Sabbath record!? That’s pretty epic. And it calls for an epic response. So here we present for you the first ever triple review here at Angry Metal Guy. First up: Angry Metal Guy; then Steel Druhm; and Mr. Fisting Himself weighs in with a third opinion. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll probably find a reason to complain or a spelling error. Break out the flamethrowers, it’s reviewing time!

Evile – Skull Review

By Steel Druhm on June 11, 2013 in 2.5, 2013, Earache Records, English Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 3 comments

“Evile has always occupied a strange space in the re-thrash movement. They seem to be one of the big wigs in the scene, yet I hear far less buzz about them than many other retro acts. They are also one of the few bands to eschew the common Slayer, Exodus and Testament mimicking in favor of a much more traditional Metallica influence. Their sound generally exists in the phantom zone between the Master of Puppets and And Justice for All eras and the later works of long overlooked Wargasm.” That combo sounds like a can’t miss, right? When you’re talking about skull tank music, you can never be too sure, so you better find out where Steel Druhm stands on the Skull.

Satan – Life Sentence Review

By Natalie Zed on May 15, 2013 in 2013, 4.5, English Metal, Listenable Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, 10 comments

“For a lot of bands, the album title Life Sentence would be a clever moniker, a reference to the penal system with the potential for lots of imprisonment imagery, but it might not say anything significant about the band’s core identity. For Satan, Life Sentence effectively portrays every band member’s relationship to heavy metal. Satan were founded in Newcastle, U.K. In 1979 and were instrumental in establishing the movement that has come to be known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Though they languished in obscurity for much of their early career, their style, which exhibited aspects of very early thrash and speed metal, would go on to help define both genres.” Old timers Satan are back with more court themed metal. Put on your lawsuit and check your briefs as Natalie serves as judge and jury.