Evilfeast

Skuggor – Whispers of Ancient Spells Review

Skuggor – Whispers of Ancient Spells Review

By Dear Hollow on March 9, 2024 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 13 comments

“Skuggor is exactly what you expect it will sound like. Gothic font and grainy nature photo with themes of darkness, mist, and myth? You betcher ass it’s atmospheric black metal. “But I’m sure there’s something unique here, Hollow,” I can hear you say. Have you heard atmospheric black metal? You don’t listen to this shit for the neatest thing since Deftones. You listen cuz you want to be sucked into arcane and forlorn woods of ancient magic and nature untouched by human hands. I mean, duh.” Idiots.

Vertebra Atlantis – A Dialogue with the Eeriest Sublime Review

Vertebra Atlantis – A Dialogue with the Eeriest Sublime Review

By Dear Hollow on October 26, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 40 comments

“A Dialogue with the Eeriest Sublime is pure unadulterated Vertebra Atlantis at its finest. Blending blackened death punishment with the grandiosity of a crashing castle, the doom-laden contemplation of the awe its destruction invokes, the blackened attack that battles ice with fire, and the atmospheric ice that coats every surface, the Italian trio has stepped up everything that gave its predecessor, the great Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss, its signature blend of punishing and atmospheric.” Sublime mass destruction.

Upir – Threads of Sei​ð​r – Seeing Under Starlight Review

Upir – Threads of Sei​ð​r – Seeing Under Starlight Review

By Dear Hollow on October 14, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Noise, 31 comments

“Calgary’s Upir dropped the absolutely and wonderfully noisemongering Effigy for the Fiercest Frost – Shadows Dance in the Fires of Yule, which achieved a meditative effect across two tracks in its blend of thick ambiance and raw black metal – landing as one of my biggest surprises of 2021. As another surprise, the enigmatic act dropped their first full-length proper out of nowhere.” Surprise bone call.

Atrium – Ancient Spells Review

Atrium – Ancient Spells Review

By Dear Hollow on June 7, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 14 comments

“Wolves are neat critters, but their portrayals have gotten a bad rap. The gift shop t-shirt of choice for angsty teenagers who listen to Five Finger Death Punch’s “Jekyll & Hyde” and convince their friends that they have a “dark side,” the symbol has lost its teeth. Toss in that one individual who identifies as a wolf and barks at a lake, these canines have often become a symbol of try-hards rather than the courageous and loyal representation with which it is traditionally associated. Gazing upon the howling wolf that graces the cover of Ancient Spells, does Atrium offer strength and courage or is it upended by its own insecurities?” Eyes bigger than your belly, Wolfie?

Caedes Cruenta – Of Ritual Necrophagia and Mysterious Ghoul Cults Review

Caedes Cruenta – Of Ritual Necrophagia and Mysterious Ghoul Cults Review

By Dear Hollow on February 16, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 15 comments

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure where the line between black metal and blackened death lies. There’re folks who are entirely justified for crying “DEATH” when you add some bass to the mix, but others will be completely in the right to scold them for hopping a little too hard. Since groups like Belphegor and Marduk have blurred the lines with their bottom-heavy yet grim AF aesthetics, it’s a horde of near or far-sighted folks blurring everything.” Ghouls night ovt.

Irae – Lurking in the Depths Review

Irae – Lurking in the Depths Review

By Dear Hollow on June 23, 2020 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Groove Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 34 comments

“Black metal has a weird reputation. If you ask anybody walking down the street about it, given its nuances of church burning and Satanism, they’ll shudder and tell you “that stuff is scary, man.” However, if you ask a person who regularly listens to it, it becomes a different beast entirely: using Burzum’s self-titled as an example, you’ll hear an angsty Ewok grumbling about his mom taking away his Satanic Bible while abusing a Walmart guitar.” Fear and loathing in Portugal.

Empire of the Moon – Εκλειψις Review

Empire of the Moon – Εκλειψις Review

By Dear Hollow on January 7, 2020 in 2020, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 18 comments

“Another year has passed us by. As 2019 drifts to memory, I contemplate all the love the AMG community has shown me, a now somewhat less maligned contributor to a respected forum of metal journalism, feeling the love, feeling the camaraderie, feeling the–oh shit, there’s a review due this week?” Better get to it before the Task Monkey gets to you.