“Post-black and blackened post metal. The same thing, surely? I would argue no. Post-black metal tends to rely on lengthy, brooding atmospheric passages, interspersed with blasts of black metal fury. Blackened post metal, on the other hand, should be towering, mesmerizing riffs with that vicious black metal edge to proceedings. Sheffield, UK’s Ba’al have been knocking around since 2016, putting out EPs in their first year and then in 2019 also, but the absolute shitshow that is 2020 sees this four piece dropping their debut full-length, Ellipsism.” Post-Post.
Ghost Brigade
Atlases – Woe Portrait Review
“Once upon a time there was a Muppet. Muppet told me of this band called Atlases, threatening me with an unforgiving death if I didn’t try out their debut full-length, Haar, which came out last year. I never did try the whole thing until now, but the selection of tracks I did sample were solid. Then, one day I noticed their name in the promo bin, and I thought to myself, “what are the odds?” So here we are, with a quick turnaround by the Finnish five-banger. Is Woe Portrait good enough to earn a recommendation from me and my ridiculously productive multitude of alter egos on this power-metal-obsessed blog?” Map of sadboi.
Ambassador – Care Vale Review
“Interesting, the grey area between rock and metal. It takes a lot of different shapes, from the classic hard rock proto-metal to the commercialized tough guy semi-nu-metal that still wanted to have radio play.[1. Joke’s on them, the hardest thing on commercial radio these days is fucking Imagine Dragons.] It’s an area that, in one of its many incarnations, has been elemental to most of us in our journey into the depths of our favorite depravity, as a bridge between the socially acceptable and commercially viable on the one end, and metal on the other. Ambassador, a four-piece from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have a different approach to this uncertain spectrum from those I’ve mentioned.” Sad diplomacy.
In the Company of Serpents – Lux Review
“In the Company of Serpents‘ fourth full-length is an unholy concoction of sludge, doom and cowboys, and frankly things don’t get any Cherdier than that.” Snakes deLux.
Hanging Garden – Into That Good Night Review
“Evermore difficult to believe has been my luck in the ongoing war against the promo bin. Despite multiple attempts to lower my less than angry rating average, including seeking out non-atmoblack/Muppetcore albums or else surrendering my fate to Steel like a damn N00b, I somehow just keep wading out from the promo sump smelling like roses. This brings us nicely to my main point, being that I can’t believe that Dr. Fisting turned down the opportunity to drop everything and craft an unpaid review for Into That Good Night, the sixth album by Finland’s Hanging Garden.” Shaking fists at gardens in the sky.
The Holeum – Sublime Emptiness Review
“One of the only neat things about this angry metal gig is how you can select an album to review and within a spin or two have a pretty good guess as to which of these other cretins will enjoy said album. Today I present to you The Holeum‘s somber sophomore escapade, Sublime Emptiness, with the strong suspicion that our silverbackedest scribe will scoff this stuff up.”Embrace the hollow.
Glare of the Sun – Theia Review
“This site has introduced me to countless gems that have captivated me and permanently improved my life in inimitable ways, yet even my most heartfelt exercises in overrating have failed to yield ‘that’ album unto me… until now. With Theia, the sophomore full-length from Austria’s Glare of the Sun, I have found completion, something that fills my Muppet void in ways that would make Ron Jeremy blush.” Sun worshiping.
Nailed to Obscurity – Black Frost Review
“One of the happy surprises from out of left field during 2017 was a little album called King Delusion by then unsung German act Nailed to Obscurity. It took the base elements of Opeth, Katatonia and Ghost Brigade and skillfully forged them into a humdinger of a prog-death platter brimming with heaviness and dark atmospheres. It garnered a place in my Top Ten for that year and I still play it quite regularly. 2019 sees the band return to greatly elevated expectations with their third album, Black Frost, and I was particularly eager to get my paws on this one.” Tales of frost and fire.
V – Pathogenisis Review
“V is a project of Daniel Liljekvist (In Mourning, ex-Katatonia) and on their Pathogenisis debut they’re peddling a take on post-metal that clings close to the early days of the style, while also incorporating a good dose of doom. The hardcore element that’s slowly becoming watered down in much modern post-metal is quite prominent here, making V‘s sound muscular, aggressive and confrontation. Most importantly of all, it’s chocked full of spleen softening riffs.” V is for Post-metal?
1476 – Our Season Draws Near Review
“Known for its short summers and long, drawn out winters, New England is not the worst starting point for a winter-themed album. Fueled by isolation and frigid temperatures, 1476 hail from the infamous Salem, Massachusetts and their specialty is a mixture of art and stripped-down dark, atmospheric rock.” We didn’t land on 1476‘s rock, it landed on us!