Gorguts

Goden – Beyond Darkness Review

By Dear Hollow on May 5, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 11 comments

“We’ve discussed revivals before, and tributes aplenty. Just look at Sweven’s Morbus Chron tribute–kind of a bit of both, and to mixed reactions. The list goes on: Black Sabbath and Heaven and Hell; Immortal and Abbath. Musicians looking to revive an old project under a new name must tread lightly, as we don’t want Morbus Chron 2.0, for example, but something that acknowledges the past while taking a fresh step forward. Today’s topic of discussion, New York’s Winter, a relatively quiet 90’s death metal act that nevertheless influenced the development of the death/doom niche with its murky and sprawling tunes.” Winter is coming back.

Venomous Skeleton – Drowning in Circles Review

By Dear Hollow on April 26, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Technical Death Metal, 11 comments

“Having been raised in church, I found my religious experience carried over into my vast expeditions into metal’s colorful multiverse: I find myself reaching more and more for the stuff that incorporates a unique tone of reverence, a sound of standing beneath the colossal or infinite. For bands like Batushka, Ancient Moon, and Behemoth, this liturgical and hieratic atmosphere is proposed through its ritualistic songwriting and uses of common religious musical elements (Gregorian chants, choirs, etc.) contrasting with blasphemy’s twisted dagger in an aural representation of madness. Sonne Adam’s death/doom solo LP Transformation did this for me.” Worship music.

Nero Di Marte – Immoto Review

By Carcharodon on January 23, 2020 in 2020, Italian Metal, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Uncategorized, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 32 comments

“I am a big post-metal fan. I have admitted to this before without shame, despite the unkind words that are thrown around about the genre, including in the skull pit by my fellow word slaves scribes. And, as a fan of the genre, I firmly believe that The Ocean, Cult of Luna and others have shown it can be so much more than ten-minute, riff-less songs that feature sudden eruptions of heaviness. Despite this categorical proof, a number of ‘post-metal’ bands appear not to have got the message.” Post-memo.

Hwwauoch – Into the Labyrinth of Consciousness [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Dear Hollow on December 18, 2019 in 2019, Ambient, Amor Fati Productions, Black Metal, Drone, International Metal, Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 34 comments

“I’m beginning to see a trend as 2019 draws to a close: I like me some weird-ass black metal. And, boy howdy, has 2019 has been a weird-ass year for it. Prolifically, having released a new album from each of its equally weird-ass projects by means of several record labels, the Prava Kollektiv has released quality atmospheric black metal en masse: the frostbitten cosmic stylings of stalwart Arkhtinn, the dark ambient maws of the appropriately named Voidsphere, the eerie and empty musings of Mahr, and the hellish and malevolent tones of newcomer Pharmakeia. But the subject of today’s tragically overlooked album is the latest thing your cat typed walking across the keyboard: Hwwauoch.” Say again?

Ignivomous – Hieroglossia Review

By Dear Hollow on November 29, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear War Now! Productions, Reviews, Death Metal, 13 comments

“I hate being sick. I recently recovered from a cold that I received from my year-old nephew that me and the Mrs. Hollow kept passing back and forth to each other ad nauseam. If a cold can be that frustrating, puking is even worse—breaking out in cold sweats and chills while worrying about keeping any form of nutrition down is truly frustrating because nothing seems to make one feel better. It’s probably even worse vomiting fire, which apparently is something Australian death metal group Ignivomous has on their mind because that’s what their name means. Must hurt.” Burning throats and ears.

Vultur – Drowned in Gangrenous Blood Review

By Saunders on November 9, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Greek Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, 5 comments

“The overflowing embarrassment of death metal riches of 2018 was always going to be tough to follow when 2019 rolled around. Not that the year has been lacking in quality death metal, but for the most part the genre hasn’t blown me away. Perhaps an unheralded act is capable of stealing the show as the year winds down. Enter Greece’s Vultur, set to unleash their sophomore album, Drowned in Gangrenous Blood.” Blood drunk.

Horror God – Cursed Seeds Review

By Dear Hollow on September 26, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Lavadome Records, Technical Death Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 13 comments

“This brings us to today’s topic of discussion: Ulcerate, who also really likes to generalize. Like, if Everything is Fire, are they really The Destroyers of All? The real questions, man. Russian death metal quintet Horror God really likes Ulcerate. I mean, when you first listened to Everything is Fire, were you like “let’s make a cover band of Ulcerate” to your comrades? Cuz Horror God was.” Grow your idols.

The Odious – Vesica Piscis Review

By Kronos on June 19, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Djent, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Releases, Reviews, Self-released, Progressive Metal, 52 comments

“I didn’t know this album was coming. I thought The Odious had faded out of existence long ago, trapped behind an ever-thickening glass of ‘what-if’s’ that both magnifies and distorts the legacy of bands that disappear just as they reach their creative zenith. You’ve heard swansongs before, but never from as fluffy and yolk-drenched a cygnet as The Odious were, releasing a career’s worth of great ideas over the course of two years and two releases – 2012’s Joint Ventures LP preceded by the That Night a Forest Grew EP in 2011. Now reaching for an altogether opposite avian metaphor, the band have reformed.” From swansong to phoenix.

Warforged – I, Voice Review

By Kenstrosity on May 8, 2019 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 25 comments

“The Artisan Era has been on a decent roll lately, releasing good to great albums left and right for just over a year. Warforged seemed like a bit of an odd duck for the label though. The Chicagoan five-piece of progressive blackened death metal don’t really fit the tech-death-heavy mold The Artisan Era have curated for themselves. It was this fact that initially drew me to I, Voice.” War by another name.

Construct of Lethe – Exiler [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Ferrous Beuller on December 10, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Everlasting Spew Records, Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Death Metal, 117 comments

“It would appear that technicality and dissonance have won out over traditional structures in death metal this year. Highly ranked amongst these unconventional victories is Exiler, the second album by Virginia’s Construct of Lethe. Exiler exudes a grim atmosphere by occupying an awkward position only fractionally removed from comfort.” Comfort is for hipsters.