Gorguts

Aseitas – Aseitas [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Kronos on December 8, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Simian Song Records, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Death Metal, 55 comments

“The feeling that we’ve heard it all before has never been so persistent. A decade ago it was stagnant melodeath, then re-thrash, then retro doom, and now we’re in the middle of a burly old-school death metal revival. Where are the progressive bands willing to try something new and write the next chapter? The snarky answer: “ripping off Pink Floyd and Yes.” But there are others. One such contender, Portland’s Aseitas dropped one of the most puzzling death metal releases of the year with their self-titled debut.” New horizons, strange vistas.

Svartidauði – Revelations of the Red Sword Review

By Angry Metal Guy on November 30, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Icelandic Metal, Reviews, Van Records, Black Metal, 115 comments

“Although not the first country that leaps to mind, Iceland is tailor made for a black metal scene. With thirty active volcanoes, a sun that can still shine in the middle of the night, and a winter that lasts almost precisely as long as summer, bands have plenty of inspiration in which to toil and leave their legacy on the sound. The arguable leader of these is Svartidauði, whose debut full length Flesh Cathedral received heaping praise and exposed the Icelandic scene to the world at large.” Of ice, volcanoes, and red swords.

Third Storm – The Grand Manifestation Review

By Carcharodon on November 7, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 36 comments

“Despite originally forming in 1986, The Grand Manifestation is the first full-length offering from Swedish five-piece Third Storm. After just two years and a handful of shows, Third Storm’s original line-up disbanded. It was not until 2014 that founding member, Heval Bozarslan, gathered a new band around him, releasing the Taritiya Me EP a year later. “Despite its Mayhem-inspired cover and the howling winds and distant siren that open the EP, it is not a black metal offering. Some promising-sounding death groove is short-lived and gives way to medium-paced, funeral doom, which dominates most of the 25-minute runtime. Which Third Stormwould be on display on The Grand Manifestation—the anticipated black metal, the groove-laden death that made a brief cameo or the sludgy doom that predominated?” Precious metals sampler.

Imperial Triumphant – Vile Luxury Review

By Grymm on July 11, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Black Metal, Gilead Media, Reviews, Throatruiner Records, Black Metal, 146 comments

“New York City is a strange dichotomy. Depending on who you ask, you’ll either get mental pictures of Broadway musicals, jazz concerts, the colorfully decorative Times Square, and shopping centers and skyscrapers within a stone’s throw of each other… or you’ll get a grim story of the rampant drug use and homelessness, its long history of violent crimes, and the hopelessness and gritty realities of its citizens that birthed the city’s rap, hardcore, and metal scenes. The thing is, either story would be correct. On their third full-length, Vile Luxury, Imperial Triumphant paints a vivid picture of their city’s duality: shimmering and powerful, yet simultaneously ugly and brutal.” The big apple is rotten to the core.

Yer Metal is Olde: Gorguts – Obscura

By Kronos on June 17, 2018 in Avante Garde, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Olympic Recordings, Yer Metal Is Olde, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 104 comments

“Obscura is flat out the most influential technical death metal album ever written. Steeve Hurdle and Luc Lemay’s paradigm-establishing use of dissonance and deliberate composition drew up an instant classic almost de novo. If ever a death metal album was divinely inspired, Obscura was, and once this box was opened, there was never a chance of resealing its contents.” The birth of evolution.

Apocrophex – Æternalis Review

By Kronos on May 23, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 40 comments

“It’s heartening to see musicians still figuring out the formulas and successfully imprinting their own identity on what is unquestionably the world’s greatest form of music. And in that vein, it’s time to unsheathe your wallet and supplicate the hard-earned fiat currency of your worldly region before Apocrophex.” A penny for the prog-death.

Skeletal Remains – Devouring Mortality Review

By Saunders on April 19, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 50 comments

“Californian upstarts Skeletal Remains is a solid exponent of old school death, worshiping early ’90s (mostly) American death like Christians cherish the Bible.” Remains of the death day.

Afterbirth – The Time Traveler’s Dilemma

By Kronos on July 26, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Slam, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Slam, 21 comments

“Ever since zombies killed his dog in 2007, Will Smith has been dealing with his grief in the healthy way: by gurgling, screaming, and howling his way across New York’s underground metal scene. Many will be familiar with his work in Buckshot Facelift and Artificial Brain, and his talents are just as well displayed in Afterbirth.” Rage therapy.

Sabbath Assembly – Rites of Passage Review

By Huck N Roll on May 15, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Occult Rock, Reviews, Svart Records, 38 comments

“Sabbath Assembly have been gifting us with music firmly entrenched in eerie discomfort since 2009. In the early years, their releases centered upon the teachings of the Process Church of the Final Judgement, which made them disturbing to the point of near-inaccessibility. In what was a positive career move, the band decided not to regale us with further hippy cult weirdness on 2015’s self-titled release, instead focusing on pure occult songs, resulting in an excellent album that catapulted the band (in our eyes at least) to the top of the occult rock food chain.” Self-cleaning coven.

Artificial Brain – Infrared Horizon Review

By Kronos on April 20, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Profound Lore Records, Progressive Death, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 82 comments

“With the release of Labyrinth Constellation in 2014, New York’s Artificial Brain won themselves an immediate following of fans and critics alike, myself included. With a shudder and a scream, Labyrinth Constellation pulled me by the throat out into a borderless realm of cavernous sci-fi horror as bizarre as it was enticing. The album managed to feel vast without losing the down-to-earth grit of death metal, and even among other Gorguts-influenced groups, Artificial Brain had created a unique sound and a fantastic debut. Following that up will be difficult.” Upgrade or system error?