Gothic Metal

As Light Dies – The Love Album – Volume I Review

By Lord Doom on September 26, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Gothic Metal, MAA Productions, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Black Metal, Gothic Metal, 5 comments

“I’m gonna cut the crap: The Love Album – Volume I will rip off all your skin and plunge everything else you’ve got into a vacuous void of nothingness. And you’re gonna like it. Madrid’s As Light Dies successfully takes the atmosphere of gothic metal bands and the ferocity of black metal, only to add a controlled, yet savage and intelligent portioning of avant-garde, resulting in something entirely unique and all their own.” Love songs in the medium of black metal, eh? Well, that’s probably not getting anyone laid.

Evergrey – Hymns for the Broken Review

By Steel Druhm on September 11, 2014 in 2014, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, 11 comments

“Every few years like clockwork, Evergrey shows up to expose their innermost turmoil, angst and self loathing and generally harsh our collective mellow with their unique brand of misanthropic dark metal. Few bands are as adept at expressing the inner doubt, depression and ennui that make the human experience such a flawed one, and for that they certainly deserve praise and respect. Whether you care to have those particular emotions rubbed raw is a personal decision, but for those who relish their scar diaries, this act always provides the ideal soundtrack for ritualized self abuse.” Are you feeling too happy? Well, Evergrey is back to put the gum in glum.

Deathwhite – Ethereal EP Review

By Steel Druhm on June 24, 2014 in 2014, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 15 comments

“Every now and then you get a promo from an unheralded band with zero press and no buzz whatsoever and it kicks your ass all over the damn monkey farm. Deathwhite’s debut Ethereal is one of these unexpected ass kickers, and it’s a truly impressive dose of gloomy, post-modern gothic rock. It’s works by straddling the line between the seemingly defunct and sorely missed melo-doom of Rapture and depressive post-rockers like Ghost Brigade and Aoria, with traces of Tool and Katatonia added for sumptuous emphasis. Now THAT’S a spicy meatball!” Do you love surprises? How about a good old fashioned mystery?

Lacuna Coil – Broken Crown Halo Review

By Grymm on March 23, 2014 in 2014, Century Media, Gothic Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 19 comments

“When a band hits a certain level of fame, usually it gives them free reign to do whatever their innermost muse guides them to create without fear of their label dropping them. They can craft new masterpieces to guide the listener to unknown lands, and hold them there for the duration of the album’s captivating length. They can also lull the unsuspecting fan into a false sense of security before bludgeoning them to a wet, slushy pulp. In other words, no matter what the band does, it’s guaranteed that their label will back them up, as they are proven to sell like virtual gang-busters.” Which approach will Lacuna Coil take? Are you sure?

Crematory – Antiserum Review

By Steel Druhm on February 22, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, German Metal, Gothic Metal, Reviews, SPV, Death Metal, Gothic Metal, 9 comments

“Few bands have dipped their toes in more genre pools than Germany’s Crematory. Over the course of their career, they’ve cobbled elements of death metal, gothic rock, electronica, industrial and even club music into what could called the “Crematory sound.” As the years went by, certain elements would drift in and out of prominence, but in recent times, the sonic space between them and countrymen Rammstein has narrowed to a fine line. These guys are heavier and more death-oriented, but the basic sound is essentially the same. While I’ve followed them since 1997, I’ve always found them frustratingly inconsistent.” Do you like your death metal backed by throbbing club music? If so, Crematory is here to fill that specialized niche.

Within Temptation – Hydra Review

By Steel Druhm on February 5, 2014 in 2014, Dutch Metal, Gothic Metal, Reviews, Roadrunner, Gothic Metal, 29 comments

“I’ll admit to liking the early Within Temptation output like Mother Earth and The Silent Force. Sure, they were a dime-a-dozen, female-fronted gothic metal act with more gloss and slickness than the complete works of Glee, but the song-writing was consistently sharp and catchy without sounding too commercialized or fake and Sharon den Adel had big, captivating… vocals. Things started to drift for me by the time The Heart of Everything came along and though it had some good songs, it also felt more forced and AOR. I paid scant attention to 2011s The Unforgiven and didn’t really want to review this one, but hey, somebody had to do it and I wanna be somebody!” Steel Druhm reviewing goth rock is always a scary ride on a rough road. Tempted yet?

The Isolation Process – The Isolation Process Review

By Steel Druhm on January 10, 2014 in 2014, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Version Studio Records, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 10 comments

“Are you one of those people who wish Paradise Lost never strayed from the sound of Draconian Times? If so, The Isolation Process has a belated Christmas/Festivus gift with your name on it. The eponymous debut from this Swedish three-piece made up of members of Lingua and Come Sleep (neither of which I ever heard of) features a style strikingly similar to that classic album, while adding select elements of Tool, Sinamore and To Die For. As gothic-tinged doom metal goes, that makes for quite the heady stew in which to dunk your biscuits of despair and oyster crackers of unresolved childhood issues.” Do you like Paradise Lost? If so, hug this album to your breast and sing it a sweet love song.

Leaves’ Eyes – Symphonies of the Night Review

By Angry Metal Guy on November 5, 2013 in 2013, Gothic Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 29 comments

“In 2009 I received a promo for Liv Kristine’s ‘new’ band Leaves’ Eyes and I was curious. The record was called Njord and as a fan of Liv’s voice and epic symphonic metal I figured for sure that I would be in for a treat. I was wrong. I was so very, very wrong. My complaints about the album were many—but a lot of it had to do with the fact that it was so compressed that it never felt heavy and the song-writing was just plain mediocre. Meredead, which followed two years later on schedule, was also a miserable record. The folky stuff was of the “let’s throw in a flute, hooray folk metal!” genre and I simply didn’t even have the patience to finish reviewing it. But because I am a masochist (and I’ve always liked Liv’s voice ffs!), I broke out Symphony of the Night when it arrived in my box.” Always a sucker for a lady with a pretty voice, Angry Metal Guy gave the new Leaves’ Eyes a chance. Is this turning into Charlie Brown, Lucy and the football?

Tarja – Colours in the Dark Review

By Steel Druhm on August 26, 2013 in 2.5, 2013, Finnish Metal, Gothic Metal, Reviews, Universal Music Group, Gothic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 14 comments

When Tarja Turunen took her larger-than-life operatic talents out of Nightwish and off to South Beach, she and her former band-mates engaged in enough back-biting and insults to fill an entire season of a Mexican soap opera (and a few Mexican wrestling matches as well). When all the bickering was done, Nightwish acquired Anette Olzon and soldiered on as Tarja began her solo career in earnest. While Nightwish has fared respectably with a few decent albums under their belt in the post-Tarja era, Tarja’s solo outings have ranged from average to rather bad.” Can this comely Finnish diva reverse course and put out a killer goth-metal platter? Steel Druhm examines all the colours (except blue and green, since he’s a bit colorblind).

Edenbridge – The Bonding Review

By Steel Druhm on July 4, 2013 in 2013, Austrian Metal, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, SPV, Gothic Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 13 comments

“When I reviewed Edenbridge’s Solitaire album a few years back, I suggested their sound was only metal if you use the most generous and inclusive definition of the word. Their (slightly) evolving approach makes them sound like Nightwish’s prettier, quieter sister and many of their songs are so light, ephemeral and gauzy, they seem more akin to New Age meditation soundscapes than anything heavy or hard. While that may seem like some kind of indictment on the pages of Angry Metal Guy Dot Com, I mean it in no such way. In fact, I’ve enjoyed almost all their output because they’re so good at crafting soothing, sugar-coated odes to tranquility and I’m utterly at a loss to resist the charms of Sabine Edelsbacher’s beautiful and enchanting voice.” Lush and gorgeous music is in short supply in metaldom. Does Edenbridge’s ambitious new opus help reduce the deficit or is it just so much empty fluffery?