Havukruunu

Odious Devotion – Odious Devotion Review

Odious Devotion – Odious Devotion Review

“Every now and again I crave to venture forth into uncharted territory, at least as it pertains to my musical imbibements. I yearn to take in new music totally blind, without expectations or prior knowledge of the artist or the genre. Thankfully it’s December, a month where a decent crop of obscure bands creep out of the darkest corners of the metalverse, one of whom are newcomers Odious Devotion. I suspected that I would uncover little about this band other than that they were Finnish, played black metal, and were ready to drop an eponymous debut just before Christmas. Despite best efforts, my suspicions proved well-founded.” Suspicious minds.

Mongrel’s Cross – Psalter of the Royal Dragon Court Review

Mongrel’s Cross – Psalter of the Royal Dragon Court Review

“We’ve all been there. We’ve all strived to transcend weakness, to beat back the forces of oppression, to rip the fucking heart from the proverbial lion. Deströyer 666 use the motif of a wolf to convey this sense of power; fellow Australians Mongrel’s Cross use a dragon. Their 2012 debut The Sins of Aquarius was rife with such smoldering imagery, taking the Australian black thrash tapestry and soaking it in the grandiose swagger of Bathory’s Blood Fire Death. The result was both a personal favorite and one of the style’s most potent albums in recent years.” Dragons, Bathory and battles, oh my!

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2017

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2017

“Remember that scene in Ghostbusters (the real Ghostbusters…) where Winston tells Ray, ‘If someone asks you if you are a god, you say yes!’ Well, if someone asks you if you want to write a guide for teaching organic chemistry, you say hellafuckingno. I’m serious. Do yourself, and everyone around you, a favor. So, yeah, this year’s been nuts. Thankfully, there’s Angry Metal Guy—a solace for all metalheads to come together and be verbally abused and cat-tailed in the company basement.” Cat’s got yer list.

Limbonic Art – Spectre Abysm Review

Limbonic Art – Spectre Abysm Review

“I have to admit, I’m impressed with some of the black metal records so far this year. Of the records that I reviewed, I find myself returning to Ophiuchi, Wiegedood, and Havukruunu on a regular basis. Not to mention the solid output from old-school black metallers, Ofermod and Svartsyn. But, for how excited I’ve been for most of these releases, I was most excited for Limbonic Art’s Spectre Abysm. If you’ve never heard of these Norwegian symphonic black metal beasts, you should fix that.” Limber up.

Record(s) o’ the Month – April 2017

Record(s) o’ the Month – April 2017

“April has come and gone and we’re just barely over halfway through May, so we’re definitely making progress toward bringing these damn Record(s) o’ the Month posts current by 2019. We’ve streamlined the selection process by ignoring most of the staff; instead going with a small but powerful cabal known for ever-shifting loyalties and a wobbly support base.” Timely like Gandalf.

Havukruunu – Kelle surut soi Review

Havukruunu – Kelle surut soi Review

“I love that we can bicker and fight about a band or record and can still be friends. Friends that share a passion for a message, a form of music, and a lifestyle that many can’t understand. I love that the reasons for a band being my favorite can also be the same reasons others hate them. And I love that certain bands just have something that I ‘get,’ even if others around me don’t get it. So, for the same reasons I ‘get’ Bathory and Immortal, I also ‘get’ Havukruunu. Many have argued that Havukruunu are a copycat outfit, preying on a style created decades ago. But debut album Havulinnaan was more than that. And now, Kelle surut soi is even more than Havulinnaan.” Blood, Fire, Refresh.

Rimfrost – Rimfrost Review

Rimfrost – Rimfrost Review

“Because the chances of getting another release worth a damn from Immortal are about as likely as my Writer o’ the Year award, I have no other choice but to look elsewhere for my Immortal Thirst Quencher. But where can I find that iciness that somehow defines Immortal but no one else? From whence shall I procure melodic black metal that taps into my heart and freezes my veins into blood Popsicles?” These are the kind of hard questions that get you a doctorate!

Havukruunu – Havulinnaan Review

Havukruunu – Havulinnaan Review

“Let’s be honest; I’m as excited for Abbath as my son is about his new Optimus Prime Halloween costume. Ever since hearing about Abbath’s new venture, my fellow scalpel wielder (Dr. Fisting) and I have yet to cease our musings of grand times spent with Immortal and the one-hit-wonder that is I. It’s bad enough that I’s Between Two Worlds already gets a shitload of playtime on the Grier IPod, but lately it has been even worse [I worship that damn album. – Steel Druhm]. So, what the hell does this have to do with anything? Paint yourself like a black & white cookie and follow us to the mountains!