Heavy Metal

Slough Feg – Digital Resistance Review

By Dr. Fisting on January 28, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, Rating, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 3 comments

“For the uninitiated, San Francisco’s Slough Feg has been producing high quality old-school rock since the dark ages known as the mid-1990’s. Their signature sound combines elements of early metal and Celtic-inspired hard rock topped off by the bizarre lyrics and unique vocals of Mike Scalzi. Think Thin Lizzy with Professor X on vocals, and you’re in the ballpark. Digital Resistance is the band’s 9th album, and according to their bio, it’s a semi-concept record about “the digital age not only in terms of music, but how technology affects life itself.” Old school metal bands doing concept albums about the horrors of technology? That makes me feel cranky and old.

Retro-spective Review: Obsession – Scarred for Life

By Steel Druhm on January 26, 2014 in American Metal, Heavy Metal, Retro Reviews, Heavy Metal, 11 comments

“Of all the albums one listens to in a lifetime, there are always those elite, sacrosanct platters that never get old, always sound fresh and perpetually deliver that same thrill they did upon the virgin spin. For whatever reason, Obsession’s debut Scarred for Life is one of those special pleasures for yours truly.” Steel Druhm takes you on a tour of one of his most beloved albums. Beware of chronic fanboyism.

Primal Fear – Delivering the Black Review

By Steel Druhm on January 15, 2014 in 2014, Frontiers Records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 10 comments

“Primal Fear never claimed to be innovators or trail blazers. They just want to rock their Judas Priest inspired, traditional metal shtick and write catchy, anthemic songs. They’ve been good at it too and certainly made a career of it, since Delivering the Black is album number ten for the Teutonic terrors. However, with their innate lack of innovative spirit, the risk of staleness becomes an ever present stalking horse, and some of their discography has suffered it’s awful sting…” Ready for more music Judas Priest could have/should have written after Painkiller? No matter how you answered, here it is!

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Cóndor – Nadia

By Happy Metal Guy on December 16, 2013 in Colombian Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2013, Unsigned Bands, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 0 comments

“At first glance, this band’s name looks like that of a typical thrash metal band. This definitely has to do with my learning of a fairly unknown Norwegian thrash metal band with a nearly identical name a few months ago. But even then, just look at the form of the word “Cóndor” – two syllables, starts with ‘C’ and ends with ‘r’, and a mere six alphabets in total. This word simply has great potential to be crafted into a pointy, symmetrical logo with polish effect in the style of, say, Havok’s logo. Stereotypes, however, aren’t always accurate.” Happy Metal Guy is easily confused by band names and stereotypes, but he overcomes these disabilities to clue you in on some good doom/death you may have missed.

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Masters of Disguise – Back With a Vengeance

By Steel Druhm on December 13, 2013 in 2013, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Limb Music, Things You Might Have Missed 2013, Heavy Metal, 7 comments

“As a wise man named Mr. Fisting Himself once observed, the latest trend in metal is finding the most obscure acts from the past and repackaging them as underground, cult and cool, or to quote the man Himself, embarking on “the slow journey up it’s own ass.” Taking part in this mining mission to Uranus, Masters of Disguise is a band wholly created to pay homage to the extremely under known mid 80s speed metal act Savage Grace. Whom, you ask? Exactly.” Talk about wallowing in obscurity! These guys are so far up metal’s ass they may never be seen again, but I thought the same thing about their progenitor too.

Hell – Curse and Chapter Review

By Steel Druhm on November 29, 2013 in 2013, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 10 comments

“There’s an interesting history behind Hell. As a part of the original NWoBHM, they were close to releasing an album alongside contemporaries like Saxon and Iron Maiden, but bad luck and personal tragedy brought them low and derailed their best laid plans. Though they never made it past the demo stage, they were influential in the scene and championed by folks like producer and former Sabbat guitarist Andy Sneap. So taken with their old demos was he, that he encouraged the members to reform and give it another go with him on guitar, which resulted in 2011s Human Remains opus. That platter featured some ancient tunes loaded with NWoBHM flair and a noticeable Mercyful Fate influence, and while the music was highly enjoyable, I struggled mightily with the delivery of front man David Bower, which was overdone, uber-theatrical and at times, very cheeseball parmesan.” Now that they’ve had some time to sort things out, can Hell deliver some metal for the ages or are they still suffering from Drama Overload Disorder? Steel Druhm has the prognosis.

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Vhöl – Vhöl

By Dr. Fisting on November 25, 2013 in 2013, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Profound Lore Records, Things You Might Have Missed 2013, Heavy Metal, 6 comments

“Being the jaded old fuck that I am, there are very few musicians that I go into straight-up fanboy mode for these days. One of those individuals is guitarist John Cobbett. Who, you ask? Cobbett is a member of prog sextet Hammers of Misfortune, and has done time in both Slough Feg and Ludicra, which puts him at the center of San Francisco’s present-day metal scene. When Ludicra abruptly folded after touring for 2010’s brilliant prog-black-metal opus The Tenant, I was genuinely bummed out. Lucky for me, Cobbett quickly assembled a new outlet for his heavier material, dubbed Vhöl.” Are you worried you might have missed some precious metal this year? We worry too, so we’ll start bombarding you with our selections of quality albums we didn’t get to review, but would hate to see you miss. Here, Mr. Fisting brings you the new project from the ever interesting John Cobbett. You’re welcome!

Bones – Sons of Sleaze Review

By Jordan Campbell on November 19, 2013 in 2013, American Metal, Death Metal, Planet Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, 0 comments

“Do you like it raw? If you don’t, you should. As noted last week, extreme metal is constantly (and inadvertently) aspiring to castrate itself. The best metal wares are rooted in rebellion and danger, and the more we compress and homogenize the art form, those elements become diluted. The human element is erodes. Bones are a band comprised of humans. Dirty humans. Angry humans. And they sound like it.” Raw, dirty, angry music? Seems like a “can’t miss” kind of proposition. Jordan Campbell rolls the bones and tells you if that’s true.

Retro-Spective Review: Barren Cross – Atomic Arena

By Steel Druhm on November 12, 2013 in Blog Posts, Heavy Metal, Retro Reviews, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 13 comments

“We don’t get much “white metal” around these here parts. Not that we’re opposed (well, Madam X and Noctus are), but there isn’t much of it out there and even less that’s actually notable. There was a time where it was more in vogue though, and acts like Stryper crafted an entire identity around being good Christian soldiers under God’s righteous command. While I never cared much for those preachy yellow jackets, I did enjoy one release by a band standing in their pious shadow. Barren Cross was a Christian act hailing from Los Angeles of all places and though they were preachy too, they backed it up with far more metal than Stryper ever did.” It’s time for some good, old fashioned God Metal here at AMG. Wait, come back!! It’s hardly Godly at all, you wicked biscuits!

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Trail of Murder – Shades of Art

By Steel Druhm on November 10, 2013 in 2013, Blog Posts, Heavy Metal, Swedish Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2013, Heavy Metal, 11 comments

“Is it really that time of year already? Well, not quite, but Steel Druhm needs to correct a grievous error. I admit when I blow it and entirely miss a worthwhile release. I may do so grudgingly and with bitterness, but I do it. Well, this may be my biggest miss ever, since Trail of Murder is not only a great band, but features one of my all time favorite singers, Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose, ex-Bloodbound).” Look, mistakes were made and finger pointing won’t solve anything at this point. I said I was sorry!!! Sheesh.