“Oh, I’ve heard death and I’ve heard black. I’ve heard prog metal albums that I thought would never end. I’ve heard so much shit that it’s all started to blend, but I never thought I’d see Pyogenesis again.” The cease and desist letter is inbound.
In Mourning
Eschatos – The Grand Noir Review
“It’s been said by some that Moldova sucks, but when it comes to metal, Latvia does not! Hailing from Latvia’s capital city (Riga), Eschatos have been constructing their brand of avant-garde/progressive black metal since 2012.” Better black than red.
Volturyon – Cleansed by Carnage Review
“One of the things I love about death metal is that I always find it appropriate. Walking to work? Absolutely. Working out? Yes please. Spring cleaning? Why not? Volturyon, Swedish purveyors of all things death, are a band clear in their understanding of this and eager to churn out an absolute riff-fest to facilitate any and all spur of the moment gym sessions… or vacuuming.” Make that carpet BLEED!
In Mourning – Afterglow Review
“Coming across In Mourning’s The Weight of Oceans was a great surprise. I knew nothing of the band, but the album art stole my breath away and for that reason alone, no matter what it sounded like, I needed to posses The Weight of Oceans. I grabbed the album and hit play, within seconds captivating waves washed over me, I was sold. Four years on, The Weight of Oceans still ranks as one of my most loved albums. Along comes Afterglow and I’m brimming with hope that it’ll be a solid continuation of its predecessor.” High expectations can be a frigid bitch.
Darkend – The Canticle of Shadows Review
“Until recently, I believe Italy’s Darkend promoted the kind of symphonic black metal that chased the coattails of bands like Cradle of Filth. With their fourth release, The Canticle of Shadows, I was unsure of whether to expect more of the same or something entirely new. I succeeded in missing their earlier releases like Damned Woman and a Carcass, Assassine and Grand Guignol, despite them receiving mostly positive reviews.” What the hell is a canticle?
Omnium Gatherum – Grey Heavens Review
“When great music flows from a band like water, it cranks up expectation to burning point. Your nerves tingle at the mere mention of a new official video. And your palms sweat a little as the band’s shiny new promo drops like manna into your outstretched, grabby hands. With so many full-bodied offerings under their belt, can Omnium Gatherum make a clean sweep giving themselves a mighty four out of four winning streak?” Grey is the new black.
Powerwolf – Blessed & Possessed Review
“Hot on the lashing tail of the cheesiest of Sharknado films, Powerwolf return with another wolfnado of larger than life proportions. I’m told it’s supposed to be a humdinger, boasting some of the finest power metal, speed, hard rock and unholy orchestra contributions, and Powerwolf kept this firecracker under wraps for near on two years before unleashing it on the unsuspecting public.” Where are you when we need you, Tara Reid?
Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Obscure Sphinx – Void Mother
“Dark, murderous, blood-soaked dolls get to me! I can’t really explain it, to most they’re ugly I guess, but I can’t help seeing something beautiful in their glassy eyes and I just want to collect and keep them all, like my own little tiny prisoners. Seeing the doll adorned cover of the second full length release by Polish band Obscure Sphinx, literally had me scrambling to pick up Void Mother WITHOUT having heard even an utterance of what to expect.” Doll’s eyes creep me the fuck out, but Madam X loves them more than she loves a good snuff movie. She also enjoys this weird post metal act from Poland, which you may have missed this year!
Pest – The Crowning Horror Review
“Bands regularly lay claim to being ‘old school’, to bringing back the ‘glory days’. But from my experience, what they’re REALLY trying to tell you, is that they’re foisting their low budget recording quality onto you and they’re serving you a platter of replica tracks. This was my first thought when I saw that Necro and Equimanthorn’s big selling point on Pest was that their brand of Swedish black metal is ‘played in the old vein, no females or keyboards involved’ naturally I prepared myself for the worst…” Old school Swedish black metal? Isn’t all black metal old school? Regardless, Madam x delves into the latest Pest and tells you if they annoy her.
Angry Metal Guy’s Unsigned Band Rodeo: Forlorn Path – Man’s Last Portrait
In our new monthly feature, which will show up here on the 15th of every month and run over the next few days, I (Angry Metal Guy) will select 5 bands at random (usually those who have followed my directions and have bandcamp accounts) to get blurbed by every member of the AMG staff. The idea is to do at least a bit of our part to point out that the metal underground is still an important part of the world of metal. While we simply don’t have the manpower to produce regular reviews of unsigned bands, this is my attempt at a minor mea culpa if nothing else. So enjoy Angry Metal Guy’s Unsigned Band Rodeo and our third entry for April 2013: Forlorn Path!
