Incantation

Krypts – Remnants of Expansion Review

By Saunders on October 27, 2016 in 2016, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 8 comments

“For reasons I can’t quite pinpoint, the band’s solid debut didn’t wow me like it did others, leaving me a touch underwhelmed after diving headlong into the thick as a brick stew of churning riffs and unsettling atmosphere. Repeat listens after an extended break have been kind and my opinion of the album is a little more positive. So being a persistent trooper I jumped on Krypts follow-up platter, Remnants of Expansion, hopeful they could capitalize on their considerable potential.” Talk to the monster hand.

Abominant – Napalm Reign Review

By Mark Z. on July 27, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Deathgasm Records, Reviews, Speed Metal, Death Metal, Speed Metal, 17 comments

“Abominant seem content to continue churning out sweaty Midwestern death metal with a big old melodic kick in the ass until the day arthritis makes that impossible. With a band this seasoned, it’s no surprise they weren’t out to redefine themselves on their eleventh full-length Napalm Reign, but that’s not a bad thing.” Olde and wise, they are.

Profanatica – The Curling Flame of Blasphemy Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on July 7, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Black Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, 106 comments

“Try as I may I can’t understand what’s so compelling about anti-Christian blasphemy in metal. Have bands not realized that the Satanic Panic ended in the last millennium? Do they think they’re actually offending anyone, or making any argument, no matter how hack, that hasn’t been made before? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that bands like American black-death blasphemers Profanatica should give up on their blasphemies against Christ. I just don’t understand how such ideals can animate good music.” Blasphemy!

Ghoulgotha – To Starve The Cross Review

By Al Kikuras on June 7, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Black Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Death Metal, 49 comments

“Ghoulgotha make their death metal intentionally unsettling and uber-ugly to the point that even a seasoned crusty fucker like my brothers in arms, Grymm and Dr. Fisting, couldn’t wrap their iron-laden arms around their debut, The Deathmass Cloak. I started to listen to it out of morbid curiosity and found that it sank into my brain like a cancerous strain to the point that it wound up in my year end top ten list.” There really is no accounting for taste.

Shed the Skin – Harrowing Faith Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on May 29, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 2 comments

“Those of you who were in high school when the deathcore thing really took off like I was will instantly recoil a bit at Shed the Skin’s “VERB the NOUN” Fad-Libs type of name, but fear not; Harrowing Faith won’t send your mind pit-ninja-dancing back to the neon-tinted halcyon days of Myspace where there was little more to life than finding the most brutal of chugs.” Ah, Myspace, where did you go so wrong?

Phobocosm – Bringer of Drought Review

By Kronos on May 6, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 29 comments

“One of the complications of writing about and conceptualizing metal in the past – well, almost a decade – has been the music’s incredible diversity and availability. With bands able to record and distribute music so easily, scenes and trends have become less important and less centralized. Sure, there’s been a huge interest in nostalgia-core – occult rock and retro-thrash albums arrive in AMG’s inbox monthly – but it’s doubtful that in 2026 we’ll think of the first half of the ‘teens as being dominated by musical throwbacks. Metal as a whole lacks a zeitgeist, and in some ways that’s frustrating, because it’s hard to keep up with such a decentralized and broad genre – but death metal, as a smaller and more manageable entity, does indeed seem to have direction.” And that direction is interesting indeed.

Necrot – The Labyrinth Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on April 11, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Tankcrimes Records, Death Metal, 19 comments

“I remember a simpler time, and American death dealers Necrot remember when death metal was just death metal, and The Labyrinth is their testament to that seemingly distant memory.” Can death live on in the past or is it still dead?

Ritual Chamber – Obscurations (To Feast on the Seraphim) Review

By Roquentin on February 25, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Profound Lore Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 17 comments

“Simply put, Obscurations (To Feast on the Seraphim), the début by one-man band Ritual Chamber, is easily an archetype of how “evil” music should sound. Guitar riffs and growled vocals rise from a gutter filled with tortured souls, putrid bile drips from drum kicks and rumbling bass lines, and a general atmosphere of rot and despair fills each and every song. Cliché as it may seem, it’s dread incarnated.” Ready for some dread and breakfast?

70,000 Tons of Metal Live Review

By Mark Z. on February 13, 2016 in 2016, Blog Posts, 39 comments

“I don’t agree with my dad on everything, but there’s one thing we do agree about: cruises are the best way to vacation. Free all-you-can-eat buffets, breezy tropical weather, alcohol and entertainment available everywhere, and – most importantly – you’re always within walking distance of your room, so you never have to worry about getting a DUI or throwing up in an Uber on your ride back to the Red Roof Inn. But a cruise with 60 metal bands and over 3,000 fans from all over the world, making a four day round-trip to Jamaica with bars that never close? That’s a whole different beast entirely!” In the Navy, you can rock the seven seas!

Percussor – Disturbing Reality Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on February 1, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, HPGD Productions, Reviews, Death Metal, 22 comments

“Like good whiskey, good old school death metal ages well. Like poor whiskey, the new wave of old school death metal sometimes produces things that purport to be in similar quality to the well-aged stuff, but are just cheap swill in an old looking package. Nobody can try everything, and to attempt it would mean being drunk all the time and only listening to OSDM releases, many of which are probably lacking anyway.” We only keep swill and rotgut at the AMG offices.