Independent/Unsigned

Kapnas – Kapnas Review

By Grymm on July 6, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Nu Metal, 116 comments

“We’ve all said, done, and worn things we aren’t necessarily proud of. Pants with legs that can hold a family of five comfortably? Yepper! Wallets with chains longer than an average CVS receipt? Been there, done that, got stuck on way too many things walking by. What I’m saying is that… well, in all of our lives, some cringe has happened. It’s unavoidable, yes, but we’ve moved on. Or at least some of us have. That leads us to the self-titled debut from masked Montreal “funeral doom” duo, Kapnas. All we are is dust on the weed.

Black Oak – Egolution Review

By Maddog on April 25, 2023 in Reviews, Hardcore, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 20 comments

“Egolution was a tough nut to crack. I picked up the debut from Sweden’s Black Oak based on the promo’s bold namedrops of Cult of Luna, ISIS, and Palms. When I started listening, I expected standard sludgy post-metal. I was wrong. Fifty-three minutes later, my head spinning with variants of “what the hell did I just listen to,” I panicked. Black Oak’s restless blend of post-rock and hardcore with electronic influences, prog, classical flourishes, and more left me confused.” Let go my Ego.

Raider – Trial by Chaos Review

By Maddog on April 11, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 91 comments

“After producing one of 2022’s greatest pieces of album art, Mitchell Nolte is back with a vengeance. The fantasy scene that graces Raider’s Trial by Chaos depicts a lone warrior battling a sea of dragons, snakes, and cephalopods attacking from every direction. Violent, claustrophobic, and extravagant, it’s a perfect match for the music. Canada’s Raider specializes in an explosive brand of death-thrash that keeps the dial turned to 11 at all times.” The April wind is a Raider.

Pyreship – Light Is a Barrier Review

By Maddog on April 26, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, Stoner Metal, 10 comments

“Post-metal and stoner rock both struggle to escape the shadows of their forebears. Nothing gets me off like a well-developed soundscape, but countless bands claim to be the next Neurosis or Kyuss while bringing nothing to the table but fuzzy minimalism. This Melvin can attest firsthand that the Melvins already exist, and imitating them is a losing battle. So I approached the sophomore release from Houston’s sludgy post-metallers Pyreship with high hopes and a raised eyebrow.” Riding posts.

An Isolated Mind – A Place We Cannot Go Review and Album Premiere

By Grymm on February 15, 2022 in Reviews, Not Metal, Progressive Rock, 35 comments

“I’ll admit right now that after almost nine years of listening to hundreds of promos for review, there’s a ton of music that may have left an impression during that time, but honestly doesn’t stay with me once the review is submitted. Call it lack of staying power or my own need to move on to the next promo for review, but with a few notable exceptions, many albums that I’ve fallen for on first listen end up drifting to the wayside, destined to be forgotten. An Isolated Mind’s 2019 debut full-length, I’m Losing Myself, was certainly not one of those albums. An unflinching look at mental illness, I’m Losing Myself tackled a difficult subject with care and grace, and landed my top spot of 2019 in doing so.” Isolated but not lost.

Ischemic – Ischemic Review

By Grymm on April 2, 2021 in Reviews, 14 comments

“As 2021 continues to be the DLC to 2020 that absolutely nobody asked for or wanted, bands are using the downtime due to lack of touring and promotion to work diligently on their musical output. Some bands, such as Toronto’s Ischemic, are even going as far as to record and mix their own music, further driving home the fact that DIY can’t, and won’t, be stopped. Not by pandemics, not by lockdowns, not by lack of touring. It’s this admirable and, quite frankly, necessary approach that will eventually separate the diehards from the pack, and on the band’s self-titled second full-length, they didn’t let the pandemic get in the way.” Crisis management.

Kaoteon – Kaoteon Review

By Grymm on January 13, 2020 in 2020, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Lebanese Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, 37 comments

“With a one-sheet that closed with “FFO: Behemoth, Marduk, Watain, and My Dying Bride,” I expected competently played blackened death metal… with weepy violins, morose lyrics, or whatever else that could possibly be associated with My Dying Bride that would potentially throw a huge monkey wrench into the classic blackened death metal formula.” If you can dodge a wrench….