Indie Recordings

Bokassa – All Out of Dreams Review

By GardensTale on February 27, 2024 in Reviews, Stoner Metal, 25 comments

“On the surface, the perceived lethargy of stoner metal doesn’t seem like a natural match for the reckless energy of punk. But the two genres have been roommates since college and still bunk together regularly. The soundtracks of Jackass and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater mixed them up freely, and bands like Clutch and Fu Manchu have plenty of popularity on both sides of the fence. When I saw Rise Against in March of 2011, they brought Coliseum, who fused stoner, hardcore, and punk into one. So I wasn’t particularly surprised at Bokassa’s self-appointed genre of stoner punk. I was more surprised, and apprehensive, at Lars Ulrich of all people giving them the seal of approval.” Big friends, dumb punks, and stones.

VAK – The Islands Review

By GardensTale on August 31, 2023 in Reviews, Noise, Progressive Metal, Sludge Metal, 29 comments

Alright, you sodden louts, ready thine ears because this here album will need to enter forthwith. We usually save that sort of statement for the second paragraph, using the first to build tension with a nice gentle lead-up, but if you want one of those, tough shit. This is your lead-up. Gapen your hearing holes and get ready to absorb one of the flat-out coolest albums of the year, coming from the Stockholm underground to deliver a baseball bat, wrapped in barbed wire and dipped in ayahuasca, straight to the trachea. VAK has arrived.” VAK Daddy.

Gloson – The Rift [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

By Maddog on December 19, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2022, Post-Metal, Sludge, 27 comments

“Most sludge is boring. Repeating chords for an hour doesn’t make you ISIS, just like playing a 16-string guitar at 65,536 bpm doesn’t make you Archspire. Excellent post-metal requires even more self-control than other genres, since it needs to be repetitive but not dull, simple but not lazy, and creative but not flashy. Enter Gloson.” High glos.

Kampfar – Til Klovers Takt Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 15, 2022 in Reviews, 45 comments

“For those of you posers that don’t know, Kampfar is untouchable in the pagan/black metal realm. And they’ve been ruling it with a bloody battle axe for almost 30 years. Now, they are back again to threaten my year-end list with Til Klovers Takt. But, unlike Profan or even Ofidians Manifest, Til Klovers Takt explores all that is Kampfar. It plays out more like a best-of-release than a standalone record. Each song explores songwriting structures from the band’s past and present. Yet, somehow, it’s brought together in a strategic tracklist. Welcome to pagan metal heaven.” Kamping bastards.

Vorbid – A Swan by the Edge of Mandala Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on October 27, 2022 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, 27 comments

“A swan at the edge of what? A fucking mandala? You know, those monk-assembled sand drawings that they sweep away as a meditation. A Swan by the Edge of Mandala (henceforth ASbtEoM) is hands down the most egregiously prog-endowed album name I’ve heard all year. And what’s that, Vorbid appears to be leaning on another definition of mandala? A dream symbol that represents a person’s quest for self-unity? So it’s a concept album too, as if we didn’t need more confirmation that Vorbid plans to spill forth a bounty of instrumental gymnastics, introspective lyrics, and formibably lengthened runtimes.” Vorbid tales.

Nordjevel – Gnavhòl Review

By Carcharodon on October 5, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 11 comments

“All the way back in March 2019, Norwegian black metal quartet Nordjevel impressed Grymm with sophomore effort Necrogensis. Snagging a 3.5 from the Grymmster, Nordjevel brought icy riffs and Norwegian fury to his Floridian home but it was not a record completely free from issues and had a notably stronger second half, suffering also from a little bit of bloat and/or lack of self-editing. With a line-up that has held steady since Necrogenesis and features former members of Dark Funeral, 1349 (drummer, Dominator), Morbid Angel and Zyklon (guitarist Destructhor), can Nordjevel now up their consistency, tighten their songwriting and take things to the next level on third album Gnavhòl?” Beyond the Grymm horizon.

Nekromantheon – Visions of Trismegistos [Things you Might Have Missed 2021]

By Saunders on January 21, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2021, Thrash Metal, 34 comments

“Norwegian trio Nekromantheon smashed out a terrific cult hit on 2012’s Rise, Vulcan Spectre. Offering a raw, vicious contemporary take on old school thrash, Nekromantheon draw influence from old school Slayer, Dark Angel and early Sepultura, coupled with a nasty underground edge. Visions of Trismegistos marked the long-gestating and triumphant return from these excellent no-frills purveyors of piss and vinegar fueled thrash.” Nekro mongers.

Azusa – Loop of Yesterdays Review

By Kronos on April 7, 2020 in 2020, Experimental Metal, Hardcore, Indie Recordings, International Metal, Reviews, Solid State, Thrash Metal, Hardcore, 10 comments

“Loop of Yesterdays enters with a burly thrash riff that gives way in seconds to a lull of shady jazz chords. Two minutes later, Azusa are playing both at once. The record’s dichotomous approach spawns many such treasures, oddities that are hardly surprising considering the source. An Extol/The Dillinger Escape Plan supergroup could hardly produce a pedestrian sound.” The future is fleeting.

Vredehammer – Viperous Review

By Grymm on March 2, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Death Metal, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 61 comments

“In years past, metal music took its sweet-ass time in order to drop us the good stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I do like a good, slow burn, but usually we (and by proxy, you) usually don’t hear anything jaw-droppingly good until later in the year. Not 2020, man. Barely into our third month, and we’ve already got strong contenders for Album o’ the Year, and it doesn’t seem to let up anytime soon. And now, we’ve got the much-anticipated Viperous by Vredehammer, an album everyone here at AMG’s been anticipating since Violator knocked us all on our collective ass back in 2016.” Bow down to the Snakehammer.

Oberst – Paradise Review

By Cherd on January 13, 2020 in 2020, Hardcore, Indie Recordings, Metalcore, Norwegian Metal, Post-Hardcore, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Hardcore, Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 24 comments

“Back in the 90s, I was in a very famous TV show I was all about hardcore and early metalcore. As a matter of fact, I was straight edge, though not for the same reasons as other practitioners of that ethos. I was a good Christian boy who happened to like aggressive music, and the rise of Tooth and Nail Records and their sub-imprint Solid State meant I could have my cake and eat it too (that’s not to say I didn’t have dalliances with “secular” labels like Victory or Revelation). I left -core behind many years ago, as tends to happen as one ages, but last year I found myself drawn to a few newer bands with hardcore influences, and that got me nostalgic. Return to the core.