“Warning Blast was set to be one unstoppable slab of doomy death metal. That is, until it wasn’t. Siege of Power are far more interested in playing some punk infused death-doom, or what it would sound like if death-doom musicians tried to start an old hardcore-adjacent band. Conveniently, this is almost exactly what Warning Blast represents.” Feel the crust.
“Personal loss and despair have always been prime fodder for doom metal. The style basically exists to simulate the experiences of grief, sorrow and deprivation, tearing open the worst emotions in human existence and daring us to confront them. When you stop and think about it, it’s hard to understand why anyone would seek such music out. We will all suffer genuine loss. We will all hurt deeply and profoundly, and sometimes we will never truly move beyond it. Why then would we seek out facsimiles of such heartache? I don’t have the answer, but I do know that Collapse of Light have come to expose all your deepest pain and sadness on their debut Each Failing Step.” Triumph in failure.
“Holy Terror was a special band. Though only active for a few short years, they released two of the best thrash albums of the 80s, mixing speed and real heaviness with both progressive and rock influences to create something truly unique. Those albums are among my most beloved and they never, ever sound stale. When I saw a band in the promo sump bearing the name of Mindwars (Holy Terror’s brilliant second album), with an album titled Do Unto Others (a song on that brilliant album), my curiosity was certainly piqued.” Psychic warriors unite!
“For just a moment I’m going to break Angry Metal Guy‘s most sacred of journalistic vows to explain how Sojourner’s The Shadowed Road ended up in my undeserving hands. Occasionally, one of our editors will send out an office-wide memo requesting a quick turnaround on a high profile review. Such was the case with Sojourner’s sophomore effort, and while this Swede-Kiwi joint venture yielded a decent debut in 2016’s Empires of Ash, what I perceived as a safe, derivative take on the atmospheric black/folk formula failed to hoist me up on the bandwagon. Volunteering to cover its follow-up, then, was an action born as much from curiosity as it was from a desire to stem undeserved hype. Well, fuck me running, because this time the hype is more than deserved.” All aboard the H-train.
“If there was a word lately that’s been plaguing my promo-picking (and hence, my review-writing), it would be the word ‘should.’ Everything from the band and sound descriptions, groups featuring members I respect and admire, and comparisons to well-established acts of olde color my judgment to the point that my very enjoyment hinges on the idea that, by and large, satisfaction would be gathered by what I’m reading about. Supergroups are no exception. Yes, that term has been flogged more than dead horsemeat, but when you’ve got a band made up of members of established funeral doom stalwarts such as Pantheist, Aphonic Threnody, and Void of Silence, the end result should (there’s that word) be enticing.” Supergroups, man.
“‘Pils’ is great for indulging rather heavily; it’s not too alcoholic, so you can just have it as background for hours and feel great. On the other hand, ‘bier’ is to be savored, enjoyed with great company and conversation, and not quaffed whatsoever but cherished, with every note of the flavor just being so right. One beer is fun, but tastes rather mass produced; it has its purpose, but certainly isn’t an extremely memorable thing (excepting the incredible cult following of CaraPils, the best-worst Belgian beer to ever exist). The other is worth the time, money, and attention; in other words, it’s simply worth savoring. Under the Church is a Swe-death band that’s essentially “pils” beer in musical form and Supernatural Punishment definitely goes down easy.” Beer and Swedeath – the start to many a regrettable evening.
“Space is fucking big, and there’s an appropriately sizeable array of space-themed metal bands to match. Some artists approach the infinite blackness with a sense of child-like wonder, with bands like Star One and Keldian playing up sci-fi tropes in admiration of the majesty of the star ocean. Others, like Darkspace, channel the cosmos as an unparalleled force of nature; empty, suffocating, and impossibly cold. Battle Dagaroth, a band I had expected to be pure Summoning worship based on their name and ‘atmospheric black metal’ tag, is yet another act intent on aurally replicating the incomprehensible vastness of space.” In space no one can hear you frown.
“Everyone has a unique reviewing method when it comes to writing about an album. Sometimes, the words come to me almost immediately, whether in praise or in condemnation. Other times, finding the right words or comparisons takes a while. In other words, I went back-and-forth with where to go with this review of The Apostate of Light, the debut album by Euro-American black metal collective, Oculus.” Word-defying black metal.
“Their catchy-as-fuck 2015 debut, As Daylight Breaks, was the first. Then, last year’s “meh” Mirrorworld. And, now, Magic. Math ain’t my strong-point, but that should make three albums in three years. Sure, Vardan releases a baker’s dozen on an annual basis, but groups like Serious Black? I didn’t think it was possible—nor should it be. But, by god, here it is. Unfortunately, the intense schedule for releasing full-length albums on a yearly basis is starting to show. Since the debut, quantity over quality has been the name of the game for Urban Breed and co. Which results in a Serious Black bummer. ” The strings are showing.
“Like the darkest of chocolate smothering the creamiest of peanut butter, pairing two of death metal’s enduring icons for a dream supergroup should be a match made in heaven. With a combined resumé that reads as venerable Who’s Who of classic death metal, the musicianship of Jonny Petterson (Wombbath, Pale King, Henry Kane, a slew of other bands) blended with the throat of Dave Ingram (Down Among The Dead Men, ex-Bolt Thrower, ex-Benediction, a slew of other bands) sounds like a perfect formula on screen and paper. Stockholm-steeped riffing topped by one of England’s most recognizable death metal vocalists? Sign me the fuck up, right?!” Undercover debacle.
