“If raw black metal, like Old Nick or Black Cilice, is 99% chocolate dissolved in disquietingly malodorous milk, then Monumental – The Temple of Twilight is 45% milk chocolate in milky milk, with neither too much, nor too little, sugar. And nothing else. This is the basic recipe, almost unaltered and unadorned. You’ve had this a hundred times before and the mileage you get from this collection will entirely depend on how fond you are of this stuff.” In the nightside eclair.
“Each year we aggregate the voluminous listery that occurs in these hallowed pages in order to delineate the favorite (or rather, lowest common denominator) records from a given year across the various writers and tastes that we now characterize.” This is what it sounds like when mobs rules.
![Beaten to Death – Laat maar, ik verhuis naar het bos [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/beatentodeathlaat.jpg.webp)
“Some of you may whine that Laat maar, ik verhuis naar het bos (Nevermind, I’m Moving to the Woods, if Google Translate is to be trusted) is not a 2021 release. True enough; it released on vinyl in September 2020. However, the limited run offered and timed vinyl-exclusive meant that very few people actually heard the record until 2021. Beaten to Death, in a fit of questionable genius, released the record digitally as 4 separate EPs released across 8 weeks, the last of which was only unveiled on 24 December 2020. Acquiring each of these and editing their metadata into the vinyl arrangement was quite the faff, let me tell you, and I heard the record in full for the first time on 1 January 2021.” Time is a human construct.
“A strong concept can get you far. Even a challenging listen can be improved by a powerful concept that resonates. Enter the evocatively titled Bushmeat, the sophomore effort from Dipygus, an outfit hailing from Santa Cruz, California who produce a particularly gamey hybrid of death metal and grindcore. This hideous quartet are eager to infuse Bushmeat with their own vile take on 1970s exploitation jungle horror. With one banned album under their belts and a penchant for irredeemable jungle horror, does Dipygus’ aim to get by on concept alone, or do they have the chops to pull off a carnal marriage between theme and execution?” Jungle rot.
“Dark Zodiak borrow bits of the chunky, militaristic rhythms of Sodom, the scratchy grooves of Kreator and the progressive wanderings of Metallica. The push into heavier death-thrash territory is almost entirely due to a grotesque performance from vocalist Simone Schwarz, who commands the record with guttural roars, dry rasps, sinister narration, and even the occasional pig squeal.” Sign stealing.
“Given that we’re no longer in the 1970s, for better and for worse, Steven Wilson is now the unwilling “King of Prog.” He’s the writer of what some consider modern classics; a remixologist extraordinaire; a sophisticated producer; a musical experimentalist; a successful imitator; and even a pop star. And yet it appears he’s still not the star he wants to be.” Once and future prog star.
“Hello there! Hope you are enjoying the sunny weather in scenic California, and thank you for submitting Contemporary Tragedy, the second full-length (and third release) from your one-man post-hardcore outfit, These Colors Fade. Going from the supplied materials that accompanied your submission, Contemporary Tragedy took over 800 hours to write, perform, produce, and mix. That’s an impressive feat! More and more, we’re seeing talented one-person bands crop up out of the woodwork, going toe-to-toe with the heavyweights in contemporary metal music. With the costs of production and promotion starting to drop considerably, there’s never been an easier time to record, mix, and promote your music.” The color of tragedy.
“If there’s ever been a band that reeks of potential, it’s Harakiri for the Sky. Standing separate from twinkly genre-mates with muscular songwriting and a refusal to stagnate, these Austrians have released album after album of incredibly strong post-black that always hinted at true greatness but never quite achieved it.” Mære, Mære, quite contrary.
“The line that separates symphonic metal from pop metal is — well, it’s not really a line, is it? It’s hard to inject pop into your metal without diving headfirst into symphonic territory. Okay, let me try again. The Venn diagram that distinguishes between symphonic metal and pop metal leaves a lot open to interpretation.” Pop in a orchestra pit.
“The three members of Austin’s Portrayal of Guilt are young and full of punk. Jadedness and grey hair is a distant worry. They are raging, raging against the dying of a light that so many have gently entered. Youthful vigor is a fleeting thing. If the rage of youth could be bottled it would sell billions. For many bands, the golden thread of youth unravels and vanishes in a flash. It’s a ball of yarn and a knitting needle then, a life trying to recreate the glory of days gone by. The rare band or individual breaks the mold, but for the most part, nothing can recapture the seething potential and momentum of the early days.” Alone in angst…together.
