Jex Thoth

Witchcryer – When Their Gods Come for You Review

Witchcryer – When Their Gods Come for You Review

“I recall being quite taken with Witchcryer’s 2017 debut Cry Witch when I stumbled across it in the rancid promo sump. A product of Las Cruces, Earthen Grave, and The Living Fields members, it had a lively doom rock sound akin to Castle and Jex Thoth and frontwoman Suzy Bravo was a force to be reckoned with. In hindsight, however, I overrated the album as it was very short on content, and though its high points are great, it has downslopes and filler too, which is a bad sign for such a short album. Nonetheless, I was still excited to get my hands on their sophomore album When Their Gods Come for You and see what the last few years had done to their sound.” Gods and sirens.

Vanishing Kids – Heavy Dreamer Review

Vanishing Kids – Heavy Dreamer Review

“In the high pressure game of Promo Sump Bingo, sometimes you win big. Vanishing Kids, an act wholly unknown to me, lists themselves as “somnambulic doom,” and that sounded interesting enough to snatch from the murky waters and scurry away with to my Ape Cave of Solitude. The thing is, they’re not really doom at all. In fact, they’re one of those rare bands that openly defies easy classification.” Don’t think, just listen.

Witchcryer – Cry Witch Review

Witchcryer – Cry Witch Review

“If you were to purchase Witchcryer’s debut, Cry Witch and load it into your iTunes-type mp3 sorter thingamabob, you’d likely see it appear adjacent to NWoBHM legends Witchfnder General. That is no coincidence. This Texas doom rock troupe features members of Las Cruces, Earthen Grave and The Living Fields, but their style and sound is the result of extended listens to the classic platters of those ancient British witch wranglers.” Some of those that dig ditches, are the same that burn witches.

Esben and the Witch – Older Terrors Review

Esben and the Witch – Older Terrors Review

“I’m not alone among the AMG staff in having fallen hard for The Gathering’s career defining Mandylion release back in 95. That platter combined elements of doom and goth rock in a way that had never been done before and created something haunting, sad and achingly beautiful. The band quickly drifted toward more commercial waters, and many (myself included) were left hungering for more of what Mandylion delivered. Perhaps that’s why my ears pricked up when I heard a snippet of the Older Terrors promo from hitherto unknown by me English three-piece, Esben and the Witch.” Oh, Mandy, you came and you found me an Esben….

Messa – Belfry Review

Messa – Belfry Review

“Sometimes a band comes out of nowhere and takes a baseball bat to the established way of doing things. Whether that means adding banjos to black metal or incorporating 70s prog into doom/death, it can result in absolute triumph or a total grease fire. It’s those unexpected triumphs in particular that make music such a visceral and exciting medium and when a band pulls off something new and unusual, they deserve respect and admiration. Unknown Italian doomsters Messa want to be the next trend wrecker and to that end they’ve fused dark ambient weirdness and minimalist drone onto old school, traditional doom on their eye-opening debut, Belfry.” No one expected this Italian Inquisition!

Jess and the Ancient Ones – Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes Review

Jess and the Ancient Ones – Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes Review

“Svart Records is a bastion of strange Finnish acts, and Jess and the Ancient Ones is one of the strangest. Starting with the same 70s occult rock indulged in by Ghost and Jex Thoth, they add in surfer rock and more than a little tripped out psychedelic acid rock to arrive at something altogether different.” Surf’s up and Satan is down!

Avatarium – The Girl With the Raven Mask Review

Avatarium – The Girl With the Raven Mask Review

Candlemass’ 1986 debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus had a big impact on my young metal mind and made me a lifetime convert to Leif Edling’s concept of what doom metal should sound like. Decades later, he surprised me again with his Avatarium debut and how it leveraged the prodigious vocal gifts of Jennie-Ann Smith to create a refreshing take on the classic doom template. While I expected The Girl With the Raven Mask to be a quality follow-up, I wasn’t prepared for this!” Get prepared post-haste!

Sabbath Assembly – Sabbath Assembly Review

Sabbath Assembly – Sabbath Assembly Review

Sabbath Assembly have always been odd, especially since they used their music to proselytize about the obscure religious splinter group known as the Process Church of the Final Judgment. This resulted in albums like Ye Are Gods and Quaternity playing like Manson-esque hippie cult indoctrination music and they were definitely an acquired taste with limited replay value. Cast out and finding their own way.

Artaius – Torn Banners Review

Artaius – Torn Banners Review

“It took two lines in the Artaius promo blurb to stop me in my tracks – Artaius has shared the stage with well known metal acts like Ensiferum and Primal Fear and Torn Banners features special guests Tim Charles (Ne Obliviscaris), Lucio Stefani (Mé, Pek e Barba) and Dario Caradente (Kalévala). Those be some big selling points right there!” Madam X willing reviewing folk metal? The end is nigh.

Earth – Primitive and Deadly Review

Earth – Primitive and Deadly Review

“Wait, wait, Earth? Dylan Carlson’s music child that went from pioneering drone doom to dabbling in experimental psychedelic-country-drone-whatnot? How long has it been since they released anything even remotely attached to metal? Nine years, eighteen years? Surely this review has no place here. This is, after all, Angry METAL Guy: trve, kvlt, ov the underground and all that.” Are you shocked to see an Earth review here? We are too.