John Carpenter

Ruinas – Ikonoklasta Review

Ruinas – Ikonoklasta Review

“The world today is a frustrating place. You try to go on vacation and miss your flight because some idiot got into a fender bender and caused a traffic jam. You try to go out to eat and can’t find anywhere to park. You try to take a shit and are forced to wipe your ass with an old washcloth because every store within 100 miles is sold out of toilet paper. In times like these, nothing helps more than a pure blast of raw aggression, an aural rampage that obliterates any and all sense of frustration from your mind. I find deathgrind works particularly well in this regard, especially albums like Death Toll 80K’s incendiary and rifftastic Harsh Realities. Seeing Ruinas listed under the deathgrind tag, I hoped this newfound Spanish group would offer just what I was looking for during a time in my life that’s been more frustrating than usual.” Ain’t no cure for the TP blues.

Entombed A.D. – Bowels of Earth Review

Entombed A.D. – Bowels of Earth Review

“Anyone who’s read metal reviews for a while knows the two major intro paragraph fallbacks for popular and/or established metal bands. The first is to call them “the AC/DC of [subgenre]” and conveniently using a tautology to describe the sound, i.e. Cannibal Corpse sounds like Cannibal Corpse. The second is invoking the shadow of the band’s crowning achievement and asking rhetorically if the new record will beat it. Entombed A.D. isn’t established enough to be an AC/DC band, and Entombed simpliciter changed their sound more than once.” Bowel movements.

A Forest of Stars – Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes Review

A Forest of Stars – Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes Review

A Forest of Stars have been traveling on an upwards cosmic trajectory since their third full-length, 2012’s A Shadowplay for Yesterdays. For a band who didn’t have plans to record anything after their 2008 debut, or even play live, A Forest of Stars are a great example of what a collective and relentless passion and creativity can do for a band.” Starry starry night.

An Interview with A Forest of Stars

An Interview with A Forest of Stars

“At Bloodstock Open Air 2018, I was able to spend an hour with the Leeds-based progressive black metal Victorian menagerie that is A Forest of Stars. They had just finished their set on the Sophie Lancaster Stage and were riding a wave of adrenaline that placed them in an excitable, energetic, and joyous mood.” A day in the forest…with stars.

The Lion’s Daughter – Future Cult Review

The Lion’s Daughter – Future Cult Review

“When your parents said to follow your passion, I don’t think they meant for you to throw on a zip-up face mask, sling a taxidermy animal over your shoulder, and become a fucking weirdo. Yet that’s exactly what The Lion’s Daughter have done on third album Future Cult, and the result is sure to confound anyone familiar with the band previously.” Taxidermy is creepy.