Jul21

Galvanizer – Prying Sight of Imperception Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on July 27, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 13 comments

“Galvanizer play some olden death metal, specifically “grinding death metal.” If you’re having AMG-themed déjà vu, you probably remember Cadaveric Incubator’s Nightmare Necropolis from earlier this year. Both bands are similar in sound, having much in common with Entombed and Carcass but neatly avoiding typical Swe-death production values. While not entirely lacking in obvious melodiousness, Galvanizer really counts on the listener enjoying Symphonies of Sickness which, if you like death metal, is a safe bet.” Prying old coffins open.

Praise the Plague – The Obsidian Gate Review

By Grymm on July 27, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, 16 comments

“For as generally tired and played out the genre has become as of late, black metal pairs exceptionally well with a cornucopia of disparate genres. Sure, we all know that it goes together with death metal, like a harmonious, spiked-gauntleted, and dog-food-promoting Reese’s peanut butter cup. Doom, however, seems like a stranger chocolate for our humbled corpse-painted nut butter of dubious origins. Something about not only the speed involved, but also the “hurry up and get to the fucking point, already” aspect of doom that would, on the surface at least, seem contradictory to the icy, tremolo-infested sound that birthed many a hooded sweatshirt-clad frost-dweller. Thankfully, we have German quintet Praise the Plague.” Gate creepers.

Lantlôs – Wildhund Review

By El Cuervo on July 26, 2021 in Reviews, Alt-Metal, Post-Metal, 27 comments

“Lantlôs (should) need no introduction to those who are familiar with post metal genres. Their core song-writer and multi-instrumentalist, Markus Siegenhort, was there at the genesis of ‘blackgaze,’pushing black metal into a sound that would arguably define its existence through the 2010s. Even Neige of Alcest can be heard on earlier records. This culminated in the 2014’s Melting Sun which is not only the greatest blackgaze record ever but also one of my favorites from the last decade. However, it’s been such a long time since that moment that I feared the band had faded into obscurity. Social media murmurs from last year gave rise to hope and now 2021 finally brings us a sequel called Wildhund. How is their bite after so long?” Long delayed post.

Archangel A.D. – Casus Belli Review

By GardensTale on July 26, 2021 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 14 comments

“Archangel A.D. play thrash about as retro as it gets. But even retro thrash has its particular flavors, in this case an even split mixture between Metallica and Annihilator. Aside from the opener, which might as well have been called “King of Spades” for as close as it hews to Motörhead’s classic. Nevertheless, there’s a more than satisfying amount of hooky riffs on Casus Belli, as well as a surprising amount of variety.” Belli of the beast.

Crypt Monarch – The Necronaut Review

By Twelve on July 25, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, 14 comments

“Sometimes, you need something a little bit different. Other times, you need something a lot a bit different. In times other than those, you need a lot of somethings a lot a bit different. This is one of those times for me; for whatever reason, I’m not finding that 2021 is a good year for new music – at all. So I have increasingly been opening my arms and ears far and wide in an attempt to find something different, something new to excite me and rekindle the spark. This path has today led me to Crypt Monarch, a stoner doom band from Costa Rica, and The Necronaut, their debut full-length release.” Lost in Necropolis.

Hexenklad – Heathenheart Review

By Steel Druhm on July 23, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 35 comments

“Canada’s Hexenklad is a semi-supergroup of sorts, boasting members of SIG:AR:TYR, Eclipse Eternal and Pagan Ritual. On their second full-length Heathenheart they dish out a wide-ranging variety of pagan black/folk tunes bearing marks ranging from Moonsorrow, Ensiferum and Windir. They’ve also taken the opportunity to pose for some excellently over-the-top LARP Guild photos and videos. Talent is abundant, as is the ambition.” Heathen hearts, big eyes.

Planet of the Dead – Pilgrims Review

By Huck N Roll on July 23, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 6 comments

“A doom/stoner album with songs about classic horror and sci-fi books and movies? Sounds right up my alley. New Zealand’s Planet of the Dead take on all sorts of material, from Dune to Alien to Slaughterhouse 5, and do so with a sludgy simplicity here on their second album, Pilgrims. Their debut album, Fear of a Dead Planet, came out just last year, so this is a pretty quick turnaround by today’s standards. Channeling the usual suspects such as Black Sabbath and Kyuss, and coming off a bit Bull Elephant-adjacent, this quartet hits the sweet spot in album length, with eight songs spread out over less than forty minutes, making for an release that’s easy to get into from start to finish. Do they hit the mark on all eight tracks?” Space sludge.

Cognitive – Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction Review

By GardensTale on July 22, 2021 in Reviews, Deathcore, Technical Death Metal, 18 comments

“People around here know me as not being too into the more extreme quarters of the metal gallery. Hell, when I started writing, I’d barely prodded beyond the confines of Swedish death metal like Bloodbath and Vicious Art. Anaal Nathrakh was the exception to the rule, but even there I was more drawn to the melodic elements of their work, such as those showcased on Hell Is Empty… and deathcore never even appeared on my radar until I was trampled by Xenobiotic. Since crawling into an empty cubicle at AMG offices (while ignoring all the blood) some of the more unseemly viscera have begun to seep into the hollows of my skull. It’s a slow and sporadic process, and though my experience with tech death and deathcore remains scant, it’s enough to lash together a somewhat cohesive frame against which to place techdeathcore ensemble Cognitive.” Evil thoughts, fair reviews.

Epoch of Chirality – Nucleosynthesis

By Kenstrosity on July 22, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Instrumental Metal, Progressive Metal, 9 comments

“2021 has seen it’s share of terrible band names. Epoch of Chirality does very little to up the ante in this regard. The name is bulky and awkward, and even trying to imagine it with an English accent—seeing as how the one-man instrumental project is based in England—doesn’t improve its sonic aesthetics. But as we’ve also seen quite a few times this year, a bad name a bad album does not make. With an open mind, I dove into this synth heavy dose of instrumental metal.” Is chirlaity dead?

Death Tribe – Beyond the Red Light District: A Canal Experiment Review

By Doom_et_Al on July 21, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Groove Metal, 17 comments

Occasionally, events come along that completely shatter the way we view the world. For the people of Beirut, Lebanon, one of those occurred on August 4th, 2020, when ammonium nitrate, stored at the port, exploded, killing 207 people, injuring 7,500, and leaving approximately 300,000 homeless. Those who were there initially thought a nuclear bomb had exploded, so powerful was the blast. This was a crippling blow for a nation already ravaged by civil war and endemic political corruption. This disaster serves as the nexus for progressive death metal band, Death Tribe’s, sophomore album, Beyond the Red Light District: A Canal Experiment (BRLD:CE).” From disaster comes art.