Jun17

Skelethal – Of the Depths Review

By Al Kikuras on June 27, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Retro Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 48 comments

“Heavy metal, despite primarily being a possession of what we proudly call the underground, is not impervious to the revisionist proclivity of plucking from the past with genres like re-thrash, Even Newer Wave of British Heavy Metal, occult rock, and currently on the chopping block, retro-Swedish death. 2014’s EP, Interstellar Knowledge of the Purple Entity was my introduction proper to Skelethal and it just about made me turn my Fruit of the Looms into a fudge factory. At just 21 minutes, it was a perfect little window to the days of yore when Entombed and particularly Carnage were all.” The Play Doh Fudge Factory is not as fun as it sounds.

Akatharta – Spiritus Immundus Review

By Ferrous Beuller on June 25, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Pulverised Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 7 comments

“Sometimes, when that flight of masochistic fancy hits, we here at AMG like to play a little game lovingly referred to as Promo Roulette – not unlike Russian Roulette, but with every chamber loaded with disaster and disappointment. The powers that be randomly assign a project, comfortable in the knowledge that the first, last and only rule of said gamble is: the house always wins. On occasion, however, it is possible to steal a non-fatal cranial grazing and happen upon something worthwhile. So when the relative quality of Akatharta’s debut, Spiritus Immundus, rebounded off my ferrous hide and into my lap, I was pleasantly surprised.” You got lucky, Beuller!

Selcouth – Heart is the Star of Chaos Review

By Treble Yell on June 25, 2017 in 2017, Experimental Metal, I Voidhanger Records, International Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Experimental Metal, Progressive Metal, 23 comments

“I’m always skeptical when the term “avant-garde” is flung in the direction of a work of art. Declaring with any degree of certainty that an artistic creation surpasses the confines of the status quo is a fool’s errand. Time is the great leveler, and only on its scales can we weigh an artwork’s impact against the feather of the chattering masses. So, when I received the promo for Selcouth’s debut album Heart is the Star of Chaos and saw it described by the label as “avant-garde,” my hackles raised immediately in response to such hubris.” Dare to be different.

In Human Form – Opening of the Eye by the Death of the I Review

By Dr. Wvrm on June 24, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Black Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Progressive Metal, Reviews, 35 comments

“In Human Form has me trapped in a corner. In addition to being a mouthful, Opening of the Eye by the Death of the I has seen my prosaic muse torn to pieces. I doubt this current dry spell stems from a lack of comprehension, but I pray nonetheless for a moment of clarity to absolve this torment. An undertaking this ambitious and idiosyncratic surely has a story to tell, but my thoughts are born dead, the empty words of an overactive imagination.” Open the mind or die.

Insatia – Phoenix Aflame Review

By GardensTale on June 23, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Pitch Black Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 85 comments

“The promo selection at AMG is a brutal process. If you are late to the game, all the good stuff has been picked by the vultur- I mean, my colleagues, and your choices are reduced to black metal, metalcore or symphonic metal (which nearly always means Nightwishcore.) I was late this time, and Jorn help me, I picked symphonic power metal album Phoenix Aflame completely blind. I recall my last thought before my own private hell was unleashed: “Can’t be worse than Akoma.” The early bird gets the Wormrot.

Goatwhore – Vengeful Ascension Review

By Saunders on June 23, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Sludge, Southern Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Sludge, Southern Metal, 15 comments

“Some 20 years ago, several prominent NOLA scene members activated Goatwhore and a new beast and underground supergroup was born, most notably featuring Acid Bath/Crowbar axeslinger Sammy Duet and Soilent Green frontman Ben Falgoust. It took a while before Goatwhore perfected their blasphemous style of sludgy, death-infused black metal, striking pay-dirt with the back-to-back punch of 2006’s A Haunting Curse and 2009’s Carving Out the Eyes of God. Since then they’ve been treading water with a couple of solid but less engaging albums, lacking the staying power of their best work.” Goats are excellent swimmers.

Zedi Forder – Zedi Forder Review

By Huck N Roll on June 23, 2017 in 2017, Alt-Metal, British Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Alt-Metal, 32 comments

“Listening to this debut release from Zedi Forder makes me think of a rephrasing of a now-famous commercial: I don’t always review radio-friendly alt-metal, but when I do I review good radio-friendly alt-metal. My selections (read: offal) this month have ranged from bad to worse, but I’ve been granted respite with the debut album from this British trio.” Zedi or not, here they come.

Father Befouled – Desolate Gods Review

By Mark Z. on June 22, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 42 comments

“Of all the metal sub-genres to come to prominence in the last decade or so, perhaps the most frustrating is the so-called “caverncore” style. We’ve heard it time and again: murky guitars, gurgly vocals, and an unabashed love for Incantation in both sound and artwork. While it’s proven a successful sonic palette for bands like Cruciamentum and Dead Congregation (not to mention the recent Cemetery Urn album), many of these groups simply mire themselves in a riff-less murk that makes even Alestorm seem appealing.” When the crevice calls.

Dying Fetus – Wrong One to Fuck With Review

By Saunders on June 22, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Slam, Death Metal, Slam, 60 comments

“Despite the myriad of line-up changes and a couple of sub-par albums, Dying Fetus have kept on trucking, paring themselves down to a lean and destructive trio and bouncing back to top form with 2012’s Reign Supreme. Now, some five years in the making they return with their eighth full-length release. So how does Wrong One to Fuck With stack up in the Fetus canon?” Load the Fetus cannon!

Tyrannosorceress – Shattering Light’s Creation Review

By Akerblogger on June 22, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Black Metal, 37 comments

“‘Sir, the Tyrannosaurus’ are too strong. They’ve breached level four!’
‘Shit!’
‘What do we do!?’
‘I…uh…send for The Sorcerer. He’s our only hope now.’
‘But, sir, there’s a chance the atmosphere down there could cause a cataclysmic fusion. The Sorcerer could perish, or even worse…’
‘Just do it, rat! Either The Sorcerer succeeds or the Tyrannosorceress is born. God help us all.'” This theme park was a bad idea.