“Team-ups are all the rage nowadays, ditching the confines of comic book crossovers for screens both small and large. Vallenfyre struck while the crossover iron was hot. Since 2010, they’ve smashed members of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and At the Gates into a throwback Swedeath outfit as gloomy as it is doomy.” Super groups to fear.
“We the People, in order to form a more perfect union, certainly never planned for Sir Russell Allen to continue his New York/New Jersey nu-metal groove project Adrenaline Mob this long. In fact, with this third album inbound, things are bordering on a violation of listeners’ basic rights and freedoms. I’ve covered their previous outings of throwback hard rock and nu-metal, yet I remain at a loss why Mr. Allen is so enamored with this numb-skull style of pablum made infamous by Disturbed, Godsmack and Nickelback.” Careers in waste management.
“Two years ago, the Grymm Grab Bag unearthed Vegferð tímans, the third album by Icelandic duo Dynfari. While it started off slowly, the album opened itself up to some beautiful post-rock influenced black metal that was both inspiring and beautiful, like the musical equivalent of watching the moon shimmer off of a glacier in the middle of winter. Fast-forward to now, and Dynfari, now a fully fleshed-out quartet, return with a concept album.” Blackened beauty.
“I make it a point to never judge a band by the musical contributions of its members. Case in point: Azarath. This Polish death metal behemoth boasts in its ranks Inferno from, well, Behemoth. As such, I know that many people are going to draw comparisons between this act and Poland’s favorite Satanic sons. Doing so shortchanges Azarath’s five vicious full-lengths and their own standing among Poland’s influential scene.” Poland Springs…evil.
