Jun19

Infernal Conjuration – Infernale Metallum Mortis Review

By Mark Z. on June 21, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Mexican Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 22 comments

“Barring pre-Hero Bölzer, I’ve never seen a band without a full-length generate as much passion as Sadistic Intent. The southern California death metal band formed in 1987 and have released little more than four EPs in their career, yet they’re still earning high slots at festivals and seem to be adored by a lot of people. It’s a testament to the quality of their music, I suppose, and I must admit their musty take on early Morbid Angel has tickled my fancy on more than one occasion. Yet their sporadic and limited output generates an obvious demand for more music in the style, and that’s where Infernal Conjuration come in.” Infernal overkill.

Gorilla -Treecreeper Review

By Steel Druhm on June 20, 2019 in 2019, English Metal, Heavy Psych Sounds Records, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Stoner Metal, 29 comments

“The AMG promo sump is stuffed to the rafters with glowing PR spin about how this band redefines genre X and that band takes sub-genre Y into realms hitherto unheard. Most of it is utter crap and as accurate as your average public access channel psychic reading. Not so with the debut full-length by U.K.’s Gorilla however, who describe their sound as “F*ck the safety net heavy rock n’ roll.”” Ape cake for all.

Howling Sycamore – Seven Pathways to Annihilation Review

By Huck N Roll on June 20, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Progressive Metal, Prosthetic Records, Reviews, Uncategorized, Progressive Metal, 31 comments

“Last year’s self-titled debut from prog “supergroup” Howling Sycamore was one of my more positive surprises. On paper it shouldn’t have really worked: extreme drumming married to down-tuned guitars, then mashed in with over the top old-school vocals and the occasional crazed baritone sax. Yet the whole thing gelled in some weird, freakish way, and I was left hoping it wasn’t a one-off project. Well, here we are less than a year and a half later, with Seven Pathways to Annihilation, the band’s follow-up.” Screaming trees.

Intothecrypt – Vakor Review

By Twelve on June 20, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Ordo MCM Records, Reviews, Russian Metal, Doom Metal, 11 comments

“I’m always interested in bands that rise from the ashes of other bands. We hear about it all the time: four original members from one band go onto form their own band, bringing fans of the original band untold joy, because that band hasn’t put out a record in twelve years. In the case of Russian doom act Scald, it was the unfortunate death of the band’s lead vocalist that led its remaining members to Tumulus, which plays folk metal based on Slavic mythology. Fast-forward to 2016, and those same original Scaldians have now formed Intothecrypt, fusing these styles together by playing blackened death-doom in English and Ancient Russian, with Finno-Urgic influences informing both the story and the language.”

Lightning Born – Lightning Born Review

By Cherd on June 19, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Occult Rock, Retro Metal, Reviews, Ripple Music, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Occult Rock, Retro Metal, 23 comments

“Indeed, my indirect memories of the 70s feature objects and trends grown shabby from age and eventually replaced by neon colors, Reaganomics and synth pop. Raleigh, North Carolina’s Lightning Born, on the other hand, remember the 70’s in living detail and have preserved them in pristine amber on their full-length eponymous debut.” Lightning born, time frozen.

The Odious – Vesica Piscis Review

By Kronos on June 19, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Djent, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Releases, Reviews, Self-released, Progressive Metal, 52 comments

“I didn’t know this album was coming. I thought The Odious had faded out of existence long ago, trapped behind an ever-thickening glass of ‘what-if’s’ that both magnifies and distorts the legacy of bands that disappear just as they reach their creative zenith. You’ve heard swansongs before, but never from as fluffy and yolk-drenched a cygnet as The Odious were, releasing a career’s worth of great ideas over the course of two years and two releases – 2012’s Joint Ventures LP preceded by the That Night a Forest Grew EP in 2011. Now reaching for an altogether opposite avian metaphor, the band have reformed.” From swansong to phoenix.

Critical Mess – Man Made Machine Made Man Review

By GardensTale on June 19, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, German Metal, Metalville, Reviews, Death Metal, 12 comments

“After waxing lyrically about female voices in metal in my previous review, a random grab from the promo bin saw it fit to expand upon that intro with a female growler. When leaving The Agonist, Alissa White-Gluz infamously said: ‘No one can do what I can do,’ and metal has been happy to prove her wrong time and time again. Bands such as Aephanemer, Bethlehem, and Light This City are just a few examples of extraordinary female laryngeal destruction, and Critical Mess is joining that growing pantheon.” Woman made.

NervoChaos – Ablaze Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on June 18, 2019 in 2019, Brazilian Metal, Death Metal, Hammerheart Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 13 comments

“Know your limit, play within it. This is the advice Ontario’s gambling regulators give to people interested in blackjack, scratch tickets, and everything in between. More folks than the average ramblin’ gamblin’ man should heed the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s advice, and one group of folks is folks in metal bands.” Know when to fold em.

Gygax – High Fantasy Review

By Grymm on June 18, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Creator-Destructor Records, Hard Rock, Reviews, Hard Rock, 25 comments

“Californian RPG rockers Gygax rose from the ashes of Gypsyhawk back in 2015, and impressed the hell out of a particular man-cat with both 2016’s Critical Hits and last year’s2nd Edition. The blend of RPG tropes and Thin Lizzy-esque boogie rock made for a wonderful combination, and each ended up getting at least a mention on my Top Ten lists. A little over a year since 2nd Edition, and the merry travelers already have High Fantasy ready for a new campaign, fresh party members, and nine more songs chock full of Dungeons & Dragons-inspired 70s rock. But on their third quest, the merry four-piece have hit a fairly large bump in the road.” Low roll.

Snøgg – Chhinnamasta Review

By Master of Muppets on June 18, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Slovenian Metal, 80 comments

“Individuality is everything to me. I neither desire nor strive to be anything other than whatever I feel like being in any given moment, and it creeps the everloving fuck right outta me to witness people forcing themselves to fit into a predetermined role simply because it worked for someone else. Hive-minded fashion trends, movie references in lieu of actual jokes, and viral video memery in general; these are a few of my least favorite things that people often use to fill the voids where their personalities should be. And, as a reviewer, the sonic equivalent — blatantly aping any given artist and avoiding originality altogether — makes me fucking sick.” Felt integrity.