Jun19

Morass of Molasses – The Ties That Bind Review

By GardensTale on June 7, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, Wasted State Records, Progressive Rock, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, 24 comments

“What does it mean for an album to be memorable? Usually we consider it a good thing, as a good hook that sticks with you can prolong the enjoyability of a record, sticking with you even beyond your listening sessions. But shitty third-tier pop music often keeps inadvertently muscling its way into your brain, especially for those who are forced to listen to the tripe during work hours (trust me, I’ve been there.) Conversely, some powerful music may not have a high memorability, particularly when it’s of the atonal or atmospheric proclivity. The latter is decidedly not what Morass of Molasses are attempting, though.” Attach the Stone of Sludge Fuzz!

Barbarian – To No God Shall I Kneel Review

By Mark Z. on June 7, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Italian Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, 54 comments

“‘Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.’ It’s odd that a metal album calls to mind Genesis, but in this case it feels strangely appropriate. Even within genres, different bands occupy different niches. Some bands make music that’s tight, slick, and professional, some bands make music that sounds like a bunch of cavemen somehow acquired and learned to play modern instruments. True to their name, Italian trio Barbarian tend toward the latter. But lest you think that’s a slight against them, think again.” Honey, I think someone is at the gates.

Embrace of Disharmony – De Rervm Natvra Review

By Twelve on June 7, 2019 in 2019, Avante Garde, Italian Metal, My Kingdom Music, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 81 comments

“Stagnation is a problem. In this wondrous day and age where music can be shared across the globe at a mere few clicks, you’d think that “too much of the same” in metal would be a laughable concept. Instead, it’s an actual problem. An uncountable number of fledgling bands are being influenced by the same big acts and creating essentially the same sound over and over again. There is nothing more exciting in this musical sphere than a band that breaks the cycle of stagnation, who smashes through stereotypes and clichés both to rise above the rest and revitalize their sad, tired genre. Symphonic metal, I give you Embrace of Disharmony and their sophomore effort: De Rervm Natvra.” Symphonies of slickness.

Diviner – Realms of Time Review

By Steel Druhm on June 7, 2019 in 2019, Greek Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Ulterium Records, Heavy Metal, 39 comments

“Diviner’s Fallen Empires debut was one of the happy little surprises of 2015, offering a burly, beefy and catchy fusion of Iced Earth and Brainstorm. It was easy to digest traditional metal with a bit of Euro-power flair – simple, straight forward and heavy enough to satisfy. Now these Greek metal warriors return with the followup, Realms of Time and it seems the band used their down time wisely. All the things they did well last time have been improved upon. The music is heavier, but even catchier, and the hooks dig deeper than before as they pull out all the stops to make a humdinger of a classic heavy metal album.” Divine right.

Gravefields – Embrace the Void Review

By Kenstrosity on June 6, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, International Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Redefining Darkness Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 22 comments

“Life kinda sucks. Or, I suppose more accurately, the realization that I have no control over how everything changes despite my every last effort to keep things stable kinda sucks. Unexpected alterations to my goals and plans abound. I question decisions I once thought sound, only to later circle back after realizing the alternatives were ill-fitting. Those close to me change in ways I fail to anticipate. Introducing further complications, I change and impact others in ways they can’t anticipate. It is because of the relentless fickleness of life that I appreciate the things that remain consistent. Thank the abyssal lords who art burning in the depths of hell, death metal is often one of those things. And Gravefields, an Irish/French/Egyptian (respectively, one guy from Ireland, one guy from France, and the band as a unit operating/recording mostly out of Cairo) death metal band supply ample evidence supporting this claim.” Death adds life.

Pelican – Nighttime Stories Review

By Huck N Roll on June 6, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Instrumental Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Southern Lord, Instrumental Metal, Post-Metal, 38 comments

“I suppose I’m a fan of the Chicago post-metal scene: I’ve got plenty of Pelican and Russian Circles albums, and was lucky enough to see the latter live last year (which, when you live where I do, is a minor miracle). Pelican haven’t been on the same trajectory as their cousins, though, but it’s not completely their fault. Life gets in the way sometimes, and many things happened to these guys since their last full-length, 2013’s Forever Becoming. The biggest catalyst for the writing of Nighttime Stories was the death of Tusk vocalist Jody Minnoch in 2014.” Darkness as catalyst.

Upon a Burning Body – Southern Hostility Review

By Dear Hollow on June 6, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Deathcore, Reviews, Seek and Strike, Deathcore, 24 comments

“I realize I use the phrase ‘ad nauseam’ too much, and I also apologize a lot. I took two years of Latin in high school, which was pretty cool in ways I didn’t foresee. So you would think I would have the basic knowledge to tell you what ‘ad nauseam’ means, but I had to Google it only to be embarrassed by its obvious meaning: ‘to nausea’ or ‘to a nauseating degree.’ Just like deathcore!” Down with the deathness.

Python – Astrological Warfare Review

By Kenstrosity on June 5, 2019 in 2019, Ambient Metal, Annapurna, Heavy Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Stoner Metal, The ANJA Offensive, Ambient Metal, Heavy Metal, Stoner Metal, 47 comments

“It has become all too apparent that I do not learn from my mistakes. People warned me since childhood never to trust a snake, and yet Python will mark the second time I picked promo based solely on my love for those slithery danger noodles. I’ve learned my lesson this time for sure, though. Never in my life have I encountered a shit-tastrophe as rank as Astrological Warfare, the band’s ill-conceived sophomore record.” Twice bitten.

The Rods – Brotherhood of Metal Review

By Steel Druhm on June 5, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Steamhammer, Heavy Metal, 48 comments

“The Rods have been kicking rocks around the metal scene’s parking lot forever. Formed in upstate New York by Dio’s first cousin, David “Rock” Feinstein, they’ve been playing a simplistic, Neanderthal version of proto-metal since 1980 with a sound that’s approximately 45% Manowar, 35% Anvil and 20% KISS. I recall always seeing their albums like Let Them Eat Metaland Heavier Than Thou in record stores as a kid, but I never bought them and none of my friends seemed to either.” Rods and sods.

Firespawn – Abominate Review

By Dr. Wvrm on June 4, 2019 in 2019, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 20 comments

“I won’t go so far as to say album promo sheets are useless, but only because they’re often an indicator of how badly a band (or their PR people) misjudge their own sound. We’ve all had the never-been-heard-before braggadocio of a Bathory/Venom mash-up, the new heights promises of the perennial 2.5 bands, or that metalcore act that thinks they’re prog metal. Not one of us would bat an eye that Firespawn, the most meat and potatoes death metal act this side of modern Bloodbath, claim their third album Abominate ‘explores new ground that not many death metal bands have before.'” Lies, untruths and death metal.