Jun21

The Day of the Beast – Indisputably Carnivorous Review

The Day of the Beast – Indisputably Carnivorous Review

“The almighty riff. While I’m not entirely convinced of its importance, masochists like Diabolus in Muzaka and Ferrous Beuller spend their days raking the dregs of the Skull Pit’s outer limits in the vain hopes of discovering it laying amid the rusty needles of tech-death or beneath the gore and grime of OSDM, only to return empty-handed and receive yet another beating from the all-knowing ape. While the foundation of countless styles of metal, it’s a frail thing, as its weak implementation or absence can violently derail a song or an album. Worshipers of the almighty and ever-elusive riff, does The Day of the Beast succeed or will they crash and burn with the hordes of Nifelheim-copycats?” Nice to eat you.

Sundrowned – Become Ethereal Review

Sundrowned – Become Ethereal Review

“Promising despondent black metal from the rainy coasts of Norway (and perhaps deriving their name from Møl?), Sundrowned and their badass name caught my eye in the promo pool. Influences including Alcest and Deafheaven indicated that this was to be Norwegian black metal of a type you may not expect, and the album’s title Become Ethereal accentuated my post-rock suspicions.” Lost in the ether.

Bloodbeat – Process of Extinction Review

Bloodbeat – Process of Extinction Review

Bloodbeat hail from Germany and have been creating death-infused thrash metal since 2014. Process of Extinction is their sophomore full-length release, five years following their debut, Murderous Art, back in 2016. Owing to my usual repertoire of music, these are not sentences that I type out too often; their music is not my usual cup of tea, and I suspect I’d enjoy their work more if they… I don’t know, hired an orchestra or something. But sometimes you need music that slays, and that’s exactly what I was in the mood for when I opted to take on this review.” Blood up? Blood down?

Sunken State – Solace in Solitude Review

Sunken State – Solace in Solitude Review

“Though childhood friends and siblings surrounded me with the stuff, the only two metalcore releases that stuck were Trivium’s Shogun and God Forbid’s IV: Constitution of Treason. And, depending on the mood, As I Lay Dying. The rest ain’t my bag. The reason I grabbed Sunken State’s debut record was mainly for the vocal performances. It’s an interesting melding of barks, rasps, and shouts. Solace in Solitude also combines their metalcore sound with melodeath, Lamb of God groove, and subtle hints of death metal. It’s an interesting combination of elements—especially for a band from South Africa.” Core tour.

Thūn – Thūn Review

Thūn – Thūn Review

“A lot can happen in five years. Jobs come and go, kids grow up, and White Wizzard can receive a mere 3.0 review. What else can happen? Well, if I may be momentarily self-indulgent, maybe I’ve written for this Blog to End All Blogs for five years now. In fact, my first review for Angry Metal Guy, which will never be published, was written exactly five years ago to the minute in which I put quill to scroll for this review. Five years ago, the scope of metal in my windscreen was as minute as the amount of hair sprouting from the top of my head. Now I’m aware of relatively obscure bands like Monsterworks. And Bull Elephant. And now, Thūn.” Old cowboys and new bull elephants.

Eye of Purgatory – The Lighthouse Review

Eye of Purgatory – The Lighthouse Review

“What more can be said about the indefatigable Rogga Johansson that hasn’t already been said by my esteemed colleagues overlords here at AMG? From his “main” band Paganizer to his self-titled work, from the duo Johansson & Speckmann to the war-themed Just Before Dawn, we’ve reviewed our fair share of this prolific Swedish death metaler’s output. And that only scratches the surface. As we’ve previously pointed out, the man has over a hundred credits to his name, with no hint of slowing down, taking a break or staying hydrated. With that in mind, today we’re taking a look at yet another Johansson side quest: Swedish Death Metal band Eye of Purgatory and their second album The Lighthouse.” Rogga! Rogga! Rogga!

Orphan Donor – Unraveled Review

Orphan Donor – Unraveled Review

“Sometimes, the promo sump can be an overwhelming place. A bit like an oversized car trunk sale, there’s a huge amount of scary junk that you know you don’t want (but recognize you’ll end up leaving with at least some of) and a few frustratingly well hidden gems. The trick is how to spot those gems. Sometimes though, one simply does not have the time and you have to trust your luck and grab the first thing that catches your eye. One such visit led me to the sophomore outing by Allentown, Pennsylvania-based two piece Orphan Donor, which spoke to me because of the combination of a grindcore tag and the unexpected accompanying note that it would appeal to fans of Isis.” Garage flail.

Helloween – Helloween Review

Helloween – Helloween Review

Helloween gets 97.543% of the credit for creating what we now think of as the Euro-power metal sound. Led by the high-pitched wailing of Kai Hansen, their Walls of Jericho debut was a nonstop rush of speed and irresistible hooks, and Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I was less speedy but far more polished and majestic, featuring the vocal power of a young Michael Kiske. When it was announced that BOTH long absent frontmen would be returning to Helloween to join current frontman Andi Deris for a new album, I felt conflicted.” He should have squashed his expectations.

Demon Incarnate – Leaves of Zaqqum Review

Demon Incarnate – Leaves of Zaqqum Review

“For two weeks in a row, I found promos that claim Candlemass as a major influence, and I simply had to have them. Last week saw me positively handling former Candlemass vocalist Rob Lowe’s new project Grief Collector, so I was hoping to ride that slow, bludgeoning wave into this week as I tackle the groovy doom of Germany’s Demon Incarnate.” Break out the grief blower.