Kenny G

Virta – Horros Review

Virta – Horros Review

Horros is not a metal album, in spite of Virta’s signing with the weirder-and-weirder Svart Records. What the Finnish trio does well, however, is conjure a tension between pitch-black darkness and ethereal sanguinity, a balance sure to get metalheads drooling. At its heart an electroacoustic album that blends the synthetic and handmade that tastefully paints landscapes with sound, it’s perhaps not surprising that the act was proclaimed a “cornerstone of Finnish experimental music” by members of Finnish media following the release of their sophomore effort Hurmos. How does third full-length and first album in seven years Horros hold up?” The Horros….

Imperial Triumphant – Spirit of Ecstasy Review

Imperial Triumphant – Spirit of Ecstasy Review

“We already know what’s going to happen here: I review Imperial Triumphant’s fifth album, Spirit of Ecstasy, and the comments section here will explode with remarks from the peanut gallery, explaining how much they can’t stand this type of music and how it’s “hipster drivel” of the highest magnitude. Ah, yes… the most divisive band we’ve ever reviewed that’s not named Impure Wilhelmina, Fellowship, or Wilderun, New York’s guttural black-death-jazz miscreants have no less stirred up the masses here in such a tizzy that you’d half-expect them to have somehow personally violated your dog. But no, all they did was make music.” Opulence amid the decadence.

Rage – Strings to a Web Review

Rage – Strings to a Web Review

When I was in my big power metal phase, which I guess would’ve probably been around 2000/2001, I stumbled upon a Rage CD in a great used CD store that I used to go into all the time (those were the days). I thought for sure it was going to be great just from looking at it. Turns out… not so much. I don’t recall hating a record more than that one. I thought it was a major pile of shit. I’m pretty sure it was the record XIII, but I can’t be sure as it was sold away a long time ago. Needless to say I wasn’t even a little bit excited when I received this record. I was fully expecting this record to be totally crap.