Manes

Snares of Sixes – MoonBladder Review

By Carcharodon on October 5, 2021 in Reviews, Drone, 31 comments

“Jason William Walton. By my count, this guy has been a part, or founder, of at least 24 bands, collaborations and projects. Most notably, of course, as bassist (and sometimes songwriter) for the much-missed Agalloch. Other entries in Walton’s bio include folk-doom outfit Dolven, the bonkers electronic oompah of Especially Likely Sloth and progressive melodeath band Sculptured. Walton strides across broad musical lands, arriving at Snares of Sixes, an experimental collective ‘assembled, arranged and constructed by him.” Constructed insanity.

Syning – Syning Review

By Dear Hollow on April 13, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 18 comments

“I’m not entirely sure what’s happening on this cover, but it can’t be good. Making rounds at the office to gather insight on these mummified shenanigans, Cherd suggests the vaccination line at CVS. Felagund shakes his n00by tail-feathers with a bright-eyed look and suggests it’s the DMV waiting room. Still utterly confused, I slapped this down on Steel‘s desk with a big ol’ “the fuck is this” and he chuckles nostalgically and a gleam enters his eye. “The n00b gauntlet,” he mumbles.” Syning in blood.

Splendidula – Post Mortem Review

By Carcharodon on January 12, 2019 in 2018, Belgian Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Stoner Metal, 29 comments

“Coming from the Latin ‘splendidus’, ‘splendid’ is defined—by one (free) online dictionary that this n00b found, anyway—as an adjective meaning ‘magnificent; very impressive.’ Of what relevance is this to Post Mortem, the second album from Splendidula? Quite possibly none but having made the splendid-Splendidula link in my head, I got my hopes up.” Album autopsy.

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten of 2018

By Dr. A.N. Grier on December 26, 2018 in 2018, Blog Posts, Lists, 168 comments

Doctors in Da House! Next Dr. A.N. Grier presents his Top Ten of 2018. It’s been meticulously researched, so now it needs peer review. Give it!

Manes – Slow Motion Death Sequence Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on August 23, 2018 in 2018, Avante Garde, Debemur Morti, Electronica Metal, Non-Metal Metal Things, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Electronica Metal, Non-metal Metal Things, 70 comments

“The first time I heard the Norwegian oddity known as Manes, I was in grad school. That fateful day, I was grading organic chemistry exams, locked away in that windowless closet of a grading room. With hours of work ahead of me, I took the time to find some new music to ease the pain. After getting caught in the rabbit’s hole of ‘similar artists’ and the ‘who-played-with-who’ links of Metal Archives, I emerged with Manes. And, I figured, this oughta do.” Music for destroying futures.

Område – Nåde Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 28, 2017 in 2017, Avante Garde, Electronica Metal, French Metal, My Kingdom Music, Reviews, Avante Garde, Electronica Metal, 47 comments

“Well, Område have done it again. Two years ago, I opened their Edari review talking about the marriage of an album to its artwork. What seems simplistic turns out to quite difficult. Finding the right artist and the right piece of art to match an album’s character is like food presentation. For instance, if not careful, you’ll turn your entire family against your amazing chili dogs. I thought the artwork of Område’s debut was the perfect match to its sound, but Nåde takes the cake (or, in this case, a foot-long chili coney).” Of trippy music and penis-shaped meats.

Pogavranjen – Jedva čekam da nikad ne umrem Review

By Roquentin on March 6, 2016 in 2016, Arachnophobia Records, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Croatian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 19 comments

“I don’t often get a chance to write about Croatian metal bands or, to be exact, I don’t often feel like writing about Croatian metal bands. There’s barely anything to call a “metal scene” in my homeland, with most acts birthed alone and lonely into a generic and photocopied existence, only to disappear in a flash of insignificance. Suffice to say that during the last 25 odd years since the country’s declaration of independence, there were only a few bands worth mentioning in the same breath with their international stylistic brethren (Ashes You Leave, Umor, Death of Folk, Infernal Tenebra). Imagine my elation, then, when something as good as Pogavranjen’s third LP, Jedva čekam da nikad ne umrem,[1. Looking Forward to Never Dying] came along. Curiously composed and competently played avant-garde black metal that is not merely the fruit of derivative rehashing? Yes, please!” We’ll take a double of that, with fries.

Område – Edari Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 14, 2015 in 2015, Avante Garde, French Metal, My Kingdom Music, Reviews, Avante Garde, 25 comments

“There’s just something about Seldon Hunt’s artwork that draws me deep into the full concept and mood of an album. Hunt is somehow able to match auditory art with an observable one. And Område’s Edari is no different. Hunt’s work conveys a sense of beauty, confusion, and uneasiness that perfectly encapsulates a band that compares themselves to influential acts such as Manes and Ulver.” What’s with all the avant-garde metal this year? Must be due to global climate change.

Lethe – When Dreams Become Nightmares Review

By Grymm on January 12, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Debemur Morti, Gothic Metal, Not Metal, Reviews, Not Metal, 3 comments

“When I throw the label “experimental metal” out to you, what does your blastbeat-addled mind conjure for images and sounds? Does your brain picture off-the-wall time changes, weird instrumentation, musical concepts foreign to metal, or something truly out of left field? Or, like me, does it simply explain that what you’re about to listen to, well, isn’t really metal? Sadly, 9 times out of 10, most “experimental” bands fall into the latter category. Lethe is a new project featuring Anna Murphy (Eluveitie) and Tor-Helge Skei (Manes) waving the “experimental metal” flag with their debut, When Dreams Become Nightmares. Does Lethe carve a new path through the thickets, emblazoning new trails, and sending the hordes kicking and screaming, welcoming the dawn of a new day in the world of heavy metal?” Grymm answers this thorny question and weighs the relative worth of this experiment in metal and/or non-metal.