Mar18

Mournful Congregation – The Incubus of Karma Review

Mournful Congregation – The Incubus of Karma Review

By Grymm on March 21, 2018 in 2018, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 91 comments

“Let’s get the rotting pink elephant carcass out of the way right now; funeral doom is not for the faint of heart nor the shortest of attention spans. That last part needs to be addressed by yours truly, as there has been both some healthy debate and misconception about my dislike of long songs. That couldn’t be further from the truth, as it’s not the length of the tune that drives me into a fit of boredom, but whether or not the song truly goes somewhere of note, or if the journey to that destination is worth it in the end. Australia’s Mournful Congregation are the litmus test by which I judge that criteria by, with songs teeming with morose melodies, densely-layered guitar harmonies, and Yngwie-esque sweep arpeggios, the band… whoa up, sweep arpeggios? IN FUNERAL DOOM?!” How can more be mournful??

Axel Rudi Pell – Knight’s Call Review

Axel Rudi Pell – Knight’s Call Review

By Swordborn on March 21, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, SPV, Steamhammer, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 42 comments

“Axel Rudi Pell (heretofore abbreviated as ARP) and his gang of Westphalian rockers are a one-trick pony, and the whole world of hard rock and heavy metal well knows this. However, the eponymous band has maintained a solid reputation for consistency and quality amongst those who enjoy the stuff, and Axel himself is an old-fashioned fella whose 80’s mindset frequently comes across in more than just his music.” We Camelot!

North Hammer – Stormcaller Review

North Hammer – Stormcaller Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on March 20, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Power Metal, 65 comments

“‘Just so you know I’ll be milking this for a long time.’ These were the first words out of my girlfriend’s mouth after acting willingly (albeit with trepidation) as a last-minute road trip and concert companion to see Watain and Deströyer 666 after the flu struck down two friends who were originally supposed to go. I knew that sitting through myriad episodes of Dr. Phil or Real Housewives of [Pick a Place with Pretentious Snobs Galore] was my price to pay for seeing one of black metal’s most entertaining live acts rampage through the excellent ‘Nuclear Alchemy’ and other great songs, and that was fine. I knew what I signed up for, and honesty is always the best policy.” Our word is our bond, until we break it!

Sojourner – The Shadowed Road Review

Sojourner – The Shadowed Road Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 20, 2018 in 2018, Avantgarde Music, Black Metal, International Metal, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 82 comments

“For just a moment I’m going to break Angry Metal Guy‘s most sacred of journalistic vows to explain how Sojourner’s The Shadowed Road ended up in my undeserving hands. Occasionally, one of our editors will send out an office-wide memo requesting a quick turnaround on a high profile review. Such was the case with Sojourner’s sophomore effort, and while this Swede-Kiwi joint venture yielded a decent debut in 2016’s Empires of Ash, what I perceived as a safe, derivative take on the atmospheric black/folk formula failed to hoist me up on the bandwagon. Volunteering to cover its follow-up, then, was an action born as much from curiosity as it was from a desire to stem undeserved hype. Well, fuck me running, because this time the hype is more than deserved.” All aboard the H-train.

Them Moose Rush – Don’t Pick Your Noise Review

Them Moose Rush – Don’t Pick Your Noise Review

By Huck N Roll on March 18, 2018 in 2018, Croatian Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, TMR Records, Progressive Metal, 25 comments

“When our resident Mistress of Evil, Madam X, assigns you a review, two things occur. First, you’re going to say yes, because if you don’t, Bad Things Happen. And second, it’s going to be some weird music that, through the impenetrable crevices of her warped mind, only she knows how she decided you were the perfect person to review it. And so here I am, taking it upon myself to review something from a Croatian progressive metal band called Them Moose Rush, who decided that Don’t Pick Your Noise was the best name for their album.” Sounds like prog, but it’s snot.

Gravehill – The Unchaste, the Profane, & the Wicked Review

Gravehill – The Unchaste, the Profane, & the Wicked Review

By Mark Z. on March 18, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Black Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 145 comments

“Formed in 2001, this California quintet have made a career out of scorching assholes and taking names, with works like 2011’s When All Roads Lead to Hell and 2014’s Death Curse being particularly hard-hitting. Gravehill occupy that perfect niche between black, death, and thrash metal, that general “extreme metal” breed which is more about delivering killer riffs than being grimmer than thou.” Evil art, foul censorship.

Trouble Agency – Suspected Review

Trouble Agency – Suspected Review

By Steel Druhm on March 17, 2018 in 2018, Belgian Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 25 comments

“One of the most criminally overlooked thrash albums from the glorious 80s was a little gem called Brutal Destruction by unsung Belgian act, Cyclone. It had a great balance of anger, aggression, melody and hooks and I still go back to it some 30 years later. The band went on to release another solid album, then vanished. Out of the fall of that and other Belgian acts like Decadence arose crossover thrashers, Trouble Agency.” Trouble’s abrewin.

Pestilent Reign – Pyres Review

Pestilent Reign – Pyres Review

By Kronos on March 17, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Rising Nemesis Records, Death Metal, 27 comments

“There’s death metal for straining your sanity, and then there’s death metal for straining your neck. Pestilent Reign traffick in the latter, channeling a few of the most beloved tech and brutal death metal acts out there into their tight eight-song debut. Riffs abound; snares are pummeled, amps are cranked, throats are scorched, the whole eight-point-two meters fed through. It’s brutal enough – but is it enough?” Tough questions for rough music.

Gygax – 2nd Edition Review

Gygax – 2nd Edition Review

By Grymm on March 16, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Creator-Destructor Records, Hard Rock, Retro Metal, Reviews, Hard Rock, Retro Metal, 66 comments

“When we last saw California’s Gygax, the stalwart four-piece party encountered a cynical man-cat from the mountains of Blashyrkh, hoping to impress this grizzled wizard with Critical Hits, an album that sang the praises of Dungeons & Dragons with a sound that would make Phil Lynott proud.” They like big dice and they cannot lie.