Mar19

Ataraxie – Résignés Review

By Ferrous Beuller on March 7, 2019 in 2019, Deadlight Entertainment, Death Metal, Doom Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Weird Truth Productions, Xenokorp Records, Death Metal, 194 comments

“If life really is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing, then France’s Ataraxie have an unenviable inside line. Doom metal is always downtrodden, and its more extreme iterations never fail to manifest the maudlin. But the inherent ceremony and circumstance rarely coalesce into as voracious a sonic black hole as heard on Résignés. The band’s fourth album is an unnatural aperture into a single moment of crushing and immutable understanding. Although it doesn’t deviate from their discography’s trajectory, it just might perfect it.” Welcome to the end.

Kings Destroy – Fantasma Nera Review

By Grymm on March 7, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Reviews, Svart Records, Doom Metal, Hard Rock, 149 comments

“I’ll admit, I usually associate certain countries with distinct sounds, especially when it comes to doom metal. The dreariness of British doom sounds miles apart from their Swedish counterparts, and American doom sounds just as removed from the aforementioned. Hell, here in America, you can usually tell from a band’s musical make-up just which city they’ve come from. What I’m getting at here is that, besides Type O Negative, I can’t think off the top of my head another doom metal band from New York state. Brooklyn’s Kings Destroy are hoping their fourth album, Fantasma Nera, will change all that.” No doom til Brooklyn.

Týr – Hel Review

By Steel Druhm on March 6, 2019 in 2019, Faroese Metal, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, Power Metal, Reviews, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 158 comments

“At the stony, windswept crossroads of Viking, folk, power and traditional metal sits Týr on a cottonwood throne bedecked with fishing nets and boat hooks. Hailing from the tiny Faroe Islands that sit between Iceland and Norway, these mysterious descendants of Vikings have impressed with their distinctive brand of genre hopping since their sophomore album Eric the Red came ashore in 2003. They’ve been uncomfortably quiet since 2013s outstanding Valkyrja, making Hel among my most anticipated releases of 2019.” Hel-o, is it me you’re looking for?

Black Lung – Ancients Review

By Huck N Roll on March 6, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Doom Metal, Noisolution, Reviews, Ripple Music, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, 28 comments

“I’ve been on a run in 2019. Not a great run, mind you, but a good one. I haven’t really stumbled across any albums that completely sucked, nor (aside from Soen) any that blew me away. Everything’s been “pretty good,” and that makes me feel like an overrating bastard at times. But rather than dredging the promo sump for some nu-core to lambaste, I continue to optimistically search for hidden gems. Which leads me to Maryland stoner/doom trio Black Lung and their third album, Ancients.” Terminal lung failure.

Degraey – Reveries Review

By sentynel on March 5, 2019 in 2019, Post-metal, Reviews, Self-released, Spanish Metal, Post-Metal, 87 comments

“One of my greatest musical regrets is missing an opportunity to see Isis perform shortly before they disbanded. They were the band that got me into the heavier, harsher-vocalled side of metal, and remain one of my all-time favorite bands. Fortunately, given their position as genre-definers for post-metal, there are no shortage of imitators out there to scratch the itch. Degraey are an independent Spanish band, here with their second album following 2016’s Chrysalis, and the briefest of listens to Reveries reveals they’re card-carrying members of the “We Miss Isis” club.” Gone but not forgotten.

Sinmara – Hvísl Stjarnanna Review

By Dr. Wvrm on March 5, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Icelandic Metal, Reviews, Van Records, Black Metal, 152 comments

“‘Too dense, too impenetrable, too fucking spooky,’ a n00b once regarded black metal. That poser embarrassed himself as glorious Icelandic output like Misþyrming sailed right over his head; now he’s putting poor other n00bs on blast over it. That is to say—in the most roundabout way possible—black metal good now. So, much to a lesser me’s surprise, I clamored after the ensuing jump-ball when Svartidauði guitarist Þórir Garðarsson resurfaced with Almyrkvi and Slidhr alums on Sinmara’s sophomore release. Cue the cliché about ‘being glad I did because Hvísl Stjarnanna is great,’ because I’m glad I did, and Hvísl Stjarnanna is great.” From the mouth of n00bs.

Dying Embers – Where Shadeless Dwell Frozen Review

By GardensTale on March 5, 2019 in 2019, Austrian Metal, Black Sunset Records, Gothic Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Gothic Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, 35 comments

“In the mid-00’s, I was just starting to dip my toes into the realms of metal. Maybe it was just the entry point I had with Children of Bodom, but there were a slew of bands that were called melodic death metal, but like a Scooby Doo villain, turned out to be power metal with some harsh vocals, some of them adding some cues from Gothic metal to seem a little darker. Bands like Eternal Tears of Sorrow or Before the Dawn went over well with pubescent me, with their straightforward, Maidenesque guitar harmonies and gloomy veneer. Dying Embers fall in this category as well, being tagged melodic death metal, and instead molding bits of Gothic and growls onto a mid-paced power metal album with the unwieldy title Where Shadeless Dwell Frozen. Time to feel like a teenager again.” Drama Club metal.

Source – Totality Review

By Huck N Roll on March 4, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Pavement Entertainment, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 90 comments

“Not everyone was on board with their wanton and blatant Tool-meets-Opeth template, but you can count me amongst their followers. After all, it was their first album, and the trio from Boulder, Colorado had to mimic someone. Over the past couple of years, the Madam and I have often posed the questions, ‘How’s it going with Source? And is their sound going to evolve into their own, or are we gonna get another Tool-ish record?’ ‘It’s going well” and ‘Sort of’ would be the correct answers, via their sophomore effort, Totality.” Return to the Source.

Misery Index – Rituals of Power Review

By Saunders on March 4, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, Grind, 115 comments

“Originally spawned from the remnants of the classic Dying Fetus line-up from the monumental Destroy the Opposition, Misery Index wasted fuck all time getting their act together and becoming an immediate force in the extreme metal scene in the early aughts, grinding out a powerful and now lengthy history of their own. Their insightful and vicious socio-political tirades and passionate values matched up perfectly with their grind and thrash-infected style of muscular death metal. Misery Index have managed to deftly shift and evolve their sound along the way, crafting a consistent and high-quality body of work, highlighted by 2008’s vicious Traitors album, and arguably their finest hour, 2010’s modern masterwork, Heirs of Thievery. But nearly 20 years into their career, are these modern-day descendants of Napalm Death still able to muster the strength and power to dominate in 2019?” Misery loves power.

Chrome Waves – A Grief Observed Review

By Mark Z. on March 3, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Disorder Recordings, Reviews, Black Metal, 22 comments

“I’m always fascinated by bands that could have been. Not ‘could have been famous,’ but could have been anything. They’re the bands that muddle about in the underground, release an EP or two, and then fade into the ether without ever releasing anything again. For years Chrome Waves were one of those bands. Formed in 2010 by famed American black metal musician Jeff Wilson (formerly of Abigail Williams, Wolvhammer, and Nachtmystium) and drummer Bob Fouts (formerly of The Gates of Slumber and Apostle of Solitude), the group released a self-titled post-black metal EP in 2012 before going totally silent.” Waves from the void.