Mar21

Estuarine – Nyarlathotep Review

By Dear Hollow on March 19, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Technical Death Metal, 18 comments

“I’m not sure why we have a general rule against EP’s, but I imagine that it has something to do with the brevity of the content. We don’t get a good representation of the artist if we’re only given a few songs to work with, while full-lengths are intended as cohesive works and can showcase the effectiveness of an artist to create them. Grind, however, throws a big ol’ middle finger at this in favor of beatdown explosions that sneer in the face of subtlety with the dumbest grin possible. A grind full-length can be anywhere between fifteen and thirty minutes, and even then, Estuarine’s ten minutes is challenging brevity.” One-man grind to kick some behind.

Dvne – Etemen Ænka Review

By GardensTale on March 19, 2021 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 90 comments

“If you ask me, Dvne is one of the greater discoveries of the last 5 years. After sampling them, based on a random recommendation from a random review, I’ve found myself increasingly absorbed by the Scottish band. They are still my favorite out of all the TYMHM reviews I wrote, and they landed a high spot in my end of year list in 2017. Needless to say, my anticipation for this weirdly named sophomore offering of sci-fi prog sludge was sky high.” The riffs must flow!

Thunder Horse – Chosen One Review

By Huck N Roll on March 19, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 18 comments

“Thunder Horse was a pleasant surprise ending to 2018, dropping a solid platter of sludgy doom on our doorstep that December. It was strong enough to attract the attention of renowned stoner/doom/psych label Ripple Music, and here we are now with Chosen One, the band’s follow-up. Like their namesake, this quartet brings thunder to the masses in typically larger-than-life Texas fashion, with anthemic, grandiose doom replete with crushing drums and epic guitar solos. Although not even remotely close musically, the title of an old Dave Edmunds album comes to mind when listening to Thunder Horse. This music is as Subtle as a Flying Mallet.” Horse-corps.

Fuath – II Review

By El Cuervo on March 18, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 18 comments

“Representing a darker, meaner interpretation of black metal, Andy Marshall, better known for Saor, unleashed his Fuath (Gaelic for hatred) project around now over 5 years ago (fuck me, my life’s getting away from me). I excelled in black atmosphere and understated but sticky melodies and remains one of the decade’s better examples of atmospheric black metal, in a sub-genre full to the brim with mediocrity. It was intended to be a one-off but the inspirationally-entitled II is now primed for release.” Atmo-II: Electric Boogaloo.

Lunar Shadow – Wish to Leave Review

By Steel Druhm on March 18, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 21 comments

Lunar Shadow is a relatively young act, but they’ve logged more miles on their progress-o-meter than some bands do over several decades. Here on album number three, Wish to Leave, they’ve undergone their third significant style shift. Having started life playing a form of retro epic metal fused with black metal, they quickly shifted and incorporated a significant Goth rock element on 2019s The Smokeless Fire, while still trying to make their traditional/epic/NWoBHM/black style function. Now a scant year and change later they’ve shifted deeper into Goth rock and post/indie territory.” Sudden departures and chronic indecisiveness.

Hevilan – Symphony of Good and Evil Review

By Holdeneye on March 18, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 43 comments

“If you are one of the poor souls who’s managed to follow my pedestrian music journalism career, you know that I’m a hopeless Nevermore weenie. There’s just something about the way they combined immense, progressive, down-tuned riffing with powerful, operatic vocals that is incredibly pleasing to my ears. I was therefore absolutely defenseless against the promo blurb that touted Hevilan guitarist Johnny Moraes as having appeared in Warrel Dane’s live band, as well as on the late Nevermore singer’s posthumous solo release, Shadow Work.” Good times, bad times.

Midnight Odyssey – Biolume Part 2: The Golden Orb Review

By Carcharodon on March 17, 2021 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Drone, Heavy Metal, 70 comments

“In November 2019, I picked up the Midnight Odyssey-reviewing baton from a tired and broken Dr A.N.Grier, who had aged a number of cat years during his time with the 160-minute beast, Shards of Silver Fade. By contrast, I was able to listen to its successor, and first episode in a planned trilogy, Biolume Part 1: In Tartarean Chains, twice through and still have time for a 15-minute power nap, in the time it took poor Grier to labor his way through Shards. For anyone who thought this was a sign that Australian gloomster and one-man Odyssey, Dis Pater, had learned to curb his more expansive tendencies, however, Pater has all 102 minutes of Biolume Part 2: The Golden Orb to tell you otherwise.” Maximum adventures.

Olde – Pilgrimage Review

By Grymm on March 17, 2021 in Reviews, Sludge, 12 comments

“Ontario’s Olde have been banging around the sludge scene for an unknown period of time, formerly as Corvuss until around 2014 when they decided to change their name to what it is today. I’m usually pretty good at keeping an ear out for quality sludge and doom releases, but I will admit I’ve never heard of Olde until the accompanying one-sheet bio claimed that they’re for fans of High on Fire, Trouble, The Melvins, and Entombed How do I say no to that?!” Olde and slowe.

Everture – Emerge Review

By Dear Hollow on March 16, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Rock, 40 comments

“Album length is a point of contention at AMG Headquarters. So around the office cooler one day, the illustrious Carcharodon revealed that his promo was a honkin’ two-hour commitment. I now realize that “Mine’s a nine-minute grind EP! Sucks to be you!” was the wrong thing to say. As a dear Lavagirlbitch to the Sharkboy, he used his power to punish me pick a promo for me. Please direct your hate mail to him for the awkwardly named Everture. I was immediately horrified at the phrase “modern metal” that greeted my eyes.” The Everture will continue until morale improves.

Kankar – Dunkle Millennia Review

By Doom_et_Al on March 16, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 54 comments

““Nuclear hot riffs.” A commenter recently wrote beneath another review that the way black metal in 2021 is shaping up, to even begin to stand out, bands need to bring some serious, “nuclear hot,” riffage to the table. They weren’t wrong. We can ramble on all day about clever technical flourishes, dissonant chords, and foreboding atmospheres, but when all is said and done, we metalheads respect the almighty riff. The riff is the period that concludes a sentence, the punch to the jaw at the end of a fight, the incontrovertible law that even Steel bows down before. So what if I told you that a German duo had managed to jam more riffs into its debut release than many other bands in their entire careers?”” Fooked with a Kankar.