Mar22

Pillaging Villagers – Pillaging Villagers Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 11, 2022 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Thrash Metal, 76 comments

“The metal scene has, for the last decade or so, been relatively stagnant in its progression. Though the genre thrives, large scale innovation has stalled. Deafheaven’s Sunbather and the rise of djent and argent metal have made a sizable impact, but otherwise the genre looks much the same now as it did a decade ago. But evolution doesn’t need to result in revolution; it can be a small scale experiment that thrives on novelty, executed with a bold, focused vision. Something like, I dunno, the death-y and melodic thrash metal of Necropanther mashed up with the drunken joy of Dropkick Murphys. And that’s exactly what Pillaging Villagers is.” It takes a pillage…

E-L-R – Vexier Review

By Ferox on March 11, 2022 in Reviews, Uncategorized, Post-Metal, 28 comments

“”Doom” plus “shoegaze” equals “doomshoe.” Wait, sorry–with Vexier, Switzerland’s E-L-R releases their second platter of so-called doomgaze. The sound, as you might guess from the tag, combines echoing, reverb-soaked vocals with riffs that repeat to the point of near-hypnosis. The heavier elements are closer to post-metal than they are to doom, with a psych-rock vibe that often recalls a late-era Kylesa.” Shoes of doom are dropping.

Pestilength – Basom Gryphos Review

By Dear Hollow on March 10, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 15 comments

“Although divisive, Portal’s influence in the death metal world is undeniable. Featuring riffs that seem to crawl with murk and dissonance aplenty with an eldritch monstrosity roaring from the pulpit, there are few who can accurately channel this particular breed of otherworldly alienation. Many have tried and failed, but getting that squirming aesthetic just right is nearly impossible. Basque duo Pestilength is the latest to try their hand at the next Vexovoid.” Cake? No cake!

Messa – Close Review

By Steel Druhm on March 10, 2022 in Reviews, Doom Jazz, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, 49 comments

“Three albums into their career and few bands are as enigmatic and interesting as Messa. Starting life as a progressive doom act, Messa always played fast and loose with genres and styles, layering doom, sludge, ambient, and cabaret jazz influences in the madman’s lasagna and adroitly blending spices to make something captivating and otherworldly. On third album Close, the ambient elements have faded away but the doom-meets-cabaret-meets-whatever style is still present, with the overall sound ending up more expansive and airy.” Up Close and personal.

Haunted Shores – Void Review

By Carcharodon on March 10, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Djent, Progressive Metal, 15 comments

“Washington, D.C. progressive instrumental duo Haunted Shores returns after a seven-year absence with second full-length, Void. This is the follow-up to 2015 EP, Viscera, and 2011’s self-titled debut album. Haunted Shores members Mark Holcomb and Misha Mansoor are better known as members of Periphery, where both handle guitars and Mansoor is also responsible for programming, synthesizers, orchestration and drums. And once you know that, you can’t unhear Periphery in what the duo turn out.” Crawling eyes and void fanciers.

Sabaton – The War to End All Wars Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 9, 2022 in Reviews, Power Metal, 143 comments

Sabaton’s music is large and bombastic, so we had to put one large and one bombastic staffer on it for proper coverage of The War to End All Wars. WAR ARTS!

Bastard – Rotten Blood Review

By Ferox on March 9, 2022 in Reviews, 17 comments

“What we have here is the devil’s own bar band. After a seven-year layoff and a slew of lineup changes, Bastard swaggers back onstage with sophomore full-length Rotten Blood. These four likely parolees mine a vein of blackened speed metal and thrash that will be familiar to fans of Nifelheim, Goatwhore, or, more recently, any of your finer bands ending in the suffix “-er” (Bütcher, Bewitcher, Hellripper, Demiser, etc.). The album is all Motörhead riffs played at 78 rpm and mad-lib lyrics that pay homage to Satan or whatever–mostly, it seems, because cozying up to Old Man Splitfoot is the fastest way to get your hands on the good whiskey.” Bastards, bourbon, Battlestar Galactica.

Unru – Die Wiederkehr des Verdrängten Review

By Dear Hollow on March 8, 2022 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Crust Punk, 21 comments

“There’s something about abstractness in music that rides a fine line between tantalizing and off-putting. While anything tagged “avant-garde” is immediately greeted by a chorus of hissing and boos, there are ways to create effectively challenging tunes using relatively standard methods. Some metallic styles are born out of this aesthetic, as post-metal’s emphasis on landscapes or drone’s focus on overwhelming density spring to mind, but black metal has always maintained a bit more straightforward nostalgia in the unholy trinity: tremolo, blastbeats, and shrieks. Unru seeks to challenge such things.” Dare to be difficult.

Izthmi – Leaving This World, Leaving it All Behind Review

By Doom_et_Al on March 8, 2022 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 21 comments

“Izthmi sure have a sense of timing. Their debut album, The Arrows of Our Ways, was released in mid-February 2020, right around the time a certain virus you may have heard of began entering the news… Despite impressing a cantankerous Grymm with its progressive and melodic take on atmospheric black metal (as well as a frankly gorgeous cover), it kinda got lost in the craziness that followed.” Storms and storming out.

JIRM – The Tunnel, The Well, Holy Bedlam Review

By Huck N Roll on March 8, 2022 in Reviews, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, 5 comments

“The Tunnel, The Well, Holy Bedlam: one of the coolest album titles so far this year. It comes to us courtesy the psychedelic spaced-out minds of JIRM, known as Jeremy Irons and the Ratgang Malibus until 2018’s Surge Ex Monumentis album. Now here they are four years older and wiser but presumably just as high, with their fifth album, and with a title like that (and some cool song titles as well) I’m intrigued despite my tepid thoughts on their last one.” Holy Batman.