May18

Hegemone – We Disappear Review

By Kronos on May 15, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Debemur Morti, Polish Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Post-Metal, 57 comments

“While all things black, post-, and continental usually fall to the voracious maw of Muppet, every so often there comes a time for more level-headed reviewers to rate these albums below a 4.0. After all, the kid just recently learned of the existence of Throatruiner Records, so he’ll have to take some time to deal with that boon in private. Your guide today is taking time out of a bustling schedule of mediocre death metal to thrash out the merits and demerits of the sophomore offering from Poland’s Hegemone, entitled We Disappear.” Things the Muppet missed.

Panegyrist – Hierurgy Review

By Steel Druhm on May 14, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Avante Garde, Black Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 99 comments

“Steel Druhm‘s black metal appreciation days have largely come and gone as we’ve grown apart and developed irreconcilable differences. Because I’m such a self-aware, introspective gent, I give the genre a wide birth when it comes to promo pluckery lest I savage a band for my own lack of interest. But a strange thing happened on the way to the sump recently. Madam X was sampling new arrivals and I didst hear such a compelling cacophony that I simply had to know who was responsible.” Risky blackness.

The Ever Living – Herephemine Review

By Mark Z. on May 14, 2018 in 2018, Ambient Metal, British Metal, Chromism Records, Post-metal, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Post-Metal, 40 comments

“I’m always on the lookout for something new, and in that regard, The Ever Living seemed pretty promising. Formed in 2016, this British quintet label themselves with the unusual tag of ‘cinematic metal,’ and their vocalist claims they aren’t even really a metal band at all. Nonetheless, the group’s self-titled EP earned positive acclaim from some major heavy music publications back in 2016, and two years later these not-ThunderCat-villains have returned with debut full-length Herephemine. Having no idea what ‘herephemine’ means and no prior experience with Living, is ‘cinematic metal’ worth the trip to the theater or are you better off waiting till this comes out on Netflix?” The Ever Living and chill?

Nekrokraft – Servants Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 11, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, The Sign Records, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 86 comments

“If you were to guess what Nekrokraft and Witchery have in common, what would it be? OK, yeah, they’re both Swedish. What else? Nope, they definitely don’t play the same styles of metal—the former is more Swede-thrash oriented and the latter plays symphonic-black metal, in the vein of Dimmu Borgir. Give up yet? What these two groups have in common is their vocalist.” Scream us a song, you’re a screamer.

Abythic – Beneath Ancient Portals Review

By Kronos on May 10, 2018 in 2018, Blood Harvest Records, Death Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 34 comments

“I will award no prizes for guessing what kind of music Abythic play. A name like that is tell-tale enough, and releasing their debut on Sweden’s Blood Harvest, a label perhaps best-known for their work with bands like Impetuous Ritual, Triumvir Foul, and Tomb Mold, doubles down on any preconceptions you might have. The order of the day is doomy, dirty death metal, an ever-welcome houseguest at the home of Kronos. Keep your coat on and track mud all over the place, I don’t give a shit so long as you brought riffs to the potluck and are prepared to serve them. Judgment comes after the meal.” Filth buffet.

Skinless – Savagery Review

By Ferrous Beuller on May 9, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, 89 comments

“I love to work out. I’m not freakishly huge and the amount of weight I can master is probably better measured in how much I can’t lift, but love it I do. As a result, there can be no denying that, for better or worse, the gym has become a criteria that I use to quantify music. It’s no surprise then that the riff, a thing I love more than most people, plays a pivotal part in any dalliance with The Iron. What better band to accompany me to that hall of meat and metal than New York’s Skinless, combining flesh and death in more than just name.” Bench stats, yo.

Adversvm – Aion Sitra Ahra Review

By Grymm on May 9, 2018 in 2018, Doom Metal, Drone, German Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Doom Metal, Drone, Funeral Doom, 31 comments

“Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one before: lofty, esoteric song titles and album names, a promo picture of a single dude who looks like one of the choir guys from Batushka and goes by just his initials, and very little-to-no-internet presence at all, so looking for much information on the “band” in question, other than the fact that Adversvm is a German one-man act, is an exercise in futility… all these things would have you screaming, “Fuck, not another one-man black metal band.” And I would sympathize with you completely if it was accurate. You see, though, Adversvm is a one-man funeral doom band hoping to make a name for himself in a steadily-growing genre.” One slow man.

From Beyond – The Band From Beyond Review

By Steel Druhm on May 8, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Stoner Rock, 64 comments

“Life coaches and creepy self-help gurus always seem to tell you to get a clear plan and follow it. As if all life’s complexities and intrinsic chaos could be bypassed by the mere existence of bullet points and feel good mission statements. Like many of my fellow metal fanciers, I prefer a life of chaos, uncertainty and random disaster. I feel safe saying Texas oddballs From Beyond are right there with me on that too. Their debut jettisons policy and protocol, instead hurling ideas against a studio wall to see what sticks and how deeply.” Of plans and punches.

Burden of Grief – Eye of the Storm Review

By Master of Muppets on May 8, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Massacre Records, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 110 comments

“Oh, Metalcore, I mourn for those who never knew you. Glorious was the heyday of such then-gigantic core ‘core acts as Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, Shadows Fall, etc. The alchemy of fusing melodeath-inspired riffage and radio-friendly songwriting yielded far more quality results than one might expect or willingly concede, yet the saturation and over recycling of this formula ultimately failed to maintain the staying power of its trve idols. Nonetheless, it’s still a thing, so people are still doing it. In Germany, Burden of Grief are hard at work being that collective guy.” Burden of core.

Thy Catafalque – Geometria Review

By Dr. Wvrm on May 4, 2018 in 2018, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, 60 comments

“I can’t speak for everyone, but this year hasn’t exactly crushed it for me. I don’t know what it is. A case of the heard-it-all-befores? The inescapable drain of attempting to keep up with everything but feeling like you’re keeping up with nothing? Whatever it is, I circled Thy Catafalque’s Geometria early, hoping it would wrench me from my malaise. With Tamás Kátai, you’re never getting the same thing twice.” Malaise forever.