May19

Gloryhammer – Legends From Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex Review

By sentynel on June 3, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Napalm Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 134 comments

“If you missed the tongue-bathing AMG gave their last album, Gloryhammer are one of the best active Rhapsody-style epic power metal bands, and also a loving, self-aware parody of same. They’re founded first on quality and second on overly-amped up tropes—D-tier speculative fiction plot, non-native English speaker lyrics, etc.—to the precise point where they become obviously funny. It’s not so overdone that it becomes tiresome, and it works because of the attention to detail and cohesiveness of the whole: take a couple of elements away and you might wonder whether they were actually serious all along.” Get hammered.

Third Wave – Metamorphosis Review

By Saunders on June 3, 2019 in 2019, German Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Djent, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, 22 comments

“I’ve dabbled and enjoyed the occasional metalcore band or album in the past, but overall I’ve never been overly fond of the genre and the debilitating rut metalcore as a whole appears to be stuck in. Yet, I believe in taking risks and being open minded, so I put on my mask of hope and optimism to tackle German band Third Wave and their Metamorphosis LP.” Don’t rock the boat.

Stormhammer – Seven Seals Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 2, 2019 in 2019, German Metal, Massacre Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 34 comments

“There’re seven things in this world I cherish, seven people I don’t hate, and seven albums I’ll love to the grave. OK, the seven ‘things’ are only one, the seven ‘people’ are only two, and the seven albums I plan to die with are none of your fucking business. ‘Seven’ is a lucky number for dumbasses in Hollywood movies. But, for me, seven is a convenient middle-ground to questions from my boss, family, and ‘friends.’ ‘How much longer is this gonna take?!’ Seven minutes. ‘Christmas is starting! How far away are you?’ Seven days. ‘How old is Abigail?’ Seven. Wait! Nine?! Fuck. You get what I mean. Regardless of how idiotic a lucky number can be, ‘seven’ might be, indeed, a lucky number for Germany’s Stormhammer.” Lucky number Stormhammer.

Psychotool – Rotten Paradise Review

By Lokasenna on June 2, 2019 in 2019, Black Sunset Records, German Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 13 comments

“Coming off a short hiatus from this ~~fetid cesspit~~ exalted hall, I find myself digging through the promo bin for something familiar, something to kickstart the ol’ critical faculties. Black metal? Nah, wrong weather. Doom? Certainly rainy enough to fit, but nah. Melodeath it is then!” Something is rotten in…paradise??

Floating Worlds – Battleship Oceania Review

By Carcharodon on June 1, 2019 in 2019, Greek Metal, Power Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 85 comments

“Power metal is one of those genres that promises a lot but has a tendency to under deliver. Progressive power — prower? — metal promises more and delivers less often still. While the key constituents, including soaring guitars, prominent keyboards, bombastic drums, and faux-operatic vocals, are all welcome, the manner in which they are stitched together is often where it comes apart. Add to this the risks inherent in making a concept album and you have quite the heady mix.” Watership down.

Domgård – Rót Review

By Lord Doom on May 31, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Carnal Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 60 comments

“Black metal is a branch of the heavy metal tree that once, a long time ago, traded on fear and a reputation for violence and chaos. Nowadays, the genre does not inspire nearly the same degree of terror it once did. Somewhere between corpse-painted cat memes, dalliances with commercial success, and the general overreach of the internet, the teeth of those early days have been filed down quite a bit; another form of dark expression saturated by the direct sunlight of too much attention. Enter Domgård, a band formed in Göteborg, Sweden back in 1997 by Jonas Almén, aka Vindkall.”

K.F.R. – Démonologue Review

By Master of Muppets on May 31, 2019 in 2019, Ambient Metal, Avante Garde, French Metal, Noise, Purity Through Fire, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Avante Garde, Noise, 62 comments

“As I stare into the night sky, casting wishes and cigarette smoke to a lonely moon, a faint tapping sound breaks the silence and the grip of my reverie. I peer into the surrounding dark, curious as to who or what might be sharing this moment with me, but the hushed scenery offers no evidence of an intrusion. I shrug off this immaterial disruption and redirect my gaze towards my lunar companion, when something catches my eye; there, at the skirt of the moonlit lake that I’ve come to sit and think beside, stands a ghost. Before the icy grip of panic can steer my body into a flight of terror, I realize that this spectre is but a reflection in the water—and I am no less relieved.” Keep your sock puppets inside the ride at all times.

Funeral Storm – Arcane Mysteries Review

By Mark Z. on May 31, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 42 comments

“Mystical. Archaic. Melodic. Militant. Triumphant. All words that could be used to describe Greek black metal, and all reasons why albums like Macabre Omen’s Gods of War – At War and Rotting Christ’s mid-00s material hold a special place in my blackened heart. Funeral Storm aren’t technically a new name on the scene, though you’d be forgiven for never having heard of them given they’ve released virtually nothing other than a few splits since their 2002 formation.” Putting the Hell in Hellenic.

Esoctrilihum – The Telluric Ashes of the Ö Vrth Immemorial Gods Review

By Cherd on May 31, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, French Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 46 comments

“Editing is a big part of the creative process that few non-creators see. For every song set to record, there are others that remain demos or are simply never recorded. For every painting in a gallery, others sit in storage or are scraped away to salvage a canvas. Novelists work with editors before their books hit the shelves, and this is after they’ve already narrowed down their own ideas. When a band announces a new album in consecutive years, it’s reasonable to worry that whatever they’ve been baking is still doughy in the middle. So when I saw that the mad Frenchman behind blackened death metal project Esoctrilihum was set to release his FOURTH MOTHERFORKING ALBUM SINCE 2017, I was dubious.” Too much too soon?

Evohé – Deus Sive Natura Review

By Twelve on May 30, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Folter Records, French Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 43 comments

“I rarely write my introductions first. This paragraph, the one right here that you’re reading right now usually appears later on, as if by magic, after I already have an idea of where exactly the review is going. I tell you this so that you’ll understand when I say that I’ve already squandered most of my allotted word count gushing over Deus Sive Natura down there, so I don’t have much time to be all flowery and introductiony. So here’s what you need to know: Evohé hail from France, play pagan black metal, and Deus Sive Natura is their third full-length.” No introductions necessary.