May20

Winterfylleth – The Reckoning Dawn Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 11, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 54 comments

“Wtf’s occur in everyday life. I’ve broken a thumb of one hand under the hammer held by the other and exclaimed the same betrayed question. Hell, I’m sure my mother pinched me out and exclaimed those same three words to my father. I sure did whisper it when I heard Winterfylleth’s The Hallowing of Heirdom. An acoustic album was not what I expected. I had hoped, instead, for a strong release to balance out the mediocre The Dark Hereafter. Upon the first spin of The Reckoning Dawn, my mouth hung open once more and I exclaimed, ‘what the fuck.’ But what kind of ‘wtf’ is this? The good kind? Or the bad?” You can’t spell Winterfylleth without WTF.

Naglfar – Cerecloth Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 11, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 33 comments

“These Swedes have been around a long time and, I’m sad to admit, I kinda gave up on them after 2007’s Harvest. Yet, here we are, some thirteen years later, with Naglfar’s newest record plopped in my lap. Upon initial inspection, Cerecloth looks, feels, and smells like Naglfar. Former bassist, Kristoffer W. Olivius, is still at the mic, after replacing the mighty Jens Rydén on 2005’s Pariah. And, as it’s been since ’95’s Vittra, each instrument is as crucial as the next. The result is some of the strongest songwriting in the genre. Never groundbreaking and never meant to be, Naglfar is a true purveyor of that melodic black metal sound.” Olde and still colde.

Forgotten Tomb – Nihilistic Estrangement Review

By Doom_et_Al on May 8, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 21 comments

“Longevity is underrated. In 1999, I was a school kid listening to so-so indie rock. Meanwhile, Forgotten Tomb was formed and was busy defining the depressive black metal subgenre: 2003’s Springtime Depression and 2004’s Love’s Burial Ground are considered reasonably important touchstones for the era.” Entombed but not forgotten.

Ash Return – The Sharp Blade of Integrity Review

By Holdeneye on May 8, 2020 in Reviews, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, 29 comments

“Metalcore is controversial term with a broad meaning as evidenced by the fact that it can accurately be applied to any/all of Killswitch Engage, Converge, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The meaning is so broad, in fact, that it’s essentially meaningless when used as a standalone genre tag.” Warcore.

Forming The Void – Reverie Review

By Grymm on May 7, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 32 comments

Louisiana’s Forming The Void admirably scratched my doom metal itch back in 2018 with their third full-length, Rift. Between the sludgy riffs, the Middle-Eastern-inspired noodling, and the heft of the overall package, “Rift was a respectable, enjoyable album. But with all that’s been going on in the world, my lack of free time to even listen to music, let alone review it, and finding difficulty in locating simple pleasures like liquid hand soap or toilet paper… let’s just say that I’m itching for some quality doom metal to ease my soul.” Doom therapy.

Armnatt – Dense Fog Review

By Doom_et_Al on May 7, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, 18 comments

“If the metal genre as we know it were an animal shelter, the two most isolated beasts, sitting abjectly in the corner, would be the ungainly, lumbering, shaggy Funeral Doom and the feral, bestial, slightly-rabid Raw Black Metal. Even within this shelter, these are the least loved of the myriad metal breeds.” Bully breeds.

Secrets of the Moon – Black House Review

By Steel Druhm on May 6, 2020 in Reviews, Not Metal, 28 comments

“Bands change and sounds evolve. These are the most inescapable truisms in music regardless of genre, with only AC/DC and maybe Sodom resisting the inevitable flux. The last time I reviewed a Secrets of the Moon album way back in 2012 they were a somewhat progressive black metal act endeavoring to mix goth elements into their sound. Now Secrets of the Moon no longer play black metal in any way, shape or form.” Evolve or die.

…and Oceans – Cosmic World Mother Review

By Holdeneye on May 6, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, 84 comments

“Over a decade after leaving …and Oceans behind, original guitarists Timo Kontio and Teemu Saari reunited to resurrect it, rounding out the band with a new cast of characters. What have constant stylistic change, new blood, and time have done to the band’s sound?” Mutation and adaptation.

Thy Despair – The Song of Desolation Review

By Emya on May 6, 2020 in Reviews, Gothic Metal, 22 comments

“I’m a sucker for epic-sounding music. From Two Steps from Hell’s “Heart of Courage” (the main opening theme song of the hilarious TV show Nathan for You) to Yanni’s scintillating “Nostalgia,” I have a sweet spot for shimmering synths and bombastic orchestral swells. So naturally, when I saw that Thy Despair included a Game of Thrones metal lyrics cover video in their promo materials, I took the bait.” It’s a trap.

Mean Messiah – Divine Technology Review

By GardensTale on May 5, 2020 in Reviews, Industrial Metal, Progressive Metal, 33 comments

“Drawing directly from the Dev doesn’t really narrow things down in and of itself. Mean Messiah limit themselves to a mixture of Strapping Young Lad and his more life-affirming Transcendence and Epicloud style. It’s a weird dichotomy, manic aggression opposing triumphant zen semi-choirs, causing more whiplash than a bus from a BDSM convention getting rear-ended by an 18-wheeler.” Dev Driver.