Melodic Death Metal

Under Siege – Under Siege Review

By Dr. Wvrm on January 18, 2018 in 2018, Folk Metal, Italian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 34 comments

“I can never quite get my head around how quickly Bandcamp staked out such an integral position in my life. The online marketplace is responsible for expanding my listening horizons as well as keeping me attuned to what people I respect (and El Cuervo) find worthy of purchase. Plus, letting me truffle-pig for releases that might not hit the promo bin is how I found Æther Realm. It’s also how I came across Under Siege. The Italians’ folky, eclectic brand of melodeath hooked me from the start, and the notion that their debut might go unreviewed was too painful to allow.” The agony and ecstasy of the fanboy.

EP Edition [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

By El Cuervo on January 1, 2018 in 2017, Reviews, Things You MIght Have Missed 2017, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Post-Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 76 comments

“Last year I compiled a year-end EP post with which I received help from my colleagues and of which I was quite proud. This year I institute this post by repeating it.” Get institutionalized.

Serenity in Murder – The Eclipse [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

By Eldritch Elitist on December 20, 2017 in 2017, Japanese Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Oyster Brothers Records, Things You MIght Have Missed 2017, Melodic Death Metal, 64 comments

“There’s a special little subcategory of my year-end list this year that I’m tentatively dubbing “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Finnish!” With much of that country’s melodeath old guard either disbanded, commercialized, or in an ongoing slump, it makes sense that other countries are picking up the slack. And one of the finest examples of the faux-Finn sound you’ll hear this year comes straight from Japan.” Japan to the rescue.

Æther Realm – Tarot [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

By Dr. Wvrm on December 10, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Primitive Ways Records, Reviews, Things You MIght Have Missed 2017, Melodic Death Metal, 72 comments

“Why do I do this? I am not paid to write here; I wouldn’t mind but I never set out to cash in on my inconsistent drivel at 700 words a pop. Love of the gig, the craft, the community all register and indeed carry me when nothing flows and everything comes out like shit, but that did not impel me to sign up. Having something to say reads more like a line on a CV than a raison d’etre, but maybe. Tarot make me think so. I can count on one hand the number of records that so immediately and viscerally impacted me as Æther Realm’s second effort. Rectifying its absence here might just be why Jørn put me on this planet.” Jorn to review.

Aetherian – The Untamed Wilderness Review

By Dr. Wvrm on December 6, 2017 in 2017, Greek Metal, Lifeforce Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 43 comments

“I love Insomnium. Big shock, I know. Of the eight reviews with Insomnium namedrops this year, I own more than half of them. Imagine my dismay when, upon returning from re-education vacation, I stumbled across a lonely slab of Insomnium-core from November, unreviewed and unloved. From Greece, to boot! Aetherian laid their pearly adoration for melodeath’s upper crust before swine and I’m going to give them their due.” Melodeath before nuclear hogs.

Loch Vostok – Strife Review

By Eldritch Elitist on December 1, 2017 in 2017, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, ViciSolum Productions, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 33 comments

“Strife is the seventh full-length effort from Loch Vostok, and with the same line-up being held over from Dystopium, I expected something similarly solid. What I got instead was a depressing, monotonous slog, with a generous helping of djent on the side.” Meets all daily recommended djent doses.

No Return – The Curse Within Review

By GardensTale on November 22, 2017 in 2017, French Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Mighty Music, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 37 comments

“My first plunge on that trip occurred somewhere late 2003, almost half a lifetime ago. It was the release of Dance of Death by Iron Maiden, though I had been primed by popular bands such as Rammstein and System of a Down, and my father’s extensive classic rock collection before that. Soon I found myself rocking out to the unprecedented brutality of Children of Bodom and Norther, diving headfirst into the world of melodic death metal. Listening to No Return, I am transported back to those halcyon days, despite never hearing the French band before picking The Curse Within from the promo bin.” History-core for dummies.

Bloodhunter – The End of Faith Review

By Lokasenna on November 5, 2017 in 2017, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Xtreem Music, Melodic Death Metal, 25 comments

“Unlike the more northerly regions of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula is not often thought of when the metal scene is considered as a whole. There are bands, many of them well-known and respected, but the area is not Germany or Finland. Thought of even less is the Galacia region of Spain. But all the same, it’s spat up a lively little melodic death three-piece (after some down-sizing) in Bloodhunter. The name might be a little silly, but the music is not, fusing a traditional Gothenberg sound with hints of mid-period Death for their sophomore album The End of Faith.” The Iberian conspiracy.

The Hate Colony – Ascending Review

By Dr. Wvrm on October 29, 2017 in 2017, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Mighty Music, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 28 comments

“When my first exposure to The Hate Colony’s debut Dead or Victorious elicited thoughts of a Lamb of God-turned-metalcore, the title of their new album made much more sense. Ascending? “Descending?” Right? Wrong. The Norwegians dropped that shit the second they got their hands on a Soilwork CD. With grooves suddenly sporting melodic textures, 2014’s Navigate offered an alternate take on metalcore, one with some halfway decent ideas buried under all the bleeding knuckles and douchey band pictures.” Post-colonial bad blood.

Exhumed – Death Revenge Review

By Saunders on October 26, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 33 comments

“Like a fine wine, the mighty Exhumed keep getting better with age. The career parallels with their idols Carcass are obvious but not debilitating, manipulating their worship into their own finely honed death metal machine. From the grimy days of their fun and gruesome 1998 debut Gore Metal, through to 2013’s excellent Necrocracy, Exhumed’s career has been on a constant upward trajectory of consistency, refinement and dependable quality. With the focus of Matt Harvey and co on various other projects in recent years, the band finally dusted themselves off and returned to the studio to record a goddamn concept album!” Feeling offal? Try more gore!