Melodic Death Metal

Noumena – Myrrys Review

Noumena – Myrrys Review

By Steel Druhm on April 24, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Haunted Zoo Productions, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 59 comments

“Noumena is the little Finnish melo-death band that never says die. After cranking out three quality albums in relatively quick succession from 2002 to 2006 (including the awesome Anatomy of Life), they went into cryo-limbo for six years, finally emerging with 2013s Death Walks With Me. The long layoff didn’t derail their charming approach to melancholic death metal, and I welcomed them back with open arms and hearse while hoping for another extended bout of regular releases. Well, I had to wait some 3 years and change to get the next installment, but they’re finally back with Myrrys.” Hibernate then eradicate.

Nightrage – The Venomous Review

Nightrage – The Venomous Review

By Roquentin on April 17, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Despotz Records, Greek Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 52 comments

“Sometimes, context is everything. Take Greek/Swedish melodeath stalwarts Nightrage and their 2005 release, Descent into Chaos. During a time when our digital voraciousness was yet gestating, the general availability of music limited, and my taste still fully receptive of Gothenburg metal, the subjective value of that objectively passable album became immense. Great riffs and melodies, catchy hooks, and an innate sort of aggressiveness bedazzled me. Listening to it today, it sounds good, if unremarkable and most certainly not at the level of some of the classics of the genre. Context, like I said, matters the most.” Nostalgia has limits.

Dusius – Memory of a Man Review

Dusius – Memory of a Man Review

By GardensTale on March 22, 2017 in 2017, Extreme Metal Music, Folk Metal, Italian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Viking Metal, 65 comments

“There’re as many ways to suck as there are to rock. There’re bands like Akoma and Starkill that make watered down, lowest common denominator crap. There’re can’t-be-arsed bands like Green Bastard that sound uninterested in their own music. And there’re the inept enthusiasts, of which newcomers Dusius might be the patron saint. This band clearly love what they do, but most of it is truly, genuinely bad.” We are bad, and that’s good. We will never be good, and that’s not bad.

Fen – Winter Review

Fen – Winter Review

By Madam X on March 13, 2017 in 2017, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Code666 Records, Doom Metal, English Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Post-Metal, 34 comments

“Judging by the hype I’m picking up over this, Fen’s newest release, that’s probably as much as I need to tell you about the London-based band. Punxsutawney Phil caught a glimpse of his shadow and foresaw more winter on its way, looks like he wasn’t wrong after all!” Winter is long.

Evocation – The Shadow Archetype Review

Evocation – The Shadow Archetype Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 11, 2017 in 2017, Melodic Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 24 comments

“I still remember the day I ventured into the world of Swedish melodic death metal. The time, the mood, the buying of so many albums. There was At the Gates’s Slaughter of the Soul, Dark Tranquillity’s Projector and Damage Done, In Flames’ Jester Race and Clayman, The Haunted’s debut and Made Me Do It, and Amon Amarth’s Fate of Norns. All purchased and consumed within weeks of each other. I was fucking hooked—ignoring reason (and my food budget) to please my insatiable craving for everything this genre had to offer.” The Left Hand Path has many toll booths.

Ex Deo – The Immortal Wars Review

Ex Deo – The Immortal Wars Review

By Madam X on February 16, 2017 in 2017, Canadian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 53 comments

“With the strength of 37 mighty African elephants, Hannibal marched 40,000 of his bravest men, 1,500 miles through the Alps, to challenge Rome’s supremacy on their own soil. Such is the premise of Ex Deo’s latest historical undertaking.” People show know when they’re conquered by historical metal.

In Thousand Lakes – Age of Decay Review

In Thousand Lakes – Age of Decay Review

By El Cuervo on February 16, 2017 in 2017, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Xtreem Music, Melodic Death Metal, 29 comments

“Their older stuff isn’t half bad with its Dissection-inspired melodeath and meloblack hybrid, and certainly offers a blacker, rougher outlook than those of the Gothenburg ilk at a similar time. Yet In Thousand Lakes hail instead from the significantly less kvlt Spain. It is at least one of the rainier parts. But all this research and I’d not even yet listened to the album! I pulled on my Somberlain boots and prepared to get stuck into the Light’s Bane…” Tales from the thousand fakes.

Raise the Black – Portrait Review

Raise the Black – Portrait Review

By Dr. Wvrm on February 13, 2017 in 2017, Doom Metal, English Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Doom Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 28 comments

“These days, the album bin’s like a box of chocolates: most morsels are halfway decent, except the random orange-flavored ones. Despite a name suggesting a jaunt on the Seven Seas and a promo sheet whispering sweet nothings of Insomnium, Agalloch, and Woods of Ypres, Raise the Black’s debut, Portrait, has the pinkish taste of despair to it.” Taste the pink despair!