Melodic Death Metal

Shark Infested Daughters – These Tides, Our Tombs Review

By El Cuervo on November 8, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Self-released, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 26 comments

“It seems misogynistic violence is on trend in metalcore. Feed Her to the Sharks led the aquatic way with Zombies Ate My Girlfriend chomping in its wake, both exacting satisfying chugs and saccharine melodies unto the metal public in a reasonable throwback to the All That Remains– or Bullet For My Valentine-dominated scene from the mid-’00s. Now Shark Infested Daughters steps up to invoke unpleasant images of ravaged women with their debut, These Tides, Our Tombs.” Please don’t feed the freakin’ sharks!

Starkill – Shadow Sleep Review

By GardensTale on November 7, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Prosthetic Records, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 116 comments

“Commercialized metal is one of the strangest and most unnatural phenomena our beloved genre has gone through. I’m not talking about metal that happened to get mainstream recognition, by the way. Even Metallica, with the most lucrative metal act in history, started off as a thrash metal band like any other and only gained widespread fame after 5 albums. I’m talking about bands that seem to have been created or molded precisely to sell metal to the masses, like Amaranthe or Sonic Syndicate.” The vogue of metal.

Dark Tranquillity – Atoma Review

By Steel Druhm on October 28, 2016 in 2016, Century Media, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 77 comments

“Whenever a new Dark Tranquillity album drops, it causes me to reflect on the state of the Gothenburg sound. Despite lesser albums like We Are the Void and Construct, it’s abundantly clear Dark Tranquillity reaped the most benefit from the stylistic tontine they established with In Flames and At the Gates back in 1992. Their particular take on melo-death has aged like a fine vintage while others have become little more than hobo wine. That great gulf is even more stark when Dark Tranquillity crafts a masterful release like Atoma.” Enter the Atoma Age.

Vorgrum – Last Domain Review

By Eldritch Elitist on October 16, 2016 in 2016, Argentinian Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Via Nocturna, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 12 comments

“Somewhere along my personal timeline of listening to extreme music I formed an imaginary line dividing two equally valid camps of folk metal. On one side, you have your bands of brooding boys who like to pose next to frozen streams for their promo shots in between discussions of just how great Windir was; on the other, you have your gangs of drunken revelers, crowding into the nearest tavern to relate raucous tales of wenches and trolls to any half-willing passersby.” Is that a troll on the cover or are you just happy to see me?

Brutally Deceased – Satanic Corpse Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on October 11, 2016 in 2016, Czech Metal, Death Metal, Doomentia Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 26 comments

“As many of us learned from magnets or, for an elite few, Paula Abdul and her weird rapping cartoon cat companion, opposites have the ability to attract if they’re strong enough. As we learned from making friends, joining any voluntary association, or reading Plato’s Timaeus, like knows and seeks out like at a high rate too. And Czech Swedeath merchants Brutally Deceased are going for this principle with their third record, Satanic Corpse.” Oh Paula, you came and you found us some Swede-death….

Skálmöld – Vögguvísur Yggdrasils Review

By El Cuervo on October 2, 2016 in 2016, Icelandic Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Napalm Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Viking Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, Viking Metal, 20 comments

“Vögguvísur Yggdrasils is the fourth full-length from Iceland’s most (only?) notable Viking metal band, Skálmöld. I’ve formerly criticized this genre tag in my review of the album’s predecessor but ultimately conceded that it was a neater way of describing the number of influences at play in their energetic interpretation of Northern European mythology.” Let your blood eagle fly.

Allegaeon – Proponent for Sentience Review

By GardensTale on September 23, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 162 comments

“If you look at the top of this page, you will find a reference to the old adage “less is more.” The phrase came from the minimalist art movement and is still a common saying in many areas of art and design. In music, it usually describes how an album can be improved by removing songs or song sections that don’t add anything to the album as a whole, leaving the bloat on the cutting room floor. Here at Angry Metal Guy Universal Enterprises, we’re big fans of the principle; we don’t have a 45 Minute Rule for nothing. Allegaeon, being top-class musicians, of course know all about such basic rules of composition. They just don’t give a fuck.” When is more actually more?

Chariots of the Gods – Ages Unsung Review

By Dr. Wvrm on September 16, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Self-released, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 40 comments

“Every metal-head has their watershed moment; whether that’s Master of Puppets, Symbolic or actually Watershed, that magic album taps you on the shoulder and says “young poser, let me show you the way to trveness.” Chariots of the Gods bills itself as melodic metal with In Flames as its top influence, I’m feeling cautious yet optimistic.” Get ready to chug.

Heaven Shall Burn – Wanderer Review

By Grymm on September 14, 2016 in 2016, Century Media, German Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 38 comments

“I love seeing bands progress beyond their infant stages, taking their influences and branching out into worlds unknown. Germany’s Heaven Shall Burn are not one of those bands you think of when you picture the word “progress.” They’ve taken their signature sound from 2004’s landmark Antigone, refined their attack, and proceeded to beat us over the head with variations of their trademark brand of metalcore/death metal/whatever it is the cool kids are calling them these days.” AMG: Voice of the cool kids since 2009.

Insomnium – Winter’s Gate Review

By Steel Druhm on September 13, 2016 in 2016, Century Media, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 90 comments

“Coming from the refreshingly short blasts of concise metal by High Spirits and Sumerlands and having to tackle a 40-minute melo-death song seemed like a particularly arduous shift of gears for yours truly. Winter’s Gate is Insomnium’s seventh release, and apparently they wanted to pay homage to Edge of Sanity’s legendary Crimson opus by crafting a massive composition filled with similarly diverse moods and complexions.” Winter is coming (and staying).