Melodic Death Metal

King of Asgard – Karg Review

By Steel Druhm on August 4, 2014 in 2014, Melodic Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Viking Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Viking Metal, 18 comments

“Formed from the ashes of the highly underrated and (AMG worshipped) Viking metal act Mithotyn, King of Asgard has more or less continued the mission statement of releasing odes to the northern winds, Viking valor and snowy landscapes, all heavily influenced by latter period Bathory as well as Einherjer, Ensiferum. Karg is their third such endeavor and it observes the traditions of its ancestors with all due reverence, while moving things in a darker, more stripped down direction.” Do you feel the need to plunder and pillage? If so, here’s your liege lord.

Illdisposed – With the Lost Souls on Our Side Review

By Madam X on June 23, 2014 in 2014, Danish Metal, Death Metal, Massacre Records, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Thrash Metal, 4 comments

“There’s Something Rotten… in the State of Denmark, I believe it’s the stench of death! Following on from Sense of Darkness, and still under the watchful eye of Germany’s dealers of hard and heavy (Massacre Records), Illdisposed are back with the 12th full-length installment in their mighty discography. And true to form it’s a mash-up of artfully used metalcore riffing and modern thrash with some head-bangs towards Legion of the Damned, bound together with a big Parasite Inc. melo-death colored ribbon that grasps furiously at melody while trying its utmost to give you a brutal Pantera-style wedgie.” If Pantera wants to give you a wedgie, you let them!

Arch Enemy – War Eternal Review

By Steel Druhm on June 3, 2014 in 2014, Century Media, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 59 comments

“Arch Enemy keeps soldiering along, ever honing their super polished, shiny and pretty version of melodic death metal. This despite the departure of such key parts as guitarist Christopher Amott and vocalist Angela Gossow. Easy peasy, in comes Nick Cordle (Arsis) and Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist) and we get another typical Arch Enemy platter, full of power metal ideas smashed into melo-death templates and layered with snazzy guitar-work from Michael Amott.” Ready for more Power-Death? Yes, it’s a thing!

Planet Rain – The Fundamental Principles Review

By Kronos on May 6, 2014 in 2014, Melodic Death Metal, Mighty Music, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 4 comments

“I like my death metal bleak and abrasive, dissonant and depressing, and full of sound and fury. Whether it signifies anything is irrelevant. But I wasn’t always like this, there were days when the young Kronos thought All That Remains was pretty damn heavy, had never heard of grindcore and had yet to utter the phrase “not brutal enough.”” Thankfully, our little Kronos has grow up…or has he?

Insomnium – Shadows of the Dying Sun Review

By Steel Druhm on April 16, 2014 in 2014, Century Media, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 29 comments

“Over the past decade, Insomnium has been one of, if not the most consistent of the morose Finnish styled melo-death acts in operation. They’ve delivered album after album of “dead puppy under the Christmas tree” flavored music, loaded with gothic trappings and they’ve won the melancholy sweepstakes more often than not. In recent years, fellow countrymen Omnium Gatherum have stolen some of their thunder and lunch money with ripping albums like New World Shadows and Beyond, but the sleepless ones soldiered on regardless, doing what they do best on quality platters like One With Sorrow.” Ready to cry a frozen river? Steel Druhm clearly wasn’t.

Aurora Borealis – World Shapers Review

By Madam X on March 15, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, MDD Records, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 4 comments

“From palpable obscurity, tumultuous streams of glory gushed, ten thousand thousand rainbows rushed and reveled through the boundless sky, in jousting, flashing radiancy.” That was David Vedder’s description the Aurora Borealis back around the 1800s, and today it remains a fitting description of these Maryland-based blackened death metallers that deliver a brand of bludgeoning melodicism reminiscent of Carcass and Morbid Angel.” Madam X shakes off the oppressive yoke of black metal to review…blackened death metal. No wonder she’s so dark of demeanor!

The Unguided – Fragile Immortality Review

By Steel Druhm on January 30, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 28 comments

“Lovers of modern metal and Amaranthe groupies, take heed! Rising from the ashes of Sonic Syndicate, The Unguided is the newish project by ex-Syndicate members Richard Sjunnesson and Roland Johansson which strives to answer the immortal question “just how cheesy, poppy and crappy can you make melodic death metal sound?”” If this question has been gnawing at you, The Unguided may have the answer you seek.

Retro-Spective Review: The Autumn Offering – Embrace the Gutter

By Happy Metal Guy on January 23, 2014 in American Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Retro Reviews, Reviews, Victory Records, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 7 comments

“The name “The Autumn Offering” evokes the mental image of a hooded cultist bent down on his knees, holding up a platter of orange, rotting leaves as a leafy sacrifice of some sort to some leaf-munchin’ goat demon. But as a band that was once signed to Jamey Jasta’s Stillborn Records, The Autumn Offering is hardly obsessed with the environment or the occult.” Happy Metal Guy goes back to 2006 to regale us with tales of quality metalcore. Fairy tales maybe? You make the call.

Nekrogoblikon – Power Review

By Madam X on August 27, 2013 in 2013, 3.0, Adrenaline PR, American Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 6 comments

“I’m finding it tough to grasp the fact that it’s been two years since Los Angeles, CA’s Nekrogoblikon released Stench. While being one of the silliest, over-the-top albums I picked up in 2011, it was packed with just the right level of gore, disembowelment, blood and great folk infused melodic death (as only goblins can deliver) that their dark onslaught just didn’t date! Goblins, hobgoblins and gore, oh my! These are a few of Madam X’s favorite things. Join her as she examines the weirdly melodic death metal of Nekrogolikon.

DevilDriver – Winter Kills Review

By Jordan Campbell on August 25, 2013 in 2.5, 2013, American Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 10 comments

“DevilDriver has always been a bit of an underdog story. Not in terms of success, but in terms of cred. Many metalheads have made the transition from nü-metal goofclown to full-on ripper—myself included—but none of us to had make the transition in the public eye like Dez Fafara. His first band, Coal Chamber, was arguably one of the silliest acts of the nü-heyday (no small feat), and his metamorphosis from mesh-clad demigod to fledgling Hesher has been a minor feelgood story.