Two members of the esteemed AMG staff attended the ArcTanGent Festival in Somerset, England. How many returned? Read the journal entries we recovered and pray for those we lost.
Møl
GardensTale’s and Ferrous Beuller’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
GardensTale and Ferrous Beuller unleash their Top Ten(ish) lists in a reckless manner without regard for the safety of others. Wear your safety goggles!
Nothing Noble – Modern Dismay Review
“I’m not sure how everyone got their start with metal, but there had to be a bit of a transition to the more extreme stuff, unless you eat nails for breakfast while listening to Cryptopsy’s None So Vile. Unlike you sausage or oatmeal or vegemite shippers who are descended from the yesteryears of heavy, thrash, or doom, I enjoy my eggs with my bacon: my origins of Christian metalcore a la Demon Hunter, Haste the Day, and Oh Sleeper stick with me. While metalcore has not been the kindest to me thus far in 2021, I’m always rooting for any that may wander across my lap like a feral kitten. Is Nothing Noble available for adoption?” Dismay Day.
Sundrowned – Become Ethereal Review
“Promising despondent black metal from the rainy coasts of Norway (and perhaps deriving their name from Møl?), Sundrowned and their badass name caught my eye in the promo pool. Influences including Alcest and Deafheaven indicated that this was to be Norwegian black metal of a type you may not expect, and the album’s title Become Ethereal accentuated my post-rock suspicions.” Lost in the ether.
Møl – Jord Review
“Maybe it’s just me, but shoegazey black metal just isn’t as exciting as it used to be. It’s easy to forget just how groundbreaking Alcest’s debut truly was, and though Deafheaven caught a lot of flack for their apparent Pitchfork pandering, I always found Sunbather to be a captivating, dreamy, and refreshingly honest record in a genre that’s far too often up its own ass with being ‘cvlt’ and ‘trve.’ But as happens, the style got saturated, the pioneers got mediocre, and these days the release of a new ‘blackgaze’ album generates about as much anticipation as getting a colonoscopy.” Pucker up, hipstercups!
