Norwegian Metal

Ihsahn – Arktis. Review

Ihsahn – Arktis. Review

By Angry Metal Guy on April 3, 2016 in 2016, Candlelight, Melodic Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Progressive Metal, Spinefarm, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, 58 comments

“Ihsahn is always in motion. Following a storied career in one of the premier black metal bands of all time, he’s released five full-length albums. Nearly all of those records have been critically acclaimed, but only one has been critically acclaimed by me. While I enjoyed The Adversary, Ihsahn’s post-Emperor zenith was angL. Starting with After, however, Ihsahn started to lose me. What made his earlier material so good—riffs, riffs, more riffs, and slick composition (also riffs)—began to be replaced by increasingly abstract compositions. And when songs like “Scarab” started getting replaced with tracks like “M,” I stopped enjoying new Ihsahn albums. Yet Arktis. marks the next phase for Ihsahn, having finally left the Nihilists behind him.” Praise Zarathustra!

Ragnarok – Psychopathology Review

Ragnarok – Psychopathology Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 27, 2016 in 2016, Agonia Records, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 26 comments

“There really isn’t much more to be said about Ragnarok that hasn’t already been said by our beloved Noctus and Madam X (and the rest of the black metal community). Ragnarok, like Urgehal, are one of the most underrated black metal acts on the planet. Perhaps it’s due to their consistency and unwillingness to fix-what-isn’t-broken that’s kept them from reaching black metal stardom (if “stardom” is actually attainable in this genre).” Consistency is the hobgoblin of great black metal (because it requires hobgoblins).

Sulphur – Omens of Doom Review

Sulphur – Omens of Doom Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 7, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Dark Essence Records, Death Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 47 comments

Sulphur (or sulfur in the States) is ungodly, foul smelling shit. This isn’t exactly news to anyone but you don’t know the half of it until you have actually jousted with the likes of benzyl or ethanethiol. There aren’t many chemicals I’ve worked with that linger on your mustache and penetrate your clothes like sulfur. It’s pungent, it’s offensive, and it’s fucking nauseating. While I’ve had my fair share of encounters with sulfur, I have never encountered its black-metal equivalent—which is odd considering I’ve been a fan of Øyvind Madsen’s other project, Vulture Industries, for years. With a name like Sulphur, I had expected some unsettling, engulfing black metal to match the stomach-turning feelings I get when “sulfur” is mentioned.

Urgehal – Aeons of Sodom Review

Urgehal – Aeons of Sodom Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on February 12, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, 20 comments

“Without a doubt, Urgehal’s final release, Aeons in Sodom, has to be the toughest review I’ve yet written. It’s not difficult because it sucks or lacks anything worth writing about; rather, it’s difficult because of the strong personal and emotional attachment I have to Urgehal. I am a fanboy, in the truest sense of the word. What makes it worse is that Aeons of Sodom should have never happened.” The Doctor needs a therapist, stat!

Borknagar – Winter Thrice Review

Borknagar – Winter Thrice Review

By Angry Metal Guy on January 22, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Century Media, Norwegian Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, 89 comments

“It’s been four years since Urd was released and Winter Thrice builds upon the back of Urd while trying to expand its vision. The album is sixty minutes of epic, blackened, progressive metal which builds on the back of excellent vocal performances, including the unexpected—but totally suggested by me—inclusion of Garm’s cleans in the growing vocal mosaic.”

El Caco – 7 Review

El Caco – 7 Review

By Grymm on January 8, 2016 in 2016, Hard Rock, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Hard Rock, Stoner Rock, 23 comments

I’ve been in the mood for some killer stoner rock as of late. Ever since the almighty Kyuss went belly-up in 1995, I’ve been on the lookout for some killer jams to race cars, drink a few IPAs, and clean some demons to. The deserts of California were a ripe breeding ground for desert jams, and Kyuss’s disbanding left a gaping hole. Roaring down the highway in a souped-up, cherry-red Camaro comes Norway’s El Caco, who bring with them their seventh full-length, imaginatively entitled 7. Do they have what it takes to become the new stoner rock kings, or should you just hush them all away?

Deathhammer – Evil Power [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]

Deathhammer – Evil Power [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]

By Diabolus in Muzaka on December 20, 2015 in 2015, Hells Headbangers Records, Norwegian Metal, Speed Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2015, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, 15 comments

“If you woke up this morning and realized you wanted to party like it’s 1983-1985 but think the throwback scene is ripe for a vicious culling of posers, have Deathhammer got a record for you: it’s called Evil Power and it’s quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in 2015. Ridiculous = trve.