“It’s been eight years since the band released their lukewarm Antiliv album, and I’ve been craving the nastiness that makes them so great ever since. While many will argue Antiliv was a great album, it lacked the energy the band typically brings to the table. No matter who this duo hires on the drums, everyone gives it all to each release. But I didn’t quite feel that on Antiliv. It doesn’t matter if you disagree because Helvegr doesn’t give a rat’s ass about our opinions.” Tsjuder jumping.
“Nothing pleases me more than writing a review for a new Vulture Industries record. After getting the shaft from Seasons of Mist in 2017, I could only bring Stranger Times to the public via TYMHM. Dark Essence Records was kind enough to send us the promo for this year’s Ghosts from the Past, and ole Grier is happy in the pants.” Vultures, ghosts and happy pants.
“Grant the Sun at surface appears as Norway’s newest metal jam band export, crossing ears with sounds that conjure the one-off twangy dream of Graviton or the chug-n-swell maestros Russian Circles. Reaching equally to a shoegaze fizzle (“Mariana,” “Vertigo”) and modern prog syncopation (“Machina,” “Hits like a Wave”), Grant the Sun brings many flavors to the table.” Panda Express.
Immortal have returned after a five-year absence in the frozen tundra. You know what that means. Grier and Grymm have reunited in love to bring you another double review of hot takes.
“Death Unchained should’ve gotten the full Things You Might Have Missed treatment from me back in 2020. Nexorum’s relatively quietly released debut was a massive tour de force of unstoppable riffs, the likes of which complemented perfectly those of Vredehammer’s similarly massive Viperous, released that same year. To add insult to injury, I snubbed both of those awesome records from proper placement on my Top 10. Make no mistake, Death Unchained is an unqualified triumph of blackened death metal with some of the best riffs I’ve heard in the genre ever, and it never relents. Needless to say, I anxiously awaited the follow-up, Tongue of Thorns, to see how it stacked against the Norwegians’ inhuman opening salvo.” Every pose has its thorns.
“Grief is both intensely personal, and a commonality between us all. This admixture of the private and the relatable can make music through which it is channeled incredibly powerful. In a genre like doom, already associated with the melancholy and the morose, these emotions fit naturally and reinforce both the sense of sadness and the potency of the music itself. The recent output of Swallow the Sun initially springs to mind. Death of Giants is another such act.” Giant feelz.
“If you were to ask me how to do avant-garde black metal, I would point straight away to Dødsheimgard. The trajectory of their sound from raw second-wave fury to electronic, industrial, jazzy, experimental black has been nothing short of thrilling to witness. 2015’s A Umbra Omega—my personal entry point—set a new standard in the avant-garde metal scene, demonstrating the weird, wonderful depths DHG could conjure, fully realized.” Odd fellows unrest.
“Despite the positive review we gave to Epistemology, Norway’s Keep of Kalessin polarizes the rowdy AMG staff. For reasons I can’t fathom, despite the band’s 30-year history and commercial success, nearly none of my peers has heard of them except Grier, who hates their guts. I enjoyed Epistemology when it came out. Keep of Kalessin’s over-the-top brand of symphonic black metal lacked consistency, but the best parts of the album steamrolled me with a vigor that I still feel eight years later.” Keeping the faith.
“Welp, Dr. AMG and Doc Grier are off to a hectic year. With a very understandable back-and-forth of “I can take it,” “You can take it,” and finally, “It won’t be on time,” here I am feeding the plebs a review of one of the most-anticipated releases of 2023.” Enslaved by deadlines.
“For the uninitiated, Tulus has been around since ’91, 1996 debut full-length Pure Black Energy considered a cult classic of early black metal. Although taking a six-year break between 2000 and 2006, the trio has amassed six full-lengths and a compilation over the project’s career.” Olde and still Khold.
