Not Metal

The Dread Crew of Oddwood – Rust & Glory Review

By Twelve on March 12, 2024 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Not Metal, 38 comments

“We’re no strangers to “pirate metal” ’round these parts, are we? There’s just something about the enduring and relatable ideals of pirate-themed music that we at Angry Metal Guy universally love, commenters, readers, and writers alike. I’ve opened my review with this entirely uncontroversial statement as a way to share with you my own excitement when I received the promo copy for Rust & Glory, the fifth full-length release for the U.S.-based pirate musicians that make up The Dread Crew of Oddwood.” YAAARR’s revenge.

Cloud People – Simulacra Review

By Iceberg on March 6, 2024 in Reviews, Electronica, Not Metal, Synthwave, 21 comments

“One thing I really admire about The Administration here at AMG is their willingness to allow us writers to explore what exists on the fringes of metal. Some of my most memorable finds over the years—before the onset of my indentured servitude—have carried tags like not-metal, folk, or synth wave. Norwegian musical collective Cloud People claim to draw inspiration from jazz, electronica, and metal, and have decided to submit their album Simulacra to these hallowed halls for mild praise or summary execution.” Watch the skies.

David Eugene Edwards – Hyacinth Review

By Cherd on September 28, 2023 in Reviews, Electronica, Folk, Neofolk, Non-metal Metal Things, Not Metal, 63 comments

When a new release appears from the man behind 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand, a rare double review becomes mandatory. Allow Cherd and Carcharodon to explain why David Eugene Edwards is a big fookin’ deal on both sides of the pond and everywhere else.

S A R R A M – Pàthei Màthos Review

By Thus Spoke on August 28, 2023 in Reviews, Ambient, Not Metal, 12 comments

“Pathei Mathos means “learn a lesson,” but more literally it refers to “learning through suffering.” Valerio Marras, through his project S A R R A M, takes this phraseology explicitly from Aeschylus’ tragedy Agamemnon, where, in an exposition full of powerful dramatic irony and foreshadowing, the chorus describes this essential component of wisdom to which humans are subjected. The concept of knowledge resulting from and culminating in suffering is arguably a core concept of Greek tragedy. And it’s also a part of life, which Marras aims to convey by channeling his experiences and emotions through Pathei Mathos’ ambient soundscapes.” Life is pain, pain is growth.

Dee Calhoun – Old Scratch Comes to Appalachia Review

By Cherd on June 21, 2023 in Reviews, Folk, Not Metal, 35 comments

“Of all the not-metal-but-metal-adjacent things we cover on this site, my favorites are easily dark folk/country or Gothic Americana releases. I’m always scanning the promo sump for those occasional gems like Henry Derek Elis or Lord Buffalo or Wailin’ Storms so I can snap them up before my mouth-breathing colleagues have a chance to whine “Hey! This am country! No like twang! Make riffs go ‘brrrrr!'” I won’t belabor the point, but if you want a window into my tastes, you can read the intro to my review of Tohu Wa Bohu. All this to say, the moment I saw the title of Dee Calhoun’s fourth solo record in the pit, Old Scratch Comes to Appalachia, I was on it like a fly on a cow pie.” Dip, dirt, country doom.

Ols – Pustkowia Review

By Twelve on November 2, 2022 in Reviews, Neofolk, Not Metal, 7 comments

It’s been too long since I’ve happened upon some neofolk. Grabbing those folk albums that aren’t all that cheery and reviewing them is one of the best parts of writing here, and some of my favorite discoveries have been neofolk—including all of my albums of the year to date, for that matter. So I was thrilled to discover Pustkowia, the third full-length release from Poland’s Anna Maria Olchawa, the sole member of the project Ols.” Ols lang syne.

Serpentent – Mother of Light Review

By Maddog on May 21, 2022 in Reviews, Dark Neofolk, Folk, Neofolk, Not Metal, 11 comments

“If all you want is raw riffs, skull-crushing rhythms, or dissonant aggression, you’ve come to the wrong place. Serpentent’s debut full-length Mother of Light flirts casually with distorted guitars and heavier percussion, but there’s no metal to be found here. The brainchild of Seattle multi-instrumentalist Anne K. O’Neill, Serpentent plays minimalist dark folk music built around O’Neill’s emotive vocals and acoustic guitars. Spring 2022 has set a high bar for folky non-metal around these parts, with Urferd releasing an intricate slab of Nordic folk and Darkher continuing to set the standard for introspective doom. Mother of Light doesn’t quite reach those lofty heights, but it’s a pleasant surprise in a crowded genre.” Snake charming.

Urferd – Resan Review

By Twelve on April 15, 2022 in Reviews, Neofolk, Not Metal, 45 comments

“Promotional material is magical. Often it’s a poorly written, exaggerated exercise in alternate realities. That’s par for the course when you’re talking about marketing, and everyone who reads it knows what they’re getting into, but it’s funny how sometimes it works anyway. In the case of Resan, the debut full-length from the Swedish Urferd, it almost worked too well. By suggesting that Resan is “a journey through dark and olden Nordic forests” suitable for fans of Heilung, Myrkur, and Forndom, sole band member Daniel Beckman (Twilight Force, Ages) certainly caught my attention, but he also set the bar sky-high. And then… well, then he took me on a journey through dark and olden Nordic forests.” Nice forest package!

An Isolated Mind – A Place We Cannot Go Review and Album Premiere

By Grymm on February 15, 2022 in Reviews, Not Metal, Progressive Rock, 35 comments

“I’ll admit right now that after almost nine years of listening to hundreds of promos for review, there’s a ton of music that may have left an impression during that time, but honestly doesn’t stay with me once the review is submitted. Call it lack of staying power or my own need to move on to the next promo for review, but with a few notable exceptions, many albums that I’ve fallen for on first listen end up drifting to the wayside, destined to be forgotten. An Isolated Mind’s 2019 debut full-length, I’m Losing Myself, was certainly not one of those albums. An unflinching look at mental illness, I’m Losing Myself tackled a difficult subject with care and grace, and landed my top spot of 2019 in doing so.” Isolated but not lost.

Lorem Ipsum – Vivre Encore [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

By Kronos on January 14, 2022 in Reviews, Not Metal, 31 comments

“Lorem Ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit Vivre Encore. Despite their playful moniker, the band lose nothing to translation. The French trio use acoustic guitar, violin, piano, and voice to articulate anxiety, failure, and grief in profound and singular songs that draw from European classical music, folk, post-rock and screamo.” Res ipsa loquitur.