Not Metal

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: He Is Legend – Heavy Fruit

Things You Might Have Missed 2014: He Is Legend – Heavy Fruit

By Dr. Fisting on November 1, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Metalcore, Non-Metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Sludge, Things You Might Have Missed 2014, Tragic Hero, Alternative Metal, Hard Rock, Metalcore, Not Metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 9 comments

“Once upon a time, in the days of MySpace, there was a band called He Is Legend. They had the misfortune of association with the mid-2000’s metalcore scene, and worse yet, they had a long way to go in the songwriting department. Over time they went through awkward growth spurts, thankfully ditching their core trappings, but struggling with finding their own style.” Mr. Fisting rings in the holiday season with the very first of our “Things You Might Have Missed” recommendations, and this time, it’s all about the fruit!

Obake – Mutations Review

Obake – Mutations Review

By Roquentin on October 29, 2014 in 2014, 4.0, Avante Garde, Death Metal, Grind, Italian Metal, Non-Metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Rare Noise Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Non-metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Sludge Metal, 6 comments

“Even a quick glance over Obake’s international lineup will tell you that this is not your run-of-the-mill extreme metal band. Nope, the musicians involved in this band are not metal musicians in the traditional sense.” Since we started the day with non-metal weirdness, let’s continue the trend with Obake.

Earth – Primitive and Deadly Review

Earth – Primitive and Deadly Review

By Roquentin on September 4, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Drone, Non-Metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Reviews, Southern Lord, Drone, Non-metal Metal Things, Not Metal, 4 comments

“Wait, wait, Earth? Dylan Carlson’s music child that went from pioneering drone doom to dabbling in experimental psychedelic-country-drone-whatnot? How long has it been since they released anything even remotely attached to metal? Nine years, eighteen years? Surely this review has no place here. This is, after all, Angry METAL Guy: trve, kvlt, ov the underground and all that.” Are you shocked to see an Earth review here? We are too.

Vampillia – Some Nightmares Take You Aurora Rainbow Darkness Review

Vampillia – Some Nightmares Take You Aurora Rainbow Darkness Review

By Grymm on July 13, 2014 in 2014, Candlelight, Japanese Metal, Not Metal, Noise Rock, Not Metal, 10 comments

“”Beautiful” is a word that I don’t normally use to describe an album here at AMG, and especially in Casa de los Grymm. “Fun” is even less of a descriptor. What was it again that Euronymous wanted none of via his record label again? But I took a shot at an unknown (to me, at least) group of Japanese noise brigands (with a former Boredom, Toyohito Yoshikawa, in its ever-growing ranks) known as Vampillia. With quite a few releases under their belt (seventeen, according to their website), their newest, the very wordy Some Nightmares Take You Aurora Rainbow Darkness, is their first full-length, and it’s a good snapshot into their crazy world.” All your bases are belong to us! And don’t call me Aurora Rainbow!

Anathema – Distant Satellites Review

Anathema – Distant Satellites Review

By Noctus on June 19, 2014 in 2014, Kscope, Non-Metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Reviews, Not Metal, 24 comments

“The transformation of Anathema has always been enigmatic to many metalheads. The obligatory rewind to their early 90’s pioneering death/doom records almost seems redundant now that this is their tenth album without a hint of metal in it. Any hope of them making a return to their roots is about as worthwhile as waiting for the new Kovenant album (why anyone wants it I cannot fathom). But the key difference here is that their abandonment of metal did them nothing but good…” Is the scarcity of precious metal still working out for these sullen fellows?

Nothing – Guilty of Everything Review

Nothing – Guilty of Everything Review

By Madam X on February 23, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Not Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Shoegaze, Not Metal, Shoegaze, 6 comments

“An odd album crept its way onto the Angry Metal promo list in this past month, one that while plenty dark, is far removed from metal, and despite all it’s heavily worded promise, as wholly lacking in anger as I’ve come across in a while. At its most basic, it appears the band couldn’t come up with a decent band name and so took the easy way out, calling themselves Nothing…” Madam X has reviewed nothing lately and frankly, we expected more from her. That said, here goes Nothing.

Lethe – When Dreams Become Nightmares Review

Lethe – When Dreams Become Nightmares Review

By Grymm on January 12, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Debemur Morti, Gothic Metal, Not Metal, Reviews, Not Metal, 3 comments

“When I throw the label “experimental metal” out to you, what does your blastbeat-addled mind conjure for images and sounds? Does your brain picture off-the-wall time changes, weird instrumentation, musical concepts foreign to metal, or something truly out of left field? Or, like me, does it simply explain that what you’re about to listen to, well, isn’t really metal? Sadly, 9 times out of 10, most “experimental” bands fall into the latter category. Lethe is a new project featuring Anna Murphy (Eluveitie) and Tor-Helge Skei (Manes) waving the “experimental metal” flag with their debut, When Dreams Become Nightmares. Does Lethe carve a new path through the thickets, emblazoning new trails, and sending the hordes kicking and screaming, welcoming the dawn of a new day in the world of heavy metal?” Grymm answers this thorny question and weighs the relative worth of this experiment in metal and/or non-metal.

Grumbling Fur – Glynnaestra Review

Grumbling Fur – Glynnaestra Review

By Alex Franquelli on September 9, 2013 in 2013, 4.0, English Metal, Not Metal, Reviews, Thrill Jockey, Not Metal, 3 comments

‘“Why did you start making music?” I asked, while pretending to sip the amazingly cheap red wine in my half-broken glass, scouting for what was left of my dignity while lying on the cold floor. I don’t think he ever gave me an answer, but there are times when Daniel O’Sullivan does not even bother formulating a reply. He breathed out another puff, I turned my head and gave an intoxicated nod to the ceiling while looking nowhere ahead of me. Grumbling Fur’s music is exactly like that whiff. It is not an answer because nobody has ever posed the right question.” If we ever needed someone to decipher that whiff of smoke, you know we’d call Alex to do so. He speaks smoke and obscurity, after all.