Nov19

Angel Witch – Angel of Light Review

By Steel Druhm on November 1, 2019 in 2019, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, NWOBHM, Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 42 comments

“Angel Witch is a name most of you have heard before even if you never actually heard their music. They were one of the earliest of NWoBHM acts, and along with Iron Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head and others, they helped create a new style of music, launching heavy metal’s popularity to new heights and paving the way for the glorious 80s metal renaissance. Their debut was a quasi-classic in the genre and a fine example of the NWoBHM style, sounding like a a cross between early Def Leppard and Witchfinder General. Followups were more stripped down and rock ready, but the band was quickly overshadowed by several of their contemporaries, and though their output was solid, by 1986 it was all but over for the English rockers.” Old wave in the new age.

Nile – Vile Nilotic Rites Review

By Ferrous Beuller on November 1, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 81 comments

“I fucking love Nile and I’m certainly not alone. For many, they represent the upper echelons of extreme metal. But with such elevation comes even loftier expectation. Particularly after a decade of lackluster output. At the Gates of Sethu was beleaguered with limp songwriting and a vapid production whereas What Should Not be Unearthed tried too hard to make amends with blunt force boredom and impenetrable brickwalling. Such turmoil usually infers necessary change and ninth album Vile Nilotic Rites features some serious lineup alterations. Despite the album being predictably marketed under the auspice of the dreaded “comeback” and the added scrutiny inherent in new membership, my question remains singular and simple. Are Nile any fucking good again?” Back in the snake pit.

Paganizer – The Tower of the Morbid Review

By Holdeneye on October 31, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 46 comments

“Around twelve years ago, I procured a guitar and amp. I messed around for awhile, learning some Iced Earth riffs and some Sabaton solos, but children life got in the way, my priorities changed, and my skills regressed to nothing. Alas, I’ve still never written the power/thrash/doom masterpiece that I always imagined I would. Contrast my experience with Mr. Rogga Johansson, whose unquenchable need to make music has led to his name being credited on approximately 100 different works on Metal Archives, with three full-lengths and two EPs already released this year alone, and he’s back with the latest from his oldest active project, Paganizer.” Morbid tales of time management.

Wilderun – Veil of Imagination Review

By Angry Metal Guy on October 31, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unsigned Bands, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 240 comments

Wilderun’s Sleep at the Edge of the Earth was a revelation and was hailed at this website as the best record of 2015. So what happens when four years later, Wilderun finally release its followup? Let AMG Himself and El Cuervo tell you.

Byzanthian Neckbeard – Minaton Review

By Cherd on October 30, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Sludge, Stoner Metal, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, 64 comments

“Hailing from the bovine infested English Channel island of Guernsey, Byzanthian Neckbeard combine sludgy stoner metal with old school-minded death doom. Yes, these styles come from very different places and mindsets, but the rather large overlap on this Venn Diagram of Doom is labeled “big riff energy.”” Big, neckbeards mean big riffs (and cows).

Voyager – Colours in the Sun Review

By Steel Druhm on October 30, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Progressive Metal, 35 comments

“A new Voyager album is always an unknown quantity. I’ve dearly loved some of the Australian prog-meisters material, and felt ambivalent about some of it as well. I raved about 2011s The Meaning of I, but struggled to love parts of followup V. They won me over again on 2017s Ghost Mile, so naturally I hoped the good times would keep rolling with their new opus Colours in the Sun. And why shouldn’t they keep rolling?” Why indeed.

Golden Core – Fimbultýr Review

By Dear Hollow on October 30, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Fysisk Format, Icelandic Metal, Norwegian Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, Stoner Metal, 19 comments

“Celebrating cultural heritage is crucial. In a world living in the shadow of Christianity’s obliteration of “pagan” beliefs, the old creeds and rituals are rarer and rarer. As such, it’s imperative to preserve such practices and traditions, valuing their impact in generations past and their influence on future individuals. My family is descended from Vikings, which is pretty badass, but one thing led to another[1. Y’know, like a few burning monasteries, hundreds of years, a few continental migrations, and countless cultural shifts.] and they found themselves Lutheran farmers in North Dakota. Groups like Heilung and Wardruna are committed to preservation and renaissance of the old Norse rituals, and Norwegian/Icelandic duo Golden Core seek to channel this appreciation through new release Fimbultýr by blending American stoner doom and Norwegian black metal.” Uphold the olde.