Nov21

200 Stab Wounds – Slave to the Scalpel Review

200 Stab Wounds – Slave to the Scalpel Review

By Felagund on November 16, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 45 comments

“Every so often, I’ll spot a promo that I have no choice but to grab. It’s a unique brand that I have trouble passing up: old school death metal with a gore-splattered cover from a band for which subtlety is a dirty word. Morally-bankrupt song titles (with even worse lyrics) and a grotesque, bludgeoning sound. And while there’s always a wide variation in quality, I find that each spin is fun in its own horrific way. This was precisely why I picked up Slave to the Scalpel, the first full-length release from Cleveland-based 200 Stab Wounds.” Knife life.

W.E.B. – Colosseum Review

W.E.B. – Colosseum Review

By Kenstrosity on November 15, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 21 comments

“W.E.B. was not what I was led to believe them to be. The promo titling called them “Symphonic Metal,” which in my mind doesn’t extend to the extreme side of things. Upon sampling their new fifth installment, Colosseum, however, I came to realize I was misinformed. ,b>W.E.B. is perhaps one of the most extreme bands I’ve heard in the last two years that rightfully claim the symphonic metal tag.” False flags and sticky WEBS.

Bryan Eckermann – Plague Bringers Review

Bryan Eckermann – Plague Bringers Review

By Twelve on November 15, 2021 in Reviews, 13 comments

“Bryan Eckermann, of such acts as Scars of the Flesh and Wings of Abaddon, is something of a multi-instrumentalist. In the aforementioned bands, for example, he covers guitars, bass, and drumming, which is already more than a lot of musicians can say for themselves. Since 2014, however, he has also stood at the helm of his own solo project, for which he does, well, everything. Vocals? Eckermann. Keys? Drums? All Eckermann. Mixing? Mastering? Recording? Still Eckermann.” One-man army.

Autokrator – Persecution Review

Autokrator – Persecution Review

By Dear Hollow on November 14, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Noise, 9 comments

“I think it’s in my job description to just steal promos from Kronos for the rest of my writing career. Autokrator is no exception, as a casual perusal through the promo bin revealed this little gem, one that elicited a reaction not unlike from beloved Christmas movie Elf: “I know them!”” Thieving in the house of death.

Astrophobos – Corpus Review

Astrophobos – Corpus Review

By Kenstrosity on November 12, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 25 comments

“Astrophobos, a black metal trio hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, find themselves in moderately good company here at AMG Skullpits and Sundries, LLC. While they’ve tooled around since 2009, only their 2014 debut Remnants of Forgotten Horrors received a proper review treatment and was well received. We missed the sophomore effort, released in 2019, but I found myself intrigued by the monochrome artwork adorning their third record, Corpus.” Space corpse, muther_ _ _ _ _ _.

Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine of Hell Review

Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine of Hell Review

By GardensTale on November 10, 2021 in Reviews, Ambient, Non-metal Metal Things, 79 comments

“Getting out of your comfort zone is healthy. It opens your mind to new experiences and breaks down the walls of the overly familiar. This is just one reason why Angry Metal Guy sometimes discusses interesting non-metal albums. Still, there should at least be some connection — either via style or personnel — to our raison d’être. Emma Ruth Rundle has plenty, from her time in the post scene with Red Sparowes and Marriages to her collaborations with sludge royalty Thou. Her solo work is nothing to sneeze at either, with 2018’s On Dark Horses a particular favorite of mine. The full band that has accompanied Ms. Rundle in recent years has been dismissed for Engine of Hell, however. How does she fare on her own?” Engines of heartache.

Fornhem – Stämman från Berget Review

Fornhem – Stämman från Berget Review

By Doom_et_Al on November 10, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 24 comments

“What a month and a bit it’s been, huh? The notoriously stingy site that is AMG has suddenly begun handing out 4.0s and 4.5s like candy on Halloween. We’ve been awash with blazingly fast tech-death, weird disso-death, avant-garde black metal, stoner, and prog. Know what we haven’t had much of? Good ole fashioned black metal. You know what I’m talking about: the classic stuff. The records you put on when someone says they like “all genres of music.” The collections that scare your non-metal friends. Well, Fornhem is here to try to join the party with a refreshingly unpretentious platter of Nordic black metal.” No bergrets.

Gold Spire – Gold Spire Review

Gold Spire – Gold Spire Review

By Carcharodon on November 9, 2021 in Reviews, Death Doom, Post-Metal, 33 comments

“Coming off the back of a run of awarding three 4.0s in a row, a run that will likely see me fired—or at least badly mauled—by a certain helmet-wearing Ape, can the last-minute pickup of a post-death doom album, sporting Kenny G saxophone antics, save my fledgling career as a music journalist? Swedish quintet Gold Spire comprises former members of the now-defunct prog-death outfit Usurpress, as well as past and present members of Sarcasm, Obskyr and, crucially, Third Storm, the very first band I reviewed for this here site, meaning there would be a certain pleasing irony if Gold Spire’s debut prevents my firing.” Blood, treasure, and sax.

Zaäar – Magická Džungl’a Review

Zaäar – Magická Džungl’a Review

By Dear Hollow on November 8, 2021 in Reviews, Drone, 38 comments

“It’s no secret that I love Neptunian Maximalism. Since the Belgian collective’s 2020 debut, magnum opus Éons, I’ve been craving more. For better or worse, its disciples and side projects have since attempted to fill that whack-ass void. With the likes of Sol Kia, Ôros Kaù, Wolvennest, and even NNMM themselves making metal-adjacent free jazz, however, I’ve met nothing but vague disappointment. As such, the NNMM offshoot Zaäar fell across my lap.” Zaäar she blows!