Nov23

Foetal Juice – Grotesque Review

By GardensTale on December 3, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 10 comments

“Here at AMG we have a feature that runs every so often called Contrite Metal Guy. For those who’ve never seen one pass by, this is our take-backsies article, where we retroactively up or downgrade review scores with the benefit of hindsight. As they are infrequent and I’m rarely wrong, I haven’t participated in one yet, but I have been brooding over one entry I must someday make. I overrated Foetal Juice’s last album Gluttony, just a tad. It’s a very good album, but not a great one. It doesn’t have the memorability to give it sufficient longevity for a place among the hallowed 4.0s.” The Juice is looser.

Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul Review

By Holdeneye on December 2, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, 49 comments

“Back in 2020, I heaped an enormous amount of praise upon Effigy of Nightmares, the third full-length album from Ohio’s Valdrin, and while that record constitutes the exceedingly rare occurrence where time tempers my initial enthusiasm (I’d probably bring it down to a 4.0 at this point), I still hold it in high regard. I was caught up not only by Valdrin’s melodic black metal songwriting ability but also by the band’s incredible brand of storytelling.” Lords of stories.

Convocation – No Dawn for the Caliginous Night Review

By Cherd on November 30, 2023 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 91 comments

“In the wretched realms of death metal, Finland’s Lauri Laaksonen is a known commodity. After a five-year stint in Sear, LL, as he’s credited on most liner notes, founded the beastly Desolate Shrine in 2010. We here at AMG have for the most part fawned in a most undignified manner over that project’s output. On the strength of that discography alone, LL could hold his head high among his most celebrated death metal contemporaries. But his impact on the genre doesn’t end there. Since 2018, LL has released some of the very finest slabs of demoralizing deathly doom in recent memory through his band Convocation.” Dark days in Finland.

Silent Tiger – Twist of Fate Review

By Itchymenace on November 29, 2023 in Reviews, Hair Metal, 51 comments

“As we’ve established, Silent Tiger are a band that excels at album cover artwork. Their 2020 debut, Ready for Attack, saw their feline mascot stealthily emerging from the chilled, blue haze of a Bob Ross painting. Not to rest on the laurels of that bar-setting accomplishment, Silent Tiger crushed all other comers with the artwork to Twist of Fate.” Crouching tiger, hidden schmaltz.

冷 – 日落 Review

By Kenstrosity on November 27, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, 26 comments

“Rare is the promo we receive for extreme metal out of Taiwan, save for the odd gross slam record. Naturally, getting any promo from a region not particularly well known in the West for their burgeoning metal scene draws the eye, and mine eye was surely drawn. Enter 冷 (translated into the Latin alphabet as Laang), a melodic black metal outfit from Keelung City.” Rare and unusual.

Strange New Dawn – New Nights of Euphoria Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 27, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, 21 comments

“Once upon a time, there were two brothers, one played bass and the other a guitar. In 2000, these brothers helped create Journey to the End of the Night, Green Carnation’s debut album. From here, they went off to form the mighty In the Woods…, hoping to expand on the sound of yesteryear Green Carnation. After leaving both bands, Green Carnation and In the Woods… remained, drastically morphing their sound and pushing beyond the boundaries of long-winded progressiveness, orchestration, and flowing choirs. Come 2013, the Botteri brothers attempted it again with Strange New Dawn.” Woods, flowers, dawns, oh my!

Temic – Terror Management Theory Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on November 26, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 46 comments

“While certain sectors of the metalsphere have to watch out for band members sporting certain unsavory worldviews or taking out aggression on spouses and such, the worst we usually encounter with prog band members is an (un)healthy case of extreme narcissism. So, we settle then often for the drama of a band suddenly seeing members vacate to form new projects, like Mike Portnoy and his on-again off-again Dream Theater play, or the long-drawn release from Obscura-born Obsidious. The new super(ish) group Temic is born of such an upending, with former keys maestro Diego Tejeida relinquishing his long-held seat with Haken for proggier pastures.” Group and super group.

Æolian – Echoes of the Future Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on November 24, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 32 comments

“It’s difficult to fully articulate why I feel so strongly about Spain’s melodic death metallers Æolian. I stumbled upon their debut album Silent Witness shortly after its release in 2018, and while I saw lots of potential in their aggressive take on melodeath, Silent Witness ultimately left me unimpressed to the point that I ended up passing over their 2020 release The Negationist. So when Æolian’s name appeared within the promo sump, why did I feel such hope that this time, this time Æolian would nail it?” Hope and reality.

Silent Planet – Superbloom Review

By Dear Hollow on November 23, 2023 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Djent, Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, 17 comments

“Silent Planet, named after the first installment of C.S. Lewis’ creatively titled Space trilogy, has always been a lyrical triumph and the pinnacle of metalcore consistency throughout the quartet’s four-album run. With the relentless vulnerability and desperation of The Night God Slept and Everything Was Sound, the regality of When the End Began, and the experimental textures of Iridescent, you could always expect technicality and atmosphere balanced throughout.” Where silence is golden.

$Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions Review$

Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions Review

By Steel Druhm on November 22, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 30 comments

“Cruciamentum may not be especially prolific or productive, having managed only one full-length from 2008 to 2015, but their Charnel Passages debut put them on the map with its massive, monolithically atmospheric caverncore sound. It was the kind of statement album presaging a successful career, but they failed to follow it up in a meaningful way as years drifted by with nary a peep save an EP in 2017. Nearly 8 long years later they finally offer up their sophomore long player, Obsidian Refractions. Crucial momentum.