“Featuring the same star studded lineup as last time, Titans of Creation doesn’t mess with expectations, delivering a traditional thrash album with plenty of veteran know-how and high flying technical flair. I’d be lying if I said spinning it doesn’t offer some sense of stability and comfort in these uncertain times, but I’m here to examine how it fares as a thrash album, not a creature comfort.” Creation in a time of destruction.
“Martin Méndez always appeared the most metal of the Opeth crew, with his cool stage presence and thrashing headbanging style. As his main band continue spiraling down a vintage progressive rock rabbit hole, Méndez has decided to reconnect with his death metal roots with brand spanking new project, White Stones. Combining with some like-minded and suitably talented buddies, Méndez and co have crafted debut album Kuarahy.” Morepth.
“If you’re familiar with the deathcore scene of the mid-2000s, then Suicide Silence really needs no introduction. For a band considered -core elite among Hot Topic frequenters everywhere, they have had a roller coaster of a career.” Rise and fall.
“Boy, are you all in for a treat today. Our resident Sepultura reviewer, Dr. Fisting, has gone into hiding, conveniently around the time the Quadra promo became available. With nobody else raising their hand, and me having some time on mine, I said “If you want some Canadian idiot to take a stab at it, here I am.” There’s a caveat, though: the number of minutes I’ve spent listening to Sepultura over the past thirty-four years can be counted on one finger. So you’re not getting a review today from some lifelong fan who hates the fact that certain people aren’t in the band anymore.” Tabla rasa.
“What is the goal of Legacy of the Dark Lands? To my ears, it sounds the point of the album was to write a metal opera in the style of Blind Guardian. But what if the goal of Legacy of the Dark Lands, a thing that made sense at the time of its conception was accomplished between 2002’s A Night at the Opera and 2015’s Beyond the Red Mirror? What if, in the years since A Night at the Opera, Blind Guardian had developed their sound to be so unique and so orchestral that by the time Legacy of the Dark Lands was released, it was unnecessary and maybe even uninteresting?” S&M Part Deux.
![Pristine – Road Back to Ruin [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/pristine_roadBackToRuin_albumArt-768x768.jpg)
“Once again, whether due to rank neglect or prior obligation, we missed Pristine’s latest slab of bar-brawling, leather-bound, bluesy hard rock goodness. Fans of this site will remember Huck N Roll swooning over Pristine’s Ninja, which was indeed a strong record from a Norwegian band operating way under the radar punching way above their weight class. Road Back to Ruin punches even higher, swinging and swaggering hard enough to fell Sequoias like blades of grass.” Roads best taken.
“There is no part of me that would trade away the pain and disillusion of losing a childhood idol, of walking out on shitty setlist after shitty fucking setlist if it meant losing In Flames’ impact on my life, Colony in particular. It isn’t their best album; it certainly isn’t their most successful. Perhaps though, Colony encapsulates everything In Flames could and would become better than any other record could.” Burning playgrounds and scar diaries.
“Just as with their last outing, Avatarium’s latest opus snuck up on me, having only learned of its imminent release a week ago. I’m not sure why this band escapes my metal detector/radar so effectively, but this 70s doom rock project founded by Leif Edling of Candlemass fame always makes for a pleasant surprise, as they’ve been quite impressive over their relatively brief life cycle. Health concerns have caused Leif to step away from the band more and more over the last few years, and on fourth album The Fire I Long For, he’s he’s been relegated to helping write a few songs.” Feel this fire.
The weekly staff playlist and a Blind Guardian primer? Oh snap, this is a good week!
“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.
