“Few things are more epic than the tale of King Arthur, Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, and the original sword of poser pokery, Excalibur. Fewer still are as big and bombastic as John Boorman’s mammoth, sweeping retelling of the fairy tale in his 1980 film named after said mega-blade. Since Excalibur happens to be my favorite movie of all time, when I heard English doom mongers Iron Void were doing a conceptual album based on it, my interest was piqued.” Knight fall.
“There are phrases one never expects to encounter, phrases that raise more questions than they could answer on their own. One such phrase is “free jam black metal.” It raises such pressing questions as “why,” “who,” “how does such a thing come about,” and, of course, “…why?” The Netherlands’ Eadem offers no explanations, only their art.” Art for art’s sake.
“Well, it’s been three years since we’ve heard anything from Denmark’s HateSphere. You know what that means. Another HateSphere record. As I’ve said before, I’m only mildly entertained by the Scandinavian groove/thrash of HateSphere. Because of this, they may never receive a glowing review from me but I gotta give ’em props. While not the most interesting band in their field, they are definitely one of the most consistent. With a new element here and a new vocal approach there, they keep their fanbase coming back for more. Not to mention they’ve been dropping albums every 1-3 years since 2001. And, now, after nearly two decades as a band, HateSphere is about to drop their tenth full-length release, Reduced to Flesh.” Don’t hate spheres.
“Back in 2017, the epic doom of Sorcerer’s excellent The Crowning of the Fire King marched its way onto a couple of Top 10(ish) lists, coming in at #5 for The Huckster and #1 for our great ape, Steel Druhm. Nothing has really come close to emulating that feel so far this year — perhaps the closest we’ve come is the satisfyingly thick platter of Týr-ish goodness that was Khemmis’ Desolation. But that album didn’t hit home like Sorcerer did, nor has it had the staying power. Enter Spanish newcomers Black Lotus, and their debut album, Sons of Saturn, which promises to be chock full of epicness.” Black Wizzard?
“Cipher is a black metal release that operates like a death metal record. This is not to say that Imperialist is merely a blackened death metal act, as doing so would be to grossly undersell their potency. Rather, they offer pure black metal, supplemented with riff techniques derived from death metal and thrash, to craft a richly textured riffscape.” Genre bend, style blend.
“Metalcore is like that friend from high school who keeps coming back. Just when you think you’ve left it behind for good, here comes another Facebook notification or Instagram post to remind you that, yes, this thing was once a part of your life.” Look at this photograph.
“Unfortunately, there’s a tragic side story around the album’s conception, bringing a deeper emotional depth to Corrupting Influence. In 2017, founding member, powerhouse drummer, and veteran New York firefighter Bill Tolley sadly passed away while bravely performing his duties during a complicated emergency. Determined to press on and honor Bill’s memory, Internal Bleeding forged ahead with their latest opus of slammy, hardcore-tinged death.” Once and future heroes.
“Let it never be said I’m not game for unconventional genre hybrids. Gothic speed metal? Hand me the scalpel. Power death metal? Probably just melodic death metal in disguise, but I’ll don my bib all the same. Thrash doom metal? Now we’re talking! Green Death from Des Moines, Iowa, claim they managed to inject doom, melodic death, and other scraps of genres into thrash metal. The biting speed and fury of thrash seem antithetical to the heavy-handed lethargy of doom, rousing the suspicion that the genre description is full of crap, or as they say on that side of the pond, fake news.” It an’t easy being green and dead.
“If you ascribe to the Arrow of Time theory, as AMG Inc. certainly does, you can never look back. Forward, always. A million-promo horde batters constantly at the wall, and only a brave few can stem the tide. So it’s the rare album indeed that subverts the laws of nature and demands you look backward. The Return is just such a prize.” Withstand the folk of time.
“In the world of occult-themed, vest-clad doom metal, Castle has been on quite the run, seemingly defying the Law of Diminishing Recordings. From their hard-hitting 2011 debut through to 2014’s Under Siege, they pushed all the right buttons to make their doom rock resonate and chill the soul.” Breaking the Law.
