Oct19

Alunah – Violet Hour Review

By El Cuervo on October 14, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Heavy Psych Sounds Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 17 comments

“Those more tenured readers may recall that I was rather taken with Alunah’s Awakening the Forest, a folksy, beforested homage to Black Sabbath featuring exemplary female vocals to carry its tunes. 2017’s Solennial fared less well as I queried the limitations of the style and less memorable song-writing. 2019 has rolled around and with it the succeeding album called Violet Hour. Violet Hour is the first Alunah full-length release (following last year’s EP called Amber & Gold) without founding member and singer Sophie Day. Their sound is hardly one challenging boundaries or progressing its scene but this shake-up to a core component had the potential to change the band more widely. Has it?” Going through changes.

Lacuna Coil – Black Anima Review

By Grymm on October 11, 2019 in 2019, Century Media, Gothic Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 69 comments

“In his 1848 tract Human, All Too Human (Menschliches, Allzumenschliches: Ein Buch für freie Geister), Fredrich Nietzsche wrote that “hope, in reality, is the worst of all evils for it prolongs the torment of man.” So many of the bands I enjoyed as a young metal fan have demonstrated time and again just how right Nietzsche was.” Oh yeah, a double review and a Nietzsche quote? This is gonna be good.

Screamer – Highway of Heroes Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on October 11, 2019 in 2019, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, The Sign Records, Heavy Metal, 9 comments

“The tides of progress in metal will never erode the bedrock of the genre, that special thing we call heavy metal. The mix of power, strength, hope, and joy inherent in this little slice of the metal pie will always appeal to many metalheads so long as the genre continues to exist. Fortunately for Screamer, there will always be a place for records like Highway of Heroes. Fortunately for us, this means bands like Screamer will continue to make them.” Your mom’s a… nah, too easy.

GosT – Valediction Review

By sentynel on October 11, 2019 in 2.0, 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Century Media, Reviews, Synthwave, Black Metal, Synthwave, 28 comments

“Unusual genre crossovers are a tricky thing to get right. Done well, by bands like Diablo Swing Orchestra, they can produce brilliant music that sounds like nothing else. Done poorly, they certainly sound like nothing else. When we last saw 80s horror-themed black metal/synthwave crossover act GosT on their previous album Possessor, Eldritch Elitist noted the combination was sometimes awkward, but great when it worked.” GosTed.

Grim Reaper – At the Gates Review

By Huck N Roll on October 10, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Dissonance Productions, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 7 comments

“It’s been 36 years since an upstart British band called Grim Reaper released See You in Hell. It wasn’t the greatest album, but there was a certain charm about the band that made that album, and the follow-up Fear no Evil, stick in many playlists back in the day. That charm was due in no small part to singer Steve Grimmett. Steve’s been through hell and back over the last couple of years, first losing part of his leg a couple years ago and then having his brother pass away. But he’s back now, with Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper.” Reapers gonna reap.

Opium Lord – Vore Review

By GardensTale on October 10, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Noise, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Sludgelord Records, Sludge, 20 comments

“Vore, for the blissfully unaware amongst us, is one of the stranger fetishes the internet has given a home. It is the fetish for being consumed. Yes, like in Bloodbath’s “Eaten.” In their infinite wisdom, the internet has even made sub-categories to such a specific fetish, namely soft vore (being swallowed whole) and hard vore (to see your body ripped and torn). Now, I don’t know why Birmingham’s Opium Lord decided to name their sophomore album after this infamous fetish. Their nasty, noisy sludge is about as arousing as battlefield amputations.” Mouthful of noise.

Dödfödd – Stigma Review

By Twelve on October 9, 2019 in 2019, Annapurna, Black Metal, Clavis Secretorvm, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 8 comments

“As a genre, metal leaves a lot of room for interpretation and experimentation. I don’t just mean in the sense of avant-garde metal, but rather in the sense of applying that heavy metal feeling to not-quite-metal music. An easy example that comes to mind is Celestite, the drone-heavy, trance-like fifth album from Wolves in the Throne Room, a band that otherwise spends its time making heavy-hitting, folk-infused black metal. Predictably, Celestite is a rather love-it-or-hate-it album, as is wont to happen when black metal musicians conjure up the nerve to create music that isn’t black metal.” Stigmatic.

Mortiferum – Disgorged from Psychotic Depths Review

By Holdeneye on October 9, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Profound Lore Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 28 comments

“I’m writing this down to memorialize the truths that I’ve recently uncovered, but let it also serve as a warning. A foul conspiracy is afoot in the Pacific Northwest, and I’m afraid that the knowledge I possess has already set in motion forces that will ultimately bring about my ~~death~~ doom. Read back through my journal entries and the evidence will be plain as day.” Watch the skies.

Profetus – The Sadness of Time Passing Review

By Cherd on October 9, 2019 in 2019, Avantgarde Music, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 11 comments

“From the first minutes, it will be obvious to followers of the style that Profetus model their slow trudging misery after funeral forefathers Thergothon and Skepticism. This makes sense, as all three bands hail from Finland, home of the world’s most metal bands per capita at two bands per person.” Remembrance of heavy things past.

Slutvomit – Copulation of Cloven Hooves Review

By Mark Z. on October 8, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Invictus Productions, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 20 comments

“I return to my chambers, cackling madly. I’ve just dropped a heap of Witch Vomit on a bunch of unsuspecting n00bs in favor of something even fouler: Slutvomit, a Seattle quartet who play a raw and devilish union of thrash, black, and death metal. Madam X took on the band’s 2013 debut Swarming Darkness and found it a reasonably enjoyable release with similarities to early Sodom. But now, second album Copulation of Cloven Hooves is upon us, an album that I feel especially qualified to review given it was made by a band with ‘vomit’ in the name.” I don’t want to know what that says about you.