Opeth

Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time – 50-41

Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time – 50-41

By Angry Metal Guy on March 26, 2011 in Blog Posts, 31 comments

So instead of a review, today, you’re getting what is going to be a 5 piece attempt to shame the assholes over at Gibson, who apparently haven’t listened to heavy metal since 1984. While this list is bound to be controversial (trust me), it is also done with a very specific purpose in mind, which is to remind everyone that heavy metal has continued to exist since Nirvana sold a bunch of records. But, of course, the Anglocentric jackasses over at Gibson didn’t realize this. Anyway, this oughtta piss everyone right off, but hopefully someone involved in the creation of that list feels ashamed for having been such idiots. Note to old guys: shit still happens once you’ve stopped caring.

Omnium Gatherum – New World Shadows Review

Omnium Gatherum – New World Shadows Review

By Angry Metal Guy on February 4, 2011 in 2011, 4.5, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Lifeforce Records, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 24 comments

There was a time when melodic death metal was every breath I took. While it’s been a long time since that was the case, I certainly can say that I spent the late 90s and early 00s listening to my fair share of melodic Swedish death metal and loving it. But since then melodic death metal has kinda fallen off a cliff. This is partially due to the dawning of metalcore and the co-opting of Swedish thrash and death metal by hardcore kids, but I think it’s mainly because just like every scene after a while you start growing tired of the sound. Every new album that gets released gets a “Yeah, well, I’ve heard this before.” While there have been some notable melodic death metal records in the last couple of years, Barren Earth and Be’lakor come to mind, only the former has really stuck out as truly remarkable. That is until I checked out New World Shadows from Omnium Gatherum.

Iskald – The Sun I Carried Alone Review

Iskald – The Sun I Carried Alone Review

By Lord Doom on January 26, 2011 in 2.5, 2011, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, 4 comments

When reviewing albums, I find they usually fall into one of three categories. “Instant Winners” that stick with you and get plenty of praise, “Growers” that may take anything from a couple of listens to a couple of years to finally sink in and then “Duds” that just seem to evaporate as soon as the album finishes. The last category is the hardest to give an honest opinion on simply because there is very little to hook in to and unfortunately, I find Iskald’s latest offering, The Sun I Carried Alone, to be treading down this path.

Crow Black Sky – Pantheion Review

Crow Black Sky – Pantheion Review

By Angry Metal Guy on January 16, 2011 in 2010, 3.5, Death Metal, Epic Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, South African Metal, Swedish Metal, Unsigned Bands, 1 comment

One of the things that people have been lamenting about the dawn of the Internet and how it will affect the future of music is that localized scenes no longer get localized sounds, and Crow Black Sky is definitely an example of this. Or more specifically, the South African metal scene seems to be a great example of this. See, Crow Black Sky is a melodic death metal band, whereas the other two bands that I’ve heard from South Africa (Heathens and A Walk with the Wicked) are black metal/black n’ roll and old school death metal. Due to access to music and information worldwide, it sorta kills that homogenization effect that gigging together, hanging out together and shopping at the same record store seemed to cause. Is it possible that the black metal scene from Oregon is the last cohesive scene we’re going to ever see? Well, that’s not actually relevant to this review. What is relevant to this review is that despite (or because of) the lack of homogeneity in the South African scene every single one of these bands that I’ve heard has been really very good. Crow Black Sky being no exception.

The Ocean – Anthropocentric Review

The Ocean – Anthropocentric Review

By Angry Metal Guy on November 22, 2010 in 2.5, 2010, Eurocore, German Metal, Metal Blade, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Hardcore, Post-Hardcore, Sludge, 5 comments

gotta say up front that I am not a big fan of sludge, I mean, you should be forewarned of this. So when I first heard The Ocean’s controversial (and apparently much hated) opus Heliocentric I was really happy about it. It was way more shoegaze or post-hardcore than it was sludge or anything really coming near to it. Short on the hardcore and tall on the clean vocals, I was impressed. I gave it a 4.5/5.0 and I stand by that (in spite of the incessant whining of jilted fans). So I was pretty interested to take a listen to the follow-up Anthropocentric. And my worst fears were confirmed: they pulled an Opeth. Soft record. Heavy record. Blech. Anyone else ever notice that this never works?

Spiritual Beggars – Return to Zero Review

Spiritual Beggars – Return to Zero Review

By Steel Druhm on September 16, 2010 in 2010, 4.0, Doom Metal, InsideOut, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Stoner Rock, 3 comments

A wise and Angry Metal Guy once said (earlier this week) that “retro is the new new,” and the trends in the angry metal world are surely proving those prophetic words true. We are up to our collective arses in retro thrash, retro power and retro retro. While new is always great, even the “new” new can be mighty fine, as with the latest release from Sahg and this wicked mother, Return to Zero from Sweden’s own Spiritual Beggars. This is the seventh full length from Michael Amott’s long running side project and respite from the melodic death metal world and although it’s as retro as retro gets, this is one slamming, jamming slab of heavy stoner/doom rock n roll.

Winterhorde – Underwatermoon Review

Winterhorde – Underwatermoon Review

By Angry Metal Guy on September 15, 2010 in 2010, 4.5, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 1 comment

It isn’t often these days that I review something that I found on my own. In fact, given that the amount of time that we here at Angry Metal Guy for reviews has gone down immensely compared to the huge numbers of promos we receive, it’s probably irresponsible for me to do so. But this Angry Metal Guy is always worried that we’re still not getting every CD of golden worth and highest quality. Once again this fear has been vindicated, but fortunately for you guys, I still love metal enough that I actually go looking for shit that we haven’t received here. And because of that, I stumbled upon Winterhorde a melodic or orchestral black metal band from… Israel? Yeah, turns out, even Israel which lacks for snowy winters has black metal guys who think that snow is the ultimate eviiiil. But don’t let the silly name fool you, because Winterhorde is not just your average melodic black metal band and Underwatermoon, while excitingly ESL in name, is anything but lackluster.

Demonic Resurrection – The Return to Darkness Review

Demonic Resurrection – The Return to Darkness Review

By Angry Metal Guy on August 3, 2010 in 2010, 3.0, Black Metal, Candlelight, Reviews, 5 comments

As world metal takes the stage, something that is happening more and more frequently these days, we’re going to be seeing more of these bands coming from places where metal just hasn’t ever shown its face earlier. Demonic Resurrection, as those of you familiar with Sam Dunn’s documentary Global Metal already know, are a band from India who play symphonic black metal. The third record in a trilogy The Return to Darkness is being released (as I understand it) as the band’s first international release via Candlelight Records. That Sam Dunn is a rockstar creating machine, it turns out. Though, when it comes to Demonic Resurrection, their music speaks for itself and if you give that music a stage that myriads of metalheads have access to, it’s not hard to see how they managed to break beyond their borders.