“Maelstrom is a pretty popular handle, but the one we are looking at today has quite a bit of history. Formed in 1988 in West Hempstead, New York, they share their birth year with Iced Earth as well as yours truly. The Iced Earth part is more important, as Maelstrom released a few demos in a similar style, mixing thrash and power metal with a symphonic flair before dropping off the face of the planet.” Fire, ice and shitstorms.
“This is the last time I pick up something that more respectable reviewers wouldn’t. Steel Druhm, in his infinite wisdom, decided he had some other unfathomable thing to do besides review Hermeneutics, the fifth LP by Italian-Swiss symphonic prog-metal band Blut.” Blut force trauma.
“As summer draws near, something has been lacking. Not the patio beers, or the large gatherings, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on until the kind lads from Zedi Forder sent me their latest work, Isolation, a few weeks ago. Then I remembered what an awesome summer band these guys are.” Wherein our hero writes a blog post about his summer drinking habits. Oh, and reviews a couple weirdo metal records from the band Zedi Forder.
“The manic death metal binge continues unabated at the stately House ov Steel. Today’s subject is the second album by Denver’s death metal adventurers, Pile of Priests. Having explored a fairly conventional old school death metal approach on their 2015 Void of Enlightenment debut, the band decided to go in a more proggy direction for their eponymous sophomore outing. Apparently a concept album, it’s replete with dramatic narration, a plethora of moods, a great deal of technical finesse and a large amount of hooks.” Padre packing.
“In Contact was one of the best records of the 2010s, an extremely ambitious concept alum that connected both lyrically and musically on a level above anything the band had accomplished before. That unexpected success puts its follow-up, Rise Radiant, under pressure.” Horse Pressure.
“How much good groove metal have we even heard in the last decade? Unto the Locust was, in my opinion, Machine Head’s last good album, and that’s about where it ends for me. Groove-influenced bands like The Haunted have worked much better than bands that use it as its core. Belgian quartet Bear seek to subvert that formula by stapling several genres to its creamy groove center.” Grizzly grooves.
“I’m good at keeping secrets, but the past couple of months or so have tested my limits. After all, how does one hide the existence of a brand new record from the entire world – including their blog colleagues? In agony, that’s how! But that’s the way Lör wanted this done, and I’ll be damned if I’ll deny the creators of the best album I’ve ever reviewed the opportunity to spring an incredible surprise on their fans.” AMG is a deep vault of horrible secrets.
“I’ve always been interested in bands that have long histories and comparatively brief discographies. Course of Fate is a Norwegian sextet that formed back in 2003, but their debut full-length album Mindweaver is just now releasing, seventeen years later.” Time is the mindweaver.
“Canada boasts a vibrant metal scene, and unsung youngsters Omniarch aim high on their debut, self-titled LP, hoping to carve out their own impression in the vast landscape of the Canadian metal scene. Welding impressive instrumental chops and oodles of exuberant, thrashy energy, Omniarch nail the basics well while cultivating a modern metal amalgam that explores technical, progressive and melodic terrain, with a lively sound that dips into thrash, prog and occasionally blackened, technical, and melodic death waters.” Jacks of all trades.
“The concept of Ragnarøkkr is one that has become distinctly tied to metal. Meaning the “twilight of the Gods” and famously forming subject material for Bathory and many other bands, it tells the mythological tale of death and devastation of the world and the Norse Gods. Asgard are (somewhat strangely) a Swiss band adopting this imagery in their name and the title of their new record, Ragnarøkkr.” Half Asgarded.
