Prosthetic Records

Without Waves – Comedian Review

By Felagund on March 17, 2022 in Reviews, Experimental Metal, Progressive Metal, 39 comments

“Cover art can be make or break. Despite that old axiom, I do indeed judge a book by its often horrific cover. I tend to avoid the intentionally bad (looking at you, Voivod’s Target Earth) and the unabashedly anatomical (I’ve already seen The Reek of Putrefaction, thank you very much.) However, there’s plenty of room between the two extremes to play, and you can always count on a few quality covers lurking around the primeval AMG promo sump; the kind that just begs for a spin or three. Such was the case with Comedian, the latest from Chicago-based progressive metalers Without Waves. Their fortuitous choice to immortalize a moment in the life of one very unlucky flamingo has earned them one whole review.” Flightless.

Abhoria – Abhoria Review

By Holdeneye on February 1, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, 30 comments

“Picking a new promo is an exciting occasion because there’s no telling what the results may be. A few years back, I wandered far outside of my wheelhouse to snag a progressive blackened death metal release by a band called Ashen Horde. I had no prior knowledge of the band whatsoever, and I was enthralled by what I heard. But I had no idea that the great music was just the tip of the iceberg of what I would gain from the experience. Ashen Horde guitarist and main songwriter Trevor Portz reached out to me shortly after the album’s release, leading to a fun interview with both Portz and Ashen Horde vocalist Stevie Boiser, and Portz and I have maintained frequent contact ever since. Early on, he told me about a more straightforward black metal project that he was working on called Abhoria.” Abhor the horde.

Eternity’s End – Embers of War Review

By Holdeneye on November 26, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Speed Metal, 35 comments

“A week ago, progressive/technical death metal titans Obscurareleased a well-received album that featured the return of longtime guitarist Christian Münzner. Münzner had left the band in 2014 after developing focal dystonia, an overuse condition that left his fretting hand neurologically compromised. Needing a break from the relentless touring cycle of a band like Obscura, Münzner turned to other projects. Recruiting former Obscura bandmates Linus Klausenitzer and Hannes Grossmann, Münzner formed Eternity’s End with the goal to produce high-quality progressive power metal.” Powerful hobbies.

Beyond Grace – Our Kingdom Undone Review

By Ferrous Beuller on September 7, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 32 comments

“Back in 2017 I waxed pompous about the debut album from England’s Beyond Grace. Seekers was a highly impressive first offering, full of exploratory death metal that put a premium on musicianship and forward-thinking. However, I often feel that the real test of a band’s mettle can be found in that precarious second release. Fortunately, Our Kingdom Undone meets the call with a savage roar of its own.” Kingdoms of might.

Wormwitch – Wolf Hex Review

By Felagund on August 29, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 34 comments

“Way back in the golden, halcyon days of 2019, Wormwitch’s The Heaven That Dwells Within, with its wonderful mix of melody and brutality, became a consistent go-to album for a much younger, much less masked Felagund. Just two hellish years later, this Canadian quartet is back with Wolf Hex, their third full-length and another slab of melodic black metal. But does their latest measure up to my unfair expectations?” Of worm and wolf.

Domination Campaign – Onward to Glory Review

By Twelve on July 8, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 11 comments

“From the ashes of Australia’s Psycroptic rises a new band to take its place in the sun: Domination Campaign. Except that’s not a great metaphor for the situation, because Psycroptic is fine and still doing its usual musician thing, but I wanted to write a dramatic intro to pique your interest. You see, Domination Campaign and their debut full-length, Onward to Glory was originally a solo project by Jason Peppiatt, who is the lead vocalist in Psycroptic.” Death, taxes, and yellow journalism.

The Day of the Beast – Indisputably Carnivorous Review

By Dear Hollow on June 21, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 9 comments

“The almighty riff. While I’m not entirely convinced of its importance, masochists like Diabolus in Muzaka and Ferrous Beuller spend their days raking the dregs of the Skull Pit’s outer limits in the vain hopes of discovering it laying amid the rusty needles of tech-death or beneath the gore and grime of OSDM, only to return empty-handed and receive yet another beating from the all-knowing ape. While the foundation of countless styles of metal, it’s a frail thing, as its weak implementation or absence can violently derail a song or an album. Worshipers of the almighty and ever-elusive riff, does The Day of the Beast succeed or will they crash and burn with the hordes of Nifelheim-copycats?” Nice to eat you.

An Autumn for Crippled Children – As The Morning Dawns We Close Our Eyes Review

By Doom_et_Al on May 18, 2021 in Reviews, Shoegaze, 23 comments

“What got you into metal? For me, it was blackgaze. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe your pal Doomy wasn’t raised on a diet of Bathory and his enemies’ livers; but as a teenager in the 90’s, I was mostly into indie rock and shoegaze. My entry into metal came later on, when bands like Lantlôs, Deafheaven and Alcest combined the dreamy, ethereal tones of My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive with the fury of second-wave black metal. Within this group was the Netherlands’ An Autumn for Crippled Children, who leaned even more heavily into indie territory with their embrace of dream-pop and post rock.” Won’t someone think of the children?

The Ember, the Ash – Fixation Review

By Twelve on May 15, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Deathcore, 10 comments

“The Ember, the Ash hail from the Canadian province of Ontario, and are not my usual cup of tea. The project is a solo effort by one 鬼, and is listed in the Metal Archives as being one of symphonic deathcore, which is so far outside of my usual wheelhouse that I’m not entirely sure what drew me to Fixation, the project’s sophomore effort. And yet, here I am, several listens in, not tearing my hair out with my hands, and admitting to have enjoyed the experience.” Ash for the masses.

Body Void – Bury Me Beneath this Rotting Earth Review

By Carcharodon on May 2, 2021 in Reviews, 11 comments

“After recent (and in one case accidental) forays into genres somewhat removed from my traditional hunting grounds – funeral fucking drone and death metal – I am pleased this week to be back in more familiar waters with some sludgy doom. Vermont two-piece, Body Void return with their third full-length, Bury Me Beneath this Rotting Earth.” Cull and void.