Not one, but TWO reviews of the brand new Temple of Void platter. Prepare for weighty thoughts.
Relapse Records
Author & Punisher – Krüller Review
“Author and Punisher albums seem to alternate between anthemic and ambitious. Women & Children saw Tristan Shone’s transhumanist industrial drone-doom project spinning out singles with the force of a hundred pound steel drum, an approach echoed by 2018’s belligerent Beastland. But between them, the disturbing, experimental Melk en Honing took a slower, nastier pace, savoring the acrid stench of electrocuted machine-oil that the music produces. So does Krüller, Shone’s densest work yet.” Punishment and dystopian donuts.
AMG’s Guide to Amorphis
In honor of the release of Halo on the 11th of February (that’s this Friday), from Atomic Fire Records, we here at AngryMetalGuy.com are giving you a rock-solid grounding in the band this website has stolen all its logos from.
Monolord – Your Time to Shine Review
“Three Monolord reviews, and three 3.0 scores. The epitome of “good.” In fact, when I jotted down all the metadata for this album I also penciled in “3.0 of course” for my rating placeholder. I mean, what are the odds the score goes up or down? Actually, here on Your Time to Shine, the Swedish doom trio’s fifth album, there’s a good chance of that score coming untracked, at least if they continue down the less-fuzz, more-doom path they started down with No Comfort. As mentioned two years ago, the band seemed to be evolving into a “fuzzier version of Pallbearer.” Rabbit don’t come easy.
Wolves in the Throne Room – Primordial Arcana Review
“Wolves in the Throne Room is an important band for me. When I was just getting into black metal, I found my way to the early albums in the band’s discography, which demonstrated to me the intrinsic and glorious bond black metal has with nature. I was absolutely captivated and I still consider the trilogy of Diadem of 12 Stars, Two Hunters and Black Cascade to be one of the strongest in black metal’s catalog. While I may be less enamored with the later albums (Thrice Woven, apart from its thunderous opener, left me cold), I feel a very close affinity with the band, and any new release is a very big deal to this reviewer.” Wolves or sheep?
King Woman – Celestial Blues Review
“King Woman hit the metal world in 2017 with debut album Created In the Image of Suffering to relatively high praise, both from metal sites and the Pitchfork/NPR corners of metal coverage. At the time I even saw it on a few of the more mainstream metal site year end lists. Personally, I found it…pretty OK. You all know me to be a shill for sludgy doom who doesn’t mind the stoner/psych side of things, and that was squarely what Created In the Image of Suffering was, albeit with a slightly more indie enchantress spin thanks to principle member Kristina Esfandiari. While the Iranian born, California raised Esfandiari certainly has a distinctly captivating voice, I found the first King Woman album solid, but falling short of the hype.” Hype and high potential.
Red Fang – Arrows Review
“Ever wanted to spend your afternoon crafting a suit of armor from empty beer cans to go make drunken, bloody war on the D&D nerds at the local park? Portland, Oregon’s Red Fang got you. Ever been in the shower, sipping on a beer, when two, large hairy and, it has to be said, naked stoners apparate to invite you to an air guitar contest, before disappearing (with your tinny)? This four-piece stoner outfit understands. After a five-year hiatus, Red Fang is back with fifth full-length, Arrows, and in reassuringly generous mood.” Pay as you slow.
Incantation – Sect of Vile Divinities Review
“If your initial response to a new Incantation record isn’t “INCANTATIOOOOOOOON!!!” followed by an immediate tearing of skin, then you are not my kind. These days, it’s redundant to introduce a band like Incantation. If you’ve been listening to death metal for more than five minutes, then you’ve almost certainly encountered their classics Onward to Golgotha and Mortal Throne of Nazarene. Their savage take on soul sewage has magnetized the masses since the band’s inception and that reputation remains untarnished.” Vile markers.
Valkyrie – Fear Review
“Summertime is when I’m most susceptible to the bleary-eyed charms of jammy, fuzzed out retro/occult doom. That kind of music just seems to go with warmer days and brighter skies. Virginia’s Valkyrie play their cards right by dropping their 4th album in the middle of a New York heat wave, as my brain is already hot-wired to embrace what they’re doing on Fear.” Fear is the riff dealer.
Yer Metal is Olde: Dying Fetus – Destroy the Opposition
“An album released in the year 2000, celebrating a 20th anniversary, makes yer metalhead feel rather olde. However, time and age has done naught to diminish the power and lightning in a bottle creativity marking the monumental third album from Maryland death metal legends, Dying Fetus.” 20 years of destruction.