Review

Coffin Lust – Manifestation of Inner Darkness Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on May 8, 2016 in 2016, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 11 comments

“Before diving into the death metal that obviously flies under a banner like Coffin Lust, let’s briefly talk Cinderella. Whether or not you’ve had the feeling of being utterly awestruck by a woman to the point where you’d be willing to run around like a lunatic with a shoe for an hour and change trying to get her name and number the day after, I’m sure the sentiment is appreciated. With music you can have a corresponding experience, hearing a song that makes a huge impression that forces you to seek it out, along with the record it came from.” If the shoe fits, hammer smash it!

Sylvaine – Wistful Review

By Grymm on May 7, 2016 in 2016, Ambient Metal, Norwegian Metal, Not Metal, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Season of Mist, Ambient Metal, Folk, Post-Metal, 51 comments

“We here at Angry Metal Guy Industries try our damnedest to approach each album with an open mind and our full, undivided attention. We also give many, many listens to each album, grasping at as many straws as we can to formulate a 600-word review, and trying to relay our experience with said album in a way that’s both entertaining and informative. Sometimes, though, after so many listens, an album can be so thick with atmospherics and density that approaching it can feel hopelessly impossible.” But we at AMG never say”impossible.” Instead we say “I’m possible!”

Destruction – Under Attack Review

By Steel Druhm on May 6, 2016 in 2016, German Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 27 comments

“It’s comforting to know Law and Order will always be in syndication on some channel somwhere and that a Big Mac will taste the same no matter where you buy it. Likewise it’s reassuring to see the big thrash acts of the 80s steadfastly refusing to go quietly into that good night. Under Attack is Destruction’s 14th full-length of Germanic thrash and as someone who was there at their humble beginnings, it’s pretty cool to see the Mad Butchers still alive and thrashing so late into their bullet-belted old age.” Nothing’s quite as infernal as infernal overkill.

Phobocosm – Bringer of Drought Review

By Kronos on May 6, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 29 comments

“One of the complications of writing about and conceptualizing metal in the past – well, almost a decade – has been the music’s incredible diversity and availability. With bands able to record and distribute music so easily, scenes and trends have become less important and less centralized. Sure, there’s been a huge interest in nostalgia-core – occult rock and retro-thrash albums arrive in AMG’s inbox monthly – but it’s doubtful that in 2026 we’ll think of the first half of the ‘teens as being dominated by musical throwbacks. Metal as a whole lacks a zeitgeist, and in some ways that’s frustrating, because it’s hard to keep up with such a decentralized and broad genre – but death metal, as a smaller and more manageable entity, does indeed seem to have direction.” And that direction is interesting indeed.

Coffin Dust – Everything Is Dead Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 5, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Unholy Anarchy Records, Death Metal, 8 comments

“Coffin Dust received quite a bit of buzz in the metal underground these last few months (well, at least from that really tiny niche populated by metalheads looking in every nook and cranny for obscure bands). The “buzz” is primarily due to the notoriety of vocalist/guitarist, Slime. Who knew a single year serving as Exhumed’s bassist was enough for a label to fuse those death/grind legends to every promotional piece that hit the web?” Those pesky PR types will do strange things.

Grand Magus – Sword Songs Review

By Steel Druhm on May 5, 2016 in 2016, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, 38 comments

“When you see an album adorned with a mighty eagle bearing a sword as drawn by a Venice Beach tattoo artist, you know you’re messin’ with one epic son of a bitch. Though they started life as a traditional doom act, over time Grand Magus transitioned into a kind of trve, Manowar-inspired unit, with said transition most obvious on 2014’s Triumph and Power.” Sword breaker, bird shaker, I’ve been told about you!

Thränenkind – King Apathy Review

By Mark Z. on May 4, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Crust Punk, German Metal, Lifeforce Records, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 44 comments

“Sometimes the way you first experience an album is everything. Back in 2013, after finally returning from an extended work trip where I had limited internet access (and thus, no ability to hear new metal releases), Thränenkind’s The Elk took my deprived ears by storm with its Agallochian mix of weepy post-rock and crusty post-black metal. After months of only listening to whatever -core was stored on my iPod at the time, I was captivated, and the German quintet’s debut ended up being one of my favorite albums that year. Three years later sees me in an entirely different set of circumstances.” Stop the presses!

Sinnery – A Feast of Fools Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 4, 2016 in 2016, Israeli Metal, Pitch Black Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 22 comments

“Try as you might, your eyes are inevitably being drawn to the album cover that sits just to the left of these words. As you read, you will involuntarily pause so as to examine in greater detail this genius work of Costin Chioreanu. Depicting what appears to be a bloody tea party between a deer, a wolf, a faceless goat boy, and the crack whores of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the artwork of Sinnery’s debut album, A Feast of Fools, is about as convoluted and mysterious as the album itself.” Sin Tea is served!

The Levitation Hex – Cohesion Review

By Grymm on May 3, 2016 in 2016, Australian Metal, High Roller Records, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, 16 comments

“Man, I really miss Alchemist. Much like Anacrusis, Alchemist were so far ahead of the curve with their heady blend of progressive melodies, Killing Joke-inspired riffs, and the raspy growls and otherworldly banshee shrieks of guitarist Adam Agius. The amount of times I spun Organasm and Spritech can’t even be measured, and when word got out in 2010 that the band dissolved after the sheer heft of 2007’s underrated Tripsis, yours truly was crushed. Wasting no time, Agius formed spiritual successor The Levitation Hex.” Cool name but weighty legacy to live up to.

Gorguts – Pleiades’ Dust Review

By Kronos on May 3, 2016 in 2016, Avante Garde, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 41 comments

“With two and a half decades under their belt and a generation of bands aping their sound, one wouldn’t be surprised to see Gorguts rest on their laurels for a while. But Gorguts’ time of rest is over, and Luc Lemay has made it abundantly clear that his pioneering death metal vision didn’t stop with From Wisdom to Hate.” No rest for the gutted.