Review

Gnosis of the Witch – Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar EP Review

By Grymm on July 31, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Black Metal, 0 comments

“The summer of 2014 is quickly becoming the Summer of American Black Metal. Between stellar releases from Panopticon, Wolvhammer, and Wolves in the Throne Room, the Land of the Free has been churning out some primo, top-shelf Grade A Black(ened) Angus. Brand-spankin’-new two-piece Gnosis of the Witch are tossing both of their hats into the fiery pits with their second EP (and first for Iron Bonehead Productions), the easy-to-pronounce Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar. Will you be lost in their Thursian black charm, or will there be some work to be done to enslave you to the darkened grasp of Ginnungagap?” American black metal, like Elvis, is everywhere.

Belphegor – Conjuring the Dead Review

By Steel Druhm on July 30, 2014 in 2014, Austrian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 16 comments

“Hey look, everybody’s favorite necromantically inclined, goat bondage enthusiasts are back from the latex boutique to unleash another wave of blackened death on the tied and naked masses. Austria’s Belphegor are one of the leading voices in mega-extreme music and 2011s Blood Magick Necromance left quiet an impression on my steely cranium, ending up one of my best albums of the year. While these fetish freaks don’t do anything all that different from contemporaries like Behemoth, their simple, utterly savage blend of Morbid Angel pummeling and Marduk like blitzkrieging blackness really resonates with me in a way even the Polish Demigods do not.” Steel doesn’t always listen to blackened death, but when he does, he prefers Belphegor.

Panopticon – Roads to the North Review

By JF Williams on July 29, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, 12 comments

“With 2012’s Kentucky, Panopticon became among the most interesting black metal projects operating in the U.S. Unlike many USBM lynchpins that stubbornly ape the sound and ethos of their Scandinavian influences, Austin Lunn’s one-man black metal project took a full-fledged approach to the genre as tied to his own home and hearth of Kentucky as that of his Scandinavian forefathers. For those out of the loop, the result was an ambitious, politically-charged concept album centered around Kentucky’s blood-soaked history of coal mining, soundtracked by an unprecedented mix of black metal and bluegrass music.” Black metal and bluegrass sounds as good a mix as peanut butter and mayonnaise, but hey, you gotta try it to know!

Entombed A.D. – Back to the Front Review

By Steel Druhm on July 29, 2014 in 2014, Century Media, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, 9 comments

“Entombed is the All-Father of Swedish death metal and their Left Hand Path album stands like a black obelisk at the epicenter on the genre map, guiding all pilgrims onward to the next musical waypoint. Although only their first two albums were true death and they morphed into something like death rock on subsequent outings, the oversized legacy of their formative years looms ever large. Their last full length release was 2007s Serpent Saints and since then they’ve been embroiled in internal strife and various litigations. As a result, the faction of the band led by vocalist L.G. Petrov have adopted the moniker of Entombed A.D.” New name, some of the same guys, but can they recapture their mojo? Pray for mojo.

Atara / Miserable Failure – Hang Them Review

By Madam X on July 26, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Doom Metal, French Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Kaotoxin Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Hardcore, 1 comment

“French grind with hardcore and black metal influence that screams of being “the noose that’ll suffocate your dry throat in an auto-erotic maelstrom of hatesphyxiation” – well now, don’t mind if I do!” Madam X can never say no to a nice noose. That’s why she works remotely and not at AMG headquarters.

Tankard – R.I.B. Review

By Al Kikuras on July 25, 2014 in 2014, German Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 10 comments

“Can you imagine having a hangover every day for 30 years straight? If Tankard live up to their brew-soaked legacy at all, they probably aren’t imagining it. They’re living it. Now, German thrash is a revered branch of the metal tree so you know the names. If there was a “Big Four” of Teutonic thrash, they’d be Kreator, Sodom and Destruction. No, my math isn’t off and no, I’m not a dozen beers in and forgot how to count. The fourth position would be up for grabs for a bevy of second and third tier bands like Darkness, Exumer, Deathrow, Iron Angel, Paradox… the list goes on. Good ‘ol Tankard is on that list. ” Here’s some old style thrash reviewed by our new (but kinda old) writer. Welcome the Amish Outlaw himself, Al Kikuras to AMG’s dysfunctional family.

Kaine – The Waystone Review

By Steel Druhm on July 23, 2014 in 2014, English Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 9 comments

If you thought the once proud battle flag of NWoBHM was laying somewhere gathering dust and regret, the unheralded young guns in Kaine are certainly trying to patch it up and give it a fresh new look. Their sophomore opus The Waystone is loaded with fanboy worship of everything Iron Maiden, Saxon and Grim Reaper stood for in the 80s and features tons of Maiden-esque gallops and vintage metal riffs (mostly from the you-know-who school).” This one really seemed to baffle and befuddle Mr. Steel. We like when that happens because it’s funny.

Vardan – Enjoy of Deep Sadness Review

By Madam X on July 22, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Italian Metal, Moribund Records, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 15 comments

“”Do you realize that if you fall into a black hole, you will see the entire future of the Universe unfold in front of you in a matter of moments and you will emerge into another space-time created by the singularity of the black hole you just fell into?” Neil deGrasse Tyson probably didn’t picture those words describing the unfolding, infinity of one-man black metal artist Vardan’s latest journey into heartbreak and isolation, but they certainly do.” Black holes, ESL failures and a one man black metal act with awful corpse paint. It’s all here, folks.

Nidsang – Into the Womb of Dissolving Flames Review

By Madam X on July 21, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Pulverised Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 1 comment

“Wearing down, chafing, scraping, being eaten away and flaying; none of these situations sound particularly pleasant truth be told. But when you apply these same conditions across eight blasphemous anthems of pure black rage, you could very well say that suddenly the tables are turned. What wore you down before now pulls you like a magnet and taunts you to dig deeper into a bands discography.” Do you like the feel of chafing? Do you enjoy abrasive things? if so, Nidsang might be just your rub.

Overkill – White Devil Armory Review

By Steel Druhm on July 19, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 24 comments

“Pugnacious. That’s what Overkill are and what they’ve always been. From the early days bumming around places like L’Amour in Brooklyn, boozing with the fans and hoping to finagle a slot on stage, on through a slew of influential, punky, neo-thrash albums that became minor classics, this crew of New Jersey ne’er-do-wells always had a big chip on their collective shoulder. Maybe that’s why they’re still hanging around the thrash scene like neighborhood thugs on the street corner, looking for more trouble after a lifetime full of it. They’ve stuck around long enough to release White Devil Armory, their seventeenth goddamn album, and they’re showing no signs of giving up their turf without a bloody fight.” Ready for a back alley mugging? Come to Overkill.