Review

Forteresse/Chasse-Galerie/Monarque/Csejthe – Légendes Review

By JF Williams on March 25, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Reviews, Sepulchral Productions, Black Metal, 5 comments

“The French-Canadian province of Quebec has a rich black metal scene, and Canadian black metal label Sepulchral Productions has strung together a real gem in the form of Légendes, a four-way split EP of proud Québécois darkness. In keeping with each group’s dedication to Québécois cultural and national identity, the split unites some of the scene’s more well-known groups – Forteresse, Chasse-Galerie, Monarque and Csejthe – to explore Quebec’s folklore.” Ready for a rare four-way split of French-Canadian blackness? Wendigos unite!

Animals as Leaders – The Joy of Motion

By Kronos on March 24, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Djent, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Sumerian Records, Progressive Metal, 15 comments

“It’s a bit early to assess the impact of the djent scene on metal overall, given that its rapid boom and bust occurred so recently, but preliminary findings are that it produced and popularized some definite keepers. One of the foremost are poised to release their third album. Tosin Abasi’s inventive instrumental ensemble took metal by an impressively subdued and nuanced storm with their eponymous début, carving out a canyon for current sweethearts like Exivious to wash into. For all of their stylistic idiosyncrasies, Animals as Leaders gets billed as a jazz-influenced prog-metal band, but I like to think of them more as a jazz group caught in an unlikely love affair with Meshuggah. Whatever you call them, and what you call them is likely to be overwhelmingly positive, you should be expecting something great out of The Joy of Motion.” Join Kronos as he delves into Djent and what wonders it has wrought in the music world.

Lacuna Coil – Broken Crown Halo Review

By Grymm on March 23, 2014 in 2014, Century Media, Gothic Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 19 comments

“When a band hits a certain level of fame, usually it gives them free reign to do whatever their innermost muse guides them to create without fear of their label dropping them. They can craft new masterpieces to guide the listener to unknown lands, and hold them there for the duration of the album’s captivating length. They can also lull the unsuspecting fan into a false sense of security before bludgeoning them to a wet, slushy pulp. In other words, no matter what the band does, it’s guaranteed that their label will back them up, as they are proven to sell like virtual gang-busters.” Which approach will Lacuna Coil take? Are you sure?

Brainstorm – Firesoul Review

By Steel Druhm on March 21, 2014 in 2014, AFM Records, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 16 comments

“Ever since hearing the Ivanhoe albums way back in the late 90s, I’ve been a huge fan of Andy B. Franck’s vocals. He has pipes that could only be destined for a life fronting a metal band, though he possesses the range to do virtually any kind of music. His slightly proggy, but hyper-accessible albums with Symphorce are always in rotation at Casa de la Druhm, as are his many releases with traditional metal act Brainstorm. The latter are especially tasty, blending Judas Priest’s Painkiller era with the punch and crunch of American power metal like Iced Earth and Pantera, then layering in a plethora of earwormy vocal hooks and monumental, anthemic choruses that cannot be forgotten. Albums like Mentus Mortis, Soul Temptation and Liquid Monster are nearly perfect examples of pure heavy metal and whenever I spin them for someone unacquainted, they wonder how they could have missed the boat.” Intrigued yet?

Massacre – Back From Beyond Review

By Steel Druhm on March 19, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 6 comments

“Massacre holds a special place in the annals of American death metal. They were one of earliest true death metal bands, and along with Death, they started the infamous Florida death metal scene. Hell, original vocalist Kam Lee is even credited with inventing the death metal growl! At one time or another, members of Obituary and Death passed through their ranks and though they released a series of highly influential demos like Aggressive Tyrant, their plans to release a debut album in 1988 were hamstrung when Terry Butler, Rick Rozz and Bill Andrews all jumped ship to record Death’s immortal Leprosy album instead.” The co-originators of American death metal are finally back from beyond with a new album. But should we seal the portal from whence they came?

Shores of Null – Quiescence Review

By Grymm on March 16, 2014 in 2014, Candlelight, Doom Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 6 comments

“Swimming among an overcrowded sea of retro-thrashers, tech-death wankers, and sweepy-haired shoegazers playing post-whatever-the-fuck-the-flavor-is-this-week, there’s a band from Italy that’s looking to Finland and Seattle for the inspiration behind their début, Quiescence. Shores of Null may be a brand-spankin’-new band, but they are looking to capture your attention in pretty interesting ways. And they succeed to a degree.” Grymm just might have stumbled on something interesting here.

Epistasis – Light Through Dead Glass

By Kronos on March 12, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Crucial Blast Records, Danish Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 6 comments

“Imagine that you mated Gorguts and Dodecahedron and left their bastard progeny on the doorstep of The Ocean. By the time Light Through Dead Glass flies out the F1’s mouth, nature and nurture have taken their course in shaping their grubby offspring. Passed down from their father are incoherent shrieks and furious black metal riffs, complementing the intricate bass lines and scintillating guitar tone contributed by their mother. Both parents passed on the recessive atonality and strangeness alleles, and somewhere along the line a mutation occurred giving rise to the novel trumpet player feature. Despite Epistasis’ breeding, their adopted parents have taught them some manners, instilling upon the young band a sense of melody and introspection. With such a colorful bouquet of attributes, Epistasis is an impossible specimen to miss in a screen, even for the amateur metal geneticist.” In our ongoing quest to marry ivory tower academia with metal analysis, here’s Kronos discussing insect genetics and their relation to progressive and black metal. Huh?

Vanishing Point – Distant is the Sun Review

By Steel Druhm on March 11, 2014 in 2014, AFM Records, Australian Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 14 comments

“It seems I don’t get to review power metal all that much these days, though it was one of the reasons I was originally recruited by AMG in the first place (my official title was Assistant Chief Power Metal Weenie). Instead, it’s Rogga Johansson this, retro death metal that, yadda yadda yadda. Maybe that’s why it feels so refreshing to hear some genuinely solid power-prog from long running Aussie act Vanishing Point.” Steel Druhm takes a short break from reviewing Rogga Johansson projects to enjoy some prog-power. Feel free to join him.

Die Choking – Die Choking Review

By Madam X on March 10, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Crust Punk, Earsplit Records, Grind, Reviews, Crust Punk, Grind, 1 comment

“The way Die Choking bursts out of your speakers, gnashing its angry yellow, plaque covered teeth at your throat, they have me wondering whether to skip the intro and dive straight into the heart of the review… well almost. Philadelphia based Die Choking are on the verge of releasing the first vinyl press of their début, 5-track, self-titled EP and with it comes a crust-based grindcore sound that harkens to the very early days of Napalm Death and at the same time worships the sacred ground walked by Nails. ” Madam X delves into some ugly grind in a very…revealing review.

Retro-Spective Review: Anacrusis – Screams and Whispers

By Grymm on March 9, 2014 in American Metal, Progressive Metal, Retro Reviews, Thrash Metal, 21 comments

“I get sad when bands don’t get their just due. I get sadder when I find out about that band after they had disbanded. One fateful night in 1993, I was watching MTV’s Headbangers Ball and caught a video of “Sound the Alarm” by St. Louis, Missouri’s progressive thrashers, Anacrusis. From what I’ve read online, “Sound the Alarm” was played once and only once on that show, and it was after the band had called it quits earlier that year. I was fortunate enough to be floored by that song.” Join Grymm as he shines a light on a truly under-appreciated metal treasure.