Reviews

Dzö-nga – The Sachem’s Tales Review

By Mark Z. on July 19, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Avantgarde Music, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 40 comments

“Sophomore full-length The Sachem’s Tales sees Cryvas crafting a concept album about Native American folklore, aiming to combine Cascadian black metal with classical music. Joined by female vocalist Grushenka Ødegård and session drummer Aaron Maloney (formerly of Pennsylvania metalcore act This or the Apocalypse, oddly enough), has Dzö-nga given us the next Bergtatt or delivered another Bandcamp black metal record whose hype will fizzle faster than you can say “Ghost Bath”? The Great Tree and the Dzö-nga House.

Vesicant – Shadows of Cleansing Iron Review

By Grymm on July 18, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, New Zealand Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 53 comments

“War. Whether for profit, liberation, or for sheer annihilation of your enemies, many bands have scoured the various battles and wars throughout the ages for musical and lyrical inspiration. World War I in particular remains a fertile ground for a variety of metal bands, with depictions of trenches and chemical warfare highlighted in gruesome, vivid detail. New Zealand’s Vesicant, their name derived from the blistering after-effects of mustard gas, attempt to weave their own horrific tales of one of the ugliest wars in history with their debut album, Shadows of Cleansing Blood.” War inside your head.

Eva Can’t – Gravatum Review

By Dr. Wvrm on July 18, 2017 in 2017, Italian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, My Kingdom Music, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 25 comments

“Despite ostensibly belonging to a melodic death circuit that favors homogeneity, Eva Can’t consistently blow my expectations to smithereens. Precursors Inabisso and Hinthial wowed me with their ability to incorporate melodic fervor and technical precision into a range of influences spanning metalcore – Wait! Don’t go! – to classical music. But as the years have gone by, the Italians have departed from a truly consistent sound, resulting in music that is amorphous and difficult to pin down.” Can’t or won’t?

Gods Forsaken – In a Pitch Black Grave Review

By Steel Druhm on July 18, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Soulseller Records, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 44 comments

“Those familiar with the career of Anders Biazzi, know he’s one of the premier death metal riff maestros active today, and his Blood Mortized and Just Before Dawn material offer ample proof of his mastery. Recently Mr. Biazzi decided to close shop on Blood Mortized and launch a new project called Gods Forsaken.We’re a bit late in covering their debut In a Pitch Black Grave, but don’t take that as apathy or indifference.” Grave new world.

Ewigkeit – Cosmic Man Review

By Huck N Roll on July 16, 2017 in 2017, British Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, 41 comments

“James Fogarty has a bit of a dilemma on his hands. Having dismantled his solo project Ewigkeit some ten years ago, coupled with a rant about metal being conservative and out of touch, how on earth is he going to resurrect the project and make it relevant?” Metal never forgets.

Obscurity – Streitmacht Review

By Dr. Wvrm on July 14, 2017 in 2017, German Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Trollzorn Records, Melodic Death Metal, 15 comments

“What’s in a name? For Obscurity, an awful lot. Two decades of hammering away in their Viking forges have produced an armory’s worth of albums, but none particularly sharp. Their Amon Amarth-worship has suffered steep decline since 2010’s Tenkterra, but eighth entry Streitmacht is girding itself for a long raid up the coast.” Gone coasting.

Decapitated – Anticult Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on July 14, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Groove Metal, Nuclear Blast, Polish Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Groove Metal, 70 comments

“There’s album artwork and then there’s album artwork. The latter is the kind that speaks to you the moment you pick it up. It’s the kind that—in conjunction with the album title—conveys every hidden detail beyond its glossy surface. Beyond the praying hands to my left—forced together in the most submissive way—is post-Vitek Decapitated. A band I’ve had a hard time understanding since Vitek passed in 2007.” Decapitation, love and understanding.

River Black – River Black Review

By Eldritch Elitist on July 14, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Hardcore, Season of Mist, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hardcore, Thrash Metal, 37 comments

“River Black, a new project featuring members of Revocation, Municipal Waste, and the long-defunct Burnt by the Sun, doesn’t feel like an attempt at outclassing those bands so much as spruced up recordings of jam session spitballing.” Supergroups in the river.

Destroyer of Light – Chamber of Horrors Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on July 13, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Doom Metal, Heavy Friends Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, 54 comments

“I’m a firm believer that there’s a time and place for doom metal. For some, it’s the colder, darker months that call on the doomy stuff. For others, it’s a calm evening, lounging on the living room floor with your trusty bong. For me, doom is for those gloomy nights when my mind turns dark. When I’m depressed, I dive into doom metal like it’s jacuzzi tub. There’s no way to avoid it. Good doom drags me down to the deepest crevices of my mind and, before I know it, it’s 3 am and I have to be up at 5 for work.” No rest for the Doom Doctor.

God Root – Salt and Rot Review

By Treble Yell on July 12, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, Post-metal, Reviews, Sludge, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 25 comments

“Despite what the band and album name may conjure up, Salt and Rot by God Root is not the latest word in primal vegan cuisine. What we have instead is the second release from the Pennsylvanian quintet, a sludgy, post-metal mediation that sings of soil and sky and man’s connection to both.” Have we finally reached post-Neurosis?