Rock

Ghoultown – Ghost of the Southern Son Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 25, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Angry Planet Records, Hard Rock, Reviews, Rock, Hard Rock, Rock, 37 comments

“Shhhh… listen… do you hear him creeping about like the Fouke Monster? He creeps through the brush as an apparition of his former self. Once the bassist of Texas doom legends Solitude Aeturnus, he’s now Count Lyle Blackburn: actor, author, and mainman of hellbilly/psychobilly/goth rock/Spaghetti Western-metal greats Ghoultown. Few have incorporated Ennio Morricone’s flavorings into the goth rock sound of Danzig. Few have written theme songs for the Mistress of the Dark. Few have kept the attention of grumpy Doc Grier for as long as they have.” Guns, guts, gnocchi.

Horte – Horte Review

By Akerblogger on April 7, 2017 in 2017, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Rock, Svart Records, Rock, 13 comments

“Scant information about Horte can be found online. Presumably Finnish but definitely human, Horte perform a difficult-to-define noise-ridden electronica-infested female-fronted bass-led fuzz-rock that combines both dreamy beauty and startling harshness. Horte, their debut release, is essentially one long song that flows from minute zero to minute 38 with an organic continuity.” GMO-free avant-rock ripe for the picking.

Mastodon – Emperor of Sand Review

By Saunders on March 31, 2017 in 2017, American Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Reprise Records, Reviews, Sludge, Progressive Metal, Rock, Sludge, 121 comments

“From the moment I heard the pummeling “Crusher Destroyer” from their landmark debut Remission some 15 years ago, I knew Mastodon were something special. My infatuation with Remission began a love affair with the band that bordered on fanboy-ism from one excellent album to the next, each a stirring and adventurous behemoth of sludge metal force and progressive smarts. However, my relationship with Mastodon started to get rocky when they followed their sprawling prog masterwork Crack the Skye with 2011’s The Hunter.” Mastodon on the rocks? Ain’t no big surprise.

Lubricant – Swallow This Review

By Mark Z. on March 9, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Rock, Svart Records, Death Metal, Rock, 26 comments

“One of death metal’s weirdest phenomenon was the so-called ‘death ‘n’ roll’ movement. First popularized by albums like Entombed’s Wolverine Blues and Carcass’s Swansong, death ‘n’ roll is kind of like your weird older cousin at the family reunion. On one hand, you have to love him because he’s family — but at the same time, nobody really talks about him or seems to be totally comfortable in his presence. Point is, death ‘n’ roll is one of those genres that most people seem to tolerate rather than actually enjoy, and maybe that’s why bands like Lubricant are so often overlooked.” Death rock in a tight place.

Deathless Legacy – Dance with Devils Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on January 25, 2017 in 2017, Alt-Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Rock, Scarlet Records, Alt-Metal, Rock, 26 comments

“Despite trying to sound like Death SS via their humble beginnings as a tribute to those guys, Deathless Legacy comes across more as a soporific Halloween-themed Nightwish, but with worse vocals. There are plenty of keyboards, and the tempos don’t generally get too lively. Sadly, ‘Monster Mash’ may actually make for an apt comparison.” So much for the Transylvanian Twist.

Wolvennest – Wolvennest Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 20, 2017 in 2017, Austrian Metal, Belgian Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Rock, Van Records, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Rock, 18 comments

“Back in December of 2015, Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Church of the Leading Hand released a three-track offering called The Wolvennest Sessions. A year later, a reconstruction occurred and two of those three tracks were Botoxed and sent scurrying away to a new home. At this new home, these two ditties partnered with three new friends to produce a five-track debut of ambient music clocking in at fifty-five minutes. Within this handful of tracks lies a hint of black, a little doom, and a touch of rock that sends the listener tumbling headlong down Wolvennest’s drug-induced rabbit hole.” Holes, nests – this has it all.

Arcade Messiah – III [Things You Might Have Missed 2016]

By Dr. A.N. Grier on December 15, 2016 in 2016, Irish Metal, Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Rock, Stereohead Records, Things You Might Have Missed 2016, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, Rock, 37 comments

“As I sit here on a snow-covered porch, watching the snow dissipate below the rising sun, it dawns on me just how much I dislike the term “post.” I hate Post-It notes, post holes, fence posts, and (the worst offender of them all) post-hole diggers. I hate the terms “post” (position), “flagposts” (they’re fucking “flagpoles”), and “man-posts” (penises). But, for how much I hate all these terms, I hate post-black, post-rock, post-hardcore, and post-metal the most.” Post no bills (or man-posts).

Corona Skies – Fragments of Reality Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on November 16, 2016 in 2016, Alt-Metal, Finnish Metal, Groove Metal, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Mighty Music, Power Metal, Reviews, Rock, Hard Rock, Pop Metal, Power Metal, Rock, 36 comments

“Having read plenty of trash masquerading as philosophy and heard plenty of nonsensical music both within and without metal, I figured I was desensitized to weird stuff. Hell, the world seems almost desensitized to weirdness; Jacques Lacan, one of the biggest dolts to ever pretend to think about stuff and write it down, posited that an erection was equal to the square root of -1 and more than zero people took him seriously.” Weird is full of surprises.

Ewigheim – Schlaflieder Review

By Grymm on October 21, 2016 in 2016, German Metal, Gothic Metal, Reviews, Rock, Gothic Metal, Rock, 14 comments

“The old adage “Never judge a book by its cover” holds firm here. Long story short, I picked Germany’s Ewigheim for review from our list of promos because a certain half-man, half-gorilla who shall forever remain nameless listed them as “black metal” due to the album cover, logo, and the fact that he glanced over the German one-sheet. Hankering for some kvlt blackness of the tr00est order, I grabbed their sixth full-length, Schlaflieder, and was met with… something totally not black metal.” Mistakes were made.

Source – Return to Nothing Review

By Zephyrus on September 26, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Pavement Entertainment, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Experimental Metal, Non-metal Metal Things, Rock, 47 comments

“It’s been about 3,800 days since Tool pressed any fresh material, so I’m guessing we’re almost halfway to something new? Well, a trio of go-getters from Colorado up and said “fuck that” taking matters into their own hands. They formed a band called Source, wrote a bunch of Tool-y material and now they’re set to make their debut with Return to Nothing.” Out of the Toolshed and into the limelight.