Season of Mist

Beyond Creation – Earthborn Evolution Review

By Kronos on October 27, 2014 in 2014, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, 20 comments

“If you’ve never heard Beyond Creation’s début The Aura, honestly, what are you doing with your life? Are you happy with who you are? Because you damn well shouldn’t be. The Aura is, and I have no reservations in saying this, the best death metal début since Onset of Putrefaction. It also might be the best technical/progressive death metal album this decade has yet to offer. Out of complete fucking nowhere, a bunch of flaxen-locked French-Canadians self-released what might just be the pinnacle of modern tech-death. It’s brutal, it’s heavy, it’s overpowering, astonishing, and inventive, yet there also exists nuance, care, and maturity in the writing and performances that is completely unparalleled. The album is damn near perfect. This means, sadly, that Earthborn Evolution is doomed from the start.” Well, that seems pretty darn unfair!

Weedeater – Sixteen Tons Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on September 24, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Sludge, Uncategorized, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 0 comments

“Doomy stoner metal seems to be creating a lot of buzz in the metal scene at the moment, so what better time than now for Season of Mist to re-release the back catalogue of self-proclaimed “weed metal” band Weedeater? Sixteen Tons was originally released in a cloud of smoke in 2002 via Crucial Blast, and has since gone out of print.” We hate when stuff goes out of print, so here’s an alert that this album is back.

Sólstafir – Ótta Review

By Madam X on August 26, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Icelandic Metal, Post-Rock, Releases, Reviews, Season of Mist, Post-Metal, 60 comments

“Ótta consists of 8 tracks, beginning with a representation of midnight, moving through each Eyktir in the day, coming to a steady close at what would be representative of between 9 pm and midnight. Hardly a riveting concept I grant you, but thought provoking nonetheless.” Usually it takes lots of SepticFlesh and blood to make Madam X swoon, but Sólstafir’s blend of heathenish melodic, melancholic post-metal and bizarre alternative rock seems to have done the trick in a big way!

Septicflesh – Titan Review

By Madam X on June 11, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Greek Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Prosthetic Records, Releases, Reviews, Season of Mist, Symphonic Metal, Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 28 comments

“My favorite Greek giants of atmospheric, Rotting Christ flavored symphonic death metal are back, and right on schedule with the delivery of their latest force of nature. And to add to my fangirlism, the album’s fittingly titled after the most ancient of all the gods – yes you read right, TITAN! Does it get any bigger, heavier or more metal than that?” Was the kraken a titan? He was pretty freaking big.

Mayhem – Esoteric Warfare Review

By Grymm on June 8, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, 7 comments

“I’m sure you are looking at the title of the review and my name being attached to it, and getting all sorts of nervous and anxious. Well, don’t be. We all know that Mayhem is one of the most influential black metal bands around, but we also know that their name is synonymous with both divisiveness within the fanbase and severe fluctuations in quality.” After his scandalous bashing of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, we just knew Grymm was the man to review this.

Benighted – Carnivore Sublime Review

By Jordan Campbell on February 8, 2014 in 2014, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, 6 comments

When you’re talking about what makes a record engaging, responsibility usually falls in the drummer’s lap. A guitarist may come up with a given riff, but it doesn’t truly take shape unless sculpted by capable limbs.

Death metal bands—especially of the “brutal” variety—have an overkill problem. They’re too busy, too serious, too caught up in their over-the-top culture. That cool riff the rhythm guitarist turns in is usually in danger of being strangled by octopus-powered flashsizzle. (Remember We Are the Nightmare? Or any Spawn of Possession song ever?) The result of such overkill? Teflon. A scribble-logo’d sea of arms-clasped, black-clad, NO SMILING, GODDAMMIT Teflon.

But somehow, Benighted always manages to stick.

Exivious – Liminal Review

By Grymm on November 11, 2013 in 2013, Dutch Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Instrumental Metal, Progressive Metal, 7 comments

“Guitarist Tymon Kruidenier and bassist Robin Zielhost were introduced to the metal masses as the new members of reactivated prog/death gods Cynic back in 2007, with Zielhost replacing bassist/Chapman wizard Sean Malone for live purposes, and Kruidenier handling both guitar and growling duties both live and on Cynic’s incredible comeback album, Traced in Air. Both members would end up departing after the subsequent tours for Traced in Air, instead working on their own muse, the all-instrumental Exivious.” Anytime someone mentions Cynic, metaldom gets all agog. Grymm boldly mentions them here in relation to an all instrumental, prog-metal monster. What comes after agog?

Inquisition – Obscure Verses for the Multiverse Review

By Angry Metal Guy on October 21, 2013 in 2013, Black Metal, Colombian Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, 16 comments

This post was removed due to Dagon’s involvement in a number of explicitly Nazi projects and events. If you were unaware of this, now you know. Armed with that information, I encourage you to not support Inquisition or any Nazi band. The reason this is important is because financial support for Neo-Nazi groups often comes via the white power punk and metal music scenes and, therefore, cutting off financial support to these bands may be a meaningful way to counteract the ability to organize.

Gorguts – Colored Sands Review

By Noctus on October 18, 2013 in 2013, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, 10 comments

“Let me know if you can find a metal band that utilizes dissonance and technicality to a large degree that doesn’t cite Gorgut’s masterful work as an influence. I’ll probably be waiting a long time so I’ll bring a good book – it’s called “The Band That Pioneered Dissonance and Technicality in Death Metal” and it has the word ‘Gorguts’ repeated over and over. But it’s that huge sense of respect for the band and the enormous anticipation for this release that made it such a tricky one for the legendary act. 12 years is not only a long time for hype to build around a record, but it also gives newcomers and pretenders a chance to overtake the legends should they prove unable to live up to their own mammoth legacy. After all, a lot of bands are remembered for their creative peak, even when they can’t maintain that level indefinitely. So perhaps Obscura and From Wisdom to Hate era was their peak and all they’ll really conjure up this time is a solid record, right?” And here is the other neglected gem we wanted to get to, but didn’t until now. You’re welcome!

Lodz – Something In Us Died Review

By Grymm on October 15, 2013 in 2013, French Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Post-Metal, 2 comments

“Post-metal is a rough genre to navigate. It’s very difficult to make a name for yourself when you’re constantly compared to Neurosis, Isis, or Cult of Luna. The very second when a quiet song starts building steam and crushes the opposition, you are branded a copycat. Hence, France’s Lodz have an uphill battle on their debut album, Something In Us Died. However, if you must stand out in a severely overcrowded field of imitators, do so by being honest and compassionate about your craft, and Something In Us Died has both honesty and passion in spades.” New-ish scribe Grymm returns to educate you on the dos and don’ts of post-metal. Read this review of Lodz and we will award you a post-grad degree in post-metal (for a nominal fee TBD).