Self Release

Snaer – Frozen Alchemy Review

By Dear Hollow on March 9, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal, 22 comments

“From Pittsfield, Maine, Snaer is a quartet founded in 2015, having released a 2019 EP entitled Do It Yourself, a title that conveys their aesthetic and work ethic. Featuring a thrash- and doom-infused style that feels icy and brutal in equal measure, debut full-length Frozen Alchemy effectively balances mystical and punishing. Raw spiraling riffs conveyed through Viking metal-esque chord progressions, blackened rasps, complex percussion, and a nice progressive edge all greet the ears with frigid bite.” Lead to gold or lead to goat?

Sunnata – Burning In Heaven, Melting On Earth Review

By Cherd on March 3, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Metal, 73 comments

“When non-Poles think about Polish metal, we usually think of the black variety. Well, that and a metal front-man with an absolutely enormous forehead. More of a fivehead, really. What we don’t think of, when we think of Polish metal, is atmospheric post-metal. Since 2014, Warsaw’s Sunnata has been trying to change that. Will their fourth full-length win them a share of the evil coffee market?” Post sells, but who’s buying?

Malice Divine – Malice Divine Review

By Holdeneye on March 2, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 43 comments

“Malice Divine is the brainchild of classically-trained Toronto musician Ric Galvez. The self-titled record finds Galvez handling the entire creative process and all of the performances with the exception of the drums. Known primarily as a lead guitarist in the Toronto scene, Galvez was excited about the opportunity to indulge in a solo project. But old habits die hard, and Malice Divine glistens like a guitar fan’s wet dream. Galvez combines the melodic blackened death sounds of Necrophobic and Dissection with the emotive soloing and progressive song structures of Death and the technical majesty of Wintersun.” Malice in Meloblackland.

Plague Weaver – Ascendant Blasphemy Review

By Steel Druhm on February 26, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 36 comments

“♫Ohhh, Plague Weaver, I don’t believe he will make it through the night.♫ Had to be done, I have no regrats. Anywho, Canada’s Plague Weaver is the work of a dynamic duo of miserable misers and on their full-length debut Ascendant Blasphemy they seek to blend the nastiest bits of raw black metal, doom, and death into an unpleasant concoction best served with a heavy antibiotic regime. They bill the end product as black metal with doom death influences and that’s an entirely fair description, though what you get is a bit more slimy and ugly than you might expect.” Right out of the plague book.

Narakah – Blast Haven Review

By Grymm on February 12, 2021 in Reviews, Grind, 16 comments

“My deal is that, unless it hooks, grooves, and absolutely obliterates with both heft and speed, it’s not gonna do a damn thing for me. Maybe it’s because I was spoiled at a relatively young age by the likes of Napalm Death, Nasum, Brutal Truth, and the like, but it’s not often that I’m floored by grind these days. But a change of pace can do wonders, and it just so happens that Pittsburgh’s Narakah dropped their second EP, Blast Haven, on us. Nine songs at twelve minutes. Sure, it’s cheating to grab an EP when it’s not EP Season, but if it’s good enough, I can shine some light on it.” Blast heaven.

These Colors Fade – Contemporary Tragedy Review

By Grymm on February 7, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Hardcore, 54 comments

“Hello there! Hope you are enjoying the sunny weather in scenic California, and thank you for submitting Contemporary Tragedy, the second full-length (and third release) from your one-man post-hardcore outfit, These Colors Fade. Going from the supplied materials that accompanied your submission, Contemporary Tragedy took over 800 hours to write, perform, produce, and mix. That’s an impressive feat! More and more, we’re seeing talented one-person bands crop up out of the woodwork, going toe-to-toe with the heavyweights in contemporary metal music. With the costs of production and promotion starting to drop considerably, there’s never been an easier time to record, mix, and promote your music.” The color of tragedy.

Dreamslain – Tales of Knights and Distant Worlds Review

By Huck N Roll on January 27, 2021 in 2021, Reviews, Epic Metal, Progressive Metal, 76 comments

“It involved a lot of bushwhacking, riding across three passes, through streams, losing our way, carrying our bikes up the backside of two mountains, and being eaten alive by black flies. We made it, though, and because we are stupid we did it again a month later. When we found a review of the trail, several years old by this time, the summary read, ‘I can only recommend this ride to the most foolhardy of idiots.’ Where am I going with this? Read on, dear friend, read on.” A dream to some… a nightmare to others!

Dawnwalker – Ages Review

By Twelve on December 1, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, Folk Metal, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 26 comments

“It was a cold, rainy day outside the AMG offices (not that I’d know; I don’t have a window) when Huck N Roll spoke of Ages, the fourth full-length release from London, England’s Dawnwalker. “Prog death with folk undertones,” he says. “Billed as a mix of Opeth, Enslaved, and King Crimson,” he says. “I’m already busy or I would take it,” he says. Well, as I happened to be the only person in the room when he said all of this, I decided to take him up on the offer, and went in knowing only that.” Blind progress.

Ysgaroth – Storm Over a Black Sea Review

By Dear Hollow on November 11, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hardcore, Sludge Metal, Technical Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 35 comments

“Ysgaroth is a “progressive extreme metal” band from Vancouver, their self-released Storm Over a Black Sea being their debut. While I’ve never entirely understood the phrase “extreme metal,” these Canucks throw everything and the kitchen sink into their poutine platter: black metal shrieks and tremolo, thrashy riffs, hardcore drumming, technical noodling, and avant-garde post-metal/sludge strangeness for a multi-car pileup with multiple fatalities.” Frequent wind.

Memoremains – The Cost of Greatness Review

By Twelve on October 16, 2020 in Reviews, Pop Metal, Symphonic Metal, 31 comments

“Pop metal. Sure. Why not. Sorry, hang on, I missed a crucial detail there. Finnish pop metal. Sure! Why not? Frankly, as much as I may have misgivings about the style, pop is generally meant to be a cheery style and right now I could use some cheer, because this month has seriously sucked on just about every level and, frankly, I’m getting tired of catharsis. So I’m turning away from doom for a second, turning up the speakers, loading up The Cost of Greatness, and am ready for my self-prescribed dose of artificial happiness (non-drug category). So bring it on, Memoremains. Bring. It. On.” The price of happiness.