Self Released

Arkuum – Die Letzte Agonie Review

By Master of Muppets on August 16, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Doom Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 59 comments

“There are some truths which we all hold to be self-evident no matter who we are. Examples of such universal certainties include that you will breathe oxygen under a blue sky, fire will be hot eleven times out of ten, and that, one day, you will die. Most do their damnedest to disarm that last trvth bomb, but it’s the only thing Germany’s Arkuum are thinking about on their sophomore effort, Die Letzte Agonie. With a fittingly foreboding production and a staunch refusal to smile, one man fatalist army Arkas cradles that aforementioned bombshell like a kvlt and cvddly baby, singing life itself to sleep with a 50-minute blackened lullaby.”Hvsh little baby.

Stormland – Songs of Future Wars Review

By Grymm on August 9, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Reviews, Self-released, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Thrash Metal, 75 comments

“The Grymm Grab Bag… Dungeons & Dragons-esque item of mystery and deception. The bag has blessed me with many musical gifts and bitten my sorry ass in equal measure over the years. Like the sorry cat-guy that I am, I should know better than to stick my grubby, unwashed paw into its gaping maw. This week, I have pulled out Songs of Future Wars, the debut album by one-man death metal act Stormland.” Gundam style.

Sacrificed Alliance – Withdrawn Review

By Dr. Wvrm on August 7, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Melodic Death Metal, 124 comments

“Look past the front pages, beyond the newest Kalmah or Omnium Gatherum, but to the fringes. What do you see? Melodeath, by inch and by foot, grows longer by the year. This lengthwise legacy has nascent foundations as far back as Crimson before acts like Insomnium and Be’lakor (for better) and Wintersun (or worse) exposed that phenomenon to the masses. The most impressive returns rely not on track listings overstuffed with a dozen taut melobangers but long-form songs pushing the boundaries of melodeath’s expectation. Sacrificed Alliance assume this mantle.” Melodeath and the universe are ever expanding.

Degrave – Degrave Review

By Kronos on July 30, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 64 comments

“As Eldritch Elitist pointed out in his recent review of Antipeewee’s Infected by Evil, thrash in 2018 often takes the form of exercise, rather than expression, as bands scramble — and fail — to recapture the magic of the genre’s ’80s heyday. As far as I’m concerned, thrash was over even before Metallica jumped the shark and became a hard rock band; Megadeth’s Rust in Peace effectively obviated any attempt to further the genre (and art itself if you trust The Onion) back in 1990, and the thrash of the present day for the most part either ignores or emulates the record. But that doesn’t mean emulation can’t still be fun and Degrave are well aware of that fact.” Thrash to the future.

Parius – The Eldritch Realm Review

By Eldritch Elitist on July 23, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Self-released, Melodic Death Metal, 53 comments

“It’s good to have friends in high places; for prospective subjects of a review here, that means being buddies with an Angry Metal Guy hall of famer. Such were the means by which I became aware of Parius, a melo-prog-tech death metal act that shares a state — and on multiple occasions, a stage — with fellow Pennsylvanians Lör, the toppers of this blog’s 2017 aggregated list. Their enthusiastic social media plugging of Parius’ second LP, The Eldritch Realm, intrigued me as it came from a group that clearly has an ear for talent. Plus, given the record’s title, it would have been an irredeemable crime to not cover it personally.” Tales of the Elitist.

Soul Attrition – Vashon Rain Review

By Kronos on July 18, 2018 in 2018, Alt-Metal, American Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Alt-Metal, 45 comments

“I picked up promo from a band called Soul Attrition purely based on how much the name sounded like Storm Corrosion, one of the few artists I keep handy in my “socially acceptable” playlist used for road trips and the like. At best, I was hoping for a moody and atmospheric post-metal album. I suppose Vashon Rain counts as moody and atmospheric, but two adjectives can only get one so far in the quality realm.” Blame it on the rain.

Jollymon – Void Walker Review

By GardensTale on July 6, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Hard Rock, In Music We Trust, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Hard Rock, Stoner Metal, 33 comments

The 90’s are not generally the most beloved of musical eras. The golden age of metal waned into an age of alt rock and grunge, with its faux-tough sensibilities and often minimalistic songcraft compared to the high-speed technical intricacies of classic heavy and thrash metal. All empires must fall, however, and alt rock and grunge found their wings clipped just the same, as the old millennium sighed into the new. Back in those days, an outfit calling themselves Jolly Mon were trying to turn ripples into waves around the Pacific northwest. They must have sensed the time was not right for them, because much like Pennywise the Clown, Jolly Mon went into hibernation for over a decade and a half.” Void if opened before 2018.

Coldbound – The Gale Review

By Dr. Wvrm on June 11, 2018 in 2018, Finnish Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Melodic Death Metal, 26 comments

“Early in the year, I considered pitching a State of the Genre series. Ezpz, I thought. Lather yourself in creamy melodeath goodness and pump yourself full of thrash for six months, then blast all your thoughts into a word doc for an easy win. What could go wrong? This damn year, that’s what. It’s not that both genres let me down in stunning fashion – it’s that EVERY genre.” Dying a slow melodeath.

BornBroken – The Years of Harsh Truths and Little Lies Review

By Dr. Wvrm on May 24, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Self-released, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, Thrash Metal, 45 comments

“The scene: Endscape #1047, adj: barren, industrial, gratuitous visual filters. The hero: Gas Mask Mook, exhausted after another long day of near-future photoshoots and fighting off angry crows. The soundtrack: the precise blend of death, thrash, groove, and metalcore that the astute reader might have already surmised lies behind this cavalcade of tropes. Montreal’s BornBroken forego silly grammatical conventions in their pursuit of a record that welcomes all comers, within the Hall and without. Is the soundtrack to your apocalypse, or will BornBroken be forced to face some harsh truths of their own?” Gas mask revival?

Zarraza – Necroshiva Review

By GardensTale on May 19, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Groove Metal, Kazakh Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, 26 comments

“Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say ‘Kazakhstan?’ I’d bet good money the majority of you would reply ‘Borat’ to that question. Fact is, many of us know very little about the largest landlocked country in the world (thanks, Wikipedia!) despite the fairly major economic power the country represents. Maybe it’s because metal is not a popular thing there. Despite its 18 million inhabitants, the Metal Archives lists barely over two dozen active bands, with the only one of any prominence, the prolific classic metal act Holy Dragons. Zarraza does not intend to put up with that, nor with anything else, judging by their furious debut Necroshiva.” Thrashistan.