Sep18

Dark Sarah – The Golden Moth Review

By Treble Yell on October 15, 2018 in 2018, Finnish Metal, Inner Wound Recordings, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 67 comments

“Hope is a curious thing. It is sustenance where nourishment is absent; light where darkness broods; a rope thrown into a pit where escape is unfathomable. When I was saddled with Dark Sarah’s previous album, The Puzzle, back in 2016, I was little more than a whelp on this venerable site. I was tasked with making hay from a record hewn from gaudy symphonic metal, a genre I had little appetite for and went about my assignment with scant enthusiasm. Hope is what I clung to, the hope that The Puzzle would be the exception to the rule. The end result was an album of middling quality that held potential for much more. So here we are with Dark Sarah’s new release, The Golden Moth, and again I find myself turning to hope.” Make the climb.

Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2018

By Angry Metal Guy on October 7, 2018 in 2018, Blog Posts, Record o' the Month, 129 comments

“Twenty-eighteen is shaping up to be a remarkable year. September alone had nearly a dozen records that staff writers wanted to nominate for the Record o’ the Month. I can say with certainty, having been at this for a while, that few months have been as contentious behind closed doors at Angry Metal Guy Amalgamated Blogworks, LLC. Dozens of verbal spats escalated quickly into an Anchor Man-like brawl, featuring fighters lining up to shout each other down about Voivod’s legacy, reviews written by fanboys, and Satan’s novelty before someone—possibly Dr. Fisting—attacked Steel Druhm with a trident. After I single-handedly dispatched the opposition to avenge Major General Steely D, however, it was clear that there could only be one choice for September’s Record o’ the Month.” What’s the best soundtrack for a backstreet brawl among metal reviewers?

To End It All – Scourge of Woman Review

By Lokasenna on October 5, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Avante Garde, Noise, Non-Metal Metal Things, Reviews, Scry Recordings, Noise, Non-metal Metal Things, 87 comments

“To End It All’s debut, Scourge of Woman, is a monument to noise, anguish and righteous, burning rage; abrasive and chaotic, yet subtle and restrained, defiantly refusing to coddle the listener.” Noise and art.

Un – Sentiment Review

By El Cuervo on October 2, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Translation Loss, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 126 comments

“The tail-end of 2015 yielded a fantastic doom metal record which may have reached more year-end lists had it not been unveiled in December. It was called The Tomb of All Things and was the product of a Seattle four-piece with the unGoogleable name of Un. It spun a menacing tale with the tools of funeral doom and death metal and proudly bore some of the best artwork of that year, too. Their sophomore full-length, entitled Sentiment, is now poised for release, with appropriately amazing artwork to match. It can be considered a counterpart to my recent Fórn review: how to execute doom metal and how to not.” Fun with Un.

The Projectionist – Visits from the Nighthag Part 1 Review

By Master of Muppets on October 1, 2018 in 2018, Appalachian Noise Records, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 46 comments

“In the dying throes of September, as the foliage descends with the temperature and the year draws closer to its inevitable demise, the cool breezes of the approaching winter whisper like ghosts warning of death to come; ’tis the season for socially acceptable revelry in the spooky side ov things, and haunts ‘n horrors are in the air in Canada — at least, they were when The Projectionist carved out their seriously sinister sophomore LP, Visits From the Nighthag Part 1.” Hag reflex.

Ashbury – Eye of the Stygian Witches

By El Cuervo on October 1, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Hard Rock, High Roller Records, Progressive Rock, Proto-Metal, Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, 51 comments

“Ashbury, of Tuscon, Arizona, are olde. Their debut called Endless Skies dates back to 1983 but evidently flew under the mainstream radar, while 2018’s Eye of the Stygian Witches is only their third full-length release in these past 35 years. Olde; Tuscon-dwellers; under-appreciated; unreliable; these are all characteristics of our very own Dr. A. N. Grier. Older than dirt and sky.

Binah – Phobiate Review

By Kronos on October 1, 2018 in 2018, British Metal, Death Metal, Osmose Productions, Progressive Death, Releases, Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Death, 51 comments

“Binah hope to align themselves with well-loved death metal bands like Morbus Chron and Horrendous who have spliced psychedelia into the classic death metal sound. It’s at once progressive and regressive, hearkening back to the genre’s early ’90s heyday while venturing far outside of the footprint of a typical death metal band. And while these Englishmen are not quite so adventurous as either of those touchstone bands, Phobiate still wraps itself around unexpected corners combining Swedish heft and a sprinkle of Finnish eccentricity.” Serious Binahess.

Black Viper – Hellions of Fire Review

By Eldritch Elitist on September 30, 2018 in 2018, High Roller Records, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Speed Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 68 comments

“You may think you know what you want, but you don’t know shit; Black Viper sees right through your facade, all the way from Norway. They are spying you perusing through AMG’s recent round of reviews, and scoffing as you check out bands with extraneous tags such as “post” or “progressive.” Why on Earth would you ever want to engage with such pretentious, slow burning affairs when Hellions of Fire offers instant gratification – i.e. the prompt melting of faces – that occurs immediately and doesn’t let up until the album ends or your sound system catches fire (whichever comes first).” Kill it with speed.

Heads for the Dead – Serpent’s Curse Review

By Ferrous Beuller on September 29, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 68 comments

“We all know how powerful music can be, but as I meander through another twist of this mortal coil, I find myself pondering its capacity to conjure times gone by. The same way memories are summoned by the senses, certain contortions of distortion take me right back. Heads for the Dead — a supergroup comprised of members of Wombbath, Henry Kane, and Revel in Flesh; amongst others — transport me to a time when I was willing to skin knuckles over my favorite bands; a time when death metal and beer were everything and I would arrogantly inform anyone, whether they were willing to listen or not.” Back to the days of trvness and posers.

Immortal Guardian – Age of Revolution Review

By Eldritch Elitist on September 28, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, M-Theory Audio, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, 79 comments

“When I was first testing the waters of various metal subgenres over a decade ago, in order to familiarize myself with the scene as a whole, something became immediately apparent: I do not like virtuoso-helmed acts. Though bands like DragonForce, that relied on high-flying technical artistry, were standbys in my early days of metal fandom, it was clear to me as soon as I encountered a seventy-five minute, single-track instrumental shred album that indulgence at the cost of songwriting was standard practice.” Shred is not dead.