“A Forest of Stars have been traveling on an upwards cosmic trajectory since their third full-length, 2012’s A Shadowplay for Yesterdays. For a band who didn’t have plans to record anything after their 2008 debut, or even play live, A Forest of Stars are a great example of what a collective and relentless passion and creativity can do for a band.” Starry starry night.
“Well, here I am, again, reviewing another Bonehunter record. It’s felt like anywhere from three years to ten since I reviewed the band’s 2015 debut, Evil Triumphs Again. Yet, it feels like it was only yesterday that I reviewed their follow-up record, Sexual Panic Human Machine. This is most likely due to the band’s progression from Bone(d)hunter on their debut to Bone(r)hunter on Sexual Panic Human Machine. I mean, the 0.5-point improvement between these two records shouldn’t go to their throbbing heads but this Finnish trio did hint at some originality with Sexual Panic. But, an album glistening with bear dick only goes so far before our HR-friendly Grier gets bored.” Roll the Boner.
“In the vanguard of the retro rock/metal movement are High Spirits, Gygax, Audrey Horne, and Night Flight Orchestra: bands that wear their influences not only on their sleeves, but on their entire bodies. They pay loving homage to the sounds of the 70s and 80s, but their songwriting prowess sets them apart from the crowd. Rather than making a mockery of Thin Lizzy or Toto, they revel in the sound and chart their own path forward – either in earnestness or in ultimate cheese. Sweden’s Hypnos aim to join this exalted group with their third album, Set Fire to the Sky.” Fly to the past.
“So where does Horrendous go from here? And where do I go after recklessly hurling superlatives over their past two albums with the salivating enthusiasm of a heavy set man at a hot dog eating contest. One thing’s certain, expectations from the band’s bloated fan-base will be sky high after the three-year wait following Anareta.” Worship at this Horrendous Idol.
“It was June 2006 and I was helping a friend move into a downtown apartment. It was hot and we were scrambling up and down two flights of stairs as fast as possible before a cop could ticket us for taking up half-a-lane of traffic with our truck. When it was finally over, we grabbed lunch and went to my favorite record store down the street. This place had the strangest collection of albums I’d ever seen and a surprisingly large metal section for a town full of hippies and reggae fans. The album I selected that day was something I had heard many things about. From a band that rose from the ashes of Windir.” Vreid it and weep.
“Italy’s Psychotomy is a new band with an old vision. Aphotik is a death metal record which is made of three main ingredients, like a cheese pizza. Our dough is Incantation, specifically their material after Diabolical Conquest; this is the foundation for the rest. Our sauce, perhaps the least important part, is the Immolation-isms of Ulcerate represented on The Destroyers of All. The sauce is not slathered on, but plays its part nonetheless in making it a pizza instead of cheesy dough.” Excuse me, there’s death in my pizza.
“2018 marks an anniversary year of sorts. On November 11th, it will mark one hundred years since the end of World War I, a war that was supposed to end all wars, but instead introduced trench warfare and chemical weaponry, forever changing the landscape of combat to this day. To give attention to this, British duo Anaal Nathrakh, themselves celebrating twenty years as a band this year, crafted an album that gives respectful tribute to the writings, poetry, and the sheer terror that World War I brought to those who survived to tell it.” Dead in a ditch.
“I know that any music which could accurately be described with words like “restrained,” “subtle” or (hurk) “romantic” is fighting an uphill battle to get even a cursory listen from the AMG demographic. I, too, love metal because generally it’s not those things. Metal is intense, overwrought and perpetually pissed the fuck off or wallowing in the deepest trenches of despair—no half-measures.” With an intro like that you can be sure this Nameless_n00b is trying to sell you something!
“Music is a visual experience for me, so much so that when I see something instrumental smoldering in the Angry Metal Heap ov Dreams, I grow curious rather than cautious. Such was the case with Cataya’s Firn, and I met its four-track challenge with all kinds of optimism: I ain’t afraid of no vox.” Less talk, more mood.
“I did not know what to expect when I started listening to Riverside’s new album Wasteland. In a way, I was surprised that it was written and released. After Piotr Grudziński’s sudden and untimely death in 2016 the band was effusive in their love for him and open about what a deeply personal loss they had suffered. The three remaining members elected to release a compilation of instrumental material featuring Piotr’s work and songwriting in 2016 entitled Eye of the Soundscape. This was followed by a live album called Lost ‘n’ Found on Bandcamp independently which featured Piotr in a show on the 18th of October, 2015 in the Netherlands. And then, apparently, Riverside began writing new music.” From loss, creation.
