As winter depression season arrives this far north, I just want you all to know that everything is terrible, your taste is horrific, and the writers of this blog are pursuing lives of futility. That is all.
Sep20
Onirik – The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity Review
“In 2015, I had the opportunity to review Casket Dream Veneration; an album I had much love for. But something happened. As I revisit it again, I find myself in love with it even more. It’s a unique experience—spinning an album loved and forgotten, only to cherish it more than ever. As one would expect, this had me excited for follow-up The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity. Not only does G. Rex remain the mastermind behind Onirik but he invited Dirge Rep (drums; The Konsortium, ex-Orcustus, ex-Emperor, ex-Gehenna, and the list goes on forever) and Semjaza (mixing, mastering, and ambient vox; Thy Darkened Shade) to contribute. This is a dream team of underground black metal proportions!” Burning cults.
Arcade Messiah – The Host Review
“But when I revisit the 2016 TYMHM piece, I’m reminded of a certain comment: ‘It must have been a shitload of work for a single person, to write and perform an album full of such dense arrangements and rhythmic irregularities, without losing the overall flow of the music. Hats off! I’m impressed.’ Four years later, I can say nothing less about Bassett’s newest outing, The Host. I can still say it’s ‘simplistic’ and smooth to the ears. But, musically, this new record is anything but simplistic.” Host with the most.
Miasmal Sabbath – Ominous Radiance Review
“Ah, long songs. They’re bitterly divisive and can (like most things in this genre) evoke strong emotions. Perhaps it’s because there are so many forms they can take. There’s early prog metal in the vein of Rush’s 2112, using shorter songs that make up an extended, conceptual track. There’s the Firelink approach, melding explosive passages with slower interludes, resulting in longer tracks that sustain interest through variety. There’s also the road taken by bands like Sleep, crafting dense, slower jams that create atmosphere while pummeling you with riff after smoky riff. So which road does death metal power trio Miasmal Sabbath take on their debut full-length Ominous Radiance?” Come, come, endure the Sabbath.
Sacred Outcry – Damned for All Time Review
“Sacred Outcry formed in 1998, and are now releasing their debut album, Damned for All Time in—pardon? Yes, this is their debut album, twenty-two years later. You’ve got to hand it to these guys, that is some dedication to the dream.” Time capsule ov steel.
Skeletoon – Nemesis Review
“I didn’t have a choice about this one. Regular readers will recall my central role in the Skelator Incident, so it should come as no surprise that Steel Druhm took one look at band called “Skeletoon” and their self-proclaimed “nerd metal” and immediately assigned it to me. He announced his excitement for me to review these goofy guys on one of our AMG Staff Zoom chats, and since it went so well last time he did that, I was more than a little apprehensive.” The Toonies.
Second to Sun – Leviathan Review
“As I said in last year’s Legacy review, it’s always Christmas with the annual Second to Sun release. But unlike a yearly Vous Autres release, Second to Sun doesn’t send me spiraling down a black hole of despair. The Walk was the last one of their releases to come close to putting me over the edge. Since then, the band has ditched some of the mindfuckery to focus on heft and melody. Twenty-nineteen found Legacy to be the band’s heaviest creation. But, with a name like Leviathan, one can only expect something mammoth in this year’s release.” Big monster.
Vous Autres – Sel de Pierre Review
“Well, it’s been… a year? Seriously…? Wtf? It’s only been a fucking year since Vous Autres’ Champ du Sang landed in the cold, dark corner of my existence? I go back to that debut record like it was a genre-defying piece! A record washed away and only now rescued the forgotten past. Maybe it’s the fact that it feels aged yet relevant. Or because it has an energy and spontaneity of a band not held back by anyone or anything. A band that put it all out there, regardless of the consequences. A band that… OK, so that might be a bit dramatic. But, Champ du Sang is a fantastic record and one that still gets much praise from Madam X and myself to this day. So, when the French duo treaded through a cemetery of thick, black mud—its headstones, broken from the bright, industrial cracks of lightning—to hand-deliver Sel de Pierre into my cold hands, I… wept.” Gods of pain.
Uada – Djinn Review
“Uada have captured the hearts of many fans searching for plenty of melody with their fury or Mgła without the controversy. I was (and remain) a huge fan of the tight, energetic debut, but 2018’s Cult of a Dying Sun left me colder. I felt that the band were going through the motions, which concerned me given it was but a sophomore release. Take the essential formula of these two albums, ladle on more melody and add a few pinches of Mgła controversy and you have Djinn.” Djinn and juice.
The Reticent – The Oubliette Review
“The Oubliette is a deep dive into the fading mind of Henry, an Alzheimer’s patient. While perhaps less emotionally impactful than suicide, this is a disease that has more likely than not affected every reader here. I know I’ve had more than one relative suffer through it, and it is a sad and frustrating journey. Can The Reticent portray this journey in the form of a gripping progressive metal album?” Death of the self.
