SepticFlesh

Withering Soul – Adverse Portrait Review

Withering Soul – Adverse Portrait Review

“I’m not much of a social media trend follower, maybe it’s a generational thing (read as I’m old) or maybe it’s because I just really couldn’t give a shit about investing time in a meaningless fad, take your pick. That said, labelling today Throwback Thursday, transporting you briefly back to the 90s and enlightening you as to the highs and lows of Withering Soul’s third and forthcoming offering, now that appeals to me.” The clones are about to attack…again.

Paradise Lost – The Plague Within Review

Paradise Lost – The Plague Within Review

“Rebounding from their infamous flirtation with electronic pop music, British doom legends Paradise Lost have kicked out a string of albums since 2005 that rival the sonic oppression of their early-’90s heyday. More recently, the band has embraced their death metal roots, as evidenced by guitarist Gregor Mackintosh’s Vallenfyre project and singer Nick Holmes’ involvement with Bloodbath. This intensified commitment to old-school heaviness sets the stage for The Plague Within.” The Lost Ones are back, but what do they sound like after vacationing in the realms of death?

The Monolith Deathcult – Bloodcvlts Review

The Monolith Deathcult – Bloodcvlts Review

“One visit to The Monolith Deathcult’s website or Facebook page and you’ll instantly have the same problem I do when trying to take these guys seriously. I mean, come on. If you met me in a bar and I was holding a baseball bat, outfitted in atrocious sunglasses, and sucking on a cigar, you’d be looking to trade me for the lead man of Bad Guys as your designated wingman, and rightly so.” No one’s getting lucky tonight.

Éohum – Revelations, Aurora of an Epoch Review

Éohum – Revelations, Aurora of an Epoch Review

“As an employee in a soul-sucking government bureaucracy, I’ve heard plenty of hollow buzzwords over the years. But amidst the ‘paradigm shifts’ and ‘synergy’ is a phrase I’ve always thought had actual merit: ‘disciplined initiative.’ Meaning: don’t be afraid to dream and try new things – but maintain quality control. Keep a grip on reality. Don’t fling a bunch of shit around in the name of innovation. It applies as much to the workplace as it does to music. Case in point: Canada’s Éohum.” Prepare to expand your bandwidth with this piece of educational mindshare.

Rise of Avernus – Dramatis Personæ EP Review

Rise of Avernus – Dramatis Personæ EP Review

Dramatis Personæ is the sound of a band trying to relocate the European orchestral metal canon into their snakey and spidery Southern-Hemispherical home. Australia’s Rise of Avernus would love to have Fleshgod Apocalypse’s authentic Italian heritage of classical music and opera informing their extremity – it’s this quality which made Oracles so ground-breaking.” They can’t all be Italian….

Ethereal – Opus Aethereum Review

Ethereal – Opus Aethereum Review

“I’m just going to come out and say it. I enjoyed Dimmu Borgir’s big-assed Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Yep, I said it. Haters be a hatin’ but its elements of bombastic orchestration and “beauty and the beast” vocals introduced a balance of demonic and angelic qualities that expanded on a style bands like Emperor and Limbonic Art had/have nurtured for years.” Don’t hate the keyboards, hate the player.

Madam X’s Top Ten(ish) of 2014

Madam X’s Top Ten(ish) of 2014

“As 2015 makes her grand and stately entrance, bear with and support me as I try to hunt down even more new blackened death metal albums that sound exactly like Septicflesh.” Madam X has her foibles, but she also has plenty of quirks. Join her as she unveils a Top Ten(ish) list sure to bumfuzzle and befuddle.

Kronos’ Top Ten(ish) of 2014

Kronos’ Top Ten(ish) of 2014

“Through my own charm, genius and palpable immodesty, I have single-handedly, along with Grymm, convinced the Angry Metal Elders to grant me a big boy year-end list. My year’s tenure in the catacombs of AMG headquarters has proved fruitful beyond measure thanks not only to my brilliant colleagues and our dedicated readers…” Pretty much anybody gets a list these days. There goes the neighborhood!

Stormcast – Frame of Mind Review

Stormcast – Frame of Mind Review

“Many moons ago, during this very wintery time of the year, I first began to explore the sub- and sub-sub-genres of black and death metal. For me, it was the combination of the calming snowfall and the lonely/depressed state-of-mind at the time that made me a willing victim to the symphonic/melodic black metal and melodic death metal genres. To this day, I go back to those classic albums.” Since winter is truly coming, it’s time to get all depressed, and this might help.