“Some of the band’s previously bagged waterfowl are among the rarest and colorful to ever take flight, flashing their lavish plumage in iridescent hues and streaming with fanciful feathers. After the modern classic of In Somniphobia and Graveward’s acceptable, if not always exciting, follow-up, the band needed something different to end this quartet with something more powerful than mere exhalation.” Where the Heir is thin.
“In my mental compendium of underappreciated metal treasures, Hungary’s Sear Bliss holds a somewhat unique position. Though they’ve only released one truly great album in my eyes (2007’s The Arcane Odyssey), they have a relatively extensive back catalog of solid records, making them an easy selection whenever I want to throw on an uncomplicated black metal album that offers a few unique instrumental twists. The band’s incorporation of trombone had always delivered a distinct sense of heavy, brassy atmosphere that effectively combined second wave tropes with Summoning-esque majesty. With Letters from the Edge, the latter has stayed intact, but the former has fallen to the wayside in favor of something a bit more absorbing and melancholic.” Blackened trombone.
This post has been removed because it promoted Nazi or Nazi-adjacent metal bands or musicians. We apologize.
“It’s a big deal when a band lists major influences, like Ævangelist, Dodecahedron, and Blut Aus Nord, in their biography. Sometimes it’s an innocent list, meant to feed the reader with keywords. Other times, it’s misleading. In Ophe’s case, the list ain’t that far off, as the band takes their forefather’s black/avant-garde style and French’s the fuck out of it. It’s Dodecahedron’s low-end, mixed with the dark, distant blackness of Ævangelist and layers of Område and Spektr. When you look deeper into Ophe, this isn’t a surprise. Considering that this one-man band consists of Område’s own Bargnatt XIX. But this ain’t no Område.” One, man, one basement.
“Two years ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing The Monolith Deathcult’s 2015 EP Bloodcvlts. And by ‘pleasure,’ I mean something else entirely. The band is everything Leave It to Beaver’s Eddie Haskell would be in reality. At first, the band seems like a serious, straight-laced Dutch death metal group. They seem polite and always outgoing, straight-to-the-point and never misleading. Then you discover the truth: that’s all bullshit.” Bloodcvlts, BS, Beaver.
“If you had said to me that an experimental, one-man shoegaze black metal album would end up as one of the best releases of the year, I would’ve replied with ‘Who are you and what are you doing in my home?’ Incredulity would twist the contours of my face as I struggled to reconcile that such a combination could come together so beautifully, stripping away my defenses and pouring itself into every exposed cavity.” Dental metal?
“It’s not often that AMG Himself and I get into an online kerfluffle about a review. See, I do my best to grab promos from bands I’ve never heard of, hoping that my curiosity turns me on to some great music. For the most part, it succeeds. But there comes a time when Señor AMG gets a taste of a band you’re reviewing and goes completely ga-ga over it.” When AMG attacks.
“The only thing I knew going into Ars Moriendi was that this black metal outfit is from France. which means they’re probably weird as shit. But, being the fan I am of Spektr, Reverence, and Blut aus Nord, I wasn’t too worried. So, not expecting anything novel, I put in my buds and fired up Sepelitur Alleluia. And, oh lordy, I was taken by surprise. It turns out there is more to Ars Moriendi than meets the eye (or ear).” French black metal is weird, and their wine is okay too.
“Before I delve into the guts of this self-titled debut from Indiana’s Skeleton Wolf, I’d like to pose a question to our loyal readers here at Angry Metal Guy. What is your favorite drunken party metal album and/or band? You know the kind of metal that just lifts a gear and thrives with the accompaniment of alcohol.” Okay, who said Men Without Hats? You leave the hall right now!
“Not many people know Costin Chioreanu musician. Most metalheads know Costin Chioreanu artist. Since the artist appears to have quite the workload, it’s not surprising that the musician is an “ex” member of most his musical endeavors. Lucky for us, the musician is back with a debut full-length filled with unsettling avant-garde black metal.” Sounds suspiciously like another strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!
