“Through my obsession with Acid Bath, I developed a taste for other trailblazing NOLA bands, from Soilent Green, Eyehategod, Down and Crowbar, to lesser known acts, like underrated grind maestros Flesh Parade and Mule Skinner. The latter act released a gem of a lone LP in 1996 called Abuse that I snagged a CD copy of many moons ago.” Skin to win.
“What the fuck is that? A demented shadow person? A medieval executioner? The nightmarish specter of your father asking you why you haven’t eaten your Brussels sprouts? These are the questions you’ll ask yourself as you try in vain to fall asleep tonight, knowing full well that leering figure is definitely not standing right at the foot of your bed. In a way it’s fitting, because KEN mode’s music is equally likely to leave an impression.” Sludge monsters.
“The Contrite Metal Guy inside me has Mantar’s powerhouse 2016 sophomore album Ode to the Flame on a shortlist for downgrading. And although I believe I was a little too generous with the scoring, the album still impressed greatly and I’ve been able to rely on the German duo for high quality punk and doom infested blackened sludge since their stunning debut, Death by Burning, dropped in 2014. It seems the rest of the world is catching on rapidly, judging by Mantar’s ever growing stature and swelling popularity within the modern metal scene. Now, The Modern Art of Setting Ablaze is in the can, along with a heaving load of anticipation for the all important third full-length opus.” Art as punishment.
“In theory, Georgia’s Black Tusk is a band I should like more than I do. Admittedly I’ve lost touch with them and haven’t revisited any of their material recently, but previous experiences haven’t exactly compelled me to come back for more, despite never really being able to pinpoint what the problem is.” Fear of the Tusk.
“It’s probably fair to say that Agalloch and Giant Squid went out with differing degrees of success on the recording front. Both issued their final albums in 2014, with Agalloch’s The Serpent and the Sphere garnering mixed opinions, while Giant Squid’s Minoans opus was a fine conceptual piece that stands among their stronger releases. With the dust settled on two stellar careers, can the ex-Agalloch collective of Don Anderson, Jason Walton and prolific drummer Aesop Dekker combine successfully with former Giant Squid and current Squalus frontman/guitarist Aaron Gregory?” Salve for loss or salt in the wound?
“As I’m writing this, the UK is surviving a heatwave of metal-melting proportions. Now, by most standards, our heatwave is puny and lightweight. But, for us pasty-faced pasty-eating tea-sipping fools this is hot. SWELTERING! I’m constantly sat in a state of stale perspiration, slowly drooping into a senseless stupor. My brain is constantly throbbing. My skin has turned a reddish-spotty-brown, the pale illness of winter skin a distant dream. I also commute to work, packed onto small yellow boxes that cart me to my pit of despair. Now, as my brain throbs, my teats leak, my skin melts and my eyes itch, I yearn for something brutal enough to give direction to my anger. Well, Secret Cutter has come at the right time.” Scar hopping.
“YOB, Oregon’s modern purveyors of epic, cathartic doom, have crafted a unique and powerful body of work across a long career, solidifying their status as one of the genre’s great artistic forces. Long form doom songs with gradual builds and subtle shifts is generally not my cup of tea when seeking my doom fix, but there’s something profoundly special and intriguing about YOB’s crushingly intense yet beautiful music.” Yob’s yer uncle.
“I consider myself to be pretty open-minded when it comes to music, and metal, in particular. Sure, I can be a cynical, judgmental prick and easily fall back on old favorites and genre staples to satisfy my listening urges, but generally, I give things a shot and like to occasionally deviate outside my comfort zone. Thankfully the reviewing game provides ample opportunity to divulge in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable, so the powers above assigned the mysterious Lusca for my listening pleasure and subsequent dissection.” Be careful what you wish for, kids.
“At AMG Headquarters last week, as a number of us were gathered around the bench press station during our allocated one hour of yard time, discussions turned from who could bench the most, to personal tastes when it comes to genres to review. When I was finally allowed to talk, I said I like my dad metal, sure, but I also enjoy deeply of prog, doom, some stoner — and I like it all to be just a little off-kilter. Well, members of Boss Keloid must have been standing nearby, because Melted on the Inch, their third album, ticks all my non-dad-metal boxes.” Boss dad prison metal.
“Way back in 2016, Kronos reviewed Chicago-area band Scientist’s second album, the frustratingly-titled 10100II00101. Believe it or not, we had differing opinions on it. While our resident Lord of Brvtality wrote that the band featured “an effects-swamped bouquet of sludgy riffing, hoarse roars, and buzzing electronics,” I equated the album to an hour of average music with people shouting at me. Fast-forward to present-day, and here I am taking a shot at reviewing their third album, Barbelith, and for a number of reasons I find this effort much more palatable than their last.” SCIENCE!
