“Few bands paint a picture quite as Midnight does. But, in this case, it’s no ordinary picture. It’s Hell. Even more than the ancient works of Venom, Midnight paints a blood-red scene of violence on a black canvas. I not only can feel it but I can smell it. The flickering reds and oranges burn to the touch and the air is stifling and uncomfortable. The fragrance is a mix of unwashed crotch and dogshit burning in a paper bag. When you pass through the large, creaking door to the back of this stinking asylum, your sweat solidifies to your face. From red hot to freezing cold, Hell’s non-smoking area in the rear is black and brown, with the stench of wet earth and decomposition. Yet, no matter where you are in this underground venue, the walls reverberate with the black rasps, fiery guitars, rumbling bass, and pounding drums of the lone devil, Athenar.” Welcome home.
Speed Metal
The EP, Split, and Single Post Part II [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]
Did you miss all the rest of the crucial EPs, splits and singles in 2019? We’ve got you covered again, broheim.
The EP, Split, and Single Post Part I [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]
Did you miss some crucial EPs, splits and singles in 2019? We’ve got you covered, chumbo.
Eternity’s End – Unyielding [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]
“I discovered Eternity’s End with the release of their debut The Fire Within back in 2016, and I was completely blown away by their thrashy brand of neoclassical progressive power metal. That record is certainly in my top 10 of the 2010s, and I was ecstatic when I heard a follow-up was imminent.” Eternity is now!
Stormwarrior – Norsemen Review
“Aeons ago, long before I answered the casting call to write for this prestigious hostile work environment or had even commented on a review, I was but a reader and lurker of the site. Even then, I imagined that I might one day find my name written upon the sacred digital stone of AMG’s “About” tab. I fancied that I might form an inseparable bond with one Swordborn, the site’s apparent resident cheese custodian. In my fantasies, we’d frolic together through meadows like metal Cupids, firing 4.0’s and 4.5’s at power metal albums all willy nilly, laughing all the while.” Oh, so this is one of those fanfics.
Warsenal – Feast Your Eyes Review
“Warsenal is a throwback speed trio hailing from Canada, and much like their countrymen Razor, they want to bring the iron hammer down on you with merciless aggression and bestial wengeance. Their sophomore outing is speed for speed sake, with everything carefully curated to sound like it was belched out between the years 1983 – 1986.” Speed thrills.
Sadokist – Necrodual Dimension Funeral Storms Review
“Finland is not a country I identify with violent crime. High rates of alcoholism, maybe, and depression due to long Winter nights, maybe. But it’s regarded as one of the safest countries in the world otherwise, with high standards of education, healthcare and equality. This, apparently, does not translate to Lahti, the hometown of Sadokist.” Too much horror business.
Wraith – Absolute Power Review
“My review lineup had a fallow week in it and the promo blurb for Wraith peaked my interest with the phrase “blackened speed/thrash metal” with a “punk attitude.” In my head, this translates as something like Skeletonwitch playing The Exploited or Dead Kennedys covers. If this Indiana three-piece could only deliver on my own little fantasy there, I’d be up for that all day.” Absolute power corrupts absotutely.
Aphrodite – Lust and War Review
“The dog days of summer are upon us. The glory of finding albums that are monthly contenders for our highest accolades seems but a distant memory. Instead, we find ourselves scouring the pits of promo hell in desperate searches for something, anything, with redeeming qualities. So I find myself saddled (by my own choice) with Lust and War, the debut album from Toronto’s Aphrodite.” Speed kills.
Metalian – Vortex Review
“Canada is in the midst of a speed metal renaissance at the moment, with bands like Skull Fist and Riot City blazing burning pathways back to the 80s. Now you can add Metalian to the backward focused mob rush. Their third opus Vortex is a shameless throwback dose of speed mixed with traditional and NWoBHM ideas, designed and executed to sound totally natural in 1984. That means tossing Agent Steel, Razor and Judas Priest in a burlap sack and shaking furiously to see what happens.” Dad metal happens.