Swedish Metal

The Moth Gatherer – The Earth is the Sky Review

By El Cuervo on November 28, 2015 in 2015, Agonia Records, Doom Metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Doom Metal, 24 comments

“It’s difficult striking out into the musical mire in the Internet era. There are almost-literally limitless bands out there vying for the contents of your wallet and it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. The Moth Gatherer seem to genuinely offer something a bit different: their sophomore album The Earth is the Sky is something akin to Agalloch but with more doom and less earthy production, or Secrets of the Sky but with more post-rock tendencies.” Like moths to the flame, hipsters come to post-metal.

Solution .45 – Nightmares in the Waking State Pt. I – Review

By Steel Druhm on November 17, 2015 in 2015, AFM Records, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Swedish Metal, 23 comments

“Why is everything in my November promo bin a part I or IV of something bigger? I’m starting to feel like I’m trapped at the Third-Tier Fantasy Fiction Fan Con and I’m dreading what lurks around the next corner. Will it be The Atomic Dragon Bosoms of Gefilte Pt. VII? The Purple Cloak of Chromatic Unicorn Fabulousness Pt. X? Can’t we just do one-off albums again, people?”

RAM – Svbversvm Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on November 16, 2015 in 2015, Heavy Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Swedish Metal, 38 comments

“With the worldwide influence of Sweden on two fronts in the metal world and their universally hostile furniture-based takeover through Ikea (complete with Pictionary instructions and oddly tasty meatballs), it’s almost funny to see Sweden cheekily stealing from the initially British-led style of old-school heavy metal and RAM it down all of our throats with a record called Svbversvm.” Svbmit!

Moloken – All is Left to See Review

By Kronos on November 6, 2015 in 2015, Avante Garde, Doom Metal, Releases, Reviews, Sludge, Temple of Tortorous Records, Post-Metal, Sludge, 12 comments

“Last year’s big surprise for me was Palingenesis, a beautiful neo-folk album that beat out some really good death metal for my year-end list’s #9 spot and led to me purchasing the very last vinyl copy Nebelung had on them (suck it). At first glance, progressive sludge/doom outfit Moloken might not seem anything like that troupe of cello-wielding Germans, but All is Left to See turns out to be full of surprises.” Here at AMG, we like musical surprises that don’t involve White Wizzard.

Mammoth Storm – Fornjot Review

By Grymm on November 3, 2015 in 2015, Doom Metal, Drone, Napalm Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, 40 comments

“I learned a major lesson this year writing for Angry Metal Guy Industries Unlimited, Inc.. No, I still keep the toilet seat lid up after I go. Rather, band names are everything. This calendar year alone, I’ve reviewed bands named after long Biblical phrases, Roman numerals, house breaking your dog, and even a band that was one letter away from sending homophobic metalheads running for their nearest vial of eye-bleach. And now? Mammoth Storm from Sweden is here.” A hard rain is gonna fall.

Nad Sylvan – Courting the Widow Review

By El Cuervo on November 2, 2015 in 2015, InsideOut, Non-Metal Metal Things, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Non-metal Metal Things, Progressive Rock, 18 comments

“First things first: it’s no coincidence that the eponymous frontman of Nad Sylvan sounds remarkably similar to Peter Gabriel. Fresh from performing on Genesis Revisited II and subsequently touring with Genesis as principle vocalist, Nad Sylvan now exercises his musical talents on his own album. Some (read: me) have described him as the Ripper Owens of prog rock, but fortunately for Sylvan, he isn’t saddled with the subtitle “rank amateur.”” Some names don’t translate well to other countries. Nad Sylvan is such a name, but this doesn’t mean the music is lost in translation.

Avatarium – The Girl With the Raven Mask Review

By Steel Druhm on October 30, 2015 in 2015, Doom Metal, Nuclear Blast, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, 66 comments

Candlemass’ 1986 debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus had a big impact on my young metal mind and made me a lifetime convert to Leif Edling’s concept of what doom metal should sound like. Decades later, he surprised me again with his Avatarium debut and how it leveraged the prodigious vocal gifts of Jennie-Ann Smith to create a refreshing take on the classic doom template. While I expected The Girl With the Raven Mask to be a quality follow-up, I wasn’t prepared for this!” Get prepared post-haste!

Draconian – Sovran Review

By Steel Druhm on October 27, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Uncategorized, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 84 comments

“My Dying Bride and Anathema invented what we now think of as the goth-tinged doom/death genre back in the early 90s with their respectively earth-shaking debuts. Though many bands have subsequently tried their hand at the style, few have nailed the original sound and mood as well as Draconian.” Sadness, thy name is Draconian.

Bastard Grave – What Lies Beyond Review

By Jean-Luc Ricard on October 27, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, Pulverised Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 25 comments

“I presume most of you guessed Bastard Grave’s chosen genre without listening to a second of their music, but in case you’re an extreme metal newbie (welcome! Take a seat, have some cake! Don’t mind the skulls, they’re not real. Probably), this extract from their promo sheet will give you a hint: “With the opening blare on the album starting off with the all-too-familiar guitar feedback reminiscent of a vague Entombed-ish trademark, it is easy to tell What Lies Beyond is heavily laced with the murderous HM-2 destruction and with absolutely no mercy.” That’s right, old school Swedish death metal that’s so devoid of new ideas, even the label thinks it’s generic!” Let’s get rote to the point, shall we?

Lik – Mass Funeral Evocation Review

By El Cuervo on October 16, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, War Anthem Records, Death Metal, 14 comments

“As a youthful cheeky-chappy, I missed death metal the first time round. The wonders of Google have permitted me to research that which I lacked, thus purging myself of the vim and vibrancy with which I was once characterized. I now regularly murder my family and desecrate their burial chambers in the name of such legends as Entombed and Dismember, a sentiment obviously shared by Stockholm’s latest recruit: Lik.” It’s Throwback Friday (again)!