“Thanks to that one boozy pirate-themed power metal band whose name rhymes with “Sail Dorm,” it’s difficult to take oceanic themed albums seriously. There are plenty of bands that have torn it up, Ahab showcasing mammoth waves with their breed of crushing funeral doom, Isis displaying the uncaring expanse with shoegaze-y post-metal, and Firtan and Déluge offering some respective symphonic black and post-black to reflect he majesty of the oceans. Scrolling through my black metal collection and each album’s respective themes goes something like this: winter, winter, occult, winter, occult, occult, evil, winter, etc. Oceanic-themed black metal is few and far between, and you’d be hard-pressed to find the good stuff. Will Thermohaline kickstart a new trend or will it end up drowning in its own ambition?” The sea was angry that day, my fiends.
The Ocean
Stellar Death – Fragments of Light Review
“Well. Here we are, 2021 at last and I decided to ease myself into this new year of misery musical exploration with a pick that seemed to be safely in my wheelhouse, based on the genre tag at least: a nice slab of safe, comforting post-metal. Fragments of Light is the debut LP from Washington, D.C.-based Stellar Death. The two-piece comprises Scott Loose (also of While Heaven Wept) and Matt Kozar (Witnesses).” Soft landing.
AngryMetalGuy.com’s Aggregated Top 10 of 2020: Thus Spake the Plebeians
Heavy metal. Lists. Math. These are three of my favorite things. It’s for this reason that the AngryMetalGuy.com Meta List is the article for which I feel the most excitement every year.
Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2020
May 2021 be a better year for us all.
Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2020
Doc Grier has a Top Ten(ish) of 2020 worthy of fear. Grab a beer and peer into the unknown.
Huck N’ Roll’s and Eldritch Elitist’s Top Ten(ish) of 2020
Huck N’ Roll and Eldritch Elitist will now hold court with their well-thought-out Top Ten(ish) lists. Appear or be held in eternal contempt.
L. Saunders’ and Mark Z.’s Top Ten(ish) of 2020
L. Saunders and Mark Z. unveil the kvlt, savage, and unusual. They also give us their Top Ten(ish) of 2020.
Sentynel and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) o’ 2020
Sentynel and Twelve are ready to show you all their year-end wares. Shop til you drop.
Heathen – Empire of the Blind [Things You Might Have Missed 2020]
“Heathen. I’ve got three shirts that say it and nine people that call me that. I liken it to a word like ‘dickhead.’ It’s got great pop and works in all situations. Though it’s maybe more fun to call my mom a ‘dickhead’ rather than a ‘heathen.’ But, I suppose it depends on the day. Speaking of fun, let’s talk about that other Heathen. The one that released Empire of the Blind, and we never got it.” Blind fury.
Dawnwalker – Ages Review
“It was a cold, rainy day outside the AMG offices (not that I’d know; I don’t have a window) when Huck N Roll spoke of Ages, the fourth full-length release from London, England’s Dawnwalker. “Prog death with folk undertones,” he says. “Billed as a mix of Opeth, Enslaved, and King Crimson,” he says. “I’m already busy or I would take it,” he says. Well, as I happened to be the only person in the room when he said all of this, I decided to take him up on the offer, and went in knowing only that.” Blind progress.