Triptykon

Totengott – The Abyss Review

By Mark Z. on April 18, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Thrash Metal, Xtreem Music, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, 16 comments

“This Spanish trio’s 2017 debut took great pains to emulate the sound of Monotheist and Triptykon, to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom G. Warrior applied for a restraining order after its release. Nonetheless, the album was still enjoyable, in part because it had one of the best production jobs of anything I’ve ever reviewed on this site. Given that Totengott began life as a Frost cover band in 2013, it’s unsurprising that second album The Abyss largely continues to worship Warrior like he’s a god in human flesh.” Are you still morbid?

Vous Autres – Champ du Sang Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 8, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, French Metal, Reviews, Sleeping Church Records, Sludgelord Records, Black Metal, 126 comments

“‘Dark’ is my thing. Dark dreams, dark thoughts, and dark music make me who I am. For most that know me, this comes as no surprise. For those that think you know me: surprise! But, as of late, my dark place has become a living hell. I could always escape there when things got tough and it was a place I could go to avoid judgment from this pathetic, untrusting world. But, four months ago, things turned real dark. Too dark. And the little room in my head wasn’t dark enough to handle it.” Dark music for dark minds.

DungeönHammer – Infernal Moon Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 12, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Dutch Metal, French Metal, Me Saco Un Ojo Records, Pulverised Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 112 comments

“Face it, there’s no one that sounds like Celtic Frost, or even Hellhammer before that. No one… Wait, what’s this?! A two-man band from France and Holland that praise the ground Hellhammer once walked on?! With a debut record called Infernal Moon?! And with the band name of… DungeönHammer…?? Wtf??” How’s the Hammer hangin’?

Throneum – The Tight Deathrope Act over Rubicon Review

By Mark Z. on July 12, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Polish Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 40 comments

“You’ve got to hand it to Throneum. Back in 2016 I took a big steaming metaphorical shit all over their Morbid Death Tales album, and less than two years later the raw death metal trio have come right back with nearly an hour of new music. And they even sent us the promo, to boot! Clearly the Polish troupe must be quite proud of their Tight Deathrope Act over Rubicon, but lingering memories of Death Tales’ shithouse production and underdeveloped songwriting left me reluctant to snag this regardless.” Walk the Deathrope.

Horizon Ablaze – The Weight of a Thousand Suns Review

By Eldritch Elitist on February 23, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 0 comments

“Records that pair abstract, artsy gore with a thematically rich title are the telltale wrappings of albums that may as well be the metal world’s equivalent of Oscar bait; you don’t have to listen to Horizon Ablaze to know that they deal in a progressive, forward-thinking strain of black/death metal. And yeah, most of those records are good, but The Weight of a Thousand Suns is especially fucking good.” There goes the tease.

Sarke – Viige Urh Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 12, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Indie Recordings, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 25 comments

“Well, the cold has begun to settle in. Which means dark, frigid, unforgiving black metal will soon permeate the air of the Grier home. You can expect nothing less than the raw, primitive output of old-school Mayhem, Darkthrone, Enslaved, and Celtic Frost. It’s the right metal for the right season. The kind that you can almost feel blow through the pines as you walk over the fallen needles. The kind ‘Where Cold Winds Blow’ ‘Under a Funeral Moon,’ just ‘(Beyond the) Northern Winds.’ It’s the time of the year where I find myself once again—burrowing under cottonwood leaves until the warm suns of spring arrive to dry them out. So, it’s only fitting that one of my favorite black metal vocalists is back with an October release.” Winterize your ears.

Antiversum – Cosmos Comedenti Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 2, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Death Metal, Invictus Productions, Reviews, Swiss Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 13 comments

“OK, think fast: what’re the first two bands that come to mind when you think of Zurich? If you’re me, it’s Celtic Frost and Triptykon. Sure, there are plenty of others, but regardless which ones you picked, I bet Antiversum wasn’t one of them. Nothing against this mysterious, black/death group, but with only a demo and a six-way split to their name, I’m sure only a few people here have heard of them. But, now that their debut record is out, here’s your chance.” Blackened Swiss for all.

Totengott – Doppelgänger Review

By Mark Z. on July 12, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Burning World Records, Doom Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Thrash Metal, Xtreem Music, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, 51 comments

“Everybody from Mayhem to High on Fire have been influenced by Celtic Frost, but few have been as blatant about it as Totengott. Let’s tally it up: their band name is a track title from Monotheist. Their cover art looks like a mountain goat version of the last Triptykon album. Even the name of the record, Doppelgänger, implies they’re just a shameless copy of someone else.” More(bid) tales.

Inferno – Gnosis Kardias (of Transcension and Involution) Review

By Eldritch Elitist on April 5, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Czech Metal, Reviews, W.T.C. Productions, Black Metal, 54 comments

“Initially, this review was going to begin with a nutshell description of the current black metal scene. I had a few ideas: how the style is split into two methods of composition (instant gratification versus slow burning atmosphere), how the line between traditional and post-black metal is slowly being blurred, and so on. As I repeatedly drafted and deleted my intro, however, I began to realize that the state of the genre is far too multi-faceted to describe in terms of duality. Besides, you’re smart enough to read AMG, so you would have instantly seen through my half-baked thesis.” Discerning readers demand flawless scholarship.

The Von Deer Skulls – The Rest Is Silence Review

By Ferrous Beuller on November 2, 2016 in 2016, Doom Metal, French Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Wraith Productions, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, 21 comments

“To state the obvious, it’s my allotted task to listen to music and quantify it as best I can so that your delicate, little shell-like ears can filter out the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Ironically, The Von Deer Skulls run the gamut of all three. When faced with a band billed as progressive post-doom, how on earth could my pretentious urges refuse?” Smell the skull!