UK Metal

Urne – A Feast on Sorrow Review

By Carcharodon on August 11, 2023 in Reviews, Post-Hardcore, Progressive Metal, 52 comments

“I like metal to have an emotional heart to it. By this, I mean that, when I’m listening to a record, I want to feel that a band has poured some of itself into the music. Now, I get this is not for everyone and there is undoubtedly a place for straightforward riffs that one can just switch off and headbang to. That is not A Feast for Sorrow, the sophomore album from UK trio Urne, a band Metal Archives wholly inaccurately brands as “Stoner/Sludge Metal/Metalcore.”” Sorrow as fuel, pain as inspiration.

Ofnus – Time Held Me Grey and Dying Review

By Kenstrosity on July 8, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 12 comments

“Hailing from Wales and established in 2021, atmospheric black metal quintet Ofnus don’t even have a page on Metallum, yet are already signed to the well-established Naturmacht Productions. Primed to release their debut record, Time Held Me Grey and Dying, Ofnus aim to tug at the heartstrings and ensconce the listener in vast swaths of despair and grief. Atmospheric black metal is well known as a vehicle for such depressive moods, but we’ve also seen countless albums pass through these halls only to be forgotten entirely, the memory of our experience with them lost to a bottomless void from whence none return.” Get Ofnus my lawn!

The River – A Hollow Full of Hope Review

By Cherd on June 30, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 35 comments

“The United Kingdom’s The River call their style of music “pastoral post-doom.” Pastoral; synonymous with idyllic. In landscape painting it means a pleasing mix of open vistas, farmland, rolling hills, maybe some lazily grazing livestock. There’s a point when “doom” becomes a misnomer. The River indeed inhabits this tenuous space.” Doom in quiet places.

Johnny the Boy – You Review

By Carcharodon on June 16, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Sludge, 27 comments

“If you didn’t know there was some link between Crippled Black Phoenix and Johnny the Boy, you would be hard-pressed to divine it by listening to You alone.” Johnny B. the Good Boy.

Servers – The Vertical Plane Review

By Carcharodon on May 18, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 11 comments

“It’s been quite a while since I last reviewed anyone hailing from even close to my neck of the woods but, this week, I present for your perusal Servers. Hailing from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, UK, the band—the label blurb tells me they’re a quintet and then proceeds to name only three members—return with their fourth album, the follow-up to 2019’s Ad Nauseam. Servers take the title of The Vertical Plane from a book of the same name about the (apparently) infamous Dodleston mysteries in 1985.” To serve mankind prog.

Obsidious – Iconic Review

By Kenstrosity on October 31, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, 39 comments

“There’s been an incredible amount of hype roiling behind international supergroup Obsidious’s upcoming debut record Iconic. Having lived under a rock for the past two years, I missed literally all of that hype, only first becoming aware of Obsidious late this past summer. Nevertheless, once I heard all of the numerous advance singles, I was convinced that this would be my Album o’ the Year by the time I got to hear the whole thing. Technical death metal meets post-apocalyptic space opera meets musical theater? It’s quite possibly the most me thing to fall into my lap during my entire four-year tenure at AMG to date. Needless to say, I generated plenty of my own hype. The question remains, did Obsidious live up to it?” Hype and reality.

De Profundis – The Corruption of Virtue

By Kenstrosity on October 14, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 58 comments

“De Profundis is a great band who gets a lot of love behind the scenes at AMG HQ, but somehow routinely misses out on full coverage. This kind of thing occurs occasionally and for a number of perfectly understandable reasons, of course. But after seventeen years of diligent work, it’s high time that the English death metal quintet get a proper review from us for their sixth full-length, The Corruption of Virtue. And, as is our prerogative, we bring this review to you late.” Corrupted deadlines.

Sacred Son – The Foul Deth of Engelond Review

By Kenstrosity on May 11, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 31 comments

“Sacred Son historically play black metal, plain and simple. Nothing fancy or especially complex factors into their compositions. However, The Foul Deth of Engelond sees the band exploring black metal through the lens of doom, trimming the edges with a light occult fringe somewhat recalling the folk-tinted Dewfall.” Nothing sacred.

Theigns & Thralls – Theigns & Thralls Review

By Carcharodon on April 6, 2022 in Reviews, Folk, Folk Metal, 35 comments

“Theigns & Thralls—incidentally, very much how AMG Industries’ editors regard their relationship with the rest of the writing staff—is the brainchild of Skyclad vocalist Kevin Ridley. Formed originally as an outlet for some of Ridley’s back catalog and other material, it quickly mutated into something much more as the pandemic put an end to Skyclad’s touring plans. Seemingly formed of five principal members, Theigns & Thralls’ eponymous debut features contributions from some twenty-five musicians.” Many fingers, small pie.

Slob – Deepwoods Shack of Sodomy Review

By Ferox on March 2, 2022 in Reviews, 50 comments

“These here boys ain’t right in the head. UK duo Slob graces the world with a debut that dares to ask the question: “What if the hayseed rapists from Deliverance started a brutal death metal band and wrote a whole bunch of songs about sodomy?” It would be tempting to nickname these gentlemen “Gay Panic: The Band,” except Slob isn’t just interested in the kind of sodomy practiced belowdecks in the Royal Navy. Instead, they present us with an expansive and all-inclusive vision of the act.” Sodomy, sodomyou.