Mother of All mastermind Martin Haumann didn’t have Steve DiGiorgio’s (Testament) services for Global Parasitic Leviathan, and men who write weird albums tend to switch sounds quickly.
So which mother are we to listen to this time?
Veriteras – The Dark Horizon
Half of Veriteras’ sound is very like Dissection with vicious yet hummable tremolo melodies layered over double-bass abuse. The other half owes more to the stated influences of early In Flames and Kalmah. But does that mean you half to enjoy it? Well if you like melodeath…
Read moreAltar of Betelgeuze – Echoes Review
Maybe it’s the climate or something in the air or having all those lakes to stare into while brooding about the inevitable decay of flesh—Finland screams metal. Whatever it is, Altar of Betelgeuze got a full dose. They’ve routinely described themselves in the past as stoner doom meets death metal and hitting play on their third album, Echoes, reveals this is still the formula. Betelgeuze, Betelgeuze, Betelgeuze!
Read moreCancervo – III Review
Everyone has a to do list. Mine includes the item “listen to more doom metal”. That’s why when I saw we had promo from a stoner doom band named Cancervo, I stuck my hand up. Did Anti-Peat end up happily stoned?
Read moreEden’s Decay – Innerfeind Review
I picked out Eden’s Decay because it sounded suitably dramatic and moody. I prepared myself to be underwhelmed, and hit play. From the first notes of Innerfeind though, I knew I had something—probably because it doesn’t sound much like what most people call melodeath. Perhaps sometimes blossoms spring from decay.
Read moreLVME – Of Sinful Nature Review
LVME’s take on black metal draws broadly from the many traditions within it. The classic tremolo and blastbeat approach is used to release the pressure created by shimmering dissonance and mid-paced ritualistic melodies. LVME is easy to love.
Read moreDefying – Wadera Review
Is it black metal? Post metal? Prog metal? These are the important questions that Anti-Peat asks regarding what Poland’s Defying have done with Wadera, a horror film inspired concept album about revenge from beyond the grave. Don’t be a-scared-a of the Wadera!
Read moreIhsahn – IHSAHN Review
At this point, Ihsahn needs little introduction. His work first with Emperor and then as a solo act has established him as one of black metal’s luminaries. His blackened and avant-garde approach to metal on IHSAHN straddles emotions. It’s by turns bombastic, melancholic, tense and angry—an excellent example of why Ihsahn is such a big deal.
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