Hey look, it’s Botanist, the band with the hammered dulcimer! A consequence of a world filled brimful of good metal bands is that bands become known by their unique thing. Paleobotany, though, is a concept album dedicated to the marvels of the gigantic plants that existed before the Chicxulub asteroid so rudely interrupted their existence. Come on in and see if this release is as big a hit as that!
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Kawir – Kydoimos Review
One of the seemingly endless joys of being a metal fan is stumbling across a band that’s old as the hills but somehow new to you. Kawir is a good example. They released their first demo in 1993 and Kydoimos is their eighth studio album. You could say that up until this point, it was all Greek to our poor Anti-Peat.
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Infestus – Entzweiung Review
Entzweiung is a mix of black metal and post metal that seeks to find the grandest, coldest ideas from both. The word “brooding” springs to mind repeatedly. The result is a set of songs that gradually but surely build into soul-scraping fury — let them infest your ears.
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Arð – Untouched By Fire Review
Untouched By Fire is a bleakly beautiful homage to Northumbria’s history. It tells the story of its founder, King Oswald, through the medium of doom metal. It’s bloody good doom metal too, powerful and insistent. Think Moonsorrow, think Árstíðir Lífsins. Arð you ready for some AOTY material?
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Vesperian Sorrow – Awaken The Greylight Review
At its best, the symphonic black metal subgenre produces moments of sublime awe. At its worst, it offers a different brand of experiences never to be repeated. Since Awaken The Greylight is Vesperian Sorrow’s fifth album, Anti-Peat has his doubts. Awaken the Peat-light.
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Vanessa Funke – Remains Review
If you have heard of Vanessa Funke, then you have probably heard of her prodigious productivity. The one woman German melodeath act has released four EPs and three full-lengths in the last three years. It’s the sort of scheduling that leads to skepticism from many. Will her latest release prove disbelievers wrong, or is it all just funky business? Peat ponders.
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Mother of All – Global Parasitic Leviathan Review
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…
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Altar 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!
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Crypts of the Unknown: Animosity – Animal
