The Dark Parade has the ideal kind of throwback production. The album feels organic, warm but natural. The worst tendencies of retro producers – too much reverb and artificially roughing up the production – are mostly eschewed. RAISE YOUR SWORD!
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Baring Teeth – The Path Narrows Review
Baring Teeth aren’t the most trope-oriented troupe for the most part, so the challenge in reviewing The Path Narrows lies elsewhere – if this is an above average or even good example of Dissonant Death Metal, why does our Goat not find himself particularly enjoying it? Size matters.
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Stortregn – Finitude Review
Stortregn produced my favorite record of 2021. Impermanence stands as what most Tech Death, and even fewer Melodic Death, Metal bands could not achieve—a Progressive album without using any of the tropes of the genre, forming instead full songs of smaller themes and motifs. I couldn’t tell you what the album was about—the cover art displaying Girardi’s patented space-bunghole lost all meaning years ago—but I surely felt it, on an emotional and intellectual level alike. Drink deeply of death metal and cosmic anus.
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Seraphic Entombment – Sickness Particles Gleam Review
Even when Seraphic Entombment can´t break out of their own framework within a song, there is some slight variation and mood shift. Particularly the two shorter songs breathe some life into the album in how they seem faster and more riff oriented. Maybe some additional CPR is required.
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Disfiguring The Goddess – The Brutal Machine Review
It is no surprise to me that an album like Disfiguring The Goddess’ newest, The Brutal Machine, has not made waves. The concoction of popular electronic music with Deathcore doesn´t really seem like the thing that the most kvlt among metal elitists would champion, even though it appears similarly extravagant. Time for some brutal reviewer machine.
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Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific Review
While most of the band seems to just deliver about the bare minimum, George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher’s minimum is still higher than what most vocalists deliver. Fisher is not the flashiest vocalist and has a certain tone he sticks with, but it is his delivery and phrasing as a kind of master of ceremony that elevates some songs. Enjoyment horrific?
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Courtney Gains – Safe Haven Review
Gains claim to fame is mainly being a child or teen actor in the 80s, starring in noteworthy supporting roles in films such as Children of the Corn or Back to the Future. Music is, however, more of a footnote in Gains’ career as his biggest musical claim to fame is that he once played live with Jam outfit Phish. What does Gains’ have to offer and how does it connect to his prior work as an actor? Some Gains, some lose?
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Fabricant – Drudge To The Thicket Review
While the base is the skronky, fluid yet groove oriented Death Metal of Demilich, other influences make Fabricant have enough of an identity to be worthwhile and have staying power.
The unpredictable nature of the material is one of the albums biggest strengths and it makes sense that the album begins and ends on its most extravagant tracks. Obviously Fabri-can.
Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit Review
What we get on The Enduring Spirit is certifiably fantastic, but I cannot say that I could have foreseen the direction Tomb Mold would take with this album – or that anyone could have, really. This new album utilizes the dichotomy between different textures, tonalities, timbres and moods like I haven´t heard a metal album do in quite a while. Dining on that fine mold.
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Crypts of the Unknown: Lorn – Arrayed Claws
