Make Åkerfeldt growl again” (#MÅGA). This is the premise on which The Goat Review makes its firmest political stance.
Read moreGigan – Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus Review
Gigan have crafted one hell of a technical death metal album, with an extra emphasis on technical riff craft and song composition, rather than a flurry of notes flung the listener’s way in a masturbatory ode to self-excess. More brain, less bludgeon.
Read moreIniquitous Savagery – Edifice of Vicissitudes Review
“The vibes are right” is not a sufficient review. Unless Scuttlegoat has his way and proves indeed that with enough words, “The vibes are right” is a sufficient review. Come found out if this slab of brutal death metal hits that sweet spot.
Read moreCarnosus – Wormtales Review
In the spirit of broadening my horizons I decided to dip my toes into melodeath waters. While I am not a huge fan of the genre, there are some standout albums I like. Unfortunately, Bobo found out the melo waters were a lot less worm than expected the hard way.
Read morePloughshare – Second Wound Review
Albums sometimes communicate things to Scuttlegoat before he has even heard them. Sometimes this is done via the promo blurb telling him to be wary. Other times, a combination of album cover, album and track titles will tell him what to expect. While more casual metal listeners often sneer about anything that pushes beyond the 5 minute mark, to Scuttlegoat colossal song lengths might also communicate to seasoned metal listeners like himself that the album at hand is advanced listening or at least making an attempt at being a more profound, distinguished work.
Read moreVeilburner – The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom Review
The number seven often holds special significance in western culture; a significance that goes beyond intra-number cannibalism. Artists have at times tried to transport this mystique to musical composition. As standard Western musical scales already hold seven individual notes, many artists seem to have tried their hand at incorporating the number seven into their rhythmic framework. But has anyone ever tried cutting off its head?
Read moreBlack Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison Review
Black Curse had huge shoes to fill with sophomore album Burning in Celestial Poison, as the sophomore hump is the true test for bands to prove that they’re not a once-and-done affair. Thankfully, Burning in Celestial Poison not only surpasses the hump, but makes every other war metal album released this year appear as threatening as pool noodles in terms of sheer aggression and vitriol. So grab your pool noodles, we’re going to war!
Read moreEldingar – Lysistrata Review
When Peat see names and album art that suggests a band has an interest in old European history, Peat — after a sad necessity of background checking — takes a look. And when a band, like Eldingar do on their second album Lysistrata, says they’re drawing on black metal, folk, and melodeath, he hits play. You can bait a Peat with melodeath, but can you make him purr?
Read moreThe Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude Review
For newcomers, Servitude serves up the same kind of cutthroat melodic death metal that this band has been putting out for shy over 20 years now, with a sound that bleeds in colors of Carcass and At the Gates, among others. Fans will find a good album that harkens back to the sound of albums like Nocturnal. The Black Dahlia Murder are very much still alive.
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