Our Metalligator says Coronet Juniper is about to punch you in the face. While our Alice says that Coronet Juniper comes out the gates swinging with songs that stand shoulder to shoulder with Longhena’s best. This was never going to be a normal review for our Gridlink hopeful writers, so feast on two different takes of Gridlink’s latest. You’ll be drunk on Grind in no time!
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Exmortus – Necrophony Review
Crammed full of guitar solos and Neoclassical wank, Slave to the Sword was one of the best and most-listened to albums for a High School-aged Cosmo. Now, nine years and two albums since that release, Exmortus returns fresh to Nuclear Blast with Necrophony after a couple releases on Prosthetic Records. Is this one to add to the list of Exmortus successes or does this signing to a major label signal a watered-down sound for a wider audience? Slave to the wank.
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Nuclear Power Trio – Wet Ass Plutonium Review
A big part of the DNA of your average Shred band nowadays is inspired by the “Big Dick Lick” Shredders of the 80s. The Satrianis, Gambales and Vais of the world are the usual prototypes of this sound, but even more recently, guitar nerds (myself included) have been smitten by the wave of late 70s/early 80s Japanese Fusion Guitarists, including the race car aesthetics of Cassiopeia and the more laid back attitude of faux-Brasilian Surfer Boy Masayoshi Takanaka – a favorite in the house of Goat. High Octane Sega Genesis Metal.
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Blut aus Nord – Disharmonium: Nahab Review
I’m convinced that Vindsval, the figure behind peerless enigmatic Black Metal entity Blut aus Nord, picks which styles they want the next BaN album to sound on a whim. On any album, the listener could face beautiful Atmospheric or Melodic Black Metal, such as on one of the Memoria Vetusta albums or 2019’s Hallucinogen. Always bet on black.
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Deitus – Irreversible Review
Indeed a lot of metal doesn’t riff anymore. Particularly, Black Metal is very willing to completely drop rhythmic interest a lot of the time and become a thick, soupy soundscape of trebly tremolo and monotonous blast beats. But what about Deitus? Are they too slaves to the anti-riff?
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Miserere Luminis – Ordalie Review
So how do Miserere Luminis compare to other bands in this largely meandering, long-winded style of metal? Cosmo sorts out what’s what in the land of the kvlt.
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Serpent of Old – Ensemble Under the Dark Sun Review
Transcending Obscurity certainly knows how to sign and release quality Black Metal. This year alone has seen high tier stuff from Decipher and Burial Hordes. Now, Serpent of Old looks to join that pantheon. A brand new band from Turkey, their debut album Ensemble Under the Dark Sun promises long form excellence, if the promo sheet is to be believed. These sheets can be deceiving, though. Does this snake slither its way to success or does it end up eating its tail instead?
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King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation Review
At times this album sounds like what White Zombie or Ministry might have produced had they tried to make a modern Heavy Metal album. Apocalyptic? The title is, at least.
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Oromet – Oromet Review
Running along to canon-ball the already big pile of Doom albums is Oromet, with their grand debut that seemingly came out of nowhere. Starting things off with a 22 minute song that sounds like an expanded version of Pallbearer’s style on their debut album Sorrow and Extinction, this band show that they are equally adapt at making such long songs. Slow motion cannon-balled.
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