The best works of dissonant avant-garde metal shed the harmonic framework of power chords, blues scales and chord-scale approaches to soloing to explore something else. Maere, however, do not manage the feat of deconstruction, an approach that, after the old structures have broken down, needs something additional in the new space. That is to say, the fancy prance of a young buck isn’t always enough to sway our Goat.
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 15
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from BRUTALISM, Diabolic Oath, Manasseh, Replicant, and Altar of Betelgeuze, you can do that too!
Read moreDiabolic Oath – Oracular Hexations Review
Offering the listener a few seconds of respite before annihilating them with megalithic riffs, opener “Rusted Madness Tethering Misbegotten Haruspices” does a fantastic job setting the tone for the rest of the album: biblical-level annihilation. Riffs on riffs on riffs are the order of the day here! Needless to say, Cosmo is very excited about this one.
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 12
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from Aberration, Hadit, and LVME, you can do that too!
Read moreAberration – Refracture Review
Aberration specializes in caustic, spiteful blackened death metal that seeks to crush you into a paste over the runtime. The debut LP is akin to stepping up to bat for the first time, so, how far does Aberration knock the proverbial ball?
Read moreHadit – Metaphysical Engines Approaching the Event Horizon Review
When it comes to blackened death metal, a band needs to stand out from the rest of the crowd if it’s going to impress people given how saturated the subgenre has become in recent years. Enter Hadit. Will this Italian band travel far, or be swallowed by the blackened death metal hole?
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 11
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from Borknagar, Defect Designer, Defying, Wounds and Sacrificial Vein you can do that too!
Read moreSacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis Review
If there’s one style of extreme metal that I vibe hard with, it’s what I like to call “hell sounds”. At its roots black metal, death metal, or a combination, this soundscape also is also heavily infused with ambience to craft a nightmarish atmosphere. Brand new band Sacrificial Vein are fine purveyors of this blend of haunting music on their debut album Black Terror Genesis. It seems this spine chilling genesis has really enraptured our Cosmo, but by which trickery?
Read moreThis Week In Metal, 2024 Week 6
Another week, another round of metal reviews in the bag. Words are tough, so we assembled the highlights. And if you want to read the latest reviews for the new offerings from Madder Mortem, Dissimulator, Spiritual Deception, Spectral Voice, Vitriol, and Drowned, you can do that too!
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