Green Metal like Black Metal … hammered dulcimers instead of guitars … gruff, growling vocals as well as clean singing, plus choral voices and symphonic passages. Yes, Botanist are “plant based”. Yes, Paleobotany (Prophecy Productions) is heavy and proggy. And yes, it’s very different, in a good way. Continue reading
Boy is it exhilarating when a group of meticulous and notable artists get together to show the world how music is done the right way!Continue reading
Darkthrone has been long associated with being “True Norweigan Black Metal” but has not made any attempt to adhere to this expectation of them since 2004’s “Sardonic Wrath”. Instead, the band has circled its wagons around crust punk and wandered off Celtic Frost worship. “It Beckons Us All…” (Peaceville Records) finds the band perfecting the traditional metal path they first embarked on with “The Underground Resistance”. Now 11 years later the duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto are done obsessing over their record collection and have focused on writing headbanging anthems that cold a touch of melody and mystery.Continue reading
The geography of Minnesota is described as being a largely woodland abundant area and, famously, waters, often referred to as “The land of 10,000 lakes”. Such scenery has become synonymous with Black Metal; in particular some of the genre’s more melodic bands as well as acts such as Amorphis (albeit the latter has only A Thousand Lakes). It is no surprise then that visuals of Minnesota would also create such Black Metal, with Amiensus’ roots being in the state. Also, much like some of their similar sounding peers, the likes of Reclamation (M-Theory Audio) are also a somewhat immersive experience which feels ready for the outdoors.Continue reading
Consisting of Jake, Dany, and Déhà, Acathexis unites members of Mare Cognitum, Los Males del Mundo, and Downfall of Nur together as an intercontinental unit based in Argentina, USA, and Belgium, In collaboration with Extraconscious Records, Amor Fati Productions proudly releases Acathexis’ second full length that is highly anticipated; entitled Immerse which is available on both CD and vinyl formats.
Dodsrit began as a solo project for ex-Totem Skin multi-instrumentalist Christoffer Oster, who recorded and released two highly acclaimed records – Dodsrit (2017) and Spirit Crusher (2018).
Borknagar is one of Norway’s acclaimed heavy metal acts known for their striking Scandinavian sound and resolute resilience. Their beginnings sprouted thirty years ago and over that time they have proven their merit by cultivating complex concoctions full of genre-bending wonders. They are well seasoned in their affluent brewing of black, progressive, and folk elements making their work notable.
Their capabilities continue to shine bright on their next full-length record where they push boundaries and explore new depths of their skill sets on Fall (Century Media Records).
Ah yes, Black Metal, the undisputed industry leader in the one-person-performs-all-of-the-music subgenre.
Not sure why that is, but it seems like you can’t swing a dead cat in a burned down church without hitting seemingly dozens of these acts. One of the latest of these projects to hit my desk is Washington’s Hulder with Verses in Oath (20 Buck Spin).Continue reading
Every band has an origin story. Some are interesting, a few amusing, but most are just routine tales of auditions, acquaintances or simple geography. Continue reading
When a new review arrives in my inbox, I often listen to the music first before reading any release info from the band. I like to let the music do the talking before I check out any info from the PR agent. It wasn’t until I read the release info did I come to notice that The Amentia’s latest release Plague of Locus (Debemur Morti) contains a bunch of cover songs. Clearly, The Amentia were able to take a few tracks from bands that inspired them and to transform them into songs of their own.