Bands that possess both unique style and substance, since these are usually related, face difficulty in maintaining consistency because over time the content builds on previous ideas, and therefore the style slowly mutates. The best bands do so while maintaining continuity to the past and toward the idea they seek to explore.
11 CommentsTags: ambient metal, death metal, desecresy
The Swedish orthodox black metal brand rose because people needed a label for music adorned in the style of Dissection, yet composed in shorter riffs and cyclic songs like war metal, with a strong cover story of Satanism to help obscure its anti-social and Darwinist positions.
4 CommentsTags: Black Metal, orthodox black metal, swedes are degenerates, ultra silvam
War machine Sammath continues its attempt to synthesize the past five albums into one. This shows it combining death metal roots, traditional black metal, war metal, and its own homebrew balance of technicality and basic riffs in complex rhythms that carry on from the Asphyx and Pestilence days of Dutch death metal.
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The faster news cycle of the post-internet metal era places pressure on bands to release frequently in order to cultivate an audience which can pick them out of the seemingly endless flow of new and similar material. Having taken a pause, Infamous returns with more of an influence from traditional black metal in its aesthetic.
4 CommentsTags: Black Metal, infamous, sardinia
Upon initially hearing “Dead” on Autopsy’s Mental Funeral. Many would imagine that the second half consists of the same idea played on two different octaves before being harmonized together. While the call and response nature of this section may allude to that, the truth is surprisingly more complex as Chris Reifert and co decide to explore a much trickier idea of contrasting two related ideas played in opposition before reconciling them. Such notions are abound in rock music where the voice will alternate with the guitars during the verse before uniting with the chorus but in Metal such attempts have been met with general laughter. The more technical Hardcore bands would then introduce the poisonous and confused idea of then contrasting two completely unrelated ideas. Here Autopsy show that despite the simple nature of the melodies, that they are truly masters of the genre.
1 CommentTags: autopsy, brief analysis, call and response, Dead, Mental Funeral
Occult Metal renegades from Down Under Spear of Longinus have announced that a live recording of their infamous 2017 Italian performance is due for release later this year.
The LP will be released by Darker Than Black Records, the CD by Totenkopf Propaganda Production, and the Cassette by Final Agony Records.
The cover artwork is by Antichrist Kramer, and the track listing is as follows:
1. Atomika/Egipto
2. Saga
3. Better of Dead
4. Cruel Buddha
5. Cosmic Devastater (Watching the Watcher)
6. Fall of the Rebel Angels
7. YHVH Penis Abominator
8. Rite of Ragnarok
9. The Ibis of My Lost Soul (From Whence I Came)
10. Riders of a Cold and Violent Wind
11. Jarls Quest: Eternal
12. Nebularsia
13. Nazi Occult Metal
Of which, “Fall of the Rebel Angels” has been released as a preview track:
Tags: 2017, 2019, antichrist kramer, Australia, Black Metal, live album, Occultism, Paganism, spear of longinus
Sometimes it is essential to completely stray away from Metal for short periods of time. Like all passions, one must be willing to step aside and to distance the mind from it so that it does not morph into a constantly bombarding blur of tropes. This time I decided to shock my understanding of music by exploring styles that did not interest me or that I had strayed from over the years. Here are some of the more tolerable finding in what can be described as a sea of idiotic music comparable to the like of Metallica’s Lulu
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Monstrous Blackened Warlords of Metal of Death Sammath have announced the completion of their latest channeling of desolation and onslaught Across the Rhine is Only Death.
3 CommentsTags: 2019, across the rhine is only death, Black Metal, desolation, holocaustic metal of death, jan kruitwagen, netherlands, sammath, sodomy, warfare
Truly vicious Speed metal band Exhorder have previewed new song “My Time” after signing to Nuclear Blast(a death sentence in terms of quality for most bands) last year. Those expecting a return to Slaughter in the Vatican level of composition will be sorely disappointed. The last twenty seven years haven’t revitalized the band at all and there is little reason to believe that this exists for any other than a quick cash grab.
The comparisons to Pantera have numbed this band to the point where the band have decided on creating a bizarre mixture of their later albums but with a healthy dose of latter day Exodus to create standard Nuclear Blast Retro-Thrash for people who need even more Shovel headed Kill Machine. The blasts of anger funneled by almost labyrinthine arrangements give way to standard groove metal inspired Speed metal. Now complete with nursery level rhymes for karaoke while you angrily contemplate on taking over area 51. These chugs will put you in the right mood to drink your third can of Monster energy drink before your huge fortnite session. At least glam rockers Pantera had something to prove and could make decent Lite Metallica when they didn’t dance to their breakdowns.
14 CommentsTags: Exhorder, Exodus, mourn the southern skies, my time, nuclear blast, pantera
Ambient Allah Steve Roach has released his second effort of 2019. Like February’s HelioSphere, this new offering is a collaboration album, however this time he is working strictly in a “Guest Artist and Production Support” role as aid to a primary work by artists Miles Richmond and Peter Grenader.
No CommentsTags: 2019, Ambient, electronic, miles richmond, peter grenader, steve roach, USA
