All posts by Dan Obstkrieg

Happily committed to the foolish pursuit of words about sounds. Not actually a dinosaur.

Worm – Bluenothing Review

Despite slithering out of the Floridian murk close to a decade ago in demo form, Worm’s last five years have been marked by several rapid metamorphoses (from black metal to rotted doom/death to a statelier,

Avantasia – A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society Review

Though it was originally formed as a side-project of Edguy’s vocalist Tobias Sammett, Avantasia has since surpassed Edguy’s reach and popularity. Although the project was initially intended only as a vessel for the two-part Metal

Autopsy – Morbidity Triumphant Review

Here is a curious and potentially self-defeating opening for a review of a new Autopsy album: Do you need a review of a new Autopsy album? Don’t misunderstand: the question is not, “Do you need

Sigh – Shiki Review

Genre Funeral Theatre Heavy metal is about a lot of things. I guess you can try to bang out a list of restrictive musical requirements, but in the lyrics department, heavy metal music on the

Lathe – Tongue of Silver Review

Sound has a mind of its own. That’s a pretty thought, isn’t it? It’s completely wrong, but maybe an easier pitch is that sounds can become so freighted with contextual baggage that they summon entire

Defect Designer – Neanderthal Review

Here’s an undeniably sexy way to start a review of some heavy metal music: sometimes what ends up shaping one’s impression of a piece of music is dictated much more by the frame of reference

Inexorum – Equinox Vigil Review

Minnesota’s Inexorum, now on album number three, offers a stirring example of the power of summoning feeling through form. The duo of Carl Skildum (guitars, vocals, keys, drum programming) and Matthew Kirkwold (bass, vocals) plays

Blue Heron – Ephemeral Review

I ride a commuter train into downtown Chicago to get to my office. (Yes, I am going somewhere with this.) Several years ago – likely late 2019 or very early 2020 – there was a