VI – De Praestigiis Angelorum Review
Originally written by K. Scott Ross. What makes a band? Is it the musicians in it, or the music that they play? Obviously, the most complete answer is “both,” but where does the balance lie? …
Sky Shadow Obelisk – Beacon Review
Originally written by K. Scott Ross. One of the old standbys for heavy metal discussion is whether or not lyrics matter. Does listening to Marduk make you some sort of Third Reich sympathizer? Should it? What about Stryper? …
Nile – What Should Not Be Unearthed Review
Originally written by K. Scott Ross. These days, when a band that’s been around since the early nineties puts out a new album and it’s full of sloppy playing and reused ideas topped off by …
Kronos – Arisen New Era Review
Originally written by K. Scott Ross. A lot changes in eight years. That’s the maximum length of an American presidential regime, or half the life of a sixteen year old. It’s also the amount of …
A Secret Revealed – The Bleakness Review
Originally written by K. Scott Ross. Heavy metal vocals are an odd beast, particularly when it comes to dirty vocal styles. A singer needs to balance between having aggression and comprehensibility, particularly if they actually …
Ambassador Gun – Tomb Of Broken Sleep Review
Originally written by Chris Redar Ambassador Gun plays the kind of grindcore that opens shows for larger grindcore bands. Much like the time Sick/Tired opened for Nasum in Chicago, by the time Brutal Truth (the …
Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction Review
Originally written by Chris Redar Starting with 2009’s The Harvest Floor, San Diego’s Cattle Decapitation effectively jettisoned their loose, somewhat unlistenable brand of deathgrind in favor of a more streamlined and polished brutal death sound. …
Immortal Bird – Empress/Abscess Review
Originally written by Chris Redar Chicago’s Immortal Bird wasted very little time crafting a full length after their late 2013 EP Akrasia took a swing and a miss at most critics’ EOY lists. Here’s a …