Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover artwork by Old Hag] When I initially realized that Arckanum’s first album after a long hiatus—and, technically, its breakup—would be released on All Hallows’ Eve, I devised this rather cutesy and far-fetched idea to compare the entire album to …
[Album artwork / art direction by Joseph Niet / The Creative Corporation] Offering up a textbook definition of “holy crap, time flies,” Black Sabbath’s swan song, 13, was released 13 years ago, on June 7th, 2013. In a curious move, …
If you’re just now catching up, well, we’re just now catching up. Seth Buttnam and I (plus one uninvited guest) are rounding up some of our favoritest grindcore (or grind-adjacent) releases of the past however many months, since we (read: …
[Album artwork by Truls Espedal] It’s 17 albums for Enslaved now, comprising a discography I find exceptionally challenging to wrap my arms around. What’s going on here? Does anyone else forget that the relatively rote and by-the-numbers Frost is actually …
FAST RITES: because sometimes brevity is fundamental. Ah, the split 7”, that wonderful little beast that keeps the grind and punk flowing… Short and sweet and frantic and furious, just like the good lord intended …
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Some people might think of the English darkwave band with such hits as “If You Leave.” Some might randomly associate the British spelling with the similarly British spelling of France’s …
These Scottish scummies return with Rotten, their first full-length, almost a full four years after their debut EP, 2014’s By Design. And in those four years, it turns out that not too much has changed… …
Few people know that “funeral doom” is really just an acronym for the elements that make up the art form. It was just a coincidence that the acronym formed such a perfect title for the …
FAST RITES: because sometimes brevity is fundamental. Agent Steel fans rejoice. Black Cyclone is here: a thrash-by-way-of-speed-metal band from Sweden with their self-released debut album, Death Is King. Having released two demos in 2012 and …
It’s February, friends, and it feels like we’re in the heart of the winter doldrums. Not just as it relates to seasonal affective disorder, but, as our playlists will reflect, with regard to the state …
Going in blind on bands can be an interesting exercise. A lot of times the label, cover art, or general aesthetic can give clues as to what the listener can expect, but in the case …
From only a quick glance at the band name, it would be too easy to brush this one off as the bloodsoaked spawn of some burp ‘n’ chug gore band, but doing so would be …
