Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Cover art by Mars Triumph] Petrichor, the sixth full length album from Greece’s epic metal stalwarts Battlelore, commences with the sound of rain and an invitation to reflect. That word, “petrichor,” is a relatively new one (coined by scientists in …
To start, let’s acknowledge that you and I don’t really know each other. This means, among other things, that I can’t say what “war metal” means to you. To some extent, maybe you just throw your hands in the air …
Kia ora, compadres. Welcome to the latest edition of In Crust We Trust. Below you’ll find a bunch of ear-wrecking noise to help you process and/or drown out the 24/7 horror show currently occupying our screens. Wherever you are, and …
Cryptworm’s third LP, Infectious Pathological Waste, quite charmingly arrives at the perfect time for yours truly; the deeper, choppier musical waters I’ve been swimming in the past few weeks have made for an often rewarding but exhaustingly challenging adventure. Conversely, …
[Cover art by Adam Burke] Sometimes, it’s nice to be spoiled. Not like mayo-filled potato salad after eight hours in the sun at the family BBQ or the average state of a corpse on death …
[Album artwork: Tim Beer] Metal freaks have and indeed always will burn infinite hours debating what should be considered “The All Time Greatest Year for Heavy Metal.” If you’re like me, a prehistoric beast perilously …
Sometimes, I’m my own worst enemy. Like many of you, I often dwell on the thought of my mortality, my fears, and my failures. And this piece isn’t meant to be some sentimental anecdote or …
[Cover art by @subhuman_being_] It’s impossible for me to be impartial here, so I’ll go ahead and get it out in the open: I am a fan of Angel Sword. It may seem a fairly …
In 2022, Victims released a short, perfunctory statement: “THIS IS END – WE ARE DEAD.” And to put it in rather unpoetically, well… that pretty much sucked, because for the 25 years leading up to …
Cover art by William Hay To the great wonder of people who know me, I’ve never been beaten to death. Lord knows I’ve pushed some limits. If it ever does come to that, I hope …
[Cover artwork by Mark Cooper] Can your band be deemed Bay-area thrash when you’re from Pittsburg(h)? The answer is yes—when you’re from PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA! Silly me for not realizing many moons ago that the dudes …
[Cover art by Pär Olofsson] Despite the fact that this Dutch quintet has been battering skulls for more than two decades, a 14-year absence between full-lengths makes it at least a little fair that perhaps …
