Generally Impressed With Riffs
[Album artwork by Harshanand Singh] The third album is in some ways a litmus test for a band’s longevity. Three albums is a sufficient sample size—you can generally tell where a band is headed, whether they’ll last, whether they speak …
[Pre]-historically speaking, the boys, Nocturno Culto and Fenriz, have always been influenced by the likes of Celtic Frost, Bathory, and all things ‘80s. In fact, they don’t shy away from the fact that it’s always been about that era. After …
[Cover art by Quinn Henderson] You’re familiar with the term, “unc,” right? If not, it generally refers to a washed up older feller whose personality in large part revolves around extravagantly performing confusion and/or displeasure at the mere notion of …
[Artwork by Caroline Harrison] “Nonsense” opens with a slow fade-in of distorted guitars and seismic drums — the chaos before the swarm. It’s a trick of the trade, the extreme metal equivalent of a camera operator calling out “speed” before …
[Cover art by Wes Benscoter] The Danish/Turkish quartet Hyperdontia made a gnarly splash in the metal scene with the one-two punch of the Abhorrence Veil EP, followed promptly by the debut of full-length Nexus of …
Let’s get an unfortunate truth out of the way – I’m a sucker for a solo project. There’s a romance to them, no? The lone wolf, armed with ideas too fierce (or perhaps too rigid) …
You ever twist yourself up into a contortionist’s knot and then bash yourself repeatedly in the skull with a crowbar for about a half-hour at a time? No, of course you don’t. I mean, why …
Vendel’s full length debut Out in the Fields is the type of album that creates a bit of a headache in terms of giving it a truly accurate description, and yours truly has certainly struggled …
[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 …
