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 …
OU comes from Beijing, which is a circumstance that invites some pretty simple assumptions, very few of which turn out to be right. Simply put, OU doesn’t sound like a Chinese band, at least not …
The 2015 breakup of Sweden’s In Solitude left many a metalhead heart ailing due to their ability to both evolve smartly and keep it true enough to please the most denim and leather of hordes. …
I grew up not too far from Chicago, Illinois, otherwise known as the Windy City or Second City. I prefer the latter. I don’t know why; it just sounds cooler. Of course, Chicago is home to bands I grew …
[Cover artwork by Daniel Hermosilla / Nox Fragor Artworks] Before moving forward, please consider the following statement: The Continuous Nothing is a notably serious death metal record made by two veterans of the genre who …
Do you suppose anyone has ever looked at themselves in the mirror on their 100th birthday and thought, “Well, it’s been a good, long life, but I sure wish I had spent more time being …
[Cover art by Hannah Felicia Lange] The timeline for the creative process is an inherently curious thing. Some bands are naturally prolific, dropping new tunes, collaborations, and one-offs multiple times a year, while others may …
Is there anything better than superbly written death metal? What else gets the blood pumping or gives you enough adrenaline kick to bite through a chain-link like some good old-fashioned death metal? Weirdly, I also …
Keep it simple, whether you’re stupid or not – there’s certainly something to be said for that ethos. And always, always, always keep it heavy. The four fellows in Japan’s Coffins abide by a credo …
