Generally Impressed With Riffs
[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 artwork by Luca “Zeero” Zironi] There was always something uniquely charming about Konquest’s brand of traditional heavy metal—an almost whimsical breeziness that still felt like a near perfect balance of playful and substantive. A long-lost Italian cousin to Sweden’s …
[Cover art by Beyond Art] There are bad musical moods, and then there’s Mylingar. Over the course of the last decade this group of anonymous Swedes has concocted the type of ill-meaning black/death that makes Diocletian seem like a Care …
[Cover artwork by Subhuman at Desert Dungeon] Let’s talk about our love for quirky metal. Okay, sure, any definable level of ‘quirk’ is obviously subjective, but I’m guessing you know we’re not talking about the guy who loves The Black …
originally written by Chris McDonald Electric Wizard has long been a major player in the doom scene, and their influence in their own style, as well as their ability to pull in fans from metal’s …
Originally written by Juho Mikkonen Although the plate of underground metal is full of impassioned zealots who seem to do nothing but harness all their energy to bring new pieces of art into being, only …
I suppose the single positive thing about being a dirty polecat and dragging my feet in regards to getting this review out in a timely manner is that it’s given me an opportunity to cull …
Seventeen songs… Fourteen minutes… If you didn’t already know what you’re getting from a Phobia record, that alone should tell you: this is grindcore, pure and simple; it’s d-beat-fueled, blast-filled and violent. This SoCal four-piece …
If you are one of the few visitors to this site who has somehow avoided our near-cronyism levels of praise for The Lord Weird Slough Feg, fear not, as a necessary description and history follow. …
Even if all the opportunistic carbon-copy acts in heavy metal’s recent history leave you less than excited about throwback sounds, it’s hard to deny the retro appeal when those sounds reflect a heartfelt bond with …
In 1994, the Norwegian band Ulver lit a fire with the release of their uniquely composed folk metal album, Bergtatt – Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler. Although small, this flame burned uncharacteristically bright within the …
Originally written by Erik Thomas So after the divisive Minus the Herd that saw Canada’s Ion Dissonance forsake their oppressively heavy, chaotic strains of Breathing is Irrelevant and Solace in favor of a more controlled (though …
