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 Ian Chainey In the top ten list of lame standbys that you’ll inevitably fall back on to let a band down easy, “I REALLY wanted to like this” ranks somewhere below I’m …
originally written by Chris McDonald I’m a huge fan of the works of Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson. Sunn O))) is one of my favorite bands (when the mood strikes, of course), and the multitude …
Has it been ten years already? Wow, I’m getting old. You see, I consider my introduction to HammerFall in 1999 as something of a turning point in my metal evolution. I had spent a couple …
Originally written by Jason Jordan. One of The End’s most anticipated 2008 releases is none other than Embodiment from Seattle-based supergroup Sculptured, consisting of Don Anderson (Agalloch) on guitars and vocals, JWW (Agalloch, Especially Likely Sloth, Nothing, ex-Subterranean Masquerade) on bass, …
originally written by Jim Brandon There’s something to be said for being ‘good’. Or in the case of Illinois’ black metal heathens Exalted, very good. When you sit there wanting to throw on something for …
Originally written by Jordan Campbell Nearly five years ago, Decrepit Birth unleashed their debut album, …And Time Begins. The album’s esoteric lyrical approach and riffcramming athleticism elevated them to cult status among brutal death metal fans, but there …
Of all the bands that could have possibly reformed in the new millennium, Lizzy Borden was one that I never thought actually would. Not because they didn’t have a few minor glories to relive, as dated …
originally written by Chris McDonald Countess, hailing from the Netherlands and helmed by lone “visionary” Orlok, have been churning out simplistic black metal records for well over a decade now. The band, despite their jarringly …
