#FleshgodApocalypse

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/napierdalac-the-state-of-love-and-war-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Napierdalać – The State of Love and War Review</a>By GardensTaleFirst impressions are everything, folks. Despite Napierdalać’s fledgling status, I was immediately encouraged by its presentation and professionalism. The State of Love and War is the band’s debut album, yet everything looks as tidy and organized as most label-backed promos, even using their own website to host the files for the music. This is a downside regarding the promo sheet, though, where reading like it was written by a label is not necessarily a boon. The sheet describes the album with superlatives aplenty and waxes poetically about a Shakespearean plot underpinning the orchestra-backed black/death metal. Does the music live up to the highfalutin chest-thumpin’ advertisements?Well, not quite. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing of value in The State of Love and War. At its best, Napierdalać reminds me a fair amount of Valdrin, whose Effigy of Nightmares was a major highlight back in 2020. After the intro, the opening duo hits hard with aggressive and malevolent black metal backed by orchestration that sounds straight out of an evil king’s court. “DNR” steps it up another notch, its choruses blasting wanton brass like the band borrowed half of Fleshgod Apocalypse for a few minutes. “To Crown a Pale Horse” mixes portentous doom into the Emperor-esque blackened grandeur for a nice change of pace. The vocals sound truly vile in the best way, a nasty, gnarly rasp that conveys sheer iniquity and rage, and it combines really well with the pseudo-baroque symphonic sections.Sadly, a lot of time is wasted on far less enticing experiments. “Sonnet 41” is one-third black metal ballad and two-thirds maudlin half-whispered spoken word poetry over lethargic open chords. The title track is nearly 7 minutes of staccato piano chords with little sense of flow or progression, killing all momentum and desecrating its corpse before unleashing the 10-minute closer “Exitus.” This track makes for a fine finale overall, but by the time it’s over, we have nearly an hour of music behind us, and it could stand to lose 20 minutes easily. Besides the mentioned momentum murderers, the first five tracks feel especially interchangeable, using similar formats in riffing and supplemental symphonics alike.This may be at least partially attributable to the production as well. The State of Love and War sounds both stark and claustrophobic, like a dusty hallway in a poltergeist-ridden house with the contrast slider cranked way up. Its efficacy at conjuring a gothic atmosphere as well as the decent mastering score suggest that this has been a deliberate choice, and for that I must commend Napierdalać, but it’s not without its downsides. Without room to breathe, the orchestral contributions get squeezed into only the most forward components without adding further depth and detail. With the homogeneity in songwriting across many of the tracks, such depth and detail could have gone a long way to add more variation. Instead, the variation now primarily comes from the doddering deviations mentioned earlier.The State of Love and War wins a few battles, but loses the campaign. Listening to one or two songs, their flaws may not immediately reveal themselves. Napierdalać has a solid grasp on an enticing sound that could have fueled a fun, more succinct version of this album to successful completion. Instead, conceptual overreach led the band to misjudge several inclusions and repeat themselves too often elsewhere. The more successful variations like “To Crown a Pale Horse” and the closer give me hope that the band can find a better way going forward, though, and I look forward to hearing its next attempt. Rating: 2.0/5.0 DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 128 kbps mp3 Label: Self-released Websites: <a href="http://napierdalac.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">napierdalac.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://napierdalacband.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">napierdalacband.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/napierdalacband" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/napierdalacband</a> Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/20/" target="_blank">#20</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/apr25/" target="_blank">#Apr25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/british-metal/" target="_blank">#BritishMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/emperor/" target="_blank">#Emperor</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/napierdalac/" target="_blank">#Napierdalać</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-released/" target="_blank">#SelfReleased</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/the-state-of-love-and-war/" target="_blank">#TheStateOfLoveAndWar</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/valdrin/" target="_blank">#Valdrin</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/buried-realm-the-dormant-darkness-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Buried Realm – The Dormant Darkness Review</a>By OwlswaldColorado’s Buried Realm, the technical melodic death metal project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Josh Dummer, has built a steady following since 2017’s The Ichor Carcinoma. This is largely because— alongside his role as the primary writer and producer of Buried Realm’s music— Dummer is one hell of a guitarist. Additionally, he enlists a prominent cast of guest musicians for each album, adding another layer of proficiency to his progressive soundscape.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/buried-realm-the-dormant-darkness-review/#fn-214693-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> While Dummer’s talent and networking ability are compelling, 2020’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/buried-realm-embodiment-of-the-divine-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Embodiment of the Divine</a> received a mixed reception from AMG’s own Twelve. Since then, Dummer has made notable upgrades through the addition of drummer Heikki Saari (Fintroll, ex-Norther) and the outsourcing of post-production duties, resulting in a heavier and more polished sound on Buried Realm’s 2022 self-titled third album. With these refined elements and the promise of further evolution, I was eager to delve into The Dormant Darkness to see what I would find lurking in the shadows.What I found was a great album. Building upon the foundation of Buried Realm, The Dormant Darkness finds Dummer taking the next step in his power-tinged melodeath assault. The opening barrage of “Bloodline Artifice,” with its relentless blasts, tremolo onslaught, and visceral screams, channels the power of tech-death giants like Allegaeon. At the same time, the album’s overall melodicism is indicative of The Living Infinite-era Soilwork. Guest appearances include the likes of Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry) and Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy), who fortify tracks like “Human Code” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” with sweeps, dives, and wails galore. Saari’s intricate rhythms and colorful accents amplify Buried Realm’s dazzling riff craft. Additionally, Dummer’s Laiho-esque rasps intertwine with Bjorn “Speed” Strid’s (Soilwork) roars and Christian Älvestam’s (ex-Scar Symmetry) soaring choruses to add sophistication and depth. With a well-rounded mix that delivers plenty of punch and low-end heft, The Dormant Darkness features a concentrated and layered sound that is rich, heavy, technical, and a ton of fun.For those who crave virtuosity, Buried Realm will not disappoint. Guitar wizardry is delivered in droves, with memorable solos, melodic leads, and powerful shredding across the record’s eight tracks. Nilsson’s dynamic fretwork at the heart of “Human Code,” Amott’s dive-bomb acrobatics within “Futuristic Hollow Nation,” and Daniel Freyberg’s (ex-Children of Bodom) blazing solo on “A Futile Endeavor” stand out as particularly jaw-dropping moments.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/buried-realm-the-dormant-darkness-review/#fn-214693-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> Dummer and Saari’s merciless grooves— shredding and hammering with precision— strengthen the album’s star-studded guest list, constructing Buried Realm’s tech-heavy compositions. Contrasting Buried Realm’s unyielding virtuosity are Älvestam’s uplifting serenades on songs like “Jaws of the Abyss” and “Futuristic Hollow Nation” which present striking melodies and refreshing hooks that draw me back again and again. Ultimately, while the constellation of guest musicians warrant attention, The Dormant Darkness is filled with highlights that will appeal to a wide audience.With its intensity and compositional depth, The Dormant Darkness could have easily become overwhelming. Indeed, the songwriting periodically suffers from overly dense passages and abrupt transitions. The disjointed vocal exchange between Dummer and Strid before the chorus in “Human Code,” for example, is jarring, as is the song’s mid-section where a whirlwind of blasts and leads stutters and starts erratically. That said, while occasional missteps somewhat detract from the album’s pacing and flow, they are minor quibbles in a record rife with strong songwriting. Furthermore, Francesco Ferrini’s (Fleshgod Apocalypse) poignant orchestral arrangements on tracks like “Ophidian Dreams” and “Where the Armless Phantoms Glide, Pt. II” provide atmospheric grandeur and emotional depth, mitigating aural fatigue and upholding sonic balance.Overall, The Dormant Darkness is a blast. The album is the culmination of Buried Realm’s evolution and proves that Dummer’s persistence and dedication have paid off handsomely. It’s full of highlights and genuinely impressive moments, blending technical prowess with memorable melodic hooks, exceptional guest contributions, and compositional maturity. Despite the occasional minor slipup, the album’s technical and charming melodeath personality seizes my attention from the start and maintains its spectral grasp until the record’s final notes fade into the ether. With The Dormant Darkness, Buried Realm has established itself as a formidable force— one that melodeath fans won’t want to miss. Rating: Great! DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: Self-Released Websites: <a href="https://buriedrealm.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">buriedrealm.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/buriedrealm" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/buriedrealm</a> Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/40/" target="_blank">#40</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/allegaeon/" target="_blank">#Allegaeon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/apr25/" target="_blank">#Apr25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/arch-enemy/" target="_blank">#ArchEnemy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/buried-realm/" target="_blank">#BuriedRealm</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/children-of-bodom/" target="_blank">#ChildrenOfBodom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#MelodicDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/power-metal/" target="_blank">#PowerMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-death/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveDeath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/scar-symmetry/" target="_blank">#ScarSymmetry</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-released/" target="_blank">#SelfReleased</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/soilwork/" target="_blank">#Soilwork</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/space-metal/" target="_blank">#SpaceMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/technical-death-metal/" target="_blank">#TechnicalDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/the-dormant-darkness/" target="_blank">#TheDormantDarkness</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kerberos-apostle-to-the-malevolent-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kerberos – Apostle to the Malevolent Review</a>By SaundersSymphonic death is a tricky subgenre to nail. While there are skilled exponents, bands peddling the dramatic style tread a fine line in balancing the ornate orchestral elements and heavy-hitting metal, without diminishing one or the other of the fused components. Such as the symphonic elements feeling tacked on or the metal edge blunted. Overall, it’s a mixed formula for yours truly, though I am certainly not opposed to the style when executed well (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Zornheym, Septicflesh, Dreamgrave). Hailing from Switzerland and sporting a bombastic, prog-infected symphonic death sound, unheralded act Kerberos aim to make their mark on the scene with their second album, Apostle to the Malevolent. Not one to do the style in half measures, Apostle to the Malevolent jams a multitude of orchestral elements and symphonic flair to otherwise traditional metal instrumentation, creating a colorful sound that on surface levels ticks all the boxes for a good time for enthusiasts of the style. Kerberos manage to cram all their sophisticated ideas, choirs and orchestra into a lean runtime, clocking in a shade under the half-hour mark. But can Kerberos back up the bombast and efficiency with gripping songwriting?The first couple of the five tracks comprising Apostle to the Malevolent will likely weed out the non-believers. Opening instrumental “Praeludium in H Moli” plays into the band’s flair for orchestral dramatics with mixed results, setting the scene for first proper track, “Near-Violence Experience.” Apostle to the Malevolent credits a Kerberos choir and orchestra in addition to the core foursome. The elaborate nature of the band’s vision is reflected in the song’s crunchy riffs, busy arrangement, densely layered instrumentation, and dueling male-female vox; ranging from operatic female contributions and a strange mix of deep male clean singing and harsher growls. It’s an ambitious tune, if a little scattershot. The impressive musicianship, countered by the overstuffed and convoluted nature of the arrangement, prevents it fully lifting off.Vocally, the male cleans come across as melodramatic and more than a little cheesy. However, Ai-lan Metzger’s stirring vocals and accompanying choirs lend the album a vibrant voice to match the swelling orchestral touches. When traded off with the harsher variations, the impact is more forceful. On the other hand, Félicien Burkard (who also handles guitars and fretless bass) clean vox are an unwelcome distraction. Kerberos lean further into the goth-tinged symphonic dramatics on “Alpine Sea,” another example of the band’s solid skills and exuberant talents, marred by a longer than needed runtime and questionable vocal transitions. The most successful example of Kerberos’ talents resides in mid-album cut “Liar Within.” it doesn’t greatly deviate from the rest of the album. However, the ingredients flow with greater fluency, while the increased aggression, speed and thrashy urges lend some extra punch to the soaring vocal hooks and lush symphonics.Song length remains a recurring issue. As previously stated, the album is short and sweet, though several individual tracks struggle to maintain interest across their heftier lengths (including nine-minute closer “Apostle to the Malevolent”). On the plus side, some tasty material is scattered throughout, flashing the potential for Kerberos to deliver something more substantial and fully formed down the track. Importantly for any symphonic metal project, the orchestral elements don’t sound like tacked on afterthoughts, bolstered by a bright, dynamic production. However, occasionally the instruments seem to fight and jostle for space, creating a clunkier feel to certain sections, leading to some overkill and awkward results. This may present a case for Kerberos and their additional friends to refine and declutter their sound to more potent effect. The mixed bag vocals also require some work, the attempts at deeper growls and Burkard’s questionable cleans could use some tuning up.Symphonic metal can go either way for me, and I am often especially selective with what floats my boat. Kerberos deliver an intriguing LP, featuring enough positives to find a solid audience on board with their particular brand of grandiosity and gothy-drama. Unfortunately, Apostle to the Malevolent is a messy affair, which feels unnecessarily bloated and convoluted despite its scant length. When they hone their songwriting focus into more aggressive, urgent realms and let the riffs do the heavy lifting, the band’s potential shines brightly. There remains some solid material and classy elements, with ample room for growth and refinement for Kerberos to match their ambitious vision with tighter songwriting chops. Rating: 2.5/5.0 DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: Self-Released Websites: <a href="https://kerberosband.bandcamp.com/album/apostle-to-the-malevolent" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KerberosBand/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> Releases Worldwide: March 14th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2-5/" target="_blank">#25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/apostle-to-the-malevolent/" target="_blank">#ApostleToTheMalevolent</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dreamgrave/" target="_blank">#Dreamgrave</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/independent-release/" target="_blank">#IndependentRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/kerberos/" target="_blank">#Kerberos</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-release/" target="_blank">#SelfRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/septicflesh/" target="_blank">#SepticFlesh</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/swiss-metal/" target="_blank">#SwissMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/zornheym/" target="_blank">#Zornheym</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024</a>By Angry Metal GuyStarting 2025 with a bang was always important, and I elected the “being 26 days late with your Record o’ the Year post” as the best possible way to give everyone that patented Angry Metal Guy feeling of waiting and waiting only to be smacked in the face with 5000 words that you disagree with entirely. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Executive Dysfunction! Let’s make a list!<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amg-turns-15-angry-metal-guy-himself-reflects-on-15-years-of-angrymetalguy-com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fifteen years of Angry Metal Guy</a> and year 15 will be remembered as a genuinely good year for metal. There were several excellent releases I was genuinely excited about and as the year went on, things got even better. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had a glut of options and felt guilty about what was and wasn’t making the list. In terms of total performance, year 15 at AMG stayed roughly on par with 2023. We wrote 691 posts (mostly reviews), which, in terms of raw numbers, dropped to lower than 2023 and was once again the lowest since 2015. We made up for it in girth, however, with the average post sporting a whopping 955 words! This might be a case of the self-fulfilling prophecy biting me in the ass for consistently yelling at everyone for being overwriters at which point they see themselves as overwriters and begin to overwrite. Or, maybe it’s because we had fewer reviews to balance out the longer posts. Regardless, we finished with a “big-boned” 660,024 total words in 2024. We averaged 38,617 views a day, leading us to our second-highest annual readership numbers ever at 14,129,320 total page views; a tick down from last year, but that’s not surprising when we’re writing fewer posts.The readership of AMG is as global as ever, but the USA, UK, and Canada retained their spots as 1, 2, and 3 on our Top 10(ish) Biggest Readerships. Germans continued to flock here in droves, maintaining their position at number 4 on our list with Australia coming in at healthy 5. I’m a bit surprised at Australia for not taking umbrage at getting beat by the Germans last year, but when you live in constant fear of your absolutely frightening environs, I guess that’s the least of your worries.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> Spots 6-9 are the same as last year with Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Spain. But coming in at number 10 was Finland! Our strategy of lauding Finnish bands is finally paying off. “How” you ask? Well, if I can get to celebrity status in Finland, I intend to go there so I can be awkwardly ignored in social situations by an entirely new population of Scandinavians. I was happy to see Poland sneak up to the coveted “ish” spot on the list, but that means Brazil dropped out of the Top 10(ish) and that sucks.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3</a> We were once again visited a single time by a mysterious robed reader from the Vatican City and I want to extend a warm Angry Metal Guy welcome to the lone citizen of Micronesia who found their way to our sacred halls.The biggest, coolest thing that happened in 2024 (following one of the shittiest things to happen in 2024) was, of course, helping Kenstrosity deal with the catastrophe that was his life following Hurricane Helene. It was so cool and gratifying to see just how generous and amazing the fans of AMG were and we’ll never forget your generosity. We also added n00bs—welcoming Alekhines Gun, Tyme, and Killjoy as new blood for the Bloodgod (with more coming, we promise)—and saw the return of the illustrious Mark Z. We lost—at least for the time being—Ferox at the end of the year and that sucks for all of us. But losing him to a burgeoning career as a showrunner and movie director seems like the kind of thing that isn’t such a bitter pill to swallow. Personally, alas, 2024 was pretty much the worst year of my life. The reason I equivocate is because every time I think something like that I can only think of Homer Simpson saying: “So far! The worst year of your life so far!” But 2024 was marred by a breakup I did not want and struggles with both my physical health and the obvious consequences thereof. I re-read my Top 10(ish) of 2023 and was amused in that “oh, sweet summer child” kind of way when I read:<blockquote>On a personal note, this year [2023] was supposed to be one of the best of my life. It has been an unmitigated pile of shit, with only a few bright spots. As usual, I’ll try to make 2024 a better year, where I am Angry Metal Guy in practice, not just in spirit. A new year always brings unreasonable and unrealistic goals that get broken in shame by April, doesn’t it? Well, that’s mine.</blockquote>Alas, that ended up being quite a bit more prescient than I could’ve anticipated given that it was the 31st of March when the Behind the Music voiceover guy had to step in: “Then tragedy struck…”So, 2024 turned out to be significantly worse for me than 2023. That said, I did, in fact, work a lot more on AMG than I have in previous years and it’s helped me to create a map of how that’s possible for the future. Furthermore, I’m finally starting to understand the things at the root of my BS—beyond unfortunate and frustrating life circumstances or the fact that I’m a big worthless loser<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">4</a>—and I hope that results in some real progress. Because, when all is said and done, Angry Metal Guy has stood the test of time for a reason and I’m proud of it and want to be involved in it. I like the music, I like most of the people, I like hazing n00bs, and I like arguing incessantly about opinions. Even if I feel a little out of lockstep with metal trends in recent years, I still think that my voice is important here and I want to have it here. And it’s thanks to everyone here, particularly Steel Druhm, Dr. Grier, and the other helpers, as well as the writers and of course, the readers, who have kept this all afloat while I am trying to solve the mystery that is my brain.To moderate expectations for 2025! Here’s the Top 10(ish) of 2024. #ish 2: Dawn Treader // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/dawn-treader-bloom-decay-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bloom & Decay</a> [August 24th | Liminal Dread Productions | <a href="https://dawntreaderuk.bandcamp.com/album/bloom-decay" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — I’m relatively certain that if you had polled the writers and readers of AngryMetalGuy.com and asked them to predict this list, Dawn Treader’s Bloom & Decay would not have come even remotely close to placing on my Top 10(ish). And it makes sense. Dawn Treader traffics in a genre of black metal that I rail on at every chance. At this point, my personality is basically constructed of jokes about how calling something atmospheric just means they use a lot of reverb. And yeah, Bloom & Decay uses inordinate amounts of reverb, I can’t deny it. But better, Ross Connell subverts the ‘one-man black metal project’ tropes by being good, actually. The record is emotionally poignant, musically rich, and laden with pathos—causing that aching bloom in my chest while listening to what feels at times like sad songs playing in major keys. If there’s one reason I haven’t been back to this album as much as other things, it’s because it’s hard to listen to at times. The messages contained here and the way they are delivered can be challenging at times; long discursive samples that are hard to have repeated back at you time and again in a time of a lot of despair. Still, that’s hardly a knock against Dawn Treader’s work, there are a lot of people who would suggest that it’s exactly that which makes Bloom & Decay art. And there’s no question in my mind that Bloom & Decay is a work of art.#ish 1: Verikalpa // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/verikalpa-tuomio-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Tuomio</a> [April 19th, 2024 | Scarlet Records | <a href="https://scarletrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tuomio" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — But then again, who needs serious emotionally poignant works of art when you can listen to Finnish guys writing amazing blackened melodeath that heavily features faux accordion and lyrics, presumably, about drinking? I feel a bit guilty that these guys have yet to make a number on the list—having previously been relegated to an -ish—but they are getting better and better and Tuomio has been a joy to listen to in a year where almost nothing else brought me joy. In a way, Verikalpa’s sound is a form of nostalgiacore for me—with its 2004 production, its 2004 riffs, and my 2004 urge to drink beer and headbang. But, as Steel Druhm would argue out of pure self-interest, some things are timeless and change is bad, so this isn’t a critique. And while the metal-listening public lost its taste for folk metal after the glut that was released in the late 2000s, I find Verikalpa avoids the pitfalls of the sound, delivering only the highest quality riffs and blasts. Loaded with groove and chunky riffs, Verikalpa knows how to write solid, speedy, fun, and brutal metal that will make you want to drink a beer and lift some weights. And again, what more can we truly ask of any metal band? If you aren’t listening to and loving Verikalpa by now, you’re missing out. Of all the <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wintersun-time-ii-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Finnish releases with dated sounds</a> this year, Tuomio is the best.#10: Grendel’s Sÿster // Katabasis into the Abaton [August 30th, 2024 | Sur Del Cruz Music | <a href="https://grendelssyster.bandcamp.com/album/katabasis-into-the-abaton-abstieg-in-die-traumkammer" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — If there was a major “I did not see that coming” moment in 2024, it was that Grendel’s Sÿster never left my playlist once I heard it for the first time. An addictive record, I summed it up best when I wrote that “this German four-piece drops metal that reeks of patchouli and ‘<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-nuclear_movement_in_Germany" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!</a>‘ to surprising effect. The core of Grendel’s Sÿster’s sound is the combination of fuzzy guitars, bubbly p-bass, and boxy drums into something that will undoubtedly call to mind the ’70s hard rock of your choice: Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy or nostalgia merchants like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/gygax-critical-hits-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Gygax</a>.” And that sound—not a sound that I spend my free time chasing down—could be directly shot into my veins and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something pure and honest and beautiful about this music. It is both poppy and niche, both pretentious and utterly not; it breaks down binaries and exists in the interstices. And goddammit, it’s what one roadie for Porcupine Tree once said of Blaze’s first three records, “it’s good, honest heavy metal.” And that’s it. The cream rises to the top; good songwriting always wins. And Katabasis into the Abaton is loaded with great songs, fun ideas, and idiosyncratic vocals. It’s surprising in all the right ways.#9: Oceans of Slumber // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/oceans-of-slumber-where-gods-fear-to-speak-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Where Gods Fear to Speak</a> [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | <a href="http://oceansofslumber.bandcamp.com/album/where-gods-fear-to-speak" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Some experiences are unforgettable, and getting to see Oceans of Slumber in the summer of 2024 and really hear Cammie Beverly live was one such experience. There are few people in the world who truly have a Voice with a capital V and Cammie is one of them. The band’s performance was entrancing and her presence was commanding. It was literal goosebumps. I had been enjoying Where Gods Fear to Speak for a few weeks at that point, but seeing Oceans of Slumber live transformed my entire understanding of the unique strengths contained herein. Between her voice, genuinely progressive—and at times challenging—songwriting, and the fantastic performances, Where Gods Fear to Speak sounds like the culmination of the band’s career. Having learned from the past and meshed it all, listeners are left with something transcendent, beautiful, and the perfect balance of heavy and delicate. If there’s one knock on this record, it’s that people may struggle with a flowing relationship to song structure and hooks. But for the sophisticated listener, each song on Where Gods Fear to Speak is a beautiful step on an unforgettable journey.#8: Iotunn // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/iotunn-kinship-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kinship</a> [October 25th, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | <a href="https://iotunn.bandcamp.com/album/kinship" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Hard truth time: I was never super enamored in <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/iotunn-access-all-worlds-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Access All Worlds</a>. While the blog and the commentariat were busy heaping praise upon the best band to come out of Denmark since Mercyful Fate, I held my tongue and gave them the spotlight they deserved because I was in a definite minority. But the record never inspired me. So, I approached Kinship with skepticism. I love Jón’s voice—this is no secret—but at 68 minutes long with 10-minute songs and one record in the bag I hadn’t felt… you know how it goes. I was happily surprised when Kinship hooked me hard. Jón’s voice brings everything together, but the blackened undercurrent spicing up the melodeath riffing (pretty sure Amon Amarth called their lawyers about a couple of the riffs in “The Anguished Ethereal”) matched with an epic scope that could be carried only by someone with the brass timbre and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Grond_arrives.webp" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Grond</a>esque vocal power of Aldará. I have been back to this again and again since I broke down and dropped it on the proverbial turntable. It is deep enough to keep me coming back, it’s hooky enough to kick that dopamine into high gear, and it’s beautiful and well-crafted with that aching Scandy melancholy that I crave. Bravo, Iotunn, this is a real first step towards me forgiving your spelling of ‘jotun’ and the Stockholm Bloodbath.#7: Fellowship // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fellowship-the-skies-above-eternity-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Skies above Eternity</a> [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | <a href="http://fellowshipmetal.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — I am hardly the first person to note that it’s difficult to follow a beloved record. I think it’s even harder to follow a beloved debut. And I doubt there’s an album that’s been released in recent years that is as beloved as Fellowship’s debut, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fellowship-the-saberlight-chronicles-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Saberlight Chronicles</a>. Putting the hopes and fate of the Europower scene in the hands of these tiny pastoral persons and sending them off to Mordor was never a good idea. But surprise, surprise, they survived!<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-5" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">5</a> And they’re back with an album that has inspired the kind of dedication that only the rare band ever gets close to, landing super high on people’s lists despite being a late November release. And you can hear why. The Skies above Eternity is yet another 45ish minutes of fantastic, guitar-driven melodic power metal that simultaneously rules and takes itself seriously enough to have good, interesting, relatable, and at times inspiring lyrics while also embracing the fun and natural, inherent silliness of power metal. That’s a hard balance to strike and Fellowship nails it with aplomb. They say you don’t want to be the guy who follows The Guy, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows The Guy. I suspect The Skies above Eternity will always be slightly underrated because it isn’t The Saberlight Chronicles. But fuck me if it isn’t excellent.#6: Devenial Verdict // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/devenial-verdict-blessing-of-despair-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Blessing of Despair</a> [October 4th | Transcending Obscurity Records | <a href="https://devenialverdictband.bandcamp.com/album/blessing-of-despair" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — I knew that these kids from Finland were alright when I jokingly called them “Morbid Angelcore” on Instagram and they took it with grace.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-6" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">6</a> Honestly, of all the stuff that the “No Fun, Only Reverb and Feels!” flank of AMG has dredged up and dumped hyperbolic praise on, Devenial Verdict is one of the bands to which I feel the most grateful to have been exposed. Often sold as either “dissodeath” or “atmospheric death metal,” because they’re both wildly popular subgenres of death metal, both feel like misnomers. Rather, Blessing of Despair is an album loaded with memorable moments and melodies, and while it does, indeed, employ a lot of “atmosphere,”<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-7" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">7</a> I was not prepared for the elite-level Azagthoth-on-LSD riffs that litter Blessing of Despair. I wouldn’t say that Blessing of Despair is OSDM, but the riffing evokes the masters in ways both direct and subtle and it gives the record an impeccable vibe. Devenial Verdict has wrought a brilliant death metal album where riffs abound, the atmosphere is set on the “Cathedral” setting, and every song is better than the last. Maybe the best word to use to describe their x factor is gravitas. But whatever it is, Devenial Verdict’s got it in spades.#5: Octoploid // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/octoploid-beyond-the-aeons-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Beyond the Aeons</a> [July 5th, 2024 | Reigning Phoenix Music | <a href="https://octoploid.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-aeons" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — The amount of love that Beyond the Aeons isn’t receiving is one of the scandals of 2024, in my opinion. This started with our own positive—but tepid, if I’m honest—review of Beyond the Aeons and has continued through Listurnalia. As a passive, but legitimate, autocrat of Angry Metal Guy, I have half a mind to shut this place down over this deep disrespect for Amorphiscore. Honestly, it pains me not to make Beyond the Aeons the #1 album,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-8" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">8</a> because I have listened to these 33 minutes of extreme metal—occasionally tremmy and black, but mostly just solid melodeath—more than almost anything else this year. Tracks like “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” feed my need for new Amorphis and my secret wish that they were heavier. And that’s one thing I’ll give Octoploid, unlike Barren Earth, Beyond the Aeons doesn’t dwell too long on anything. It kicks off and speeds along, hitting you with catchy leads in the key of Moomin and doubled with synth—<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amorphis-queen-of-time-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">as one does</a>. Don’t sleep on Octoploid. Beyond the Aeons is energetic, fun, catchy, and worth at least a couple of spins a week six months after it was released.#4: Opeth // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/opeth-the-last-will-and-testament-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Last Will and Testament</a> [November 22nd, 2024 | Moderbolaget] — What Opeth has accomplished on The Last Will and Testament is remarkable. Unlike so many bands, Opeth’s reimaginations of its sound still speak to me. The Last Will and Testament is a smart, coherent, and melodramatic record that does Mikael Åkerfeldt and crew credit. The reason that this record elevates itself above the ceiling that most Newpeth lived under, however, is that they are finally able to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMSV4OteqBE" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">turn the music up to 11</a> again compositionally. After more than a decade without the emotional and compositional peak (and release) of a guttural growl released from the diaphragm over a particularly chunky riff or heavy drums, The Last Will and Testament continues the band’s development but gives them a release valve—”§4″ being the highlight for me, where they transition from Opethro Tull—a jazz flute solo—to Deathro Tull with some operatic, but dour, death metal. And it simply feels good to hear them doing both of these things simultaneously. Having gone through and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/opeth-from-worst-to-best-13-9/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">relistened to the discography</a> at length, it is striking how Opeth circa 2024 sounds very little like the band I fell in love with in the late-’90s/early aughts. To be able to both be markedly different and feel like the same band is a deeply underrated trait. This could have been higher if I’d had longer with it.#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-opera-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Opera</a> [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | <a href="https://fleshgodapocalypse.bandcamp.com/album/opera" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — I knew almost immediately that Opera was going to be a controversial record. I was not prepared for the hyperbolic pushback that Opera garnered from fans of Italy’s death metal answer to [Luca (Turilli / Lione)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] for being, as I wrote myself, “undeniably poppy.” Sometimes I think that we fans of the extreme metal scene have lost sight of what pop music really is. The fact that people have been heaping scorn on Fleshgod Apocalypse for writing operatic death metal because Veronica Bordacchini doesn’t only sing using proper operatic technique and the band simplified some of its compositional tendencies is, to put it lightly, patently absurd. Opera is fun! It’s energetic and well-crafted, and it has a better excuse for writing more palatable and less grandiose music that uses more traditional pop and rock compositional structures than Nightwish ever had,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-9" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">9</a> and it literally has dramatic choirs arpeggiating in Latin behind grinding blast beats and death metal growls as I’m writing this blurb! Fucking get over yourselves. Go enjoy the shit out of Opera. No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse and when they hit, they fucking hit. And Opera hits! It is thematically interesting, deeply personal, and cohesive in the way that the best albums are while featuring a diverse and excellent performance from Bordacchini. Easily one of the best records of 2024.#2: Kanonenfieber // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kanonenfieber-die-urkatastrophe-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Die Urkatastrophe</a> [September 20th, 2024 | Century Media | <a href="https://noisebringer-records.bandcamp.com/album/die-urkatastrophe-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp]</a> — One of the things that makes the work at Angry Metal Guy interesting after 15 years is editing other writers’ work. It’s a pleasure to get to talk to, work with, and help guide the brilliant writers that we have working here. And because I want to hear what I’m reading about at the same time, I listen to a lot of music I would not necessarily have chosen to listen to myself. Noise’s work—such as 2023’s #5 record <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/leitha-reue-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Leiþa</a>—has come to my attention because of the work that Carcharodon has done in covering his projects. So, when I went to edit Die Urkatastrophe, well aware of the impending 5.0, I was edified to read a well-argued analysis that highlighted for me exactly what it was that appealed to me so much about Kanonenfieber’s critically acclaimed<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-10" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">10</a> platter. Die Urkatastrophe is a powerful album that walks the line between black and death metal, with surprisingly polished and smooth production and artfully crafted songs. Like so many of the best albums, it is both thematically coherent and full of standout moments. Arresting moments like the gunshot at the end of “Der Maulwurf,” the best-placed samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear, and a superb flow make Die Urkatastrophe a triumph that we’ll return to for years.#1: Hamferð // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hamferd-men-guds-hond-er-sterk-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Men Guðs hond er sterk</a> [March 22nd, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | <a href="https://hamferd.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — The best album of 2024 was an undeniably easy choice this year. Released the day after my life started falling to pieces, Hamferð’s third masterpiece is a tale of tragedy (with a smidgen of hope), driven by strong songwriting and stronger performances. There are plenty of things that one can point to that help to differentiate Men Guðs hond er sterk from the field this year: the band’s sound is expertly crafted, and with pristine production, and the band—who apparently records without a click track?!—carries the emotional weight of their music perfectly despite the largely opaque language in which it’s presented.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-11" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">11</a> Furthermore, enough cannot be said about the powerhouse of a vocalist that Hamferð is fortunate enough to have. Jón Aldará’s vocals carry the day with a brassy baritone that evokes the mourning that all doom peddlers are chasing but so few nail. Men Guðs hond er sterk is tight, it’s heavy—though not as heavy as its predecessor, which I missed—but more importantly it’s complete and brilliant and my Record o’ the Year for 2024. Honorable Mentions:In Vain // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-vain-solemn-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Solemn</a> [April 19th, 2024 | Indie Recordings | <a href="https://invainband.bandcamp.com/album/solemn" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Having been released when I was in the moment of absolute denial and despair as my life fell apart, you’ll forgive me for not having heard this album until the last couple months of 2024. And I suspect that if I had been able to spend more time with it, it would have worked its way onto the list proper (though, man, it’s hard to know what would go). Once again, In Vain does such an outstanding job of balancing all the different sounds and influences, and I will never get sick of any clean vocals from the brothers Nedland (RIP <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-vain-solemn-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Solefald</a>). These guys are great and Solemn keeps them batting 1.000.Ulcerate // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ulcerate-cutting-the-throat-of-god-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cutting the Throat of God</a> [June 14th | Debemur Morti Productions | <a href="https://ulcerate.bandcamp.com/album/cutting-the-throat-of-god" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Another album that should’ve been higher on my list (but where would I have put Verikalpa then, guys!?). Ulcerate has been awesome and it’s almost unremarkable that they continue to be awesome in new and different ways. The thing that I keep coming back to Cutting the Throat of God for is the fact that these are probably the band’s most addictive and hypnotic riffs. Their sound has always had a fluidity that made them unique, but there are times when I feel like a snake being charmed as I’m listening to Ulcerate pump out fascinating, liquid riffs that seem to morph in scope and feel without ever breaking stride. Another record that is getting the shaft on this list.Sonata Arctica // Clear Cold Beyond [March 8th, 2024 | Atomic Fire Records] — I started out skeptical about Clear Cold Beyond, and then I ended up loving it. The problem is that this was another record caught up in the Great Dumping o’ 2024 and got lost in the mix. This album has the benefit of having some really fun “we’re sorry we wrote Talviyö and then released two fucking acoustic cover records in a row” moments, but it’s not just an apology tour.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/angry-metal-guys-top-tenish-of-2024/#fn-209191-12" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">12</a> The strength of Clear Cold Beyond is watching Kakko do the things he’s best at: write about creepy dudes with seriously bad boundaries (“Dark Empath”); write awkward lyrics about social topics that are kind of funny but also maybe not (“California”); and most importantly is his transformation into Dad Rocker (“The Best Things”). This record didn’t ever threaten to be Top 10, but it also deserves a nod for bringing me a ton of joy, even if I can’t listen to “The Best Things” without getting choked up.Anciients // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/anciients-beyond-the-reach-of-the-sun-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Beyond the Reach of the Sun</a> [August 30th, 2024 | Season of Mist | <a href="https://anciientriffs.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — I have been a little back and forth with Anciients, but Beyond the Reach of the Sun was an absolute banger that got snubbed for a Record o’ the Month spot, despite receiving an excellently written, laudatory review from Saunders. And perpetual self-editing complaints aside, Anciients is one of those bands whose ability to craft Riffs is unmatched. Every single song on this album has one of those Riffs—not just riffs, gotta capitalize that R so everyone knows that we’re talking about iconic stuff here—and I am, frankly, jealous of the feel and groove that these guys seem to have as second nature. This album clicked for me when I put it in the cans on a flight and just sat and listened to it and man, we are spoiled with an absolute embarrassment of riches in metal. These guys are an honorable mention? It’s unfair.Caligula’s Horse // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/caligulas-horse-charcoal-grace-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Charcoal Grace</a> [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut Records | <a href="https://insideoutmusic.bandcamp.com/album/charcoal-grace-24-bit-hd-audio" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — After it was summarily 3.0’d by the guy who brought you the <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amg-goes-ranking-angra/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Angra list</a> everyone thought was absolute crap, I feel like everyone just forgot about Charcoal Grace. But I’m going to be honest with you, this record deserved a lot better than it got at the hands of the traitorous reviewer who poo-poohed it and then, allegedly, went on to kick his dog and demand his wife make him a sandwich. This is a more subtle Caligula’s Horse, I admit. How they seem to be swapping places with Haken becomes more manifest with every release. But this record is a true headphones album that deserves a hi-def version of the release, serious cans, and a dark room. It’s loaded with great riffs and fantastic songs and has a particularly poignant and powerful closing. Also, the level of detail here is unreal. Appreciate what you have while they are still putting out amazing albums.Noxis // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/noxis-violence-inherent-in-the-system-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Violence Inherent in the System</a> [June 28th, 2024 | Rotted Life Records | <a href="https://noxisdeathmetal.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — One of the surprises of the year is an album named after one of the funniest jabs at the anarchosyndicalists in our lives. Noxis’ brand of frantic, technical death metal—complete with my favorite snare of the year—has swept through the Angry Metal Guy staff for a reason. The reason? It’s fucking great. At 45 minutes, Violence Inherent in the System is a record with the energy and addictiveness of Gorod, even if the songwriting chops aren’t quite on that level yet. But you don’t have to be Gorod-good to be good and Noxis is good. I’m looking forward to their sophomore release Scimitars Thrown in Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies, due Q4 2025/Q1 2026.Madder Mortem // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/madder-mortem-old-eyes-new-heart-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Old Eyes, New Heart</a> [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records | <a href="https://maddermortem.bandcamp.com/album/old-eyes-new-heart" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — In my Record o’ the Month blurb for Old Eyes, New Heart, I wrote “What Old Eyes, New Heart does is show Madder Mortem as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like ‘Here and Now’ and ‘Cold Hard Rain’ weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there’s simmering anger girding the material as well. As GardensTale noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: ‘Old Eyes, New Heart will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we’re bound to get this year.’ And who isn’t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?” Yeah, I found myself listening to this album a lot this year because it expresses what I couldn’t. Again, prescient.Blood Incantation // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/blood-incantation-absolute-elsewhere-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Absolute Elsewhere</a> [October 4th, 2024 | Century Media Records | <a href="https://bloodincantation.bandcamp.com/album/absolute-elsewhere" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Yeah, it’s fine I guess. A little overhyped in the comment section, though. Remember that time when it got released and everyone who hadn’t heard it yet was like “RECORD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!1!” five minutes later? Pepperidge Farms remembers. Top 10(ish) Songs o’ the Year:#ish: Karol G // “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” — Fuck you. #10: Sonata Arctica // “The Best Things” — Fans of the band and this album are going to laugh, but this song kills me. Dad rock. I love it. #9: Wintersun // “Storm” — When I saw everyone sporting “Silver Leaves” as the highlight of Time II, I had to do a double-take. As I covered <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wintersun-time-ii-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">at length in my review</a>, the one song that I felt lived up to Jaari’s potential as a player and composer was “Storm,” and this track is a fucking doozy. This track perfectly executes both the blend of blackened death metal and power metal that makes Wintersun’s inability to produce something truly epic frustrating. If I had only heard “Ominous Clouds” and “Storm,” Time II would’ve gotten a 4.5. This is the only memorable thing he wrote on the entire album. #8: Oceans of Slumber // “Wish” — It’s weird the tracks that call to you on an album. I love this whole record for a bunch of different reasons, but on “Wish” there are little melodic things that Cammie does here that make my heart ache. The lyrics, too. I feel ’em. Deeply underrated record. #7: Fellowship // “Victim” — “I swear, I won’t always feel like a victim! I won’t always fight on my own! So, forgive me these transgressions as I live a life of lessons and I grow to overshadow darker thrones! This king is king alone!” #6: Opeth // “§4” — No more perfect encapsulation of why Opeth is impressive than how hard they nailed this song. Love the porn beat with the Ian Anderson flute solo (Deathro Tull, lol) that gives way to stadium rock that gives way to grindy death metal. Just inject that fucking shit straight into my fucking veins. <a href="https://youtu.be/VLnWf1sQkjY?si=4F3YCFLo9OqeCXhO" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Unff</a>. #5: Grendel’s Sÿster // “Cosmogony” — This song is metal as fuck. I love the fun little extra beat they drop in to make it feel like a slightly lopsided wheel rolling along. But there’s nothing about this that doesn’t live up to what I wrote above: good, honest heavy metal. Catchy, riffy, and fun to listen to. Top it off with a bass-heavy section and a gallop carried on the guitar and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an epic, addictive track. More of this, plz. #4: Fleshgod Apocalypse // “Morphine Waltz” — This song fucking rules. From the opening strains with the horn section in the orchestra to the 3/4 time signature (y’know, ’cause it’s actually a waltz), to the raw, punky performance from Bordacchini. Extra points for the fucking balls to the wall bridge with the huge choirs before the guitar solo. Like, how do you fucking people not think this is one of the best albums of the year? JFC. #3: Caligula’s Horse // “Mute” — One of Caligula’s Horse’s strongest traits is their ability to write epic conclusions to their albums. “Mute” is up there with “Graves” in terms of the sheer weightiness of the whole thing—though this time it’s more delicate. Beautiful. #2: Anciients // “Despoiled” — Riff of the year at 3:57. Gives me involuntary metal face. Love the vocal melodies, too. Great stuff. #1: Madder Mortem // “Things I’ll Never Do” — This song fucking kills me. 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Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/heavy-moves-heavy-2024-amgs-ultimate-workout-playlist/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Heavy Moves Heavy 2024 – AMG’s Ultimate Workout Playlist</a>By FeroxBefore I was press-ganged into the Skull Pit, I, Ferox, began curating an exercise playlist named Heavy Moves Heavy. For a decade, I alone reaped the benefits of this creation–many were the hours spent preening aboard my Squat Yacht, mixing oils so that I could marvel at the glistening gainz unlocked by the List. My indentured servitude is your good fortune, because a new and improved version of the Heavy Moves Heavy playlist is now available to all readers of AMG in good standing.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/heavy-moves-heavy-2024-amgs-ultimate-workout-playlist/#fn-209277-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> The lifters among us have spent countless hours in the Exercise Oubliette testing these songs for tensile strength and ideological purity. Enjoy–but don’t listen if you are being screened for PEDs in the near future. This music will cause your free testosterone levels to skyrocket even as it adds length and sheen to your back pelt.The AMG Iron Movers Collective is a man down this year, as the crush of Listurnalia duties prevented Steel Druhm from forging a third consecutive contribution. The four remaining protein ponies on staff (myself, Kenstrosity, Thus Spoke, and Holdeneye) dug deeper into our Codices of Suffering to bring you a list of sufficient girth. Here are the songs released in 2024 that dominated our respective workouts. The resulting playlist is appended to this article. Play it straight through or set it to shuffle; HMH is designed to work either way. From our oubliette to yours, may these battle-hardened tracks fuel your gains in the new year.There is also an intruder this time around, as Dolphin Whisperer drops by semi-invited to share his favorite tracks suitable for The Things That Dolph Does. That playlist, suitable for blood pressure-reducing pursuits off all kinds, is compiled separately. Ferox Snorts His Pre-Workout Powder :“Drill the Skull” // Necrot (Lifeless Birth) – Kicking things off with one of the year’s premiere bangers. The implied subject song title is a staple of my workout playlists, because it sounds like someone’s giving me orders. (You) “Drill the Skull”! I will! I will drill the skull.“God Slayer” // Vredehammer (God Slayer) – Stand tall. Stand proud. Stand strong. Wage war. Lots of implied subject goodness in this one. Vredehammer’s latest may have been a mild disappointment, but it did throw off the Workout Song o’the Year.“Numidian Knowledge” // Necrowretch (Swords of Daijal) – Numidian communities cultivated cereals such as wheat and barley, and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils. There’s nothing inherently sinister about that body of knowledge, but this Necrowretch ripper will make you feel like you just consummated a black bargain in exchange for one final rep.“Into the Court of Yanluowang” // Ripped to Shreds (Sanshi) – The opener to this killer slab beats you up with five minutes of punk-inflected death metal before rewarding you with the Guitar Solo o’the Year.“The Way of Decay” // Sentient Horror (In Service of the Dead) – Dropping in some 3.0 Swedeath in honor of Absent Geezer Steel Druhm. I personally thought he underrated the new one from Jersey’s Sentient Horror, which kicks off with this scabby statement of purpose.“Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal” // Spectral Wound (Songs of Blood and Mire) – Early Bathory remains a stalwart of the original Heavy Moves Heavy playlist. “A Fine Day to Die” is one of a dozen or so songs that have never rotated off the List in its twelve or so years of existence. Ferox Song o’the Year “Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal” succeeds bigly in carrying Quorthon’s torch into new battles.“Hordes of the Horned God” // Hellbutcher (Hellbutcher) – The saliva-flecked excretions of Nifelheim and Impaled Nazarene have likewise graced the original Heavy Moves Heavy time and again. I wish there was a song called “Hellbutcher” on Hellbutcher’s Hellbutcher, but this supergroup led by Nifelheim’s front man answers the bell in every other way on their debut.“Infernal Bust” // Demiser (Slave to the Scythe) – This song, near as I can tell, is about having it off with a demon. When you get swole, your opportunities to fuck demons, babadooks, and wendigos grow right along with your muscles–so this is included to goose you along.“Wormridden Torso” // Stenched (Purulence Gushing from the Grave) – Adrian from Stenched has crafted a guitar tone most unpleasant and motivating. Finish your set so you’re closer to the end of the song and you can get it out of your earholes.“Disattachment of a Prophylactic in the Brain” // Undeath (More Insane) – Here’s a jolt of caffeine to get you through the muddy middle of your workout. This track gambols madly about, slapping you in the face to wake you from your Stenched-coma.“Second Demon” // Void Witch (Horripilating Presence) – The Void Witch sound fires on all cylinders here, and so will you as you listen to this track. The grunge-descended guitar solo toward the end of track is one of 2024’s great moments.“Mammoth’s Hand” // The Black Dahlia Murder (Servitude) – This cut from the The Black Dahlia Murder’s worthy new effort gives me those classic Deflorate-era vibes. I listened to that album while doing my strength training for a martial arts tournament, and “Mammoth’s Hand” feels like it could slide in between “Black Valor” and “Necropolis.” Kenstrosity Bursts Through His Own Workout Gear:“Pain Enduring” // Replicant (Infinite Mortality) – They say “no pain, no gain.” Or at least they used to. Some assert this to be a debunked myth, but regardless, I live to feel the gainz. This absolute blunderbuss of groove and riff mastery by Replicant ensures progressive overload and personal bests from every movement. <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/heavy-moves-heavy-2024-amgs-ultimate-workout-playlist/#fn-209277-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a>“Xetinal Artifice” // Karst (Eclipsed Beneath Umbral Divine) – You know your workout is going to leave you a trembling puddle on the ground when your trainer walks you into the crustiest, rustiest facility imaginable. Thusly, Karst’s “Xetinal Artifice” leaves me a trembling puddle on the ground after a brutal session of crusty death metal riffs.“Pure Adrenaline Hard-On” // Scumbag (Homicide Cult) – Some people rely on preworkout and supplements to energize them before a hard workout. I don’t need that. I have the hyper-effective hype machine that is Scumbag’s “Pure Adrenaline Hard-On.” Everything you need is right in the name!“Sturmtrupp” // Kanonenfieber (Die Urkatastrophe) – One day per week (sometimes two if I’m feeling frisky), I engage in high-intensity or high-endurance cardio training. That means speed. That means form. That means rhythm. That means something to keep me motivated and focused. Nothing beats Kanonenfieber’s “Sturptrupp” for that exact regimen.“Leviathan” // Keres (Homo Homini Lupus) – Sometimes the only way to get me through my workout is to find my inner animal and let it rampage through the last few sets. The earth-shattering stomp of Keres’ “Leviathan” is the perfect elixir to entice that inner beast into meatspace.“Paths of Visceral Fears” // Noxis (Violence Inherent in the System) – Fear is the enemy of gainz. However, the only way past fear is through fear. That’s where Noxis’ “Paths of Visceral Fears” and its multitudinous motivating riffs come into play. How can you be scared of that crazy heavy lift when you’ve got Noxis spotting you?“Devil in the Basement” // Unhallowed Deliverance (Of Spectres and Strife) – The sheer heft of this track alone makes all of my personal bests look like warmups. That gives me something to strive for! Between immense grooves, crushing riffs, and a relentless pace, Unhallowed Deliverance’s “Devil in the Basement” urges me to my peak form.“Lust for the Severed Head” // Fit for an Autopsy (The Nothing That Is) – Deathcore is always a great source of meatheaded riffs. Fit for an Autopsy pull a rare card, however, with “Lust for the Severed Head.” Seamlessly blending muscular grooves with a technical prowess rarefied, “Lust for the Severed Head” inspires me to push that final rep past failure every time.“Of Pillars and Trees” // Brodequin (Harbinger of Woe) – You’d think material like this would be too dense to serve gym hours well. However, Brodequin’s “Of Pillars and Trees” swaggers so confidently into the land of steel and sweat that one can’t help but follow it directly to the bench.“In Your Guts” // Glassbone (Deaf to Suffering) – Slam is probably the best vehicle for pacing and focus in the weight room. Nothing gives me a better metronome to maximize my breathing, and perfect my form. The insanely gritty, nasty, hardcore-twisted ways of Glassbone’s “In Your Guts” ensures that I don’t deviate from the ideal path to GAINZ.“Mucus, Phlegm and Bile” // Stenched (Prurulence Gushing from the Coffin) – When you’re lifting heavy, the more viscous and vile the tunes, the greater the gainz. Enter Stenched’s “Mucus, Phlegm and Bile.” Boasting marvellously heavy tones and spans of d-beat expulsions perfect for high intensity training, Stenched will help you shatter your PRs every time.“Plant-Based Anatomy” // Flaaghra (Plant-Based Anatomy) – In my lifelong journey towards tree-trunk legs, it pays to have tunes that embody the stalwart strength of the mighty sequoia to keep me motivated. And so, when leg day #2 comes around in my weekly routine, I jam “Plant-Based Anatomy,” Flaaghra’s brutal slam stomping set at a perfect pace for brutal leg routines. Holdeneye Practices Radical Body Acceptance:“Brotherhood of Sleep” // Aborted (Vault of Horrors) – Nothing, I repeat nothing, is more important to long-term gainz development than sleep. I don’t know what this universe-crushing song is actually about, but I like to imagine it promoting a fraternity of people who value getting to bed at a decent hour.“We Slither” // Unhallowed Deliverance (Of Spectres and Strife) – The proper tunage is essential if you’re going to transform your garter snake arms into pythons, and this particular track never fails to engorge each and every one of my serpentine members.“Berserkir” // Brothers of Metal (Fimbulvinter) – Ah, the obligatory inclusion of a song about Vikings going ape-shit. Songs about raging Norsepeople always add +1 to my Strength saving throws, and this one has had me on a roll lately.“Fall of the Leaf” // Brodequin (Harbinger of Woe) – Don’t forget to grow those glutes! The cover model on Harbinger of Fate is demonstrating just how brutal the abductor machine can be (notice the ropes for added resistance!), but having a superior posterior is always worth the effort.“Shadows of the Brightest Night” // Necrophobic (In the Twilight Grey) – Groove is the secret to just about every great gym song, and this might be Necrophobic’s grooviest tune yet. Its shadows have been brightening the darkest corners of my garage gym all year long.“La Chiave Del Mio Amor” // Keygen Church (Nel Name Del Codice) – Organ music sets my organ juices to flowing, and lifting to this Bachian banger always leaves my body feeling Baroque-en in the best way possible.“The Temple Fires” // Pneuma Hagion (From Beyond) – I’d like to think that I treat my body like a temple, but I routinely offer more calories unto my inner altar than its fires can consume. Perma-bulking isn’t a choice, it’s a lifestyle!“Weaponized Loss” // Vitriol (Suffer & Become) – But, if I am ever going to end my perma-bulk, it will take an enormous amount of motivation, and this militant beatdown might be just what I need to brave the no man’s land that is caloric deficit.“Monsterslayer” // Nemedian Chronicles (The Savage Sword) – There’s not a person on Earth who hasn’t imagined themselves to be Conan the Barbarian while attempting to build thick muscles and sinews in the gym, and this little tune recounts the Cimmerian’s physical attributes while laying down a magnificent, martial metal march. I can’t tell if this song makes me feel more like a monster or a monster slayer, but either way, I win.“I Am the Path” // Hell:on (Shaman) – Fitness is a multi-faceted discipline, and we each have our own strengths and stumbling blocks. It might take help from a trainer, a medical doctor, a psychological professional, a training partner, or a support group, but remember that you are the path to your own health, and there is no shame in taking steps to get the help you need to be successful. You are worth it!“Shadow of Evil” // Oxygen Destroyer (Guardian of the Universe) – As I walk around my garage gym between sets while nursing an enormous pump, I like to picture myself as a gigantic monster, laying waste to all that is in my path. Lord Kaiju and Co. lay down a performance here that makes me feel downright radioactive.“Sword of a Thousand Truths” // Ironflame (Kingdom Torn Asunder) – This isn’t the first plodding Ironflame chugfest to grace one of my Heavy Moves Heavy playlists, and I sure hope it’s not the last. Bonus points for the #glutegoals on the cover. Thus Spoke and the Smiting of the Half-Depth Heretics:“Dragon” // Exocrine (Legend) – The lead melody in this just does something to me—the way it fades in at the beginning, the way it comes back, the way it plays off the speedy, techy goodness of the rest of the track. Yes.“A Body for a Body” // To the Grave, Connor Dickson, Siantell Johns (Everyone’s A Murderer) – Forced to choose on a record I could have filled this list with, this one came out on top. Furious, groovy, face-meltingly heavy, irresistible; “A body for a body for a body, MOTHERFUCKKERRR!”“Suffocate (feat. Poppy)” // Knocked Loose, Poppy (You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To) – Everything about this is just perfect in the gym. Disagree? “SHUT YOUR LYING MOUTH!” Thank you, Poppy.“Solus” // Devenial Verdict (Blessing of Despair) – One of my favourite songs of the year in general, this one got me through many, many sets. Just, like, on repeat. Particularly the last part. Ugh.“Beneath Ashen Skies” // Vale of Pnath (Between the World’s of Life and Death) – I discovered in the latter half of the year that I severely underrated this album, because I realised I’d been sticking it on again and again in the gym, automatically, and it was working brilliantly. The little dancy circular melodies in this are *chef’s kiss*.“Der Maulwurf” // Kanonenfieber (Die Urkatastrophe) – Works equally well for voluntarily moving heavy shit as it does for digging trenches. With its steady rhythm and big anthemic chorus in your ears, nothing can stand in your way.“Shiver” // Teeth (The Will of Hate) – Already having the ideal underlying tempo, sounding so insidiously mean and creepy takes this song beyond a stomp and into anabolic territory. Also, fantastic name.“Voidwomb” // Glacial Tomb (Lightless Expanse) – Kind of slow and menacing (a good thing) for the majority, its slide into the best and agonisingly shortest guitar solo of the year is a pure jolt of adrenaline. Another one that gets put on repeat.“Matricide 8.21” // Fleshgod Apocalypse (Opera) – Yeah, I know, ‘what the fuck(?!),’ I’m not even a fan of these guys, but seriously, this thing is motivating as hell. Just give it a chance.“To See Death Just Once // Ulcerate (Cutting the Throat of God) – Not exactly what you’d traditionally expect to see on one of these, but I love it so much I don’t care. And the same applies while actually in the gym: if you lift to what you love, things will (usually) go well.“Twelve Moons in Hell” // Spectral Wound (Songs of Blood and Mire) – Long and short: this is just a banger. The day I realised that new-second-wave black metal was great for lifting was a good day and I’d like to share this with you.“Concrete Crypt” // Resin Tomb (Cerebral Purgatory) – A concrete crypt is now what I’m definitely going to call the thing where you totally bin yourself by going a bit too hard on one lift—”I’m in the concrete crypt now.” Ok obviously, I’m absolutely not going to do that, but it is some great alliteration, and a stomp to boot. Dolph is… fucking meditating? Who let this piece in???“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/389931177/u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rose</a>” // Kashiwa Daisuke (<a href="https://virginbabylonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/titan" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">TITAN</a>) – As the engorged fibers feel the tickle of contraction scamper in backflow,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/heavy-moves-heavy-2024-amgs-ultimate-workout-playlist/#fn-209277-3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3</a> glitching, bass-loaded synth throbs arrive massage the ears and spread a parasympathetic wave up the spine. From root we rise, in pulse we are grounded. In our growing safety we inhale the chiming of dancing piano above it all. Allow Kashiwa Daisuke’s vibrancy help to shake away the growing lactic waste in your weary body.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/342193710?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Floating</a>” // Maria Chiara Argirò (<a href="https://mariachiaramusic.bandcamp.com/album/closer" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Closer</a>) – Moving from a place of rest to a place of gentle movement, a heartbeat steady kick thumps against an ethereal call to the flow of water. Though cool to the touch and electronic in construction, an analog warmth and hum bustles under the surface erupting in a solo trumpet’s cry. Sing with it, reach your arms high. Your voice has power.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/343222773?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">衍生 Capture and Elongate (Serenity)</a>” // OU (<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ou-%e8%98%87%e9%86%92-ii-frailty-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">蘇醒 II: Frailty</a>) – Your power in calm grows—and with growth we seek order. But order is hard to find in the shifting rhythms of OU’s poly-play. Follow the voice, maybe with your own. Feel it resonate in your chest as you again find deeper inhales in the space of serenity, powerful exhales in its crashing volume swells.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/367883433?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">WHO KNOWS ?</a>” // toe (<a href="https://toe-music.bandcamp.com/album/now-i-see-the-light" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">NOW I SEE THE LIGHT</a>) – The kindling of your gentleness catches fire—a brilliant light—as toe serves increasingly bright guitar patterns and fragile vocal harmonies to sweep your worries away. It can be uneasy standing proudly beside beauty like this. Embrace it. You are worthy. Spread your arms wide and expand alongside airy post rock crescendos.“<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/07om39S2yG8TCKYARvpaEo?si=4d83da04eba2435e" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">あなたのそばで (Beside You)</a>” // Yunowa (<a href="https://yunowa.bandcamp.com/album/phantom" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Phantom</a>) – Every light exists with a shadow. Yunowa has a shadow too, a dream like a sinking ship. But struggle, heartache—acceptance of and living through—these are all part of life. Rub your hands together. Place one hand over your heart, and the other over that hand. Close your eyes and rest your shoulders as a languished guitar solo screams catharsis.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/365132941?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Raat Ki Rani</a>” // Arooj Aftab (<a href="https://shop.aroojaftabmusic.com/products/night-reign-digital-album" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Night Reign</a>) – A heart that has wanted and waited will bloom like raat ki rani, the jasmine of the night. Only in the hiding sun can you filled your lungs with its wonder. Breathe deeply as Arooj Aftab’s sultry, modulated croon carries you like a hidden fragrance with gentleness of a healing love.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/338186517?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Eg Veit I Himmelrik Ei Borg</a>” // Sylvaine (<a href="https://sylvainemusic.bandcamp.com/album/eg-er-framand" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Eg Er Framand</a>) The night remains ominous despite its treasures. But the dark cannot exist without the light. Let Sylvaine’s ode to the comfort of this duality, her siren salutation against plaintive guitar lines and horn-call synths, find the peace of the moment. Reach your chin high with relaxed shoulders to feel it’s spacious and resonant vibrations travel from ear to mind.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/365268197?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Reflections of God</a>” // Jaubi (<a href="https://jaubi.bandcamp.com/album/a-sound-heart" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">A Sound Heart</a>) – Stepping away from darkness requires travel still through more darkness, a journey which requires devotion. Jaubi expresses their devotion, an assurance that the now leads to a better place, through relentless piano harmonies, sighing sarangi calls, and a continual march toward resolution. Visualizing the destination will slowly reveal its path. You must walk it. Keep breathing.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/357750068?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">We Can’t See It, but It’s There</a>” // Pat Metheny (<a href="https://patmetheny.lnk.to/PMMoonDialAlbum" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Moondial</a>) For as long as Pat Metheny has been questing in delicate guitar harmony, he has not yet either reached the end. I know it’s there. You know it’s there. He knows it’s there. One day, waiting for all of us, it’s there. But in these minutes we spend with Mr. Metheny, in these minutes you spend in repetitious quests for solace, the answer remains there. Somewhere. With practice, a trialed body and mind, we’ll find it. Keep searching.“<a href="https://tidal.com/browse/track/369951507?u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hytta</a>” // Kalandra (<a href="https://kalandra.bandcamp.com/album/a-frame-of-mind" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">A Frame of Mind</a>) – All roads lead us home. “Hytta” is not just a home but a state, a vision of comfort, of opening doors, of settling dishes, of chirping birds—a stream trickles in the distance. “Hytta” is the destination revealed through the honing of physical faculties and the unifying of your wandering thoughts. Today you are here. Your sculpted being, your gentle breath, you’ve unlocked the gates. Enjoy it in this moment because you may not be here tomorrow. And that’s ok.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/heavy-moves-heavy-2024-amgs-ultimate-workout-playlist/#fn-209277-4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">4</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aborted/" target="_blank">#Aborted</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/arooj-aftab/" target="_blank">#AroojAftab</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/brodequin/" target="_blank">#Brodequin</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/brothers-of-metal/" target="_blank">#BrothersOfMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" 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Your Future ExFor <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/@sariash" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@sariash</a>'s <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/SymphonicMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SymphonicMonday</a>:<a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Septicflesh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Septicflesh</a>: Psychohistory<a href="https://song.link/bh23gstpjnqmb" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/bh23gstpjnqmb</a><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/SymphonicDeathMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SymphonicDeathMetal</a>FFO <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Aquilus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Aquilus</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/FleshgodApocalypse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/HandOfKalliach" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HandOfKalliach</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hades-rising-chaos-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hades Rising – Chaos Review</a>By KilljoyHades Rising is a testament to the power of camaraderie. Originally formed in Greece by Bill Written as an atmospheric death metal project, he soon moved to Tromsø, Norway where he released a promising but unpolished self-titled album in 2017 and an EP As Frost Takes Over in 2018. Not long afterward, Juan Vazquez Garcia joined him on guitar and songwriting, while also helping to sustain morale amidst years of member turnover and no less than three rewrites of the material that now makes up Chaos. Their hard work and perseverance paid off, culminating in a finals appearance in Wacken Metal Battle Norway in 2023. And now, a year later, Chaos arrives with a plucky statement of intent to break into the symphonic death metal scene.Hades Rising chose an unusual spot to set up camp in the burgeoning realm of symphonic-tinged metal. The plentiful orchestrations certainly help to build dramatic tension, however, they are used more for garnishment than substance. The result is something like Fleshgod Apocalypse with much of the bombast stripped out and replaced with the intimate melancholy of Fires in the Distance. This may sound paradoxical on paper, but Hades Rising generally pull it off well. The majority of Chaos settles comfortably in medium tempo with far fewer blast beats than one might expect from death metal. There are small forays into melodeath (“The Paradox”) and black metal (“The Voyage”) which add flavor without detracting from the overall consistency.Chaos is at its strongest when there is a conscious effort to craft a deliberate tone. This is best exemplified by “One with the Murder,” a dabble with death-doom, where the slower, more deliberate pace favors the minimalist orchestral compositions. Where compositions tend to falter is when they attempt to prop up extended guitar chugging in the two opening tracks “Spiraling” and “The Obscurity of Life.” Thankfully, moments like these are rare as the record progresses. Most songs contain some form of instrumental break which, in a strange twist, is what I look forward to the most. They range from gentle tremolos (“The Obscurity of Life”) to intrepid guitar solos (“Chaos”), lending nuance to the rich emotional atmosphere.Sadly, a few traits dull this attention to detail in the songwriting and make Chaos feel more homogeneous than it is. The first is the programmed drums. While it’s understandable why a small independent band would use it, their increasingly grandiose aspirations mean that they are outgrowing the drum machine.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hades-rising-chaos-review/#fn-207446-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> More problematic is the overreliance on Bill Written’s deep, rumbling death growls that seldom vary in pitch and are a bit too loud in the mix. He has a fantastic singing voice but only uses it in “The Voyage” and “Lay Your Head.” The latter in particular sees Hades Rising firing on all cylinders to close out the album, featuring double-tracked vocals and nifty bass and guitar solos, and it’s unfortunate that this level of variety didn’t permeate the material that came before. All of this makes the 49-minute runtime drag slightly and the weaker tracks “Only Ashes Left” and “As Darkness Fades” could have been excised to strengthen the entire package.Much like Chaos’ album art, Hades Rising strikes me as an entity still deciding what exactly they want to be. If they want to continue pursuing the symphonic death course, they should double down on the orchestral facet and make it more prominent and dramatic. Or they could pivot to a death-doom direction more suited to the crushing atmosphere that’s present here. In any case, I believe the best is yet to come from these gentlemen as they continue to refine their already solid writing skills. Chaos won’t be threatening to topple many year-end lists at the eleventh hour, but neither does it deserve to be lost in the kerfuffle of the impending Listurnalia. Rating: 3.0/5.0 DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: Self-Release Website: <a href="https://hadesrising.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">hadesrising.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hadesrising/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/hadesrising</a> Releases Worldwide: December 18th, 2024<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-death-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/chaos/" target="_blank">#Chaos</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dec24/" target="_blank">#Dec24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fires-in-the-distance/" target="_blank">#FiresInTheDistance</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hades-rising/" target="_blank">#HadesRising</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/international-metal/" target="_blank">#InternationalMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/norwegian-metal/" target="_blank">#NorwegianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-release/" target="_blank">#SelfRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicDeathMetal</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-july-2024s-angry-misses/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Stuck in the Filter: July 2024’s Angry Misses</a>By KenstrosityAfter the tight lineup we cobbled together for June, July provided a similarly lean yield for our team to offer the masses. It appears that my minions responsible for scraping the channels clean have become far too efficient! That said, what we did find might be our most valuable haul yet this year.And so, we persist. Always dedicated to bringing you the not-quite-best-but-also-still-good two months ago or so had to offer, we scour for little nuggets worth inspecting. What more could an Angry Metal Fan ask for? Kenstrosity’s Cataclysmic Critters <a href="https://awakeinprovidence.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">A Wake in Providence</a> // I Write to You, My Darling Decay [July 26th, 2024 – <a href="https://www.uniqueleader.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Unique Leader Records</a>]Staten Island symphonic deathcore collective A Wake in Providence dropped a considerable payload back in 2022 entitled Eternity. Opulent and catastrophically heavy, Eternity bathed me in rich orchestration and legitimate riffs instead of stereotypical breakdowns and unending single-chord chugfests. Needless to say, I was enamored. Follow-up I Write to You, Darling Decay represents a deathcore equivalent to Fleshgod Apocalypse’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-opera-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Opera</a>, focusing more on lyrical storytelling and implementing vocal diversification as a vehicle for character development. Perhaps not quite as sophisticated— since those meatheaded, muscular chugs of the deathcore world still crop up here and there—I Write to You still offers major hooks and delectable detailing to keep my interest piqued through a full hour of new material (“Mournful Benediction,” “Agonofinis,” title track, “The Unbound,” and “Pareidolia”). Aside from those superficial qualities, I Write to You’s real selling point is album cohesion and overall fit and finish. Like a babbling brook across the smoothest bed of sand and soil, this record flows with a fluidity rarified in the genre (check out the awesome three-song transition between “Agonofris” and “In Whispers”). Combine that with a textured and multifaceted musical progression through a grief-stricken storyline, and you have a winning formula for an engaging record that earns its epic sound.<a href="https://cellandvoid.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cell</a> // Shattering the Rapture of the Primordial Abyss [July 12th, 2024 – Self Release]I first encountered Canadian black metallers Cell on a little Bandcamp stroll years ago, followed shortly by a breezy and brutal beach set just before 2020’s 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. Nobody I knew had heard of them then, but I knew they had chops. With third album Shattering the Rapture of the Primordial Abyss, they’ve proven me right and then some. Combining icy Immortalisms with the chunky buzz of old school death, major bangers “Waking of the Blazing Night,” “The Plight of Council Skaljdrum,” “Drink the Sun,” “Unification of the Last Alliance,” and “Return of Tranquility through the Desolation of Truth” represent the sharpest, hookiest, and heaviest material Cell’s put down to date. Fury and fire characterize every riff, lead, and blast on Shattering the Rapture, but it’s the uncanny sense of groove that suddenly springs from Cell’s cells that takes this record within a stone’s throw of greatness. Tightening up the overlong fragments that bloat otherwise solid tracks like “Serenity in Darkness… Evermore” and closer “Carnage from the Sky” would go along way to throwing that stone past that threshold. Until then, rest assured that Rapture of the Primordial Abyss is a ripper, worthy of your time and your spine.<a href="https://dehumanaut.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Dehumanaut</a> // Of Nightmares and Vice [July 17th, 2024 – Self Release]Just like Cell, Dehumanaut entered my rotation thanks to a serendipitous stroll through the Bandcamp ticker. Boasting a unique blend of death metal, thrash, and bluesy bar-crawl hard rock, these Brits offer something novel to the extreme metal catalog. With sophomore effort, Of Nightmares and Vice, Dehumanaut double down on the death and blues, evoking <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-olde-entombed-left-hand-path/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Entombed</a>‘s Wolverine Blues in spirit as much as in execution. With swinging tracks like “Shred this Reality,” “A Perilous Path,” “Battle Weary,” “Epiphanies,” and “Black City” deftly stepping between deathly riffs and danceable grooves, thrashier cuts such as “Reject the Knife,” “Nexus of Decline” and “A Truth Most Foul,” and “It Has a Name” feel even speedier and more rabid than usual. Aside from affording Of Nightmares and Vice oodles of dynamics in songwriting, this multifaceted and structured approach to genre-bending showcases Dehumanaut’s versatility as musicians. Everything they attempt here feels effortless and reflexive, making every transition between measure and phrase not just purposeful but also buttery-smooth (“Battle Weary”). If it weren’t for a bit of bloat across the board, oddly muffled mixing, and somewhat flat death metal growls, Of Nightmares and Vice would be in play among my top records of July. Even still, it comes close! Saunders’ Salacious Slams<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CephalotripsyOfficial/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cephalotripsy </a> // <a href="https://cephalotripsy.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Epigenetic Neurogenesis</a> [July 13th, 2024 – <a href="https://cephalotripsy.bandcamp.com/album/epigenetic-neurogenesis" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Self-Release</a> ]Looking for something so stupidly heavy and obnoxiously brutal that listening could kill brain cells and incite a rampage? California’s underground warriors Cephalotripsy have you covered on long-awaited sophomore album, and follow-up to 2007’s cult and apparently well received debut, Uterovaginal Insertion of Extirpated Anomalies. Unfamiliar with their previous output, I stumbled across this latest endeavor through a trusted recommendation, fulfilling my fix for devastatingly brutal slam death. Epigenetic Neurogenesis takes no prisoners and delivers blow after blow of steamrolling, pugnacious brutal death. Brimming with inhuman, sewer dwelling vocal eruptions of Angel Ochoa (Abominable Putridity), hammering percussion, and an onslaught of ridiculously thick, heavy riffs, exhibiting the sharp, technical skills of veteran brutal death axe wielder and long-term member Andrés Guzman. The newer members form a pummeling rhythm section driving the guttural swarm. Weighing in at a tight and efficient 32 minutes, the beatdown is relentless, though concise enough to avoid an early burn out. The songwriting doesn’t reinvent the brutal slam death wheel. However, the tight execution, dynamic tempo shifts, and memorable riffcraft elevates the material. Viscous, cranium crushing riffs and utterly devastating slams frequently deployed adds further grunt, immense weight and memorability on a set of killer tunes, including extra chunky gems “Alpha Terrestrial Polymorph,” ” Lo Tech Non Entity,” and “Excision of Self.” Nasty, crushing stuff. Dear Hollow’s Disturbing Dump Silvaplana // <a href="https://silvaplana.bandcamp.com/album/sils-maria" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sils Maria </a>| <a href="https://silvaplana.bandcamp.com/album/limbs-of-dionysus" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Limbs of Dionysus</a> [July 17th, 2024 – Self-Release]Although shrouded in mystery, Silvaplana is a solo project of Alex DeMaria of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yellow-eyes-rare-field-ceiling-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Yellow Eyes</a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/anicon-entropy-mantra-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Anicon</a>. Blackened punishment paired with atmosphere have long been the aim, but Silvaplana’s duel release finds duality: both take influence from parent releases separately. Sils Maria takes on a hyper-atmospheric, classically influenced, and dark ambient approach across six tracks and forty-one minutes, blackened blastbeats and distant shrieks hidden behind thick swaths of ambiance, organ, and piano, a relatively gentle affair that recalls the wild yet placid sounds of Yellow Eyes’ latest. Meanwhile, the two-track and also forty-one minutes of Limbs of Dionysus feeds a ritualistic fire with a scathingly raw black attack, reverb-laden growls, moans, and shrieks colliding with relentless tremolo that continuously scale minor and diminished frostbitten mountaintops with reckless abandon. Both seem entirely disparate in context to one another, but smartly they are held together by the thin thread of melodic motifs. The organ that populates Sils Maria’s tracks “II,” “IV” and “VI” are recalled in the closing remarks of “I” in Limbs of Dionysus; the ominous organ trills of the former’s “III” are warped into a blackened beast in the latter’s “II.” As Limbs of Dionysus concludes, the feedback-laden plucking feeds right into the morphing plucking populating the beginning of Sils Maria – an ouroboros of the blackened arts. Silvaplana exists on both self-indulgent and decadent ends of the blackened spectrum with Sils Maria and Limbs of Dionysus, both baffling and tantalizing in their rawness and ambiance, and otherworldly in their collaboration. Dolphin Whisperer’s Inconspicuous Import<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Quasidiploid-100069571441927/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Quasidiploid</a> // Deconstruction [July 1st, 2024 – <a href="https://www.amputatedvein.com/shop/cart.cgi?avr01=016044" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Amputated Vein Records</a>]Do you see that cover art? Yes, it’s some sort of countess of the undead summoning the skull-kind with a horn. Would you believe then that one of the features throughout Deconstruction is its inclusion of a female trumpet player to break up the tension of a relentless, brutal technical death metal? Oh yeah, she’s also the vocalist and possesses a vicious guttural bark, shrill and penetrating squeals and hisses (the vocal intro on “Disasters and Infection Routes” is a straight Dir en grey moment), and a higher register manic collapse that features at key moments. That’s all to say that the cover lands a bit on the nose, but, in turn, the carnival crazed whiplash of Quasidiploid swings between brutal <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/cryptopsy-as-gomorrah-burns-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cryptopsy</a> riff smashing, Pat Martino jazz guitar pleasantries, Necrophagist sweep punishing, and Chuck Mangione brass crooning (“Overture”)—unhinged, unbothered, and anything but accessible. I would call it too unpolished, as Deconstruction strikes with a bit of a demo quality. But sometimes we have to ask ourselves whether what we hear is a questionably processed demo or an intentionally shredded Japanese master? In any case virtuosity reigns as provably human skin slammer Vomiken pushes a bass-loaded kick and a high-crunch kit to abusive and enthralling accelerations only to crash in on the spurt of a forlorn trumpet or flourish of a prancing guitar line (“Brutal Strafing,” “Massacre Fantasy”). Guitar lines weave about traditionally nimble sweeps to tricky meter riff crushes on a dime (“Melodies of Distorted Time and Space,” “Disasters…”). Tonal identities flip between <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/nile-the-underworld-awaits-us-all-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nile</a>-istic, snaking melodies, flippant yet tasteful guitar heroics, and propulsive rhythm blasts whose only break is the close of a song. The definition of something olde, new, borrowed, and blue, Quasidiploid has come from far left field to provide a classics-inspired but funky fresh version of an extreme genre that thrives exactly on this kind of weird—a curiosity now, but with all the makings of something truly explosive to come. Mark Z.’s Musings<a href="https://www.facebook.com/200StabWounds/?eid=ARBzEfZwmKJ_MAFrLvTQdr10_TXxRAnHrddQRVrqDHMl8QhP3g6RtNZGqAwezHu04lLHarCWUER0q_m3&fref=tag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">200 Stab Wounds</a> // Manual Manic Procedures [June 28th, 2024 – <a href="https://www.metalblade.com/us/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Metal Blade Records</a>]Following a rapid rise to fame during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio death metal troupe 200 Stab Wounds thrust their <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/200-stab-wounds-slave-to-the-scalpel-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Slave to the Scalpel</a> debut onto the masses in 2021. While I was about as mixed on that one as Felagund was, their second album Manual Manic Procedures has proven these wounds cut far deeper than originally thought. The massive beefy chugs that the band have become known for are still here in full force, but now they’re paired with sharper hooks and a heightened sense of maturity. On Procedures, you’ll hear acoustic plucking, immense Bolt Thower riffing, grooves that will blow your guts out, and even some melodic death metal influence—and that’s just on the first song. The band also know when to give you a breather, be it a well-placed atmospheric instrumental (“Led to the Chamber / Liquefied”) or an extended ride on a great groovy riff (“Defiled Gestation”). With a monstrous guitar tone, plenty of killer moments, and a track flow that’s smoother than liquefied human remains sliding off a kitchen counter, these Cleveland boys have given us a record that truly feels like modern death metal coming into its own.<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/200-stab-wounds/" target="_blank">#200StabWounds</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/a-wake-in-providence/" target="_blank">#AWakeInProvidence</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/abominable-putridity/" target="_blank">#AbominablePutridity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/amputated-vein-records/" target="_blank">#AmputatedVeinRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/anicon/" target="_blank">#Anicon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blues-rock/" target="_blank">#BluesRock</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/bolt-thrower/" target="_blank">#BoltThrower</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/brutal-death-metal/" target="_blank">#BrutalDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/canadian-metal/" target="_blank">#CanadianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/cell/" target="_blank">#Cell</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/cephalotripsy/" target="_blank">#Cephalotripsy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/chuck-mangione/" target="_blank">#ChuckMangione</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/cryptopsy/" target="_blank">#Cryptopsy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/deathcore/" target="_blank">#Deathcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/deconstruction/" target="_blank">#Deconstruction</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dehumanaut/" target="_blank">#Dehumanaut</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dir-en-grey/" target="_blank">#DirEnGrey</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/entombed/" target="_blank">#Entombed</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/epigenetic-neurogenesis/" target="_blank">#EpigeneticNeurogenesis</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hard-rock/" target="_blank">#HardRock</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/i-write-to-you-my-darling-decay/" target="_blank">#IWriteToYouMyDarlingDecay</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/immortal/" target="_blank">#Immortal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/japanese-metal/" target="_blank">#JapaneseMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jul24/" target="_blank">#Jul24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/limbs-of-dionysus/" target="_blank">#LimbsOfDionysus</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/manual-manic-procedures/" target="_blank">#ManualManicProcedures</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#MelodicDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/metal-blade-records/" target="_blank">#MetalBladeRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/necrophagist/" target="_blank">#Necrophagist</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nile/" target="_blank">#Nile</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/of-nightmares-and-vice/" target="_blank">#OfNightmaresAndVice</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/pat-martino/" target="_blank">#PatMartino</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/quasiploid/" target="_blank">#Quasiploid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/raw-black-metal/" target="_blank">#RawBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-release/" target="_blank">#SelfRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/shattering-the-rapture-of-the-primordial-abyss/" target="_blank">#ShatteringTheRaptureOfThePrimordialAbyss</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/sils-maria/" target="_blank">#SilsMaria</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/silvaplana/" target="_blank">#Silvaplana</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/slam/" target="_blank">#Slam</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/stuck-in-the-filter/" target="_blank">#StuckInTheFilter</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-deathcore/" target="_blank">#SymphonicDeathcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/technical-death-metal/" target="_blank">#TechnicalDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/thrash-metal/" target="_blank">#ThrashMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/uk-metal/" target="_blank">#UKMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/unique-leader-records/" target="_blank">#UniqueLeaderRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/yellow-eyes/" target="_blank">#YellowEyes</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/records-o-the-month-august-2024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Record(s) o’ the Month – August 2024</a>By Angry Metal GuyAugust of 2024 was a pretty good month. First, it marked my return from the Injured Reserve, where I’d been nursing a high ego sprain and nagging executive dysfunction issues. These aren’t perfectly fixed, but being back on the field has shown beyond a doubt that I’m still a force to be reckoned with. Second, August of 2024 was a particularly fecund month for potential Records o’ the Month. This surprised me.I couldn’t remember August being a particularly productive month historically and as I went back through the archive, that seems sort of true. Between 2012—when the RotM was started—and 2023, the hit rate for August Record(s) o’ the Month landing on my Top 10(ish) list for the year is 73%. Only once has an August record reached the top spot—that would be <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/opeth-pale-communion-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pale Communion</a>—with <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/sophicide-perdition-of-the-sublime-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sophicide</a> hitting #2 in 2012 and Lör’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/l/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">In Forgotten Sleep</a> getting a #3 spot in 2017. Turisas’ controversial <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/turisas-turisas2013-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Turisas2013</a> was a runner-up in August of 2013 and ended up at #5, while the actual winner—Witherscape’s excellent <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/witherscape-the-inheritance-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Inheritance</a>—took the #10 spot on that list. 2020 saw <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/havukruunu-uinuos-syomein-sota-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Havukruunu</a> ending up at #7, and Crypta’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/crypta-shades-of-sorrow-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Shades of Sorrow</a> took #9 last year. The rest is a sea of -ishes and honorable mentions: <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/cattle-decapitation-anthropocene-extinction-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cattle Decapitation</a> (2015), <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/dialith-extinction-six-review-and-album-premiere/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Dialith</a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/eternal-storm-come-the-tide-review-and-album-premiere/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Eternal Storm</a> (2019), and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/pain-of-salvation-panther-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pain of Salvation</a> in 2020.And in 2024? How many of these babies will follow me to the end of the year? I’ve got an inkling, but I’m curious to see what you think.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/records-o-the-month-august-2024/#fn-203429-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> Dawn Treader’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/dawn-treader-bloom-decay-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bloom & Decay</a>—out August 24th from Liminal Dread Productions [<a href="https://dawntreaderuk.bandcamp.com/album/bloom-decay" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>]—is one of the biggest surprises of 2024 so far. The ‘one-man black metal project’ is a minefield of absolutely terrible music that I tend to avoid at all costs. Yet the sophomore record from London’s Ross Connell is an album notable for its pathos, rich composition, and artistry. What makes Blood & Decay remarkable is how it draws inspiration from—and comparisons to—revered bands like Agalloch, Alcest, and Panopticon without falling into the common pitfalls. Typically, such comparisons raise concerns about excessive reverb, overly long songs, and toothless riffs. Yet Connell subverts these expectations by creating a dynamic, storytelling experience filled with emotional peaks and valleys, masterfully blending black metal’s rawness with atmospheric beauty. Connell’s addition of his own vocals for the first time elevates the project. His powerful delivery—and powerful use of samples—transforms each song into a vivid emotional journey. As Itchymenace gushed in his review: “Dawn Treader’s Bloom & Decay not only contains amazing songs that celebrate the highs and lows of the human experience, it also sounds great.” A surprisingly easy choice for Record o’ the Month. Fleshgod Apocalypse // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-opera-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Opera</a> [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | <a href="https://fleshgodapocalypse.bandcamp.com/album/opera" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Fleshgod Apocalypse’s Opera, their first album since 2019’s Veleno, has marked a significant evolution for the band. Drawing from the Opéra Lyrique style, the album features soprano Veronica Bordacchini voicing characters like life, death, and hope, while her vocals have brought fresh dynamics to the band’s symphonic death metal sound. With a more streamlined, melodic approach, Opera leans into catchier, poppier elements without losing its technical edge. Songs like “I Can Never Die” and “Matricide 8.21” highlight this shift, adding emotional depth through Bordacchini’s diverse performances. Though some longtime fans may miss the more grand operatic and technical side—Opera is not King—the album is still a genuine triumph. Opera blends new ideas with the band’s established identity, creating a fresh, cohesive record that accomplishes both a stylistic shift and adds another great record to Fleshgod’s already well-respected oeuvre. As I vigorously exclaimed and defended in the comments, “Opera is simultaneously and undeniably fun, heady, and technically impressive.”Amiensus // <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amiensus-reclamation-pt-ii-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Reclamation Pt. II</a> [August 30th, 2024 | M-Theory Audio | <a href="http://amiensus.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>] — Amiensus’s Reclamation Pt. II, the companion to Pt. I released earlier this year, has marked a standout achievement in progressive melodic black metal. The album blends melancholic melodicism, blackened fury, and progressive elements to create a dynamic and cathartic experience. With tracks like “Sólfarið” and “Acquiescence,” Pt. II offers invigorating and emotionally charged compositions, Amiensus skillfully balances moments of atmospheric beauty with powerful black metal. While initially, Reclamation seemed disjointed in places, the album’s intricate songs and layered instrumentation grow with each listen, presenting some of the band’s most versatile material to date. Despite some production issues, the album features elite composition and great songs like “Orb of Vanishing Light.” Reclamation Pt. II stands as Amiensus’s current “magnum opus”—in tandem with its predecessor—and a highlight of the year’s metal releases. As Kenstrosity opined, “Reclamation Pt. II is a more energetic, smartly edited, and exquisitely arranged work that blooms brighter the longer I live with it.” That’s a fancy way of saying that it’s a grower.<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/amiensus/" target="_blank">#Amiensus</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aug24/" target="_blank">#Aug24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blog/" target="_blank">#Blog</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/bloom-decay/" target="_blank">#BloomDecay</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dawn-treader/" target="_blank">#DawnTreader</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/liminal-dread-productions/" target="_blank">#LiminalDreadProductions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/m-theory-audio/" target="_blank">#MTheoryAudio</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nuclear-blast/" target="_blank">#NuclearBlast</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/opera/" target="_blank">#Opera</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reclamation-pt-ii/" target="_blank">#ReclamationPtII</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/record-of-the-month/" target="_blank">#RecordOfTheMonth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/records-o-the-month/" target="_blank">#RecordSOTheMonth</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/rotm/" target="_blank">#RotM</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/veleno/" target="_blank">#Veleno</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-opera-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fleshgod Apocalypse – Opera Review</a>By Angry Metal GuyOpera, the fifth full-length LP from the Italian symphonic death metal juggernaut Fleshgod Apocalypse, marks the band’s first record since 2019’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-veleno-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Veleno</a>. Some may recall that in 2021, the band’s mastermind, Francesco Paoli (bass and vocals), suffered from a mountain climbing accident that landed him in the hospital. During the harrowing ordeal that followed, he and the band had little sense of the future of Fleshgod Apocalypse. It should come as no surprise that Francesco and the others burst into a creative frenzy upon improving and returning to band activities. From the remnants of this tragedy, Opera was born.Opera marks a significant change in Fleshgod Apocalypse’s trajectory. Inspired by the Opéra Lyrique, a genre less grandiose than the <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/grand_opera_painting-2024.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">opera you’re thinking of</a>, Opera contains episodic dialogues or confessionals with the imaginary characters of Francesco’s episode. To accomplish this, Veronica Bordacchini—featured on the album’s cover—was enlisted to play the role of these companions: death, life, and hope.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-opera-review/#fn-201987-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> And while the band has not changed, with Francesco Ferrini (Piano), Fabio Bartoletti (Guitar), and Eugene Ryabchenko (“Drums”) filling out the act, Opera is not your <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-king-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Monarch’s</a> Fleshgod Apocalypse.The core of Fleshgod Apocalypse’s sound hasn’t changed markedly. Blasty, heavily replaced drums prop up guitars and orchestras that trade places as the leading musical characters. The mix sports audible but unremarkable bass, and Paoli’s guttural vocal attack over the top. In its peak—and most recognizable—form, Fleshgod Apocalypse is fast, heavy, and evokes Europe in the time when wigs were a common fashion accessory, with the guitars carrying melodies and engaging in Vivaldian gymnastics<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-opera-review/#fn-201987-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> (“Morphine Walz”). Elsewhere, the sound is dark, dramatic, and heavy, utilizing grinding drums and blasting French horns or orchestral hits to create an undeniable tension (“At War with My Soul,” which recalls the excellent horn compositions from King). The songwriting isn’t progressive, but it sure as hell is technical, with ridiculous riffs that, at their best, dance on a bed made by lush orchestrations (“Per Aspera Ad Astra”). And when it’s less successful, the guitars take a Nightwishian backseat, leaving the orchestrations to do the heavy lifting.Rather than being the “darker” or “heavier” album bands often tout in meaningless interviews, Opera is a significantly tighter and—Padre, perdonami—poppier record than its predecessors. Opera features short songs, including an instrumental intro and outro, and the album clocks in at a tight 44 minutes. This means there are eight episodes, none longer than roughly five and a half minutes. But rather than just tightening the writing, Paoli and company also made new stylistic choices that differentiate Opera from its predecessors. “I Can Never Die” features a piano breakdown of the chorus and a Eurovision key change. “Matricide 8.21” starts sounding like a Nightwish song from Once; no double kick, 4/4 time signature, and heavy on Veronica’s voice. More tellingly, the song also features simple melodies carried on the guitars, with almost no neoclassical affectation. Moments like these speak to a significant perspective shift.The other major change is, as noted above, how Veronica’s voice becomes a shifting character throughout Opera. Rather than sticking to her opera soprano—as she did so charmingly on “Paramour” from King—Bordacchini performs different vocal interpretations meant to embody different characters. On “I Can Never Die,” she (mostly) eschews her formal technique for a straight tone, while “Bloodclock” finds her straddling an unaffected pop approach with operatic emphases. Veronica’s most effective and unexpected performance comes on “Morphine Waltz,” where she adopts an almost punky scream like Agnete Kjølsrud (Djerv). Of course, opera is her greatest strength and part of Fleshgod Apocalypse’s core idiom, and she does that frequently and well. But while Opera showcases Veronica’s ample gifts, the use of straight tone and poppy cleans unexpectedly pushes Fleshgod into territory fitting of Napalm Records.The combination of all these elements gives the album an undeniably poppy feel. The varied songwriting that, at times, leans into more heartfelt and balladesque territory (“Till Death Do Us Part”) or seems to be drawing from pop writing (“I Can Never Die,” “Matricide 8.21,” “Bloodclock”). Prominent melodic vocals from Veronica, with clean, tight songwriting, give the creeping sensation that Fleshgod is trying to take a Nightwishian turn toward more accessible, less grandiose music. The final element is Opera’s slick and polished presentation. Working with Jacob Hansen again, the album clocks in at a DR6 and is loud, but well-balanced. Even though King’s drum tone was better, Hansen’s grip on Fleshgod’s sound is firmer on Opera. He deftly handles Ferrini’s orchestrations and helps the vocal arrangements to ascend into the same stratosphere as Turilli’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/turilli-lione-rhapsody-zero-gravity-rebirth-and-evolution-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">excellent vocal compositions</a>. The choral parts are huge and lend operatic gravity to the band’s sound.Opera does an excellent job of balancing the old and the new, and most importantly, it justifies its artistic choices. Framing Opera as a lyric opera is a brilliant strategic move because it discredits criticisms of a poppier sound by foregrounding the artist’s vision and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_growth" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">post-traumatic growth</a> of what was a harrowing time for Paoli and his compatriots. Furthermore, Opera is simultaneously and undeniably fun, heady, and technically impressive. While I suspect Fleshgod Apocalypse ‘lost’ its trvest death metal fans after Oracles, I can see Opera being a divisive record for current fans because of its novel traits. And yet, I find it hard to argue with quality and the ability to take a base of brutal death metal and forge a product this addictive and immediate. Despite not being in love with the idea of a future Fleshgod that eschews its brutal base and embraces more simplistic melodies and composition, that day has not yet arrived. So, while I miss King’s grand opera aspirations, I admire the execution of the unified vision from which the album benefits. Rating: Great DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 192 kb/s mp3<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fleshgod-apocalypse-opera-review/#fn-201987-3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3</a> Label: <a href="https://www.nuclearblast.de" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nuclear Blast Records</a> Websites: <a href="https://fleshgodapocalypse.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">fleshgodapocalypse.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://facebook.com/fleshgodapocalypse" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/fleshgodapocalypse</a> Release Date: August 23rd, 2024<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/luca-turillis-lione-rhapsody-of-fire/" target="_blank">#LucaTurilliSLioneRhapsodyOfFire_</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/40/" target="_blank">#40</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aug24/" target="_blank">#Aug24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blog/" target="_blank">#Blog</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death-metal/" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/djerv/" target="_blank">#Djerv</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/king/" target="_blank">#King</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nightwish/" target="_blank">#Nightwish</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nuclear-blast-records/" target="_blank">#NuclearBlastRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/opera/" target="_blank">#Opera</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/orchestral-death-metal/" target="_blank">#orchestralDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/syymphonic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#SyymphonicDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/veleno/" target="_blank">#Veleno</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/assemble-the-chariots-unyielding-night-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Assemble the Chariots – Unyielding Night Review</a>By Dear HollowAlthough Unyielding Night is the first full-length of Finland’s Assemble the Chariots, they have long felt more veteran than their peers. Releasing a string of EPs that transition from djenty deathcore to an early progenitor of blackened deathcore, Unyielding Night is as epic a debut as they come. Simultaneously conjuring a future of an interdimensional war among the stars with the age-old philosophy of heroism and plight, it is an album devoted to all things bombastic and cinematic. Soaring symphonic soundscapes, blazing riffs, and relentless percussion combine with an original story, it tells the tragedy of the cursed planet Aquilegia against a mysterious solar system-consuming hive-mind entity called the Evermurk – excelling in lore and mythology. Unyielding Night is a blackened deathcore album and a damn good one at that: one whose attack is effective and future is tantalizing.Unyielding Night is the first installment of the act’s planned Ephemeral Trilogy, and Assemble the Chariots’ waste no time abusing breakneck tempos and soaring atmospheres. While the trend too often, in line with Lorna Shore’s influence, has been to copy-and-paste symphonic Dimmu Borgir-esque keys atop milquetoast deathcore,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/assemble-the-chariots-unyielding-night-review/#fn-200615-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> Assemble the Chariots walks the way of Ovid’s Withering and Mental Cruelty in its relentlessness. A penchant for riffs, a blazing intensity reminiscent of Fleshgod Apocalypse, a futuristic vision akin to Mechina, and songwriting that somehow manages to balance all of it are all features of this behemoth. Featuring a boundary-pushing fusion of the traditional and the futuristic, the epic and the dismal – Assemble the Chariots offers a journey that balances the visceral and the punishing.While Assemble the Chariots does profess deathcore, don’t expect the antics of the low-and-slow brutalizers of decades past. Unyielding Night is absolutely relentless and caustic, tempo abusing and unabated in its bombast; even its more placid spoken word-focused interludes crescendos into insanity are noteworthy. A lethal combination, symphonic overlays contrast mightily with riffs galore, as opener “Departure,” “As Was Seen By Augurers,” and “Empress” move fluidly between cutthroat riffs and shifting moods of hope and devastation, while the darker “Reavers March” and “Equinox” match the more morose and dread-inducing subjects. Power metal’s more decadent theatricality makes appearances in the warbling tenor of “Emancipation” and the Kamelot-esque choirs of “Galactic Order” and “Keeper of the Stars” offer a more ghostly appeal. The most blackened moments occur in the tremolo and shrieking of “Empress” and “Galactic Order,” which add a neatly blasphemous and evocative dimension to the album. While inevitably Unyielding Night will conjure similarities to darker deathcore acts like Lorna Shore or Shadow of Intent, Assemble the Chariots simmers and shimmers with energy and fury.Notably, for as high-brow and potentially alienating as this science fiction/fantasy story and its grand length are, Assemble the Chariots does an excellent job of balancing atmosphere with accessibility. The neck-snapping grooves of “Admorean Monolith” and “Keeper of the Stars” offer necessary tactical grounding on such a relentless attack in their relatively straightforward riff-centric rhythm-based address, while the chill-inducing shreds of “Evermurk” and “Empress” are easily climaxes of intensity, ensuring that Unyielding Night’s baseline of blazing has breath to grow and crescendo. Smartly composed, the album is structured with the natural dynamics of a plot, reflecting the intriguing lore that undergirds each movement and the moods reflecting the tragedy or hope contained therein. Furthermore, while lyrics growled or shrieked by vocalist Onni Holmström tell the story explicitly, they are partnered with the instrumentals, just as accountable for storytelling.Subtlety is not a priority in Unyielding Night, and Assemble the Chariots offers an album whose intensity and pomp align impressively with the grandiosity of the tragedy of Aquilegia. As such, it’s long, it’s over-the-top, and it’s constantly intense, and likely too much for some listeners. Those nostalgic for the knuckle-dragging Hot Topic “djunzzz” eras of Chelsea Grin or Suicide Silence will also be disappointed. However, Unyielding Night is a powerful, energetic bombast that tastefully includes deathcore’s signature brutality without diving headlong into stagnation – nearly the exact opposite. The tragedy of the planet Aqualegia is told in a rich tapestry of color and emotion, and I eagerly await the next installments. Assemble the Chariots is something special. Rating: 4.0/5.0 DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: STREAM Label: <a href="https://seekandstrike.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Seek & Strike Records</a> Websites: <a href="https://assemblethechariots.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">assemblethechariots.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.assemblethechariots.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">assemblethechariots.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/assemblethechariots/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/assemblethechariots</a> Releases Worldwide: July 22nd, 2024<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/40/" target="_blank">#40</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/assemble-the-chariots/" target="_blank">#AssembleTheChariots</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blackened-death-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackenedDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blackened-deathcore/" target="_blank">#BlackenedDeathcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/chelsea-grin/" target="_blank">#ChelseaGrin</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/deathcore/" target="_blank">#Deathcore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dimmu-borgir/" target="_blank">#DimmuBorgir</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/finnish-metal/" target="_blank">#FinnishMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fleshgod-apocalypse/" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jul24/" target="_blank">#Jul24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/kamelot/" target="_blank">#Kamelot</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/lorna-shore/" target="_blank">#LornaShore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mechina/" target="_blank">#Mechina</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mental-cruelty/" target="_blank">#MentalCruelty</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ov-sulfur/" target="_blank">#OvSulfur</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ovids-withering/" target="_blank">#OvidSWithering</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/seek-and-strike-records/" target="_blank">#SeekAndStrikeRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/shadow-of-intent/" target="_blank">#ShadowOfIntent</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/suicide-silence/" target="_blank">#SuicideSilence</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-death-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/unyielding-night/" target="_blank">#UnyieldingNight</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/worm-shepherd/" target="_blank">#WormShepherd</a>

Ryan2one3<a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/NowPlaying" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NowPlaying</a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/DeathMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DeathMetal</a> <a href="https://mstdn.ca/tags/FleshgodApocalypse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/5vNbx0a1ZXBwuCG7GJadPj?si=-7zBZYJ8TqOEMteKgkptpg" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/album/5vNbx0a1ZXBwuCG7GJadPj?si=-7zBZYJ8TqOEMteKgkptpg</a> 😍

stoerdebegga"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjKyzwqIT7s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjKyzwqIT7s</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/FleshgodApocalypse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/TechnicalDeathMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TechnicalDeathMetal</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Italy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Italy</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/metalmittwoch" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalmittwoch</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/nowplaying" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#nowplaying</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/fediradio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#fediradio</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/tootradio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#tootradio</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/metalradio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalradio</a>"

TentinQuarantino :damnified:<a href="https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=GXOucG8rM5k" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=GXOucG8rM5k</a><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/FleshgodApocalypse" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FleshgodApocalypse</a>

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