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Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/labyrinthine-heirs-labyrinthine-heirs-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Labyrinthine Heirs – Labyrinthine Heirs Review</a>By TymeEclectic Texan quartet Labyrinthine Heirs is ready to float their self-titled debut album, partnered with I, Voidhanger Records, which has one of the most diverse rosters in the metalverse. All four musicians come from different musical walks of life, and given the label partner, I expected that the music on Labyrinthine Heirs would be off-kilter at a minimum. With Léon François Comerre’s excellent cover painting in view but very little to go on by way of Labyrinthine Heirs‘ history, I was intrigued by the promo blurb, which quoted vocalist Evan Sadler as saying, ‘The plan was to marry the sound of Touch and Go Records artists like The Jesus Lizard and Shellac with that of Celtic Frost and Virus.’ I was a big fan of Goat in the 90s and love Celtic Frost to this day, so I was excited to hear how Labyrinthine Heirs would attempt to pull this feat off. Apropos and in keeping with I, Voidhanger tradition, the Labyrinthine Heirs‘ sound, an alternative mix of blackish death metal, presents a descriptive sticky wicket. Comparisons with The Jesus Lizard are valid here, and a fair amount of Written in Waters era Ved Buens Ende is at play.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/labyrinthine-heirs-labyrinthine-heirs-review/#fn-213517-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> Samuel Kang’s (Cathexis) guitar work is distinctly crisp, full of plucky riffs (“Brick Refusers Quartered”), cascading shimmers of dissonance, and circusy leads (“The Loop of Human Flesh Told in Perpetuity”). In lock-step accompaniment is the slap-happy bass work of Bryan Camphire (ex Bloody Panda) and the understated drumming of Anthony Brownlow, all three creating a hypnotizing flow over which vocalist Evan Sadler can drape his raspy, spoken-word delivery. Labyrinthine Heirs certainly sounds impressive, but one of the problems with hypnosis is that the subject eventually falls asleep.Colin Marston’s master of Labyrinthine Heirs is warm and inviting, highlighting the interplay between the guitars and rhythm section while providing enough wide, organic spaces to hear every separate instrument on its own and simultaneously. Like how a dog can smell each ingredient in that stew on your stovetop individually while still smelling the whole thing. The opening track, “Brick Refusers Quartered,” with the guitar and bass playfully splashing in puddles of dissonance, pulls you immediately into Labyrinthine Heirs‘ web and ushers you through the next thirty-seven minutes. Sadler strays from his go-to mono-rasp to bring some ear-catching dynamism in the form of screeching screams, vomits, chokes, and coughs (“The Loop of Human Flesh Told in Perpetuity,” “The Conceited Determination of Nimrod”) and this reminds me of the vocals from some of Nattefrost‘s nastier solo work at times. I was also thankful for these moments since they were some of the few to rouse me from my slumberous hypnosis. Labyrinthine Heirs packs a fair number of ideas into Labyrinthine Heirs‘ five tracks.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/labyrinthine-heirs-labyrinthine-heirs-review/#fn-213517-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> The biggest problem is that nearly every idea sounds the same. In its entirety, Labyrinthine Heirs never strays from the sonic palette introduced on the opening track. Nearly every time I arrived at the fifth and final song, “Yaldabaoth Gored to Blindness,” I was surprised to discover that almost 30 minutes of music had passed with nary a blip on my radar of interest to show for it, which brings us to the crux of my problem with Labyrinthine Heirs debut, and that is its overwhelming sense of similitude. All five songs suffer from reciprocating guitar techniques that, combined with the steady slap n’ tap bass, reserved drums, and raspily spoken lyrics, shroud the whole in a drone-like pall. My relationship with I, Voidhanger, Records, is like a series of coin flips. There always seems to be a fifty-fifty chance I’ll enjoy what I hear or be equally content to let it pass. I’ve found many gems (Creature, Neptunian Maximalism, Yhdarl), to name a few, but I’ve discovered stinkers that balance the equation for each one. Labyrinthine Heirs may be deserving of their I, Voidhanger, roster spot. However, I don’t find this debut engaging enough to keep my attention, so I can’t fully recommend it. There are flashes on Labyrinthine Heirs that will have me on the lookout for its follow-up, but I prefer to pass on this. Rating: 2.5/5.0 DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3 Label: <a href="https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">I, Voidhanger Records</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/i.voidhanger.records/#" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a> Website: <a href="https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/labyrinthine-heirs" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 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/alternative-metal/" target="_blank">#AlternativeMetal</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/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</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/i-voidhanger-records/" target="_blank">#IVoidhangerRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/labyrinthine-heirs/" target="_blank">#LabyrinthineHeirs</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar2025/" target="_blank">#Mar2025</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/the-jesus-lizard/" target="_blank">#TheJesusLizard</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ved-buens-ende/" target="_blank">#VedBuensEnde</a>

SaltiredPopcorn<a href="https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2025/04/netflix-and-chill-animas-2018.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2025/04/netflix-and-chill-animas-2018.html</a>A bad choice today.<a href="https://zirk.us/tags/blog" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blog</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/blogger" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blogger</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/MovieReview" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MovieReview</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/netflix" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#netflix</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/NetflixAndChill" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NetflixAndChill</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/streaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#streaming</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#film</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/filmastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#filmastodon</a>

Noel J. PenaflorMONSTER PARTY <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/Review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Review</a> An interesting premise squandered by shoddy execution. Mindless violence can only get you so far if that's the only thing you've got going on.Full Review <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/LINK" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LINK</a> Below- This Monster Party Review (2018) Will Explode In Your Shoes! <a href="http://hub.me/amJCg" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">http://hub.me/amJCg</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horror" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horror</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horrorFam" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horrorFam</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/writing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#writing</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/writer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#writer</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/writingCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#writingCommunity</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/writers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#writers</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/Movies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Movies</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/movie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#movie</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/cinema" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cinema</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/cinemastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cinemastodon</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/Film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Film</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/films" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#films</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/filmmastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#filmmastodon</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horrorCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horrorCommunity</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horrorMovie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horrorMovie</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horrorMovies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horrorMovies</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horrorFilm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horrorFilm</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horrorFilms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horrorFilms</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/horrormastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#horrormastodon</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/article" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#article</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/read" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#read</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/reading" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#reading</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/funny" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#funny</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/humor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#humor</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/reviews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#reviews</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/moviereview" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#moviereview</a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/filmreview" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#filmreview</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/deafheaven-lonely-people-with-power-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power Review</a>By Doom_et_AlYou never forget your first love. The sense of wonder and excitement, a world you had only heard and read about, opening up to you like a flower on a Summer’s day. Deafheaven was my first (in a metal sense). The combination of furious black meal, searing post metal, and fuzzy shoegaze, mixed with a dollop of genuine longing, totally rewired my brain. Which means that if you’re looking for a coldly analytical review of a band’s sixth album, you should probably go elsewhere. Deafheaven is part of my DNA, and a new album will always be a big deal, even if we’ve drifted apart over the years. You see, while I’ve enjoyed the band’s output since the wondrous Sunbather, it’s been clear that Deafheaven and I have been moving in different directions. And this was confirmed with <a href="http://angrymetalguy.com/deafheaven-infinite-granite-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Infinite Granite</a>. I respected the band’s bravery in trying something new; I just didn’t like the result much. Shiny, pretty post-rock is nothing to be ashamed of. But the Deafheaven I loved were all about embracing the fury of black metal to highlight their emotional beats. Without that tension, Infinite Granite felt weightless. And my relationship with Deafheaven almost went from “It’s complicated” to “Splitsville”…… Except, there was “Mombasa,” the final song on Infinite Granite. Specifically, the final 3 minutes of “Mombasa.” Deafheaven broke the shackles, George Clarke’s shrieks roared forth, and within was a reminder of what the band was capable of. Was that denouement a farewell to a style they were abandoning, or a promise that they had not forgotten their roots? Lonely People with Power answers, and boy does it answer.After a brief intro, the band kicks off with “Magnolia,” which is one of the meaner cuts of Deafheaven’s oeuvre, and completely devoid of the shininess of anything on Infinite Granite, including the clean vocals. On first listen, I wondered if this was a repudiation of that album; an abandonment of that sound and an acknowledgement that “mistakes were made.” But as “Heathen” hits its chorus, you realize Lonely People with Power is a lot more interesting than that. You see, the post-rock sounds of Infinite Granite have not been abandoned; they’ve just been folded into Deafheaven’s existing aesthetic. Which means that not only is Lonely People with Power their most complete and harmonious record to date, but it also retroactively improves Infinite Granite.Although Deafheaven have always been comfortable with what they are not – i.e., a “trve kvlt” black metal band, it has sometimes felt that they were less comfortable with what they are. After the stunning Sunbather, the band oscillated between “mean” (New Bermuda), “pretty” (Ordinary Corrupt Human Love), and “post rock” (Infinite Granite). Lonely People with Power somehow finds a way to incorporate all these elements in a cohesive, stunning whole. Its gnarly tracks (“Magnolia,” “Revelator”) are gnarly, it’s pretty tracks (“Heathen,” “Winona”) are downright gorgeous, and the hybrids (“The Garden Route”, “The Marvelous Orange Tree”) feel natural and complementary. What ties all of these together is the emotional core that Deafheaven bring. Among contemporaries, perhaps only Gaerea are anywhere near them in terms of the ability to achieve that ecstatic, cathartic release this music thrives on. Lonely People with Power is brimming with pain and longing and wonder and fury. For the first time, the band has the musical language to convey all of these and then some.Performances across the board are top-notch. Dan Tracy’s exceptional drumming brings power and force to the harder tracks, and wisely cuts back during the gentler moments. George Clarke’s howls and shrieks have never been the strongest attribute of the band, but he brings a unique intensity and connection that anyone who has attended one of their live shows will attest to. But the real star of the show is lead guitarist Kerry McCoy. McCoy has battled his own demons and writer’s block to create these furious, gorgeous, compelling gems. His guitar soars and dives, and he is able to find beauty in even the ugliest, more twisted compositions.Sunbather, for all the ridiculous accusations of being “hipster metal,” had that thing. That thing that is impossible to define but is sprinkled liberally on all the best albums. There’s a reason Sunbather remains iconic. It is too early to say whether Lonely People with Power is a match for that masterpiece, but it has that thing, too. It is Deafheaven’s most mature and complete work to date; a synthesis of everything that has come before without being derivative or overly reliant. It plays to the band’s strengths, and wears its unironic heart on its sleeve. If Deafheaven aren’t your vibe, this won’t change your mind – it is, above all, a defiantly Deafheaven album through and through. For everyone else, this is an essential and timeless collection of tracks. It reminds us of the power of metal music to connect and move. But it also fucking reminds us that Deafheaven are not just back; they never left. Rating: 4.5/5.0 DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: <a href="http://www.elektra.com/roadrunnerrecords" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Roadrunner Records</a> Website: <a href="http://deafheaven.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">deafheaven.com</a> Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 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/45/" target="_blank">#45</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/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blackgaze/" target="_blank">#Blackgaze</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/deafheaven/" target="_blank">#Deafheaven</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</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/roadrunner-records/" target="_blank">#RoadrunnerRecords</a>

SaltiredPopcorn<a href="https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2025/04/shudder-saturday-rule-of-jenny-pen-2025.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2025/04/shudder-saturday-rule-of-jenny-pen-2025.html</a>I hoped for more from this latest one on Shudder. It was good though.<a href="https://zirk.us/tags/blog" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blog</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/blogger" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blogger</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/MovieReview" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MovieReview</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/TheRuleOfJennyPen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TheRuleOfJennyPen</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/GeoffreyRush" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GeoffreyRush</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/JohnLithgow" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JohnLithgow</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/shudder" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#shudder</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/streaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#streaming</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#film</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/filmastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#filmastodon</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/manntra-titans-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Manntra – Titans Review</a>By TwelveIt’s appalling to me that nearly six years have passed since I last reviewed Manntra. The passage of time is a horrifying thing, but there it is, in print: <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/manntra-okya-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Manntra – Oyka! Review By Twelve on July 29, 2019</a>. On the other hand, the passage of time is what inspires a good chunk of folk metal in the first place, and Oyka! was a fun folk metal album. Between then and now, Manntra released another three full-lengths that weren’t reviewed here (some other stuff happened too), which puts me a bit out of date for their recent activities. Nevertheless, I was excited to see the Croatians reappear in our Promo Pit for Titans, their eighth full-length (and first with Napalm Records), as I did enjoy Oyka! and am never opposed to the emergence of cheer. So how have the last six years been for Manntra, and how does Titans hold up to their rapidly growing discography?Three missed releases or no, Manntra’s sound is instantly recognizable: a heavy, energetic metal base, a light dusting from folky instruments, and the unmistakable vocals of Marko Matijević Sekul. It’s a sound I can best describe as “pretty much” folk metal—it’s got the right lyrical themes; the acoustic guitars from Dorian Pavlović, the mandolin from Zlatko Štefančić, and pipes from Sekul; and it’s all kinds of energetic. However, there is one foot resting in the door of traditional, even industrial heavy metal. Sekul plays synths, while Andrea Kert and Zoltan Lečei refuse to be left out on drums and bass, respectively. But it’s Sekul’s voice that most significantly defines Manntra’s sound (vocalists, am I right?); his rasps, shouts, and chants toe the line between heavy and folk metal in a fascinating way—he has a charisma to his approach that’s hard to define, harder to replicate, and contributes heavily to Titans’s identity.If the above sounded appealing to you, there is plenty more where it came from—Titans is heavy, fun, and folky. Manntra excel at big choruses that get caught in the brain, such as the superbly folky “Riders in the Dawn,” the intense, almost panicked “Higher,” and the symphonic-metal-esque “Teuta.” Across Titans, Štefančić’s mandolin is used to excellent effect, especially in “Unholy Water (Voda)” and the Miracle of Sound cover “Skal.” At times, Manntra step away from the folk influence, such as on the title track and “My Sandman,” which opens with poppy synths and makes much more effort to be heavy than catchy. Since Titans, not unlike previous Manntra work, is a fairly vocals-dominated album, this kind of variance goes a long way towards keeping things interesting across its full runtime.The main drawback I can find with Titans is that Manntra seem to operate significantly better, for my ears at least, as a folk metal band than as a heavy metal one. Everything about them, from the lyrics to the instruments to the performances, aligns so well with folk. “Skal” is an absolute delight because Manntra can lean so far into the joyous anthem to drinking culture, while “Nav” is utterly elevated by the use of pipes. By contrast, “My Sandman” doesn’t work nearly as well; it is neither catchy nor particularly moving. Similarly, the two “Forgotten” tracks are solid, good works of heavy metal, but feel out of place at the close of an album that does lean folkier. I know I just listed the variety as a strength above—it is, but this particular approach leaves Titans feeling a touch uneven.Titans is a fun album, and shows that Manntra really haven’t missed a step. Its highs are awesome, and it’s given me a lot of repeat listening material since I started spinning it. If it’s inconsistent in whether it is “good” or “very good,” it is very consistent in being an enjoyable listen and a good time… which I think is what Manntra was going for. I do recommend giving Titans a spin or two if you’re at all folk-inclined. As for me, I’ll be keeping a much more careful eye out for the next one, and so hopefully do this again soon. Rating: 3.0/5.0 DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: Stream Label: <a href="https://napalmrecords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Napalm Records</a> Websites: <a href="http://manntra.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">manntra.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://manntra.hr" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">manntra.hr</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/ManntraOfficial" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/ManntraOfficial</a> Releases Worldwide: March 14th, 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/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/croatian-metal/" target="_blank">#CroatianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/folk-metal/" target="_blank">#FolkMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/manntra/" target="_blank">#Manntra</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/miracle-of-sound/" target="_blank">#MiracleOfSound</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/napalm-records/" target="_blank">#NapalmRecords</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/titans/" target="_blank">#Titans</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-the-ossuary-lens-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Allegaeon – The Ossuary Lens Review</a>By MaddogAllegaeon’s six albums have received tumultuous marks in these halls. After their fantastic 2010 debut <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-fragments-of-form-and-function-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fragments of Form and Function</a> broke the score counter, Allegaeon sank as low as a 2.0 for 2016’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-proponent-for-sentience-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Proponent for Sentience</a> in the eyes of then-tadpole GardensTale. While their latest outing recovered to a more respectable <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-damnum-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">score</a>, Allegaeon’s techy brand of melodeath has polarized socialites and critics alike. The band excelled with their riffier onslaughts and soaring melodies, but fell for the forbidden fruit of proggy excess. The Ossuary Lens showcases a leaner, meaner Allegaeon. I won’t be listening to it in a decade, but it’s a worthy soundtrack for today.Allegaeon have trimmed their bloat but not their ambitions. For the uninitiated, Allegaeon’s brand of death metal resembles a noodlier Arsis, with its melodicism matched only by its technicality. That said, Allegaeonites will recall that these Coloradans would rather cover Yes or Rush than classic death metal. Allegaeon’s career has sometimes descended into a vulgar display of prog, combining protracted tracks with a penchant for flamenco breaks. These proggy elements live on, as Allegaeon gallops from punchy riffs to melodic leads to clean jams and back again. However, The Ossuary Lens displays newfound restraint. At 45 minutes, this is the band’s shortest album by a full eight minutes. Allegaeon’s escapades no longer leave a salty aftertaste, and the band’s forays into other genres no longer feel like pleas for a yardstick. The Ossuary Lens preserves its identity without getting lost in its own reflection.Accordingly, The Ossuary Lens hits across both its bigly riffs and its creative tangents. The album’s fierier cuts are a refreshing return to form, with “The Swarm” reviving Elements of the Infinite’s infectious riffcraft. As hoped, these sections still ooze technicality, as guitarists Greg Burgess and Michael Stancel dominate their fretboards even in their most explosive moments. Meanwhile, Allegaeon’s genre-bending experiments feel creative but not overwrought. Most notably, “Dark Matter Dynamics” pulls a First Fragment stunt of seamlessly transitioning between jubilant strumming (courtesy of Adrian Bellue) and formidable death metal melodies. Indeed, The Ossuary Lens hits hardest when these forces unite. For instance, “Carried by Delusion” voyages from serene melodies to Revocation worship to blackened tremolos to upbeat bass and guitar solos to downcast crunchy riffs, eviscerating both my heartstrings and my neck. The Ossuary Lens’ moderation goes a long way. Rather than clobbering the listener with decades-long Spanish guitar jams, The Ossuary Lens presents its creative side through measured four-minute tracks. Tech, prog, melody, and home sweet death metal unite into a potent concoction.While each piece of The Ossuary Lens is impressive in isolation, the album sometimes loses my interest. One reason is its lack of climactic moments. During tracks like “Scythe” and “Wake Circling Above,” I zoned out and had to abuse the rewind button, because there weren’t enough valleys, buildups, and peaks to keep me engaged. Another reason is sequencing; while the five middle tracks from “Driftwood” through “Dark Matter Dynamics” shine, the bookends fall short. The most predictable reason is production. Despite aiming for creativity and dynamism in their songwriting, Allegaeon continues to brickwall their albums into tepid gruel. As a result, The Ossuary Lens often loses my focus despite its seemingly manageable length. Conversely, the album’s highlights show how it’s done. Most strikingly, “Driftwood” has colonized my brain with a soulful mix of melodeath and metalcore that recalls Venom Prison. With highs this high, it’s a shame that The Ossuary Lens often slips into uniformity.Allegaeon is a relatively new band, but they inspire nostalgia. I vividly recall pimply nights with the addictive Fragments of Form and Function. I still think that “Accelerated Evolution” and “Genocide for Praise” are two of the greatest album closers of this millennium. And the iconic 2014 <a href="https://youtu.be/ErhgZhhXPvA?si=TkFNLZl2-vXi-W8u" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">music video</a> for “1.618” sealed Allegaeon’s place in my heart forever. Measured against Allegaeon’s first three albums, The Ossuary Lens falls short, hampered by its dearth of standout moments. Still, it isn’t a stinker. It still bangs; it still shreds; it still progs. Warts and all, it earns its keep.Rating: Good DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3 Label: <a href="https://www.metalblade.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Metal Blade Records</a> Websites: <a href="http://allegaeon.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">allegaeon.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/Allegaeon" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/Allegaeon</a> Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025 IcebergAllegaeon are something of a known quantity around here, having been nodded at by <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-fragments-of-form-and-function-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Steel</a>, eviscerated by <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-proponent-for-sentience-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">GardensTale</a>, and patched up by <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-damnum-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cherd</a>. The Colorado crew helmed by guitarist Greg Burgess have amassed a legion of rabid followers (who are sure to raise a ruckus in the comment section) for their signature style of Gothenburg-meets-tech-death. I’ll admit to being a fan of 2016’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-proponent-for-sentience-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Proponent for Sentience</a>, one of the first reviews I read on this site, but got lost amidst the dense material of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-apoptosis-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Apoptosis</a> and frankly didn’t even give <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/allegaeon-damnum-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Damnum</a> a shot. Allegaeon’s latest LP, The Ossuary Lens, sees the return of original vocalist Ezra Haynes and a much-welcomed stripped-down runtime, two intriguing changes in my book. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been excited about an Allegaeon release, can The Ossuary Lens be the record to change that?Allegaeon’s style of melo-tech-death needs little introduction here, but for those of you who haven’t been following the past decade’s worth of drama, I’ll provide the CliffsNotes. Sweeping, scalar guitar riffs courtesy of Burgess and Michael Stancel form the backbone of most tracks, and the dual guitars make for an indulgent offering of solos (“Driftwood,” “Wake Circling Above”). The drums here, while dripping with modern production sheen, are compelling and energetic without being overly technical, a sincere compliment for Jeff Saltzman. Allegaeon have never strayed from highlighting their bass players, and standout moments in “Chaos Theory” and “Carried by Delusion” show Brandon Michael has as much a command of melody as he does of relentless, galloping rhythms. Ezra Haynes, of Elements of the Infinite fame, comes roaring back to life on The Ossuary Lens, employing a gritty death roar alongside commendable clean vocals on “Driftwood” and “Wake Circling Above.” The performances on The Ossuary Lens are everything one would come to expect from a band nearly two decades into their career, and make for a wholly engaging listening experience.Allegaeon albums tend to have similar issues holding them back, and the band have largely addressed them on The Ossuary Lens. First and foremost is the 45-minute runtime, a nearly 25% reduction in music from their last three records. The renewed focus on editing shines, with tracks that hit fast and get out of the way while still managing to be memorable (“The Swarm,” “Imperial”). This represents the first major improvement in The Ossuary Lens; Allegaeon have not only figured out that less is more, but they’ve also magnified the parts that work. Sing-along melodeath choruses lurk throughout the album (“Driftwood,” “Dies Irae”) but none so impactful as penultimate track “Wake Circling Above.” Clearly the best Insomnium track released this year, Allegaeon’s ode to all things Gothenburg is a monumental testament to what this band can do when they stop doing so much and let the music dictate the song’s course.The hits don’t stop there. The Ossuary Lens takes a while to really get moving, with the first three tracks treading familiar territory. But then comes “Dies Irae,” a barnburner that incorporates the three-note musical motif for the Dies Irae text of the Requiem Mass, a nice music nerd Easter Egg that only enhances the ripping triplet-infused breakdown sitting in the song’s center. And Burgess’ requisite flamenco guitar, something sorely overused in Proponent for Sentience, is here condensed into the driving groove of “Dark Matter Dynamics,” a powerfully infectious rhythm ripped straight from a Rodrigo y Gabriela record, or the breath-before-the-plunge moments of the darkly harrowing “Carried by Delusion.” Whereas previous Allegaeon records were dense, academic affairs that required shoveling through noise and notes to discern, The Ossuary Lens presents a barebones masterclass on Allegaeon’s modus operandi.This isn’t to say that The Ossuary Lens is infallible. Early tracks “Chaos Theory” and “Driftwood” are technically proficient, but fail to reach the emotional highs of the rest of their brethren. Final track “Scythe,” while holding some excellent verse grooves, feels underbaked after the astonishing “Wake Circling Above,” and its cropped ending leaves the album on more of a question mark than a statement. And there’s the lingering issue of the DR5 master and production, which, while not as obscene as earlier records, is still crushed and fatiguing. But overall, The Ossuary Lens represents a massively successful repositioning for the Coloradoans, making it one of my favorite spins of the year for its precision, refinement, and memorability. If Allegaeon continue on this trajectory, we may see their best work yet just over the horizon. Rating: 3.5/5.0<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/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/35/" target="_blank">#35</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/arsis/" target="_blank">#Arsis</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/first-fragment/" target="_blank">#FirstFragment</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/insomnium/" target="_blank">#Insomnium</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodeath/" target="_blank">#Melodeath</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/" target="_blank">#MetalBlade</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/progressive-death/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveDeath</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-death-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-technical-death-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveTechnicalDeathMetal</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/revocation/" target="_blank">#Revocation</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/rodrigo-y-gabriela/" target="_blank">#RodrigoYGabriela</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/rush/" target="_blank">#Rush</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-ossuary-lens/" target="_blank">#TheOssuaryLens</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/venom-prison/" target="_blank">#VenomPrison</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/yes/" target="_blank">#Yes</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>

SaltiredPopcorn<a href="https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2025/04/saturday-night-2024.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2025/04/saturday-night-2024.html</a>It's Saturday Night. On a Friday morning.<a href="https://zirk.us/tags/blog" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blog</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/blogger" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blogger</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/MovieReview" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MovieReview</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/SaturdayNight" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SaturdayNight</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/snl" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#snl</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/GilKenan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GilKenan</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/JasonReitman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JasonReitman</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#film</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/filmastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#filmastodon</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/warfield-with-the-old-breed-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Warfield – With the Old Breed Review</a>By Steel DruhmGerman thrashers Warfield created a bit of buzz for themselves with their 2018 debut Wrecking Command, borrowing extensively from famous forefathers like Sodom and Kreator and infusing the speed with traces of black metal fury. It was a spirited and venomous slab of reckless haste with enough modern-day appeal to escape the sucking vortex of niche re-thrash. After 4-plus years, we get With the Old Breed and Warfield are older, wiser, and a bit less rough and raw. They still sound like a motley mash-up of Sodom and Kreator with a toe in the blackened bog, but they’ve refined and slightly polished their sound. Will this take away some of their angry vitality and uncouth charm?Before you think With the Old Breed is lacking in rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth intensity, meet opener “Melting Mass.” It’s an ugly, greasy, Sodom-esque thrasher with corpse scum under its fingernails, and Johannes Clemens’ delivery sits at the crossroads of Tom Angelripper and Kreator’s Mille. He sounds plenty pissed off and savage and the riffs by Matthias Clemens are appropriately nasty and jagged. At points, it sounds like Johannes is yelling about cake and amputation, and Lord knows we’ve all been there. It’s a no-nonsense thrash bomb, and it elevates the blood temperature as it should. “Soul Conqueror” reminds me a lot of Grip Inc. with Mille taking over vocals, and “Tie the Rope” leans into the blackened thrash influence extra hard for a rancid piece of speed excess with bits of Witchery in its DNA. It will make you want to bite your neighbors and savor the community flavor. The band’s overall commitment to excess and overdrive keeps the songs in that speed sweet spot, and the guitar work is high-level and gripping.Later on, “Fragmentation” has a central riff that sounds a whole lot like the one from the classic Sisters of Mercy tune “Vision Thing,” and I can’t unhear it, but the crazed vocals and gang shouts keep things moving regardless. Warfield go for the big, epic tune on “GASP,” blending traditional thrash tropes with black metal, doom, and mild symphonic elements, and for the most part, it alchemy works, but there are segments that drag noticeably, and at 7 minutes, it ends feeling too long for its own good. A few songs hit as fairly generic too, like “Inhibition Atrophy” and “Dogs for Defense.” They aren’t bad, just sort of run-of-the-mill thrash fare. The 42-plus minute length is reasonable, but the placement of “GASP” in the penultimate spot makes it hard to properly appreciate it as thrash fatigue is already beginning to set in. What you end up with is a respectable thrash album with some raging highs, while the lows are manageable.For a 3-piece, Warfield throw a lot of loud shrapnel around. Matthias Clemens’ fretboard gymnastics pervade every inch of the runtime, assaulting you from all sides with riffs, solos, and MOAR riffs. He’s like a fusion reactor of string abuse. He keeps the runaway train on the tracks, and a lot of his riffs stick to the brainpan like tar. Johannes Clemens is a fine thrash vocalist and can vary his delivery enough to avoid sounding one-note or tedious. He moves from a classic thrash bark to a blackened rasp on a dime, and at times he sounds like he’s having a complete psychotic break. Dominik Marx is an inhuman freak machine on the kit, filling all the dead space with thunder and war. He’s all over his toms and snares at all times, and you can’t miss what he’s doing in the back line because he’s morbidly a beast!Warfield are the spiritual successor to what the Big Three of Germanic thrash created in the 80s, and they have a sound that’s different enough to stand out from the thrash pack. If the writing were more consistent, this would be a thrash lover’s fever dream. It’s got all the right parts and just needs a slight tune-up. The good stuff is very turbulent and volatile, and that’s half the battle. The other half is brutal wiolence. Well worth an abrasive loudblast. Rating: 3.0/5.0 DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Fucking Stream Label: <a href="https://napalmrecords.com/deutsch/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Napalm</a> Websites: <a href="https://www.warfieldthrash.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">warfieldthrash.com</a> | <a href="https://warfieldthrash.bandcamp.com/album/with-the-old-breed" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">warfieldthrash.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/warfield.thrash/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">instagram.com/warfield.thrash</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/30/" target="_blank">#30</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/german-metal/" target="_blank">#GermanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/kreator/" target="_blank">#Kreator</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/napalm-records/" target="_blank">#NapalmRecords</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/sodom/" target="_blank">#Sodom</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/warfield/" target="_blank">#Warfield</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/with-the-old-breed/" target="_blank">#WithTheOldBreed</a>

Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )From: blenderdumbass . orgI remember sitting at the entrance to a local cinema near me, shivering from a new kind of depression. I was waiting to enter the screening of Avatar: The Way Of Water, which was released in cinema just after The Fabelmans. The previous film I have seen in that very cinema, may...Read or listen: <a href="https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/how_the_fabelmans_traumatized_me" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/how_the_fabelmans_traumatized_me</a><a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/TheFabelmans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TheFabelmans</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Spielberg" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Spielberg</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/StevenSpielberg" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#StevenSpielberg</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/FilmReview" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FilmReview</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Film</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/JuliaButters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JuliaButters</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/FilmMaking" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FilmMaking</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Cinemastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cinemastodon</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/FreeSoftware" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FreeSoftware</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Depression" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Depression</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/MentalHealth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MentalHealth</a>

David RevoyNew hardware review: the Huion Inspiroy H610X, a screen-less, medium sized, budget friendly graphic tablet.▶️ Ptb: <a href="https://peertube.touhoppai.moe/w/7hiPUYqJVAnpAfSsS5oQzo" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://peertube.touhoppai.moe/w/7hiPUYqJVAnpAfSsS5oQzo</a> ▶️ Ytb: <a href="https://youtu.be/ZkZ-sSz65rU" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/ZkZ-sSz65rU</a>Blog post: <a href="https://www.davidrevoy.com/article1072/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.davidrevoy.com/article1072/</a>:linux: Note: Not a sponsored review, but I received the tablet for free. It's a model I selected myself on the Huion catalog as I wanted to review budget friendly hardware this time and on the way reports the specs to the Linux devs.<a href="https://framapiaf.org/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://framapiaf.org/tags/linux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#linux</a> <a href="https://framapiaf.org/tags/huion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#huion</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-the-woods-otra-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">In the Woods… – Otra Review</a>By Dr. A.N. GrierOh, yay, I get to review In the Woods…!! How I haven’t reviewed them before is beyond me. I must have been in the bathroom or something. I’ve been jamming to these guys forever, which led me to another favorite band: Green Carnation. As stated before by Z and Ferox, these Norwegians are an odd bunch that can’t quite figure out what they want to be, like gender confusion but genre confusion. After almost four decades in business, they’ve tinkered with everything from black to doom to progressive metal. As of 2022’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-the-woods-diversum-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Diversum</a>, In the Woods… has pretty much combined all their genre influences into one. In some cases, it works; in other cases, it’s a touch messy. That said, I think I liked Diversum more than Ferox because I thought the individual songs came together nicely to create the album, though there were obvious issues with some of the tracks. Some of it might be the new singer on staff. Or, it could be the songwriting as a whole. But Fjellestad is a solid addition to the crew, returning once again for this year’s Otra. The question is, will we see another side of In the Woods…, or will they finally reel in their influences to release something stunning? One thing I can say that should please those who weren’t quite thrilled with the new vocalist on Diversum is that Fjellestad and the band have come quite a way since 2022. I’m not saying the vocals are better (because he’s a good vocalist), but the performance and songwriting are stronger on Otra. It might be because this time around, the album has a theme that connects the songs. Personifying the Otra river in Norway, the album flows through tumultuous rapids and sputtering streams, bringing the water molecules together for a forty-five-minute rafting trip. Now that we are in a boat instead of the forest, will Otra supply a soothing mist to my face or give me… wood? Wait.“The Things You Shouldn’t Know” begins right away with gentle guitars and soothing vocals before it erupts into harsh vox and a grooving black metal lick. As this eight-plus-minute beauty builds, it alternates between Green Carnation-like passages and Borknagar/Vintersorg-esque black metal blasts. You’ll also find passionate guitar leads here (and elsewhere on the album) that push the vocals to soaring heights. The bigness only gets bigger when a second voice partners with Fjellestad in the final chorus. “The Crimson Crown” is another biggun that opens with pleasing keys that morph into a blanket of atmoblack riffage before cruising into a bass-led verse. Then, the song explodes into a Borknagar-ish chorus with alternating clean and harsh vox that works so damn well. One of the song’s coolest sections involves a calmness over the water, where Fjellestad adds subtle movement to his voice that adds layers to the music.Other stellar tracks are “Let Me Sing” and the closing number, “The Wandering Deity.” The closer expands on that vocal wizardry of “The Crimson Crown” by hypnotizing the airwaves with vibrato. This slick addition makes the song’s final chorus that much more impactful. Being less than six minutes in length, this song sure as hell does a lot. Using a Green Carnation foundation, it slithers its way through dark, black metal riffage, gorgeous melodies, and even some black ‘n’ roll a la Carpathian Forest. “Let Me Sing” begins as an innocent piece, introducing it with muffled keys. That’s until the sinister mid-paced chug comes in, accompanied by a surprising vocal arrangement that brings to mind Type O Negative and The Vision Bleak. This song is one of the better tracks at alternating between clean and harsh. I also can’t move on without mentioning the bass work. Not only is it more prominent than other tracks, but nothing quite gets me erect like a bass slide.The track that does not do well at alternating between the soft and hard sections is “The Kiss and the Lie.” While not a terrible track, its transitions feel forced and awkward, making it difficult to enjoy compared to the other pieces. “Come Ye Sinners” almost suffers the same fate, but the performances make up for it in the back half to save it. While Otra would do better with a more dynamic master, I can’t deny that the songwriting and vocal performances are some of the best in this new era of In the Woods… Taking what they learned from Diversum and polishing it up, this outing is a tight, seven-track affair and one of my favorites of theirs. Though, it’s damn near impossible to achieve what they did in the past, Otra is a pleasing listen and well worth a spin for In the Woods… enthusiasts. Rating: 3.5/5.0 DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3 Label: <a href="https://en.prophecy.de/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Prophecy Productions</a> Websites: <a href="https://in-the-woods.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">in-the-woods.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inthewoodsomnio?fref=ts" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/inthewoods</a> Releases Worldwide: April 11th, 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/35/" target="_blank">#35</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/avant-garde/" target="_blank">#AvantGarde</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/borknagar/" target="_blank">#Borknagar</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/carpathian-forest/" target="_blank">#CarpathianForest</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gothic-metal/" target="_blank">#GothicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/green-carnation/" target="_blank">#GreenCarnation</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/in-the-woods/" target="_blank">#InTheWoods</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/otra/" target="_blank">#Otra</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/prophecy-productions/" target="_blank">#ProphecyProductions</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/the-vision-bleak/" target="_blank">#TheVisionBleak</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/type-o-negative/" target="_blank">#TypeONegative</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/vintersorg/" target="_blank">#Vintersorg</a>

Shichimi − David Revoy on PeertubeHuion Inspiroy H610X - review on GNU/Linux <a href="https://peertube.touhoppai.moe/w/7hiPUYqJVAnpAfSsS5oQzo" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://peertube.touhoppai.moe/w/7hiPUYqJVAnpAfSsS5oQzo</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mizmor-hell-alluvion-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mizmor & Hell – Alluvion Review</a>By CarcharodonA.L.N. (a.k.a. Mizmor) and M.S.W. (Hell) inhabit similar territories: geographically, the Pacific Northwest; sonically, abrasive, droning, blackened doom; and, perhaps critically, emotionally, all claustrophobic, tortured heft. Although they’ve collaborated live before, Alluvion, which refers to the sedimentary deposits left by a body of flowing water, is their first studio outing together. Billed as a map to aid the listener in navigating through bouts of psychic distress, the prone form on the cover could easily be me by the time I’m finished with this review, crushed beneath the weight of Mizmor & Hell’s compositions, corpse abandoned on that mountainside rising from the promo sump. I’ve been interested in anything Mizmor has put out since <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mizmor-yodh-things-you-might-have-missed-2016/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Yodh</a>, and enjoyed his last full-length, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mizmor-prosaic-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Prosaic</a>, quite a bit. However, the last Mizmor collaboration that I <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mizmor-andrew-black-dialetheia-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">dived into</a> (with Andrew Black) left me cold. I went into Alluvion expecting a more familiar experience, given the similarities with Hell, which suggested that I might be in for a more predictable, if more emotionally exhausting, ride. So what will Alluvion leave behind in its wake?If you are familiar with Mizmor and Hell’s past works, and can sort of picture what a collaboration focused on psychic distress might sound like, BOOM, you’re right! Alluvion is exactly that. Dense, doom-laden oppression, nuzzling up against moments of surprising delicacy and tenderness, with the latter kicking things off on opener, “Begging to be Lost.” The first two minutes of strings-only tranquillity hint at the rumbling blackened sludge that follows. With both men contributing vocals and guitars (while Hell handles bass, and Mizmor drums), when the hammer does fall, it falls hard. Noting the descriptor that Mizmor & Hell intended Alluvion to act as a means of navigating mental health struggles, I see the shifting moods of the record as mapping onto the ebb and flow of these challenges, from anvil-like oppression, through devastating chaos into exhausted moments of clarity, that border on hopeful. All this and more is packed into the 16 minutes and change of “Begging to be Lost” alone. Something resembling respite is offered by the percussion- and vocal-free “Vision I,” its distorted, reverberating drone cathartic in its simplicity.As Mizmor & Hell move into standout piece “Pandemonium’s Throat,” the pattern of “Begging to be Lost” is repeated but in amplified form. The gentle opening notes bear hints of distortion, the droning guitar lines offer a rawer, blackened edge, while the vocals (Hell’s, I think) take on a more desperate, rasping edge. When all hell breaks loose—no pun intended—around the seven-minute mark, we find ourselves nudging into stripped back, heavily distorted black metal, with a frantic energy that is almost second wave in its intensity. Going into Alluvion, I’d braced myself for an epic on the scale of Yodh or Cairn, both of which hover around the hour mark. In fact, this comes in a surprisingly compact package, clocking in at just 39 minutes. But nevertheless, and perhaps because of the harrowing journey the listener is taken on, by the time we reach closer, “Vision II,” there’s an exhausted and drawn feel to Mizmor & Hell’s work. It’s that feeling of full-body tiredness we’ve all known at one point or another, where every part of you feels heavy and drained.All that said, Alluvion isn’t quite as traumatic, nor as soul-destroying, as I’d braced myself for from this Mizmor & Hell combination. There are two reasons for this. First, “Vision I” and “Vision II,” which act as a mid-album interlude and outro,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mizmor-hell-alluvion-review/#fn-214804-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> respectively. These serve to both offer up some respite for the listener—leaving to one side the rather unsettling, wordless voices that swirl and clack around you at the end of “Vision II”—but also to significantly lessen the complexity of the album. Comprising over a quarter of Alluvion, they are, on the one hand, welcome for making it an easier listen, and, on the other, a hindrance for somewhat lessening its impact. The other reason for the lower trauma rating is the production. Only managing a DR4, this simply isn’t as rich and textured as I’d hoped it would be, and as I think it needs to be, to fully achieve its creators’ mission.Alluvion promised a lot and delivered quite a bit, but not the whole package. Its highs, which are basically all of “Pandemonium’s Throat,” are great, building the oppressive tension before unleashing raw catharsis. However, the rest of the compositions from Mizmor & Hell are good but no more. I’m not quite sure how much of this to pin on the expectations that I carried into Alluvion, and which I suspect many who know the solo work by each of these men will also carry. It’s honest, raw, and good, but the fact is I walked away from it relatively unscathed, where I expected to be ruined, face down beside a deserted path. Rating: 3.0/5.0 DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3 Label: <a href="https://gileadmedia.net/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Gilead Media</a> Websites: <a href="http://mizmor.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">mizmor.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://loweryourhead.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">loweryourhead.bandcamp.com</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/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/alluvion/" target="_blank">#Alluvion</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/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blackened-doom/" target="_blank">#BlackenedDoom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/blackened-noise/" target="_blank">#BlackenedNoise</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom/" target="_blank">#Doom</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/drone/" target="_blank">#Drone</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gilead-media/" target="_blank">#GileadMedia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mizmor-hell/" target="_blank">#MizmorHell</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/noise/" target="_blank">#Noise</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/sludge/" target="_blank">#Sludge</a>

Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )From: blenderdumbass . orgI made myself review both Avatar movies in one day, which was something I had to do to see the progress, or lack thereof of James Cameron. And there is progress. A lot of it!Read: <a href="https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/avatar:_the_way_of_water_is_a_sublime_experience" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/avatar:_the_way_of_water_is_a_sublime_experience</a><a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Avatar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Avatar</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Avatar2" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Avatar2</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/AvatarTheWayOfWater" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AvatarTheWayOfWater</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/JamesCameron" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JamesCameron</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Film</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Movies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Movies</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Cinemastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cinemastodon</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/VFX" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#VFX</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/CGI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CGI</a>

Blender Dumbass ( J.Y.Amihud )From: blenderdumbass . orgThe passing of Gene Hackman made me interested in the actor again, and then I saw that he made a movie with Tony Scott, from Jerry Bruckheimer about surveillance. Recent fascination of mine with Michael Bay and stuff related to him, like the fact that a lot of the style of Bay came almost directly from Tony Scott. And the fact that Bay worked wit...Read: <a href="https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/enemy_of_the_state_1998_is_very_relevant_for_today" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://blenderdumbass.org/reviews/enemy_of_the_state_1998_is_very_relevant_for_today</a><a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/EnemyOfTheState" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#EnemyOfTheState</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Film" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Film</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Movies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Movies</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Cinemastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cinemastodon</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/TonyScott" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TonyScott</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/WillSmith" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WillSmith</a> <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/GeneHackman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GeneHackman</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/nydvind-telluria-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nydvind – Telluria Review</a>By El CuervoThere are many heavy metal bands in the world. Intense genre stratification led to lots of musical hopefuls attempting to carve their own path. Despite their best efforts, it’s incredibly rare for a band to do something that hasn’t been done before. Citing a journey through the “raw energy of black metal,” “profound melancholy of doom,” and “organic vitality of folk,” France’s Nydvind are making another such attempt with their fourth album entitled Telluria. This unusual medley and a 20-year history ensured that I didn’t instinctively reject the one sheet’s notion that the group may be pioneering; there aren’t many bands operating in this genre that split 3 sounds. Is Telluria as distinctive as its genre promises?The Nydvind style isn’t a part of the same scene as the likes of Agalloch, but they capture the earthen feel that such bands exalt. “Dance of the Ages” uses flitting, clean guitar lines and occasional chants to conjure a folksy effect, tied into acoustic guitar passages designed to evoke delicacy. This contrasts with the record’s opening heavy passages that blend trilling blackened guitars with deathly, guttural growls. Likewise, “Heart of the Woods II” opens robustly, with a doomy lick delivered via a shredding tone. The remainder of Telluria sometimes winds and sometimes stomps its way through passages that principally progress through a fusion of black, doom, and death metal. Despite its variety, the core of the music has a feel that won’t be totally unfamiliar to fans of Paradise Lost, but observed through a decidedly blacker lens.When you first start with Telluria, the multitude of influences in the pot and frequent musical shifts make things interesting. But it’s definitely more ‘interesting’ than ‘exciting.’ Although there’s a lot to listen to when paying close attention, my overall emotional response is an unfazed one. The majority of the album is merely okay. This is undoubtedly compounded by the music switching between varied sounds in an uneventful way. “Heart of the Woods II” proceeds through its doomy opening and a blackened second passage then back again, but each transition simply ceases the prior music and commences the next. There are very few moments of sophistication or drama to signal change to the listener. The over-arching fusion of doom / black / death/folk influences sounds harmonious on first listen, but it’s not nearly as stimulating as it should be.I find my initial interest thoroughly waned by Telluria’s back half. Ultimately, the inability to generate a visceral emotional response (even a negative one) consigns it to the sizeable heap of forgettable music I’ll not bother returning to. The shuffling, directionless song-writing contributes to my dispirited response. I find the doomy mid-pace passages the dullest of Nydvind’s sounds, and these passages sometimes stretch out over minutes at a time. The songs average 8 minutes, and only one runs for fewer than 7, with another exceeding 10. Only “Into the Pantheon of Absynthia” reaches a climax that’s reasonably satisfying, as it escalates with a crescendo that gets heavier over time. The remainder of the songs don’t justify their duration.The only complete exception to the commentary I’ve provided above is the title track. Pretty much all the best passages on Telluria are locked within these 9 minutes. From the crunchy, blackened verse with piercing shrieked vocals to the layered leads that harmonize then counter-point, it did what no other track could by demanding my attention. It then proceeded to hold it by featuring the album’s best solo and one of its heaviest passages after its mid-point. And just before that heaviness becomes tiring, the ensuing quietness offers a welcome contrast. “Telluria” still fails to stitch together its varied passages in a subtle or engaging way, but separately they’re best throughout.Despite the more exceptional moments that form the strongest Nydvind material, the vast majority of Telluria leaves me cold. Beyond those moments, it’s difficult for me to highlight any particular riff or melody as standouts; much bleed together into a grey sludge, even with the diverse influences. There’s the potential for a thought-provoking synthesis of styles here. But while the quintessential 2.0 commits the sin of disappointing its listener, Telluria commits the sin of leaving very little mark at all. Rating: 2.0/5.0 DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: v2 MP3 Label: <a href="https://www.malpermesita.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Malpermesita Records</a> Website: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Nydvind" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/nydvind</a> Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 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/agalloch/" target="_blank">#Agalloch</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/doom-metal/" target="_blank">#DoomMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/folk-metal/" target="_blank">#FolkMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/french-metal/" target="_blank">#FrenchMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/malpermesita-records/" target="_blank">#MalpermesitaRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nydvind/" target="_blank">#Nydvind</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paradise-lost/" target="_blank">#ParadiseLost</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/telluria/" target="_blank">#Telluria</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tomarum-beyond-obsidian-euphoria/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria</a>By KenstrosityOver the past three years, I’ve come to appreciate Tómarúm’s surprising, mature debut <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tomarum-ash-in-realms-of-stone-icons-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ash in Realms of Stone Icons</a> at a deeper level than I had hoped to reach in the mere two weeks provided at the time. While I stand by my overall score—and by my critiques—my relationship with that record grew more meaningful and rewarding with time. Tómarúm’s spiritually charged, introspective point of view speaks volumes of suffering and strife, while the complexity of their musical compositions reflects in uncompromising clarity the fluid order that governs a turbulent chaos of the soul and of the heart. With this fresh in mind, I approach follow-up Beyond Obsidian Euphoria with great curiosity and equal anticipation.Occupying a niche of progressive metal most commonly associated with acts like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ne-obliviscaris-exul-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ne Obliviscaris</a>, but also connected to newer groups such as <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amiensus-reclamation-pt-ii-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Amiensus</a>, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/an-abstract-illusion-woe-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">An Abstract Illusion</a>, and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/dawn-of-ouroboros-bioluminescence-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Dawn of Ouroboros</a>, Atlanta quintet Tómarúm boast an especially fluid and emotive sound. Progressive structures and ever-shifting phrases abound, yet never intrude, obstruct, or interrupt. Technical prowess reminiscent of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/fallujah-empyrean-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Fallujah</a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/lunar-chamber-shambhallic-vibrations-things-you-might-have-missed-2023/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Lunar Chamber</a> creates additional dynamics most noticeably felt in the bass guitar, lead guitar, and drum performances. And, to my great delight, a new twist of machine-gun burst riffing pulled from <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/warforged-i-voice-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Warforged</a>‘s I: Voice playbook grants a palpable, terrifying presence. Beyond Obsidian Euphoria takes all of these elements, intrinsic to Tómarúm’s identity, and implements them with the same finesse and refinement of the last record, but with an altogether more hopeful tone. While still dealing with subjects of profound anguish and emotional turmoil, Beyond explores further the catharsis borne of dedicated, dogged persistence against those internal demons which would otherwise have your singular light extinguished from this mortal coil.Nothing better exemplifies this shift in tone than the one-two punch of standout duo “Shallow Ecstasy” and “Shed This Erroneous Skin.” Epic sweeps of ominous shadow collide with shimmers of brilliance as menacing pummels advance their campaign against soaring leads and righteous solos. Those blackened rasps that voiced past work join the fray again as crooning cleans provide motivating counterpoint to fuel the flame of continuing life. A vivid chiaroscuro of composition personifies every moment across this 16-minute span, but the surrounding environs offer just as many dynamic moments of beauty and beastliness. The remarkably short and savage “Blood Mirage” deals massive damage to the cranium as it executes a brutal assault of riffs and tech-y oscillations, while “Halcyon Memory: Dreamscapes Across the Blue” evokes an <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hail-spirit-noir-fossil-gardens-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hail Spirit Noir</a>-esque airiness that belies its double-bass propulsion and quasi-bluesy harmonized solos. The gamut of sounds, styles and textures malleate as soft putty in Tómarúm’s talented fingers, which allows their unfaltering focus on story and character to shine ever brighter on Beyond’s second immense suite of epics, “Silver, Ashen Tears” and “The Final Pursuit of Light.” Any impression of bloat falls to the wayside in the face of such nuanced and well-realized musical design, as melody, pace, substance, and technicality find a kaleidoscopic harmony striking in its multifaceted vibrancy.At just under 70 minutes, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria daunts any audience with a monumental investment. The dividends, however, more than make up for the sacrifice. That is, if the listener is willing and ready to dig deep and find those moments most intimate and vulnerable. That delicate pluck of the string in a phrase flanked by vicious scrapes; the contrabass frequency that stimulates the spine as starry tremolos dot the sky; the desperate howl of pain and of shattered spirit that preludes an epiphany of truth and of healing; the miraculous congregation of hook and sophistication moving in tandem towards a shared apex of sound and story; all find a place in this wonderful piece, and each piece has its place. Unlike my experience with Ash in Realms, my experience with Beyond is one of complete and utter immersion. There is hardly a moment I would change, barely a segment I would cut—save for the fluffy interlude “Introspection III,” appearing too early on to leave a lasting mark by the close.Occasionally, I find myself unable to dedicate the time necessary to engage with Tómarúm’s latest opus. I expect that others will experience the same unfortunate circumstance. While that certainly poses a question to the value statement of an album this long, specifically because its individual chapters can’t be separated without compromising the integrity of the whole, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria feels like a rare record that needs every second it consumes. The passion and personality Tómarúm exude in this work demands the price of time to bloom. If you give it the space to do so, what awaits can only be described as euphoric. Rating: Excellent! DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3 Label: <a href="http://prostheticrecords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Prosthetic Records</a> Websites: <a href="http://tomarum.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">tomarum.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/TomarumBM/?ref=page_internal" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/TomarumBM/</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/45/" target="_blank">#45</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/amiensus/" target="_blank">#Amiensus</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/an-abstract-illusion/" target="_blank">#AnAbstractIllusion</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/beyond-obsidian-euphoria/" target="_blank">#BeyondObsidianEuphoria</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/cormorant/" target="_blank">#Cormorant</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dawn-of-ouroboros/" target="_blank">#DawnOfOuroboros</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/fallujah/" target="_blank">#Fallujah</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hail-spirit-noir/" target="_blank">#HailSpiritNoir</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/lunar-chamber/" target="_blank">#LunarChamber</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/melodic-black-metal/" target="_blank">#MelodicBlackMetal</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/ne-obliviscaris/" target="_blank">#NeObliviscaris</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-black-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-death-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveDeathMetal</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/prosthetic-records/" target="_blank">#ProstheticRecords</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/technical-death-metal/" target="_blank">#TechnicalDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/tomarum/" target="_blank">#Tómarúm</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/warforged/" target="_blank">#Warforged</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/crawling-chaos-wyrd-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Crawling Chaos – Wyrd Review</a>By TwelveEven before I’d seen the gorgeous cover art over there, Crawling Chaos had me marked. The Italian group’s third full-length release, Wyrd, is written around a theme that discusses prominent women in European folklore, mythologies, and history, and is “full of literary quotes and easter eggs, offering subtle nods to the most curious among the listeners.” Honestly, I was sold before I even noted the genre tag, but death metal and I are no strangers to one another either. So at first glance, Wyrd seems like my perfect match, but I’ve been writing here for years now, and I’ve been misled by cover art and thematic promise before. How will this one hold up?What’s interesting about Wyrd is that a more apt description of the music is melodic death metal, but the phrase works better as a literal description than a genre tag. Wyrd is a death metal album that has melody, but doesn’t quite match what you could call “melodeath.” It is a heavy album, with no noticeable use of keys and uncompromising death metal overtures, similar to how Crescent approach their music. Guitarists Andrea Velli and Manuel Guerrieri put in some serious work here, swapping brilliantly between a veritable storm of riffs in songs like “Witch-Hunt” and eerie ambience in ones like “Necromancer.” Mind, don’t let that distinction fool you—death metal is absolutely the focus here, as Guerrieri’s roars and Edoardo Velli’s manic drumming make clear. Across Wyrd’s thirty-eight-minute runtime, Crawling Chaos make the most of their thematic source material by launching an all-out assault on the listener in a comparatively pleasing way, with nods to groups like Death, Gojira, and Nile apparent throughout.Most of the hallmarks of death metal are present for Wyrd, but it’s the moments of melody that really give Crawling Chaos a distinct identity. William Leardini’s bass is wonderful in its griminess, and most songs are concise, speedy, and brutal, but the apparent care for memorability goes a long way too. “Veiled in Secrets” is the clearest example, a mid-paced (this is a relative descriptor) song with a beautiful, almost haunting melody that rings throughout, evocative of the desert the song describes. Similarly, the guitar leads in “To the Furies” are mighty, blending skill and style in a way that makes the song into a journey, exciting and memorable at once. Wyrd is an album of two worlds, firmly rooted in its thematic and stylistic choices, giving it the feel of a complete album, and a well-thought-out one.I enjoy the melodic moments much more than the more brutal ones on Wyrd, which does make it feel like something of a lopsided listen at times. As I’ve said, crawling chaos can do wonders for both sides of the descriptor. Some songs lean heavier on melody and others heavier on heaviness, and that’s fine. Still, when a song like “Nomen Omen” opens with a slow, haunting melody, with genuine build-up, and then erupts into the same style of death metal that’s been so persistent across Wyrd, it feels almost like a let-down (despite, in this instance, a genuinely stunning vocal performance from Guerrieri). “Nails of Fate” does something similar with an acoustic guitar—a stirring intro that is never realized in the way you expect it to, despite the song itself being very strong. For me, the way Wyrd is structured creates a noticeable rift between the melodic and heavier choices in each song, making the full listen less cohesive than it might have otherwise been.Wyrd is a fun listen regardless of how you like your death metal, because it is well-written, well-performed, and hits hard. Still, writing the above makes me wonder if I’m not quite the right audience for Crawling Chaos, if only because I have this bias for the melodic side of melodic death metal. And yet, I have to recommend it, which means you may like it a good deal more than I have. And I have enjoyed it—it’s heavy, it sounds great, and it includes literary and historic references. Realistically, I was always going to enjoy this one. Rating: 3.0/5.0 DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 128 kbps mp3 Label: <a href="https://timetokillrecords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Time to Kill Records</a> Websites: <a href="http://crawlingchaos-ttk.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">crawlingchaos-ttk.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/crawlingchaosit" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/crawlingchaosit</a> Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 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/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/crawling-chaos/" target="_blank">#CrawlingChaos</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/crescent/" target="_blank">#Crescent</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/death/" target="_blank">#Death</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/gojira/" target="_blank">#Gojira</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/italian-metal/" target="_blank">#ItalianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</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/nile/" target="_blank">#Nile</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/time-to-kill-records/" target="_blank">#TimeToKillRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/wyrd/" target="_blank">#Wyrd</a>

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