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Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tomarum-beyond-obsidian-euphoria/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria</a></p><p><i>By Kenstrosity</i></p><p>Over the past three years, I’ve come to appreciate <strong>Tómarúm</strong>’s surprising, mature debut <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tomarum-ash-in-realms-of-stone-icons-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Ash in Realms of Stone Icons</em></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. <strong>Tómarúm</strong>’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 <em>Beyond Obsidian Euphoria</em> with great curiosity and equal anticipation.</p><p>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"><strong>Ne Obliviscaris</strong></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"><strong>Amiensus</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/an-abstract-illusion-woe-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>An Abstract Illusion</strong></a>, and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/dawn-of-ouroboros-bioluminescence-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Dawn of Ouroboros</strong></a>, Atlanta quintet <strong>Tómarúm</strong> 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"><strong>Fallujah</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/lunar-chamber-shambhallic-vibrations-things-you-might-have-missed-2023/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Lunar Chamber</strong></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"><strong>Warforged</strong></a>‘s <em>I: Voice</em> playbook grants a palpable, terrifying presence. <em>Beyond Obsidian Euphoria</em> takes all of these elements, intrinsic to <strong>Tómarúm</strong>’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, <em>Beyond</em> 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.</p><p></p><p>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"><strong>Hail Spirit Noir</strong></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 <strong>Tómarúm</strong>’s talented fingers, which allows their unfaltering focus on story and character to shine ever brighter on <em>Beyond</em>’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.</p><p></p><p>At just under 70 minutes, <em>Beyond Obsidian Euphoria</em> 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<em> Ash in Realms</em>, my experience with <em>Beyond</em> 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.</p><p>Occasionally, I find myself unable to dedicate the time necessary to engage with <strong>Tómarúm</strong>’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, <em>Beyond Obsidian Euphoria</em> feels like a rare record that <em>needs</em> every second it consumes. The passion and personality <strong>Tómarúm</strong> 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.</p> <p><strong>Rating:</strong> Excellent!<br><strong>DR:</strong> 6 | <strong>Format Reviewed:</strong> 320 kb/s mp3<br><strong>Label:</strong> <a href="http://prostheticrecords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Prosthetic Records</a><br><strong>Websites:</strong> <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><br><strong>Releases Worldwide:</strong> April 4th, 2025</p><p><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></p>
Angry Metal Guy<p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/contrite-metal-guy-its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-wrongness-volume-the-first/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Contrite Metal Guy: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Wrongness, Volume the First</a></p><p><i>By Cherd</i></p><p><em>The life of the unpaid, overworked metal reviewer is not an easy one. Cascading promos, unreasonable deadlines, draconian editors, and the unwashed metal mobs – it makes for a swirling maelstrom of music and madness. In all that tumult, errors are bound to happen and sometimes our initial impression of an album may not be completely accurate. With time and distance comes wisdom, and so we’ve decided to pull back the confessional curtain and reveal our biggest blunders, missteps, oversights and ratings face-plants. Consider this our sincere AMGea culpa. Redemption is retroactive, forgiveness is mandatory.</em></p><p>As those of us who follow the Gregorian calendar and partake in Judeo/Christian cultural traditions prepare to face the final bosses of the holiday season, we experience a wide range of feelings. Anticipation, at the prospect of gorging on holiday treats as we shuffle from one party to another thrown by family and friends. Nostalgia, of course, as we uphold our traditions and reflect on the celebrations of yesteryear. And, for those who write music reviews for a non-living, contrition. Intense embarrassment and remorse as we prepare for Listurnalia, revisiting records we thought we had adjudicated accurately only to discover the depth of our wrongheadedness. Sometimes our self-reproach has nothing to do with impending lists. Sometimes, shortly after writing a review, an ember of doubt will ignite, smoldering just under our calm exteriors, growing until we want to shriek “Dissemble no more! I admit the deed! — tear up the planks! — here, here! — it is the beating of his hideous heart!” It’s been over three years since the last time we unloaded our disgrace onto you, the unsuspecting reader, so expect this to be a long self-flagellation session.</p><p><span><strong>– Cherd</strong></span></p> <p><strong><span>Sentynel</span></strong></p><p><strong>Powerhouse of contrition</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mitochondrial-sun-mitochondrial-sun-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Mitochondrial Sun</em></a> is the big one for me. I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up a weird side project from the <strong>Dark Tranquillity</strong> guitarist. Frankly, I underrated it at the time and it’s grown on me since. Yes, yes, the more ambient ten minutes between “Celestial Animal” and “The Great Filter” are not quite as interesting as the rest of the record. But this is a record to be experienced as a whole, and it’s rarely actually bothered me that the pacing could theoretically have been a little different. “Not quite as interesting” as something that’s absolutely stellar is still great. An incredible record, it draws on a lot of things I love while sounding little like any of them. Absolutely one of my favorites of this decade so far.</p><p><strong>Original score</strong>: 3.5<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: Excellent</p><p><strong>Transient error</strong></p><p>I haven’t really listened to <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ayreon-transitus-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Transitus</em></a> since 2020, which is not a great vote of confidence in the 3.5 I originally gave it. I was vaguely dreading exactly how contrite I was going to have to be here. In my head this had turned into me getting overly excited about reviewing <strong>Ayreon</strong> and awarding a high score to an album with no redeeming features, but listening to it again it’s not actually that bad. Pretty much everything I said in my original review was right, and I stand by what I said about the actual music being very good. It’s just that without the review forcing me to listen to it, the flaws have been more off-putting than I thought they would be. The narration is too heavy-handed. The tonal inconsistences are too jarring. And, as is inevitable for an <strong>Ayreon</strong> record, it’s too long. The result is that it’s a drag to get through, for all that it’s musically a lot of fun.</p><p><strong>Original score</strong>: 3.5<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: Mixed</p><p><strong>Inheritance taxed</strong></p><p>Less egregious an error than the other two here, but an error nonetheless. I listen to <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/musk-ox-inheritance-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Inheritance</em></a> all the time. It is one of the prettiest and most quietly but insistently moving records I own. The other day their Bandcamp page linked a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/coLf1jaYtnQ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">live recording</a> of it (and a couple of other songs) and I just sat there transfixed for the whole thing. I knew when I reviewed it that it was something special, I just wasn’t quite brave enough to give what would have been my first 4.5 at this metal blog to a chamber folk record. Subsequently, <strong>Musk Ox</strong> have played shows the week after I left Canada on more than one occasion and I’m starting to suspect they’re deliberately avoiding me. I’m sorry! It was excellent all along!</p><p><strong>Original score</strong>: 4.0<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: Excellent</p> <p><strong><span>GardensTale</span></strong></p><p><strong>Glutton for punishment</strong></p><p>I’ve announced my first downgrade last year, but now I finally got my chance to make it official. <strong>Foetal Juice</strong> is a bunch of Brighton boys who pump out some really solid death metal in the vein of <strong>Cannibal Corpse</strong> and peers. On my first brush with the juicy ones, I got a little <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/foetal-juice-gluttony-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">carried away</a> by their enthusiasm and uncommonly good production. While <em>Gluttony</em> is definitely a cut above the average in an overcrowded field, I never find myself grasping for it anymore. It’s simply not quite memorable enough for that. On replay, it’s easy to see why it got me as excited as it did; it sounds thick, heavy and gnarly, and the riffs kick all sorts of ass. Its longevity just hasn’t been anywhere befitting a 4.0, and so I will take it down a notch. Now officially.</p><p><strong>Original score:</strong> 4.0<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: 3.5</p><p><strong>In this moment we are sorry</strong></p><p>Most of the time, the commenters are idiots who don’t know what they’re talking about, unless they’re agreeing with me. In the case of <strong>Vuur</strong>, though, they had a point. In a classic case of wanting to like it more than I did, my <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/vuur-moment-free-cities-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">tongue-bath</a> of Anneke van Giersbergen’s <strong>Devin</strong>-influenced prog project had an unusual number of ‘this bit is not that great, but…’ disclaimers for a 4.0. While a select few loved <em>In This Moment We Are Free – Cities</em> as well, a lot of comments complained of a sterile production and unengaging songwriting. I may not agree with the severity of these complaints even now, but in essence, they are definitely valid, and I dismissed them far too easily. Anneke alone cannot compensate for these flaws to the tune of the score received, and listening back to the album I find myself enjoying it mildly, not greatly.</p><p><strong>Original score:</strong> 4.0<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: 3.0</p> <p><strong><span>Kenstrosity</span></strong></p><p><strong>Underrated Again!</strong></p><p>Just a little over a year after I originally reviewed Chicago progressive tech-death cryptid <strong>Warforged</strong>’s incredible <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/warforged-i-voice-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>I: Voice</em></a>, I submitted a <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/contrite-metal-guy-mistakes-were-made-4/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Contrite blurb</a> exposing my mistake of severely underrating its genius. It seems that very few others in the AMG community agreed wholeheartedly with me, save for a few unlikely supporters. Nonetheless, over the course of that year and change, <em>I: Voice</em> continued to grow, continually offering me new details to discover and challenging my perspective of what immersive songwriting and compelling storytelling mean in this sphere.</p><p>It’s been over four long years since that original contrite piece was published, and in that time <strong>Warforged</strong>’s immense debut only penetrated deeper into my psyche, blooming into a venerable monstrosity that has no equal. In every corner of the tech-death, progressive death, and even dissonant death metal halls, there lurks no other creature of the same grotesque form or fearsome presence as <em>I: Voice</em>. Its unique and inimitable character straddles the fence between tension and catharsis with such acrobatic finesse that I find myself in awe of its terrifying shape, reveling in the deeply disturbing environs it conjures and dreading the inevitable horror of its conclusion. For once it’s over, I am compelled by an instinctual, morbid obsession to venture back into this densely forested lair where those monsters that <strong>Warforged</strong> dared summon unto this mortal coil dwell. No other album before it, and no other album since ever drove me to this special kind of madness. If that doesn’t make <em>I: Voice</em> worthy of Iconic stature, then I don’t care to know what else would.</p><p><strong>Original Score</strong>: Good.<br><strong>Initial Adjusted Score</strong>: Excellent!<br><strong>Final Adjusted Score</strong>: Iconic!</p><p><strong>Overrated!</strong></p><p>As many of our readers are undoubtedly aware, I am an overpowered hype train incarnate. Unsurprisingly, I also have a tendency to become hyperfocused and more than just a little fixated on things when I love or hate them. Naturally, I was predisposed to a particularly rapt interest in this year’s greatest surprise, a new <strong>Sunburst</strong> album. Fully ready to accept that I would never hear from these Greek power prog powerhouses again, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/sunburst-manifesto-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Manifesto</em></a> made me extremely happy for the entire time I spent reviewing it.</p><p>In the months that followed, several major events in my life, at work, and elsewhere conspired to take me away from many of the records I loved. However, I made a concerted effort to revisit <em>Manifesto </em>as often as I could. Unfortunately, those efforts revealed a bit of a nagging feeling that I had been blind to some of this record’s flaws—namely, bloat. It’s not egregious, and it doesn’t ruin any song, but it does occasionally make fifty minutes of high-octane, high-IQ power metal feel closer to an hour. This is by no means a deal-breaker, and every song is still a banger. There’s no denying that <em>Manifesto </em>is a great album, and I still love it dearly. But, after removing my delicately rose-tinted glasses and looking at <strong>Sunburst</strong> with a more realistic eye, I recognize that by giving in to my infallible enthusiasm for a record I couldn’t have hoped for, I failed to fairly assess its quality in comparison to the many other fantastic records 2024 had to offer.</p><p><strong>Original Score</strong>: Excellent!<br><strong>Adjusted Score</strong>: Great!</p><p><strong>Underrated!</strong></p><p><strong>Elvellon</strong>’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/elvellon-ascending-in-synergy-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Ascending in Synergy</em></a> underwent the inverse trajectory of <strong>Sunburst</strong>—while I cooled a touch on <strong>Sunburst</strong>, I heated up for <strong>Elvellon</strong>. In a bizarre twist of fate, the challenges I faced in life this year put much about who I am as a person and as a music enjoyer into perspective. With that came a desire to rediscover the qualities in metal that made me fall in love with it in the first place, and to honor the journey that joining this blog gifted me—explosively expanding my horizons in the greater metalverse in the process. This introspection and reflection allowed me to, rather unexpectedly, recognize how I unfairly underrated these German symphocheese standouts.</p><p>Everything that I mentioned in my coverage of <em>Ascending in Synergy</em> remains true, for the most part. The most significant change between then and now is how much its flaws actually bother me in relation to how absolutely enamored I am with its virtues. The first eight songs <em>and</em> the closer remained a staple of my listening rotation far beyond the month I spent reviewing this record, and I’ve entirely stopped feeling the urge to skip the monologue-heavy penultimate epic. While I still could do without that speech and consequential bloat, I just can’t escape the vice grip those massive hooks that litter the entirety of this hour of lushly ornamented symphonic power metal have on my heart. I truly and wholly <em>love</em> this album. While far from most unique or the most complex record released this year, it is undoubtedly one of my favorites. It should then be rated to reflect that. So it shall be!</p><p><strong>Original Score</strong>: <em>Very</em> Good!<br><strong>Adjusted Score</strong>: Great!</p> <p><strong><span>Cherd</span></strong></p><p><strong>Baby, I done you wrong</strong></p><p>Back in September, I <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/glacial-tomb-lightless-expanse-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ran roughshod</a> over the poor score counter, proclaiming the blackened, sludgened death metal of <strong>Glacial Tomb</strong>’s <em>Lightless Expanse</em> a towering achievement befitting the band’s geographical location high in the Colorado Rockies. I still believe that the combo of “Voidwomb/Enshrined in Concrete/Abyssal Host” is “…a world-beating three-song stretch of brutality and tasteful songwriting.” However, I’ve come to realize some of the other material on the album doesn’t live up to the kind that should break the score counter’s <del>back</del> heart. So score counter, if you’re reading this, baby I love you. I’ve been such an ass. Please take me back? I promise it won’t happen again for probably a couple months.</p><p><strong>Original score:</strong> 4.0<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: 3.5</p><p><strong>Mistakes made in the dark</strong></p><p>Sometimes when you spend a lot of time with an album, you experience a kind of Stockholm Syndrome. You enter the world conjured by the sound and atmosphere and you become more amenable to its charms than you did on first impression, even if that impression was right. This past June I <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/black-wound-warping-structure-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">went spelunking</a> into the ridiculously grimy death metal depths of <strong>Black Wound</strong>’s <em>Warping Structure</em>. It could have been the acrid air or the lack of sunlight affecting my judgement, but something about it captured me in a way it doesn’t as I revisit the album. Don’t mistake me, despite the commentariat finding the raw production a bridge too far, I still think it’s a fun, filthy time. It’s just that as I swing my head lantern around, things that once looked menacing in the dark are in reality a bit less imposing.</p><p><strong>Original score</strong>: 3.5<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: 3.0</p><p><strong>What’s in a score?</strong></p><p>Six years ago, during my n00bdom, I was hazed most egregiously when <span><strong>Steel Druhm </strong></span>assigned me <strong>A Hero for the World</strong>’s <em>Winter Is Here</em>. Ostensibly the second part of a “rock opera” by one Jacob Kaasgaard, this album was in fact 90 minutes of Christmas classics and a single original song–in three versions–presented in the weeniest of weenie power metal styles. While Kaasgaard was clearly a competent instrumentalist, his singing veered into the unintentionally comical, and his ability to self-edit, and for that matter any self-awareness, was non-existent. I gave it a rare 1.0 and attempted to move on. Kaasgaard, however, wasn’t done with me. My wife and I decided that Christmas to put on <em>Winter Is Here</em> for shits and giggles as we decorated the tree. Then we did so the next year. The year after that, we decided to welcome the Yuletide by playing the album the day after Thanksgiving. We introduced it to friends of ours, who like us, laughed at the earnest disaster of it all, but, like us, they began using it to kick off their holiday festivities every year since. Something about the clear joy Kaasgaard exudes as he plays and sings these classic songs–and his earworm original–has lowered our critical defenses. <em>Winter Is Here</em> remains a bad album. But it’s a bad album we enjoy a little less ironically with every passing year.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/contrite-metal-guy-its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-wrongness-volume-the-first/#fn-207246-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a></p><p><strong>Original score:</strong> 1.0<br><strong>Adjusted score</strong>: 1.0<br><strong>Sentimental score</strong>: 4.0</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/a-hero-for-the-world/" target="_blank">#AHeroForTheWorld</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ascending-in-synergy/" target="_blank">#AscendingInSynergy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ayreon/" target="_blank">#Ayreon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-wound/" target="_blank">#BlackWound</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/contrite-metal-guy/" target="_blank">#ContriteMetalGuy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/elvellon/" target="_blank">#Elvellon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/foetal-juice/" target="_blank">#FoetalJuice</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/glacial-tomb/" target="_blank">#GlacialTomb</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/gluttony/" target="_blank">#Gluttony</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/i-voice/" target="_blank">#IVoice</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/in-this-moment-we-are-free-cities/" target="_blank">#InThisMomentWeAreFreeCities</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/inheritance/" target="_blank">#Inheritance</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/lightless-expanse/" target="_blank">#LightlessExpanse</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/manifesto/" target="_blank">#Manifesto</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mitochondrial-sun/" target="_blank">#MitochondrialSun</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/musk-ox/" target="_blank">#MuskOx</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/sunburst/" target="_blank">#Sunburst</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/transitus/" target="_blank">#Transitus</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/vuur/" target="_blank">#Vuur</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/warforged/" target="_blank">#Warforged</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/warping-structure/" target="_blank">#WarpingStructure</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/winter-is-here-a-holiday-rock-opera-pt-2/" target="_blank">#WinterIsHereAHolidayRockOperaPt2</a></p>
Badger<p>This is my drawing of my friend Suzy's <a href="https://mastodon.gamedev.place/tags/warforged" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>warforged</span></a> PC from an <a href="https://mastodon.gamedev.place/tags/Eberron" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Eberron</span></a> game we played.</p><p>TES is analytical, tall, socially abrupt and with her trusty Cat-ling gun can cause some serious havok.</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.gamedev.place/tags/dnd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dnd</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.gamedev.place/tags/ttrpg" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ttrpg</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.gamedev.place/tags/CharacterDesign" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CharacterDesign</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.gamedev.place/tags/pencil" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>pencil</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.gamedev.place/tags/sketchbook" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>sketchbook</span></a></p>
Zhjake<p>Stront IV<br><a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/art" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>art</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/artist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>artist</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/artistsofmastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>artistsofmastodon</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/mastoart" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>mastoart</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/creativetoots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>creativetoots</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/dnd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dnd</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/dungeonsanddragons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dungeonsanddragons</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/warforged" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>warforged</span></a></p>
Zhjake<p>Stront II<br><a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/art" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>art</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/artist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>artist</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/artistsofmastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>artistsofmastodon</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/creativetoots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>creativetoots</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/mastoart" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>mastoart</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/dnd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dnd</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/dungeonsanddragons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dungeonsanddragons</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/warforged" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>warforged</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/oc" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>oc</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/originalcharacter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>originalcharacter</span></a></p>
CatBat Art<p>Doodled our <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/curseofstrahd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CurseofStrahd</span></a> party in the style of Edward Gorey (one of my fave illustrators.) I had a lot of fun working in this style and I think Gorey fits the Strahd mood so well!<br>.<br><a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/dungeonsanddragons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dungeonsanddragons</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/art" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>art</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/illustration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>illustration</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/dnd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dnd</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/dnd5e" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dnd5e</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/firbolg" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>firbolg</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/kenku" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>kenku</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/tiefling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>tiefling</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/elf" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>elf</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/warforged" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>warforged</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/mastoart" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>mastoart</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.art/tags/digitalart" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>digitalart</span></a></p>