Andy-War-Hall

Born to overrate, forced to 2.5

Malefic – Impermanence Review

By Andy-War-Hall on March 2, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 22 comments

“A tabby cat is what you get when you let nature take its course. Nearly every stray is a tabby because, without selective breeding from human interference, cats just end up looking like that most of the time. Similarly, Atlanta’s Malefic feel to me what you’d get if you let the faster variants of extreme metal reach their natural conclusion. Playing a style that draws from thrash, black and death metal, Malefic formed in 2007 with the stated goal of modernizing black metal. In doing so, they’ve imbued in their slow-cooked debut Impermanence, an intensity and drive befitting a genre-forwarding record.” Maleficent.

Cryptic Shift – Overspace & Supertime Review

By Andy-War-Hall on February 23, 2026 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 88 comments

“With the same swirling whammy lick opening “Moonbelt Immolator” gracing the opening minute of “Cryogenically Frozen,” Cryptic Shift have returned. Visitations from Enceladus was a monolithic record that rocked my world in 2020, taking me to the most vile reaches of the universe in a technical death/thrash expedition of cosmic horror. Six years later, the group from Leeds, UK aim to expand on their already expansive debut regarding both their sci-fi theming and musicality with their sophomore. They didn’t skimp out on us either.” Shifting to overkill drive.

Teutonic Slaughter – Cheap Food Review

By Andy-War-Hall on February 13, 2026 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 13 comments

“Becoming a fully-fledged metalhead is when you stop associating German metal with Rammstein and start with Teutonic thrash. There’s something about Germany that just makes thrash metal meaner, dirtier, and nastier than anywhere else, and without Teutonic thrash, extreme metal would likely look very different from where it is today. Knowing and loving this heritage, Germany’s own Teutonic Slaughter throws their feather-capped hat into the ring with their third album, Cheap Food, brandishing both a ridiculous album cover and a conviction to maintain the glory of old school Teutonic thrash metal.” Eat, prey, leave.

Agenbite Misery – Remorse of Conscience Review

By Andy-War-Hall on February 5, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Noise Rock, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 65 comments

“Anyone who’s brushed against James Joyce’s modernist classic Ulysses has almost certainly encountered the phrase “remorse of conscience” before. A pivotal theme of the novel, remorse of conscience refers to more than mere guilt over a perceived ethical failure but the misery inflicted by it, its weight and torment. In the days leading up to receiving Remorse of Conscience, the independent debut from New Hampshire’s genre-blending Agenbite Misery, a record informed by Ulysses and “steeped in grief, alienation and the search for meaning in modern life,” I was experiencing that eponymous turmoil myself.” Modern Hellenic disorientation.

Coronatus – Dreadful Waters Review

By Andy-War-Hall on February 1, 2026 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Symphonic Metal, 22 comments

“Like a sailor’s call to the sea, I am routinely compelled to the sub-genre of symphonic metal in all of its be-corset-ed miscellany. Why? Maybe I need a break from dudes singing ugly for ladies singing pretty. Maybe falling for Seven Spires justified my continued curiosity in the style. Maybe I’ve never been as happy as I was discovering Imaginaerum in high school. Regardless, the call brought me now to the German symphonic group Coronatus and their new record, Dreadful Waters.” Symphonies of Same Ness.

ZU – Ferrum Sidereum Review

By Andy-War-Hall on January 26, 2026 in Reviews, Djent, Industrial Metal, Instrumental Metal, Progressive Metal, 36 comments

“Literal metals are always cooler when they come from space. A blade forged from meteoric iron is effectively the same as one made from iron you can find on Earth, but don’t tell me you wouldn’t want the space knife way more. Likewise, metal music always sounds cooler when it feels like it’s from another world. Enter ZU, the Italian jazz metal trio comprised of guitarist/bassist Massimo Pupillo, saxophonist/keyboardist Luca Mai, and drummer Paolo Mangardi.” Zu Zu pedals!

AngryMetalGuy.com’s Aggregated Top 20 Albums o’ 2025

By Andy-War-Hall on January 19, 2026 in Blog Posts, Lists, 237 comments

You read all the lists, but nothing prepared you for THIS! Behold AngryMetalGuy.com’s Aggregated Top 20 Albums o’ 2025 and despair!

Wildhunt – Aletheia Review

By Andy-War-Hall on January 8, 2026 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, 36 comments

“The calendar turns, and what better way to celebrate the coming year than an album that sounds straight out of the late 80s? Austria’s Wildhunt have been slinging out classic thrash/heavy metal since 2011, but have until this year produced only one record: 2016’s Descending. Ten years is a long time to cook up a sophomore record, and Wildhunt via Jawbreaker Records boasts of “a mix of detail-loving, energetic metal and epic song structures” for album number two, Aletheia.”” Tally ho!

Starscourge – Conqueror of the Stars – Betwixt Sundered Seraphim, the Lands Between Bleed Review

By Andy-War-Hall on December 22, 2025 in Reviews, Blackened Death Metal, 49 comments

“Fromsoftware’s behemoth action-RPG Elden Ring is an enigma. How a game so obtuse, difficult, and uniquely itself in its visuals and storytelling became the blockbuster that it is baffles me, and it’s one of those precious pieces of art that simply makes me happy to live in the same world as it. It’s also metal as anything can be. Bands like Fell Omen have tapped into the game’s mythology for inspiration before and, now, the international blackened death duo Starscourge enter the fray with their debut Conqueror of the Stars – Betwixt Sundered Seraphim, the Lands Between Bleed.” Star power.

Petrified Giant – Endless Ark [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Andy-War-Hall on December 19, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, 18 comments

“For many, the mention alone of “YouTuber music” evokes a sudden and potent nausea. Historically tacky, poorly conceived or just plain bad, these projects are so often killed at conception if not by a lack of talent or vision then by the sin of vanity, assembled too self-consciously to leave any real impression. The music is only another extension of their online celebrity and, man, does it sound like it. Petrified Giant formed by the guitar duo of online funny guys Dave McElfatrick (Cyanide & Happiness) and Lyle Rath (Wrathclub, OneyPlays), are not like those other guys. To the contrary, Petrified Giant’s debut Endless Ark just rocks.” If the Ark is arocking…