Spicie Forrest

Frantically googling music terms to fake competence

Nytt Land – Aba Khan Review

By Spicie Forrest on February 19, 2026 in Reviews, Folk, Not Metal, 27 comments

“I’d like to share my favorite fact about Nytt Land, the Siberian dark folk project from husband and wife, Anatoly and Natalia Pakhalenko. During my research for this review, I came across an old interview with Anatoly. He was discussing instrumental diversity on their then-upcoming release, ODAL. Of all the instruments Anatoly plays, the talharpa, an ancient Nordic bowed lyre, is his favorite. Do you know why it’s his favorite? BECAUSE HIS WIFE MADE IT FOR HIM. MADE IT. WITH HER OWN TWO HANDS.” DIY for REAL.

Cattle Hammer – Dark Thoughts with Lights Out

By Spicie Forrest on February 17, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Sludge, 29 comments

“Based in Birmingham, UK, Cattle Hammer was formed by vocalist/guitarist Duncan Wilkins in 2023. He’s joined by I Cartwright on drums, J Wyles on guitar, and D Von Donovan on bass. Together, they mix a caustic brew of drone, doom, and sludge, but each track on Dark Thoughts with Lights Out has its own identity.” Hammers for beef.

Gorrch – Stillamentum Review

By Spicie Forrest on February 14, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, 19 comments

“Founded in 2010 and hailing from Cavaso del Tomba in northeastern Italy, Gorrch is the unsettling black metal project of fraternal duo, Chrimsicrin and Droich. Now, a decade after 2015 debut Nera estasi, Gorrch plumbs the depths of the abyss, seeking to give voice to the primal fear and disgust of being covered in roiling, writhing masses of maggots.” It’s NOT a gorrch!

Old Sorcery – The Outsider Review

By Spicie Forrest on February 9, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Dungeon Synth, 48 comments

“Swords and sorcery have served as metal muses since the genre’s earliest days and for the most seminal acts. Indeed, many a writer here at AMG Studios has indulged in a game or three hundred of Dungeons & Dragons, and I imagine the same can be said of our esteemed commentariat. So, on the rare occasion that dungeon synth, the correct soundtrack for all D&D games, falls into the promo sump, it’s picked up fairly quickly. Old Sorcery’s newest full-length, The Outsider, didn’t even make it that far before Mystikus Hugebeard and I had a Canadian standoff about coverage and settled on this appropriately lengthy double review.” Crawl and brawls.

Casket – In the Long Run We Are All Dead

By Spicie Forrest on January 22, 2026 in Reviews, Death Metal, 12 comments

“For over 30 years, Casket has been a reliable—if slow and not terribly well-known—source of classic death metal. Originally forming as a four-piece in Reutlingen, Germany in 1990, they released a slew of demos between 1992 and 1996 before releasing their debut, Under the Surface, in 1998. They’ve released something (demo, EP, or LP) every five years or so since then, and aside from paring down to a trio in 2007, not much has changed since the early days.” Getting laid in the coffin.

HyperioN (IT) – Cybergenesis Review

By Spicie Forrest on January 15, 2026 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 29 comments

“Formed in Bologna, Italy, HyperioN has been kicking around since 2015. When they visited these halls in 2017, Eldritch Elitist called their debut, Dangerous Days, “the strongest 3.0 possible,” citing its ability to “effortlessly [inject] elements of trash and power metal into the proceedings” and its “significant room for future growth.” HyperioN returns now in 2026 with their third full-length, Cybergenesis, a concept album chronicling an interdimensional war, humanity’s enslavement, and their eventual rebellion and liberation.” Start the cyber.

St. Unholyness – Through High Holy Haze Review

By Spicie Forrest on January 11, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, 25 comments

“As a non-musician, writing music and playing an instrument is always impressive to me, but I am in awe of the successful solo artist. The knowledge and skill required must be staggering. St. Unholyness, hailing from Pfarrkirchen, Germany, is essentially one such project. Aside from conscripting Mac Carrigan to play bass, debut Through High Holy Haze is the singular vision of guitarist/vocalist Christina Earlymorn. As far back as 2008, Earlymorn has been playing in various black metal projects, mostly solo, but Through High Holy Haze is a much wider-ranging affair.” One cowgirl from Hell?

Primitive Man – Observance [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Spicie Forrest on December 11, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Noise, Sludge, 29 comments

“It’s been a decade since Primitive Man last graced these halls with 2015’s tepidly received Home is Where the Hatred Is, but they haven’t been idle. In the meantime, the Denver trio has released 2 LPs, a full-length EP, a split with Unearthly Trance, and a collab with Full of Hell. Those ten years were spent experimenting, learning, and honing their sound into something so incredibly bleak that not even the promo pit could contain such hopeless darkness.” Man against earlier man.

Fleshvessel – Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded Review

By Spicie Forrest on December 8, 2025 in Reviews, Avant-Garde, Black Metal, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, Progressive Metal, 18 comments

“Sisyphus is my favorite character in Greek mythology. It’s why I picked up Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded, the sophomore release from US-based metal vanguard, Fleshvessel. You see, not only does Sisyphus cheat Death twice—which in itself is hella metal—but in being damned to eternally roll a boulder uphill, he becomes an allegory for the human experience. This endless toil and glorification of the struggle serves as the thematic foundation for Obstinacy, revolving around “our own stubbornness/persistence as human beings and how it can be both a detriment to, or deliverance from, our collective and individual struggle for a better world.”” Rock and a slanted place.

Burning Death – Burning Death Review

By Spicie Forrest on December 5, 2025 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 21 comments

“In the prehistoric era known in academic circles as “the 80s,” metal had not yet splintered into the myriad microgenres we know today. Even our ten-ish main subgenres, while beginning to differentiate themselves, were still fairly grey. Within this primordial soup floated the building blocks that would one day give rise to modern black metal, including, among others, the early works of Slayer, Kreator, and Vulcano. This evil-sounding, satanic/anti-Christian thrash metal is also the inspiration for Nashville newcomers, Burning Death.” Die in Fi-YAA!