El Cuervo

I'm not deliberately contrary.

Drugs of Faith – Asymmetrical Review

By El Cuervo on February 19, 2025 in Reviews, 4 comments

“Though the group may have swerved any attention at AngryMetalGuy.com, and swerved a full-length album for more than 13 years, Virginia’s Drugs of Faith have no shortage of grindcore pedigree. Besides a smorgasbord of demos, EPs, splits, and singles, Richard Johnson of Agoraphobic Nosebleed notoriety graces the band with guitar and vocals. Asymmetrical is their latest release and promises an uneven spread of musical directions and lyrical themes on a base built on punky, noisy grind.” Faith in medicine restored?

Mad Parish – The Dust of Forever Review

By El Cuervo on February 12, 2025 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, 43 comments

“Woe betide the lowly copywriter / AI bot that dared to write that a band was ‘for fans of’ Iron Maiden, Virgin Steele, Camel, Rush and Rainbow. Iron Maiden and Camel are among my favorite acts in any genre, while the latter two boast a couple of the best rock albums ever released. Following this description I metaphorically elbowed other staffers aside to reach the sophomore Mad Parish record entitled The Dust of Forever. It’s certainly ambitious, weaving its yarn over 71 minutes and 21 tracks, including ten that run no more than two minutes designed to tell the album’s story through atmospheric interludes.” To dust return.

Saor – Amidst the Ruins Review

By El Cuervo on February 5, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 96 comments

“A black metal nerd’s love for their country’s natural history is one of the purest loves in metal. Andy Marshall, now best known for Saor, is one of the world’s premier folk/black metal artists and writes music that harks to Scotland’s immense beauty and folkloric culture. Album six, entitled Amidst the Ruins, is now primed for unveiling and once more returns to the desolate highlands, glossy lochs, and misty glens that characterize the best of Scottish nature.” Runes amidst the ruins.

AngryMetalGuy.com’s Aggregated Top 20 Albums o’ 2024

By El Cuervo on January 30, 2025 in Blog Posts, Lists, 235 comments

“Here we are. The culmination of not just two to five weeks of hardcore listing, but twelve months of hardcore metalling. The AngryMetalGuy.com Aggregated Top 20 Albums o’ 2024 represents the cream of the crop, or more accurately, the cream of a small corner of a field containing some crops. Using the unrestrained power of manual data entry and a mighty spreadsheet, our wonderful little website compiles our numerous year-end ranking articles and the dozens of metal albums therein into one final, dreadful ranking.” One List to Debase Them All, One List to Find Them…

Hesperia – Fra li Monti Sibillini Review

By El Cuervo on January 13, 2025 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 74 comments

“What could be better than beginning 2025 with black metal? I’ll tell you what could be better. Beginning 2025 with one-man-band black metal indulging in a level of excess that only an Italian taking 76 minutes over 14 tracks could. Seven prior full-length Hesperia releases have somehow flown under the Angry Metal Radar, so now I pay penance for our sin of ignorance.” A black new year.

El Cuervo’s, GardensTale’s, and Eldritch Elitist’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By El Cuervo on December 30, 2024 in Blog Posts, Lists, 291 comments

Listurnalia rolls ever onward to glory! Next up are El Cuervo, GardensTale and Eldritch Elitist, each with a glowing Top Ten(ish) of 2024 to consider and study in depth. Have at them!

Ass to Mouth – Enemy of the Human Race Review

By El Cuervo on November 25, 2024 in Reviews, Grind, 63 comments

“Ass to Mouth are an entertainingly-titled but unheralded Polish band that quietly dropped one of the best grind records of the 2010s with Degenerate, before promptly disappearing for a decade. Their prized quality was their irreverent, cynical outlook on life that resulted in music that tore chunks out of politicians, organized religion, and other holier-than-thou hypocrites. They did this with a perversely visceral brand, dipping into images of sex and violence to deliver their message. 2024 sees their equally unexpected return with a new line-up and record called Enemy of the Human Race.” Ass is in session.

Opeth – The Last Will and Testament Review

By El Cuervo on November 14, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 246 comments

“Little introduction is required for the progressive metal institution that is Sweden’s Opeth. In a career running over 30 years in length and spanning 13 previous studio albums, they have demonstrated an unending pursuit of progression by drawing in more influences as they’ve changed. From death metal to progressive rock to European folk to whimsical jazz, they have tracked a course that has always been fascinating, even if the quality has varied a little more than that.” So, is it true? Is the new Opeth good?

Beardfish – Songs for Beating Hearts Review

By El Cuervo on November 4, 2024 in Reviews, Progressive Rock, 24 comments

“It’s strange to reflect on more than a decade of servitude at AMG.com. It’s even stranger to think there’s only been one Beardish record in that time, considering that the decade before saw six of them. 2015’s +4626-Comfortzone may not have been the best progressive rock release in the last 10 years but it’s supremely enjoyable, if somewhat off-beat and irreverent. The close of 2024 sees the overdue renewal and return of the Swedish band, showing signs of a more mature outfit than we saw previously. Songs for Beatings Hearts is a warm reminder of one of the genre’s unsung heroes and the power of dissolution and then reformation.” Gray hair, fresh fish.

VOLA – Friend of a Phantom Review

By El Cuervo on October 30, 2024 in Reviews, Electronica, Progressive Metal, 62 comments

“Denmark’s VOLA is one of the jewels in the crown of progressive metal from the last ten years. Three successive releases orienting around smart, technical, creative and catchy songs with few real weaknesses means they’re one of my favorite bands around at the moment. A reliable tri-annual release schedule meant that 2024 was due a new record and the band duly delivered. Friend of a Phantom is the output, with a one sheet promising a new approach to song-writing and a newer, more mature VOLA.” Estranged and strange.