“If you’re familiar with Brothers of Metal at all, you already know how most of Fimbulvinter sounds, but if you aren’t, the band’s core sound is a very straightforward version of modern power metal (think Sabaton and turn-of-the-millennium Manowar) with some strong folk elements thrown in.” Brother or brother slayer?
“Taking their name from the Greek form of ‘holy spirit,’ Pneuma Hagion bestows unto us an offering of no-frills death metal. It feels like these guys took Morbid Angel’s Gateways to Annihilation and simmered it over low heat for hours, reducing it down to leave a delicious sauce of pure, unadulterated groove. But where Morbid Angel embellished Gateways with blistering guitar pyrotechnics, Pneuma Hagion has sold their soul for more bottom end.” Pneumonia and Hagis.
“When All for Metal released their debut album, Legends, just barely over one year ago, my relationship with metal and metal writing was in a dark place. After I saw/heard the singles for that debut, I initially waved these guys off as just another Sabaton, Brothers of Metal, and/or Manowar rip-off (albeit with a side of Disturbed), so it came as a total shock when the album’s cheesy anthems finally clicked, reigniting the dying embers trapped within my downtrodden heart of steel.” Metal on mettle.
“I can’t wait until fall and winter rear their damp, dreary heads and restore some goddamn order around here. In the meantime, it would be nice to have some sort of musical cooldown; yes, a fresh batch of icy black metal through which I could fantasize about wet, windy days and early falling nights would probably be just what the doctor ordered. Enter In Aphelion. These guys wowed me so much with their debut record Moribund that it earned a top-3 spot on my year-end list for 2022. Let’s see if follow-up Reaperdawn can follow suit and cure my horrendous case of swamp-ass.” In Assphelion.
“Nearly three years ago, I dropped a Very Good score on Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind, the sophomore record from Seattle’s Kaiju-themed death/thrash purveyors, Oxygen Destroyer. The earnestness with which band leader Lord Kaiju and his party of massive-monster minstrels weave their tales of gargantuan creatures into their furious metal through the use of film samples and sound effects lends their no-nonsense music a certain nerdtastic charm, and that album earned an Honorable Mention spot on my 2021 year-end list.” Big monsters!
“I’ve always adored the Powerwolf aesthetic. The use of the band’s hyper-aggressive werewolf mascot on most of their album covers and the over-the-top liturgical sacrilege of the band’s appearance and sound never fail to make me crack a smile. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of my childhood faith tradition with my rebellious latter-day metal sainthood, but grandiose organ music about blasphemous themes is a chocolate-and-peanut-butter-level combo for me.” Brownout wolves.
“It’s a little known fact that traditional metal is scientifically proven to possess therapeutic qualities. While anecdotal, you should consider my own experience to be even more authoritative than any evidence that science can produce. Whenever I’m feeling down about my work, my home responsibilities, or just life in general, putting on some tunes about warriors valiantly battling in the name of duty and honor usually kickstarts my heart and returns the gleam to the eye of my tiger. Ironflame, the traditional metal platform of Nechochwen’s Andrew d’Cagna, was formed in 2016, and since that time, the project has released four stellar platters of classic heavy metal.” Iron, flames, swords, and you.
“If you’re not a fan of straightforward heavy/power metal, there’s a good chance you’re not familiar with Dream Evil’s legendary output. But if you’re a fan of metal at all, odds are you’ve heard the work of the band’s founder, Fredrick Nordström. Best known for his work in the production booth, Nordström has left his mark on many classic albums; pick your favorite record from At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, or just about any famous Swedish melo-death band—and this guy probably had a hand in producing it. The aptly named Dream Evil is Nordström’s love letter to Ronnie James Dio and everything that the diminutive giant represented: guitar-driven heavy rock/metal imbued with the spirit of heroism.” Trust in the steel.
“The band hails from Ukraine, and when Russia invaded their homeland, I decided I’d throw a tiny bit of support their way by ordering said CD. I received a response from the band, telling me that all of their merch was trapped in an office in Kyiv, which, at the time, was under direct Russian attack. When I told them they could keep my money regardless of whether or not they’d ever be able to fulfill the order, they wrote back, “Thank you! It will be shipped if we and/or our merch will survive! We believe in our country as never before, and Ukraine will stay!” I eventually received that CD, and its back story makes it one of the most precious in my collection. Years later, the war for Ukraine still rages on, and fortunately, so does Hell:on.” War, merch, and peace.
“Greyhawk peddles traditional metal with a strong element of shred included thanks to their mighty guitar virtuoso, Jesse Berlin. The band’s focus on positivity and heroism is my favorite thing about them, and their music never fails to raise my spirits. An incident at the band’s 2021 show in Boise showed that heroism moving beyond fantasy and into reality when bassist Darin Wall was wounded while preventing a gunman from opening fire on the people gathered outside the venue. Now that’s a fucking heavy metal tale.” Tougher than lead.
