“Something must be in the water over in Poland, because the country churns out quality death metal like few others. The phrase ‘Polish death metal’ always grabs my attention, whether it’s technical like early Decapitated, thrashy à la Vader, or as blackened as Behemoth. Such was the case when I espied Shine’s Wrathcult lying unclaimed in the promo bin.” Hiding light under a cult bushel.
“Thrash metal trio Bitterness has been riffing around Germany’s underground metal scene since 2002. And despite a twenty-plus-year career spent in a state of sustained anonymity, these thrashers three are ready to throw down their eighth full-length odyssey, Hallowed Be the Game. Marching under the thrash banner in a country that birthed not only the Big Teutonic 4, but some very endearing second-tier bands, takes guts and persistence. Luckily, Bitterness has a little bit of both.” In the game of German thrash, be bitter or be dead.
“After list season comes to an end, there’s an involuntary sigh of relief that all the work got done, and while a lot of the lists were shit, stylistically and format-wise, they looked good. But the first review of the year is a different kind of sigh. Not one of relief but one of ‘here we go again.’ So, with my knuckles cracked and promo downloaded, I dive into Spanish thrashers, Furi Helium, and their sophomore outing, No Altar Stands Eternal.” Altared states.
“With age and wisdom, it appears this quintet is looking to make an impact decades after the heydays of this unique flavor of thrash came and went. The energy, since the release of Summon Thy Demons, must continue to surge in their veins because I’m back to deliver a review of this year’s Embrace the Awakening. While none of their albums are terrible by any means, will the ‘third-times-the-charm’ bring Mezzrow the breakout success they seek?” Makin’ a Mezz.
“Death metal boasts a lush buffet of subgenres. From mind-flaying technicality to chilling dissonance to wanton mirth, there’s something for everyone. Unmoved by how much the genre has evolved, some folks just want the straightforward, grass-fed variety that defined American death metal in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. And what bloodsport that was!” More bloodsport for the bloodsport god!
Filters are hard to keep clean because of all this filth. Don’t make it worse!
May Filters bring August off-kilters. Find your passion amongst the flotsam.
“Bloodletter play my kind of kryptonite—catchy, melodic guitar leads with tons of energy. When I saw this hit the promo bin, I immediately snatched it before Dr. AMG could get his hands on it. I was anxious to discover if Bloodletter could keep up with the energy and expert melodicism of their previous work.” Hate mail!
“Once heralded as a promising hotbed of melodic death metal goodness, Gothenburg, Sweden wasn’t quite the same back in 2005 as it was in the mid-to-late 1990s. In Flames was busy chasing the nü-metal dream, trading twin guitar melodies and acoustic folklore and beauty for jumpsuits, dreadlocks, and simplistic riffage. At The Gates, once the spearhead of the entire Gothenburg movement, was long gone at that point, and wouldn’t reunite for another couple of years. It was up to Dark Tranquillity to put the city back on the map, and despite their own dalliances in moody goth territory, it would take 2002’s Damage Done to marry their trademark melodic sensibilities with their newfound love for electronic influences and dark motifs.” Damage merchants.
“Lik have become a low-key favorite among the old school death metal nerds of Angry Metal Guy. Mass Funeral Evocation is one of stronger debuts from the last decade, while Carnage doubled down on its strengths. While I personally found Misanthrophic Breed less compelling, it had fans among other writers. It was therefore with high expectations that I embarked on this review.” Liking the dismembered entombed.
