“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.
“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.” Blindfolded and led to the Rodeö.
March Filters bring summer bewilders when missed, so come see what we found in the iron scrapings.
“Though often yoked to the tech death scene, I’ve never found Dormant Ordeal particularly technical. Or at least not in the way bands like Defeated Sanity, Archspire, or Gorod are considered technical. Why is this important? Because on Tooth and Nail, their fourth outing and first for new label Willowtip, we see Dormant Ordeal step further away from any vestiges of technicality. Factor in too that, since the release of We Had It Coming, Dormant Ordeal continues to shrink—the most recent departure being that of drummer and founding member Radek Kowal—and you have an ordeal ripe for drama. Dormant Ordeal has, however, always managed high levels of quality output.” Don Dokken vs Dormant Ordeal.
![Unhallowed Deliverance – Of Spectres and Strife [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/UnhallowedDeliverance-OfSpectresandStrife01.jpg)
If two AMG staffers warn of a serious miss, you should probably take notice. So it goes for Unhallowed Deliverance!
Look at that! We did double duty on the Filters, covering August and September. We really only cleaned them once but billed double. Don’t narc on us!
“Deivos is probably not the band you think of first when it comes to the vibrant Polish death metal scene. Vader? Sure. Behemoth?? Of course! Decapitated?! Absolutely–Winds of Creation is one of the best death metal debuts on record. I was surprised, then, to discover that Deivos has also stalked the scene for over 25 years, starting in 1997–and that Apophenia is the band’s seventh album since debuting Emanation from Below in 2006.” Olde perogies.
“The devastation of ma’at and the iniquity of man are embodied by the German blackened death metal band Apep. Established in 2016 and offering its first full-length in 2020, the formidable The Invocation of the Deathless One, the core palette of no-frills blackened death metal, whose intensity can verge upon war metal periodically, is continued in Before Whom Evil Trembles. Featuring just a dash of desert sands, the sophomore full-length is far from a slump.” Come and witness what has risen from the ancient Nile!
“Polish death metal quintet Disloyal have been active since the late ‘90s yet have managed to escape the searing Angry Metal Eye up until now. This may have something to do with their genre of choice; black and post-metal are the Polish flavors of choice ‘round these parts. Or it could have to do with the looming shadows of their illustrious countrymen: Vader, Decapitated, Hate, and the increasingly out-of-place elephant in the room, Behemoth. Whatever the reason, I aim to rectify our oversight and give Disloyal their well-deserved moment in the charnel house spotlight.” Those once Disloyal.
“No matter how much money and success that an Angry Metal Guy review can help bestow upon a band, sales play only part of the hard-to-achieve role of financial forwarding in a band’s life. Back in 2017, the esteemed Kronos demanded not once but twice that you turn to Massachusetts-born death troupe Replacire with open minds and wallets to find a fruitful footing. But the journey from then to today has been hard for many. Just as Replacire seemed to be taking hold of the road and recording future, a tour-less 2020 emerged and heavily stalled the album they have finally delivered here.” Endure, adapt, Replacire.
