Kenstrosity

Destroying AMG's metal cred from within.
Cemican – U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj Review

Cemican – U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj Review

By Kenstrosity on October 30, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 32 comments

“Hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, folk-death septet Cemican caught my attention way back in 2019 with their third record, In Ohtli Teoyohtica In Miquiztli. Boasting strong riffcraft and a penchant for chimeric songwriting, Cemican’s unique style and compelling subject matter challenged what I expected from the death metal scene at the time. Focused on bringing to the fore the sounds, rhythms, and even the language of pre-Mexican indigenous peoples (specifically, Mayan), Cemican’s mission serves a cultural spirit lost to time and colonialism.” Fallen empires and death.

Psychonaut – World Maker Review

Psychonaut – World Maker Review

By Kenstrosity on October 23, 2025 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 40 comments

“Over the course of the last five years and change, my estimation of Belgian three-piece Psychonaut has only increased. Where I unfortunately missed out on Violate Consensus Reality for review duties, I didn’t let it slip outside of my listening rotation—certainly not after such an impressive debut, Unfold the God Man. I underrated that outing, citing bloat as the main drawback. Little did I consider that Psychonaut’s music often needs much more time than we’re given as our standard reviewing window to fully bloom. The psychedelic proggy post-metal purveyors boast a thoughtful and deeply layered songwriting approach that can’t be captured by a casual spin or three. Hence why I asked for World Maker, the trio’s third opus, early.” Letting the space brain flavors develop.

Tombs – Feral Darkness Review

Tombs – Feral Darkness Review

By Kenstrosity on October 14, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Hardcore, Post-Metal, Sludge, Sludge Metal, 15 comments

“This is my first time reviewing Brooklyn’s Tombs, but it’s not my first time experiencing them. Each year that a new Tombs drops, I feel the hype machine churning from the community, which I love, disinterring my interest in the sludgy, blackened call Tombs is now known so well for. It’s been five years since the somewhat divisive Under Sullen Skies first graced my ears, and now I take over for Doom_et_Al to serve at the foot of Feral Darkness.” Buried in Brooklyn dirt.

Stuck in the Filter: July 2025’s Angry Misses

Stuck in the Filter: July 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on October 6, 2025 in Stuck in the Filter, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, Experimental Metal, Folk Metal, Groove Metal, Hardcore, Instrumental Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Nu Metal, Pop Metal, Progressive Metal, Sludge, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, 55 comments

July Filters get sticky from the heat. It takes time to cool em down and unstickify those rascals. We did it though, for YOU.

Terra Atlantica – Oceans Review

Terra Atlantica – Oceans Review

By Kenstrosity on September 23, 2025 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 54 comments

“I had almost forgotten about German four-banger Terra Atlantica since I last covered them five years ago. Once my memory refreshed, I recalled what compelled me to snag Age of Steam in the first place: my love for steampunk. Far from the most dedicated—and perhaps even farther away from the best—piece of media based on that universe, Terra Atlantica nonetheless did sound appropriately grounded in a world propelled by superheated water. But their songwriting was too inconsistent to make a big splash with this sponge. With follow-up Oceans in tow, is their hope that Terra Atlantica will hoist my sails properly this time?” From steam to water power.

Nexion – Sundrung Review

Nexion – Sundrung Review

By Kenstrosity on September 17, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 44 comments

“I was late to the Nexion train when debut masterpiece Seven Oracles dropped five years ago. Peddling blackened death metal of the Icelandic persuasion, the occult quintet floored me with their writhing, twisted take on the genre, fronted by possibly the best vocalist in black metal right now. It’s 2025, and a new Nexionic invocation approaches, looming over this world with a heart full of chaos and a mind consumed in shadow. Is it too much to ask this latest summoning, entitled Sundrung, to match the imposing, irresistible presence of its predecessor?” Nexion is next!

Ritual Mass – Cascading Misery Review

Ritual Mass – Cascading Misery Review

By Kenstrosity on September 12, 2025 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 19 comments

“It’s difficult to enter a conversation about death doom without thinking, at least once, of Incantation. Or Autopsy. Or Asphyx. Or any number of other acts in between. But not many of them choose “Christian Mysticism” as their primary theme. Here enters Pittsburg death doom upstarts Ritual Mass, primed to unleash their debut slab of biblical horrors Cascading Misery upon this God-fearing world. One can only wonder what fresh Hell this tome holds.” Hell is home.

Infernal Thorns – Christus Venari Review

Infernal Thorns – Christus Venari Review

By Kenstrosity on September 10, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 28 comments

“You may ask if the world needs yet another Satan-worshipping, demon-loving, God-forsaking metal band. The rational answer is probably a resounding no. And normally, I would agree. But I recognize that moving away from those themes is a lot to ask of the metalverse. Chilean thrashy death metal imps Infernal Thorns certainly aren’t inclined to stop reveling in hellish delights just because it’s a stereotype. They’ve been doing it since 2003, after all, and doing it quite well. So well, in fact, that after spending two weeks with third tome Christus Venari, I hope they never listen to me and keep churning out killer tunes from the nine circles for all eternity.” Thorns in the mind’s hide.