Things You Might Have Missed

Panopticon – Songs of Hiraeth [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Panopticon – Songs of Hiraeth [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Thus Spoke on December 22, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Folk, 19 comments

“I spent so long this summer submerged in Panopticon’s discography, once I came back up, I was overwhelmed by the amount of things I’d missed or needed to get a headstart on. Consequently, I didn’t spend a huge amount of time with Songs of Hiraeth when it first dropped; I listened, loved it, made a note to TYMHM it, and moved on. It was only as Autumn started to turn into Winter and the seasonal chill reminded me of not just my end-of-year writing obligations, but the snowy wildernesses of Northern America (and Northern Europe, where much of Songs of Hiraeth was conceived).” Calls of the wild.

Dagdrøm – Schauder [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Dagdrøm – Schauder [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Kenstrosity on December 20, 2025 in Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 18 comments

“To be perfectly honest, I no longer recall when or how exactly I encountered Germany’s Dagdrøm for the first time. There’s a pretty good chance it was a Discordian recommendation, or I discovered it organically while sifting through Bandcamp’s new releases feed. Either way, their debut Schauder regularly circulates on my listening rotation. Weirdly, it received very little fanfare from the commenters or other arenas of metallic discourse that I frequent. It’s a shame, because Schauder remains one of the coolest melodic black metal albums released this year.” Døggøne it!

Clouds – Desprins [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Clouds – Desprins [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Thus Spoke on December 8, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Death Doom, Funeral Doom, 9 comments

“Those of you who have been paying close attention may remember that Clouds’ 2021 album Despǎrțire was the subject of my very first review here at AMG; a review that in my n00bish naïveté, I appended with a 4.5. I don’t regret it, but will admit the name Clouds had faded a little in my mind before a sudden and apparently unannounced drop of Desprins back in January caused all the sweet sadness to come flooding back.” Like waves of melancholy, Clouds drift in.

Citadel – Descension [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Citadel – Descension [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Kenstrosity on November 14, 2025 in Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 82 comments

“2025 has been a banner year for the long form in my book. With such high-ranking triumphs from Tómarúm, An Abstract Illusion, and Flummox in rotation, you’d think there wouldn’t be any time left for another. Yet, New Jersey trio Citadel dropped the lush and dramatic Descension upon the Earth back in late March, and it’s never left my rotation since.” Fortress of goodness.

Choir – Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

Choir – Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

By Dear Hollow on February 9, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2024, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 14 comments

“Bring them tired ashes to the black waters and sing an anthem for the famine! Smithe Thee Smoldering Providence is blasphemy, a molten and silt-laden horror that saturates every negative space with noise, desolation, and punishment. It dirges and roars like the gods that you thought were benevolent and merciful – their faces lurid and nauseating when you looked upon them. Hallelujah, you will go mad. You will embrace your fate with arms outstretched and feet running until you sink. You will vomit and rejoice at the coming of ruin. You will praise your master. Choir preaches to this manic truth and gospel of filth, recalling the memory of a ritual buried deep in a book of death-bathed dark.” Of smoldering and smotting.

Lowen – Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

Lowen – Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

By Kenstrosity on January 18, 2025 in Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2024, Doom Metal, Progressive Metal, 70 comments

“My biggest regret of 2024 when it comes to my metallic ingestions is missing Lowen’s incredible sophomore effort, Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran. You may ask why I went so long without giving it a go, but if you look at its early October release date and the general state of life in my region at that time, you’ll understand. In another timeline, I would have spun Demons until it fell to dust in my hands, handily securing it a Top Five slot on my Top Ten(ish) of the year. It’s just that good.” Don’t fight your demons.

Grendel’s Sÿster – Katabasis into the Abaton [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

Grendel’s Sÿster – Katabasis into the Abaton [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

By Angry Metal Guy on January 7, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2024, Heavy Metal, 69 comments

Unlike other members of the Angry Metal Guy staff—such as the venerable, self-aware ape suit they call Druhm who’s just one death away from actually running this show in case anything happens to me—I am not a sucker for just anything that sounds old. Such things do not remind me of my wasted youth, and thus do not earn nostalgia points. I was, therefore, thoroughly surprised that, upon listening to Grendel’s Sÿster vicariously through an ill-fated n00b review, I fucking loved it.