Cruz Del Sur Music

Mega Colossus – Watch Out! Review

By Killjoy on March 5, 2026 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 65 comments

“Let me start by disclosing something. I probably have the least metaphorical chest hair out of the entire AMG staff, meaning I often struggle to appreciate the more virile metal subgenres, including the “trad and true” heavy metal. But there are exceptions to every rule, and a big one is Mega Colossus. These North Carolinians have thus far been received warmly in these halls by the venerable Eldritch Elitist, and for good reason. Their euphoric cocktail of ultra-catchy tunes and clever lyrics—frequently paying homage to fantasy stories on the fringes of popular culture—is served with an infectious, fun-loving attitude. When Showdown appeared in 2024, it felt like things couldn’t get much better than that. Now, Mega Colossus is back to answer their self-imposed gauntlet with Watch Out! and continue to spread boundless cheer throughout the metalverse.” Size matters.

Greyhawk – Warriors of Greyhawk Review

By Holdeneye on February 12, 2026 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 40 comments

“What a week this has been for Seattle-based, Hawk-themed, team-oriented activities! Not only did I just get to see my beloved Seattle Seahawks reach the precipice of American football via the most awesome post-season arc I could have possibly drawn up, but I also get yet another opportunity to cover my beloved hometown metal heroes, Greyhawk. I’ve written ad nauseam about how I found the band and their brand of hard-rocking traditional metal, and I’ve routinely gushed my appreciation for their commitment to mind-positivity. Yes, it is safe to say that I am a total fanboy. So, it was with a fair bit of trepidation that I sat down with Greyhawk’s third full-length album, Warriors of Greyhawk.” Et tu, Hawk Tuah?

Phantom Spell – Heather & Hearth Review

By Angry Metal Guy on July 24, 2025 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 94 comments

“During the 16 years that AMG has been a thing, I have criticized the trend of reaching back for the sounds of yore and creating high-fidelity copies. Dubbed “Nostalgiacore,” I regularly razzed Steel Druhm about his obsession with his lost glory days and heartily rolled my eyes at Rethrash. I thumbed my nose at the 3,500 bands a week we were getting in 2015, wearing bell-bottoms and writing Black Sabbath riffs 45 years after Black Sabbath was released.” Ruh roh…

Fer De Lance – Fires on the Mountainside Review

By Steel Druhm on June 27, 2025 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 56 comments

“Back in 2022, we were introduced to the epic and trve heavy metal assault of Chicago’s Fer De Lance. They attempted to harness the martial sounds of classic heavy metal and doom and blend it with the might of Viking era Bathorycore for an alchemic concoction sure to warhammer the eggshell skulls of the untrve. The Hyperborean was an album that foretold of greatness, but the sometimes awkward songwriting kept it from crossing the Rainbow Bridge and ascending to Valhalla. Now they’re back to fight their way back to the top of the epic metal food chain with sophomore opus Fires on the Mountainside, and things sound a lot different this time.” Lance a lot.

Tower – Let There Be Dark Review

By Steel Druhm on March 19, 2025 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 42 comments

“Back in the Year of Our Plague 2021, New York City’s own Tower came out of nowhere and delivered a massive sucker punch to an unsuspecting Steely with their appropriately titled sophomore opus Shock to the System. It was a powerhouse ode to classic 80s metal full of sizzling guitar work and the massive vocals of Sarabeth Linden. It mixed the best elements of early US metal and NWoBHM and it hit significantly above its weight. 2025 brings us the sequel, Let There Be Dark.” The Dark Tower ascendant.

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.

Attacker – The God Particle Review

By Steel Druhm on April 11, 2024 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 47 comments

“New Jersey’s Attacker have a decades-long history but seem to exist in perpetual near-obscurity outside of the Tri-State area. Hitting the scene in 1985 with their Battle at Helm’s Deep debut, they were a part of the US power metal scene along with contemporaries Helstar, Liege Lord, and Jag Panzer. As with others in that movement, they blended Judas Priest andIron Maiden influences with increased speed. Now Attacker return with seventh album The God Particle. Will this be the fateful release that finally sees Weehawken, New Jersey’s finest getting greater exposure?” Do you come from the land of landfills?

The Neptune Power Federation – Goodnight My Children Review

By GardensTale on March 14, 2024 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Psychedelic Rock, 46 comments

“I have a soft spot for these Australian weirdos. Memoirs of a Rat Queen bowled me over back in 2019 and I still spin “Rat Queen” and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” regularly. Follow-up Le Demon De L’amour didn’t quite tickle my fancy the same way, though, with an overall less impactful and memorable tracklist that contained only one real banger. It seems love songs didn’t capture the off-kilter theatrical vibe where The Neptune Power Federation is strongest. The concept for Goodnight My Children is fairytales and bedtime stories, which can really go either way. Underwhelming sweetness or a wonky wonderland, what does the Imperial Priestess Screaming Loz Sutch have in store for us this year?” Tell us a story. Will ya? Will ya?

Stygian Crown – Funeral for a King Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on February 23, 2024 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 56 comments

“The clamor of zhangu, taiko, ahuli, tabor—even the timpani in a modern orchestral context—the steady hammering of the battlefield finds a comfort, an attachment to the mallet metronome of such simple instruments. In memory of sorrow, the rhythm of death metal through one of its most bass-rumbling pioneers, Bolt Thrower, finds that war-like march not just in pounding kicks but also weighted guitar harmonies and bass-throttled grooves that stir the warrior’s heart. Stygian Crown in their idiosyncratic expression of the metal arts embodies in part that low-end fueled, sword-rattling thunder. But as the title Funeral for a King may imply, and as the Steel One himself has explored before, Stygian Crown doesn’t just riff, they doom. Oh, do they doom!” Crown Thrower.

Mega Colossus – Showdown Review

By Eldritch Elitist on January 26, 2024 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 52 comments

“Mega Colossus has more fun than your favorite band. Not that it’s much of a contest given the typically joyless answers most metal fans give in response to the “favorite band” question in the name of cred preservation, but it’s true all the same. Nevermind that these North Carolina dudes can’t help but give the widest of grins in their promo shots; though ostensibly traditional metal, undiluted joy permeates their music on a level most power metal bands could not fathom. Unbridled exuberance seeps from every riff, lick, lyric, and vocal hook.” Mega fun, mega metal.