4.5

Structure – Heritage Review

By Steel Druhm on April 25, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 133 comments

“Just when I thought I’d make it to May without awarding the coveted Steel ov Approval, an unheralded project erupts from the Netherlands and forces my unwilling hand. Structure is the labor of love of Bram Bijlhout, who served seven years as a guitarist in atmo-doom deathers Officium Triste. Now he’s putting his own spin on the genre, handling everything save for vocals and drums. In comes the esteemed Pim Blankenstein, also of Officium Triste and The 11th Hour, to handle the former, with Dirk Bruinenberg (Elegy, ex-Adagio) manning the latter. On the full-length debut, Structure prove this project can honor the doom Heritage that birthed it.” A legacy of sorrow and ash.

Changeling – Changeling Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on April 25, 2025 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, 94 comments

“Creation, evaluation, iteration—art lives and transforms an untold number of times before its flesh lays bare for a dissecting audience. Thus, the album runs on a path of turns sharp, around, back again—whatever it takes—before the artist declares it enough. Tom Geldschläger has worn many musical lives, both under his given moniker and “Fountainhead” with acclaimed acts like Obscura and Ingurgitating Oblivion, and as a performer/engineer. And now, with Changeling, Geldschläger seeks to express a culmination of his works, partnerships, and curiosities in a grand exploration of his unique fretless guitar stylings amongst progressive, orchestral, and deathly conjurings.” Grow, evolve, MUTATE!

Flummox – Southern Progress Review

By Kenstrosity on April 23, 2025 in Reviews, Avant-Garde, Black Metal, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Metal, Progressive Metal, 90 comments

“Originally slated to be my main Thing You Might Have Missed feature, Tennessee avant-garde metal quintet Flummox’s fifth LP Southern Progress caught me completely off guard. Attracted to the prompt “their most obnoxious album yet,” I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first exposure to Flummox’s work. I figured it might be weird, but it’s also distinctive, fun, and infectious. Fearlessly creative, deeply detailed, lyrically cutting, and stupidly intelligent, Southern Progress rapidly became my favorite record released so far this year.” Southern fried befuddlements.

Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power Review

By Doom_et_Al on April 5, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, 181 comments

“You never forget your first love. The sense of wonder and excitement, a world you had only heard and read about, opening up to you like a flower on a Summer’s day. Deafheaven was my first (in a metal sense). The combination of furious black meal, searing post metal, and fuzzy shoegaze, mixed with a dollop of genuine longing, totally rewired my brain. Which means that if you’re looking for a coldly analytical review of a band’s sixth album, you should probably go elsewhere. Deafheaven is part of my DNA, and a new album will always be a big deal, even if we’ve drifted apart over the years. You see, while I’ve enjoyed the band’s output since the wondrous Sunbather, it’s been clear that Deafheaven and I have been moving in different directions.” Tonguebather.

Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria

By Kenstrosity on April 2, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, 118 comments

“Over the past three years, I’ve come to appreciate Tómarúm’s surprising, mature debut Ash in Realms of Stone Icons at a deeper level than I had hoped to reach in the mere two weeks provided at the time. While I stand by my overall score—and by my critiques—my relationship with that record grew more meaningful and rewarding with time. Tómarúm’s spiritually charged, introspective point of view speaks volumes of suffering and strife, while the complexity of their musical compositions reflects in uncompromising clarity the fluid order that governs a turbulent chaos of the soul and of the heart. With this fresh in mind, I approach follow-up Beyond Obsidian Euphoria with great curiosity and equal anticipation.” Euphoriacs.

Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar Review

By Al Kikuras on March 18, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 245 comments

“When last I returned to the review writing foray I was perhaps a bit over-zealous in awarding a 4.5 to The Haunted’s Exit Wounds. Almost seven years to the day since my last review shat the bed here at AMG, the question lingers in my now over half-a-century older brain… will I make the same mistakes again now as an equally-excited antiquarian? There is no better band to test this theory than the very of-the-times Imperial Triumphant, the talented and divisive trio out of New York City.” Styles, trends and triumphs.

Shepherds of Cassini – In Thrall to Heresy Review

By sentynel on February 18, 2025 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 73 comments

“Long, long ago, around when I first joined the staff here, Shepherds of Cassini released Helios Forsaken. I didn’t discover it in time to actually write anything about it, but it quickly became one of my favorite records. Prog is still my greatest musical love. I’ve been burnt out on prog metal of late—or perhaps it all just sucks. But I still often return to Helios Forsaken. I always felt a little guilty about not having been able to bring more attention to a band that deserved to be a lot bigger. Never mind, I told myself. I’ll cover the next album! Ten years later, during which I had entirely given up hope, here we are.” Great expectations.

Black Narcissus – There Lingers One Who’s Long Forgotten Review

By Killjoy on February 17, 2025 in Reviews, Instrumental Metal, Post-Metal, 65 comments

“It’s often impossible to convey feelings with words, so it’s sometimes better not to try. This certainly appears to be the philosophy of Black Narcissus, an instrumental post-rock duo from Belgium comprised of bassist Jesse Massant and drummer Thomas Wuyts. While instrumental groups are hardly uncommon, especially in this genre, Black Narcissus is unique in that bass and drums are the only tools they use to construct their interpretation of the relationship between man and nature.” Into the wilderness.

Wardruna – Birna Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard on February 3, 2025 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Not Metal, 92 comments

Here’s an exciting double review of Warduna’s latest release, Birna. Prepare your unworthy tenderloins for the Valkyries, poser!

Opeth – The Last Will and Testament Review

By El Cuervo on November 14, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 246 comments

“Little introduction is required for the progressive metal institution that is Sweden’s Opeth. In a career running over 30 years in length and spanning 13 previous studio albums, they have demonstrated an unending pursuit of progression by drawing in more influences as they’ve changed. From death metal to progressive rock to European folk to whimsical jazz, they have tracked a course that has always been fascinating, even if the quality has varied a little more than that.” So, is it true? Is the new Opeth good?