Finnish Metal

Swords of Dis, Serpent Ascending, Ôros Kaù, Midnight Odyssey – From the Waters of Death – A retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh Review

By Thus Spoke on February 12, 2026 in Reviews, Ambient, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Experimental Metal, 40 comments

“In case you’re unfamiliar, The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian poetic narrative, whose first complete form is dated to approximately 1800 BCE. It follows a story of King Gilgamesh and his dealings with gods and other mythic monsters, culminating in a journey for the secret of immortality. What better way could there be to consume this rich, literary epic than have it interpreted by the collection of artists behind From the Waters of Death? Obscure black/doom duo Swords of Dis; death metal veteran and experimenter Serpent Ascending; Neptunian Maximalism’s darker, heavier incarnation Ôros Kaù; and ambient-black dreamer Midnight Odyssey.” Gil Ga Mesh, the perverted son, the holy man!

Old Sorcery – The Outsider Review

By Spicie Forrest on February 9, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Dungeon Synth, 48 comments

“Swords and sorcery have served as metal muses since the genre’s earliest days and for the most seminal acts. Indeed, many a writer here at AMG Studios has indulged in a game or three hundred of Dungeons & Dragons, and I imagine the same can be said of our esteemed commentariat. So, on the rare occasion that dungeon synth, the correct soundtrack for all D&D games, falls into the promo sump, it’s picked up fairly quickly. Old Sorcery’s newest full-length, The Outsider, didn’t even make it that far before Mystikus Hugebeard and I had a Canadian standoff about coverage and settled on this appropriately lengthy double review.” Crawl and brawls.

Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Baguette of Bodom on December 19, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, 29 comments

“Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like Children of Bodom, Kalmah, and Norther were all the rage for a short while. You even had stuff like Ensiferum for a folkier interpretation, or Catamenia for the blackened side of things. The truth is that it never really left. Suotana is one of the bands keeping this sound alive and well, and they have more history than one might think.” Increasing your death power.

Stuck in the Filter: October 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on December 15, 2025 in Reviews, Stuck in the Filter, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Funeral Doom, Groove Metal, Hard Rock, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Symphonic Metal, 59 comments

December is the best time to browse through the October Filter flotsam, as they’re now heavily discounted like Valentine’s Day candy in August. They’re probably still fresh though. Maybe.

Rotten Sound – Mass Extinction EP Review

By Saunders on December 15, 2025 in Reviews, 5 comments

“We may be swinging into the festive season; however, in a solidly fruitful year for grindcore enthusiasts, there is still much time to grind. Rocketing in late, Finland’s legendary Rotten Sound, one of grind’s most prolific, consistent, and underappreciated acts, return with their whopping 11th EP and follow-up to their eighth full-length, 2023’s Apocalypse. At this stage of a long and storied career, Rotten Sound revel in familiar realms of their crusty, grinding chaos, refusing to budge from a steadfast formula, while sounding as tight, energized, and pissed off as ever, impressively plying such an abrasive trade of extremity for over three decades. With scant time to get their point across, can Rotten Sound continue their impeccable track record?” Something’s rotten in Finland.

Death Obvious – Death Obvious Review

By Andy-War-Hall on December 2, 2025 in Reviews, Avant-Garde, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 19 comments

“Back in August, I went goo-goo over an avant-black duo under Transcending Obscurity called Hexrot and, as a lowly N00b, awarded their debut Formless Ruin of Oblivion a “Great” designation. Flash forward, and sloshing through the promo sump comes an avant-black duo under Transcending Obscurity called Death Obvious, offering their self-titled debut. Composed of vocalist Lea Lavey and everything-else-er Sima Sioux, this Finnish duo reveal high aspirations with claims of “crafting music as it suits their demented vision in a recklessly intuitive manner” while pitching Death Obvious for fans of visionary acts like Blut aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, Veilburner and—looky!—Hexrot.” Sump struggles.

Frozen Land – Icemelter Review

By Twelve on December 1, 2025 in Reviews, Power Metal, 12 comments

“I have such a soft spot in my heart for Frozen Land. After writing my first-ever review for Angry Metal Guy, I remember feeling shaky. It went through quite a few revisions. My second, Frozen Land’s eponymous debut, was, comparatively, simple. Their 1999 Euro power metal meets 2001 Euro power metal vision made for a catchy, delightfully fun album, and my enjoyment for it showed in my writing—still my favorite intro to any review I’ve written. So it is to my great astonishment that these Finns are now on album number three with Icemelter.” Metal melts the ice.

Omnium Gatherum – May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way Review

By Steel Druhm on November 4, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 57 comments

“Finland’s Omnium Gatherum have tinkered with their sound regularly over their career, ranging from rough Gothenburg-infected melodeath, to more melancholic and gloomy environs on career high points like New World Shadows and Beyond, and on to a more direct and modern style on The Burning Cold. 2021s Origin further simplified and smoothed out their sound into what could be described as melodeath-lite, and while some loved the new approach, it left me flat and felt forced and somewhat soulless. On 10th album, May the Bridges We Burn Light the Way, they change colors again.” Bonfire of the Omnis.

Serpent God – Denial Review

By ClarkKent on October 29, 2025 in Reviews, Death Doom, Doom Metal, Melodic Metal, 3 comments

“The digital era, where a band can release singles or EPs at a whim, seems to have tossed aside the concept of a B-sides compilation record. These albums consist of tunes that, for whatever reason, just didn’t make the cut on the main LP. This isn’t necessarily because those songs are bad. System of a Down’s Steal this Album! is, in my mind, just as much fun as their regular studio releases, and The Masterplan by Oasis is widely considered one of their best. Denial, the debut from Finland’s Serpent God, owes its existence to such B-side material, albeit from a different band: Se, Josta Ei Puhuta.” Snakes in new/olde skins.