FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
Emerald Forest And The Blackbird by Swallow The Sun will satisfy my craving for Finnish quality metal for a long time to come and I wouldn’t be surprised if this record would end up in my year list for 2012.
The band’s true pioneering days may be over, they still manage to deliver the goods on Koloss. The songwriting is impeccable and the album still contains new elements to keep things fresh and exciting.
This band just keeps on rolling, even if their former touring vehicle will remain parked for a while.
Orthrelm appeal to that side of your nature that makes you recheck you’ve locked the door 10 times and pick at scabs best left alone. It’s obsessively intricate, maddeningly torturous, and absolutely brilliant. The very best thing about 20012 is that it’s just two bite-sized chunks of noise to digest
Soulfly may not be the cutting edge band it once was, but it’s still a relevant bulwark of power in today’s metal scene. Enslaved is a poignant celebration of Max Cavalera’s musical vision and his longevity.
Right off the top, before anything else is said here about Primal Rock Rebellion or their debut, Awoken Broken, it needs to be said that this record stands as proof that old dogs can indeed learn new tricks.
With a few defeats and changes of members along the way, along with a fairly lengthy discography, Desaster are still campaigning like true survivors. Having never gained the sort of popularity or visibility of many of their German brethren, the band have remained a cult act, and their new album, The Arts of Destruction, isn’t likely to change that scenario any time soon.
Without taking Les Discrets’ sound to a more adventurous place, Ariettes Oubliées… unfortunately ends up sounding like an adequate but less inspired version of the band’s debut.
Blood For the Master isn’t a radical step forward, but nor, given its traditional metal underpinnings, is it a step back. It is exactly the album Goatwhore needed to make right now.
if this band’s MO is to copy Candlemass and Argus as closely as they can, they’ve hit the mark. I gotta dock ‘em a couple points for originality, but full marks for execution are well-deserved.