✦✦✦✧ Not content to serve up another satisfying helping of the Gothenburg melodeath sound that they helped pioneer, DT actually push things forward a bit on their latest album. There’s a slightly greater reliance on shredtastic riffage (for the win), while the melodrama remains effective. And their accessibility on tracks like the title track doesn’t rely on hackneyed clichés, instead elevating their gothic leanings into something more. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Pretty decent Euro-style melodic metal, and unsurprisingly there’s more than a few nods to Arch Enemy… but I’ve gotta say that I am not a fan of Vicky Psarakis’ vocal stylings here. They’re too loud, too grating. And that Hozier cover at the end of the album is just the pits. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This album is a metal nerd’s wet dream… at least on paper. The musicianship, technicality, and fetishistic love of science that were hallmarks of the band on their last album are all still here. But Allegaeon’s tongues seem a little less firmly planted in their cheeks, and the slight increase in self-seriousness makes this a harder listen straight-through. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ The band’s crazy time signature changes are a little more restrained (relatively speaking; the opening track is largely in 9/4), and their latent power metal side is more nuanced than ever. I’m also detecting stronger undertones of Porcupine Tree and Rush, alongside their signature prog stylings. If you’re already a Fates fan, you’re gonna dig this. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ This is some delightfully noisome aggression. Self-assured and epic in its scope, the album is like a moodier and darker Entombed. There’s a blackened/gothic rock vibe that brings a smile, if not a full-on fist pump. “Ode To The Flame” goes on a little longer than I’d like, though. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Straight-up convergecore. Raw energy, about as subtle as a money shot. If that’s what you’re in the mood for, it’ll do nicely. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Djenty emotechnocore. I don’t get what the fuss is all about. Evanescence is more interesting than this, honestly. (The title track is undeniably catchy, but I’m not entirely sure that’s in a good way.) See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ The mad men of Milan are back with this predictably unpredictable metal smorgasbord. There are too many flavors to list here (DEP, SOAD, IWABO, Racer X, Maximum The Hormone, etc and so forth), but rather than coming across as self-indulgent, these pulls are all employed for the benefit of your ears. See the rest here
✦✦✧✧ Little known fact: back when I was getting my industrial passion project Hagman off the ground, one of my biggest inspirations was the little-known-of producer Klayton, courtesy of his Circle Of Dust moniker. In fact, to this day, every time someone mentioned Cradle Of Filth, I feel an inner twinge, wishing instead that they were talking about Circle Of Dust. See the rest here
✦✦✦✧ Nasty, sludgy, stoney doom! There’s a soggy industrial nihilism to this band’s sound, reminiscent of Unsane or Eyehategod. Good lawd is this music heavy. There’s a good 20 minute stretch that feels like one massive breakdown though which may test your stamina. See the rest here
This work by Metalligentsia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.