Earth — Primitive And Deadly
★★☆☆ This is a weird combination of drone metal, shoegazer, and Metallica’s “Lulu.” See the rest here
First Listens With Two-Star Ratings
Bloodbath — Grand Morbid Funeral
★★☆☆ For the pedigree that comes along with this supergroup (Opeth, Katatonia), the resulting album is surprisingly so-so. It’s a perfect and credible fusion of Entombed, Morbid Angel, and a smattering of other classic deathgrind acts. And you’ll nod your head throughout your listening experience. Just don’t be surprised if you feel like you’ve heard this before. See the rest here
Sidious — Revealed In Profane Splendour
★★☆☆ The second EP from this by-the-numbers blackened death group is good for what it is: a lovingly but self-consciously faithful homage to Dimmu and Behemoth. As such, the album is a faithful facsimile, but not a terribly moving one. See the rest here
Old Man Gloom — The Ape Of God II
★★☆☆ Oh, here we go. Do yourself a favor and turn the volume way down for the first two unfuckinglistenable minutes of this half of OMG’s double album. Pandemonium holds dominion over this recording. What music is allowed to take root here is reminiscent of “NO,” but these moments exist only as a reprieve from a lurking cacophony. See the rest here
Black Map — …And We Explode
★★☆☆ I wouldn’t exactly call it metal — more like a sludge/QOTSA hybrid — but it’s a metalish supergroup nonetheless (Far, Dredg, The Trophy Fire), and it’s pretty rockin’… at times. It’s also melodic and full of atmosphere. It’s worth a peek through, and certainly useful if you’re trying to lure any normies to metal. See the rest here
Machine Head — Bloodstone & Diamonds
★★☆☆ This album starts out sounding like an amalgam of a few hallmark Machine Head albums (“Burn My Eyes,” “The Blackening”), Metallica’s black album, and latter-day Slipknot. And Hans Zimmer’s “Inception” soundtrack. And maybe a little Pink Floyd by way of Queensrÿche. Welcome to Robb Flynn’s continuing efforts to take the high road (or at least as high a road as you’re gonna find in the East Bay). See the rest here
Krokodil — Nachash
★★☆☆ This album is all over the map. To their credit, the band is clearly highly skilled and seasoned at the various metal arts, and the kitchen sink you get is not the one you’d expect from members of SikTh and Gallows. But the band’s modes seem to cartwheel from Mastodon to Attila. See the rest here
YOB — Clearing the Path to Ascend
★★☆☆ When this shoegazery doomsludge album works, it works very well. But there are two major problems with it, which drag the whole effort down. First: the songs are just a bit go-nowheresy, even by doom standards. That’s a minor quibble, compared to the second problem: the clean vocals are bad. See the rest here
Starkill — Virus of the Mind
★★☆☆ A zippy, oddly produced collection of songs that lift heavily from Arch Enemy, Megadeth, and a touch of DragonForce. But it’s got energy, and it’s fun, so I’m not gonna kick it out of bed. See the rest here
Haken — Restoration
★★☆☆ Put Leprous, Yes, Dream Theater, and Porcupine Tree in a blender, and you’ll get this EP. Solidly entertaining, but a bit derivative (which is surprising, considering how different this band and their sources are from the mainstays). See the rest here
