Author: William Seay
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Primordial – Exile Amongst the Ruins
There was a time when Primordial could release an album and, for me, it would almost instantly be an album-of-the-year contender. Their material in the early 2000s established them as elite, especially the now-legendary album To the Nameless Dead (2007). That being said, the 2010s haven’t done much to shake these Irish stalwarts’ legacy. And…
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Iron Reagan/Gatecreeper split
This is not the split album that we necessarily need – but it is certainly the one we deserve. Split albums are usually pretty fun, especially when two bands of like mind come together and create something that might not be viable on a full release. In this case, it seems like a casserole baked by…
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The best uncelebrated metal of 2017
2017 was a solid year for metal, no doubt. I’ve noticed, while perusing “year end” lists, a lot of the same things coming in at the top. Credit where credit is due – some of the metal genre’s best bands released some awesome material – Enslaved coming in with another genre-bending masterpiece; Loss and Bell…
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Ne Obliviscaris – Urn
The music on this album is massive. But is it good? Do I like it? I have listened to this album on repeat for a few weeks now, and I am still asking myself this. On paper, I should love this. Ne Obliviscaris is an extreme prog metal band with a unique sound and some…
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Enslaved – E
Enslaved is back with another slab of weirdness that only they can conjure. The band has been at it for more than 25 years now; their name is etched on the black metal pantheon for eternity. But to just call a band like Enslaved ‘black metal’ is patently absurd in 2017. That’s fine – they…
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Prophets of Rage – Prophets of Rage
I’d like to start this review by saying that I won’t personally be sharing my specific political views or opinions. I’ll do my best not to make this overly political, but it’s impossible to divorce the music from the message with a band like Prophets of Rage. Anyone familiar with Rage Against the Machine or…
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Winterfylleth – The Dark Hereafter
This style of black metal has ruffled many feathers of metal fans, upset that these tree-hugging hipsters are ruining the “evil” or “kvlt.” Winterfylleth are a band of heathens trying to preserve the heritage of their homeland in music form. I can respect that. I think this atmospheric subgenre has its roots in early Ulver,…
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Watchtower – Concepts Of Math: Book One
Watchtower have a pretty legendary legacy among a niche group of metalheads. To just call their music “thrash metal” and move on is a disservice to both Watchtower and thrash metal. So what do you call it? Progressive thrash? Thrashy progressive metal? Heavy metal was already genre-bending in the ’80s, and that’s part of the…
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Diamond Head – Diamond Head
Diamond Head has been around for the better part of 40 years. They’ve been there since the beginning, when heavy metal as a genre was being created. Their influence is well-documented; their importance in the canon of the heavy metal story is solidified. But you’d be hard-pressed to find any metalhead worth their salt not…
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Warped Cross – Abbot of Unreason
Right away, I’ll say that this sounds like High on Fire. The good news is I don’t find myself believing that the guys in Warped Cross heard Matt Pike’s most prolific band and decided just to copy his approach. The members of Warped Cross are veterans of the German doom scene, and their experience pays…