Articles
Album Review: Raventhorn – Shadows of Lonehill
Shadows of Lonehill will be released on Halloween of 2020, which is also a full moon night. This is a concept album, centered around the theme of an Antihero. The central protagonist exemplifies this archetype, alluding to the likes of Oedipus Rex, Kullervo, and Scarface. His name is Seth, synonymous with the third son of Adam and Eve, brother to Cain and Abel, as well as the name of the Egyptian god of chaos, disorder, … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Cyclops – Cyclops
Cyclops is releasing their self titled debut album in late 2020. This self titled debut album is a solid example of modern metal. The choruses and lead guitars are clean, but the rhythm and percussion is more aggressive and funky. I like the contrast of harmony and dissonance. It reminds me of melodic metal bands like Killswitch Engage, DevilDriver, and Amon Amarth. They have mastered the contrast between brutality and beauty. Their single, Voices, is … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Saturn’s Husk – The Conduit
The Conduit was the latest album released by Latvian metal outfit, Saturn’s Husk, on 08/18/2020. I’m not always a big fan of Instru-Metal, but sometimes, it hits the spot. Saturn’s Husk, a three piece band based in the Eastern European nation of Latvia, set a fine example on how to do it right. Their music is defined by fuzzy riffs, drums rolling at a slow funerary pace, and eerie, moody melodies. It reminds me of … read...
read moreLyrical Analysis: Insomnium – While We Sleep
Insomnium is a melodic death metal band based in Finland. Intro: This track is from the album, Shadows of the Dying Sun, released by Century Records in 2014. Even the album title is a juxtaposition of light and dark. The greyscale color scheme of the music video, is another example of this contrast. It also hints at moral ambiguity. Why are relationships so complex? What does it mean to be ambivalent? Is there something beyond … read...
read moreLyrical Analysis: Metallica -The Day That Never Comes
Death Magnetic is the 9th studio album from American thrash band Metallica. Intro: February 22, 2020. Today is a bittersweet day. I feel like I should be celebrating, but I just want to be alone instead. I have been coping in my own strange way. Leaning in to the morbidity, burning black candles of La Santa Muerte, and listening to sad music. Metallica is definitely hitting the spot on this dreary day. I love their … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Green Day – Father Of All Motherfuckers
This album was released on 02/07/2020. Green Day is my favorite pop punk band, but this album may be more pop than punk. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Beatles themselves, who posed with butchered baby dolls and claimed to be bigger than Jesus (punk as fuck), also aspired to become the “Toppermost of the poppermost.” The line between rock and pop has always been blurred. And, like The Beatles, Green Day … read...
read moreLyrical Analysis: Hatebreed – Defeatist
Defeatist is a single from the 2006 Hatebreed album, Supremacy. Intro Hatebreed is one of my favorite hardcore bands. People think that the genre is for a bunch of posturing dudes with something to prove. But I disagree. And even if a bunch of losers were listening to it to feel tough, isn’t that the point? I feel shy and awkward all the time. I rarely ever feel like a badass. But Hatebreed is one … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Krosis – A Memoir of Free Will
A Memoir Of Free Will, the latest offering from Krosis, is anticipated to drop in February of 2020. Currently signed to Unique Leader Records, Krosis is a progressive deathcore band from North Carolina, USA. Vocalist Mac Smith, guitarists Adam Theissen and Brandon Scurlark, bassist Brian Krake, and drummer Dan Cece have carved a name for themselves in the North Carolina scene. They will be dropping the new album, A Memoir of Free Will, … read...
read moreLyrical Analysis: Green Day – Macy’s Day Parade
Intro: Macy’s Day Parade is a single from the album Warning, released by Green Day in the year 2000. I consider myself to be a free spirit. I do what I think is right, even if it feels like the whole world is against me. I march to the beat of my own drum. I am neither a leader nor a follower, but a lone wolf. Living in my solitary, self indulgent fantasy land, sometimes … read...
read moreAlbum Review: Bhas – Torture Punishment Eternity
This EP was released on October 16, 2019, just in time for Halloween. Bhas is a 5 piece death metal band from Glasgow, UK, comprised of vocalist Lee Lewis, drummer Conor Quinn, bassist Danny O’Keeffe, and guitarists Mark Williamson and Alasdair Blair. Their new album, Torture Punishment Eternity, features genre staples such as guttural vocals, dissonant guitars, and high speed drumming. The album art is black and white, but hyperrealistic. The detailed drawings of contorted … read...
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