jblumensheid

Dan Lilker is still far away from departure. As grind pioneers Brutal Truth gain momentum once again, the bassist continues to build his extensive track record of time spent with Nuclear Assault and S.O.D., among others. Despite over two decades of nonstop shredding, Lilker finds no better reason for doing what he’s doing other than […]

Tombs journey through genres effectively. On the surface, Winter Hours (Relapse, 2009) falls under typical progressive metal expectations. Rather, this turbulent trio flirts with down-tuned channels, shoegaze interludes, and even black metal. These ever-changing varieties aren’t just homage to influences; sounds of frontman Mike Hill’s past projects, Anodyne and Versoma, persist throughout Winter Hours. Golden […]

Restraint demolishes this release, an unfortunate outcome from these Chicagoans. A successful collaboration would embellish the magnitude of both Bongripper and Winters in Osaka. But Meat Ditch lacks the heavy instrumental fallouts of the former and the boisterous noise infusions of the latter, ultimately seducing eardrums into unconsciousness. Meat Ditch denies these expectations in a […]

Aaron Weaver doesn’t want to redefine black metal, nor does he want to preach about sustainable living. But there’s one thing of which the Wolves in the Throne Room drummer is certain: the modern world is losing touch with ancestral spirits. When Weaver isn’t touring or creating materials for another release, he’s working on his […]

All hail the riff. Wino’s unique style is like slowly distilled whiskey. Underneath the burning sensation that chokes the throat, one flavor that refuses to go to waste is the riff. His heavy sway began at an early age with The Obsessed. He professed a bold, yet accessible heaviness that continues to tickle ears. That […]

by Cosmo Lee So much music comes out now that it’s impossible to have a bad year in anything. Take metal, for example. Approximately 234,827,358 metal records (give or take several degrees of magnitude) came out in 2008. If you couldn’t find 10 to like among those 234,827,358, you weren’t trying hard enough. Though 234,827,358 […]

by Invisible Oranges staff Metal bands have been reuniting left and right, going on cash cow tours, and generally plundering that part of our consciousness marked “nostalgia.” But what if dead bands could actually still be relevant? We compiled a list of 10. These were our criteria: (1) the band must be split up or […]

by Jess Blumensheid Messy with electronic undertones, Stratification (Profound Lore, 2008) voyages far from conventional black metal. Metal should open itself to expansion, however, allowing Wold’s third release for consideration as the black metal album of 2008. Stratification narrates wintertime misery with few “riffs,” diffusing rhythms with harsh noise. Like Gnaw Their Tongues and Ildjarn, […]

by Jess Blumensheid Runhild Gammelsaeter is a beast. She contorts her vocals to sound unreal, more ill-tempered than any horror film villain. Her intuitive sense of experimentation is profound, surpassing any female vocalist in metal. With her first solo album, Amplicon (Utech, 2008), Gammelsaeter exceeds expectations based on her work in Thorr’s Hammer and Khlyst. […]

by Jess Blumensheid Less is more for this depressive Portland ensemble. Trees neglect the beauty of the riff, fashioning their debut Lights Bane (Crucial Blast/20 Buck Spin) with precision. 27 minutes restrain two tracks titled “Nothing” and “Black.” These four minimalists compact Lights Bane into black pockets of inactivity and faint feedback. When their despair […]