The phrase “NYC-based black metal” might conjure images in your mind of a hipster-heavy, irony-fueled disaster, but luckily for us, Black Anvil is for real.
Turisas, Korpiklaani, TYR, Finntroll, Leaves Eyes, and others are universally nice, even as Bill Zebub drags the questioning into his predictable banality.
In the Kowalskis’ Laurie Anderson sound-alike sweepstakes, Thee Sgt. Major III singer Leslie Beattie takes the cake. Blondie, fun, Ramones, ’60s girl groups.
Far from the extreme sounds of Hypocrisy’s Peter Tägtgren’s day-to-day, Pain is a toweringly poppy and melody-filled slice of polished industrial rock.
The Changing of the Guard is the weakest effort during the last nine years. But even a less-than average Starflyer 59 record is bestowed with highlights.
A record that smashes conventions and just rocks out. Not Sunset Strip “rocking out,” but more groove-based than one would realistically expect from the genre.
Nothing sounds labored or painstakingly tweaked, just lively and aggressive. It’s an enviable trait, to sound like you just plugged in and went with it.
I thought the new Exodus record would be unmatched in 2010 for pure, condensed hatred, but Goner has it beat by a mile. It’s gnarly, ugly, and ferocious.