Album Review: "Skullcrusher" by Maze of Terror

Skullcrusher

A few weeks ago I received an email all the way from Lima, Peru. It was from a metal band there. The band and I disagree precisely what genre they belong to, but we'll forgo that for now.

That's pretty cool. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's so beyond awesome when I get an email from an artist who's asking me to listen to their music.

Doing this blog and getting to hear all of this music that I wouldn't normally know is why I do this.

So, for our South American friends, let's take a look at Skullcrusher. Normally, as this EP is a couple years old, I would not review it because it's not current, but I cannot pass it up. The band wanted to create a brutal thrash metal band with a very polished sound, and I think we can all agree that they nailed that goal.

Album Review: "Dirges of Elysium" by Incantation

Dirges of Elysium

Today's album review is the latest by Incantion, Dirges of Elysium.

There are few things cooler than an Elysium reference in my book.

Incantation is a long running metal band who have released several albums, demos, and more.

Originally formed in 1989 in Johnstown, PA. Is it really surprising that the town that spawned the original story for Slap Shot would bring us a metal band?

This is one of those many metal bands that have been at it for a very long time but have not received the recognition, like Master. At least today, we can spread some of the good word of Incantation.

Album Review: "Chain Reaction" by Distorted Harmony

Chain Reaction

Today's album review is another one submitted directly by the artist. There is still nothing as cool as the actual artist contacting me. I will admit that most of them are overseas and I wonder where the Americans are at?

So, today's featured artist, Distorted Harmony, is from Israel. You may recall the other Israeli band to appear on these pages, Ferium.

Like their fellow countrymen, Distorted Harmony is also progressive, but they make their changes in a single song, whereas Ferium changes from song to song.

Here's where things start to get a bit more interesting than your standard how the band formed story. Distorted Reaction was started by a Jazz keyboard player, but please keep reading. I suppose, it makes sense that a jazz artist would want to switch to progressive the metal...?

I should also mention, as a total nerd, I think that this cover art is just awesome. I feel like I should check the molecule to make sure it's a real one though...but I'm not a chemistry nerd anyway.

Album Review: Familiar Looking Strangers & Crobot EPs

Today is another one of those firsts on Glacially Musical. There has been a great deal of music coming my way lately and it's been hard to keep up...so in order to catch up at least a little bit, I'm doing a two for one post.

These bands came to me from different avenues. Familiar Looking Strangers came to me via email and Crobot came to me the old fashioned way, touring.

I caught their show with Kill Devil Hill in May and I could not help, but
buy their album. I was surprised to find it was vinyl, but it came with a digital download.

The reason I'm doing this as a two-fer is twofold. Both of these bands have only released EPs right now and there is only about 30 minutes of music between these two of them.

Apart from that, both of these bands are, for lack of a better word, retro. They both have a very distinctive 70's vibe, but they do it differently.

Album Review: "Terminal Death" by Terminal Death

Terminal Death

 The golden age of Death Metal.

Well as if there was such a thing, we'll call this a hidden gem from the gilded age of Death Metal's Pre-history.

In a time when Metallica's Kill'Em All was the heaviest album recorded to date, death metal was born.

There was an age that existed before the "wider" world knew of death metal. Before bands like Death, Master, and Carcass had yet to record an album.

This era of the early 1980's is largely forgotten because many of these bands fell through the cracks. Terminal Death is one of those bands.

The 20 tracks on this album up for review was recorded in three sessions: a demo and two rehearsals. In some places, it sounds as though the album was recorded on a boom box with the amplifiers in a circle. I know this sound because I've done it....

Album Review: "Rotting" by Sarcofago

Rotting by Sarcofago

Today's album is a hidden gem that is being re-released.

Originally recorded in 1989, Rotting by Sarcofago feels like a hidden treasure of death metal. Much like with Master, they escaped my vision.

This band was originally formed in the very metal country of Brazil circa 1985. They notably had Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, who does appear on this record.

This album was recorded by three people, the aforementioned Wagner on guitars and vocals, Geraldo Minelli on bass, and M. Joker on the drums.

There are very few death metal power trios in the world, and most of them end up taking on a second guitarist at some point...Carcass, I'm looking at you.

Album Review: "The Summoning" by Ending Quest

The Summoning

Today's review comes to us all the way from Sweden.

I really wish I knew what they are putting in the water up there in Scandinavia, because that area is so brutally metal, all the time.

It must be the extra night time hours right?

Ending Quest was formed in 2009 and The Summoning is their full length debut.

The band was originally formed by a pair of Swedes to work on guitar sounds and play covers, but after recruiting a bassist, their songs began to take shape.

The trio prides themselves on being an old school metal band. They revel in their old school. As has been said, metal has always gone in circles...

Album Review: "Rise" by Deus Otiosus

Rise

It's time for another review of death metal, but this is "outlaw" death metal, and honestly I'm not entirely certain I know what that means.

The pertinent information....

Deus Otiosus have been around the block a few times. They originally formed in 2005 in Denmark.

The current offering is their third full length album and they have released some other discs, live and EPs.

They hail from Copenhagen, Denmark. I believe that Copenhagen must be a very metal city, because it spawned Lars Ulrich and the incomparable, King Diamond. There certainly must be others, but in terms of notoriety, it's really hard to top those two.

Album Review: "Everything You Knew Before You Knew Everything" by Static in Verona

Everything You Knew....

Normally when do I an album review, I listen to it in the car or on my headphones so I am sequestered away from all distractions and I can feel the music. I then take notes on a single page.

I only have six words written about this album playing in my ears, but it's really so much more than those six words.

Static In Verona is a solo project by Rob Merz. I say solo project in the truest sense of the word.

He is handling all of the duties on this album from top to bottom. I've always been of the mind that even if you wrote an entire album and had hired hands play what you can't, it's not a solo album. Consider all of the albums by bands where one or two members wrote everything, but didn't play on them...

Album Review: "Mean Love" by Emmy Wildwood

Mean Love by Emmy Wildwood

Today our album review is a very different flavor that what's normally found here at Glacially Musical, but as music is always moving and ever changing, so do we.

Today's review introduces us to a new artist in the world, Emmy Wildwood. She has not only written this EP, but recorded every track and instrument on the album. Beyond simple artistic acumen, she is also a person of business.

The label releasing this EP, Tiger Blanket Records, is wholly owned by Wildwood. The Williamsburg based label also houses a record store, that of course she owns...

Aside from her business, her solo recording, the punk band, Velta...she has one other distinction as a musician. She plays guitar in Guns'n'Hoses, an all female Guns'n'Roses Tribute band.  However, we should move onto the current album.

Album Review: "Resurrection Denied" by Devangelic

Resurrection Deined by Devangelic

This is about to get very brutal and a bit blasphemous, but as per our usual policy, lyrical content is kind of off limits because frankly, they do not matter to me all that much.

Even if a band is serious...it's still just a piece of art, so we judge the art based on its merits as an art form. I always see a song like a movie. Regardless of what it's about, it doesn't mean it is encouraging or supporting that theme...

Because after all, it's just making a movie.

This is the full length debut by Devangelic. They hail from Rome, Italy.

This is an all star group of sorts. Members of Devangelic are also from Putridity, Vulvectomy, and Coprophilliac. Honestly, none of those bands ring a bell for me and the names are um, interesting.

Album Review: "Magical Dirt" by Radio Moscow

Magical Dirt by Radio Moscow

Please set your Wayback Machines for 1967.

For today's album review, we have the latest release by Radio Moscow.

Formed in 2003 in Story City, Iowa, of all places. They have been writing and recording for over ten years now.

Magical Dirt is their fifth studio album and their first release since 2012's 3 X 3.

For people who have grown up in this day and age, millennials, this record might seem very strange upon the first listen. Radio Moscow are delightfully retro in 2014, as they were in 2011 when I discovered their release, The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz. Based on this album, not much has changed....

Album Review: "The Dead Age" by Unicycle Loves You

The Dead Age

Noise Pop. Indie Pop. Fuzzy Rock.

I don't know what to call Unicycle Loves You other than by their name.

This is a band that likes to wear a lot of hats and they seem to desire to defy categorization.

Like many great bands, they have evolved record to record, and you may recall my saying that I look to the next album on a few bands to see if they have smoothed the edges or evolved into something a bit more than they were.

Unicycle Loves you wants to make sure that you cannot tell your friends what kind of music they are. Each album they have released has been vastly different than the one before it and this pattern will likely continue, but I'd imagine that would make it easy to notice the songs you know when they play them?

Album Review: "Soul Recall" by Rude

Soul Recall by Rude

Welcome to Berkeley, Calif. Where the colleges are liberal and the weather is fantastic, for folks who do not share my weather disposition.

This is not the place to find brutal death metal.

Of course it would probably be fair to say that this probably wasn't the place for Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, and more, but it's the genesis of some very heavy and very important music.

Today, the record in question is the debut album from Rude. A death metal quartet from this little slice of paradise on the West Coast.

Debut albums are always an interesting thing. The aforementioned Metallica, could you picture them 20 years after Kill'Em All releasing St. Anger or what about Lulu? I won't even get into Pink Floyd here. So let's stop talking about the bands that have come before and enjoy the coming out party that is Rude.

Album Review: "The Gates of Hell" by Day of Doom

The Gates of Hell

From Long Island, New York comes this brutal death metal band, Day of Doom.

This band has been around since 2000 chugging away in obscurity. They have recorded several demos that have not been seen by the wider world and they have also recorded two full length albums.

Both of those albums were self produced and self released. This is the first album that has been released by a label. The Czech metal label, Lavadome Productions, has signed them up and released their third album.

There is always an adjustment when a band changes from completely independent to being on a label, but did this calm down any of the extreme metal that was on their first few records or they still terribly evil and metal?