Lmst

Just saw #Kalandra in Dublin and they were amazing. This band would be huge if the world were more ready for advanced witchy music magic.

On a darkened concert stage, two Extremely Nordic guitarists flank a small but decidedly witchy singer invoking spells.

Me encanta el último disco de #kalandra Sobre todo esta canción con vídeo tan Midsommariano 😂

https://youtu.be/sRtI0fjwuj8

I'm finding myself returning to music by #Kalandra a lot over the last few days. Metal-folk-adjacent, and were a superb support act for #Leprous when I last saw them.

Kalandra also had a great set at ArcTanGent last year, and they're due again this year (though sadly on Wednesday - I think they should be higher on the bill!)

Anyway - if Monday is getting to you, give their latest album "A Frame Of Mind" a try.

#Tuesday && #Music. Odio la informática y la tecnología en general. Y las facturas, si no fuera por ellas me dedicaba a otra cosa, algo manual. Artesanía o pintar, siempre me gustó dibujar. En qué hora me dediqué a esta mierda digital. Y esto lo pienso escuchando a #Kalandra que tocan #Música, algo que también me flipa y que haría si pudiera. La canción es Ensom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9n0egF5WpQ

#Vakantie Dagaanbieding 18 februari: Xenios Anastasia Resort & Spa 8 dagen #hotel #vliegreis #Griekenland #Kalandra(KassandraChalkidiki) - Vandaag: € 352,00 #goedkoop! - Kijk voor deze #aanbieding en meer op: https://www.reisdesk.nl/

#Kalandra announced a gig in Dublin this year, and I've never bought tickets so fast. Absolute favourite band currently. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DtsaiMqPKNs

🔥 New Artist announced for ArcTanGent Festival 2025

Kalandra

Listen to the current LineUp on YouTube, YTMusic and Spotify: https://fyrefestivals.co

#ArcTanGent_Festival_2025 #Kalandra #fyre_festivals #livemusic #youtube #spotify #music #2025 #musicfestivals #announcement

Heavy Moves Heavy 2024 – AMG’s Ultimate Workout Playlist

By Ferox

Before I was press-ganged into the Skull Pit, I, Ferox, began curating an exercise playlist named Heavy Moves Heavy. For a decade, I alone reaped the benefits of this creation–many were the hours spent preening aboard my Squat Yacht, mixing oils so that I could marvel at the glistening gainz unlocked by the List. My indentured servitude is your good fortune, because a new and improved version of the Heavy Moves Heavy playlist is now available to all readers of AMG in good standing.1 The lifters among us have spent countless hours in the Exercise Oubliette testing these songs for tensile strength and ideological purity. Enjoy–but don’t listen if you are being screened for PEDs in the near future. This music will cause your free testosterone levels to skyrocket even as it adds length and sheen to your back pelt.

The AMG Iron Movers Collective is a man down this year, as the crush of Listurnalia duties prevented Steel Druhm from forging a third consecutive contribution. The four remaining protein ponies on staff (myself, Kenstrosity, Thus Spoke, and Holdeneye) dug deeper into our Codices of Suffering to bring you a list of sufficient girth. Here are the songs released in 2024 that dominated our respective workouts. The resulting playlist is appended to this article. Play it straight through or set it to shuffle; HMH is designed to work either way. From our oubliette to yours, may these battle-hardened tracks fuel your gains in the new year.

There is also an intruder this time around, as Dolphin Whisperer drops by semi-invited to share his favorite tracks suitable for The Things That Dolph Does. That playlist, suitable for blood pressure-reducing pursuits off all kinds, is compiled separately.

Ferox Snorts His Pre-Workout Powder :

“Drill the Skull” // Necrot (Lifeless Birth) – Kicking things off with one of the year’s premiere bangers. The implied subject song title is a staple of my workout playlists, because it sounds like someone’s giving me orders. (You) “Drill the Skull”! I will! I will drill the skull.

“God Slayer” // Vredehammer (God Slayer) – Stand tall. Stand proud. Stand strong. Wage war. Lots of implied subject goodness in this one. Vredehammer’s latest may have been a mild disappointment, but it did throw off the Workout Song o’the Year.

“Numidian Knowledge” // Necrowretch (Swords of Daijal) – Numidian communities cultivated cereals such as wheat and barley, and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils. There’s nothing inherently sinister about that body of knowledge, but this Necrowretch ripper will make you feel like you just consummated a black bargain in exchange for one final rep.

“Into the Court of Yanluowang” // Ripped to Shreds (Sanshi) – The opener to this killer slab beats you up with five minutes of punk-inflected death metal before rewarding you with the Guitar Solo o’the Year.

“The Way of Decay” // Sentient Horror (In Service of the Dead) – Dropping in some 3.0 Swedeath in honor of Absent Geezer Steel Druhm. I personally thought he underrated the new one from Jersey’s Sentient Horror, which kicks off with this scabby statement of purpose.

“Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal” // Spectral Wound (Songs of Blood and Mire) – Early Bathory remains a stalwart of the original Heavy Moves Heavy playlist. “A Fine Day to Die” is one of a dozen or so songs that have never rotated off the List in its twelve or so years of existence. Ferox Song o’the Year “Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal” succeeds bigly in carrying Quorthon’s torch into new battles.

“Hordes of the Horned God” // Hellbutcher (Hellbutcher) – The saliva-flecked excretions of Nifelheim and Impaled Nazarene have likewise graced the original Heavy Moves Heavy time and again. I wish there was a song called “Hellbutcher” on Hellbutcher’s Hellbutcher, but this supergroup led by Nifelheim’s front man answers the bell in every other way on their debut.

“Infernal Bust” // Demiser (Slave to the Scythe) – This song, near as I can tell, is about having it off with a demon. When you get swole, your opportunities to fuck demons, babadooks, and wendigos grow right along with your muscles–so this is included to goose you along.

“Wormridden Torso” // Stenched (Purulence Gushing from the Grave) – Adrian from Stenched has crafted a guitar tone most unpleasant and motivating. Finish your set so you’re closer to the end of the song and you can get it out of your earholes.

“Disattachment of a Prophylactic in the Brain” // Undeath (More Insane) – Here’s a jolt of caffeine to get you through the muddy middle of your workout. This track gambols madly about, slapping you in the face to wake you from your Stenched-coma.

“Second Demon” // Void Witch (Horripilating Presence) – The Void Witch sound fires on all cylinders here, and so will you as you listen to this track. The grunge-descended guitar solo toward the end of track is one of 2024’s great moments.

“Mammoth’s Hand” // The Black Dahlia Murder (Servitude) – This cut from the The Black Dahlia Murder’s worthy new effort gives me those classic Deflorate-era vibes. I listened to that album while doing my strength training for a martial arts tournament, and “Mammoth’s Hand” feels like it could slide in between “Black Valor” and “Necropolis.”

Kenstrosity Bursts Through His Own Workout Gear:

“Pain Enduring” // Replicant (Infinite Mortality) – They say “no pain, no gain.” Or at least they used to. Some assert this to be a debunked myth, but regardless, I live to feel the gainz. This absolute blunderbuss of groove and riff mastery by Replicant ensures progressive overload and personal bests from every movement. 2

“Xetinal Artifice” // Karst (Eclipsed Beneath Umbral Divine) – You know your workout is going to leave you a trembling puddle on the ground when your trainer walks you into the crustiest, rustiest facility imaginable. Thusly, Karst’s “Xetinal Artifice” leaves me a trembling puddle on the ground after a brutal session of crusty death metal riffs.

“Pure Adrenaline Hard-On” // Scumbag (Homicide Cult) – Some people rely on preworkout and supplements to energize them before a hard workout. I don’t need that. I have the hyper-effective hype machine that is Scumbag’s “Pure Adrenaline Hard-On.” Everything you need is right in the name!

“Sturmtrupp” // Kanonenfieber (Die Urkatastrophe) – One day per week (sometimes two if I’m feeling frisky), I engage in high-intensity or high-endurance cardio training. That means speed. That means form. That means rhythm. That means something to keep me motivated and focused. Nothing beats Kanonenfieber’s “Sturptrupp” for that exact regimen.

“Leviathan” // Keres (Homo Homini Lupus) – Sometimes the only way to get me through my workout is to find my inner animal and let it rampage through the last few sets. The earth-shattering stomp of Keres’ “Leviathan” is the perfect elixir to entice that inner beast into meatspace.

“Paths of Visceral Fears” // Noxis (Violence Inherent in the System) – Fear is the enemy of gainz. However, the only way past fear is through fear. That’s where Noxis’ “Paths of Visceral Fears” and its multitudinous motivating riffs come into play. How can you be scared of that crazy heavy lift when you’ve got Noxis spotting you?

“Devil in the Basement” // Unhallowed Deliverance (Of Spectres and Strife) – The sheer heft of this track alone makes all of my personal bests look like warmups. That gives me something to strive for! Between immense grooves, crushing riffs, and a relentless pace, Unhallowed Deliverance’s “Devil in the Basement” urges me to my peak form.

“Lust for the Severed Head” // Fit for an Autopsy (The Nothing That Is) – Deathcore is always a great source of meatheaded riffs. Fit for an Autopsy pull a rare card, however, with “Lust for the Severed Head.” Seamlessly blending muscular grooves with a technical prowess rarefied, “Lust for the Severed Head” inspires me to push that final rep past failure every time.

“Of Pillars and Trees” // Brodequin (Harbinger of Woe) – You’d think material like this would be too dense to serve gym hours well. However, Brodequin’s “Of Pillars and Trees” swaggers so confidently into the land of steel and sweat that one can’t help but follow it directly to the bench.

“In Your Guts” // Glassbone (Deaf to Suffering) – Slam is probably the best vehicle for pacing and focus in the weight room. Nothing gives me a better metronome to maximize my breathing, and perfect my form. The insanely gritty, nasty, hardcore-twisted ways of Glassbone’s “In Your Guts” ensures that I don’t deviate from the ideal path to GAINZ.

“Mucus, Phlegm and Bile” // Stenched (Prurulence Gushing from the Coffin) – When you’re lifting heavy, the more viscous and vile the tunes, the greater the gainz. Enter Stenched’s “Mucus, Phlegm and Bile.” Boasting marvellously heavy tones and spans of d-beat expulsions perfect for high intensity training, Stenched will help you shatter your PRs every time.

“Plant-Based Anatomy” // Flaaghra (Plant-Based Anatomy) – In my lifelong journey towards tree-trunk legs, it pays to have tunes that embody the stalwart strength of the mighty sequoia to keep me motivated. And so, when leg day #2 comes around in my weekly routine, I jam “Plant-Based Anatomy,” Flaaghra’s brutal slam stomping set at a perfect pace for brutal leg routines.

Holdeneye Practices Radical Body Acceptance:

“Brotherhood of Sleep” // Aborted (Vault of Horrors) – Nothing, I repeat nothing, is more important to long-term gainz development than sleep. I don’t know what this universe-crushing song is actually about, but I like to imagine it promoting a fraternity of people who value getting to bed at a decent hour.

“We Slither” // Unhallowed Deliverance (Of Spectres and Strife) – The proper tunage is essential if you’re going to transform your garter snake arms into pythons, and this particular track never fails to engorge each and every one of my serpentine members.

“Berserkir” // Brothers of Metal (Fimbulvinter) – Ah, the obligatory inclusion of a song about Vikings going ape-shit. Songs about raging Norsepeople always add +1 to my Strength saving throws, and this one has had me on a roll lately.

“Fall of the Leaf” // Brodequin (Harbinger of Woe) – Don’t forget to grow those glutes! The cover model on Harbinger of Fate is demonstrating just how brutal the abductor machine can be (notice the ropes for added resistance!), but having a superior posterior is always worth the effort.

“Shadows of the Brightest Night” // Necrophobic (In the Twilight Grey) – Groove is the secret to just about every great gym song, and this might be Necrophobic’s grooviest tune yet. Its shadows have been brightening the darkest corners of my garage gym all year long.

“La Chiave Del Mio Amor” // Keygen Church (Nel Name Del Codice) – Organ music sets my organ juices to flowing, and lifting to this Bachian banger always leaves my body feeling Baroque-en in the best way possible.

“The Temple Fires” // Pneuma Hagion (From Beyond) – I’d like to think that I treat my body like a temple, but I routinely offer more calories unto my inner altar than its fires can consume. Perma-bulking isn’t a choice, it’s a lifestyle!

“Weaponized Loss” // Vitriol (Suffer & Become) – But, if I am ever going to end my perma-bulk, it will take an enormous amount of motivation, and this militant beatdown might be just what I need to brave the no man’s land that is caloric deficit.

“Monsterslayer” // Nemedian Chronicles (The Savage Sword) – There’s not a person on Earth who hasn’t imagined themselves to be Conan the Barbarian while attempting to build thick muscles and sinews in the gym, and this little tune recounts the Cimmerian’s physical attributes while laying down a magnificent, martial metal march. I can’t tell if this song makes me feel more like a monster or a monster slayer, but either way, I win.

“I Am the Path” // Hell:on (Shaman) – Fitness is a multi-faceted discipline, and we each have our own strengths and stumbling blocks. It might take help from a trainer, a medical doctor, a psychological professional, a training partner, or a support group, but remember that you are the path to your own health, and there is no shame in taking steps to get the help you need to be successful. You are worth it!

“Shadow of Evil” // Oxygen Destroyer (Guardian of the Universe) – As I walk around my garage gym between sets while nursing an enormous pump, I like to picture myself as a gigantic monster, laying waste to all that is in my path. Lord Kaiju and Co. lay down a performance here that makes me feel downright radioactive.

“Sword of a Thousand Truths” // Ironflame (Kingdom Torn Asunder) – This isn’t the first plodding Ironflame chugfest to grace one of my Heavy Moves Heavy playlists, and I sure hope it’s not the last. Bonus points for the #glutegoals on the cover.

Thus Spoke and the Smiting of the Half-Depth Heretics:

“Dragon” // Exocrine (Legend) – The lead melody in this just does something to me—the way it fades in at the beginning, the way it comes back, the way it plays off the speedy, techy goodness of the rest of the track. Yes.

“A Body for a Body” // To the Grave, Connor Dickson, Siantell Johns (Everyone’s A Murderer) – Forced to choose on a record I could have filled this list with, this one came out on top. Furious, groovy, face-meltingly heavy, irresistible; “A body for a body for a body, MOTHERFUCKKERRR!”

“Suffocate (feat. Poppy)” // Knocked Loose, Poppy (You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To) – Everything about this is just perfect in the gym. Disagree? “SHUT YOUR LYING MOUTH!” Thank you, Poppy.

“Solus” // Devenial Verdict (Blessing of Despair) – One of my favourite songs of the year in general, this one got me through many, many sets. Just, like, on repeat. Particularly the last part. Ugh.

“Beneath Ashen Skies” // Vale of Pnath (Between the World’s of Life and Death) – I discovered in the latter half of the year that I severely underrated this album, because I realised I’d been sticking it on again and again in the gym, automatically, and it was working brilliantly. The little dancy circular melodies in this are *chef’s kiss*.

“Der Maulwurf” // Kanonenfieber (Die Urkatastrophe) – Works equally well for voluntarily moving heavy shit as it does for digging trenches. With its steady rhythm and big anthemic chorus in your ears, nothing can stand in your way.

“Shiver” // Teeth (The Will of Hate) – Already having the ideal underlying tempo, sounding so insidiously mean and creepy takes this song beyond a stomp and into anabolic territory. Also, fantastic name.

“Voidwomb” // Glacial Tomb (Lightless Expanse) – Kind of slow and menacing (a good thing) for the majority, its slide into the best and agonisingly shortest guitar solo of the year is a pure jolt of adrenaline. Another one that gets put on repeat.

“Matricide 8.21” // Fleshgod Apocalypse (Opera) – Yeah, I know, ‘what the fuck(?!),’ I’m not even a fan of these guys, but seriously, this thing is motivating as hell. Just give it a chance.

“To See Death Just Once // Ulcerate (Cutting the Throat of God) – Not exactly what you’d traditionally expect to see on one of these, but I love it so much I don’t care. And the same applies while actually in the gym: if you lift to what you love, things will (usually) go well.

“Twelve Moons in Hell” // Spectral Wound (Songs of Blood and Mire) – Long and short: this is just a banger. The day I realised that new-second-wave black metal was great for lifting was a good day and I’d like to share this with you.

“Concrete Crypt” // Resin Tomb (Cerebral Purgatory) – A concrete crypt is now what I’m definitely going to call the thing where you totally bin yourself by going a bit too hard on one lift—”I’m in the concrete crypt now.” Ok obviously, I’m absolutely not going to do that, but it is some great alliteration, and a stomp to boot.

Dolph is… fucking meditating? Who let this piece in???

“Rose” // Kashiwa Daisuke (TITAN) – As the engorged fibers feel the tickle of contraction scamper in backflow,3 glitching, bass-loaded synth throbs arrive massage the ears and spread a parasympathetic wave up the spine. From root we rise, in pulse we are grounded. In our growing safety we inhale the chiming of dancing piano above it all. Allow Kashiwa Daisuke’s vibrancy help to shake away the growing lactic waste in your weary body.

“Floating” // Maria Chiara Argirò (Closer) – Moving from a place of rest to a place of gentle movement, a heartbeat steady kick thumps against an ethereal call to the flow of water. Though cool to the touch and electronic in construction, an analog warmth and hum bustles under the surface erupting in a solo trumpet’s cry. Sing with it, reach your arms high. Your voice has power.

“衍生 Capture and Elongate (Serenity)” // OU (蘇醒 II: Frailty) – Your power in calm grows—and with growth we seek order. But order is hard to find in the shifting rhythms of OU’s poly-play. Follow the voice, maybe with your own. Feel it resonate in your chest as you again find deeper inhales in the space of serenity, powerful exhales in its crashing volume swells.

“WHO KNOWS ?” // toe (NOW I SEE THE LIGHT) – The kindling of your gentleness catches fire—a brilliant light—as toe serves increasingly bright guitar patterns and fragile vocal harmonies to sweep your worries away. It can be uneasy standing proudly beside beauty like this. Embrace it. You are worthy. Spread your arms wide and expand alongside airy post rock crescendos.

“あなたのそばで (Beside You)” // Yunowa (Phantom) – Every light exists with a shadow. Yunowa has a shadow too, a dream like a sinking ship. But struggle, heartache—acceptance of and living through—these are all part of life. Rub your hands together. Place one hand over your heart, and the other over that hand. Close your eyes and rest your shoulders as a languished guitar solo screams catharsis.

“Raat Ki Rani” // Arooj Aftab (Night Reign) – A heart that has wanted and waited will bloom like raat ki rani, the jasmine of the night. Only in the hiding sun can you filled your lungs with its wonder. Breathe deeply as Arooj Aftab’s sultry, modulated croon carries you like a hidden fragrance with gentleness of a healing love.

“Eg Veit I Himmelrik Ei Borg” // Sylvaine (Eg Er Framand) The night remains ominous despite its treasures. But the dark cannot exist without the light. Let Sylvaine’s ode to the comfort of this duality, her siren salutation against plaintive guitar lines and horn-call synths, find the peace of the moment. Reach your chin high with relaxed shoulders to feel it’s spacious and resonant vibrations travel from ear to mind.

“Reflections of God” // Jaubi (A Sound Heart) – Stepping away from darkness requires travel still through more darkness, a journey which requires devotion. Jaubi expresses their devotion, an assurance that the now leads to a better place, through relentless piano harmonies, sighing sarangi calls, and a continual march toward resolution. Visualizing the destination will slowly reveal its path. You must walk it. Keep breathing.

“We Can’t See It, but It’s There” // Pat Metheny (Moondial) For as long as Pat Metheny has been questing in delicate guitar harmony, he has not yet either reached the end. I know it’s there. You know it’s there. He knows it’s there. One day, waiting for all of us, it’s there. But in these minutes we spend with Mr. Metheny, in these minutes you spend in repetitious quests for solace, the answer remains there. Somewhere. With practice, a trialed body and mind, we’ll find it. Keep searching.

“Hytta” // Kalandra (A Frame of Mind) – All roads lead us home. “Hytta” is not just a home but a state, a vision of comfort, of opening doors, of settling dishes, of chirping birds—a stream trickles in the distance. “Hytta” is the destination revealed through the honing of physical faculties and the unifying of your wandering thoughts. Today you are here. Your sculpted being, your gentle breath, you’ve unlocked the gates. Enjoy it in this moment because you may not be here tomorrow. And that’s ok.4

#2024 #Aborted #AroojAftab #Brodequin #BrothersOfMetal #ConnorDickson #Demiser #DevenialVerdict #Exocrine #FitForAnAutopsy #flaaghra #FleshgodApocalypse #GlacialTomb #Glassbone #HeavyMovesHeavy #HellOn #Hellbutcher #Ironflame #Jaubi #Kalandra #Kanonenfeiber #Karst #KASHIWADaisuke #Keres #KeygenChurch #KnockedLoose #MartaChiaraArgirò #Necrophobic #Necrot #Necrowretch #NemedianChronicles #Noxis #OU #OxygenDestroyer #PatMetheny #PneumaHagion #Replicant #ResinTomb #RippedToShreds #Scumbag #SentientHorror #SiantellJohns #SpectralWound #Stenched #Sylvaine #Teeth #TheBlackDahliaMurder #ToTheGrave #toe #Ulcerate #Undeath #UnhallowedDeliverance #ValeOfPnath #Vitriol #VoidWitch #Vredehammer #Yunowa

- #Necrowretch: Swords Of Dajjal. Du #deathBlack français avec une vraie personnalité.
https://youtu.be/F5E711639lM?si=Z09rmMqNAsuCuCHt

- #Gravekvlt : Full Moon Fever. Groupe nantais pratiquant un balck'n roll assez dansant avec une touche old school. Rafraichissant!
https://youtu.be/Pq2j_2R1Rmo?si=7FWEAToYKzCMtJVe

- #Kalandra : A Frame Of Mind. Vendu comme un croisement entre Wardruna et le Folkesange de Myrkur, j'ai eu un peu de mal à rentrer dedans. Mais plus je l'écoute et plus il se révèle être un excellent album!
https://youtu.be/3b7LRbtQEHU?si=KAYGC-szgbe0fISO

#musique #music #radioPouet #RadioTeigneux #2024

Sentynel and Twelve’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Steel Druhm

Sentynel

When I wrote my piece for the fifteen years feature, despite referring to “ten years of running the servers,” it hadn’t really clicked for me that I’ve been here ten years. It was in fact, May 2014 that we moved the server over and I officially joined the staff. While but an eyeblink compared to the oldeness of some of our crew,1 it’s a long time, and a large chunk of my rapidly oldenating life. It’s also over five years since my first actual review. Every year since then, I’ve promised myself I’d write more and then not done that. Whoops. On the plus side, covering bands I already like went a lot better this year than it did last year, with very good or better albums from all three. And the Contrite Metal Guy piece allowed me to correct the record on some errors from earlier in my reviewing career.

This year, my list covers more genres than ever before—there are a few entries I suspect will surprise people, not least because they surprised me. Despite being into instrumental music, the biggest commonality here is great vocals. Overall, I think it’s been a good year. I left organizing my list to the last possible moment due to a particularly rough house move (sorry, deadlines) and was, as usual, flapping about whether I’d have enough good entries. When I sat down to actually write it I realized I’d filled my list and HM slots with no trouble. And for the first time, I’ve been compelled to do a Song o’ the Year list rather than an individual pick.

In addition to the traditional thanks to the readers and the rest of the staff, olde and new, I also need to add a (returned) thanks to the bands. AMG walks a difficult line with our honest approach to reviewing, and it’s not easy sending your work out to face that. Obviously, without bands sending us music we’d have nothing to write here. I met Tribunal and Mares of Thrace at their gig in Montréal this year, and it was immensely reassuring to hear, from them and others, that our coverage can make a real difference.

#ish. Amiensus // Reclamation – The two parts to Reclamation are officially listed as Reclamation: Part 1 and Reclamation Pt. II, an inconsistency offensive enough to bar them from my actual top ten. Okay, fine, that’s not true, I just whiffed on this until Thus‘ TYMHM on part I (sorry Ken) and there’s too much of it to have listened to enough to place either part properly. Nonetheless, these are really beautiful progressive, melodic black metal and absolutely worth the time investment. The balance and transitions between the harsh, the bleak, and the beautiful are often the downfall of this sort of music, and Amiensus absolutely nail it.

#10. Dvne // Voidkind – The brilliant Etemen Ænka took a while to grow on me, and likewise Voidkind. I could rarely name a specific song – their post/sludge sound doesn’t lend itself to big singalong choruses, and I’m terrible with names without that. But every song is memorable. Whenever I see them live, I go “ooh, I love this one” at the intro to every song. Voidkind is no exception. The more I’ve listened to it the more I’ve appreciated it. The riffs, the build-ups, the denouements—listening to it is one “ooh, I love this one” moment after another.

#9. Seven Spires // A Fortress Called Home – Seven Spires continue to carry the whole symphonic metal genre pretty much single-handedly. I still think the editing on A Fortress Called Home could be a little tighter, but I love their sound and songwriting. Mixing in influences from death and doom to the power metal base gives weight. The soaring highs and emotive storytelling here are as good as they’ve ever been. Great cinematic music.

#8. Saturday Night Satan // All Things Black – All Things Black is just a huge amount of fun. It recalls Ghost before their full embrace of pop: proper catchy, occult-themed, rocking heavy metal with a charismatic vocalist. I’ve had “5AM” stuck in my head all year (occasionally at 5AM) and six-ninths of the tracks are in the running for the best song on the record. Uncomplicated but great.

#7. Northern Genocide // The Point of No Return – Wince-inducing band name and confusing theme/sound divergence aside, The Point of No Return rules. High-energy, multifaceted, synthy, dancy, it reminds me of Sybreed but with more going on. I definitely have a bit of a thing for bands that can throw half a dozen styles in and carry the execution off on the basis of being loads of fun (Diablo Swing Orchestra, Sanguine Glacialis). I’ve listened to it a lot when I’m not in the mood for something complex and it’s held up remarkably well.

#6. Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe – I don’t love Die Urkatastrophe to the extent that Carcharodon does, but it’s still a great album. An incredible vocal performance and sharp melodic writing carry a weighty story, even if I don’t quite have the German to appreciate the lyrics. Blackened death is not my usual style, but the craft here drew me in anyway. I highly recommend their live show as well—there’s a theatricality to it which really works, without taking away from the brutality of the music or the themes.

#5. Suldusk // Anthesis – I tend to take a break from albums I’ve reviewed after submitting the review. Even when I love something, the endless repeats as I try and line up my thoughts can get a bit wearing. So it’s telling how I feel about a record when I go back to it. I put Anthesis on a few weeks later and was immediately transported again. If anything it’s grown on me over the year. Beautiful, atmospheric and evocative, this is atmoblack at its best.

#4. Kalandra // A Frame of Mind – My favorite unexpected discovery of the year. Kalandra are absolutely spellbinding. Heavy themes, gorgeous Nordic folk instrumentation, and deft composition make for a genuinely moving listen. Katrine Stenbekk’s vocals are absolutely captivating and I could genuinely listen to her all day, yet part of the beauty of A Frame of Mind is how well she complements the instruments. I had to fight Dolph for TYMHM rights for this, and as I said there, I cannot recommend it enough.

#3. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – There was pretty much no chance The Skies Above Eternity wasn’t going to land high up my list. After the last record, they would have had to have royally fucked it for that not to happen, and they have not, in fact, royally fucked it. The jury is still out on whether I feel that this is a better record than The Saberlight Chronicles, but it’s certainly up there. Fantastic songs and endearingly honest positivity have always been Fellowship’s strong point, and this is no exception.

#2. Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God – I would not, prior to Cutting the Throat of God, have expected to see dissodeath gracing my list in any capacity, much less almost topping it, squeezed between two… slightly less brutal records. But then, prior to this album, I wouldn’t have expected to describe dissodeath as suspiciously melodic either. So, surprise! Ulcerate’s composition here is stellar. They weave unsettlingly dissonant yet pretty melody into bleak, brutal death metal and the results are infectious. I got so excited about the whole thing that I even tried listening to a couple of the other dissodeath hits this year, but alas, they just don’t have what Ulcerate have.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – Well, this was inevitable. There’s very little out there that sounds like Meer’s symphonic, progressive pop/rock. “Symphonic” is often a euphemism for “some string synths are used,” but Meer’s mini chamber orchestra do symphonic properly. And their lead vocal duo is fantastic. Playing House blew me away and very nearly topped my list. Wheels Within Wheels is better. It’s hard to follow up a great record, and it’s hard to compete with the feeling of hearing a band for the first time. But this does both. Take the great foundation from the previous record, turn up the rock elements, mix in a touch of post-, and sharpen up the songwriting, and you get the brilliant Wheels Within Wheels. 2

Honorable Mentions

Iotunn // Kinship – Narrowly squeezed off my top ten(ish), partly due to me not getting around to it until quite late, this is another great album from Iotunn.
i Häxa // i Häxa – Weird? Yes. Pretentious? Also yes. Good? Good question. I think it overuses spoken-word-over-atmospherics and it makes it hard to recommend the whole package, but the rest is compelling.
Lowen // Do Not Go to War with the Demons of Mazandaran – Really cool interfusion of Iranian music and mythology with doom metal. Nina Saeidi’s vocal lead is remarkable.
Keygen Church // Nel Nome del Codice – I’m still not completely sold on how natural the merger of MBR’s floppy disk synths with organs-and-choirs church music sounds, but the baroque composition here is good enough to carry it regardless.

Songs o’ the Year

Alphabetically ordered, because I’m a coward.

The Dread Crew of Oddwood – “The Apple”
Fellowship – “King of Nothing”
Kalandra – “The State of the World”
Kanonenfieber – “Waffenbruder”
Meer – “Mother”
Nanowar of Steel – “HelloWorld.java”
Northern Genocide – “Para Bellum”
Saturday Night Satan – “5AM”
Suldusk – “Sphaera”

Twelve

Writing these year-end summaries is always a cathartic experience. It’s odd to try and summarize the year you’ve had, in whatever way resonates best, to an audience of people you don’t know, but that does take some pressure off. Every year, I get a new chance to be grateful for the writers and readers on this blog, and to reflect on what went wrong, what went right, and where I am now versus where I was a year ago.

I can confidently say that, by any measure, 2024 was the worst year of my life. Between personal losses and professional disasters, I spent most of the year feeling demotivated, dejected, and just shy of despairing. And yet, when I compiled my year-end list, I was pleasantly surprised, because there isn’t actually all that much dark material here. You’d think, based on how I started this paragraph, that my list would be filled with the dark and dismal metals from the year, but instead, it leans much lighter, more optimistic, and hopeful. Hope is a tough thing to squash completely, and throughout the year, I have stubbornly remained optimistic that things would get better—and, sure enough, they have. I’ll begin 2025 in a much better place, and take the lessons of the year with me all the way to the next article.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my fellow writers here for their support as I contributed an uneven year (at best) to the blog—your friendships, banter, recommendations, and rare-but-memorable offline appearances mean the world to me. As I come up to the end of my sixth year writing here, I’m still having a blast. Not to mention the music! The music is good too. Speaking of which…

#ish. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – Having first encountered Opeth during the Pale Communion days, I never really formed an opinion on the growls/no-growls debate. Even so, despite my genuine admiration for their last few releases, The Last Will and Testament feels like some kind of return to form for these giants. An album as dense as it is powerful, The Last Will and Testament keeps me coming back. Perhaps because of that density, I had trouble figuring out how and where exactly to list it. Maybe it came out a little too late in the year for me; I may well regret this “low” placement before long.

#10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart – Old Eyes, New Heart is, appropriately, an album with real heart. I love its laid-back approach that does nothing to diminish the cold darkness that surrounds it. And yet, the sense of hope and determination I get from listening to it electrifying. Just listen to “Cold Hard Rain”—”there’s hope in the dark” is one of the best moments in any album I’ve heard all year. The approach Madder Mortem brings to Old Eyes, New Heart is resonant, mixing dark and light in a way that just worked for me this year. It is an excellent album.

#9. Fellowship // The Skies Above Eternity – Conversely, Fellowship brought all kinds of power metal glory to The Skies Above Eternity, an outrageously fun album adorned with hope, excitement, and super impressive performances from everyone involved. The Skies Above Eternity is just so much fun to listen to; it fills the Angus McSix-sized hole in this year-end list admirably because a year without some kind of super-well-done over-the-top power metal is a year that’s just no good. Thankfully, Fellowship are clearly here to stay.

# 8. Dawnwalker //The Unknowing – The Unknowing is one of those albums that rewards repeated listens. Of course, I listened to it plenty before writing my review in October, but I’ve kept listening to it since and I just keep noticing new things. It’s enough to make me want to rewrite the whole review, honestly; there’s just so much to The Unknowing, and I love the way Dawnwalker made this album simple and complex at the same time. The ebb and flow is very well done, the performances are powerful, and the meanings just keep on coming. This is a great album to get lost in, and I still recommend it highly.

#7. Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk – “But God’s Hand is Strong” is an amazing title for such a dark album. Maybe that’s part of why I like it so much—that idea of hope transcending everything else, of faith and optimism keeping you going when things are really bad. Of course, it helps that Hamferð are phenomenal musicians who know exactly what they’re doing; Men Guðs hond er sterk is a crushingly powerful doom album, well-written and performed to the highest standards. Hamferð have long been my go-to band when it’s cold and dark out. Well, winter is back, and thank goodness Hamderð is too.

#6. In Vain // Solemn – I love epic, complex metal, and In Vain delivers with Solemn. I love Solemn for its melodic qualities, its huge ambitions, and its soaring highs. That it uses a horn section is icing on the cake; the first listen-through is unpredictable, but the quality is consistently high. Solemn is one of those great albums that just doesn’t really have faults—it was never a question of whether I’d like it, just one of how much. It’s that solid, and has all kinds of staying power. A definite highlight from the year in whatever style of metal you think it fits in best.

#5. Árstíðir lífsins // Aldrlok – I love Árstíðir lífsins. I’ve criticized their albums before, but the truth is that the base of their sound is so wonderfully up my alley that I’m not sure it’s possible for me to dislike their music. I’m always so excited when Árstíðir lífsins releases new music, and Aldrlok has grown on me immensely since its release in June. I love its mystical quality, its evocative style, and its historic power—Árstíðir lífsins approach their music in a way that few bands or projects do, and it resonates so well. It’s a long album for sure, but it is filled with outstanding material and well worth the deep dive it offers.

#4. Silhouette // Les Dires de l’Ame – Silhouette first grabbed my attention with the release of Les retranchements a couple of years ago. Since then, it feels like they’ve grown tremendously; Les Dires de l’Ame feels grander, darker, and more complex than Les retranchements, and I love this direction. The melodies, harmonies, and vocal performances are stunning, and the balance of beauty and darkness is incredibly well-done. Even now, I feel like Les Dires de l’Ame is still growing on me; I am fully enamored with this symphonic sojourn, and expect to remain so for some time.

#3. Hell:on // Shaman – For a long time, I assumed Shaman would be my album of the year, and it was not something I would have predicted before May. And yet, here it is: Shaman is incredible, a powerful slab of death metal decorated with just enough melodic, mystic, and folk elements to keep me coming back. It’s rare that I like death metal this much, but Hell:on is just so compelling, from the throat singing to the acoustic interludes that break up blisteringly powerful riffing. Shaman’s got it all, and it is captivating at every moment from beginning to end.

#2. Forndom // Moþir – I can’t believe I’m not giving this one Album of the Year. Maybe it just came out too recently, but it’s still surprising because I adore Forndom. Moþir’s orchestral folk approach to creating time-defying music is essentially flawless, and it is so easy to get lost in. The vocal work, orchestral performances, and lead violin are all exemplary, and it’s been truly wonderful exploring this darker, grander side of Forndom these last several weeks. On the one hand, I wish it had come out sooner so I could have more time with it before writing this blurb—on the other, it suits December weather so well that I believe I’ve been getting the best out of it since day one. Forndom is doing amazing work, and I really can’t recommend Moþir enough. Time travel is real, and I am convinced that Forndom knows the secret.

#1. Meer // Wheels Within Wheels – What can I even write here that Sentynel hasn’t said better in his own review? Wheels Within Wheels is my new go-to album when things are bad—it is melancholic and angry, but also optimistic and hopeful, a delicate-yet-gorgeous balance that really speaks to me. It’s got a ton of variance, and knows when to go big and when to keep quiet. The songwriting is exemplary, and you really feel the impact of the many musicians who’ve come together for each song. The singing in particular is outstanding, lifted by strings, piano, guitar, and drums with a cohesion that most projects can only dream of. More than all of that, however, is that Wheels Within Wheels is an honest, vulnerable album. It is willing to be fragile and open and is achingly beautiful in those moments. Lyrically, it’s like a hand outstretched, a friend with an ear always ready to listen. Done well, this progressive rock style has limitless potential, and Meer do it so, so well. I really love this album; in many ways, it saved my year.

Honorable Mention

The Dread Crew of Oddwood // Rust & Glory – I don’t know what else to tell you—there isn’t enough goofy music on my list. The Dread Crew of Oddwood are an absolute blast, and I keep coming back to Rust & Glory purely for the fun factor. It also helps that “Lost Comrades” perfectly encapsulates the experience of writing for this blog.

Song of the Year

I’ve written the word “hope” too much in this article—I know that. But metal music is personal, and often our choices for our favorites reflect our experiences. This year, I needed hope. That’s why “Come to Light” by Meer is my song of the year for 2024—because there were times when this song genuinely kept my head up, kept me smiling, and forced me into the right headspace to get through what really was a very bad year. Now I’m on the other side of it, and hey, it’s still an amazing song! It perfectly encapsulates that limitless potential I was going on about a few sections ago, and realizes it in such a beautiful, endearing way. An outstanding song from an outstanding album by an outstanding band.

#2024 #Amiensus #ArstidirLifsins #BlogPosts #Dawnwalker #Dvne #Fellowship #Forndom #Hamferð #HellOn #iHäxa #InVain #Iotunn #Kalandra #Kanonenfeiber #KeygenChurch #Lowen #MadderMortem #Meer #NorthernGenocide #Opeth #SaturdayNightSatan #SentynelAndTwelveSTopTenIshOf2024 #SevenSpires #Silhouette #Suldusk #TheDreadCrewOfOddwood #Ulcerate

Dolphin Whisperer’s and Ferox’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Dolphin Whisperer

Dolphin Whisperer

Every year, its end becomes more shocking and swift. Once, some guy told me, simply, “it only gets worse.” Not life though—attributing a better or worse or any sort of constant determination of our passage leaves a lot of room for falling into a void of enjoyment—life is, after all, a constant until its not. But time, or our sense of being in its too ever-present stream, flows at a rate that changes in ways to which we never quite catch up.

As such, there’s a comfort in knowing how much time an album, particularly one you enjoy will take. For the ten-to-twenty minutes it takes for grindcore proper to slap me silly or the forty-to-eighty minutes that it takes for my deepest progressive loves to wring out a moaning confession, I know where my attention lies, even if it’s only half there and half on a task at hand. Time and tasks, day to night, play to stop, music makes my world a better place. And entering my now third year at Angry Metal Guy, an institution that has been a fixture of my musical journey for even longer, I continue to hold a profound gratitude and excitement for another year of discovery.

2024 has had its challenges professionally and personally. 2025 will be no doubt the same, even if some trials we can see forming in the distance. But you want to know about the music, right? On that end, 2024 has yielded a heaping trove of great albums. Heck, even a Rodeö pick scratched at the rungs of an honorable mention. The below list barely scratches the surface of the breadth that the year has offered. Further down you will see Ferox‘s list, which captures a different collection equally rooted in joy. He might be more right than I am. But that matters little. Celebrate with us, your favorite collective of writers on the world wide web! Come hang with some of us on Discord too if you’d like. Most of the people there are certified flea-free. And don’t be too upset if 2025 doesn’t hit you the same at first. It’s just another year, and it’ll be over before you know it.

#ish. Kalandra // A Frame of Mind – At my core, I consider myself a Norwegian sad girl. Usually, this manifests in some sort of weepy, melancholy prog, the likes of Age of Silence or Madder Mortem.1 But Kalandra’s enfolkened an impassioned take on an artsy, progressive collection of empowering tunes hit me square in my aching heart from the moment I heard it. Most importantly, though, Kalandra knows that suffering is just a step on the path of growth and happiness, which is a message that inspires me every day.

#10. Dawnwalker // The Unknowing – The power to dream and envision a world driven by mysticism has an allure that’s hard to ignore. And while we know that more determinable laws guide the happenings of our daily lives, a glimpse of the unknown will always find its way into sequence. Dawnwalker putting this esoteric but ever-present concept into an atmospheric, genre-warped, playfully progressive package hardly surprises me, though. The British troupe has had my number since their unsung classic In Rooms,2 so I’m doing my last in continuing to love them despite Twelve‘s best efforts to underrate them.3

#9. Lizzard // Mesh – Lizzard’s 2021 opus Eroded is my favorite album of this decade so far. The French trio’s ability to warp deep, rhythm-tricky layers into driving and emotional rock songs his me at the core of my musical desire for cathartic hope expressed in an unassuming and lush framework. Mesh doesn’t present any differently in that regard. But its wrinkles on Lizzard’s timeless yet ’90s alternative-rooted oeuvre fuel Mesh’s inherent melancholy with a hope that’s jubilant, like a cracked smile on an overcast day.

#8. Dissimulator // Lower Form Resistance – [INCOMING TRANSMISSION.] “My name is Clyde, and I arrive from beyond with wonderful news. My good friend Ferox has survived this timeline after all, having learned to navigate the Lower Form Resistance assault of fast-twitch rhythms and slow-twitch death metal punctuation. His head, fully intact, sways wildly in its hairless glory—big dives for big skanking breaks, snappy rolls for whiplash accelerations. He may not be as rhythmically gifted in pit-galloping cadence as the virtuoso drum and bass duo that provides life to Dissimulator’s effortless strides, but Ferox is my everything nonetheless.” [END TRANSMISSION.]

#7. Mamaleek // Vida Blue – I couldn’t begin to tell you what has never landed about Mamaleek’s works before with a weird precision. As an act dedicated to sounding only like Mamaleek, their singular expression of tortured black(ish) metal warped by jazzy and slogging attitudes has manifested quite the take-it-or-leave-it musical experience. And while you, dear reader, may assume this is firmly up my alley, it has not been. At least not until Vida Blue served a bottom of the ninth heart-shaker as an ode to a departed friend.4 With a soulful swing, a tortured connection, and an exit velocity powered by equal parts loss and love, Mamaleek has clinched a campaign for my attention.

#6. Defeated Sanity // Chronicles of Lunacy – As an apex predator in the brutal death metal world, Defeated Sanity’s appearance arouses not questions of competency but rather calculations of the carnage wrought. Chronicles of Lunacy does not mark a turning point or novel twist in the Defeated Sanity timeline—its finely tuned lashings hit as inescapable all the same. When neither a beast’s reach, nor mass, nor attack speed goes contested, an exhibition of its might will flash with morbid glee. As such, Defeated Sanity need not surprise to strike mortal wound. Chronicles’ fangs glisten with an aged-imbrued tarnish, tearing at my flesh in every way I would expect. And I want more.

#5. Orgone // Pleroma – Meticulous and constructed as a master-work, Pleroma’s opening notes signal a trance. Acoustic twang and chamber instrument-fueled swoon build an atmosphere of wonder against a fervent and languished march of post-genre swells and death-fueled crescendos. Cycling through its many shades feels less like a fever dream and more of a trial-filled journey. Wielding a demure grandeur, Pleroma’s effortless realization of Orgone’s peerless vision never feels like the epic journey its runtime suggests. Were my time truly infinite, Pleroma would be even harder to rip away from the queue.

#4. Julie Christmas // Ridiculous and Full of Blood – A lady screaming bloody murder shouldn’t go down this smooth, but that’s always been the promise and success of Julie Christmas. Few vocalists leave me slack-jawed and ear-shaken in the wake of piercing cries, raw-throated shrieks, and impassioned lyrical slather. Yet, Ridiculous and Full of Blood cuts track after track out of sonic patterns that do exactly that, all while empowering a full band expression of alternative-laced grooves, post-informed climbs, and punk-tied sneer. The Christmas season sums a flurry of inspired performances under the banner of a madwoman. And I stand at the ready to fray my vocal cords in attempt to crack with the same battle-tested precision that Ms. Christmas has earned from a life hard-worn.

#3. Ingurgitating Oblivion // Ontology of Nought – Though born of minds unrelated, Ontology of Nought exists as an esoteric companion to the Pleroma embodiment. Orgone is the twin that went to conservatory, graduated with honors, and holds an honorable performing chair, all while remembering its young love for death metal. Ingurgitating Oblivion, on the other hand, dropped out, spiraled into entheogenic dissociation, earns a living gigging at jazz clubs—also maintains its youthful lust for the clamoring riff and hammering blast. Maximalism oozes a frothing wonder in the hiss of distorted chatter and rhythmic mastery. An imperfect and breathing construction rises and falls in ethereal inhales and vision-spinning mantras. Ontology of Nought deserves each of its over-budget minutes. Invest time in the freedom that it promises… “and cease to be.”

#2. OU // 蘇醒 II: Frailty – The casualness of OU’s inception belies its profound leap into my necessary rotation. No incumbent love ever has a defined position in the halls of end-of-year accolades,5 and even more so when the act’s very presence rang suspicious in its finely-tuned invasion to my critical wiles. But, as I noted when I first blew my love for 蘇醒 II: Frailty over the pages of Angry Metal Guy, it’s OU’s “idiosyncratic atmosphere” that pulls from a “polyrhythmic hypnosis” and masterful “energetic flow” that continues to chart them deservedly high in the annals of ’20s progressive music. And while this collision of classically-minded, synth-addicted madness slowly expands its universe one OU release at a time, I’m content to sit here and yell their praises at anyone who will listen.

#1. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – You know you’re getting old when an album about modern burnout and the pains of traffic resonates with you all the way from frozen shoulder to radiating lower back to cold-groaning knee. But when Pyrrhon stealth-bombed my aging metalhead mind with a tech-dial riff barrage of noisy and shouting proportions, I had no choice but to surrender. Exhaust demands attention from its initial irony-laced lift-off to its closing brutalist clock-out, swinging skronk-enabled splatters and ache-addled vituperation around every faded line and pothole in its death metal architecture. Though Pyrrhon uses simpler blocks, their construction here defies convention at every step. One fine commenter summed up Exhaust in the most succinct manner in that regard: “~~Death Metal, Hardcore, Noise Rock, Technical Death Metal~~. It’s just mathcore.” Except they took away the wrong message from that distillation. The verdict, in fact, is fuck you.

Honorable Mentions:

- Inner Strength // Daydreaming in Moonlight – Another way you know you’re getting old is that you love an album that sounds like it should have released in 1995. Alas, here we are.
- Dysrhythmia // Coffin of Conviction – Instrumental progressive music should be as exciting as Dysrhythmia. Comes for the Martyr riffs. Stay for the Metheny floating.
- Beaten to Death // Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis – Beaten to Death is still the best grindcore band on the planet. They probably won’t ever release a better album than Dødsfest!, but that’s OK. Their discography is now about two hours total. Go listen to it if you haven’t.
- Stygian Crown // Funeral for a King – Doom should always have a guitar tone that feels equally powered by swords and beer alongside vocals that feel soft like bar-stained leather stools.
- Kollapse // AR – I didn’t know KEN mode had a Danish doppelgänger with a frightening, large pink face. But they do, and boy does Kollapse know how to yell and riff.
- Sleepytime Gorilla Museum // of the Last Human Being – Had I infinitely more listening time, I may have been able to parse better this deeply cinematic and wacky slab of no wave emboldened prog. Most don’t actually earn the avant-garde tag the way SGT does.
- Defying // Wadera – Hour-long albums based on old Polish werewolf stories and horror movies shouldn’t be this easy to repeat, but I find myself often falling into Wadera’s unbreakable spell.
- Arthouse Fatso // Sycophantic Seizures: A Double Feature – I didn’t have radically-minded industrial deathgrind about the frustrated escapades of a fictional Orson Welles life on my 2024 bingo, but here I am telling you to listen to it anyway.
- Concrete Winds // Concrete Winds – Just this. And shitloads of riffs.

Disappointments o’ the Year:

Myrath // Karma – I love Shehili so much. My love for power metal isn’t what it used to be, but Myrath’s exuberance while staying rooted in both the trickier waters of prog and the anthemic cries of power metal gave me hope both that I’d continue to latch on to the kind of playful love it can offer. But the arrangements on Karma, despite Myrath’s still life-affirming messages, do absolutely nothing to bolster that same joy for me. Karma sinks my listening brain. And that hurts.
Pallbearer // Mind Burns Alive – The continued non-success of Pallbearer and their sleepy-toned take on creaky prog rock hurts the Dolph who fell in love with their weepy doom classic (and still controversial to true doomsters) Heartless. And yet the general blogging population seems to praise them for trying to reinvent sadboi roots rock with worse lyrics. And, for my money, Pallbearer is sounding increasingly thin live. If a return to glory is in store for Pallbearer, it will begin with them finally playing a riff again.
Polterguts // Nobody Likes You – Okay, this EP actually rips because Polterguts rips. Hard. But, Polterguts, if you’re reading this, please put it on Bandcamp so I can link the shit out of it and give you money. I am disappointed that I have no way to contribute currency to your cause. “Ricky Has a Knife2” is worth the price of admission alone.

Songs o’ the Year:

Why give you one when I can give you twenty-seven? Why twenty-seven? That’s my secret. Now, I’ve talked enough, go out there and enjoy some music, friends. And enjoy this photo of my dogs.

Coconut (left), Kiwi (right) in a stylish Adidog sweater.

Ferox

I worked way too much in 2024. I can’t complain; it was meaningful work that I chose to take on, and it got me that much closer to not having to work at all if I don’t want to. Still, that’s what I’ll think of when I think of 2024: lots and lots of work. That had a knock-on effect, especially when it comes to hobbies like lifting, getting out to national parks, and writing here. I did very little of any of that. I kept up with metal as best I could, and embarked on a big end-of-year listening push to have an accurate picture of what came out in 2024. I’m grateful that I got to do a list at all this year, so I took the responsibility seriously… but I’d be lying if I said I was buried in the scene all year.

One of the highlights of my 2024 was meeting a whole slew of staffers in person. I traveled a bunch this year, both for work and for my daughter’s ballet pursuits, and with that came the chance to hang with some of the people who make this place go. My body count of staffers met this year: Steel Druhm, Madam X, Cherd, Twelve, Dr. Wyrm, Thus Spoke, El Cuervo, Doom et al, and Holdeneye. It was a veritable orgy of almost entirely chaste fellowship, and only one (1) bad hang among the lot!6

I’m grateful to Steel Druhm and Angry Metal Guy for indulging my schedule, and for the real leadership they provide at my fake job. I found this unique community because it had the best music writing on the internet, and that remains true today thanks to the talented people who contribute their time and enthusiasm to keeping the machinery humming. I’m lucky to be a small part of it, and hopeful that 2025 will give me more time to spend in the Hall.

#ish. Mother of Graves // The Periapt of Absence – My “-ish” spot typically goes to an album that might have listed if I just had more time with it. That holds true of the sophomore effort from Indianapolis’s Mother of Graves, which landed on my radar by way of Carcharadon‘s excellent TYHMHM piece. This slab of classic sadboi death doom transcends any tribcore concerns through sheer quality of execution. From opener “Gallows” through final track “Like Darkness to a Dying Flame,” The Periapt of Absence guides the listener through the stages of grief with varied compositions that maintain a consistent mood throughout. Classic death doom is alive and well.

#10. Wormed // Omegon – Maddog‘s compelling rave for Omegon is my personal Review o’ the Year; fortunately, the prose was well spent on this efficient and brutal riff delivery system. Wormed has been creating slam-adjacent otherworldly death metal for a good while now, and Omegon is a distillation of everything the band has learned over the past two decades. 2024 is the year I realized I’ve been a brutal death metal guy all along. With songs like “Pareidolia Robotica” and “Virtual Teratogenesis,” Wormed took me by the hand and guided me through this journey of self-discovery… all while the people in the offices around me called in noise complaints.

#9. Ripped to Shreds // Sanshi – The already impressive Ripped to Shreds leveled up with Sanshi, a blast of aggressive but technically adept death metal that never left my rotation after its release. The guitar hero shredding plays like a release valve to the vicious and punky energy that Andrew Lee injects into his compositions. This cycle of tension and release makes for an addictive listen that feels like it ends mere moments after you hit play. The thrash elements of the R2S sounds are more prevalent on Sanshi, meaning the band now scratches the same itch for me that Horrendous did with their last killer slab.

#8. Scumbag // Homicide Cult – Scumbag! SCUUUMMMMBAGGGG. This nasty bit of business, with its deathgrind touches and morbid sense of humor (“Pure Adrenaline Hard-On,” “The Meating”), was tailor-made for the Ferox sensibility. Herein lie twenty-eight minutes of death metal that never slams but still walks the same line that Wormhole managed to last year: brutal but somehow cheerful, and stoopid without being remotely dumb. Dylan Cruz, of this band and Noxis, came out of nowhere to occupy a huge chunk of my limited listening time this year.

#7. Black Curse // Burning in Celestial Poison – With Burning in Celestial Poison, Black Curse stages a forty-five-minute takeover of your central nervous system. Eldritch Elitist captured the elemental power of these five compositions better than I ever could, but this album gave me exactly what I needed in a 2024 that was characterized by an extreme lack of work-life balance. Metal can provide a safe outlet for less-than-savory feelings, and Black Curse expressed a lot of things for me that I couldn’t express myself and stay employed. Lose yourself in these five tracks and emerge scoured but smarter.

#6. Spectral Wound // Songs of Blood and Mire – The hot streak continues; Songs of Blood and Mire, Spectral Wound’s fourth album, is their best effort yet. Carcharadon capably cataloged crisp new cross-currents in the band’s sound, but the song quality remains the same. Tracks like “At Wine-Dark Midnight in the Mouldering Halls” and Song o’ the Year “Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal” showcase the band’s gift for coupling aggression with sweeping melody. In this way, Spectral Wound recalls Watain without so much distracting ooga-booga. Songs of Blood and Mire finds them continuing to refine their sound and grow in confidence.

#5. Endonomos // Endonomos II – Enlightenment – Endonomos carried the torch for doom in 2024. Enlightenment is a stately procession, its six long tracks blending influences from all across the doom spectrum. This is music that soars as it plods. Steel Druhm noted similarities to both Khemmis and Fvneral Fvkk. Those comps are perfect; not since Carnal Confessions has a doom album so effectively cut through the clutter of genre tropes to evoke genuine emotion.

#4. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – I hate it when the promotional push for an album ties a record too strongly to the narrative of its creation. It’s like the record company is trying to force a reaction that the album itself might or might not evoke. So when Exhaust arrived with heavy-handed descriptions of process and what Pyrrhon went through trying to make the album happen, I bristled and stopped reading. Fortunately, the music on Exhaust speaks for itself. This is a bitter and blistering record that finds the band raging against their rage’s inability to change even a single thing. I’ve always appreciated Pyrrhon, but I’ve never connected with their music as immediately as I did on Exhaust.

#3. Defeated Sanity // Chronicles of Lunacy – Defeated Sanity has had quite the AMG journey. They’ve gone from being brushed aside by a n00b named Potato Jim to being on the receiving end of a double-4.0 fellating from the tenured likes of Dolphin Whisperer and Maddog. Chronicles of Lunacy finds Defeated Sanity extending the Colin Marston-enabled peak that they hit on 2020’s The Sanguinary Impetus. It takes extreme skill to weaponize the base and the stoopid this effectively. Defeated Sanity is more than up for the job.

#2. Inter Arma // New Heaven – Here’s another band that could be wrestling with The Law of Diminishing Recordings by now, but instead persists with quality release after quality release. Inter Arma never repeats themselves, but each of their albums could only come from them. Hot take: Sky Funeral has remained my favorite Inter Arma album even as they’ve racked up an epic run of excellence. New Heaven makes a run at unseating it. This is a slab that rewards the many repeated listens I gave it in 2024; it sat in my top slot for much of the year until a late-breaking favorite pushed it aside.

#1. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – This is my third time publishing a list at AMG; each previous year, I had clear Album o’the Year winners in Immolation’s Acts of God and Afterbirth’s In But Not Of. 2024 marked the first Listurnalia that began with an opening for my top slot. But as I weeded through my favorite music of the year, I realized: Noxis drew me in with the bass flourish at the beginning of album opener “Skullcrushing Defilement,” and they still haven’t let go. The Pittsburgher in me hates to credit anything from Cleveland, but Noxis weeded out that deeply rooted prejudice with their inventive and fresh take on death metal. Every track on Violence Inherent in the System is a wild ride that alternately crushes, challenges, and tickles. The only break from the madcap pace comes on mid-album interlude “Excursion,” but that just prepares you for the utter barking lunacy of “Horns Echo Over Chorazim.” That song incorporates strange arrangements that include various woodwind instruments, and somehow they do it with zero pretension and abundant commitment to brutality. Listurnalia may have begun with a blank space atop my list, but it ended with Noxis firmly entrenched as the winner of 2024.

Honorable Mentions:

- - Stenched // Purulence Gushing from the Coffin – This one-man outfit captured that elusive filthy magic and spewed out the annum’s premiere filthy wallow.
  - Aborted // Vault of Horrors – These Belgian veterans, long under-appreciated in the Hall, finally found their champion in Grier. They hooked themselves up to the juvenation machine by leaning into the melodeath that has been creeping into their sound, and cranked out their best set in years.
  - Vitriol // Suffer and Become – Here’s a mean and heavy slab that seemed to fade from the general consciousness as the year wore on, but remains worthy of note.

Disappointment o’the Year:

Ferox! I just didn’t have time to make a meaningful contribution here this year. It has been a pleasure to watch other members of my n00b class like Dolph and Maddog and Thus become AMG institutions, even as I mostly watch from the sidelines and come out to play when I can.

Song o’the Year:

Imagine being asked to name your favorite song of the year, and responding with a twenty-seven song playlist!7

#2024 #AFrameOfMind #Aborted #AR #ArthouseFatso #BeatenToDeath #BlackCurse #BurningInCelestialPoison #ChroniclesOfLunacy #CoffinOfConviction #ConcreteWinds #Dawnwalker #DaydreamingInMoonlight #DefeatedSanity #Defying #Dissimulator #Dysrhythmia #Endonomos #EndonomosIIEnlightenment #Exhaust #FuneralForAKing #GodsOverBrokenPeople #HomicideCult #Horrendous #IngurgitatingOblivion #InnerStrength #InterArma #JulieChristmas #Kalandra #Khemmis #Kollapse #Lists #Listurnalia #Listurnalia2024 #Lizzard #LowerFormResistance #Mamaleek #Mesh #MotherOfGraves #Myrath #NewHeaven #NobodyLikesYou #Noxis #OfTheLastHumanBeing #Omegon #OntologyOfNought #Orgone #OU #Pallbearer #Pleroma #Polterguts #PurulenceGushingFromTheCoffin #Pyrrhon #RidiculousAndFullOfBlood #RippedToShreds #Sanshi #SaveThisUtility #Scumbag #SleepytimeGorillaMuseum #SongsOfBloodAndMire #SpectralWound #Stenched #StygianCrown #SufferAndBecome #SunriseOverRigorMortis #SycophanticSeizuresADoubleFeature #ThePeriaptOfAbsence #TheUnknowing #VaultOfHorrors #VidaBlue #ViolenceInherentInTheSystem #Vitriol #Wadera #Watain #Wormed #蘇醒IIFrailty

Kalandra – A Frame of Mind [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]

By sentynel

Before festivals, I like to listen to at least a song or two for every band on the lineup I don’t know so I can optimize my schedule.1 When Kalandra came up as I prepared for ATG, I had to force myself to stop listening and move to the next band. “Folk/prog rock, really good, definitely see,” I wrote. This was an understatement. Their set was fantastic. Some bands just have presence. Through some combination of writing, musicianship, and the way they move, they step out onto the stage and everybody is immediately captivated. Kalandra is one of them. From their opening notes, they conjure something spellbinding… and then Katrine Stenbekk sings, and the results are something else.

Folk/prog rock is indeed the basis on A Frame of Mind. Acoustic guitars and strings play Nordic folk-inflected melodies. Electric guitars, distorted but rarely harsh, come in for the swells and crescendos. The instrumentation alone is great. The composition is consistently stellar. The use of, and transitions between, sparse and heavy movements are deft and surprising. Every song is beautiful and atmospheric. (Just bathe in the interlude track “Hytta,” for example.) But the real standout is the vocals. Katrine Stenbekk is incredibly charismatic and emotive. She flows from fragile to powerful, warm and folky to cutting, often within a single song. Live, she’s even better, as she’s also a great performer. This isn’t to say this is a one-woman show; her voice ebbs and flows with the instruments. Little musical twists reflect and reinforce the lyrics and stick in your mind.

A Frame of Mind tackles some heavy themes with an openness and occasionally bluntness that recalls GGGOLDDD, and this is a major contributor to its success. Opening track “I Am” is about generational trauma. “Are You Ready?” is a wonderfully creepy song about cult recruiting. The different perspectives are woven subtly through the music, and I adore how the song shifts as the narrator gets drawn in. “I Remember a Time” and “The State of the World” discuss, well, the state of the world, with a level of self-awareness that lands what’s ultimately a naively hopeful message in a bleak place. “Bardaginn” is perhaps the most straightforward, and heaviest, song on the record, with a great groove. It’s also written in Old Norse (helpfully with an official translation provided), about fighting on when it’s hopeless. It’s rare that I particularly care about the lyrics on a record, and it’s the interesting subjects combined with composition that actually works with the lyrics that pull me in here.

Kalandra are one of those bands where I wonder how I didn’t discover them earlier. Everything about them appeals to me, and their prior album The Line is also brilliant but had entirely passed me by. Fortunately, those of you who had also missed Kalandra need do so no longer. I cannot recommend A Frame of Mind enough. Clever writing, gorgeous atmosphere, moving themes, and the year’s best vocal performance make for a fantastic album.

Tracks to Check Out: “Are You Ready?,” “Bardaginn,” “The State of the World,” “I Am”

#2024 #AFrameOfMind #FolkRock #GGGOLDDD #Kalandra #NorwegianMetal #ProgressiveRock #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024