#albumreview

Sermon - Of Golden Verse (Prosthetic Records)

The Metal Mayan

2 days ago

Sermon - Of Golden Verse (Prosthetic Records)

There is something pure about anonymous art and music, an intimacy of sorts where listeners can focus on the material rather than the face(s) of those who crafted it. Furthermore, there is also a sense of wonder within each track: who is the pen and voice behind the songs and what is their story? These two concepts combined can, in many cases, result in an album feeling less like a few grooves on a record and more like a spiritual journey into unknown waters. In the age of so

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Ov Sulfur - The Burden Ov Faith (Century Media)

The Metal Mayan

Mar 10

Ov Sulfur - The Burden Ov Faith (Century Media)

Though far from any frozen fjords or deep forests, Las Vegas, Nevada, is not without its ample sphere of influence in the world of extreme music. Surrounded by debauchery, crooks, gluttons, and the occasional false prophet, perhaps Sin City is as good a place as any for rising stars Ov Sulfur to craft their debut full length album, The Burden Ov Faith. Helmed by former Suffokate vocalist, Ricky Hoover, Hoover's own wide range of stylings is further combined with a variety of

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Entheos - Time Will Take Us All (Metal Blade Records)

The Metal Mayan

Mar 4

Entheos - Time Will Take Us All (Metal Blade Records)

For many years, bands such as Meshuggah, Tool, and Opeth have been affectionately referred to as 'thinking (hu)man's metal'. From multiple individual movements within one song, to complex instrumental arrangements, these bands set the bar high for any aspiring metal band to weight their songs against. In the case of the former, several Master's theses have been written exploring these elements from an academic perspective. Poised to join this pantheon of head spinning/head ba

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The Metal Mayan

Feb 21

Enslaved - Heimdal (Nuclear Blast)

As the old adage goes, with age comes wisdom and with experience comes new possibilities. Few bands have demonstrated this quite like Norway's Enslaved, who have continuously pushed the boundaries of extreme music for over thirty years. Forging their own unique sound over time, the end result is an impeccable blend of Viking influences, progressive passages, and icy black metal grooves. Compared to the number of albums released by Emperor (4), Immortal (9), Satyricon (10), an

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Distant - Heritage (Century Media Records)

The Metal Mayan

Feb 12

Distant - Heritage (Century Media Records)

Deathcore: an extreme subgenre of hardcore and death metal that carried a nearly two decade long history of adoring fans and resentful metal purists. Pioneered as far back as the early 2000's and rapidly gaining popularity in the latter half of the decade and into the 2010's, much has changed over the years. Some of the biggest names went on to experiment with different musical elements, such as Whitechapel's The Valley. Others moved towards a different realm of extreme music

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Imha Tarikat - Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless World (Lupus Lounge)

The Metal Mayan

Nov 25, 2022

Imha Tarikat - Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless World (Lupus Lounge)

Since its inception, black metal has long been a style meant to take the listener to a different plain of existence. Sometimes it's to the fires of the underworld, other times it's to a deep forest or a snowcapped mountain. And sometimes, the journey is to an internal battlefield - one where both sides are in a perpetual stalemate despite much destruction over time. It is here where Germany's Imha Tarikat brings audiences with their third length album, Hearts Unchained - At W

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Candlemass - Sweet Evil Sun (Napalm Records)

The Metal Mayan

Nov 20, 2022

Candlemass - Sweet Evil Sun (Napalm Records)

With temperatures dropping below freezing in the northeastern United States but the full force of Mother North still to come, the season is prime for slow, heavy, and epic music. To that point, there could be no better time for legendary masters of doom, Candlemass, to release their latest offering to the masses. The thirteenth album from one of Sweden's finest, Sweet Evil Sun serves as a soundtrack to the last leaves of the year that gracefully fall from the withering forest

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The Metal Mayan

Aug 25, 2022

Fallujah - Empyrean (Nuclear Blast)

Founded 15 years ago, influenced by the likes of Death and Decrepit Birth, and coming to prominence along side bands such as The Faceless and Abiotic, it might be a surprise to think that Fallujah is still a relatively young band. With two of the longest running members barely in their 30's, the San Francisco based progressive tech-death unit still has a long career ahead of them. As a perfect example of the shape of things to come, Empyrean, the band's fifth full length albu

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The Metal Mayan

Aug 25, 2022

Sigh - Shiki (Peaceville)

Whether it is fashion, technology, or, in this case, music, Japan has always been a leader of thinking beyond established rules; experts in shattering the status quo. When it comes to black metal, Tokyo's own Sigh has bent and reshaped the boundaries of the genre for over thirty years. Returning after a four year silence, Shiki pushes the envelope even further with its blend of avant-garde elements and traditional black metal grimness. Around every corner is some element that

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My Sleeping Karma - Atma (Napalm Records)

The Metal Mayan

Aug 8, 2022

My Sleeping Karma - Atma (Napalm Records)

As far as history can tell, music has long been a bridge between the human world and a realm far beyond our comprehension. Perhaps somewhere spirits dwell, or where ancestors who have passed on roam in peace, or even a place for one to learn more about themselves; a plain of enlightenment. For Germany's My Sleeping Karma, the latter is very much at the core of Atma, their sixth full length release. Named for the Sanskrit word that refers to universal self-knowledge, the six t

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God Is An Astronaut - The Beginning Of The End (Napalm Records)

The Metal Mayan

Jul 23, 2022

God Is An Astronaut - The Beginning Of The End (Napalm Records)

2002 was a curious year in the world of music. The sun was setting on the era of the boy/girl bands, with their place on the charts being replaced by solo artists like Vanessa Carlton and Kelly Clarkson. The rock world was finding a new place between the college friendly music of Jimmy Eat World and the nu-metal grit of Linkin Park. Above all else, the world was given both The Eminem Show and the soundtrack to 8 Mile. Yet, somewhere among all of this, a young post-rock band c

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Municipal Waste - Electrified Brain (Nuclear Blast)

The Metal Mayan

Jun 27, 2022

Municipal Waste - Electrified Brain (Nuclear Blast)

At a time in the world when real life events are plenty intense and brutal, one might wish for something to bring a little bit of order to things. Enter thrash metal titans Municipal Waste and their upcoming album, Electrified Brain, a high speed adrenaline rush built to inject energy into a solemn society. Perfecting their craft over the last 20 years, Municipal Waste flawlessly blends the melodies of Carcass, the speed of Slayer, and the punk influences of D.R.I. and The Ca

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Besvärjelsen - Atlas (Magnetic Eye Records)

The Metal Mayan

May 22, 2022

Besvärjelsen - Atlas (Magnetic Eye Records)

The uniqueness of any heavy metal band can be argued as one part nature, one part nurture. To be specific, the nature is in reference to the sub-genre (black, doom, death, etc.), while the nurture is how the sub-genre is influenced by the world around the band. With this in mind, while the nature of stoner doom metal dates back to metal's infancy, Swedish quintet Besvärjelsen are an outstanding band in the sub-genre thanks in large part to their surroundings. Hailing from Dal

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Static Abyss - Labyrinth of Veins (Peaceville Records)

The Metal Mayan

Apr 25, 2022

Static Abyss - Labyrinth of Veins (Peaceville Records)

What comes to mind when thinking of being lost in a labyrinth? The claustrophobia among the towering walls? The panic of never finding the exit? The terror that perhaps you are not alone and, if you are not, what else could be wandering the corridors? Like a finely crafted horror story, Static Abyss channels all these feelings and more in their debut album, Labyrinth of Veins (Peaceville Records). Fitting in right at home on the very label that launched the death-doom movemen

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The Metal Mayan

Apr 22, 2022

Northlane - Obsidian (Believe)

When the world is at its quietest, sometimes it is easier to find words then than it is in times of overpowering noise and sound. Despite reaching a point of feeling like "I didn't really have much to say" over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, due in large part to the constant isolation, Northlane vocalist Marcus Bridge did indeed have plenty to share with the world. The result is Bridge, along with guitarists Jon Deiley and Josh Smith, and drummer Nic Pettersen, coming t

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Undeath - It's Time...To Rise from the Grave (Prosthetic Records)

The Metal Mayan

Apr 22, 2022

Undeath - It's Time...To Rise from the Grave (Prosthetic Records)

At a time when many bands are moving toward minimalism as far as packaging and presentation, it is easy to long for the days of the past. When one would browse the record store racks and find hidden gems based on the incredible cover art that said 'listen to me, I dare you'. Many a metalhead surely discovered classic records like Don't Break the Oath by Merciful Fate or Matando Gueros by Brujeria in this manner. Recognizing this pillar of metal, Rochester quintet Undeath have

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Kublai Khan TX - Lowest Form Of Animal (Rise Records)

The Metal Mayan

Apr 8, 2022

Kublai Khan TX - Lowest Form Of Animal (Rise Records)

From Judge to Earth Crisis to Hatebreed, and every band in between, the genre of hardcore is a testament to the fact that the most brutal and scary things don't always come from a movie, book, or a bad dream. Sometimes, they are right in front of us at all times, even if we are conditioned to be blind to them. Driving the fist of reality through the glass and right to your face, Kublai Khan TX carry on this tradition with the short but poignant EP, Lowest Form Of Animal. Each

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Watain - The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain (Nuclear Blast)

The Metal Mayan

Apr 8, 2022

Watain - The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain (Nuclear Blast)

It could be argued that black metal is the absinthe of the metal world. It's not for everyone, some try it once and a while to experience it, and then there are those who swear by it. To that point, if black metal is the musical equivalent of a bottle of 'the Green Fairy', then Watain is easily among its finest brands Returning after four years with The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain, the Swedish trio (who actually recorded this album as a six piece) have conjured a majestic blend

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Meshuggah - Immutable (Atomic Fire Records)

The Metal Mayan

Apr 2, 2022

Meshuggah - Immutable (Atomic Fire Records)

Reflecting on the infinite number of sub-genres in heavy metal music, only a select few can be directly attributed to one particular band. Venom defined "black metal" in 1982 with an album of the same name, and Possessed coined the term "death metal" in the title of the closing track to 1985's Seven Churches. However, metal historians argue that these bands gave a name to the genre, but were not alone in shaping it in the early years. In contrast, over the past 35 years, Mesh

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Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia (Sumerian Records)

The Metal Mayan

Mar 28, 2022

Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia (Sumerian Records)

For those who have followed Animals As Leaders long enough, one might have noticed a pattern in their musical direction for several albums now. While the band's self-titled debut and sophomore album, Weightless, are uniquely their own, the tone of the last two albums seem to form a story arch, even if no words are ever spoken. 2014's The Joy of Motion introduced us to a curious, nameless Narrator; their positive vibes steadily darkening towards the end of the album. In 2016,

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