#music

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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Rotting Christ, Carach Angren, Uada, Gaerea @ The Gramercy Theater

The Metal Mayan

Mar 14

Rotting Christ, Carach Angren, Uada, Gaerea @ The Gramercy Theater

Between nightfall and storm clouds covering the island of Manhattan, the black clad concert goers seemed to melt into one long stream of darkness, occasionally outlined by a colored patch sewn to a battle vest. And yet, among the shadows, the blue and white colors of the Greek flag easily pierced through their grim surroundings like the brightest of stars . Held in the hands of multiple groups in line, several flags made their way into The Gramercy Theater like a Panhellenic

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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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Fleshgod Apocalypse, Obscura, Wolfheart, Thulcandra @ The Gramercy Theater

The Metal Mayan

Mar 7

Fleshgod Apocalypse, Obscura, Wolfheart, Thulcandra @ The Gramercy Theater

"Look at you guys, all dressed up," he said, his voice rich in a Brooklyn accent, "ain't this a metal show?" The couple in line smiled, "It is!," they replied to the man clearly on his way home from work, "But this is a Fleshgod Apocalypse show so it's like a night at the opera for us!" And so it was for the couple and everyone else waiting in line outside The Gramercy Theater for the evening's performance. Indeed, Fleshgod's appearance alone draws a large crowd any day, espe

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The Metal Mayan

Feb 27

Hulder, BlackBraid @ Le Poisson Rouge

The year is 1524 and fleet of canoes maneuver softly across the bay towards a mighty ship off the coast of an island called Manahatta. On this day, Giovanni da Verrazzano of modern day Italy meets the Lenape people and claims the title of the first European to do so. Barely a century later, the descendants of those who met da Verrazzano would find their world changed forever when, in 1626, the tribe was said to have 'sold' their land to Dutch settlers in what is now argued as

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Visions of Atlantis, The Spider Accomplice @ The Meadows

The Metal Mayan

Feb 24

Visions of Atlantis, The Spider Accomplice @ The Meadows

For many years, the Newtown Creek, located on the far side of Williamsburg just north of Flushing Avenue, was traversed by countless seafaring vessels. In the golden age of ship transportation, it was the fastest way for the factories that lined the waterway to load ships docked in Brooklyn, which would then connect with the nearby East River and sail north up the Hudson River, or to the east to the Atlantic Ocean. It is only fitting then that pirates, one of the greatest thr

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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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Napalm Death, Brujeria, Frozen Soul, MDC @ Bowery Ballroom

The Metal Mayan

Nov 3, 2022

Napalm Death, Brujeria, Frozen Soul, MDC @ Bowery Ballroom

While easily recognizable on any given day, Halloween weekend is a time when even the most outrageously dressed metalhead can fly under the radar compared to folks passing by in costume en route to a party. Still, using the festivities to their advantage, among the black clad fans outside the Bowery Ballroom were a handful of costumed headbangers ready for a night of intense music. What lay ahead was the much anticipated Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour headlined by Napa

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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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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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The Metal Mayan

Jun 12, 2022

Cradle of Filth, Frayle @ Toad's Place

June 10, 2022 When you are the face and voice for one of most respected extreme metal bands in the history of the genre, what does it take to impress you? Surely, it wouldn't be something related to an Ivy League school, such as Yale University, which boasts a legacy of innovation and elitism. Yet, such was the case for Dani Filth, the legendary vocalist of the mighty Cradle of Filth, who took to social media to express his appreciation of the university's gothic architecture

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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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Rivers of Nihil, Fallujah, Alluvial, Warforged @ The Brooklyn Monarch

The Metal Mayan

May 10, 2022

Rivers of Nihil, Fallujah, Alluvial, Warforged @ The Brooklyn Monarch

May 06, 2022 Between a day of heavy rain and the closure of the nearby L train station after 10:30pm for construction, this particular Friday was prime for a night of takeout and Netflix among many households. Yet, huddled under a handful of umbrellas and increasingly soaked hoodies were a group of concertgoers who were not about to let a storm get in the way of evening's festivities. "I guess it would be nice to stay home," said one fan in line as he inspected the rain damag

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Hypocrisy, Carach Angren, The Agonist @ Warsaw

The Metal Mayan

Apr 30, 2022

Hypocrisy, Carach Angren, The Agonist @ Warsaw

April 29, 2022 As one of several venues in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint, the appropriately named Warsaw is special in how it honors its roots. Located in an area of New York City also known as "Little Poland", Warsaw is proud to serve Polish beer and replaces standard bar food with kielbasa and perogies. It is here where, in the final days of April, unique food and drink was paired with several of heavy metal's most unique bands as Hypocrisy kicked off the Worship

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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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