#Norway winning the #olympics just shows listening to #blackmetal can make you really good at winter sports. 😍

#MilanCortina2026 #Norges

#satyricon #1349 #ulver #dimmuborgir #taake #khold #burzum #darkthrone #helheim

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Dr. A.N. Grier

If I were to rate the year of our Lord 2024, I’d give it a solid 4.5/5.0. No, I joke. FUCK 2024. Good riddance, fuck off, goodfuckingbye. This year, the layoffs continued (even affected some of our writers here), the prices skyrocketed, the World Series was bullshit, and landfills across the States are twice their capacity thanks to useless election fliers. This year has resulted in practically zero time to work on AMG efforts, write reviews, or listen to music as I continue to try to keep my job. Yay. Cheers to you, 2024—you sack of horse shit. Let’s go, 2025, you sassy bitch who suggests great things to come but probably won’t deliver. If only you could promise me more time doing the things I love—listening to metal, writing about it, and pretending to edit the other writers’ reviews while completely hammered. If so, I’d kiss you as the ball drops, take you to the back alley during the after-party, and promise not to poison your coffee the next morning.

But we aren’t there yet. We are still stuck in the past, looking over a mediocre year of metal, regurgitating the same shit we already wrote for each album on our lists. That way, you all can praise, argue, and whine about each choice and its placement. Thankfully, my lists rarely overlap with anyone else’s and no one actually gives a fuck, so my sleep patterns remain the same. Having passed the ten-year mark at this amazing madland, my tastes remain the same, and no one will be surprised that most of the selections here are the items I alone reviewed. That changes occasionally but with no time to think about music this year, you’ll be treated to odd takes and albums that only scored a 3.0. Oh no!1

Thank you to the AMG staff for their lackluster productivity and overrating tendencies. To Dolph, Kenny, and Sharky for introducing new segments and keeping legacy ones alive. And to Cuervo and GardensTale for the additional year-end contributions they deliver. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the top bosses—AMG and Steel Daddy—for all they do2. I guess I should also thank all of you for your continued support. I guess. May this list find you well as we are thrust into 2025 and the potential nightmares that it’ll bring. Cheers.

#ish. I Am the Intimidator // I Am the Intimidator – What? You fucking knew this was coming. When Steel told me to review an album about NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt, I couldn’t not do it. I mean, this one-off, self-titled record from a one-off band was a perfect opportunity to unleash my rage. And then… wait, what the fuck? It’s actually kinda good? In a weird year where I reviewed two racing-related albums, I Am the Intimidator sports3 six wild tracks that combine Dio and Iron Maiden with Ministry. What the fuck? And, somehow, the lyrics would be fucking hilarious if they weren’t so passionate. OK, the lyrics of the surprisingly delicious and crushing “Gasoline” are fucking hilarious, and a regular, all-caps attack in the AMG channels. After all the chaos and wild influences that make up this tight, six-track album, the passion for “The Intimidator” is true, even if it’s weird. But, I can’t stop listening to this album any more than I can stop drinking beer.

#10. Dust Bolt // Sound & Fury – Like so many other Grier lists, there’s always an album that becomes the most frequented in my shit-filled ears. Yup, I know, you all fucking hate it, and I couldn’t care less. For the band (and style), Sound & Fury is a brave effort that I find addictive, fun, and hilarious trolling material when Steel talks shit. Is it thrash? No, but that didn’t stop me from proclaiming Load as Metallica’s best album. Shifting away from the overused thrash concept and mediocre record releases, Dust Bolt chose the unconventional route of cleaner vocals, smoother production, and catchier choruses to remove themselves from their past outings (and, some would argue, from thrash and metal in general). For you naysayers, there are plenty of headbangable moments on Sound & Fury, so you don’t have to feel like a poser singing these new songs in your mom’s shower.

#9. Midnight // Hellish Expectations – Perhaps one of the most prolific metal bands out there, what can I say about Midnight that I haven’t said already? Oh yeah, they’re badass and if you don’t like them, you’re shit. Also, fuck you. Like previous releases, Midnight continues to speed through riffs that bring to mind classic outfits like Darkthrone, Motörhead, Venom, and Celtic Frost at a relentless speed. While other Midnight records are better, Hellish Expectations joins its compatriots in a discog that can do no wrong. Unless, of course, you don’t like this band’s style. In that case, read above regarding that “fuck you” thing. What makes Hellish Expectations great in this frustrating year is that it caps at twenty-five wonderful minutes—which is the same amount of time it takes to shit out your morning coffee. So, this is a chance to correct your poserness. If you like this band, you already know Hellish Expectations is a fun ride that’ll keep your spikes sharp and your leather pants shit free.

#8. Bombus // Your Blood – Like another band on my list, this Swedish heavy metal, hard rock band has seen a lot of ups and downs in their career. And, for some reason, their co-founding vocalist and guitarist walked. But that didn’t stop Bombus. Not only did they find someone to fill those two slots, but they also added another guitarist to round it out to three. With these new additions, the skill displayed on Your Blood is superior to anything the band has ever done. There’re solos, harmonizing leads, and riffs up the fucking wazoo. I’m uncertain if it’s due to this new skillset or an increase in motivation with five years between albums, but Bombus held nothing back for Your Blood. While there are plenty of the bangers you would expect from a band of this caliber, like the addictive “Take You Down,” there are also other interesting inclusions that I should hate, yet love. For example, the weird, Spaghetti Western qualities of “Your Blood,” the Nick Cave-meets-The White Stripes musings of “The One,” and the bizarreness that is “Carmina.” With Your Blood, the band has found their groove and passion again, delivering their best album yet.

#7. Vanessa Funke // Void – This year brought a surprising new addition to my favorite bands of all time. In this case, it was the newest release from the multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Funke. With a small but stellar catalog, Ms. Funke continuously dabbles in new influences and song approaches with each album and Void is no different. Coming off last year’s acoustic masterpiece Vanessa Funke rewinds to her debut record, Solitude, alternating between rasps and cleans, acoustic and distorted guitars, and her perfectly molded combination of folk, melodeath, and atmospheric black metal. The textures created by the vocals, guitars, keys, and piano take Void down into some incredible depths, engulfing its listeners in blankets that can be both soft and stabby. Albums like this are rare for me these days, so when they do completely submerse me to the point that I can’t think of anything else, there’s no doubt it’ll make it on my year-end list.

#6. Crystal Viper // The Silver Key – Maybe not everyone’s favorite Polish act,4 Crystal Viper’s founding vocalist and guitarist, Marta Gabriel, has been knocking around her blend of heavy and power metal for nearly two decades. But, it’s been a rocky road of great, mediocre, and rage-inducing records. Where Crimen Expecta shines like a bright star in the sky, Tales of Fire and Ice is a dumpster fire that topped my most disappointing album of 2019. When I approached this year’s The Silver Key, I was expecting another mid album (or worse) but was immediately engrossed—maybe even more than Crimen Expecta. Though many of you dislike the vocals, Gabriel is in top form. But, her vocal performance is only one aspect of the Crystal Viper sound. Her guitar work is some of the best of her career, lending new ideas to the song structures and album flow. While plenty of bands are—and are not better—than Crystal Viper, The Silver Key is undeniably one of the best albums of their career.

#5. Sidewinder // Talons – Most likely one of the only overlaps I’ll have with the cunts that work here,5 Sidewinder’s newest release, Talons, threw me for a loop. Not expecting anything from a band I’ve never heard about, Talons immediately got my noggin’ bobbin’ in the most pleasing way. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I like this style of heavy, bounding stoner metal, but every time I hear it, it clicks. And nothing is better than diving right into a record where one of the band’s best pieces is the opener. “Guardians” is a quintessential Sidewinder piece that personifies the band and everything they stand for. But that’s only the beginning, as the guitars cruise down the road and the bass rumbles through the gravel. Clocking in at a mere thirty-four minutes, this eight-track beauty never reaches beyond its means, ensuring the songs are straight and tight, allowing Jem’s powerful vocals to direct the varying moods. While the band resides in the lush and beautiful landscapes of New Zealand,6 if a sound could represent the harsh desert lands of my home, this would be it.

#4. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – As many know, death metal is not my cup o’ tea. Once upon a time, death metal was my life, but that ship sailed when my favorites grew old and repetitive, and what you all call death metal these days bores me to tears. But the one band that continues to make me salivate is Aborted.7 And, boy, did this year’s Vault of Horrors deliver. With tracks like “Dreadbringer,” “The Golgothan,” and “Malevolent Haze,” this new release offers some incredible depth and relentless brutality. Aborted has always delivered good-to-great albums but after nearly thirty years, how can these lads continue to improve and produce such quality releases? Vault of Horrors is a great record and arguably one of the band’s best. It’s been several months since this beauty was released, so if it passed by you, rectify your posersivity.

#3. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – I don’t know what it is about The Vision Bleak but they fucking hit me and hit me hard. On the surface, their style is quite simple, but it’s the layers, stories, mood, and damning vocal performances that draw me in like I’m viewing a Vincent Price horror marathon. Combining their Type O Negative vocal characteristics with atmospheric moods that can be depressive at one point and ethereal at another, The Vision Bleak took a massive leap by releasing Weird Tales as (technically) a one-song album. Eight years since their incredible The Unknown, Weird Tales doesn’t skip a beat, maintaining the duo’s title as one of the greatest bands in gothic metal. With magnificent builds, eerie transitions, mind-bending fluidity, and heart-wrenching passages, the haunting nature of Weird Tales leaves you contemplating your existence in a world controlled by the fate instilled in it by the late, great H.P. Lovecraft.

#2. Kingcrow // Hopium – For fucking months, our progressive cunt, Dolphin Whisper, tried desperately to steal Kingcrow’s Hopium from me—somehow thinking he’s better than me when it comes to describing the lushness of Kingcrow. The fuck. Even though Kingcrow hasn’t released an album in six years, there’s no way some flipper fucker would take this from me. Sure, I’m not a huge fan of progressive metal, but at least I know what’s good progressive metal instead of lazily making love to everything with the tag of “prog.” Anyway, Hopium continues to deliver gorgeous tapestries painted with soothing vocals, synthy atmospheres, and impressive performances for all involved. Though I consider Eidos their best, Hopium is not far behind. While tapping into common influences like Dream Theater and Spock’s Beard, this Italian outfit is very much on a level all its own. If you like prog, you’ll find Hopium—with such wildly varying tracks like “Vicous Circle,” “Parallel Lines,” and “White Rabit’s Hole”—to be the most diverse prog record of the year.

#1. Borknagar // Fall – Goddammit, I love Borknagar. Few bands have such high album scores for a career that spans thirty years and a dozen albums—especially with a constant rotation of players and vocalists. Though, how can you be pissed off about having any of the great vocalists Borknagar has employed throughout the years? Since the beginning, the band has continuously introduced more melody and keys in their music, but Fall is special compared to the output in the last twenty years. Though this new album hasn’t hung up that hat by any means, Øystein G. Brun, Lars A. Nedland, and crew dug through the ashes of the past to bring some of those old-school black metal moments back into the mix. From the blackened assault of “Summits” and the Dimmu Borgir-esque vibes of “Northward,” the band continues to shock and surprise, avoiding a repetition from a previous album. So, dive into the best album o’ the year in all its glory.8

Honorable Mentions

• Portrait // The Host – While I didn’t like the production of Portrait’s The Host, I’m still a slut for King Diamond and Meryful Fate-adjacent metal. Especially when it comes to Portrait, who continues to be less like a copycat and more like a pioneer of the style.
• Attic // Return of the Witchfinder – More King Diamond-core! Easily one of the best examples of the sound, Attic continues to keep me coming back with each release. As their predecessor, Return of the Witchfinder brings a new story, more twists, and those pleasing falsettos that trigger my “O” face.
• Sarke // Endo Feight – Sarke (the artist) and crew have had one hell of a busy couple of years. This year, in particular, sees not only a new Sarke release but also a new Khold record (see below). Endo Feight is a wonderful addition to the band’s catalog and, by god, it’s wonderful to see the man himself back behind the kit.
• Khold // Du dømmes til død – See? I told you it would be here. While 2022’s Svartsyn was better record than Du dømmes til død (and a fantastic comeback), Du dømmes til død still has those elements that make the band so unique and fun to listen to.
• Blood Red Throne // Nonagon – Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released not only one of their best albums but 2021’s best death metal record. Unsurprisingly, it’s difficult to follow something like Imperial Congregation without some hiccups. That said, Nonagon is still a brutal piece of work worthy of mentioning.

Disappointments o’ the Year

• Darkthrone // It Beckons Us All……. – Like Sarke, Nocturno Culto has also been busy this year. If that’s part of the reason for the utter bore that’s It Beckons Us All……., I don’t know. But, this new record feels like Darkthrone is going through the motions. While I respect that they don’t care what the fuck any of us think, this is one of their worst albums.
• Exhorder // Defectum Omnium – After Exhorder’s incredible comeback album, Mourn the Southern Skies, I was more than a little excited for this new one. Unfortunately, like Darkthrone’s newest, Defectum Omnium is a dreadfully boring record that lacks all the passion of Exhorder’s comeback, leaving me confused and pissed the fuck off.

Songs o’ the Year

• Kingcrow – “White Rabbit’s Hole” – With an album full of great songs, there’s just something about the energy of this track that makes me so happy.

• Sidewinder – “Guardians” – This song represents some of the best stoner metal of 2024, and I can’t stop listening to it.

• Bombus – “Take You Down” – This song is just badass. I couldn’t care less what you think. Die.

#2024 #Aborted #Attic #BlogPosts #BloodRedThrone #Bombus #Borknagar #CelticFrost #CrystalViper #Darkthrone #DimmuBorgir #Dio #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2024 #DreamTheater #DustBolt #Exhorder #IAmTheIntimidator #IronMaiden #Khold #KingDiamond #Kingcrow #Lists #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Midnight #Ministry #Motörhead #NickCave #Portrait #Sarke #Sidewinder #SpockSBeard #TheVisionBleak #TheWhiteStripes #TypeONegative #Vader #VanessaFunke #Venom

Sarke – Endo Feight Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier

Renowned black metal bassist and drummer Sarke has been one busy dude lately. Last year, we saw a new Tulus record, and 2024 releases from Khold and Sarke. Nocturno Culto has also been quite busy, not only participating in Endo Feight but also dropping a new Darkthrone record this year. While I enjoyed the recent offerings from Tulus and Khold, I was one of a few reviewers who did not enjoy Darkthrone’s It Beckons Us All……. Thankfully, Sarke is the mastermind of his creation, so there’s no fear that this year’s offering will be bad. Over the years, Sarke has seen its fair share of metal greats performing on their albums. But, lately, the lineup has been fairly stable. However, this time Sarke chose to get back behind the kit, which he hasn’t done since the debut record, Vorunah. If this news doesn’t give you goosebumps on your nuts, nothing will.

If you’ve ever heard the band, you’ll know that Culto plays around with his vocals more than his main band, adding his touch to the haunting, hard-hitting songwriting of Sarke. If this is your first time with Sarke, you’ll find that it’s becoming more and more difficult to tie them to a specific genre. With each release, they continue to deviate from their black metal roots, delivering bombastic orchestrations, downright crushing thrash licks, and eerie keyboard tapestries that trap you in an ’80s slasher flick. Unlike other bands of their kind, you should never expect Sarke to return to their roots or model a new album off a previous one. Instead, they get weirder with each release and continue to raise eyebrows year after year. Of the most recent offerings, 2019’s Gastwerso was easily one of their best and almost made it on my year-end list. But the question remains, does Endo Feight have the ability to match my deep love of Gastwerso?

When the opener begins, I immediately feel those warm and fuzzy feelings. Like Gastwerso’s “Mausoleum,” “Phantom Recluse” is BIG. Not only does it do a great job of kicking off the album in a massive, grooving style but the orchestration is the biggest on the album. As it grows, the dynamics open up and let the orchestral layers surface like the band is actually surrounded by a 40-piece symphony. As with all Sarke records, that will be the last time you hear a piece of this caliber on Endo Feight. Instead, the band ventures further into their repertoire, introducing the strange, twangy guitar work on “Lost” and beautiful acoustic guitars on “Abysmal Echo.” The first track of this back-to-back combo maintains the same pace from beginning to end, strapping it down with Culto’s odd, almost-spoken-word vocals. Combining the guitars and vocals with the eerie keys makes this song one of the strangest of the album. “Abysmal Echoes” opens with pleasing acoustic guitars and a matching solo before the keys and vocals arrive. Then, the black metal groove kicks in, adding yet another layer to the chaos. But, the coolest part comes at the end when the distorted guitars fade out while the acoustic ones fade in.

Other standouts are “Old Town Sinner” and the closer, “Macabre Embrace.” Both songs are very different but I suppose, every song differs from the other. And that alone is why Sarke keeps me so invested. The storytelling lyrics of “Old Town Sinner” work nicely with the vocal approach and the sinister key atmospheres that engulf the track. However, the band does a good job with the song structure and the rocking black metal groove to avoid overpowering the lyrics and vocal approach. Doing so allows this simple track to grow and evolve as it goes. “Macabre Embrace” is maybe the strangest song on the album because it’s a slow-moving monster that would fit better on an Autopsy album rather than a Sarke one. But, it works with its slithering goodness and those hammering piano notes that ring like a bell at its conclusion.

If you love Gastwerso as much as me, you’ll be pleased to know that Endo Feight is every bit as good. There are the occasional issues I have with it, but overall it’s a pleasing listen. Yeah, Culto’s vocal approach on “Lost” can be a bit grinding, but the guitar tone is just too cool to be upset with the song. And while the remaining tracks have some solid moments, they are pretty standard compared to others. Thankfully, the band continues to release dynamic masters that let you experience the bass and keys beyond just hearing them. Sarke never disappoints. Each time I review them, it’s more a measurement of how good one album is to another because the band’s entire discog contributes something to the band’s history. So, buckle in Sarke lovers. You’re going to enjoy this one.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Soulseller Records | Bandcamp1
Websites: sarkeband.bandcamp.com2 | facebook.com/sarkeofficial
Releases Worldwide: June 21st, 2024

#2024 #35 #Autopsy #BlackMetal #Darkthrone #EndoFeight #Jun24 #Khold #NorwegianMetal #Review #Reviews #Sarke #SoulsellerRecords #ThrashMetal #Tulus

Interview: The legendary Thomas ‘Sarke’ Bergli discusses Khold’s latest triumph, ‘Du Dømmes Til Død’

#Khold #SarkeBergli #DuDommesTilDod #MarchReleases #NewMusic #Interview #KholdInterview

https://metalinsider.net/interviews/interview-the-legendary-thomas-sarke-bergli-discusses-kholds-latest-triumph-du-dommes-til-dod

Khold – Du dømmes til død Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier

After being dormant for eight years, Khold surprised the masses in 2022 with their comeback album, Svartsyn. And boy did they come back in a big way—completely erasing 2014’s Til endes from my memory. Reformed with all the key players and even feistier than ever, these Norwegian giants had me so convinced of their greatest that they made it on old Grier‘s top-ten list. Nothing made me happier that year than hearing Gald’s signature snarl and Sarke’s punishing drum work. Hell, I would have been happy just to hear the album, much less love it the way I do. Two years later, it looks as if the band is sticking around because now we have this year’s Du dømmes til død. The biggest difference between this new record and its predecessor is the recruitment of Sarke’s bass player, Steinar, and a trimmed and tight thirty-two-minute runtime. Not to mention that this is a concept album about various characters being condemned to the death penalty throughout Norwegian history. But can this new album keep me as engaged as their last with eight minutes less time to incorporate their unique songwriting style?

One thing is for sure, Khold no longer has any interest in returning to the days of Masterpiss of Pain and Phantom. Though the rhythm section continues to be a focal point, today’s Khold hits hard, bringing the vocals closer to the front for a gnarly effect. Against the best wishes of the black metal purists who want everything to sound like it was recorded in Holdy‘s bathroom, Khold modernizes their sound and even digs deep into the dynamics. For example (if you haven’t already scrolled to the bottom), Du dømmes til død is a gorgeous DR11. Yup, you read that right. The result is a black metal gem where you can hear every strum, bass pop, and snare hit without pulling out the weedwhacker.

“Myrdynk” begins with a mid-paced drone that Gard relentlessly vomits all over. It’s an odd choice for an opener because it doesn’t really go anywhere and only shows life when it passes into Chugville at the end. Unfortunately, it doesn’t set up the album in a way that would prepare you for what’s coming next. And, what comes next is “Vanviddfaren”—a black ‘n’ roll beauty with a hopping attitude. In the middle, it slogs along in Vreid territories before completely changing directions into a quasi-thrash lick that punches hard to the end. “Galgeberg og Retterbakke” is perhaps the most engaging song on the record. It’s an unapologetic cruiser that never lets up, morphing from one killer riff to another. The chorus, in particular, uses a crushing riff and memorable vocal performance that makes it a complete song.

But, the tracks with the most memorable choruses are “Skoggangsmann” and “Trolldomsdømt.” The first begins with a badass riff that transitions to a Sodom-like chorus. In a mere three-plus minutes, this song rises, falls, charges, and drags, making it difficult to figure out what’s coming next. But, before you know it, you’ll be belting out the song’s title with the same delivery as Gard. “Trolldomsdømt” is similar only in that you’ll want to learn a new language to participate in the chorus. While “Skoggangsmann” is a thumping piece, “Trolldomsdømt” has a more traditional black metal approach. It opens with distant, dissonant guitar play as Gard spits all over your bib. It eventually digs deeper into some old-school Darkthrone riffage before drawing out long sustains, with Sarke’s drum work pounding on your cranium until it concludes.

While I enjoyed Du dømmes til død, I’m afraid I like Svartsyn more. But, they’re only minor issues here. Unfortunately, they start at the beginning of the album. “Myrdynk” does not get me in the mood for a Khold record. It’s slow and surprisingly boring and only piques my interest as it’s ending. “Heks (Du dømmes til død)” is another I can’t get behind. It’s a fun piece but the weird bass work and the dissonant, Satyricon-esque sustains do nothing for me. But, in the end, Du dømmes til død still a solid album with some cool approaches to the songwriting—particularly, “Skoggangsmann” and “Galgeberg og Retterbakke.” And, with the impressive focus on the dynamics and its short runtime, it’s an easy album to put on repeat. Though it’s not quite up to par as their comeback album, fans will still enjoy Du dømmes til død and appreciate it for what it is.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Soulseller Records
Website: facebook.com/khold.official
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlackMetal #Darkthrone #DuDømmesTilDød #Khold #Mar24 #NorwegianMetal #Review #Reviews #Sarke #Satyricon #Sodom #SoulsellerRecords #Vreid

[neues Album] #Khold veröffentlicht am 22.03.2024 „Du Dømmes Til Død“.
YouTube-Clip zu ‚Misgrep‘: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoWPfr1pdb0

🔗 https://gloomr.de/#1373

#blackmetal #NeuesAlbum