Hey, do you hate the basic and generic ways that saxophone gets used in music these days? We do too, remember? We hate it so much that we wrote an entire (long) post about it! Now that we’re on the same page as far as our mutual hatred for generic saxophone goes, it’s time to talk about a non-generic counterexample, an album which utilizes the instrument extremely well to…
We here at Heavy Blog like to ponder the big questions: Who are we? Why are we here? Why is the bass so low in the mix? You know, the big stuff. In order to better address such pressing matters, we bring you Heavy Issues: a bi-weekly column by which…
Each month, we always seem to come to the same conclusion when it comes to our Editors’ Picks column: Friday release days open the floodgates and unleash a seemingly endless stream of quality new music. But while some of our Editors and Contributors sit down gleefully each week to dive into this newly stocked treasure…
The intersection of punk and metal is an interesting one. It has spawned and influenced several iterations of metal. A lot of the subgenres we talk about on Heavy Blog can find some of its roots in punk. Thrash, death, sludge, grind, and all the cores can see some roots…
The story of the video we’re premiering today is, in many ways, the story of my journey with this band. It starts off as just a simple, if enjoyable, jaunt; a few friends go into the local forest to have fun, drink alcohol, and generally cut loose. So too was the impression the album, from which this track gets its name, first left on me, namely fun, well made, and frivolous stoner metal. But as the video progresses, a more sinister and nuanced message starts to seep in. It seems this group of friends has angered something in the forest,…
Earlier this year we ran an article about “what we’re looking forward to in 2019” where I highlighted my excitement…
Hello and welcome to this, the second part of our *prognotes installment analyzing Alkaloid’s The Malkuth Grimoire. I usually don’t…
I’ll be honest with you: I don’t really vibe with instrumental progressive music all that much. Like all your average Internet Metal Nerds, I used to listen to my fair share of the stuff; there’s something in the emphasis on technicality that appeals to pasty kids looking for an escape, I suppose. These day, after listening to so many albums of the stuff, so many supposedly “groundbreaking” releases and “best guitarist ever” kind of promises, I’m kind of jaded. I still go back to the classics every now and again but I find myself digging into the more obscure of…
Bergen’s Blood Command are one of those bands who should be way bigger than they are. Bill gave them a…
Back on the grind with new music. Fractal Universe, Hacktivist, Krosis, Whitechapel, Amogh Symphony, and Enterprise Earth. Then we discuss, Matt Heafy’s guitar strap for reducing back strain, the neural network that generates Archspire music, Eden’s Devin interview, and the passing of Michael Eikenaar of Nihill and Dodecahedron. Then, cool people time with Sekiro, Hob, and The Occupation. Also this mashup. Enjoy!
What is it about black metal that keeps us coming back? In the last few years, I’ve personally become a bigger and bigger fan of black metal. Anything blackened has my attention. There’s a certain artistry and aesthetic to it that calls me back. Atmosphere is a huge part of it and very difficult to get right, but it’s also about style and technique. Once that combination is there, it becomes this unique experience no matter how many times you hear it. A package could be the same every time, and yet it still seems so novel. Such is the…
For those who missed our last installment, We post bi-weekly updates covering what the staff at Heavy Blog have been…
Each month, we always seem to come to the same conclusion when it comes to our Editors’ Picks column: Friday release days open…
Last year, we told you several times to listen to Skullcave, a doom metal band doing extremely interesting things in Australia. It was part of a larger, most excellent year for the continent but Skullcave was the band closest to doom as part of it. Their emphasis on emotive clean vocals alongside cavernous chords drew comparisons to genre revivalists like Pallbearer but the band had their own take on what it means to make doom in the year 2019. Now, they’re back with a single and, soon, a video called “Offend, Repeat”, further cementing their unique tone and their unique…
