What Are You Listening To Now - The Horde Edition
So Christopher Bowes, the dude behind Alestorm and Gloryhammer, is back at it again with another hilariously over the top and slightly questionable band called Wizardthrone who seem to specialize in a slightly Gloryhammer-esque brand of Melodic Death Metal about mathematics, hyperdimensional space wizards, and a ton of other very long and bombastic words. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but I expected much, much worse. It's definitely fun for a few spins here and there. I want to believe this release exists in the same world as the current Gloryhammer story but there aren't any references that I've picked up on.
So Christopher Bowes, the dude behind Alestorm and Gloryhammer, is back at it again with another hilariously over the top and slightly questionable band called Wizardthrone who seem to specialize in a slightly Gloryhammer-esque brand of Melodic Death Metal about mathematics, hyperdimensional space wizards, and a ton of other very long and bombastic words. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but I expected much, much worse. It's definitely fun for a few spins here and there. I want to believe this release exists in the same world as the current Gloryhammer story but there aren't any references that I've picked up on.
I read the titles of these songs and just about spit out my tea. I'm not expecting much given my recent success with Alestorm/Gloryhammer, but I'll check it out regardless.
So Christopher Bowes, the dude behind Alestorm and Gloryhammer, is back at it again with another hilariously over the top and slightly questionable band called Wizardthrone who seem to specialize in a slightly Gloryhammer-esque brand of Melodic Death Metal about mathematics, hyperdimensional space wizards, and a ton of other very long and bombastic words. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but I expected much, much worse. It's definitely fun for a few spins here and there. I want to believe this release exists in the same world as the current Gloryhammer story but there aren't any references that I've picked up on.
This came up on a playlist just now. Like you say, even though several things point to this being terrible, it is palatable enough if not instantly forgettable.
Bolt Thrower - "Realm Of Chaos" (1989)
Revisited this old friend for the first time in many years this morning. It was my introduction to Bolt Thrower around 1989/90 & I would go on to purchase the album on cassette a short time afterwards. "Realm Of Chaos" showcases a band that was starting to find their sound but was still waiting for their technical skills to catch up with their ambition because the production & performances are pretty sloppy but this doesn't take away from a gloriously pure death metal atmosphere. There's a much stronger grindcore influence to this album than you'll here on Bolt Thrower's later material with early Napalm Death & Carcass clearly having been an inspiration along with "Reign In Blood" era Slayer. You'll get the odd hint at those signature Bolt Thrower melodies here & there but the catchy song-writing is already in full effect despite the rawer faster & more blast-beat driven approach. This is still a very solid death metal record that possibly hasn't aged as well as some which has subsequently seen me rating it behind later releases like "The IVth Crusade", "...For Victory" & "Those Once Loyal".
For fans of Benediction, Hail of Bullets & 90's Napalm Death.
4/5
Epiphanic Truth - Dark Triad: Bitter Psalms To A Sordid Species (2021)
I've been sinking my teeth into this one for the past week and really enjoying myself, it's the kind of Progressive Death Metal that really keeps me interested no matter how drawn out the tracks can be. I think the songwriting on the 22-minute closer could have been stronger which is what is keeping me from absolutely raving about this one. It gets a bit too repetitive around the 15-minute mark and doesn't fully reward the listener for sticking with it the full way through, but there's still a ton of great moments, especially in the first track, that keep me coming back.
4/5