Review by Adam M on July 7, 2016.

Nervosa performs a fast brand of thrash. These songs tend to get hectic in a very good manner. They are abrasive and to the point. The riffs come at you quick as lightning.

This isn’t grind, but it does a similar job of creating brief and fast moving music even though the songs are longer than those from that genre. The thrash aspect of the band is in its guitar riffs that are very repetitive and typical of the genre. This is still a bit faster than most thrash, though it is structured somewhat similar to releases by the likes of Slayer, for example. There is simply more pace than a lot of what the genre typically contains, however. This item makes the band stick out within their limits. There is also a heavy hitting aspect to this band’s music. It creates an impact of great proportions. The overall combination of aggressiveness and speed makes for a listen that has enough differences from the typical thrash entry that it is worth listening to on its own merits. The song-writing and musical performances are likewise very solid, though unspectacular. There could be more atmosphere created by the band as well, though the songs are punishing enough. There isn’t much emotional depth to the music as it cruises along at a lightning pace. This brings the quality of the album down slightly because there is a lack of a personal element to the disc.

It is fast paced music that does lack a heart somewhat. Still, with solid song-writing and a listenable approach, this is still a very solid thrash disc. Make sure to check Agony out if you’re a fan of the genre or the grind genre. It will hit you hard and leave you wanting more.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Adam M on July 7, 2016.

Nervosa performs a fast brand of thrash. These songs tend to get hectic in a very good manner. They are abrasive and to the point. The riffs come at you quick as lightning.

This isn’t grind, but it does a similar job of creating brief and fast moving music even though the songs are longer than those from that genre. The thrash aspect of the band is in its guitar riffs that are very repetitive and typical of the genre. This is still a bit faster than most thrash, though it is structured somewhat similar to releases by the likes of Slayer, for example. There is simply more pace than a lot of what the genre typically contains, however. This item makes the band stick out within their limits. There is also a heavy hitting aspect to this band’s music. It creates an impact of great proportions. The overall combination of aggressiveness and speed makes for a listen that has enough differences from the typical thrash entry that it is worth listening to on its own merits. The song-writing and musical performances are likewise very solid, though unspectacular. There could be more atmosphere created by the band as well, though the songs are punishing enough. There isn’t much emotional depth to the music as it cruises along at a lightning pace. This brings the quality of the album down slightly because there is a lack of a personal element to the disc.

It is fast paced music that does lack a heart somewhat. Still, with solid song-writing and a listenable approach, this is still a very solid thrash disc. Make sure to check Agony out if you’re a fan of the genre or the grind genre. It will hit you hard and leave you wanting more.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Adam M on March 30, 2017.

Pallbearer perform a very hook laden approach to doom metal. There are cavernous riffs here that are memorable and become ingrained in the subconscious. This style of metal is one of a kind because there is no band that plays the same doom metal formula that Pallbearer does. There is a certain traditional metal influence to be found here that gets reflected particularly by the vocals. It is enough to get one excited about the band, though it is only one aspect to be found here.

The riffs have a huge impact and are the main focal point of the instruments present. In fact, nothing else is really worth mentioning besides the slick vocals to go along with those riffs. Musically, the outfit is tight as you would expect and able to deliver some interesting music that is catchy, but thoughtful enough as well.  The music really strikes a balance between being memorable and being compelling. The music is comparable to the likes of last year’s Khemmis release, but has its own unique sound as well. This album is very similar in quality to the Khemmis release and should be embraced by the same people that like that band. Similarly, there is a traditional vibe and the songs go on for epic lengths of time. This album is even longer than that one, so fans of the style really have something to grasp here. The compositions wind around into all sorts of interesting territory and even slow down from time to time to breathe. If there is a flaw to the music it’s that it’s overly drawn out at times. The music does take some time to become accustomed to, but when you do it is a fulfilling experience.

There simply isn’t any doom of a similar nature to be released very recently and this elevates Heartless into higher territories of quality.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10