Dead Rhetoric.com Week in Review: March 16 – March 22, 2014
Saturday, 22nd March 2014
The biggest news item of the week falls to the Arch Enemy singer switch, where long-time vocalist Angela Gossow bowed out to focus on her managerial duties, with The Agonist’s Alissa White-Gluz taking her place. When Gossow joined AE in 2001, it was a near-revelation. A good-looking “chick” fronting a death metal band (okay, the band is a melodic death metal band) was a rare occurrence in those days, if not the first notable one of its kind. Gossow boosted the band’s profile significantly, quickly becoming one of Century Media’s top-selling acts, and establishing the band as a bonafide headliner here, and abroad. Will the same continue with White-Gluz on the mic? Let’s see what happens… – David E. Gehlke
General housekeeping
On the day after St. Patrick’s Day in Massachusetts, Matt Coe caught Destruction and friends live in concert.
Features
Philly epic doom metallers Crypt Sermon may be a new band, but they’re filled with old souls. Learn more about them here.
Kyle McGinn has tasked himself with mining Bandcamp for the latest in undiscovered metal gems. His first column details his exploits.
One of the more comedic interviews we’ve posted, Norwegian “troll” metallers TrollfestT gave us the scoop on their new album…and early morning drinking habits.
Carcass guitarist Bill Steer phoned DR to discuss the band’s upcoming tour, and possible new album plans. Talk about high expectations, eh?
Reviews
Danish progsters Anubis Gate find their stride on Horizons.
French post-metallers Dirge shed their industrial metal leanings for green post-metal pastures on Hyperion.
Jeff Loomis and Alex Webster team up in instrumental supergroup Conquering Dystopia.
Napalm Death guitarist Mitch Harris strikes out on his own via Menace’s Impact Velocity debut.
British melodic thrashers Savage Messiah keep Metallica-on-Testament with The Fateful Dark.
Now-defunct grind crew Gridlink go out in style via Longhena.
Sargeist’s Feeding the Crawling Shadows may translate as a tornadic mess, but it’s suitably transfixing.
Harmonies galore on Dark Forest’s new The Awakening.
More death metal weirdness by way of Pyrhhon’s The Mother of Virtues.
Veteran Cleveland hardcore ensemble Ringworm kick it up a notch with Hammer of the Witch.
The news in ten
1. Insomnium release lyric video for “Revelation.”
2. Former Arch Enemy vocalist Angela Gossow sends a message of thanks to the fans.
3. Metallica posts official live video of new song, “The Lords of Summer.”
4. Opeth completes work on their new album, which is due in June.
5. Mayhem to release Esoteric Warfare in May.
6. Vader reveals track listing and cover art for new album.
7. Flotsam and Jetsam undergo some lineup changes.
8. The Agonist announce new vocalist.
9. Arch Enemy announces departure of Angela Gossow; add Alissa White-Gluz, formerly of The Agonist.
10. Down stream a new jam.
