348: OPETH

I considered writing about Opeth back during the Chameleons series of posts, but came to the conclusion that two posts, covering early and late periods of the band, just would not work in this case. Opeth’s evolution has been steadily taking place over thirty years. Starting out as a more extreme band mixing death metal …

340: INSOMNIUM

As one of Finland’s greatest melodeath exports, Insomnium have spent nearly 25 years perfecting the genre. Through eight studio albums they’ve crafted one of the best examples of melodic death today. Frontman and bassist Niilo Sevänen absolutely nails the melodic growl that is central to the genre. The fury and emotion Sevänen manages to put …

276: SILVER LAKE by ESA HOLOPAINEN

Esa Holopainen is the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for Finnish metal royalty, Amorphis, so it should come as no surprise the man is a talented musician. With Silver Lake, however, Holopainen really flexes his talents, working with a roster of hugely talented and iconic vocalists and creating an amazing album of standout tracks. While …

261: CARCASS

When Carcass first came to prominence with ‘Reek of Putrefaction’, they not only were one of the first grindcore bands, but in fact pioneered a subgenre known as goregrind. From 1998 until 1996, Carcass released five albums, with an evolving and maturing sound that became more complex and better produced each time. Overtime Carcass would …

243: SHYLMAGOGHNAR

Combining elements of melodic death and black metal, and presenting in grand, progressive compositions, Shylmagoghnar are an exciting and fascinating band. In only two albums, they have created a complex and thrilling sound. Harsh vocals, big riffs, beautiful keys, and an amazing atmosphere are all used to brilliant effect. The songs are multi-passages opuses, yet …

180: AT THE GATES

One of the most popular death metal subcultures is Swedish melodic death metal - or Gothenburg metal. This term stems from the rise in popularity of melodic death metal in Sweden in the early 90s - a movement spearheaded by In Flames, Dark Tranquility, and of course, At The Gates. At The Gates pioneered the …