Insomnium – Anno 1696 (2023) – Review

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Since the RMR webzine saw the light of day, Insomnium always was a sure value. Their slightly melancholic yet stately brand of Melodic Death Metal gorging on Niilo Sevänen‘s gruff croaks, a smattering of clears, and stellar weeping guitar work always got on our good side. And I daresay, this band probably was instrumental in getting yours truly’s ass in gear to hunt for more melodeath than is good for metal health.1

The most impressive records that crossed the RMR Review committee’s desk definitely were Shadows of the Dying Sun and the excellent Winter’s Gate. But after … [...] Click to raid more!

Sarcoptes – Prayers to Oblivion (2023) – Review

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Sarcoptes do like it dreary – and brutal to a fine point. Already their rough-hewn EP Plague Hymns was a friggin’ scorcher and it landed them straight on the 2020 Top 3 year-end list for EPs.

And the band truly does like its themes, too. There’s no light or joy left in that dystopian and depressive end-of-world view of theirs. Grim topics such as disease, endless war, massacres, and catastrophes abound. That’s their daily rotten bread. All of that served with a mighty stew of gore and tribulation and an avalanche of energy to turn Anaal Nathrakh yellow1 with … [...] Click to raid more!

Uburen – Usurp The Throne (2023) – Review

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To say that Uburen‘s 2016 piece Frå Døden Fødes Liv didn’t impress us much would be an understatement. This earlier record foisted a sub-par production upon the unsuspecting listener that was almost painful to endure and – thus – it got brutally ditched by a still young RMR webzine. The band’s 2019 follow-on record And the Mountains Weep also found some tough love and fell through the cracks pretty miserably at the Review Committee’s desk.

So, here we are in early 2023 and Usurp The Throne, Uburen‘s newest concoction, is finally on the menu. Third time’s the … [...] Click to raid more!

Murray? Who the hell is Murray?

Dio - Murray - RockmusicRaider Music Reviews

It’s no secret that Dio has a pretty sturdy following at RMR. Which netted this particular artist a few pretty long reviews already.

So, whenever our crew got to work on this band, we inevitably stumbled across this horned figure. This terrible being that waves those devil’s horns at you, same as Dio himself always did. But – by Loki’s miserable minions – nobody quite knew who or what Murray really was.

But let’s take a step back for a moment. Dio rose to fame in the ’80s, after some remarkable stints with outfits like Rainbow and – yes – … [...] Click to raid more!