ANGUISH — Through the Archdemon's Head (review)

ANGUISH — Through the Archdemon's Head album cover Album · 2012 · Doom Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
J-Man
As if the killer seventies' inspired album cover didn't say it all already, the debut album from Sweden's Anguish offers plenty of massive retro-doom metal riffage to sink your teeth into. The likes of Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and Saint Vitus have clearly been a big influence to these young lads from Uppsala, and the music on Through the Archdemon's Head consists of crushing riff after crushing riff without any frills or unnecessary polish. Although the band's decidedly regressive attitude hardly offers anything new to the genre, they do demonstrate a sufficient grasp on how to create quality doom metal on this debut.

If you're the sort of person who likes a lot of really heavy, slow-to-mid tempo riffs in your metal, this is the place to turn. Every song contains enough pummeling doom riffs to satisfy any fan of the genre, and although some songs are more memorable than others, this is a solid listening experience all the way through. What Through the Archdemon's Head lacks in diversity is made up for in sheer power, and although monotony occasionally sets in, it's still a pretty fun listen.

Through the Archdemon's Head is a well-produced and properly executed homage to the golden age of doom metal, and while it isn't anything new by any stretch of the imagination, Anguish is one of the better acts on the retro-doom bandwagon. Although the vocals are a bit one-dimensional and the songwriting hardly strikes me as particularly excellent, this is still an entertaining and worthwhile debut. Anguish has earned a solid 3 stars this time around, and I highly recommend all fans of classic doom metal to take notice!
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
Doomster wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I'm a Rev. Biz/Sabbath fan, so I oughta check this band out!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us