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About and who is Athenaeum of Sin Reviews?

We are an independent establishment based in the northeastern region of the United Kingdom. Formerly known as Metal 1on1 Reviews, we have provided reviews for several years. Our team, co-run by two metalheads, Kris and Gemma, is dedicated to the Athenaeum of Sin, sharing responsibilities that include maintaining/editing the website, admin work, composing reviews, and more.
We value your interest in our platform and are committed to providing you with the best possible experience. We ensure you can trust our reviews and enjoy your time on our website.

Kris

“Music has always been an essential part of my life, and I have a deep appreciation for various bands and musical genres that span the spectrum outside of rock/metal, rock and metal music. Movies have also been a significant part of my life, and I have a profound affinity for horror and cult classics. Among my favourite movies are The Wicker Man, The Crow, The Thing, Predator, Highlander, Alien/Aliens, and many more. The passioned music I love is extreme metal and black metal” — for me, “black metal and horror movies are my world”.

Gemma

“I have a great passion for music and enjoy various genres. Among my favourites are The Raven Age, Amon Amarth, and Lordi, as well as movies such as V For Vendetta, The Crow, The Wicker Man, and Ghibli Studios. When not listening to music or watching films, I combine my passion for music and art by sketching while listening to my favourite bands. My interests go beyond music and art. I find witchcraft fascinating and enjoy reading about its history and practices. Viking and Pagan cultures also intrigue me”.

Our Format

Athenaeum Of Sin stands out with its unique review system, “The Seven Sins Of Metal” or “7/Seven Sins.” Unlike traditional scoring, this system provides a comprehensive music analysis, avoiding unfair or misleading judgments. We thank the Australian death metal band Aetherial for inspiring/coining our format.

  • The First Sin: Strings/Keys: presents what tones/tempos, rhythms, chords, synths, etc., to expect within the music’s walls.

  • The Second Sin: The Vocals: what vocal ranges/tone or female/male vocals are used?

  • The Third Sin—Percussions: presents what tones/tempos, beats, aggressiveness, etc., to expect within the music’s walls.

  • The Fourth Sin: a detailed review of an album or single that analyses the instrumentation, sound quality, production, composition, artistic merit, or other relevant information about the band, artist, music, album, etc.

  • The Fifth Sin, the Memorable: This section showcases what we found memorable or enjoyable about the music, album/single, members, etc.

  • The Sixth Sin, the Artwork: unlike certain reviewers, we believe artwork is integral to music.

  • Finally, the Seventh Sin: The Disrelish: Occurs when the Athenaeum of the Sin team dislikes everything. (The explanation is described better in our Philosophy section)

Sleep Mode (Opening Times)

  • Athenaeum of the Sin is at your service 24/7. Reviews are published on weekdays, from Monday to Friday. We accept submissions every day, ensuring a continuous flow of fresh content.

  • We also accept exceptional request reviews if you require a review published on a specific date, whether on a weekend or a weekday. However, please ensure that you give us plenty of notice in advance.

  • Please note that the Athenaeum of the Sin will be closed on Christmas Eve/Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve/Day. Although you may submit your reviews these days, please expect a delayed response. I appreciate your understanding.

What Music/Styles We Accept & Do Not?

  • We welcome diverse musical styles, from dungeon synth to ambient/atmospheric, and various lyrical concepts, including horror and fantasy. This inclusivity ensures that all forms of artistic expression have a place on our platform.

  • Our platform strictly prohibits musical bands/artists that solely promote Christianity, biblical themes, or other religious beliefs in their music and lyrics. Bands/artists associated with extreme right-wing views, National Socialism Black Metal (NSBM), and A.I. Bands/musicians or Artists are not welcome here!

  • Music should be a unifying force that brings people together. At Athenaeum of the Sin, we are dedicated to maintaining an environment where everyone, regardless of their musical, colour, or belief preferences, can feel comfortable and connected through the power of music.

  • We accept formats, including full-lengths, singles or double A-sides, EPs or demos, splits or collaborations, and compilations. While focusing on reviews from 2020 onwards, we may consider earlier releases and special requests if the music has been republished or remastered.

  • We accept bands or solo artists who are unsigned, independent, or signed to a small/underground label.

After the Review Is Published

  • After the review is published, we will share it on our Facebook and Instagram pages and tag the artist/ band, label, or associated PR. This is part of our commitment to promoting the artists we review and helping them reach a wider audience. We encourage you to submit your music for review and take advantage of this promotional opportunity.

Our Unique Words

  • Athenaeum of the Sin wants to show you some exciting words to make our reviews more interesting. The phrases include “Forbidden Fruit Of Art”, “Fruit Of Art”, and “Devilmanship”.  The word “Forbidden Fruit” was coined by Grant Crossan and Paul Taylor from Acherontia Styx. We were permitted to use the words “Forbidden Fruit of Art” and “Fruit of Art” in our reviews.

  • The suffix “of Art” in “Forbidden Fruit” and “Fruit of Art” is Athenaeum Of Sin creation, and they refer to works of art, awesome, fantastic, masterful/masterpiece, etc.

  • “Devilmanship” is a word coined by the Athenaeum of the Sin and is our definition of musicianship, craftsmanship, and showmanship; one word to define three meanings, making it straightforward and making it gender-neutral and can be used for both male and female singers and musicians.

  • Please note that “fruit of art” and “Devilmanship” cannot be used without permission (this also goes for The Seven Sins format). Prior permission is required to maintain the exclusivity of the unique words and format used within Athenaeum Of Sin. These words and format are vital to our brand identity, and we take extraordinary pride in their use.

  • With our explicit consent, you may use these unique words and our format only for reference or promotional purposes. (see our T&C page)

Our Philosophy

  • We understand how hard it can be for metal music enthusiasts to find credible and unbiased reviews. That is why we are committed to providing you with trustworthy reviews on which you can rely.

  • At the Athenaeum Of Sin, we pride ourselves on providing comprehensive music reviews that meet the highest standards of attentiveness and quality—committed to delivering impartial, objective content free from bias or subjectivity reviews. Athenaeum of Sin ensures the music and lyrics are fully understood, leaving no details overlooked and no reviews rushed.

  • (1) We also acknowledge and respect the privacy of our submissions, which remain anonymous. (2) Any files, music, or personal and confidential information submitted to “Athenaeum of the Sin” will only be kept exclusive for the reviews. “Athenaeum of the Sin” will not share these files with other social media platforms, radio stations, blogs, or entities.

  • It is our policy to abstain from publishing negative reviews on our platform. We have instituted a “disrelish” section in our reviews, highlighting aspects that do not meet our taste-(ear)drums, memorable or enjoyable, without resorting to negative criticism. Criticism of bands or their music negatively is not something we will not publish. Athenaeum Of Sin platform can be trusted to assist you in discovering the latest and best in metal and non-metal music.

  • If you are looking for detailed reviews, look no further! We provide our readers with the most insightful and informative reviews available. We aim to introduce/discover you to new music/bands or artists you might not have heard or even heard about—music or bands/artists that may be flying under the radar or unsigned bands or artists just getting their start.

  • Don’t forget to hit the “follow” button (on the left) on our Facebook page to stay updated with all the new reviews we post!

Copyrighted Material Policy

  • Athenaeum Of Sin is committed to complying with copyright laws. If you own any content we have posted on our site and object to its display, please email us to inform us of the issue. We will promptly remove the file in question upon receiving your request.

  • ***All rights reserved for any band(s)/Artist(s) and / or the label(s). Athenaeum Of Sin has no rights to any audio(s) and image(s) on this site.***

Thank You

  • Thank you for visiting the Athenaeum Of Sin Reviews. We hope you enjoyed your visit. Our website is a passion project, and we do not advertise or accept money from anyone. Life is already too cluttered, and we want to create an unbiased platform that provides honest reviews.