What Are You Listening To Now - The Horde Edition

Ulcerate "Destroyers of All" 2011

Immolation - "Close To A World Below" (2000)

One of my all-time favourite death metal records. It sounds like they've read my mind & made an album based purely on my musical & lyrical sweet spot.

5/5

Edge Of Sanity - "Crimson" (1996)

Not bad but I've never quite understood the widespread devotion for this one.

3.5/5

Entombed - "Left Hand Path" (1990)

This is not a bad death metal record but I've never really understood the unanimous praise that seems to be heaped on it by fans of the subgenre. The follow-up was clearly superior in every way in my opinion.

3.5/5

Entombed - "Left Hand Path" (1990)

This is not a bad death metal record but I've never really understood the unanimous praise that seems to be heaped on it by fans of the subgenre. The follow-up was clearly superior in every way in my opinion.

3.5/5

You see I am the reverse here, I just don't get 'Clandestine' and the praise it receives.  I find it a very dull affair in comparison to 'Left Hand Path'.

I very much enjoy both albums, but Clandestine is definitely my favourite Entombed album. Each to their own I guess. 

Carcass - "Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious" (1991)

Arguably the best death metal release to come out of England & a part of my top five records for death metal as a whole.

5/5

Bolt Thrower - "Those Once Loyal" (2005)

The final album from one of the greats of the death metal subgenre. The general consensus seems to be that it's their best work but I've never thought it was quite as strong as their early 90's material. It's certainly a professional outing but the groovier riffs that pop up here & there don't appeal to me so much.

4/5

Demilich - "Nespithe" (1993)

The only album from this seminal Finnish technical death metal outfit. This was quite a big record for me at the time of release. It still sounds entirely unique today too. Kinda like Gorguts' "Obscura" album crossed with Autopsy & early Carcass. If you're a tech death fan then this record is a must.

4/5

Amorphis - "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" (Vinyl Remaster)

Both the music and the artwork have been sharpened in quality and the resulting experience is amazing. Amorphis' most atmospheric album and one of the unique landmarks of Finnish metal and 90s death metal has never sounded better to my ears.

Pestilence - "Consuming Impulse" (1989)

The classic sophomore album from the greatest Dutch death metal band of all. The performances & production were of a higher caliber than 99% of extreme metal from the time. The rhythm guitar crunch is ridiculously heavy & really does it for me. Fans of Death & "Seven Churches"-era Possessed will love this shit.

4/5

Suffocation - "Pierced From Within" (1995)

Amongst the greatest feats of all human kind in my opinion. One of my top three death metal releases of all time. Brutal death metal at its absolute pinnacle. Unbeatable!

5/5

Delusional Parasitosis / Ecchymosis / Dissevered / Bleeding - "Scaphism 4-Way Split" (2017)

A four-way split album of slam/brutal death metal featuring bands from the USA, Thailand, Laos & the Netherlands. These bands really do take all of the trademark characteristics of the slam movement & accentuate them to their extremes. I'm generally a big fan of the more brutal side of death metal so there's a fair bit to interest me here however the ridiculously pingy snare sounds, overuse of gravity blast beats & continuously monotonous vocal delivery that makes no attempt to enunciate actual words can be challenging at times. Thankfully the riffs are always chunky & exciting though. I didn't like Ecchymosis much but the other three bands were all pretty cool. Particularly Delusional Paratosis. Fans of bands like Afterbirth, Artery Eruption & Infected Malignity should really dig this.

3.5/5

Entombed - "Wolverine Blues" (1993)

The Swedish death metal gods move away from their traditional sound towards what we now know as death 'n' roll. I kinda dig it too.

3.5/5

Death - The Sound of Perseverance

How do you rate it Vinny? Personally I love all of Death's albums but I'd place "The Sound Of Perseverance" right in the middle of their back catalogue. Despite the fact that Death was my introduction to death metal in the late 80's, I actually prefer their more progressive records over their more traditional ones so it'd be slightly ahead of the first three but a bit behind albums 4-6.

I am probably with you there which to be honest is a reversal on how I would have ordered them 12 months ago.  I have really opened up to the more progressive elements of metal over the past year so do enjoy the latter output of Death more than the first releases nowadays.  This album is up next in my Second Decade challenge in the List section.  Hoping to get a review up tomorrow for this.

I know that objectively The Sound of Perseverance is a good album, but it doesn't come close to Chuck's work between 1991 and 1995. For that reason I've always felt disappointed by it. It's probably a case where if it had been released by a different band, I'd probably have different feelings around it. For Death though, a 4 star album is a pretty disappointing one, whereas that's as good as it gets for a lot of other solid death metal bands (the likes of Hypocrisy, Malevolent Creation, Vader etc.).

Finally got around to the physical format of this (CD for now until I upgrade my record player) and I just fall in love with it all over again every time I hear it.

Still debating whether to go see them next week - not so much due to the music, because I love this album (one of my early introductions to death metal), more so a monetary decision.

Ever seen them before? They're always great live. I'd definitely go if I had the money/ear drums.

I haven’t, so I’m leaning towards just biting the bullet and doing it.

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Just in the mood at the moment for some good old early-90s death metal.

I really dug "Retribution" back in the day & it's still my favourite Malevolent Creation record. I might have to pull it out some time soon. 

It's my favourite too, although the debut is also pretty cool.