May 2022 "The North" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1OkaSPDXyPVmWKVdLSpJn3?si=EkOLN0N-QIKzH6UC86SgNA
Tracklisting:
1. Nordjevel - Fenriir (from Fenriir, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
2. Blut aus Nord - Tales of the Old Dreamer (from Tales of the Old Dreamer, 2022)
3. Black Fucking Cancer - Eradic Hate (from Procreate Inverse, 2022)
4. Dawn - Malediction Murder (from Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy), 1998) [Submitted by Daniel]
5. Xasthur - Screaming at Forgotten Fears (from To Violate the Oblivious, 2004)
6. Infernal Coil - Wounds Never Close (from Within A World Forgotten, 2018) [Submitted by Daniel]
7. Fall of Rauros - Poverty Hymn (from Key to a Vanishing Future, 2022)
8. Deathspell Omega - Enantiodromia (from The Long Defeat, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]
9. Shade Empire - Ruins (from Omega Arcane, 2013)
10. Dark Funeral - Let the Devil In (from We Are the Apocalypse, 2022)
11. Äera - Äera (from Äer, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
12. Enslaved - Ethica Odini (from Axioma Ethica Odini, 2010) [Submitted by Sonny]
13. Saidan - Kissed by Lunar’s Silvery Gleam (from Onryō II: Her Spirit Eternal, 2022)
14. Bestial Warlust - Barbaric Horde (from Blood & Valour, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]
15. Woods of Desolation - Somehow… (from Torn Beyond Reason, 2011)
16. Ultha - Der alte Feind (Jeder Tag reißt Wunden) (from All That Has Never Been True, 2022)
Highlight for me this month was me getting to remember how good that Dawn album is and that I need to revisit it immediately. That Enslaved track is from a great album also. Always nice to see a bit of Xasthur on here too but not taken well to the new BAN album they are definitely moving to far away from their core bm sound for my liking and I think Deathspell Omega have had their day as well.
Woods of Desolation were not an instant hit for me - a little too gazey. Ultha however offered an interesting end to the playlist this month. A big atmo-black ending that rounded the tracklist off nicely.
Find of the month = Black Fucking Cancer - I am all over that shit like a fat lass in a cake shop!
I've blasted this month's playlist a fair bit over the last week and have to say it got off to a good start. I enjoyed the first four tracks immensely, Nordjevel being a new one on me as are BFC. I haven't listened to Dawn's Slaughtersun, but I am a fan of the debut and the track here is great, so I must rectify that. It doesn't seem a particularly popular opinion, but I quite like BaN's psychedelic-tinged recent stuff and this seems to be continuing the trend, so it's all good by me.
Unfortunately I became unstuck with both the Xasthur and Falls of Rauros tracks, I have always struggled a bit with FoR and haven't really bothered with Xasthur. I found both the tracks here to be a bit dull to be honest. I love the DsO track and their latest album generally, having recently taken possession of my vinyl copy, so that was a win anyway and Infernal Coil was as brutal as I would expect from an album tagged as war metal and deathgrind. Unfortunately, it seems that Shade Empire were trying to become the first black metal band to write a James Bond theme song with their track here and I couldn't listen to it without picturing Daniel Craig jumping out of a helicopter!
I'm not mad keen on Dark Funeral (from what I have heard) but this track from their latest sounds pretty decent. Äera seem to be under everybody's radar with very few ratings on RYM, but deserve better on the strength of this 2020 single. Enslaved's track is one of my picks, so is obviously a favourite but, in all honesty, this really is a classy slab of progressive BM I'm sure you will all agree. Saidan are a new one on me (and seem to be a relatively new band anyway). More black n roll than black metal, but actually quite enjoyable nonetheless, despite not being earth-shattering.
Blood & Valour is my all-time favourite war metal album so needless to say the Bestial Warlust track, Barbaric Horde, gets a massive thumbs-up from me. I have always found Torn Beyond Reason a bit of a chore to be honest and agree with Vinny that this track from Woods of Desolation is way too -gazey for my own particular taste. I haven't listened to a lot of Ultha, but what I have heard has been damn fine. Their contribution here is great - soaring and pummelling atmo-black.. and who the fuck expected a sax solo to close out the playlist!?
So generally a solid playlist, a couple of classics and some new stuff I will have to check out, although there are probably more tracks I didn't care for than has been the case over recent months, but hey, you can't win 'em all can you?
Smashed this whole playlist out while working out this morning. Other than the tracks I submitted, I really loved the Blut aus Nord, Black Fucking Cancer & Ultha tracks in particular while I agree that the post-metal approach of Aera seems to be heavily underrated. As with Vinny, the Xasthur & Falls Of Rauros tracks did very little for me which won't come as a surprise to Ben.
With not a lot to do on a pissing down Sunday morning in Platinum Jubilee-ravaged England I gave this a blast and found another solid playlist complete with some personal favourites - aside from my own choices I would include Immortal, Blasphemy and Caladan Brood in this category. Inquisition, Forteresse and Sacramentum were new to me and were tracks I enjoyed immensely. I also got a lot out of the Yellow Eyes track, Tómarúm, the new Aara, the Sear Bliss track from April's featured album and I enjoyed the Bethlehem track more than I expected as I am not a big fan usually. Watain, Månegarm, Mistur and Abigor were misses for me personally, feeling either overblown or just too dissonant (Abigor) for my taste. Massively more enjoyable than standing in the rain waving a soggy Union Jack (and you can print that on the cover!!)
Think this is in the wrong thread Sonny.
Think this is in the wrong thread Sonny.
Well spotted Vinny. Prize is a Jubilee mug*
*note: there may not be an actual prize.