Feature releases
The revised feature release nomination roster after including Vinny in The Fallen:
THE FALLEN: Ben, Vinny, Daniel, Sonny
THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi
THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Daniel
THE HORDE: Vinny, Ben, Daniel
THE INFINITE: Xephyr, Saxy, Andi
THE NORTH: Sonny, Xephyr, Daniel, Ben, Vinny
THE PIT: Sonny, Vinny, Daniel, Ben
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi
Here's the updated feature release roster for April:
THE FALLEN: Vinny, Daniel, Sonny, Ben
THE GATEWAY: Andi, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: Daniel, Xephyr
THE HORDE: Ben, Daniel, Vinny
THE INFINITE: Saxy, Andi, Xephyr
THE NORTH: Daniel, Xephyr, Ben, Vinny, Sonny
THE PIT: Vinny, Daniel, Ben, Sonny
THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Andi
THE SPHERE: Andi, Daniel
THE GATEWAY: Static-X - "Wisconsin Death Trip" (1999) 4/5
THE INFINITE: Between the Buried and Me - "The Great Misdirect" (2009) 4/5
THE REVOLUTION: Underoath - "Lost in the Sound of Separation" (2008) 5/5
THE SPHERE: Ministry - "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (Live)" (1990) 4.5/5
Even though I don't see that Between the Buried and Me album as a perfect masterpiece as much as I used to, I still enjoyed most of it along with that Static-X album. My Revolution nomination shows Underoath as their best, and I really would recommend it to fans of that band and metalcore. That Ministry live album is also excellent. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...
Here's the feature release roster for May:
THE FALLEN: Daniel, Sonny, Ben, Vinny
THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi
THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Daniel
THE HORDE: Daniel, Vinny, Ben
THE INFINITE: Andi, Xephyr, Saxy
THE NORTH: Xephyr, Ben, Vinny, Sonny, Daniel
THE PIT: Daniel, Ben, Sonny, Vinny
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi
THE GATEWAY: Disturbed - "Indestructible" (2008) 4/5
THE INFINITE: Enslaved - "In Times" (2015) 4.5/5
THE REVOLUTION: Mouthbreather - "Pig" (2017) 2.5/5
THE SPHERE: The Kovenant - "Animatronic" (1999) 5/5
Even though I don't see that Disturbed album as a perfect masterpiece, I still enjoyed most of it. My Sphere nomination shows The Kovenant as their best, and I really would recommend it to fans of that band and the industrial metal subgenre the band invented, cyber metal. That Enslaved album is an excellent revisit. However, that Mouthbreather release wasn't exactly worth my time, you know my struggle with the more grind-ish mathcore. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...
Here's the feature release roster for June:
THE FALLEN: Sonny, Ben, Vinny, Daniel
THE GATEWAY: Andi, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: Morpheus Kitami, Xephyr
THE HORDE: Vinny, Ben, Daniel
THE INFINITE: Xephyr, Saxy, Andi
THE NORTH: Ben, Vinny, Sonny, Daniel, Xephyr
THE PIT: Ben, Sonny, Vinny, Daniel
THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Andi
THE SPHERE: Andi, Daniel
THE GATEWAY: Klone - "Meanwhile" (2023) 4/5
THE GUARDIANS: Persuader - "When Eden Burns" (2006) 4.5/5
THE INFINITE: Amorphis - "Under the Red Cloud" (2015) 5/5
THE REVOLUTION: Gaza - "He Is Never Coming Back" (2009) 4/5
THE SPHERE: Fear Factory - "Soul of a New Machine" (1992) 4/5
This month has proven to be a pretty great one for my clans. My Infinite nomination shows the Tomi Joutsen era of Amorphis at their best, and I would recommend it to fans of that band and melodeath-infused progressive metal. That Persuader album is an excellent revisit. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...
So for once I have listened to and reviewed all nine of this month's clan features and here is my ranking of those nine releases in descending order:
THE INFINITE: Amorphis - "Under the Red Cloud" (2015) 4.5/5
THE FALLEN: Black Cobra - "Invernal" (2011) 4/5
THE HORDE: Nails - Abandon All Life (2013) 4/5
THE SPHERE: Fear Factory - "Soul of a New Machine" (1992) 3.5/5
THE REVOLUTION: Gaza - "He Is Never Coming Back" (2009) 3.5/5
THE PIT: Agent Steel - "Mad Locust Rising" (1986) 3/5
THE NORTH - Hoplites - "Τρωθησομένη" (2023) 3/5
THE GUARDIANS: Persuader - "When Eden Burns" (2006) 3/5
THE GATEWAY: Klone - "Meanwhile" (2023) 2.5/5
I didn't truly dislike any of this month's features, although most of them did have niggling issues that prevented better scores from me.
Anyway, Andy takes the "Feature of the Month" award from me for May (who'd a thunk it?) Thanks Andy...
No problem, Sonny! Glad to see that Amorphis release have good reception here.
Here's the feature release roster for July:
THE FALLEN: Ben, Vinny, Daniel, Sonny
THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi
THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Morpheus Kitami
THE HORDE: Ben, Daniel, Vinny
THE INFINITE: Saxy, Andi, Xephyr
THE NORTH: Vinny, Sonny, Daniel, Xephyr, Ben
THE PIT: Sonny, Vinny, Daniel, Ben
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi
THE FALLEN: Hexer - "Cosmic Doom Ritual" (2017) 3/5
THE GATEWAY: Katatonia - "Sky Void of Stars" (2023) 4.5/5
THE INFINITE: Dødheimsgard - "Black Medium Current" (2023) 5/5
THE SPHERE: Strapping Young Lad - "Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing" (1995) 4/5
This month went quite well for most of my clans. My Gateway and Sphere nominations are pretty solid albums that I would recommend to fans of their respective genres. That Dødheimsgard album is a perfect discovery (thanks Xephyr!). I like a good amount of that Hexer album, though some issues could've been sorted out for more than the 3-star rating I've given it. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...
I was thinking this morning how the feature releases have introduced me to some really great albums that I would possibly never have heard otherwise. So I wondered, what are your Top Ten feature releases for your clans that were nominated by other people (so no cheating with including your own nominations) and which hadn't you heard before?
I'll start of with my Top Ten Fallen features not nominated by me. An asterisk indicates I hadn't heard it previously and a double asterisk indicates I hadn't even heard of it prior to it featuring.
1. Evoken - Quietus (2001)
2. Paul Chain - Detaching From Satan (1984)
3. Reverend Bizarre - III: So Long Suckers (2007)
4. Celtic Frost - Monotheist (2006)
5. Ufomammut / Lento - Supernaturals - Record One (2007)**
6. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone (2000)
7. Boris - Boris at Last -Feedbacker- (2003)*
8. Coffinworm - IV.I.VIII (2014)**
9. Monolithe - Monolithe II (2005)
10. Monarch! - Omens (2012)**
So what are your greatest discoveries from the features?
I opted to go with all clans & included some that I'd heard a little bit of before but had never committed to intense scrutiny:
01. Akhlys - "The Dreaming I" (2015)
02. Dead Congregation - "Promulgation of the Fall" (2014)
03. Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi" (2020)
04. Lucid Planet - "Lucid Planet II" (2020)
05. Scarcity - "Aveilut" (2022)
06. Ode & Elegy - "Ode & Elegy" (2022)
07. Altarage - "Succumb" (2021)
08. Nehëmah - "Requiem Tenebrae" (2004)
09. M.S.W. - "Obliviosus" (2020)
10. Esoteric - "A Pyrrhic Existence" (2019)
So, for all clans together and albums I had never heard before:
1. Incantation - Diabolical Conquest (1998)
2. Shining - V - Halmstad (2007)
3. Nehëmah - Requiem Tenebrae (2004)
4. Pestilence - Spheres (1993)
5. Ufomammut / Lento - Supernaturals - Record One (2007)
6. Gorement - The Ending Quest (1994)
7. Boris - Boris at Last -Feedbacker- (2003)
8. Henbane - Cultes des Ghoules (2013)
9. Necrodeath - Into the Macabre (1987)
10. Ne Obliviscaris - I Portal (2009)
11. Persefone - Core (2006)
12. Dead Congregation - Promulgation of the Fall (2014)
13. Coffinworm - IV.I.VIII (2014)
14. Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud (2015)
15. Helmet - Meantime (1992)
16. Monarch! - Omens (2012)
17. Neptunian Maximalism - Éons (2020)
18. Thorns - Thorns (2001)
19. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)
20. Sinister - Diabolical Summoning (1993)
These are all awesome albums and some actually changed my outlook on certain aspects of metal.
Here are my top 10 feature release discoveries, mostly centered around my main clans:
1. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
2. Gaza - I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die (2006)
3. Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites (2005)
4. Godflesh - Godflesh (1988)
5. Dir En Grey - Uroboros (2008)
6. Skycamefalling - 10.21 (2000)
7. Karnivool - Themata (2005)
8. Old - The Musical Dimensions of Sleastak (1993)
9. The Chariot - Long Live (2010)
10. Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current (2023)
A mixed bag for me this month with a huge spread in appeal (or lack of it), but I did get through them all again.
Vinny gets the award for top feature this month with Apparition's glorious celebration of OSDM., Feel.
The Fallen: Hexer - Cosmic Doom Ritual (2017) 5/5
The Horde: Apparition - Feel (2021) 4.5/5
The Pit: Nocturnal Graves - An Outlaw's Stand (2022) 4/5
The North: Lunar Aurora - Andacht (2007) 4/5
The Gateway: Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars (2023) 4/5
The Revolution: Suicide Silence - The Black Crown (2011) 3.5/5
The Sphere: Strapping Young Lad - Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (1995) 3/5
The Infinite: Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current (2023) 2.5/5
The Guardians: Darkmoon Blade - Darkmoon Rising (2022) 2.5/5
With Andi opting to take a break from the feature release roster for the next three months, here are the owners of the August submissions:
THE FALLEN: Vinny, Daniel, Sonny, Ben
THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Saxy, Saxy, Andi
THE GUARDIANS: Morpheus Kitami, Xephyr
THE HORDE: Daniel, Vinny, Ben
THE INFINITE: Xephyr, Saxy, Andi
THE NORTH: Sonny, Daniel, Xephyr, Ben, Vinny
THE PIT: Vinny, Daniel, Ben, Sonny
THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Andi
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, Andi
Here's the feature release roster for July:
THE FALLEN: Ben, Vinny, Daniel, Sonny
THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi
THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Morpheus Kitami
THE HORDE: Ben, Daniel, Vinny
THE INFINITE: Saxy, Andi, Xephyr
THE NORTH: Vinny, Sonny, Daniel, Xephyr, Ben
THE PIT: Sonny, Vinny, Daniel, Ben
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi
Hey Sonny, can you set up the feature release thread in The Pit for your nomination please when you get a sec?
THE GATEWAY: Sleep Token - "Take Me Back to Eden" (2023) 5/5
THE INFINITE: Tómarúm - "Ash in Realms of Stone Icons" (2022) 4.5/5
THE REVOLUTION: Whitechapel - "A New Era of Corruption" (2010) 5/5
THE SPHERE: Scorn - "Vae Solis" (1992) 3/5
Despite my busy schedule, I still managed to listen to and review this month's feature releases for all my clans, and most of them turned out fantastic. My Revolution nomination is a perfect deathcore album I would recommend to fans of the genre. The Sleep Token and Tómarúm albums are amazing discoveries (thanks Saxy!). I like a good amount of that Scorn album, though some issues could've been sorted out for more than the 3-star rating I've given it. Keep up the good work on the feature releases, all! I look forward to more...
I found a lot to enjoy this month with the list enticing me into eight of the nine features. There weren't any new classics for me unfortunately but there was certainly a consistent quality about most of these records. The Grave Digger one was always gonna be a struggle for those of us that aren't particularly onboard with power metal but I was hoping I'd get a little more out of it than I did. Ben takes the honours fairly comfortably this month after having selected my top two features of the month. There was only a bee's dick between them too. I was very pleased at how my affection has grown over time with the Scorn & Whitechapel albums, neither of which I connected with as strongly in the past. The Tómarúm record is a very impressive piece of work too.
THE FALLEN: Tzompantli - "Tlazcaltiliztli" (2022) 4/5
THE HORDE: Bloodbath - "Unblessing the Purity" E.P. (2008) 4/5
THE SPHERE: Scorn - "Vae Solis" (1992) 4/5
THE REVOLUTION: Whitechapel - "A New Era Of Corruption" (2010) 4/5
THE INFINITE: Tómarúm - "Ash in Realms of Stone Icons" (2022) 4/5
THE NORTH: Tilintetgjort - "In Death I Shall Arise" (2023) 3.5/5
THE PIT: Blood Tsunami - "Grand Feast For Vultures" (2009) 3.5/5
THE GUARDIANS: Grave Digger - "Knights of the Cross" (1998) 3/5
Generally a pretty good bunch of releases for me, apart from one which was never intended for my ears and one absolute stinker.
The metaphorical golden statuette for Feature of the Month goes to Saxy for the excellent Tómarúm album.
THE INFINITE: Tómarúm - "Ash in Realms of Stone Icons" (2022) 4.5/5
THE PIT: Blood Tsunami - "Grand Feast For Vultures" (2009) 4.5/5
THE HORDE: Bloodbath - "Unblessing the Purity" E.P. (2008) 4/5
THE FALLEN: Tzompantli - "Tlazcaltiliztli" (2022) 4/5
THE REVOLUTION: Whitechapel - "A New Era Of Corruption" (2010) 4/5
THE NORTH: Tilintetgjort - "In Death I Shall Arise" (2023) 4/5
THE SPHERE: Scorn - "Vae Solis" (1992) 3/5
THE GATEWAY: Sleep Token - "Take Me Back to Eden" (2023) 1.5/5
THE GUARDIANS: Grave Digger - "Knights of the Cross" (1998) 1/5
With Andi still taking a break from the feature release roster, here are the owners of the September submissions:
THE FALLEN: Daniel, Sonny, Morpheus Kitami, Ben, Vinny
THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Saxy, Andi, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Morpheus Kitami
THE HORDE: Vinny, Ben, Daniel
THE INFINITE: Saxy, Andi, Xephyr
THE NORTH: Daniel, Xephyr, Ben, Vinny, Sonny
THE PIT: Daniel, Ben, Morpheus Kitami, Sonny, Vinny
THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Daniel, Andi, Daniel
August stacked up like this for me:
THE FALLEN : Darkthrone - "Astral Fortress" (2022) 4.5/5
THE NORTH : Armagedda - "The Final War Approaching" (2001) 4/5
THE HORDE : Suffocation - s/t (2006) 4/5
THE PIT : Sodom - "M16" (2001) 3.5/5
Good to see Darkthrone sat atop the pile of the ratings with the most modern release in the list. "M16" did not meet my expectations unfortunately but it was good to get the album explored and see what the rest of the group felt about it. I gave that Fange release a couple of spins but could not devote enough attention to it to formulate a review as it felt like I needed to sit down without distractions to truly give it a justified review. No time for any listens to the remaining clans features for me with work and life still far too busy.
Here's the updated October feature release roster:
THE FALLEN: Sonny, Morpheus Kitami, Ben, Daniel
THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: Morpheus Kitami, Xephyr
THE HORDE: Ben, Sonny, Daniel
THE INFINITE: Andi, Xephyr, Saxy
THE NORTH: Xephyr, Ben, Sonny, Daniel
THE PIT: Ben, Morpheus Kitami, Sonny, Daniel
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi