November 2020 "The Fallen" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rXvxlGAWlXcXAHlQDYJMC?si=HqXwkd9AT5OJqB9ovY-3vQ
Tracklisting:
01. Melvins – “Hag Me” (from “Houdini”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
02. Funeral – “This Barren Skin” (from “From These Wounds”, 2006) [Submitted by Ben]
03. Theatre Of Tragedy – “Venus” (from “Aegis”, 1998) [Submitted by Ben]
04. Katatonia – “Saw You Drown” (from “Discouraged Ones”, 1998) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
05. Tiamat – “Cain” (from “Prey”, 2003) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
06. Cult Of Luna – “Ghost Trail” (from “Eternal Kingdom”, 2008) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
07. Down – “Ghosts Along The Mississippi” (from “Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow…”, 2002)
08. Elder – “Release” (from “Spires Burn/Release” E.P., 2012)
09. Reverend Bizarre – “The Devil Rides Out” (from “II: Crush The Insects”, 2005) [Submitted by Sonny92]
10. Saint Vitus – “Born Too Late” (from “Born Too Late”, 1986) [Submitted by Daniel]
11. Gore – “Extirpation” (from “Hart Gore”, 1986)
12. Winter – “Servants Of The Warsmen” (from “Into Darkness”, 1990) [Submitted by Sonny92]
13. My Dying Bride – “Catherine Blake” (from “Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light”, 2004) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
14. Couch Slut – “I’m 14” (from “Take A Chance On Rock ‘n’ Roll”, 2020)
15. Void Of Silence – “Opus II: With No Half-Measure” (from “Criteria ov 666” (2002) [Submitted by Ben]
16. Boris – “Blackout” (Pink”, 2005) [Submitted by Daniel]
17. Esoteric – “Rotting In Dereliction” (from “A Pyrrhic Existence”, 2019) [Submitted by Sonny92]
18. Cult Leader – “Sympathetic” (from “Lightless Walk”, 2015)
My thoughts on some of the tracks (including my suggested songs):
Theatre Of Tragedy – “Venus” (from “Aegis”, 1998)
10/10. An ethereal keyboard-symphonic gothic doom highlight! Liv Kristine delivers a beautiful performance that really deserves winning a Best Female Vocals award, while Raymond Rohonyi does his growling vocals sounding closer to the death-doom of their first two albums. Great suggestion, Ben!
Katatonia – “Saw You Drown” (from “Discouraged Ones”, 1998)
10/10. My favorite song in Katatonia's last gothic metal album before descending into alt-rock/metal territory (which you can hear a sample in November's Gateway playlist). "Saw You Drown" has incredible effect and appropriately depressing lyrics.
Tiamat – “Cain” (from “Prey”, 2003)
9/10. A great song to start one of Tiamat's later gothic rock/metal albums! The song begins with a dark depressing riff that is repetitive but suitable for gothic metal, having an almost occult feeling. Unlike the band's early heavier material that encourages you to take brutal action against your enemies, this song is good for listeners sitting in a dark cave and thinking about the depression of life, which would carry as the album's theme. After a killer ending guitar solo, it just abruptly ends, mainly because it segues to the experimental interlude "Ten Thousand Tentacles", but never mind, I still like "Cain".
Cult Of Luna – “Ghost Trail” (from “Eternal Kingdom”, 2008)
10/10. An incredible song that continues keeping Cult of Luna's reign as one of the kings of post-sludge. The second quarter of the song (from the 3 to 6 minute marks) is one of the most brilliant moments in the history of music. I made the right recent choice of sealing my love for this cool band. This powerful emotional song might remind other post-doom fans of Ghost Brigade, and if they're into one of those metal TV shows, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil which I think this song was featured in. "Ghost Trail" is one of the best songs of post-sludge perfection, especially that kick-A breakdown shortly after the 9-minute point. Apparently, it is part of a concept album based on the diary of a madman who was locked up in a mental asylum after being falsely accused of murdering his wife by drowning her in the river of the Näcken. The diary would be contributed by creatures known as the "owl men" and the "tree men" to help clear his name. Interesting concept for one of the best ambient sludge metal albums! Only 2 months into listening to this band and I already know how awesome they are. Praise the Cult!!
My Dying Bride – “Catherine Blake” (from “Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light”, 2004)
11/10 (not exaggerating). This is truly a doom anthem with everything you expect to hear from the band. This album Songs of Darkness, Words of Light continues the elements of the previous two albums where they return to their trademark death-doom of Turn Loose the Swans but with keyboards instead of violins, this time in slower cleaner beauty, and one song that has it all is "Catherine Blake"! Absolutely memorable!
Track by track commentary:
01. Melvins – “Hag Me” (from “Houdini”, 1993)
I am seemingly one of the few who thinks that sometimes Melvins are extremely overrated. When they are good they are very good, however and this track is a pretty damn fine slab of sludgy, stoner-influenced doom metal. 8/10
02. Funeral – “This Barren Skin” (from “From These Wounds”, 2006)
Gothic-led death doom that I’m sure appeals to the vast hordes of My Dying Bride fans, but I find most of this stuff outside a few of the more classy acts, insipid and bland, this included. 4.5/10
03. Theatre Of Tragedy – “Venus” (from “Aegis”, 1998)
See above, add cheesy synths and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast-style vocals, then divide by ten - awful. The metal version of Jim Steinman. Luckily, Spotify played an ad after this and that was preferable! 1/10
04. Katatonia – “Saw You Drown” (from “Discouraged Ones”, 1998)
..and so to the “mighty” Katatonia. I appreciate they are one of the darlings of the doom scene and indeed they do have their moments, but I really don’t rate them as all that. This would be a good track if the singer didn’t sound so fucking uninterested. 6/10
05. Tiamat – “Cain” (from “Prey”, 2003)
Is this an outtake from Sisters of Mercy’s Vision Thing album? I’m sorry, but you’re losing me here, in fact I’m beginning to question if I’m actually listening to a metal playlist at all because most of this, up to this point, sounds like bands who would rather be playing anything but metal. 5/10
06. Cult Of Luna – “Ghost Trail” (from “Eternal Kingdom”, 2008)
I like Cult of Luna very much and this is a nice builder of a track from an album I am unfamiliar with. 8/10
07. Down – “Ghosts Along The Mississippi” (from “Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow…”, 2002)
Loo-sianna-swamp-mud-thick grooves of southern fried stoner metal from the guy who used to be in that Pantera. 8/10
08. Elder – “Release” (from “Spires Burn/Release” E.P., 2012)
A lengthy stoner jam from one of the great exponents of the form. 8/10
09. Reverend Bizarre – “The Devil Rides Out” (from “II: Crush The Insects”, 2005) [Submitted by Sonny92]
I guess I’m biased as this is one of mine and I love Rev Biz anyway, but this is classic heavy metal-based trad doom with goofy Hammer-style horror lyrics. 9/10
10. Saint Vitus – “Born Too Late” (from “Born Too Late”, 1986) [Submitted by Daniel]
Shit, I fuckin’ love that Wino guitar tone. A molasses-thick, crawling riff and Wino’s whiskey-soaked vocals that hints at smoky back rooms in seedy back alley bars. Outsider lyrics that hark back to a time when metal was still an outlaw brand of music instead of the corporate whore it sometimes appears to be nowadays.10/10
11. Gore – “Extirpation” (from “Hart Gore”, 1986)
A band I must confess to being completely ignorant of prior to this, but this I like. 8/10
12. Winter – “Servants Of The Warsmen” (from “Into Darkness”, 1990) [Submitted by Sonny92]
Now this is what I really call death doom, classic old-school shit that has more than a passing relationship with death metal. A true classic of death doom and an album every metalhead should own. 10/10
13. My Dying Bride – “Catherine Blake” (from “Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light”, 2004)
Classic-sounding MDB from one of their most popular albums, with a nod to gothic horror tales. 8/10
14. Couch Slut – “I’m 14” (from “Take A Chance On Rock ‘n’ Roll”, 2020)
Genuine hardcore-derived sludge that shows it’s punk origins as much as it’s metal roots. 7/10
15. Void Of Silence – “Opus II: With No Half-Measure” (from “Criteria ov 666” (2002) [Submitted by Ben]
More gothic metal-influenced doom, but at least this sounds a bit less polished being based on black metal rather than death metal and as such feels rawer and more vital than that tired old path. 7/10
16. Boris – “Blackout” (Pink”, 2005) [Submitted by Daniel]
As a more recent convert to Boris I am probably still in a honeymoon phase with the band, but that said this is still a fantastic short droney crawl showcasing their own particular brand of noise metal.
17. Esoteric – “Rotting In Dereliction” (from “A Pyrrhic Existence”, 2019) [Submitted by Sonny92]
The masters of funeral doom hit it out of the park with last year’s A Pyrrhic Existence and this is that album’s second best track. Bleak, hopeless, savage and anguished, it combines funeral and death doom in a crushing heavyweight of a track that strips away any pretentions and leaves a raw and exposed soul. 9/10
18. Cult Leader – “Sympathetic” (from “Lightless Walk”, 2015)
Another band I’m unfamiliar with, but I like their angry-sounding, hardcore-derived sludge if this is typical of them. 7/10
Came close to binning this playlist by track five, to be honest. Fortunately it improved steeply after that point and I found a couple of new gems to explore.