June 2021 "The Fallen" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rSh9MnfQo9HmPLo2W5MBa?si=c8f2450cd35249bb
Tracklisting:
01. Solitude Aeturnus – “It Came Upon One Night” (from “Beyond The Crimson Horizon”, 1992) [Submitted by Ben]
02. Crowbar – “Existence Is Punishment” (from “Crowbar”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
03. Sleep – “The Druid” (from “Sleep’s Holy Mountain”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
04. Moonspell – “The Hermit Saints” (from “Hermitage”, 2021)
05. Divide & Dissolve – “We Are Really Worried About You” (from “Gas Lit”, 2021)
06. KYPCK – “2017” (from “3epo”, 2016) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
07. Lake Of Tears – “The End Of This World” (from “Ominous”, 2021)
08. Apostle Of Solitude – “Sincerest Misery (1,000 Days)” (from “Sincerest Misery”, 2008) [Submitted by Sonny92]
09. My Dying Bride – “It Will Come” (from “Like Gods Of The Sun”, 1996) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
10. Black Sheep Wall – “Ren” (from “Songs For The Enamel Queen”, 2021)
11. Cult Of Luna – “Leave Me Here” (from “Salvation”, 2004) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
12. Officium Triste – “Roses On My Grave” (from “The Pathway”, 2001) [Submitted by shadowdoom9]
13. Paradise Lost – “Medusa” (from “Medusa”, 2017) [Submitted by Ben]
14. The Ruins Of Beverast – “Malefica” (from “Blood Vaults: The Blazing Gospels of Heinrich Kramer”, 2013) [Submitted by Ben]
15. Sepulcros – “Magno Caos” (from “Vazio”, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny92]
16. Esoteric – “Dissident” (from “Metamorphogenesis”, 1999) [Submitted by Daniel]
My thoughts on some tracks (including my suggested ones):
Moonspell – “The Hermit Saints” (from “Hermitage”, 2021)
4/5. The prog-ish gothic metal foundation is laid for, one of the heaviest, most bombastic songs Moonspell has done recently in their new album Hermitage. That's probably the best example of Pink Floyd meets Paradise Lost!
Divide & Dissolve – “We Are Really Worried About You” (from “Gas Lit”, 2021)
4.5/5. I have a few things to say about this fresh drone doom composition. It's quite and unforgettable track to listen to, with bulldozing guitar fuzz crawling and crushing everything in a path of blocked sunlight. It starts with an ambient illusion of lightness that fades into tiny harmonies that are steamrolled by massive doomy riffs and dense drums. The heaviness is helped out by the tempo changes. And the rest is spoken by the music...
KYPCK – “2017” (from “3epo”, 2016)
5/5. This doomy monster is also too awesome to put into words, so I'll let the music speak for itself.
My Dying Bride – “It Will Come” (from “Like Gods Of The Sun”, 1996)
4.5/5. Though it fits well as a separate doom song, it's almost a prelude to the big ambitious finale of its album Like Gods of the Sun (not including the album's orchestral outro). The ultra-unique guitars and sinister-sounding keyboards add to the oppressing doom mood with more of the elegant violin.
Black Sheep Wall – “Ren” (from “Songs For The Enamel Queen”, 2021)
3.5/5. This is a decent 10-minute epic, but I'm just not entirely into the whole avant-garde sludge style...
Cult Of Luna – “Leave Me Here” (from “Salvation”, 2004)
4.5/5. ...Except for post-sludge, of course! This one has a killer first verse, then it slows down for an amazing mellow beat going on for the next two minutes. Sometime during those two minutes, anyone expecting a buildup back to heaviness might be surprised that they didn't get it right away. The drums and vocal chants stop leaving the mellow riff there. Then the heaviness crashes in again. A lot of good unexpected parts can be found in the song, but it's all centered around a heavy changing riff.
Officium Triste – “Roses On My Grave” (from “The Pathway”, 2001)
4/5. Originally recorded in the two EPs before this album, the song begins fast then changes the tempo into heavy slowness. Quite a good opening song for its album The Pathway, and a good introductory song for newcomers.
Paradise Lost – “Medusa” (from “Medusa”, 2017)
4.5/5. Contemplative emptiness in crawling doom. Excellent suggestion, Ben!
Sonny, you were on fire with your submissions this month. Those Apostle Of Solitude & Sepulcros tracks are absolutely superb.
Thanks Daniel, glad you liked them. AoS are one of doom's great underrated bands in my opinion and Sepulcros are a fine new talent in the world of deathly funeral doom.
So, finally managed to get some time to sit down with this month's Fallen playlist.
Some very brief thoughts:
01. Solitude Aeturnus – “It Came Upon One Night”
4/5 - Epic. I like these guys - surprised they aren't more popular.
02. Crowbar – “Existence Is Punishment”
3/5 - A little bit too alt. metal for my taste.
03. Sleep – “The Druid”
3.5/5 - OK, but not my favourite from Holy Mountain.
04. Moonspell – “The Hermit Saints”
2/5 - I've never liked Moonspell and this hasn't changed that.
05. Divide & Dissolve – “We Are Really Worried About You”
3.5/5 - OK, my interest is piqued. Will have to check out more.
06. KYPCK – “2017”
1.5/5 - No no no
07. Lake Of Tears – “The End Of This World”
2.5/5 - A gothic metal James Bond movie theme song.
08. Apostle Of Solitude – “Sincerest Misery (1,000 Days)”
5/5 - The best song from one of doom's great underrated bands. This is a fucking monster!
09. My Dying Bride – “It Will Come”
4/5 - Not heard this album - will have to check it out on the strength of this track.
10. Black Sheep Wall – “Ren”
3.5/5 Interesting - bit of a head-fuck. Gonna check out this album for sure.
11. Cult Of Luna – “Leave Me Here”
4/5 - A quality track as almost always from Cult of Luna.
12. Officium Triste – “Roses On My Grave”
4/5 - I actually rather enjoyed this despite it's gothic leanings.
13. Paradise Lost – “Medusa”
3.5/5 - I,ve never been that impressed with Paradise Lost. This is OK - nowt special
14. The Ruins Of Beverast – “Malefica”
4/5 - Great, despite the echoey beginning that was starting to do my head in just before it ended.
15. Sepulcros – “Magno Caos”
4/5 - Desperate and destructive sludge that flows like magma.
16. Esoteric – “Dissident”
5/5 - It's Esoteric. That should be recommendation enough for anyone!