Xephyr's Forum Replies
Could Fellowship (UK) be added please?
I've been listening to this album off and on for the past 2 months or so, since a coworker recommended it before it showed up here. I think I was a bit too harsh on it at first when I bantered back and forth with my coworker, immediately going to the canned analysis of "Wow this sure is a Deftones record!". After coming back to it here and there and letting it marinate for a bit, I agree that it's definitely more than just a Deftones case study, but I still couldn't get into it all that much.
Thornhill leans into some of the more modern Indie/Alt Metal/Rock and Shoegazy tendencies that help to distinguish their style from their early 2000's influences. Their sound is a bit more playful and upbeat, coming off as a bit less aggressive than other similar styles. Their vocalist is less sultry than Deftones, but he still conveys a lot of passion with how soulful his varied range can sound. For some reason I view their style as a bit more mysterious sounding, although I can't quite explain what exactly that means.
Overall I think "Casanova" is a prime example of how Thornhill's style is able to take influential source material and put their own direct spin on it. It's a great song through and through, although the ending is disappointing in my opinion. "Hollywood" is another highlight but the harsh vocals aren't used very well for my tastes. Other than that, "Raw" really isn't something that I enjoyed and after the creative instrumental interlude "Something Terrible Came With the Rain" the album kind of grinds to a halt for me. The final two songs didn't grip me in any way, so it ends on a pretty poor note.
This is a weird one where I enjoy coming back to it for the first half, but then I just never get into it by the time the final few songs roll around. I can see why everyone's enjoying it and it's awesome to see this style make some waves thanks to a newer band, but I guess it just ain't for me.
3/5
I wish I had more time to return to October Rust as I think having more memory of that album would have done me a few favors in figuring out an opinion on this one. I've found that I generally enjoy my time with Type O Negative, but I never rush back to them or really feel the need to, considering I haven't listened to a single song off of October Rust or any of their other albums after it was featured months ago. I kind of felt the same way about World Coming Down, although I think I can agree that it's a step down from October Rust. It's definitely a darker, more brooding album, with the interludes painting some dark and interesting pictures. However I don't think they were utilized in a cohesive enough way for me to really get into the album's atmosphere or supposed concept if there is any; some of the transitions out of them are pretty rough sounding. I think that Type O Negative plays to their strengths extremely well and still are one of my favorite Gothic Metal bands behind maybe Tiamat, with the vocals having a ton of range and variety that contribute to the songwriting way more than any other element. The fuzzy, kind of weak sounding production sounds fine for what they were going for in my opinion, as it straddles the gap between their more gloomy but shiny sounding sections and the more dark and chuggy ones. Most songs have a ton of small transitions between the two moods and while I think it sounds great, I didn't necessarily find it compelling for the entire album's runtime.
I'm with Daniel in that the first half of the album is stronger than the second, with the first three "real" tracks (White Slavery, Everyone I Love Is Dead, and Who Will Save The Sane?) sucking me in rather well but the final three "real" tracks (Everything Dies, Pyretta Blaze, and All Hallows Eve) felt like they were overstaying their welcome. "World Coming Down" feels like a bit of a letdown considering its length, but "Creepy Green Light" is easily one of my favorites. I think this'll be another case of me not returning to this band for quite some time, but it's nice to know I can still enjoy some Gothic Metal every now and again.
3.5/4
but I can't help but f3el I'll drop my rating after a few more spins.
Yup, I stand corrected. Origins just doesn't feel like it has the depth or character it needs to really stand out. Easily Saor's weakest album, even though I still enjoy listening to it.
Dropped to a 3.5 from a 4.
These aren't ordered but it was real interesting going through my ratings and seeing how many bands had their breakout album on their 2nd or 3rd instead of their debut. Way more than I imagined, these were some of the most interesting ones I could find without listing any duplicates, since Devin Townsend, Emperor, Ne Obliviscaris, and Ahab would have made the list for me.
- Neptunian Maximalism - Éons (2020)
- Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)
- Blood Incantation - Starspawn (2016)
- Opeth - Orchid (1995)
- Cryptic Shift - Visitations From Enceladus (2020)
- Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime (2021)
- Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye (2003)
- Altesia - Paragon Circus (2019)
- Epiphanic Truth - Dark Triad: Bitter Psalms to a Sordid Species (2021)
- Herzel - Le dernier rempart (2021)
I listened to this one in 2020 but it wasn't on the site yet, going to have to give it another listen but I remember not being too thrilled by it; I remember it being overly grating for some reason.
July 2022
1. Tony MacAlpine – “Death of Roses” (from “Death of Roses”, 1983)
2. Iron Mask – “Demon's Child” (from “Hordes of the Brave”, 2005)
3. Ambush – “Master of Pain” (from “Firestorm”, 2014) [Submitted by Daniel]
4. HammerFall – “Steel Meets Steel” (from “Glory to the Brave”, 1997)
5. Nocturnal Rites – “Awakening" (from "New World Messiah”, 2004)
6. Corrosion Of Conformity – “Born Again for the Last Time” (from “Wiseblood", 1996)
7. Black Sabbath – “Falling Off the Edge of the World” (from “Mob Rules”, 1981) [Submitted by Sonny]
8. Vitalij Kuprij – “Destination” (from “Extreme Measures”, 1998)
9. Maule – “Maule” (from “Maule", 2022)
10. Sonic Haven – "Vagabond” (from “Vagabond”, 2021)
11. Within Temptation – “Iron” (from “The Unforgiving”, 2011) [Submitted by Andi]
12. Nightwish – “Nemo” (from “Once", 2004)
13. Astral Doors – “Cloudbreaker” (from “Testament of Rock”, 2011)
14. Anvil – “Concrete Jungle” (from “Strength of Steel", 1987)
15. LOUDNESS – “Danger of Love” (from “Soldier of Fortune" 1989)
16. Cirith Ungol – “Master of the Pit” (from “King of the Dead", 1984)
17. Satan – “Luciferic” (from “Earth Infernal", 2022)
18. Wizard – “The Powergod" (from “Odin”, 2003)
19. Stratovarius – “Infinity" (from “Infinite”, 2010)
20. Warmen – “First of the Five Elements” (from “First of the Five Elements”, 2015)
21. Tyr – “Nine Worlds of Lore” (from “The Lay of Thrym”, 2011)
22. Iced Earth - "The Hunter" (from "The Dark Saga", 1996)
23. Nite - "Heliopolis" (from "Voices of the Kronian Moon", 2022)
24. The Ferrymen - "The Last Ship" (from "One More River to Cross", 2022)
I just began listening to Origins this morning and despite having many of the same issues as you Sonny, Saor ended up winning me over with this one. The shorter tracks definitely leave something to be desired when compared to his previous songwriting progressions and atmospheres, the "extreme" side of his music is FULLY gone on Origins compared to the half and half of Forgotten Paths, and the folk elements do feel a bit phoned in...but Folk Metal done well is such a rarity for me that I can't help but give this album praise for managing to be a more Folk-centric album that I've immediately wanted to come back to. It's definitely shallower than his previous work, with a lot of the album's progression coming from individual song transitions rather than having a full experience packed into a 20 minute track, but I still found myself really enjoying the full album experience despite all the criticisms I can make. Saor fanboying has won again, but I can't help but f3el I'll drop my rating after a few more spins.
I should be fine with the Guardians playlist and such, I'll make sure to PM you if something comes up, thanks for asking
If it wasn't already apparent I'm going to be on a "hiatus" for a few months. I think I mentioned that I have an engineering exam coming up and now that it's 4 months out I've been buckling down and found out that there's no way my brain can handle learning all this new crap as well as thinking critically about music for reviews. I'll still be listening to a ton of music but I doubt I'll be penning too much stuff until this is all over with.
Inanna - Void of Unending Depths (2022)
Chile continues to deliver with some excellent Death Metal that leans towards the progressive side of things, exactly how I like it. Very close to being a perfect example of the kind of Death Metal I'm most interested in, but the riffs and percussion lacks some punch from the mixing and production sometimes. Definitely interested in checking out their 2012 and 2008 albums as well, these guys might be one hell of a hidden gem.
Interesting way of doing it; an easy way to pull random albums definitely keeps it exciting. I'm sure I can speak for the rest of the frequent posters here that it's great to hear that the feature releases have been making their way into your collection, good luck!
July
Blut Aus Nord - "Keziah Mason" from Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses
Vehemence - "Au Blason Brule" from Ordalies
Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain (2022)
Never thought I'd be around these parts, but here we are I suppose. Even though the guttural vocals still rub me the wrong way sometimes, I've gotten a ton out of Artificial Brain's self-titled after a few initially rocky listens. Eventually it opened up and I've been enjoying my time with it as it's a swirling mess of chaotic passages and more than a few punchy riffs here and there. I'm surprising even myself with this one considering I really didn't like Artificial Brain's previous release. I don't think this is the start of something new for me, but I'm glad I'm starting to find a few albums in this genre that I genuinely enjoy, and I'm looking forward to spinning this one more throughout the rest of the year.
4/5
As I'm familiar with most of these releases, I feel like I have to try and take a shot at this I guess. Pagan Black Metal has always been a pretty useless tag for me personally; whenever I see it I assume it's going to be some slightly more lo-fi Black Metal with a ton of tremolo progression with a lot of the melody coming from acoustic or other folky instruments. The fact that Paganism is attributed to the lyrics or themes never really did much to transform the music for me, as conventional Black Metal can commonly be (anti) religious in nature to begin with. I'm up for the discussion because to me Pagan Black Metal is on the heavier side of the spectrum spectrum of Folk Metal, leaning more towards traditional or atmospheric Black Metal songwriting styles while still using more traditional instruments or melodies and relishing in a more triumphant sound. Just like all other subgenres have their extremes, Pagan Black Metal is the opposite side of the coin to the Folk Metal that has people frolicking around at a Ren Faire with two pints of ale in their hand. I consider it to have a traditional or Atmospheric Black Metal primary and a Folk Metal secondary, not its own thing.
It definitely requires some experimentation because it obviously doesn't work the same for each of the Clan's playlists.
I absolutely wouldn't use the same methodology if I was doing the playlists for The North or The Infinite; there's something about cheesy and bombastic Power/Symphonic Metal that feels more corny than usual if it's slotted in-between some Judas Priest or Iron Maiden.
I've found this playlist is pretty difficult to program due to the divide between Heavy Metal and Power/Symphonic, especially since I like creating playlists that flow between genres rather than jumping around. I'd rather program something that eases into the different genres so, like Sonny said, the final 45 minutes of the playlist isn't going to be something that everyone likes. At the same time, I think I'd rather keep doing this approach rather than randomly sprinkling different subgenres around so that people can skip past full sections instead of constantly getting interrupted by a style they don't like in-between stuff they're enjoying.
June 2022
1. Acid – “Hooked On Metal” (from “Acid”, 1983)
2. Pharaoh – “I Am the Hammer” (from “The Longest Night”, 2006)
3. Angel Witch – “Angel of Light” (from “Angel of Light”, 2019) [Submitted by Sonny]
4. Megaton Sword – “Pristine War” (from “Pristine War”, 2019)
5. Kamelot – “Wander" (from "Epica”, 2003) [Submitted by Daniel]
6. Power Quest – “Master of Illusion” (from “Master of Illusion", 2008)
7. Unlucky Morpheus – “The Black Death Mansion Murders” (from “evolution”, 2022)
8. Mercyful Fate – “Night of the Unborn” (from “Don't Break the Oath”, 1984)
9. Rage – “Death in the Afternoon” (from “Perfect Man (Deluxe Version)”, 1988)
10. Cloven Hoof – "Call of the Dark Ones” (from “Resist or Serve”, 2014)
11. Ozzy Osbourne – “No More Tears” (from “No More Tears (Expanded Edition)”, 1991)
12. Lucifer – “Dreamer” (from “Lucifer II”, 2018)
13. Striker – “Phoenix Lights” (from “Stand in the Fire”, 2016)
14. Dionysus – “March for Freedom” (from “Anima Mundi”, 2004)
15. Ostrogoth – “Queen of Desire” (from “Ecstasy and Danger" 1983)
16. Sanctuary – “Battle Angels” (from “Refuge Denied”, 1987)
17. Brainstorm – “Devil's Eye” (from “Midnight Ghost", 2018)
18. Brothers of Metal – “Son of Odin" (from “Prophecy of Ragnarok”, 2017)
19. Beast In Black – “Zodd the Immortal" (from “Berserker”, 2017)
20. Blind Guardian – “Born in a Mourning Hall” (from “Imaginations from the Other Side”, 1995)
21. Sunrise – “The Bridge Across Infinity” (from “Equilibria”, 2021)
22. Ancient Bards - "To the Master of Darkness" (from "Soulless Child", 2011)
23. Avantasia - "The Wicked Symphony" (from "The Wicked Symphony", 2010)
Because I want to try and get through all the monthly features before leaving for a trip, I won't be able to give this any extra listens before giving some thoughts, which is a shame because I can tell this is an album that needs it. Dissonant, chaotic, dense, and slightly off-the-wall Black Metal is normally hit or miss for me, with stuff like Achatius really grabbing my attention and the rest of the stuff falling by the wayside. Onirik has piqued my interest in the short time I've spent with this album because it initially gives you the sense that it's just going to be a standard, more run-of-the-mill dense Black Metal album but then proceeds to veer off in a ton of different, but subtle paths that aren't immediately jaw dropping but are still interesting nonetheless. The suffocating production can leave some nuance to be desired at certain points but the seemingly out of place bass tone among the interwoven guitars becomes more and more compelling as its utilized in different ways as the album progresses. In a similar vein to Achatius, the lead guitar is always doing something, for better or worse. I think I could get a ton more out of this one on repeated listens so we'll have to see when I get back to it, since there's just too much going on to be fully absorbed initially. Definitely an album that requires insanely active listening and is made for people who enjoy that kind of thing, since many of the hard-hitting climaxes are well hidden amongst the dense songwriting.
3.5/5
Hope everything turns out okay and none of the kids end up getting it, I've heard about enough families that managed not to spread it within their own homes so hoping that's how it works out for you guys.
I was a pretty big Contortionist fan when I first heard their 2017 album Clairvoyant and played that record into the ground for a year or so before checking out their previous records, with Language being noticeably heavier and just as good but their first two records seemed to be a bit lackluster in comparison. I guess I was a bigger Contortionist fan back when I first listened to Intrinsic as I think I have to drop my score from a 3.5 to a 3.0 after a quick relisten. There are some moments of brilliance in tracks like "Holomovement" and "Dreaming Schematic", which have the more progressive, dreamy-like qualities that I've always looked to The Contortionist for, but it all feels a bit messy when the Djent-y harsh stuff comes into play alongside all the other ideas. They show that they can make it work to some degree, like in "Cortical", but even then the transitions into the more melodic and progressive sections feels forced and choppy for the most part. With the pure Djent elements being the weakest link, I can't say it bodes well for Intrinsic as a full album experience. I still really enjoy The Contortionist so none of this is truly bad by any means, but it's a bit hard to go back and want to sit through all of the dull chug sections to just get progressive sections that are still weaker and less memorable than Clairvoyant or Language. Great band, pretty so-so album as they tried to find their unique sound.
3/5
I was away for the weekend and when doing these I'm 12 hours behind Australia, I got the playlist to Daniel when I could and was ridiculously tired so I posted the track listing and couldn't stay awake for when Daniel got around to updating the Spotify link. I was going to take care of it when I woke up, I understand that I missed this or whatever, alright?
May 2022
1. Wintersun – “Land of Snow and Sorrow” (from “Time I”, 2012) [Submitted by Andi]
2. Shield of Wings – “Cedar” (from “Unfinished”, 2022)
3. Bloodbound – “Take One” (from “Tabula Rasa”, 2009)
4. Accept – “Too Mean To Die” (from “Too Mean To Die”, 2021) [Submitted by Andi]
5. Maule – “Summoner" (from "Maule”, 2022)
6. Satan – “Twelve Infernal Lords” (from “Earth Infernal", 2022)
7. Bruce Dickinson – “The Alchemist” (from “The Chemical Wedding”, 2001 Remaster)
8. Savatage – “She's In Love” (from “Gutter Ballet”, 1990) [Submitted by Andi]
9. Diamond Head – “The Coffin Train” (from “The Coffin Train”, 2019)
10. Sabaton – "Stormtroopers” (from “The War to End All Wars”, 2022)
11. Alestorm – “No Quarter” (from “Black Sails At Midnight”, 2009) [Submitted by Andi]
12. The Lord Weird Slough Feg – “Cauldron of Blood” (from “Down Among the Deadmen”, 2013)
13. Stray Gods – “Silver Moon” (from “Storm The Walls”, 2022)
14. Sonata Arctica – “FullMoon” (from “Ecliptica”, 1999) [Submitted by Andi]
15. The Ferrymen – “Bring Me Home” (from “A New Evil" 2019)
16. Rusty Cooley – “War of the Angels” (from “The Alchemists”, 2002)
17. Kamelot – “Center of the Universe” (from “Epica", 2003) [Submitted by Andi]
18. New Horizon – “Cry for Freedom” (from “Gate of the Gods”, 2022)
19. Judas Priest – “Lightning Strike” (from “Firepower”, 2018)
20. Smoulder – “Warrior Witch of Hell” (from “Dream Quest Ends”, 2020)
21. Neurotech – “The Halcyon Symphony” (from “Symphonies”, 2016)
01. Coroner – “Mental Vortex” (1991)02. Sadus – “A Vision Of Misery” (1992)
03. Coroner – “No More Color” (1989)
04. Annihilator – “Alice In Hell” (1989)
05. Cryptic Shift – “Visitations From Enceladus” (2020)
06. Toxik – “World Circus” (1987)
07. Аспид – “Кровоизлияние” (1993)
08. Coroner – “Punishment For Decadence” (1988)
09. Vektor – “Black Future” (2009)
10. Annihilator – “Never, Neverland” (1990)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/173
Black Future has to be the top for me, but I'm really happy to see Visitations From Enceladus so high on there. I'm really hoping that Cryptic Shift only improves because if they release an album better than their debut it's gonna be huge. I HIGHLY recommend going to Demoniac's So It Goes and coming back to this list though Daniel, Sonny has been going through the Chilean Thrash scene recently and came to the same conclusion as me; I think that album is truly something special.
Véhémence - Ordalies (2022)
I personally found Véhémence's 2019 album to be good for one or two listens, but as slightly awkward as the two knights shown on the new cover art above. I'm a bigger fan of the slightly different direction on Ordalies, it feels more complete, engaging, and confident in its medieval Black Metal style. The frilly folk parts aren't overdone and the longer track lengths aren't really an issue for me, been going back to this one for quite a few weeks now.
4/5
Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds Pt. 2
Catching up on posting about some of the stuff I've been listening to recently, War of the Worlds Pt. 2 is basically the next Symphony X album from said guitarist Michael Romeo and shows how much of that bands sound he's responsible for. This is a more orchestral and bombastic Iconoclast to my ears and I've been really enjoying it, as Romeo's riff writing and solos in his new style have only seemed to improve after losing the neoclassical edge. Vocalist Dino Jelusick has the pipes to serve as a more than welcome stand-in for Russell Allen and while the record can get a bit too caught up in being an over the top orchestral fiasco, I think this one is a really solid project that scratches my modern Symphony X itch.
4/5
I got a ton of out of this one, since a lot of the Symphonic Black Metal albums that I come across aren't exactly great. Glory and Perdition takes simple additions like brass and atmospheric, spacy synth backing and really nails exactly how much to use of it and when. The overall album feel and theme is incredibly unique and powerfully written as, like the others have said, there honestly isn't much of it. The trumpet/trombone combo only show up once or twice a track and the rest of the transitional sections are drenched in this eerie, somewhat heavenly but still Black Metal evil sounding synth and orchestra that works really well in my opinion. The interludes are a bit too segmented I think, because while I think they're integral to the album, the flow gets sort of halted by "Reverie", "Ode to a Dying Star", and especially when the album ends on "Lacus Somniorum" after the enormous closer "Blood Serenade". Attila Csihar is back yet again and although it took me quite a few Mayhem listens to not hate his vocal style, it's impressive to hear him sound so good and at home in an album with more production elements and a bigger, more triumphant atmosphere. His throat-like singing sounds awesome as a compliment to the rest of Sear Bliss's act on the opening "Birth of Eternity", but his other feature on "Shores of Death" may be one of the weaker parts of the album despite the middle section being very creative and memorable with the synths and horns. Really strong and cool album overall, easily one of my new albums to point to for a different and effective take on Symphonic Black Metal.
4/5
Maybe it's because I've been listening to a lot more melodic, cleaner stuff like the new Hath, Immolation, or Allegaeon for my Death Metal recently, but this was the exact kick in the teeth I needed to break up the monotony. Diabolical Summoning is one of those Death Metal records that knows how to keep the energy going for the entire runtime and, at the same time, keeping the runtime short enough to not run out of steam. As has been already said, the riffing is great, the drum production is some of the punchiest I've heard and sits right in my preferred middle ground of being just chaotic enough to keep the listener guessing while still laying down the necessary double bass rhythms to keep the guitars moving. The other attribute I'm starting to pick up on for my favored Death Metal releases is the effortlessness of all the transitions, and wow are there a lot of them in this record. Each track is bursting with all kinds of different riffs and sections that chaotically flow together seamlessly in a way I can't really explain. It's a bit barebones for me to give it absolutely massive praise, but this is definitely an overlooked one, as everyone else has said.
4/5
May:
Forbidden Temple - "Altar Under The Moon" - Step Into The Black Pentagram (2022) 5:00
Obsequiae - "The Starlit Shore" - Suspended in the Brumes of Eos (2011) 5:31
Nocturnal Triumph - "The Hammer of Immateriality" - Nocturnal Triumph (2022) 8:54
I enjoyed this one after an initial spin a few weeks ago, didn't know it was an offshoot of Winterfylleth. Definitely one to go back to for, like you said, something a bit different than normal with the cool Medieval influences. It's rare that this blend of styles doesn't get tossed into the fantasy, orc-slaying bin and even though I'm a fan of that kind of stuff more than most, Arð is still a refreshing find.
Edit: After another listen this afternoon I forgot how gorgeous this album can be, the orchestral and choir elements are perfectly placed as to not be overbearing while still attributing a ton to the atmosphere. It does plod along a bit too much here and there for my tastes, but it reminds me of a more bombastic and full sounding Obsequiae. Not sure if that's a good comparison or not, but it does remind me I haven't listened to their first two albums, which I really should do. Revisiting this one has really put me in the mood.
Exactly what happened, I didn't see the post. I'll put them in next month.
April 2022
1. Unleash The Archers – “Ten Thousand Against One” (from “Apex”, 2007)
2. Powerwolf – “Night of the Werewolves” (from “Blood of the Saints”, 2011)
3. The Ferrymen – “One More River To Cross” (from “One More River To Cross”, 2022)
4. Heaven & Hell – “Rock and Roll Angel” (from “The Devil You Know”, 2009)
5. Warlord – “Black Mass” (from "...And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun”, 2021)
6. Crimson Glory – “Dance On Fire” (from “Strange and Beautiful", 1991)
7. Battle Beast – “Eye of the Storm” (from “Circus of Doom”, 2022)
8. Opera Magna – “La Herida” (from “Del Amor Y Otros Demonios - Acto 1”, 2014)
9. Eternity's End – “Call of the Valkyries” (from “Embers of War”, 2021)
10. Diamond Head – "No Remorse” (from “Lighting To The Nations”, 2020 Remaster)
11. Motorhead – “Limb from Limb” (from “Overkill”, 1979)
12. Tribulation – “Nightbound” (from “Down Below”, 2018)
13. Omen – “Death Rider” (from “Battle Cry”, 1984)
14. Satan – “The Doomsday Clock” (from “Cruel Magic”, 2018)
15. Silent Winter – “Where the River Flows” (from “Empire of Sins" 2021)
16. Luca Turilli – “Black Realm's Majesty” (from “Demonheart”, 2002)
17. Delain– “Here Come the Vultures” (from “The Human Contradiction", 2014)
18. Visigoth – “Warrior Queen” (from “Conqueror's Oath”, 2018)
19. Spirit Adrift – “Cosmic Conquest” (from “Enlightened in Eternity”, 2020)
20. Firewind – “The Fire and the Fury” (from “Burning Earth”, 2003)
21. Iced Earth – “Dante's Inferno” (from “Burnt Offerings”, 1995)
Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia (2022)
Been really enjoying this new one from Animals As Leaders. While not as technically crazy as their debut, it's a big step up in terms of replayability and catchiness from The Madness Of Many and all of the tracks have some sort of neat idea or element that makes the admittedly short runtime fly by. The performances and writing are clean, clinical even, and extremely tight; there isn't too much boundary stepping on this one but I think that's okay for what it's trying to do.
3.5/5
So while I've been a bit critical of people that spend their time listening to every single new release that comes out once or twice before moving on, I'm starting to see that there might not be any other way to discover the good stuff anymore. Well, I guess I can just listen to the good folk at Metal Academy!
Hey look it's me!
Seriously though, I've been feeling the brunt of this bias pretty heavily albeit in a more indirect way. I don't really interact with or care about the ratings/downvotes of certain sub-genres because I just listen to what I feel like listening to, write my own reviews and lists, and move on. But, I pretty much use the RYM current year Metal charts to scroll through and see what I can find that piques my interest pretty much all year. What I've found is that I end up listening to, like Daniel said, an extremely disproportionate amount of Black and Death Metal. I've found myself having to specifically search for and target Progressive, Power, and Heavy Metal (among other sub-genres) in order to even out what I'm listening to and get some variety, so the strain is still felt just from a music discovery standpoint even before getting into ratings/comments.
April
Enslaved - "Svarte Vidder" - Frost (1994) (8:43)
Ultra Silvam - "Of Molded Bread and Rotten Wine" - The Sanctity of Death (2022) (5:21)
Véhémence - "Un Contre Mille" - Ordalies (2022) (6:55)
Oh I might really dig this new direction if your description does it justice. I was looking foward to this one after really enjoying Yn ol i annwn and not really going back to any of their previous material, but wasn't able to get to it this week. Looking forward to it next week then I suppose.
April
Earthside - "Crater" - A Dream In Static (2015) (6:00)
Enslaved - "The Dead Stare" - Below The Lights (2003) (5:00)
Toundra - "Ruinas" - Hex (2022) (5:00)
Eight Bells - "Premonition" - Legacy Of Ruin (2022) (9:30)
Messa - Close (2022)
This is why I like the monthly features so much, since this may have flown under my radar had I not listened to Feast For Water. Instead, I was pretty excited to check this one out and it definitely delivers. Messa are a bit more experimental on this one and it pays off for them, fusing doomy riffs with more jazzy melodies and powerful as ever vocal performance. 2022 has been pretty slow for me so far so this one is a major standout, can't wait to see how it evolves after more listens.
4/5
Chilean Thrash hasn't disappointed yet, I was right in that I don't dig this as much as something like Demoniac since it's straight-up, more barebones Thrash, but that doesn't make it any less awesome. As someone who tends to be a bit lukewarm on classic Thrash records, this new South American resurgence has really surprised me with how much I dig it. Gonna be going back to this one quite a bit, these guys deserve way more attention.
4/5
Oh man more Chilean Tech Thrash? With one of the best covers I've seen in a while? Gotta check this one out tomorrow, it might be a bit too straightforward Thrash for my tastes but I'm excited nonetheless, great review Sonny.
Just checked this out today. The Arrows Of Our Ways initially impressed me, but fell off significantly since their vocalist is really grating to me for some reason. I think I prefer their more atmospheric sound here, looking forward to giving it a few more spins as I think it may be better than I currently think once I understand the pacing.
Oh hey I can do this one. Let's see here:
- Paysage d'Hiver - Im Wald (2020)
- Saor - Aura (2014)
- Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm (2021)
- Drudkh - Blood In Our Wells (2006)
- Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine (2020)
- Kaatayra - Só quem viu o relâmpago à sua direita sabe (2020)
- Kaatayra - Toda história pela frente (2020)
- Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion (2021)
- Paysage d'Hiver - Paysage d'Hiver (1999)
- Summoning - Minas Morgul (1995)
Bit of a weird list admittedly, it's made me realize I don't put too much thought into stuff like this, especially since I put so much weight on newer stuff. Hard for me to really parse how things stack up against some of the older albums.
March 2022
1. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (from Heaven and Hell, 2008 Remaster)
2. Running Wild - Riding the Storm (from Death Or Glory, 2017 Remaster) [Submitted by Andi]
3. Saxon - Remember The Fallen (from Carpe Diem, 2022)
4. Ancient Empire - Wings of the Fallen (from Wings of the Fallen, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]
5. Sabaton - Seven Pillars of Wisdom (from The Great War, 2019) [Submitted by Andi]
6. Savatage - Not What You See (from Dead Winter Dead, 1995) [Submitted by Andi]
7. Nightwish - The Siren (from Once, 2004)
8. Ravenous - Son of Storms (from Hubris, 2021)
9. Steel Prophet - The God Machine (from The God Machine, 2019)
10. LORD - Set In Stone (from Set In Stone, 2009) [Submitted by Vinny]
11. Skull Fist - Bad for Good (from Chasing the Dream, 2014) [Submitted by Vinny]
12. Sölicitör - Terminal Force (from Spectral Devastation, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]
13. Haunt - Defender (from If Icarus Could Fly, 2019)
14. Demons & Wizards - Heaven Denies (from Demons & Wizards, 2019 Remasters)
15. Dream Evil - Children Of The Night (from Evilized, 2003)
16. Elvenking - Warden of the Bane (from Reader of the Runes - Divination, 2019)
17. The Night Eternal - Elysion (Take Me Over) (from Moonlit Cross, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
18. Grand Magus - Valhalla Rising (from The Hunt, 2012)
19. The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Walls of Shame (from Down Among the Deadmen, 2013)
20. ANGRA - The Voice Commanding You (from Aurora Consurgens, 2006) [Submitted by Andi]
21. Nightfear - Psichokiller (from Apocalypse, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]
22. Morgul Blade - In the Grip of the Dark Lord (from Fell Sorcery Abounds, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
23. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 2015 Remaster)
I am no longer a number... I'm a free man!
So that's it, my last day of work completed and now I can get on with the rest of my life.
Quoted Sonny
Congratulations, both my parents retired recently and they've been doing great, so I can see how freeing it is. Keep up those hobbies obviously, boredom is the true killer even though we have so many things at our fingertips nowadays.
Sadly my work's just starting as I have to study for my PE exam (Principles/Practice of Engineering) for the next...8 months or so on top of all my other work. Gonna be a real long process.
I've been a big fan of Allegaeon for a few years now as well, although most of my listening has been on Apoptosis instead of their earlier, more generic material. Thankfully as Saxy alluded to they've really come into their own and have left the tiresome Tech Death hammering behind for a much more varied performance with more varied influences. It might be less brutal and up-front than their earlier albums but I've really enjoyed it on the first two listens as well. Could be a grower as I revisit it more, feels pretty cohesive album through and through.
Absolutely right, it's impressive how much of a blind spot I have with Enslaved considering how good I think they are. I wrote my Vikingligr veldi review and kept up with Utgard and E, but literally nothing else inbetween. Which is a damn shame because I have a feeling that Enslaved are incredibly overlooked as one of the most consistent and interesting Metal bands out there as they slowly morphed and shaped their sound away from their initial raw but simplistic Black Metal into something way more melodic and progressive. I think it's cool when bands take their time feeling out where they want to go with their music, it really creates a tangible journey, especially when you're many, many years late to the party and you can just go back through everything. Obviously it works out well because Enslaved has shown they can create high quality stuff no matter how they mix their sound up, only showing signs of slowing down very recently with Utgard being a bit more underwhelming than something like Below The Lights. That being said, I definitely liked this a lot, but it didn't absolutely blow me away. Although, now that I'm going for a 3rd listen as I write this, I could see it being a bit of a grower. I think you were right when you said there are a few inconsistencies here and there, but moments like the big riff drop in the opening "As Fire Swept Clean The Earth" are just insanely cool. I love the crunchiness of the drums in the mix too, gives it a unique rawness that Enslaved kept around from their earlier albums.
I've still got a lot of albums to go through from this band though, all of them seem ridiculously good.
4/5
Given the heavier, denser kind of Progressive Metal I've leaned into the past few years, this one was an instant winner for me right from the first listen. In fact, when I went to rate it on here versus RYM, I was appalled and confused as to why its overall score and opinions were so low. I suppose you could make the argument that albums like this are generally a slog and easy to dislike if they're a bit dull, which this can be, but I'm in agreement that this is some really good stuff overall. I think what strikes me the most about this album is that even though the leads can be a bit overwhelming at times, they're not afraid to take a less-is-more approach on some of their more crushing sections. Death Metal that leans towards the super technical side can cause my eyes to glaze over if it's too dense, but 7 Horns 7 Eyes aren't afraid to keep things slow and let their great melodies steal the show.
The overall sound and style of Throes of Absolution is pretty addicting to me, as it's in a unique spot of being heavy enough to keep up with other Progressive Death Metal acts I love while not being focused on being dissonant or overly technical. While the solo'ing and melodies can be quick, most of the riffs and grooves of the albums are pretty tame tempo-wise, and the drums are more focused on laying down syncopation and fills rather than pushing double-bass rhythms or blast beats. It's immediately appealing to my ears and it's kept me coming back to this album for listen after listen since the beginning of the month.
However I don't think I can say that Throes of Absolution goes into transcendent territory for me. There's something about the songwriting and structure that leaves me wanting more, with very few songs sounding fully finished or reaching a meaningful resolution. I'm always met with the thought of "Oh, it's over I guess" at the end of most tracks, and I'm not sure if it's a me problem or if some of these songs should have been extended a bit more, which I'll admit is normally a terrible suggestion. Dragging stuff out for the sake of dragging it out is becoming more and more of a sin in Progressive Metal, but I can't shake the feeling that most of these songs deserve better, more exciting endings even though their riffs, solos, and progressions throughout each song are top notch. I obviously love this, but there was something missing in the end.
4/5
Sadly Sonny most of my MA playlist listening happens during workouts, so The Fallen doesn't exactly fit the best, I normally go for my own Guardians, or the Infinite/Horde/Pit. I'll make it a point to check it out by the end of the month to see if I have any feedback.
March
Persefone - "Architecture of the I" - Metanoia (2022) (6:11)
Amenra - "Children of the Eye" - Mass VI (2017) (9:41)
Cult of Luna - "An Offering To The Wild" - The Long Road North (2022) (12:43)