Vinny's Forum Replies

I don't spend much time on forums that are not metal orientated.  Ironically perhaps the members of these metal-orientated forums clearly listen to wider genres of music.  They sure as hell pack in a lot of hours of metal in the "What are you listening to?" threads but are always posting ambient, post-punk, retro-electro, hip-hop, folk and even pop music albums in the same aforementioned threads.  

To answer your question Sonny, I think people always fear what they don't understand.  The concept of music that does not conform to "agreed" norms or familiar structures or sounds of music can all too easily alienate people.  Plus the negativity machine that is social media and the internet in general can easily escalate the isolated issues amongst certain metal icons (Burzum, Ozzy, Marilyn Manson etc) and tar the whole genre with the same brush.  I genuinely think that those that are most critical of any type of music are the most closed-minded all round.  I haven't seen anyone on my regular haunts (here included) slag off non-metal music, but I have seen people articulate without prejudice why they don't listen to particular genres.

I will always remember on the old Tez forums a member posted a non-metal album in the "..listening..." thread and somebody else questioned why they could post a non-metal album on a metal forum.  The poster then delivered a simple yet effective response on how narrow-minded it was to assume that a person would only listen to one genre of music and that it was possible to like more than one style of music.

Ignorance is bliss and unfortunately a lot of people are comfortably dumb!

I just found this YouTube video about this guy's opinions about 10 albums he thinks are terrible:

But ARE they though?? A few of these albums are known to be classics (such as the Sepultura and Celtic Frost albums), and some more of them seem decent and not bad enough to be condemned as atrocities. It is quite odd that he chose the album with my ultimate favorite song (DragonForce's Inhuman Rampage, "Through the Fire and Flames") and the album with the worst ever metal song in my opinion (My Dying Bride's 34.788%... Complete, "Heroin Chic"), but hey, it was his choice of albums. So to paraphrase a catchphrase from a certain cartoon rabbit, ain't they stinkers? Discuss!

I haven't watched the video (have no intention of doing so).  I cannot think of a more blatant attention seeking attempt other than blazing in bold and colourful font across your vid that you are going to deliberately tear into ten records.  These types are the former trolls of forums now given new life and "airtime" by the power of a webcam and a Youtube account.  Everything that is wrong with social media, vlogging and modern day trolling right here folks.

The focus here should not be on whether the person who made the video is correct or not (the intent is to say controversial things for views, likes and comment just for the hell of it - I mean he's holding a Dragonforce album in his hand so if he bought that album cold in the digital age, more fucking fool him) more of how bored this guy is that he actually thinks anyone wants to hear his drivel broadcast.

Havukruunu - Kuu Erkylän yllä (2021) (EP)

Havukruunu continues to never miss on any of their records thus far, I think this is a phenomenal EP that makes me wonder why this isn't just the first half of a full album. Can't wait for their next full release. Any fan of Pagan Black Metal needs to check this out despite the cover being kind of silly, wish they would have kept the black and white motif.

These guys keep popping up on my radar and I never seem to get around to them.  An EP might be a good place to start.  Early impressions are enticing at least.

I can't believe Providence by Immolation is 10 years old today.  From memory that was one of the free releases on Scion Audio Visual (now closed) and it was actually quite good.  Decent artwork too.  Where does the time go?

I plan on revisiting this in the coming week but if my memory serves me well (and that's a big if nowadays) I felt this was a bit of a let down in comparison to the previous material.  I recall I had some issues with the production and also a lack of aggression (the irony).  I also recall that they recorded the album twice after the first version was deemed to be done using too basic a studio set up for Randy Burns requirements, so after initial recording in Berlin they decamped to the States to do it again some four months later.

Anyways, I ramble too much.  Review to follow.

Well, the Anniversaries section continues to make me feel old with Benediction and Pungent Stench both hitting the 30 year mark today.  I have very little time for The Grand Leveller but it has always been there on the periphery of my death metal listening.  I only ever really listened to that one Pungent Stench record and really should probably stretch my legs through their discography.

I decided this month to make more of an effort with some of the clans playlists and featured releases that I don't always bother with.  First effort was The Sphere which was a disaster thanks to that fucking LARD album, so I was hoping that a jaunt into the Infinite would reveal some items of interest.  Thankfully, I got more than expected and have now added Evergrey, Symphony X and Russian Circles to my "to do" list.  The latter band always struck me as being a bit of hipster act for some reason but that track was solid enough to impress me into checking out the whole album at some point.

Most of the avant-garde/core crossover stuff was lost on me though and just what the hell is going on with the likes of Carbonized and Faxed Head is completely beyond me.  Really good to see Ænigmatum on there as this release has fast grown on me in recent weeks and my splatter-effect vinyl has seen a good few spins since its arrival a few weeks back.

Picked up some new listens like I mentioned so overall a decent folly into the unknown.

I get along fine with this.  French metallic hardcore done with a ton of bricks level of heaviness but also with a sense of measure in the approach.  As opposed to a decapitating approach to every track there is actual build on most occasions that kind of gives the brain the breathing space in between tracks when needed.  Don't think the rap track works that well though but perfectly a acceptable listen otherwise.

3/5

Eternal Evil - Bestial Fornication from The Warriors Awakening Brings The Unholy Slaughter 2021, 02:20

Nervosa - Under Ruins from Perpetual Chaos 2021, 03:58

Fuelled By Fire - Thrash Is Back from Spread the Fire 2007, 05:14

Merciless Death - Slaughter Lord from Evil in the Night 2007, 03:04

Strike Master - Inflexible Steel from Vicious Nightmare 2009, 05:47

Devastation - Deliver the Suffering from Idolatory 1991, 06:23

Gammacide - Shock Treatment from Victims of Science 1989, 02:52

Run time = 29:38

November (Italian Death Metal)

Fulci - Tomb from Exhumed Information 2021, 02:39

Tenebro -  Liberaci dal Male from Cannibalismo Sanguinario 2020, 04:44

Human Decay - Abusami from Mefitico 2018, 03:42

Helslave - Perpetual Damnation from From the Sulphur Depths 2021, 03:31

Coexistence - Metaphysical Essence from Collateral Dimension 2020, 06:40

Distruzione - Senza futuro from Endogena 1996, 04:35

Subhuman - In memoria di me from Tributo Di Sangue 2013, 04:08

Run time = 29:59

There'll be no submissions from me for November for The Guardians playlist, having a month off from it.

November has a more traditional BM theme:

Horna- Saatanan Viha from Kuoleman Kirjo 2020, 04:18

Sargeist - Let The Devil In from Let The Devil In 2010, 04:08

Blut Aus Nord - The Territory of Witches / Guardians of the Dark Lake  from Memoria Vetusta I - Fathers of the Icy Age 1996, 08:12

Immortal - Unsilent Storms in the North Abyss from Pure Holocaust 1993, 03:14

Run time = 19:52

Hi guys. Now that I've been reinstated in The North, please be aware that next month's submissions will be limited to 20 minutes each in what will be our most collaborative clan playlist ever. We now have five contributing members which should make things really interesting.

Bloody newbies, coming over to our clan, taking all our minutes, shagging all our women! 

Excellent choice for this month's featured release for The North Clan, nice one Sonny.  My review is quite recent for this and I have nothing further to add other than to say that since writing the review and understanding the theme behind it I have now watched the film-documentary, Harlan County and it is every bit as fascinating to a nerdy local history fan like me.  I don't think it would have as much relevance for me had I not heard Panopticon beforehand, however the album defines and frames the struggle really well and adds a real dimension to it.

Kentucky gets touted as the "breakthrough" release for Panopticon but I have to say it has taken me a good near decade to get to grips with it and its combination of folk, bluegrass and black metal elements. Without going into too much detail, if the album cover doesn't give it away, the subject matter for the album is the labour struggles in mining in (fittingly) Kentucky with a heavy focus on the film-documentary Harlan County, USA from which many samples are used to great effect.

It is a challenge to get the balance of samples right in a record. They all too easily clash in my experience and can quite quickly become a distraction that detracts from the music itself. However, Panopticon give a masterclass in the application of the samples here, using the black metal elements to give them a real sense of drama and the bluegrass and folk elements to underline the real human aspect to the stories also. As such it is an album you feel compelled to listen to in its entirety in order to do both the record itself and the stories real justice.

The styles of music all have a relevant place here and all are firmly placed across the record with 3 tracks being folk covers and 3 being predominantly black metal (Black Waters sits as some ambient track towards the end - again adding depth; some reflection as the album draws to a close). This combination of genres works well overall on the album as a whole but on individual tracks the transitions don't always feel they are executed cleanly and whilst never sounding clunky as such they do keep the record off full marks on the rating.

For such a passionate subject matter there's a feeling that the storytelling is done sensibly and the album feels that more sincere and authentic to the cause as a result. It's sparked an interest in me to go and watch the documentary and learn more which is what good music should do I suppose. My initial reservation some ten years ago upon first hearing this seems nonsensical now and is evident of my lack of musical maturity at the time because overall this works and is one of the few albums in recent years i have truly connected with.

Now we are talking!

The wonderful blooping leads of Muhammed Suiçmez and Christian Münzner are a joy to behold on Epitaph, they act like some melodic palate cleanser to the stringent structures of the technical death metal that dominates the album with an almost military like presence. This presence is more NATO than hostile invaders though as I find much of the uniformity of Epitaph to be quite pleasing and almost gentle.

The riffs are almost like a melodic technical death metal in origin, and they seem to bounce off the drums and bass as they support them. The pacing of the drums is superb throughout the album also, with tracks like the title track showing the versatility of Hannes Grossmann brilliantly. His drumming acts almost as a buffer to those urgent and racing riffs.

What also strikes me about Necrophagist’s sophomore is how comfortable a listen it is in terms of individual track and overall album length at the same time. With the longest track being at five minutes there is no sense of bloated technicality on show here. Instead tracks stick around just long enough to showcase the talent on show and then it is off to the next track. All too often on technical death metal albums I find a bit of clock watching going on and having to fight the temptation to hit the skip button, however there are no such impatient impulses here. This is largely due to the time relief that is applied but also because the song writing is genuinely interesting. I cannot help but be transfixed by the penultimate track Seven and its catchy riffing and mechanical rhythms that breath organically alongside one another superbly.

Despite being more than familiar with Epitaph I was surprised to see that I did not even have a copy stored in my stream subscription (now rectified). Considering the mastery on show here it is a shame the band went their separate ways after this as there was so much promise still left to be fulfilled. However, talk about going out on a high note.

4.5/5

The repetitive structures that occupy the world of extreme metal (or just some non-extreme metal in fact as well) are often as much of a curse as they are a gift in my experience. On the one hand you have the punishing riff patterns of say funeral doom that layer an instant level of emotional torture at the door of the listener and subject them to a looped burden for several minutes at a time. At the opposite end of the spectrum are albums like The Last Temptation of Reid, that get lumped into the Industrial genre (quite unnecessarily) down to their seemingly endless regurgitation of punk riffs and spoken word vocals.

God this is juvenile! I mean if there is one thing that Jello Biafra should not have done in his career it is contribute anything to Lard. His Dead Kennedys legacy is all but made a mockery of here; stabbing riffs and tappy drums make for a punky urgency to proceedings but this is a piss poor attempt to try and revisit former glories on behalf Biafra. There is no entertainment value for me to Lard. Unlike The Dead Kennedys, there is nothing contentious here to make the immaturity rational or even fun to that end. It plays like a lazy (and nowhere near as talented) Jane’s Addiction record only somehow made worse by endless spoken word lyrics and predictable structures – yes there is a difference between repetition and predictability folks.

My overarching experience when listening to this album is that I just want it to stop and leave me alone. It is by far one of the most alienating albums I think I have ever heard and as such is memorable to me for all the wrong reasons. It cements for me the ever-growing notion that Al Jourgensen is one of the most over-rated artists in the history of metal. With Barker and Ward here to add more Ministry credentials to the Lard sound it all just underlines why I find Ministry so dull and uninspiring nowadays. Add to this the mindless song structures and terrible vocals and this makes for one painful listen.

0.5/5

I flirt with synthwave, retro-electro, dark ebm and also dark ambient and cyber-ambient when working to keep the mind tuned onto something else other than figures most of the day.

Cloud Rat - Fever Dreams now here's a blast from the past when I went through a grindcore about (obviously) ten years ago.  There was something supercharged about the immediacy of Cloud Rat that seemed to pack a little more punch than their contemporaries. 

I nearly missed this one which would have been my loss.

Canadians Infernäl Mäjesty operate in the zone of thrash metal that is rabid and putrid without necessarily dropping into blackened territory. Their debut album is a pretty fucking intense experience, even for a hardened thrash metal veteran like me. It is reminiscent of Possessed in terms of the death metal like intensity it generates, but also Slayer as a reference point for how true the thrash credentials are at the same time.

The album suffers an oddity in terms of structure early on with an instrumental track immediately after the opening song. This loses a lot of momentum from the album in all honesty and despite the big build up that goes on during track 3, Night of the Living Dead puts things back on course more from an atmosphere perspective as opposed to reasserting the intensity levels immediately. This is a strange choice of running order - even though it is obvious to see the link with the instrumental as an intro to the horror themed track mentioned above - and one that overall I do not think the record recovers from overall. The feeling of things being a little disjointed thereafter is not entirely shook off at any point, despite the obvious distraction of the thunderous racket that occupies most of the album.

This does not make None Shall Defy a bad album by any means. It is clearly made by a group of young people with all the morbid fascinations of horror, comics and serial killers that you would perhaps expect from the stereotype of thrash metal bands at the time. These dark curiosities transpose well into song writing content and provide the necessary dank sound to the frantic tempos as a reminder that whatever we are racing through there is something vile not too far away, permeating the air with its corrosive odour.

At times it does feel like a much slower version of Slayer as opposed to others where they seem to match the mad thrashing intensity of the aforementioned stars of the genre. Vocalist Chris Bailey does remind me of Tom Araya a lot, and the looping sonics of Steve Terror (yep, I know!) and Kenny Hallman are certainly not a football field away from Hanneman and King. I don't think drummer Rick Nemes quite matches Lombardo in the skill stakes but he still does a great job of bashing his way through the record.

Terrible artwork aside, None Shall Defy is a great old-school thrash metal record that is probably criminally overlooked by most fans of the genre.

4/5

But you've added the songs?  Nobody makes rubbish playlists with songs they don't like?

Anyway, clearly a niche thing I don't understand so will leave this as my only involvement in this thread.

Rate your own playlists?  What?  Why?

Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia (2021)

So 2021 has gotten to the point where I'm checking out things very outside of my wheelhouse, and this one was one of the standouts that definitely wasn't for me but at the same time I could feel like there was something there. I'm going to have to spend some more time with this one as it's extremely dense and long, with the album consisting of two 24-minute tracks.

I'd be really interested to see how Daniel and Vinny feel about this one, since it's pretty dense and somewhat similar to this month's feature album minus all of the Drone Metal leanings, replaced with more atmospheric passages. It's a 3/5 for me after one listen but I can see it gaining some stock if I give it another shot. 

I am familiar with the band but haven’t heard this.  Added to my list.

I have a succinct input here really as the older I get the less tolerant of Bathory in general I get.  I have Hammerheart on picture disc and each time I put it on I cringe a little more.  As such I haven't explored the "genre" (we all know I love another "genre" discussion) as it kind of died for me before I ever bothered to look at it as a standalone style.  

  I will admit to spending a few mornings just taking a few precious minutes sat in the woods across from where I live just enjoying being surrounded by nature and this is where my developing passion for folk/pagan/atmospheric/cascadian black metal but it has also pushed me towards a lot of non-metal music with similar relevance such as Wardruna. 

Hey Vinny have you listened to either of Wardruna's Einar Selvik's collaborations with Enslaved's Ivar Bjornson. They are both very good and span several genres, not just nordic folk (although that is the primary focus). Skuggsjá: A Piece for Mind & Mirror was written as a contribution to the 200-year celebration of the founding of the Norwegian constitution.

I am aware of but haven't taken in too much of this collaboration's stuff.  It is on my "to do" list though (that endless, ever-growing list we all have).

Hi Ben, please could you add Leiþa to the site?  One release to date Sisyphus.  Thanks.

Inquisition - Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith (2016)

Dusting off some vinyl this afternoon and as I put my Immolation record back in the rack I saw this.  The very zenith (pun intended) of Inquisition's output.  Rich and melodic yet still cold as fuck.

5/5

The North.  Hands down.

A lot like Sonny's experience of doom metal, I feel I am confined increasingly to the classics in The Pit and The Horde and I do believe that I am over most of what The Guardians can offer me after nearly 30 years of listening to metal.

Black metal was in fact the latter of the four genres that I am affiliated with that I in fact discovered.  This was in no small part down to me not being able to tolerate the minimalist sound of the genre for a number of years.  However, now that I have established roots in the genre I find that there's not only a plethora of older stuff to still get acquainted with but that the crop of new and upcoming material is just as enticing and interesting as well.

Yes the misanthropic element appeals massively (I work in a very corporate, people-focused environment and Mon-Fri is fucking agonising let me tell you), but also there's increasingly much more of a connection with the pagan elements of black metal for me.  I live somewhere reasonably rural and can soon enough find myself surrounded by nature within just a ten minute walk from my house.  I will admit to spending a few mornings just taking a few precious minutes sat in the woods across from where I live just enjoying being surrounded by nature and this is where my developing passion for folk/pagan/atmospheric/cascadian black metal but it has also pushed me towards a lot of non-metal music with similar relevance such as Wardruna.  Oddly, I can see that if ever there's a genre of metal that is ever going to aid me exiting the scene altogether then it is probably black metal as a result of the combination for me to be closer to nature and also as probably the last great unknown of the metal world I will exhaust.

Like Sonny (I am saying that a lot in this post but he makes good points), I am not religious personally but I do actually find a high degree of interest in folklore and mythology - only touching on elements of true history by way of comparison to Sonny - and bm is dripping with this in terms of themes and storytelling.  I have learned lots from Naas Alcameth and his fascination with sleep and dreams.  Even though I am in no way affiliated with any political view or ideology I do acknowledge that bm is littered with such tricky and unpleasant opinions perhaps more than most other genres which is also part of its appeal because like it or not there's an allure to the forbidden which for me is sometimes just trying to get to the bottom of why people invest themselves in such ludicrous ideas and views in the first place.

Parting shot on what is perhaps one of my most reflective MA posts.  Even though I know lots of people listen to BM, somehow I have the sub-conscious notion that the genre is mine, personal to me and some safe-place to hide from the world that I am forced to wade through whilst being someone else entirely each day.

Mixed bag for me this month.  Still astonished by Dawn every time I give them a spin and are definitely a band that do not get enough plays throughout the year but I think I am finally done with Bathory.  I just cannot fight the sense that influential though he was Quorthon was not anywhere near as talented as the metal community seems to indicate. Similarly I am now convinced that Primordial are massively overrated on the vocal front also.

Stunning track from Mare Cognitum, highlighted brilliantly that pushing sound that I find hard to describe in their sound as the track just continues to stretch and unfurl more goodness and it was good to catch some BAN in the list this month.  Didn't mind that Khold track in all honesty, certainly like it more than Nameless Mist which was a bit on the dull side.  SIlencer is way too over the top for me though, I get the impact and appeal but not for me.

Hands down the track of the month is that Sainte Marie des Loups number.  Not sure how I have missed this trio but I will expanding my knowledge of them over the coming weeks.  The French scene certainly rarely disappoints and this is further testimony to that.  A subtle necroticism to it but also a real attitude to back it up.  Yey, new things!

Twice per week would be a struggle in all honesty.  Interesting concept though it is I don't fancy listening to four power metal vocalists or core screamo types 8 times a week or more in order to pass suitable judgement.  Others may have a different view of course but as Sonny says already lots going on with playlists and feature releases for me to expand input much further.  However, I am not knocking the idea as I can see its merits but not for me I am afraid.

October (all female fronted bands only)

Crystal Viper - The Cult from The Cult 2021 04:37

Girlschool  Emergency from Demolition 1980 02:50

Mystik - Lake of Necrosis from Mystik 2019 05:36

Warlock - Touch of Evil from Triumph and Agony 1987 04:18

Kobra and the Lotus - High Priestess from High Priestess 2014 04:09

Unleash the Archers - Northwest Passage from Explorers 2019 04:35

Chastain - The Black Knight from Mystery of Illusion 1985 03:20

Total = 29:25

October (all US thrash bands only with a track from each year 1983 through 1990)

Slayer -The Antichrist from Show No Mercy 1983 02:49

Znöwhite - Bringing The Hammer Down from All Hail to Thee 1984 02:46

Corrosion of Conformity - Consumed from Animosity 1985 02:52

Cryptic Slaughter - Hypocrite from Convicted 1986 03:02

Blood Feast - Kill for Pleasure from Kill for Pleasure 1987 03:12

Powermad - Terminator from The Madness Begins 1988 04:23

Rigor Mortis - The Haunted from Freaks 1989 04:58

Intruder - Cold-Blooded Killer from Escape from Pain EP 1990 05:25

Total = 29:27

October (all Spanish bands included in my selection)

White Stones - Chain of Command from Dancing Into Oblivion 2021 04:40

Altarage - Altars from Nihl 2016 04:31

Unbounded Terror - Dreamlord from Nest of Affliction 1992 03:45

Avulsed - Sweet Lobotomy from Eminence in Putresence 1996 04:17

Haemorrhage - Traumageddon from Hospital Carnage 2011 01:54

Teitanblood - Whore Mass from Seven Chalices 2009 03:10

Wormed - Tautochrone from Exodromos 2013 03:01

Machetazo - Revientas from Ruin 2013 02:26

Canker - Hand of God from Earthquake 2017 01:58

Total = 29:42

October (German BM only in my selections)

Der Weg einer Freiheit - Aufbruch from Finisterre 2017 09:50

Thron - The Prophet from Pilgrim 2021 04:36

Odal - …um Ewiges zu schaffen from Welten Mutter 2021 06:07

Falkenbach - Ultima Thule  from ...en their medh riki fara... 1996 03:23

Total = 23:56

Manegarm’s fourth full-length has an accomplished sound to it. It truly blends the folk and black/Viking metal elements together well throughout its near fifty-minute run time in a solid display of powerful music. I find the inclusion of the female vocals to be a bit hit and miss but there are certainly a couple of occasions where I must admit they do add a real depth of ethereal beauty. The requisite inclusion of the cello and violin works well, and both compliment the riffs well without the sense that they are competing unnecessarily against the more aggressive elements of the album.

Structurally the album is a bit hard to follow I find though and as a result there is more of a sense of a series of similar sounding tracks being put together on a record instead of necessarily a flowing opus being delivered. I have no issue with the changing pace and tempos as they are usually done well and see the introduction of the more melodic classical strings or rumbling bassline to immediately hold the interest as the more frenetic pace ends.

When they hit their stride like on Hemfärd the band are unstoppable. Establishing a commanding tempo and stepping this down on a few occasions to let the song draw breath works well and re-energises proceedings on the longest track on offer here. I sense that overall, the album needs a couple more tracks like this to really make it shine though, instead it just feels like the true extent of the bands promise is not being fully showcased on Vredens Tid and there is some element of just going through the motions.

3/5

This is terrible.  I just have no glitter to dress it in at all I am afraid.

I can cope with clunky and cumbersome. I have listened to enough Autopsy to know that bands can make a reputation based on such basic (and base) values of musicianship. It is part of the allure of some bands but then again there are some genres of metal you can hide it better in than others. What these guys try to do here is borderline criminal though and this was an album made by a band who were way below the level of ability they aspired to.

Given that Power Metal in general is not my preferred branch of The Guardians tree there is a strong argument to say that Cauldron Born are on the back foot before I even press play on the album. Once the music started, they nailed down the lid on their own coffin in all honesty. I have better underground demos in my collection than this record to be perfectly blunt. It is like the band just skipped recording any demos or even spending any quality rehearsal time together to hone their sound and then went straight into the studio to record an album.

Their 1994 demo must be truly awful by comparison if this got recorded for release. There’s already acknowledgement galore on the site that the drums are out of time and the time changes are more like time lurches given their clunky nature, but I think the problem with this album overall is just a complete lack of maturity and accomplishment. Classic example of design over content, they wanted to be technical masters but were about a football field away from being anywhere near competent enough.

I cannot even find any allure for the effort they put in because the failure is still monumental. Barring the vocals which do have their irritating moments also I just find nothing else to even vaguely get along with here.

1/5

i have been avoiding listening to Jane Doe for 20 years also according to the same list.

Just checking out the new Iron Maiden album Senjutsu and it's a 2CD monster. Too early for any definitive opinion but one thing that immediately strikes the listener is how absolutely shit the production is. I can't believe the band are happy with that aspect. Maiden records should sound crisp and defined but this is muddy as hell which might be fine on a doom metal album but does Maiden no favours whatsoever. The biggest metal band in the world should not be hampered by production issues so maybe it's deliberate and is an attempt to cover something up. Further listens may reveal all.

Anyone else got round to this one yet as I'd really like to hear what you think?

I haven't bothered much with Maiden for years to be fair.  I got talked into trying Brave New World a few years back but that is the only "modern" Maiden output I have bothered with.  Curiosity moves me sometimes to think about trying Book of the Dead but I never quite get round to it.  Heard a completely different view on the production of the latest album yesterday from someone who loved it.  Horses for courses an all that...

A few choice cuts this month.  Loving the Deicide and Bolt Thrower inclusions and some 90's bands that I need to check out more including Skeleton of God and Blood.  I still can't get on with Messiah no matter how much I try and Hate just don't float my boat unfortunately.  The new Blood Red Throne has loads of promise though and I do need to properly check out the latest Grave Miasma as it keeps slipping down my to do list.

As with The Sphere playlist, this month's Gateway list threw up some niceties.  The Deftones track is a clear winner in my book and hearing American Head Charge who I have seen live before now was a great nostalgia moment.  Atreyu was the only real discovery for me but I always continue to get something out of this clan's list each month.

October

Living Colour - Information Overload from Time's Up (1990)

October

Enabler - All Hail The Void from All Hail The Void (2021)

October

Lord of the Lost - Loreley from Thornstar (2018)

Still my most challenging clan to try and find consistent material in, I feel The Sphere and I are on ever destined for a distant relationship.  That having been said I did really enjoy SYL and Corrections House.  I also got on better than expected with Samael.

Standout of the list for me was the superb Author & Punisher with Barge from the exceptional Melk En Honing release.

Nice trip down memory lane with this one Saxy.

The clean gruffness of Helmet is an acquired taste; indeed, they are a band I really must be in the mood for. Some days I find listening to them to be a very impatient experience and I find myself wanting more urgency to proceedings. Other days (like today) I am happy enough with that lurching pace and melancholic lead work delivered against that alternative rock backdrop that the band do so well.

At times I find myself frustrated by the catchiness of Meantime like it is sold short somehow by the fuzzy mood of the guitar tone and the monotone vocals which do not do the infectiousness of tracks such as Unsung enough justice. On other occasions I really click with that half-cooked nature of such tracks and recognise how well put together that almost juxtapose of elements is. In terms of consistency though it is hard to find fault with Meantime. It walks that fine line between steady and boring well on the side of the former. It is no frills metal that really feels like the band know their niche and do not see much advantage in stepping outside of it.

The slapping sound to the drums does irritate over time though and that rolling riff that sits behind most verses certainly gives value for money over ten tracks. Still though, I cannot deny how much I enjoyed revisiting this album for the purposes of this review. Noticing the clever use of the bass to add variety to the songs is something that passed me by however many years ago it was that I last sat down with Meantime.

I guess given that my moods will shift more than Helmet’s style and sound ever will I am never going to give this a high rating. Some of that is down to me I accept and not necessarily entirely at the fault of Page and the gang. I believe reviews should capture that moment in time and so today Meantime gets a worthy yet not too exuberant 3.5 stars.

3.5/5

The vocals are really cool though, for some reason it reminds me of a Thrash Metal Geddy Lee from Rush with the higher pitched, more Rock-ish screams and flourishes. Still not sure if that's technically a positive or not, but it is in my book. 

This right here is why I love this place.  Never heard that comparison before but now you have said it, I can kinda hear it too.

Good stuff although I am disappointed to see that not everyone on here is really a cat like me.

Unusually for me, I have listened to more than 3 records from the current year, although I still have a shit ton of stuff from this year that I will discover in 2024 and beyond I am sure.  Not got around to new Panopticon, WITTR, Spectral Lore or Grima.  That Nattverd is under threat along with Ungfell. I still have new output to get to from Leipa (the guy out of Kanonenfieber's more black metal than blackened death metal project), Wormwood, Odal and Ildaruni.

1. Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm

2. Felled - The Intimate Earth

3. Kanonenfieber - Menschenmühle

4. Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst

5. Mork - Katedralen

6. Yith - Passage

7. Fuath - ii

8. Les Chants de Nihil - Le tyran et l'esthète

9. Nattverd - Vandring

10. Ungfell - Es grauet

Ben can you please add:

Tombstoner - Staten Island, New York

Aegnitum - Portland, Oregon

Finally got around to reviewing my own nomination.

In conversations about "Top Ten Thrash Metal Albums", Nuclear Assault's debut full-length tends to get mentioned in hushed tones as being "just outside this list.." or in the honourable mentions at least. Revisiting it for the purposes of this feature review I certainly do not disagree with that sentiment and have heard no reason to change my review from my original four stars that I awarded this album on the site however many months ago off the back of this run through. Considering this came out the same year as Master Of Puppets, Reign In Blood and Pleasure to Kill it is most certainly not on the same par as those classics. However, I think what it lacks in a sense of refinement or focused aggression it more than makes up for with attitude.

What this album reminds me of is the chaotic sonics of the aforementioned Slayer with the energy and ethos of Overkill. The gruff vocals of John Connelly have a different level of intensity to a Tom Araya and a much less sneery style than Blitz has, but the sheer determination in the riffing, drumming and plodding bass suggests a band who are doggedly forging their way in a genre where the early pace setting has already been done and they are simply just here to stay slightly ahead of the chasing pack out of pure enthusiasm alone.

Tracks come thick and fast on Game Over delivered in short bursts of two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half-minute rumbling thrash metal that has the requisite political, anti-religious or social commentary running through it. This feels like an thrash album done with a grind mentality if we focus on the ludicrously rampant Hang The Pope or the tongue in cheek Mr. Softee Theme. Immature though these tracks appear to be they are certainly not out of place on an album that feels it was written just for the band themselves and anyone else getting onboard is just a bonus.

So, whilst it may not be the pinnacle of eighties thrash metal, Game Over certainly comes across as honest and authentic to the genre vibe of standing up for what you believe in and making a lot of noise whilst you do so.

4/5

Vinny and Sonny, I want to make sure that I fully understand what it is when you're suggesting improvements to the navigation. Are you saying that you want to be able to see the icons / field selectors at the bottom of the page as well as the top on the Releases and Bands pages specifically?

No Ben, I just want the buttons at the top also available at the bottom please: