Ben's Forum Replies

It's a hard question to answer but I'd suggest that almost my entire top ten would come from The Fallen. I don't think terms like "brutal" & "extreme" are the same thing as "heavy". To me that term is about suffocatingly thick down-tuned riffs that make your insides shake so subgenres like Drone Metal, Sludge Metal & Doom Metal would certainly feature fairly prominently in my list.

Agreed.

Nice. Mine's not all that different from yours, although I need to check out that Funeral Orchestra album (and add it to the site!). One correction though; the wonderful Return to the Void is by Shape of Despair, not Swallow the Sun.

Here's my top 10 so far...

1. Shape of Despair - Return to the Void

2. Mournful Congregation - The Exuviae of Gods - Part 1

3. Mizmor & Thou - Myopia

4. Epitaphe - II

5. Messa - Close

6. Ataraxy - The Last Mirror

7. Tzompantli - Tlazcaltiliztli

8. Druid Lord - Relics of the Dead

9. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard - The Harvest

10. Friends of Hell - Friends of Hell

Any suggestions for September Ben?

When I first discovered Funeral Doom Metal in the early 2000s, I instantly fell in love with it. As is my tendency for any new discovery, I immediately threw myself into it and listened to pretty much every example of the genre to that point. There were some incredible finds (Shape of Despair, Esoteric, Skepticism etc.), but there were quite a few amateurish failed attempts too.

Then there was Until Death Overtakes Me's album Prelude to Monolith. This is a release for which the ingredients are not of a high quality, but the end result is somehow hypnotic and captivating. I go back to it every few months, and always enjoy the listen, so here's my choice for this month...

• Until Death Overtakes Me - Missing off Prelude to Monolith (2003)

Thanks Sonny.

The North has go to be a wolf. I can't tell you how many North releases have a wolf on the cover.

It would appear that you've copied my Big Four. Now who is the cheat?

No I didn't! Your big four were...um...they were...shut up Daniel, or...or I'll tell mum!

If we're going worldwide then my personal Big Four would be Slayer, Metallica, Kreator and Sepultura. Just missing out would be Megadeth, Testament and Coroner.

I've always found Exodus and Anthrax to be overrated. Just my opinion though.

I disagree. I'd take "Spreading The Disease", "Among The Living" & even "Armed & Dangerous" over anything Testament has released. I've never considered Testament to be a tier one thrash band to be honest.

I'd have Sepultura in my Big Four ahead of Anthrax, Testament or Megadeth.

Adding non-U.S. bands is blatantly cheating and you know it! 

It figures the metalheads there go for the most extreme music they can find.  In fact, if you search black metal on the recent year charts and only filter in studio albums, you'll occasionally get 25 pages of albums.  What's 25 times 40?

We're getting at least 1,000 new black metal albums every year.  That feels... obsessive.

Imagine being someone that has to add all of those 1000 black metal albums to a website. You'd have to be crazy right?! 

Cool to see so many Testament albums reviewed here.  Way better than Anthrax ever were, nd it gets on my nerves that they made it to thrash's big four and Testament didn't.

I 100% agree. In fact, along with Metallica and Slayer, Testament were for a long time one of my favourite bands. I owned all their albums on CD up until Low, by which point I was focussed on more extreme pastures. I still haven't listened to the band's last few releases, which is something I really should remedy.

Welcome to the site Rexorcist and, more importantly, welcome to your chosen clans! I must admit that I'm a little intimidated by your electric eel, but we certainly welcome monstrous goat-angels here at the Academy.

Your 5 star Suffocation and Death ratings give me the feeling that we're going to get on just fine. If you have any questions about how things work around here, please don't hold back. We're always trying to improve the site and add cool new features, so if you have any ideas, we'd love to hear them  too.

I'll be seeing you in The Pit!

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 4th to the 11th of August, 2022.

1. Kerretta (FALLEN, INFINITE)

2. Thou / Salome (FALLEN)

3. Mohoram Atta / Thou (FALLEN)

4. Otesanek / Loss / Orthodox / Mournful Congregation (FALLEN)

5. Alpha Drone (FALLEN, NORTH)

6. Jajatao (FALLEN, GATEWAY)

7. Lo-Pan (FALLEN, GATEWAY)

8. Darkflight (FALLEN, NORTH)

9. Stigmata (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

10. Holyhell (GUARDIANS)

11. DragonSlayer (GUARDIANS)

12. Tracedawn (GUARDIANS, HORDE)

13. Rezet (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Vinny

14. Pänzer (GUARDIANS, PIT)

15. Bassinvaders (GUARDIANS)

16. Arktida (GUARDIANS)

17. Lycanthrophy (HORDE)

18. D Creation (HORDE)

19. Tardy Brothers (HORDE, PIT)

20. Gruesome Stuff Relish (HORDE)

21. Final Exit (HORDE)

22. Purulent Jacuzzi (HORDE, NORTH)

23. Splitter (HORDE)

24. System Divide (HORDE, PIT)

25. Machinery (HORDE)

26. The Scourger (HORDE, PIT)

27. Spearhead (HORDE, NORTH)

28. Laethora (HORDE)

29. Element (HORDE)

30. Grave Infestation (HORDE)

31. Sedimentum (HORDE)

32. Carnal Disfigurement (HORDE)

33. Bekor Qilish (INFINITE, NORTH)

34. Marco Sfogli (INFINITE)

35. Feigur (NORTH)

36. Lonesummer (NORTH)

37. Neo Inferno 262 (NORTH, SPHERE)

38. Lutto (NORTH) - requested by Vinny

39. Uzlaga (NORTH) - requested by Vinny

40. Ysyry Mollvün (NORTH)

41. Enmerkar (NORTH)

42. Absentia Lunae (NORTH)

43. Warbeast (PIT)

44. World of Pleasure (REVOLUTION)

45. Hayworth (REVOLUTION)

46. 2 Times Terror (REVOLUTION, PIT)

47. Hester Prynne (REVOLUTION)

I'm going to suggest agreeing to disagree here, and let's keep Metal Academy as a place where we all respect each others opinions, even if we don't agree with them. By all means disagree, but do so in a nice manner. 

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 28th of July to the 3rd of August, 2022.

1. Anatomia / Undergang (FALLEN, HORDE)

2. Mortals (FALLEN, NORTH)

3. Obake (FALLEN, INFINITE)

4. Chat Pile (FALLEN)

5. Underling (FALLEN, INFINITE, NORTH)

6. Redwood Hill (FALLEN, INFINITE)

7. Generation of Vipers (FALLEN, INFINITE)

8. Cojum Dip (GATEWAY, INFINITE)

9. Pop Evil (GATEWAY)

10. Fellowship (GUARDIANS)

11. Luzifer (GUARDIANS)

12. Hitten (GUARDIANS, PIT)

13. Tarot (GUARDIANS)

14. Pellek (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

15. Lorenguard (GUARDIANS)

16. Overthrust (HORDE)

17. Psychofagist (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

18. Anagnorisis (HORDE, NORTH)

19. Slaughterbox (HORDE)

20. Grenadier (HORDE)

21. Cystgurgle (HORDE)

22. Divtech (HORDE)

23. Veld (HORDE)

24. Cut Up (HORDE)

25. Amputory (HORDE)

26. Parasitic Ejaculation (HORDE)

27. Nothgard (HORDE, NORTH)

28. Hot Graves (HORDE, NORTH, PIT)

29. Deceptionist (HORDE)

30. Rainer Landfermann (INFINITE)

31. Affector (INFINITE)

32. Elitist (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

33. Combat Astronomy (INFINITE)

34. Perihelion Ship (INFINITE)

35. Shattered Skies (INFINITE)

36. Walking Across Jupiter (INFINITE)

37. RXYZYXR (INFINITE)

38. Chrome Waves (INFINITE, NORTH)

39. We Never Learned to Live (INFINITE)

40. Urzeit (NORTH)

41. Fatherland (NORTH)

42. Oskoreien (NORTH)

43. Bastard Sapling (NORTH)

44. Seeds of Iblis (NORTH)

45. Sale freux (NORTH)

46. Te Ruki (NORTH)

47. Thrash or Die (PIT)

48. Any Given Day (REVOLUTION)

49. Feed Her to the Sharks (REVOLUTION)

50. Desolated (REVOLUTION)

51. DaCast (REVOLUTION)

August 2022

1. Abigor - Gomorrha Rising/Nightside Rebellion (from Totschlager: A Saintslayer's Songbook, 2020) [Submitted by Daniel]

2. Misþyrming - Með svipur á lofti (from Algleymi, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Esoctrilihum - Spiritüs Flesh (from Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh, 2022)

4. Burzum - Det som en gang var (from Hvis lyset tar oss, 1994) [Submitted by Sonny]

5. Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Mardom - Echo Zmory (from Mardom, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

6. Wake - Bleeding Eyes of the Watcher (from Thought Form Descent, 2022)

7. Darkthrone - Crossing the Triangle of Flames (from Under a Funeral Moon, 1993) [Submitted by Sonny]

8. Glorior Belli - Meet Us At The Southern Sign (from Meet Us At The Southern Sign, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

9. Nyktalgia - Peisithanatos (from Peisithanatos, 2008)

10. Negator - Dignity of War (from Panzer Metal, 2010) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Vinterland - Our Dawn of Glory (from Welcome My Last Chapter, 1996)

12. Bríi - Corpos transparentes (from Corpos transparentes, 2022)

Interesting! So it seems the correct review date is being recorded, as it's visible on the homepage Recent Review section...

...and when on the album's Release page.

But it seems that when you actually click through into the review itself (by selecting Read More), it's displaying the date the release was added to the site rather than the date the review was created. I'm sure we can get that fixed. Thanks for drawing my attention to it!

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 23rd to the 27th of July, 2022.

1. Locktender (FALLEN, INFINITE)

2. Cosmic Reaper (FALLEN) - requested by illusionist

3. Looprider (FALLEN)

4. Glacial Tomb (FALLEN, HORDE)

5. Black Wizard (FALLEN, GUARDIANS)

6. Bask (FALLEN)

7. Bereft (FALLEN, INFINITE)

8. Bone Crew (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

9. Air Raid (GUARDIANS)

10. Gehenna (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

11. Wrathblade (GUARDIANS)

12. Frozen Land (GUARDIANS)

13. Cultes des Ghoules / Sepulchral Zeal (HORDE, NORTH)

14. Oktober Skyline (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

15. Code Error (HORDE)

16. Sachiel (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

17. The Alex Jones Prison Planet (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

18. Dying Out Flame (HORDE, INFINITE)

19. Naer Mataron (HORDE, NORTH)

20. Viral Load (HORDE)

21. Lethal Prayer (HORDE)

22. Horizon Ablaze (HORDE, NORTH)

23. Impureza (HORDE)

24. THECHEESEBURGERPICNIC (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

25. Gutslit (HORDE)

26. 16-Armed Winged Goddess (HORDE)

27. Whoresnation (HORDE)

28. Dreams of the Drowned (INFINITE, NORTH)

29. Fire-Toolz (INFINITE)

30. Soldat Hans (INFINITE)

31. Gorycz (INFINITE, NORTH)

32. Hago (INFINITE)

33. Bestial Invasion (INFINITE, PIT)

34. Janusz Jurga / Foghorn (NORTH)

35. Grinning Death's Head (NORTH)

36. Wallfahrer (NORTH)

37. Crow Black Sky (NORTH)

38. Adzalaan (NORTH)

39. Scarcity (NORTH)

40. Basalte (NORTH)

41. Wampyrinacht (NORTH)

42. Inconcessus Lux Lucis (NORTH)

43. Cult of Eibon (NORTH)

44. Red Death (PIT)

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 18th to the 22nd of July, 2022.

1. Abraham (FALLEN, INFINITE)

2. Civerous (FALLEN, HORDE)

3. Pull Down the Sun (FALLEN, INFINITE)

4. Assumption (FALLEN)

5. Dopelord / Weedpecker / Major Kong / Spaceslug (FALLEN)

6. Moodring (GATEWAY)

7. Spiderbait (GATEWAY)

8. Battalion (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Vinny

9. Rebel Meets Rebel (GUARDIANS)

10. Dream Tröll (GUARDIANS)

11. Glossectomy (HORDE)

12. Unreal Overflows (HORDE, INFINITE)

13. Pandemonium (HORDE, NORTH)

14. Chaos Motion (HORDE, INFINITE)

15. Deserted Fear (HORDE)

16. Embrional (HORDE)

17. Somali Yacht Club (INFINITE)

18. Charlie Griffiths (INFINITE)

19. Heltekvad (NORTH)

20. Baxaxaxa (NORTH)

21. Nirriti (NORTH)

22. Hagzissa (NORTH)

23. Coral Cross (NORTH)

24. Elegiac (NORTH)

25. Ærekær (NORTH)

26. Rivers Like Veins (NORTH)

27. Marras (NORTH)

28. Saqra's Cult (NORTH)

29. Jurassic Jade (PIT) - requested by Vinny

30. Ultra-Violence (PIT, REVOLUTION) - requested by Vinny

31. Amken (PIT) - requested by Vinny

32. Skulled (PIT) - requested by Vinny

33. Tumourboy (PIT) - requested by Vinny

34. Chronosphere (PIT) - requested by Vinny

35. Thrashback (PIT) - requested by Vinny

36. Skeleton Pit (PIT) - requested by Vinny

37. Raider (PIT) - requested by Vinny

38. Mindtaker (PIT) - requested by Vinny

39. Algebra (PIT)

40. The Ogre Packet Slammers (REVOLUTION)

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 9th to the 17th of July, 2022.

1. Man Is the Bastard / Bastard Noise (FALLEN)

2. Hell / Mizmor (FALLEN, NORTH)

3. Saturnalia Temple / Nightbringer / Nihil Nocturne / Aluk Todolo (FALLEN, NORTH)

4. Bull of Heaven (FALLEN, INFINITE)

5. Lowrider (FALLEN)

6. Themgoroth (FALLEN, NORTH)

7. Behold! The Monolith (FALLEN)

8. Carontte (FALLEN, INFINITE)

9. Loli in Early 20s (GATEWAY)

10. Threatin (GATEWAY)

11. BackWordz (GATEWAY)

12. Darke Complex (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

13. Orange 9mm (GATEWAY)

14. Kilgore (GATEWAY)

15. Captor (GATEWAY, HORDE, PIT)

16. DM Dokuro (GUARDIANS)

17. Rough Silk (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

18. Jester's March (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

19. Blackkout (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

20. Lazarus Sin (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

21. Vyper (GUARDIANS)

22. Wyzard (GUARDIANS)

23. Kissin' Dynamite (GUARDIANS)

24. Sons of Seasons (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

25. Seven Sisters (GUARDIANS)

26. Maximize Bestiality (HORDE)

27. Medic Vomiting Pus (HORDE)

28. Meatal Ulcer (HORDE)

29. Coprobaptized Cunthunter (HORDE)

30. Copremesis (HORDE)

31. Plasma (HORDE)

32. Crackdust (HORDE)

33. Spermswamp (HORDE)

34. Crucifier (HORDE, NORTH)

35. Entorturement (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

36. Nokturnel (HORDE, PIT)

37. Necroholocaust (HORDE, NORTH)

38. Jyotiṣavedāṅga (HORDE, NORTH)

39. Hell to Pay (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

40. Expulsion (HORDE)

41. Sanguis Imperem (HORDE, NORTH)

42. Amorbital (HORDE)

43. Liar (HORDE, PIT, REVOLUTION)

44. Excrement (HORDE)

45. Infected Virulence (HORDE)

46. Depravity (AUS) (HORDE)

47. Being (INFINITE)

48. Bloody Keep (NORTH)

49. Knarkaren (NORTH)

50. Ecferus (NORTH)

51. Ilbeltz (NORTH)

52. Leviathan / Acherontas (NORTH)

53. Apraxia (NORTH)

54. Autumn Verses (NORTH)

55. Nihil Nocturne (NORTH)

56. Ateiggär (NORTH)

57. Blood Chalice (NORTH)

58. Drudkh / Hades Almighty (NORTH)

59. Ancestors Blood (NORTH)

60. Voluspaa (NORTH)

61. Annthennath (NORTH)

62. Fäulnis (NORTH)

63. Moon (POL) (NORTH)

64. Zig Zags (PIT)

65. Bezerker (PIT)

66. Harter Attack (PIT)

67. Gladiator (PIT)

68. The Troops of Doom (PIT)

69. Broken by the Scream (REVOLUTION)

70. I, the Breather (REVOLUTION)

71. Excessive Force (REVOLUTION)

72. Get Scared (REVOLUTION)

OK, so it's Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance's 40th and Paradise Lost's Shades of God's 30th, but they're not the anniversaries I want to celebrate.

Ministry's Psalm 69 was such a huge release for me. I recall listening to the title track on a cassette that Daniel recorded for me off some metal radio show. I was 15 years old, and it sounded incredibly different and exciting. The next time I was at Utopia Records I snapped up Psalm 69 and Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power. I listened to the shit out of both albums, and still love them to this day.

This was Ministry at the top of their game. The fantastic hard-hitting production really gets the best out of the inspired and varied track listing. Such a shame things started to go downhill for the band (more specifically for Al and his drug issues) after this.

Here you go Sonny...

• Tzompantli - Yaotiacahuanetzli off Tlazcaltiliztli (2022)
• Unholy - For the Unknown One off Rapture (1998)
• Solitude Aeturnus - Tomorrows Dead off Alone (2006)

Thanks!

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 29th of June to the 8th of July, 2022.

1. ASkySoBlack (GATEWAY)

2. Alexisonfire (GATEWAY)

3. Ginbae (GUARDIANS)

4. Beowulf (GUARDIANS)

5. Arkangel (VEN) (GUARDIANS)

6. Riff (GUARDIANS)

7. Akira Takasaki (GUARDIANS)

8. Rat Attack (GUARDIANS)

9. Ñu (GUARDIANS, NORTH)

10. Earthshaker (GUARDIANS)

11. Jack Starr (GUARDIANS)

12. Talon (GUARDIANS)

13. Santa (GUARDIANS)

14. Blacklace (GUARDIANS)

15. Messiah (USA) (GUARDIANS)

16. Steel Angel (GUARDIANS)

17. Harppia (GUARDIANS)

18. Seduce (GUARDIANS)

19. Lion's Breed (GUARDIANS)

20. Resistencia (GUARDIANS)

21. Mistreater (GUARDIANS)

22. Viva (GUARDIANS)

23. Stress (GUARDIANS)

24. Split Beaver (GUARDIANS)

25. Highway Chile (GUARDIANS)

26. Biscaya (GUARDIANS)

27. Syar (GUARDIANS)

28. Steelover (GUARDIANS)

29. Bullet (GUARDIANS)

30. Blackmayne (GUARDIANS)

31. Trauma Bond (HORDE)

32. Funeral Nation (HORDE, PIT)

33. Skeletal Earth (HORDE, PIT)

34. Multiplex (HORDE)

35. Section Brain (HORDE, PIT)

36. Infamia (HORDE)

37. Anesthesy (HORDE, PIT)

38. Horror of Horrors (HORDE)

39. Morpheus (HORDE)

40. Dischordia (HORDE)

41. Obscenity (HORDE)

42. Primeval Well (NORTH)

43. Mastiphal (NORTH)

44. Tha-Norr (NORTH)

45. Crimson Moon (NORTH)

46. Ildra (NORTH)

47. Fen / De Arma (NORTH)

48. De Arma (NORTH)

49. Wilds Forlorn (NORTH)

50. Vital Spirit (NORTH)

51. Doldrum (NORTH)

52. In Aphelion (NORTH)

53. Living Weapon (REVOLUTION)

54. Nineironspitfire (REVOLUTION) - requested by shadowdoom9

55. Candy (REVOLUTION)

Still... this is a really solid release & I haven't quite discovered why Ben felt the need to part with it.

Perhaps it had more to do with what you were willing to exchange. That said, while I don't mind this release, it was a big step down from October Rust.

As for the "joke track", let's not forget the ludicrousness that is the first minute of October Rust.

July 2022

1. Black Braid - The River of Time Flows Through Me (from The River of Time Flows Through Me, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

2. Sunken - Void (from Departure, 2017) [Submitted by Sonny]

3. Thorns - Underneath The Universe 2 (from Thorns, 2001) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. VI - La terre ne cessera de se consumer (from De praestigiis angelorum, 2015)

5. Lifelover - Myspys (from Dekadens, 2009)

6. Véhémence - Au Blason Brule (from Ordalies, 2022) [Submitted by Xephyr]

7. Abigor - The Saint of Murder (from Totschläger: A Saintslayer's Songbook, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

8. Saor - The Ancient Ones (from Origins, 2022)

9. Archgoat - Heavens Ablaze (from Worship the Eternal Darkness, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny]

10. In Aphelion - World Serpent (Devourer of Dreams) (from Moribund, 2022)

11. Sylvaine - Mono No Aware (from Nova, 2022)

12. Onirik - Assigned To Inexorable Flames (from The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity, 2020) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Blasphemy - Intro/Blasphemy (from Gods of War, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Blut Aus Nord - Keziah Mason (from Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses, 2022) [Submitted by Xephyr]

15. Uada - The Great Mirage (from Djinn, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Marduk - On Darkened Wings (from Those of the Unlight, 1993) [Submitted by Sonny]

17. White Ward - False Light (from Leviathan, 2022)

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. 

Totally understandable. Good luck with everything Xephyr!

How incredibly boring. How does this top 10 help anyone?! Any greatest metal album list that only contains Heavy Metal and Thrash Metal was created by an extremely narrow-minded person that has basically zero knowledge on the subject. And apparently music can only originate from the US or the UK. It's like the rest of the world doesn't exist.

And damn it, Motorhead's No Remorse isn't even an album.

Rant over.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 17th to the 28th of June, 2022.

1. Heathen's Rage (GUARDIANS)

2. Villain (GUARDIANS)

3. Vampyr (GUARDIANS)

4. Kuni (GUARDIANS)

5. Preyer (GUARDIANS)

6. Death Mask (GUARDIANS ,PIT)

7. Dr. Mastermind (GUARDIANS, PIT)

8. The Comes (GUARDIANS)

9. White Tiger (GUARDIANS)

10. Amahiru (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

11. Ancient Myth (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

12. Antillia (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

13. Centvrion (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

14. Cross Borns (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

15. Crystal Gates (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

16. Mari Hamada (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

17. Misako Honjoh (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

18. Natur (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

19. Nemophila (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

20. Saber Tiger (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

21. Fatima Hill (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

22. Sonic Prophecy (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

23. Midnight Darkness (GUARDIANS)

24. Cobra (GUARDIANS)

25. CJSS (GUARDIANS)

26. Ripper (GUARDIANS)

27. Impaler (GUARDIANS, PIT)

28. X-Caliber (GUARDIANS)

29. Demonic Christ (HORDE, NORTH)

30. 122 Stab Wounds (HORDE)

31. Withered Earth (HORDE)

32. Disordered (HORDE)

33. Lothlorien (HORDE)

34. Infertile Surrogacy (HORDE)

35. Hacavitz (HORDE, NORTH)

36. Zygoatsis (HORDE, NORTH)

37. Crawlspace (HORDE, REVOLUTION) - requested by shadowdoom9

38. A Mind Confused (HORDE)

39. Exhumation (HORDE)

40. Burning Inside (HORDE)

41. Solerrain (HORDE)

42. Begrime Exemious (HORDE, NORTH)

43. Ezophagothomia (HORDE)

44. Luminous Vault (HORDE, NORTH, SPHERE)

45. Pyramid (INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

46. Amon Goeth (NORTH)

47. Nox Intempesta (NORTH)

48. Mayhemic Truth (NORTH)

49. Magane (NORTH)

50. Von Goat (NORTH)

51. Airs (NORTH)

52. Eïs (NORTH)

53. Sektemtum (NORTH)

54. Moon (NORTH)

55. In Aeternum (NORTH)

56. Stribog (NORTH)

57. Hetroertzen (NORTH)

58. Black Matter Device (REVOLUTION)

It's Entombed's "Clandestine" for me personally. Sonny 

Me too!

I went to the end of the A albums in my collection, so this should be the last big ask I have of you for a while:

Amahiru
Ancient Myth
Antillia
Centvrion
Cross Borns
Crystal Gates
Fatima Hill
Mari Hamada (I want to say everything between In This Precious Age and Persona is not metal, with the first couple of '00s albums being Alternative)
Misako Honjoh (Visualize I and Shall We Dance? are not metal, I'm not certain if Visualize II is or not)
Natur
Nemophila
Pyramid (New York)
Saber Tiger
Sonic Prophecy

These have all been added. There were exactly 100 releases all up!

Sorry for being so late on this Sonny. Things are hectic at the moment. If you haven't already made the list, I'd like to include...

• Primitive Man - This Life off Insurmountable (2022)
• Epitaphe - Insignificant off II (2022)

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 9th to the 16th of June, 2022.

1. Magus (FALLEN, HORDE)

2. Crown of Autumn (FALLEN, HORDE)

3. Meatjack (FALLEN)

4. Abstract Spirit (FALLEN)

5. Ophelia (FALLEN)

6. Absum (FALLEN)

7. Breaker (GUARDIANS)

8. Medieval (GUARDIANS)

9. Whitecross (GUARDIANS)

10. Agentz (GUARDIANS)

11. Drifter (GUARDIANS, PIT)

12. Commander (GUARDIANS)

13. Northwind (GUARDIANS)

14. Assault (GUARDIANS)

15. Mephisto (GUARDIANS, PIT)

16. Ossian (GUARDIANS)

17. Exodo (GUARDIANS)

18. Destiny (GUARDIANS)

19. Aftermath (GUARDIANS, PIT)

20. Axat (GUARDIANS)

21. Backyard Mortuary (HORDE)

22. Torch Runner (HORDE)

23. Putrevore (HORDE)

24. Gyze (HORDE)

25. Katechon (HORDE, NORTH)

26. Party Cannon (HORDE)

27. Reverorum Ib Malacht (HORDE, NORTH)

28. Ellorsith (HORDE, NORTH)

29. Noneuclid (HORDE, INFINITE, PIT

30. Necroexophilia (HORDE)

31. Cannabis Corpse / Ghoul (HORDE, PIT)

32. The Kennedy Veil (HORDE)

33. Hymenotomy (HORDE)

34. Heaving Earth (HORDE)

35. Grey Heaven Fall (HORDE, NORTH)

36. Inanna (HORDE, INFINITE)

37. Slidhr (NORTH)

38. Nine Treasures (NORTH)

39. Vuyvr (NORTH)

40. Nightbringer / Dødsengel (NORTH)

41. Denouncement Pyre (NORTH)

42. Manii (NORTH)

43. Basarabian Hills (NORTH)

44. Eerie (NORTH)

45. Mosaic (NORTH)

46. Kjeld (NORTH)

47. Dynfari (NORTH)

48. Chambre Froide (NORTH)

49. Obskuritatem (NORTH)

50. Minenwerfer / 1914 (NORTH)

51. ['selvə] (NORTH)

This has been on my list for a while. Next time I work with my developer, I'll see what we can do. I'll PM you all when it's done. 

I think you've got all the necessary releases now. If you want to go deeper, you could check out Hellwitch, Merciless, Massacra, Master, Atrocity and Cancer.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 1st to the 8th of June, 2022.

1. Le Baron Vampire (FALLEN)

2. Nadja & OvO (FALLEN)

3. Evoken / Beneath the Frozen Soil (FALLEN)

4. Bastard Noise (FALLEN)

5. Skraeckoedlan (FALLEN)

6. Pyrithe (FALLEN, INFINITE)

7. Bog Body (FALLEN)

8. D (FALLEN, GATEWAY) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

9. Halestorm (GATEWAY)

10. Alias (GUARDIANS)

11. Oracle (GUARDIANS)

12. Leather (GUARDIANS)

13. Witchhammer (GUARDIANS, PIT)

14. Phantom (GUARDIANS)

15. Wicked Maraya (GUARDIANS)

16. Patrick Rondat (GUARDIANS)

17. Terra Rosa (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

18. After Image (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

19. Aion (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

20. Volcano (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

21. Seikima-II (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

22. Zigoku Quartet (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

23. Hydra (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

24. Hamka (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

25. Arthemis (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami

26. Self Deconstruction (HORDE)

27. Abhomine (HORDE, NORTH)

28. Sinsaenum (HORDE, NORTH)

29. Reptilian (HORDE)

30. Spinebreaker (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

31. Rude (HORDE)

32. Suppression (HORDE)

33. Lunar Blood (HORDE)

34. Megace (INFINITE, PIT)

35. Osiris (INFINITE, PIT)

36. Hint (INFINITE,SPHERE)

37. Vomitron (INFINITE)

38. Tómarúm (INFINITE, NORTH)

39. Selvans / Downfall of Nur (NORTH)

40. Ragehammer (NORTH, PIT)

41. Trautonist (NORTH)

42. Ritual Knife (NORTH)

43. Blattaria (NORTH)

44. Grav (NORTH)

45. Druadan Forest (NORTH)

46. Faceless Entity (NORTH)

47. Akvan (NORTH)

48. Beyond Possession (PIT)

I've added all your requested bands Morpheus. Note that it wasn't always clear which genres should be added to each release, as some of them have no genre votes at all at RYM. I've made educated guesses, based on the releases either just prior or just after them in the band's discography. If you know better for any of them, please let me know and I'll adjust.

It was fun tracking down good quality covers for some of these albums, particularly the 33 Seikima-II releases. Had to use all my investigative skills.

This is a discussion that Daniel I have also had and generally disagree, so it's an each to their own thing. As a DJ, he likes to build the "set" up from the lighter side to the more extreme. I'm the complete opposite, and like to mix things up throughout the playlist, shifting the styles so that there aren't long stretches that might be a challenge for some listeners or just become tiresome. When putting The North playlist together, the idea of kicking off with a bunch of folk, blackgaze and lighter melodic black metal tracks, that a lot of listeners might not be into at all, and then closing things with a lengthy run of intense black and war metal, just doesn't appeal to me. I think I'm much more likely to endure and possibly appreciate the tracks that aren't to my taste when I know that just around the corner there will likely be one that does. The not knowing what's coming next approach is something I really enjoy, so try to bring that to my playlists.

To be clear though, this is just my preference, and there's no right or wrong answer here.

I might have to reposition it if we ever have lots of users, but for now it seems fine.

When on a Release page, you can now see who has that release in their Top 20 and at what position. Check it out...

June 2022

1. Aara - Mitgift (from Triade II: Hemera, 2022)

2. Marduk - Throne of Rats (from Plague Angel, 2004) [Submitted by Sonny]

3. Watain - We Remain (from The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

4. Sear Bliss - Birth Of Eternity (from Glory & Perdition, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

5. Inquisition - From Chaos They Came (from Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zentih, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]

6. Månegarm - Vitta vettr (from Ynglingaättens öde, 2022)

7. Forteresse - Spectre de la rébellion (from Thèmes pour la rébellion, 2016)

8. Slaughtbbath - Black Revelation of Death (from Contempt, War and Damnation, 2017) [Submitted by Sonny]

9. Dissection - A Land Forlorn (from The Somberlain, 1993) [Submitted by Sonny]

10. Bethlehem - Wahn schmiedet Sarg (from Bethlehem, 2016)

11. Teitanblood - Anteinfierno (from Death, 2014) [Submitted by Sonny]

12. Mistur - Downfall (from In Memoriam, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Yellow Eyes - Sick with Bloom (from Sick with Bloom, 2015)

14. Immortal - In My Kingdom Cold (from Sons Of Northern Darkness, 2002) [Submitted by Daniel]

15. Tómarúm - Condemned to a Life of Grief (from Ash in Realms of Stone Icons, 2022)

16. Abigor - Project Shadow (from Fractal Possession, 2007)

17. Sacramentum - Fog's Kiss (from Far Away From The Sun, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Blasphemy - Blasphemous Attack (from Gods Of War, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

19. Caladan Brood - Book of the Fallen (from Echoes of Battle, 2013)

To be honest Ben, I think I prefer the look of the single decimal point ratings. Although I am a numbers nerd, I feel the two decimal places look a bit much in comparison to the standard layout. It may also be off-putting to some as it may feel excessively stat-driven. 

As a point of interest though, are the charts still ranked by the two decimal point ratings, even though they aren't visible? (Told you I was a numbers nerd!)

I believe the charts do use the multiple decimal points. I recall testing that theory at one point and it seemed to be the case.

I intentionally made it one decimal point when designing the site (for simplicity), but I kind of thought I might change it once there were lots of site users (at which point it would become more relevant).  We haven't reached the "lots of site users" point yet, but I am wondering whether I prefer it or not. Keen to hear from others.

I think there's more clarity, Ben. Also why are the My Dying Bride and Cynic albums both #4 on your list?

Because I was testing, and wanted to know what would happen if I did that. I guess I was hoping it would move the ones below it down a spot, but that was wishful thinking.

Not very user friendly to adjust unfortunately. I've asked my developer how we can improve it.

As an aside, what do you guys think about the way the ratings display in the Top 20 lists, with two decimal places. I kind of like it, and am considering applying that to the whole site. Thoughts? Does it make it too busy? Or would this just provide more clarity?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a band who's sole claim to fame is that they were on M-A's top 100 list of bands by number of full-lengths...Baboon/Baboon Rising. And also used to not have any reviews whatsoever, which was irrespective of quality, their music just wasn't on the internet.

That's impressive! Unfortunately, despite seeing this as a challenge, I don't think I can add Baboon Rising to Metal Academy. Since I have to select a clan for every release, I rely on RYM genre voting to be accurate. Given no-one has voted on any of these releases, I can't be certain that they all belong to The Guardians.

Hey, when did the ability to list your top twenty releases on your profile page appear? Just updated mine, but it'll probably change quite regularly!

Anyway it's pretty easy to use, but if you want to insert a different release do you have to delete all the ones below where you wish to place it then add them back in, or am I being thick?

I haven't tested it yet. It was just completed overnight. Let me have a crack at it!

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 20th to the 31st of May, 2022.

1. Drowning Horse (FALLEN)

2. Fister (FALLEN)

3. Bast (FALLEN, INFINITE)

4. Bird Eater (FALLEN, HORDE, REVOLUTION)

5. Hate & Merda (FALLEN)

6. Tzompantli (FALLEN)

7. Cable (FALLEN, REVOLUTION) - requested by Andi

8. Serpent Venom (FALLEN)

9. Ixion (FALLEN)

10. Junius / Rosetta (FALLEN)

11. When Nothing Remains (FALLEN)

12. Funeral Circle (FALLEN, GUARDIANS)

13. Heriot (FALLEN, REVOLUTION)

14. Dethrone (GATEWAY, PIT)

15. Tom Angelripper (GATEWAY, GUARDIANS, PIT)

16. Napalm (GATEWAY, PIT)

17. Destinity (GUARDIANS, HORDE, NORTH)

18. Exlibris (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

19. Ivory Tower (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

20. Hollow (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

21. Soulspell (GUARDIANS)

22. Sebastien (GUARDIANS)

23. Morton (GUARDIANS)

24. Hammerforce (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

25. Borrowed Time (GUARDIANS)

26. Solar Fragment (GUARDIANS)

27. Heinous (HORDE)

28. Trichomoniasis (HORDE)

29. Malthusian / Suffering Hour (HORDE, NORTH)

30. Bloody Falls (HORDE, PIT) - requested by Vinny

31. Once Human (HORDE, PIT)

32. Ruin (HORDE)

33. Imperialist (HORDE, NORTH)

34. The Order of Apollyon (HORDE, NORTH)

35. Hated (HORDE, INFINITE)

36. Monotheist (HORDE, INFINITE, NORTH)

37. Construct of Lethe (HORDE)

38. Abraded (HORDE)

39. Petrification (HORDE)

40. Stagnant Waters (INFINITE, NORTH, SPHERE)

41. Mandroid Echostar (INFINITE)

42. The Kindred (INFINITE)

43. Talons (INFINITE)

44. Metallic Taste of Blood (INFINITE)

45. Enochian Theory (INFINITE)

46. The Korea (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

47. Virgil Donati (INFINITE)

48. Until Rain (INFINITE)

49. Means End (INFINITE)

50. Vouïvre (NORTH)

51. Lucifer's Child (NORTH)

52. Bonjour Tristesse (NORTH)

53. Pure (NORTH)

54. Horns & Hooves (NORTH, PIT)

55. Witchaven (NORTH, PIT)

56. Solbrud (NORTH)

57. Bezmir (NORTH)

58. Ulg (NORTH)

59. Incandescence (NORTH)

60. Airwolf (PIT)

61. Recipients of Death (PIT)

62. Hellkrusher (PIT)

63. Sacrament (PIT)

64. Bitter End (PIT)

65. Dr. Know (PIT)

66. Wasted Youth (PIT)

67. Sarcasm (PIT)

68. Necrosis (PIT)

69. Volcano (REVOLUTION)

Welcome Morpheus! Didn't realise you were a metal fan. I hope you find the site to be valuable, and I'll add your requested albums in the coming days.

To answer your question around the ratings on the album covers, it depends where you are on the site. Generally speaking, the blue ratings are the overall average rating for the release by all site users, whereas the orange ratings are the average rating for the release by the site users that belong to the releases clan(s). So I see that you've joined The Fallen, The Guardians and The Pit. If you were to rate an album that belongs to just The Horde, then your rating would count in the blue Site Rating, but not in the Clan Rating for that release. If you were to rate an album that belongs to The Guardians, your rating would count in both the blue Site Rating and the orange Clan Rating, as you belong to the release's clan. If you were to rate an album that belongs to The Fallen AND The Horde, then your rating would also count in both the blue Site Rating and the orange Clan Rating, as you belong to at least one of the album's clans.

That said, if you visit The Gallery (which you'll find in the menu at the top of the site), the numbers on covers represent the average Site and Clan Ratings for the covers rather than the music. If you look at the below release page, I think it will start to make sense, but ask any questions you might have.

Don't feel stupid Sonny. I was just schooled as well!

Mizmor & Thou - Indignance off Myopia (2022)

MWWB - Logic Bomb off The Harvest (2022)

Night Hag - Phantasmal Scourge off Phantasmal Scourge (2022)

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 12th to the 19th of May, 2022.

1. Alaskan (FALLEN, INFINITE)

2. The Well (FALLEN)

3. Freedom Hawk (FALLEN)

4. Mirrors for Psychic Warfare (FALLEN)

5. Telekinetic Yeti (FALLEN)

6. Dead Witches (FALLEN)

7. Autism (FALLEN, INFINITE)

8. A Secret Revealed (FALLEN, INFINITE)

9. Mares of Thrace (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny

10. Sigiriya (FALLEN)

11. A.N.I.M.A.L. (GATEWAY, GUARDIANS, PIT)

12. Cobra Strike (GATEWAY)

13. Philm (GATEWAY)

14. Jeff Williams (GATEWAY)

15. Dangerkids (GATEWAY)

16. Islander (GATEWAY)

17. Haski (GATEWAY)

18. Vexes (GATEWAY)

19. Imminence (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

20. Wolves at the Gate (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

21. Skiltron (GUARDIANS, NORTH)

22. Starkill (GUARDIANS, HORDE)

23. The Dagger (GUARDIANS)

24. Gus G. (GUARDIANS)

25. Palantír (GUARDIANS)

26. Black Sites (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

27. NorthTale (GUARDIANS)

28. Fortress (GUARDIANS)

29. Gygax (GUARDIANS)

30. Skelator (GUARDIANS, PIT)

31. Minenfeld (HORDE)

32. Target (HORDE, INFINITE)

33. Oath of Cruelty (HORDE, PIT)

34. Vacivus (HORDE)

35. Gomorrah (HORDE)

36. Skullsmasher (HORDE)

37. Lahmia (HORDE)

38. Urushiol (HORDE, INFINITE)

39. The Ritual Aura (HORDE)

40. Special Providence (INFINITE)

41. Ghost Ship Octavius (INFINITE)

42. Heart of a Coward (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

43. Napoleon (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

44. Jason Richardson (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

45. Foscor (INFINITE, NORTH)

46. Ashenspire (INFINITE, NORTH)

47. Asira (INFINITE, NORTH)

48. Perihelion (INFINITE, NORTH)

49. Ibaraki (INFINITE)

50. Ails (NORTH)

51. Grá (NORTH)

52. Horna / Pure (NORTH)

53. Volahn / Xaxamatza (NORTH)

54. Suspiral (NORTH)

55. Triste Terre (NORTH)

56. Drawn Into Descent (NORTH)

57. Asphodèle (NORTH)

58. Furor Gallico (NORTH)

59. Rosenfeld (PIT)

60. Ravenous (PIT)

61. Entropy (PIT)

62. Ripped (PIT)

63. Anonymus (PIT)

64. Terror Squad (PIT)

65. Fuck Off (PIT)

66. Diamond Plate (PIT)

67. Mortillery (PIT)

68. Foreseen (PIT)

69. Rubbish Heap (REVOLUTION)

70. Rise to Remain (REVOLUTION)

71. Jamey Jasta (REVOLUTION)

72. Tempest (REVOLUTION)

73. Knocked Loose / Damaged Goods (REVOLUTION)

74. Joliette (REVOLUTION)

75. Advent (REVOLUTION)

76. KAQRIYOTERROR (REVOLUTION)

77. Palm (REVOLUTION)

78. Sonic Mayhem (SPHERE)

79. Breach the Void (SPHERE)

80. Surgical Meth Machine (SPHERE)

Hi Ben, I just read your review of the new Thou/Mizmor split and your request for advice. Thou are doom/sludge and Mizmor are more blackened sludge as a rough guide. If you want to check out either I would suggest you start with Cairn from 2019 for Mizmor and 2018's Magus for Thou. Both are great, but personally I prefer Thou, although I still have much to explore myself from both bands. Mizmor's ALN has close ties to MSW of Hell and plays drums for Hell live.

Thanks Sonny! Sounds like I have a lot to get my teeth into.

Ah... I've figured it out. Somehow you've rated the release twice, which causes it to show twice for you. I've deleted one, so it should only show once now.