Ben's Forum Replies

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 21st to the 26th of October, 2020.

1. Chaos Echœs (HORDE, FALLEN)

2. GuilThee (HORDE) - requested by Revolution666

3. Island (HORDE) - requested by Revolution666

4. Teeth (HORDE, FALLEN, NORTH) - requested by Revolution666

5. Devilment (PIT, FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

6. Speedtrap (PIT, GUARDIANS)

7. Liv Kristine (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

8. Heavenwood (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

9. Lord of the Lost (FALLEN, SPHERE) - requested by Revolution666

10. The Man-Eating Tree (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

11. Theatres des Vampires (FALLEN, NORTH, GUARDIANS) - requested by Revolution666

12. Mortemia (FALLEN, GUARDIANS) - requested by Revolution666

13. Damned Spirits' Dance (NORTH, INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

14. Remmirath (NORTH, INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

15. Lux Occulta (NORTH, INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

16. Nucleus Torn (NORTH, INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

17. Todesstoß (NORTH, INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

18. Wayfarer (NORTH, INFINITE)

19. Transcending Bizarre? (NORTH, INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

20. Ørkenkjøtt (INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

21. Aberrant Vascular (INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

22. The Reticent (INFINITE) - requested by saxystephens

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

Sólstafir's Svartir Sandar has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

Please add local-to-me band Earthworm Von Doom (USA) and their strange 2018 album 8279.

Thanks Ben.

This band is not on RYM or Metal-Archives, and only has one release on Discogs. I can add them if you provide all the info.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

There have been times when I've altered the clans of releases after finding I'd made a mistake during the original entry, or when I see that voting at RYM has swung dramatically since the original entry (which is often days after a release comes out and therefore not necessarily accurate). One thing I make sure not to do though is to change the genres / clans of any release that already has at least one rating / review. If someone has taken the time to listen to an album and rate / review it, I don't think I should be altering the clan it belongs to without entry into the Hall of Judgement. So that's my general rule.

As with the Katatonia request, can you please select what you consider to be the clearest case for removal from The Fallen? We'll push that one through and see how it goes.

I'd much prefer not to put multiple releases into the Hall like this, instead choosing the most obvious case and seeing how that goes before going any further.

Can I ask you to select either Viva Emptiness or The Great Cold Distance to enter the Hall? If it comes back as categorically no, then you may choose not to push the other album through.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 15th to the 20th of October, 2020.

1. Greg Puciato (GATEWAY, SPHERE, REVOLUTION)

2. Hexecutor (PIT)

3. Sacral Rage (PIT, GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

4. The Armed (REVOLUTION)

5. The Last Ten Seconds of Life (REVOLUTION)

6. Black Magnet (SPHERE)

7. Night (GUARDIANS)

8. Christian Mistress (GUARDIANS)

9. Trial (GUARDIANS)

10. Dumal (NORTH)

11. Nocturnal Departure (NORTH)

12. 0 (NORTH, FALLEN)

13. Rejoice! The Light Has Come (NORTH, INFINITE)

14. Dkharmakhaoz (NORTH)

15. Grifteskymfning (NORTH)

16. Sunken (NORTH)

17. Emyn Muil (NORTH)

18. Obsidian Kingdom (INFINITE, HORDE, FALLEN)

19. Panzerballett (INFINITE)

20. Exist (INFINITE, HORDE)

21. Mutoid Man (FALLEN)

22. Rezn (FALLEN)

23. FOUL (FALLEN)

24. Frowning (FALLEN)

25. George Kollias (HORDE)

26. Encenathrakh (HORDE)

27. Enthean (HORDE)

Well, thinking about it now, I guess her taste should really have come into question.

Your disdain for the mighty Summoning will not go unpunished. May the infernal legions of Mordor vomit on your new Razor hoodie.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 8th to the 14th of October, 2020.

1. Father Sky Mother Earth (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

2. Great Cold Emptiness (FALLEN, NORTH) - requested by Revolution666

3. Mistress of the Dead (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

4. Funeris (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

5. Noctu (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

6. The Funeral Orchestra (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

7. Cruthu (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

8. The Crooked Whispers (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

9. Pharmacist (HORDE)

10. Kommand (HORDE)

11. Cryptworm (HORDE)

12. Visceral Mass (HORDE)

13. Proscription (HORDE) - requested by MacabreEternal

14. Gorephilia (HORDE)

15. Burden of Life (HORDE, INFINITE)

16. Lik (HORDE)

17. Plague Organ (INFINITE, NORTH)

18. Thirty Nights of Violence (REVOLUTION)

19. Alpha Wolf (REVOLUTION, GATEWAY)

20. Seether (GATEWAY)

21. Lamp of Murmuur (NORTH)

22. iANO (NORTH)

23. A Light in the Dark (NORTH)

24. Gates of Tyrant (NORTH)

25. Silver Knife (NORTH)

26. Sørgelig (NORTH)

27. Svalbard (NORTH)

28. Ars Magna Umbrae (NORTH)

The Hall has judged this release and a decision has been made. With a result of 14 to 1, Cynic's Focus will be given the Death Metal genre and subsequently added to The Horde.

I'd love to offer more  in the way of Groove Metal and Crossover Thrash, but I'm really very inexperienced beyond the obvious.

1. Iron Angel - Sinner 666 from Hellish Crossfire (1985)
   
2. Testament - Disciples of the Watch from The New Order (1988)
3. Sadus - Certain Death from Illusions aka Chemical Exposure (1988)

Here's my three for October...

1. Anorexia Nervosa - The Shining from Redemption Process (2004)
2. Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn from Old Mornings Dawn (2013)
3. Coldworld - Dream of a Dead Sun from Melancholie² (2008)

Alright...three very different tracks...from three different decades.

1. Dark Tranquillity - Hours Passed in Exile from Damage Done (2002)
2. Nocturnus - Possess the Priest from the Nocturnus EP (1993)
3. Fallujah - Starlit Path from The Flesh Prevails (2014)

Making sure I get in this month... 

1. Void of Silence - Opus II: With No Half-Measure from Criteria ov 666 (2002)
2. Theatre of Tragedy - Venus from Aégis (1998)
3. Evoken - In Pestilence, Burning from Quietus (2001)

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 3rd to the 7th of October, 2020.

1. The Spirit Cabinet (GUARDIANS, FALLEN) - requested by illusionist

2. Terra Atlantica (GUARDIANS)

3. Izah (INFINITE, FALLEN)

4. Decoherence (NORTH)

5. The Committee (NORTH)

6. Over the Voids... (NORTH)

7. Nexion (NORTH, HORDE)

8. Phinehas (REVOLUTION, HORDE)

9. Mikau (REVOLUTION)

10. Fawn Limbs (REVOLUTION, HORDE)

11. Carnation (HORDE)

12. Murkrat (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

13. Towards (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

14. Until Death Overtakes Me (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

15. Dreams After Death (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

16. Black Lodge (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

17. Illimitable Dolor (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 25th of September to the 2nd of October, 2020.

1. New Years Day (GATEWAY)

2. Palisades (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

3. Satan's Wrath (PIT, NORTH, GUARDIANS)

4. Bulldozing Bastard (PIT, NORTH)

5. Frosthelm (PIT, NORTH)

6. RAM (GUARDIANS)

7. Satan's Host (GUARDIANS, NORTH, HORDE)

8. Night Demon (GUARDIANS)

9. Axxanngabannaxaxagannababaillukuku (FALLEN, INFINITE) - requested by Revolution666

10. Amaranthine Trampler (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

11. Funeral Moth (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

12. Aeonian Sorrow (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

13. Funeral Mourning (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

14. Despond (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

15. Abske Fides (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

16. Arcana Coelestia (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

17. Ennui (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

18. Lethian Dreams (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

19. Death Karma (NORTH, HORDE)

20. Wiegedood (NORTH)

21. Shrine of Insanabilis (NORTH)

22. Ghost Bath (NORTH)

23. Northland (NORTH)

24. Autokrator (HORDE)

25. Beaten to Death (HORDE)

26. Wrvth (HORDE, REVOLUTION, INFINITE)

27. Of Feather and Bone (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

28. Zierler (INFINITE)

29. Mestis (INFINITE)

30. Earthside (INFINITE)

31. Jarrod Alonge (REVOLUTION)

32. Heccra (REVOLUTION)

33. Miss May I (REVOLUTION)

I shit you not, this is the best Metal Academy playlist to date. I'm not actually part of The Sphere, but this playlist makes me wish I as. It has a slightly rocky start for me, but once I reached Rammstein at track 6, the remaining hour and a half were consistently excellent.

So many classics that I already know and love (Samael, Ministry, Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad, Godflesh, Red Harvest) while also introducing me to heaps of great new tracks I've never heard before (Killing Joke, JK Flesh, Neurotech, Corrections House, Napalm Death).

Excellent work Daniel!

I'll add these to the list.

Please note that requests for release additions should be made in the relevant clan forums. It generally makes it a lot easier for me to keep track of them and makes sure I don't miss anything.

While I do know the Linkin Park track in question, I'm not sure that I've ever heard a track by System of a Down or Deftones, and I've never heard an album by any of these bands.

So yeah, it's worth noting that one person's musical journey can be very different to another's. Hearing anything by these so called giants is educational for people like me.

Sorry, Ben could you please add short-lived Norwegian death doom outfit Black Lodge.

I'd be happy to. I bought their album when it came out and have a soft spot for it.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 18th to the 24th of September, 2020.

1. Satyrasis (PIT, HORDE)

2. Excel (PIT, GATEWAY) - requested by Daniel

3. Dr. Living Dead! (PIT)

4. Enabler (REVOLUTION)

5. Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas (REVOLUTION) - requested by shadowdoom9

6. The Plot in You (REVOLUTION, GATEWAY)

7. Wage War (REVOLUTION)

8. Crystal Lake (REVOLUTION)

9. Ad Nauseam (HORDE, INFINITE)

10. Sarpanitum (HORDE)

11. Undergang (HORDE, FALLEN)

12. Disaffected (HORDE) - requested by MacabreEternal

13. Atavistia (HORDE, GUARDIANS) - requested by illusionist

14. Skinless (HORDE)

15. Uniform (SPHERE)

16. Tau Cross (GUARDIANS)

17. Vexillum (GUARDIANS, NORTH)

18. Winterage (GUARDIANS)

19. Marius Danielsen's Legend of Valley Doom (GUARDIANS)

20. Bosse-de-Nage (NORTH, INFINITE)

21. Dystopia Nå! (NORTH)

22. Katavasia (NORTH)

23. Clouds Collide (NORTH, INFINITE)

24. Ultha (NORTH)

25. Uuntar (NORTH)

26. Yaldabaoth (NORTH)

27. Evilfeast / Uuntar (NORTH)

28. Khors (NORTH)

29. Angela Martyr (INFINITE, GATEWAY) - requested by Sonny92

30. A Swarm of the Sun (INFINITE, FALLEN)

31. Kingcrow (INFINITE)

32. Blind Idiot God (INFINITE)

33. The Gazette (GATEWAY)

34. Persistence in Mourning (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

35. Vouna (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

36. Omination (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

37. Excantation (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

38. Lycus (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

39. The White Swan (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

40. Catacombs (FALLEN) - requested by Revolution666

1. Morbid Saint - Assassin from Spectrum of Death (1990)

2. Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor from This Godless Endeavor (2005)

3. Coroner - Divine Step from Mental Vortex (1991)

1. Progenie Terrestre Pura - Progenie terrestre pura from U.M.A. (2013)

2. Sear Bliss - Dreams Spectre from Glory and Perdition (2004)

3. Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn from Old Mornings Dawn (2013)

I'll go for some goodies from the naughties...

1. Nile - Cast Down the Heretic from Annihilation of the Wicked (2005)
2. Septic Flesh - Virtues of the Beast from Sumerian Daemons (2003)
3. In Mourning -  Past October Skies (The Black Lodge Revisited) from Shrouded Divine (2008)

It fittingly shares an anniversary with Faith No More's Midlife Crisis compilation. 

Damn. Missed out! Will have to get in early next month.

Regarding 20+ minute tracks, having read through the comments and given it some thought, perhaps it can be more of a case by case thing Daniel. Sonny is certainly right that funeral doom and drone get the short end of the stick with the rule, particularly the latter. Maybe this can be more of an encouragement than a rule? If there are bands out there that rarely release tracks under 20 minutes then perhaps exceptions could be made? If you do choose to include one, I think putting it last on the playlist is the way to do it. It's not overly disruptive then and listeners can just choose to stop it whenever they choose. Either way it should be a rarity. I'm a MASSIVE funeral doom fan and I reckon it's a pretty low percentage of tracks that have that sort of length. People can use common sense when recommending tracks.

The playlists are definitely Daniel's baby though. I'm easy either way.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 9th to the 17th of September, 2020.

1. Legion of Andromeda (SPHERE, HORDE, FALLEN)

2. Zardonic (SPHERE)

3. Coldrain (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

4. Naïve (GATEWAY, INFINITE)

5. Abrahma (GATEWAY, FALLEN, INFINITE)

6. AngelMaker (REVOLUTION)

7. Buried in Verona (REVOLUTION)

8. Blessthefall (REVOLUTION)

9. Blistered (REVOLUTION)

10. Abiotic (REVOLUTION, HORDE)

11. A Night in Texas (REVOLUTION)

12. Death Alley (GUARDIANS)

13. Michael Schenker (GUARDIANS)

14. Heir Apparent (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by SilentScream213

15. Blackslash (GUARDIANS)

16. Magister Templi (GUARDIANS, FALLEN)

17. Below the Sun (FALLEN, INFINITE)

18. Belzebong (FALLEN)

19. Abstracter (FALLEN, NORTH)

20. Brothers of the Sonic Cloth (FALLEN)

21. Void Rot (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny92

22. Domovoyd (FALLEN)

23. 6:33 (INFINITE)

24. Alkaloid (INFINITE, HORDE)

25. Amiensus (INFINITE, NORTH)

26. Akitsa (NORTH)

27. Aryan Art (NORTH)

28. Awe (NORTH)

29. Ieschure (NORTH) - requested by Sonny92

30. Ovnev (NORTH) - requested by Sonny92

31. Temple Desecration (NORTH, HORDE)

32. Deiphago (NORTH, PIT)

33. Diavolos (PIT, HORDE)

34. Bio-Cancer (PIT)

35. Act of Defiance (PIT)

36. Alustrium (HORDE)

37. Amon (HORDE) - requested by Sonny92

38. A Loathing Requiem (HORDE)

39. House of Atreus (HORDE)

I thought I'd give this a go and listened to the Shape of Despair track.

Takes away everything that's amazing about it, leaving an unlistenable and ineffective mess. Each to their own I guess.

Speaking of potential new features, go check out the Gallery now. You can now look for the top rating covers that you haven't yet rated. 

Anything is possible. I'll add it to the list.

I agree with Tymell. I initially thought that a minimum ratings option would make sense the way it does for releases, but I've actually really enjoyed going into the Gallery every few days and voting on any covers that appear (that I haven't yet voted for). There's some really great stuff that people find that we simply wouldn't see if there was a minimum ratings filter.

Since you don't have to have heard a release to vote on its cover, I now don't think we'll ever have a minimum rating for The Gallery. It seems shadowdoom9 might disagree with this, so does anyone else have any feedback? As always, I like to make decisions as a community wherever possible.

Anacrusis have a couple of really great albums, being Manic Impressions and Screams and Whispers. Well worth checking out both.

I also enjoyed this playlist. With the exception of the crossover stuff, which never does much for me, there was a lot of great stuff. I previously didn't really appreciate Speed Metal very much, but since covering a fair few great albums in that style while doing the Metal Academy podcast, I've come around to it.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 31st of August to the 8th of September, 2020.

1. Valkyrie (GUARDIANS, FALLEN)

2. Lady Beast (GUARDIANS)

3. Orbit Culture (HORDE, PIT)

4. Necrot (HORDE)

5. Entrails (HORDE)

6. Descend (HORDE, INFINITE)

7. Svartkonst (NORTH)

8. Bríi (NORTH)

9. Prison of Mirrors (NORTH)

10. Aodon (NORTH, INFINITE)

11. Xazraug (NORTH, INFINITE)

12. Andeis (NORTH)

13. Eternal Rot (FALLEN)

14. Loviatar (FALLEN, INFINITE)

15. Holy Grove (FALLEN)

16. Irist (INFINITE)

17. Okyr (INFINITE) - requested by Jean Elias

18. Expander (PIT)

19. Sharptooth (REVOLUTION)

Hi Ben, could you please add progressive metal band from Brazil: Okyr

A quick look at RYM confirmed my suspicion that you're actually a member of the band. That of course is perfectly fine, and I'll add it to the list to be added to the site this week.

Feel free to share any info you want to about the band and/or the album.

Also, if you do intend to contribute to stick around Metal Academy, note that you have the option to have three clans. Just let me know which other two you like to be part of and I'll sort it.

Ben, I have an album cover I've just rated but changed my mind and wanted to delete my rating. Can you please implement the ability to delete cover ratings? Thanks.

You're correct that you can't delete your rating, but I didn't think it would be necessary since you can easily change it to be what you think it deserves. After all, you can judge an cover by it's...um...cover!

Anacrusis - Sound the Alarm from Screams and Whispers (1993)

Morbid Saint - Assassin from Spectrum of Death (1990)

Grip Inc. - Hostage to Heaven from Power of Inner Strength (1995)

OK, as tempting as it is to include some classics, it looks like MacabreEternal has that sorted. Let's see if I can come up with a few that others might not have heard.

Illdisposed - I Believe in Me from 1-800 Vindication (2004) - I suggest starting the playlist with this track.

Necrophagist - Fermented Offal Discharge from Onset of Putrefaction (2004)

Hate - Lux Aeterna from Erebos (2010)

Ben, please add the Boris with Merzbow album “Rock Dream”.

It's already on this site (no mention of Merzbow).

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

This release has been added to the Hall of Judgement.