Ben's Forum Threads

Ben, please add these Tarja live albums:

Christmas Together: Live at Olomouc and Hradec Králové 2019

Rocking Heels: Live at Metal Church (not metal, but please add it to bridge the gap)

Rocking Heels: Live at Hellfest

Circus Life

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 5th to the 11th of December, 2025.

1. Bleak (FALLEN, REVOLUTION)

2. Drofnosura (FALLEN)

3. Entheomorphosis (FALLEN, INFINITE)

4. Hadean (FALLEN, INFINITE)

5. Shepherd (FALLEN)

6. Shrüm (FALLEN, SPHERE)

7. Accvsed (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

8. Excide (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

9. Heartist (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

10. Il Cremonese (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

11. Like a Storm (GATEWAY)

12. Silly Goose (GATEWAY)

13. Damascus (GUARDIANS)

14. Geddes Axe (GUARDIANS)

15. Gli Atroci (GUARDIANS)

16. Haven (GUARDIANS)

17. Mox Nix (GUARDIANS)

18. Phantasma (GUARDIANS)

19. Reflection (GUARDIANS)

20. RichaadEB / Amie Waters (GUARDIANS)

21. Stereo Nasty (GUARDIANS)

22. Uli Jon Roth (GUARDIANS)

23. Bloody Tyrant (HORDE, NORTH)

24. Castrensis (HORDE)

25. Demiurgon (HORDE)

26. Destructive Explosion of Anal Garland (HORDE)

27. Devilpriest (HORDE, NORTH)

28. Ephemeral (HORDE)

29. Forced Starvation (HORDE)

30. Light Dweller / Aoecist / Sleep Paralysis (HORDE, INFINITE)

31. scasm (HORDE)

32. Totten Korps (HORDE)

33. Twitch (HORDE)

34. Ur Draugr (HORDE, INFINITE)

35. Bank Myna (INFINITE)

36. First Signs of Frost (INFINITE)

37. Hungry Lights (INFINITE)

38. I, Valiance (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

39. Instrumental (adj.) (INFINITE)

40. Kailash (INFINITE)

41. KZOHH (INFINITE, NORTH)

42. Achathras (NORTH)

43. Acherontas / Horna (NORTH)

44. Autumn, Leaves, Scars (NORTH)

45. Black Howling (NORTH)

46. Cape of Bats (NORTH)

47. Daarlig Stemning (NORTH)

48. Haimad (NORTH)

49. Harifa (NORTH)

50. Hromovlad (NORTH) - requested by silentsteps

51. Lifeless (NORTH)

52. Nebokray (NORTH)

53. No Hand Path (NORTH)

54. Nosferatu (NORTH) - requested by silentsteps

55. Predatory Light / Vorde (NORTH)

56. Psychonaut 4 / Ofdrykkja / Vanhelga / In Luna (NORTH)

57. Ride for Revenge / Torturium (NORTH)

58. Sacrimoon (NORTH)

59. Serpents Athirst (NORTH)

60. Triumphant (NORTH)

61. TRTRKMMR (NORTH)

62. Wolfsmond (NORTH)

63. Andrew Hulshult (PIT, SPHERE)

64. Aragon (PIT)

65. Armoros (PIT)

66. Dmize (PIT)

67. North Syndrom (PIT)

68. 「Story of Hope」 (REVOLUTION)

69. Arbitrary Method, The (REVOLUTION, PIT, SPHERE) - requested by Andi

70. Cash Only Tony's / Autumn Sonata (REVOLUTION)

71. Laid 2 Rest (REVOLUTION)

72. Set to Stun (REVOLUTION)

73. Swear to God (REVOLUTION)

Good photo, Sonny! That can also double as a potential Spotify blackgaze playlist image.

It's just a bit disappointing when there literally doesn't appear to be anything beyond a blurry 150 x 150 image that's cropped badly anywhere on the internet, which happens from time to time.

Sounds awesome. I can't wait to get this release into my Walkman so I can reach a level of superiority that sits above literally everyone while fantasizing about moving out of mum & dad's place & finally losing my virginity.

Fantastic milestone, Ben! And wow, the lucky 60,000th happens to be one of my personal favorite and most anticipated albums of this year! Thanks for all your work, good sir.

Here they are:

Two Guardians albums from when I was in the power/symphonic metal zone as a young teen nearly a decade ago. The Stratovarius album is a twilight zone kind of release in which it marks the entrance of their longest-standing current member Timo Kotipelto while also being the last album with drummer Tuomo Lassila, their remaining member from when the band formed in 1984 under the name Black Water. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra album is a classical-music-goes-metal concept album, and I'm sure the title gives away what the story is about.

This is one of those cases where an idealist has to have every little thing be perfect without realizing that "evil" itself is based in justifying a low opinion of a whole group by pointing out something they often do that may be perceived as "wrong."  There is no such thing as "perfectly evil" or "perfectly good," thus there's no merit to attacking a persona's musical abilities along with their beliefs in many cases.  He's doing the same thing that Burzum's doing, stereotyping.  Evil keeps placing blame and then justifying cruelty.  And zealousness is a form of cruelty, as it's built on drastically low opinions of people.  The way he's thinking, it's like saying "You can't say Hitler was good at strategy!  He's evil!"  But if he wasn't good at strategy, then he wouldn't have been a major dictator.  Basically, the lie that a person needs to either be good at everything or bad at everything is a disappointment, and I honestly believe people who think like that shouldn't even be allowed to vote...

I would say all of this to this person and then reply with, "and how do I know you don't support something evil?  Did it ever occur to you that someone you support could be doing something evil and hiding it?  Don't tell me you can confirm that none of your favorite artists do that."  Then I would block him.  People like that tend to focus on the last thing said, which will either make this person more mad or plant a seed in the head that might grow larger or both.

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The North for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The North Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top North releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

Excursion Demise is one of those albums that wants to put its fingers in both of the cooler styles of thrash's pies while not really committing to either. In this case, brutal thrash on one and tech thrash on the other. In theory this could be very nice, but this is dragged down by a few factors.
To start with, the production job is on the softer side, which wouldn't hurt a tech band, but when it goes more brutal it doesn't really work to the strengths of such an assault but keeps the weaknesses. On occasion, I found myself annoyed by the spots of brutality, since it can and does degenerate into noise. It's not that this part is bad, it's competent but not very notable in of itself.
The technical half, meanwhile, feels half-hearted. I can tell it is supposed to be there and it isn't people on the internet making something up. They're too spotty, just sort of there because they liked it, but not with enough confidence to fill it out more. There are even distinct shifts between the two modes, which shows the stronger side of what they were trying to do. But it just doesn't shift enough to make that worthwhile.
It has some nice ideas, and it's pleasant, but it's not interesting enough to really recommend.

3.5/5

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Revolution for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Revolution Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Revolution releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Infinite for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Infinite Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Infinite releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

Here is my review:

Knowing nothing of Code, I did my due diligence and it turns out that they are from the UK, or at least founding member (and only remaining member of the lineup that recorded Nouveau Gloaming), Aort, is. He began the band as a solo project called Seaonal Code in 1998, recording a number of demos before shortening the name to Code and expanding the lineup by bringing in fellow Brit Kvohst as vocalist and recording a further demo in 2002. Further expansion to a five-piece with the addition of US guitarist, Vyttra and a norwegian rhythm section of bassist Viper and drummer AiwarikiaR, saw the release of this, their debut, in 2005.

An initial, cursory listen-through reveals something a little unusual with Nouveau Gloaming, which is the liberal use of clean vocals on what is, essentially, a black metal album. Not exclusively, to be sure, but enough to make the listener sit up and take notice. Kicking off with opener, "The Cotton Optic", things begin fairly conventionally with a very tightly-performed slice of conventional black metal which has a memorable, medium-paced riff that wouldn't sound out of place on a Satyricon album. Very soon, though, things take a different turn with second track "Brass Dogs" being the first to feature the aforementioned clean vocals. It starts and ends with a crackling sound and those clean vocals, recorded very thinly, as if playing on an old record player through cheap speakers. A fairly ominous and slow-tempo tremolo riff joins in along with sluggish drum beats to provide accompaniment to the, obviously deliberately, oddly-produced and slightly disorientating vocals. This is quite a stange track and it does have a kind of disconcerting effect on the listener, which, after the fairly conventional and accessible opener made me wonder where Code would be taking us next.

"An Enigma In Brine" has a post-black feeling to it, with the tremolo riffs forming a wall of sound, alternating clean and harsh vocals and a slow tempo, with lumbering drumbeats, eventually building in tempo and intensity. This is followed by "A Cloud-Formed Teardrop Asylum" which begins with a liturgical chant vibe and those increasingly familiar clean vocals before turning in a progressive black direction that feels a little like the kind of track latter-day Enslaved would be very comfortable with, sounding both epic and poignant, although I felt it ended a little too abruptly.

I think by now you get the picture that this is not exactly your typical black metal album, but something far broader in scope, with a diversity of structure and texture from track to track. It must be said, however, that the album as a whole, despite the individual tracks' diversity does have a coherent and cohesive tone and atmosphere, with a general feeling of discomfort and unease generated by the feeling that something is somehow amiss. I see that the band later went in a more progressive direction and that is certainly hinted at here in their earliest work as even this early on they seem to be seeking to breach the boundaries and constrictions of their chosen genre. Technically the band sound consumately accomplished to my untrained ear and their songwriting is forward-looking and ambitious, building a fairly unique atmosphere with their musical abilities rather than relying on production techniques to do the heavy-lifting atmosphere-wise as some are wont to do. The production is exceedingly clear and allows each member ample exposure in the mix.

I must admit I am very pleasantly surprised by Nouveau Gloaming as I was unaware of the UK having been the home of such a unique black metal release. It is both accessible and thoughtful, whilst still generating the kind of uneasy air that great black metal is so consummately suited for and is one of the UK's more interesting black metal efforts.

4/5

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Pit for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Pit Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Pit releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Sphere for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Sphere Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Sphere releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Horde for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Horde Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Horde releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

Then we have Drudkh and Immortal too boot, again with tracks pulled from two great albums. 

Yeah, those Drudkh & Immortal tracks are both very solid, aren't they?  The whole "Autumn Aurora" album is too actually but I have to admit that I've never considered "Sons of Northern Darkness" to be anything more than decent. I think it's just a little more melodic & accessible than I'd like from Immortal to be honest. I certainly get some enjoyment out of it but I rarely feel like returning to it when I have their more aggressive material to turn to.

Could not get on with that Bathory track

I don't mind that track actually. In fact, I don't mind a good two-thirds of the songs on "Requiem" but the other third is bad enough to see me generally steering well clear.

The Slaughter Lord inclusion is probably my favourite song from them. Anyone that thinks that war metal came about through Blasphemy in 1989 should take a listen to that track & some of the early Sarcofago demo tapes in my opinion.

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Guardians for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Guardians Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Guardians releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Gateway for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Gateway Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Gateway releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Fallen for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The Fallen Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top Fallen releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

I'm not really sure I have enough thoughts on that aspect of the album to say much about it one way or another. I see parts that are black metal, but I also see parts that are gothic metal.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Stiriah - Sterbend im Nebel (from Portal, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

2. Yoth Iria - We Call Upon the Elements (from Blazing Inferno, 2024)

3. Aara - Senkrechte Welten (from Senkrechte Welten, 2024)

4. Emperor - Wrath of the Tyrant (from Emperor, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

5. Furia - Ptaki Ida (from Nocel, 2014) [Submitted by Xephyr]

6. Labrynthus Stellarum - The Light of Dying Worlds (from Vortex of the Worlds, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Sørgelig - Those of the Depths (from Φθορά, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

8. Panzerfaust - Occam's Fucking Razor (from The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion, 2024)

9. Watain - The Limb Crucifix (from Rabid Death’s Curse, 2000) [Submitted by Daniel]

10. Gargul - Gallows (from Gallows, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

11. Horna - Haudanusva (from Perimä vihassa ja verikostossa, 2000) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. Veilburner - Ill Visions of Hex-Shaped Hiss, Behead the Howling Spirit (from The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, 2024)

13. Necrowretch - Dii Mauri (from Swords of Dajjal, 2024) [Submitted by Xephyr]

14. Dark Horizon - Secrets of the Nightmare Prophecies (from Darkness Falls upon Mankind, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

15. Nargaroth - Black Metal ist Krieg (from Black Metal ist Krieg, 2001) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Saor - Amidst the Ruins (from Amidst the Ruins, 2024)

17. Imperial Triumphant - Hotel Sphinx (from Hotel Sphinx, 2024)

18. Isolert - The End of Beauty (from Wounds of Desolation, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

19. Enslaved - Slaget I skogen bortenfor (from Hordanes Land, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

That's something we already have. I just had God in the Schizoid Mind as the alternate name for that band. I just changed it to GISM and you can now search for that name on the Bands page.

Isn't that like a joke name they have? IIRC, each album has a new standing for what the name is supposed to stand for. Isn't it like putting We are Sexual Perverts as W.A.S.P.'s alternative name? Hang on... *checks* Did WASP have an alternative name before now? You didn't even put "We Ain't Sure, Pal".

 I am familiar with the Walknut and Satyricon tracks and it was fantastic to hear them again.

I absolutely love "Walk the Path of Sorrow" & my recent revisit of "Dark Medieval Times" has only further fueled those flames. It's the only genuine classic on that record in my opinion. I could have picked a number of tracks from "Graveforests & Their Shadows" actually but the extra aggression in the shorter closing track gave it a slight edge over the other more solid inclusions on that album.

I don't mind DMT, but The Shadowthrone is my favourite Satyricon album if you don't count the The Forest Is My Throne / Yggdrasill split with Enslaved.

Here's my review:

My earliest exposure to Danish death metallers Illdisposed came back in my mid-1990's tape trading days when I picked up the band's first three albums from an overseas associate of mine. I enjoyed all three to varying degrees but don't recall any of them really leaving me convinced that Illdisposed were the real deal in regard to the death metal movement that was already peaking when the Danes appeared on the scene. Our paths would not cross again for many years as I'd miss Illdisposed's first couple of early 2000's albums while I was on hiatus from the metal scene during my decade of electronic music experimentation. Our next encounter wouldn't come until Ben would introduce me to their 2004 sixth album "1-800 Vindication" upon my return to metal in around 2009 & I found it to showcase a different sounding Illdisposed to the one I'd encountered previously. This was a cleaner & more accessible version of the band that saw them adding a fair dose of melody to their approach & I initially found it very appealing, particularly given that I'm not generally one to gravitate towards the more melodic end of death metal. I'd return to "1-800 Vindication" a couple of times over the years & my affection for that record would see me exploring Illdisposed's next five full-lengths with varying results. None of them would hit the spot like "1-800 Vindication" did & a few of them were completely disposable so I've tended to use "1-800 Vindication" as my go-to Illdisposed release for a long time now. Interestingly though, I've never given it the dedicated attention required for a full Metal Academy review until now so I've gone into this exercise with an element of excitement.

One of the major differences with "1-800 Vindication" was that Illdisposed had finally been picked up by a reputable record label in Roadrunner Records which afforded them the financial backing to ensure a quality production job. The album sounds crisp & powerful with the riffs being given the clarity to highlight their precise execution. The record arrived a full three years after 2001's "Kokaiinum" which allowed front man Bo Sommer the time to fully recover from alcohol addiction & it features a brand-new rhythm section in bassist Jonas Kloge & drummer Thomas Jensen, both who do a very good job in accentuating Illdisposed's heavy-hitting brand of groovy death metal. Summer's deep death growls & higher-pitched screams sound as fresh as they ever have & represent the clear focal point of the record although the most noteworthy attribute is the incorporation of a new melodic death metal sound that borrows heavily from the greats of the subgenre with Carcass' "Heartwork" & At The Gates' "Slaughter of the Soul" being clear sources of inspiration. The use of synthesizers to add further melodic interest is also worth mentioning although I would suggest that its success is a little debatable. Illdisposed haven't completely abandoned their roots here though as there's still a conventional death metal component on show here too although I'd suggest that the melodic material has taken the ascendency overall. The riff structures have a tendency to veer away from the classic death metal tremolo-picked style towards a simpler but no less crushing groove metal one quite regularly which gives Illdisposed a further point of differentiation too.

Over the years I've found myself tending to gravitate towards certain key songs on the album & I can now see why as the tracklisting tends to be a little hit & miss for me these days. I've found myself feeling very positive about muscular efforts like opener "I Believe in Me" (my personal favourite), "When You Scream", "Still Sane" & "You Against the World" but these peaks are offset by some weaker numbers like "Dark", "In Search of Souls" & particularly the lacklustre "Now We're History" which do very little for me. Those less impressive moments do tend to match up with the more melodically & commercially inclined inclusions though so it's arguably just a matter of taste. The clean vocals of producer Niels Peter "Ziggy" Siegfredsen can be a little hit & miss at times in my opinion as they have a tendency to take some of the steam out of a perfectly good death metal tune but thankfully the wins outweigh the losses reasonably comfortably to make for an entertaining (if still largely inessential) Danish death metal experience. It's hard to say whether I still regard "1-800 Vindication" as Illdisposed's finest work or not but I have a feeling that I probably do. I also think it'll offer a little more appeal to melodeath fans than it does to me as there's definitely enough chunky & well-composed song-writing on offer if you can look past the album's failings.

For fans of Kataklysm, Autumn Leaves & Arch Enemy.

3.5/5

Here's my review:

Finnish funeral doom metal masters Shape of Despair are an artist that I'm very much indebted to my brother Ben for having helped me discover many years ago now & I've followed them with interest ever since. I believe it was 2001's classic "Angels of Distress" that was the first of their releases to grace my ears & it made a significant impact on me at the time. That would have been around 2009 & I'm pretty sure that I've given all of Shape of Despairs proper releases a crack since then, along with their 1998 demo "Alone in the Mist". It's a credit to the band that literally all of these recordings were of a high quality but that somehow hasn't translated into a slew of high ratings from me at the Academy because I'm shockingly still yet to commit to an informed rating or review of any Shape of Despair release until today. Now would seem to be as a good a time as any though & what better way to begin than with a record that I've always felt would probably end up being one of my favourites in 2015's outstanding "Monotony Fields" fourth full-length.

With a lot of funeral doom metal, I find that my mood can play a role in my enjoyment of the music but that doesn't seem to be the case with Shape of Despair's stronger work. Their sound seems to transcend the limitations of the genre in many ways & you won't find a better example of that than with "Monotony Fields" which is ironically one of the least monotonous funeral doom releases you're gonna find. The word "atmospheric" is bandied around the metal scene far too often in my opinion but it would seem to be totally appropriate for Shape of Despair with the influence of genuine ambient music adding an additional layer of depth & emotional engagement. The glistening production job of Max Kostermaa beautifully highlights the depth & substance in this music too with the guitar tone being thick & full & the synthesizers washing over the listener with elegance & class so things never sound too dreary or repetitive. Both of the vocal styles of new male vocalist Henri Koivula (Throes of Dawn) are ridiculously effective with his ultra-deep growls proving to be truly cavernous while his cleans represent some of the highlights of an otherwise already stupendous creative effort. Female vocalist Natalie Koskinen (i.e. the ex-wife of former front man Pasi Koskinen) is used more sparingly but chimes in at the perfect moment to provide further melodic highlights to an already impressive soundscape the effortlessly pulls on my heart-strings, so much so that I felt close to tears at one point during this revisit which is no small feat these days.

The first half of the album is utterly stunning with three of the opening four songs (i.e. "Reaching the Innermost", the title track & "The Distant Dream of Life") sitting amongst the greatest metal music I've ever heard in my life. The re-recording of the title track from 2010's "Written in my Scars" E.P. (a bonus track on some releases) is equally as impressive & is a magical way to close out the release. The remainder of the material is all of premium quality too though with only "Withdrawn" failing to see me reaching for my more elite scores. This is funeral doom with hooks & they're as beautiful as you'll find in extreme metal with the keyboards of guitarist Jarno Salomaa playing a starring role throughout. As a long-time fan of ambient music, it's rare that you'll see that genre represented in such an accurate form on a metal record. It's also unusual to hear metal guitarists playing with such restraint in the interest of constructing more subtle yet fully realised atmospheric masterpieces. Shape of Despair just seem to have an incredible understanding of their chosen craft & the sound that they've created here amounts to significantly more than the parts that make it up.

I can't gush enough over "Monotony Fields" to be honest. It deserves a lot more attention than it's received over the years as it's often overlooked in favour of Shape of Despair's earlier works but is clearly playing in the same space in terms of class & quality. It's a rarified air that only the untouchable Esoteric have managed to reach with any sort of consistency & one that leaves me wondering how I could have left it so long to put pen to paper about an act that I've long admired. This is essential funeral doom metal that should be on every The Fallen member's playlist this month.

For fans of Doom:VS, Colosseum & Ea.

4.5/5

Here's my review:

I came to Norway's Extol fairly late in the game to be honest. By the time they first hit the underground in the late 1990's I was already heading for the exit door as far as metal music went & I wouldn't find myself returning to the scene until around 2009 which is when I first heard their 2000 sophomore album "Undeceived". It left quite an impression on me & received a lot of replays over the coming years & that experience would lead me to head back & explore Extol's 1998 debut album "Burial" & 1999 "Mesmerized" E.P., as well as to look forward to their 2003 "Synergy" third album which is the topic of discussion today. I don't recall revisiting "Synergy" over the many years since as it's generally been "Undeceived" that I reach for when I've looked for an Extol fix but Ben's introduction of the band's 2005 fourth album "The Blueprint Dives" to me a couple of years ago revitalized my interest in the band. I hadn't checked out that album before & it really hit the spot for me, despite it seeing Extol finally breaking free of the chains that tied them to their early extreme metal roots. It's been quite a while since I crossed paths with "Synergy" now, around fifteen years to be exact, but I held vague memories of it being a pretty decent release so this month's The Pit feature release nomination was most welcome.

Wow! "Synergy" jumps straight out of the gates with amazing complexity. It's one SERIOUSLY technical record performed by some incredibly ambitious & undeniably talented musicians. Extol's death metal roots had been completely cast aside by this stage in their evolution with the general consensus being that "Synergy" is a progressive tech thrash record. Look, there are certainly some thrash influences on display (i.e. Coroner, Believer, etc.) with three or four of the songs containing enough of a thrash component to justify the tag but the record is much better suited to a lone progressive metal tag when taken holistically as its scope is far more wide-reaching than the thrash metal genre allows for. The vocals of front man Peter Espevoll are quite raspy & a touch blackened, sitting somewhere between Meshuggah's Jens Kidman & a black metal shriek most of the time which is well suited to the occasional forays into tremolo-picked black metal territory. The links to Christianity are unfortunate but, in truth, they play very little role in the way the album plays out if you don't actively seek out the lyrics. The guitar solos of Christer Espevoll (Azusa/Benea Reach) & Ole Børud (Fleshkiller/Schaliach) are a real highlight & show both of them to be well on top of their chosen craft with a high level of sophistication displayed in the way they construct their leads. I can only imagine it must have taken drummer David Husvik (Azusa) a very long time to learn this material as it's heavily weighted towards unusual time signatures & polyrhythms. He does a splendid job of it though if you ask me.

The tracklisting on "Synergy" is very consistent with no weak songs being included to tarnish the overall impression left by the album. The high level of complexity does make it challenging for any of the numbers to really stand out from the rest as genuine classics but the struggle to balance out technical wizardry with ear-catching hooks is not isolated to Extol. It's been a perennial issue for ultra-progressive bands like this one over the years & if there's one area that Extol probably needed to improve a touch then that's it. Thankfully, we'd see them do a better job at it with 2005's "The Blueprint Dives" album which did contain a couple of true gems. If I had to pick favourites amongst this lot then I'd have to go with opener "Grace for Succession", "26 Miles From Marathon" &, my pick of the bunch, the thrashy "Paradigms". The quality does dip just a touch towards the end of the album with both the folk pop piece "Aperture" & thrashy closer "Nihilism 2002" being more acceptable than they are impressive but it's hard to complain as neither are exactly filler either. You get the feeling that Extol were likely beyond producing filler at this point in their careers given the strong grip that each member has on their chops & musical vision. Peter Espevoll's vocals can sound a touch one-dimensional at times & one gets the feeling that a more interesting clean singer may have been able to take the album to the next level.

I'm pleased to advise that "Synergy" is another high-quality & quite challenging release from an excellent metal band that sits very comfortably just behind "The Blueprint Dives" as an holistic package. It's actually surprised me a bit as I hadn't given it quite as much credit when I first encountered it back in the day. Perhaps it's not the most appropriate selection for a The Pit feature release given that it seems to be more closely affiliated with The Infinite but it's certainly exciting enough to encourage the thrashers out there when it hits on some of its higher tempos.

For fans of Believer, Azusa & Lengsel.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Dreamless Veil - Dim Golden Rave (from Every Limb of the Flood, 2024)

2. Necrowretch - Total Obilteration (from Swords of Dajjal, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Samael - Rebellion (from Rebellion, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Horna - Hymni I (from Nyx - Hymnejä yölle, 2024)

5. Firtan - Arkanum (from Ethos, 2024)

6. Satanic Warmaster - Bafomet (from Aamongandr, 2022) [Submitted by Karl]

7. Unanimated - Blackness of the Fallen Star (from In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Winterfylleth - Upon This Shore (from The Imperious Horizon, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

9. Spite Extreme Wing - Acqua di fonte di gloria (from Magnificat, 2003) [Submitted by Karl]

10. Vafurlogi - Reikul vofa (from Í vökulli áþján, 2024)

11. Impaled Nazarene - Hate (from Ugra-Karma, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Marduk - Those of the Unlight (from Those of the Unlight, 1993) [Submitted by Karl]

13. Agrypnie - Aus rauchlosem Feuer (from erg, 2024)

14. Sorhin - Livets löfte (from Apokalypsens ängel, 2000) [Submitted by Karl]

15. Rotting Christ - The 4th Knight of Revelation (from Thy Mighty Contract, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Groza - Dysthymian Dreams (from Nadir, 2024)

17. Beherit - Lord of Shadows & Golden Wood (from Drawing Down The Moon, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Trelldom - Fra Mitt Gaml (from Til Minne…, 2007) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Funeral Mist - Funeral Mist (from Devilry, 1998) [Submitted by Karl]

20. Ellende - Scherben Teil I (from Todbringerin, 2024)

Here's my review:

I wasn't surprised in the slightest to find Ben nominating the sole album from Moscow-based atmospheric black metallers Walknut for feature release status this month as he's been raving about it for a good fifteen years now. In fact, it was one of a whole bunch of releases that he recommended to me to explore upon my return to metal in 2009 so I've been well across it for a long time now & have given it a number of return visits over that period. As with most siblings, my tendency is always to want to slam something that Ben adores as my first point of call so I probably went into my first listen to "Graveforests & Their Shadows" with a level of defensiveness & subsequently found myself taking little away from the experience which allowed my to give Ben the smug feedback I'd always intended on giving (i.e. "I dunno what you see in this bro. You can't even hear the riffs!") but time & repeat listens have seen me gaining a strong affection for this Russian artist, if not to the same stratospheric levels as Ben or Sonny.

Walknut is the solo project of Anton Svyagir who goes by the pseudonym of StringsSkald. He's fairly well known in the underground for his work with other Russian black metal acts like Forest, Nitberg & Темнозорь who you may be aware of but "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is by far his most celebrated work. This sole album sees him collaborating with Темнозорь lyricist & Stellar Winter Records owner Gorruth (known as Ravnaskrik for this project) who provides him with well-articulated stories of icy landscapes & tortured souls with which to layer over his lo-fi black metal instrumentation. I've often been critical of the use of the atmospheric black metal subgenre tag in recent years as it seems to have lost a lot of its meaning with people failing to understand its original intent & attempting to chuck it over far too many conventional black metal releases for my liking. But the tag fits the Walknut sound like a tailored glove as "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is far more about texture & subtlety than it is blasphemy & brutality & it does a great job at creating a fantasy world in which the listener can almost see, touch & feel the scenes being portrayed in Ravnaskrik's lyrics.

The lo-fi production job employed is nothing unusual for the atmospheric black metal subgenre but it's certainly well done on this occasion. I still maintain that the guitar riffs are quite difficult to pick out of the mix when taken in isolation as they're used more for texture than they are for melodic direction. It's the keyboards that are layered over the top that are tasked with giving the guitars their melodic context & this technique works quite well, contributing to the album's unique character. The tempos are generally fairly restrained with minimal use of blast-beats & three of the six tracks exceed the ten-minute mark which isn't all that uncommon for releases of this type. Stringsskald's tortured screams are another highlight as he sounds genuinely inhuman a lot of the time which only adds to the frostbitten atmosphere. Unlike a lot of European black metal though, Walknut's fuzzy musical tapestries feel somehow comfortable & you don't get the feeling that the intent was to suffocate or intimidate the listener. There's a warmth to be found in all of the frost if you know what I mean & I feel that this element is what makes the Walknut album stand out from the wealth of similar releases on the market.

The tracklisting kicks off with a well-executed one-minute ambient piece called "Hrimfaxi" that I really enjoy before taking off into the proper black metal material. Of the five metal songs, there are a few that stand out as highlights but all are worth listening to. The more expansive pieces like "Come, Dreadful Ygg" & "Grim Woods" are excellent examples of their type but I think it's the more upfront & aggressive four-minute instrumental closer "Skinfaxi" that appeals to me the most which is perhaps not all that surprising. Opener "Motherland Ostenvegr" is probably the most popular track but I rank it slightly below these other three along with the ridiculously titled "The Midnightforest of the Runes". It's a very consistent album overall though with the entire 43-minute runtime being worth exploring.

I've said a lot of positive things about "Graveforests & Their Shadows" so far, haven't I? And four-stars is more than respectable rating. But why don't I regard Walknut's lone album as highly as some of our other members by placing it up on a pedestal with the absolute cream of the black metal crop then? I think it's to do with some of the melodic ideas portrayed in the instrumentation to be honest. As well-executed as this material is, I often find that the motifs don't quite fully connect with me in the same way as peers like Paysage d'Hiver or Burzum do when they're at their best & it's important to me that I save my elite ratings for releases that I regard as being genuinely life-changing. The programmed drums are fairly obvious too which does detract from the overall package a touch, although I admittedly find myself getting more used to them with each listen. Nonetheless, "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is an excellent example of the atmospheric black metal subgenre & if that's something that you usually dig then I have no doubt that you've find a lot of enjoyment in it.

For fans of Drudkh, Ygg & Wędrujący Wiatr.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Pestilential Shadows - Devil's Hammer (from Devil's Hammer, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

2. Spectral Wound - Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal (from Songs of Blood and Mire, 2024)

3. Impaled Nazarene - I Al Purg Vompo: My Blessing (The Beginning Of The End) (from Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz…, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Schammasch - They Have Found Their Master (from They Have Found Their Master, 2024)

5. Ljå - Til Satan (from Til avsky for livet, 2006) [Submitted by Karl]

6. Aetheria Conscientia - The Blossoming (from The Blossoming, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

7. Korgonthurus - Syyttäjäenkeli (from Kuolleestasyntynyt, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

8. Oranssi Pazuzu - Valotus (from Valotus, 2024)

9. Véhémence - L'étrange clairière (from Par le sang versé, 2019) [Submitted by Karl]

10. Mystifier - An Elizabethan Devil Worshipper's Prayer Book (from Göetia, 1993)

11. Havohej - Fucking of Sacred Assholes (from Dethrone the Son of God, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. In Aphelion - A Winter Moon's Gleam (from Reaperdawn, 2024)

13. Hulder - Hearken the End (from Verses in Oath, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

14. Wraithfyre - Ablaze in Abyssal Frosts (from Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms, 2024)

15. Absu - Infinite & Profane Thrones (from Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L., 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Ymir - Silvery Howling (from Ymir, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

17. Paysage d'Hiver - Urgrund (from Urgrund, 2024)

18. Blut aus Nord - Elevation (from Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

Here's my review:

I've never really given the prolific back catalogue of Los Angeles sludge metallers Thou as good a chance to impress me as I probably should have to tell you the truth. My early experiences with the band were a little hit & miss which is possibly why I haven't found the motivation to explore much further. 2008's "Peasant" sophomore album didn't offer me much in the way of appeal. I did quite like the follow-up in 2010's "Summit" but wouldn't say that it left me feeling entirely convinced either. It wasn't until I had the pleasure of experiencing Thou in a live environment in 2012 that I saw the real potential in them & at that point I committed to giving the Americans another chance. Somehow, that hasn't eventuated though which is one of the reasons that the impact of their brand-new full-length "Umbilical" has been so significant. It's well & truly taken me by surprise & has turned my position on Thou's importance to the global metal scene around in fairly emphatic fashion it has to be said.

"Umbilical" is an ultra-abrasive, super-intense beast of a metal record that wastes very little time with formalities. It's as immediate a release as you'll find, unleashing all of its charms right from the offset as it pulverizes the listener into submission through a succession of savage assaults on the senses. The highlights are nothing short of devastating with the doomier numbers like "Lonely Vigil" & closer "Siege Perilous" being particularly amazing. The incredibly vicious "I Return as Chained and Bound to You" is probably my favourite inclusion though & those three tracks make up a trio of some of the finest examples of the sludge metal genre you're likely to find with the excellent "House of Ideas" not sitting too far behind. The screamed vocals of front man Bryan Funck are the clear focal point & are some of the most ball-tearing & unapologetically violent I've ever encountered which gives the more brutal material an additional edge that sees it achieving the maximum impact available to it. Thou are very much a cohesive unit from an instrumental point of view though so it's hard to pick out individual performances. I will say that I particularly enjoy some of the drum fills which appear at key moments to signal yet another rise in intensity.

I wouldn't say that "Umbilical" is unanimous in its successes though. The tracklisting isn't consistently brilliant enough to achieve my more elite ratings. There's a bit of a lull towards the end of the album with the more accessible "The Promise" sounding a touch out of place, even if it does contain a decent chorus hook that eventually drew me in. It's followed by "Panic Stricken, I Flee" which is the only song that doesn't do much for me but thankfully Thou opted to follow these two which the gargantuan closer "Siege Perilous" which brings things back to where they should be before the end of the release. The rest of the record is rock solid & offers enough in the way of excitement to see me getting very close to pulling out a big score but not quite getting there in the end. Thou should be very proud of what they've achieved here though because, while "Umbilical" may not be the sort of record that you can throw on for any occasion, it serves its purpose extremely well i.e. it severs your limbs from you body & proceeds to beat you with them in a barrage of unrivalled aggression & distain.

For fans of Primitive Man, Indian & Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Seth - Et que vive le diable (from La France des maudits, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

2. Vananidr - The Watcher (from Beneath the Mold, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Aura Noir - Conqueror (from Black Thrash Attack, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Sear Bliss - The Winding Path (from Heavenly Down, 2024) [Submitted by Xephyr]

5. Gaerea - Hope Shatters (from Hope Shatters, 2024)

6. Samael - After the Sepulture (from Blood Ritual, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

7. Whoredom Rife - Den vrede makt (from Den vrede makt, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

8. Gorgoroth - På slagmark langt mot nord (from Destroyer, 1998) [Submitted by Karl]

9. Sig:Ar:Tyr - Awaiting the Last Dawn (from Citadel of Stars, 2024)

10. Hail Spirit Noir - The Temple of Curved Space (from Fossil Gardens, 2024)

11. Keep of Kalessin - Through Times of War (from Through Times of War, 1997) [Submitted by Karl]

12. Krallice - Fatestorm Sanctuary (from Inorganic Rites, 2024)

13. Yoth Iria - The Great Hunter (from As the Flame Withers, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

14. Cradle of Filth - To Eve the Art of Witchcraft (from The Principles of Evil Made Flesh, 1994) [Submitted by Daniel]

15. Diocletian - Barbaric Hunt (Feral Prey) (from Inexorable Nexus, 2024)

16. Kvaen - De Dodas Sang (from The Formless Fires, 2024) [Submitted by Xephyr]

17. Nattefrost - Primitive Death (from Terrorist: Nekronaut Pt. 1, 2005) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. Inherits the Void - The Orchard of Grief (from Scars of Yesteryears, 2024)

19. Enslaved - Heimdallr (from Ygdrasill, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Dark Funeral - Shadows Over Transylvania (Re-Recording 2024) (from Shadows Over Transylvania (Re-Recording 2024), 2024)

Here's my review:

I have to admit that the trend to re-record previously released material with modern-day technology is not one that I'm particularly fond of. Rarely does it see the desired results being achieved by bringing something fresh & different to an album that's generally already got its own loyal following so the idea of the Cavalera brothers having another crack at Sepultura's highly regarded 1987 sophomore album "Schizophrenia" wasn't one that immediately filled me with anticipation. Their recent re-recordings of Sepultura's more primitive earlier releases "Bestial Devastation" & "Morbid Visions" had certainly been reasonably successful but "Schizophrenia" was a much more sophisticated record & I struggled to see a reason to want to give it a new coat of paint when the old one was still in pretty good nick. You see, I've always been a big fan of the original version of "Schizophrenia". I picked it up on cassette when I was still a youngster, shortly after becoming completely infatuated with Sepultura's classic 1989 "Beneath the Remains" album. It was an immediate hit in my household & has received many revisits over the years so I can't say that I wasn't pleased that Ben gave me a reason to investigate the revitalized version by nominating it as this month's "The Pit" clan feature release. I just wasn't expecting to be wowed in the process.

The band that the Cavalera brothers assembled for the task is a little different to the one they went with for their previous re-recorded efforts. Max's son Igor Cavalera Jr. (Go Ahead & Die) is still there on bass guitar but the lead guitar slot that was previously being filled by Gruesome/Possessed/Proscriptor McGovern's Apsû axeman Daniel Gonzalez is now being owned by Igor Jr.'s former Healing Magic & Lody Kong bandmate Travis Stone (Noisem/Pig Destroyer) on this occasion. I have to say that I haven't been majorly impressed with Stone's work here though as he lacks the polish of the very capable Andreas Kisser which leaves the guitar solos seeming like less of an emphatic statement than they were on the original.

So... how is the production job that is largely the reason for conducting this exercise in the first place then? Weeeellll... it certainly sounds a lot cleaner, brighter & more in your face than the original did but it's not without its issues either. The drenching of Max's vocals & Igor's toms in reverb was a strange decision & does tend to annoy me a little if I'm being honest. I'd suggest that Max's vocals simply aren't as strong any more so the decision was made to hide his deficiencies a little through studio trickery but it hasn't really worked because it's still as plain as day if you ask me & I much prefer his gruntier contribution on the original version. That's not to say that I get nothing out of this glossier model though because that's not the reality at all. As most people will probably do as some point, I decided to whack on the 1987 version immediately after my third spin of the revamped one in order to see the differences & they were far more stark than I realised previously. In fact, the original version sounds a lot like a demo recording in that context & I was surprised by just how deficient it appeared to be in retrospect because I've never had too much of a problem with it in the past. Perhaps there was a good reason that Cavalera's decided to give another crack after all then.

The tracklisting is unsurprisingly impeccable with no weak numbers being included. Opener "From the Past Comes the Storms" is still my pick of the bunch but I feel that the lengthy instrumental "Inquisition Symphony" also really shines here & gives it a run for its money. "To The Wall", "Escape to the Void" & "Septic Schizo" are perhaps not quite as classic in this environment as I remember them being back in the day which is interesting. The two intros/interludes have been recreated in slightly different forms but I wouldn't say that either are as effective as they once were so perhaps they would have been off simply remastering the originals. The inclusion of an Igor Jr. penned new original in "Nightmares of Delirium" is probably the most significant point of interest here but I'd suggest that it's also the weaker of the proper metal songs on offer, even if it's still worth a few listens. So overall we have more losses than wins but it's nothing drastic as the album is still highly entertaining, mainly because "Schizophrenia" is a total riff-fest & nothing has changed there.

Was it really worth the effort to re-record this old classic? Perhaps. I mean it certainly contains more energy & vitality than the original mix did but I'd have to argue that I still enjoy the 1987 version a little more. I can't deny that I had a good ol' headbang to this one on the way to & from work on Friday though as this is some pretty premium thrash metal after all. It's probably not terribly essential if you already own a copy of Sepultura's version from back in the day though. Let sleeping dogs lie I say. So, why have I awarded the release such a good score you may ask? Well, I choose to treat every release on its own merit when creating reviews & this is still a fine example of South American thrash in my opinion so it'd be inaccurate for me to suggest otherwise with a reduced rating simply because I like it a touch less than Sepultura's version.

For fans of Sepultura, Slayer & Sodom.

4/5

Here's my review:

Sweden's In Mourning would make my acquaintance fairly early on in their recording career off the back of this month's The Horde feature release "Shrouded Divine" which represents their initial foray into the full-length album format. The record had been floating around for roughly a year by the time I revitalized my interest in metal & began progressively exploring every new extreme metal release of any significance, at which time I discovered that In Mourning had a bit about them which would ultimately prove to be enough to see me investigating each of In Mourning's five subsequent albums as they came to fruition. There have certainly been some that appealed to me more than others as I wasn't much of a fan of 2010's "Monolith" sophomore record yet regard its 2012 follow-up "The Weight of Oceans" as one of the better melodic death metal records I've ever heard but there are few that would deny the class that these artists exude in the way they go about things. Interestingly though, I don't think I've returned to "Shrouded Divine" in the fifteen years since I first wrapped my ears around it & I was wondering whether that might be a telling fact going into this week's revisit. Let's find out.

If I'm being completely transparent then I'll have to admit that "Shrouded Divine" took me a bit of time to warm up to on this occasion, perhaps due to the fact that my first listen came immediately after the very strong Blut aus Nord The North clan feature release "Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With the Stars" which resides much further within my wheelhouse. In Mourning simply sounded a little lightweight in comparison but subsequent listens saw the album starting to open up a bit for me & by the end of my third spin I could clearly see the appeal in this professionally produced & executed extreme metal record. Despite the consistent labelling of In Mourning as a melodic death metal band, "Shrouded Divine" doesn't offer much in the way of death metal at all to be honest. In fact, I'd suggest that the ties with the melodeath sound are tenuous at best given that the tag is intended to draw together releases that share a complex harmony-driven sound. In Mourning's early sound was much more in line with the progressive metal of Opeth & if you take away the very deep & gutteral vocals of guitarist Tobias Netzell (formerly of Swedish doom/death act October Tide & progressive rock/metal outfit Thenighttimeproject) then you'll find that In Mourning have a lot more in common with Dream Theater than they do At The Gates so the album is best suited to an "extreme progressive metal" tag in my opinion. I feel that the tendency to want to find a death metal subgenre to associate with the album is mainly to differentiate it from the Fates Warnings & Queensryches more than it is to throw In Mourning in with the Dark Tranquillitys & In Flames'.

In Mourning have pulled their sound together very nicely when you consider that this was their first studio effort. The musicianship is all of a high quality & there's an impressive level of cohesion that sees the sum of the various parts amounting to significantly more than they may have in isolation. There are a couple of elements that don't sit as well with me though to be fair. The occasional use of blast-beats from drummer Christian Netzell is largely nullified by his drum sound which leaves them sounding like he's tapping away on a matchbox. The use of screamier vocals for a bit of variety was a nice idea in theory but these ones sound like they would have fit very comfortably on a generic deathcore record. Unlike Ben though, I actually think the clean vocals are a nice touch & provide some welcome variation. Despite being a progressive band, In Mourning aren't the most complex example you'll find & they don't take too many other risks either with many off their riffs sounding fairly familiar. You won't struggle to recall the signature Opeth octave chords or the rhythmic bottom-string djent riffs that were so popular at the time while listening to "Shrouded Divine". Thankfully though, In Mourning pull it all off with aplomb in what is generally a very tight, finely-honed debut effort.

Most progressive metal fans should find the tracklisting on "Shrouded Divine" to be pretty consistent once they've given the record the time to sink its teeth in a bit. In fact, I don't think there's a weak track included as such. There aren't really enough genuine highlights to see me feeling like returning to the album all that often though either & that's perhaps the record's biggest detractor for me personally. It certainly sounds very pleasant & quite accessible for an extreme metal release. It doesn't get my blood pumping all that often though & that's the difference between a release that draws me back time & time again & one that I maintain a fondness for without ever really feeling the urge to return to. "Amnesia", "By Others Considered" & (my personal favourite) closer "Past October Skies (The Black Lodge Revisited)" are my pick of the bunch & are all very solid examples of their type but I'd question whether any of them should be granted access into my Hall of Metal Glory for all eternity. They're certainly nothing to be scoffed at though & I can very easily see why a record like this one might appeal to my brother much more than it might to my blackened soul.

At the end of the day, "Shrouded Divine" was a pretty good way to kick off a recording career as it provided a solid platform for In Mourning to build & improve on over the many years since. It's perhaps been relegated to the reserve bench a bit since I heard 2012's "The Weight of Oceans" a few years later but I don't think many fans of extreme progressive metal will struggle to find the appeal in a record like this one & I'd suggest that it still sits in the top half of the band's back catalogue overall.

For fans of Barren Earth, In Vain & Persefone.

3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Gaerea - World Ablaze (from World Ablaze, 2024)

2. Akhlys - Maze of Phobetor (from House of the Black Geminus, 2024)

3. Árstíðir lífsins - Nauð greyprs élreka (from Aldrlok, 2024)

4. Adversarial - Merging Within the Destroyer (from Solitude With the Eternal..., 2024)

5. Enslaved - I lenker til Ragnarok (In Chains Until Ragnarok) (from Blodhemn, 1998)

6. Warmoon Lord - Blazing Warrior Soul (from Burning Banners of Funereal War, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Whoredom Rife - The Beautiful End of All (from Den vrede makt, 2024)

8. Master's Hammer - Utok (from Ritual, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

9. Sólstafir - Hin helga kvöl (from Hin helga kvöl, 2024)

10. Critical Defiance - Full Paranoia (from The Search Won't, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Begotten - If All You Have Known Is Winter (from If All You Have Known Is Winter, 2020)

12. Saidan - Genocidal BloodFiend (from Visual Kill: The Blossoming of Psychotic Depravity, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Emperor - My Empire's Doom (from Wrath of the Tyrant, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Ætheria Conscientia - Endless Cycle (from The Blossoming, 2024)

15. Satanic North - Village (from Satanic North, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Amiensus - A Consciousness Throughout Time (from Reclamation, 2024)

17. Evilfeast - From The Northern Wallachian Forest… Tyranny Returns (from Elegies of the Stellar Wind, 2017)

18. Pestilent Hex - Chapter II: "Nature of the Spirit" (from The Ashen Abhorrence, 2022)

19. Summoning - The Passing of the Grey Company (from Minas Morgul, 1995)

Cool find. I would have probably never heard of this one if I hadn't joined the Academy. After giving it a few spins over the course of last week, I decided to review it as well:

https://metal.academy/reviews/35546/9858

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=9eb898291b6f4c46

1. Akhlys - Sister Silence, Brother Sleep (from Sister Silence, Brother Sleep, 2024)

2. Scarcity - Venom & Cadmium (from Venom & Cadmium, 2024)

3. Antichrist Siege Machine - Lysergic War Psychosis (from Vengeance of Eternal Fire, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

4. Aristarchos - Atrium - Martyr of Star and Fire (from Martyr of Star and Fire, 2024)

5. Tsjuder - Lord of Terror (from Kill for Satan, 2000) [Submitted by Vinny]

6. Saidan - Visual Kill (from Visual Kill: The Blossoming of Psychotic Depravity, 2024)

7. Kostnateni - Nevolnost je vše, čím jsem (Nausea Is All I Am) (from Upal, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Sear Bliss - The Upper World (from The Upper World, 2024)

9. Above Aurora - Inner Whispers (from Myriad Woes, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

10. Anorexia Nervosa - Antinferno (from Redemption Process, 2004) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Liturgy - Vessel of Everthirst (from Immortal Life II, 2024)

12. Aquilus - Into the Earth (from Bellum II, 2024)

13. Hellripper - Mester Stoor Worm (from Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Grima - Hunger God (from Frostbitten, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. 1349 - Ash of Ages (from Ash of Ages, 2024)

16. Melechesh - Incendium Between Mirage and Time (from Sphynx, 2003) [Submitted by Sonny]

17. Primitive Warfare - Heretic Crusade (from Extinction Protocol, 2024)

18. Trhä - Danë‡i (from Av◊ëlajnt◊ë£ hinnem nihre, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

Just revisited this album and my thoughts remain unfazed by time. By now it should be no surprise that I value melody over sheer brutality in my music and Maze Envy is a solid balance of the two elements. By incorporating more doom elements into a death format means that Civerous play some solid grooves and instrumental leads. The structure is pristine by allowing the album to grow from shorter songs at the beginning, to longer, drawn out doom metal during the second half and creates a real sense of growth and development. That it to say, the long songs at the end of this album are more than justified.

Production can be a hit or miss call with some of the pummeling death metal during the first half coming as being just a little too overwhelming. But when it comes to death doom metal in 2024, Civerous are doing it in a way that was much different than I was expecting, but more than thrilled to give a chance.

4/5

I loved the Antichrist Siege Machine track, which is unsurprising as the album it is from is currently my #2 album of 2024. Other notables were Darkestrah with the grandiose pomp and circumstance of "Destroyer of Obstacles" really tickling my fancy this morning, Sacrificial Vein's blatant DsO-worship and Tsjuder's uncompromising old-school onslaught also standing out. To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole playlist, except for the Labyrinthus Stellarum track, which is in large part due to a deep-seated loathing of synthesised vocals of the type used here, but even without that it was largely unremarkable to my ears. The closing Trhä track I also found to be quite emotional for some reason, it's wistful and reflective atmosphere chiming with my own emotional state today.
Once more a stellar effort Ben, thanks a lot.

Strong month this time with me picking up the fantastic Narbeleth (props to Sonny).  Since listening through the playlist on Sunday, these Spanish residing Cubans have not been off my speakers much.  New Mütiilation slipped by me and that track sounds promising to my ears.  I was not too smitten with Suldusk or Moonlight Sorcery but it was great to see some BAN (underrated album that "Odinist..."), Rotting Christ and Xasthur getting some air time. 

Here's my review:

Florida technical death metallers Nocturnus were a fairly big player in our household from very early on in their recording career. I was lucky enough to discover their 1990 debut album “The Key” shortly after it was released & purchased a copy on cassette. It showcased a highly ambitious band of talented musicians that were looking to push the envelope when it came to both atmospherics, imagery & technique & I found it to be a very solid release indeed. Perhaps not the undeniable classic that many death metal fans will have you believe it is but a worthy purchase that has commanded consistent revisits over the years. 1992’s follow-up album “Thresholds” simply wasn’t in the same caliber from what I remember of it although it was certainly worth a listen at the time & didn’t discourage me from picking up this month’s The Horde feature release (i.e. Nocturnus’ self-titled 7” from 1993) on vinyl immediately after it was released. I don’t remember much about it now to be honest & have no idea what happened to the record I owned but I do recall being a touch underwhelmed even if I certainly found entertainment in it. I’m interested to see how those recollections stack up now actually as I recently revisited “The Key” & it’s renewed my interest.

The ”Nocturnus” 7” is nothing more than a two-song single but includes two previously unreleased non-album tracks intended to showcase the band’s brand new lineup. Bassist Emo Mowery had now filled the empty position that was filled by session musician Chris Anderson on the “Thresholds” album while James Marcinek had now joined the fold at the expense of founding member & band leader Mike Browning (Morbid Angel/Acheron) who had been controversially axed. The two songs take a similar stylistic approach to the one found on “The Key” but there are a few notable differences & characteristics that are worth pointing out.

The first & most obvious thing you’ll notice about this release is the shocking production job which is extremely rough & sees Nocturnus’ trademark flashy guitars being largely nullified. It’s a real shame because this flaw goes a long way to ensuring that the record was never going to have much of an impact, even if you absolutely loved the song-writing. Front man Dan Izzo had been brought in for the “Thresholds” album to enable Browning to focus purely on his drum kit. Here we see him trying awfully hard to sound like notorious Deicide vocalist Glen Benton & doing a reasonable job of it too. In fact, I’d have to suggest that it was a good move to swap him in for Browning as his more angry & aggressive delivery would seem to me to be a better fit for a death metal band. So would the drumming of Marcinek actually, at least I’d take it over the simplistic contribution that Browning gave us on “The Key”. The keyboards of Louis Panzer are still on show but don’t play as prominent a role in these compositions which was an interesting move given that this was one of the major drawcards that was seeing people flocking to Nocturnus. The other was the consistent layers of ultra-shredding guitar solos that were a majorly exciting prospect for this budding young lead guitarist but, once again, the solos have been toned down significantly here which I find to be a really strange decision. Perhaps that’s why we’ve seen these two tracks isolated on a dedicated single? I dunno but it was pretty annoying that Nocturnus had dropped a good chunk of their signature features.

When taken for what they are though, these two songs aren’t too bad & certainly offer enough to keep me interested & entertained. The lengthier “Possess The Priest” has a slight edge over the more aggressive “Mummified” but there’s not a lot between them as they’re both decent enough examples of the technical death metal subgenre. I’ve often seen people trying to utilize the progressive metal tag with this record but I don’t think that’s appropriate as this material is far more consciously technical than it is conceptually expansive. The riffs can sometimes be quite thrashy but I never feel that I’m listening to anything other than a death metal artist at any stage.

So, it would seem that the “Nocturnus” 7” single is bit of a mixture of positives & negatives overall, isn’t it? The production is arguably the most unfortunate & release-defining element but I’m pleased that Nocturnus possessed enough class to overcome that failure to give us a reasonable record nonetheless. Sadly, I can’t see it being enough to draw me back to the single at any point in the future but I don’t think your average Death. Atheist or Pestilence fan will find it to be too repulsive, even if it’s not on the same level as the universally worshipped releases that those bands were dishing out during that period. But then, I’m not sure I ever saw Nocturnus on the same level as those artists in the first place. Not many are though to be fair.

3.5/5

Here's my review:

Chilean thrash metallers Critical Defiance & I have enjoyed a very fruitful relationship over the last five years. In a scene that has largely maintained itself purely off the back of its distant heritage, these South Americans have managed to release a couple of records that have proven to been worthy of my interest in their own right, particularly 2022's "No Life Forms" sophomore album which I consider to be fairly essential for fans of the modern-day Chilean thrash scene. So, I think it's fair to say that I had high hopes for the brand new follow-up album "The Search Won't Fall..." which has predictably been receiving a fair amount of praise from the underground thus far. It hasn't disappointed either with Critical Defiance delivering yet another solid piece of thrash metal designed specifically for an audience that have been starved of high-quality material in recent times.

The production job that "The Search Won't Fall..." is built on is pretty decent but is perhaps a little too heavy on the mid-range frequencies & I think the album could have done with a little more highs as a result. The musicianship is top notch though with the five instrumentalists all proving themselves to be highly proficient in their chosen crafts. As with "No Life Forms", we once again see the unusual inclusion of a third guitarist, a differentiator that the band make good use of but probably won't be picked up by the band's less informed listeners. I really enjoy the shredding Slayer-esque guitar solos which are generally well timed with former Demoniac shredder Nicolás Young being a welcome addition to the band. The song structures feature a crap-tonne of changes too although I struggle to see any justification for the tech thrash claims that seem to be associated with the album as I honestly can't hear anything particularly technical here. Front man Felipe Alvarado's aggressive vocals are well-suited to this style of music but its drummer Rodrigo Poblete (also formerly of Demoniac) that's the clear highlight of the album with his powerful, precise & exciting contribution clearly indicating the role that Slayer's Dave Lombardo has played a clear role in his musical up-bringing.

Stylistically, there's a bit more to Critical Defiance than your run-of-the-mill 80's-worshipping thrash outfit these days. They tend to mix things up a bit by throwing in some well executed curve balls & also varying their track lengths & song structures fairly drastically. You'll no doubt notice that there are a few longer & more expansive pieces included than we found on "No Life Forms" with some progressive options having been explored. There are a couple of tracks that showcase a clear black metal component too (particularly the outstanding "Full Paranoia") while "Long Distance (The What's to Come)" & "Absolüt" are built as much on speed metal as they are on thrash. You can also expect to receive a classical guitar piece ("The Blind Divine"), a progressive rock instrumental ("Margarita") & a full-throttle grindcore number ("All The Powers") so you can hardly claim "The Search Won't Fall..." to be samey. There aren't any weak inclusions either so it's a very consistent affair from a highly competent & experienced artist.

"The Search Won't Fall..." really does pick up where "No Life Forms" left off. It's another very solid release from Critical Deception that will likely come into consideration for my end of year list & will no doubt be receiving return visits from me in the future too. I'd suggest ignoring the tech thrash claims & going into the record expecting more of a Kreator/Vio-lence brand of aggressive thrash only with a slightly more adventurous edge that sees them drawing upon a more diverse array of artists such as Hellripper & early Emperor for inspiration at times.

4/5

No need to be sorry. Every music listener will find certain albums / styles more compelling than others. It would be boring if everyone had the exact same tastes.

Evilfeast is a solo project of Polish multi-instrumentalist Jakub Grzywacz, who goes by the pseudonym of GrimSpirit. The project has been going since 1996, when it was then known as Darkfeast (changing name in '98) so he has some credibility as a relatively early adopter of the atmospheric black metal creed and not just some random bandwagon-jumper. So, I thought I hadn't listened to Evilfeast before and when it was pointed out that indeed I had (thanks, Daniel!), I still had no great recollection of the event. Not exactly a ringing endorsement I think you will agree. However, it says more about my insatiable appetite for listening to more and more unfamiliar metal albums and a resulting lack of retention of any but the most excellent (or utterly terrible), than it does about the quality of the release in question. This is because Elegies of the Stellar Wind is, in fact, a pretty decent slab of black metal with a pronounced symphonic element influenced by none less than the mighty Emperor, I would suggest. Although the keyboards are fundamental to the album's sound, it still feels like it sits more within the sphere of atmospheric rather than symphonic black metal because, although the synth sound can be traced back to Ihsahn & co, it isn't as bombastic as the Black Wizards, but rather it feels like it is heralding the majesty of the natural world rather than the machinations and achievements of powerful men.

The black metal component is generally of the uptempo, quite savage-sounding, thinly-produced type that harks back to a previous black metal age and doesn't contain the lushness of more recent atmospheric black metal efforts, but that feels no less effective for it. I must admit I like it's quite raw black metal stylings, whilst the keyboards are incorporated effectively and even though they have a significant presence they still work well in tandem with the riffing. It never really attains the hypnotic transcendence that the absolute top-tier atmospheric black metal releases achieve and, in truth, it probably feels a little more down-to-earth as a result, but whilst these ham-fisted attempts at describing Evilfeast's sound make it feel like it won't work, it absolutely does, it's just that it's not exactly what you would necessarily expect.

I'm gonna stick with my old RYM score of 4/5

My first question has got to be "did Daniel really suggest the Equilibrium track?!" I mean, I quite dug it too, surprisingly (it felt very cinematic), but it seems most unlike him.

It was a pretty lean month for me for The North releases so I thought I'd include it in the interest of diversity. It was probably the least offensive track from an album where I found nothing whatsoever that appealed to me.

Very nice.

Wow! I've gotta say that the third full-length from these Finnish death metallers has well & truly blown me away which was perhaps somewhat inevitable given that it falls so clearly within my musical comfort zone. Gorephilia offer a dark & dank take on the classic 1990's death metal model with very little in the way of invention however they simply go about their craft so efficiently & effectively that I'm left feeling similar feelings to those that I first felt as an early teenager while discovering this great genre to begin with. The main influence is clearly classic Morbid Angel although (unlike Ben) I'd suggest that the era in question sits closer to "Blessed Are The Sick" & "Covenant" than it does to "Domination". Its actually pretty obvious a lot of the time too but the execution is nothing short of splendid which gives Gorephilia a strong sense of class & pedigree. Plus, there are a few more strings to Gorephilia's bow than that as they also possess a darker, murkier & slightly doomy Immolation/Incantation vibe that drags the atmosphere deeper into graveyard territory.

The guitar solos are perhaps the weak point as they lack a little finesse & often cross over into out-of-key territory but not in a way that feels intentional. It's more from a lack of understanding. The battering blast-beats, swampy yet powerful guitar tone & monstrous death growls more than make up for them though with the quality of the song-writing improving noticeably as the tracklisting progresses. "Devotion Upon the Worm", "Not for the Weak" & closer "Ark of the Undecipherable" are all devastating examples of modern death metal but the atmospheric interlude "Death Dream" is perhaps my favourite inclusion with its clean guitar arpeggios & eerie yet quite beautiful lead work providing a lovely change of scene before the final deathly assault. "In The Eye Of Nothing" is everything that a death metal band should aspire to be in my opinion & has been so successful in its undertaking that I'd even go so far as to sit it right alongside its more celebrated influences at the table of death metal's more elite performers.

4.5/5

The votes are in and we have our winners for Best Covers of 2023. Thanks to everyone that voted!

We had enough votes this year to apply a minimum of 5 votes criteria. Where that resulted in a tie for any given clan, the total amount of votes was the second criteria used, followed by the Clan Rating. Even applying these three levels of criteria, we still have a tie for The Revolution. Rather than apply some other random criteria, the aware for The Revolution will be shared this year.

THE FALLEN WINNER

Ocean of Grief - Pale Existence

THE GATEWAY WINNER

Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars

THE GUARDIANS WINNER

Elvenking - Reader of the Runes – Rapture

THE HORDE WINNER

Neuropath - At Damnation's Core

THE INFINITE WINNER

Blut aus Nord - Disharmonium - Nahab

THE NORTH WINNER

Thron - Dust

THE PIT WINNER

Holy Moses - Invisible Queen

THE REVOLUTION WINNERS (TIE)

August Burns Red - Death Below

Impending Doom - Last Days

THE SPHERE WINNER

In This Moment - Godmode

Yeah, I have to admit it was a quiet month for new North tracks. I agree that modern Inquisition seems to have lost some of what made it so enjoyable in the past. 

I corrected The Amenta track to be off Plague of Locus rather than Lord Kaos' Thorns of Impurity album, which of course the track was originally found on. The Lord Kaos album is now on Spotify too, which is a good thing. Daniel was mates with the guys in the band and I listened to that album a lot in the back end of the 90s.

The Frozen Dawn is awesome too - it's yet another from the masterful Mariusz Lewandowski, so it kind of goes without saying!

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Sphere for 2023.

Below are the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2023 The Sphere Cover of the Year Award (i.e. they rate at least 3.0 and have 3 or more ratings). The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

Neurotech - Ave Neptune

In This Moment - Godmode

Till Lindemann - Zunge

Mechina - Cenotaph

HEALTH - Rat Wars

If you want to contribute and rate some covers, the easiest way is to go to The Gallery and select The Sphere and 2023.

https://metal.academy/gallery?cid=9&type=overall_cover_rating&myRating=&fromYear=2023&toYear=2023&exclude=0

I look forward to seeing which release gets up for the win!