Daniel's Forum Replies

Very well Sonny. We shall go to the Hall on the doom metal association too.

I have a lot to say about this record which I've really enjoyed since first discovering it during the Metal Academy podcast years. Firstly, this is a wonderful anomaly from the early scene. It's interesting that you haven't mentioned the strong Kraftwerk synthpop influence Andi because it's fairly obvious. Secondly, there is absolutely enough doom to qualify for The Fallen. In fact, I'd suggest that it was the darkest, doomiest thing the global metal scene had heard to the time & that includes the debuts from Witchfinder General & Pagan Altar which were both kinda borderline in my opinion. And thirdly, it's the very definition of avant-garde as far as I can see as it sounds like nothing before or since & combines influences that have no right to go anywhere near each other. You even talk about how outright weird the album is in your review.

I've passed the doom metal nomination uncontested Andi as I believe it to be pretty clear cut but if you wanna have the avant-garde metal tag removed then you'll need to go through the Hall & it'll be a NO from me.

Björk - "Debut" (1993)

I fell in love (quite literally) with Icelandic art pop singer Björk during the late 1990's & very quickly became totally obsessed with collecting everything I could find that was related to her. She played a very strong role in converting me to electronic music with her willingness to experiment with new sounds being an attribute that I strongly connected with. "Debut" would be Björk's first solo record to champion her original work following her time with popular Icelandic alternative rock outfit The Sugarcubes (Note: she released two children's records when she was just a kid) & it would see her teaming up with producer Nellie Hooper who had cut his teeth with influential Bristol hip hop act The Wild Bunch & well-known London UK street soul outfit Soul II Soul. The result is a very diverse album that covers a lot of ground & keeps you on your toes.

The quality of the individual tracks varies a fair bit but Björk's captivating vocals always keep the listener intrigued through their sheer joy of life. The eleven songs see her traversing a broad array of subgenres from art pop to downtempo to house music. I have to admit that the more stripped back, jazzier material doesn't interest me as much as the more electronic inclusions but it's by no means weak either. The clear highlights come in the form of the stunning downtempo art pop single "Venus as a Boy" (my personal favourite) & the proggy deep house of "One Day" but tracks like "Human Behaviour", "Come to Me" & "Violently Happy" are also very solid. I don't think there are enough genuine classics here to compete with Björk's finest records (see 1997's "Homogenic" & 2001's "Vespertine" which are a couple of my favourite records ever with the former literally changing my life) but "Debut" makes a very good fist of presenting this wonderfully talented & inspired musician to the world in a brand new format &, even though it's a great listen in its own right, you could easily tell that the best was still to come.

For fans of Goldfrapp, Tori Amos & "Ray of Light"-era Madonna.

4/5

Necromantia - "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" (1995)

I quite liked some of Hellenic black metal heavyweights Necromantia's early works like 1993's "Crossing the Fiery Path" debut album & particularly their 1992 split album with Varathron, both of which I picked up through the tape trading scene during the first half of the 1990's. This led to me purchasing their highly praised 1995 sophomore record "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" on CD at the time of release & I gave it a decent chance to win me over like it did a number of my tape trading associates. While there's no doubt that I generally enjoyed the experience, I'd only spend a week or so with this record before it would be placed towards the back of my CD collection & I wouldn't find myself reaching for it very often over the few decades that have passed since. This week I thought I'd see if I could discover why that is as "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" appears to have gone on to become somewhat of a classic release for the Hellenic black metal movement over time.

For those that aren't already aware, Necromantia offer a unique take on black metal given that they've overlooked the requirement for a rhythm guitarist, instead opting to replace it with two bass guitarists (one a four-string & the other an eight-string), both utilizing a distorted tone that gives them a very identifiable sound. Necromantia also incorporate symphonics quite readily although I don't think it's enough for the symphonic black metal tag to be considered. Does it work? Well, in a word yes but that doesn't mean that it's always exciting &, as a guitarist myself, I do find myself missing my usual frequency band. There are some guitars thrown in for random solos here & there but they're not particularly well executed & their neoclassical approach doesn't feel like the best fit for black metal either. On the positive, the vocal screams of front man Magus Wampyr Daoloth are very good & the faster, more aggressive passages really appeal to me & are largely the reasons I enjoy the record overall. During the times when the four-piece outfit embrace more of a traditional heavy metal influence, I find myself losing a bit of interest & it's hard to deny that the first couple of tracks are clearly the best (particularly my personal favourite in opener "Devilskin"), leaving the remainder of the tracklisting to chase those levels of quality in vain.

Still... I think you have to hear this record at some point if you regard yourself as an avid black metal nut, if only to experience the bass-driven assault, & this release is generally considered to be the peak of Necromantia's powers so it's probably the box you need to tick. I just can't see it as any sort of classic myself. It's decent enough but rarely draws me back.

For fans of Mortuary Drape, Varathron & Thou Art Lord.

3.5/5

I obviously adore Boards of Canada as you're well aware Ben. Pretty much everything they've done is essential in IDM terms.

How about the opening riff to Greek black metallers Necromantia's "Black Mirror" from 1995 which sounds uncannily like the opening riff from Black Sabbath's "Country Girl" from 1981:

Check out the breakdown part from 0:55 in Dying Fetus' "Grotesque Impalement" (which was originally released on their 1993 "Bathe in Entrails" demo tape) & compare it with the part that begins at 1:06 in Cannibal Corpse's "A Skull Full of Maggots" (which was originally released on their 1989 demo tape before being included on their 1990 debut album "Eaten Back to Life").

Underworld - "Dubnobasswithmyheadman" (1994)

The third full-length from these Welsh electronic dance music legends was my introduction to them back in the very late 1990's & it played a strong role in my complete obsession with progressive house & techno music over the next decade. This muthafucka is simply jam-packed with quality & was way ahead of its time too. There's plenty of material that I took along to DJ gigs over the years with "Dark & Long", "Surfboy", "Spoonman" & "Cowgirl" all receiving plays from me during the 2000's. I particularly remember dropping a white-label remix of "Cowgirl" at around 12:45 AM at a progressive house night called Sweet Chilli back in 2006 & it blowing the roof off the joint. But my real favourites here didn't quite fit my techno DJ sound with the one-two punch of neo-psychedelia number "Tongue" moving into one of the great prog house anthems of all time in "Dirty Epic". It's a shame they finished the record with "M.E." which is only decent but I can't deny the impact this album has had on my life. It should be essential listening for dance music nuts.

For fans of Leftfield, Orbital & Chemical Brothers.

4.5/5

Dying Fetus - "Grotesque Impalement" E.P. (2000)

This very popular brutal death metal release has never appealed to me to be honest. It includes re-recordings of the title track & "Tearing Inside the Womb" (which were both originally released on Dying Fetus' 1993 "Bathe in Entrails" demo tape), a cover version of Baphomet's "Streaks of Blood" (my personal favourite), another cover version of hardcore band Next Step Up's "Bringing Back the Glory" & two novelty joke tracks. The result is about as good as that sounds with only "Streaks of Blood" (my personal favourite) & "Tearing Inside the Womb" standing up to scrutiny. There's a clear Cannibal Corpse influence on the demo material while the vocals are unintelligible & kinda dumb & the riffs are often unimaginative & flat. As usual though, Dying Fetus are pretty brutal but I can always do without humour in my extreme metal so the joke tracks aren't terribly welcome. This is one of Dying Fetus' weakest records in my opinion.

For fans of Suffocation, Misery Index & Skinless.

3/5

Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots - "Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots" (2004)

I didn't mind Denver gothic country artist Jay Munly's 2002 "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" album so I thought I'd also check out his popular self-titled record with the Lee Lewis Harlots & it's also worth a listen, if not being something I can see myself coming back to. If pushed, I'd suggest that I enjoy this one slightly more than "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" but it is pretty long at an hour & seventeen minutes.

For fans of Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Wovenhand & 16 Horsepower.

3.5/5

Amon Amarth - "With Oden on Our Side" (2006)

After quite enjoying my recent revisit of these Swedish melodic death metallers popular 2008 seventh full-length "Twilight of the Thunder God" recently, I thought I'd better give my other Amon Amarth record of preference a few listens so as to see which one I favour these days & the result has ended up being very close with 2006's "With Oden on Our Side" just tipping out it's more well known counterpart by a slim margin. It's very clear that the band have made a conscious attempt to keep the song structures simple & uncluttered in the interest of accessibility here but, when they get the chorus hooks right, it works really well with the three-track run that includes the title track, "Cry of the Black Birds" (my personal favourite) & "Under the Northern Star" being particularly solid. Johan Hegg's vocals are quite powerful yet remain intelligible throughout while the pounding kick-drums of Fredrik Andersson drive Amon Amarth forward into battle. This is one of the better melodic deah metal records around in my opinion.

For fans of Dethklok, King of Asgard & Unleashed.

3.5/5

Here's my adjusted Top Ten Melodic Death Metal Releases of All Time list:

01. At The Gates – “Slaughter Of The Soul” (1995)

02. Stortregn - "Finitude" (2023)

03. Carcass – “Heartwork” (1993)

04. Sentenced – “North From Here” (1993)

05. In Mourning – “The Weight Of Oceans” (2012)

06. The Breathing Process - “Odyssey (un)Dead” (2010)

07. Unanimated - "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" (1993)

08. Amorphis - "The Karelian Isthmus" (1992)

09. Amorphis - "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" (1994)

10. Amon Amarth - "With Oden on Our Side" (2006)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/147

I wouldn't take internet resources as being gospel on niche historical topics like this one Andi. If I strain my brain, I'd suggest that the stuff that I remember being called power metal back in the late 1980's was generally the US power metal variety. I don't recall any links to the European bands until later on but then that's never really been my bag so it's entirely possible that I just forget or missed it altogether. I certainly remember those acts being referred to as speed metal though so it's possible that Guyo's statement has some merit.

Zbigniew Preisner - "Trois couleurs: Rouge" (1994)

The wonderful final part of the three-film "Trois couleurs" soundtrack collection is now my slight favourite of the four Krzysztof Kieślowski-directed film scores I'm familiar with, just shading the magnificent "La double vie de Véronique" (which has traditionally been my pick) after this week's revisit. The subtleties of this next-level classical workout are simply genius with the main theme receiving all manner of variation but never failing to place me into a blissfully melancholic state.

For fans of Wojciech Kilar, Michael Nyman & Gabriel Yared.

4.5/5

Mütiilation - "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" (1995)

I first encountered the debut album from French black metal leaders Mütiilation through the mid-90's tape trading scene but have to admit that I could never understand the appeal. People seem to buy into the messaging that was coming out of the Les Légions Noires movement at the time which was all about what "true black metal" should be & taking it back to its roots but those punters seem to be ignoring the obvious which is that Meyhna'ch was an eighteen year old kid who had only just gotten into black metal & was certainly no authority on what it should or shouldn't be. From the evidence here, he'd only just started to learn to play his instruments too because the musicianship on display is pretty terrible. The vocals are very strong if you like the classic croaky Nocturno Culto style but let's not pretend that Mütiilation were doing anything particularly original here.

The incredibly lo-fi production isn't a strength in my opinion. It takes away the bite & impact from the riffs with the drumming being incredibly basic & the drum sound making me question if it is being produced on an actual drum kit rather than some pots & pans. It's probably fitting that I find arguably the least popular track in "Eternal Empire of Majesty Death" to be the clear creative highlight because I'm simply not able to connect with this "music". I didn't like the Vlad Tepes/Belkètre split album "March to the Black Holocaust" much but I'd probably still take it over this record which was supposedly the first proper release to come out of Les Légions Noires. Both of those releases are massively overrated for mine though, even if neither is terrible. I don't think people realise that there were a thousand underground demo tapes that sounded exactly like this record & it wasn't intentional either. That fact makes me question whether Meyhna'ch actually intended on "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" sounding this raw or if it was simply all he could muster up at the time. I suspect a bit of both to be honest.

For fans of Vlad Tepes, Belkètre & Drowning the Light.

3/5

Incidently, if anyone has any other recommendations of metal with middle eastern vibes (not necessarily just black metal) then please pass them along because I haven't found too many examples and even less so that really hit the spot.

Try Israel's Orphaned Land on for size if you haven't already Sonny.

These would be my nominations:

FALLEN: Black Sabbath (for first four albums)

HORDE: Death

NORTH: Bathory

PIT: Metallica

John Mayall with Eric Clapton - "Blues Breakers" (1966)

I used to listen to this highly praised blues rock record back when I was in high school, mainly due to the excellent contribution of Clapton whose blues chops are well on display here. Revisiting it with modern ears, I can't say that I find "Blues Breakers" to be essential listening but then I'm not the biggest blues fan so I wouldn't take too much from that. "Double Crossing Time" & "Have You Heard" (my personal favourite) are where the real gold is here in my opinion.

For fans of Cream, The Yardbirds & Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac.

3.5/5

Antichrist - "Sacrament of Blood" (2011)

This obscure one-off Canadian war metal record was originally recorded back in 1994 but didn't see the light of day until a full seventeen years later for one reason of another. I checked it out around the time of release & it didn't do much for me but it would appear that it's much more up my alley these days. You can expect pure Blasphemy worship with a more than suitable production job & atmosphere. In fact, I'm gonna suggest that I actually prefer this record to Blasphemy's "Fallen Angel Of Doom…." & find it hard to split with "Gods of War" so fans of the war metal godfathers (i.e. Sonny) will no doubt find Antichrist to be very enjoyable too. Just don't expect anything terribly original.

For fans of Blasphamagoatachrist, Proclamation & Blasphemy.

3.5/5

But I thought he was the 'Simon Cowell" Of the Metal & Hard rock world Ben? It seems like a lost opportunity, particularly given that he even admitted that we "need" him.

"You're not the messiah! You're a very naughty boy!"

Delerium - "Syrophenikan" (1990)

I really enjoyed the first two full-lengths from this Canadian electronic duo so I didn't waste any time checking out their next album shortly afterwards, apparently way back in 2010 according to my records. I'm glad I did too as I've once again found "Syrophenikan" to be a high-quality electronic release that spans electro-industrial, dark ambient & IDM sounds in roughly equal portions. I still rate Delerium's classic 1988 debut album "Faces, Forms & Illusions" more highly than this one but it's probably slightly better than 1989's excellent "Morpheus" record in my opinion so there's a lot to enjoy here. If you get the opportunity then I recommend you check out the 1997 re-release with the "Brainwaves" bonus track as it's the best version of this record & a genuine classic in my opinion.

For fans of Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy & Dead Can Dance.

4/5

Imperial Triumphant - "Alphaville" (2020)

After thoroughly enjoying my revisit to this popular New York avant-garde/dissonant death metal outfit's 2025 sixth full-length "Goldstar" recently, I thought I'd also return to their highly regarded fourth album "Alphaville" to see how it compares these days. It's certainly a very strange listen for your average metalhead given that there is just as much (if not more) avant-garde jazz on offer as there is extreme metal with the death grunts & blast beats being the elements that ensure Imperial Triumphant's metal ties are not easily forgotten. I'd suggest that this is a more intentionally bizarre record than "Goldstar" too but I'm not sure that works to its advantage as I've found my enjoyment levels to be a touch lower, even if I'm generally kept engaged by a sense of "what the fuck am I going to hear next?". You can't miss the bonus cover version of Voivod's "Experiment" as you can pick the Canadian's sound out pretty easily from Impoerial Triumphant's own one. It's a shame that the second bonus track & closer "Happy Home" is so crap because it left me with a bad taste in my mouth that the rest of the material doesn't warrant. I don't think "Alphaville" is as vital a record as "Goldstar" is but it certainly keeps you on your toes & is overflowing with technique & ambition. I can see how others might rate it a lot higher than I do too.

For fans of Deathspell Omega, Portal & Ad Nauseam.

3.5/5

Harold Budd & Brian Eno - "Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror" (1980)

The second installment in Eno's Ambient series is based around Budd's stripped-back, minimalist piano musings & it works beautifully too, much better than Budd's own "The Pavilion of Dreams" sophomore album from a couple of years earlier in fact. I'm not one of those that profess to "Ambient 2" being superior to its predecessor though as I comfortably prefer the more drawn-out & repetitive sounds of Eno's classic "Ambient 1: Music for Airports" record. Still... you can't really go wrong with "Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror" if you're looking for a soothing accompaniment for a good book or a night of winding down in solitude.

For fans of Satoshi Ashikawa, Hiroshi Yoshimura & Virginia Astley.

4/5

Summoning - "Minas Morgul" (1995)

After revisiting the 1995 sophomore album from these Austrians this week, I've discovered that I slightly favour "Minas Morgul" over the ever popular "Stronghold" & "Old Mornings Dawn" as Summoning's best release these days. I still can't get on with it though as this consciously epic, dungeon synth infused stuff really grinds my gears at times. I definitely find myself enjoying the parts where a more traditional black metal atmosphere is on display but I can't profess to accept the more folky melodies that Summoning attempt at times as I perennially find myself craving a darker version of black metal.

For fans of Caladan Brood, Emyn Muil & Elffor.

3/5

Cocteau Twins - "Treasure" (1984)

I've been revisiting some of the early Cocteau Twins releases recently which has seen me remembering & better coming to terms with a difficult part of my life during the mid-1990's. I think their third full-length "Treasure" might be the best of the albums I've heard from them too as it beautifully summarizes both of the group's signature sounds i.e. whispy dream pop & darker ethereal wave. Interestingly (but perhaps not too surprisingly) though, it's the deeper & lesser-known material that really floats my boat with "Aloysius", "Otterley", "Beatrix" & "Donimo" all playing very strong roles in my life at the time. I think "The Spangle Maker" E.P. from earlier that year may be even better than this release in my opinion but there can be no denying that "Treasure" is a beautiful, lush record that you can float around in during moments of introspection. 

For fans of Beach House, Dead Can Dance & Mazzy Star.

4/5

Behemoth - "Demigod" (2004)

I quite liked the first couple of mid-1990's releases from Poland's Behemoth but they went through somewhat of a lull after that &, in doing so, managed to lose my interest during that 1996-98 period for the most part. It wasn't until my return to metal in 2009 & that I'd reconnect with these guys & I've generally checked out everything that they've put out since. I know a lot of people will place 2014's "The Satanist" record up on a pedestal as Behemoth's finest work but I've always felt that their 2004 seventh full-length "Demigod" had a slight edge personally, mainly because I really don't like the very popular "Ora pro nobis Lucifer" from "The Satanist". Other than that, the two releases are of a pretty similar standard although I'd suggest that there is slightly less of a black metal component to "Demigod" which is more of a straight down the line death metal release with the occasional hint at black metal. There are no weak tracks included while front man Nergal's vocals are aggressive & sinister & talented drummer Inferno's blast beats are savage & precise. I will say that the clicky drum sound doesn't work as well when Inferno goes for a standard blast beat but the alternating ones are both powerful & spectacular. Check out the underrated "Before the Æons Came" which is my personal favourite. "Demigod" is a very solid death metal record that should satisfy most of our The Horde members. 

For fans of Hate, Belphegor & Sulphur Aeon.

4/5

This one should be up your alley Ben. Seven episodes that build nicely to a pretty massive crescendo over the last few episodes.

I've been very unwell with some sort of virus or flu for the last couple of days so I've binged a couple of Netflix series.

This eight-episode horror series started off pretty lacklustre but drew me in from around episode four & ended up being pretty decent, without being anything spectacular.

I found this six-episode series to be better. Each episode is a completely separate story, all exploring the relationship challenges that arise after a test is developed that can identify your exact soulmate. I loved the concept which attracted me to the show & it didn't let me down either.

What a difference a few days makes. My NRL team Manly came out & thumped the Dolphins 52-18 last night after having lost all three games of the season (all at home) & having our coach sacked a few days ago.  Unfortunately, the Sydney Kings lost game four of the best-of-five NBL finals series against Adelaide 36ers 92-91 so it's going to a game five decider tomorrow. Detroit Pistons have continued on their merry way & are 6-2 since our best player Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung. With six matches to go in the NBA regular season, the Pistons are still four matches ahead of the Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference so we're almost there as far as top place playoff seeding goes. We play the Minnesota Timberwolves today in a match that we should win.

Nice choice. I was a fan of Deeds of Flesh's earlier work during the mid-to-late 1990's but missed "Path of the Weakening" after my defection to the electronic music scene, only discovering it upon returning to metal in 2009. It's a very solid BDM record though & I'd suggest that it's some of their best work. My own band Neuropath is often compared with them.

Scott Kelly/Steve Von Till/Wino - "Songs of Townes Van Zandt" (2012)

I came across this collaboration record after really enjoying the three solo albums from Neurosis' Scott Kelly more than a decade ago & found it to offer some more very high-quality deep folk music with a stripped back & introspective feel. Interestingly, I'd suggest that Kelly is actually the weaker of the performers here with The Obsessed/Saint Vitus/Spirit Caravan front man Scott Weinrich's contribution being pretty spectacular & Neurosis band mate Steve Von Till's efforts sounding a little more accomplished too. I was blown away when I first heard this record in 2013 but that fanfare has eased off a little over time & these days I slightly prefer Kelly's last couple of albums "The Forgiven Ghost in Me" & "The Wake" when I feel like this sort of stuff. It's still an excellent example of Americana though.

For fans of Townes Van Zandt, Marissa Nadler & John Baizley.

4/5

Saint Vitus - "Die Healing" (1995)

Los Angeles doom metal legends Saint Vitus are definitely one of my favourites from the more traditional end of the genre but I hadn't heard their highly praised seventh full-length until now. That's a shame because I think it sits pretty comfortably alongside the band's more widely celebrated releases like "Saint Vitus" & "Born Too Late". It's arguably one of Saint Vitus' most doomy records & is full of very simply structured but infectiously heavy riffs. Front man Scott Reager's vocal performance is likely quite divisive though as he takes the overblown theatrics to extremes at times while guitarist Dave Chandler gives zero fucks that he can't really play lead guitar, instead doing his usual bit by turning his wah pedal on & playing as many notes as possible in a short period of time. "Born Too Late" is my pick of Saint Vitus' work these days with "Saint Vitus" coming in second but I've been really impressed by "Die Healing", particularly the incredible "Sloth" which is one the band's crowning glories in my opinion. It's a pity that closer "Just Another Notch" is so underwhelming though.

For fans of Pentagram, Black Sabbath & The Obsessed.

4/5

I'm really proud of my Detroit Pistons today after they took the reigning champions & current western conference leaders to overtime without five of our top six players yesterday. Unfortunately, the current MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simply too good in the end with 47 points but it came down to the last shot which would have surprised a lot of people. Thankfully, the Boston Celtics lost to the Atlanta Hawks so we've maintained our four match eastern conference lead with seven matches remaining in the regular season. Today's Toronto Raptors match-up will be tough on the back end of a back-to-back though.

The Sydney Kings will be playing game four of the NBL finals against the Adelaide 36ers in Adelaide tonight, taking in a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series so we have a chance to take out the title. Go boys!

This week saw me breaking my cherry with this highly regarded Straight Edge metalcore outfit from California & it's been a reasonably worthwhile venture too as "In Your Blood" certainly hits the spot for some simple yet aggressive hardcore-inspired metal music. There's not a huge amount of variation across the ten tracks with most of the material taking a similar approach but there aren't too many failures here either with only a couple of flatter numbers (see "Vengeance" & "No Excuses") across the ten tracks on offer. Unfortunately, there aren't all that many highlight tracks that stand out from the rest here either though which has certainly played a role in my middling score. The title track is probably the only one that I can identify as being a cut above the others & some of that comes down to the very basic riff construction that's been used throughout the album, leaving the impression that the band members may have only just read "Baby's First Hardcore Riff" or "Metalcore For Dummies". Thankfully, the execution is really tight & the guitar tone is nice & chunky which gives the song-writing a bit of oomph but I could still do without the consistent use of gang vocals & bouncy metalcore breakdown riffs. I guess that's more of a taste thing though as those are obviously generic hardcore traits so you can't really blame a metalcore band for using them. Overall, "In Your Blood" isn't a bad record though & I think most fans of 90's hardcore/metalcore will get a fair bit out of it.

For fans of Reprisal, Chokehold & 7 Angels 7 Plagues.

3.5/5

Oooo interesting. I'm not aware of Necrosis & this sounds like it should be up my alley so I'll pop them onto my to-do list.

I'm across all of Melechech's full-length albums & generally find some enjoyment in them (particularly the two records leading into this one) but I have to admit that "The Epigenesis" didn't do a lot for me & I haven't returned to it in the sixteen years since I first encountered it. 3/5

With the exception of 2001's "Operation: LIVEcrime" live album, my knowledge of Queensrÿche is limited to their 1983-1990 period but I'm well across all of that material & "Operation: Mindcrime" is their finest work from that era. I don't think I can say that I've ever considered any of their releases to be genuinely classic but this is a very solid progressive metal release nonetheless. 4/5

I have to admit that I took my first few listens to an Avenged Sevenfold record this week & quickly discovered that a) I don't think I've ever heard a single song by them in my life & b) I can easily understand why as they are clearly none of my business. "City of Evil" apparently saw them moving away from the melodic metalcore sound of their earlier records with this third full-length seeing the Californians playing with a proggy heavy metal sound that's often infiltrated by a European power metal influence. "City of Evil" is also a dreadfully commercialized slab of metal with the awful backing vocals & cheesy power metal guitar melodies doing nothing for me whatsoever. The vocals of front man M. Shadows are a tall ask for me too as he seems to want to channel Mike Patton's whiny higher register delivery but can't pull it off sufficiently which leaves it sitting pretty uncomfortably over this material. Thankfully, the instrumentalists are seriously good musicians & the record is very well produced which enables songs like "Blinded in Chains", "Betrayed" & the clear album highlight "Bat Country" to dig their teeth in but the rest of the tracklisting does very little for me, particularly the horrendous ballad "Seize the Day" & the woeful chorus of "Strength of the World". I guess Avenged Sevenfold simply aren't for me, at least not in this format.

For fans of Trivium, Bullet for My Valentine & Alter Bridge.

2.5/5

Not heard of these guys before, but it sure sounds interesting.

I'm not aware of Smote either. Interestingly though, this record doesn't qualify for metal status as yet so keep that in mind while listening & we'll see how things play out this month before reassessing that position.

I ALWAYS enjoy a Deftones album as they're quite simply the most consistent alternative metal act to ever have hit the global scene & they never disappoint. They are kinda AC/DC-ish in that you'll never be surprised by what you receive though. For all the hype around the scope of their influences, every Deftones record sounds pretty much the same as there's never a drastic departure from their past glories. They just tend to experiment a little with what they put in the gaps between the heavy stuff that makes up most of each record. In saying that though, boy do they know how to write a chunky alternative metal song & that's still very evident on what is now their tenth full-length album.

Unlike many people, I'm not gonna claim that "private music" is some kind of return to form because the truth is that these guys have never dropped their game. 2016's "Gore" record has been unfairly treated while their last one "Ohms" is nothing short of an unheralded classic as far as I'm concerned so I have no problem admitting that I always expect gold from this group. And "private music" does offer more gold, perhaps not the shiniest gold they've produced, but gold nonetheless. And that's enough for me, ya know? Sure, I will say that I think "private music" is probably the least impressive Deftones record since their debut "Adrenaline" but it's still a beautifully produced effort that further highlights how important these Sacramento dudes have become over the years.

Opener "My Mind is a Mountain" is one their finest works & hit me like a tonne of bricks while "Cut Hands" sits in a similar class to someone like Tool. There are three or four numbers that see the quality levels dropping a touch (generally when they make an attempt at more melody as I greatly prefer a screaming Chino over a thick wall of chunky alt-metal riffage) but there's nothing like a dud to be found here. I just could have done with a couple more classics to justify the enormous praise this release seems to be receiving from fans at the moment. I love Deftones & I love this record. It's not any stronger & doesn't really differentiate itself all that much from anything else they've done since their very early days though so it's certainly not gonna convert any naysayers.

For fans of Fleshwater, Thornhill & Bleed.

4/5

Pearl Jam - "Ten" (1991)

The highly regarded debut album from these grunge heavyweights was the release that indicated the true potential of the Seattle scene for the first time in my opinion after a slew of promising records were produced over the previous few years. My best mate at school was really good at picking up on the next big thing in rock & the more commercial end of metal & he brought "Alive" to my attention well before it blew up across the world before picking up the full-length album a short time later. Despite being obsessed with extreme metal by this stage, I was still open to high quality rock music & "Ten" made an instant impression on me, leading to me buying my own CD copy. That CD would get a bit of a flogging over the coming years too, particularly during my final year of high school in 1993 when my first real girlfriend was a total grunge nut. I would also buy Pearl Jam's excellent "Vs." sophomore album on CD upon release that year & it would also be on high rotation.

Seriously, how much did these guys love a wah pedal at this point in their careers with lead guitarist Mike McCready proving himself to be a super-capable exponent of his craft. Front man Eddie Vedder's performance is incredible for a first-up effort too. Sure, there are some big radio-friendly singles on "Ten" but it's the more atmospheric numbers that I place the most value in with "Release" & "Oceans" being the best of the bunch. Hit single "Even Flow" has an amazing chorus hook too though & isn't far behind. "Ten" sits as one of the high points for grunge as a whole in my opinion, despite being overtaken by Nirvana, Soundgarden & Alice in Chain's finest records shortly afterwards. This record should be essential listening for all rock fans.

For fans of Stone Temple Pilots, Mother Love Bone & Temple of the Dog.

4.5/5

Immortal - "Battles in the North" (1995)

While 1993's "Pure Holocaust" sophomore album was the record that cemented Norwegian black metal icons Immortal as a band that commanded my interest, it was third full-length "Battle in the North" that saw them joining the top tier of the genre for me personally & I still regard it as a black metal classic today. I purchased the digipack CD upon release (along with a long-sleeve shirt that I wore around the scene religiously for a while there) & it received a good ol' flogging during the back end of 1995. Immortal upped the brutality significantly once front man Abbath took over the drumming duties on "Pure Holocaust" but this? This was a whole different kettle of fish & still sits amongst the most intense extreme metal releases ever recorded. The riffs are swarming & inhuman, the drumming is relentlessly pummeling & Abbath's signature croaky vocals are demonic & sinister, not to mention ridiculously catchy. There are those critics out there who criticize Abbath's drumming as being incompetent but that's not a valid concern if you know a thing or two about extreme metal drumming. Sure, his kick drum work isn't always super-precise but the clicky kick drum triggers that are right at the front of the mix go a long way to highlighting every blemish & these imperfections aren't anything unusual for black metal drummers. His arms are not a problem at all though & it's really the guitars that struggle to keep up with the frantic rhythms at times. That's what people are complaining about without actually realising the root cause. This minor flaw is not a significant problem for me anyway though with songs like the title track, "Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons" & "At the Stormy Gates of Mist" being some of my all-time favourite black metal numbers. There isn't a weak number amongst the ten on offer & I'm gonna suggest that "Battle in the North" is easily Immortal best album, leaving highly regarded releases like "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism", "At the Heart of Winter" & "Sons of Northern Darkness" in the dust. 

For fans of Inquisition, Abbath & Mayhem.

4.5/5

I'm having another mixed weekend of sport. Manly lost the NRL to Sydney City Roosters 33-16 to leave us with no wins after round four. Our coach has subsequently been sacked & they've replaced him with a former player that has exactly three matches of assistant coaching experience. It's not looking good at all at this point.

The basketball has been great though with my Detroit Pistons knocking off the New Orleans Pelicans & the Minnesota Timberwolves without our best player & the Sydney Kings spanking the Adelaide 36ers in game three of the playoff finals to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Yew! One win from championship glory boys!

I've recently been really digging the early ambient period from 1969-1978 & put together this two-hour playlist of some of the best material for my own private enjoyment. It's called "Environs (A Study in Ambient Music) Vol. 1" & I've added it to my Chancellor of Chill profile this morning. Feel free to check it out & provide feedback.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xei8cHYJo2mEAwGbvdOnD?si=ee8c973a86cc48a8

Tracklisting:

01. Harold Budd - "Bismillahi 'Rrahmani 'Rrahim" (from "The Pavilion of Dreams", 1978)

02. Eno - "Zawinul/Lava" (from "Another Green World", 1975)

03. Tangerine Dream - "Zeit" (from "Zeit", 1972)

04. Popol Vuh - "Affenstunde" (from "Affenstunde", 1971)

05. Technical Space Composer's Crew - "Canaxis" (from "Canaxis 5", 1969)

06. Fripp & Eno - "The Heavenly Music Corporation" (from "(No Pussyfooting)", 1973)

06. Klaus Schulze - "2. Satz: Gewitter (Energy Rise - Energy Collaps)" (from "Irrlicht", 1972)

07. Ashra - "Nightdust" (from "New Age of Earth", 1977)

I just finished watching the series "Archive 81" on Netflix & really enjoyed it. It's a spooky sci-fi/horror story that's all about cults, witchcraft, alternate dimensions, demons, etc. All the good shit essentially. Eight episodes of less than an hour each. Unfortunately there won't be a second season so it's not a large time investment.

Bauhaus - "In the Flat Field" (1980)

I've always quite liked the debut album from this legendary Northamptonshire gothic rock outfit but I have to admit that it's perhaps more accurate to describe it as a playlist contributor for me than a cohesive full-album experience because the material offers me a variety of levels of appeal if I'm being honest. For example, I absolutely adore the dark atmospherics of "The Spy in the Cab" which has always been a big song for me since my goth club days in the mid-1990's but then a track like "Small Talk Stinks" seems pretty disposable & a creative failure in comparison. When taken holistically, I'd suggest that "In the Flat Field" is more of a passing interest than a genuine passion but I have given tracks like "Nerves" & the title track many spins over the years, particularly since the arrival of Spotify.

For fans of Siouxsie & the Banshees, Joy Division & The Cure.

3.5/5

Abigor - "Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)" (1995)

While I didn't mind the allegedly classic 1994 "Verwüstung/Invoke the Dark Age" debut album from this Austrian black metal trio, I wouldn't say that I was totally convinced until their underrated 1995 "Orkblut - The Retaliation" E.P. which Ben purchased on CD at the time of release. I remember it distinctly because I went to leave the house to purchase it myself, only to discover Ben playing his new CD copy in his bedroom which saw much squabbling ensuing between us. It's been a while since I've listened to "Orkblut - The Retaliation" now but I remember it being a significant step up for the band, so by the time Abigor's sophomore album "Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)" appeared just months later, the Austrians had our complete attention.

Time has shown us that "Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)" has gone on to be Abigor's most highly regarded release over the years but I've never found it to be any more than a passing amusement personally & I still maintain that position now. I think it's just a bit too melodic & one-dimensional for my taste & it doesn't feel all that dark for a supposedly dark & evil black metal record. I certainly really enjoy the drumming of Thomas Tannenberger which is excellent throughout, particularly his brutal blast beats. I don't think the blackened shrieks of Silenius (Amestigon/Summoning/Die Verbannten Kinder Evas/Kreuzweg Ost/Pazuzu) are very good though & the synth work is really quite cheesy at times which perhaps shouldn't surprise me given Abigor's links to Summoning who I've always struggled with. Despite what some people may say, I do enjoy the clean female vocals which pop up from time to time, even if they do feel like they've been stolen from a gothic metal band while Peter Kubik & Tannenberger 's melodic tremolo-picked guitar interplay had become somewhat of a signature for Abigor by this stage but it can sound pretty samey after a while.

"Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)" can easily be broken up into three three-song portions in terms of quality in my opinion. The first trio of songs are all pretty decent but things only really heat up for the middle section of the album comprised of "Dornen", "As Astral Images Darken Reality" & "The Dark Kiss" before things settle back into the sort of standard we heard earlier in the release for the remainder of the tracklisting. There aren't any obvious duds included but I wouldn't say there's anything particularly classic here either so I can't justify those sort of claims about the overall album. Still... I think most black metal fans will appreciate Abigor's second full-length, despite the flaws I mentioned earlier.

For fans of Emperor, Dødheimsgard & Lunar Aurora.

3.5/5

His Name is Alive - " Love Can't Buy Happiness" (1990)

This obscure demo tape seems to have gained somewhat of a cult following over the years so I thought I'd see what it's about. You can expect a sound that utilizes sound collage techniques in combination with post-rock & dream pop elements to create a warm, fuzzy atmosphere. The 17-song tracklisting is a little bit hit & miss but the stronger tracks tend to be the longer ones which has seen me coming away from "Love Can't Buy Happiness" with a predominantly positive feeling.

For fans of Natural Snow Buildings, Stars of the Lid & Lovesliescrushing.

3.5/5

Satyricon - "Nemesis Divina" (1996)

I raced out & bought the highly acclaimed third full-length CD from Norwegian black metal gods Satyricon immediately upon release back in 1996 & I think it's fair to say that I gave it plenty of gushing feedback too. Time has shown me that it's perhaps not quite as classic as I originally thought though & I think the same can be said for Satyricon in general if I'm being completely honest. These days, I'd suggest that they've never released a genuinely classic album with all three of their most popular early records suffering a little from some misguided moments, even though they all include their fair share of brilliance. It's interesting that this week I've found myself thinking that the much more finely polished "Nemesis Divina" is structured very similarly to Satyricon's solid yet significantly rawer debut album "Dark Medieval Times" too but it's surprised me that I'm now slightly favouring the debut for the first time in the last three decades. The vocals & drumming are great on "Nemesis Divina" but the instrumentation is occasionally a little too melodic (even folky) for my taste. Opener "The Dawn of a New Age" is an absolute ripper & Frost's blast-beat sections are invariably spectacular but where are the other classic songs here? I don't think there are any to tell you the truth. Still... the greatly improved production job makes "Nemesis Divina" a fine Norwegian black metal experience nonetheless.

For fans of Taake, Darkthrone & Emperor.

4/5

I'm seriously pissed off that the Detroit Pistons' superstar point guard has received a collapsed lung during a collision with another player during a match-up with the lowly ranked Washington Wizards a few days ago, seeing him having to sit out for an undefined recovery period just fourteen matches out from the play-offs. Thankfully we've got a pretty reasonable run to the finals & have already won our first two matches without Cade Cunningham but I'm pretty concerned about him missing the start of the playoffs & also about the potential for the Pistons to be overtaken for the number one spot in the Eastern Conference by the Boston Celtics who have recently been buoyed by the return of their own star player Jayson Tatum. Fingers crossed that Cade makes a swift recovery & it doesn't impact the team's chances too much because they deserve a good crack at the championship this year.

A huge "Fuck Yeah!" to the Sydney Kings who absolutely annihilated the Adelaide 36ers in game one of the five-match NBL playoff finals series last night. The victory was so emphatic that I can't see the 36ers being able to recover to be honest. Pumped about this today actually!

And finally, a big thumbs down to my Manly-Warringah Sea-Eagles after an abysmal showing against a struggling, injury-ridden Newcastle Knights side last weekend. Manly are now under extreme pressure after starting the season 0-2 with both matches having been at home. I'm afraid I don't hold much hope for a finals appearance this season.

The Soft Machine - "Volume Two" (1969)

After quite enjoying my time with Canterbury Scene legends' Soft Machine's 1968 debut self-titled album & also their widely celebrated third full-length "Third" recently, I thought I'd better see what the record that split those two releases is like too, particularly given how highly regarded it seems to be. "Volume Two" sees the trio upping the proggy complexity significantly from the more straight forward psychedelic rock of Soft Machine's first album & also incorporating a lot more of a jazz fusion influence which can't be a bad thing in my opinion. Well.... on paper at least... because "Volume Two" tends to sound like a bit of a mess a lot of the time really. Of course, the musicianship is impressively ridiculous but the sum of those contributions often challenges my understanding of what music is a little too regularly for my liking. Plus, drummer Robert Wyatt's vocals are noticeably pitchy a lot of the time which may be endearing to some but comes across as too quirky & intentionally weird for my taste. The jazzier sections are some of the best parts though & I really appreciate it when the boys strip things back & concentrate more on traditional song-writing too (see album highlight "Dedicated to You but You Weren't Listening"). Overall though, I'm afraid "Volume Two" hasn't connected with me like the releases either side of it did so I'm gonna place it on a lower shelf for the time being.

For fans of Caravan, Matching Mole & Frank Zappa.

3/5