Daniel's Forum Replies

Cannibal Corpse - "Dead Forever" (1992)

A live bootleg release that was clearly recorded with a handheld tape recorder at a 1991 show in Germany. The inclusion of Suffocation's "Reincremated" demo tacked onto the end is a clear plus as it should be essential listening for any fan of the more brutal end of the death metal spectrum but the overall release isn't worth your hard-earned money (or mine as was the case back in 1992 when I purchased the CD).

For fans of Deicide, Cannabis Corpse & Monstrosity.

3/5

Here's my review:

Melbourne's Christbait would be a band that I'd become aware of shortly after I'd made my first tentative steps into the wonderful world of Australian extreme metal back in the early 1990's. They were quite well known in the local scene at the time, having played a number of high-quality support gigs with international bands throughout the first part of that decade. My first time hearing their music though would be on a late-night metal radio program that I regularly recorded for my own listening throughout the subsequent week. It would be the opening track "Loose" from their first proper release "Yeast", the subject of this review. I was already well across English industrial metallers Godflesh at the time & was not at all surprised to hear the song paying clear homage to Justin Broadrick & co. given that Christbait had so clearly borrowed their name from the classic Godflesh anthem "Christbait Rising". This was a seriously good track in its own right though & one that I would go on to give a good ol' flogging in my Walkman over the subsequent months. It wouldn't, however, see me seeking out the "Yeast" E.P. or any other Christbait releases for that matter & it's only now, more than thirty years later, that I've found myself committing to my first active listen to a Christbait record for one reason or another.

Christbait initially began life as a death metal/grindcore act back in 1989 but "Yeast" sees them having taken a very different route for the majority of its 28-minute run time. There are a couple of short grindcore blastathons included (see "Nailgun" & "Tug"), both of which sound a little out of place & are easily the least significant tracks of the seven of offer, but the majority of the E.P. sits largely in sludge metal territory. If you were to take the industrial component out of Godflesh's sound to leave just the sludgy riffs & placed them over a more organic rhythm section then you'd go pretty close to describing the sound you can expect to hear on "Yeast". English sludge metallers Fudge Tunnel also spring to mind quite readily & so does Nirvana's "Bleach" album although the shouted vocals of front man Jason Vasallo sit much more firmly within the hardcore punk spectrum than Kurt Cobain would ever venture. It's all done exceptionally well though with the production job of well-known Aussie metal producer Scott Harper (who also produced popular underground releases from bands like Blood Duster, Damaged & Mindsnare to name just a few) being surprisingly heavy for an underground release of the time. There are periods where the Christbait head into slightly psychedelic territory (particularly on psychedelic rock closer "Loose (Edit)") but I think the links to stoner metal are overstated for this release to be honest as the grooves never have me feeling like dancing a jig if you know what I mean. They're colder & more serious than that.

The tracklisting is exceptionally consistent, particularly for a first-up release from a little-known Aussie band. There are no weak songsincluded but I'd suggest that only opener "Loose" feels like a minor classic. The rest of the material is generally very solid with simply-titled pieces like "Swing", "Spagnum" & "Yeast" all offering me plenty of appeal & replay value. It's honestly hard to see how Christbait didn't make more of a dent in the international scene on the strength of this record though because it competes really well with the bands I referenced earlier in the review. I guess this is simply another reminder of just how far away we are from the rest of the world, a distance that was perhaps a little more insurmountable back in the early 1990's. If my description of Christbait's sound tickles your fancy though then I'd strongly encourage you to venture over to YouTube to give the E.P. a crack for yourself as I have no doubt that you'll be pleasantly surprised by a record that has built up a decent level of notoriety in Australian metal folklore.

For fans of Godflesh, Fudge Tunnel & "Bleach"-period Nirvana.

4/5

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

Vicious Circle - "Hidden-Supervision?" single (1985)

This single represents the earliest signs of thrash metal seeping into the Melbourne hardcore punk outfits sound with the B side "Viewing Time" fully qualifying for the tag. The A side "A Nightmare So Quick" is one of Vicious Circle's more experimental efforts to the time & I'd suggest fits best under a post-punk tag. Both are worth hearing & I've quite enjoyed my time with this short release.

3.5/5

Ben, please add Sydney industrial metallers Deathless.

Thanks for getting your submissions in so early gents. It's allowed me to get the programming out of the way really early in the month which is appreciated given that I'm changing roles at work in less than two weeks. I can give you the feedback that this month's list is absolutely spectacular & is the very essence of what I was trying to achieve when we first set out to create these months playlists. Well done!

Here's my review:

It was a pleasant surprise to see Xephyr nominating the brand-new sophomore record from this Ukrainian duo for inclusion as this month's The North feature release given that I gave their debut album "Tales of the Void" a couple of casual listens last year & thought it showed some promise. Despite the fact that I haven't felt like returning to it since, "Tales of the Void" did leave me wondering what Labyrinthus Stellarum might be capable of in the future & here we get the perfect opportunity to see what that might amount to with "Vortex of the Worlds" being huge wall of bright, vibrant extreme metal with a unique flair for melody.

It really shouldn't be much of a surprise to see Xephyr nominating a release like this one as it falls right inside of his wheelhouse which is admittedly a fair way outside of my own but that's not to say that this isn't a more than decent black metal release. It is, however, one that blurs the boundaries of the black metal genre & it's up to the listener to decide as to whether that's something they're comfortable with or not. The idea of a black metal band incorporating the influence of trance music (& I do mean the uplifting & overly melodic form of EDM in all its glory here) as a primary component of their sound is not unheard of as we've seen artists like Australia's Mesarthim pulling it off successfully in the past but it will still come as a bit of a shock to the system of the more blasphemy-fueled & lo-fi-insistent black metal fans out there. You see, Labyrinthus Stellarum's sound is intentionally kept very clean & I'd even suggest that it glistens in the sunlight rather than being resigned to a life of sorrow in an icy Norwegian winter. And "Vortex of the Worlds" does come a fair bit closer to the sun than most black metal releases too because its themes are generally centered around space & the cosmos, again not something that's unheard of in the modern black metal scene but certainly something that goes against the traditional norm.

It won't take you long to realise that Labyrinthus Stellarum don't have a human drummer because the kick drum comes across as a machine gun of identical & precisely separated battering rams & took me a bit of time to get used to, particularly given my strong affiliations with extreme metal drumming. After a couple of listens I found myself able to accept this element of the record though, perhaps more because of the links to electronic music which is inherently artificial. The other obvious characteristic that becomes immediately apparent is the strong use of synthesizers as a focal point of the music, so much so that the guitars are forced into a purely supporting role which perhaps justifies the dropping of second guitarist Alexander Kostetskyi following the debut album. These synths take a couple of different directions; one that emulates traditional folk instruments & another that eschews the ancient world for a no-holds-barred trance-fest that would likely see the feelings of euphoria rising in those who are not opposed to a necking a couple of pingers & dancing their arses off at the latest Gatecrasher event. Despite my strong affiliations with dance music after my decade-long journey as a techno DJ in the 2000's, I've never enjoyed trance but I can dig this stuff because it never quite leaps over the cheese line, instead tending to tip-toe along the edge without ever fully committing. The vocals of Alexander Andronati certainly help to keep things centered as they're a fine example of the black metal shriek if I've ever heard one.

There aren't too many obvious weaknesses to be found on "Vortex of the Worlds" but it did take me a bit of time to get into, mainly because the highlights don't arrive until the back end of the tracklisting with the first few songs being merely acceptable. The epic title track that closes out the album is the obvious highlight for mine with the very solid "From the Nothingness" also standing out from the pack. The other four tracks are all pretty enjoyable but I wouldn't say that any of them quite manage to overcome my biases towards a more grim & frost-bitten black metal sound. I do think that "Vortex of the Worlds" is an improvement on "Tales of the Void" but perhaps not by as great a margin as I might have liked. There's no doubt that it represents a great opportunity for crossover appeal given its more accessible approach to the genre & I can only praise Labyrinthus Stellarum for their execution from such a young age given that guitarist Misha Andronati isn't even eighteen yet.

For fans of Mesarthim, Crow Black Sky & Lustre.

3.5/5

But, as is evident, my particular passion is all things doom and by now I have covered an awful lot of the older stuff worth listening to

That’s a very good point actually. It hadn’t occurred to me previously,

FYI Sonny (aka Grandfather Doom) will be resuming the administration duties on our monthly The Fallen playlist effective immediately.

There’s no reason why you’d need to concentrate on brand-new releases over the incredible weight of the previous 53 years of metal to achieve that buzz though. You’re actually better off concentrating on older releases that you haven’t checked out yet but have stood the test of time.

Boris & Skiplife - "Amplified Power Violence Worship."

Another new collaboration for Japanese drone metal legends Boris, this time with Czechian powerviolence act Skiplife which sounds like a hell of an interesting prospect, doesn't it?

Defeated Sanity - "Chronicles of Lunacy"

The brand-new seventh album from these German brutal/technical death metallers hits the streets later on this month & should be regarded as a must-listen for all The Horde members. They're always great & their last record (2020's "The Sanguinary Impetus") was a beauty so I have no doubt that this one will be too.

Accu§er - "Rebirthless"

The thirteenth full-length from these German thrash metal stalwarts. I haven't heard their last couple but they've never been particularly consistent so this one could go either way. I might check it out at some point.

Full of Hell & Andrew Nolan - "Scraping the Divine"

This is a collaboration album between Maryland grindcore act Full of Hell & English post-industrial artist Andrew Nolan. Full of Hell's collab releases have been hit & miss over the years but I'm generally a fan of them so will be checking this one out at some point.

Serpent Column - "Tassel of Ares" [Fourth album from this US black metal duo]

These guys are always good so I'm looking forward to checking out this new one which hit the streets a week or so back.

Here's my review:

Until recently, my exposure to Melbourne hardcore punk/crossover thrash outfit Depression was limited to their 1988 sophomore album "Thrash Till Death: Studio Tapes" which I picked up on while still a just a young chap that was finding my way in the Sydney extreme metal scene of the early-to-mid 1990's. I tended to associate with members of older bands at the time, often through my girlfriend who was fairly well connected & knew everyone that was everyone in the local scene. We used to frequent metal shows & goth night clubs on weekends, events that often ended up continuing on at someone's house so that the debauchery that was going on at the club had the opportunity to play out more fully behind closed doors. It was at these after-parties that I'd discover a lot of the more underground Australian metal releases with them being played at loud volumes by older & more experienced metalheads while everyone partook in whatever ungodly shenanigans they were into at the time. It was in that environment that I'd first hear Depression who I was led to believe had transitioned from their early days as a hardcore punk act for that particular release. I knew pretty much fuck-all about hardcore back in those days so I assumed that Depression's second album would be the only one of their releases that might interest me but my experiences over the last few weeks have proven otherwise & have also shown me that this Melbourne act played a far more significant role in the early Australian thrash story than they're generally given credit for, being largely absent from the conversation on documentaries such as "Thrash or Fuck Off!" which details the early players who contributed to the birth of the thrash metal movement in this country.

By late 1985, Depression had put out a fair bit of material from the time they first formed in 1982. There are a couple of early demos floating around with 1983's "Body Dump" tape being a relentless, high-speed hardcore assault that struggled to contend with a rubbish production job. 1984's "Money Chain" single saw the band starting to add more variety of tempo & incorporating chuggy, palm-muted riffs that were more commonly found in metal, a concept would be further expanded on their self-titled debut album that would be released in March of 1985. In fact, "Depression" would actually include four or five genuine crossover thrash tracks amongst the twenty-six short bursts of energy it contained & some of that material would likely have represented the most extreme music to come out Australia to the time as far as I can see. The "Australia, Australia" E.P. would appear eight months later in November 1985 &, unlike most local metal historians, I believe that it's here that the Aussie thrash (& subsequently extreme metal) story first begun.

"Australia, Australia" contains nine short tracks that fly by in quick succession but there's enough variation in their approaches to allow the individual tracks the chance to differentiate themselves from one another. The E.P. still sounds very much like a hardcore release from a production point of view with a layer of dirt & grime having been allowed to protect the song-writing from ever becoming too accessible & this is further accentuated by the snotty punk vocal delivery of Spike whose journey with Depression would end after this release. Original drummer Danny had been replaced with Nothing Sacred & future Hobbs Angel of Death skinsman Sham Littleman who delivers a high energy & very capable performance here but would move on to other things before Depression's next studio effort. The most noticeable difference between the "Depression" album & "Australia, Australia" though is the significantly increased ratio of punk to metal in the guitar work of band leader Smeer whose riffs now appear to unapologetically showcase the influence of bands like Slayer, Anthrax & Exodus which made for a much more appealing prospect for this ol' thrasher. In fact, the role that this component plays in the sound & feel of "Australia, Australia" is so important in its aesthetic that I find it impossible to understand how the E.P. hasn't been claimed as a crossover thrash record previously with no sign of any such connections being found online outside of the band themselves claiming that their sound combined punk & metal in interviews. When you listen to the releases of the other supposed early thrash bands of the local scene from the same period (see Nothing Sacred, Renegade, Prowler, Armoured Angel, etc.), you'll discover that Depression were really the only ones who had any right to claim that they were a genuine thrash metal act too which makes their omission from the discussion even more perplexing.

Of the nine songs on offer, I'd suggest that seven of them have a strong enough metal component to be tagged as crossover thrash while the short & violent "TV Lies" & "Dirty Fucken USA" stay predominantly in hardcore territory & "The Plan" takes kind of an each-way bet. This is all good shit though with Depression continuing to prove themselves to be capable song-writers by not delivering a single dud track. The energy levels are infectious & I honestly struggle to keep still during this record which can only be a good sign given the importance of the physical reaction in music of this intensity. Regardless of which genre they should rightfully belong to, it's hard to deny that the title track, "TV Lies", "The Box", "Eternal Genocide", Copper Chopper" & closer "The Side Up" are all really solid & enjoyable anthems for a misspent youth &, while I'm not usually all that big on crossover thrash, I'd have to suggest that this leaves "Australia, Australia" sitting up in elite territory when it comes to my more favoured crossover releases which is really saying something.

It's honestly baffling that a release like this one has managed to not only go unrecognised by the Australian metal scene for so long but has also failed to gain the sort of attention it deserves from the hardcore market too from what I can see online. While I may not be the most knowledgeable reviewer on the topic of hardcore history, I definitely know good music when I hear it & this is it ladies & gentlemen. It's also worth noting that 1985 would be the year that the earliest crossover thrash releases of any note would first see the light of day on a more global scale (S.O.D.'s "Crab Society North" demo & "Speak English or Die" album, D.R.I.'s "Dealing With It!" album, Slaughter's "Surrender or Die" demo, Concrete Sox's "Your Turn Next" album, Corrosion of Conformity's "Animosity" album, etc.) so that makes "Australia, Australia" a little more significant from an international & historical perspective as well, particularly given that I regard it as a stronger record than a good chunk of those releases. Now, if that sort of statement doesn't encourage the old skate-punk in you to explore this criminally undiscovered Aussie gem then I'm not sure what will. Get stuck in guys!

For fans of D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies & S.O.D.

4/5

I don't think there's too much music out there to be honest. I don't think there can EVER be too much music at our disposal actually as the intention was never that people should attempt to listen to literally all of it. That's a post-internet concept that's the result of people growing up with Napster, YouTube, Spotify, etc. i.e. a quantity over quality approach. As someone with a very broad taste profile, that whole concept just seems like madness to me. If only there was an online resource that helped people to identify metal music that was likely to fall into their unique taste profile & provided a forum for discussion with like-minded fans from around the world. Hhmmm....

Vicious Circle - "The Price of Progress" (1985)

During my recent investigation into the earliest roots of the Australian extreme metal scene, I discovered that Melbourne hardcore punk outfit Vicious Circle are often referred to as a crossover thrash act which is interesting because I picked up some of their albums (including this one) through the older skater kids at my high school when I was a youngster but don't recall thinking that their earlier works were particularly thrashy. Over the past week I've digested Vicious Circle's two 1984 demo tapes "Circle of the Doomed" & "Foolish Ideas", their 1985 live cassette "Live at the Prince of Wales", their 1985 "Search for the Solution!!" single as well as their two split releases with Perdition & Youth Brigade but I don't think I've encountered a genuine thrash tune as yet. That brings me to the band's 1985 debut full-length "The Price of Progress" which I received along with a whole bunch of hardcore-oriented material from bands like Massappeal, Condemned? & Depression back in the very early 1990's. This time though, I'll be listened with some more educated ears & will be paying specific attention to the inclusion of metal components in Vicious Circle's sound to see if these Victorians have any right to be included in the early Aussie thrash discussion.

"The Price of Progress" takes the exact same musical approach as Vicious Circle's demo material to be honest & you won't find any metal on offer here. Instead, you can expect to receive a fairly stock-standard version of hardcore punk but one that's been very well written & executed. I've encountered almost all of the fifteen songs included on the other releases I mentioned above but this time they've been delivered with a greatly improved production job that better highlights Vicious Circle's natural energy. The tempos are generally kept high with the high-octane delivery making for a great record to thrash around your bedroom to. Vocalist Paul Lindsay does an excellent job at spitting out his socially & politically fueled lyrics & is the focal point of Vicious Circle's sound while the instrumentation does tend to be fairly formulaic in structure with a lot of fast down-picking & palm-muting going on in classic punk style.

Most of this material is very enjoyable, even though I wouldn't say that I'm a hardcore afficionado by any stretch of the imagination. I just know good song-writing when I hear it & there's plenty of that on offer here. There are a few flatter tunes amongst the fifteen on offer though with "Scream", "Distorted Truth" & particularly the noticeably weak "Sleep Talk" failing to connect with me. The more appealing songs tend to be the more hectic & violent ones in my opinion which is perhaps not all that surprising given my taste profile. The versions of "Public Minister" & Bloodrace" that are included are much better than the ones that first appeared on 1984's "Circle of the Doomed" demo & sit amongst of the highlights of the album along with the excellent "Factors". The rest of the material is all more than acceptable, even though I wouldn't suggest that much of it is particularly essential as it's simply replicating a tried & tested model of punk music.

If you're a big hardcore fan then you can do a lot worse than to explore "The Price of Progress" as it's a more than decent punk record that I'd take over many of the more recognised international hardcore records of the time (Black Flag's "My War", Suicidal Tendencies' "Join the Army", English Dogs' "Invasion of the Porky Men", DYS' self-titled album, Ugly Americans' "Who's Been Sleeping… In My Bed", etc). It's not, however, one that should be commanding a position on the Metal Academy database & it'll be interesting to see how Vicious Circle's sound develops over the next couple of releases because I can't see why the band have been linked to crossover thrash on the evidence of their debut album. Perhaps Depression were leading the way in the Aussie hardcore scene but Vicious Circle were certainly following closely behind & looking over their shoulder at bands like Condemned? & Gash.

For fans of Black Flag, Condemned? & early Depression.

3.5/5

Pathologist - "Forensic Medicine & Pathology" demo (1992)

Despite my tape trading experience, I've always really struggled with this early demo tape from Czechian goregrind outfit Pathologist. The ultra-deep death growls are decent enough but the production & performances are so inadequate that I struggle to think of this cassette as anything more than a piss-take. It's honestly one of the worst The Horde-related releases I've ever heard in my life. Pathologist would get way better than this in the near future. Thank goodness I've never exposed myself to their earlier two demos because they're reportedly even worse than this one.

For fans of Pharmacist, The County Medical Examiners & Dead Infection.

1.5/5

November 2024

01. Hate Eternal – “All Hope Destroyed” (from “Upon Desolate Sands”, 2018) [Submitted by Karl]

02. The Amenta – “An Epoch Ellipsis” (from “Revelator”, 2021) [Submitted by Daniel]

03. Coffins – “Domains of Black Miasma” (from “Sinister Oath”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

04. Kataklysm – “The Unholy Signature (Segment I - Utterly Significant)” (from “Temple of Knowledge (Kataklysm Part III)”, 1996) [Submitted by Karl]

05. Cannibal Corpse – “Scourge of Iron” (from “Torture”, 2012) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

06. Alchemist – “Absolution” (from “Jar of Kingdom”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

07. In Mourning – “Past October Skies (The Black Lodge Revisited)” (from “Shrouded Divine”, 2008) [Submitted by Daniel]

08. The Chasm – “In Superior Torment” (from “Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph”, 1998) [Submitted by Karl]

09. Ex Deo – “The Rise of Hannibal” (from “The Immortal Wars”, 2017) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

10. Cruciform – “Proboscis” (from “Atavism”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Edge of Sanity – “Tales…” (from “Nothing But Death Remains”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Purtenance – “Transitory Soul of the Righteous” (from “The Rot Within Us”, 2023) [Submitted by Karl]

13. Absu – “Descent to Acheron (Evolving Into the Progression of Woe)” (from “Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L.”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Nile – “True Gods of the Desert” (from “The Underworld Awaits Us All”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

15. Altars – “Black Light Upon Us” (from “Ascetic Reflection”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

16. Necrot – “Drill the Skull” (from “Lifeless Birth”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

17. Immolation – “Nailed to Gold” (from “Here in After”, 1996) [Submitted by Karl]

18. Nails – “Violence is Forever” (from “You Will Never Be One Of Us”, 2016) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

19. Blood Duster – “Vulgar Taste” (from “Fisting the Dead” E.P., 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Damaged – “Ultra Mild” (from “Do Not Spit”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Defeated Sanity – “Temporal Disintegration” (from “Temporal Disintegration” single, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

22. Mortem – “Exhumer” (from “Amputator”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

23. Skeleton of God – “10 Second Infinity” (from “Urine Garden” E.P., 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

24. Cephalectomy – “Unto the Darkly Shining Abyss” (from “Sign of Chaos”, 2000) [Submitted by Karl]

November 2024

01. Cathedral – “Phantasmagoria” (from “The Ethereal Mirror”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

02. Warning – “Faces” (from “Watching From A Distance”, 2006) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

03. Paradise Lost – “Joys Of The Emptiness” (from “Icon”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

04. Type O Negative – “Bloody Kisses (Death In The Family)” (from “Bloody Kisses”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

05. Candlemass – “Demon’s Gate” (from “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus”, 1986)

06. Black Sabbath – “A National Acrobat” (from “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, 1973)

07. Black Flag – “Scream” (from “My War”, 1984)

08. Pentagram – “Forever My Queen” (from “Bias Studio Recordings” demo, 1973)

09. Bedemon – “Child Of Darkness” (from “Child Of Darkness: From The Original Master Tapes”, 2005)

10. Boris – “Untitled” (from “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“, 2003)

11. The Garden – “Squished Face Slick Pig Living in a Smokey City” (from “Horseshit on Route 66”, 2022)

12. Butthole Surfers – “22 Going On 23” (from “Locust Abortion Technician”, 1987)

13. SLIFT – “Weaver’s Weft” (from “Ilion”, 2024)

14. King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard – “Superbug” (from “Infest The Rat’s Nest”, 2019)

15. Rammstein – “Zeit” (from “Zeit”, 2022)

16. Chat Pile – “The Mask” (from “God’s Country”, 2022)

17. Woorms – Mouth Is A Wound” (from “Slake”, 2019) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

18. Converge – “Phoenix In Flight” (from “Jane Doe”, 2000)

19. Knocked Loose – “Take Me Home” (from “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To”, 2024)

20. Nails – “Depths” (from “Unsilent Death”, 2010)

21. Thou – “House of Ideas” (from “Umbilical”, 2024)

22. Evoken – “Towers Of Frozen Dusk” (from “Shades Of Night Descending”, 1994) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

Here's the December feature release nomination list:

THE FALLEN: Ben, Daniel

THE GATEWAY: Andi, Saxy

THE GUARDIANS: Karl, Xephyr

THE HORDE: Daniel, Karl, Vinny, Ben

THE INFINITE: Andi, Xephyr, Saxy

THE NORTH: Daniel, Ben, Karl, Xephyr

THE PIT: Vinny, Ben, Daniel

THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel

THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi

Fear Factory – “Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)” (from “Fear is the Mindkiller” E.P., 1993)

Merauder – “Time Ends” (from “Master Killer”, 1995)

Extol – “Paradigms” (from “Synergy”, 2003)

Rampage – “Acid Storm” (from “Acid Storm” demo, 1986) [Can be found listed as "Acid Storm, Pt. 2" on the "Veil of Mourn" release]

Watain – “The Limb Crucifix” (from “Rabid Death’s Curse”, 2000)

Enslaved – “Slaget I skogen bortenfor” (from “Hordanes Land” E.P., 1993)

Emperor – “Wrath of the Tyrant” (from “Emperor” E.P., 1993)

Hypocrisy – “Inferior Devoties” (from “Osculum Obscenum”, 1993)

Edge of Sanity – “Enigma” (from “Unorthodox”, 1992)

Resurrection – “Pure Be Damned” (from “Embalmed Existence”, 1993)

Unanimated – “In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead” (from “In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead”, 1993)

Dying Fetus – “Nocturnal Crucifixion” (from “Bathe in Entrails” demo, 1993)

Disincarnate – “Beyond the Flesh” (from “Dreams of the Carrion Kind”, 1993)

Cannibal Corpse – “Shredded Humans” (from “Hammer Smashed Face” E.P., 1993)

Pyrexia – “The Uncreation” (from “Sermon of Mockery”, 1993)

Prowler – “Vengeance” (from “Blood & Honour” demo, 1985) [Can be found tacked onto the end of Taramis’ “Queen of Thieves” album on Spotify]

Tourniquet – “Spineless” (from “Psychosurgery”, 1991)

Ministry – “Filth Pig” (from “Filth Pig”, 1996)

Shape of Despair – “Monotony Fields” (from “Monotony Fields”, 2015)

Eyehategod – “Blank” (from “Take as Needed for Pain”, 1993)

Toadliquor – “Fratricide: A Requiem” (from “Feel My Hate - The Power Is the Weight - R.I.P. Cain”, 1993)

Earth – “German Dental Work” (from “Demo 1990”, 1990) [Can be found on the “A Bureaucratic Desire For Extra-Capsular Extraction” compilation]

Vicious Circle/Youth Brigade - "Epitaph/Care" split album (1986)

Vicious Circle - "Search for the Solution!!" single (1985)

Vicious Circle/Perdition - "Aüssie Cörè - Sèärch För Thè Sölütiön? / A Torturing Compilation" split album (1985)

Exhumed - "Dissecting the Caseated Omentum" demo (1992)

The second demo tape from this San Jose-based five-piece was a breath of dank, decaying air for me as a youngster. I don't think I got the pleasure of hearing their earlier self-titled cassette until much later on but I picked this one up through the tape trading scene during the mid-1990's & it received regular replays over the next few years. The early Exhumed recordings combined classic death metal with the early goregrind sound the first couple of Carcass records & did it all with the utmost conviction. Sure, the performances are a bit sloppy but they were never intended to be anything else. I particularly love the brutality in the blast beats while the variations in the vocal delivery have clearly been modelled on the three-pronged Carcass model. The Horde members shouldn't hesitate to check this one out if that description takes your fancy.

For fans of Impaled, Ghoul & early Carcass.

4/5

Earth - "Demo 1990" demo (1990)

I've got a real soft spot for these godfathers of the drone metal genre & that extends to their earliest recordings with this six-song demo tape being of a very high standard. This material is not all drone metal though. "Methadrine" sounds more like Black Sabbath-inspired stoner metal, "Divine Bright Extraction" sits somewhere between alternative rock & shoegaze while "German Dental Work" & "Dissolution" fit into the industrial metal space alongside artists like Godflesh very comfortably. But then we have the two enormous drone metal pieces that highlighted 1991's classic "Extra-Capsular Extraction" E.P. (i.e. "Bureaucratic Desire for Revenge" & "Ouroboros") with both of them coming across as fully-realised even in this primitive format, particularly "Ouroboros" which is an all-time favourite of mine. If you dig Earth & their various creative endeavours then you'll likely want to hear this one too.

For fans of Sunn O))), Boris & Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine.

4/5

Here's my updated Top Ten Crossover Thrash Releases of All Time list following my recent discovery of Depression's early works:

01. Slaughter - "Surrender Or Die" demo (1985)

02. S.O.D. – “Speak English or Die” (1985)

03. Depression - "Australia, Australia" E.P. (1985)

04. Agnostic Front – “Cause For Alarm” (1986)

05. Depression - "Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash" (1987)

06. Cryptic Slaughter – “Convicted” (1986)

07. The Accused – “The Return Of… Martha Splatterhead” (1986)

08. Agnostic Front – “Liberty & Justice For…” (1987)

09. Ratos de Porão - "Brasil" (1989)

10. Attitude Adjustment – “American Paranoia” (1986)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/174

Mortician - "Brutally Mutilated" E.P. (1990)

Early US deathgrind. I prefer 1991's "Mortal Massacre" E.P. over this one. The first couple of tracks are good but it's let down by a poor closer that's the longest & most significant inclusion of the three on offer.

For fans of Fluids, Impetigo & Sanguisugabogg.

3/5

Vicious Circle - "Live at the Prince of Wales" (1985)

A 25-song live set that showcases the Melbourne hardcore acts craft very well. The vocals sound much more like Henry Rollins here & I wonder if it might be a different singer. I tend to like the more violent & up-tempo material best & the energy reminds me quite a bit of the early Mayhem works which is significant in the influence that hardcore punk had on them as arists.

For fans of Condemned?, Black Flag & early Depression.

Vicious Circle - "Foolish Ideas" demo (1984)

The Melbourne hardcore acts second demo tape is a little more expansive, containing nine songs with new versions of all three tracks from "Circle of the Doomed". I'd suggest that I slightly prefer it over the first demo, mainly due to the fact that there are a couple of highlight tracks included here with "Public Minister" being a stronger version than the original one.

For fans of Condemned?, Black Flag & early Depression.

3.5/5

Vicious Circle - "Circle of the Doomed" demo (1984)

The earliest demo recordings from this Melbourne hardcore punk act. Not bad stuff really. In fact, I enjoyed all three of the songs included here to some degree.

For fans of Condemned?, Black Flag & early Depression.

3.5/5

Deranged - "Architects of Perversions" E.P. (1994)

Sweden's Deranged were one of a whole slew of bands that I picked up on during a period of intense exploratory activity that took place in the first half of the 1990's when I would vigorously chase down anything that might fall into the category of the early "brutal death metal" sound. Deranged would be brought to my attention by one of my overseas tape traders who sent me a cassette that included their 1993 "...The Confessions Continues" 7" single as well as this E.P. which would represent the band's first release of any significance. I don't recall much about the experience now & haven't returned to either release over the many years since but I did end up exploring Deranged' first five full-length albums during the next couple of decades & have enjoyed all of them to varying degrees, particularly 1998's "High on Blood" sophomore record which has ended up being my go-to Deranged release & has received a number of revisits over the years. The "Architects of Perversions" E.P. has generally been positively received by fans as far as I've seen though so I thought I'd give it another chance to impress me this week.

Deranged would appear to have followed a fairly similar path to my own as far as influences go which has seen me being a little more open to their sound than I might otherwise have been. Cannibal Corpse's first few early 90's releases would appear to be their primary influence here & that sits pretty comfortably with me given the impact that those records had on me & my own band Neuropath at the time. There's also a goregrind influence at play that's worth mentioning though too, even if it's more of a secondary component than a primary one. The production job is suitably raw & brutal while front man Per Gyllenbäck sports a similar ultra-deep & unintelligible death grunt to Chris Barnes & is highly effective at his task too, becoming the clear focal point of the release with his gore-soaked lyrics. Conversely, drummer Rikard Wermén represents the obvious weakness for Deranged, mainly in the execution of his blast beats where he struggles to maintain speed & precision. This sees the Swedes sounding a little looser than I'd like at times.

The E.P. initially grabbed my attention off the back of the first two songs (i.e. the title track & "Coagulated Seminal Fluids") which are both pretty enjoyable & represented the more brutal side of Deranged's sound at the time. Unfortunately, the quality level drops off significantly after that with none of the remaining three tracks offering me much in the way of appeal. The short one-minute goregrind piece "Stairway to Hell" is the weakest inclusion but neither "Hammer Cottered Rectum" nor closer "Rigid Anatomy Art" manage to muster as much in the way of savagery as the earlier material, instead being presented in a more conventional death metal format that doesn't suit Deranged as well as those first couple of tracks. I wouldn't say that there's anything all that terrible here but there's also nothing that really gets my blood pumping, even during the first half of the E.P.

It's interesting that I'd go on to follow Deranged's 1995-2002 albums off the back of the poorly titled "Architects of Perversions" because it hasn't exactly set my world on fire here & I don't recall it doing so back in the day either. I guess I was just desperate for as much brutality as I could find in my extreme metal at the time & the Swedes fit the bill fairly well. After giving this E.P. some time to connect with me this week, I'd suggest that you skip it & move on to Deranged's late 90's records as they're a bit stronger than this one in my opinion.

For fans of Avulsed, Insision & early Cannibal Corpse.

3/5

Ben, please add Melbourne crossover thrash outfit Vicious Circle.

Ben, please add Aussie outfit Spiderbait.

They split up after their sophomore album but reformed around 2010 & I believe are still playing the occasional show. I think I might need to select one of their records for next month’s The Pit feature release actually.

Depression - "Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash" (1987)

The last couple of months have seen me making a significant discovery when it comes to the history of Australian extreme metal. While I’ve always been aware of Melbourne hardcore punk outfit Depression through their 1988 sophomore album “Thrash Till Death: Studio Tapes” which is widely known as being a crossover thrash release, I had no idea that Depression had actually spent a lot more time dabbling with thrash metal prior to that time. In fact, I now firmly believe that these guys were the very first Australian extreme metal band & count myself as a big fan of a number of their earlier releases, much more so than some of this countries other more talked about 80’s thrash treasures too. 1985’s self-titled debut album would show the first signs of a crossover into metal but it would be the “Australia, Australia” E.P. from later that year that would see them finally committing to a hybrid sound & with great success too. The “Big Brother” single from the following year would continue down that path before the release of this live album in 1987, a record that would see Depression moving on from their earlier incarnation with renewed vision. I’ll be fucked if it’s not another great record from these guys too actually, which is saying a lot from a dude that doesn’t usually dig a lot of hardcore punk.

Depression had taken on a slightly different lineup for the “Big Brother” single. Original front man Spike had moved on by that point with guitarist Smeer (also of Melbourne hardcore punk outfit Gash) taking on the vocal duties. Spike’s delivery was a little more gruff & masculine while Spike brought more of a screamy, rabid & psychotic element to the band that I slightly prefer, although both do a pretty decent job of it so there’s not a huge reason to want to take sides. Drummer Sham Littleman (Nothing Sacred/Hobbs Angel of Death/Non Compos Mentis) had also been replaced by Darren Antoci (Persecution) & it would be this lineup that would produce 1987’s “Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash” live album at Depression’s first live show in around two years. They make an excellent fist of it too with the production doing the band a lot of favours & highlighting Depression’s amazing energy & electricity very well.

Depression were a very talented group of musicians for a snotty bunch of punks with Smeer being the clear focal point. The influence of metal on his guitar technique is clear for all to see here & he proves that he’s more than capable of shredding along with the best of them in a stellar performance that seems to easily achieve the riotous cacophony of hardcore while also drawing upon the more disciplined & precise techniques employed in thrash metal. The fact that he does all of this while also doing an excellent job at delivering the vocals is a testament to his drive & skill. Admittedly, Depression steer well clear of the debut album so one gets the feeling that the song-writing was all tailored to the idea of a Smeer-led trio. Boy, do they do a good job at it though as there’s a searing lightning bolt of hardcore adrenaline running right down the centre of this set. Bassist Liddy holds his own during Smeer’s guitar solos & clearly knew his role very well as he never overplays his hand.

The tracklisting contains thirteen songs in its 34-minute run time & is generally very consistent. I’d suggest that the short duration is actually a positive here as the record never overstays its welcome & is well positioned to command back-to-back listens. The material generally jumps between hardcore punk & crossover thrash in roughly equal measure but there are a couple of more traditional punk rock songs included in “Money” & “Out of Touch”. I’m not much of a fan of the less aggressive brand of punk music but “Out of Touch” is pretty decent. “Money”, on the other hand, tends to grate on me a bit & I’d suggest that it’s the only failure amongst this lot. The more appealing material clearly comes in the form of the faster & less restrained numbers (at least it does for me) with Depression proving themselves to be a formidable unit when they drop their shackles & simply go for broke. Despite still possessing a general tongue-in-cheek attitude though, one gets the feeling that Smeer & co. took themselves fairly seriously as artists so there’s been quite a bit of time put into ensuring that their live show came across as a tight, professional & universally coherent performance.

If you don’t mind a bit of hardcore in your metal then Depression might just be the hidden gem that you’ve been looking for. I certainly can’t imagine why they’ve been so overlooked for all these years. I’d suggest that the “Australia, Australia” E.P. is still my pick for their best release to the time but “Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash” is definitely another must-own release for those with their feet in both camps & it should come into the discussion when talking about Australia’s best early thrash releases too.

For fans of D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies & Discharge.

4/5

Misery - "Insidious" E.P. (1994)

I recently spent some time revisiting the 1993 “A Necessary Evil” debut album from Aussie death metallers Misery & it wasted no time in reminding me as to why it was such an influential & motivational release for myself & my Neuropath band mates back at the time of release. That record went a long way to proving that a local band could compete with the rest of the world & was a very solid example of the early 90’s death metal sound that saw me immediately counting myself as an enthusiastic fan of the Brisbane five-piece. So, when Misery released their second proper release in 1994’s “Insidious” E.P. I found myself leaping in with both feet & with the expectation of another highly professional & invariably entertaining death metal experience, a hope that was fulfilled in generous measure by the four songs it contained.

“Insidious” sports a very impressive production job for a local death metal release, once again having been recorded at Red Zeds in Brisbane. It saw Misery returning with a slightly altered lineup to the one that had impressed me so much with “A Necessary Evil”. Original front man Darren Goulding (Manticore) had departed & been replaced by the relatively unknown Moises Contreras, a move that concerned me given that I very much enjoyed Goulding’s contribution to the debut. I need not have worried too much though because Contreras makes a great fist of his opportunity here. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have known there’d been any lineup change at all to honest because he takes a very similar approach to his predecessor with his imposing growl being one of the highlights of the release. The other major talking point for the E.P. can be found in Misery’s trademark pacing which sees them staying predominantly in the slow-to-mid tempo range but showcasing a wonderful understanding of dynamics & structure to create tension. The listener rarely feels that they’re being battered into submission. It’s more a feeling of being engulfed as dark, cavernous walls slowly close in on you. I really enjoy that experience & feel that it showcases the musical maturity of these young dudes really well. The use of pitch-shifting effects on the lead guitar work & subtle keyboards to add some additional atmosphere are further examples of that & are universally successful in their undertaking, as are the professionally executed intros & outros which work to further accentuate the eerie, unnerving backdrop the band were crafting with their song-writing.

The four songs included are all well worth hearing in what is another very consistent release from a band that seemed far too professional to produce anything sub-par at this point in their musical journey. The clear highlight for me is the wonderful “Torn” which I regard as being Misery’s finest work to the time & was subsequently made into a video that’s gone on to become somewhat of a cult classic. The opening stanza of “Torn” sees Misery’s sound taking on it’s most compelling form with all of the things the band have become known for combining to give me chills down my spine. The start of opening track “Seeds of Doubt” achieved similar levels of dark death metal glory to be honest but the rest of the song couldn’t quite maintain them, seeing it finishing as a solid inclusion more than an elite level example of the genre. Closer “Innocent Torture” is also very strong but I do feel that “Venganza del” sees the quality level dropping just a touch from the rest of the material, even if I do still enjoy it quite a bit.

“Insidious” shows clear evidence that Misery had been paying attention to what was going on around them in the global death metal scene as it saw them building on their early success with a slightly more polished & professional sound that continued to impress the underground. While I really enjoyed “A Necessary Evil”, I feel that “Insidious” is slightly stronger again, potentially off the back of “Torn” which was the genuine highlight that the debut had been missing. Contreras would make his exit from the Misery story at this point, never to be heard from again as far as I’m aware, but Misery would continue to make high quality death metal for some time yet. In fact, I believe they are still playing shows today after recently reforming & that can’t be a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. I may not be quite the fan boy I was back in the day but I can still appreciate well-made death metal when I hear it & this is certainly a fine example of that.

For fans of Innsmouth, Abramelin & Psychrist.

4/5

Ben, please add Melbourne’s Christbait.

Ben, please add Aussie metalcore act Mindsnare.

I’m very much the opposite to be honest. I came to Maiden through “Somewhere in Time”, “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” & “Live After Death” before heading back to their esrlier work & I have to admit that the Dianno albums always seemed to be a step down (a couple of steps down in some cases) from the Dickinson ones for me personally. In fact, the only Dianno record that I regard as being essential is the “Maiden Japan” E.P. & I consider “Killers” to be the least impressive of Maiden’s 80’s full-lengths. I guess the huge variety in opinions on what Maiden’s best & worst records are is the strongest representation of just how consistent & relevant they were during their prime.