Daniel's Forum Replies

I was also thinking that we could have a few additional awards on top of the clan-specific one:

1. Metal Academy Overall Release Of The Year

2. Metal Academy Debut Of The Year

3. Metal Academy Comeback Of The Year (for artist's releasing their first record in more than five years)

4. I'm also toying with each clan voting on a clan-specific song of the year. We could set up a short list based on the most popular songs from the top-rated releases for everyone to vote on. It wouldn't require as much investment of time as listening to full releases obviously.

What does everyone think of these suggestions?

I don’t see why Code Orange couldn’t win two clan awards to be honest. And wouldn’t The Revolution be the more logical place for them if you had to choose one?

Anyway... you still have the chance to change these results by submitting more ratings Andi.

Can we make the exception here? We can't really have a release winning The Revolution Album Of The Year when it's credentials for the clan are questionable.

I think you've got Dynazty's "The Dark Delight" mis-tagged Ben. That's a purely heavy metal record according to RYM.

Drexciya - "The Quest" (1997)

A double compilation album made up of the best work from this second tier Detroit techno/electro legend.

Sonny, Vinny & Ben, I'd strongly recommend that you all jump onto this undiscovered gem from 1988. You can expect some vicious US thrash ala Dark Angel, Vio-lence & Slayer.

Blisteringly brutal Los Angeles thrash metal from 1988. For fans of Dark Angel, Vio-lence & Slayer.

Viking - "Do Or Die" (1988)

The debut album from Los Angeles thrash metallers Viking (entitled "Do Or Die") is an uncompromising & relentless high-velocity thrash-fest that will more than satisfy fans of Dark Angel, Vio-lence & Slayer. In fact, guitarist Brett Eriksen would go on to join Dark Angel the following year & would contribute to 1991's brilliant "Time Does Not Heal" record. You can definitely hear that in the style of the riffs here too with the band never taking their foot off the accelerator for the entire 33 minute duration. I honestly can't imagine why "Do Or Die" isn't held in much higher regard by the global thrash community. Perhaps the messy production job is to blame but I can easily look past it when the thrash offers these sort of credentials. Ron Daniel does a fantastic job behind the microphone too & really accentuates the sense of urgency that Viking were going for here. "Do Or Die" is an undiscovered gem in my opinion.

4/5

Yeah, it's a fantastic album that made a major impact on my life at the time. In fact, I'd suggest that it was my most listened to album that year, despite the fact that (like yourself) I rate the previous two albums slightly higher. 4.5/5

Late 80's thrash metal from Atlanta, USA. For fans of Anthrax, Lååz Rockit & Sacred Reich.

Hallows Eve - "Monument" (1988)

Atlanta-based thrash metal outfit Hallows Eve didn't exactly set my world on fire with their 1985 debut album "Tales Of Terror" but their sophomore effort "Death & Insanity" from the following year definitely tweaked my interest with its thrashier approach offering me much more appeal than their earlier speed metal sound. Both records are highly regarded in underground circles but 1988's third album "Monument" is often referred to as a step down from those two & I think that's an unfair assessment. "Monument" is a well produced & executed thrash metal album with a strong emphasis on song-writing but there's been a significant level of restraint shown in regards to tempo. The band go for more of a chuggy, mid-paced velocity more often than not & I actually feel that this is the reason for a lot of the album's criticisms from the thrash crowd. There's little doubt that the couple of faster tracks give me the most pleasure but I actually don't mind the more controlled & precise execution on display here either. The vocal hooks & guitar solos are very effective over the simpler riffage & the clear production only gives these songs the additional oomph required to dig their teeth in. Sadly, the album does peter out noticeably over the last few tracks which undoes some of the good work done earlier in the tracklisting but it's not enough to ruin a pretty decent late 80's thrash release. In fact, I'd suggest that "Monument" doesn't sit all that far behind "Death & Insanity" in terms of overall quality while comfortably eclipsing "Tales Of Terror".

For fans of Anthrax, Lååz Rockit & Sacred Reich.

3.5/5

The self-titled release admittedly saw them taking a more abrasive & screamy approach to the vocals & production.

Deftones - Ohms: I didn't go into this with any relish at all. I had a very good friend who used to push their albums onto me (sadly now passed), despite the fact I couldn't do with their brand of metal at all - I hate White Pony and the self-titled intensely and haven't listened to the band at all for well over a decade. But I do quite like Smashing Pumpkins and this sounds like Billy Corgan & co gone metal, so finally Deftones have made a record I actually quite like! 3.5/5

Quoted Sonny92

Your comment about Smashing Pumpkins is interesting because that's always been the case going all the way back to 1997's "Around The Fur". In fact, I made reference to it in my review of that album.

There's no doubt that "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" is a classic album in its own right however "Streetcleaner" is the finest work from the premier performer in the entire industrial metal genre so I didn't really hesitate in deciding to go with Godflesh here.

It's not showing up twice for me but I can see that you've rated it twice. I'm guessing that you rated this release during the short period where we were experiencing similar issues a few months back? Basically people were getting error messages every time they made a rating & would then try again only to find that the database recorded both ratings separately. 

I'm really not feeling these sloppy & poorly produced thrashcore & hardcore punk tunes this morning. These Californians were capable of much better than this.

Cryptic Slaughter - "Stream Of Consciousness" (1988)

1988's third album from Californian thrashcore outfit Cryptic Slaughter would be the last with their original lineup & is generally a pretty disappointing release. I quite liked their 1986 debut album "Convicted" but their sophomore effort "Money Talks" was a bit lacking & "Stream Of Consciousness" sees the quality level descending even further with a very poor production job & some sloppy performances being amongst the main contributors. Despite the common consensus, there's actually very little metal to be found on this record with Cryptic Slaughter's sound now sitting somewhere between thrashcore & hardcore punk. I'd also hazard to suggest that this material is not quite as fast as Cryptic Slaughter's earlier albums either so I'd advise you to give this one a miss.

For fans of D.R.I., Wehrmacht & The Accüsed.

2.5/5

Very raw Colombian black metal that draws influence from Parabellum, early Bathory & "In The Sign Of Evil" era Sodom.

Blasfemia - "Guerra total" E.P. (1988)

Very raw Colombian black metal that draws influence from Parabellum, early Bathory & "In The Sign Of Evil" era Sodom.

3/5

The title track from the brand new "No" E.P. from Italian symphonic death metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse.

These two pop cover versions are a hard slog:

A surf-based crossover thrash anthem from New York, USA. For fans of S.O.D., Carnivore & Scatterbrain.

Massive Appendage - "The Severed Erection" (1986)

Very early Sydney thrash metal with an ordinary production job partially tainting some otherwise pretty fun & energetic song-writing. For fans of Testament, Overkill & Judas Priest.

3.5/5

December Feature Releases

The Fallen: My Dying Bride - "The Dreadful Hours" (2001) 4/5

The Gateway: Deftones - "Ohms" (2020) 4.5/5

The Guardians: Gamma Ray - "Blast From The Past" (2000) 3.5/5

The Horde: Incantation - "Diabolical Conquest" (1998) 4.5/5

The Infinite: Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi" (2020) 5/5

The North: Deathspell Omega - "Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon" E.P. (2008) 4.5/5

The Pit: Testament - "The Legacy" (1987) 4/5

The Revolution: Sunami - "Sunami" E.P. (2020) 3.5/5

The Sphere: Mick Gordon - "DOOM (Original Game Soundtrack)" (2016) 5/5

December has been another particularly awesome month of feature releases for me personally. Once again I found no sign of a dud amongst the nine clans & discovered not one but TWO genuinely elite classics that will likely feature in my all-time lists for a long time to come in the Orannsi Pazuzu & Mick Gordon albums. The Incantation & Deathspell Omega releases also reaffirmed their existing positions in my Hall Of Metal Glory while the Deftones album somewhat floored me & the My Dying Bride & Testament records reminded me of just how solid they are. Even the Gamma Ray & Sunami releases offered me some appeal despite taking me well outside of my comfort zone. I'm really looking forward to releasing next month's list on New Year's Day now as I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the monthly feature releases this month!

My revised list:

25. Leprous - "Live at Rockefeller Music Hall" (2016)  

24. Morbid Angel - "Blessed Are The Sick" (1991)     

23. Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi" (2020)    

22. Metallica - "Master Of Puppets" (1986)        

21. Darkthrone - "Transilvanian Hunger" (1994)        

20. Carcass - "Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious" (1991)        

19. ISIS - "Panopticon" (2004)        

18. Neurosis - "Souls At Zero" (1992)       

17. Botch - "We Are The Romans" (1999)   

16. Slayer - "South Of Heaven" (1988)        

15. Immolation - "Close To A World Below" (2000)        

14. Suffocation - "Pierced From Within" (1995)        

13. Boris - "Boris At Last -Feedbacker-" (2003)        

12. Alice In Chains - "Dirt" (1992)        

11. Death - "Human" (1991)        

10. Morbid Angel - "Altars Of Madness" (1989)        

09. Metallica - "...And Justice For All" (1988)

08. Mick Gordon - "DOOM (Original Game Soundtrack)" (2016)      

07. diSEMBOWELMENT - "Transcendence Into The Peripheral" (1993)        

06. ISIS - "The Mosquito Control" E.P. (1998)        

05. Sunn O))) - "Black One" (2005)        

04. Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" E.P. (2008)    

03. Deathspell Omega - "Kenose" E.P. (2005)    

02. Burzum - "Filosofem" (1996)        

01. Slayer - "Reign In Blood" (1986)

Ben, you absolutely must have this release in your life.

Superb Aussie industrial metal for fans of Fear Factory, Meshuggah & Strapping Young Lad.

OH MY FUCKING GOD!!! I usually find video game soundtracks to sound jerky & incomplete with the composer jumping around stylistically across short pieces that never have the time to fully develop (I'm looking at you "Silent Hill" series). Most aren't nearly as appealing for people that aren't into video games (which I'm definitely not). This release, on the other hand, is utterly incredible in every way & stands up as a musical masterpiece in its own right. It pretty much takes my three favourite genres of music (i.e. metal, industrial techno & dark ambient) & combines them like they've never been separated but somehow manages to eclipse all of the individual components in the most emphatic way. From a purely metal point of view, I'd suggest that Fear Factory, Meshuggah & Strapping Young Lad would be the closest living relatives but it has truly shocked me to find that I like this significantly better than anything those artists have done. The darkness on offer is simply sublime, the post-apocalyptic atmosphere is amongst the most defined I've ever experienced & the energy & consistency is unheard of across a two hour release. This is quite frankly one of my all-time favourite releases right here & the fact that it comes from a fellow Aussie makes it even more appealing. The lack of vocals is the only reason I can think of for Mick Gordon not being the president of the world right now. What a find!

5/5

I'll be finishing off the December feature releases, checking out the January ones, putting together the January playlists & filling in some remaining rating gaps I have in late 80's extreme metal.

Aaaaaaannnnndddddd.... I'll just leave this one here.

The new single from LA speed metallers Agent Steel entitled "Sonata Cósmica".

The new noise/post-metal collaboration between Japan's Boris & Merzbow.

The new single "Hollywood" from the upcoming Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou collaboration E.P. "The Helm Of Sorrow" which is due for release on 15th January.

The opening track from Cult Of Luna's upcoming "The Raging River" album which is due for release on 5th February.

The new single from Buffalo-based metalcore outfit Every Time I Die.

There's very little doubt that I enjoy the danger in metal & I love the fact that I listen to a style of music that most people find too extreme. The more extreme it becomes, the more I want to like it. It just gives me a rush as I'm generally a happy, calm & relaxed kind of person & the aggression & darkness makes me feel empowered. I also despise things like religion & injustice & metal's fight against those things is an added attraction. As much as I love other styles of music, I can't get enough of music that gives me the experience of a genuinely dark, cryptic or evil atmosphere. If you listen to my techno sets from the 2000's you'll find that my style was built around a similar base only with a significantly druggy element added for good measure.

I think I just like to be challenged by my music. I've never been a fan of popular music. I need something that takes me outside of my comfort zone in a cerebral way. It's not just metal either. I've gone through obsessive phases with a whole bunch of different styles from ambient to trip hop to jazz fusion to progressive rock to techno. But metal is the style I come back to the most often & I feel its appeal is largely due to its general extremity & the unspoken comradery I feel with other obsessive fans around the world. It's this element more than any other that keeps me focused on metal when I get just as much enjoyment out of electronic dance music or ambient music. I mean you just don't get the same level of interaction on a jazz website & connecting with other people adds an additional element to my enjoyment of music.

The new track from Arizona progressive thrash metal legends Vektor.

Yeah I've always thought "Louder Than Love" was awesome. It's highlights ("Hands All Over", "Loud Love", "Gun", etc.) are sensationally bad-ass & heavy as fuck. It's definitely got some of Soundgarden's best material. I don't think the overall album is as as consistent as the two albums that followed it though, particularly "Badmotorfinger" which is my personal favourite.

Violent metalcore from San Jose, USA. For fans of Hatebreed, Knocked Loose & Bury Your Dead.

This release initially made me feel significant discomfort as it simply resides a long way outside of my comfort zone stylistically but repeat listens saw me becoming more at ease with Sunami's direction & I ended up quite liking it. Sunami combine some violent beatdown hardcore with the consistent use of heavily palm-muted, down-tuned & mid-paced slam death metal riffs & it works a treat if you're simply after some peak-time moshpit material with which to expend some energy & aggression. The vocals aren't amazing but they're suitably violent & remind me of a more agro Mike Muir (Suicidal Tendencies) while the production is a touch stale despite being reasonably heavy. The short track lengths & overall duration of the release is a definite positive for someone like myself though & "Sunami" is definitely worth a listen for fans of Hatebreed, Knocked Loose & Bury Your Dead.

3.5/5

Deathspell Omega - "Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon" E.P. (2008)

I noticed you haven't rated this release Ben. I'm sure it'll be right up your alley.

Elite level dissonant black metal from France. For fans of Blut aus Nord, Ulcerate & Gorguts.

Another utterly magnificent Deathspell Omega release here in my opinion. I just fucking love this band. In fact, I think they've been the best black metal band in the world since the turn of the century. The way they invariably manage to make such abstract dissonance sound so unnervingly evil is beyond comprehension & the drumming & vocal performances just smash me. I have no problem with the chaotic structure as that's really a part of the appeal with a band like Deathspell Omega & the lengthy track duration is only an issue if you're not engaged throughout which I unquestionably am. I spend the vast majority of "Chaining The Katechon" being amazed at the next-level artistry on display & find it just edging out "Paracletus" for second place behind "Kenose" as far as Deathspell Omega's back catalogue goes.

4.5/5

So we're a couple of years down the track with the Metal Academy website now. I'm interested to hear what you think of the clan setup now after you've had a bit of time to get used to it. Did we get it right? Are there clans whose configuration frustrates you? If so, how would YOU have done them differently? Did we get the number right? Which ones did we absolutely nail?

I have to admit that I'm very surprised that no one mentioned the clan that I've had the most concern about in recent times & that's The North. It certainly seemed like the right call at the time but I've struggled with the fact that we have folk metal lumped in with black metal for some time now & it's one of the primary reasons that I elected to remove myself from The North. This was particularly evident when creating the initial playlists because the subgenres of folk metal (i.e. Celtic metal & medieval folk metal) have absolutely nothing to do with black metal & neither does a portion of folk metal as a whole so their playlist inclusions sound drastically out of place most of the time. I feel like we would have been better off separating folk metal & Viking metal into it's own clan even though it may have struggled for numbers. What does everyone think about this? Do you think it's fine as it is? What would you have done differently? Is there any other subgenres that would have fit nicely with folk metal & Viking metal?

The other main area of annoyance for me is with niche subgenres like trance metal, Nintendocore & trancecore which I feel really don't have all that much to do with the rest of The Revolution subgenres & (in the case of Nintendocore & trancecore) are borderline metal at all. Given my experiences since putting together the clans, I may have pushed for alternative solution for those although I can't really think of a better solution at the moment.

I know a lot of death metal fans struggle with the grindcore part of The Horde but to my ears it makes perfect sense. Any thoughts on that?

Can I please ask a favour? Can everyone please follow the Metal Academy Spotify account (if you haven't already)? I understand that the more numbers we get the more people are likely to actually give our playlists a crack.

A direct quote from my review of some months ago - "In fact, I hear very little black metal on here other than in the vocals. " So I absolutely agree with you on this one Daniel. The question then is, does only having a vocal relationship with black metal constitute a strong enough case for inclusion in the North. When I refer to them as a black metal band, I do so in the same way I would refer to Enslaved, as a band that has developed from black metal beginnings that still retain a vestigial link back to their origins. In both band's cases I think it is also fair to say that even in the early days they were already stretching beyond the genre's confines.

Something I did refer to in my review that I would like an opinion on is that I believe this album exhibits a huge influence from UK space rock pioneers Hawkwind. I don't know how familiar you are with them, but listen to Choose Your Masques from 1982 and then Uusi Teknokratica and tell me there's no relationship. Also the driving rhythms overlaid by electronics is classic Hawkwind.

Glad you agree with me about the black metal component. Having cleared that up though, I think the vocals alone are justification for a black metal primary here simply because they're on the more extreme end of the black metal spectrum i.e. they're so blatantly black metal.

I'm familiar with Hawkwind but have spent a lot more time with their early 70's releases than their later material. I think the reference is justified as an influence though. Well spotted.