Daniel's Forum Replies

A short, ball of crossover thrash energy from San Francisco, USA.

Crossover thrash & I have had a bumpy journey over the years. I generally like the big name releases but it's very rare that I genuinely love them. I think a lot of this is due to the overall simplicity of the song-writing & composition & this is never more evident than it is on D.R.I.'s sixth & final full-length. I first encountered D.R.I. through my best mate's older cousin via their highly regarded 1985 debut album "Dealing With It" when I was only about 13 years old. I have to admit that I didn't really get it at the time & I still don't today but as I ventured further into their back catalogue I found that their was a fair bit to enjoy in D.R.I.'s late 80's releases which were more in line with my thrash obsession so I kept a casual eye on them moving forwards with each successive release. I would guess that I haven't given "Full Speed Ahead" a listen since the mid-90's though so let's see if my gradually increased affection for hardcore-affiliated metal releases has finally allowed me to fully commit to a record like this one.

"Full Speed Ahead" may have been released in a decade that's regarded by many as a graveyard for thrash metal but you shouldn't expect D.R.I. to have gone all grunge/alternative on us because this record is exactly what you'd expect from them. The thing that I do notice is that it sounds much more restrained & controlled than their early material did. The thrash metal component was certainly very strong by this point in their career with the double-kick drumming being a primary feature. "Full Speed Ahead" is a hugely riff-based album that never tries to over-complicate things & leaves plenty of breathing room. This works a treat on the more up-tempo numbers which showcase the energy & vitality that D.R.I. made their signature over their decade-long reign but the slower, lengthier numbers tend to sound a bit flat & dull at times. D.R.I. are at their best when they're reminding me of the influence they had on Slayer (at least they are for me which is not surprising given my life-long lover affair with the band). Songs like "Drawn & Quartered" leave you with no doubt whatsoever as to where Slayer drew their inspiration for "Reign In Blood" from while the sub-one minute album highlight "Broke" offers up a searing ball of aggression that never fails to get my blood pumping. Front man Kurt Brecht has maintained every bit of his punk integrity with a charismatic (if fairly loose & unpolished) performance that won't disappoint fans of the band's previous work. But it's the drumming of Rob Rampy that's the key contributor here as he plays the most prominent role in the winning or losing of each individual track & shows himself to have a fair amount of chops in the process.

As with so many similar releases over the years, I've found this crossover thrash record to possess enough energy & fun to keep me interested without ever threatening to see me reaching for my higher scores. I find myself quite enjoying about two thirds of the tracklisting but the other third is pretty uninteresting to tell you the truth. The length of the album is also a bit excessive for a crossover release & I have to wonder whether D.R.I. would simply have been better off culling a third of the album & presenting a record of a more consistent quality. In saying that, I'm not actually sure that would have seen me scoring "Full Speed Ahead" any higher than I have as there simply aren't enough high-scoring highlight tracks for that. Ultimately, if you like crossover thrash then you'll probably find some enjoyment here but I'll be surprised if it makes too many top tens.

3.5/5

Progressive deathcore from this trio featuring musicians from England, Sweden & Australia.

Let me just say up front that this is a release of high quality. I'd never heard of Slice The Cake prior to Saxy nominating this record for feature status but in hindsight this surprises me somewhat because they've got class flowing freely from every orifice. The band is essentially made up of a trio of talented individuals from all around the globe who have managed to produce an astoundingly ambitious & free-flowing record under the circumstances. Apparently it was recorded well before the release date too & was left to sit on the shelf for a number of years after the vocalist & the bass player & main song-writer had a major falling out. That's even more interesting because it's hard to imagine any of the band members not wanting to have this album hit some ear drums post-haste given the general professionalism in the composition & execution.

"Odyssey To The West" is generally touted as being a progressive deathcore record & that's a pretty apt description however it's worth knowing that the progressive metal portion outweighs the deathcore one fairly comfortably with the structures of both the songs & the riffs being far more ambitious than your average deathcore exponents can generally muster & the scope & variety of territory that's covered being a lot more impressive too. There are several vocal styles employed across the tracklisting ranging from spoken word to violent deathcore grunts & screams. There's clearly been an effort made to make a lot of the cleaner stuff sound a little bit unhinged & insane & it often reminds me of Korn's Jonathan Davis in this regard. It's also interesting that the RYM band page indicates that the drumming is programmed but if that's the case then I never would have picked it. It would have to have been a monumental effort to sit down & program the whole record beat by beat. I love the guitar solos which have clearly been influenced by Dream Theater's John Petrucci i.e. my all-time favourite lead guitarist. There's a djenty element to many of the riffs that's done extremely well too with the more complex rhythms being executed with the utmost ease & sounding far smoother than they would appear on paper.

It's hard to be critical of the consistency displayed across the fifteen tracks included as there are no genuinely weak moments. I definitely think the two cleaner balladish tracks are the weaker of the bunch although I also wouldn't argue with their inclusion as the album really needed them to break it up a bit given the lengthy 77 minute run time & that's the major weakness of "Odyssey To The West" in my opinion. Despite the undeiable quality of the material, the run time is simply too long which takes the edge off the whole thing a little bit during the back end of the record due to the listener's inability to take in this amount of complexity in one sitting & it subsequently tends to wash over you without a lot sticking during the first listen. For this reason, multiple listens are an absolute must in order to fully grasp the album as a piece of art.

Given the time though, "Odyssey To The West" has become one of the more impressive examples of the progressive deathcore sound. It doesn't quite reach the heights of The Contortionist's best work in my opinion but I'd probably take Slice The Cake over Born Of Osiris or After The Burial who don't have the same level of artistic credibility in my experience. Slice The Cake offer something a little bit different with musicality given as much focus as technicality & have succeeded in creating an intriguing & satisfying piece of work that will no doubt appeal to fans of the bands I've just mentioned.

4/5

I hadn't even noticed that Vinny. please replace it with this one:

Sentinel Beast - "Phantom Of The Opera" (from "Depths Of Death", 1986)

Yes, I'm in complete agreement with you there Sonny. Emperor were absolutely miles ahead of the rest. I also struggle with the subgenre most of the time too.

Here are my May submissions Vinny:

Hellfekted - "Woe To The Kingdom Of Blood" (from "Woe To The Kingdom Of Blood", 2020)

Holy Terror - "Do Unto Others" (from "Mind Wars", 1988) {You can find this one the "Total Terror" compilation on Spotify}

Sarcofago - "Screeches From The Silence" (from "The Laws Of Scourge", 1991)

Metallica - "Master Of Puppets" (from "Master Of Puppets", 1986)

Nuclear Assault - "Nuclear War" (from "Game Over", 1986)

Possessed - "Seance" (from "Beyond The Gates", 1986)

Razor - "Grindstone" (from "Malicious Intent", 1986)

Here are my May submissions:

Vastum - "Amniosis" (from "Hole Below", 2015)

Dying Fetus - "Destroy The Opposition" (from "Destroy The Opposition", 2000)

Gorguts - "Elusive Treasures" (from "From Wisdon To Hate", 2001)

Infernal Coil - "Bodies Set In Ashen Death" (from "Within A World Forgotten", 2018)

Infester - "Chamber Of Reunion" (from "To The Depths, In Degradation", 1994)

Sarcofago - "The Laws Of Scourge" (from "The Laws Of Scourge", 1991)

Waking The Cadaver - "Type A Secretor" (from "Perverse Recollections Of A Necromangler", 2008)

Here are my May submissions Sonny:

MonumentuM - "Fade To Grey" (from "In Absentia Christi", 1995)

The Ruins Of Beverast - "Exuvia" (from "Exuvia", 2017)

Type O Negative - "Love You To Death" (from "October Rust", 1996)

Here are my May submissions Ben:

Bestial Warlust - "Barbaric Horde" (from "Blood & Valour", 1995)

Infernal Coil - "Wounds Never Close" (from "Within A World Forgotten", 2018)

Dawn - "Malediction Murder" (from "Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy)", 1998)

Here's the plan for the May feature releases:

THE FALLEN: Sonny, Ben, Daniel

THE GATEWAY: Saxy S, Andi

THE GUARDIANS: Vinny, Xephyr, Andi

THE HORDE: Daniel, Vinny, Ben

THE INFINITE: Andi, Xephyr, Saxy S

THE NORTH: Vinny, Xephyr, Daniel, Sonny, Ben

THE PIT: Ben, Daniel, Sonny, Vinny

THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel

THE SPHERE: Daniel

Here's my May submission:

Manes - "Diving With Your Hands Bound" (from "Vilosophe", 2003)

Here's my May submission:

Killing Joke - "Judas Goat" (from "Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell", 2006)

Here's my May submission Andi:

Demon Hunter - "This Is The Line" (from "The World Is A Thorn", 2010)

Blackened death metal from Poland.

Behemoth - "The Satanist" (2014)

I gave the eleventh album from Polish extreme metal superstars Behemoth a revisit over the last couple of days & found that it's held up well. "The Satanist" was generally regarded as a serious player by most of its target audience at the time & with good reason too as it's arguably the band's best record. I do have to question it's credentials as a genuine classic though as I don't think it's anything above a very solid outing that highlights all of the things that make Behemoth one of the more popular death metal artists on the planet. But there's more to "The Satanist" than just death metal as you can comfortably hear the band's black metal roots throughout the tracklisting, especially the Bathory worship that borders on being a tribute on tracks like "O Father O Satan O Sun!" which borrows from Quorthon's classic "Under The Runes" more obviously than front man Nergal would like to admit. The blackened death metal tag is more than appropriate for the task here in my opinion.

So why aren't I onboard with the feelings of Behemoth's fan boys out there then? Well there's a few reasons. Firstly, I don't think there are enough genuine classics on offer here. The exciting "Furor divinus" is my clear favourite but I'm not sure any of the other inclusions manage to breach the top echelon of extreme metal anthems. I also find that one of the more popular tracks on the album "Ora pro nobis Lucifer" offers me very little in the way of appeal while the title track isn't all that it's cracked up to be either, despite taking off & recovering things in the back end. When Behemoth are at their best it's when drummer Inferno is blasting away at full throttle & his performance here is nothing short of devastating, particularly his precision blast beats & double kick work. Morbid Angel has clearly been a major influence here with similar riff structures being employed quite often. But when the band start to lose momentum is when they consciously keep things simpler & more accessible, at which time they can sometimes sound a little flat & generic. Despite this though, it's hard to deny that "The Satanist" is a high quality example of the blackened death metal sound. It's just not the game-changer that it's so regularly reported to be.

4/5

Ben, can you please rename this thread to April rather than March?

Ben, can you please rename this thread to April rather than March? I really shouldn't post these threads whilst cripplingly hungover.

April 2022

01. Code Orange – “(deeperthanbefore)” (from “Underneath”, 2020)

02. Samael – “For A Thousand Years” (from “Lux Mundi”, 2011)

03. Neurotech – “Awaiting Deception” (from “Antagonist”, 2011)

04. Unheilig – “Für immer” (from “Grosse Freiheit”, 2010)

05. Kong – “Horse L.” (from “Phlegm”, 1992)

06. Eisbrecher – “Die Engel” (from “Eiszeit”, 2010)

07. Pitchshifter – “Wafer Thin” (from “Deviant”, 2000)

08. Killing Joke – “Invocation” (from “Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell”, 2006) [Submitted by Vinny]

09. Author & Punisher – “Misery” (from “Krüller”, 2022)

10. Ministry – “Never Believe” (from “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”, 1989)

11. Lard – “Pineapple Face” (from “The Last Temptation Of Reid”, 1990)

12. Crisis Sigil – “Shape.” (from “Small Towns.”, 2020)

13. In This Moment – “Fly Like An Eagle” (from “Mother”, 2020)

14. Nine Inch Nails – “Gave Up” (from “Broken” E.P., 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

15. Apartment 26 – “Slicedbeats” (from “Hallucinating”, 2000)

16. Static-X – “This Is Not” (from “Machine”, 2001)

17. Godflesh – “Spinebender” (from “Godflesh” E.P., 1988)

18. Scorn – “Lick Forever Dog” (from “Vae Solis”, 1992)

19. Ghostemane – “Intro.Destitute” (from “ANTI-ICON”, 2020)

20. Morbid Angel – “Destructos vs. the Earth / Attack” (from “Illud Divinum Insanus”, 2011)

21. Skrew – “Charlemagne” (from “Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame”, 1992)

22. Mechina – “The Embers Of Old Earth” (from “Venator”, 2022)

23. Rammstein – “Feuer frei!” (from “Mutter”, 2001)

24. Old – “Disassemble” (from “Lo Flux Tube”, 1991)

25. Napalm Death – “Narcissus” (from “Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw of Throes” E.P., 2022)

26. Red Harvest – “Death In Cyborg Era” (from “Cold Dark Matter”, 2000)

27. Fear Factory – “Fear Campaign” (from “Mechanize”, 2010)

April 2022

01. Kanonenfieber – “Die Schlacht bei Tannenberg” (from “Menschenmühle”, 2021)

02. Before The Dawn – “Fear Me” (from “Deadlight”, 2007) [Submitted by Ben]

03. Allegaeon – “Into Embers” (from “Damnum”, 2022) [Submitted by Ben]

04. Damaged – “Token Remedies Research” (from “Token Remedies Research”, 1997)

05. Schizophrenia – “Cranial Disintegration” (from “Recollections Of The Insane”, 2022)

06. 7 Horns 7 Eyes – “Divine Amnesty” (from “Throes Of Absolution”, 2012) [Submitted by Daniel]

07. Napalm Death – “Narcissus” (from “Resentment Is Always Seismic - A Final Throw of Throes” E.P., 2022)

08. Mortiferum – “Incubus Of Bloodstained Visions” (from “Preserved In Torment”, 2021)

09. Ritual Necromancy – “Enter The Depths” (from “Ritual Necromancy/Fossilization” split E.P., 2022) [Submitted by Ben]

10. Earth Rot – “Towards A Godless Shrine” (from “Black Tides Of Obscurity”, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Immolation – “Into Everlasting Fire” (from “Dawn Of Possession”, 1991) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. Corpsegrinder – “On Wings Of Carnage” (from “Corpsegrinder”, 2022)

13. Nile – “The Black Flame” (from “Black Seeds Of Vengeance”, 2000) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Tribulation – “Sacrilegious Darkness” (from “The Horror”, 2009) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. Aeon – “Aeons Black” (from “Aeons Black”, 2012) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Morbid Angel – “Garden Of Disdain” (from “Kingdoms Disdained”, 2017) [Submitted by Vinny]

17. Ulcerate – “We Are Nil” (from “Everything Is Fire”, 2009) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. Hath – “All That Was Promised” (from “All That Was Promised”, 2022) [Submitted by Ben]

19. The Amenta – “Mictlan” (from “Mictlan” E.P., 2002) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Cannibal Corpse – “Compelled To Lacerate” (from “Gore Obsessed”, 2002) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Blood Red Throne – “Altered Genesis” (from “Altered Genesis”, 2005) [Submitted by Daniel]

22. Suffocation – “Surgery Of Impalement” (from “Souls To Deny”, 2004) [Submitted by Daniel]

23. Abominable Putridity – “Intracranial Parasite” (from “In The End Of Human Existence”, 2007)

The new playlists have just gone live everyone. Sorry for the delay & appreciate your patience.

It won’t be done today Andi. I’m in the process of moving house so don’t have the time or access. Patience please.

Pretty sure I didn’t submit that Mortal Sin track Vinny. “Face of Despair” was 1989 too.

This track sounds like trance DJs Tiesto, Ferry Corsten & Armin Van Buuren got blind drunk & tried to make a synth-driven black metal tune. I genuinely hate everything about it.

Trhä - "Novej kalhnjënno" E.P. (2020)

Wow! Just wow! This release seems to be picking up some big ratings on other sites however my experience with it today has been a very long way from enjoyable. "Novej kalhnjënno" sounds like this mysterious solo artist from an unknown location is trying for the lo-fi atmospheric black metal sound of an artist like Paysage d'Hiver but if that was the case then he hasn't managed to achieve much in the way of the ice-cold soundscapes that that underground legend is renowned for. Instead, Thét Älëf has drenched his black metal in wispy synthesizers that often remind me more of trance than metal. The vocals & blast beats are effective but I simply can't tolerate the light-weight atmosphere & the pleasantly melodic keyboards which are very much at odds with my idea of what black metal is or should ever strive to be. I guess I'm just not the target audience for this one but I still can't help but ponder how "Novej kalhnjënno" has managed to get noticed among the masses of black metal releases that hit the internet every day.

2/5

What I'm saying is that sites like RYM & Metal Archives are inherently biased towards & against certain subgenres & they therefore aren't inclusive of all music fan's opinions. Say for example you are a huge fan of nu metal, slam death metal, gorenoise, melodic metalcore, etc. If you use RYM as a guide then you have absolutely no decent releases to choose from because they're all unanimously down-rated for being... well... exactly what they're trying to be! How can a nu metal fan distinguish the good nu metal releases from the bad nu metal releases when all & sundry seem to go to town on their releases when they weren't ever a fan of nu metal in general. Also, RYM is synonymous with down-rating releases that are deemed as being generic. For example, if a band releases a very high quality straight-down-the-line blasting old-school black metal record, more often than not it'll receive average ratings at best whereas avant-garde/progressive versions of the black metal model will inevitably score more highly regardless of quality. Then we have Metal Archives & Metal Reddit that don't even consider many subgenres to be metal at all when they so clearly are (see alternative metal for example) & subsequently won't allow them on their site. The Metal Academy clans configuration was devised entirely to combat this sort of stuff by creating an environment where fans of any metal subgenre can have their say via the use of clan ratings.

On the RYM topic, you'll also find that certain genres take enormous priority over other on the site in general i.e. not just in metal circles. For example, hip hop absolutely dominates the charts (particularly the more experimental/avant-garde stuff) along with indie rock, post-rock, folk, etc. Mature dance music receives almost no coverage whatsoever & for a techno fan like myself I've always found it to be next to useless. It's to do with the fact that RYM is very much an American thing & also the age & cultural groups it attracts. In metal circles, you'll see your more commercial styles of metal receiving significantly less attention than death/black metal. That's not the way the scene works in reality though with the Five Finger Death Punch's of the world being far more popular than the Vektor's or The Ruins of Beverast's out there. It's simply the demographic that RYM attracts.

Deathcore-infused slam death metal at it's very worst.

Deathcore-infused slam death metal from New Jersey, USA.

Waking The Cadaver - "Perverse Recollections of a Necromangler" (2007)

Many of you are probably aware that one of the main reasons that Ben & I started the Metal Academy brand in the first place was to combat the atrocious bias displayed by the global metal market, particularly towards specific sub-sections of the metal audience. RateYourMusic is a prime example of this with their charts tending to be dominated by particular subgenres while others are unanimously panned more for being associated with their subgenre than for being a poor example of its type. Well, New Jersey slam deathcore outfit Waking The Cadaver have suffered from this affliction more than most & are widely regarded as one of the least popular bands on RYM despite being one of the more popular artists in the slam death metal scene. I wasn't familiar with their much-maligned 2007 debut album "Perverse Recollections of a Necromangler" before so I thought I'd challenge myself to see just how bad it could be. I forced myself to keep an open mind & made every effort to remove any preconceptions or bias from my mind throughout the process.

So what did I find? Well, let's start by stating that (despite the general consensus indicating otherwise) this is much more of a slam record than it is a deathcore one. Sure, there are breakdowns galore but those were common-place in the slam scene well before the deathcore kids adopted them which seems to have fooled a lot of the less experienced listeners out there. I mean if you don't like slam (which accounts for 99% of metalheads) then you'll stand absolutely no chance with this record & that fact alone will no doubt have contributed significantly to this album's demise. Secondly, Waking The Cadaver have some brutal & chunky riffs at times. That's a fact that needs to be recognized. But where the problems lie is in a) the completely indecipherable & overly gutteral (in the literal sense of the sound of water going down a drain) pig squeals that consistently go "Bbbrreeeeeeeee" throughout the album & b) the total lack of any drumming skills displayed by the man behind the kit who simply can't play a blast-beat to save his life & has this flaw exacerbated by one of those tinny, light-weight snare sounds that stands out very obviously in the mix. I could overcome the obviously generic nature of the Suffocation-style slam riffs & the super-predictable deathcore breakdowns if not for those two elements which leave a general stain on the album. It all just reeks of a band that weren't quite ready to record a proper release yet. I'm not too sure if they've since matured as musicians but it would have been interesting to see what this record sounded like if performed by someone more competent.

Is "Perverse Recollections of a Necromangler" really as bad as it's made out to be though? Look, if slam death metal & deathcore breakdowns aren't your thing then there's absolutely no doubt that your feelings will tend to align with the general consensus. In fact, you're likely to be repulsed by it with every fiber of your being. But if you like those particular subgenres of metal then this is really just another meaningless release in a scene that's completely flooded with them & it certainly doesn't deserve to be singled out merely due to it's being so focused on celebrating the elements that people hate about certain scenes. Personally, I can overcome some of those annoyances & see that there's some fun to be had here. Slam death metal shouldn't be overthought after all. Do I genuinely enjoy this release? No, not really. I love the intro track which sets the scene nicely but other than that there's really only one song that I find myself returning to i.e. "Type a Secretor". On the other hand though, this is far from the worst thing I've heard either because I'm an undeniable sucker for a chunky slam riff. I'd just encourage people to stick to their lanes when it comes to a record like this because its certainly not trying to change the world so comparing it with releases that are is a fruitless exercise with an inevitable outcome.

P.S. Tongue-in-cheek track titles like "Pigtails Are for Face Fucking" are certainly fun but do we really need to sit through 53 seconds of the band smoking bongs in the middle of the album?

3/5

It's clearly the same person Andi & it won't be anything they've done intentionally. Ben & I were discussing how these double entries are happening this morning actually with the most likely cause being poor internet connections of the users in question or internal caching issues with the database. The examples we looked at this morning showed no double-ups in the back end though so we'll have to keep any eye on this topic.

And here's my updated Top Ten:

01. Deathspel0l Omega – Kenose” E.P. (2005)

02. Akhlys – “The Dreaming I” (2015)

03. Darkthrone – “Transilvanian Hunger” (1994)

04. Oranssi Pazuzu – “Mestarin kynsi” (2020)

05. Oranssi Pazuzu – “Varahtelija” (2016)

06. Bathory – “Blood Fire Death” (1988)

07. Mayhem – “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” (1994)

08. Bathory – “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark” (1987)

09. Deathspell Omega – “Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeturnum: Chaining The Katechon” E.P. (2008)

10. Deathspell Omega - "Mass Grave Aesthetics" E.P. (2008)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/157

I haven't as yet but I plan to get to it shortly. And no there's nothing conventional about Deathspell Omega's sound. Unfortunately we don't have a dissonant/progressive/avant-garde black metal thread as yet.

An epic 20 minute dissonant/progressive French black metal excursion.

Deathspell Omega - "Mass Grave Aesthetics" E.P. (2008)

Most metalheads have a few bands that simply tick all of their boxes, bands that they find very hard to fault & are consistently dazzled by with each successive release. French black metallers Deathspell Omega are one of those bands for me. In fact, if classic Burzum is the pinnacle of the black metal sound for me then Deathspell Omega would quite possibly be in second place & that's a huge achievement for a band that I initially found difficult to tolerate.

2008's "Mass Grave Aesthetics" E.P. is one of several single track releases from the band & is yet another triumph following on from "Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon" which was released just a week earlier. (Weeeeelllll... if we're getting technical "Mass Grave Aesthetics" was originally released as part of a split release with fellow Frenchmen  Malicious Secrets back in 2005). This 20 minute piece has got everything that I love about Deathspell Omega: the unbelievable drumming, the best black metal vocals in the business, the dissonant experimentation, the ever-changing song structures that leave you wondering what insane twist lies around every corner, the darkest of black metal atmospheres, the stunning technique...  What's not to love?? Perhaps I rate this release a touch higher than most black metal fans seem to but you know what? I'm allowed to & you can't do anything about it so NER! *thumbs his nose at the reader*

4.5/5

So life is all a bit difficult this week. My wife & two daughters all have COVID so I've been stuck in our two bedroom apartment in isolation for the past 5-6 days. I'm still testing negative but it'll be disastrous if I test positive in the coming days as we've got to be out of our apartment with all of our belongings being moved into storage by Friday's settlement with the new owner. We'll be staying in a serviced apartment in the city for a week while we wait for the settlement of our new home on the Gold Coast on 7th April. I'm so looking forward to this relocation being over & done with so that I can go back to focusing solely on the extreme stresses that my everyday job has been presenting me with of late.

Here's my updated Top Ten Death Doom Metal Releases Of All Time list which has seen Anathema's "Crestfallen" E.P. dropping out to make way for The Ruins Of Beverast's "Exuvia":

01. diSEMBOWELMENT – “Transcendence Into The Peripheral” (1993)

02. Anathema – “Serenades” (1993)

03. My Dying Bride – “Turn Loose The Swans” (1993)

04. The Ruins Of Beverast - "Exuvia" (2017)

05. Anathema – “The Silent Enigma” (1995)

06. Katatonia – “Brave Murder Day” (1996)

07. My Dying Bride – “Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium” E.P. (1992)

08. Mar de Grises – “Streams Inwards” (2010)

09. Daylight Dies – “A Frail Becoming” (2012)

10. My Dying Bride – “The Thrash Of Naked Limbs” E.P. (1992)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/131

Here's my revised list:

1970: Black Sabbath – “Paranoid”

1971: Black Sabbath – “Master Of Reality”

1972: Black Sabbath – “Vol 4”

1973: Black Sabbath – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”

1974: Budgie – “In For The Kill”

1975: Black Sabbath – “Sabotage”

1976: Judas Priest - "Sad Wings Of Destiny"

1977: Quartz – “Quartz”

1978: Judas Priest – “Killing Machine”

1979: Judas Priest – “Unleashed In The East”

1980: Diamond Head – “Lightning To The Nations”

1981: Motorhead – “No Sleep Till Hammersmith”

1982: Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil”

1983: Slayer – “Show No Mercy”

1984: Metallica – “Ride The Lightning”

1985: Exodus – “Bonded By Blood”

1986: Slayer – “Reign In Blood”

1987: Bathory – “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark”

1988: Metallica – “…And Justice For All”

1989: Morbid Angel – “Altars Of Madness”

1990: Slayer - "Seasons In The Abyss"

1991: Death – “Human”

1992: Alice In Chains – “Dirt”

1993: diSEMBOWELMENT – “Transcendence Into The Peripheral”

1994: Darkthrone – “Transilvanian Hunger”

1995: Suffocation – “Pierced From Within”

1996: Burzum – “Filosofem”

1997: The Gathering - "Nighttime Birds"

1998: ISIS – “The Mosquito Control” E.P.

1999: Botch - "We Are The Romans"

2000: Immolation – “Close To A World Below”

2001: Tool - "Lateralus"

2002: ISIS – “Oceanic”

2003: Boris – “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“

2004: ISIS – “Panopticon”

2005: Deathspell Omega – “Kenose” E.P.

2006: Celtic Frost – “Monotheist”

2007: Ufomammut/Lento - "Supernaturals - Record One"

2008: Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" E.P.

2009: Dragged Into Sunlight - "Hatred For Mankind"

2010: Deathspell Omega - "Paracletus"

2011: Inside The Beehive - "Drink Bleach; Live Forever" E.P.

2012: 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes Of Absolution"

2013: The Amenta - "Flesh Is Heir"

2014: Dead Congregation - "Promulgation Of The Fall"

2015: Akhlys - "The Dreaming I"

2016: Mick Gordon - "Doom (Original Game Soundtrack)"

2017: The Ruins Of Beverast - "Exuvia"

2018: Infernal Coil - "Within A World Forgotten"

2019: Altesia - "Paragon Circus"

2020: Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi"

2021: Fange - "Pantocrator"

An epic German death doom metal excursion of the highest order.

The Ruins Of Beverast - "Exuvia" (2017)

With each revisit I really find myself becoming more & more enamoured with this fifth album from German solo act The Ruins Of Beverast due to the sheer scope & ambition that "Exuvia" possesses in spades. It not only drips of darkness & underground street credibility but it also pushes the boundaries of the doom/death subgenre in ways that make it seem like an uncomfortable fit next to other releases of its type. The tribal ambience that perpetuates most of the album is truly unique while the use of traditional death metal & black metal components never sound like a drastic change of scope & are more of a logical progression for the album. There are a few moments that don't quite hit the mark as well as others but when Alexander von Meilenwald gets his doom on there are few that can touch him with the production & execution being outstanding. I particularly love the deep, tribal drum sound & the thick, powerful guitar tone. It's also very rare that you'll find a solo artist that's as proficient as Alexander is across the whole gamut of instrumentation too. There's an undeniable class about this release as a piece of art & I've fallen head over heals for the sheer weight of its proficiency & grandeur.

4.5/5

For this weekend's top ten list I decided to go for my Top Ten Melodic Black Metal Releases of All Time. See what you think. There are certainly some surprises in there:

01. Dissection – “Storm Of The Light’s Bane” (1995)

02. Rotting Christ – “Non Seriam” (1994)

03. Mare Cognitum – “Solar Paroxysm” (2021)

04. Les Chat de Nihil – “Le tyran et l’esthete” (2021)

05. Dawn – “Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy)” (1998)

06. Keep of Kalessin – “Reclaim” E.P. (2003)

07. Iskald – “The Sun I Carried Alone” (2011)

08. Naglfar – “Teras” (2012)

09.  Abigail Williams - "In The Absence Of Light" (2010)

10. Dissection - "The Somberlain" (1993)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/164

Late 90's Swedish melodic black metal.

Dawn - "Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)" (1998)

This was my first revisit to Swedish melodic black metaller Dawn's third & final full-length in quite a while & I was quickly reminded of why I've always regarded them as one of the premier exponents of the sound. There's not a lot of experimentation going here but neither does there need to be with the quality of the material being consistently strong throughout. The album is made up of six lengthy tracks of around ten minutes each plus a short two minute folk piece. The 60 minute run time is certainly a little ambitious but there's enough variation in tempo to keep me well & truly engaged. Every track offers moments that see Dawn traversing the sort of territory that's generally reserved for the top tier black metal acts but unfortunately they can't quite get through a track without throwing in a flat beat or a dud melody to bring them back to the tier twos. There's a consistent energy to the drumming that I really enjoy while front man Henke Forss possesses a great black metal growl that sits somewhere between Carcass' Jeff Walker & Emperor's Ihsahn. That's not the only Emperor reference here either as the Norwegian symphonic black metal godfathers were clearly a major influence on Dawn, as were melodic black metal champions Dissection for that matter only Dawn steer well clear of the melodeath elements that perpetuate their idol's sound. The more blasting sections are unsurprisingly the more appealing parts of Dawn's sound for me personally but Hyporcisy/Bloodbath/Lindemann main man Peter Tägtgren has done a splendid job with the glistening production job which gives "Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)" some additional accessibility. If you love your meloblack then this should be essential listening.

4/5

Brazilian thrash metal from the early 90's.

Sarcófago - "The Laws Of Scourge" (1991)

This is my first revisit to the Brazilian cult band's third album in quite some time. I got into Sarcófago in my very early days of tape trading so I first head "The Laws Of Scourge" pretty shortly after it was released & remember digging it quite a bit. It hasn't aged as well as I'd hoped though to be honest but there's still a fair bit to enjoy here. Those of you who are expecting the evil black metal of their 1987 debut "I.N.R.I." will be disappointed because Sarcófago had changed their style further towards the thrash metal of Slayer, Kreator & Sodom by this stage only they'd mixed it in with the death/thrash of early Sepultura & a significant amount of Candlemass style atmospheric doom metal. Does it all work? Well, yeah it does but I'm not sure all of the influences gel perfectly just yet. The doomier sections sound almost exactly like "Clouds" era Tiamat & I'd be very surprised if "The Laws Of Scourge" wasn't an influence on that particular record which was released the following year. I'd suggest that there's a Viking era Bathory influence to the regular use of keyboards here & you can expect the band's signature blast beats to raise their head occasionally too (& yes they still struggle for timing). I'm not sure I love the sweep picking sections as they sound more like wanky show-off exercises than melodies. Unsurprisingly it's the thrashier & more deathly material that most tickles my fancy the most with the opening title track, album highlight "Screeches From the Silence" & the remake of "I.N.R.I."s "The Black Vomit" being my tracks of preference but there are no weak songs included here with all of this material possessing a suitable amount of underground authenticity & credibility. In saying that though, I don't think this release belongs in The Horde as the thrash-to-death ratio is set firmly over to the thrash side with death only making occasional appearances. I'll be submitting a Hall entry for that shortly. Overall I think I slightly prefer "I.N.R.I." over "The Laws Of Scourge" these days but there's very little in it. I don't think Sarcófago sound quite as vital in 2022 as they did to a teenage me thirty years ago but it's still nice to indulge in nostalgia from time to time nonetheless.

3.5/5

A lengthy progressive metal epic from this Norwegian alternative metal outfit.

Manes - "Vilosophe" (2003)

Ben recommended me this wonderful sophomore release from a Norwegian band that began life playing black metal & features The 3rd & The Mortal drummer Rune Hoemsnes. Four years later they returned with this beautifully composed, produced & executed record that simply oozes of professionalism. "Vilosophe" is currently tagged as Non-Metal as it's often referred to as Alternative Rock but I'd suggest that there's actually more Alternative Metal than there is Alternative Rock on offer here. That's not all though because you'll find Manes also dabbling in a whole array of different subgenres from progressive/art rock to trip hop to drum 'n' bass to dark ambient & they do them all justice within a very consistent tracklisting. Front man Asgeir Hatlen possesses a whiny yet deeply compelling voice that reminds me a fair bit of The Mars Volta & Wolfmother. He fills a very important role within the band as he often carries Manes through their less effective undertakings, particularly during the more traditional alternative rock tracks & the more hectic drum 'n' bass accompanied sections. The strongest moments are when Manes get a little deeper & more progressive though as they seem to have a knack for creating some uniquely imposing atmospheres. The programming could have been a touch better as the album starts with the weakest song & then proceeds into the lengthy highlight track which should so obviously have closed the album out as far as I'm concerned but I can't deny how genuinely captivating "Vilosophe" is. In fact, I think I may just have found a new Top Ten Alternative Metal release right here.

4.5/5

Filthy yet atmospheric mid-90's death metal from Seattle, USA.

Infester - "To The Depths, In Degradation" (1994)

I became aware of Seattle-based death metal outfit Infester (a side project for super-offensive goregrind band Meat Shits) very early on in their recording career after receiving their 1992 "Darkness Unveiled" demo through the tape trading scene. It didn't do a lot for me to be honest however the underground buzz around their 1994 debut album "To The Depths, In Degradation" saw me giving them a second chance shortly after release. Honestly, I couldn't see what all the fuss was about then & I still can't today as this album simply sounds like a thousand other also-rans that were out there in the death metal scene at the time. If I had to describe Infester's sound I'd suggest that they take the grimey graveyard/serial killer aesthetic of Autopsy, combine it will the brutality of early Suffocation & then throw in some of the atmospherics of Finnish bands like Demilich only the result isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds. An awful production job is probably my biggest concern with the fuzzy guitars being much too far back in the mix to allow them to be effective. Jason O's monstrous & unintelligible vocals are probably the highlight for most fans though as they have a lot of similarities to the early works of Suffocation's Frank Mullen only they don't sit nearly as well over the instrumentation. The level of the musicianship & execution is generally pretty poor too. On the positive side though, Infester have the most success when they focus on their more atmospheric side which is often accompanied by their doomier riffage. When they get more technical they're a bit too messy to pull it off. I guess I just like the idea of Infester far more than the reality & are surprised that this record has become a cult classic over time.

3/5