Daniel's Forum Replies
Here's my March submission:
Bullet For My Valentine - "Shatter" (from "Bullet For My Valentine", 2021)
Here's my March submission:
Karnivool - "Synops" (from "Themata", 2005)
Here are my March submissions:
Ufomammut/Lento - "Infect Two" (from "Supernaturals - Record One", 2007)
Converge - "Blood Moon" (from "Bloodmoon: I", 2021)
Neurosis - "Lost" (from "Enemy Of The Sun", 1994)
Here's the plan for the March feature releases:
THE FALLEN: Ben, Daniel, Sonny
THE GATEWAY: Saxy S, Andi
THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Andi, Vinny
THE HORDE: Vinny, Ben, Daniel
THE INFINITE: Xephyr, Saxy S, Andi
THE NORTH: Sonny, Ben, Vinny, Xephyr, Daniel
THE PIT: Sonny, Vinny, Ben, Daniel
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel
February 2022
01. Skrew – “Orifice” (from “Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame”, 1992)
02. Samael – “Of War” (from “Lux Mundi”, 2011)
03. Neurotech – “Inject Me Now” (from “Antagonist”, 2011)
04. Rammstein – “Mein Herz brennt” (from “Mutter”, 2001)
05. Rob Zombie – “The Much Talked Of Metamorphosis” (from “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”, 2021)
06. Lard – “Hellfudge” (from “The Power Of Lard” E.P., 1988)
07. Ministry – “Believe Me” (from “Moral Hygiene”, 2021)
08. Keygen Church – “G E B U E R J E I T” (from “░█░█░░█░█░█░”, 2021)
09. Eisbrecher – “Bombe” (from “Eiszeit”, 2010)
10. Unheilig – “Das Meer” (from “Grosse Freiheit”, 2010)
11. Die Krupps – “Crossfire” (from “II: The Final Option”, 1993)
12. Mechina – “Purity Storm” (from “Siege”, 2021)
13. Apartment 26 – “Backwards” (from “Hallucinating”, 2000)
14. Nine Inch Nails – “Pinion” (from “Broken” E.P., 1992)
15. Author & Punisher – “Drone Carrying Dread” (from “Krüller”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]
16. Godflesh – “Avalanche Master Song” (from “Godflesh” E.P., 1988)
17. Pitchshifter – “New Flesh” (from “Industrial”, 1991)
18. Old – “Lo Flux Tube” (from “Lo Flux Tube”, 1991)
19. Fear Factory – “Recode” (from “Aggression Continuum”, 2021)
20. Meathook Seed – “My Infinity” (from “Embedded”, 1993)
21. Scorn – “Spasm” (from “Vae Solis”, 1992)
22. Static-X – “Get To The Gone” (from “Machine”, 2001)
23. Morbid Angel – “Too Extreme!” (from “Illud Divinum Insanus”, 2011)
24. Thorns – “Shifting Channels” (from “Thorns”, 2001)
25. …And Oceans – “White Synthetic Noise” (from “A.M. G.O.D.”, 2001)
26. Youth Code & King Yosef – “Burner” (from “A Skeleton Key In The Doors Of Depression”, 2021)
27. Red Harvest – “Fix, Hammer, Fix” (from “Cold Dark Matter”, 2000)
28. Kill The Thrill – “Us & Them” (from “Tellurique”, 2005) [Submitted by Daniel]
February 2022
01. Krisiun – “The Will To Potency” (from “The Great Execution”, 2011) [Submitted by Vinny]
02. Dungeon Serpent – “Necroscope” (from “World of Sorrows” E.P., 2021)
03. Voidceremony – “Entropic Reflections Continuum” (from “At The Periphery Of Human Realms” E.P., 2022)
04. Dark Tranquillity – “Insanity’s Crescendo” (from “The Mind’s I”, 1997) [Submitted by Daniel]
05. Edge Of Sanity – “Enigma” (from “Unorthodox”, 1992) [Submitted by Ben]
06. Devoid Of Thought – “Sidereal Necrosis” (from “Outer World Graves”, 2021)
07. Revocation – “The Outer Ones” (from “The Outer Ones”, 2018) [Submitted by Ben]
08. Hypocrisy – “Worship” (from “Worship”, 2021)
09. Autopsy – “In The Grip Of Winter” (from “Retribution For The Dead” E.P., 1991) [Submitted by Vinny]
10. Carcass – “Hepatic Tissue Fermentation II” (from “Tools Of The Trade” E.P., 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
11. Undergang – “Hjerternes Tid” (from “Cadaveric Incubator/Undergang” split E.P., 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
12. Cadaveric Fumes – “The Stirring Unknown” (from “Echoing Chambers Of Soul”, 2021) [Submitted by Ben]
13. Genocide Pact – “Led To Extinction” (from “Genocide Pact”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
14. Shadow Of Intent – “Gravesinger” (from “Melacholy”, 2019) [Submitted by Ben]
15. Hyperdontia – “Lacerated & Bursting” (from “Hideous Entity”, 2021)
16. Anachronism – “Orogeny” (from “Orogeny”, 2018) [Submitted by Ben]
17. Cannibal Corpse – “Devoured By Vermin” (from “Vile”, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]
18. Succumb – “Maenad” (from “XXI”, 2021)
19. Abysmal Dawn – “In Service Of Time” (from “Leveling The Plane Of Existence”, 2011) [Submitted by Vinny]
20. Aborted – “Skullfuck Crescendo” (from “Engineering The Dead”, 2001 [Submitted by Daniel]
21. Cretin – “Freakery” (from “Stranger”, 2014) [Submitted by Daniel]
22. Cryptopsy – “Defenestration” (from “Blasphemy Made Flesh”, 1994) [Submitted by Daniel]
23. Putridity – “Conceived Through Vermination” (from “Ignominious Atonement”, 2015) [Submitted by Ben]
24. Abominable Putridity – “A Burial For The Abandoned” (from “The Anomalies Of Artificial Origin”, 2012) [Submitted by Daniel]
25. Cannabis Corpse – “Mummified In Bong Water” (from “Tube Of The Resinated”, 2008) [Submitted by Vinny]
What are your thoughts on the genre-tagging of this release Andi? Do you agree with my thoughts?
Yeah, definitely one of the highlights of the "Killing Technology" album. I'll never be convinced that Voivod are/were a thrash metal band though.
Some chunky heavy metal from this South African-based video game soundtrack producer.
石渡太輔 [Daisuke Ishiwatari] - "Guilty Gear -STRIVE- Original Sound Track Vol. 1" (2021)
A 90 minute progressive metal outing from a South African video game soundtrack producer that's beautifully executed & is quite ambitious as far as the song-writing & composition go. It's been tagged as a heavy/power metal release on RYM but this is first & foremost a progressive metal release in my opinion. You'll get bits & pieces of a whole slew of melodic metal subgenres from the traditional Judas Priest brand of heavy metal to the thrashier groove metal infused style of Nevermore to the funky alternative metal of Faith No More to the progressive metal of Devin Townsend. And yes there's even a touch of power metal, pop metal & thrash metal thrown in for good measure but it all sounds surprisingly fluent given the genre-hopping nature of the video game soundtrack format. In fact, you could easily overlook the fact that it's a soundtrack release if you weren't made aware of it. The cheesier, more theatrical & cinematic moments aren't to my taste but there can be no denying the talent on display, particularly the powerful Devin Townsend style vocals which even pay tribute to Mike Patton on occasions. I found myself really digging the chunkier, groovier metal material & was also partial to bopping along to the funkier stuff a lot of the time too. It's not a bad release overall & I think Andi, Xephyr & Saxy will likely get more out of it than I do.
3.5/5
My updated Top Ten Stoner Metal Releases Of All Time list (featuring a couple of newly qualified inclusions & removing one that no longer qualifies):
01. Electric Wizard – “We Live” (2004)
02. High On Fire – “De vermis mysteriis” (2012)
03. Electric Wizard – “Let Us Prey” (2002)
04. Adrift For Days – “The Lunar Maria” (2010)
05. Electric Wizard – “Supercoven” E.P. (1998)
06. Electric Wizard – “Dopethrone” (2000)
07. Boris – “あくまのうた (Akuma no uta)” (2003)
08. Electric Wizard – “Come My Fanatics…” (1997)
09. Elder – “Spires Burn/Release” E.P. (2012)
10. Electric Wizard - "Witchcult Today" (2007)
My updated Top Ten Power Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Kamelot - "The Black Halo" (2005)
02. Iced Earth - "Alive In Athens" (1999)
03. Unleash The Archers - "Apex" (2017)
04. Lost Horizon - "Awakening The World" (2001)
05. Blind Guardian - "Imaginations From The Other Side" (1995)
06. Lost Horizon - "A Flame To The Ground Beneath" (2003)
07. Blind Guardian - "Nightfall In Middle-Earth" (1998)
08. Blind Guardian - "Live" (2003)
09. Blind Guardian - "Somewhere Far Beyond" (1992)
10. Eternity's End - "Embers Of War" (2021)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/139
Impressive German power metal from a bunch of tech death masters.
Eternity's End - "Embers Of War" (2021)
I simply had to hear this album after reading Xephyr's review & discovering that it included lead guitarist Christian Muenzner (Defeated Sanity/Necrophagist/Obscura/Spawn Of Possession), bassist Linus Klausenitzer (Obscura) & drummer Hannes Grossmann (Hate Eternal/Necrophagist/Obscura/Triptykon). I needed to gain an understanding of what it'd be like if tech death masters of this ilk pointed their skills towards a neoclassical power metal record & the results weren't exactly what I expected but neither were they a total surprise. If you didn't know about the pedigree & credentials of the instrumentalists on display here you'd never know it was them because this album absolutely celebrates European power metal in all its cheesy glory but it does it in a way that oozes professionalism & class. I've never been a particular fan of neoclassical lead guitar solos in my metal but its hard to argue when someone pulls it off as comprehensively as Muenzner does here. Yngwie Malmsteen has clearly been a major influence on him as there's some total worship going on throughout the tracklisting. Grossmann is one of the greatest blasting death metal drummers of all time but you won't get an inkling of that here with only his ridiculously high quality double kick work remaining. I can't say that I genuinely love any of this stuff as it simply falls too far outside of my comfort zone but there are enough quality hooks & flashy progressive metal sections to keep me interested along with a stellar metal production job that really does highlight all the best attributes of Eternity's End's sound. I have to admit that there are a few tracks that come across as a bit flat to my ears (see "Bane of the Black Sword", the unambitious speed metal of "Deathrider" & particularly the cheesy gang-vocal led chorus of "Arcturus Prime") but the other five tracks are all pretty enjoyable with "Call of the Valkyries" & "Shaded Heart" being my album highlights. The occasional references to Judas Priest's "Painkiller" album are a real treat & I found "Embers Of War" to be a pretty enjoyable record overall. I'm glad I gave it a few spins even though I'm unlikely to return to it all that often.
3.5/5
Andi, this'll be right up your alley.
What are your thoughts on the correct genre-tagging for "Holoceno" Sonny? It's currently tagged as Avant-Garde Metal.
Updated my list a bit. Decided to grant the Anathema & Pig Destroyer releases qualification after all.
For this weekend's top list I've put together my Top Ten Conventional Black Metal Releases Of All Time. You'll notice their are a couple here that aren't exactly conventional in nature but I chose to go with them anyway as there's not really another subgenre that fits them on the site. See what you think.
1. Deathspell Omega – Kenose” E.P. (2005)
2. Akhlys – “The Dreaming I” (2015)
3. Darkthrone – “Transilvanian Hunger” (1994)
4. Oranssi Pazuzu – “Mestarin kynsi” (2020)
5. Oranssi Pazuzu – “Varahtelija” (2016)
6. Bathory – “Blood Fire Death” (1988)
7. Mayhem – “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” (1994)
8. Bathory – “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark” (1987)
9. Deathspell Omega – “Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeturnum: Chaining The Katechon” E.P. (2008)
10. Darkthrone – “A Blaze In The Northern Sky” (1992)
Altarage's "Succumb" (I assume that's what you were referring to Vinny) was my AOTY too until this morning when the Fange record saw me changing my tune late in the game.
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" (2009)
2010: Deathspell Omega - "Paracletus"
2011: Inside The Beehive - "Drink Bleach; Live Forever" E.P.
2012: Deftones - "Koi no Yokan"
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: Fen - "Winter"
2018: Messa - "Feast For Water"
2019: Altesia - "Paragon Circus"
2020: Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi"
2021: Fange - "Pantocrator"
My updated top ten list:
01. 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes Of Absolution" (2012)
02. Death - "Human" (1991)
03. Suffocation - "Despise The Sun" E.P. (1998)
04. Suffocation - "Pinnacle Of Bedlam" (2013)
05. Death – “Individual Thought Patterns” (1993)
06. Gorguts – “Colored Sands” (2013)
07. Ulcerate – “Everything Is Fire” (2009)
08. Ad Nauseam - "Imperative Imperceptible Impulse" (2021)
09. Death – “Symbolic” (1995)
10. Nile – “Annihilation Of The Wicked” (2005)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/148
My updated top ten list:
01. Pig Destroyer – “Natasha” E.P. (2008)
02. Isis – “The Mosquito Control” E.P. (1998)
03. Gaza – “No Absolutes In Human Suffering” (2012)
04. Monarch! – “Omens” (2012)
05. Fange – “Pantocrator” (2021)
06. Mastodon – “Leviathan” (2004)
07. Black Cobra – “Invernal” (2011)
08. Ufomammut – “Eve” (2010)
09. High On Fire – “De vermis mysteriis” (2012)
10. Celeste - “Morte(s) Nee(s)” (2010)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/133
Industrial sludge metal from Rennes, France.
Fange - "Pantocrator" (2021)
Where the fuck did this short thirty minute gem of an album come from?! I think I might just have found my new AOTY right here. Imagine the super dark & crushingly heavy sludge metal of Primitive Man combined with the mechanical industrial beats of Godflesh & the cold production of Uniform & you won't be far off the mark. Throw in some death metal riffs too just to stroke my comfort zone a but more too. I just fucking love this shit!
4.5/5
Icy cold Canadian black metal in the vein of the classic Norwegian Second Wave.
Spectral Wound - "A Diabolic Thirst" (2021)
Aaaahhhhh.... here we go. Some straight down the line classic black metal in the vein of the Norwegian second wave & it's done really well too. I love Spectral Wound's sound; the screaming vocals, the icy cold buzzsaw guitars, the consistently blasting drums... You shouldn't expect anything drastically different here but damn it's a well executed package. Unfortunately there are a few bouncy rock beats included on tracks like "Frigid & Spellbound" & "Soul Destroying Black Debauchery" that taint their impact a touch. There's a stronger sense of melody than many of their contemporaries too. Not enough to command the Melodic Black Metal tag that I see on our database mind you. These minor quibbles aren't enough to curb my enthusiasm for what is essentially a representation of a band that's glorifying & basking in the essence of true black metal though. I think Mare Cognitum still have top spot for the year for me in the black metal stakes thus far with Ethereal Shroud coming in a close second but I'll give this one third spot ahead of Les Chants de Nihil & Panopticon. Just check out tracks like the massive album closer "Diabolical Immanence" or the dark as fuck album highlight "Mausoleal Drift" if you want to feel true black metal atmosphere.
4/5
Some fantastically psychedelic progressive rock/metal from Brazil.
Papangu - "Holoceno" (2021)
I checked out the Papangu album over the weekend & really enjoyed it. It's got a lovely late 60's/early 70's vibe about it & gets progressively better & better as you move through the tracklisting with the tracks get longer & more expansive. In fact I'd suggest that, despite the first four of the seven tracks being reasonably enjoyable, the record doesn't actually start reaching its full potential until the last three songs, particularly the epic ten-minute title track that closes out the album. I have to say that I'm baffled by the genre tags that seem to be associated with "Holoceno" though. Avant-garde metal? Not a chance. Nothing here sounds particularly avant-garde. Zeuhl? Not really, no. Sludge metal? There's absolutely no sludge here whatsoever. In fact I'd actually suggest that even calling this a metal record is a stretch because the metal component is really only visible for a small portion of the album. Progressive rock is comfortably the main focus here with heavy psych also playing a major role in the back end & I'm much more likely to reference Yes or Flower Travellin' Band than I am Mastodon or Melvins. The tone & aesthetic is kinda similar to stoner rock at times which is kinda cool (see opening track "Ave-Bala" for example). I think I can just manage to convince myself to accept a progressive metal primary as when Papangu do get their metal on they certainly make it count (as witnessed in the four minutes of pure black metal in "Terra Arrasada"). Anyway.. it's a really interesting listen & a quality release that fans of The Infinite should really investigate.
4/5
P.S. How the fuck did Torstein Lofthus (i.e. the former drummer from Norwegian avant-garde progressive metal outfit Shining) become involved with this bunch of Brazilians??
Effluence - "Psychocephalic Spawning" (2021)
Given the glut of high ratings I've seen for this debut full-length from US solo act Effluence, I thought I'd better give it a few spins before January was out. It's been touted as an avant-garde take on brutal/technical death metal that takes the extremity to.... well.... the extreme... & that's not an understatement by any means but sadly "Psychocephalic Spawning" offers far more in novelty value than it does in substance. You see, this record is guilty of pushing the threshold of what can logically be considered to be music further than I'm comfortable with & ultimately comes across sounding like Devourment & Phyllomedusa collaborating on a Naked City/Painkiller cover project. Not in a good way either. Matt Stephens has used a bunch of non-traditional instruments here but do I really ever need to hear recorder used in my extreme metal? The answer is a categorical "Fuck no I don't!" I'm afraid. In fact, it all comes across as sounding pretty silly to be honest. I mean the vocals are just one long continuous gurgle. Does this album really qualify as a brutal death metal release? Yeah there's definitely enough common elements here to make that claim with the focus being primarily on pure savagery & the blasting drums ascending to gravity blast levels at times. I have my doubts about the tech death claim though as there's virtually no precision on display here, despite some quite adventurous song structures. The gutteral nature of the vocals & some of the mid-paced riffage hint at a slam death metal influence however the ridiculously over the top wall of noise showcases stronger affiliations with the divisive gorenoise subgenre. At times the chaos borders on being completely improvised but you definitely get the feeling that Stephens knows exactly what he's doing. The longer pieces seem to be the ones that are getting the majority of the praise but personally I found the shorter tracks to be the most tolerable as they were perhaps a touch more traditional in structure. At the end of the day "Psychocephalic Spawning" seems to be designed for stoned teenagers to laugh their arses off to but it offers very little in the way of genuine replay value for me personally. I guess I just prefer a more serious brand of death metal.
2/5
For the sake of clarity, the releases I listed are not the only releases that will be considered for the ultimate award. I was just trying to highlight records that have been significant this year to try to promote some fresh listens & get some healthy discussion going. Feel free to add any that you feel should be here.
That’s a seriously interesting list Scarecrow. Well done!
It is absolutely “imperative” that you get on this one with great urgency Vinny. It’ll be right up your alley.
Powerful & emotionally engaging US post-sludge metal.
Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - "Bloodmoon: I" (2021)
What a stunning collaboration this is then!? I'd never given gothic rock artist Chelsea Wolfe a real chance before but her style beautifully compliments the sludgy atmosphere & riffage of metalcore masters Converge here for a varied & emotionally engaging journey that sees both artists stretching themselves into uncharted territory while never really sounding outside of their comfort zones. The beginning & end of this record are utterly spectacular while the middle requires multiple listens for its charms to fully sink in so I saw the appeal of "Bloodmoon:I" increasing dramatically with each revisit. The gothic rock/ethereal wave influence from Chelsea is certainly evident on some of this material but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with Gothic Metal being a primary genre for this record. The post-sludge metal tag is more than sufficient to cover most of this material with full-blown sludge metal pushing for inclusion but failing at the last hurdle due to the large amount of ground this album covers & the phenomenal atmosphere it pervades. I often found myself referencing Mastodon's progressive sludge metal sound while a couple of the tracks even hint at an Alice In Chains/alternative metal feel. There's just so much substance to this material. "Bloodmoon: I" definitely represents one of the strongest releases I've heard from 2021.
4.5/5
Ok, I get where you're coming from. I think I might have a listen to a few more examples of Trance Metal & see how they feel with that in mind. Let's see how I go with these three:
This one seems to sit somewhere between melodic death metal & symphonic power metal. It wouldn't fit perfectly into The Gateway OR The Guardians but it's definitely closer to the Guardians' Power Metal sound. It's certainly nothing to do with The Gateway or The Revolution in my opinion.
This one is pretty much a poppier version of melodic metalcore with some trancey elements thrown in for good measure. I'd suggest that it'd probably fit well enough under the Trancecore banner rather than the Trance Metal one.
This one isn't really very synth-driven so I'd suggest it shouldn't really qualify for Trance Metal status. I can see why it would fit into Alternative Metal but it's probably just as much a Heavy Metal song. There's not any Power Metal or Symphonic Metal here.
Hhhmmm... I think I'm still sitting closer to thinking that Trance Metal should be a genre of The Guardians & can have multiple tags added to cater for additional elements when required. It's not a very well defined subgenre though in my opinion & I think we'd probably all be better served by not separating these releases from the more traditional subgenres that they draw their basic building blocks from.
I generally agree with the consensus here. I'm very much onboard with the quality & diversity that the current crop of metal artists seem to be producing in spades. We don't have any hugely popular yet fairly commercial sounding subgenres flooding the market to taint our impressions of what metal is these days like we have at certain times in the past but that also means that we're not seeing huge amounts of new fans being introduced to the scene either. Metal Academy's ongoing struggle to build a sizable contributing membership in an ever-shrinking metal market is as strong an indicator of that as any but you don't have to look very hard to find a scintillating new metal experience. I do have to mention though that the metal festival scene doesn't do the market any favours by consistently producing lineups that are focused purely on past glories rather than giving any sort of exposure to the current crop of potential stars. This is obviously an indication of what the market wants to hear of course & it's another sign of a metal scene that's generally regarded as having peaked many years ago but it'd be nice to see some promoters taking some risks occasionally.
High quality & hugely climactic melodic black metal from California, USA.
Mare Cognitum - "Solar Paroxysm" (2021)
Last year's fifth album from Californian atmospheric black metal solo act Mare Cognitum is a high quality affair that showcases an artist with a ridiculous amount of raw talent right across the instrumental spectrum. There's no sign of a weaker track in this solid 56 minute/five track exercise in blasting melodic black metal. In fact, Jacob Buczarski just seems to go from strength to strength with the hugely climactic atmosphere of closing number "Ataraxia Tunnels" being my album highlight. I have to admit that Mare Cognitum's sound is a little more melodic than I'm comfortable with & that was always going to see my rating potential being limited but I can't deny the professionalism in the song-writing & execution here. The one thing that I will say though is that apart from one track (i.e. the very strong "Terra Requiem") this is not even close to an atmospheric black metal release so it took me a couple of listens to reset my expectations. 80% of the tracklisting is pure melo-black metal in my opinion. Still... I'd probably take this album over the likes of "Trisagion", "Le tyran et l'esthète" & "…And Again Into The Light" so it's doing a lot of things right.
4/5
In my opinion Trance Metal fits much better in The Gateway because Alternative Metal is usually what's given as a catch-all to "Pop Metal," which is what Trance Metal is usually going for. I get the comparisons to Symphonic and Power Metal, as especially the Japanese strain of Trance Metal is heavily influenced by the styles, but I don't think Trance Metal at all fits aesthetically with The Guardians (not that I'm a kvltist or anything, but the name of the clan implies a sound closer to "original" Heavy Metal, and Trance Metal is anything but). Babymetal should for sure be in The Gateway as they are certainly Alternative Metal even when not doing Trance Metal. Just my two cents though.
Interesting perspective. Do you have some examples of some Pop Metal records that have been lumped into The Gateway purely as a catch-all rather than because they possess an alternative inspired sound? It's not really my area of expertise so I'm interested to see exactly what you're talking about.
From what I'm hearing above, there is a pure Trance Metal sound but it seems that most major artists that play with it tend to blend it with another subgenre & that's probably why we've fallen into the trap of lumping them in with The Revolution which in hindsight seems to be a bit misguided. The Metal Academy database can cater for records with two major components pretty nicely though as releases can reside in two clans so I think what's important is to get the pure Trance Metal sound into the most suitable clan & from what I've heard that seems to be The Guardians. It's not really about any perceived aesthetic related to the clan title. It's about what audience is most likely to embrace that particular subgenre & I can't see that being fans of Alice In Chains, Korn, Primus or Rage Against The Machine. I see it being fans of the more clean, epic & melodic (not to mention more than a little cheesy) symphonic metal &/or power metal sound. I could be wrong as my experience is pretty limited but that's my two cents. Perhaps you have some further examples that'll see me leaning back towards The Gateway?
On the Babymetal topic, I actually don't think they sit too comfortably under the Trance Metal tag to be honest. They tend to play with several different genres like Nu Metal, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Death Metal, etc. but the electronic component isn't always prevalent & isn't always reminiscent of Trance music. Oh... & their albums are already in The Gateway by the way.
Truly mind-blowing avant-garde dissonant tech death from France.
Ad Nauseam - "Imperative Imperceptible Impulse" (2021)
Every so often you'll discover a release that not only tries for an original sound but attempts to completely rewrite the book on what music is even trying to be & that's what we have hear. Every reviewer that I've seen give a negative or indifferent account of "Imperative Imperceptible Impulse" has tried in vain to make logical sense of it but if you try to do that you will fail dismally. The chaos & lack of traditional structure is the whole point. It's intended as a whirlwind of complex atonality & is meant to take the listener well outside of their comfort zone. If that's what you look for in music then welcome to an enthralling ride. If it's not then I'd suggest getting off the train immediately. Fans of Gorguts & Ulcerate will already be well versed in the art of dissonant tech death & this record isn't all that different to them on the surface but it's a superbly executed example of the style to be fair. I find it nothing short of mind-blowing that a band can sound like two dozen aluminum garbage bins rolling out of control down the steepest hill in town & still give the impression of being completely in control. The drum sound is spectacularly powerful & highlights a stunning performance to hold everything together. At the end of each listen I'm left wondering if what I've just listened to even qualifies as music but I've loved every second of it. I mean this might be what metal music will sound like in a hundred years time once we've exhausted all of our traditional subgenres & are left reaching further & further afield for creative inspiration. It's so impressive that it's been released in the current day & I have nothing but respect for the musicians involved. I can't even fathom how you would write this kinda stuff as it's just too out there. Amazing!
4.5/5
Here are my thoughts:
The Babymetal track certainly doesn't belong in The Revolution. To my ears it's closest to Symphonic Power Metal & would sit much more comfortably in The Guardians. I'm not sure it really warrants a tag like Trance Metal. Pop Metal is a probably more appropriate term for it in my opinion.
The Blood Stain Child track has actually opened my eyes a bit because it's actually much closer to genuine trance than I was expecting & I can definitely see why it's been labelled as trance metal. There's absolutely no way know it should reside in The Revolution. It should definitely be in The Guardians as it's once again closest to Symphonic Power Metal.
The Amaranthe track is pretty close to trance too actually. I may have to take back my statement on trance metal not being a thing if these couple of tracks are anything to go by. It definitely belongs in The Guardians too & has absolutely fuck-all to do with The Revolution.
Based on these three tracks I think we've got it badly wrong when we allocated Trance Metal to The Revolution. On this evidence I'd recommend that it remains as a tag on the site but I think it should sit in The Guardians as a primary genre or a subgenre of Power Metal.
Ok, I'll bite in a hypothetical capacity Andi.
Everyone, please give these tracks a listen & tell us a) if you think it warrants a subgenre of its own i.e. Trance Metal, b) if you think it should reside in The Revolution clan & c) if it would fit just as comfortably under another existing subgenre tag & if so which one.
Now that I've looked over the actual terminology, yes I think it makes more sense to have Trance Metal just be a subgenre instead of a main genre. It doesn't have to go anywhere, like how Funeral Doom isn't listed under The Fallen or Melodic Death Metal isn't listed under The Horde. To quote Daniel, "...There are very few genuine Trance Metal releases of any note...", making it more out of place when compared to the other main genres listed under each clan.
For clarity, Funeral Doom Metal & Melodic Death Metal are subgenres of our Doom Metal & Death Metal genres respectively & form a part of The Fallen & The Horde clans. The only subgenre tag we have that doesn't sit beneath a primary genre & isn't part of a clan is Non-Metal. Are you suggesting that there simply isn't an appropriate clan for Trance Metal? My knowledge of the subgenre is very limited so I'm very interested in the feedback of those that have more experience with the Trance Metal sound.
A beautifully tranquil post-minimalist world music piece from this Brazilian black/folk metal producer.
Kaatayra - "Inpariquipê" (2021)
I was drawn to the fifth album from this Brazilian atmospheric black metal producer through the consistent feedback that it offers a totally unique & original take on metal music & also through the interest created by Xephyr's wonderful review. Did it live up to the hype? Well... in a word YES... it certainly did but not in the way I thought it might. You see this record is not a metal record in any way, shape or form & I'm absolutely baffled as to how it's even found its way to this site. In fact, I'd suggest that if this album had a different moniker on the cover then we'd never have ended up encountering it in our lifetimes. There literally isn't a single second of metal music on it. The links to metal are entirely based on the historical space the producer has played in. What we get here is a wonderfully engaging mixture of traditional Brazilian avant-folk music, krautrock, post-minimalism & even a bit of early 80's Latin jazz with the inclusion of some fast drumming with double kick & the occasional black metal shriek fooling metalheads into clutching onto the extremely tenuous links to metal. It's a thoroughly captivating listen though with the post-rock structures seeing each track slowly building in tension before reaching rich climaxes or taking upexpected u-turns towards an atmosphere that's entirely different to the one they started with. In truth the sections that include elements of metal are the least impressive parts by a significant margin in my opinion & I actually wish that Kaatayra had gone with a sound that was focused entirely on their more stripped back world music sound with the stunning opening track "Tiquindê" & the stonerific second half of "Dundararaiê" being prime examples of why. If you're looking for the latest folk metal jig or dissonant avant-garde black metal masterpiece then don't come looking here. But if you've got an open mind & are keen to change things up a bit with something completely different though then do yourself a favour & give "Inpariquipê" at least a few spins to sink in. It's very much a diamond in the rough.
4/5
It's been a great month of feature releases with a whole slew of high quality releases. Once again I struggled with our The Guardians submission & it's becoming pretty clear that it's my least favoured clan these days. My two personal submissions were guaranteed winners for me as I'd previously rated them both the full 5 stars & neither disappointed. In fact, the Ufomamut & Lento record has now gone into my top five metal releases of all-time & it's absolutely absurd that no one knows about it. My best new discovery was the Malignant Altar album that Ben submitted. He certainly knows what I like. Anyway... here are my monthly ratings in order of preference:
THE FALLEN: Ufomammut/Lento - "Supernaturals - Record One" (2007) 5/5
THE SPHERE: The Amenta - "Flesh Is Heir" (2013) 4.5/5
THE INFINITE: Mastodon - "Crack The Skye" (2009) 4.5/5
THE HORDE: Malignant Altar - "Realms Of Exquisite Morbidity" (2021) 4/5
THE GATEWAY: Karnivool - "Themata" (2005) 4/5
THE PIT: Sadus - "Illusions" (1988) 4/5
THE REVOLUTION: Bullet For My Valentine - "Bullet For My Valentine" (2021) 4/5
THE NORTH: Borknagar - "Borknagar" (1996) 3.5/5
THE GUARDIANS: Rhapsody - "Dawn Of Victory" (2000) 2/5
A blasting death metal-influenced black metal track from this Kentucky-based solo artist.
Given the high ratings from most of our regular contributors, I thought I'd better check out Panopticon's "...And Again Into The Light" record for myself before the end of January & I can see why it's so highly regarded. It was certainly a grower for me as a) I've never been entirely comfortable with Lunn's approach to black metal due to the focus on country/folk elements & shimmering melody & b) I initially struggled with the limitations in Lunn's drumming skills, but repeat listens saw me being able to see through those obstacles & gain access to the gooey centre they encompassed. While there are no weak tracks included, I don't find the first three tracks to be as appealing as the rest of the album which is very solid indeed. That appears to be a taste thing though as fans & critics seem to regard a couple of those early tracks as album highlights but it definitely meant that I needed a couple more spins to overcome the initial feeling that this was just another mildly enjoyable Panopticon release. The blasting death metal-influenced "Moth Eaten Soul" is upsurprisingly the one that appeals to me the most & I think the deeper vocals are slightly more effective than Lunn's usual black metal shrieks. I also really enjoy the more stripped back post-rock inspired sections which are beautifully done. The parts that I find to be less appealing are the more orchestrated metal sections which I feel sound a bit more pretty & uplifting than I'm comfortable with from my black metal. Still.... this is a high quality extreme metal record that I rate more highly than our recent feature release in Panopticon's 2012 fourth full-length "Kentucky".
4/5
A pop song with death growls would be very interesting, but it wouldn't really catch on.
My five year old daughter listens to BABYMETAL & they have a few tracks that tick that box.