Daniel's Forum Replies
It's been more than a decade since I first witnessed "Call Of The Wretched Sea" but I've returned to it several times & it never fails to capture me with its deep, nautical atmosphere. The super gutteral vocals are a real highlight & there's a consistent quality to the entire tracklisting but the album sneaks up on you as it progresses as it doesn't peak until the final two tracks which are nothing short of extraordinary. I love the short dark ambient interlude "Of the Monstrous Pictures of Whales" that sits in the middle of the record too as it's beautifully executed & breaks the tracklisting on nicely. As Saxy implied earlier, Ahab's brand of crushingly slow extreme metal is perhaps a little too simply structured to compete with Esoteric at the very top of the funeral doom mountain however it stands tall with the best of the rest & I come out of it feeling empowered by its miserable majesty.
4.5/5
The Every Time I Die record was a worthy winner here in my opinion although I was pleasantly surprised by the Bullet For My Valentine one & it wasn't as far behind as I would have thought prior to giving it a few spins. "Radical" is beautifully executed though & it showcases a high class outfit that have sadly since dissolved due to internal conflict.
I agree with you Xephyr. I wouldn't say that I'm anywhere near as on top of new releases as some of our other members are but I had four black metal releases in front of "...And Again Into The Light". There's no doubt that it's a very strong release & I'd comfortably take it over a lot of previous Panopticon records but Mare Cognitum took my bikkies over Ethereal Shroud, Spectral Wound & Le Chants de Nihil with Panopticon finishing in a respectable fifth place. I wouldn't say that I checked out a The North release that captivated me at that very top level this year though. None of these records reached "classic" status for me personally.
"Colors II" was on my list to check out in January but I sadly ran out of time. Between The Buried & Me's consistently strong "Colors_Live" live album really impressed me but it's been too long since I've checked out its studio partner to remember who I felt about it. Perhaps that's why I wasn't jumping out of my skin for "Colors II". Oh well... my loss I guess.
Altarage's "Succumb" album just pipped "Imperative Imperceptible Impulse" at the post for my The Horde release of the year but that doesn't stop it from being a deserved winner nonetheless. The class & ambition of that record are nothing short of astounding.
"Omega" was actually our highest rating release of the year overall however I can't see it being something that'd appeal to me so I've given it a wide birth. Perhaps I'll re-evaluate that position after this result though.
P.S. I'm surprised to see that Accept cover artwork winning. Must have been slim pickings this year.
I never actually got around to listening to "Niratias" although I did enjoy all of the tracks I selected for the monthly playlists so it definitely shows strong potential. Perhaps I'll see how I go with this month's feature release first though as it'll be my first attempt at taking on a full Chevelle record.
Yeah, "Bloodmoon: I" was my The Fallen Release Of The Year too. It grew on me so much with each successive listen which is a sign of its depth & character. It just oozes class, particularly the way it starts & finishes.
Relentless brutal death metal from South Carolina, USA.
Nile - "Black Seeds Of Vengeance" (2000)
I have to admit that, even though I've always found Nile's highly regarded sophomore album to be an enjoyable listen, "Black Seeds Of Vengeance" has never struck me as being as worthy of high praise as the band's next couple of releases. I think the unrelenting reliance on guest skinsman Derek Roddy's undeniably impressive blast beats was perhaps a little over the top for me early on there & the vocals & production still sounded a little bit like a work in progress when viewed in hindsight but the years have been kind to this record & when revisiting it with fresh ears I've found it to be a much more engaging experience. The lead guitar work is full of fireworks as usual & is a real highlight. As is the occasional use of eerie middle eastern melodies during the crushing doom/death sections which should really have been explored further. I don't agree with the common consensus that this is a tech death record though. Yes, there's some complexity to the arrangements but it's just so obviously a brutal death metal record & that's kinda par for the course with much of that scene so there's really no need for the additional tag in my opinion. Overall, I've revised my view a bit & upped my rating by a half star as I can't deny that this is a high quality example of its type. "Black Seeds of Vengeance" really should be essential listening for fans of the more brutal end of death metal.
4/5
"Still Life" used to be my favourite Opeth album too but it's slipped a little further down the list in more recent times. I think I've grown closer to the band's more polished later works in my old age & I'll always be drawn to the heavier records in their back catalogue. "Deliverance", "Blackwater Park" & "Watershed" (in order of preference) are Opeth's true classics for me personally but I'd also take "My Arms, Your Hearse" over "Still Life" these days. They're a great band who aren't capable of producing anything subpar though so there's no shame in sitting a little lower down my list when they possess such a strong discography.
4/5
Note: Seriously, how wonderful is the cover artwork. I used to have a "Still Life" t-shirt which I miss now that I look at that stunning piece of work for the first time in a while.
Here are my March submissions:
Sadus - "Twisted Face" (from "Chemical Exposure", 1988)
Hirax - "Demons - Evil Forces" (from "Raging Violence", 1985)
Living Death - "Rulers Must Come" (from "Metal Revolution", 1985)
Running Wild - "Marching To Die" (from "Branded & Exiled", 1985)
Venom - "Powerdrive" (from "Possessed", 1985)
At War - "Ordered To Kill" (from "Ordered To Kill", 1986)
Detente - "Life Is Pain" (from "Recognize No Authority", 1986)
Hallows Eve - "Plea Of The Aged" (from "Death & Insanity", 1986)
Here are my March submissions:
The Amenta - "Flesh Is Heir" (from "Flesh Is Heir", 2013)
Malignant Altar - "Belial Rebirth (Metempsychosis)" (from "Realms Of Exquisite Morbidity", 2021)
Cannibal Corpse - "Unleashing The Bloodthirsty" (from "Bloodthirst", 1999)
Lock Up - "Feeding On The Opiate" (from "Hate Breeds Suffering", 2002)
Morbid Angel - "Place Of Many Deaths" (from "Heretic", 2003)
Psycroptic - "The Colour Of Sleep" (from "The Scepter Of The Ancients", 2003)
Putrid Pile - "Drenched In Gasoline" (from "Collection Of Butchery", 2003)
Here are my March submissions:
Mare Cognitum - "Ataraxia Tunnels" (from "Solar Paroxysm", 2021)
Spectral Wound - "Diabolic Immanence" (from "A Diabolic Thirst", 2021)
Here's my March submission:
The Amenta - "Cell" (from "Flesh Is Heir", 2013)
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.