Daniel's Forum Threads

Please add Jennifer Will Drown

I am not the biggest fan of Bjork's music, but I do genuinely love this record.

YDI - "Black Dust" (1985)

This one has been eating away at me for a while. Whenever I look at the earliest releases I haven't rated yet for the Fallen, this ugly, yellow and black fucking cover is always there staring at me like some recurring monochrome nightmare. I mean, look at it, it is fucking horrible. So today, as I am ploughing through some 1985 releases, I decided to get to grips with it and see what hides behind that menacing and manic-looking face. Well folks, don't be fooled because behind that ugly cover is an album of even more ugly-sounding music. Taking the idea of merging hardcore punk with the slower, looser and more distorted sound of Saint Vitus as originally posited by Black Flag's "My War" released the previous year, YDI have produced a noisy bastard child that dispenses with all the niceties of Black Flag's trailblazer.

This is filthy-sounding, virtually demo quality hardcore punk that has taken on board some of the aesthetics of the emergent doom metal scene to produce an album that sounds like it was recorded in an afternoon in the gutter of a Philadelphia back alley littered with used syringes and condoms. If anybody ever thought The Dead Kennedys and Black Flag were street punks then they will find "Black Dust" a fucking revelation that makes those guys sound like they went to Eton with singer Neil "Jackal Ssexzombie" Perry spewing forth a rasping bellow that makes Henry Rollins sound like a right stuck-up toff! This is such a dirty-sounding, gritty and groundbreaking record that I am genuinely not even sure if it really belongs in the Fallen at all. As is often the case with such revolutionary records, this is not easy to pigeon-hole, its hinting at what sludge would become being still in a very rudimentary stage of evolution. It is, however very noisy, very brash with an abrasive sound, ugly lyrics and a fuck-you-we-really-don't-care-what-you-think attitude that demands respect even if you don't enjoy the album itself. For myself, I am going to need to spend a bit more time with it to try to really get under its skin. I have it pegged at a 3.5/5 at the minute, but I feel this may rise as the album's essential ugliness smoothes itself out with further exposure and the involuntary gag reflex that it arouses subsides.

Hi Ben, could you add the following please:

The Grave [Argentina]

BC: https://thegrave666.bandcamp.com/album/the-grave

RYM: https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_grave

Demon Incarnate [Germany]

BC: https://fda-records.bandcamp.com/album/key-of-solomon

RYM: https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/demon-incarnate

Doomicidal [UK]

BC: https://doomicidal.bandcamp.com/album/shadow-of-the-gallows

RYM: https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/doomicidal

Eternal Black [USA]

BC: https://eternalblack.bandcamp.com/

RYM: https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/eternal_black_f1

Necromantia - "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" (1995)

I quite liked some of Hellenic black metal heavyweights Necromantia's early works like 1993's "Crossing the Fiery Path" debut album & particularly their 1992 split album with Varathron, both of which I picked up through the tape trading scene during the first half of the 1990's. This led to me purchasing their highly praised 1995 sophomore record "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" on CD at the time of release & I gave it a decent chance to win me over like it did a number of my tape trading associates. While there's no doubt that I generally enjoyed the experience, I'd only spend a week or so with this record before it would be placed towards the back of my CD collection & I wouldn't find myself reaching for it very often over the few decades that have passed since. This week I thought I'd see if I could discover why that is as "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" appears to have gone on to become somewhat of a classic release for the Hellenic black metal movement over time.

For those that aren't already aware, Necromantia offer a unique take on black metal given that they've overlooked the requirement for a rhythm guitarist, instead opting to replace it with two bass guitarists (one a four-string & the other an eight-string), both utilizing a distorted tone that gives them a very identifiable sound. Necromantia also incorporate symphonics quite readily although I don't think it's enough for the symphonic black metal tag to be considered. Does it work? Well, in a word yes but that doesn't mean that it's always exciting &, as a guitarist myself, I do find myself missing my usual frequency band. There are some guitars thrown in for random solos here & there but they're not particularly well executed & their neoclassical approach doesn't feel like the best fit for black metal either. On the positive, the vocal screams of front man Magus Wampyr Daoloth are very good & the faster, more aggressive passages really appeal to me & are largely the reasons I enjoy the record overall. During the times when the four-piece outfit embrace more of a traditional heavy metal influence, I find myself losing a bit of interest & it's hard to deny that the first couple of tracks are clearly the best (particularly my personal favourite in opener "Devilskin"), leaving the remainder of the tracklisting to chase those levels of quality in vain.

Still... I think you have to hear this record at some point if you regard yourself as an avid black metal nut, if only to experience the bass-driven assault, & this release is generally considered to be the peak of Necromantia's powers so it's probably the box you need to tick. I just can't see it as any sort of classic myself. It's decent enough but rarely draws me back.

For fans of Mortuary Drape, Varathron & Thou Art Lord.

3.5/5

I have managed to get across my suggestions this time around, so here you go Vinny:

Aggressive Perfector - "Return of the Axe" (from "Come Creeping Fiends", 2026)

Slayer - "Captor of Sin" (from "Haunting the Chapel EP", 1984)

Destruction -"Satan's Vengeance" (from "Sentence of Death EP", 1984)

Voivod - "Live for Violence" (from "War and Pain", 1984)

Exciter - "Scream in the Night" (from "Violence & Force", 1984)

Acid - "Satan" (from "Acid", 1983)

Epidemic - "Territories" (from "Decameron", 1992)

Razor - "Escape the Fire" (from "Executioner's Song", 1985)

Sacrilege - "Shadow From Mordor" (from "Behind the Realms of Madness", 1985)

Torturer - "Demoniac Possession" (from "Oppressed by the Force", 1992)

Sorry there is so much '84 / '85 stuff, but that is what I have been listening to!!

No need to apologise for being focused on the old school era Sonny.

Please add Cline's Mind

https://clinesmind.bandcamp.com/

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Cline%27s_Mind/35489

[I've just created the RYM profile and added the only album I have].

Awww yeah.  Underworld is some peak techno.  The only thing these geniuses ever did better than Dubno is their live album, Everything Everything.

How about the opening riff to Greek black metallers Necromantia's "Black Mirror" from 1995 which sounds uncannily like the opening riff from Black Sabbath's "Country Girl" from 1981:

Gorrch - "Stillamentum" (2026)

Gorrch are over fifteen years into their existence and are only just getting around to their sophomore album. The duo of Chimsicrin (drums, vocals and keyboards) and Droich (guitars and bass) make for a quite a melodic take on the sound stylised by DSO. They lack the foreboding edge of the DSO sound, forming a more urgent and dashing movement to the music with a frankly excessive use of the tremolo. Nonetheless, the comparison is unavoidable.

Over only six tracks, the repetition of the guitar does get a little tiresome, however. That sounds like a dumb thing to say for a black metal record, given that repetition is a key factor of black metal in general. However, I do feel that the tremolo is simply overused, certainly across the first half of the album at least. For the latter three tracks there does appear to be a little more variation, and the album improves for it.

The drums are perhaps the best part of the whole album for me. Well produced and unobtrusive, yet at the same time they are as varied as they are prominent. I do not get the sense that they are particularly complex in their patterns, yet the skill of the musician is still obvious. The other standout from the second half of Stillamentum is the use of dark choral vocals. Their inclusion gives tracks a ritualistic theme that grabs the attention well.

Eleven years between records is a long time, and I have not heard their debut record to know how marked a difference, or not, there is to what goes on throughout Stillamentum. Both members have roles in other bands I can see which may explain the huge gap in output. I cannot say that Stillamentum suffers in any regard, more that it labours somewhat. If the guitars could match the drums in both variety and positioning in the overall sound, then I would enjoy the album more. However, this is not a bad record by any means, and I will be keeping an ear out for album number three if it ever arrives.

3.5/5

I have finalised my top dozen for 1984.

https://metal.academy/lists/single/347

1. Metallica - Ride the Lightning

2. Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus

3. Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales EP

4. Slayer - Haunting the Chapel EP

5. Iron Maiden - Powerslave

6. Bathory - Bathory

7. Destruction - Sentence of Death EP

8. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath

9. Trouble - Trouble (Psalm 9)

10. Paul Chain - Detaching From Satan EP

11. Voivod - War and Pain

12. Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead

Dying Fetus - "Grotesque Impalement" E.P. (2000)

This very popular brutal death metal release has never appealed to me to be honest. It includes re-recordings of the title track & "Tearing Inside the Womb" (which were both originally released on Dying Fetus' 1993 "Bathe in Entrails" demo tape), a cover version of Baphomet's "Streaks of Blood" (my personal favourite), another cover version of hardcore band Next Step Up's "Bringing Back the Glory" & two novelty joke tracks. The result is about as good as that sounds with only "Streaks of Blood" (my personal favourite) & "Tearing Inside the Womb" standing up to scrutiny. There's a clear Cannibal Corpse influence on the demo material while the vocals are unintelligible & kinda dumb & the riffs are often unimaginative & flat. As usual though, Dying Fetus are pretty brutal but I can always do without humour in my extreme metal so the joke tracks aren't terribly welcome. This is one of Dying Fetus' weakest records in my opinion.

For fans of Suffocation, Misery Index & Skinless.

3/5

Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots - "Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots" (2004)

I didn't mind Denver gothic country artist Jay Munly's 2002 "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" album so I thought I'd also check out his popular self-titled record with the Lee Lewis Harlots & it's also worth a listen, if not being something I can see myself coming back to. If pushed, I'd suggest that I enjoy this one slightly more than "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" but it is pretty long at an hour & seventeen minutes.

For fans of Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Wovenhand & 16 Horsepower.

3.5/5

Amon Amarth - "With Oden on Our Side" (2006)

After quite enjoying my recent revisit of these Swedish melodic death metallers popular 2008 seventh full-length "Twilight of the Thunder God" recently, I thought I'd better give my other Amon Amarth record of preference a few listens so as to see which one I favour these days & the result has ended up being very close with 2006's "With Oden on Our Side" just tipping out it's more well known counterpart by a slim margin. It's very clear that the band have made a conscious attempt to keep the song structures simple & uncluttered in the interest of accessibility here but, when they get the chorus hooks right, it works really well with the three-track run that includes the title track, "Cry of the Black Birds" (my personal favourite) & "Under the Northern Star" being particularly solid. Johan Hegg's vocals are quite powerful yet remain intelligible throughout while the pounding kick-drums of Fredrik Andersson drive Amon Amarth forward into battle. This is one of the better melodic deah metal records around in my opinion.

For fans of Dethklok, King of Asgard & Unleashed.

3.5/5

Here's my adjusted Top Ten Melodic Death Metal Releases of All Time list:

01. At The Gates – “Slaughter Of The Soul” (1995)

02. Stortregn - "Finitude" (2023)

03. Carcass – “Heartwork” (1993)

04. Sentenced – “North From Here” (1993)

05. In Mourning – “The Weight Of Oceans” (2012)

06. The Breathing Process - “Odyssey (un)Dead” (2010)

07. Unanimated - "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" (1993)

08. Amorphis - "The Karelian Isthmus" (1992)

09. Amorphis - "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" (1994)

10. Amon Amarth - "With Oden on Our Side" (2006)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/147

Zbigniew Preisner - "Trois couleurs: Rouge" (1994)

The wonderful final part of the three-film "Trois couleurs" soundtrack collection is now my slight favourite of the four Krzysztof Kieślowski-directed film scores I'm familiar with, just shading the magnificent "La double vie de Véronique" (which has traditionally been my pick) after this week's revisit. The subtleties of this next-level classical workout are simply genius with the main theme receiving all manner of variation but never failing to place me into a blissfully melancholic state.

For fans of Wojciech Kilar, Michael Nyman & Gabriel Yared.

4.5/5

April 2026

1. Blood Vulture – An Embrace in the Flood (2025)

2. Chaoseum – Stick Under My Skin (2020)

3. Def Con Dos – A.M.V. – Agrupacion mujeres violentas (1996)

4. Dir en Grey – Umbrella (2002)

5. Disturbed – The Game (2000)

6. Enhancer – Hardcore Version Dancefloor (2000)

7. Full Devil Jacket – Where Did You Go (2000)

8. Glixen – Lick the Star (2025)

9. I See Stars – Calm Snow (2016)

10. Inactive Messiah – T.C.D.D. (2004)

11. Insolence – Poison Well (2001)

12. Issues – Rain (2019)

13. Karnivool – Shutterspeed (2005)

14. Memorrhage – Downstone (2024)

15. Oedipe – Gravites (2005)

16. The Old Dead Tree – Unpredictable (2024)

17. Projected – Watch it Burn (2012)

18. Smashed Into Pieces – Here to Stay (2013)

19. Switched – Inside (2002)

20. Tyler Smith, Andy Band – Infinite (2017)

21. Vanilla Ice – Too Cold (1998)

22. Waltari – Helsinki (2005)

23. We As Humans – We Fall Apart (2013)

24. Wednesday 13 – Keep Watching the Skies (2015)

25. While She Sleeps – To the Flowers (2024)

Nerdy spreadsheet time for April folks:

Deeds of Flesh steal it this month for me ahead of that Smote album which is a devious little bugger that needs more time to be spent with it still.  I respectfully decline to rate or review The Guardians or The Sphere features this month as I would only be bashing them having tolerated the briefest of listens through (with a lot of skipping).  Unexpected find was definitely that Excessive Force record though, unexpected even ahead of my enjoyment for the first time ever of Operation Mindcrime.

This is one I had in my top 100 years ago.  My family is a bunch of big Clapton fans.

April 2026

1. An Abstract Illusion – Vakuum (2016)

2. Aghora – Existence (2000)

3. Ayreon – Everybody Dies (2017)

4. Between the Buried and Me – Lunar Wilderness (2011)

5. Changeling – Abyss (2025)

6. Circus Maximus – Abyss (2007)

7. Green Carnation – Sanguis (Blood Ties) (2026)

8. Ihlo – Mute (2025)

9. In Vain – Watch for me on the Mountain (2024)

10. Lattermath – Ember (2026)

11. Leprous – Acquired Taste (2011)

12. Lithium Dawn – Destroyer – 10th Anniversary Version (2022)

13. Omnerod – Spore (2023)

14. Scardust – Searing Echoes (2025)

15. Stream of Passion – Passion (2005)

16. Textures – At the Edge of Winter (2026)

17. Vulkan – Redemption Simulations (2020)

18. Witch Ripper – The Clock Queen (2026)

Delerium - "Syrophenikan" (1990)

I really enjoyed the first two full-lengths from this Canadian electronic duo so I didn't waste any time checking out their next album shortly afterwards, apparently way back in 2010 according to my records. I'm glad I did too as I've once again found "Syrophenikan" to be a high-quality electronic release that spans electro-industrial, dark ambient & IDM sounds in roughly equal portions. I still rate Delerium's classic 1988 debut album "Faces, Forms & Illusions" more highly than this one but it's probably slightly better than 1989's excellent "Morpheus" record in my opinion so there's a lot to enjoy here. If you get the opportunity then I recommend you check out the 1997 re-release with the "Brainwaves" bonus track as it's the best version of this record & a genuine classic in my opinion.

For fans of Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy & Dead Can Dance.

4/5

Imperial Triumphant - "Alphaville" (2020)

After thoroughly enjoying my revisit to this popular New York avant-garde/dissonant death metal outfit's 2025 sixth full-length "Goldstar" recently, I thought I'd also return to their highly regarded fourth album "Alphaville" to see how it compares these days. It's certainly a very strange listen for your average metalhead given that there is just as much (if not more) avant-garde jazz on offer as there is extreme metal with the death grunts & blast beats being the elements that ensure Imperial Triumphant's metal ties are not easily forgotten. I'd suggest that this is a more intentionally bizarre record than "Goldstar" too but I'm not sure that works to its advantage as I've found my enjoyment levels to be a touch lower, even if I'm generally kept engaged by a sense of "what the fuck am I going to hear next?". You can't miss the bonus cover version of Voivod's "Experiment" as you can pick the Canadian's sound out pretty easily from Impoerial Triumphant's own one. It's a shame that the second bonus track & closer "Happy Home" is so crap because it left me with a bad taste in my mouth that the rest of the material doesn't warrant. I don't think "Alphaville" is as vital a record as "Goldstar" is but it certainly keeps you on your toes & is overflowing with technique & ambition. I can see how others might rate it a lot higher than I do too.

For fans of Deathspell Omega, Portal & Ad Nauseam.

3.5/5

 I grew up on a farm. We were whipped daily, from 5am until dusk. They would make us eat moldy old cabbage soup,  while reciting the lords prayer. Sometimes old Mr striklin would look at my sister in dirty ways, (he was the the local vicar). 

For birthdays, we each got an old turnip and some dried horse manure formed into animal shapes. They were the good old days if I'm honest though, not like now. I kind of miss them. They would also tie us up to a horse & kart, drag us around the fields for the fun of it.  Then when we were exhausted, they would make us roll around with the pigs. Until I was 10 years old, for the longest time I was actually convinced I was in fact a pig, until I discovered the 'power of speech'. Of course speaking was discouraged and if we made any noise, other than a grunt or a snort, we would often get the belt or some apple cider vinegar rubbed into our cuts and grazes. I'll freely admit I was forced to ride cows... and I'm not taking about friendly Galloway's either, I'm talking aggressive Holstein Milkers. 

Now no matter what people think or say,  cows are actually more aggressive than sharks. More farm hands die from cow attacks than from great white attacks annually. That is a fact! It's actually a wonder I survived but what did not kill me made me the strong individual I am today. Thanks for reading my thoughts.

Harold Budd & Brian Eno - "Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror" (1980)

The second installment in Eno's Ambient series is based around Budd's stripped-back, minimalist piano musings & it works beautifully too, much better than Budd's own "The Pavilion of Dreams" sophomore album from a couple of years earlier in fact. I'm not one of those that profess to "Ambient 2" being superior to its predecessor though as I comfortably prefer the more drawn-out & repetitive sounds of Eno's classic "Ambient 1: Music for Airports" record. Still... you can't really go wrong with "Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror" if you're looking for a soothing accompaniment for a good book or a night of winding down in solitude.

For fans of Satoshi Ashikawa, Hiroshi Yoshimura & Virginia Astley.

4/5

Summoning - "Minas Morgul" (1995)

After revisiting the 1995 sophomore album from these Austrians this week, I've discovered that I slightly favour "Minas Morgul" over the ever popular "Stronghold" & "Old Mornings Dawn" as Summoning's best release these days. I still can't get on with it though as this consciously epic, dungeon synth infused stuff really grinds my gears at times. I definitely find myself enjoying the parts where a more traditional black metal atmosphere is on display but I can't profess to accept the more folky melodies that Summoning attempt at times as I perennially find myself craving a darker version of black metal.

For fans of Caladan Brood, Emyn Muil & Elffor.

3/5

Agatus - "Under the Spell of the Dragon" (from "Dawn of Martyrdom", 1996)

Fermenting Innards - "Myst" (from "Myst", 1995)

Thunderbolt - "Shadows of the Deepest Night" (from "Black Clouds over Dark Majesty", 1999)

Thus Defiled - "Rapture of Twilight Burning" (from "Wings of the Nightstorm", 1997)

Haimad - "Nen Cenedril" (from "When Night Rode Across the North", 2025)

Cool suggestions, Vinny, but David has already submitted a Smote track.

Probably be busy around the time for the next selections Sonny. Here are 3 around 29 minutes, leaving an extra 6 minutes for someone. 

Unearthly Trance – “Raised by Wolves” (from “Season of Seance, Science of Silence”, 2003): 9:39

Smote – “Lof” (from “Clyppan”, 2025): 9:33

Sumac – “Will to Reach” (from “What One Becomes”, 2016): 9:48

Thanks Andi.

Sonny please substitute that Smote track for ISIS - "The Other" (from "Oceanic", 2002)

Cocteau Twins - "Treasure" (1984)

I've been revisiting some of the early Cocteau Twins releases recently which has seen me remembering & better coming to terms with a difficult part of my life during the mid-1990's. I think their third full-length "Treasure" might be the best of the albums I've heard from them too as it beautifully summarizes both of the group's signature sounds i.e. whispy dream pop & darker ethereal wave. Interestingly (but perhaps not too surprisingly) though, it's the deeper & lesser-known material that really floats my boat with "Aloysius", "Otterley", "Beatrix" & "Donimo" all playing very strong roles in my life at the time. I think "The Spangle Maker" E.P. from earlier that year may be even better than this release in my opinion but there can be no denying that "Treasure" is a beautiful, lush record that you can float around in during moments of introspection. 

For fans of Beach House, Dead Can Dance & Mazzy Star.

4/5

Behemoth - "Demigod" (2004)

I quite liked the first couple of mid-1990's releases from Poland's Behemoth but they went through somewhat of a lull after that &, in doing so, managed to lose my interest during that 1996-98 period for the most part. It wasn't until my return to metal in 2009 & that I'd reconnect with these guys & I've generally checked out everything that they've put out since. I know a lot of people will place 2014's "The Satanist" record up on a pedestal as Behemoth's finest work but I've always felt that their 2004 seventh full-length "Demigod" had a slight edge personally, mainly because I really don't like the very popular "Ora pro nobis Lucifer" from "The Satanist". Other than that, the two releases are of a pretty similar standard although I'd suggest that there is slightly less of a black metal component to "Demigod" which is more of a straight down the line death metal release with the occasional hint at black metal. There are no weak tracks included while front man Nergal's vocals are aggressive & sinister & talented drummer Inferno's blast beats are savage & precise. I will say that the clicky drum sound doesn't work as well when Inferno goes for a standard blast beat but the alternating ones are both powerful & spectacular. Check out the underrated "Before the Æons Came" which is my personal favourite. "Demigod" is a very solid death metal record that should satisfy most of our The Horde members. 

For fans of Hate, Belphegor & Sulphur Aeon.

4/5

This one should be up your alley Ben. Seven episodes that build nicely to a pretty massive crescendo over the last few episodes.

Seen it. Wouldn't miss anything made by Mike Flanagan (Haunting of Hill House is one of the greatest tv series ever in my opinion). The Fall of the House of Usher was really good too.

What a difference a few days makes. My NRL team Manly came out & thumped the Dolphins 52-18 last night after having lost all three games of the season (all at home) & having our coach sacked a few days ago.  Unfortunately, the Sydney Kings lost game four of the best-of-five NBL finals series against Adelaide 36ers 92-91 so it's going to a game five decider tomorrow. Detroit Pistons have continued on their merry way & are 6-2 since our best player Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung. With six matches to go in the NBA regular season, the Pistons are still four matches ahead of the Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference so we're almost there as far as top place playoff seeding goes. We play the Minnesota Timberwolves today in a match that we should win.

Scott Kelly/Steve Von Till/Wino - "Songs of Townes Van Zandt" (2012)

I came across this collaboration record after really enjoying the three solo albums from Neurosis' Scott Kelly more than a decade ago & found it to offer some more very high-quality deep folk music with a stripped back & introspective feel. Interestingly, I'd suggest that Kelly is actually the weaker of the performers here with The Obsessed/Saint Vitus/Spirit Caravan front man Scott Weinrich's contribution being pretty spectacular & Neurosis band mate Steve Von Till's efforts sounding a little more accomplished too. I was blown away when I first heard this record in 2013 but that fanfare has eased off a little over time & these days I slightly prefer Kelly's last couple of albums "The Forgiven Ghost in Me" & "The Wake" when I feel like this sort of stuff. It's still an excellent example of Americana though.

For fans of Townes Van Zandt, Marissa Nadler & John Baizley.

4/5

Saint Vitus - "Die Healing" (1995)

Los Angeles doom metal legends Saint Vitus are definitely one of my favourites from the more traditional end of the genre but I hadn't heard their highly praised seventh full-length until now. That's a shame because I think it sits pretty comfortably alongside the band's more widely celebrated releases like "Saint Vitus" & "Born Too Late". It's arguably one of Saint Vitus' most doomy records & is full of very simply structured but infectiously heavy riffs. Front man Scott Reager's vocal performance is likely quite divisive though as he takes the overblown theatrics to extremes at times while guitarist Dave Chandler gives zero fucks that he can't really play lead guitar, instead doing his usual bit by turning his wah pedal on & playing as many notes as possible in a short period of time. "Born Too Late" is my pick of Saint Vitus' work these days with "Saint Vitus" coming in second but I've been really impressed by "Die Healing", particularly the incredible "Sloth" which is one the band's crowning glories in my opinion. It's a pity that closer "Just Another Notch" is so underwhelming though.

For fans of Pentagram, Black Sabbath & The Obsessed.

4/5

April 2026

1. Solstice - "Survival Reaction" (from "Solstice", 1992) [submitted by Karl]

2. Voidhämmer - "Cadaveric Bloat" (from "Noxious Emmissions", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

3. Void Monuments - "Invocation" (from "Posthumous Imprecation", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

4. Regurgitate - "Destined To Burn" (from "Hatefilled Vengeance", 2002)

5. Vader - "Dark Age" (from "The Ultimate Incantation", 1992) [submitted by Karl]

6. Ingurgitating Oblivion - "Amid the Offal, Abide With Me" (from "Vision Wallows in Symphonies of Light", 2017)

7. Architectural Genocide - "Stuffed Under Floorboards" (from "Malignant Cognition", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

8. Kataklysm - "Dead Zygote" (from "Sorcery", 1995) [submitted by Karl]

9. Carrion Vael - "Truth or Consequences" (from "Slay Utterly", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

10. In Flames - "Dead Eternity" (from "Subterranean" E.P., 1995 - w/ Marduk's Jocke Göthberg on vox) [submitted by Karl]

11. Rotten Sound - "Brave New World" (from "Mass Extinction EP", 2025)

12. Valdur - "Drinking from the Chalice of Banishment" (from "Gilded Abyss", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

13. Degrade - "Blood Rampage" (from "Lost Torso Found", 2006)

14. Morgue - "Bonesander" (from "Bonecrunch EP", 2000) [submitted by Sonny]

15. Sinister - "The Bloodfeast" (from "Hate", 1995) [submitted by Karl]

16. Fossilization - "Servo" (from "Advent of Wounds", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

17. Mortal Decay - "My Mind Bleeds Tragedies" (from "Forensic", 2002)

18. Intestine Baalism - "A Knight Appears From the Lake of Blood" (from "Banquet in the Darkness", 2003)

19. Pyrexia - "God" (from "Sermon of Mockery", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

20. Vorum - "Current Mouth" (from "Current Mouth", 2015) [submitted by Vinny]

21. Arkaik - "Occultivation" (from "Nemethia", 2017)

22. Terrorizer - "Ripped To Shreds" (from "World Downfall", 1989) [submitted by Sonny]

23. Ectovoid - "Formless Seeking Form" (from "In Unreality's Coffin", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

24. Therion - "The Way" (from "Beyond Sanctorum", 1992) [submitted by Karl]

April 2026

1. Finntroll - "Vindfärd / Människopesten" (from "Nattfödd", 2004) [submitted by Sonny}

2. Cirith Gorgor - "Shadows over Isengard" (from "Onwards to the Spectral Defile", 1999) [submitted by Karl]

3. Ensanguinate - "Angel of a Thousand Poisons" (from "Death Saturnalia (With Temples Below)", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

4. Archvile King - "Le carneval du roi des vers" (from "Aux heures désespérées", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

5. Mütiilation - "Shadows over the Valley" (from "Pandemonium of Egregores", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

6. Coscradh - "Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld" (from "Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld", 2026) [submitted by Karl]

7. Caladan Brood - "Echoes of Battle" (from "Echoes of Battle", 2013)

8. Kostnatění - "Řemen" (from "Úpal", 2023)

9. Misotheist - "Blinded and Revealed" (from "De Pinte", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

10. Gorgoroth - "Gorgoroth" (from "Antichrist", 1996) [submitted by Karl]

11. Epitimia - "Delusion IV – Contemplation" (from "(Un)reality", 2014) [submitted by Sonny}

12. Leviathan – “F**king Your Ghost In Chains Of Ice” (from “The Tenth Sub Level Of Suicide”, 2003) [submitted by Sonny}

13. Cabinet - "Hydrolysated Ordination" (from "Hydrolysated Ordination", 2024)

14. Woe - "Far Beyond the Fracture of the Sky" (from "Legacies of Human Frailty", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

15. Drautran - "Dusk of the Fimbulwinter" (from "Throne of the Depths", 2007)

16. Argentum - La Sorella di Satana (from "Ad Interitum Funebrarum", 1996) [submitted by Karl]

17. Fell Omen - "Born to Siege" (from "Caelid Dog Summer", 2025)

18. Solar Temple - "Those Who Dwell in the Spiral Dark" (from "Fertile Descent", 2018) [submitted by Sonny}

April 2026

1. Mountain Witch - "The Dead Won't Sleep" (from "Burning Village", 2019)

2. Kylesa - "Drop Out" (from "Spiral Shadow", 2010) [submitted by Vinny]

3. Louded - "Fatman" (from "Satanic Boogie Woogie", 2013) [submitted by Sonny]

4. Centurion’s Ghost – “Misery Serenade” (from “A Sign of Things to Come”, 2005) [submitted by dk1]

5. Thorns of the Carrion - "The Jonah" (from "Church of the Devil - Tribute to King Diamond", 2000)

6. Triptykon - "Myopic Empire" (from "Eparistera Daimones", 2010) [submitted by Vinny]

7. Boghaunter - "Ordeals in Stillness" (from "Writhe EP", 2018) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Usnea – “Eidolons and the Increate” (from “Portals Into Futility”, 2017) [submitted by dk1]

9. Death the Leveller - "A Call to Men of Noble Blood" (from "I", 2017)

10. Process of Guilt – “Dust” (from “Erosion”, 2009) [submitted by dk1]

11. Lone Wanderer - "Anhedonia" (from "Exequiae", 2026) [submitted by Vinny]

12. Indian - "Banailty" (from "Guiltless", 2011) [submitted by Vinny]

13. Sadhak - "On the Arrival of Man" (from "Sadhak Demo, 2013) [submitted by Sonny]

14. Minsk - "White Wings" (from "The Ritual Fires of Abandonment", 2007) [submitted by Sonny]

15. Greenmachine - "Punisher" (from "The Archives of Rotten Blues", 2004)

16. Griftegård - "The Mire" (from "Solemn.Sacred.Severe", 2009)

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the May Sphere playlist:

Celldweller - "My Disintegration (Joe Ford Remix)" (5:26) from Satellites (Remixed) (2023)

Fear Factory - "Scapegoat" (4:33) from Soul of a New Machine (1992)

Neurotech - "The Race to Recovery" (4:02) from The Decipher Volumes (2013)

Pain - "Just Think Again" (6:15) from Psalms of Extinction (2007)

Strapping Young Lad - "Far Beyond Metal" (4:36) from The New Black (2007)

Waltari - "Progression" (4:03) from Space Avenue (1997)

Total length: 28:55

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the May Revolution playlist:

The Agonist - "Immaculate Deception" (3:35) from Days Before the World Wept (2021)

The Devil Wears Prada - "Swords, Dragons & Diet Coke" (4:06) from Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord (2006)

Excessive Force - "Misfortune" (4:36) from In Your Blood (1995)

Hope for the Dying - "Iniquitous" (5:20) from Aletheia (2006)

Ithilien - "Blindfolded" (4:39) from Shaping the Soul (2017)

Northlane, In Hearts Wake - "Equinox" (2:07) from Equinox (2016)

Phinehas - "Blood on My Knuckles" (3:32) from The Last Word is Yours to Speak (2013)

Total length: 27:55

Here are my submissions for the May Infinite playlist:

An Abstract Illusion - "Emmett" (11:19) from The Sleeping City (2025)

Black Crown Initiate - "Withering Waves" (6:02) from The Wreckage of Stars (2014)

The Faceless - "The Spiraling Void" (5:27) from In Becoming a Ghost (2017)

Green Carnation - "The Slave That You Are" (6:16) from A Dark Poem, Pt. I: The Shores of Melancholia (2025)

Total length: 29:04

Here's my submission for the May Gateway playlist:

Volumes, Black Sheep Wall - "Suffer On" (from Mirror Touch, 2025)

April 2026

1. Tyrant of Death - "Cyanide" from Cyanide (2012)

2. Pain - "Call Me" from Coming Home (2016) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Celldweller - "End of an Empire" from End of an Empire (2015) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. OOMPH! - "Sag Jetzt Einfach Nichts" from Richter Und Henker (2023)

5. Persher - "Sycamore" from Sleep Well (2024)

6. Psychopomps - "Wonderful World" from Six Six Six Nights in Hell (1995)

7. Viter - "Viter" from Springtime (2012)

8. Jacob Lizotte - "Afterlife" from Afterlife (2026)

9. Turmion Katilot - "Pyha Maa" from Technodiktator (2013) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

10. Eisbrecher - "Satt" from Kaltfront°! (2025)

11. Rammstein - "Haifisch" from Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (2009)

12. Dimension F3H - "Paint Me Something Bleach" from Reaping the World Winds (2003)

13. Samael - "Antigod" from Lux Mundi (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

14. Godflesh - "Tyrant" from Hymns (2001) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. Static-X - "Goat" from Cannibal (2007)

16. Intensive Care - "Cancer Causes Rats" from Diprivan (2018)

17. Moshpit - "Follow the Loser" from Follow the Loser (2008)

18. Mnemic - "The Naked and the Dead" from Mechanical Spin Phenomena (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

19. Circle of Dust - "Telltale Crime - 1992" from Brainchild (1994)

20. Iperyt - "Totalitarian Love Pulse" from Totalitarian Love Pulse (2006)

21. Crawl - "No Way Out" from No Way Out (2025)

22. Klank - "Something About You (feat. Dug Pinnick)" from Urban Warfare (2012)

23. Sovereign - "Disorder" from Harbinger (2017)

24. Division Alpha - "Inside Replika" from Replika (2003)

25. Godkiller - "Deliverance" from Deliverance (2000)

26. Woods of Belial - "Pervertum" from Deimos XIII (2003)

27. Spineshank - "Dead to Me" from Self-Destructive Pattern (2003)

April 2026

1. Sylosis - "Beneath the Surface" from The New Flesh (2026) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Varials - "Anything to Numb" from Pain Again (2017)

3. Every Time I Die - "Kill the Music" from Gutter Phenomenon (2005) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Vision of Disorder - "Blood Red Sun" from The Cursed Remain Cursed (2012)

5. BOI WHAT - "BUCKET HELMET" from BUCKET HELMET (2026)

6. Fox Lake - "Cold Hard Truth" from Cold Hard Truth (2025)

7. We Came as Romans, Currents, After the Burial - "Bad Luck" from Bad Luck (2025)

8. Bring Me the Horizon - "Sleepwalking" from Sempiternal (2013)

9. Lamb of God - "Redneck" from Sacrament (2006)

10. August Burns Red - "Behemoth" from Behemoth (2026)

11. Shadows Fall - "Inspiration on Demand" from The War Within (2004) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

12. Carnifex - "Bury Me in Blasphemy" from Bury Me in Blasphemy (2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. Excessive Force - "In Your Blood" from In Your Blood (1995)

14. Born of Osiris - "Open Arms to Damnation" from The New Reign (2007) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

15. The Faceless - "Leica" from Akeldama (2006) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. Lorna Shore - "In Darkness" from I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me (2025)

17. Showing Teeth - "Rip" from Rip (2026)

18. Crystal Lake - "The Weight of Sound" from The Weight of Sound (2026)

19. Avenged Sevenfold - "I Won't See You Tonight Part 1" from Waking the Fallen (2003)

20. Prayer for Cleansing - "Bael Na Mblath" from The Rain in Endless Fall (1999)

21. Bleeding Through - "War Time" from NINE (2025)

22. Electric Callboy - "Revery" from Revery (2025)

23. Until I Wake - "Sinking Under" from Until I Wake (2021)

24. Not Enough Space, Dark Divine - "Eye 4 an Eye" from Weaponize Your Rage (2025)

25. ERRA - "II. In the Gut of the Wolf" from Silence Outlives the Earth (2026)

26. Versus Me - "Heavy Breathing" from Continuous (2019)

27. We Butter the Bread with Butter - "Meine Brille" from Goldkinder (2013)

28. Volumes - "Pullin' Shades" from Different Animals (2017)

29. Ion Dissonance - "The Girl Nextdoor Is Always Screaming" from Breathing is Irrelevant (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

30. The Chariot - "Mrs. Montgomery Alabama III." from Wars and Rumors of Wars (2009)

April 2026

1. Iron Fire - "The Final Crusade" from Thunderstorm (2000) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Therion - "To Mega Therion" from Theli (1996) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Epica - "Facade of Reality (The Embrace That Smothers, Part 5)" from The Phantom Agony (2003)

4. Plasmatics - "Doom Song" from New Hope for the Wretched/Metal Priestess (1981) [Suggested by Sonny]

5. Black Sabbath - "Symptom of the Universe" from Sabotage (1975)

6. Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train" from Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

7. Judas Priest - "Panic Attack" from Invincible Shield (2024)

8. Hollow Ground - "Warlord" from Warlord (1980)

9. Accept - "Straight Up Jack" from Humanoid (2024)

10. Holocaust - "Death or Glory" from The Nightcomers (1981)

11. Erik Gronwall - "Bad Bones" from Bad Bones (2025)

12. Angel Witch - "Angel of Death" from Angel Witch (1980)

13. Killer - "Ready for Hell" from Ready for Hell (1980)

14. Iron Maiden - "Killers" from Killers (1981)

15. Metal Church - "Brainwash Game" from Brainwash Game (2026)

16. Altaria - "Crucifix" from The Fallen Empire (2006)

17. Fairyland - "Doryan the Enlighted" from Of Wars in Osyhria (2003)

18. Dragonfly - "Solo Depende de Ti" from Domine (2006)

19. Xandria - "Kill the Sun" from Kill the Sun (2003) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. Dreamstate - "Evolution" from Evolution (2012)

21. Fabienne Erni - "Ritual (feat. Lena Scissorhands)" from Ritual (2026)

22. Hizaki - "Desert Apple" from Rosario (2016)

23. Versailles - "Catharsis" from Jubilee (2010) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

24. Iron Savior - "Machine World" from Battering Ram (2004) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

25. Queensryche - "Eyes of a Stranger" from Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

New Great Falls comp released this month, Conscription.  Noise-rock/sludge turned up to eleven.

Well, this one's a lot rougher, twistier and oldschool than I originally assumed.  Certainly maintains both the raw power and even messiness of earlier black metal.  Best effort they've had in ages.

His Name is Alive - " Love Can't Buy Happiness" (1990)

This obscure demo tape seems to have gained somewhat of a cult following over the years so I thought I'd see what it's about. You can expect a sound that utilizes sound collage techniques in combination with post-rock & dream pop elements to create a warm, fuzzy atmosphere. The 17-song tracklisting is a little bit hit & miss but the stronger tracks tend to be the longer ones which has seen me coming away from "Love Can't Buy Happiness" with a predominantly positive feeling.

For fans of Natural Snow Buildings, Stars of the Lid & Lovesliescrushing.

3.5/5

"Space Opera" is the sub-genre of science fiction that deals with epic, galaxies-spanning stories and, usually, interstellar warfare between huge space-faring civilizations. This is as opposed to "hard science fiction" the feature of which is fictional stories which still sit within the realm of science fact, so usually no aspects which theoretical physics cannot justify. The Expanse or even Star Wars could be termed "space opera" and "The Martian" would be deemed "hard science fiction".

No singing is usually involved in either!

Imperial Triumphant - "Goldstar" (2025)

Another high-quality record from this unusual New York trio, possibly their finest work actually. Guitarist Zachary Ezrin (Folterkammer) does a great job behind the microphone with his deep death growls being both powerful & well phrased. I really enjoy the drumming of Kenny Grohowski (John Frum/Secret Chiefs 3/Titan to Tachyons) too while Sarmat bass player Steve Blanco also provides us with a capable performance. The black metal component of the Imperial Triumphant's 2010's era is long gone by this point with "Goldstar" sitting more comfortably under an Avant-Garde/Experimental Death Metal tag in my opinion. Even the dissonant elements are probably not consistent enough to call this full-blown dissonant death metal. There's a lot of progressive metal & tech death influence here though too. Unsurprisingly, I find "Goldstar"s best moments to be when the boys simply go hell for leather with the more frenetic & aggressive phases being the most effective & often marrying up with the simpler sections of the album but that's not to say that the more experimental parts of "Goldstar" aren't impressive as they're very smoothly incorporated for a record that jumps around so much. If you exclusively like your death metal of the old school variety then you'll wanna steer well clear of this release but those that like a bit of ambition & creativity should find it to be universally interesting because there's no doubt that it's a classy effort by a forward-thinking extreme metal outfit.

For fans of Pyrrhon, Ad Nauseam & Portal.

4/5

Rhythm & Sound - "The Versions" (2003)

This is a remixes collection of material taken from the above-mentioned "w/ the Artists" album & it's just as incredible too, even if it requires a little more patience again due to its repetitive nature & minimal construction. If pushed, I'd probably suggest that I slightly favour the original album as the vocals are incredible & "The Versions" is mostly instrumental but there's very little in it & both should be regarded as being essential dub releases from the important Berlin scene.

For fans of Deepchord, Deadbeat & Paul St. Hilaire.

4.5/5

Agent Orange - "Bloodstains" E.P. (1980)

A short three-song affair that spans just five minutes in duration & represents the earliest proper releases from this California hardcore surf punk trio. I fucking love the title track which carries this record & is an absolute classic of the early hardcore scene in my opinion. The other two songs "America" & "Bored With You" are pretty decent too but sound noticeably different to the illustrious opener, often displaying more than a hint of Motorhead at times. This is a high-quality recording that should offer plenty of appeal to the punk crowd.

For fans of Black Flag, Germs & Circle Jerks.

4/5