Karl's Forum Replies

Here's my take:

California's Commander ended up being a relatively brief affair. Gathered in 1985, the US power metallers decided to pull the plug just four years later, leaving behind a single full-length labeled “The High n' Mighty.” Failing to achieve any semblance of commercial success whatsoever in the thrash-dominated landscape of the late 80s, the album spearheaded the band's descent into obscurity and remains the only concrete outcome of its activity, save for a spot on the “Metal Massacre VII” compilation. “The High n' Mighty” happens to be quite a significant record for me personally. I stumbled upon it as a single-digit-year-old whelp after purchasing one of the “mp3 metal collection” discs (anybody remember those?). Since it was one of the earlier “lesser-known” bands I discovered, Commander was partly responsible for introducing me to the idea of looking beyond the big names—a thought that sparked a lifelong passion for the metal underground.

The neuronal machinery of the young, impressionable brain of mine was utterly reorganized upon hearing the guitar solo of the opening number, “Knights of the Round Table”. I would not have discovered the feats of Maestro Malmsteen until years later, and a strong allergic reaction to the more straightforward hard rock style I contracted at birth made it impossible for me to appreciate most of the classic shredders. Thus, the hyper-melodic, classical-hinted style of Commander's axeman Dave Macias was a complete novelty for me back then. Around the same time, I found out about a great guitar hero of mine, Andy LaRocque, and they both ended up playing a big part in my exposure to a whole new array of possibilities when it comes to what can be achieved with the instrument. Obviously, over the years, it turned out that Dave's way of playing wasn't all that uncommon or innovative. Nonetheless, it remains fucking delightful to listen to and stands out as the strongest asset of the record at hand, with moments of lead guitar brilliance aplenty throughout the runtime. The opener's qualities don't end here for me, however. I find the track to possess a rare and highly sought-after trait in the particularly high load of uplifting energy, with the potential to help you power through some really tough chores. For example, I would reach for “Knights” regularly on the long study nights in college, and it proved itself to be both more effective and a healthier stimulant than the trusty Jägermeister mit Red Bull. Admittedly, the track is quite heavy on the cheese department as far as the album goes, and I would even go so far as to suggest that at times it approaches straight-up europower territory. That said, it finds itself sitting reasonably well within the outskirts of my acceptable glucose concentration regions.

“Knights” might be a sweet little darling of mine, but the main course on offering here is, without a doubt, the absolute behemoth of USPM glory in “Die by the Sword”. The song is a masterclass in tension-building, with the cyclic nature of the composition playing very well into the lyrical theme of fighting an inescapable fate. While Dave Macias has been the undeniable star of the show so far, I have a feeling that, recognizing where their most fruitful effort was, the other members decided to really up their game for this one. In effect, we get to experience no less than a few instances of truly cathartic musical beauty throughout the track's runtime, with the culminating point of the story featuring a particularly moving performance by the frontman, Jon Natisch. From that moment on, the gears are set for the last buildup and the gloriously satisfying finale. Introducing some needed variety and enhancing the song's character are the pleasantly clacky bass lines, courtesy of Ron Avila. The drummer Richard Mejia retains the thematically appropriate, steady pulse throughout most of the runtime, reaching out for his more advanced skills in the moments of increased intensity, thus contributing greatly to the emotional contrasts within the piece. My personal highlight, however, has to be the performance of the guest synth player, Mark Benson, with both the intro and the passage starting at around the five and a half minute mark having a very profound impact on me. That is due to the evocation of the retro-futuristic sound of the early digital age—a time when we as mankind were looking bravely forward in anticipation of the bright future to come, and a time I find myself deeply nostalgic for. The hints and motifs of this type are present throughout the album, amplified by the production job that graces Dave's leads with an unmistakable tone evoking the images of molten, industrial steel.

I believe at this point it is quite evident that I find the high points of “The High n' Mighty” to be much more than enjoyable, and on their basis alone, I would be quick to reach out for an award in the highest range of 4 to 5 stars. However, we obviously have to touch on the rest of the material and judge the album as a whole. Of note is the speedy number “Return of the Goths”, featuring a particularly beautiful solo by Dave. We also get a convincing package of tracks spawned by the band's admiration for the great Ronnie James Dio. “Kill the King” is a tightly executed cover that manages to manifest its relevancy by upping the heaviness of the well-regarded original. Furthermore, the inspirations are so evident in “Wizard”, that one could be forgiven for mistaking it for another Rainbow / Dio cover track, with especially Jon Natisch displaying tricks taken straight from his idol's playbook. The closer, “The Blade Shines On” is a good song as well, in a similar vein to “Return of the Goths”, though never quite reaching its heights. Unfortunately, I have to say that the record features a block of pretty unexciting material from the title track through “Terror”, where the songwriting takes a noticeable dip in quality. Furthermore, it is clear that Jon Natisch wasn't an experienced vocalist at the time of the recording. His lines are weirdly laid out at times, and occasionally he struggles to stay on-key. His passion and talent cannot be denied, but the lesser quality of the aforementioned three tracks makes it a bit harder to ignore the odd inadequacy. All in all, they do tempt me to reach for the skip button and represent an obstacle to enjoying the record in its full running time.

I find it regretful, that Commander ended up dissolving so early into their career, never fully realizing their vision of bombastic heavy metal. I believe they had the potential to spawn at least a few more beautiful spells and develop a minor cult following they deserved. Over the years, I would scan the Internet from time to time in anticipation of a proper re-release on CD (that it still hasn't manifested itself is but a travesty) or an unlikely reunion. Thus, I was deeply saddened to hear about Jon Natisch's untimely passing in 2012. “The High n' Mighty” might not be an eternal classic when looked at as the whole package, but nonetheless, its high points remain among my all-time favorites within the subgenre. If you are attracted to USPM style in any capacity whatsoever, and especially if you consider yourself a connoisseur of flashy, melodic guitar leads, I would highly recommend you check out at least the highlight tracks outlined below.

For fans of: Dio, King Diamond & Y.J. Malmsteen's Rising Force

Highlight tracks: Knights of the Round Table, Return of the Goths & Die by the Sword

3.5/5

I'll bite Metallica, and return the favor with King Diamond:

Karl's Top 10 Metallica tracks:

01. ...and Justice for All – ...and Justice for All [1988]
02. Disposable Heroes – Master of Puppets [1986]
03. Blackened – ...and Justice for All [1988]
04. Fight Fire with Fire – Ride the Lightning [1984]
05. One – ...and Justice for All [1988]
06. To Live Is to Die – ...and Justice for All [1988]
07. Damage, Inc. – Master of Puppets [1986]
08. Creeping Death – Ride the Lightning [1984]
09. The Call of Ktulu – Ride the Lightning [1984]
10. Dyers Eve – ...and Justice for All [1988]

Karl's Top 10 King Diamond tracks:

01. Grandmaaaaa! Welcome Home – “Them” [1988]
02. The Portrait – Fatal Portrait [1986]
03. The Invisible Guests – “Them” [1988]
04. Sleepless Nights – Conspiracy [1989]
05. The 7th Day of July 1777 – Abigail [1987]
06. Black Horsemen – Abigail [1987]
07. Abigail – Abigail [1987]
08. Arrival – Abigail [1987]
09. The Candle – Fatal Portrait [1986]
10. The Trial (Chambre ardente) – “The Eye” [1990]

Absolute stormer indeed! Thanks for introducing me to Sorrow and Decrepit Birth, I thoroughly enjoyed their tracks & look forward to exploring their discographies. I always have time for Grave and Nocturnus as well. Cool tracklist overall.

I look forward to seeing how it's stood the test of time & what some of our other members think of it.

Aged like fine wine as far as I'm concerned! Wonderful, filthy sound, fine melodies and enchanting atmosphere that keeps calling you back for more and more revisits. I even like the cheesy intro (what can I say, I have to admit that I am fond of cheap 90s synths way too much :-)) I'll be on the lookout for the 2015 CD re-release, containing Paradox and some live tracks.

Hey, I loved the Megaton Sword track! I think I ought to give their catalogue some attention this month.

01 D'ailleurs - Sortilège - Métamorphose [1984]
02 Frostwyrm Cavalry - Morgul Blade - Heavy Metal Wraiths [2024]
03 Of Sins and Shadows - Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy [1996]
04 Between the Worlds - The Night Eternal - Fatale [2023]
05 Hailstorm and Tempest - Attic - Return of the Witchfinder [2024]
06 Savage Oath - Savage Oath - Divine Battle [2024]

Thanks Xephyr

01 Abigor - Cryptopsy - Blasphemy Made Flesh [1994]
02 Spectrum of Morbidity - Skelethal - Within Corrosive Continuums [2024]
03 Excruciating Refuge in Reoccurring Torment - Apparition - Disgraced Emanations from a Tranquil State [2024]
04 Subjected to Torture - Brutality - In Mourning [1996]
05 Cannibal Sodom - Intestine Baalism - An Anatomy of the Beast [1997]
06 Tragedy of the Faithful - Dismember - Where Ironcrosses Grow [2004]
07 Die Alone - Unanimated - Ancient God of Evil [1995]

Thanks Daniel

01 Til Satan - Ljå - Til avsky for livet [2006]
02 Devil's Hammer - Pestilential Shadows - Devil's Hammer [2024]
03 L'étrange clairière [pts. 1 & 2] - Véhémence - Par le sang versé [2019]

Thanks Ben

Hi Andi, for August:

The Wind Shall Slay - Diabolicum - The Grandeur of Hell (Soli Satanae gloriam) [1999]

Hi Daniel, my suggestions for August:

01 Internal Bleeding - Obituary - Slowly We Rot [1989]
02 Pits of Utumno - Morgoth - The Eternal Fall [1990]
03 For Those Who Will Fail - Messiah - Rotten Perish [1992]
04 Exile of the Sons of Uisliu - Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus [1992]
05 Plight of the Naath - Grenadier - Trumpets Blare in Blazing Glory [2022]
06 Shadows of the Ancient Empire - Incantation - Diabolical Conquest [1998]
07 Infernal Worms Fields - Kronos - Colossal Titan Strife [2003]
08 To Flow Through Ashen Hearts - Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God [2024]

Hi Xephyr, as promised, half an hour for August:

01 Seul - Blaspheme - Désir de vampyr [1985]
02 Shelob's Lair - Cirith Ungol - Half Past Human [2021]
03 Rising Force - Y.J. Malmsteen's Rising Force - Odyssey [1988]
04 Leyenda - Tierra Santa - Medieval [1997]
05 The Oath (of Magic and Fire) - Agatus - The Eternalist [2016]
06 Don't Turn Your Back - Angel Witch - Angel of Light [2019]

Hi Ben, my nominations for August:

01 På slagmark langt mot nord - Gorgoroth - Destroyer [1998]
02 Through Times of War - Keep of Kalessin - Through Times of War [1997]
03 Den vrede makt - Whoredom Rife - Den vrede makt [2024]
04 Et que vive le diable ! - Seth - La France des maudits [2024] (the single is out on Spotify)

Cool find. I would have probably never heard of this one if I hadn't joined the Academy. After giving it a few spins over the course of last week, I decided to review it as well:

https://metal.academy/reviews/35546/9858

Note that I can't add releases that haven't been released yet, as I need to have clarity of what clan, genre and subgenre they should be added to. I generally wait until releases have had around 50 ratings on RYM, as the genres have usually been solidified by them.

Well, sounds obvious now that you said it; I'll keep that in mind!

Hi Ben, when you'll have time, could you please add these bands:

Minas Tirith (Norway)
Sigrblot (Sweden)
Seigneur Voland (France)
Kristallnacht (France)
Mørkriket (Germany)
Theotoxin (Austria)
Tenebrosus (Poland)
Thule (Iceland)
Curse (Iceland)

...and Seth's (France) upcoming full-length La France des maudits ?

Thanks for the detailed explanation, Daniel. Please count me in for The Horde; I will be getting in touch with other playlist administrators soon.

I am thrilled to see that Flash of the Blade is so high on your list, Sonny. It's one of my favorites as well, and I've always felt that it's somewhat overlooked.

The "top x tracks from a band" list may well be a favorite of mine. Either that, or "band x's releases, worst to best" – to me, it's particularly enlightening to see how widely opinions may differ among the fans of the same band. I'll be glad to give Iron Maiden a shot, but I don't think my knowledge of Judas Priest, Dragonforce, and Kamelot's material is deep enough to do it justice. Instead, I'll give you my take on Black Sabbath; behold:

Karl's Top 10 Iron Maiden tracks:

01. Powerslave – Powerslave [1984]
02. The Duellists – Powerslave [1984]
03. Flash of the Blade – Powerslave [1984]
04. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner – Somewhere in Time [1986]
05. The Prophecy – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son [1988]

06. The Evil That Men Do – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son [1988]
07. Caught Somewhere in Time – Somewhere in Time [1986]
08. Rime of the Ancient Mariner – Powerslave [1984]
09. Sign of the Cross – The X Factor [1995]
10. Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) – Somewhere in Time [1986]

Karl's Top 10 Black Sabbath tracks:

01. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath [1970]
02. The Sabbath Stones – Tyr [1990]
03. Anno Mundi (The Vision) – Tyr [1990]
04. Falling Off the Edge of the World – Mob Rules [1981]
05. Electric Funeral – Paranoid [1970]

06. Turn Up the Night – Mob Rules [1981]
07. Heaven and Hell – Heaven and Hell [1980]
08. Die Young – Heaven and Hell [1980]
09. Neon Knights – Heaven and Hell [1980]
10. Master of Insanity – Dehumanizer [1992]

I love Kvist (bought the CD back in 1996), but I've never thought of it as influential. [...] I've never listened to an album and thought "these guys have definitely been listening to Kvist".

I am inclined to agree (such a shame though, I'd be delighted to hear more music in the same vein!), but it's the album that comes to my mind when I hear the phrase "Norwegian melodic black metal". Therefore I'd still pick it due to it being an essential listen. However, I can see that my fondness for it may be skewing my opinion so let's leave it at that.

One could also make a case for Nattens madrigal (1997). It may be raw and not very accessible, but it certainly is drenched in sugary melodies, somewhat uplifting even. A quintessential release from a very successful and influential band, one might say.

Other than that, I'm happy to settle with Windir and agree that Arntor is the one that should be getting the spot.

I've always thought of Dissection as more of a melodic death metal band, thus my personal pick would probably be either Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher or Far Away From the Sun, as I consider those as more representative of a typical Swedish melodic black sound. All that said, Storm of the Light's Bane's influence is undeniable so I'm totally fine with keeping it too.

I love Varathron and they may have the more consistent discography but Rotting Christ is the more influential one. I'd stick with Thy Mighty Contract  as well - it encapsulates the charming naïveté of the early hellenic scene perfectly.

For the epic Norwegian style, I'd suggest looking at For kunsten maa vi evig vike (1996). It was released a few years before Arntor and is usually regarded highly.

The deal breaker: samples.

Exception 1:  Funeral Mist - Devilry (1998) - the whole EP.
There are many reasons why I adore this release, one of them being the particularly filthy atmosphere that's enhanced by extensive use of samples. I like them here since they help to convey the viscous and toxic sound and seem to be generally well thought out.

Exception 2: Theatre of Tragedy - And When He Falleth from Velvet Darkness They Fear (1996).
Even though the follow-up to the their debut full-length (which I hold dear to my heart) was quite a letdown for me, I have a soft spot for this track and I cannot imagine it without the lengthy dialogue samples taken from the 1964 classic The Masque of the Red Death.

Caution! Contains beauty and the beast vocals and some questionable gothicy recitations.

I might have been just a tiny touch too harsh on the samples and I'm willing to admit that it is indeed possible to make them work (except for crying babies and vocalizations, to the deepest pit with those!). Perhaps I'll come up with an example or two for the exception thread.

Also, I always respect a clever song insertion, that's a good one. :-)

Ain't no way in hell I'm passing this one up.

• Gospel-style background vocals. Die with Your Boots On anyone? I shall forever wonder what they were thinking.
• And again, Piece of Mind (don't you worry - it has so many redeeming qualities it gets a pass). The opener Where Eagles Dare is quite possibly my favorite track of the record. Nonetheless, it certainly could do without those gun sounds... Samples. The severity varies. Engines, helicopters, guns - those are mildly infuriating. Give me crying babies and my blood starts to boil. And don't even get me started on those... copulatory vocalizations thrown out of nowhere in the middle of a track. Honestly, if you put this shit in a song and you are not in a pornogrind band, kindly go and fuck copulate yourself!
• Obituary. Dying of Everything. Intro riff. Chug-chug, ..., chug-chug, .... Ouch. Is this really the same band that released Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death?
  
• At the Gates. Slaughter of the Soul. Timestamp - 1:21. Groovy riff? Death & roll-y riff? Breakdown? Whatever this goddamned thing is called. Bonus points if it's a part of a song i would otherwise dig, just as it is the case here.
• Modern, computerized production, artificial tone, perfect rhythm, zero human factor. I want to hear you & your beloved gear, not your computer and your software!
• Everything with an avant-garde prefix is 95% not for me, at least for now.
  

Themes, aesthetics & lyrics:

• Urban / contemporary themes: street life, parties, drugs and the likes. Even worse - internal struggles/teenage angst. Extra credit if done by middle-aged men.
• Intense self-deprecation & without you I'm nothing cliché. Also celebrating one's depression.
• Love & erotica - this can be done well but it's very hard. And when it's bad (that is - usually) - it's really bad.
• Contemporary politics and preachy social commentary. Freedom worship - thrash metal style - being a notable exception. Ns and commie black metal are getting a pass as well, since these are so over the top I can't take them seriously.

And finally, I share some of your deal breakers:

• Punky drums and cowbells
  
• Hardcore vocals
• Excessive usage of pinch harmonics & bends, but those are totally cool in moderation.
  

Hello Sonny, Ben & Andi, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Zachary, you'll be pleased to hear that I gave The Call of the Wretched Sea a spin and I must say, I dig it quite a bit. Since I'm new to the band (and fairly new to funeral doom in general), it's going to take a fair amount of time & subsequent listens before I fully wrap my head around it. That said, I'm genuinely impressed with how cohesively they managed to execute the theme and the lyrics are top tier. What's more, I can already say that I have two personal highlights: The Sermon (when he goes My song forever shall record that terrible, that joyful hour... - man, shivers down my spine!) & Ahab's Oath (this one is soul-crushingly heavy and i really like the synth parts here). Curious to hear which one is your favorite.

Thanks for the warm welcome fellas!

I'm looking through all these fresh threads on the forums. Compiling a list of heavy metal deal breakers? - this is exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking forward to.

Also, Hall of Judgement ? Man I like the idea. And I like the name even more.

did... did you say AHOY? Do you like nautical things?

• I'll never miss an opportunity to see a museum ship, if there is one in town I'm visiting.
• Whenever I travel by ship (which is not often, sadly) I feel nothing but a deep sense of joy and calmness.
  
• My dream vacation: From Europe to the States by sea (perhaps on a cargo vessel since these "hotel cruises" are certainly not my thing); and back the same way after a month or so.
  
• This one might be controversial - i have nothing against pirate metal!
  

One may conclude that I have a soft spot for nautical things  :-)