Sonny's Forum Replies
Thanks Vinny. I wish I could get into some of this avant-disso stuff, because a lot of people really seem to get a lot out of it and I feel I must be missing out, but I suppose I must accept that this type of metal isn't for me and probably never will be.
I don't recall ever having crossed paths with this Brisbane disso-death crew before - and I think I would remember if I had! In all honesty, Vexovoid inhabits a place so far outside my comfort zone that I need a telescope to see it. It consists of the kind of dissonant elements that provides me with a notion of what it must be like to teach a class of ADHD-affected toddlers. Flitting from musical idea to musical idea like a moth round a flame, it doesn't give me anything to attach an anchor to and so leaves me feeling adrift and detached from the disconcerting and infernal chaos they summon. The sound is huge for sure and it bludgeons and batters like any good death metal should, but it piles elements upon each other like a motorway crash and has a similar effect on me, making it terrible to behold, whilst also making it hard to ignore. Occasionally, such as during the first half of the track "Plasm", it reminds me of some of the more brutal war metal efforts, and this is when it appeals to me most, but its constantly shifting focus means I find it difficult to stay the course and I end up wishing I was listening to actual war metal instead.
All this being said, I can't help wondering that if I were to persevere with this whether it might reveal the appeal others evidently find in it. There are individual fragments that sound great with a huge tidal wave of sound that threatens to sweep away all before it, but I find these to be momentary and fleeting as the band soon turn yet another sharp corner and leave me wondering where they have gone. Look, I know that the problem is mine and that my low tolerance for both the dissonant and experimental is the deciding factor informing my opinion here, but that is a barrier that Vexovoid is never going to surmount, I don't think. Even though it may be one of the best examples of its ilk available, I would venture that this is never going to find much favour with me. On the plus-side, it is very short.
This all makes it very hard for me to attach a quantitative score to because I can't tell whether it is actually any good, so I am going to employ the "how does it make me feel" theory of music rating and award it 1.5/5
I have been following Mares of Thrace for a while now, since their 2012 album The Pilgrimage in fact and I was a big fan of previous album The Exile, so I was looking forward to this one. The Loss is essentially a concept album dealing with the five stages of grief, a theme eminently suited to the band's desperate and anguished version of sludge metal.
Band mainstay, guitarist / vocalist Thérèse Lanz has always had a striking vocal approach, maintaining levels of aggression many can only futilely hope to achieve, but here on The Loss she has ascended to a whole new level of vocal anguish and fury, imparting additional heft to the album's concept of grief and loss. Production-wise, since Casey Rogers jumped on board as musician and engineer / producer the band have never sounded better with his production work increasing the depth and basic heaviness of their sound, adding real weight to their already existing nihilistic aggression. The riffs are very good and are rendered crushingly heavy by Rogers' work behind the desk with a huge bottom end which also doesn't appear to flatten out the upper registers or compromise Thérèse's anhuished shrieks or wails.
The instrumentation and songwriting has once more improved with The Loss taking on aspects of atmospheric sludge, often combining the hulking, atmospheric layering of Neurosis with the visceral rawness of Eyehategod which has the effect on the listener of being bowed by crushing weight whilst being sharply stabbed with stinging barbs. The album is instrumentally coherent, yet never becomes samey with each track having a feel of its own, in keeping with the theme of each track covering a different stage of the grieving process.
I find an honesty and openness in Mares of Thrace's releases that you don't necessarily encounter that often, with Thérèse's vocals in particular giving the impression that she probably has an intimate knowledge of this latest album's concept. But not only that, she also has the vocal expressiveness to be able to impart a convincing taste of the awful and debilitating effects of dealing with such an emotionally charged subject. This is the kind of release on which the Fallen thrives and, despite the emotionally challenging material, this is a genuinely impressive and relevant addition to the clan's canon and if this is a just world it will see the duo gain much wider acclaim.
A solid "A" grade from me (4.5/5).
Yeah, genre fatigue can be a very real thing sometimes. I have had a similar crisis of faith with traditional doom metal, where every album begins to sound the same after a while with all the newer acts just trying to rip-off the classics in the hope that some of the magic rubs off on them, but it rarely does. I am not one of those people who constantly needs bands to push the boundaries, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. One of the reasons I am so enthused about Darkthrone's recent doomy efforts is that they are producing something I am eminently familiar with, but in an uncompromised and genuine way that sets them apart from the crowd who are climbing over the legacy of better acts and each other in an attempt to get noticed.
Some of my disenchantment with the record is more to do with my exhaustion with the thrash scene as a whole as opposed to this being a terrible album though.
I feel the same way. Is this a problem that many people, particularly long-standing metalheads, are having with thrash metal? Do you think it is because of the quite restrictive nature of the genre because there are not actually that many variations on the thrash metal theme are there? Unlike death, black and doom metal that can span whole different spectra of sounds, thrash generally has to conform to a tight set of criteria which can make many records sound the same. Don't get me wrong, the classics are still great, but it is very hard to find much thrash after 1990 that is genuinely awesome. Are we dealing with a dead end street here?
In all honesty my love of thrash metal has faded somewhat over more recent times as I have explored further into other genres like death metal and even metalcore, plus a bit of a resurgence in my love for old-fashioned heavy metal. This has meant that I haven't really put a lot of thought into my Pit feature suggestion this month, so I just dragged a name out of my list of thrash albums from the last decade or so that I quite liked but which nobody else had rated and came up with Crucified Mortals' 2016 sophomore full-length album.
Crucified Mortals is basically a duo of vocalist, bassist and guitarist Craig Horval, aka Reaper, and drummer Ash Thomas who is actually guitarist and vocalist in a number of Ohio death metal bands. They have been joined on Psalms of the Dead Choir by Detroit lead guitarist Victor "Lore Lord" Ruiz in a guest capacity. The album is very much based on the old Slayer sound, with Reaper's vocals sounding like he is a big admirer of Max Cavalera. The riffs are pretty decent, albeit not the most original you will ever hear, but this is thrash metal almost 30 years removed from its heyday, so what do you expect? The soloing is where I scratch my head the most because Lore Lord sounds like a pretty good lead guitarist, but his solos here seem almost hesitant, as if he is uncertain of himself. Whether this is down to a misperception on my part or some hesitancy to fully express himself or lack of confidence on his part in a band that he is only performing with as a guest, I have no way of knowing. Check out the soloing towards the end of "Into Eternity" to get an idea of what I am getting at - it feels like he really wants to let rip, but is holding back for some reason.
I guess this doesn't really hold up as well as I was hoping when I suggested it and I feel my 4-star original rating is maybe a bit generous upon relistening to it. It is a perfectly fine, third tier thrash metal release that holds very few surprises for the seasoned inhabitant of the Pit. My favourite part of the album is probably the hulkingly slow intro riff to "Dusk of the Advent" which left me wondering why more thrash acts don't slow things down to a more menacing pacing sometimes, for variety's sake if nothing else. Ash Thomas' drumming is probably the one real highlight of the album for me and he seems like a very talented skinsman, despite it not necessarily being his day job.
At the end of the day this is a "C", maybe a "C+" thrash metal release and just adds fuel to the fire of my belief that the South Americans are now the only game in town when it comes to thrash metal.
The automated bots don't succeed in actually creating an account here as it would have to select clans during the process. We've only ever had a small amount of successful fake users created and I'm convinced it's done manually (as in a person actually bothered the manually create the account for the purpose). Anyway, I've deleted the user and review. It just takes a bit to disappear off the front page.
Thanks Ben. Once more your dedication is admirable.
No wonder the world is so fucked when there are so many bums trying to scab their way through life with no respect for anything or anyone.
Bummer! Get well soon, all.
I agree with the sentiment that personal context is massively important to how we as individuals perceive a release, which is why I will always take Blizzard of Ozz over Diary of a Madman. Blizzard was massively important to me at the time as an indication that Ozzy was going to be OK after leaving Sabbath, whereas Diary was just another album amongst a plethora of stuff coming out during the NWOBHM that felt fresher and more exciting than what the old guard could muster.
Is this someone hacking actual accounts or is it people (or bots, I am not well-versed in such technological shennanigans) making accounts for the express purpose of spreading this shit?
Interesting choice. I'm not aware of these guys.
It is getting more difficult to suggest albums that everybody isn't already familiar with because, in a way, The Pit is the most restrictive clan (after the Sphere) I feel. So I tend to check whether anyone else has rated or reviewed a release before I suggest it nowadays. Plus I have heard so many Pit releases hundreds of times that excessive familiarity often kicks in. I tend to stick with the South Americans nowadays for my thrash fix, but thought I would have a change this month.
I bought "Speak of the Devil" virtually the day it was released and I have to confess I felt cheated. It just seemed like a hastily-assembled cash grab by the label (or maybe an early maneouver by Sharon) to make some money and take the gloss off the impending "Live Evil" Sabbath live album. I stil have that copy, but I bet I haven't played it for forty years. "Diary of a Madman" doesn't do much for me either, but I would still have preferred an Ozzy live album which showcased where he was going, not where he had been and featured material from the two solo albums with maybe a smattering of Sabbath tunes.
I guess it just goes to show that people can like the same things, while at the same time not.
Here you go Sonny:
Nattverd - "Hvisk Deg Vekk" (from "Tidloes Naadesloes", 2025)
Wode - "Celestial Dagger" (from "Servants of the Countercosmos", 2017)
Sinmara - "Shattered Pillars" (from "Aphotic Womb", 2014)
The Great Sea - "The Maze" (from "Noble Art of Desolation", 2025)
That's weird, I ordered the new vinyl version of their classic Dark Sorcery EP only yesterday. I've not listened to this, so looking forward to it.
Here is an updated version of my review from a few years back:
And so it came to pass that, after their Tenth Anniversary World Tour, Black Sabbath and their charismatic frontman John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne parted ways. Although it was a huge disappointment at the time, in hindsight it was the only real way forward for all parties involved. I had seen Sabbath on that tour and if I was being brutally honest I would have to say that Ozzy was fucked-up big time. He was obviously shit-faced on stage and at times not far from incoherent. To make matters worse the band were supported by an up-and-coming US outfit called Van Halen who had an energy and vitality that the Sabs sadly seemed to have lost. So in a way, it was obvious even then that time was running out for the original lineup.
Anyway, 1980 saw the release of albums from both the revamped Sabbath, who had recruited diminutive ex-Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio, and Ozzy's new band who were going by the name Blizzard of Ozz. Sabbath dropped their new album, Heaven and Hell, in April to much acclaim from fans and critics alike so the pressure was on for the Oz to produce. Ozzy had also procured the help of an ex-Rainbow alumni in bassist Bob Daisley and veteran Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake completed the solid rhythm section of Ozzy's new crew. However it was in the recruiting of electrifying and hugely talented guitarist Randy Rhoads from Quiet Riot that Ozzy revealed his masterstroke. Rhoads was a classically trained guitarist who's technical ability allowed him to push the limits of what metal guitarists were doing at that time - he is often cited as one of the leading influences of neoclassical metal guitar playing - and his energy seemed to have revitalised Ozzy and given him back his edge. It only really occurs to me now, but maybe Ozzy witnessed Eddie Van Halen's electric style of playing during the previously mentioned Never Say Die tour and decided that was the way forward for metal and he wanted to feed off some of that energy these young guys were bringing to the genre.
September of 1980 saw the release of the Blizzard of Ozz album and a new dawn called for the former Sabbath singer. The album featured eight tracks and a short instrumental, ran for almost forty minutes, had a nice variety of pacing and some killer hooks. I Don't Know is a solid opener and is a bit more uptempo than we are used to hearing from the Ozz. Randy Rhoads' more flamboyant style contrasts really well with the solidity of the rhythm section and pushes Ozzy himself to a new level. With the now overfamiliar yell of "All aboard" the band launch into the riff that launched a thousand sporting events and a song that may be even more famous than Paranoid - Crazy Train. It's an energetic celebration of a track that is very difficult to listen to objectively any more due to overexposure, but at first it sounded awesome. Next up is the balladic Goodbye to Romance which really should be a bit too cheesy and overly sentimental for my usual taste but, mainly because of Ozzy's charismatic vocals, I really like it and it is the track which has given me a bit of a teary eye when listening to it in the shadow of Ozzy's passing. Dee is a short instrumental piece where RR gets to show off some of his classical training and leads us into one of my album highlights, Suicide Solution, a real belter of an early eighties' metal track and the closer of side one.
The second side begins with Mr. Crowley which both tonally and thematically is the most Sabbath-like track on the album. This is followed by most people's least favourite, No Bone Movies, which is no classic, but doesn't, in my opinion, stick out like a sore thumb as being especially terrible either. Then we come to my favourite part of the album. For me, the last two tracks are where it's at with this album. Revelation is a classic Ozzy track and is the most heartfelt song on the album with a brilliant build and a triumphant ending that leads straight into the sledgehammer riff of Steal Away (the Night) which brings proceedings to a close in thunderous style.
The album isn't perfect, some of the lyrics are a bit painful, but there are some brilliant songs on here, Ozzy sounds rejuvenated and Randy Rhoads' riffing and solos are worth the entry fee alone. I don't know if this is a controversial opinion, but I prefer this to Sabbath's Heaven and Hell album (although it's not quite as good as Mob Rules). We are all going to miss this guy, believe me.
The next North playlist is September, so suggestions by 15th August please.
Next Horde playlist will be October, so suggestions by 15th September please.
August 2025
1. Death - "Empty Words" (from "Symbolic", 1995)
2. Incantation - "Anoint the Chosen" (from "The Infernal Storm", 2000) [submitted by Karl]
3. Disma - "Lost in the Burial Fog" (from "Towards the Megalith", 2011) [submitted by Vinny]
4. Immolation - "Above All" (from "Atonement", 2017) [submitted by Sonny]
5. Amon Amarth - "Twilight of the Thunder God" (from "Twilight of the Thunder God", 2008)
6. Tomb Mold - "Two Worlds Become One" (from "Manor of Infinite Forms", 2018) [submitted by Vinny]
7. Master - "Latitudinarian" (from "On the Seventh Day God Created...Master", 1991) [submitted by Karl]
8. Stenched - "Black Adipocere" (from "Gorging on Mephitic Rot EP", 2023) [submitted by Sonny]
9. Gorguts - "Absconders" (from "Colored Sands", 2013) [submitted by Vinny]
10. !T.O.O.H.! - "Řád a trest" (from "Order and Punishment", 2005) [submitted by Karl]
11. Pig Destroyer - "Junkyard God" (from "Prowler in the Yard", 2001)
12. Discordance Axis - "The Inalienable Dreamless" (from "The Inalienable Dreamless", 2000)
13. Iniquity - "Tranquil Seizure" (from "Serenadium", 1996) [submitted by Karl]
14. Artificial Brain - "Graveyard of Lightless Planets" (from "Infrared Horizon", 2017) [submitted by Sonny]
15. Chestcrush - "Existence is Punishment" (from "ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
16. Eternal Suffering - "The Warmth in Her Torment" (from "Drowning in Tragedy", 1999)
17. Dead Congregation - "Graves of the Archangels" (from "Graves of the Archangels", 2008) [submitted by Karl]
18. Nightfall - "The Traders of Anathema" (from "Children of Eve", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
19. Mithras - "When the Stars Align" (from "On Strange Loops", 2016) [submitted by Sonny]
20. Cenotaph - "Severance" (from "Riding Our Black Oceans", 1994) [submitted by Karl]
21. Blood - "...and No One Cries" (from "Christbait", 1992) [submitted by Karl]
22. Portal - "The Back Wards" (from "Vexovoid", 2013) [submitted by Vinny]
23. Chthe'ilist - "Voidspawn" (from "Le dernier crépuscule", 2016) [submitted by Sonny]
24. Defeated Sanity - "Heredity Violated" (from "Chronicles of Lunacy", 2024)
August 2025
1. Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath" (from "The End (Live)", 2017)
2. Black Sabbath - "Fairies Wear Boots" (from "Paranoid", 1970)
3. Black Shape of Nexus – “IV” (from "Black Shape of Nexus", 2012) [submitted by dk]
4. Beggar - "The Cadaver Speaks" (from "Compelled To Repeat", 2020)
5. King Witch - "Sea of Lies" (from "III", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
6. Black Sabbath - "Snowblind" (from "Vol.4", 1972)
7. Coltsblood - "Until the Eidolon Falls" (from "Obscured Into Nebulous Dusk", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
8. Nadja – “The” (from “Guilted by the Sun EP”, 2007) [submitted by dk]
9. Ossuary - "Forsaken Offerings (to the Doomed Spirit)" (from "Abhorrent Worship", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
10. Black Sabbath - "N.I.B." (from "Black Sabbath", 1970)
11. Conan – “Violence Dimension” (from “Violence Dimension”, 2025) [submitted by dk]
12. Fer de Lance - "The Feast of Echoes" (from "Fires on the Mountainside", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
13. Trail of Tears - "Disappointment's True Face" (from Profoundemonium, 2000) [submitted by Andi]
14. Ozzy Osbourne - "Mr. Crowley (Live)" (from "Blizzard of Ozz (Expanded Edition)", 1980)
15. Stormcrow – “Path to Defeat” (from “Stormcrow/Coffins Split EP”, 2010) [submitted by dk]
16. Amenra - "A Solitary Reign" (from "Mass VI", 2017) [submitted by Sonny]
17. Black Sabbath - "Children of the Grave (Live)" (from "The End (Live)", 2017)
Just had to post this. Mike Portnoy plays Slayer on a Hello Kitty kids' drum kit:
Overkill - The Grinding Wheel (2017)
I am not the biggest fan of the New Jersey thrashers, but this album is just so excruciatingly terrible that it makes me want to go back to all the albums of theirs that I have rated and knock a star off each ones rating. This must be easily the most grating vocal performance I have ever heard - yes, even worse than Axl Rose. Most of the tracks seem like thrashed-up versions of old rock n roll songs. I truly cannot express how much I hated this record and it has thrown a shadow over my whole afternoon with its sheer awfulness. So FUCK OFF OVERKILL!!
0.5/5 (and lucky to get that much)
This sucks so much. I cannot express how much this guy and his music has meant to me over the years. I guess we all saw it coming one day soon, but we kept hoping that it would be tomorrow and not today. Now today is here and another metal icon has gone to join Lemmy in metal Valhalla. R.I.P. Ozzy.
I missed a word there. I meant "I'm NOT surprised" as I'm aware of your aversion to the more chaotic & abrasive stuff.
Ah, right you are.
"One of Us is the Killer" is my Dillinger release of choice these days & I'm surprised that you might find it a little more palatable than a more abrasive & chaotic record like "Calculating Infinity" Sonny.
Like I say, Daniel, I haven't heard any other DEP albums, so I don't know how typical of their sound this is. Your comment makes me think that I have given the impression in the past that I prefer abrasive and chaotic when that is absolutely not the case. I have often railed against chaotic-sounding records as they usually send my mind into turmoil. I do like aggressive music, but stuff that is too abrasive and chaotic often sets my teeth on edge. This is part of the reason I listen to so little from the Revolution and when I do I enjoy the stuff that dabbles with catchy choruses and melodic, albeit muscular, riffs.
Krallice - Diotima (2011)
So, here is yet another example of the fact that I have no idea what I am talking about, or even what I like half the time. My only other exposure to Krallice was their 2015 album, Ygg Hur, to which I awarded a measly 2.5 stars. I remember said album as being a bit technical and a bit dissonant in the way that I didn't especially enjoy around that time. As such, I wasn't particularly enthused going in to this, but it is actually pretty good and I enjoyed it a helluva lot. It is made up of fairly lengthy and repetitive tracks of muscular black metal that seem to have a beefiness derived from employing death metal production techniques. With the repetitious nature of the riffs and lengthy runtimes you would be forgiven for filing this away as atmospheric black metal but it isn't really as I don't think the repetition is deployed in a way as to create atmospheric layers, but rather to bludgeon the listener and make them feel like they have taken a metaphorical punch on the nose. There is some dissonance involved, but nothing too egregious and certainly not enough to put even my sensitivity to it on alert, just enough to add a bit of bite and edge to the tracks to prevent them becoming too warm and fuzzy.
I don't want to give the impression that this is a boring slog of repetition, though, because the songwriting and composition of a track like "Telluric Rings" is much more accomplished and nuanced than that and is a fine of example of a band who want to make interesting black metal whilst still delivering on the darker side of the genre. The band employ two vocalists, the main one, I think, is guitarist Mick Barr whose vocals are a harsh bark in a more death metal style than the more familiarly thin shrieks of second vocalist, bassist Nicholas McMaster. Speaking of which, I must also make mention of McMaster's bass playing which is busily at work doing some serious heavy lifting for a fair bit of the runtime, not content to just follow the riffing, the bass weaves some quite complex patterns, adding some nice flavour to the musical mix.
I have got to say, I am quite impressed by Diotima and feel that maybe I have been unjustified in giving Krallice short shrift in the past. Every track is strong, but the aforementioned "Telluric Rings" sounds like something special to me and is possibly heading towards becoming a firm black metal favourite of mine. I notice that I am the first on here to rate it, but I strongly recommend a listen to most of the North regulars because, honestly, it is much better than I make it sound.
4.5/5
The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us Is the Killer (2013)
Now I am starting to wonder if I even know what I like any more. I thought I hated metalcore with a passion, yet now I find that the further I delve into it, the more I find something there that I can engage with. I have never knowingly listened to a DEP album before, but they are one of those bands I had rolled my eyes at in the past, in an arrogant, nothing-to-do-with-me show of disdain, that now looks increasingly stupid and elitist and crumbles upon first contact with the "enemy". Sure, there are a couple of moments that are a bit too abrasive and rub me up the wrong way a little, but generally speaking this is something I can get on board with. When the riffs and catchier melodies hit then it sounds great, especially when deployed in direct contrast to the more abrasive moments, with this dichotomy providing the musical tension that fires and drives the album for me, particularly on a track like "Hero of the Soviet Union". A couple of tracks, such as the title track and "Paranoia Shields" even remind me of a more vicious Soundgarden and these two are the album highlights for me, particularly the latter.
Fuckin' hell, at this rate I am going to have to come up with one of those "my top ten metalcore albums" lists. See, you can teach a (very) old dog new tricks!
4/5
Well, they say laughter is the best medicine and your final comment had me literally laughing out loud, so I reckon I am well on the way to full recovery (sorry Ben). All the best anyway and hopefully we will have many more years of shooting the shit about metal and everything else!!
I have recently had a bit of a health scare. After feeling unwell for a few days I went to see the doctor and they found my blood pressure was at dangerously high levels. In order to avoid going onto long-term medication I have had to undertake some radical lifestyle changes, including a strict diet and exercise. I also need to reduce my stress levels, so I have pretty much stopped consuming news and curent affairs which have been a massive source of stress (and anger) recently.
This does, however, mean I have needed to stop writing reviews for the time being as I actually find it incredibly stressful trying to write several paragraphs of thoughts on music as I am not a natural writer like some of you guys. I would like to continue participating though, so I will probably only contribute shorter, more concise comments for the time being.
The good news is that the steps I have introduced seem to be paying off and my BP is steadily coming down to more normal levels, so hopefully I will still be around for a little while longer!!
Be well big man. Look after yourself.
Thanks Vinny, I'm trying.
I have recently had a bit of a health scare. After feeling unwell for a few days I went to see the doctor and they found my blood pressure was at dangerously high levels. In order to avoid going onto long-term medication I have had to undertake some radical lifestyle changes, including a strict diet and exercise. I also need to reduce my stress levels, so I have pretty much stopped consuming news and curent affairs which have been a massive source of stress (and anger) recently.
This does, however, mean I have needed to stop writing reviews for the time being as I actually find it incredibly stressful trying to write several paragraphs of thoughts on music as I am not a natural writer like some of you guys. I would like to continue participating though, so I will probably only contribute shorter, more concise comments for the time being.
The good news is that the steps I have introduced seem to be paying off and my BP is steadily coming down to more normal levels, so hopefully I will still be around for a little while longer!!
My suggestion for August Andi:
Enforcer - "Mask of Red Death" (from "From Beyond", 2015)
Really nice playlist. I've listened through this a few times mainly while working, so can't really do a song by song review. I only knew just overe half of it, so was great to hear some new bands. I've got to say I really enjoy the playlist aspect of the site - I've already listened to one from the Horde and the Revolution clans.
The one that really jumped out at me was Mares of Thrace - "The Fifth Stage: Depression" (from "The Loss", 2025) and the album was promptly added onto my to listen to list. I loved the clanging drums and vocals on this one. It appealed to my love of post-hardcore and noise rock and I guess the sound makes sense as I noticed that Thérèse Lanz was briefly a member of KEN mode. Great stuff.
Yeah, that is a great track. I am glad to see the band finally gaining some traction.
King Witch - III (2025)
I am only part-way through my first listen to this new one from KW, a band that I have been following for quite a while, and i just had to come here and post, "holy shit Laura Donnelly can fucking sing". If Ronnie James Dio was a woman (and a bit taller) then he would have sounded just like this. I can definitely feel that this is going to be a 2025 favourite for me. If you love epic doom / heavy metal then you need to do yourself a favour and get an earful of this shit!
No score yet, but it's gonna be good....
Arkham Witch - I Am Providence (2015)
Despite appearances to the contrary, I do actually like metal that is fun, alongside all the doom and gloom that makes up the bulk of my metallic intake. One of my primary sources for when I feel the need for some light-heartedness is Keighley's Arkham Witch. On "I Am Providence" they provide twenty very short and punchy, tongue-in-cheek heavy metal celebrations of horror writer HP Lovecraft's eldritch stories that are both catchy and fun and which I more often than not find myself singing along to (too loudly and out of tune). This is an album for lightening your mood when you are feeling low. It feels kind of like a heavy metal version of The Misfits and it is a joyous celebration of both metal and horror stories, two things that have been a part of my life since I was a teenager. I have a score for this, but I'm not posting it here because I don't want to affix a number to how much fun and joy this album brings to me.
Here we go Sonny:
Coltsblood - "Until the Eidolon Falls" (from "Obscured Into Nebulous Dusk", 2025)
Ossuary - "Forsaken Offerings (to the Doomed Spirit)" (from "Abhorrent Worship", 2025)
King Witch - "Sea of Lies" (from "III", 2025)
Fer de Lance - "The Feast of Echoes" (from "Fires on the Mountainside", 2025)
That Fer de Lance record walks a line dedicated to mostly epic heavy metal for the most part and so if you feel that track is not for The Fallen then feel free to exclude.
I honestly don't think there is much to be gained from being too dogmatic about suggestions in all honesty, Vinny. Sure, there should be something of interest to Fallen members, but there is so much cross-pollination in metal now that as long as it is loosely relevant then I am all for including any suggestion. Maybe I am mellowing with age, but it is all about it being enjoyable for folks to listen to, not about rigidly adhering to dogma.
Thanks guys.
Amenra - De toorn EP (2025)
De toorn is a two-track EP running for 25 minutes and is the first of two EPs already released this year by the belgian atmospheric sludge band. Both tracks follow a very similar path, starting off in a very gentle, minimalist manner. The opener "Heden" begins with soft, heartbeat-like drumbeats and a murmuring bassline interjected with gentle guitar strumming and vocalist Colin Van Eeckhout quietly intoning the lyrics with a spoken word delivery. We all know this quiet calm cannot last and that it is just a matter of time until the wave comes crashing in. That it takes until the final quarter of the track for it to happen, just as you start to wonder if this is not the track you thought it was, it almost takes you by surprise. Van Eeckhout goes into full desperate, Burzum-like shrieking mode as the heaving tsunami riff hits and the shuddering climax is brought to fruition. Heden is definitely a case of the payoff being worthy of the build-up and is a decent, if not exactly unpredictable piece of atmo-sludge songwriting.
The problem for me is that they then try to pull off exactly the same trick with the second track, the EPs title track. This time the quiet calm, post-rock led extended intro is provided by a jangling guitar and snare beat with the vocals again pretty much being spoken word. The climax this time around hits at the two-thirds in mark and takes a very similar form to the opener. Whilst the atmospherics on both tracks are exceedingly well delivered and they are obviously very comfortable with both their instruments and songwriting technique, the similarity of the two tracks feels almost a little lazy and too comfortable for a band who have delivered much more variety in the past. Look, these guys are good, and both these tracks are too, but I expected a bit more from such a talented bunch.
3.5/5
Sacrilege - Behind the Realms of Madness (1985)
Because I lived in a nowhere industrial town in England's north Midlands back in the day, I had to rely on magazines and music papers to suggest new bands for me to try so I could expand my listening. Unfortunately, they only really covered already fairly well-known bands or those who had created a bit of a buzz (usually begun by industry insiders), so many great releases from the 1980s escaped my notice until much later. Seeing as the UK had very few decent thrash acts it is weird that Sacrilege never got any coverage from the music press and it also means that I almost missed out on a brilliant slab of crusty, Discharge-influenced thrash metal from my own neck of the woods. The production is crap, but this only adds to the album's crustiness and gives it a DIY air that I really love. It has the kind of energy the majority of thrash bands could only ever hope to possess. Pity they were never this good again, but, hell, to make one record this awesome is more than most manage.
As an aside, listen to "Shadow of Mordor" and tell me if you think Curt Cobain ever heard it before writing "Negative Creep".
5/5
While I certainly have a bit of time for "Behind the Realms of Madness" (3.5/5), I do have to admit that I've never found it to be as essential as other old-school fans seem to. I actually prefer 1987's "Within the Prophecy" (4/5) which I consider to be a really solid thrash record & a step up from the debut.
It's that Discharge-derived, crusty sound that I love so much about this.
I've noticed that a lot of modern-day critics seem to struggle with "Dopesmoker" but I've always found it to be really solid (4/5). Could this be a product of the Spotify age where the patience of your average listener has gradually diminished? Perhaps. "Sleep's Holy Mountain" is my favourite Sleep record these days though (4/5).
I'm not sure what the issue is to be honest Daniel. I would agree with your hypothesis, but then you see albums like Mirror Reaper doing really well, so lack of patience can't be the whole story.
I have gone the other way, to you, Holy Mountain was my introduction to Sleep and was mt favourite for ages, but in the last couple of years Dopesmoker has superceded it. Maybe now I have finished working and have more time on my hands i can appreciate it more.
Sacrilege - Behind the Realms of Madness (1985)
Because I lived in a nowhere industrial town in England's north Midlands back in the day, I had to rely on magazines and music papers to suggest new bands for me to try so I could expand my listening. Unfortunately, they only really covered already fairly well-known bands or those who had created a bit of a buzz (usually begun by industry insiders), so many great releases from the 1980s escaped my notice until much later. Seeing as the UK had very few decent thrash acts it is weird that Sacrilege never got any coverage from the music press and it also means that I almost missed out on a brilliant slab of crusty, Discharge-influenced thrash metal from my own neck of the woods. The production is crap, but this only adds to the album's crustiness and gives it a DIY air that I really love. It has the kind of energy the majority of thrash bands could only ever hope to possess. Pity they were never this good again, but, hell, to make one record this awesome is more than most manage.
As an aside, listen to "Shadow of Mordor" and tell me if you think Curt Cobain ever heard it before writing "Negative Creep".
5/5
Necrodeath - Into the Macabre (1987)
The best ever thrash album to come out of Italy is probably not that well-known, but it is a super-intense blast through riffs and thrashbeats that is both wild and exhilharating. Vocalist, Ingo, has a really evil-sounding bark that gives the album even more of a dark edge. If you have listened to much South American thrash then you will feel perfectly at home here. Driving right up to the border between death and thrash metal, whilst definitely remaining on the thrash side, this takes the intensity of the Big 3 teutonic thrashers and injects it with the evil darkness of atmosphere found on Possessed's Seven Churches. In common with most people I suspet, this passed me by in the Eighties, but I am glad I stumbled upon it years later and it still carries an effective and vital intensity even nowadays. A much overlooked 80's thrash metal gem.
4.5/5
Sleep - Dopesmoker (2003)
Let my precautionary tale be a warning to all you young metalheads out there. It all begins with Black Sabbath and if you start down that road of taking tokes of the Brummies' fairly lightweight stoner metal you eventually end sprawled out on some mates bedroom floor, rendered virtually catatonic by constantly huffing bong hits of Sleep instead of going out to walk in the sunshine occasionally! Sleep and Dopesmoker are synonymous with the real hardcore end of stoner metal and their huge, fuzzy riffs are dragged out almost beyond endurance, to create a metaphorical blanket of weed smoke that both cradles and stifles the listener, leaving them unable to do much other than lay back, open their mind and just go with the flow (man!!) And I am guessing that that was exactly the band's mission statement when they set out to create Dopesmoker, to which end they have been inordinately successful. The perfect accompaniment to afternoons spent earnestly discussing man's cosmic insignificance and wolfing down Sugar Puffs straight out of the box with mates just as hammered as you are.
4.5/5
Hi Ben, could you please add the 2010 split EP between Stormcow and Coffins.
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/ep/stormcrow-coffins/stormcrow-coffins/
Hi guys, can I have suggestions for August's playlist in by the 15th. Time allocation is now up to a maximum of 35 minutes for each participating clan member (Vinny, David).
Hi guys, can I have suggestions for August's playlist in by the 15th. Time allocation is now up to a maximum of 35 minutes each (Vinny, Karl).
Some notes on this month's playlist:
1. Electric Wizard - "The Sun Has Turned to Black" (from "We Live", 2004) [submitted by Sonny]
"We Live" is one of my favourite Electric Wizard albums and is very underrated when compared to the band's earlier stuff. It marks a transitional point for the band where the songwriting tightened up as the jam-oriented approach of the original trio was replaced by a more focussed and structured songwriting team when Jus Osborne's partner, Liz Buckingham, became more involved in the process. This is probably the best track on the album with a subsonic guitar tone that may well undermine your home's foundations if played too loudly.
2. Saint Vitus – "Trail of Pestilence" (from "Die Healing", 1995) [submitted by dk]
A great illustration of the crawling, creeping riffs Dave Chandler spent a career producing. Scott Reagers was back behind the mic for this album after the band had dallied with Count Raven's Chritus following Wino's departure and the band turned in their best post-1990 album as a result. Another brilliant track that is a perfect snapshot of what you should expect from St. V.
3. Daevar - "Mirrors" (from "Sub Rosa", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
I really enjoyed Daevar's previous album "Amber Eyes" so was already well-disposed to this track. It is a catchy muthafucker that is for sure and I genuinely can't understand why a track like this wouldn't garner some radio airplay and even a break into the mainstream. Love it!
4. Concilium - "Red Sun, Red Moon" (from "No Sanctuary", 2019)
Concilium is the brainchild of Kayo Dot / maudlin of the well guitarist Greg Massi and are a female-fronted epic doom act that are very accomplished and skilled songwriters and performers. So far this EP is there only release, but with quality like this on show it would be a huge shame if we didn't hear more from them in the future. This is the closer from the EP and rounds it off in epic and triumphant style.
5. Rothadás - "Vértükör" (from "Töviskert... a kísértés örök érzete... Lidércharang", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
This Hungarian duo are a completely new one on me, but their thundering, hulking death doom that reaches back to early 90's OSDM is defintely something that will gain favour with me. I love this track and will definitely be looking into these guys further in the very near future.
6. Myraeth - "Monarch" (from "In Glorious Death", 2012)
This is from a 2012 album which is the sole full-length release from the Sydney gothic doomers. Obviously influenced by My Dying Bride, they bring the whole gothic toolbox to bear with violin strings, keys and female vocals to complement the gruff male growls, all ably provided by Samantha Kempster who now has a solo gothic doom project called Promethean Misery. A nice take on the gothic death doom templatethat doesn't overdo the gothic side and so avoids any accusations of cheesiness.
7. Moonspell - "Capricorn at Her Feet" (from "The Antidote", 2003)
Portugal's Moonspell are exceedingly accomplished producers of gothic metal and are always decidedly listenable. The Antidote is one of my favourites and this is another exceedingly memorable and catchy number that should perhaps gain favour beyond the strictly metal sphere.
8. 5ive – "Gulls" (from "Hesperus", 2008) [submitted by dk]
OK, now we have got all that tunefulness out of the way let us get on with the show. 5ive are yet another completely new one on me and are, apparently, a Boston instrumental sludge act. If "Gulls" is typical fare then I think 5ive will gain much favour from fans of Ufomammut and the likes. I am not a huge fan of instrumental doom, but this is very, very good with its driving, kinetic style appealing to me immensely.
9. Secret Cutter - "Spleen" (from "III ", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
Venomous and ascerbic sludge metal that is filled with all the anger and despair that epitomises the true spirit of sludge metal. This is proper "Fuck off you fucking fucks!"metal.
10. Mares of Thrace - "The Fifth Stage: Depression" (from "The Loss", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
Mares of Thrace are a band I have been following for some time now, since 2012's "Pilgrimage" album in fact. 2022's The Exile was actually a big step up for the duo and it appears that new album, "The Loss" sees them develop even futher. This is an incredible track with mainwoman, Thérèse Lanz, really laying it on the line with such a desperate and heartfelt vocal performance that it has you genuinely concerned for her well-being. That said, though, I suspect being able to pour yourself so fully into an artisitc endeavour is exceedingly cathartic and I am sure Ms. Lanz will be fine. If the rest of the album is this good then it will certainly feature very highly in my end-of-year list I am sure.
11. Structure - "Will I Deserve It" (from "Heritage", 2025)
Solely judging on the strength of material featured on this here playlist, 2025 looks like being a very good year for Fallen releases. "Heritage" blew me away when listening to it after Vinny nominated it as a monthly feature, leading me to compare it (in effect, if not style) to my all-time favourite "Watching From A Distance". Now maybe that was a little bit over-effusive of me - those are fucking massive boots to fill after all, but I stand by my assessment of this as being an emotionally resonant album that speaks to something inside me in a quite positive way. This opener leads us into the album with a very melodic refrain that makes the whole more accessible than may be expected from a funeral / death doom hybrid.
12. Wolvserpent - "Within the Light of Fire" (from "Perigaea Antahkarana", 2013) [submitted by dk]
I love Wolvserpent's last album, 2016's "Aporia:Kāla:Ananta" but, oddly, I have never looked beyond that album into the rest of their discography. Well this is at least one other I have to check out. I love the kind of psyched-out, ritualistic droning as typified here. It is similar in a way to the direction Oranssi Pazuzu or their Waste of Space Orchestra have taken. It has a very sinister and dark atmosphere as if the listener is overhearing some forbidden occult rite that they should never behold. Great stuff.
13. My Dying Bride - "Thy Raven Wings" (from "A Line of Deathless Kings", 2006)
This is one of my favourite MDB albums as it is more stripped-back than the majority of their catalogue. With less emphasis on the atmospherics, they get down to being a damn fine doom / gothic metal band instead.
14. Yith - "Madness" (from "Immemorial", 2019)
Yith is an act I have been championing for ages now, generally to no noticeable effect. That doesn't deter me however as a guy who is able to so effortlessly combine doom and black metal into such a coherent statement as this must ultimately win through on quality alone. Black / doom hybrids so often have doomy bits and black bits welded together but Yith genuinely takes from both worlds and serves us up examples of a distinct sub-genre. Dark and desperate stuff that is made of nightmares.
15. SubRosa - "Whippoorwill" (from "No Help for the Mighty Ones", 2011)
Another excellent, but now defunct, band that have been high up on my list of favourites for some time. There is a certain unsettling quality to SubRosa's doom metal, as if there is something in the Salt Lake City air. The strings and layered vocals over the ponderous doom riffs always sound a little discordant and never allow complacency to set in, keeping you on your guard. "No Help for the Mighty Ones" was the precursor to the immense classic that was "More Constant Than the Gods" and "Whipoorwill" gives an insight into what was on the horizon.
16. Mournful Congregation - "The Paling Crest" (from "The Exuviae of Gods: Part II", 2023) [submitted by Sonny]
MC tend to get overlooked in the great funeral doom bands conversations, but this is a little unfair to the Aussies in my book. They haven't been as prolific as some, or maybe as consistent, but at their best they are excellent purveyors of this most morose of all sub-genres. Their two "Exuviae of the Gods" EPs are examples of them on top form and although I actually prefer "Part I" to "II", "The Paling Crest" rounds off the series in fine form with a wistful introspection that feels like the protagonist reaching back through the years towards lost loves and glories.
July 2025
1. Electric Wizard - "The Sun Has Turned to Black" (from "We Live", 2004) [submitted by Sonny]
2. Saint Vitus – "Trail of Pestilence" (from "Die Healing", 1995) [submitted by dk]
3. Daevar - "Mirrors" (from "Sub Rosa", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
4. Concilium - "Red Sun, Red Moon" (from "No Sanctuary", 2019)
5. Rothadás - "Vértükör" (from "Töviskert... a kísértés örök érzete... Lidércharang", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
6. Myraeth - "Monarch" (from "In Glorious Death", 2012)
7. Moonspell - "Capricorn at Her Feet" (from "The Antidote", 2003)
8. 5ive – "Gulls" (from "Hesperus", 2008) [submitted by dk]
9. Secret Cutter - "Spleen" (from "III ", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
10. Mares of Thrace - "The Fifth Stage: Depression" (from "The Loss", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
11. Structure - "Will I Deserve It" (from "Heritage", 2025)
12. Wolvserpent - "Within the Light of Fire" (from "Perigaea Antahkarana", 2013) [submitted by dk]
13. My Dying Bride - "Thy Raven Wings" (from "A Line of Deathless Kings", 2006)
14. Yith - "Madness" (from "Immemorial", 2019)
15. SubRosa - "Whippoorwill" (from "No Help for the Mighty Ones", 2011)
16. Mournful Congregation - "The Paling Crest" (from "The Exuviae of Gods: Part II", 2023) [submitted by Sonny]
July 2025
1. Bathory - "Enter the Eternal Fire" (from "Under the Sign of the Black Mark", 1987) [submitted by Sonny]
2. Norrhem - "Teräsmyrskyssä" (from "Aurinko ja teräs", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
3. Enthroned - "Deny the Holy Book of Lies" (from "Prophecies of Pagan Fire", 1995) [submitted by Karl]
4. Trespasser - "To the Barricades!" (from "Чому не вийшло?", 2018) [submitted by Sonny]
5. Immortal - "Storming Through Red Clouds and Holocaustwinds" (from "Pure Holocaust", 1993) [submitted by Karl]
6. Varathron - "Unholy Funeral" (from "His Majesty at the Swamp", 1993) [submitted by Karl]
7. Enslaved - "Lifandi liv undir hamri" (from "Vikingligr veldi", 1994) [submitted by Sonny]
8. Regnum Noricum - "Aminata Muscaria" (from "Lost Legacy", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
9. Groza - "Dysthymian Dreams" (from "Nadir", 2024) [submitted by Saxy]
10. Shylmagoghnar - "A New Dawn" (from "Emergence", 2014) [submitted by Andi]
11. Häxkapell - "Metamorfos" (from "Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
12. Mystifier - "The Baphometic Goat of Knights Templar in the 12th Century" (from "Göetia", 1993) [submitted by Karl]
13. Niden Div. 187 - "A View in the Mirror Black" (from "Impergium", 1997) [submitted by Karl]
14. Lycopolis - "Lord of the Necropolis" (from "The Procession", 2021) [submitted by Sonny]
15. Mortuary Drape - "Evil Death" (from "Secret Sudaria", 1997) [submitted by Karl]
16. Void of Hope - "The Hollow Hymn" (from "Proof of Existence", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
17. Deathspell Omega - "Wings of Predation" (from "Paracletus", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]
18. Summoning - "Beyond Bloodred Horizons" (from "Lugburz", 1995) [submitted by Karl]
19. Malokarpatan - "Ve starém mlyne čerti po nocách mariáš hrávajú" (from "Nordkarpatenland", 2017) [submitted by Sonny]
20. Moonsorrow - "Pimeä" (from "Verisäkeet", 2005)
Tool - Lateralus (2001)
At the time of its release I was very much a fan of Lateralus, its take on progressive metal was so dense and industrialised as to be a little alienating, yet it also felt quite intimate and personal at the same time, which was a combination I found to be endlessly fascinating. Over time I cooled to Tool and the endless bullshit that seemed to get bandied about on internet forums on their behalf, but as I listen to Lateralus again after a lengthy break, I am beginning to feel some of the attachment to the record I originally forged over twenty years ago beginning to resolidify. Sure, a lot of their fans are still pretentious as fuck, but frankly that's just noise, whereas Lateralus itself is far from that, but is a fairly unique-sounding album within my collection. Yeah, I'm gonna call it - this is a great record and no amount of internat crap will deter me from that position!
4.5/5 (upped from my long-standing 4/5)