Xephyr's Forum Replies
I've found this playlist is pretty difficult to program due to the divide between Heavy Metal and Power/Symphonic, especially since I like creating playlists that flow between genres rather than jumping around. I'd rather program something that eases into the different genres so, like Sonny said, the final 45 minutes of the playlist isn't going to be something that everyone likes. At the same time, I think I'd rather keep doing this approach rather than randomly sprinkling different subgenres around so that people can skip past full sections instead of constantly getting interrupted by a style they don't like in-between stuff they're enjoying.
June 2022
1. Acid – “Hooked On Metal” (from “Acid”, 1983)
2. Pharaoh – “I Am the Hammer” (from “The Longest Night”, 2006)
3. Angel Witch – “Angel of Light” (from “Angel of Light”, 2019) [Submitted by Sonny]
4. Megaton Sword – “Pristine War” (from “Pristine War”, 2019)
5. Kamelot – “Wander" (from "Epica”, 2003) [Submitted by Daniel]
6. Power Quest – “Master of Illusion” (from “Master of Illusion", 2008)
7. Unlucky Morpheus – “The Black Death Mansion Murders” (from “evolution”, 2022)
8. Mercyful Fate – “Night of the Unborn” (from “Don't Break the Oath”, 1984)
9. Rage – “Death in the Afternoon” (from “Perfect Man (Deluxe Version)”, 1988)
10. Cloven Hoof – "Call of the Dark Ones” (from “Resist or Serve”, 2014)
11. Ozzy Osbourne – “No More Tears” (from “No More Tears (Expanded Edition)”, 1991)
12. Lucifer – “Dreamer” (from “Lucifer II”, 2018)
13. Striker – “Phoenix Lights” (from “Stand in the Fire”, 2016)
14. Dionysus – “March for Freedom” (from “Anima Mundi”, 2004)
15. Ostrogoth – “Queen of Desire” (from “Ecstasy and Danger" 1983)
16. Sanctuary – “Battle Angels” (from “Refuge Denied”, 1987)
17. Brainstorm – “Devil's Eye” (from “Midnight Ghost", 2018)
18. Brothers of Metal – “Son of Odin" (from “Prophecy of Ragnarok”, 2017)
19. Beast In Black – “Zodd the Immortal" (from “Berserker”, 2017)
20. Blind Guardian – “Born in a Mourning Hall” (from “Imaginations from the Other Side”, 1995)
21. Sunrise – “The Bridge Across Infinity” (from “Equilibria”, 2021)
22. Ancient Bards - "To the Master of Darkness" (from "Soulless Child", 2011)
23. Avantasia - "The Wicked Symphony" (from "The Wicked Symphony", 2010)
Because I want to try and get through all the monthly features before leaving for a trip, I won't be able to give this any extra listens before giving some thoughts, which is a shame because I can tell this is an album that needs it. Dissonant, chaotic, dense, and slightly off-the-wall Black Metal is normally hit or miss for me, with stuff like Achatius really grabbing my attention and the rest of the stuff falling by the wayside. Onirik has piqued my interest in the short time I've spent with this album because it initially gives you the sense that it's just going to be a standard, more run-of-the-mill dense Black Metal album but then proceeds to veer off in a ton of different, but subtle paths that aren't immediately jaw dropping but are still interesting nonetheless. The suffocating production can leave some nuance to be desired at certain points but the seemingly out of place bass tone among the interwoven guitars becomes more and more compelling as its utilized in different ways as the album progresses. In a similar vein to Achatius, the lead guitar is always doing something, for better or worse. I think I could get a ton more out of this one on repeated listens so we'll have to see when I get back to it, since there's just too much going on to be fully absorbed initially. Definitely an album that requires insanely active listening and is made for people who enjoy that kind of thing, since many of the hard-hitting climaxes are well hidden amongst the dense songwriting.
3.5/5
Hope everything turns out okay and none of the kids end up getting it, I've heard about enough families that managed not to spread it within their own homes so hoping that's how it works out for you guys.
I was a pretty big Contortionist fan when I first heard their 2017 album Clairvoyant and played that record into the ground for a year or so before checking out their previous records, with Language being noticeably heavier and just as good but their first two records seemed to be a bit lackluster in comparison. I guess I was a bigger Contortionist fan back when I first listened to Intrinsic as I think I have to drop my score from a 3.5 to a 3.0 after a quick relisten. There are some moments of brilliance in tracks like "Holomovement" and "Dreaming Schematic", which have the more progressive, dreamy-like qualities that I've always looked to The Contortionist for, but it all feels a bit messy when the Djent-y harsh stuff comes into play alongside all the other ideas. They show that they can make it work to some degree, like in "Cortical", but even then the transitions into the more melodic and progressive sections feels forced and choppy for the most part. With the pure Djent elements being the weakest link, I can't say it bodes well for Intrinsic as a full album experience. I still really enjoy The Contortionist so none of this is truly bad by any means, but it's a bit hard to go back and want to sit through all of the dull chug sections to just get progressive sections that are still weaker and less memorable than Clairvoyant or Language. Great band, pretty so-so album as they tried to find their unique sound.
3/5
I'd be super down with having a few tracks of cushion, I listen to enough of my own Guardians stuff each month but I don't venture out from my own Power Metal/whatever other bias I have. I feel like the playlists somewhat suffer from that, so any other input is appreciated.
It's been admittedly hard to keep up for me as I've only gotten more buried at work and my schedule after work has been insane since I'm practicing for an event at the end of the month, plus lifting/working out and trying to study for an exam, but I'm finding time. I'm glad everyone else is having a great time with compiling them and it shows in the quality, these playlists have become my go-to for throwing on during workouts and they were great driving partners until I decided to update my phone and now I don't have a headphone jack to plug an AUX into. I don't pay for Spotify so I'm forced to listen to them on shuffle and they're still high quality for the most part, but a few dud tracks for such a rotating set of playlists are going to happen and that's sort of the fun of it in my opinion.
I'm hoping I can carve out some more time to be more active after this month, I really enjoy it. Just can't make this a top priority right now, even though I'm still listening to a ton of music during work.
I'd just like to open up a discussion around the monthly clan playlists to see whether you're all enjoying the current format or would like to see some changes. Here's a few questions to consider:
1. How are you all enjoying them? Do you look forward to listening to & compiling them? I've been listening to more of them recently for workouts and such, so I enjoy having them each month. Compiling them is tough for me but I'm getting by, I think it'll be worth it in the long run.
2. Is the two hour length appropriate? I think ~20-25 tracks per month seems appropriate, which is what I end up with for The Guardians. Maybe certain clans like The North could use a slight extension due to longer track lengths overall.
3. Do you think monthly is the right release schedule? Would bi-monthly or quarterly be more suitable & encourage a higher quality of submissions? Could it be different for different clans? Even though it's more work, monthly seems to work out. I'd personally get tired of the same 2 hours of music for 2 full months.
4. Should we consider dissolving a couple of the less popular playlists altogether or would that potentially confuse things? Possibly reduce the length down to 1.5 or 1 hour for clans with less material. Data on the plays per month like Vinny said would be nice too, Spotify makes it hard to find smaller playlists so I don't have high hopes.
5. Do we have the track submission limits right? Is there a better way to manage the compiling of the lists? 20 minutes for The North has been a bit restrictive for me but I think it works for how many people submit requests.
5. Any other suggestions or comments? I just wish there was a better way to push Spotify playlists for engagement other than hustling/shilling, which I don't really have the energy nor want to do.
I was away for the weekend and when doing these I'm 12 hours behind Australia, I got the playlist to Daniel when I could and was ridiculously tired so I posted the track listing and couldn't stay awake for when Daniel got around to updating the Spotify link. I was going to take care of it when I woke up, I understand that I missed this or whatever, alright?
May 2022
1. Wintersun – “Land of Snow and Sorrow” (from “Time I”, 2012) [Submitted by Andi]
2. Shield of Wings – “Cedar” (from “Unfinished”, 2022)
3. Bloodbound – “Take One” (from “Tabula Rasa”, 2009)
4. Accept – “Too Mean To Die” (from “Too Mean To Die”, 2021) [Submitted by Andi]
5. Maule – “Summoner" (from "Maule”, 2022)
6. Satan – “Twelve Infernal Lords” (from “Earth Infernal", 2022)
7. Bruce Dickinson – “The Alchemist” (from “The Chemical Wedding”, 2001 Remaster)
8. Savatage – “She's In Love” (from “Gutter Ballet”, 1990) [Submitted by Andi]
9. Diamond Head – “The Coffin Train” (from “The Coffin Train”, 2019)
10. Sabaton – "Stormtroopers” (from “The War to End All Wars”, 2022)
11. Alestorm – “No Quarter” (from “Black Sails At Midnight”, 2009) [Submitted by Andi]
12. The Lord Weird Slough Feg – “Cauldron of Blood” (from “Down Among the Deadmen”, 2013)
13. Stray Gods – “Silver Moon” (from “Storm The Walls”, 2022)
14. Sonata Arctica – “FullMoon” (from “Ecliptica”, 1999) [Submitted by Andi]
15. The Ferrymen – “Bring Me Home” (from “A New Evil" 2019)
16. Rusty Cooley – “War of the Angels” (from “The Alchemists”, 2002)
17. Kamelot – “Center of the Universe” (from “Epica", 2003) [Submitted by Andi]
18. New Horizon – “Cry for Freedom” (from “Gate of the Gods”, 2022)
19. Judas Priest – “Lightning Strike” (from “Firepower”, 2018)
20. Smoulder – “Warrior Witch of Hell” (from “Dream Quest Ends”, 2020)
21. Neurotech – “The Halcyon Symphony” (from “Symphonies”, 2016)
01. Coroner – “Mental Vortex” (1991)02. Sadus – “A Vision Of Misery” (1992)
03. Coroner – “No More Color” (1989)
04. Annihilator – “Alice In Hell” (1989)
05. Cryptic Shift – “Visitations From Enceladus” (2020)
06. Toxik – “World Circus” (1987)
07. Аспид – “Кровоизлияние” (1993)
08. Coroner – “Punishment For Decadence” (1988)
09. Vektor – “Black Future” (2009)
10. Annihilator – “Never, Neverland” (1990)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/173
Black Future has to be the top for me, but I'm really happy to see Visitations From Enceladus so high on there. I'm really hoping that Cryptic Shift only improves because if they release an album better than their debut it's gonna be huge. I HIGHLY recommend going to Demoniac's So It Goes and coming back to this list though Daniel, Sonny has been going through the Chilean Thrash scene recently and came to the same conclusion as me; I think that album is truly something special.
Véhémence - Ordalies (2022)
I personally found Véhémence's 2019 album to be good for one or two listens, but as slightly awkward as the two knights shown on the new cover art above. I'm a bigger fan of the slightly different direction on Ordalies, it feels more complete, engaging, and confident in its medieval Black Metal style. The frilly folk parts aren't overdone and the longer track lengths aren't really an issue for me, been going back to this one for quite a few weeks now.
4/5
Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds Pt. 2
Catching up on posting about some of the stuff I've been listening to recently, War of the Worlds Pt. 2 is basically the next Symphony X album from said guitarist Michael Romeo and shows how much of that bands sound he's responsible for. This is a more orchestral and bombastic Iconoclast to my ears and I've been really enjoying it, as Romeo's riff writing and solos in his new style have only seemed to improve after losing the neoclassical edge. Vocalist Dino Jelusick has the pipes to serve as a more than welcome stand-in for Russell Allen and while the record can get a bit too caught up in being an over the top orchestral fiasco, I think this one is a really solid project that scratches my modern Symphony X itch.
4/5
I got a ton of out of this one, since a lot of the Symphonic Black Metal albums that I come across aren't exactly great. Glory and Perdition takes simple additions like brass and atmospheric, spacy synth backing and really nails exactly how much to use of it and when. The overall album feel and theme is incredibly unique and powerfully written as, like the others have said, there honestly isn't much of it. The trumpet/trombone combo only show up once or twice a track and the rest of the transitional sections are drenched in this eerie, somewhat heavenly but still Black Metal evil sounding synth and orchestra that works really well in my opinion. The interludes are a bit too segmented I think, because while I think they're integral to the album, the flow gets sort of halted by "Reverie", "Ode to a Dying Star", and especially when the album ends on "Lacus Somniorum" after the enormous closer "Blood Serenade". Attila Csihar is back yet again and although it took me quite a few Mayhem listens to not hate his vocal style, it's impressive to hear him sound so good and at home in an album with more production elements and a bigger, more triumphant atmosphere. His throat-like singing sounds awesome as a compliment to the rest of Sear Bliss's act on the opening "Birth of Eternity", but his other feature on "Shores of Death" may be one of the weaker parts of the album despite the middle section being very creative and memorable with the synths and horns. Really strong and cool album overall, easily one of my new albums to point to for a different and effective take on Symphonic Black Metal.
4/5
Maybe it's because I've been listening to a lot more melodic, cleaner stuff like the new Hath, Immolation, or Allegaeon for my Death Metal recently, but this was the exact kick in the teeth I needed to break up the monotony. Diabolical Summoning is one of those Death Metal records that knows how to keep the energy going for the entire runtime and, at the same time, keeping the runtime short enough to not run out of steam. As has been already said, the riffing is great, the drum production is some of the punchiest I've heard and sits right in my preferred middle ground of being just chaotic enough to keep the listener guessing while still laying down the necessary double bass rhythms to keep the guitars moving. The other attribute I'm starting to pick up on for my favored Death Metal releases is the effortlessness of all the transitions, and wow are there a lot of them in this record. Each track is bursting with all kinds of different riffs and sections that chaotically flow together seamlessly in a way I can't really explain. It's a bit barebones for me to give it absolutely massive praise, but this is definitely an overlooked one, as everyone else has said.
4/5
May:
Forbidden Temple - "Altar Under The Moon" - Step Into The Black Pentagram (2022) 5:00
Obsequiae - "The Starlit Shore" - Suspended in the Brumes of Eos (2011) 5:31
Nocturnal Triumph - "The Hammer of Immateriality" - Nocturnal Triumph (2022) 8:54
I enjoyed this one after an initial spin a few weeks ago, didn't know it was an offshoot of Winterfylleth. Definitely one to go back to for, like you said, something a bit different than normal with the cool Medieval influences. It's rare that this blend of styles doesn't get tossed into the fantasy, orc-slaying bin and even though I'm a fan of that kind of stuff more than most, Arð is still a refreshing find.
Edit: After another listen this afternoon I forgot how gorgeous this album can be, the orchestral and choir elements are perfectly placed as to not be overbearing while still attributing a ton to the atmosphere. It does plod along a bit too much here and there for my tastes, but it reminds me of a more bombastic and full sounding Obsequiae. Not sure if that's a good comparison or not, but it does remind me I haven't listened to their first two albums, which I really should do. Revisiting this one has really put me in the mood.
Exactly what happened, I didn't see the post. I'll put them in next month.
April 2022
1. Unleash The Archers – “Ten Thousand Against One” (from “Apex”, 2007)
2. Powerwolf – “Night of the Werewolves” (from “Blood of the Saints”, 2011)
3. The Ferrymen – “One More River To Cross” (from “One More River To Cross”, 2022)
4. Heaven & Hell – “Rock and Roll Angel” (from “The Devil You Know”, 2009)
5. Warlord – “Black Mass” (from "...And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun”, 2021)
6. Crimson Glory – “Dance On Fire” (from “Strange and Beautiful", 1991)
7. Battle Beast – “Eye of the Storm” (from “Circus of Doom”, 2022)
8. Opera Magna – “La Herida” (from “Del Amor Y Otros Demonios - Acto 1”, 2014)
9. Eternity's End – “Call of the Valkyries” (from “Embers of War”, 2021)
10. Diamond Head – "No Remorse” (from “Lighting To The Nations”, 2020 Remaster)
11. Motorhead – “Limb from Limb” (from “Overkill”, 1979)
12. Tribulation – “Nightbound” (from “Down Below”, 2018)
13. Omen – “Death Rider” (from “Battle Cry”, 1984)
14. Satan – “The Doomsday Clock” (from “Cruel Magic”, 2018)
15. Silent Winter – “Where the River Flows” (from “Empire of Sins" 2021)
16. Luca Turilli – “Black Realm's Majesty” (from “Demonheart”, 2002)
17. Delain– “Here Come the Vultures” (from “The Human Contradiction", 2014)
18. Visigoth – “Warrior Queen” (from “Conqueror's Oath”, 2018)
19. Spirit Adrift – “Cosmic Conquest” (from “Enlightened in Eternity”, 2020)
20. Firewind – “The Fire and the Fury” (from “Burning Earth”, 2003)
21. Iced Earth – “Dante's Inferno” (from “Burnt Offerings”, 1995)
Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia (2022)
Been really enjoying this new one from Animals As Leaders. While not as technically crazy as their debut, it's a big step up in terms of replayability and catchiness from The Madness Of Many and all of the tracks have some sort of neat idea or element that makes the admittedly short runtime fly by. The performances and writing are clean, clinical even, and extremely tight; there isn't too much boundary stepping on this one but I think that's okay for what it's trying to do.
3.5/5
So while I've been a bit critical of people that spend their time listening to every single new release that comes out once or twice before moving on, I'm starting to see that there might not be any other way to discover the good stuff anymore. Well, I guess I can just listen to the good folk at Metal Academy!
Hey look it's me!
Seriously though, I've been feeling the brunt of this bias pretty heavily albeit in a more indirect way. I don't really interact with or care about the ratings/downvotes of certain sub-genres because I just listen to what I feel like listening to, write my own reviews and lists, and move on. But, I pretty much use the RYM current year Metal charts to scroll through and see what I can find that piques my interest pretty much all year. What I've found is that I end up listening to, like Daniel said, an extremely disproportionate amount of Black and Death Metal. I've found myself having to specifically search for and target Progressive, Power, and Heavy Metal (among other sub-genres) in order to even out what I'm listening to and get some variety, so the strain is still felt just from a music discovery standpoint even before getting into ratings/comments.
April
Enslaved - "Svarte Vidder" - Frost (1994) (8:43)
Ultra Silvam - "Of Molded Bread and Rotten Wine" - The Sanctity of Death (2022) (5:21)
Véhémence - "Un Contre Mille" - Ordalies (2022) (6:55)
Oh I might really dig this new direction if your description does it justice. I was looking foward to this one after really enjoying Yn ol i annwn and not really going back to any of their previous material, but wasn't able to get to it this week. Looking forward to it next week then I suppose.
April
Earthside - "Crater" - A Dream In Static (2015) (6:00)
Enslaved - "The Dead Stare" - Below The Lights (2003) (5:00)
Toundra - "Ruinas" - Hex (2022) (5:00)
Eight Bells - "Premonition" - Legacy Of Ruin (2022) (9:30)
Messa - Close (2022)
This is why I like the monthly features so much, since this may have flown under my radar had I not listened to Feast For Water. Instead, I was pretty excited to check this one out and it definitely delivers. Messa are a bit more experimental on this one and it pays off for them, fusing doomy riffs with more jazzy melodies and powerful as ever vocal performance. 2022 has been pretty slow for me so far so this one is a major standout, can't wait to see how it evolves after more listens.
4/5
I booted the site up first thing this morning and instantly came to look for this thread since it's such a massive improvement, great work.
Chilean Thrash hasn't disappointed yet, I was right in that I don't dig this as much as something like Demoniac since it's straight-up, more barebones Thrash, but that doesn't make it any less awesome. As someone who tends to be a bit lukewarm on classic Thrash records, this new South American resurgence has really surprised me with how much I dig it. Gonna be going back to this one quite a bit, these guys deserve way more attention.
4/5
Oh man more Chilean Tech Thrash? With one of the best covers I've seen in a while? Gotta check this one out tomorrow, it might be a bit too straightforward Thrash for my tastes but I'm excited nonetheless, great review Sonny.
Just checked this out today. The Arrows Of Our Ways initially impressed me, but fell off significantly since their vocalist is really grating to me for some reason. I think I prefer their more atmospheric sound here, looking forward to giving it a few more spins as I think it may be better than I currently think once I understand the pacing.
Oh hey I can do this one. Let's see here:
- Paysage d'Hiver - Im Wald (2020)
- Saor - Aura (2014)
- Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm (2021)
- Drudkh - Blood In Our Wells (2006)
- Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine (2020)
- Kaatayra - Só quem viu o relâmpago à sua direita sabe (2020)
- Kaatayra - Toda história pela frente (2020)
- Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion (2021)
- Paysage d'Hiver - Paysage d'Hiver (1999)
- Summoning - Minas Morgul (1995)
Bit of a weird list admittedly, it's made me realize I don't put too much thought into stuff like this, especially since I put so much weight on newer stuff. Hard for me to really parse how things stack up against some of the older albums.
March 2022
1. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (from Heaven and Hell, 2008 Remaster)
2. Running Wild - Riding the Storm (from Death Or Glory, 2017 Remaster) [Submitted by Andi]
3. Saxon - Remember The Fallen (from Carpe Diem, 2022)
4. Ancient Empire - Wings of the Fallen (from Wings of the Fallen, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]
5. Sabaton - Seven Pillars of Wisdom (from The Great War, 2019) [Submitted by Andi]
6. Savatage - Not What You See (from Dead Winter Dead, 1995) [Submitted by Andi]
7. Nightwish - The Siren (from Once, 2004)
8. Ravenous - Son of Storms (from Hubris, 2021)
9. Steel Prophet - The God Machine (from The God Machine, 2019)
10. LORD - Set In Stone (from Set In Stone, 2009) [Submitted by Vinny]
11. Skull Fist - Bad for Good (from Chasing the Dream, 2014) [Submitted by Vinny]
12. Sölicitör - Terminal Force (from Spectral Devastation, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]
13. Haunt - Defender (from If Icarus Could Fly, 2019)
14. Demons & Wizards - Heaven Denies (from Demons & Wizards, 2019 Remasters)
15. Dream Evil - Children Of The Night (from Evilized, 2003)
16. Elvenking - Warden of the Bane (from Reader of the Runes - Divination, 2019)
17. The Night Eternal - Elysion (Take Me Over) (from Moonlit Cross, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
18. Grand Magus - Valhalla Rising (from The Hunt, 2012)
19. The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Walls of Shame (from Down Among the Deadmen, 2013)
20. ANGRA - The Voice Commanding You (from Aurora Consurgens, 2006) [Submitted by Andi]
21. Nightfear - Psichokiller (from Apocalypse, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]
22. Morgul Blade - In the Grip of the Dark Lord (from Fell Sorcery Abounds, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
23. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 2015 Remaster)
I am no longer a number... I'm a free man!
So that's it, my last day of work completed and now I can get on with the rest of my life.
Quoted Sonny
Congratulations, both my parents retired recently and they've been doing great, so I can see how freeing it is. Keep up those hobbies obviously, boredom is the true killer even though we have so many things at our fingertips nowadays.
Sadly my work's just starting as I have to study for my PE exam (Principles/Practice of Engineering) for the next...8 months or so on top of all my other work. Gonna be a real long process.
I've been a big fan of Allegaeon for a few years now as well, although most of my listening has been on Apoptosis instead of their earlier, more generic material. Thankfully as Saxy alluded to they've really come into their own and have left the tiresome Tech Death hammering behind for a much more varied performance with more varied influences. It might be less brutal and up-front than their earlier albums but I've really enjoyed it on the first two listens as well. Could be a grower as I revisit it more, feels pretty cohesive album through and through.
Absolutely right, it's impressive how much of a blind spot I have with Enslaved considering how good I think they are. I wrote my Vikingligr veldi review and kept up with Utgard and E, but literally nothing else inbetween. Which is a damn shame because I have a feeling that Enslaved are incredibly overlooked as one of the most consistent and interesting Metal bands out there as they slowly morphed and shaped their sound away from their initial raw but simplistic Black Metal into something way more melodic and progressive. I think it's cool when bands take their time feeling out where they want to go with their music, it really creates a tangible journey, especially when you're many, many years late to the party and you can just go back through everything. Obviously it works out well because Enslaved has shown they can create high quality stuff no matter how they mix their sound up, only showing signs of slowing down very recently with Utgard being a bit more underwhelming than something like Below The Lights. That being said, I definitely liked this a lot, but it didn't absolutely blow me away. Although, now that I'm going for a 3rd listen as I write this, I could see it being a bit of a grower. I think you were right when you said there are a few inconsistencies here and there, but moments like the big riff drop in the opening "As Fire Swept Clean The Earth" are just insanely cool. I love the crunchiness of the drums in the mix too, gives it a unique rawness that Enslaved kept around from their earlier albums.
I've still got a lot of albums to go through from this band though, all of them seem ridiculously good.
4/5
Given the heavier, denser kind of Progressive Metal I've leaned into the past few years, this one was an instant winner for me right from the first listen. In fact, when I went to rate it on here versus RYM, I was appalled and confused as to why its overall score and opinions were so low. I suppose you could make the argument that albums like this are generally a slog and easy to dislike if they're a bit dull, which this can be, but I'm in agreement that this is some really good stuff overall. I think what strikes me the most about this album is that even though the leads can be a bit overwhelming at times, they're not afraid to take a less-is-more approach on some of their more crushing sections. Death Metal that leans towards the super technical side can cause my eyes to glaze over if it's too dense, but 7 Horns 7 Eyes aren't afraid to keep things slow and let their great melodies steal the show.
The overall sound and style of Throes of Absolution is pretty addicting to me, as it's in a unique spot of being heavy enough to keep up with other Progressive Death Metal acts I love while not being focused on being dissonant or overly technical. While the solo'ing and melodies can be quick, most of the riffs and grooves of the albums are pretty tame tempo-wise, and the drums are more focused on laying down syncopation and fills rather than pushing double-bass rhythms or blast beats. It's immediately appealing to my ears and it's kept me coming back to this album for listen after listen since the beginning of the month.
However I don't think I can say that Throes of Absolution goes into transcendent territory for me. There's something about the songwriting and structure that leaves me wanting more, with very few songs sounding fully finished or reaching a meaningful resolution. I'm always met with the thought of "Oh, it's over I guess" at the end of most tracks, and I'm not sure if it's a me problem or if some of these songs should have been extended a bit more, which I'll admit is normally a terrible suggestion. Dragging stuff out for the sake of dragging it out is becoming more and more of a sin in Progressive Metal, but I can't shake the feeling that most of these songs deserve better, more exciting endings even though their riffs, solos, and progressions throughout each song are top notch. I obviously love this, but there was something missing in the end.
4/5
Sadly Sonny most of my MA playlist listening happens during workouts, so The Fallen doesn't exactly fit the best, I normally go for my own Guardians, or the Infinite/Horde/Pit. I'll make it a point to check it out by the end of the month to see if I have any feedback.
March
Persefone - "Architecture of the I" - Metanoia (2022) (6:11)
Amenra - "Children of the Eye" - Mass VI (2017) (9:41)
Cult of Luna - "An Offering To The Wild" - The Long Road North (2022) (12:43)
March
Vorga - "Fool's Paradise" - Striving Toward Oblivion (2022)
Panopticon - "Chase The Grain" - Roads To The North (2014)
I'm going to get on my high horse for this one feature since I don't really have anything else I want to say about this one.
Turns out I've listened to over 100 Power Metal albums from 2018-ish to 2022. I've been around the block with these newer Power Metal bands and good lord do they still all sound pretty much exactly the same. Hammer King has basically no defining characteristics that have been repeated over and over by their many, many contemporaries. Hammer King is yet another album that gets chucked into the bin of albums that I'll never really remember or want to go back to because it sits neatly in the same space as so, so many other albums.
3/5, I still like Power Metal a lot.
Massive month for The Infinite, Cult of Luna didn't disappoint one bit in my opinion and despite my best efforts to not enjoy yet another by-the-numbers Amorphis album, they won me over again. Solid album. That Rolo Tomassi album is a standout as well; it's a mixture of styles that I personally haven't heard before and it works really well. The Persefone album was a mixed bag for me, I think it's good, but it's far from stellar and I haven't really rushed to go back to it.
That Tersivel album seems interesting, will have to check it out next week.
Review here, this was actually a pretty classic album for me to revisit.
Finally got around to Wuthering Heights and I'm surprised as you are that these guys went under my radar for so long, considering you're absolutely right that they exemplify a fusion of qualities that I'm quite fond of. I checked out both this release and The Shadow Cabinet as well and at first I thought I preferred Far From The Madding Crowd, but I think The Shadow Cabinet wins out by being more consistent and a bit more confident with its songwriting. The two albums remind me of the comparison between Blind Guardian's Somewhere Far Beyond and Imaginations From The Other Side, with the first album being a bit more experimental, creative, and daring, but the follow up being much more consistent and bombastic. Both have their place but I think The Shadow Cabinet ends up being the more solid experience, despite the truly atrocious transition between the awful spoken word "Reason...?" into "Sleep".
I think what's cool about Wuthering Heights is that, despite being an over the top cheese-fest, their density and complexity of songwriting makes it so the Western Fantasy Power Metal bombast isn't so eye-rolling. There's some really impressive stuff going on in both of the albums that makes it a much more interesting listen than your standard Power Metal fare. Somehow all of the singular influences from Power, Progressive, and Folk metal come together in a very coherent product that I'm looking forward to continue going back to.
Although the debate between Colors II and Colors I will be never-ending, you won't see me complaining.
Seeing The Work sadly reminded me how excited I was for that album only to be extremely disappointed by a concept album that held zero water for me.
Really glad to see this one, kind of excited to go back in time to Chevelle's older stuff from the Monthly Feature compared to Naritias considering how much I listened to it this year. I love the direction they went with this one, Chevelle finally carved their own sound out of a lot of influences compared to their older stuff where they were pretty second rate compared to other, similar bands in my opinion.
Really surprised by this one, hell I took this one off my final year-end list (that I realized I still have to post here on The Academy). I did enjoy it, don't get me wrong, but there were quite a few others that really stuck out to me this year. Glad this debut is getting a lot of traction though, hope Cryptosis can keep up the momentum.
This one is honestly kind of sad for me because The North was so goddamn strong with with 9 or 10 other Black Metal albums (and one not exactly Black Metal) edging out ...And Again Into The Light but it's still undoubtedly one of the best albums Lunn has ever produced, there's some truly gorgeous stuff in there.
Definitely deserved, Bloodmoon: I shows some of the most potential I've heard out of a release in a long time given how prolific both halves of the collaboration are. Hoping for a follow-up sooner rather than later.
February 2022
1. Nightwish - The Poet and the Pendulum (from The Poet and the Pendulum, 2007) [Submitted by Andi]
2. Eternity's End - Bane of the Black Sword (from Embers of War, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
3. Bombus - Abomination Rock'n'Roll (from Abomination Rock'n'Roll, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
4. Lethal - Killing Machine (from Programmed, 1990)
5. Judas Priest - Leather Rebel (from Painkiller, 1990)
6. The Cry of the Banshee - Pagan Altar (from Mythical & Magical, 2006)
7. Ghost - Death Knell (from Opus Eponymous, 2010)
8. Hammers of Misfortune - War Anthem (from The Locust Years, 2006)
9. Masterplan - Soulburn (from Masterplan, 2003)
10. Sonata Arctica - 8th Commandment (from Ecliptica, 1999) [Submitted by Andi]
11. HammerFall - Hearts on Fire (from Crimson Thunder, 2002) [Submitted by Andi]
12. ANGRA - Mystery Machine (from Fireworks, 1998) [Submitted by Andi]
13. Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind (from Follow the Blind, 1989)
14. Nevermore - The River Dragon Has Come (from Dead Heart In a Dead World, 2000)
15. Helstar - Harker's Tale (Mass Of Death) (from Nosferatu, 1989)
16. DragonForce - My Heart Will Go On (from Extreme Power Metal, 2019) [Submitted by Andi]
17. TOWER - Blood Moon (from Shock to the System, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
18. Armoured Saint - Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (from Punching the Sky, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
19. Icarus Witch - Through Your Eyes (from Goodbye Cruel World, 2018)
20. Sabaton - Bismarck (Bismarck, 2019)
21. Rage - Virginity (from Resurrection Day, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
22. Heavy Sentence - On the Run (from Bang to Rights, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
23. Axel Rudi Pell - Carsousel (from Oceans of Time, 1998)