UnhinderedbyTalent's Forum Replies

I was already across this release as we headed into November and so seeing it added to the feature roster lined it up nicely for review. As those folky rich melodies sent my brain into a near trace-like state, I did start to question my credentials as a nail coated wristband wearing black metal fan. But then I remembered my enjoyment of Mare Cognitum and Darkspace and convinced myself that my icy soul was no nearer to being thawed as I first feared. The inclusion of such a heavy amount of synths is perhaps the most challenging part of Vortex of the Worlds yet at the same time it would not work as well as an album without them. They do sound incredibly artificial and are without doubt the main culprit in steering the album away from the more extreme boundaries of black metal, but I find at the same time they are relatively easy to make peace with given their obvious contribution to such a rich and luscious soundscape.

When taken out of consideration for a moment, the synths are far from the only positive element of the instrumentation. The tremolo riffing is excellent (Transcendence) both in isolation and also in accompaniment to everything else. When paired with vocals, they ground the album in the more familiar and safe territory of atmo-black. The programmed drums do not go unnoticed, but are hardly a problem either as I do not believe that Labyrinthus Stellarum wrote Vortex of the Worlds with any desire to focus on percussion. The lack of bass is the only real issue I have as it does makes things sound unnecessarily sterile and gives those synths an almost smothering edge at times. There is a rumbling "something" in the background but I would suggest it is just the intentionally density added in the production to mask the lack of bass.

My instinct suggests that Labyrinthus Stellarum will move too far away from a core black metal sound in subsequent releases to this one. For now, Vortex of the Worlds is a sensible gateway into that vortex that I sense will soon lose some of its appeal in the coming records. I am more than happy to celebrate the successes of this record though and acknowledge its bravery in sticking to its ideals and values. It retains a unique edge without dropping into a Summoning level of repetition and genuinely has some exciting and intense moments that standout. The songwriting suggests that particular methodology is sound enough as the crescendos mid-track are effective and create some of the strongest moments in the record. The album has grown on me with repeated listens but I can sense that looming distance is coming still.

3.5/5

Reverend Bizarre - "Doom Over the World" ( from "II:Crush the Insects", 2005)

Castle Rat - "Dagger Dragger" (from "Into the Realm", 2024)

Pallbearer - "Cruel Road" (from "Heartless", 2017)

Horna - "Haudanusva Perimä" (from "vihassa ja verikostossa", 2000)

Labrynthus Stellarum - "The Light of Dying Worlds" (from "Vortex of the Worlds", 2024)

Nargaroth - "Black Metal ist Krieg" (from "Black Metal ist Krieg", 2001)

Fatal Realm - "Hammer of Heresy" (from "Demo", 2024)

Vomit Forth - "Rotting Wool" (from "Terrified of God", 2024)

I,Cursed - "Liminal" (from "I,Cursed/Blood Service split EP", 2023)

Dismember - "Crime Divine" (from "Massive Killing Capacity", 1995)

Tribal Gaze - "Twitching on the Cross" (from "split w/Deadbody", 2024)

De Profundis - "Sectarian Warfare" (from "The Corruption of Virtue", 2022)

Festergore - "Cryogenic Decay" (from "Constellation of Endless Blight", 2024)

Cult of Lilith - "Cosmic Maelstrom" (from "Mara", 2020)

Kataklysm - "Gravestones & Coffins" (from "Goliath", 2023)

Full of Hell - "Transmuting Chemical Burns" (from "Coagulated Bliss", 2024)

November 2024

1. Mekong Delta – “Imagination” (from “Visions Fugitives”,1994)

2. Rage – “Sent by the Devil” (from “Black in Mind”, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]

3. Yellow Machinegun – “Oh Die! Oh!! Choose Die!!!” (from “Father’s Golden Fish”, 1996)

4. Testament – “Demonic Refusal” (from “Demonic”, 1997)

5. Ritual Carnage – “Servant of the Black’” (from “The Highest Law”, 1998)

6. S.O.D. – “Bigger Than the Devil” (from “Bigger Than the Devil”, 1999)

7. Sabbat – “Death Zone” (from “Satanasword”, 2000)

8. Susperia – “Specimen” (from “Predominance”, 2001)

9. Ratos de Poräo – “Terror Declarado” (from “Onisciente Coletivo”, 2002)

10. Dew-Scented – “Turn to Ash” (from “Issue VI”, 2005)

11. Kayser – “Good Citizen” (from “The Good Citizen”, 2006)

12. Overkill – “Devils in the Mist” (from “Immortalis”, 2007)

13. Eliminator – “Breaking the Wheel” (from “Breaking the Wheel”, 2008)

14. Kreator – “Demon Prince” (from “Hordes of Chaos”, 2009)

15. Exodus – “The Ballad of Leonard and Charles” (from “Exhibit B: The Human Condition”, 2010)

16. Anthrax – “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t” (from “Worship Music”, 2011)

17. Soulfly – “Gladiator” (from “Enslaved”, 2012)

18. Antipeewee – “Pleasure of Flesh” (from “Human Grill Party”, 2013)

19. Exodia – “Town of No Return” (from “Hellbringer”, 2014)

20. Comaniac – “Secret Seed” (from “Return to the Wasteland”, 2015)

21. Bat – “Code Rude” (from “Wings of Chains”, 2016)

22. Fuego Eterno – “El arte de lo oculto” (from “El arte de lo oculto”, 2017)

23. Almost Dead – "Shot to the Head" (from "Lay Me Down to Waste", 2018)

24. Xentrix – “The Red Mist Descends” (from “Bury the Pain”, 2019)

25. Wraith – “Outbreak” (from “Index Case”, 2020)

26. Space Chaser - “Cryoshock” (from “Give Us Life”, 2021)

27. Night Lord – “Ostatni Smierci Krzyk” (from “Death Doesn’t Wait”, 2022)

28. Bloodletter – “The Howling Dead” (from “A Different Kind of Hell”, 2023)

29. Hemotoxin – “Malediction” (from “When Time Becomes Loss”, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

There's far too much music, yes.  I no longer take any pleasure in seeking out what is new in the current year.  Thinking about it logically, just because it has come out this year, why do I need to listen to it immediately?  Just my view of course as I find it hard to be arsed putting together year end lists of any length and the "hobby" aspect of seeking new music that some people enjoy is fine for them but just not something that interests me any longer.  I just don't bother.  

Nowadays I am extra lazy and just let the music streaming services suggest me a weekly playlist to run at which usually out of around 30 tracks churns out 2 decent records I listen to for the week.  I read no media publications online or in print (since Zero Tolerance mag appears to have died) and so do not have sight of what is coming out anyways.  Other than Bandcamp emails I am pretty out of touch with new music and certainly lack the time or gumption to search organically myself when the mood takes me. 

For me, life's too short to keep up with new music.

Warning - "Faces"  (from "Watching From A Distance", 2006)

Woorms - "Mouth is a Wound" (from "Slake", 2019)

Evoken - "Towers of Frozen Dusk" (from "Shades of Night Descending", 1994)

Nile - "True Gods of the Desert"  (from "The Underworld Awaits Us All", 2024)

Coffins - "Domains of Black Miasma" (from "Sinister Oath", 2024)

Altars - "Black Light Upon Us" (from "Ascetic Reflection", 2022)

Absu - "Descent to Acheron (Evolving into the Progression of Woe)" (from "Barathrum; V.I.T.R.I.O.L.", 1993)

Nails - "Violence is Forever" (from "You Will Never Be One Of Us", 2016)

Ex Deo - "The Rise of Hannibal" (from "The Immortal Wars", 2017)

Cannibal Corpse - "Scourge of Iron" (from "Torture", 2012)

Umbra Conscientia - "Constant Self Sacrifice in Devotion to Darkness" (from "Nigredine Mundi", 2022)

Vyrda Griep - "Brenning av Likhalmen" (from "Brenning av Likhalmen", 2024)

One of Nine - "The Silence of Heaven" (from "Eternal Sorcery", 2023)

October 2024

1. Metallica – “Damage Inc.” (from “Master of Puppets”,1986)

2. Razor – “Enforcer” (from “Violent Restitution”, 1988)

3. Exodus – “Strike of the Beast” (from “Bonded by Blood”, 1985)

4. Forbidden – “Chalice of Blood” (from “Forbidden Evil”, 1988)

5. Overkill – “Thanx for Nothin’” (from “Horrorscope”, 1991)

6. Megadeth – “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” (from “Rust in Peace”, 1990)

7. Slayer – “At Dawn They Sleep” (from “Hell Awaits”, 1985)

8. Annihilator – “Wicked Mystic” (from “Alice in Hell”, 1989)

9. Kreator – “Extreme Aggression” (from “Extreme Aggression”, 1989)

10. Jenner – “Never Say Die” (from “Prove Them Wrong”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Sadist – “Sometimes They Come Back” (from “Above the Light”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Benediction – “Wrong Side of the Grave” (from “Transcend the Rubicon”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Ninth Circle – “Hellish Style” (from “Dis, Emerge”, 2023)

14. S.D.I. – “Megamosh” (from “Sign of the Wicked”, 1988) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. Testament – “Urotdukidoji” (from “Low”, 1994) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Havok – “Time is Up” (from “Time is Up”, 2011)

17. Coroner – “The Lethargic Age” (from “Grin”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Vektor – “Pillars of Sand” (from “Terminal Redux”, 2016)

19. Mad Throng – “Outcast by Conviction” (from “Retribution is at Hand”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Evile – “Cult” (from “Five Serpent’s Teeth”, 2011)

21. Adrenaline Mob – “Undaunted” (from “Omertá”, 2012)

22. Mushroomhead – “Eye to Eye” (from “Call the Devil”, 2024)

23. Burn the Priest – "Kill Yourself (S.O.D. cover)" (from "Legion: XX", 2018) [Submitted by Vinny]

24. Bonehunter – “Acid Fuck” (from “Evil Triumphs Again”, 2015)

25. Thou Art Lord – “Fire, Chaos and Doom” (from “Daemoniorum”, 2022)

26. Agnostic Front - “One Voice” (from “One Voice”, 1992)

27. Ludichrist – “Zad” (from “Powertrip”, 1988)

28. The Crucified – “The Pit” (from “The Crucified”, 1989)

Hi Ben, could you please add USBM act Wormreich?

Echoing most of what Daniel said:

Alongside simple intrigue and some nostalgia for groove metal it is death/thrash that has mainly kept me interested in The Pit clan of late. Many of such releases sit in the early days of the development of the two genres themselves and so it was great to find a release from the current year that ticked this box nicely. With the progressive edge to proceedings of course there was an additional level of interest to When Time Becomes Loss. Those strong Death influences alongside Atheist and Cynic also make for a nice hint of that nostalgia also.

Comparisons with Vektor seem obvious but I think that Hemotoxin go for the jugular more with their songwriting being a lot less expansive than Vektor, one of the main drawing points for me on this album being that it has a run time of less than half an hour and is very easy to digest even if you consider its diversity of sounds. With an ear for melody evident also, it is not difficult to see that the band possess a high level of expertise with their instruments and can translate this into catchy as well as technical at the same time.

If I had to cite a more modern release to compare this to, I would pick Deconsecrate by Aenigmatum from 2021. Perhaps Hemotoxin are a little less frantic than that record (certainly less bass driven), but I think it is a comfortable reference point for me. The mix here helps all the instruments feel more contained than I would normally like – I think the drums suffer the worst from this – however, the band do still sound tight as a unit and get every opportunity to flex their individual and collective muscles. A ferocious and inventive release, When Time Becomes Loss is an explosion of energy from the off that never wanes over seven invigorating tracks. I most certainly had not factored a release from The Pit featuring in my year end list, but Hemotoxin's fourth full length release has caught me unawares. 

4/5

Hi Ben, please can you add German black metallers Black Forest to the site?

Let's see,  first four Metallica albums, Sepultura with Schizophrenia through Arise, Drudkh from Autumn Auroa through Blood in Our Wells. 

Ulcerate are still on a golden run on their last four albums.

Maiden for me would also match Ben's opinion and I would also go with that Opeth run too.

I would throw in Judas Priest from Sad Wings of Destiny through Stained Class.

Currently stomping my foot to that Ponte del Diavolo album.  Absolutely classic Sonny here picking this one, you can always rely on him to find some gloomy European stuff.  Loving the darkwave style to her vocals on this.  Not so enamoured with Scald, those vocals will take a couple of listens I suspect.  That Nirvana track was a curveball and Rammestein also but both belong here in this playlist.

I would have to go with 2 Minutes to Midnight ahead of Flash of the Blade or Aces High.  There's a lot to appreciate here (minus the instrumental and The Duellists - both of which are filler) with the b-side being just as potent and memorable as the the a-side.

I remember getting the album (borrowed) of my cousin and I was just fascinated with it as much as the music as any 13 year old would be.

For October please:

Spectral Voice - "Sinew Censer" (from "Sparagmos", 2024)

Candlemass - "A Tale of Creation" (from "Tales of Creation", 1989)

For October please:

Blood - "Dogmatize" (from "Impulse to Destroy", 1989)

Undeath - "Brandish the Blade" (from "More Insane", 2024)

Dehumanized - "P.C.C.R." (from "Beyond the Mind", 2016)

Dying Fetus - "Unbridled Fury" (from "Make Them Beg For Death", 2023)

Grave - "Harvest Day" (from "Soulless/Hating Life", 1997)

Putrid Pile - "Severed Head Memento" (from "Collection of Butchery", 2003)

Brodequin - "Of Pillars and Trees" (from "Harbringer of Woe", 2024)

Necrot - "Drill the Skull" (from "Lifeless Birth", 2024)

Spawn of Possession  - "No Lght Spared" (from "Incurso", 2012)

Inferi - "No Gods But Our Flesh" (from "Vile Genesis", 2021)

For October please:

Trelldom - "Fra Mitt Gamle" (from "Til Minne…", 2007)

Winterfylleth - "Upon This Shore" (from "The Imperious Horizon", 2024)

Necrowretch - "Total Obilteration" (from "Swords of Dajjal", 2024)

Testament – “Urotdukidoji” (from “Low”, 1994)

Benediction – “Wrong Side of the Grave” (from “Transcend the Rubicon”, 1993)

Coroner – “The Lethargic Age” (from “Grin”, 1993)

Sadist – “Sometimes They Come Back” (from “Above The Light”, 1993)

Thanks Daniel, that Benediction track is an absolute banger.

September 2024

1. Cavalera Conspiracy – “Inquisition Symphony” (from “Schizophrenia”, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

2. Dead Head – “Litany of the Weak” (from “Shadow Soul”, 2024)

3. Exhorder – “Ripping Flesh” (from “Mourn the Southern Skies”, 2019)

4. Sadus – “Certain Death” (from “Chemical Exposure”, 1988)

5. Bulldozer – “We Are Italian” (from “Neurodeliri”, 1988) [Submitted by Vinny]

6. Iron Age – “Dispossessed” (from “The Sleeping Eye”, 2009)

7. Hellripper – “Spectres of the Blood Moon Sabbath” (from “The Affair of the Poisons”, 2020)

8. Mortal Sin – “Voyage of the DIsturbed” (from “Face of Despair”, 1989)

9. Slayer – “Haunting the Chapel” (from “Haunting the Chapel”, 1984)

10. Torniquet – “Dysfunctional Domicile” (from “Psychosurgery”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Grip Inc. – “War Between One” (from “Nemesis”, 1997)

12. Pro-Pain – “The Beast Is Back” (from “The Truth Hurts”, 1994) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. The Offering – “Ultraviolence” (from “HOME”, 2019)

14. Anthrax – “C₁₁ H₁₇ N₂ O₂ S Na” (from “The Sound of White Noise”, 1993)

15. Mr. Bungle – “Spreading the Thighs of Death” (from “The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo”, 2020)

16. Pizza Death – “Pizza Row” (from “Reign of the Anticrust”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]

17. Grove Street – “Shift” (from “Path to Righteousness”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. Skeleton Pit – “Violent Raid” (from “Lust to Lynch”, 2020)

19. Project Pain – “Primator” (from “Brothers in Blood” 2018)

20. Diamond Plate – “At the Mountains of Madness” (from “Generation Why?”, 2011)

21. Aphrodite – "Dance Wild and Free" (from "Orgasmic Glory", 2021)

22. Wraith – “Fuelled by Fear” (from “Fuelled by Fear” 2024)

23. Knife - “No Gods in the Dark” (from “Heaven into Dust”, 2023)

24. Possessed – “Confessions” (from “The Eyes of Horror EP”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

25. Merciless – “Branded by Sunlight” (from “The Treasures Within”, 1992)

26. Sarcofago – “Crush, Kill, Destroy” (from “The Laws of Scourge”, 1991)

27. Warfare – “Abortion Sequence” (from “Mayhem Fuckin’ Mayhem”, 1987)

28. Mekong Delta – “The Principle of Doubt - Chapter 3 Taken From 'The Chronicle of Doubt” (from “The Principle of Doubt”, 1989)

29. Voivod – “Nuclear War” (from “War and Pain”, 1984)

Sepultura -"Chaos A.D." (1993)

Continuing my Groove Metal List Challenge (finally) and time to go back to my youth with the fifth full length release from a band who had a hard act follow as I simply adored their previous offering, Arise from two years earlier. Arise had it all for me, solid structures, great production and still that fantastic hunger to it that exemplified the fathomless appetite for thrash metal tat the band clearly had. I do not recal that I had heard any other albumby the Seps at that time even so I had no idea of the murkier beginnings from which they came. To me, the bar was set high by Arise at the time and only coming to their early releases many years later actually enhanced my enjoyment of the album as it was clear throughout all of the releases, up to and including Arise, that Sepultura had grown with each release. Inevitably, that progression would slow down and be replaced by some new influences. The tribal trappings of Roots which was still some three years away at this point were more than clear when Chaos A.D. dropped. Instrumental track, Kaiowas clearly showing the tide that was growing behind the more groove orientated direction the band deployed overall on Chaos A.D. and whilst I would not say the intensity levels dropped too much as a result, the quality levels unfortuantely took a hit.

Despite giving it many chances, even buying it on CD the second it came out, I could never shake the feeling that Chaos A.D. was a huge let down. A top heavy record to my ears, by the time we get to track seven there is a noticeable dip in quality from what has come prior. Despite flashes of promise from the likes of Nomad, there is little comparable quality to the likes of Refuse/Resist, Territory and Slave New World that open the record so strongly. Tracks such as We Who Are Not As Others just come across as lazy by comparison and ultimately the album feels like it is made by a band who ran out of steam very quickly. The inclusion of the New Model Army cover of The Hunt is the only other real high point of the album for me. The politcal machinations of tracks like Manifest just feel like immature musings and Biotech is Godzilla should have been left on the cutting room floor.

It is disappointing when a band's golden run comes to an end, even though in this case, Arise is a real high point to finish theirs on. With Chaos A.D. I get the sense that the growth of groove metal became something of distraction for the band and the song structures just became a tad quirky as a result. I have listened to little if any Sepultura records after this one in all honesty and each time I approach it, I sort of want to like it more than I know I am going to. My score has remained consistent over the years though and there is little chance some three decades after first hearing it of that changing I am afraid.

3/5

I don’t look at these posts.

My review:

Low remains a bit of a mystery album to me as I write this review. As I stated in the forum thread for this feature release, I instantly recalled (virtually track by track) this album the very instant I began to listen to it. It is not that it is even an album that contains many singles (in fact just Dog Faced Gods) or overly popular tracks in general, so at some point in the 90’s, in the chaos of bought physical copies of albums and an equally large (if not larger) tape collection of what I had recorded from lent or library copies, Low was clearly in rotation for some time.

1994 saw the furthering of the thrash off-shoot that was groove metal. With Machine dropping their debut four months before this Testament release and Pantera delivering the darker and molesting Far Beyond Driven before either of the above, it was a year that saw Testament experimenting also. Just as Anthrax, Sepultura and Prong had done already, Testament allowed elements of groove into their music. Adding in a ballad as well as two instrumental tracks, there is a lot to catch the ear on Low.

Whichever element you target on Low, the fact is that this is a catchy record. It retains those thrashing chops in the riff department and Chuck Billy puts in a sterling performance as we would all expect. However, James Murphy is almost redundant here in terms of obvious contribution and when he does shine it is all too briefly to leave any real sense of a mark on the record. Add to this the fact that Tempesta is all but drowned out in the mix (Dog Faced Gods – are you even present John) and their soon emerges some challenges for me with this record that are only partially resolved with this unexpected nostalgia.

As a ballad, I don’t find Trail of Tears as cringey as some of my peers (I have heard a lot worse) and the instrumentals are entertaining enough but are arranged poorly in the running order as they could be used much better to disrupt some of the average parts of the album. It is good see Greg Christian treading the boards on Urotsukidōji though with his bass being an integral part of the track. Overall though, the fondness I had for Low is not enough to push the ratings into the higher echelons of the scoring spectrum.

3.5/5

I would echo this.  I listened through the whole list yday whilst working from home and enjoyed it thoroughly  Karl's choices in particular stood out in fact.  Picking anything from Slowly We Rot which was my death metal gateway album is a sure winner for me, and then something off the latest Ulcerate to boot.  Impressive stuff from the newbie.

I am having my first listen to this now, at least I thought it was my first ever listen but the record is so familiar virtually track by track that I must have owned this at some point back in the 90s and completely forgot.  Review to follow.

Cheers

Again open to more if you have them but can see where your listening has been this past month so fine if you can only add the above.

Ymir - "Silvery Howling" (from "Ymir", 2020)

Korgonthurus - "Syyttäjäenkeli" (from "Kuolleestasyntynyt", 2020)

Hulder - "Hearken the End" (from "Verses in Oath", 2024)

Can stretch to roughly 40 mins at present (not listening to a lot of The Fallen releases of late:

Deathchant - "Thrones" (from "Thrones", 2024)

My Diligence  - "Horses." (from "Death.Horses.Black.", 2024)

Cough - "Crippled Wizard" (from "Ritual Abuse", 2010)

Conan - "A Cleaved Head No Longer Plots" (from "Evidence of Immortality", 2022)

Belzebong - "Bong Thrower" (from "Sonic Scapes & Weedy Grooves", 2011)

Hi Daniel, you can throw my name back into the ring on The Pit and The Horde if that's okay?  I can't stretch to my other two clans right now but will let you know if that changes.

Good job I forgot about the 30 mins and got nearly 40 mins worth then:

Corpse Pile - "Fuck Your Life" (from "Hardgore Deathmetal", 2024)

Bolt Thrower - "Return from Chaos"  (from "Mercenary", 1998)

Pig Destroyer - "Trojan Whore" (from "Prowler in the Yard", 2001)

Blood Red Throne - "We All Bleed" (from "Imperial Congregation", 2021)

Creeping Death - "Relics From the Past" (from "The Edge of Existence", 2021)

Decapitated - "Kill the Cult" (from "Anti-Cult", 2017)

Misery Index - "New Salem" (from "Rituals of Power", 2019)

Obscura - "Noospheres" (from "Cosmogenesis", 2009)

Abominable Putridity - "A Burial for the Abandoned" (from "The Anomalies of Artificial Origin", 2012)

Necrophagist - "Symbiotic in Theory" (from "Epitaph", 2004)

August 2024

1. Annihilator – “Set the World on Fire” (from “Set the World on Fire”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

2. Forbidden – “Step by Step” (from “Twisted into Form”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Death Angel – “Thrashers” (from “The Ultra-violence”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

4. Destruction – “Mad Butcher (1986 version)” (from “Mad Butcher”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

5. Dark Angel – “Hunger of the Undead” (from “Darkness Descends”, 1986)

6. Beatrix – “White Phosphorus” (from “Sacrificial Black Metal Bitch”, 2024)

7. Motörhead – “Burner” (from “Bastards”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Anthem – “Voice of Thunderstorm” (from “No Smoke Without Fire”, 1990) [ Submitted by Daniel]

9. Anthrax – “Deathrider” (from “Fistful of Metal”, 1984)

10. Nifelheim – “The Bestial Avenger” (from “Servants of Darkness”, 2000)

11. Sodom – “Outbreak of Evil” (from “In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty”, 1985)

12. Kreator – “When the Sun Burns Red” (from “Coma of Souls”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Cavalera Conspiracy – “Septic Schizo – Re-Recorded” (from “Schizophrenia – Re-recorded”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

14. Obliveon – “Frosted Avowals” (from “Nemesis”, 1993) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. Overkill – “World of Hurt” (from “I Hear Black”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Corrosion of Conformity – “Consumed” (from “Animosity”, 1985)

17. Cryptic Slaughter – “Money Talks” (from “Money Talks”, 1987)

18. Municipal Waste – “Sadistic Magician” (from “The Art of Partying” 2007)

19. Sacred Reich – “Product” (from “Independent”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Sepultura – "Drug Me" (from "Third World Posse EP", 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Hemotoxin – “Morbid Reflection” (from “When Time Becomes Loss” 2024) [Submited by Vinny]

22. Ripping Corpse - “Anti God” (from “Dreaming with the Dead”, 1991) [Submitted by Vinny]

23. Artillery – “The Challenge” (from “Terror Squad”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

24. Onslaught – “Contract in Blood” (from “The Force”, 1986) [Submitted by Vinny]

25. Exodus – “Karma’s Messenger” (from “Shovel Headed Killing Machine”, 2005) [Submitted by Vinny]

26. Kittie – “I Still Wear This Crown” (from “Fire”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

27. Legion – “Lethal Liberty” (from “Legionized”, 2022)

I had a listen also:

With industrial metal being one of the least listened to sub-genres for me, this month’s feature release risked passing me by like most others often do. Two things drew me to Revelator in the end. Firstly, the strange looking album artwork. Secondly, Daniel’s high praise for the band (borne out in his excellent review). Now, clearly, I have no reference point for Revelator in terms of a comparison to other The Amenta releases and as such, I can judge it solely on its merits as a standalone release. After several listens, I am not totally sold on it still but that is not to say that this about to open into a negative review, more that I have a lot learn still about this record.

Since my first listen through to the album, I have been unable to get Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise by Emperor out of my head. The cleaner vocals remind me so much of that record that I had to play it again to make sure I was not making it up. Stylistically, two different sub-genres, yet (having listened through the Emperor album in piecing this review together), some definite comparators beyond even the vocals. Revelator is an explosive album. One of those that is seemingly written with eruptions of power that blast through more tempered sections. Add this sense of density in terms of the layers to each record and my early comparison holds some firm standings.

Given I have an odd affiliation with that Emperor album, I have found that my enjoyment of Revelator has grown very easily. The progressive elements to the Australians 2021 release help the record play as almost a macabre celebration of metal music when you get the occasional bit of death metal thrown in for good measure and even some ambient work to boot. I do need more time with the more post-metal moments and do find the flow of the album interrupted by this.

However, The Amenta are clearly talented guys and the musicianship here is top notch. This is not very industrial sounding to me (saying that as an already declared irregular listener to this sub-genre) and has a lot more depth to it than I first expected, clearly therefore having been written by some mature artists. I find it theatrical and challenging at the same time as being a record that can appeal to my more primitive metal needs very easily. It is a solid discovery that has helped me rediscover an old favourite also.

4/5

But who is looking at that?  I mean, each to their own Andi but this seems a tad minor. 

Nobody is going to look at a user profile and go "this person has not been active for weeks and is still listening to something according to this.  What a rubbish website!"

You say you find it confusing but then what is to say that an active/current member keeps that section up to date (they won't, because it doesn't matter).

I've noticed a lot of the more recent Metal Academy members abandoning the site and leaving on the albums that they've set to "currently listening to". I personally find that confusing because no one would ever just keep listening to a single album for a longer time than a week, like a month or even a year. I think there should be a hidden timer for the "currently listening to" feature, so after one week (7 days) for each album set to "currently listening to", it is automatically removed from that setting. Can we have that implemented please?

Sorry Andi, why does that matter?

I see no rationale for Batushka being on here, likewise Conqueror.  I am not convinced that Enslaved release holds much sway either but then again it has been a long time since I heard it.  I would argue for keeping Leviathan though as there is more depth to his particular style of depressive bm as opposed to the gloriously staid consistency of Xasthur.  For me Leviathan have more intensity overall and I would pick that album ahead of the Xasthur one.

My initial reservations around the rerecording of an already perfectly serviceable thrash metal record were unfounded I am happy to declare having listened through Schizophrenia 2024 a couple of times. Whilst I am still dubious as to the overall benefit (I mean the original needs no obvious enhancement, unlike say a Breeding the Spawn by Suffocation would do), the Cavalera family have not butchered this album thankfully. Whilst they can do nothing about the inconsistent tracklisting they had to play with they have made obvious improvements on the production and performance aspects of the record.

That hi-octane energy level sounds just as fresh as it did with a bunch of youngsters thrashing their brains out some near four decades earlier. The twin guitar attack make for chunky yet still slightly muffled at times sounding riffs that do seem to get a little murky (To the Wall) and I think Igor is sold a little short this time around in the mix also (albeit inconsistently - other times he sounds firmly front and centre). Ultimately though I find I want to listen to Schizophrenia 2024 the whole way through each time as it is still a feel good thrash metal record and I have to admit that my attention span for this record has proven far more expansive than I originally expected.

Some of this is down to the interesting lead work of Travis "Eviscerator" Stone, with the Pig Destroyer bassist showing he knows his way around more than just four strings (he also plays guitars for Noisem of course) with a level of skill and aptitude. Is he comparable with Andeas Kisser who was 19 when the original album was released? Well, no. However, that's the point really. Travis as a much more experienced guitarist coming into rerecord the album obviously adds a different perespective. The addition of a third member of the Cavalera family this time around with Max's son Igor Cavalera Jr plodding along (somewhere in the mix) in here shows the Cavalera brand is in good hands in the future.

Is it entertaining? Yes.

Is it needed? No.

3/5

For August (for now, will add to it as required around other submissions if we get any):

Ten Ton Slug - "Mogore the Unkind" (from "Colossal Oppressor", 2024)

Triptykon - "Goetia" (from "Eparistera Daimones",  2010)

Feel free to bulk your submission out to the 40 minute mark Vinny as I have a new The Fallen member that would like to contribute.

Thanks, can I please add:

Dystopia - "Sanctity" (from "Human=Garbage", 1994)

Shape of Despair - "Angels of Distress" (from "Angels of Distress", 2001)

Thanks Daniel.  With Sonny on a break if you want to top up your suggestions to a full hour then I am happy to accommodate?  No pressure though as I know you are handling other playlists also.

That's all I've had the chance to listen to over the last month mate. Might just go with that as it's clear that I've been spending most of my listening time filling gaps in my coverage of 1992/93 & I'm sure you've got enough material from that period now anyway.

No worries mate.

Sepultura – “Drug Me” (from “Third World Posse” E.P., 1992) [Can be found on the expanded version of “Arise”]

Anthem – “Voice of Thunderstorm” (from “No Smoke Without Fire”, 1990)

Motorhead – “Burner” (from “Bastards”, 1993)

Obliveon – “Frosted Avowals” (from “Nemesis”, 1993)

Overkill – “World of Hurt” (from “I Hear Black”, 1993)

Sacred Reich – “Product” (from “Independent”, 1993)

Annihilator – “Set the World on Fire” (from “Set the World on Fire”, 1993)

Thanks Daniel.  With Sonny on a break if you want to top up your suggestions to a full hour then I am happy to accomodate?  No pressure though as I know you are handling other playlists also.

For August please:

Vananidr - "The Watcher" (from "Beneath the Mold", 2022)

Nattefrost - "Primitive Death" (from "Terrorist: Nekronaut Pt. 1", 2005)

Gaerea - "World Ablaze" (from "World Ablaze", 2024)

For August please:

Gatecreeper - "Masterpiece of Chaos" (from "Dark Superstition", 2024)

Pathology  - "Archon" (from "Unholy Descent", 2024)

Coffin Mulch - "Into the Blood" (from "Spectral Intercession", 2023)

Sanguisugabogg - "Mortal Admonishment" (from "Homicidal Ecstacy", 2023)

Gravesend - "Streets of Destitution" (from "Gowanus Death Stomp", 2023)

Amputated - "Infanticidal Dysmorphia" (from "Dissect, Molest, Ingest", 2014)

Severe Torture - "Tear All the Flesh Off the Earth" (from "Torn from the Jaws of Death", 2024)

Decrepit Birth - "Symbiosis" (from "Polarity", 2010)

Death - "God of Thunder" (from "Human", 1991)

Spent Case - "Bloodsport" (from "Spent Case", 2024)

For August (for now, will add to it as required around other submissions if we get any):

Ten Ton Slug - "Mogore the Unkind" (from "Colossal Oppressor", 2024)

Triptykon - "Goetia" (from "Eparistera Daimones",  2010)

July 24

1. Metallica – “Disposable Heroes” (from “Master of Puppets”, 1986) [Submitted by Sonny]

2. Slayer – “Behind the Crooked Cross” (from “South of Heaven”, 1988) [Submitted by Sonny]

3. Sodom – “Hunting Season” (from “Tapping the Vein”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Testament – “The Formation of Damnation” (from “The Formation of Damnation”, 2008) [Submitted by Vinny]

5. Aura Noir – “Caged Wrath” (from “Black Thrash Attack”, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]

6. Lucifuge – “Gates of the Eternal Night” (from “Hexensabbat”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Demiser – “Infernal Bust” (from “Infernal Bust”, 2024)

8. Bed of Nails/Dysmorphia – “Blood on the Horns” (from “Skullberg”, 2024) [ Submitted by Vinny]

9. Municipal Waste – “Mutants of War” (from “Waste ‘Em All”, 2003) [Submitted by Sonny]

10. Doomsday – “Attaining Heaven by Force” (from “Depictions of Chaos”, 2022)

11. Critical Defiance – “The Search Won’t Fall” (from “The Search Won’t Fall”, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Evil Dead – “Raising Fresh Hell” (from “Toxic Grace”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Exhorder – “Unforgiven” (from “The Law”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Toxic Holocaust – “War is Hell” (from “Evil Never Dies”, 2003) [Submitted by Sonny]

15. Wraith – “Heathen’s Touch” (from “Heathen’s Touch”, 2024)

16. Violator – “Addicted to Mosh” (from “Chemical Assault”, 2006) [Submitted by Sonny]

17. Annexation – “A.T.R.” (from “Inherent Brutality”, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. Solstice – “Cleansed of Impurity” (from “Pray for the Sentencing” 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

19. Goatwhore – “Externalize This Hidden Savagery” (from “Constricting Rage of the Merciless”, 2014) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Nekromantheon – "Thanatos" (from "The Visions of Trismegistos", 2021)

21. Violent Force – “Dead City” (from “Malevolent Assault of Tomorrow” 1987) [Submited by Sonny]

22. Vektor - “Activate” (from “Activate”, 2020)

23. Sadus – “Machines” (from “A Vision of Misery”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

24. Exorcizphobia – “Voice of the War” (from “Disease Inside”, 2009)

25. Ultra-Violence – “Welcome to the Freakshow” (from “Operation Misdirection”, 2018)

26. Slave Agent – “Slaughter at the Gate” (from “Silent Universe”, 2024) [Submitted by Saxy]

27. Shrapnel – “Might of Cygnus” (from “Palace for the Insane”, 2020)

28. A Life Once Lost – “Vulture” (from “Hunter”, 2005) [Submitted by Vinny]

29. Znöwhite – “To the Last Breath” (from “Act of God”, 1988) [Submitted by Sonny]

Byzantine - "...And They Shall Take Up Serpents" (2005)

The gritty start to this record that is provided by Justica, heralds the promise of a halfway decent groove metal. The solid riffs and lead work that make up the track are combined greatly with the rhythm and vocal sections to create an energetic if not all that remarkable opening. The Pantera influence in the vocals is obvious as are the Lamb of God similarities alongside the rhythmical structures of Meshuggah, albeit that the latter similarity is not as well delivered.

The challenge here comes from the vocals. Despite being a perfectly capable metallic hardcore vocalist, Chris Ojeda insists on interjecting with actual singing, something which he lacks the voice to achieve unfortunately. This is a massive irritation for me and one which detracts greatly from my enjoyment of the record. As the record goes on, I am increasingly convinced that this is a tale of two halves. Instrumentally strong with the vocals letting the side down overall.

These forays into John Bush-style vocals (not a fan of him at all) really do take the wind out of the sails although they do use the more progressive sounding leads to much better effect to temper the more aggressive elements of the record without disrupting the flow as clumsily. With a bit of thought and maybe even a guest vocalist, things could have panned out better on this record for my ears at least. Otherwise, …And They Shall Take Up Serpents is a consistent affair that maintains a level of power for most of the record. Attempting to trace those Meshuggah patterns on the guitar sometimes leads them astray and there is more than one occasion where I am sure they find themselves somewhere in a track unintentionally. Nevertheless, there is enough aptitude in the band to make sections cohesive (vocals aside). In the better moments of the record, we can have some interesting compositions such as Ancestry of the Antichrist, with its tribal undertones stretching the boundaries into more of a world music vibe.

At the same time, I am not sure we need the piano intro to Five Faces of Madness as the track has a vibrancy to it once it gets going that needs to be accessed more immediately. However, the record plays out much stronger than I predicted based on my initial first listen and although I would probably give it a trim if left up to me, I still find this entertaining overall if not more from just a musical perspective as opposed to the whole experience.

3/5

There's probably two that I would call out.  In terms of regular purchases it would be Debemur Morti.  With Akhlys, BAN, Selbst, Slidhr and the mighty Ulcerate, it is pretty much a candy shop and I am a fucking child!

Otherwise it would be Maggot Stomp for their roster of largely filthy and purile death metal.

Shout outs to 20 Buck Spin, Osmose and Profund Lore also.

In no order:

Alice in Chains

Deftones

FNM

Saxon

Iron Maiden

Motörhead

Judas Priest

Soundgarden

W.A.S.P.

Black Sabbath

None of the above is surprising given my spell in The Guardians clan before I switched to The Fallen.  Deftones were a gateway band back into metal after a hiatus in the early noughties, the rest are pretty much longstanding bands from my youth and all (barring FNM) have significant physical copy presence on my shelves in my lair.

Late to the party (as usual - well the fact that I am even bothering nowadays to post is an improvement for me) but have a hectic weekend ahead so a brief dismantle of this largely baffling list.

Venom - Black Metal - Used the words "black" and "metal", somehow constantly referenced as an essential black metal release for use of these words and some poor quality aesthetics.  Nonsense.

Bathory - Bathory - arguably better examples littered throughout a (for me) patchy discography

Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids - been a while, but this is a thrash metal record with some atmospherics from memory

Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky - first valid entry

Burzum - Burzum -  what?  I never hear this album talked about at all, let alone in dialogue about essential releases

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas - second valid entry

Cradle of Filth - The Principle of Evil Made Flesh - never heard it

Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse - third valid entry

Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane - fourth valid entry

Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst -  never heard it

Marduk - Heaven Shall Burn ... When We Are Gathered - at the risk of incurring the wrath of Sonny, I would argue Marduk have no "essential" releases

Ulver - Nattens Madrigal - fifth valid entry

Gorgoroth - Destroyer - never heard it

Satyricon - Rebel Extravaganza - never heard it

Weakling - Dead as Dreams - sixth valid entry

Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape - never heard it

Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness - good album, not an essential release, not with Pure Holocaust and At the Heart of WInter in the back-catalogue

Leviathan - Tentacles of Whorror - heard it but don't recall enough about it, certainly not essential in my mind given no immediate highlight leaps out at me

Xasthur - To Violate the Oblivious - really? I mean it is a solid 4 star record but not sure what makes it essential by any stretch

Deathspell Omega - Kénôse - again, good record, but essential?  Nah.

Enslaved - Isa - no, just no.  Below the Lights is their pinnacle for me and that came after Isa (i think)

Deafheaven - Sunbather - meh!

Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice - seventh valid entry - what a fucking record this is

Watain - Sworn to the Dark - never heard it

Behemoth - The Satanist - as good a record as this is, and with the death metal influence acknowledged I couild only see this record attracting a younger audience to the bm scene under a somewhat false pretence.

Yes, Saxy is back!

Noted and included.