UnhinderedbyTalent's Forum Replies

Mixed bag for me this month.  Still astonished by Dawn every time I give them a spin and are definitely a band that do not get enough plays throughout the year but I think I am finally done with Bathory.  I just cannot fight the sense that influential though he was Quorthon was not anywhere near as talented as the metal community seems to indicate. Similarly I am now convinced that Primordial are massively overrated on the vocal front also.

Stunning track from Mare Cognitum, highlighted brilliantly that pushing sound that I find hard to describe in their sound as the track just continues to stretch and unfurl more goodness and it was good to catch some BAN in the list this month.  Didn't mind that Khold track in all honesty, certainly like it more than Nameless Mist which was a bit on the dull side.  SIlencer is way too over the top for me though, I get the impact and appeal but not for me.

Hands down the track of the month is that Sainte Marie des Loups number.  Not sure how I have missed this trio but I will expanding my knowledge of them over the coming weeks.  The French scene certainly rarely disappoints and this is further testimony to that.  A subtle necroticism to it but also a real attitude to back it up.  Yey, new things!

Twice per week would be a struggle in all honesty.  Interesting concept though it is I don't fancy listening to four power metal vocalists or core screamo types 8 times a week or more in order to pass suitable judgement.  Others may have a different view of course but as Sonny says already lots going on with playlists and feature releases for me to expand input much further.  However, I am not knocking the idea as I can see its merits but not for me I am afraid.

October (all female fronted bands only)

Crystal Viper - The Cult from The Cult 2021 04:37

Girlschool  Emergency from Demolition 1980 02:50

Mystik - Lake of Necrosis from Mystik 2019 05:36

Warlock - Touch of Evil from Triumph and Agony 1987 04:18

Kobra and the Lotus - High Priestess from High Priestess 2014 04:09

Unleash the Archers - Northwest Passage from Explorers 2019 04:35

Chastain - The Black Knight from Mystery of Illusion 1985 03:20

Total = 29:25

October (all US thrash bands only with a track from each year 1983 through 1990)

Slayer -The Antichrist from Show No Mercy 1983 02:49

Znöwhite - Bringing The Hammer Down from All Hail to Thee 1984 02:46

Corrosion of Conformity - Consumed from Animosity 1985 02:52

Cryptic Slaughter - Hypocrite from Convicted 1986 03:02

Blood Feast - Kill for Pleasure from Kill for Pleasure 1987 03:12

Powermad - Terminator from The Madness Begins 1988 04:23

Rigor Mortis - The Haunted from Freaks 1989 04:58

Intruder - Cold-Blooded Killer from Escape from Pain EP 1990 05:25

Total = 29:27

October (all Spanish bands included in my selection)

White Stones - Chain of Command from Dancing Into Oblivion 2021 04:40

Altarage - Altars from Nihl 2016 04:31

Unbounded Terror - Dreamlord from Nest of Affliction 1992 03:45

Avulsed - Sweet Lobotomy from Eminence in Putresence 1996 04:17

Haemorrhage - Traumageddon from Hospital Carnage 2011 01:54

Teitanblood - Whore Mass from Seven Chalices 2009 03:10

Wormed - Tautochrone from Exodromos 2013 03:01

Machetazo - Revientas from Ruin 2013 02:26

Canker - Hand of God from Earthquake 2017 01:58

Total = 29:42

October (German BM only in my selections)

Der Weg einer Freiheit - Aufbruch from Finisterre 2017 09:50

Thron - The Prophet from Pilgrim 2021 04:36

Odal - …um Ewiges zu schaffen from Welten Mutter 2021 06:07

Falkenbach - Ultima Thule  from ...en their medh riki fara... 1996 03:23

Total = 23:56

Manegarm’s fourth full-length has an accomplished sound to it. It truly blends the folk and black/Viking metal elements together well throughout its near fifty-minute run time in a solid display of powerful music. I find the inclusion of the female vocals to be a bit hit and miss but there are certainly a couple of occasions where I must admit they do add a real depth of ethereal beauty. The requisite inclusion of the cello and violin works well, and both compliment the riffs well without the sense that they are competing unnecessarily against the more aggressive elements of the album.

Structurally the album is a bit hard to follow I find though and as a result there is more of a sense of a series of similar sounding tracks being put together on a record instead of necessarily a flowing opus being delivered. I have no issue with the changing pace and tempos as they are usually done well and see the introduction of the more melodic classical strings or rumbling bassline to immediately hold the interest as the more frenetic pace ends.

When they hit their stride like on Hemfärd the band are unstoppable. Establishing a commanding tempo and stepping this down on a few occasions to let the song draw breath works well and re-energises proceedings on the longest track on offer here. I sense that overall, the album needs a couple more tracks like this to really make it shine though, instead it just feels like the true extent of the bands promise is not being fully showcased on Vredens Tid and there is some element of just going through the motions.

3/5

This is terrible.  I just have no glitter to dress it in at all I am afraid.

I can cope with clunky and cumbersome. I have listened to enough Autopsy to know that bands can make a reputation based on such basic (and base) values of musicianship. It is part of the allure of some bands but then again there are some genres of metal you can hide it better in than others. What these guys try to do here is borderline criminal though and this was an album made by a band who were way below the level of ability they aspired to.

Given that Power Metal in general is not my preferred branch of The Guardians tree there is a strong argument to say that Cauldron Born are on the back foot before I even press play on the album. Once the music started, they nailed down the lid on their own coffin in all honesty. I have better underground demos in my collection than this record to be perfectly blunt. It is like the band just skipped recording any demos or even spending any quality rehearsal time together to hone their sound and then went straight into the studio to record an album.

Their 1994 demo must be truly awful by comparison if this got recorded for release. There’s already acknowledgement galore on the site that the drums are out of time and the time changes are more like time lurches given their clunky nature, but I think the problem with this album overall is just a complete lack of maturity and accomplishment. Classic example of design over content, they wanted to be technical masters but were about a football field away from being anywhere near competent enough.

I cannot even find any allure for the effort they put in because the failure is still monumental. Barring the vocals which do have their irritating moments also I just find nothing else to even vaguely get along with here.

1/5

i have been avoiding listening to Jane Doe for 20 years also according to the same list.

Just checking out the new Iron Maiden album Senjutsu and it's a 2CD monster. Too early for any definitive opinion but one thing that immediately strikes the listener is how absolutely shit the production is. I can't believe the band are happy with that aspect. Maiden records should sound crisp and defined but this is muddy as hell which might be fine on a doom metal album but does Maiden no favours whatsoever. The biggest metal band in the world should not be hampered by production issues so maybe it's deliberate and is an attempt to cover something up. Further listens may reveal all.

Anyone else got round to this one yet as I'd really like to hear what you think?

I haven't bothered much with Maiden for years to be fair.  I got talked into trying Brave New World a few years back but that is the only "modern" Maiden output I have bothered with.  Curiosity moves me sometimes to think about trying Book of the Dead but I never quite get round to it.  Heard a completely different view on the production of the latest album yesterday from someone who loved it.  Horses for courses an all that...

A few choice cuts this month.  Loving the Deicide and Bolt Thrower inclusions and some 90's bands that I need to check out more including Skeleton of God and Blood.  I still can't get on with Messiah no matter how much I try and Hate just don't float my boat unfortunately.  The new Blood Red Throne has loads of promise though and I do need to properly check out the latest Grave Miasma as it keeps slipping down my to do list.

As with The Sphere playlist, this month's Gateway list threw up some niceties.  The Deftones track is a clear winner in my book and hearing American Head Charge who I have seen live before now was a great nostalgia moment.  Atreyu was the only real discovery for me but I always continue to get something out of this clan's list each month.

October

Living Colour - Information Overload from Time's Up (1990)

October

Enabler - All Hail The Void from All Hail The Void (2021)

October

Lord of the Lost - Loreley from Thornstar (2018)

Still my most challenging clan to try and find consistent material in, I feel The Sphere and I are on ever destined for a distant relationship.  That having been said I did really enjoy SYL and Corrections House.  I also got on better than expected with Samael.

Standout of the list for me was the superb Author & Punisher with Barge from the exceptional Melk En Honing release.

Nice trip down memory lane with this one Saxy.

The clean gruffness of Helmet is an acquired taste; indeed, they are a band I really must be in the mood for. Some days I find listening to them to be a very impatient experience and I find myself wanting more urgency to proceedings. Other days (like today) I am happy enough with that lurching pace and melancholic lead work delivered against that alternative rock backdrop that the band do so well.

At times I find myself frustrated by the catchiness of Meantime like it is sold short somehow by the fuzzy mood of the guitar tone and the monotone vocals which do not do the infectiousness of tracks such as Unsung enough justice. On other occasions I really click with that half-cooked nature of such tracks and recognise how well put together that almost juxtapose of elements is. In terms of consistency though it is hard to find fault with Meantime. It walks that fine line between steady and boring well on the side of the former. It is no frills metal that really feels like the band know their niche and do not see much advantage in stepping outside of it.

The slapping sound to the drums does irritate over time though and that rolling riff that sits behind most verses certainly gives value for money over ten tracks. Still though, I cannot deny how much I enjoyed revisiting this album for the purposes of this review. Noticing the clever use of the bass to add variety to the songs is something that passed me by however many years ago it was that I last sat down with Meantime.

I guess given that my moods will shift more than Helmet’s style and sound ever will I am never going to give this a high rating. Some of that is down to me I accept and not necessarily entirely at the fault of Page and the gang. I believe reviews should capture that moment in time and so today Meantime gets a worthy yet not too exuberant 3.5 stars.

3.5/5

The vocals are really cool though, for some reason it reminds me of a Thrash Metal Geddy Lee from Rush with the higher pitched, more Rock-ish screams and flourishes. Still not sure if that's technically a positive or not, but it is in my book. 

This right here is why I love this place.  Never heard that comparison before but now you have said it, I can kinda hear it too.

Good stuff although I am disappointed to see that not everyone on here is really a cat like me.

Unusually for me, I have listened to more than 3 records from the current year, although I still have a shit ton of stuff from this year that I will discover in 2024 and beyond I am sure.  Not got around to new Panopticon, WITTR, Spectral Lore or Grima.  That Nattverd is under threat along with Ungfell. I still have new output to get to from Leipa (the guy out of Kanonenfieber's more black metal than blackened death metal project), Wormwood, Odal and Ildaruni.

1. Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm

2. Felled - The Intimate Earth

3. Kanonenfieber - Menschenmühle

4. Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst

5. Mork - Katedralen

6. Yith - Passage

7. Fuath - ii

8. Les Chants de Nihil - Le tyran et l'esthète

9. Nattverd - Vandring

10. Ungfell - Es grauet

Ben can you please add:

Tombstoner - Staten Island, New York

Aegnitum - Portland, Oregon

Finally got around to reviewing my own nomination.

In conversations about "Top Ten Thrash Metal Albums", Nuclear Assault's debut full-length tends to get mentioned in hushed tones as being "just outside this list.." or in the honourable mentions at least. Revisiting it for the purposes of this feature review I certainly do not disagree with that sentiment and have heard no reason to change my review from my original four stars that I awarded this album on the site however many months ago off the back of this run through. Considering this came out the same year as Master Of Puppets, Reign In Blood and Pleasure to Kill it is most certainly not on the same par as those classics. However, I think what it lacks in a sense of refinement or focused aggression it more than makes up for with attitude.

What this album reminds me of is the chaotic sonics of the aforementioned Slayer with the energy and ethos of Overkill. The gruff vocals of John Connelly have a different level of intensity to a Tom Araya and a much less sneery style than Blitz has, but the sheer determination in the riffing, drumming and plodding bass suggests a band who are doggedly forging their way in a genre where the early pace setting has already been done and they are simply just here to stay slightly ahead of the chasing pack out of pure enthusiasm alone.

Tracks come thick and fast on Game Over delivered in short bursts of two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half-minute rumbling thrash metal that has the requisite political, anti-religious or social commentary running through it. This feels like an thrash album done with a grind mentality if we focus on the ludicrously rampant Hang The Pope or the tongue in cheek Mr. Softee Theme. Immature though these tracks appear to be they are certainly not out of place on an album that feels it was written just for the band themselves and anyone else getting onboard is just a bonus.

So, whilst it may not be the pinnacle of eighties thrash metal, Game Over certainly comes across as honest and authentic to the genre vibe of standing up for what you believe in and making a lot of noise whilst you do so.

4/5

Vinny and Sonny, I want to make sure that I fully understand what it is when you're suggesting improvements to the navigation. Are you saying that you want to be able to see the icons / field selectors at the bottom of the page as well as the top on the Releases and Bands pages specifically?

No Ben, I just want the buttons at the top also available at the bottom please:

First of all, I had to look up what the hell Incel meant in the first place.

Secondly, from my experience of moderating over at Metal Forum I get really pissed off with the "this is shit for no valid or substantiated reason" scenario whenever it crops up.  The arrogance of other people never ceases to amaze me and this is why I don't frequent FB or Twitter in all honesty, it has encouraged a culture of explanation in a limited number of characters because of count restrictions or the knowledge by the poster that if they don't say something quick nobody will read it.

I agree that MA offers that safe-haven from such nonsense and I think that the comments section is just perfectly hidden away t discourage some of the negative behaviours we have all experienced on the internet at large.  What it also manages to conversely is open up the minds of the regulars to new genres, styles, bands etc so is a rewarding place for those that value it enough to stick around.  Those that choose to troll elsewhere are the ones missing out on the real opportunity to grow their palate.

Yeah I don't like "Teacher's Pet" either. It massively disrupts the flow of the album & stands out like a sore thumb in the tracklisting. In truth though, there's actually a couple of other tracks on "Black Metal" that don't do a lot for me too though, namely "Raise The Dead" & "To Hell & Back". I certainly enjoy the "Black metal" album but I actually prefer "At War With Satan" & "Welcome To Hell" over it these days.

To Hell & Back is a clumsy track for sure, feels hastily written like prime filler on the album.  I mean, notwithstanding the fact that the band aren't noted for a burning level of depth in their songs it is still a poor effort by the way of comparison to the rest of the album.

I hate this fucking track, it is embarrasing and completely out of place on what is otherwise one of the most influential albums of the early 80s.

With you here.  Immature and base song writing and I hate the fact that I have this on vinyl and have to sit through it.

Great work sir.  You know my request already but please can we have the navigation from the bottom of the screen as well as the top?

So Christopher Bowes, the dude behind Alestorm and Gloryhammer, is back at it again with another hilariously over the top and slightly questionable band called Wizardthrone who seem to specialize in a slightly Gloryhammer-esque brand of Melodic Death Metal about mathematics, hyperdimensional space wizards, and a ton of other very long and bombastic words. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but I expected much, much worse. It's definitely fun for a few spins here and there. I want to believe this release exists in the same world as the current Gloryhammer story but there aren't any references that I've picked up on. 

This came up on a playlist just now.  Like you say, even though several things point to this being terrible, it is palatable enough if not instantly forgettable.

Demigod - Slumber of Sullen Eyes - 1992

Chalk me up some death metal tonight please bar tender and make it distinctly Finnish.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg - "Traveller" (2003)

Andi, I'd imagine that you'd really dig this epic US power metal record. You too Vinny if you haven't already given it a run. Think Brocas Helm, Manilla Road & Eternal Champion.

I have it in my collection already, thanks.  One of the most consistent bands in terms of quality of output.

As mentioned elsewhere on here, Saxon hold a particular place of nostalgia in my heart for being the first band I ever played (but didn't own at the time) on vinyl. I am almost duty-bound to check out most of what they put out even though it usually means some level of disappointment on some of their modern output. However, like pretty much everyone else who has reviewed this so far I was caught off-guard by how good Thunderbolt is. It sounds like a band that are younger than he actual age of the participants yet at the same time exudes a level of confidence that only comes with years of experience.

The main things about this album are the consistency of the energy levels and quality of the tracks on offer. Riffs race across the record as the rhythm section maintains a pace of bash and rumble that allows for a bit of flair from the strings; the lead work being of particular note here. Quinn and Scarratt are on fire here and Glockler sounds equally imperious on the drum kit. Biff's trademark nasal vocals are distinct and almost haughty on the symphonic majesty of Nosferatu (my album highlight) and yet still have that down-to-earth twang and inflection to certain words that sound like a northerner trying to sound more eloquent than their accent permits.

I will not pretend to love all of the album, They Played Rock And Roll does not work for me as a tribute. Not that I expect lyrical genius in all honesty but the lyrics here sound naive and clumsy with the Lemmy excerpt not really ringing as authentic and nostalgic as perhaps intended. But you cannot deny the rampant battering of Predator even though the vocal effects get a little OTT for my liking, but where the majority of the quibbles arise on this record there usually is something of a much better quality not too far away.

Put Thunderbolt on for anyone just getting into heavy metal and they will lap it up. At the same time it is fully rounded enough of an album to please the more established metalhead and even raise a few eyebrows along the way.

4/5

In over six years of listening to The Dreaming I, on a near 3 monthly rotational basis, I still have to say it is one of the most impenetrable releases to grace my vinyl shelves. That having been said, it is one of the few records I can truly connect with on a spiritual level and truly feel metaphysically cleansed after listening to it. Ahead of me furthering my progress in the Modern Era challenge for the North Clan, I cannot think of a better example of modern black metal than Nas Alcameth’s 2015 release. It delivers a unique take on atmospheric black metal using a terrifying transcendence whilst at the same time offering of level of harsh and conventional black metal that is pitiless and monstrous in equal amounts.

The debut release under the Akhlys name (Supplication) was dark ambient affair – which I haven’t listened to in all honesty – and these elements are deployed here to great effect here on the sophomore which ramped up the black metal significantly. As such, you must wait for things to get going on The Dreaming I as cavernous depths are forged by the atmospherics that kick off most tracks. This can be a distraction for some but for me personally it lets me connect with the record, allowing me to sink to the depths where the main events take place and feel its stifling and fetid air against my skin. I am not a deeply spiritual person by any means, but I can truly switch off from the world around me when I listen to this album. Time ceases to be relevant, distractions become nigh on impossible and the ability to touch and sense the horrific, cloying, oozing mass that the record seems to grow in the palms of my hands is strangely soothing.

I think I notice something new with every venture into The Dreaming I (which I guess is the point). The wall of noise that greets the listener on most tracks needs taking apart slowly, blood red brick by blood red brick in order to start to comprehend the true mastery at play across these five tracks. Melodies undulate and stab into proceedings from behind the slabs of tremolos, like shrill screams at times they soar and elevate everything around them to ghastly heights of unworldly etherealness, whilst never allowing the coarse and crude darkness to release its grip overall. The bass seeps in, sloth-like at times, maintaining a subtle yet still somehow malignant presence. My only criticism of the instrumentation is that in the cacophonous fury of the mix the drums are a tad lost in places – namely on the opening track, whilst on other occasions they are clearly audible and making a definite contribution.

This inconsistency in the drums stops this album from achieving full marks, yet still this remains one of my standout records from the last decade. I do not always get on with everything Naas Alcameth records (or allegedly says), but The Dreaming I remains a pinnacle of success in terms of his output. Melinoë, from 2020 actually out does its predecessor but that is already noted by me elsewhere on MA.

4.5/5

I had already written a review for this and my views still stand to this day.  

The sonic chaos that the band invokes throughout Procession to the Infraworld is blinding. The leads soar and swarm at the same time, enveloping the listener and asphyxiating any remnant of silence in their path. The riffs are equally smothering and consuming, crawling over your flesh like plague infested arachnids. Check out At the Edge of the Nebula Mortis for a great example of this.

Corchado's vocal style is different to the one he deployed with Incantation on Diabolical Conquest, having an almost Abbath like feel to them at times. Considering that this album was released a mere two years after he worked with the legends of death metal, the versatility that he is able to display is great and the performance here feels very measured and calculated to maximise the vocal's emphasis in the bigger picture of the overall music.

Between Corchado and Viterbo the guitar work here is excellent displaying variety and surety in equal measure, never flashy or showy but always entertaining in weaving the album's own particular tapestry of cosmic chaos. Antonio León on drums does a superb job also in making the percussive elements of the record sound robust and vigorous throughout, using subtlety where required and power when called upon also. The solo for Return of the Banished is a perfect example of when the guitar is allowed to breathe by the other instruments.

I have thought of a way I can avoid repeat requests which I am trialing for Oct lists.  So all of my picks for a certain clan will be somehow themed.  Won’t eradicate duplicates in terms of the whole time playlists have been a thing of course but helps minimise the risk and also proved a great way to discover new bands based on my initial research yesterday.

Not being at all familiar with Mr Bungle and reading the various comments across the Metal Academy forums on this month’s Gateway featured album makes me think I come to Adultery with a less influenced mind in terms of comparators with the aforementioned band. Taken as a standalone release I think that Dog Fashion Disco manage to deliver a clever, multi-faceted and disturbing selection of songs on their sixth full-length. Along the way they encompass various styles of music, both inside and outside of the realm of metal but at the same time still manage to make the release sound challenging in a very bold and distinctly metal manner.

There is an inherent seediness to Adultery both in terms of the actual concept of “adultery” but also in how the record is written and performed. With a consistent application of corny lyrics, brash riffs and dark cabaret-like arrangements, it is an album that tells its story with a well-chewed, bloody and slightly infected tongue-in-cheek narrative. Although on the surface it does not take itself too seriously, there is in fact no neglect of the requirement to interfere with the normal construct of an album and song structures to still provide a very mature themed album. I would argue it is nigh on impossible to listen to the album through once and not feel its sticky, tacky fingers on your ears for days afterwards.

Whether it is through the dark country music overtones of Desert Grave or the deviously tender and creepy pop sensibilities that seep through across most sections, DFD are constantly sharing their wares with the listener. Urgent horns and racing bass lines keep the attention levels sharp throughout the record and changes of pace to bring in sultrier yet no less threatening tempos are more or less sprung on us like they are all part of one ongoing surprise. The constant sense of theatre is so key to the success of the record as it acts as an almost constant reminder of the need for the listener to put themselves in character for full benefit of the listening experience.

The promise from the artwork of something peculiar and at the same time loosely conceptual being contained in the record is more than delivered over fifty minutes of some of the most oddly charming and humorously riveting music I have heard in a long while.

4/5

A mixed bag for me this month.

The "Oh My Fucking God, Turn It Off Now!":

Lamerror (WTF??), Anal Cunt - never been a fan and paid them very little attention over the years, this track only confirms what a sensible decision that has been.  Painkiller - again just nonsense really.

The "Don't Usually Like These Guys, But...":

Vader - vocally always a challenge for me but this time around the music actually managed to distract me pretty well this time out.  At The Gates - being one of the few people seemingly in the history of metal to not like Slaughter of the Soul I really enjoyed the track here.  Atrocity - another band that I find very mixed in their output but today they just made a perfect fit with me on this track.  Garden of Shadows - not usually melodic death metal's biggest fan but managed to really enjoy this one.

The "Ah yes!  I remember this one!":

Macabre - not actually one of my favourite tracks of theirs but still just had me smiling in that way that every Macabre track does.  Atheist - I mean you cannot go wrong with Atheist on their first two records. Carcass - absolutely classic grindcore from an album I was only spinning recently.  Suffocation - from the album that even a terrible production job cannot kill altogether, the energy still seeps through here.

I don't know what the hell that "mix" of Fucking Hostile was aiming to achieve but it was awful.  I was surprised at the Flotsam and Jetsam track as previous ones of the new album hadn't stuck with me, very catchy and memorable if not still a tad predictable.  Artillery managed to not get skipped this time around but man does that album sound accessible in comparison to previous ones.  Still not getting on with Bewitcher though.

I am now all but done with Bathory, just do not get the love for them overall and that Vektor track was a bit too safe for my expectations of them.  On the positive side I enjoyed the dash of Kreator, Nekromantheon, Possessed, Enforcer, Antiverse, Leeway and (surprisingly) that Sepultura track also.

My inclusion of Toxik reminds me to spend more time with their discography as they get far too little attention.

September

Converge - You Fail Me from You Fail Me (2004)

September

Godflesh - Shut Me Down from A World Lit Only By Fire (2014)

September   

Feared - Your Black is My White from Svart (2017) 03:15 - groove metal

Ritual Carnage  - Escape from the Light from Every Nerve Alive (2000) 05:42

Metallica - Harvester of Sorrow from …And Justice For All (1988) 05:44

Hirax - Flesh and Blood from El Rostro De La Muerte (2009) 05:42

Slayer - Skeletons of Society from Seasons In The Abyss (1990) 04:40

Sadus - The Wake from Swallowed in Black (1990) 04:21

Total = 29:24

September

Staind - Something to Remind You from Staind (2011) 

September:

Traveler - Street Machine from Traveler (2017) 04:40

Venom Inc. -  Ave from Satanas Ave (2017) 08:33

Samson -  Thunderburst from Head On (1980) 02:06

The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Sky Chariots from Down Among The Deadmen (2000) 04:50

Scorpions - China White from Blackout (1982) 08:11

Total = 28:20

Hi Ben, can you please add folk/black metallers Felled to the site?

September:

Malignant Altar  - Retribution of Jealous Gods from Retribution of Jealous Gods (2019) 07:04

Drawn and Quartered - Congregation Pestilence from Oblivion Pilgrimage (2021) 02:57

Broken Hope -  Mutilated and Assimilated from Mutilated and Assimilated (2017) 03:31

Witch Vomit - Purulent Burial Mound from Abhorrent Rapture (2021) 04:50

Ophidian I - Spiral To Oblivion from Desolate (2021) 03:31

Carcass - Kelly's Meat Emporium from Kelly's Meat Emporium (2021) 03:24

Blood Red Throne - Itika from Imperial Congregation (2021) 04:19

Total = 29:36

September:

Felled - Ember Dawn from The Intimate Earth (2021) 04:42

Agrypnie - Wir Etrunkenen from Metamorphosis (2021) 06:33

Pillorian - Archaen Divinity from Obsidian Arc (2017) 06:44

Blodsrit - Vanmakt from Helveteshymner (2004) 05:09

Total = 23:08

Caught some unexpected weekend downtime this morning so have been able to tuck into the North playlist earlier than planned.

I have been listening to that Ungfell album on and off since it came out and I still am yet to fully get to grips with it.  It just has these weird moments that I find hard to put into words as to why they are so off-kilter to me but I am on the fence still with these Swiss black metallers.

First time of listening to Empyrium and at first I found those clean and deep vocals a bit off-putting but the track is so melancholic and beautiful that they do kinda fit on reflection.  Will be exploring more of these guys based on this but I am not quite sure the folk metal is framed correctly alongside the symphonic elements based on this showing.

Violet Cold are a curved ball it is safe to say.  Reading Saxy's review of this record earlier it summarises this track as the strongest.  It starts far too busy for me and before I know it those female vocals are replaced by harsh black metal vocals and my mind is reeling for a few seconds.  I think the female vocals kill the track in all honesty and the track would be far more appealing to me without them.  There's some good ideas going on instrumentally and the overall warmth of proceedings does work for me but it just feels cluttered as a whole track and probably needed a couple of elements less to make a more positive impression on me.

Poccolus are another first time listen for me and their pagan leanings bring an energy in their delivery that is only really dampened by those fucking awful vocals.  I mean, they destroy the atmosphere of the music entirely.  Këkht Aräkh is an artist I keep seeing on YouTube as a suggestion but I never seem to get around to listening to.  It is obvious that Mr Crying orc knows his black metal well and it shines through in the Burzum-like guitar tone and the balance of piano against riffs is skilfully done allowing a rich warmth to an otherwise cold sounding basis.

That Negură Bunget has been getting much airtime in the Vinny lair this past fortnight as I picked the album up on CD after enjoying reviewing it for the clan challenge so much.  That incredible rumble to the bass is like a black metal pulse that travels through the floor into my very being and those ethereal melodies are striking to say the least.  Sonny wins the playlist with his choice.

Opera IX are another previously unknown act to me and I like the death metal sound to accompany those equally deathy vocals also that make up the first three-and-a-half minutes of the track.  There's a kind of doomy element to the track as it easies back to allow some build of atmosphere.  I realise now that this is Cadaveria on vocals having only stumbled across her on a playlist recently with her current self-titled project.  The solo work on this track is terrible though and I am not convinced all the instruments are that well arranged considering this is the opening track to the album but it is not that they are all that terribly arranged just that they meander a bit too much unfortunately.

That Shining track further cements my opinion of what a flawed genius Kvarforth is.  The chug of those riffs pulls the very air around the speakers towards their sweet menace.  I do need to check out more Shining as virtually everything I hear is superb.  It is good to see COF get a bit of airtime on the playlist, that album being the only one of theirs that I own in physical format having come very late to the COF party just some two years ago.  I love the progressive drive to Funeral In Carpathia that keeps things interesting.  The theme of classic bm bands continues well with Rotting Christ and their often overlooked 2016 album, this track embodies the tribalism of that album whilst still capturing that warm melodic richness we all know to expect from them.  The spoken word parts are distracting though from Danai Katsameni but I am guessing that they are essential to the subject matter of the song somehow.

If there is one band I am guilty of spending too little time with, it is Spectral Lore.  I love III but I have never managed to sit down with anything else.  I have heard good things about this release (despite that artwork suggesting otherwise) and the rather aggressive opening to this track is certainly evidence of great promise.  **Updates Trello Board with further music to check out**

As usual with these playlists I found much to check out and also some albums to revisit.  Thanks for putting together Daniel. 

Well done sir.

1. Obituary - Slowly We Rot (1989)

2. Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness (1989)

3. Obituary - Cause of Death (1990)

4. Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick (1991)

5. Gorguts - Colored Sands (2013)

6. Death - Scream Bloody Gore (1987)

7. Deicide - Deicide (1990)

8. Immolation - Close To A World Below (2000)

9. Ulcerate - Stare Into Death & Be Still (2020)

10. Autopsy - Mental Funeral (1991)

I managed to finally complete The Guardians, Heavy Metal - the 2nd Era Challenge tonight after about twelve months.  It was a great rediscovery voyage in so many regards as I got to listen to some real favourites of mine including Danzig II - Lucifuge, Transendence, Seventh Son..., Painkiller, The Crimson Idol and The Dark.

Dokken's Back for the Attack was more just a pure nostalgia trip for me and I had already reviewed it with my two and a half stars not really needing any embellishment on this revisit.  Hugely disappointed with Halford's self titled and don't really care if I never hear another King Diamond album again for as long as I live.

There were also some great discoveries on here for me too.  Namely, The Chemical Wedding which I am super pissed at myself for neglecting all these years.  What a fine and authentic heavy metal record that is from start to finish.  Warlock's Triumph & Agony was the other real standout record for me and one that I have spent a lot more time with since discovering via the challenge.

The most underrated album by far is Slough Feg's Down Among The Deadmen, would have thought this right up Daniel's street but can't see that you have rated it bud?

Debating where I go next with the challenges.  Might take a purely selfish slant on the next one and pick a challenge just for me to develop my own knowledge in one of my non-membership clans or maybe hit the Modern Era challenges for the Horde or the North.  Hmmm, decisions...

Hi Ben, can you please add Finnish BM duo Ordinance to the site?  Thanks.