UnhinderedbyTalent's Forum Replies

Great to see Still Life up there, not span that one in a while beyond the endless looping of Face of Melinda that I do on my iPad whenever I try to listen to it just once.  I missed this thread if I am honest, I will try to contribute but like most here I will end up doing about 5 versions of it as I will inevitably miss records.  

Blackrat - Dread Reverance (2018)

Crusty, blackened speed/thrash metal from Canada.  Fell onto my radar last year but couldn't remember why I rated them so much.  Listening through again lots of early Sodom style tracks with the "no fucks given" attitude of Midnight.  Thumping drums and barking riffs right here folks.

3.5 / 5

Danigate has me on the edge of my seat. 

Of course there is one other option: I implement a Site Rating and Clan Rating for album covers, the same way I did for releases. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure you'll all agree with that idea. 

You nailed it here fella.

Wombbath  Internal Caustice Torments (1993)

Always neglect to give this much attention which seems daft because everytime I play it I enjoy it.  It is not that Swedish in sound and has a lot of wider influences to bolster that crunchy guitar, relying on a more mid-paced tempo and groove as the Baphomet's of this world would do.  It does the job for me anyway without pushing any boundaries.

3.5/5

I agree with the majority of the ideas.  Especially a fan of the anniversary and album cover rating ideas.  Some of my favourite album covers are on albums I haven't heard or actually dislike the content of but I think this needs to be an open thing and not limited to clans.  Generally the idea of closing things to only members of a clan doesn't feel right to me.  I find this site a great resource for exploring new genres and sub-genres so kind of like that "openess" if I am honest as it is one of the main draws for me.

Nocturnus "The Key"

Nocturnus AD "Paradox"

Obscura "Diluvium"

Tymell & Vinny, I think you'll really dig this undiscovered gem from 1987. High quality Canadian thrash combined with crossover thrash & the occasional tech thrash leaning.

On my rotation Trello to check out this coming week, thanks.

Falkenbach have lurked on the fringes of my radar for a while now without much sense of urgency on my part to really pursue them.  I have some downtime tonight so put this on whilst sat doing nothing else and so far I am glad I did.  Reminds me an awful lot of Borknagar in the cleaner vocal parts and also structurally.  The first track is a bit naff but things pick up from track two onwards mostly definitely.  Thanks for sharing Daniel, will be exploring some more over the coming week.

What did you end up thinking of "Im Wald" Vinny?

Still on my Trello board under ‘need to review” list.  Been out doing lots of yard work and also some weightlifting so have been listening to lots of fist pumping stuff this past week to keep me motivated.  Today’s wet weather means BM may stray onto rotation.

Well done.

The Joy Formidable - Wolf Law (2013)

Soft alternative rock from Wales to start Thursday off.  Had the debut album of theirs at one point but seem to have misplaced it.  The sophomore is a step up though, more mature without losing any of the fun elements of their sound.  Positive vibes for these dark times. 4/5

Sadly, the music doesn’t exactly live up to the quality of the cover.  It isn’t terrible but I find it very clunky in song structure and vocally think that it is way below par.  There’s obvious talent on the instrumentation front, however the band are not as deft when it comes to arrangement and songwriting.  Sections appear to fall over each other instead of integrate or glance as passable time changes.  Unlikely to revisit.

2.5/5

I am listening to that based on that cover alone.

Spheres.

Look, I haven't heard one Dark Tranqulity record I like and melodeath is not really my bag either so this is actually quite easy for me even though I don't revisit Spheres that much.

I think the reviews have to come naturally to be honest and not just be reviews for reviews sake because something is new or because something is a classic.  The great thing about here is that if a member has a particular interest in a band they can request addition of the discog to the site or search and review it if already present, this works fine from where I am sat.  If you wanna see more recent releases you can request them, if you think there's a glaring hole in a clan then request the missing band be added.

Whilst I agree it is important to bring members in I disagree that it is the responsibility of the site/members to alter their reviewing preferences just to attract a more maturing audience. Everyone's entry point into metal is different I grant you but it is in everyone's gift to dive in and explore metal in what ever genre/sub-genre they like.  I started with a Saxon record 31 years ago (that was already six years old by that point) and was onto Slayer and Obituary inside 12 months.  An internet acquaintance of mine dove in at a similar point and hasn't moved out of traditional heavy metal.  People need to choose their own path.

I lost interest in a lot of new releases after spending many years trying to maintain a blog and just reviewing like there was no tomorrow.  Not saying that is the intention here with this desire for focus on new releases but I don't think it is needed personally.

I am with Chinese Whispers here.  That Repulsion record is a biggie but it gets little rotation nowadays.  By comparison Pestilence’s sophomore is one of my go to records for death metal because it’s just so fucking nasty sounding.  Grindcore generally is a very mood specific genre for me one which I find marries up well with working from home and needing to expel lots of pent up frustration during the day.

Macabre - Sinister Slaughter (1993)

Back for some more grindcore on a fine spring afternoon.  Full of dark humour and sardonic attitude which we all need more of in our lives don't we?

4.5/5

Pretty Maids - Future World (1987)

More hard rock than metal but has its moments of hi-octane delivery but rarely strays away from the core melodic elements.  Still entertaining enough.

3/5

Black Honey - Black Honey (2018)

Delicious indie-pop from Brighton (UK) - perfect for summer.

I'm considering working with my developer in the next few months, so if anyone has anything they think could improve Metal Academy, please speak up. I'm not sure that there has been anything that anyone has requested so far that I haven't implemented or at least considered very carefully.

Quoted Ben

Any chance of some "like" mechanism being available in the forums as well as on the reviews?

I am a moderator on another site and seen all aspects of marketing deployed by the site owner ranging from a merch store with a prize for the top poster each week through to offering advertising space to labels/distros and bands but the place has never really taken off despite a FB page.  The promotion section on there is the busiest thread (it is just a forum) and myself and the other mod just put things in the correct thread or ban people who spam deliberately.  There’s not a lot of activity anywhere outside of social media from my experience and places never expand beyond a community really which isn’t always a bad thing but if you want traction is not the place you want to end up.

The amount of work that has gone into the site by Ben and Daniel merits that this place deserves more members to truly appreciate the informative, concise and friendly nature of this place.  There’s an openness here that is rarely found in metal circles which often become entrenched in elitist attitude and this open mindedness is a thing worth celebrating also.  The site has attracted a solid cross section of metal fans and the regulars here seems to genuinely be decent folks here to want to talk about favourites and recent discoveries and I hope that no matter how slow or fast the uptake of new members gets that this ethos isn’t lost.

I genuinely expected the forums to pick up during lockdown but aside from the occasional new member at the other site I visit who just seem to want to shit words all over the Internet it hasn’t really picked up any if I am honest.  I guess in answer to your question Daniel, I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong or there’s much more that can be done to boost activity.  The problem seems to be with the Internet audience generally not the site itself which in so many ways is already a massive success.

If everyone who joined had the enthusiasm of Shadowdoom then we’d be flooded with activity 😊 My grumpy old ass will probably always be around in some way shape or form as long as there’s albums to review and wrongs to be righted.

Just do not understand the love for this record.  David Wayne is overrated as a vocalist and the whole album lacks punch.  Poorly written songs that start off with promise but soon fizzle out into mediocre and forgetable tracks.  So many important albums were released in 1984 and this one is not one of them.

Wormrot - Voices (2016)

Blasting Brujeria most of the week has given me an appetite for grindcore at present.  Was a fan of this Singapore mob around their Dirge release but have drifted away in recent years.  Still as fucking vicious as I recall them.  They are surprisingly more rhythmic than I remember but that maybe just a development on this record.  Overall a decent record to revisit an old favourite band with.  4/5

Only just seen this thread.  Hope everyone and their families are safe.  I have just finished a stint working on a project here in the UK to staff field hospitals built specifically to look after COVID patients.  Have a feeling COVID is here for a while yet though.  Stay safe everyone.

Cenotaph - The Gloomy Reflection Of Our Hidden Sorrows (1992)

Clunky album title aside there's a lot to like here.  Mexico doesn't put out much in the way of metal but anything with Daniel Corchado on is not going to disappoint.

Immolation - Close To A World Below (2000)

Got a CD copy of this yesterday and the sound is fucking monstrous!  One of my all time favourite Immolation records right here. 5/5

Paysage d'Hiver - "Im Wald" (2020)

Ben, Sonny & Vinny, you simply have to hear this. Particularly the second hour which is absolutely sublime.

Yep this is on my bank holiday weekend to do list.  Cheers.

Agressor - Neverending Destiny (1990)

Scathing death/thrash from France.  Shit artwork but more than rescued by the musical content.  Blistering guitar work with raspy, throaty vocals.

3/5

I don't spend much time with it if I am honest.  I have to really be in the mood for it as find it commands a lot of my attention and focus.  Definitely does what it says on the tin though and is full of that nefarious, shit-kicking attitude you'd expect alongside the scathing humour which provides much entertainment as described.  Feels a lot longer than 28 mins in duration though.

4/5

This is probably the best power metal album I have ever heard.  It has such a full sound and powerful delivery that you can't help but be impressed by it.  Like all good albums it has real presence, occupying your head not just for the duration of the record but for days after.  It takes the necessary pomp and delivers it with a battering ram instead of light dustings of it being sprinkled everywhere which makes it seem more respectable and acceptable.  They went too far with Nightfall... and in comparison they managed to rein a lot in on Imaginations... and I don't think they have managed it again since.  I have no time for them nowadays with their soft pomposity and unremarkable releases.  At The Edge of Time was the last release I bothered with and I although there are some great tracks on there it is still not a patch on Imaginations...

Sorhin - Apokalypsens Ängel (2000)

Can't remember how these guys ended up on my Trello board for bands to check out but have heard a couple of their releases this past week and they aren't half bad.  Melodic and catchy without any symphonic elements.  Catchy in a punky kind of a way.

Ulcerate - Vermis (2013)

On an Ulcerate kick after a few spins of their latest and this morning have found my way back to this from 7 years ago.  My first venture into their monstrous and technical sound and I remain just as blown away today as I was back in 2013.  Sprawling and relentless at the same time, just awesome stuff.

My comparison of this record to the "finger of God" description of an F5 from the film Twister still stands up every time I spin this.  For a genre that gets saturated by genuine crap very easily you have to wonder if there will ever be anything that gets close to touching this.  It is simply death metal nobility and should be revered as such by all fans of the genre.  You can appreciate all the component parts of the performance on the record to.  I mean Mounier steals the show yes but the lead work of Jon and the maniacal machinations of Lord Worm are so integral also to this delivery. 5/5

Late to the party here but I am not a fan of this release.  As per my review, I find it to be massively inconsistent and at times laughably bad.  It follows my favourite Maiden album and so the bar is high for me for it to come off the back of Killers and nail it.  That having been said when it is good, it is really good,  but largely for me the tracks I enjoy the most are the ones that don't get talked about too much beyond the "hits", with "Children of the Damned" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" being of particular note as the stronger elements of the album I do enjoy.  Hence the album clocks a 3/5 for me.

Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still (2020)

One of the few bands on the planet that I genuinely get excited by the output from and will gladly stick up a pre-order for a CD and tee bundle as soon as available.  Shrines of Paralysis was a huge record for me and the band have a real job on to top that.  Still only early days with this yet so not able to yet compare but there's a definite feel of melody seeping into more cracks than on previous outings yet that glorious wall of noise that hits you full on in the face is still present also.

Drudkh - Songs of Grief and Solitude (2006)

No black metal on here but some great acoustic tracks.  Not exactly full of depth but still entertaining enough for background/fireside music.

Ok so I'm gonna throw a cat amongst the pigeons here but suggesting that one of the greats of the 70's isn't actually metal. That's right ladies & gentlemen! I've never regarded Rainbow's "Rising" album as being metal. To my ears there's far too much blues still present for that. I honestly don't know what people think hard rock is if "Rising" doesn't qualify for that particular genre tag. I'm proposing that "Rising" be removed from The Guardians & labelled as "Non-metal" moving forwards.

Agreed.  No metal present on that record.  There’s no getting away from it.

Impetuous Ritual - Blight Upon Martyred Sentience (2017)

Aoratos - Gods Without Name (2019)

I DID IT (again, again)!! I completed The Revolution Melodic Metalcore Clan Challenge. Once again, it was quite some tiring hard work. After finishing those challenges for my 3 main clans, I'm gonna think about my decision for my ideal 4th clan and what I'm gonna do next. Then tomorrow morning, I'll tell you all what my decision is, whether that would be either starting to lock in The Fallen or The Guardians, or doing my own unofficial challenge to ultimately prove my place in a clan that I think better suits me now than a few years ago. I got one hail of a choice to make before i do the big 4th! Stay tuned for tomorrow's decision....

Well done.

I toiled with The Fallen but my background into metal was from the more traditional end (Maiden, Saxon etc) so The Guardians was my natural choice in the end.

Ben, Tymell, Sonny & Vinny, I recommend that you all give this Belgian thrash metal record from 1987 a few spins. Very enjoyable stuff indeed.

Playing now, definite Exodus/Overkill influence on the vocals and so many others on the overall sound.  I like it, thanks Daniel.

Wrekmeister Harmonies - Night of Your Ascension

Expanding my horizons a bit during these strange times of quarantine and the whole drone/post-metal side of things is new to me in the main.  Played this yesterday whilst disinfecting the kitchen and it was fucking superb for my over-tired, emotional (lost a friend of the family this weekend) and challenging mood.                                                       

Both great albums but still an easy call for me.

Sad Wings... all day here and this largely because I find it a more dynamic release that sweeps through various tempos and yet still retains the spirit of the band brilliantly.  As I said in my review I think it is perhaps the greatest sophomore album ever released because Rocka Rolla was average at best and to flip that into this was sterling work.  Rainbow feel like a tight unit on Rising most definitely but when compared with Priest there's too much of an air of predictability about it for my ears that diminishes it in comparison.

Rising 2 Sad Wings 2

P.s. Fuck Blackmore 

Thanks guys.  This has been a real pleasure to complete.  And I am not done yet as since I have discovered so many great releases on my reviews thus far, I will be actively going through more or less all lists to add further reviews and pick up some cool new shit.  Thanks Daniel and Ben for this site, all your hard work and dedication is much appreciated and thanks to all members for contributing overall, this is not just about me, we all make this site what it is.

p.s. Ben, loving those stats.

Heavy Metal 1st Era complete to lock in my fourth clan i believe.

Cheers.  Ok, will have a flick through and see which one appeals.

So I have managed to get through the North clan challenge sooner than I expected.  "The 2nd Decade" is complete for me.  What's the process for the 4th clan (probably a thread for it somewhere I missed, apols) do I just pick one and let Ben/Daniel know?

Nagelfar - Hünengrab im Herbst

Finally got around to my review of this.  The proof of what a great record it is comes from me being able to review whilst playing it in my head, like it is transcribed in my memory.  Need to hunt down a decent physical copy.