UnhinderedbyTalent's Forum Replies
Revocation - The Outer Ones (2018)
A less vivid and technical version of Vektor that really relies on some top-notch lead work to carry it along with some memorable progressive sturctures also. First listen only rating 3/5 but definitely going to spend more time with it.
Paysage D'Hiver - Steineiche (1998)
The debut release from Winteherr's solo project that preceded anything he did in Darkspace by some four years, is full of abrasive and harsh black metal blended (often in quite a caustic manner) with more ambient passages with an ever-present and bone-chilling coldness to it.
4.5/5
Ambush - Firestorm (2014)
Another superb MA discovery. Anthemic heavy/speed metal full of energy and driving rhythms.
4/5
Yep, enjoying this, thanks for sharing.
The Thelonious Monk Quartet - Monk's Dream (1963)
I don't listen to a lot of jazz, it is one of the much neglected genres of music that I only seem to get as far as flirting with. This is and Kind of Blue by Miles Davis are my two most played records though and are both by far the most memorable as a result. Took delivery of a new desktop PC yesterday and after a couple of years without one, I now have a soundcard and can play music through my PC again. Monk is the first music I chose to play through it before I start my working day.
P.s. no rating as I don't consider myself knowledgable enough about jazz to be able to rate what is good and what is bad.
"Lovedrive" is also not on Spotify.
Hmmm
Graveshadow - The Gates from Ambition’s Price (2018)
The Devil’s Trade - The Call Of The Iron Peak
Arguably acoustic doom I suppose but I posted it here anyway as feels a little too folkly for the The Fallen. Definitely not an everyday play for me, need to be in that darker headspace to truly appreciate it. Having a restless head for a few weeks now I found this album a great relaxation piece and managed to use it as a gentle way to achieve a decent sleep the other afternoon (not that it bores me - the exact opposite).
A solid 3/5
That Scorpions track isn't on Spotify Vinny. Feel free to throw another track at me.
Let’s go with Lovedrive from the album of the same name then please. (1979)
That Scorpions track isn't on Spotify Vinny. Feel free to throw another track at me.
Let’s go with Lovedrive from the album of the same name then please. (1979)
Probably my favourite playlist so far right here. Never heard anything off Technical Ecstasy before but adding the whole record to my library later based on that track alone. I was predictably unimpressed with Vinnie Moore (guitar only albums aren’t my thing) and won’t be going back to More, Arion, Dragonland or Tytan anytime soon but loved more or less everything else. That Twilight Force track just happens to be my favourite and I have a lot of time for that Dragonforce track also. New bands added to my radar are Unleash The Archers and Atlantean Kodex. Thanks for sharing Daniel.
Nocturnal - Merciless Murder from Arrival of the Carnivore (2005)
Rigor Mortis - Re-animator from Rigor Mortis (1988)
Devastation - Deliver the Suffering from Idolatry (1991)
Scorpions - Dynamite from Blackout (1982)
Warlock - All We Are from Triumph & Agony (1987)
W.A.S.P. - Jack Action from The Last Command (1985)
I agree with Tymell. I initially thought that a minimum ratings option would make sense the way it does for releases, but I've actually really enjoyed going into the Gallery every few days and voting on any covers that appear (that I haven't yet voted for). There's some really great stuff that people find that we simply wouldn't see if there was a minimum ratings filter.
Since you don't have to have heard a release to vote on its cover, I now don't think we'll ever have a minimum rating for The Gallery. It seems shadowdoom9 might disagree with this, so does anyone else have any feedback? As always, I like to make decisions as a community wherever possible.
I am with you and Tymell. I have spent a good few hours since the inception of the Gallery rating artwork and have made some cool discoveries. Let’s keep it open for us to see as much as possible.
Have to say I loved this playlist. I even didn’t skip Lamb of God such was my positive mood during listening. Pleased to see a couple of my suggestions in there but if honest was far more impressed with Anacrusis, The Crown and Acid Drinkers who are all familiar to me but I clearly need to spend more time with their output. Also Imperium is perhaps my favourite Machine Head track (from an otherwise poor album) so had a right blast listening to that. Think I also need to spend more time with Exumer and Exciter as well as Agent Steel, all bands who for some reason or other I had heard and dismissed but this playlist switched me on to all 3.
October suggestions whilst I have time:
Jute Gyte - Discontinuities (from album of same title) 2013
Wiegedood - Prowl (from De doden hebben het goed III) 2018
Furia - Krew w kolorze burstynu (from Marta polska jesien) 2007
In early with my three for October:
Disaffected - No Feelings Left (from the album Vast)
Portal - The Back Wards (from Vexvoid)
Wormed - Agliptian Codex Cyborgization (from Krigshu)
Hi Ben, could you please add Portugese progressive death metallers Disaffected?
I found this a tad dull on the vocal front (although I accept they compliment the music and overall style well). I can't fault the music much though and there's clever use of drama in the intros and outros to some tracks to keep my head in the storytelling space most definitely.
3/5
Great list Daniel. New bands I picked up on were Nails, Defeated Sanity and Illdisposed. Planning to revisit Pyrexia who I think were a Bandcamp fave of mine a few years back who I have drifted away from. Did not get on with that frog stuff at all. Confirmed my dislike for Soilwork and my under-appreciation of Necrophagist. Certainly a list that captures the spectrum of the Horde as a whole. Looking forwards to October’s list.
Turbo - "Ostatni wojownik" (1987)
Sonny & Vinny, I think you might enjoy this raw & sophisticated early Polish thrash record. I'm really digging it at the moment. It's classy & consistent with excellent musicianship & a raspy European vocal delivery. The band always sounds in control whilst always maintaining that dirty Teutonic edge.
I am terrible for missing things on these threads and so only just seen this. Glad I did because this is good stuff, particularly like those vocals that you mention Daniel. Neat find and a hell of a way to kick off a Sunday morning. Cheers.
I am with Saxy here. An album that gets too little attention nowadays but listening back was still as big a pleasure as it was the first time I span it.
4.5/5
Vektor Forests of Legend
Sepultura Dead Embryonic Cells
Metallica Whiskey in the Jar
One of Sabbath's flawless releases for me, full of the well-known "hits" like War Pigs and Iron Man as well other less obvious gems such as Hand of Doom. Never anything less than 5 stars for me.
I recently revisited this album and this time around it stayed in my stream although just how many visits it will get is an uknown if honest. It is certainly full of hooks that probably helped it retain a fingerhold in my library but it is big step away from the Left Hand Paths of this world that it is unlikely to leave me with any overarching desire to reach for it with any regularity.
Perhaps predictably for me the only enjoyable aspects to this were Nocturnal Depression. Deathspell Omega and Mutiilation. None of he experimental, gothic or folk influenced stuff did anything for me. Incidentally, I was surprised to see Myrath on his list as they only really have "international" infuences as ooposed to any direct folk elements over their more progressive sound. Also confirmed my fast growing distatse for Bathory as i get older. To my ears he just sounded increasingly more amatuerish with each release, like the songwriter out ranked the artistic capability in so many regards.
Ash Borer show the most promise as a band I need to revisit from this playlist. Thanks for sharing.
P.s. whatever the hell is going on with Mago de Oz, I want no part of it.
This list confirmed my dislike for the guitar wankery of Malmsteen, Becker and Friedman as well as Michael Angelo. Some interesting stuff but a lot of it was already very familiar to me. Will probably explore Jaguar more and the list underlined my need to pick up more Tygers of Pan Tang stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Windir “Black New Age” from 1184
Korda “Native Land”from Cry To Me River
Blut Aus Nord “Chapter IV” from MoRT
Immortal “Withstand the Fall of Time” from At the Heart of Winter
Wolves In The Throne Room “Woodland Cathedral” from Celestial Lineage
Crom Dubh “Sedition” from Heimweh
Judas Iscariot “Gaze Upon Heaven In Flames” from Heaven in Flames
Xasthur “Kingdom of Burning Crucifixion” from A Gate Through Blood Stained Mirrors
Abazagorath “Lapse” from Abazagorath
Jute Gyte “Teeth” from The Old Ways
Keys of Orthanc “Witchking” from Dush Agh Golnauk
Cultes Des Ghoules “The Devil Intimate” from Henbane
L’ Acephale “Sovereignty (Dieu-Die Sonne Stirbt Sovereignty)” from L’ Acephale
Acherontas “Tablets of Mercury” from Amarta (Formulas of Reptilian Unification Pt II)
Cirith Gorgor “Ephel Duath” from Onwards to the Spectral Defile
That’s all I can think of so early in the morning but hopefully got something you could put into a playlist?
So, I went through this yesterday whilst working and did find I enjoyed more than expected. Some bands I will be exploring more and others will have rekindled interest such as Raunchy. Was big on that Korn track back in the early noughties and have flirted with Rob Zombie’s stuff before. Has to be said that my more extreme ears also found a fair portion of the list underwhelming (Corey Feldman, Clawfinger, Infectious Grooves to mention a couple), but was a good discovery session overall. Thanks for sharing.
Bolt Thrower “The Killchain”
Asphyx “The Krusher”
Deicide “Dead By Dawn”
Gorguts “Orphan of Sickness”
Carcass “Heartwork”
Morbid Angel “Maze of Torment”
Altarage “Altars”
Massacre “Dawn of Eternity”
Master “Funeral Bitch”
Obituary “Chopped in Half”
Hi Ben,
Can the new Incantation album be added please?
This is the one new feature I would have least interest in. I don’t care much for sub-genres if I am honest. What’s that you’ve included some depressive elements to your black metal? Great. It’s still just black metal as a title as far as I am concerned.
I am not knocking anyone here, there’s a lot of very passionate metal heads on here and if this floats your boat then sail on you classification crazy cats. As long as I can still search on Death, Black, etc I am fine.
I still can't quote so going to try and clear some cookies etc this side but I agree with all your points Ben.
Painted Doll - s/t (2018)
Chris Reifert and Dave Hill make lots of cool rock music when they get chance to. Had this in my library for a while but it is criminally underplayed. Makes me wanna sit in my lair and listen to B.O.C all afternoon.
4.5/5
I wouldn't be a fan of album cover reviews if honest, it seems a bit much and would risk further confusion or risk making a release page look cluttered.
Also, I don't think there's enough active members to warrant the 5 ratings rule you describe either.
**Ben - I tried to quote Andi for this post but each time I clicked "quote" it took me to the top of the screen?**
Number of times already that I have mistakenly rated a release I have never heard whilst trying to rate just the artwork? 8.
Was pleasantly surprised by this. A lot more riffy than I was expecting yet also quite emotive and atmospheric also. A neglected band in my music library which I will set about rectifying off the back of this. Review up (on my iPad and too lazy to link).
4/5
Sonny & Vinny, I'll be surprised if you don't dig this very solid meat-&-potatoes US thrash metal record.
Yep, probably their best.
Sounds cool.
Gorguts - From Wisdom to Hate - 2001
On the notes in the booklet, Lemay describes this record as one he is very proud of. "We were able to maintain the musical vocabulary and aesthetic found on 'Obscura' but in a less abrasive and chaotic way...Now, with a step back, it seems to me that 'From Wisdom to Hate' would have been a more natural and logical progression to 'Erosion Of Sanity'"
I agree with him on the less abrasive front, but to be honest I kind of wanted a bit more of that on this record. Compositionally it does start to lay groundwork for Colored Sands I can hear but I often used to debate that this should have been, as Lemay describes above, the album between the sophomore and Obscura. I think whichever album came after Obscura was going to be a step down in terms of that chaos that Luc alludes to in his notes. Some how though if history had been different and Colored Sands ended up following Obscura I still would have loved both records.
Holding off on my rating currently as want to get a full review done soon and just revisiting after a fair old period of time since last regular spins of this.
I spend a lot of time on the road when it isn’t lockdown so the digital format worked well enough. I started buying CDs seriously again a couple of years back after a brief flirtation with vinyl which I intend to pick up on once again when I get round to getting a better record player. I sold a load of CDs and vinyl back in the 90s and like Sonny regret this. What it means now is that only tend to go after the classics or stuff that is really important to me. I still have the majority of my collection on stream and probably always will have and since my sound card on my PC died (if honest need a whole new PC) I don’t venture onto Bandcamp as much as I used to.
I got some cool stuff off BC, like when I ordered the Heads for the Dead deluxe CD set and got the vinyl instead. Nowadays I do buy direct from labels and distros and intend to carry on doing so. I no longer pursue new releases with the fervour that I used to. There’s a handful of decent releases this year that I heard but doubt any of them will make physical copies as (like Daniel describes) I may not listen beyond a couple of times as I don’t have loads of time for music anymore and cannot listen to it when working from home as working means I can’t give the music the full attention as my brain can’t function beyond a basic level of attention.
I gave this 4 stars on my review here purely because the album hadn't stood the test of time well and needed Heresy and Shattered to be left on the cutting room floor in all honesty. A landmark album for me growing up no doubt and for a debut record it was a cracker. The darker edge to tracks such as Medicine Man are where my preferences lie on this record though even though before I had the album I played the video for the title track to death on my VCR after I recorded an episode of RAW Power with it on. More of a fan of the follow and Far Beyond Driven nowadays but the debut still holds a respectful score.
4/5
Another list thread that I know I don’t have the time or patience to complete but now that I know it is here I will lose half a day over the weekend trying to contribute without missing key and obvious releases. No rest for the wicked.
Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked - (2005)
Nile's last great record. Full of beastly riffs and herculean technicality to boot. CD copy arrived this past week to assist with some plaster that needs removing from the walls opposite the stereo speakers.
4/5
Vinny, I notice you haven't submitted a rating for this one but I would think it would be right up your alley.
Yeah, it’s my favourite of theirs in all honesty. Wanting to get a review done of it at some point so held off rating yet.
I plan on checking this out. My friend did the artwork, we had a conversation the other day about how good he is at doing hands but he is not happy with them yet. True story me.
Infernal Conjuration - Infernale Metallum Mortis (2019)
Described by one of my internet acquaintances as "the best death metal he has ever heard". Bold statement and not true for me. Competent death metal from Mexico that ticks boxes.
Gorguts - The Erosion of Sanity (1993)
One of Gorguts' more overlooked albums by me, a clear step up from the debut and yet for all the obvious and rapidly expanding maturity and technicality it is still a beast of a death metal record. Rabid and urgent stuff. My CD copy just arrived and I am blasting the fuck out of this tonight.
4/5
Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny And Mutation (1973)
Hard rock is the flavour of the day for Sunday, as the sun is out for the first time in about a week. The sophomore from Blue Oyster Cult is a bright sounding record that is still full of their trademark shadowy allure.
Ben, Sonny & Vinny, if you haven't given this one a spin before then I highly recommend you do. High class & aggressive female-fronted Tuetonic thrash.
Yep, familiar with this. Great stuff.
Ben, I think you may well enjoy the latest Convocation album.
Epic death doom with a little extra!
I just saw your review of this. Didn't know it was the guy from Desolate Shrine (whose stuff I generally like). Added to my endless list to check out.