UnhinderedbyTalent's Forum Replies

Holy Fawn - "Dimensional Bleed" 2022

Alt-rock, shoegaze with some electronic elements.  Plays well to my afternoon of number crunching at work, even if not my usual bag.

Hits this month for me to check out further = Hasard, RUIM, Urfaust

Pleasing familiar artists = BAN, Arkona, Paysage d'Hiver

Skips this month for me =Agriculture, far too upbeat and positive for how I like my bm to be.  Similarly, Liturgy and their bonkers blend of bm, noise and alt/indie rock

Plan on getting some quality time in with the new BAN this week and also want to check out that latest Arkona album based on the track I heard here.  Hasard reminds me a lot of Akhlys so is a natural hit for me.  Listening to the album now and it seems to be my bag.

Panzerfaust - "The Suns of Perdition - Chapter II: Render Unto Eden (2020)

On paper, Panzerfaust do not have a lot going for them. With a sound not dissimilar to Mgla whom I have never really seen the total appeal of over the years, the fact that any of their releases have lasted more than one listen is an achievement in itself. However, whilst I do accept those references to the Polish band I believe there's more to the Canadians that just the dashing black metal sound that draws the similarity. I am familiar with the releases that precede and follow this one and so my experience of the band overall draws me to reference elements of Deathspell Omega (although a lot less chaotic) and my personal favourites Gaerea also. Something in that mix of stabbing dissonance and a taught emotional core just thrusting to get out and spill its guts everywhere just speaks volumes to me and the second chapter of The Suns of Perdition series of albums best exemplifies this for me.

There is an urgency to ...Render Unto Eden that feels like the itch of a skin infection that has some festering fluid to release but continues to taunt the afflicted by prolonging the incessant, gnawing sensation. At the same time, there is a lot of structure to this record. These tracks are well-written and are allowed to develop well on each occasion. Opener, Promethean Fire has a superb build that makes the listener wait for its arrival proper by layering the textures slowly but surely. At the same time, the flurrying melodies of Areopagitica will have you palpitating as you try to keep up. What I hear on this record is a band exuding a level of intelligent restraint. Having the heart to share some influences without necessarily wearing them on their sleeves, yet at the same time having the common sense to not let the urgency of their style substitute structure and track development.

The drums on The Snare of the Fowler act like tools to build up to the the almost Ulcerate-esque melodic riff. Indeed Alexander Kartashov shows a prowess on the drums for pretty much all of the record and the bellicose (and it has to be said rather Nergal-like) vocals of Goliath are also a standout. But it is the chiming, stabbing and soaring work of the guitar of Brock "Kaizer" Van Dijk that truly steals the show here as those ringing tremolos capture the ghastly melodies and haunting dissonance inherent in the Panzerfaust sound. I guess there is a deeper story to the album trilogy here that I am yet to tap into, but for now let me acknowledge what a fine record this is - regardless of any conceptual references overall. 

4/5

Good work Sonny.

Wait, Gris are essentially Miserere Luminis whose album from this year I reviewed last month.  I mean the guy out of Sombre Forêts is in ML as well but seems like it is a natural extension of Gris.  Listening to Gris now anyways, like it.

I listened to Snowland this evening whilst taking Koko for her last walk of the day. I have to use Spotify for my mobile listening so I could only find the MMXII re-recorded version. I still found it to be very much up my street and I'm itching to hear the rawer, original version. Is it on YouTube or Bandcamp do you know Vinny?

It is on both YouTube and Bandcamp Sonny, but I listened to it on Bandcamp.

The last couple of full-lengths from Québec depressive/atmospheric black metal duo Gris are worth checking out. 2007's "Il était une forêt..." is arguably Canada's most widely celebrated black metal release however I prefer their 2013 double album "À l'âme enflammée, l'âme constellée..." to tell you the truth.

thanks Daniel will check them out.

Thank you Somny.  I know Spectral Wound but not the others.

Sorcier Des Glaces - "Snowland" 1998

I am on a Canadian black metal deep dive at present, trying to seek out the essential releases for review. As I tried to plot this course through the vast landscape of one of the biggest land masses on the planet, I immediately stumbled on Sorcier Des Glaces. One of the first black metal releases listed on Metal Academy as being from Canada (there will be earlier ones I am sure), the 1998 debut from SDG is an atmospheric affair that focuses on dark forests, wintery landscapes, and the misanthropic appreciation of nature. The whole album was rerecorded in 2012 (Snowland MMXII) with a less raw production and less keyboards. For this review, I am listening to the original debut album.

Those keys that got a trim in the rerecorded version certainly make their presence felt here. They successfully drive the tracks forwards without taking over from any of the required force of the riffs and percussion sections. They most certainly help with that atmospheric feel to the album but are by no means stealing the show. Also, in terms of the production, although I would not say it is perfect, I have most certainly heard worse and in all honesty (on a black metal record) I prefer it to the more polished rerecorded version. Yes, there is an element of the tremolos sounding like someone is pissing about with the fader on the mixing desk, but it is by no means a distraction.

Perhaps the biggest victim of the original mix are the drums. In the wilder moments of some tracks, we hear more of the “tish” of the cymbals than we do of the actual beats. This is a shame because they are competently performed by Luc Gaulin, just a little lost in the grander scheme of things. However, I think in many ways this enhances the cold and sterile aspects of this album by way of contrast to those richer (but no warmer) keyboards.

Vocally, the throaty rasp of Sébastian Robitalle is a real force to be reckoned with throughout Snowland. Some of the layering effects on My Journey in the Black Forest add a real sense of threat to the track but it is that haughty depth in his vocals that provides such an excellent foundation to build from. In their more expansive moments, the duo reminds me of Paysage d’ Hiver and when the instrumental track Darkness Covers the Snowland comes in it brings such influences as Emperor and Summoning to mind.

There are a couple of occasions where the melodic soar of the guitar is allowed free-reign, and this works well in adding some crystalline lushness to proceedings before giving way to a more tremolo driven style of playing usually. All in all, Snowland is a fine start to my Canadian bm exploration. Whilst most certainly not without fault, it still represents an ambition and crude determination to succeed in the face of some challenges.

Hits this month for me to check out further = The Body, Baroness

Pleasing familiar artists = Smoulder, Shape of Despair and Tzompantli

Skips this month for me = Type O Negative, My Dying Bride

Amazingly enough this was my first ever listen to Sunn O))) and although not blown away I accept that this is for a certain mindset and so doing chores whilst listening did not engage me well with it.  I plan to revisit though.

Another solid month Sonny, keep 'em coming.

For October please Sonny:

Conan - "Amidst the Infinite" (from "Existential Void Guardian", 2018)

Sourvein - "Urchins" (from "Aquatic Occult", 2016)

Black Tusk - "Fatal Kiss" (from "Passage Through Purgatory", 2008)

For October please Daniel:

Obituary - "Intoxicated" (from "Slowly We Rot", 1989)

Tribal Gaze - "Cold Devotion" (from "The Nine Choirs", 2022)

Celestial Sanctuary - "Biomineralization (Cell Death)" (from "Insatiable Thirst For Torment", 2023)

Frozen Soul - "Atomic Winter" (from "Glacial Domination", 2023)

Defleshed - "One Grave to Fit Them All" (from "Grind Over Matter", 2022)

For October please Ben:

Ifernach - "Black Metal Butchery" (from "Gespegewagi Black Metal", 2020)

Sorcier des glaces - "L'éternelle majesté des montagnes" (from "Snowland MMXII", 2012)

Gespenst - "Rejse" (from "Den siste færd", 2021)

September 2023

01. Kreator - “Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)” (from “Hordes of Chaos”, 2009)

02. Metallica – “The Four Horsemen” (from “Kill ‘Em All”, 1983)

03. Sepulcher – “Ethereal Doom” (from “Panoptic Horror”, 2018)

04. Phantom G.D.L. – “Reaper’s Bane” (from “Reaper’s Bane”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]

05. Possessed – “Death Metal” (from “Seven Churches”, 1985)

06. Sarcofago – “Deathrash” (from “I.N.R.I.”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

07. Fugitive – “Standoff” (from “Blast Furnace b/w Standoff”, 2023)

08. Suicidal Tendencies – “Trip at the Brain” (from “How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

09. Brainslug, Jordan Rudess – “Thrash Grandad” (from “Brainslug”, 2023)

10. Genetic Error – “Toxic Planet” (from “Toxic Planet”, 1988)

11. Hirax – “Hostile Territory” (from “The New Age of Terror”, 2004) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. Strike Master – “Black to the Future” (from “Black to the Future”, 2023)

13. Interceptor – “Thrashing Violence” (from “Interceptor DEMO”, 2023)

14. Thrashback – “Possessed by Thrash” (from “Possessed by Thrash”, 2014)

15. Atomic Peacemaker – “Final Sunset” (from “Final Sunset DEMO”, 2023

16. Nemesis– “Aggressor” (from “Aggressor”, 2023)

17. Sacrifice – “Reanimation” (from “Forward to Termination”, 1987)

18. Blood Tsunami – “Castle of Skulls” (from “Grand Feast for Vultures”, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

19. Acid Mass – “By Force” (from “Lust for Violence”, 2023)

20. Usurper – “Bones of my Enemies” (from “Cryptobeast”, 2005)

21. Prong – “Breaking Point” (from “Breaking Point”, 2023)

22. Skinlab – “Paleface” (from “Bound, Gagged and Blindfolded”, 1997

23. Forbidden – “Turns to Rage” (from “Green”, 1997)

24. Barbarian – “Human Pest” (from “Barbarian”, 2011)

25. Vindicator – “Fearmonger” (from “The Antique Witcheries”, 2010)

26. Testament – “Greenhouse Effect” (from “Practice What You Preach”, 1989) [Submitted by Vinny]

27. Annihilator – “Road to Ruin” (from “Never Neverland”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

28. Voivod – “Macrosolutions to Megaproblems” (from “Dimension Hatröss”, 1988)

Hi Ben, could you add Swedish death/thrash outfit Unfair Fate please?

EDIT - and Rhythm of Fear from Florida, USA please?

I am so glad I undertook this journey back to the early days of death metal as I have found I now have a much greater appreciation of it's allure. I have found some absolute gems and approaching it this way has been almost like experiencing the scene in real time. I have often felt a pang of jealousy of people who are hearing albums like Master of Puppets and Reign in Blood for the first time, remembering how much they blew me away when I first heard them myself, but now I have been lucky enough to have a similar experience with many of death metal's true classics and have been loving it. Anyway, a brilliant double-header today, starting with:

Brutality - Screams of Anguish (1993)

Brutality were unknown to me prior to listening to this (surprise, surprise), but are another product of the Nineties' Florida death metal scene that spawned so many DM classics and one listen to Screams of Anguish and it is obvious that it originated in Tampa. While it does possess the brutality of the classic Tampa sound, it also has a slight technical bent to it that, presumably, differentiated it from the Morbid Angels and Deicides of the time. It isn't excessively technical and Brutality are as capable of being wilfully bludgeoning as any other of Tampa's death metal denizens, but there is enough there to set it apart. The lead work in particular is something that caught my ear, with the howling solos being one of my favourite aspects of the album as their scalpel-like sharpness provides a perfect counterpoint to the blunt force trauma of the bludgeoning rhythm work. Vocalist Scott Reigel has a classic death metal style of ascerbic growling that sounds like it could strip paint and the rhythm section provides the perfect heavy-boned skeleton on which guitarists Don Gates and Jay Fernandez can hang their muscular riffs.

One point of contention for me was the two interludes, Sympathy and Spirit World, which I think sucked the velocity out of the album. During each of these breaks in the sonic battery I was champing at the bit for them to launch back into the attack and felt these acted like speed bumps on a racetrack, being superfluous and disruptive of the flow. I understand the inclusion and maybe the band wanted to give the listener a respite and a chance to regroup before setting about them once more, but without them in the tracklisting I think we would have had a perfect blistering and belligerent sub-forty minute album.

Anyway, minor tracklisting niggle aside, this is an album I enjoyed massively with it sitting somewhere between early Deicide and mid-era Death to my ears with those searing solos being the big take away for me. On the strength of this debut, I really can't believe that these guys aren't as big a name in the Florida scene as Death, Deicide or Morbid Angel.

4.5/5

Demilich - Nespithe (1993)

Demilich's sole release Nespithe is an album who's name I have seen dropped all over the place. However, it being tagged as technical death metal has always found me looking the other way and filing it under the heading "nothing to do with me". And now, after finally listening to it, I have got to say, "Fuckin' wow!!" I genuinely don't think I have ever heard an album so out there that I have actually enjoyed as much as this. With it's bizarre, seemingly nature-defying, technicalities and the inhuman sub-sonic growls that pass for vocals this is like the very personification of H.P. Lovecraft's stories of impossible realms and sanity-destroying astral horrors. I can see why Demilich never released another album as I cannot even conceive of how you would follow this up. In fact, it seems like three of the four members fell out of the metal scene altogether after Demilich split following it's release - and I understand why. This is the death metal equivalent of Lovecraft's legendary tome, The Necronomicon, a book so horrifying it causes any who read it to go completely insane.

All hyperbole aside, I don't possess the technical musical knowledge to even begin to explain what is going on here with Nespithe, other than to say that it is quite unlike anything I have ever heard in it's seemingly chaotic grooves and it needs to be heard to be believed. It seems on the surface to be exactly the sort of technical exercise I would normally hate, but for some reason it's constantly shifting sounds overlaid by that smothering inhuman growling just appeals to something inside me. I have seen any number of complaints about those vocals, but I think they are some of the most fascinating I have ever heard, the sheer depth of the croaking growl genuinely sounding like the proclamations of some extra-dimesional deity. The lyrics too are suitably eldritch and hint at multi-dimensional horrors whose only reason is to destroy the minds and souls of the human race, to which Antti Boman's voice gives perfect expression.

Where Nespithe scores high over most other technical death metal for me, is because it is so dripping with atmosphere and that is something I think is ignored by most technical DM bands, Nile perhaps being the only other technical outfit I know of who put any store in atmosphere... but Demilich take it to a whole new level that even leaves the Egypt-obsessed Nile floundering. The four band members are evidently supremely talented musicians to pull off such intricate instrumentation and that combined with such a singular, horror-invoking atmosphere gives this a real one-of-a-kind feel. One thing is absolutely certain, once you have heard it, this is not an album you are ever likely to forget. For me, this is a classic.

 5/5, Hell yeah!!

I am with you on the envy of folks listening to the classics for the first time and I have heard them about a hundred times over.  Rare that I find an album nowadays that invokes the spirit of lost youth from some 30+ years ago but at least I had that feeling many times over for about 10 years straight.

Hi Ben, can you please add - Gespenst from Denmark?

August stacked up like this for me:

THE FALLEN : Darkthrone - "Astral Fortress" (2022) 4.5/5

THE NORTH : Armagedda - "The Final War Approaching" (2001) 4/5

THE HORDE : Suffocation - s/t (2006) 4/5

THE PIT : Sodom - "M16" (2001) 3.5/5

Good to see Darkthrone sat atop the pile of the ratings with the most modern release in the list.  "M16" did not meet my expectations unfortunately but it was good to get the album explored and see what the rest of the group felt about it.  I gave that Fange release a couple of spins but could not devote enough attention to it to formulate a review as it felt like I needed to sit down without distractions to truly give it a justified review.  No time for any listens to the remaining clans features for me with work and life still far too busy.

For all the influence and respect that Suffocation (rightfully) receive across the extreme metal community, their game plan is not particularly a difficult one to follow. With the talent in the band it seems almost effortless for them to take the depths of brutality and the fast flowing torrents of technicality and combine them into this vicious and yet measured assault that I have come to enjoy over the years. Whether it is the frenzied attack of the debut album some fifteen years before this or the tangible and tactile structures of Pierced From Within or Effigy of the Forgotten, the band have medals of honour littered throughout their discography. Yet, at the same time they have "the rest of their discography". The likes of Despise the Sun, Blood Oath and indeed this month's feature release never get anywhere near the same levels of rotation as the aforementioned releases do. Within minutes of listening to the self-titled it is clear that this most certainly is not Pierced from Within, but then again I would not want it to be in all honesty. Despite not living up to that standard, Suffocation is by no means a bad or even mediocre death metal album.

The album feels restrained in its delivery yes, but by no means is this at the expense of entertainment and most certainly is not Suffocation going soft. Instead, the record feels like it is simply exploring all the good parts of the bands sound in glorious detail. By varying the pace across the record, the band create a celebration of themselves. They leave themselves completely exposed in some regards but the quality of the song writing is so high that there is little to no threat here for them. Tracks like Bind Torture Kill explore the full gamut of their range and you can hear the old school roots of their existence shining through very clearly. As we have come to expect, Hobbs' guitar laying is nothing short of exemplary and original guitarist Guy Marchais supports well also. Mullen, of course, can do no wrong as we already know and puts in a consistent and entertaining performance throughout with his clear yet still inherently extreme vocals providing their grim and scathing attack as always.

I feel like there are times when the drums of Mike Smith get a bit of a poor representation in the mix (opening track Oblivion springs to mind as being a noticeable point of this issue for me) but there is still enough weight to them to make them an integral part of the overall experience. With so much quality on show, I guess mixing the record to let all parts shine is a challenge I personally would not want to take on so Joe Cincotta has my sympathy on this. But there is nothing here to take away from this self-homage that Suffocation create on a record that needs a lot more attention from me than it has had to date. Bangers like Entrails of You are evidence that there is more than just shock value to the content of Suffocation, their brand of extremity has thought and feel behind it.  

4/5

Sorry to hear this Daniel.  There's some of this going on at my place of work right now with a couple of the longer standing folks getting made redundant.  Horrible thing, but you're a smart guy with a skillset I am sure you will make good use of elsewhere when the time comes.

I have never even given this a thought to be honest.  I just listen to what is in front of me at the time.  Doesn’t matter what legacy format terminology folks want to use to me, just consider them all “releases” and have done with it.

Sorry, Vinny, I have nothing for The Pit this month.

No worries Sonny.

Dave Lombardo - Rites of Percussion (2023)

Not my normal bag, in fact I would go as far as to say that the prospect of an entirely percussive record would normally sound dull as fuck, however it turns out there's more to this than just Lombardo showboating his skills.  There are some hints at ambient textures and the creation of atmospheres undertaken along the way also.  The album never quite falls into predictable tribal beats although he most certainly is embracing many elements of world music in his exploration and experimentation.  It does not sound like a guy just cocking around on his selection of drums either.  Although I suspect the album is not 100% composed pieces there is no obvious shabbiness to proceedings.  If anyone has any lingering doubts that Lombardo was only good when he was in Slayer then (should their mind allow) this record will dispel such illusions as his creativity is obvious throughout Rites of Percussion. Forget the blistering performances of his thrash heyday, this is beyond that and more than worth a quick listen through at just 35 mins long.

HEALTH - Disco4+

Been playing a lot of HEALTH this past couple of days.  Probably my latest favourite new discovery.  Lots of collabs going on with artists I know well - Perturbator, Full of Hell, NiN and Chino Moreno, however there's also lots of artists and genres on the Disco4 series that I am eager to learn about based on this experience (Nolife, Brothel, Soccer Mommy and The Body)

Where to start with Sodom, eh? The grandfathers of Teutonic thrash metal as I view them today were still a little under twenty years into their existence at the point of them recording M-16. With a stable line-up in place for the past four years, the band were starting to look like they were hitting a solid run of form with ‘Til Death Do Us Unite and Code Red being improvements on the lacklustre Masquerade in Blood. The stage was well set then for them to continue this run with M-16.

With typically eye-catching artwork adorning the cover, the tracks soon follow this blistering war theme with the relentless pummeling of I Am the War in particular presenting a salvo of Angelripper spat bullets early on in proceedings. These faster paced thrashers such as Genocide are where the album really shines with these, the title track and Lead Injection being the better written of the tracks on offer.

At the same time though there are some goofy and clumsy moments as well. The incredibly corny Napalm in the Morning, the borderline irritating Little Boy and that fucking terrible Surfin' Bird cover are all examples of where a full near fifty-minutes of runtime was not necessarily needed. Even in the better tracks on the album, I would still say that for all the pace and frenzy there is not always the equal amount of punch to really elevate M16 to any real highlight in the band’s discography. This is most certainly not an album that will wrestle Agent Orange from the top spot in my all-time favourite Sodom records.

Whilst hinting at some of the better parts of the Sodom kitbag, this record comes off as being al little more than average in all honesty and it is not one that I have plans to be revisiting anytime soon. There are better records further along in the back-catalogue that you would get more from.

3.5/5

Good to see it land well with you Daniel.  My review is barely a month old but I now have this album on vinyl and am still playing it to death

Following my review of Old Star I soon found myself pressing on into the Darkthrone "latter day" discography. Having found very little wrong with the 2019 release I found my focus switched to the latest new release (at the time of writing) from the legendary Norwegians. I am aware that Eternal Hails is sandwiched in between the two releases I have now written a review for, and I have heard that through a few times also. However, it is yet to make as an immediate impact as Astral Fortress did after just a couple of spins. Once again the paired-back, non-black metal style of metal that embraces doom and heavy metal wins the day.

With the increasing sense that the number of fucks Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have left to give reduces with every passing year, Astral Fortress is a structure built with an almost nonchalant level of attention. The walls are not necessarily flush against one another and the floor is almost certainly not level either, but it is just still so fucking homely to listen to the record that you do not care if the roof has a couple of holes in it where polished production values and a high quality of technical capability got kicked out of the building. The guys are not trying to impress anybody necessarily, yet they organically manage to make an album that presses a sense of nostalgia on the listener without becoming oppressive as a "retro" record.

Those soothing synths on Stalagmite Necklace are trance-inducing, such is their level of dreamy and hazy magic. Who fucking cares if NC's vocals are cumbersome when there's a Mellotron to keep you company along the way? Fenriz's drumming is consistent throughout without ever straying anywhere near the realm of technical or overtly showy. There is a power in simplicity and this has never been better exemplified than the performance of the man on the stool behind the skins. Above all else though, it is the mournful and melancholic wail of the guitars on tracks such as The Sea Beneath the Seas of the Sea (great track title) that steal the dank limelight on Astral Fortress. Indeed, for a perfect example of "no frills" metal, we need look no further than Darkthrone's twentieth full length release.

By now a thousand football fields away from their black metal days, Darkthrone have almost undertaken a complete reinvention of themselves in terms of their sound and style. However, the true success of their modern day output that I have heard to date is that it does still retain that sense of irreverence for their art form that only black metal can ever truly teach. Whilst it may be so far away stylistically from black metal, the cult is very much still alive.

4.5/5

The past few months I have been listening to a lot of modern day Darkthrone and have reviewed a couple of recent records from the Norwegian legends of black metal, commenting how they sound very little like their bm heyday. This has been something to celebrate in my opinion as they truly have reinvented themselves in comparison to the band that dropped A Blaze... and Transilvanian Hunger some thirty years ago. If ever proof was needed that the influence of black metal era Fenriz and NC is always destined to be alive and kicking then Armagedda are it. Notwithstanding that at the time of this release, Darkthrone were dropping Plaguewielder, one of their less popular releases and one that was certainly far away from the quality of their nineties' output. There is an argument to say that come 2001, Armagedda were better at being Darkthrone than Darkthrone were at the time.

Talk of obvious influences aside, Armagedda themselves were only two years into their existence come the release of their debut album. Having formed as Volkermord in 1999 before changing their name to Armagedda just one year later, the band certainly lived up to their apocalyptic band name with their primitive yet relentless eight song offering to the black metal world. The scathing and impertinent vocals of Graav being a perfect accompaniment to the clumsy and cumbersome riffs he was also responsible for (closing track My Eternal Journey in particular exposes these riff challenges). Yet at the same time when in full-tilt black metal mode (Deathminded), Armagedda more than make a case for them justifying those heady Darkthrone comparisons. Whilst not innovators (who the fuck was in black metal come 2001??) I would not say the Swedes class as imitators either. Their passionate sense of belonging to that second wave sound is obvious for all of The Final War Approaching.

With their thin guitar tone and strong tremolo presence, Armagedda more than make their mark on their debut full-length. If you are looking for a great second wave bm album from after the actual scene itself had been and gone, then you would be hard-pressed to find a better offering than this. Looking at their discography, Armagedda rarely seem to put a foot wrong and why would they based on this solid foundation stone to kick start their back-catalogue?

4/5

Predatory Light - Death and the Twilight Hours (2022)

Another band I missed completely to date.  Criminal considering they are on 20 Buck Spin whom I normally keep some track of.  Anyway, very Negative Plane like black metal with a hint of Mortuary Drape for good measure.

Ben / Daniel were you aware that it is possible to give a release no stars? I inadvertently saved my rating for High on Fire's De Vermis Mysteriis before I had actually chosen a rating and this registered my rating as 0.0 and the average went from 4.0 to 3.2. It isn't a problem as such because I know you can change or delete ratings and I point it out merely because I wonder if this is something you want to be allowable or if you would like to remove this errant rating option during some future site update.

I was aware of this, used it to good effect for Machine Head “Catharsis”.  It has served its purpose for me.

I would agree with the above.  I have State.. down as a 3 star rating as I recall once the initial adrenaline levels dropped, there wasn't a lot to shout about.  I have never fully gotten onboard with Belladonna as a vocalist either.  Great at the shrill and shriek when needed but just lame sounding overall.  I was baffled how they managed to replace him with someone even worse though when they brought Bush in - I mean how can you have such a gruff voice yet not be suited to being a thrash vocalist?

I still goof around to Madhouse or Indians every now and again but my airtime with Anthrax nowadays is a rare occurrence. 

In an unexpected quiet couple of days at work, I managed to get through both The Fallen and The North playlists early doors this month.  Standouts for me:

Thantifaxath - Surgical Utopian Love (from Hive Mind Narcosis, 2023) - was aware of these Canadians already and so was delighted to see things opening up with their weird mix of Deathspell Omega meets Jute Gyte alongside BAN sounding atmospherics.

None - Rest (from Inevitable, 2023) - unusually captivating for a depressive black metal release, I found Rest to be almost enchanting in the most desolate and utterly hopeless way imaginable - I listened to the full album today and soon got bored though so will see how it picks up with repeated listens.

Armagedda - Deathminded (from The Final War Approaching, 2001) - looking forwards to reviewing this in the coming month.  I have been on a real conventional black metal kick of late and so the timing of this release being a Feature could not be better.  Wondering how I ever missed these guys to date though.

Blackbraid - The Spirit Returns (from Blackbraid II, 2023) - despite all the hype (and frankly relentless advertising) this guy gets, I have to admit to being underwhelmed with the first record.  This track grabbed my attention though with its melodic yet icy chunks of riffage.

Fen - Scouring Ignorance (from Monuments to Absence, 2023) - up to about my third listen with this record now and although not an outright struggle, it was not as immediate as I had hoped.  This track shows best why it caught me off-guard.  Very aggressive and racing in comparison to what I expected and those clean vocal passages are yet to land with me fully if honest.  Yet at the same time I am still utterly intrigued and want to learn more about the record.

Miserere Luminis - Le sang des rêves (from Ordalie, 2023) - I have seen the dazzling artwork for the album this track comes off already and knew I would have to check it out.  Atmospheric and expansive to boot, the whole album is a joy to behold having played it through a couple of times off the back of this track in the playlist.

Another solid playlist this month.  To call out the standouts for me:

Katatonia - I have this weird "bookend" scenario with this band in that I have only ever listened to the Dance... and then their latest release and nothing in between.  Brave Murder Day has been landing on a few playlists as suggestions around the streaming services I am on of late and so it is liable to be the next full-length I venture along with from this band.  This track proves to me that I am missing out by not listening to the rest of their discography in some more detail.

Saturnalia Temple - well, this is a fucked up sounding box of frogs if ever I heard one.  It is still so damn entertaining though, not in the least because it is so blatantly obvious that these guys have zero fucks to give

Mournful Congregation -  starting to wonder if these Aussies can do any wrong at all as there is virtually endless win in everything I hear from them.  Still sounding relevant thirty years on, this track bodes well for me getting around to the album at some point.

Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean - dumbass name aside, I had very little to argue with here.  Agonising sludge metal that is punishingly repetitive

Iron Monkey - more sludge metal only this time it is raging and ugly as fuck - me like.

Woorms - I have be eyeing that astonishingly good artwork on the Slake record and wondering if the music could ever be as good as the artwork.  Good news, it is.  With a measured level of confrontation in their sound, Woorms sound alienating and hostile whilst tipping their hats to some fine doom metal along the way also.

I was thinking about the one-listen-review concept some more last night & there are two other elements that come into play (at least they do for me personally). I find that mood & context can skew my view on a release one way or the other. For example, if I'm tired & listen to a highly intense or complex death metal album, there's no way that I'll appreciate it as much as if I'm wide awake & energetic. Or if I've just listened to Marduk & then decide to put on Twisted Sister, I'm always going to find Twisted Sister to be fairly light-weight in comparison which may impact my scoring but I still might feel like listening to them. The same goes for production as some production jobs will inevitably sound dodgier or more impressive than they are depending on what you play them after. For that reason, I like to listen to my music in a couple of different headspaces & environments before reaching a consensus on what rating I'll award a particular release & I never do my final listen late in the day when I'm not alert. Perhaps I take this process a little too seriously but... ya know what... Ben & I run an online metal ratings/reviews website so the integrity of our views can be kinda a big deal for parts of our audience.

This.  Exactly this.

Let's not continue any further down this path.

Noted Ben.

And just as easy as that we get to you attacking the site.  Your lack of self-reflection is astonishing.  The site does need more people but I am convinced it doesn't need you Rex.

I have to concur with the others that my planned listening time is already maxed out by the monthly feature releases, particularly given my refusal to rate or review a release without giving it at least 3-4 active listens over a couple of days. I work 50+ hours a week & have three young kids who command all of my free time so I'd be reluctant to reduce my free listening time any further at this point when it only really amounts to the time before anyone else wakes up.

Rex, regardless of whether other members would like to participate in your suggested initiative, can I suggest that you join the feature release rosters for your chosen clans? That way you can choose releases that you'd like to have your fellow clan members attention drawn to &, in doing so, can potentially contribute to the cause listed above. It's not a bad way to see Hall of Judgement nominations coming to fruition too & I know you've been keen to contribute there too.

Lemme stop you at the 3-4 times bit.  Don't take this the wrong way, and I understand you have a lot on your plate.  But if a nobody like me can write a detailed review after one listen, I know you have the brainpower to do so.  With so much on your plate, you have to have developed a good skill in multitasking by now.  I always stand by a strict belief that anyone is capable of anything with real practice.  You don't have to memorize an album in order to review it.  So whatever you're doing when you're listening to an album, likely working on this site, all you gotta do is let once be enough and keep in mind similar albums to compare it to.  Example, right now I'm planning all of this out while listening to White Pony.  I've already sensed some major creative differences between this and Around the Fur.

Whether or not you still agree with the actual purpose of this thread, I'm pretty much telling everyone this due to personal beliefs: if time is ever a problem for you, then this skill is for you, and I choose willingly not to "brag" about it because I firmly believe, again, that anyone can catch a whole album even while doing other stuff.  Even now I feel educated enough to write about the effect on my body and soul that those noisy shouts on Elite do and how well they blend with the sound effects, leaving the lyrical content to gleefully remain a mystery and let the emotion of the instruments and presence do all the talking.  I might even like Elite more than Digital Bath for its incredible and unique artistry, while still remaining somewhat consistent with the calmer and more introspective Digital Bath.  And I could go on about how much I adore the shift in style and weird behavior of Rx Queen's percussions, but I have a point to prove: I admit, I struggled a bit with the multitasking at first, but after years of practice, I came to one conclusion: I doubt I'm the only one who can do this.  And while I have this ability, I won't brag about it, but I WILL own it.

And before anyone can say it, yes I heard White Pony once years ago, and completely forgot everything about it later because alt-metal isn't my style.  So memory has nothing to do with it.

In my experience, needlessly burning through album after album without taking the time to enjoy them and grow to understand them for me defeats the point of listening to music in the first place.  Don't assume everyone is as "skilled" as yourself either because although you stipulate you are not bragging, it most certainly comes across that way in this post.  How's about "sharing" your personal beliefs instead of "telling everyone"?  Otherwise the above just looks incredibly preachy.

As the other established members of the site have stipulated above, we don't have need for any other challenges as there is more than enough already in place and these have been developed by Ben and Daniel who have put significant amounts of time into the site to get it to where it is today, supported by the members of course - which as Daniel says, you are free to contribute to also.  Your "fifth wheel" seems to be one of your own making.

September =

Sarcofago  - "Deathrash" (from "I.N.R.I.", 1987)

Phantom G.D.L. - "Reaper's Bane" (from "Reaper's Bane", 2023)

Hirax - "Hostile Territory" (from "A New Age of Terror", 2004)

Fugitive - "Standoff" (from "Blast Furnace b/w Standoff", 2023)

September =

Kanonenfieber - "Die Schlacht bei Tannenberg" (from "Menschenmühle", 2021)

Doedsvangr - "Lord ov Pits" (from "Koinonia", 2023)

Bethlehem - "Die Dunkelheit darbt" (from "Bethlehem", 2016)

September =

Toke - "Within the Sinister Void" (from "(Orange)", 2017)

Acid Mammoth - "Tree of Woe" (from "Under Acid Hoof", 2020)

Crowbar - "The Lasting Dose" (from "Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form", 2001)

September =

Voidceremony - "Abyssic Knowledge Bequeathed" (from "Threads of Unknowing", 2023)

Mutilatred - "Sickened to Death" (from "Determined to Rot", 2014)

Torture Rack - "Lord of the Massgrave" (from "Pit of Limbs", 2022)

Immolation - "A Glorious Epoch" (from "Majesty & Decay", 2010)

200 Stab Wounds - "Masters of Morbidity" (from "Masters of Morbidity", 2022)

Atheist - "Enthralled in Essence" (from "Unquestionable Presence", 1991)

Omnivortex - "Dwells" (from "Circulate", 2023)

August 2023

01. Flames - “Eastern Front” (from “Summon the Dead”, 1988)

02. Sword – “Outta Control” (from “Metalized”, 1986) [Submitted by Daniel]

03. Overkill – “Shred” (from “Under the Influence”, 1988)

04. Morbid Saint – “Crying for Death” (from “Spectrum of Death”, 1990) [Submitted by Sonny]

05. Sacred Reich – “Awakening” (from “Awakening”, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

06. Pantera – “Mouth for War” (from “Vulgar Display of Power”, 1992)

07. Pissing Razors – “Fall Away” (from “Evolution”, 2003)

08. Power Trip – “Soul Sacrifice” (from “Nightmare Logic”, 2017) [Submitted by Daniel]

09. Raging Death – “Raging Death” (from “Raging Death”, 2015)

10. Bluuurgh – “Corrupt Fairy Tale” (from “In My Embrace”, 1992)

11. Crucified Mortals – “Dusk of the Advent” (from “Psalms of the Dead Choir”, 2016) [Submitted by Sonny]

12. Evildead – “No Difference” (from “United $tate$ of Anarchy”, 2020)

13. Running Wild – “Merciless Game” (from “Under Jolly Roger”, 1987) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Vulcano – “Death Metal” (from “Bloody Vengeance”, 1986) [Submitted by Sonny]

15. Sepultura– “Refuse / Resist” (from “Chaos A.D.”,1993)

16. Heir Apparent – “Nightmare” (from “Graceful Inheritance”, 1986) [Submitted by Daniel]

17. Minotaur – “Beast of Nations” (from “Beast of Nations”, 2016)

18. Juggernaut – “Without Warning” (from “Trouble Within”, 1987)

19. Pentagram Chile – “The Death of Satan” (from “The Malefice”, 2013) [Submitted by Sonny]

20. URN – “Funeral Oath” (from “Iron Will of Power”, 2019)

21. Grave Desecrator – “Black Vengeance” (from “Insult”, 2010) [Submitted by Sonny]

22. Expulser – “Christ’s Saga” (from “The Unholy One”, 1992)

23. Hellcannon – “Disarmed & Deceased” (from “Return to the Wasteland”, 2017)

24. Vomitor – “Hells Butcher” (from “Pestilent Death”, 2018)

25. Torture – “Ignominous Slaughter” (from “Storm Alert”, 1989) [Submitted by Sonny]

26. Slayer – “Mandatory Suicide” (from “South of Heaven”, 1988)

27. Funeral Nation – “After the Battle” (from “After the Battle XXV”, 1991)

28. Lawnmower Deth – “Betty Ford’s Clinic” (from “Ooh Crikey It’s Lawnmower Deth”, 2023) [Submitted by Sonny]

29. Forseen – “Chemical Heritage” (from “Grave Danger”, 2017) [Submitted by Vinny]

30. Vektor – “Cosmic Cortex” (from “Outer Isolation”, 2011) [Submitted by Daniel]

Could you please add North Carolina's, Winter Lantern please Ben.  Most of her releases are classed as demos and I don't recall the rules on demos getting added (or not) but there is one compilation release from last year that qualifies at least.

Winter Lantern - Festering Vampirism (2021)

All female black metal outfit from North Carolina in the US.  One of many demos they have released over the past couple of years.  With suitably lo-fi values and a clever use of some dungeon synth sections this has been a cold and welcoming start to Friday morning for me.

Following my enjoyment of the Suicide Silence feature release last month I was intrigued to see if I was about to go on a deathcore streak with the arrival of Whitechapel in The Revolution hot seat this month. After 3 or 4 listens I remain distinctly underwhelmed in comparison to the more immediate entertainment I found with The Black Crown. First off the bat though, it is important to say I do not hate A New Era of Corruption. It lacks any real depth or grit overall for me though. Despite some interesting breakdowns that allow for the vocals to play just a big a part as the guitars I find them still to be nothing more than a welcome distraction to what I deem to be otherwise quite a monotonous record.

There is an almost mechanical (sadly lacking the "necro" aspect promised by the penultimate track) undertone to this album for me, a real sense of going through the motions. Punctuated only by the all too brief moments of true death metal guttural gurns and the hint of groove to a riff every now and again, this machine-like edge to proceedings soon becomes all I am focusing on. Album closer Single File to Dehumanization is the least enjoyable of all the eleven tracks on offer here and is perhaps the best example of the challenges I have with this record. The added frustration is that it sounds like these guys are better than this record actually shows them to be and that they somehow along the way lost any sense of soul or even fun in what they were doing and fired out a technically proficient yet ultimately boring album.

2.5/5

Brian Ortiz of Xibalba fame has put together a groovy yet ultimately abysmally dank piece of death doom on his debut full length release. Having never really hit it off with Xibalba in either their death metal or earlier metalcore guises, I was not expecting to engage so well with Tlazcaltiliztli as well as I have done. Over a short, yet still fulfilling enough runtime, Tzompantli do a great job of scratching my sick yet catchy death metal itch. The infectious groove of the title track stays with me for days after I hear it and I find myself constantly going back to that track in particular.

There is more hear than just some memorable riffs though. There are cavernous and guttural vocals that reverberate through the tracks (with a less successful, hardcore-esque shouting on occasion also) and some straight up d-beat drumming to remind me that this is no ordinary death doom release. With lots of references to indigenous and ritualistic practice, Tlazcaltiliztli deploys a variety of instruments to keep things interesting and morbidly atmospherics. Utilising death whistles, animal flutes, didgeridoos, shells, shakers and a Huehuetl drum circle to mention a few of the unusual instruments that sit alongside the more traditional guitars and standard drums, this is a record where the artists (Brian is assisted by a couple of others in the studio with G-Bone being the only other full-time member of the band) wear their heritage on their sleeves with pride and execute a consistent and entertaining album as a result.

It feels longer than the actual runtime somehow when you play this through and the tracks are all quite evenly measured in length apart from album closer Yaotiacahuanetzli which goes over the seven-and-a-half-minute mark. Were it not for those occasional shouty vocals, I could have awarded this a perfect score. Immediate and menacing and steeped in cultural references that ooze ritualistic undertakings - count me in!

4.5/5

From very early on all I wanted was for it to end 

I had no idea that the Farmer Boys track was a cover in all honesty.  It is fucking terrible though.

Destroyer 666 have some less than desirable views according to the internet.  I detach the music from the person quite easily (never meet your idols, and all that) and accept that although I like their music I would probably not get along with 80% of the bands who's albums I own if I was left alone in a room with them.

I think anyone who is serious about extreme metal has to be able to separate the art from the artist, particularly in black metal circles. Like you, I have no problem doing so, but it seems some people can't get past it. It's only like, whilst being very far idealistically from someone like Mel Gibson, I can still watch Mad Max (the original movie anyway) and love the shit out of it.

I can't imagine not listening to Burzum, Deathspell Omega, Emperor, Gorgoroth or Dissection just because they are (allegedly) knobheads. I only raised the issue because I had never seen Destroyer 666 linked with far-right ideology before and wondered if there was any basis in fact for the assertion.

Yeah, I can't give any assurance of fact based on what I have heard.  Usually, when artists get asked this question directly they spend about four paragraphs of a written interview talking in smoke and mirrors.  The internet is full of alleged and also bonafide knobheads I suspect.  I have had to ban a few outright fascist members on my other forum because they literally just said "black metal is the music of the master race..." in their opening posts.  That's the real dumb shit that is out there.  There was a metal forum (may still be around) and you only got to join if a member recommended you like it was some exclusive metal community or something.  When I got in there it was largely the realm of Trump supporters and white supremists so I did not last long on that board.

I had no idea that the Farmer Boys track was a cover in all honesty.  It is fucking terrible though.

Destroyer 666 have some less than desirable views according to the internet.  I detach the music from the person quite easily (never meet your idols, and all that) and accept that although I like their music I would probably not get along with 80% of the bands who's albums I own if I was left alone in a room with them.

Tilintetgjort's brand of loose black metal first caught my ear back in March of this year when In Death I Shall Arise first dropped. It was obvious to me from the outset that the millstone around the neck of the album was the production. Whether a conscious decision or not to go with this demo-style of production, it is by far the most limiting and overall distracting element of the experience and is one decision (if consciously made) that would need rethinking the next time out. This compressed sound creates some pretty odd clicking on the drums and adds a condensed layer over the guitars that sees them very much in the background of things, albeit they do not ever sound lost entirely.

However, I think there is enough else going on throughout In Death I Shall Arise to make it on of the more promising offerings of 2023 to date. Me being on a Darkthrone in the past few months is no doubt what taught the AI on my streaming service to suggest Tilintetgjort as a potential like for me. There is a lot of modern black metal on display here but it is more or less all delivered with tether firmly pegged back with Fenriz and Nocturno Culto sitting astride it. At the same time, Tilintetgjort are trying to take an avant-garde direction at times - albeit they lack maturity, direction and an anywhere near decent enough production job to achieve it. There are drum and riff patterns here that are not from any black metal playbook. Whilst I would not go as far as to say they are successful forays every time, the intent is there even if the delivery is at times off. With a better production, the flourishes of expansive structure and timings would land much better. As it stands they are coming out of somersault and landing with too much weight pulling them onto their arse, instead of being able to have the freedom to land and arch their spine to balance the execution out in full.

I still applaud the effort, even though it is only a middle of the range number that I can hold aloft on my judging scorecard. Give these guys a couple of years, a decent studio and a producer who isn't the vocalist in the band and they will be a different prospect. Closing track Dommedagsmonument is where the real promise for future songwritng forays lies. As bold a concept as it is at over twenty-minutes long, the ambition still shines through against the clashing of instruments in the mix. I am watching this space.

3.5/5

I don't recall hearing a bad release by Bloodbath to date and Unblessing the Purity keeps this consistency going nicely. It is a nice break from the more traditional Swedish sound you would associate with the band and shows the bands versatility well.  If there was ever any doubt in anyone's mind around the ability of the reknowned artist that comprised the band at this time then this EP would immediately dispel them.  I note the references to Polish death metal which is not one of my preferred styles of death metal with me having very little time for Vader in all honesty.  However, there is a real bite to the riffing on this release that is so superbly tied into the percussion and vocal delivery that I find it exceeds those relevant comparisons pretty quickly.

This is Åkerfeldt at his very best for me.  No clean singing and throaty as that wolf in the main part of the great album artwork probably would be.  The guitar work, as well as being rhythmically superb, also generates fantastic atmosphere on tracks such as album opener Blasting the Virginborn.  Those urgent and stabbing riff sections really driving the tension of the track.  With its huge sound and tight performances, Unblessing the Purity is probably as perfect a 15 minute blast of raging death metal that you could ask for.

4/5

Reddit’s pretty big on elitism too just quietly. 

At the risk of showing my age, I don't even know what Reddit is! I have seen the name, but have no idea what it is all about. Am I missing out?

I am thinking of becoming a full-time elitist as it seems to pay well, so what is the best site to go to to have my opinions spoon-fed to me?

Reddit is basically porn and videos of crime, war and everything else people seem to want to film instead of simply getting the fuck away from.  

I need to refresh my memory with this feature release as if we are going to throw the "avant-garde" term at it (or not) then there would, by very definition of the term, need to be some experimental or boundary pushing elements in there to justify the tag.  I myself used the term when posting the feature release thread so would be eager to see if my initial impressions last into a few more listens.

I am still finding my mish-mash set-up of a Marantz CD5005 player and Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB hooked up to my EDIFIER R1280DB speakers works well enough.  Can get the turntable to hook up via bluetooth if needs be but usually spin it through Line 2 on the speakers and leave the desktop PC to use bluetooth. No headphones for me as simply irritates my ears too much nowadays.

With a heavy workload, I still predominantly play from my desktop PC as it works best if I am working at home.  The next job on list with my vinyl is to get something to protect my vinyl from my cat (the appropriately named Vlad) who loves to chew anything with a soft edge - LIKE MY RECORD COLLECTION!!! (good job I love him).  The unit that my kit sits on has upright vinyl storage racks on it but no doors on the unit.  Currently have cushions in there to keep the records safe from Bitey McBitey Face but looks shit so my wife has suggested locating sufficient sized metal sheet wall art and screwing a grooved piece of wood in to sit the metal sheet in so I can move easily when I want to get at the collection.

Since I got my PS5 I can get Spotify through that also so now have the option of playing music downstairs through the TV instead of relying on that shite Alexa speaker we have in the kitchen which has a mind of it's own half the time.