UnhinderedbyTalent's Forum Replies
Raventale looks interesting - over to Ben
Seprevation for me.
Off you go Ben.
Ruby the Hatchet for me please.
Off you go Ben
I will go with General Surgery
For July please Daniel:
Entrails - "Crawling Death" (from "The Tomb Awaits", 2011)
Immolation - "Close to a World Below" (from "Close to a World Below", 2000)
Outer Heaven - "Rotting Stone / D.M.T." (from "Infinite Psychic Depths", 2023)
Rotborn - "Praise the Downfall" (from "On the perspective of An Imminent Downfall", 2022)
Caustic Wound - "Invisible Cell" (from "Death Posture", 2020)
For July please Sonny:
Warning - "Footprints" (from "Watching From A Distance", 2006)
Windhand - "Halcyon" (from "Eternal Return", 2018)
For July please Ben:
Aosoth - "Her Feet upon the Earth, Blooming the Fruits of Blood" (from "V: The Inside Scriptures", 2017)
Thy Darkened Shade - "Revival Through Arcane Skins" (from "Liber Lvcifer I:Khem Sedjet", 2014)
Black Mass Pervertor - "Pollute the Minds of the Youth" (from "Lux Sodomiticum", 2021)
I will add:
Black Mass - "High Priest In Black" (from "Warlust", 2019)
Détente - "Shattered Illusions" (from "Recognize No Authority", 1986)
Deathstorm - "By Sword, by Pick, by Axe" (from "Reaping What is Left", 2018)
Aggression - "Torturing the Deceased" (from "Feels Like Punk, Sounds Like Thrash", 2018)
Riffobia - "God of Hate" (from "Riffobia", 2023)
Grindpad - "My Name Is Violence" (from "Violence", 2020)
June 2023
01. Paradox – “Heresy” (from “Heresy”, 1989)
02. Wargasm – “Humanoid” (from “Why Play Around?”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]
03. Enforced – “Hanged by My Hand” (from “War Remains”, 2023) [Submitted by Sonny]
04. Sadus – “Hands of Fate” (from “Chemical Exposure”, 1988) [Submitted by Vinny]
05. Holy Moses - “Cult of the Machine” (from “Invisible Queen”, 2023) [Submitted by Sonny]
06. Defiatory – “Bane of Creation” (from “Hades Rising”, 2018)
07. Testament – “Down for Life” (from “The Gathering”, 1999)
08. Overkill – “Twist of the Wick” (from “Scorched”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]
09. Grip Inc. – “Hostage to Heaven” (from “Power of Inner Strength”, 1995)
10. Crumbsuckers – “Just Sit There” (from “Life of Dreams”, 1986)
11. Iron Reagan – “Close to Toast” (from “The Tyranny of Will”, 2014) [Submitted by Vinny]
12. Sepultura– “Convicted in Life” (from “Dante XXI”, 2006)
13. Hobb’s Angel of Death – “House of Death” (from “Hobb’s Angel of Death”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]
14. Cruel Force – “At the Dawn of the Axe” (from “At the Dawn of the Axe”, 2023)
15. Laaz Rockit – “Take No Prisoners” (from “City’s Gonna Burn”,1984) [Submitted by Sonny]
16. Exciter – “I Am the Beast” (from “Long Live the Loud”, 1985) [Submitted by Sonny]
17. Raider – “Trial by Chaos” (from “Trial by Chaos”, 2023)
18. Cacophony – “Where My Fortune Lies” (from “Speed Metal Symphony”, 1987) [Submitted by Daniel]
19. Sieges Even – “Life Cycle” (from “Life Cycle”, 1988)
20. Panic – “Close My Eyes and Jump” (from “Fact”, 1993)
21. Death Angel – “Road Mutants” (from “Frolic Through the Park”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]
22. Necrodeath – “At the Mountains of Madness” (from “Into the Macabre”, 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]
23. Parkcrest – “End of Times” (from “Hallucinative Minds”, 2017) [Submitted by Sonny]
24. Ragehammer – “Jesus Goat” (from “In Certain Death”, 2020)
25. Korgull the Exterminator – “Inquisitor Generalis” (from “Sharpen Your Spikes”, 2020)
26. Whiplash – “Last Man Alive” (from “Power and Pain”, 1986) [Submitted by Sonny]
27. Slaughterlord – “Destructor” (from “Thrash ‘til Death 86-87”, 2000) [Submitted by Daniel]
28. Demolition Hammer – “Crippling Velocity” (from “Tortured Existence”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]
29. Channel Zero – “Dark Passenger” (from “Kill All Kings”, 1993)
Hi Ben, please can you add Dutch thrashers Grindpad?
Amenra - Mass III (2005)
Finally got around to this.
The obscure and reclusive nature of black metal artists does occasionally uncover some real gems if you can travel far enough off grid (well, onto YouTube as it happens) to find them. Having never heard of either of these artists going into this EP I was suspicious as to why they had never surfaced in some of the conversations I have with internet peers who firmly reside in the underground part of the scene. Reading Daniel's mini-bio in his review helped me understand why and soon enough I was embroiled in the five tracks on offer, noting almost instantly of the difference between the swarming frenzy of Tukaaria and the more structured and intelligent form of Odz Manouk.
Suffice to say that I much more prefer the contribution of Odz Manouk here. There is a raw energy to the otherwise very accessible structures that really set the two tracks from him apart when compared to those of Tukaaria. Odz Manouk perform some foot-stomping black metal that bashes its way into your memory banks. The Scavenger looms over the listener hovering on ferocious tremolos and haunting atmospherics (and that mauling melodic guitar stab that cuts like a blunt and filthy blade across your flesh on a couple of occasions), whilst those abhorrent vocals just spew all over you. Meanwhile (the personal highlight for me of the release), The Sloth is a beast of a track. Starting off all crawling and rhythmically lumbering it rumbles on for nearly nine perfect minutes of uncomfortable and stifling black metal that rams it's tongue down your throat.
By comparison the Tukaaria tracks lack much in the way of presence for me. Whereas the Odz Manouk tracks stay with me and did so from the first play, the three Tukaaria ones sort of pass me by and I find very little to praise from his offering. If this was just an Odz Manouk EP then we would be seeing the higher scores. However, when taken as a whole the EP is not a consistent entity and so I struggle to get above the halfway point of the scorecard as a result.
3.5/5
Entrails - The Tomb Awaits (2011)
I often overlook Entrails for their more renowned Swedish compatriots, but the fact remains that had the band been happier with their demo recordings back in 1990 (they were not and so released nothing for 20 years) they could have made a bigger splash in the Swede-death scene. Whilst perhaps not as much of a "go-to" option as say Entombed or Dismember, Jimmy and co are still an absolute machine of riffs as you would expect from any band present at the inception of the sub-genre back in the 90's. Of the few albums I have heard of Entrails' (Obliteration is on CD somewhere from memory), The Tomb Awaits is perhaps the most powerful one I have heard. Crowd pleasers such as Crawling Death and Undead are monster tracks that cannot fail to get the blood pumping. Between Jimmy and Mathias there are enough riffs here to fill your house and still have enough spare to occupy the garage also.
Dan Swanö makes a guest vocal appearance on Eaten by the Dead and he was also responsible for mixing and mastering the album - and as usual does a fucking sterling job. Adde Mitroulis stamps his d-beat credentials all over tracks such as The Slithering Below and he and bassist Jocke share vocals on the album also. What you end up with here is twelve tracks of solid and highly consistent in quality Swede-death that easily holds a candle to the likes of Dismember and Entombed. Don't worry about eating your greens to grow up big and strong. Eat these riffs instead and you will end up built like a brick shithouse!
4/5
Great review Sonny and got me up out of my chair and reaching for the CD in question immediately. I recall now I bagged one of the Relapse re-releases and so I have a second disc with all the basic instrumental versions of the tracks plus some of the demos too. Tonight will be a good night up at the Vinny Manor.
Death is the most obvious one but I'd also nominate Converge & Gorguts.
Gorguts would be my major call on this thread. A band that not only consistently puts out quality material but actually improves with every release also. Likewise, I would agree with Death being on the list, obviously. BAN are another great call. There are some golden runs that I cannot get away without mentioning - first 4 Metallica records and first 4 Sepultura also. Both more or less went to shit afterwards unfortunately so would not qualify for the whole discography sphere of this thread.
Couple of others from me:
Nordicwinter, one man Canadian bm artist who can do no wrong in my book.
Sargeist, consistency is key in this accolade and this guys are as solid as they come.
Autopsy, I can't think of anyone else who produces such consistently sloppy and ugly death metal, release after release. They pretend to be nothing other than what they are and make no apologies for being so.
I have done countless double-takes on this album purely on the basis that this was all put together by one person. A Chinese, one man bm project with an output frequency to rival Jute Gyte to boot. As with Jute, there is a lot going on here. The difference here is that not all of the content is bm. As other site members have pointed out there are elements of thrash metal in here and the spazzing delivery of it all definitely smells of mathcore aesthetic (even though there is no such content per se).
Those punishing levels of dissonance do get lost in the swarming chaos overall for me and I find this to come across as being more confused than well fused together. The variety in the content I sense (if I had the time and/or patience) is not that all far apart in terms of a range or scale of variation, but it is so inaccessibly pitched that I cannot bring myself to take the minutes out of my week to try and map out themes. Do not get me wrong, for one man to deliver all this is astonishing, even though it doesn't work all that well for me I have to admire the work. The fact that he is getting this out of a far flung corner of China is only all the more unbelievable. But this admiration can only go so far when I am largely unable to recall any of the record despite playing it four times this morning.
Too many ideas flung at something is never a good combination for my ears and Τρωθησομένη is no exception I am afraid.
3/5
Glorior Belli - "The Apostates" (2018)
"Black Metal (early); Stoner/Southern/Black Metal (later)". That is how a well known metal website describes the genre for Glorior Belli. Given that I had already picked the latest release in the band discography for my Review Draft for The North this month I soon found myself wondering what the hell just how the hell Stoner/Southern and Black Metal would go together. At first it is not so obvious a blend, with album opener Sui Generis sounding like a modern take on French bm with those familiar Deathspell Omega/Aosoth style vocals soon giving cold pleasure to my ears. As the track seems to have ended though, it kicks back in with a melodic sweep (vaguely Southern sounding in fact) and goes on for a few more seconds. Not sure why they chose to do that but it does not actually ruin the song as you might expect it to. With my interest piqued already, onwards into The Apostates I ventured.
The first thing that I note as being as different with Glorior Belli in terms of traditional bm stylings are the drums, they are a strong and powerful entity in the bands sound but are not your traditional blastbeats. They undertake varied runs and fills that provide individual entertainment whilst somehow not being distracting from everything else. The stoner influences seem to grow with every track as the album weaves its way through this expansive and intriguing landscape - like being drip-fed the band's wider influences, track by track. Part of me was flat-out ready to hate this album before I ever heard even one note of it and although I will not pretend to be madly in love with it, I cannot help but doff my hat in the general direction of Glorior Belli for having the balls to at least attempt something different.
The Apostates never seems to entirely lose sight of its bm roots, no matter how far away it sails from them at times (the title track in particular). Just when you get the sense the band have switched sub-genres altogether they soon bring you back into the coldest of our clans here at Metal Academy. For the devout, second-wave worshippers amongst you, this is probably an album that borders on the sacrilegious. If you like a bit of variety in your black metal then you would do well to give this one a few spins as it only grows with repeated plays I have found. It does not always work brilliantly (Hangin' Crepe is just a bad attempt at Stoner in all honesty) but it could have been a lot worse if the mix of these elements was even slightly off for the majority of this record. There is a strong argument here for dual-clan existence for The Apostates as it embraces both elements of its promise well enough to do a quality delivery of the equal parts. Hi ho, hi ho, off to the Hall of Judgement we go.
3.5/5
Faustcoven - "Rising From Beneath the Earth" (2008)
Gunnar Hansen and Johnny Tombthrasher's (yes, really) contributions on Rising From Below the Earth are varied in terms of actually being able to hear them as the production job on the bands second full length is so dense that it sounds a horrid, muddy muddle in parts. For a man who is bold enough to name himself Tombthrasher, Johnny's drums sound incredibly tishy throughout album opener At Night They Rise from Below the Earth to the point where they sound like drums on demo recorded in someone's basement. But, these guys are from Norway and those lo-value production influences are bound to rub off I guess. Although I see them tagged as "black/doom" on the internet, these guys are clearly blackened death doom. The riffs of Hansen rarely lift beyond some mid-paced tempos whilst his vocals manage to inhabit a crude void between guttural death doom growls and that familiar Scandinavian black metal inflection.
The kvlt and raw ethos to the record does not come across all that well though. When you listen to just a few tracks into the record you soon find the mind wondering as the under-mixed drums and over-produced bass soon start become the main focus instead of the actual song content. If you are going to do death doom of any kind then you need to get the balance of your instruments right or otherwise that repetition is soon going to get monotonous and boring. I remain unconvinced by the authenticity of the black metal mire that Faustcoven attempt to submerge themselves in and sound find myself believing that they are just inexperienced musicians who are hiding in the confines of a sub-genre where they believe that basic musicianship is an acceptable level at which to perform.
The solo/sonic efforts are painful in all honesty and boy do I regret not using my Review Draft pick more wisely this month folks. Somethings were supposed to stay underground I guess.
2.5/5
This month's playlist is what I believe cool folks would deem to a "banger". I have taken away more acts to check out than I usually do and I am not sure if I will get round to all of them but the main standouts are Tentacult, Astiferous, Deiquisitor and Re-Buried.
I have discovered that Black Cobra are very much a tale of two halves. One half (the instrumentation and all round quality playing thereof) is superb. It is full of grimy grit and abrasive surfaces that literally hack bits off you as you venture through all eight tracks of Invernal. The pacing is relentless and scarring and literally feels like it is daring you to go any further, like it is goading the listener to have the stomach to delve further into the filthy mire of the record content. With slightly progressive rhythms being exposed at times, the record feels like it is a lot more calculating than you may at first give it credit for. It is this possession of a devious intellect that keeps me focused on the record for its whole duration in all honesty as for the first few listens at least I was second guessing the direction it would take next.
Still, a distinctly ugly nature permeates from Invernal and if anything it only gets uglier the longer you listen, it just happens to be in possession of a charming wit that sees you look past the unappealing façade and become drawn to the record like it is a supermodel in a flannel shirt and jeans. The intense layering that gets deployed here is dizzying to the point of being sickening at times with some tracks feeling like they are on an eternal upwards spiral. And, when there are brief moments of respite this tricky little record goes off into post-rock territory, just for shits and giggles before lulling you back in for another sludgey pummelling. The drums of Martine are consistent throughout and considering there is no bass whatsoever the punch in the guitar is nothing short of phenomenal when you take time to reflect (I mean, it took me a couple of listens to realise there was no bass on this).
My challenge with Black Cobra overall comes in that second half of the equation that I have managed to avoid for two paragraphs. The vocals.
I just cannot get on with Landrian's rugged style that although is true to form in the delivery of succinct, hardcore-influenced spats of raw aggression at the same time it suffers in the pitch and the tone department for me. They have a sort of melodic death metal edge to them that comes across as being a tad sterile overall and dilutes the impact of the vocal prowess on the record. Perhaps the lack of bass is where this vocal element finds itself more exposed in listening experience but I cannot help but feel that for all the power that the guitar puts into each track here, the vocals tip a fair old portion out whenever they appear. Tight as the Black Cobra unit so very clearly is, all the hard work of the drums and guitars does feel like it is undone considerably for me by the vocals and I actually would enjoy this more if it were an instrumental record.
3.5/5
Pig Destroyer - Explosions in Ward 6 (1998)
For no valid reason I have never previously sat down with a Pig Destroyer release. Coming into this month's Review Draft I decided it was time to rectify that and where better to start with their debut full-length offering from 1998? After four years of Agoraphobic Nosebleed material guitarist Scott Hull decided to treat the world to what "grindcore should be" with eighteen tracks of spazzing chaos that only ever really lets up for the most punky of vibes to bounce through.
No bass guitar is used at all here (that was still some fifteen years off for Pig Destroyer at this point) yet the guitar tone is so full and powerful and backed by a superb drum sound also that you do not miss the bass at all. When you add J.R. Hayes' vocals into the mix then I personally find myself in my complete element with this record. A succinct nineteen minutes and twenty seconds of eighteen individually clear explosions as the album title promises. Complete with a Melvins' cover also for additional variety.
Closing track, Pixie is a monstrous six minutes in length and is by far the slowest paced affair on the whole album. However, it still retains that air of primal violence that threatens to burst out across the track as Hayes' trademark vocals make no effort to change slant or angle despite the whole slowing down of proceedings to close out the album.
4/5
Sabbat - History of a Time to Come (1988)
I tell who would be really annoying at parties? Martin Walkyier. His clipped, posh English accent must permeate the room almost organically with its innate ability to fill the air around it without seemingly ever raising the decibels behind it. For most of History of a Time to Come it is Martin's vocals that dominate the aether, despite the raging riffs of Andy Sneap doing their upmost to unseat Walkyier from this lead role on the album. However, just like that person at parties who commands the attention of the room, Sneap's guitar work comes off as nothing more than a distraction when it is allowed some floor space.
This sounds harsher than I mean it to as I actually think that part of the major success of this album (and indeed the band) is down to that unique vocal style that is so recognisable. Although not quite the same, a fair comparison would be Judas Priest. Tipton and Downing for the most part battle to let their guitars do some talking but in reality they will never be considered ahead of Rob Halford's vocals. I actually prefer the guitar work on most Priest records as, if you listen closely enough, they more than stack up against the vocals of Halford. Here, within the ranks of Sabbat, Sneap simply does not stand a chance though. No matter how intently I listen, Walkyier is the main memory I take away with me after each spin.
That having been said, I cannot deny the energy behind this record and its infectious display of some raging thrash metal. History of a Time to Come is a "banger" most certainly. It is lauded in many quarters and I can most certainly see why, even though I cannot match these levels of enthusiasm for the entire duration. Touching upon NWOBHM and traditional metal influences there is most certainly variety present here, however I am not entirely sure I want there to be. The raging intensity of their thrash metal is where Sabbat thrive and I feel the loss of focus on this aspect of their sound is sometimes to the detriment of my enjoyment. Still, for an album that is 35 years old, it sounds as fresh as the day it was released and most certainly has aged well.
3.5/5
Fuck yeah, Enforced are back.
The highlights for me this month have been Smoulder, Chelsea Wolfe and Fistula. I keep meaning to explore more of Monolord's discography beyond No Comfort and Vænir looks he likely candidate if I am honest. Went all skip button on STAKE, Hanging Garden, The Wounded King and Goya (I mean not bad stuff but a tad too similar to Electric Wizard really). Passed a wet bank holiday Monday nicely though Sonny, keep up the good work.
It is always a pleasure to listen to Burzum, Dark Space, Ulver or Imperial Dekadenz and so this month's playlist did not disappoint. I just cannot get on with Aara though despite numerous attempts and I have noted a growing aversion to symphonic bm as I grow older so that wrote off a few tracks for me. Standouts for me were Totalselfhatred and Conqueror.
I am still trying to get my head around Portrayal of Guilt and Hoplites if honest. Had no time whatsoever for Amesoeurs or Winterhorde. Still a strong month as I always come away with something new to check out after listening each month.
Aosoth - The Inside Scriptures (2017)
Long been a fan of this release and finally got around to purchasing a vinyl copy from Season of Mist this past week. I can see I have this at full marks on the site but I think a full review and potential revision of that score is needed in the coming weeks.
Really fantastic playlist this month Vinny, I enjoyed it immensely. The Machine head, 4arm and Gojira tracks in the middle were a bit of a flat spot for me personally, but other than that I loved it. Some brilliant classic tracks with a nice mix of lesser known stuff. New (to me) standouts were Power Trip and Toxic Wine. Nice work once more, my friend.
Thanks Sonny, really took my time on this one (and actually completely reordered the playlist after the first pass). Cheers for the encouragement.
I had a feeling you'd really dig it Vinny. In the interest of our Hall of Judgement entry, how would you tag "Mad Locust Rising"? On RYM it's listed as a Speed Metal primary with Heavy Metal & Thrash Metal secondaries but I have to admit that I don't hear any genuine Speed Metal on this release & would suggest that people have used the term as a midway point between the Thrash Metal & Heavy Metal sounds on offer. Personally I'd go with Thrash Metal & US Power Metal primaries with a Heavy Metal secondary. In Metal Academy terms I'd be happy for it to simply sit under Thrash Metal. What are your thoughts?
Here's my review from last year:
I’ve long regarded Los Angeles five-piece Agent Steel’s 1985 debut album “Skeptics Apocalypse” as one of the top few speed metal records I’ve ever experienced so it’s fair to say that I didn’t hesitate in considering the band’s next couple of releases for inclusion while putting together an outline of the records I’d investigate as a part of this month’s speed metal deep dive. Agent Steel’s debut kinda fell into the speed metal tag due to it being made up of tracks that belonged in either the thrash metal or heavy metal camps so speed metal seemed like a happy medium, particularly given the extra melody in the vocals & guitar lines that wouldn’t normally be associated with genuine thrash. My review of 1987’s “Unstoppable Force” sophomore album last week found that the band hadn’t diluted their commitment to velocity in the slightest & I’d describe it as a relentless assault on the senses although the production & vocal performances left a fair bit to be desired & a lot of the more aggressive material is more speed metal focused than it is thrash. Having now closed that chapter in my understanding of Agent Steel’s essential releases I’m left only to fill the gap between the two albums with 1986’s “Mad Locust Rising” E.P., a twelve-minute affair that makes full use of it’s short run time.
“Mad Locust Rising” is made up of just the four tracks with the first being an insignificant 17 second intro piece that might as well have been a part of the first proper song as it serves no purpose on its own. The opening title track however is an absolute rip-snorter & takes a super aggressive thrash metal approach that’s far more similar to Slayer & Kreator than it is to Exciter or Helstar. Even polarizing front man John Cyriis’ whiny performance seems to fit the music beautifully & I’m not sure that Agent Steel could have come up with a better opener to be honest. Why the hell this track wasn’t deemed worthy of inclusion on a proper album is anyone’s guess. Next up we get a very solid & well executed cover version of Judas Priest’s “The Ripper” which is pretty faithful to the original but adds some modern-day oomph with a delivery that’s more in line with the US power metal sound. And finally, the E.P. is closed out with another thrasher in “Let It Be Done/The Day At Guyana” which is the more complex of the three proper songs & offers some fantastic riffs, particularly the Slayer-esque outro section from “The Day At Guyana” which would become a highly praised instrumental track on the “Unstoppable Force” album.
The production job is nice & raw but possesses a wonderful energy that beautifully highlights the strengths of the consistently high quality tracklisting. The performances are all excellent too with the over the top shredding of Juan Garcia & Kurt Colfelt being a definite highlight, particularly their Kerry King/Jeff Hannemann style effort on the title track which takes an already superb track to another level altogether. It’s really very hard to fault this little E.P. & I have to say that I’m surprised that it hasn’t gained more notoriety over the years. I can only suggest that the short run time is the main reason behind that but the other may be that fans weren’t quite prepared for the onslaught of aggressive thrash as there’s not really any speed metal on offer here with thrash metal & US power metal being far more appropriate genre tags.
I have to say that “Mad Locust Rising” has torn off my face & handed it back to me in pieces in many respects. I wasn’t in any way prepared to enjoy it as much as I have & now regard it as my favourite Agent Steel record by a clear margin. Is that due to the fact that it takes a direction that’s much more in line with my personal taste profile? Well… yes it certainly is but isn’t that how we all judge the merits of our music? It certainly is for me & I’m very glad to have discovered this short but very sweet little E.P. from a very important band in the US power metal movement.
For fans of Metal Church, Lååz Rockit & Destructor.
4.5/5
It's Thrash Metal, no Speed Metal here.
I have a natural aversion to the vocals of John Cyriis. It is an affliction that soon starts to ease with repeated listens to Agent Steel releases with him present. He has range most certainly but is just ridiculous in tone and inflection to the point were it initially grates on me. That taken into consideration, a 4 track EP (well 3 track if we discount the pointless first track) should be more than acceptable for me. As it turns out I can quite easily tolerate Mad Locust Rising but this is largely due to the superb musicianship of Juan and Bernie along with the pumping bass of Karlos and the drums of Chuck Profus somehow making their presence known from beneath the murk of the production and mix job on the record which does an absolutely great job of capturing the vibrancy of the tracks whilst retaining that rawness that is by far the most appealing aspect of the EP for me.
The Priest cover is actually really well done and is a track that is particularly well suited to John's vocals and makes me really want to listen to Judas Priest immediately after listening to it. I will confess to being pleasantly surprised by Mad Locust Rising with my initial dread soon dissipating amidst those rabid riffs and breakneck tempos as they literally swarm (pun intended) over me. In fact I will go as far as to say that I have very little to argue with here after a few spins have nurtured me into those vocals a bit more.
4/5
I will add for June
Demolition Hammer - "Crippling Velocity" (from "Tortured Existence", 1990)
Overkill - "Twist of the Wick" (from "Scorched", 2023)
Sadus - "Hands of Fate" (from "Chemical Exposure", 1988)
Iron Reagan - "Close to Toast" (from "The Tyranny of Will", 2014)
For June please:
Cancer - "Hung, Drawn & Quartered" (from "Death Shall Rise", 1991)
Incinerator - "Slaughter" (from "Human Garbage", 2014)
Cannibal Corpse - "Mangled" (from "Eaten Back to Life", 1990)
Sulfuric Cautery - "Compulsive Retaliation" (from "Suffocating Feats of Dehumanization", 2023)
Suffocation - "Sullen Eyes" (from "Pinnacle of Bedlam", 2013)
Wretched Fate - "Mind Desecrator" (from "Carnal Heresy", 2023)
Massacre - "Cryptic Realms" (from "From Beyond", 1991)
Jesus. Fucking. Christ. Where has this record been all my life? There are many injustices littered throughout my time listening to metal, some that border on downright criminal in terms of neglecting true gems of the various sub-genres that branched out from that original trunk back in the day. No amount of pleading for clemency should permit me any leniency in my punishment for not listening to a Nails record in full before this week. What a waste of time the last ten years now feels knowing that this is my first encounter with this incendiary record of punishing, grinding malevolence that contains some of the finest passages of modern grindcore I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.
Grindcore is not supposed to be played this well, or produced so expertly but this record achieves a level of professionalism previously unseen or unheard of in the sub-genre. This is outstandingly produced music that within the maelstrom of raging violence manages to give each part of the instrumentation space to not just breathe but to actually thrive. This accentuates the power in the performances brilliantly. You feel the brevity of the intent here and the whole swarm of mauling aggression that pounds the listener over and over again carries a concision to it that just makes you sit up and take notice - how can anyone ignore what Nails have to say here? This is not just simply a collection of angsty songs, spat with no intent other than to clear the chest cavities of the artists from the hatred, disdain and vitriol that they possess. Abandon All Life is much more than that. This is an invitation to be polluted by the unwavering and steadfast reverence for all that society holds dear and the artist holding the smoking gun is an absolute master of bottling this primitive rage and then letting it explode over anyone in earshot.
The control on the release is just as astonishing, never once does this fall into the territory of just being a messy noise and the fact that two of the strongest tracks are sludge-ridden affairs that show the band do not just need breakneck pace to hammer home their message, they are perfectly capable of mixing the content up and torturing us with a slower tempo here and there to cap a truly wonderful experience.
P.s. Metal Archives only list Nails on the basis of You Will Never Be One of Us, not this record also - wtf?
5/5
From me for June:
Konvent - "Sand Is King" (from "Call Down the Sun", 2020)
Hell - "Victus" (from "Hell", 2017)
From me for June:
Hyrgal - "Gorge blanche / Surin noir (from "Session funéraire anno MMXXIII", 2023)
Djevel - "I daudens dimme natt" (from "Naa skrider natten sort", 2022)
Tilintetgjort - "Vinter og høst" (from "In Death I Shall Rise", 2023)
In for the win on all four clans with first pick and I will use my pick wisely here and go with Sabbat.
Ben, over to you.
Glorior Belli looks interesting.
Ben, floor is yours.
Pig Destroyer is the pick for me.
Over to you Ben.
Faustcoven for me.
Over to you Ben.
May 2023
01. Destruction – “Mad Butcher” (from “Bestial Invasion of Hell”, 1984) [Submitted by Daniel]
02. Metallica – “Creeping Death” (from “Ride the Lightning”, 1984) [Submitted by Sonny]
03. Venemous – “Merciless Divinity” (from “Rise in Glory”, 2017) [Submitted by Vinny]
04. Kreator – “Tormentor – End of the World Demo” (from “Endless Pain”, 1985) [Submitted by Daniel]
05. Disembody - “Blackthrashing Fist” (from “Reigniting Hellfire”, 2021)
06. Slayer – “Silent Scream” (from “South of Heaven”, 1988)
07. Speedwhore – “Alcoholic Force” (from “On the Verge of Dysfunction”, 2016)
08. Strike Master – “Black Violence” (from “Vicious Nightmare”, 2009) [Submitted by Vinny]
09. Acid – “Black Car” (from “Maniac”, 1983) [Submitted by Sonny]
10. Carniça – “Dogs of War” (from “A New Medium Ages”, 2022)
11. Machine Head – “Struck a Nerve” (from “The More Things Change”, 1997) [Submitted by Vinny]
12. 4arm– “Headhunter” (from “Pathway to Oblivion”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]
13. Gojira– “Silvera” (from “Magma”, 2016) [Submitted by Daniel]
14. Warhead – “Kill the Witch” (from “Speedway”, 1984)
15. Tungesteno – “Escuadron Del Thrash” (from “Inminente aniquilación”, 2011) [Submitted by Vinny]
16. Graveyard Rodeo– “Future of the Carcass” (from “Sowing Discord in the Haunts of Man”, 1993)
17. Megadeth – “Tornado of Souls” (from “Rust in Peace”, 1990)
18. Ripper – “Await Your Death” (from “Raising the Corpse”, 2014) [Submitted by Sonny]
19. Violater– “Destined to Die” (from “Chemical Assault”, 2006)
20. Power Trip – “Hornet’s Nest” (from “Hornet’s Nest”, 2018)
21. Uncle Sam – “Micro Logic” (from “Say Uncle”, 1988)
22. Lich King – “Wage Slave” (from “Born of the Bomb”, 2012)
23. Exodus – “Blacklist” (from “Tempo of the Damned”, 2004)
24. Toxic Wine – “Alcoholocausto” (from “No hay lugar para los débiles”, 2016)
25. Exciter – “Mistress of Evil” (from “Heavy Metal Maniac”, 1983) [Submitted by Sonny]
26. Herratik – “Bottom Feeder” (from “Compromise Gone”, 2011)
27. Algebra – “Resuscitation” (from “Chiroptera”, 2022)
28. Rumplestiltskin Grinder – “Grab A Shovel (We Got Bodies to Bury)” (from “Buried in the Front Yard…”, 2005) [Submitted by Sonny]
Mork - Dypet (2023)
Bought this whilst drunk on the internet one night and so held little promise for it. I liked Katedralen from a couple of years back though so made the impulse buy based on that alone I guess. Listening through to Dypet, you get pretty much what you had on the 2021 release. As the album artwork suggests, this is a suitably cold affair, utilising the minimal approach to bm that we would all expect it to well. Full of sublimely drab melodicism, this is an album that revels in its own ravishing grimness. Which I do not mind of course, this accessibility coupled with some of the more dismal tropes I look for in my bm makes for a refreshing switch up from standard icy cold blasting that I find spinning on my turntable more often than not.
In fact, Dypet has an almost heavy metal undertone to parts of it. The riffs overall are relatively clean and as such make the transitions clearer which makes it very easy to connect with the record. Whether you are going from the beginning or jumping into a track on a playlist it is not hard to find parts of Dypet ringing around your head after just a few minutes of sampling its content. Still more or less exclusive performed by Thomas Eriksen himself (Hjelvik's Erlend Hjelvik does vocals on Høye murer), this is consistently played stuff that never strays into the realm of outstanding but needs no level of exceptional musicianship to shine.
That's not say there are not moments of unexpected sounds. The synth/organ on closing track Tilbake til opprinnelsen add a surreal dimension to proceedings to keep things interesting to the very end of the record. Then with some element of an anti-climax, Dypet is done with. No extended outro, no epic build to end, just a slight crescendo of a riff to end the album on the note of consistency that thrives throughout. So, for a drunken purchase, this proved wiser than you may have first thought. It holds its own against the previous release if not ever really topping it but still does a perfectly respectable job in the process.
3.5/5
Excellent idea, Morpheus! Having a similar feature to RYM so you can only see suggestive album covers when you're logged in and have certain filters off, with the ability to turn those filters on to hide specific topics, might get more people on to the site with no fear of anything they may be sensitive to, and therefore might boost the website's popularity. It might certainly help me a bit, as I'm still living with my sometimes suspicious parents. I know Cannibal Corpse and other standard/brutal death metal bands would get the hidden album cover treatment for their violence and gore. Same with the first few Type O Negative albums (pair of naked women about to kiss, close-up of the frontman's a****le, etc.), which is a good reason I stopped listening to that band besides my break from gothic/doom metal. So what do you think of Morpheus' idea, all?
Not a fan. I simply skip over/hit the back button on anything I see I don't like (I find most of the depiction of women on metal album covers unpleasant but simply ignore them). Do you really think Andi that the reason why MA isn't crawling with users is because there are some album covers that are offensive? Creating a cottage industry out of album cover content (which I imagine can soon become a laborious task for admins) is precisely the wrong thing to do on a site that needs more members, surely a more open and transparent site is what would attract people.
Let's stop believing that everyone else out there lives by our values, needs and wants - there are some out there who would actively seek such artwork as described on this thread (for whatever reason). I am not saying it is wrong to be offended by violence, fascism, sexism, gore etc just that I believe that it is my own responsibility to decide if I want to look at it or not.
I have been wondering if there is any chance of a "Collection" feature with a button on each release that says "add to my collection" and then a link on each member's homepage to a "My Collection" page. I know a lot of people just d/l or stream their metal nowadays, but an avid collector like myself (and possibly Vinny) may get some good use out of it - I know I would like to be able to see my collection here on Metal Academy - and maybe it would entice new members to stick around a bit.
Also, in a similar vein, how about a "Wishlist" feature to allow member's to keep tabs on albums they want to check out?
They have this on Metal Storm and of course Discogs. I think it would be a neat idea. I have slowed down on the physical copies so far this year (he says with an Aosoth album about to be shipped from Season of Mist - ahem) largely due to other financial priorities. Will always have a physical collection of some kind alongside streaming which is still my majority means of listening to music.
Yeah, I've had to slow down too. Prices have become a bit silly just lately. A couple of examples - a charity shop in town wanted £9 for My Dying Bride's For Lies I Sire secondhand, HMV want £55 for a vinyl of Jethro Tull's Aqualung and I just tried to order the new Lord Mountain CD from Bandcamp and the CD was £9 but postage was £20!! Got it for £13 off amazon in the end.
I have got (most of) my collection logged on both Discogs and Metal Storm, but I would really like to be able to have it here on the #1 metal website too. I really do think it might encourage some new members to return to the site as well, to update their collections.
That Aosoth album cost me just as much for shipping as it did for the record. Bonkers.
I have been wondering if there is any chance of a "Collection" feature with a button on each release that says "add to my collection" and then a link on each member's homepage to a "My Collection" page. I know a lot of people just d/l or stream their metal nowadays, but an avid collector like myself (and possibly Vinny) may get some good use out of it - I know I would like to be able to see my collection here on Metal Academy - and maybe it would entice new members to stick around a bit.
Also, in a similar vein, how about a "Wishlist" feature to allow member's to keep tabs on albums they want to check out?
They have this on Metal Storm and of course Discogs. I think it would be a neat idea. I have slowed down on the physical copies so far this year (he says with an Aosoth album about to be shipped from Season of Mist - ahem) largely due to other financial priorities. Will always have a physical collection of some kind alongside streaming which is still my majority means of listening to music.
New Enforced, War Remains came out yesterday. Vinny approved.
So, a quick question to the playlist compilers: Which of the sub-genres you encounter when compiling the playlists do you least enjoy checking out for new playlist entries. I think I have never made any secret of my aversion to a lot of gothic metal, so it is that which irritates me most when I need to find new tracks to include in The Fallen playlist. Which are your particular sub-genres where you have to bite the bullet for the greater good?
Groove metal has sort of become a guilty pleasure after me loathing to source it for the playlist. There's still some shit out there in groove metal of course but I have always enjoyed the crossover research I have done by comparison. Biggest ballache is technical thrash metal which I have all but given up including unless I stumble across something on my travels. Seen a better focus on death/thrash since I started compiling the list though and always try to throw in some blackened speed or thrash also for good measure. Still use the site quite extensively for new finds though as the releases section is a bit of a gold mine for any sub-genre I am unsure of.
A Diadem of Dead Stars - Kingdoms Bathe in Golden Light (2016)
Described as “Misty Lowland's Black Metal”, one-man Greek atmo-black artist A Diadem of Dead Stars went bold on his 2016 release. With track lengths ranging from 3 and a half to over 27 minutes long over the course of 5 tracks, Kingdoms Bathed in Golden Light is an ambitious piece. If you can give it the time, the ambition does get realised too.
I struggle with the time aspect though and so will be continuing to enjoy this album long after my review as I believe that with more time spent with it, the experience will only get better. For the time being, I am pleased to report that this record is a fine slab of atmospheric black metal with a splash of ambient to close the album nicely. The bm itself is rich and luscious in nature with a distinct non-hellenic sound to it considering the artist is from Greece, although it never quite fully immerses itself in the icy cold, sub-zero temperatures of the second wave either. Think of Drudkh, WITTR or Saor and you are on a fair path to comparable sound.
Although I would argue that the musicianship here lacks the panache of any of the above artists it is still perfectly acceptable a level of competence. The balance of haunting atmosphere alongside the harsher elements of the instrumentation is done very well and considering this is an independent release recorded, and mixed by the artist himself, The Pilgrim clearly knows what he is doing. That ambient track at the end is a nice palate cleanser to finish a neat find from this month’s Review Draft.
4/5
Hi Ben,
Please could you add Norwegian experimental black metallers Tilintetgjort to the site?
Hi Ben,
Can you please add the latest release from thrash veterans Overkill - "Scorched"?
Vinny, I just noticed that we both nominated Suffocation tracks for the May playlist. I'll include your Suffocation nomination on top of your other submissions in the June playlist as I only have half as many submissions as you do this month.
Fine with that mate.
I had previously heard The Hecatomb back when it was released. It was another one of those releases that was getting lots of underground praise back when I bothered to try and keep track of new material. Whilst I had played it a couple of times before I recalled none of it going into this revisit which makes me think I most certainly did not give it the attention it deserved at the time.
Aside from being monolithically cavernous, The Hecatomb is perhaps one of the most desolate and bleakly devastating records I have ever heard. Listen to how those drums are deliberately suppressed in the mix to still allow them to have rumbling and at times thunderous impact and then note how the rest of the instrumentation still does not occupy much of front and centre at all. This album is all about the atmosphere. This is not just a bit of atmosphere either, this is the kind of atmosphere that coats the walls of the room as you listen, clogs your throat if you breath in too much of it and clouds your vision if you stand too close.
The riffs here mine the absolute shit of everything around them, spiralling the listener in their dark serpentine majesty, bristling your skin with their dank scales. Hecatomb means an extensive loss of life, historically seen through a great public sacrifice. The ancient Greeks and Romans would sacrifice 100 cattle to the Gods as a “hecatomb”. Based on these nine tracks, I cannot think of any better soundtrack to such events.
Ritualistic in the most solemn manner possible this is an album that delivers exactly what it sets out to do in the first place. Agonisingly heavy and anguish laden from start to finish, The Hecatomb is an extraordinary record. My only grumble being that the first of the three interludes is completely forgettable in the grander scheme of things and for me adds nothing to the record. On the flipside, aside from being the album highlight, final track Charnel Winds is perhaps one of the best closing tracks I have ever heard. It is one of the most immersive pieces of death doom I can recall hearing, period.
5/5
P.S. I agree. What fucking black metal?