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UnhinderedbyTalent

Hi Ben, could you add the new Etoile Filante album, Mare tranquillitatis, please?

206
UnhinderedbyTalent

Thanks Sonny.  Actually one of the playlists that I have done at the last minute due to work being crazy at the mo.

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

Hi Ben, could you add dutch death / black metallers Lucifericon, please?

175
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=fb82ec438748475b


1. Celtic Frost– “Nemesis” (from “Vanity/Nemesis”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

2. Frightful – “Spectral Creator” (from “Spectral Creator”, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny]

3. Killjoy – “Enemy Within (Cycle of Insanity)” (from “Compelled by Fear”, 1990

4. Anthrax – “Armed and Dangerous” (from “Spreading the Disease”, 1985) [Submitted by Sonny]

5. Vulture – “Clashing Iron” (from “The Guillotine”, 2017)

6. Bombarder – “Speed Metal” (from “Speed Kill”, 1989)

7. Hellcrash– “Volcanic Outburst” (from “Demonic Assassinatiön”, 2023)

8. Hellish – “Goddess Death” (from “The Dance of the Four Elemental Serpents”, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]

9. Lucifuge – “From Cosmos to Chaos” (from “Monoliths of Wrath”, 2023

10. Create A Kill – “Decimate” (from “Summoned to Rise”, 2023)

11. 8 Foot Sativa – “Perpetual Torment” (from “Breed the Pain”, 2004)

12. Soulfly – “Defeat U” (from “Prophecy”, 2004)

13. Cypecore – “Values of Life” (from “Take the Consequence”, 2010)

14. Lazarus A.D. – “Revolution” (from “The Onslaught”, 2007)

15. Ghoul – “Noxious Concoctions” (from “Noxious Concoctions”, 2024)

16. Exodus – “A.W.O.L.” (from “Impact is Imminent”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

17. Cold Steel – “Full Tilt” (from “Deeper into Greater Pain”, 2023)

18. Torque – “H.L.S.” (from “Torque”, 2023)

19. Gama Bomb – “Mask of Anarchy” (from “BATS”, 2023) [Submitted by Sonny]

20. Xentrix – “Questions” (from “For Whose Advantage?”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Asylum – “Eternal Violence” (from “Tyrannicide”, 2022)

22. Distillator – “Guerilla Insurgency” (from “Revolutionary Cells”, 2015)

23. Flotsam & Jetsam – “Suffer the Masses” (from “When the Storm Comes Down”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

24. Terminalist– “Frenetic Standstill” (from “The Crisis as Condition”, 2023) [Submitted by Sonny]

25. Eight Sins – “Street Trash” (from “Straight to Namek”, 2023)

26. Life Cycles – “Serpent’s Kiss” (from “Portal to the Unknown”, 2024)

27. Abandoned - “Visions of Death” (from “Thrash You!”, 2007)

28. Killing – “Killed in Action” (from “Face the Madness”, 2021)

29. Obliveon – “From this Day Forward” (from “From this Day Forward”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]


0
UnhinderedbyTalent

Suicidal Tendencies was really the only one I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for - I have always preferred the hardcore punk of their debut to any of their metal offerings.

Quoted Sonny

I have to admit that I've struggled with my revisits to Suicidal Tendencies' 1987-1990 metal albums this year with "Lights Camera Revolution" being the only one I can tolerate these days & even then I don't genuinely "love" it. "Disco's Out, Murder's In" is one of the rare tracks that I really dig though as it's thrashy & energetic as fuck.

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

The first half of this month's playlist was as good as anything you've put together, Vinny. Iced Earth, Coroner, Possessed, Mystik, Motorhead, Nihilist, Mystic Storm and Hellish, along with my own picks made for an imperious first hour. The more groove / crossover focus of the second half found my attention wandering a little with Upon A Burning Body and Scatterbrain's impersonation of The Offspring being the lowlights for me. Things picked up nicely towards the end however, from Virus onwards, closing with an absolute killer cut from Vektor. Thanks a lot, Vinny, especially for that first hour!

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

Edge of Sanity - Crimson (1996)

Edge of Sanity are completely new to me and I have only come to Crimson via a project I am running on RYM. My time is a bit limited at the minute, so I have only given it a solitary listen yet, but this has very definitely grabbed my attention. Although I am a massive fan of progressive rock, there are only a few prog metal albums I rate very highly. Often the metallic version of prog leaves me cold, but this was great. At times it's death metal chugging has me desperately yearning for a good headbanging session (neck injuries notwithstanding), whilst at others it's touch is far more subtle and emotionally engaging. There are even sections of the sole forty minute track that take me back to my old gothic rock worshipping times, with the vocalist doing a more than credible Andrew Eldritch impression. Musically interesting, without resorting to excessive technicality or avant-garde pretensions and whilst still engaging the primal headbanger in me, this is scintillating stuff and although I don't have time for replays just yet, this is absolutely a release I will be returning to and hopefully will be able to deliver a full review for.

I'm going to assign a provisional 4/5, but suspect this may increase when I give it the time it so obviously deserves.

88
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=95b3152579764caa


1. Sadistic Ritual – “Area Denial” (from “The Enigma, Boundless”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

2. Horrendous – “Ontological Mysterium” (from “Ontological Mysterium”, 2023)

3. Pentagram Chile – “La Furia” (from “The Malefice”, 2013 [Submitted by Sonny]

4. Daeva – “The Architect and the Monument” (from “Through Sheer Will & Black Magic”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

5. Aura Noir – “Black Thrash Attack” (from “Black Thrash Attack”, 1996) [Submitted by Sonny]

6. Hellbringer – “Fall of the Cross” (from “Awakened from the Abyss”, 2016)

7. Sacred Reich – “One Nation” (from “Surf Nicaragua”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Combust – “The Big Game” (from “Another Life”, 2022)

9. Enforced – “The Quickening” (from “War Remains”, 2023) [Submitted by Sonny]

10. Forbidden – “As Good as Dead” (from “Forbidden Evil”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Num Skull – “Death and Innocence” (from “Ritually Abused”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Attomica – “Deathraiser” (from “Disturbing the Noise”, 1991)

13. Mutilator – “Tormented Soul” (from “Immortal Force”, 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Pestilence – “Systematic Instruction” (from “Malleus Maleficarum”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

15. Bewitched – “Born of Flames” (from “Diabolical Desecration”, 1996) [Submitted by Sonny]

16. Vendetta – “Never Die” (from “Brain Damage”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

17. Exumer – “Rising from the Sea” (from “Rising from the Sea”, 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]

18. At War – “Mortally Wounded” (from “Ordered to Kill”, 1986)

19. Solstice – “Who Bleeds Whom” (from “Casting the Die”, 2021)

20. Lamb of God – “Vanishing” (from “Omens”, 2022)

21. Blood From the Soul – “Dismantle the Titan” (from “DSM-5”, 2020)

22. Detritus – “Bright Black” (from “Myths”, 2021)

23. Terminalist – “A Future to Weave” (from “The Crisis as Condition”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]

24. Miscreance – “Fall Apart” (from “Convergence”, 2022)

25. Chemicide – “Inequality” (from “Inequality”, 2019)

26. Sadistic Force – “Cavern of the Wraith” (from “Aces Wild”, 2019)

27. The Lousy – “Demons on Parade” (from “Shut Up I’m Talking”, 2022)

28. Testament – “The Ballad” (from “Practice What You Preach”, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]

29. Flotsam & Jetsam – “Hard on You” (from “No Place for Disgrace”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

30. Warbringer – “The Black Hand Reaches Out” (from “Weapons of Tomorrow”, 2020)


0
UnhinderedbyTalent

Hi, Ben. As part of my side of the "Roots of Metal" project, there are a few albums that are often considered more hard rock than heavy metal, but they're a highly essential part of heavy metal's development and should be worth some discussion in this site. So can you please add the following:

Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla

Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

Scorpions - In Trance

Scorpions - Virgin Killer (PLEASE use the replacement album cover with all the band members in it, not the original, for the sake of decency and legality)

Quoted Shadowdoom9 (Andi)

Hi, Ben. I've concluded that of all these albums I've listened to and reviewed, only Judas Priest's Rocka Rolla is bluesy hard rock with barely any metal at all. The Rainbow and Scorpions albums I truly consider metal and I would like them added to the site please. Thanks!

PS: It's cool if you still want to use the original Virgin Killer album cover for its release page, but the replacement cover I'll use when discussing the album in forums.

27
UnhinderedbyTalent

Tenebrae - "Serenades of the Damned" (1994)

Having spare time to pursue my exploration of Canadian black metal is a real test at present but this does have the benefit of me being able to take it slowly and not just dive into any release that I find.  Today I wanted to look at some demos and I stumbled across Tenebrae (Latin word for "darkness") and their short discography that matches their short life together.  This five-piece managed just one full-length release before they split up.  Their demo that arrived some two years before their album is a suitably raw affair that contains some Emperor style symphonic keyboards to add into the mix.  The vocalist here is the guy who owns Sepulchral Productions (Martin Marcotte) and he gives a true to style grim and ghastly performance which is the standout performance on the release.  Those keyboards are not well represented in the overall sound and come across as amateurish and border on dungeon synth a little also.

The twin guitar attack works well alongside busy yet not always clear drums.  There's not really a lot on offer here that had not already been done by the Norwegians in the three or four years that preceded this release.  For a demo though, you get thirty-five minutes of sluggishly structured black metal that tries to run before it can walk on some occasions yes, but on the whole is still interesting listening (the last track however is a clusterfuck).  Not essential listening on my exploration but at least the influences are obvious.

Can be located on Bandcamp (on a "pay what you want" basis) or YouTube for anyone who is interested.

3/5

11
UnhinderedbyTalent

Following my immediate purchase on CD of VoidCeremony's debut album in 2020 after just a couple of streams online, I was keeping an eye out for the follow up for what felt like an eternity. With its bass-heavy presence the debut took the prog element of prog-death and put it on a plinth all of its own before surrounding it with some great OSDM vibes to ground proceedings nicely. Some three years later and Threads of Unknowing picks up essentially where Entropic Reflections Continuum: Dimensional Unravel left off. Damon Good's bass still commands a lot of attention (and rightly so) and that OSDM vibe is still present also, thankfully.

The main immediate difference to note this time is that production job that makes the drums sound like the are incredibly brittle. Despite the obvious hard work of Charles Koryn, his efforts are stifled somewhat by knob-twiddler, Gabriele Gramaglia. The leads shine well enough though. Soaring and uplifting, they do a quality job of expanded the soundscape of Threads... without giving us any pretentious traits to get annoyed over, These, cleaner, more progressive elements are the strongest part of the album for me and I agree that VoidCermony do work better as a progressive outfit as opposed to a technical/prog-death band. I do not have a problem with the vocals actually. I can see where the aversion comes from but I find them perfectly acceptable.

Whilst I am not as instantly blown away by their sophomore album, I still find Threads of Unknowing to be a solid record and one that does grow with each listen. Yes, it is bottom-heavy, with the second half of the record easily outstripping the first half, but this is still a mighty fine album, delivered by some very professional sounding individuals. Drums aside, I have no real issue here.

4/5

4
UnhinderedbyTalent

Nice work once more Vinny. Unknown takeaways this month for me were Phantom G.D.L. and Strike Master, both of which were great. Plenty of recognizable stuff this month too, which is nice and great to kick off with one of my favourite later Kreator tracks! I still struggle most with the "groovy" stuff, but that's my problem and not a problem of the playlist.

1
UnhinderedbyTalent

Before I realized this was Darkthrone, I at first assumed this was some weird-ass Venom-style black/speed outfit, then a This is Spinal Tap-style parody of black metal. That's the kind of album cover a parody band would use. Then I noticed the band name.
Well, like politics, black metal is impossible to lampoon.
This is a very weird album. Were atmospheric black metal not taken for stuff like The Summoning, this feels like it would fit that name well. Black metal production and techniques used at a much slower pace. Where tremolo picking would be used, one single note is used instead. This makes it very noticeable when the album does use tremolo picking. At no point does the drumming go above a walking pace. The growling has an almost ethereal quality to it, unlike any kind I've heard before.
The writing is kind of bland. It seems aimless, possibly by intention. It starts off okay, with the kind of atmosphere you'd expect, but then we get the first solo of the album. I don't know who played it, but it's not good. A half-hearted attempt at regaining the kvlt faction, perhaps with it's strange aggressiveness. Then after another long verse, close enough in sound to the first as to make no difference, there's another solo, closer in tone to what you'd expect, but at this point feels meandering. The song finally ends with what can only be described as a very slow series of tremolos. While the album has more interesting songs on it, like Impeccable Caverns of Satan, most seem to follow this template.
I found this didn't really appeal to me, much in the same reason a lot of melodeath doesn't. If you're going to combine extreme metal with heavy or power metal, it's better to do something like Satan's Host where far less hostile sounding music with clean vocals gets hostile sounding music. Mundane sounding music makes growly vocals goofy.

3/5

9
UnhinderedbyTalent

There's this stereotype in my head of Sodom whose playing style is to fire off a bunch of dark songs machine gun-style. This worked well in the '80s and the early '90s, but then the rest of the '90s happened and unless you were playing to 5 people in Hungary, you stopped playing thrash. Sodom were not a band who could do anything but thrash well, and thus everyone pretends that the '90s never happened. M-16 is a return to form for all those people who missed Code Red.
Modern production does Sodom no favors, I've gotten a couple of headaches while listening to this album. It's not the worst such album, but the guy's voice along with the guitar tone and the driving sound of the drums does not make for a good mix. Which is funny, because the obvious comparison is to the soundtrack of Doom. It basically sounds like a hi-res version of those classic midis. A nice, dark sound that should be punctuated by the rhythmatic sound of a shotgun blasting away hundreds of pinkies.
So, the album lives or dies by the quality of the riffs. It's not terrible by any means, but it isn't exciting either. None of these songs are memorable, and if played in isolation, one would assume it was a nice imitator of Sodom rather than the real deal. Perhaps it is that nice in context bit that makes Sodom Sodom, and I just never noticed it until now.
I do find the choice to end the album on the incredibly annoying Bird is the Word annoying. Why a completely serious band would all of a sudden include a novelty song on one of their albums is beyond me.

3/5

3
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=5bf89441430f4f6c


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]


0
UnhinderedbyTalent


Sonny, I don't wanna go on about it in a public forum but I've had some personal experience hanging out with Destroyer 666 & let's just say that they fit the criteria mentioned above quite accurately. 

Quoted Daniel

Right you are, Daniel. We're probably best leaving it there then.


7
UnhinderedbyTalent

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

9
UnhinderedbyTalent


Absolutely killer playlist this month, Vinny. Nicely done, especially seeing as it was mostly free of the bigger names. The Cacophony and Sieges Even tracks were the only ones that didn't work for me which, seeing as they were the technical tracks, is no great surprise. The first ten tracks especially made for a brilliant opening salvo. Must check out that Slaughterlord album ASAP.

Quoted Sonny

Cheers Sonny.

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

Oh, yes, nice one Vinny!

This is most definitely centred right on my death metal g-spot! The instant it's gloriously downtuned, cavernous riffage infested my earbuds, I was hooked. OK, it's Autopsy worship does absolutely nothing original, but is so well executed and is just so much to my taste that I don't intend to criticise it for not diverting from the template set down by Chris Reifert and company more than three decades ago now. Although the album as a whole is somewhat generic, in that they don't try to do anything unexpected, the band have a genuine grasp of what this corner of the death metal world requires.

The riffs are massive with some real killers amongst them, although they don't push the needle much beyond medium-paced with very little blasting even on the pacier sections, the beginning of Perpetually Altered probably marking the album's peak velocity. The subsonic vocals even rival Reifert's growls for sounding like the ravings of some infernal, abyssal demon and are a big part of the draw of Feel for me. The downtuned riffage and generally cavernous atmosphere make it feel more doomy than it actually is, as they don't stray into purely death doom territory as much as you think, slowing the pace to a crawl only for a short time during most tracks. Each of the tracks are artfully constructed and the variety in pacing throughout is worked very well. An extra layer of atmosphere is supplied on the most doom-laden track, Nonlocality, with the inclusion of thin but atmospheric keyboards that reminded me of the keys used by Thergothon on their classic Stream From the Heavens with the thinness of the keys' sound being in marked contrast to the meaty heft of the guitar sound.  The production is very effective with a cloying thickness to the atmosphere, whilst still possessing sufficient clarity to do each of the instruments justice and never descending into an indiscernable morass.

This is most definitely the kind of release I can revisit time after time as I live for this kind of cavernous sound, absorbing it like plants absorb sunlight. Consequently a vinyl copy is winging it's way from Amazon to Sonny's crypt-on-the-hill as we speak!

4.5/5

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

1
UnhinderedbyTalent


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.

Quoted Sonny

Thanks Sonny, really took my time on this one (and actually completely reordered the playlist after the first pass).  Cheers for the encouragement. 

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

My initial take was that this is a great example of underground 80s thrash metal that deserves to be held up as an equal to contempories like Testament and Exodus. The opening couple of tracks are pretty good thrashers, with Revenge having a truly memorable chorus to rival anything around at the time (despite the track dragging on a little bit too long) and both tracks having decent riffs,  In fact, I would suggest that the whole album is all about the riffs as singer Bob Mayo has a nice rasping delivery, but is restricted in range and the lead guitar work is too understated, almost to the point of non-existence bar a couple of notable exceptions (Revenge again being one such). It even seems a couple of times like a solo is coming, but then one never materialises and they just keep playing the riff over and over. And therein lies the problem - when an album is primarily about the riffs they need to be absolutely top-knotch and those on Why Play Around? aren't really that, never accelerating much beyond mid-pace and never leaping out and grabbing you by the throat. So my initial rose-tinted view was soon dispelled because, basically, that is all there is to the album. This is especially problematic when taken in context, with a plethora of death/thrash hybrids abounding in the underground at this time and starting to break out into the wider metal world, when these kind of plodding riffs just weren't cutting the mustard anymore and it's easy to see why Wargasm got left behind.

Ultimately Why Play Around? doesn't really offer enough to hold the attention over repeated listens, although for a quick punching-the-air headbanging workout it is fine. Throw in a couple of redundant interludes that add absolutely nothing and we are on a downward spiral really. Essentially this is nothing more than a footnote in thrash metal history for good reason and if any of the tracks other than Revenge popped up on the monthly playlist then I doubt they would raise much of an eyebrow from me.

3/5

3
UnhinderedbyTalent

I always find sludge to be quite a warm genre. Sure, it can be plenty abrasive, but generally the distorted doom metal element adds a certain warmth to the sound. Here, however, Coffinworm have imbued their sludge with an iciness forged from black metal which removes any comforting fuzziness from the album and replaces it with a cold, implacable visage that suggests that the band couldn't care less whether you like it or not. But the joke's on them because it seems everyone, myself included, does love it - haha!

Sludge metal strikes me as a genre that it is quite easy to get wrong and there are plenty of releases that leave me cold, but with IV.I.VIII Coffinworm have turned in an album that manages to get the sludge part right, whilst producing something a bit different-sounding to the plethora of sludge acts who seem to have emerged from every piece of available wordwork over the last decade or so. There is a dichotomy at the heart of IV.I.VIII, which is that it feels like it is a really abrasive and pugnacious album, but before you know it, it has sucked you in with an unexpected melodic riff before hammering you with the battering ram it has had hidden from view. Kind of the epitome of the steel fist in the velvet glove.

This is some seriously heavy-sounding shit and the blackened edge to the vocals and some of the guitarwork sound like a ripsaw trying to saw the top of your head off while the riffs are oppressive and overbearing, looming over the listener like an impending tidal wave. In addition to the black metal influence there also seems to be a detectable death metal component to some of the riffs that makes them really tight-sounding (and all the more oppressive for it). Some bands seem, to me anyway, to strive for extremity by making themselves virtually unlistenable, so drenched in dissonance and angularity are they in a search for the holy grail of inaccesibility that they forget about writing any sort of "songs". Luckily Coffinworm have been able to attain extremity without completely eschewing what makes music so cool in the first place - the songs. The tracks here are well-written and have both a direction of travel and a resolution, whilst still sounding like world-killers.

Coffinworm truly aren't for the faint-hearted Fallen member, but if you enjoy life on the outer limits of the clan's remit, then that is definitely where you will find IV.I.VIII. like some Arthur C. Clarke monolith waiting to point unwary metalheads towards the next evolutionary level of metal extremity.

4.5/5

5
UnhinderedbyTalent

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

1
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=2cd2f2cf2417415c


01. Forced Entry – “Bone Crackin’ Fever”” (from “As Above So Below”, 1991)

02. Dark Angel – “The Burning of Sodom” (from “Darkness Descends”, 1986) [Submitted by Vinny]

03. Trastorned – “Metal Violence” (from “Into the Void”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]

04. Cryptosis – “Prospect of Immortality” (from “Bionic Swarm”, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]

05. Artillery - “Crossroads to Conspiracy” (from “The Face of Fear”, 2018)

06. Exhorder – “Ripping Flesh” (from “Mourn the Southern Skies)”, 2019)

07. Torturer – “Perception of Life” (from “Conjuro IV”, 2005)

08. Terror Activator – “Self” (from “Moshing is Available”, 2019)

09. Wargasm – “Undead” (from “Why Play Around?”, 1988) [Submitted by Vinny]

10. Sodom – “Code Red” (from “Code Red”, 1999) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Blood Tsunami – “Nothing but Contempt” (from “Grand Feast for Vultures”, 2009) [Submitted by Sonny]

12. Witchery– “Midnight at the Graveyard” (from “Restless & Dead”, 1998) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Boris – “Czechoslovakia” (from “Heavy Rocks”, 2011) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Once Human feat. Robb Flynn – “Deadlock” (from “Scarweaver”, 2022)

15. Anacrusis – “Grateful” (from “Screams and Whispers”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Excel – “Tapping into the Emotional Void” (from “The Joke’s on You”, 1989)

17. Warrant – “Torture in the Tower” (from “The Enforcer”, 1985)

18. Marty Friedman – “Anvils” (from “Dragon’s Kiss”, 1988)

19. Vendetta– “War” (from “Brain Damage”, 1988)

20. Witchseeker – “Lust for Dust” (from “Scene of the Wild”, 2021)

21. Kublai Khan – “Boomslang” (from “Absolute”, 2019)

22. Hatchet – “Silenced by Death” (from “Dawn of the End”, 2013)

23. Fog Of War – “Death Penalty” (from “Fog of War”, 2009) [Submitted by Sonny]

24. Killing – “Before Violence Strikes” (from “Face the Madness”, 2021)

25. Indestroy – “U.S.S.A.” (from “Indestroy”, 1987)

26. Abigail – “Blasphemy Night” (from “The Final Damnation”, 2016)

27. Occult – “Inquisition of the Unholy” (from “The Enemy Within”, 2009)

28. Wömit Angel – “Mr Barbie” (from “Impaling Force of Satan”, 2017)

29. Pessimist – “Another Day in Mania” (from “Call to War”, 2010)

30. Anthrax – “The Enemy” (from “Spreading the Disease”, 1985) [Submitted by Sonny]


0
UnhinderedbyTalent

My take is a bit different to Vinny's in that I've always thought of "Nihility" as a very high quality example of the tech death subgenre. There's plenty of technicality on offer but it's never at the expense of the song-writing & the riffs are always memorable. The performances are astounding for such a young group of dudes too, particularly the drumming & the beautifully composed guitar solos which are both highlights. There's obviously some strong Vader/Morbid Angel/Cannibal Corpse style classic death metal influences going on here but the technicality in the riff structures sees Decapitated playing more in the Nile or particularly Psycroptic space. The death growls are pretty standard but well executed & suitably aggressive. I know this album is often criticized for sounding too clinical due to the heavily triggered drum sounds & scooped 90's guitar tone but I think that's being very harsh as the whole thing just comes off as being a really classy extreme metal record to my ears. No complaints from me.

4/5

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=ca159de8dff441af


01. Exhorder – “Legions of Death” (from “Slaughter in the Vatican”, 1990) [Submitted by Sonny]

02. Demolition Hammer – “Skull Fracturing Nightmare” (from “Epidemic of Violence”, 1992)

03. The Scourger – “Dark Invitation to Armageddon” (from “Dark Invitation to Armageddon”, 2008)

04. Autonoesis – “Moon of Foul Magics” (from “Moon of Foul Magics”, 2022) [Submitted by Daniel]

05. Hanzel und Gretyl- “We Rise As Demons” (from “Satanik Germanik”, 2018)

06. Whipstriker – “Midnight, Sex & Wine” (from “7” Eps 2014 – 2017 (Seven Inches of Hell, Part II)”, 2018) [Submitted by Vinny]

07. The Accüsed – “Distractions” (from “Oh, Martha!”, 2005) [Submitted by Sonny]

08. G.I.S.M. – “(Tere Their) Syphilitic Vaginas to Pieces” (from “Detestation”, 1983) [Submitted by Daniel]

09. Nekrofilth – “Ready to Defile” (from “Worm Ritual”, 2018)

10. Hellbringer – “Coven of Darkness” (from “Awakened From the Abyss”, 2016)

11. Beastiality – “Sacrificial Chants” (from “Sacrificial Chants”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. Hellish– “Black Stones” (from “The Dance of the Four Elemental Serpents”, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]

13. Bulldozer. – “Fallen Angel” (from “The Day of Wrath”, 1985) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Death SS – “Inquisitor - 1983” (from “The Story of Death SS: 1977 – 1984”, 1987) [Submitted by Daniel]

15. Nether – “Event Horizon” (from “Beyond the Celestial Sphere”, 2020)

16. Testament – “Night of the Witch” (from “Titans of Creation”, 2020)

17. Anthrax – “Time” (from “Persistence of Time”, 1990) [Submitted by Sonny]

18. Sepultura – “Slaves of Pain” (from “Beneath the Remains”, 1989)

19. Kreator– “Pleasure to Kill” (from “Pleasure to Kill”, 1986)

20. Must Kill – “Ghost Malevolent” (from “Ghost Malevolent”, 2020)

21. Lamb of God – “Bloodshot Eyes” (from “Lamb of God”, 2020)

22. Vorbid – “Invention Intervention” (from “Mind”, 2018)

23. Assassin – “The Swamp Thing” (from “Bestia immundis”, 2020)

24. Cyanide Grenade – “Judgement Day” (from “Kind of Virus”, 2020)

25. Exorcizphobia – “Stuck Between Realities” (from “Friend of Lunacy”, 2021)


0
UnhinderedbyTalent

Well, it was going really well up to Overkill's The One, but after that it went a bit Pete Tong for me. I'm not a big fan of groove metal and most things that sound like Pantera get up my nose, so there were a few tracks in the middle section that didn't do it for me - Lazarus A.D., Mnemic and, unsurprisingly, Babymetal didn't impress (although I resisted the temptation to FF which was quite an effort with a couple of them). Zimmers Hole's “When You Were Shouting at the Devil…We Were in League with Satan” did make me raise a chuckle though and is an absolutely brilliant title.

Things got back on track with Autoneosis and although I wasn't a massive fan of the album, here on the playlist it works. The one-two punch of Deviated Instinct and Hellshock was a playlist highlight for me and though I wasn't massively taken with the Feared track, the three closers gave the playlist a terrific, powerful climax.

I must admit, I'm starting to wonder of The Pit still holds the attraction for me that it used to. However, I just can't imagine giving up the clan that holds Reign In Blood, Master of Puppets, Among the Living and so many other albums that were fundamental to the expansion of my metal taste in the eighties. Just have to take the rough with the smooth I suppose. Anyway, great work Vinny and I did hear some stuff I need to look into further - Slaughter Messiah and Hellshock in particular.

1
UnhinderedbyTalent



I would suggest that we reduce our limit for The Fallen track nominations to 24 minutes each from next month Sonny.

Quoted Daniel

Agreed. Let us go with that then going forward.


Quoted Sonny

:+1:

46
UnhinderedbyTalent

Svartidauði's is a name I have seen banded about occasionally, yet I haven't taken the plunge with them before, so other than the fact that they are Icelandic and the preconceptions that come with that, then I didn't really know what to expect. Well, for a quick summation, Revelations of the Red Sword takes the best of Deathspell Omega and Blut aus Nord and forge them into an energetic and invigorating black metal maelstrom. It has the edge that dissonance provides, yet it doesn't alienate a more conservative listener like myself by being overbearingly so, but rather it weaves a jagged wall of sound from the disparate threads of dissonance around the framework provided by the pummelling drum battery. And those drums are something to behold - Magnús Skúlason deserves much praise indeed for his constantly shifting, complex and technically superb skinwork that underpins the entire endeavour.

Further praise must go to vocalist/bassist Sturla Viðar Jakobsson whose basswork is great, but his vocals are even more so, sounding more like the howling roar of a wounded beast than the piercing shrieks more usually associated with black metal. The lead guitar work sounds exceedingly complicated and really does feel like guitarist Þórir Garðarsson is weaving disparate strands of sound from the ether and  providing a direct line of communication through to another dimension of reality.

I have found myself becoming irritated at times over recent years by the seemingly endless flow of black metal albums trading in dissonance, but what has come to me like the revelation of the title whilst listening to Revelations of the Red Sword is that what is really annoying me is that too many bands are treading the dissonance path without the necessary skill to do it effectively and so just sound, well, a bit shit. Svartidauði, however are the real deal and this is one killer of a black metal album and many thanks to Vinny for nominating it for this month's feature.

4.5/5

3
UnhinderedbyTalent

With the award winners about to be announced, I thought I'd throw in my two cents by nominating the Critical Defiance album as my pick.

3
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=61491f3750004e97


01. Anthrax – “Caught in a Mosh” (from “Among the Living”, 1986) [Submitted by Vinny]

02. Impalers – “Prepare for War” (from “God From the Machine”, 2015) [Submitted by Vinny]

03. Daeva – “Clenched Fist of the Beast” (from “Pulsing Dark Absorptions”, 2022)

04. GAME OVER – “Two Steps in the Shadows” (from “Claiming Supremacy”, 2017)

05. Cavalera Conspiracy - “Spectral War” (from “Psychosis”, 2017)

06. Coroner – “Internal Conflicts” (from “Grin”, 1993)

07. Prong – “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” (from “Cleansing”, 1994) [Submitted by Vinny]

08. Suicidal Tendencies – “How Will I Laugh Tomorrow” (from “How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, When I Can’t Even Smile Today”, 1988)

09. Stälker – “Total Annihilation” (from “Shadow of the Sword”, 2017)

10. Testament – “Absence of Light” (from “Souls of Black”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Hellhammer – “Revelations of Doom” (from “Apocalyptic Raids”, 1984)

12. Frosthelm – “The Endless Winter” (from “The Endless Winter”, 2015)

13. Obsolete – “Still” (from “Animate//Isolate”, 2021)

14. Acid Death – “Liquid Heaven” (from “Pieces of Mankind”, 1997)

15. Believer – “The Need for Conflict” (from “Gabriel”, 2009)

16. Critical Defiance – “Elephant” (from “No Life Forms”, 2022) [Submitted by Daniel]

17. Faith or Fear – “Straight to Hell” (from “Instruments of Death”, 2009)

18. Eruption – “Drones” (from “Cloaks of Oblivion”, 2017)

19. Oxygen Destroyer – “Cleansing the earth of Humanity’s Existence” (from “Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death”, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. The Troops of Doom – “Dethroned Messiah” (from “Antichrist Reborn”, 2022)

21. Deströyer 666 – “Guillotine” (from “Never Surrender”, 2022)

22. S.O.D. – “Speak English or Die” (from “Speak English or Die”, 1995)

23. Aura Noir – “Wretched Face of Evil” (from “Black Thrash Attack”, 2011)

24. Hellbastard– “Heading for Eternal Darkness” (from “Natural Order”, 1990)

25. Terrörhammer – “Graveyard Witch” (from “Under the Unholy Command”, 2015) [Submitted by Vinny]

26. Bulldozing Bastard – “Under the Ram (from “Under the Ram” 2015)

27. Pantera – “Suicide Note, Pt. 2” (from “The Great Southern Trendkill”, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]

28. Hatchet – “Living in Extinction” (from “Fear Beyond Lunacy”, 2015)


0
UnhinderedbyTalent

Between 1980 and 2003, Overkill delivered twelve full lengths, three EPs and numerous splits and videos. In a little under 25 years the band had been knocking out albums at a rate of approximately one every two years. That is a pretty consistent level of output by any measure and one that saw the band survive the lull following the eighties heyday of thrash metal by branching out into groove metal to keep the New Jersey/New York machine rolling on. Taking a wider view of the whole discography and it is even more remarkable that I can still find releases in there that I have never listened to and so being able to drop any release in by Overkill as a monthly clan feature is hopefully a voyage of discovery for all once we move away from the more infamous releases.

In my thread for this feature release I billed Kill Box 13 as a "post-groove metal" era album from Overkill. This is only half true since although thrash metal plays a part here I get much more groove metal on Kill Box 13 than I do conventional thrash metal. In fairness to Overkill, retaining that groove metal element was inevitable really. It had seen them through three or so releases and so was obviously an embedded part of their sound by this point. As I reflect on the last run through of the record I did, it is the groove metal that sticks in my mind even though the better parts for me are the actual thrash moments.

However, there are a couple of challenges with Kill Box 13 for me that consign the album to the "unlikely to revisit" pile. Firstly, it is too long at ten tracks and fifty minutes in length overall. This coupled with my second major criticism that the album is massively top heavy and almost everything after track six should have been left for a future bonus offering of previously unreleased tracks makes this album something of a damp squib for me. Accepting that the health issues in the band may play more than a part in this release being less than optimal, I still think the content lacks that consistent quality to justify a full length release and although I have not seen anything to suggest it was rushed to meet contractual requirements or the bands simple need to start touring something again, I would not be surprised if something other than artistic integrity drove some of the choices here.

2.5/5

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

I would very much be the one who called it, it's just so epic for me! Also in that article, there's a motivational Facebook post from Will Ramos in 2014 (long before he joined Lorna Shore) that basically combats Nergal's suggestion. While there are consequences such as relentless amounts of touring and recording and how much money to make, it's a good dream. I might not be able to accomplish such a feat today, but I might in the future if I can practice doing what I can when I can. You just gotta not put yourself down and instead believe in yourself. There's never too many bands or too much music, there just needs to be a balance in everything. No standstills and no overloads.


15
UnhinderedbyTalent

"Shrines of Paralysis" is (& was always going to be) another superbly composed & sublimely dense & complex piece of work from one of the true stars of the death metal stage. There's not a track included that doesn't remind you of their class & ambition. Unfortunately though, I can't quite seem to appreciate it as an album in the same way as I do some of their more revered works like "Stare Into Death and Be Still" or "Everything Is Fire" & there are a couple of reasons as to why that is. The first is that differentiating between the individual tracks is not as easily achieved as it was on those records as they have more of a tendency to sound quite similar, even after three or four active listens. The second (& most obvious) is the awful triggered snare drum sample which is totally over the top & sees me being frustrated during each blast beat section. When you have the world's best extreme metal drummer in your ranks & he's pulling off some truly sublime percussion work it would seem to be to be such a shame to taint his performance with such an over-powering snare that makes each blast-beat sound like your CD is skipping. Apart from those flaws though "Shrines of Paralysis" is an imposing & inaccessible piece of art whose complexities require your total attention in order to open up but will ultimately reward your efforts.

For fans of Gorguts, Portal & Baring Teeth.

4/5

1
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=70f6468a240f4360


01. Midnight – “Telepathic Nightmare” (from “Let There Be Witchery”, 2022) [Submitted by Daniel]

02. Skourge – “Old Gods Return” (from “Hardcore up Your Ass”, 2021)

03. Power Trip – “Suffer No Fool” (from “Opening Fire 2008-2014”, 2018)

04. Bewitcher – “Death Returns…” (from “Cursed Be Thy Kingdom”, 2021) [Submitted by Daniel]

05. Liege Lord - “Rapture” (from “Master Control”, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]

06. High Command – “Siege Warfare” (from “Eclipse of the Dual Moons”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

07. Sodom– “M-16” (from “M-16”, 2001)

08. Flotsam & Jetsam – “Hammerhead” (from “Doomsday for the Deceiver”, 1986) [Submitted by Sonny]

09. Vexovoid – “Infinte Collector” (from “Call of the Starforger”, 2017)

10. Meliah Rage – “Crushed Beneath My Heal” (from “Idol Hands”, 2018)

11. Xentrix – “Seven Words” (from “Seven Words”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. Rage – “Deceiver” (from “Reign of Fear”, 1986) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Critical Defiance – “The Last Crusaders…Bringers of Death” (from “No Life Forms”, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Bestial Invasion – “Treachery” (from “Divine Comedy:Inferno”, 2021)

15. Machine Head – “Arrows in Words from the Sky” (from “Of Kingdom and Crown”, 2022)

16. Testament – “Legions of the Dead” (from “The Gathering”, 1999) [Submitted by Sonny]

17. Schizophrenia – “Mortal Sin” (from “Voices”, 2020)

18. Agent Steel – “Mad Locust Rising” (from “Mad Locust Rising”, 1986) [Submitted by Daniel]

19. Speedwolf – “Ride With Death” (from “Ride With Death”, 2011) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Five Finger Death Punch – “Wash It All Away” (from “Got Your Six”, 2015)

21. Death Angel – “Humanicide” (from “Humanicide”, 2019)

22. Eradicator – “Read Between the Lies” (from “Into Oblivion”, 2018)

23. Destruction – “State of Apathy” (from “Diabolical”, 2022)

24. Demolizer– “Cancer in the Brain” (from “Thrashmageddon”, 2020)

25. Thrashist Regime – “Headshot” (from “Carnival of Monsters”, 2018)

26. Stam1na – “Memento Mori (atiestin kiitos)” (from “Novus Ordo Mundi” 2021)

27. Criminal – “Self Destruction” (from “Victimized”, 1994)

28. Invicta – “Terminal Brutality” (from “Halls of Extinction”, 2019)

29. Black Viper – “Hellions of Fire” (from “Hellions of Fire”, 2018) [Submitted by Daniel]


0
UnhinderedbyTalent

I must confess to not having heard the debut album by Cirith Gorgor for a good while. A brief look at my spreadsheet where I log all my collection showed me that I had this album as a five out of five rating. SPOILER ALERT – it isn’t. This record had a bit of a cult following back on the old Terrorizer forums and I can sort of see why. The blazing Battles in the North intensity of Immortal, the relentless attack of Gorgoroth and the misanthropic attitude of Marduk all shine through on this record. Similarly, the crude sense of melody deployed by the likes of Sargeist rings around my head for most of Onwards to the Spectral Defile.

That cult status does not strike me as all that valid – certainly in 2022 anyways. Released in 1999, this album dropped long after the heyday of the bm scene and so I hear nothing that I had not heard already from any of the above-mentioned bands. Gorgoroth had peaked long before this record, Marduk lead the way in the intensity stakes as Immortal embraced the more epic aspect of bm in the very same year Cirith Gorgor released this, their debut album. The thought occurs to me that CG just arrived late to the party and wondered where everyone else had gone.

History lesson aside, is OttSD any good? Well, yes, it is. If you like a dose of 90’s scathing black metal with some melody (clumsily) applied, then this is for you. Does the scope of the ambition outweigh the ability to deliver it? Yes, it does. Is the production job a little too high value for the aesthetic they try to portray? Probably. It is still a decent enough an effort for a debut album though and I am being more than a little unkind to it by berating it in terms of historical reference alone. Enjoy this album for what it is and not when it should have been released.


3.5/5

3
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=f0acb59bcf904f81


01. Exhorder – “Slaughter in the Vatican” (from “Slaughter in the Vatican”, 1990)

02. Machine Head – “Now I Lay Thee Down” (from “The Blackening”, 2007) [Submitted by Daniel]

03. Protector – “Perpetual Blood Oath” (from “Excessive Outburst of Depravity”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

04. Fugitive – “Hell’s Half Acre” (from “Maniac”, 1996) [Submitted by Vinny]

05. Unholy Night - “Infected with Mayhem” (from “Succubus”, 2020)

06. Paranoic – “Devil’s Door” (from “Morbid Psycho”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

07. Sodom – “1982” (from “1982”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

08. Toxik – “World Circus” (from “World Circus”, 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]

09. Exciter – “Violence & Force” (from “Violence & Force”, 1984)

10. Tornadic – “The Capturing” (from “Awakening”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Slayer – “Live Undead” (from “South of Heaven”, 1988) [Submitted by Sonny]

12. Amebix – “Spoils of Victory” (from “Arise !”, 1985) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Bulldozer – “Never Relax” (from “The Final Separation”, 1986) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Blitz – “Nachtmahr” (from “The Nachtmahr Sessions”, 2021)

15. Evil Army – “Evil Army” (from “Evil Army”, 2006)

16. Uncle Slam – “Executioner” (from “Say Uncle”, 1988)

17. Legion of the Damned – “The Widow’s Breed” (from “Slaves of the Shadow Realm”, 2019) [Submitted by Sonny]

18. Three Dead Fingers – “Into the Bloodbath” (from “Breed of the Devil”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Malevolence – “On Broken Glass” (from “Malicious Intent”, 2022)

20. Pantera– “Strength Beyond Strength” (from “Far Beyond Driven”, 1994) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Sore Throat – “Phase II” (from “Inde$troy”, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]

22. Slaughter – “Incinerator” (from “Nocturnal Hell/Surrender or Die”, 2016)

23. Laaz Rockit – “Last Breath” (from “Know Your Enemy”, 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]

24. Forbidden – “Twisted Into Form” (from “Twisted Into Form”, 1990)

25. Gothic Slam – “Who Died And Made You God” (from “Just A Face in the Crowd” 1989)

26. Scythelord – “Toxic Minds” (from “Toxic Minds”, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]

27. Axegrinder – “Rise of the Serpent Men” (from “Rise of the Serpent Men”, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]

28. Alarum – “In Spiral” (from “Circle’s End”, 2020)


0
UnhinderedbyTalent

Here's a review I wrote over 10 years ago. I really should check the album out again to see if I'm still this passionate about it, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was.


I can't say I like grindcore all that much (or deathgrind for that matter), but this is plain awesome! Brutal Truth managed what so many other grindcore bands have failed to achieve, and they did it way back in 1992. They made a consistently interesting album filled with variety in a genre known for being fairly one dimensional. Of course, there are heaps of grindcore clichés all over the place, with combined guttural and screaming vocals, tracks that go for about 5 seconds, lyrics about politics etc. etc. But then there are also stacks of great doomy riffs and tracks like Time, which contains 6 minutes of extremely well-structured song-writing as opposed to endless blasting.

Brutal Truth know exactly how to get you pumped up. They're happy to dwell in the dark and heavy depths before pumping into full on battering chaos. Kevin Sharp's vocals are perfect for this style with his death growls being the epitome of awesomeness. Scott Lewis' drumming is just about inhuman. But it's Brent McCarthy's riffs that really float my boat. Check out Birth of Ignorance, Denial of Existence, Time, Walking Corpse and Wilt for simply cracking deathgrind. If you're even slightly interested in the more extreme side of metal, go get this album. You won't regret it!

4.5 stars


5
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=4f8bcfafe01743d4


01. DevilDriver – “Clouds Over California” (from “The Last Kind Words”, 2007)

02. Mason – “Imprisoned” (from “Warhead”, 2013)

03. Pantera – “Message In Blood” (from “Cowboys From Hell”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

04. Sepultura – “Cut-Throat” (from “Roots”, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]

05. Skeleton Pit “Drink Fast Or Die” (from “Chaos At The Mosh-Reactor”, 2015) [Submitted by Vinny]

06. Mindtaker – “Drink Beer For Thrash” (from “Toxic War”, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

07. Bonded By Blood – “Immortal Life” (from “Feed the Beast”, 2008)

08. Thrashback – “Night of the Sacrifice” (from “Night of the Sacrifice”, 2015)

09. Piledriver – “Sex With Satan” (from “Metal Inquisition”, 1984)

10. Gallower – “Claws and Fangs” (from “Eastern Witchcraft”, 2022)

11. Parkcrest– “Midnight Chasm” (from “And That Blood Will Turn To Red”, 2019) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Pripjat – “Nuclear Chainsaw” (from “Sons of Tschernobyl”, 2014)

13. Satyrasis – “A Sheep In Wolves Clothing” (from “Creation of Failure”, 2008)

14. Skulled – “Eat Thrash” (from “Eat Thrash”, 2017) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. Plague Years – “Suffer” (from “All Will Suffer”, 2022)

16. Enemynside – “Devil In Disguise” (from “Dead Nation Army”, 2018)

17. Chronosphere – “Brutal Decay” (from “Embracing Oblivion”, 2014)

18. Hatriot – “Horns & Halos” (from “The Vale of Shadows”, 2022)

19. Tumourboy– “Chernobyl Devastation” (from “Damaged System”, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Surra – “Daqui Pra Pior” (from “Tamo Muito Na Merda”, 2016)

21. Grindpad – “Sharkbite!” (from “Sharkbite”, 2017)

22. The Accüsed – “Pounding Nails (Into the Lid of Your Coffin)” (from “Grinning Like An Undertaker”, 1990)

23. Battlecreek – “Dealing Death” (from “Hate Injection”, 2015)

24. Amken– “Shattered Sanity” (from “Theatre of the Absurd” 2017)

25. Impalers – “Prepare for War” (from “Prepare for War - EP”, 2014)

26. Excruciator – “Destruction” (from “Devouring”, 2011)

27. Toxic Waltz – “Deify” (from “From A Distant View”, 2016)

28. Raider – “Urge To Kill” (from “Urge To Kill”, 2018) [Submitted by Vinny]

29. Phantom Witch – “Death As We Know It” (from, “Death As We Know It”, 2019)

30. Blind Illusion – “Blood Shower” (from “The Sane Asylum”, 1988)

31. Thought Industry – “Third Eye” (from “Songs for Insects”, 1992)


0
UnhinderedbyTalent


I feel like part of this problem would be alleviated if this site had something like older forums where you can see which topics/forums have new posts because they're in bold. If one topic happens to dominate, like some Hall of Judgment threads, or say, this thread, well, one knows where the other posts are.

Quoted Morpheus Kitami

This works, as a former Tez forumite, like Daniel, I found that feature useful.



It's an interesting suggestion thanks Vinny. I assume that the idea will also encompass the polar opposite functionality so that I can filter the forums to show only my beloved genre-tag related threads? :) Would the ability to simply filter out the Hall of Judgement forum suffice?

Quoted Daniel

Yes, appreciate this needs to work both ways so me not seeing endless reams of classification threads need not be at the expense of more...passionate members :joy:

Anything that can be done to save my eyes from the horror of genre-tagging/judgement halls etc would be appreciated.

10
UnhinderedbyTalent

The Blackening is one of those albums that I have fond memories of blasting "Beautiful Mourning", "Aesthetics Of Hate" and "Halo" back in the day, but I can never find it in myself to return to this album years later. Perhaps it is the downward spiral that has been Rob Flynn for the better part of the last five/six years and his absolute butchering of Machine Head over that timeframe, or maybe it's my continued distancing from thrash metal over the years. 

That really should not be a problem since this record leans far more heavily towards groove metal than anything else. I mean, "Aesthetics Of Hate" is a song literally about some deadbeat writer who pissed on the grave of Dimebag Darrell. And there are (fleeting) moments where Machine Head pull out the stops and do a solid Pantera impression. The independence between the dueling guitars and the bass is splendid, the soloing occasionally pulls out some of the Dimebag tropes, and Flynn pulls off the sing/scream better than Anselmo could on later Pantera albums like The Great Southern Trendkill, Reinventing The Steel and even those later Down albums. But it is a flawed album where the band cannot keep the same intensity in the melodies from the first half to the second. The last three songs all being at least nine minutes is tiring and can get quite boring by the end. But those first four tracks are bops and make for a great addition to anyone's top list of 2000's thrashers.

7/10

5
UnhinderedbyTalent

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=b6a848597f18401e

01. Black Viper – “Hellions of Fire” (from “Hellions of Fire”, 2018)

02. Kreator – “Strongest of the Strong” (from “Hate Uber Allies”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

03. Death Angel – “Voracious Souls” (from “The Ultra-Violence”, 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]

04. The Crown – “Crowned in Terror” (from “Crowned in Terror”, 2002) [Submitted by Vinny]

05. Pestilence “Systematic Instruction” (from “Malleus Maleficarum”, 1988) [Submitted by Sonny]

06. Municipal Waste – “Grave Dive” (from “Electrified Brain”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

07. Crumbsuckers – “Trapped” (from “Life of Dreams”, 1986)

08. Black Fast – “The Keep” (from “Terms of Surrender”, 2015)

09. Exmortus – “Foe Hammer” (from “Slave to the Sword”, 2014)

10. Wolf Spider – “It’s Your Time” (from “V”, 2015)

11. Deathhammer – “Thrown Into the Abyss” (from “Electric Warfare”, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]

12. Exumer – “Hostile Defiance” (from “Hostile Defiance”, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Hallows Eve – “Plunging to Megadeath” (from “Tales of Terror”, 1985) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Whiplash – “Walk the Plank” (from “Ticket to Mayhem”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. Overkill – “Devil By The Tail” (from “Kill Box 13”, 2003) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Betzefer – “The Devil Went Down to the Holy Land” (from “The Devil Went Down to the Holy Land”, 2013)

17. Byzantine – “The Agonies” (from “To Release Is to Resolve”, 2015)

18. Fog of War – “Fog of War” (from “Fog of War”, 2009)

19. Traitor– “Exiled to the Surface” (from “Exiled to the Surface”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Toxic Holocaust – “Nuke the Cross” (from “An Overdose of Death”, 2008) [Submitted by Sonny]

21. Battalion – “Thrash Maniacs” (from “Underdogs”, 2010)

22. Ultra-Violence – “Cadaver Decomposition Island” (from “Operation Misdirection”, 2018)

23. Attomica – “Deathraiser” (from “Disturbing the Noise”, 1991)

24. Toxik – “Power” (from “Dis Morta” 2022)

25. Witchery – “Witching Hour” (from “Witching Hour”, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]

26. Speedtrap – “No Glory Found” (from “Straight Shooter”, 2015)

27. Heathen – “Death by Hanging” (from “Breaking the Silence”, 1987)



0
UnhinderedbyTalent

Overall an enjoyable listen, although I personally struggled with the tech-thrash trio after Pantera (although following them with that Voivod track was genius as all was then forgiven!). The rest was pretty kick-ass and Sick Boogie Murder deserves special mention for being so fucking off-the-wall. Nice job, Vinny.

1
UnhinderedbyTalent

The crashing and bashing tendencies of some death metal bands is not something that is always done to a reasonably high enough standard. When I hold such bands as Gorguts in the highest of regard then the bar is already set pretty high for avant-garde death metal. I will go on record as saying that Flourishing never hit the dizzy heights of Obscura on The Sum of All Fossils yet at the same time they do make a thoroughly entertaining record in the process. The urgency of the tempo that is set by album opener Thimble's Worth manages to set out a consistent taster for what is to come across the rest of their 2011 offering. What the band do particularly well is vary the pacing and tempo to give the album a real sense of dexterity.

The post-hardcore elements do not always work I admit and can lead to a sense of confusion or a rush of ideas all coming to a head in one place in particular. That being said I do get a real sense of there being a lot of thought behind the album, like time has been taken in the main to measure content and space it really well in terms of the arrangements as opposed to always pile tings on top of one another. The production job both helps and hinders this I feel. For the majority of the record there is a sense of a thin layer of murk just suppressing the content a little and not perhaps letting everything breathe as organically as the band may like based on their arrangements but at the same time the slower parts are given lots of room to build and present their more subtle nuances.

Flourishing could play though and there is very little on here not to get your head around as the band vary things up more than enough. It is not exceptionally technical overall and in fact relies on some quite simplistic repetition to provide build and crescendo in all honesty. Their playing just contains a solid amount of consistency that avoids sloppiness without ever becoming overly impressive. Whilst there are no weak tracks, there are many tracks that end up at the same place making track-blur a real problem. For an album that is weighted with the opportunity to rip up the rulebook to some degree it seems to somehow set its own limitations still on far they can actually take things. In so many ways I am torn between the comfort of the familiarity of it but also the lack of full-on bat-shit-crazy, spazzing that they never quite hit. The guitar flurries that open Momentary Senses are intriguing but do not play a big enough part in the track overall to realise that initial promise. Bits of The Sum of All Fossils tend to dominate other parts all too easily and those vocals cannot always keep up with everything that is going on, despite the measured approach and the obvious sense of arrangement there is still work to be done here. Interesting but not essential.

3.5/5

3
UnhinderedbyTalent

This may be the first playlist that features a track from each of the big four and their contributions show why they are so-called - Slayer and Metallica both turning in genre-defining contributions. There's a few other big names too - Sodom, Sepultura and Possessed are all represented by kick-ass tracks too. Revelation of the list though must go to the final track from Terminalist - absolutely loved this one. All around, another damn fine list Vinny - thanks a lot.

1
UnhinderedbyTalent

Ambush are not a band I have come across before and so I went in without too many expectations. It is true that the band do owe a massive debt to eighties' Judas Priest and while they do turn in a couple of decent Priest-ish tracks in opener Firestorm and Don't Shoot (Let 'em Burn) too many of the rest are quite ordinary and lack the hooks and memorable lines of classic Priest and even those two have horrible whoa-oh moments in them that were one of the worst things about 80's metal in my opinion. Then there's a track like Close My Eyes that sounds far too close to Don't Stop Believing or some such shit. Personally I enjoyed the soloing, but then again I like more restrained solos rather than extravagant and excessive shredding. I think it's fair to say that my favourite Guardians-related material resides quite far back in time and although this does hark back to the eighties even Judas Priest were left wanting in that decade (it was all downhill after Killing Machine) and this references The Scorpions as much as Priest. Overall, a couple of decent tracks and some unremarkable stuff that refers back to an era I was never that enamoured with in the first place. Sorry, but this is not really for me.

2.5/5

2
UnhinderedbyTalent

It would be greatly appreciated if you could vote on the Hall of Judgement entry for this release Xephyr.

7
UnhinderedbyTalent

The wife was out of the house this afternoon so I took the opportunity to smash the latest The Pit playlist out really loud while cleaning the house & playing with the kids. I really enjoyed it too just quietly. The classics at the start set the scene very nicely & as I progressed through the set I found myself jumpin' around to bands like Thrasherwolf, Vio-lence, Demoniac, Kreator, Eradicator, Cryptosis, Expander, Ektomorf & particularly the new one from Sadistic Ritual which I didn't know was out & was probably the find of the set for me personally.

2