UnhinderedbyTalent's Forum Threads

Got into this month's playlist whilst out braving the first snows of the winter with Koko this morning and I've got to say that, in the main, this it was a real killer. Real nice job, Vinny. I must admit that, because I was out walking, I couldn't keep up with which track was which and who by, but the overall impression was fantastic with a lot of energy and quality thrashing all round. Just goes to show that there was still some top-tier thrash metal around, even after the genre's heyday was in the rearview mirror.

Ben, please add Canberra death metallers Psychrist.

Hi, Ben. Thanks for adding those Blue Stahli albums I've requested. Now for one more thing... It seems you've overlooked my earlier request to add Celldweller's non-metal album Offworld to bridge the gap in their discography. Could you please add that soon? Thanks again!

Here's my review: 

Florida death metallers Obituary played an extremely important role in my teenage years. The late 1980's had seen me very quickly being transformed from a pimple-faced hard rock & heavy metal kid into a fully-fledged thrash nut off the back of the Big Four but it wouldn't be long before the lure of the darker & more intense death metal world would start to progressively increase the tension on the chord it had attached to the back of my pants when I first heard Death's "Leprosy" album. Some devastating experiences with underground metal radio programming would lead to me purchasing both of Obituary's first two albums (1989's "Slowly We Rot" & 1990's "Cause of Death") & I very quickly became a convert for life. The vocal talents of front man John Tardy left me gasping for superlatives & he's remained my favourite death metal vocalist to this day while the incredible doomy atmosphere & dazzling guitar virtuosity of James Murphy on "Cause of Death" have left it in the top echilon of the global death metal movement for all the decades since. By the time 1992's super-successful "The End Complete" album hit my CD drawer, I regarded myself as an Obituary tragic who had even secured dubbed copies of the early Xecutioner demos so my anticipation for 1994's "World Demise" fourth album was pretty much at the maximum recordable level & I'm not sure whether that actually had an impact on my feelings about the album but I've generally always found that I rated it a fair bit higher than other metalheads seem to. I've returned to it regularly over the years but have never gotten around to rating it until now so it'll be interesting to see where it sits against Obituary's highly celebrated earlier works.

"World Demise" saw Obituary displaying signs of an internal battle of sorts. On the one hand, we see a band that already had a very well-defined sound & who is very comfortable to stay within those parameters with the album once again being recorded at Florida's notorious Morrisound Studios with legendary death metal producer Scott Burns. All of Obituary's albums to the time had been recorded in this fashion so this was hardly a leap of faith. The band's lineup had remained the same as the one that saw original lead guitarist Allen West returning to the fold for "The End Complete" after Murphy had finished his duties with "Cause of Death" so there was definitely a lot of consistency around the Obituary machine at the time & when you first hear "World Demise" you won't be terribly surprised with what you hear initially. There are subtle differences on display that are worth discussing though. Obituary's first album "Slowly We Rot" saw them blending a doomy Celtic Frost sound with a thrashier & more up-tempo Slayer one. We'd seen the thrash influence easing a little over time but "World Demise" sees them predominantly steering away from their faster material, instead focusing on more restrained tempos with the groovier elements they'd worked into their riff structures being further amplified to become the main focal point & the Celtic Frost inspiration being further embraced & celebrated. The album still sounds very much like Obituary but they'd certainly limited their focus a little towards a groovier form of death metal that West would later take with him to his Six Feet Under project. The cover artwork indicated that Obituary might be starting to take a more socially conscious approach with their lyrics too & I tend to think that's got some merit to it although John Tardy had never been big on structured lyric sheets, instead tending to improvise with random words & phrases. The most noticeable addition to the Obituary sound though was the inclusion of a number of samples, some taking the form of industrial sounds that are layered over the death metal. While this is an interesting idea, I feel that the band have failed in that endeavour as these samples are poorly integrated & seem to be fairly random in the way they've been tossed into the mix. They really don't add anything to the music, instead only acting as more of a distraction than anything.

Despite these changes, if you were already a fan of Obituary then you'll feel very much at home with "World Demise". The rhythm section of bassist Frank Watkins & drummer Donald Tardy tie in so tightly with rhythm guitarist Trevor Peres that you'd be forgiven for thinking that they were conjoined twins. In fact, it's hard to argue with the idea that Obituary might have been the tightest death metal band on the planet at the time & when you toss in a wonderfully thick & heavy Scott Burns production then it can only lead to a positive outcome as far as I'm concerned. Frank & Donald provide the perfect platform for the endless string of heavy-weight Peres riffs that Obituary have built their career on while John Tardy was at the pinnacle of his powers at this point with his delivery sounding as monstrous & pissed-off as we'd ever heard from him before. Allen West's lead guitar performance is the clear weak point for me personally as I've never thought he was much of a talent on his chosen instrument. James Murphy's insane melodic solos on "Cause of Death" had only provided further weight to my pre-existing opinion that a top-level shredder could take the band to all new levels & it seems a shame that West's return had seen that potential being limited.

The tracklisting is very solid indeed & I've found myself enjoying all twelve tracks included. There are a couple of less impressive numbers in the super-groovy "Redefine" & the more basic "Lost" but the tight performances & excellent production job still give those numbers a level of enjoyment that makes them more than acceptable. The remaining ten songs are all excellent, if not terribly different from Obituary's previous work with the riffs & vocals feeling fairly familiar for the most part. There are a couple of absolute gems here though with "Paralyzing" comparing very well to past glories & the incredible closer "Kill For Me" sitting amongst Obituary's finest work. My copy of the album contained a bonus track called "Killing Victims Found" which sounds a little closer to Obituary's previous albums but is also very good & I can't help but think that the album would have been stronger if they'd replaced "Redefine" or "Lost" with it.

Overall, I can't deny that "World Demise" is the least impressive Obituary album to the time but I think it still sits fairly comfortably alongside "Slowly We Rot" & "The End Complete" to be honest so I would still suggest that it's heavily underrated & should be essential listening for fans of the band, particularly given that I don't think they've matched it in terms of consistency or quality in all the years since. This is one tight & chunky slab of Florida death metal that doesn't try to be anyone else but Obituary while still trying a few new ideas with varying levels of success. I can deal pretty easily with the groovier feel & still really enjoy "World Demise" a good thirty years later so I'd encourage fans of their earlier work to check it out if you haven't already.

For fans of Morgoth, Six Feet Under & Celtic Frost.

4/5

My early Obituary rankings look like this:

1. Cause of Death

2. The End Complete

3. Slowly We Rot

4. World Demise

5. Xecutioner's "1987 Demo"

6. Xecutioner's "1986 Demo"

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=47fa29a08df34d45

1. Metallica – “Damage Inc.” (from “Master of Puppets”,1986)

2. Razor – “Enforcer” (from “Violent Restitution”, 1988)

3. Exodus – “Strike of the Beast” (from “Bonded by Blood”, 1985)

4. Forbidden – “Chalice of Blood” (from “Forbidden Evil”, 1988)

5. Overkill – “Thanx for Nothin’” (from “Horrorscope”, 1991)

6. Megadeth – “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” (from “Rust in Peace”, 1990)

7. Slayer – “At Dawn They Sleep” (from “Hell Awaits”, 1985)

8. Annihilator – “Wicked Mystic” (from “Alice in Hell”, 1989)

9. Kreator – “Extreme Aggression” (from “Extreme Aggression”, 1989)

10. Jenner – “Never Say Die” (from “Prove Them Wrong”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Sadist – “Sometimes They Come Back” (from “Above the Light”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Benediction – “Wrong Side of the Grave” (from “Transcend the Rubicon”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Ninth Circle – “Hellish Style” (from “Dis, Emerge”, 2023)

14. S.D.I. – “Megamosh” (from “Sign of the Wicked”, 1988) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. Testament – “Urotdukidoji” (from “Low”, 1994) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Havok – “Time is Up” (from “Time is Up”, 2011)

17. Coroner – “The Lethargic Age” (from “Grin”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Vektor – “Pillars of Sand” (from “Terminal Redux”, 2016)

19. Mad Throng – “Outcast by Conviction” (from “Retribution is at Hand”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Evile – “Cult” (from “Five Serpent’s Teeth”, 2011)

21. Adrenaline Mob – “Undaunted” (from “Omertá”, 2012)

22. Mushroomhead – “Eye to Eye” (from “Call the Devil”, 2024)

23. Burn the Priest – "Kill Yourself (S.O.D. cover)" (from "Legion: XX", 2018) [Submitted by Vinny]

24. Bonehunter – “Acid Fuck” (from “Evil Triumphs Again”, 2015)

25. Thou Art Lord – “Fire, Chaos and Doom” (from “Daemoniorum”, 2022)

26. Agnostic Front - “One Voice” (from “One Voice”, 1992)

27. Ludichrist – “Zad” (from “Powertrip”, 1988)

28. The Crucified – “The Pit” (from “The Crucified”, 1989)

Hi Ben, could you please add USBM act Wormreich?

I'm still not sure what defines When Time Becomes Loss as technical thrash metal, but I know what I like and this record is certainly one of the better thrash metal albums I've heard in 2024. This record has all of the juicy aspects that I appreciate in a modern thrash album; short runtimes, catchy hooks, audible vocals, tasteful guitar solos that do not rely purely on wankery, and a discontent for extended instrumental noodling. I also really enjoy how nostalgic it feels; the record does have a production to it that is indebted to the past with lots of reverb and is similar to the earliest death/thrash albums by Death and Slayer, but with performances that sound closer to bands such as Vektor keep When Time Becomes Loss firmly in the 2020s. It's the kind of thrash that resonates with me that I didn't really expect, but with so many good modern trends in addition to nostalgia baiting, I found myself getting lost to time more than I care to admit with this album.

4/5

Besides listening to Time II, I was also checking out one of Jari Mäenpää's demo albums from the massive Time Package boxset. In case you didn't know, the Time Package includes 5 albums of early demos recorded by Mäenpää, dating back to the 90s. There's also a planned 4-album series to follow up from Time II that is said to only happen with the help of fans. We don't know if that upcoming 4-album series will be just re-recording of all those demos, but that's what I'm hoping for, fingers crossed. Anyway, Fantasy Metal Project was written and recorded by Mäenpää between 1998 and 2000. The songs remind me of Wintersun's debut, and I'm sure there's one band that would come to minds of many Finnish E-tuned folk/power/melodeath listeners, Ensiferum. This was back when Jari was still with Ensiferum before he left to focus on Wintersun before the release of both bands' 2004 albums, so he had a lot of fantasy in mind when making his own separate material. One thing to note is, of the 10 songs here, only half that amount of songs have vocals. I think it would've been better if a couple long instrumentals, specifically "Hunters of the Misty Forests" and "Raise Your Swords", had some lyrics. Created by me, maybe? So yeah, Wintersun fans should definitely listen to this offering and support Jari in making his future 4-album series a reality!

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=37a5a00698534790

1. Cavalera Conspiracy – “Inquisition Symphony” (from “Schizophrenia”, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

2. Dead Head – “Litany of the Weak” (from “Shadow Soul”, 2024)

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

4. Sadus – “Certain Death” (from “Chemical Exposure”, 1988)

5. Bulldozer – “We Are Italian” (from “Neurodeliri”, 1988) [Submitted by Vinny]

6. Iron Age – “Dispossessed” (from “The Sleeping Eye”, 2009)

7. Hellripper – “Spectres of the Blood Moon Sabbath” (from “The Affair of the Poisons”, 2020)

8. Mortal Sin – “Voyage of the DIsturbed” (from “Face of Despair”, 1989)

9. Slayer – “Haunting the Chapel” (from “Haunting the Chapel”, 1984)

10. Torniquet – “Dysfunctional Domicile” (from “Psychosurgery”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Grip Inc. – “War Between One” (from “Nemesis”, 1997)

12. Pro-Pain – “The Beast Is Back” (from “The Truth Hurts”, 1994) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. The Offering – “Ultraviolence” (from “HOME”, 2019)

14. Anthrax – “C₁₁ H₁₇ N₂ O₂ S Na” (from “The Sound of White Noise”, 1993)

15. Mr. Bungle – “Spreading the Thighs of Death” (from “The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo”, 2020)

16. Pizza Death – “Pizza Row” (from “Reign of the Anticrust”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]

17. Grove Street – “Shift” (from “Path to Righteousness”, 2023) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. Skeleton Pit – “Violent Raid” (from “Lust to Lynch”, 2020)

19. Project Pain – “Primator” (from “Brothers in Blood” 2018)

20. Diamond Plate – “At the Mountains of Madness” (from “Generation Why?”, 2011)

21. Aphrodite – "Dance Wild and Free" (from "Orgasmic Glory", 2021)

22. Wraith – “Fuelled by Fear” (from “Fuelled by Fear” 2024)

23. Knife - “No Gods in the Dark” (from “Heaven into Dust”, 2023)

24. Possessed – “Confessions” (from “The Eyes of Horror EP”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

25. Merciless – “Branded by Sunlight” (from “The Treasures Within”, 1992)

26. Sarcofago – “Crush, Kill, Destroy” (from “The Laws of Scourge”, 1991)

27. Warfare – “Abortion Sequence” (from “Mayhem Fuckin’ Mayhem”, 1987)

28. Mekong Delta – “The Principle of Doubt - Chapter 3 Taken From 'The Chronicle of Doubt” (from “The Principle of Doubt”, 1989)

29. Voivod – “Nuclear War” (from “War and Pain”, 1984)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=ddd8a8780fbb46f4

1. Annihilator – “Set the World on Fire” (from “Set the World on Fire”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

2. Forbidden – “Step by Step” (from “Twisted into Form”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Death Angel – “Thrashers” (from “The Ultra-violence”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

4. Destruction – “Mad Butcher (1986 version)” (from “Mad Butcher”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

5. Dark Angel – “Hunger of the Undead” (from “Darkness Descends”, 1986)

6. Beatrix – “White Phosphorus” (from “Sacrificial Black Metal Bitch”, 2024)

7. Motörhead – “Burner” (from “Bastards”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Anthem – “Voice of Thunderstorm” (from “No Smoke Without Fire”, 1990) [ Submitted by Daniel]

9. Anthrax – “Deathrider” (from “Fistful of Metal”, 1984)

10. Nifelheim – “The Bestial Avenger” (from “Servants of Darkness”, 2000)

11. Sodom – “Outbreak of Evil” (from “In the Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty”, 1985)

12. Kreator – “When the Sun Burns Red” (from “Coma of Souls”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Cavalera Conspiracy – “Septic Schizo – Re-Recorded” (from “Schizophrenia – Re-recorded”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

14. Obliveon – “Frosted Avowals” (from “Nemesis”, 1993) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. Overkill – “World of Hurt” (from “I Hear Black”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Corrosion of Conformity – “Consumed” (from “Animosity”, 1985)

17. Cryptic Slaughter – “Money Talks” (from “Money Talks”, 1987)

18. Municipal Waste – “Sadistic Magician” (from “The Art of Partying” 2007)

19. Sacred Reich – “Product” (from “Independent”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Sepultura – "Drug Me" (from "Third World Posse EP", 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Hemotoxin – “Morbid Reflection” (from “When Time Becomes Loss” 2024) [Submited by Vinny]

22. Ripping Corpse - “Anti God” (from “Dreaming with the Dead”, 1991) [Submitted by Vinny]

23. Artillery – “The Challenge” (from “Terror Squad”, 1987) [Submitted by Vinny]

24. Onslaught – “Contract in Blood” (from “The Force”, 1986) [Submitted by Vinny]

25. Exodus – “Karma’s Messenger” (from “Shovel Headed Killing Machine”, 2005) [Submitted by Vinny]

26. Kittie – “I Still Wear This Crown” (from “Fire”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

27. Legion – “Lethal Liberty” (from “Legionized”, 2022)

Thrash/Speed Metal Annihilation (on Spotify)

1. Metallica – “Disposable Heroes” (from “Master of Puppets”, 1986) [Submitted by Sonny]

2. Slayer – “Behind the Crooked Cross” (from “South of Heaven”, 1988) [Submitted by Sonny]

3. Sodom – “Hunting Season” (from “Tapping the Vein”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Testament – “The Formation of Damnation” (from “The Formation of Damnation”, 2008) [Submitted by Vinny]

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

6. Lucifuge – “Gates of the Eternal Night” (from “Hexensabbat”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Demiser – “Infernal Bust” (from “Infernal Bust”, 2024)

8. Bed of Nails/Dysmorphia – “Blood on the Horns” (from “Skullberg”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

9. Municipal Waste – “Mutants of War” (from “Waste ‘Em All”, 2003) [Submitted by Sonny]

10. Doomsday – “Attaining Heaven by Force” (from “Depictions of Chaos”, 2022)

11. Critical Defiance – “The Search Won’t Fall” (from “The Search Won’t Fall”, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Evil Dead – “Raising Fresh Hell” (from “Toxic Grace”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Exhorder – “Unforgiven” (from “The Law”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Toxic Holocaust – “War is Hell” (from “Evil Never Dies”, 2003) [Submitted by Sonny]

15. Wraith – “Heathen’s Touch” (from “Heathen’s Touch”, 2024)

16. Violator – “Addicted to Mosh” (from “Chemical Assault”, 2006) [Submitted by Sonny]

17. Annexation – “A.T.R.” (from “Inherent Brutality”, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. Solstice – “Cleansed of Impurity” (from “Pray for the Sentencing” 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

19. Goatwhore – “Externalize This Hidden Savagery” (from “Constricting Rage of the Merciless”, 2014) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Nekromantheon – "Thanatos" (from "The Visions of Trismegistos", 2021)

21. Violent Force – “Dead City” (from “Malevolent Assault of Tomorrow” 1987) [Submited by Sonny]

22. Vektor - “Activate” (from “Activate”, 2020)

23. Sadus – “Machines” (from “A Vision of Misery”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

24. Exorcizphobia – “Voice of the War” (from “Disease Inside”, 2009)

25. Ultra-Violence – “Welcome to the Freakshow” (from “Operation Misdirection”, 2018)

26. Slave Agent – “Slaughter at the Gate” (from “Silent Universe”, 2024) [Submitted by Saxy]

27. Shrapnel – “Might of Cygnus” (from “Palace for the Insane”, 2020)

28. A Life Once Lost – “Vulture” (from “Hunter”, 2005) [Submitted by Vinny]

29. Znöwhite – “To the Last Breath” (from “Act of God”, 1988) [Submitted by Sonny]

Got stuff on tomorrow so getting this up early.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/083tGvGRuasSsmN8d3Nyww?si=954bf3ca29004418

1. Orbit Culture – “While We Serve” (from “The Forgotten”, 2023)

2. Kerry King – “Idle Hands” (from “From Hell I Rise”, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Xentrix – “Reasons for Destruction” (from “Shattered Existence”, 1989)

4. Tankard – “Traitor” (from “Chemical Invasion”, 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]

5. Testament – “Agony” (from “The Ritual”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

6. Acid Reign – “Motherly Love” (from “Moshkinstein”, 1988) [Submitted by Sonny]

7. Forced Neglect – “The Poison of the Fang” (from “The Poison of the Fang”, 2020)

8. Leeway – “Rise & Fall” (from “Born to Expire”, 1989)

9. Exodus – “Feeding Time at the Zoo” (from “Force of Habit”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

10. Possession (US) – “Legion” (from “Disentombed Manifestations”, 2020)

11. Devastation – “Forsaken Hatred” (from “Idolatry”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Detherous – “Gruesome Tools of Torture” (from “Unrelenting Malevolence”, 2022)

13. Heavens Gate – “Flashes” (from “Livin’ in Hysteria”, 2015)

14. Forced Entry – “Anaconda” (from “Uncertain Future”, 1989)

15. Running Wild – “Whirlwind” (from “Pile of Skulls”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Stress Angel – “Bursting Church” (from “Bursting Church”, 2021)

17. Mantic Ritual – “Panic” (from “Executioner”, 2009) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. National Suicide – “Death Roll” (from “Massacre Elite” 2017)

19. Demoniac – “The Trap” (from “So It Goes”, 2020) [Submitted by Sonny]

20. Pentagram (Chile) – "Devourer of Life" (from "Eternal Life of Madness", 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

21. Malleus – “Into the Flesh” (from “The Fires of Heaven” 2023)

22. Wild Beyond - “In the Footsteps of Mars” (from “Wild Beyond”, 2023)

23. Diabolic Night – “Sovereigns of Doom” (from “beyond the Realm”, 2019)

24. Bad Wolves – “No Messiah” (from “N.A.T.I.O.N.”, 2019)

25. Kreator – “Karmic Wheel” (from “Renewal”, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]

26. Belushi Speed Ball – “Ripping Off Municipal Waste” (from “What Us, Worry?”, 2022)

Another high-octane playlist this month, Vinny that was a perfect accompaniment to a hot and sweaty morning of concrete and brick-laying. Particular standouts that I was previously unfamiliar with were Messerschmitt, Thanatos and Electrocutioner. But wait... is The Pit declaring war on The North with that Lich King track?!

As often is the case, some of the groove tracks left me somewhat indifferent, LoG and Gangrena Gasosa, for example. Overall, though, this was a damn great listen and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Used the playlist as the soundtrack to my dog-walking activities this morning, so I didn't keep track of the individual tracks, but enjoyed the list as a whole immensely with only three or so songs that missed the mark for me, with the last one (Mordred) being the hardest for me personally to swallow. Some really great stuff elsewhere though and it helped me maintain a good pace throughout my walk-time!

Thanks for submitting your vote on this one Sonny. It's seen us meet a reasonably strong consensus at YES 5 NO 0 so I'm going to pass this nomination. The release has been adjusted accordingly.

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

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]

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.

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.

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!

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)

Thanks Sonny, glad you enjoyed it.

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

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

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.

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

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

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]

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. 

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

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

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.

Cheers Sonny.

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

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

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. 

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

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

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

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]

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

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)

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.

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

Agreed. Let us go with that then going forward.

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

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.

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)

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

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.

"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

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]

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

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)