Vinny's Reviews

'The Stench of Redemption' stands out from the rest of the Deicide discography largely because of the virtuoso guitar performances of Ralph Santolla and Jack Owen.  There is little argument here that they eclipse any of the output from either of the Hoffman brothers.  With the prowess of Santolla and Owen in the ranks Deicide enjoyed a much more relaxed and freer sound on 'Stench of Redemption' than previously heard in the studio.  At times it gets almost to guitar wankery proportions, just edging towards being a little OTT, but thankfully the superb lead work is backed up by a full sounding rhythm and percussion section that brings a real feel of energy to the record.

It isn't flawless by any means and at times it does rely far too heavily on the lead work to carry it through but for a band recovering from the dull 'Scars of the Crucifix' release some two years earlier it was a step back in the right direction that blew the cobwebs away and saw the start of (some) semblance of a return to form. 

Benton sounds different on the majority of this record.  His abrasive and scathing howls seem to be on a back burner somewhat and the focus is on a more guttural style to his vocals which is honestly quite refreshing.  Even Asheim's drumming seems to be up a notch, perhaps spurred on by the new blood on the six strings?

There's even a Deep Purple cover on here - although I find to be terrible - which again adds to the more relaxed feel to proceedings mentioned earlier.  Despite nearly getting carried away with itself on more than one occasion I can't deny there is a real sense of flow to this record and it is more than welcome. 

Although it starts strongly enough, 'Serpents of the Light' runs out of steam after five tracks.  The energy levels rarely drop throughout the record but unfortunately the quality of the songwriting does all too easily.  It is a shame really as what could have been a stronger record just suffers with a lack of ideas and although it never quite hits the low of 'Scars of the Crucifix' the legs to carry on what started the album just aren't there.

The title track opens proceedings, with a high tempo and chaos tinged growls giving instant impact to the track.  A familiar blooping lead occupies the space behind the first chorus line ahead of the second verse and this all just feels really promising.  'Bastard of Christ' spits the expected levels of hatred whilst being lashed by some fine riff work and 'Blame It On God' presents as much contempt as the title suggests with its snappy opening and blasting drums.  Again, some superb riffing is on display here also. By the time you get to 'This Is Hell We're In' the cracks are starting to show unfortunately, starting remarkably similarly to previous tracks we get the first hint of the engine needing further stoking.

The strong start to 'I Am No One' gives hope of renewed energy as it motors through the gears, pausing only to spill general misanthropy from its exhaust onto the shroud of Christ.  Unfortunately, from here on in it is all downhill.  Tired riffs, poorly arranged tracks and a general sense of real filler being present unfortunately.

2019 is slowly unveiling some fine releases. With Altarage, Overkill and Candlemass all making me grin thus far in the past three months, despite a slow start and some disappointments (Venom, Queensryche and Legion of the Damned). Naturally, your ears prick up when you hear Flo Mounier, Rune Eriksen and David Vincent have decided to get together and make some unholy communion. Straight away I thought we had potential AOTY material right here given the obvious talent and experience present on this record. I wasn't disappointed. Whilst not flawless, 'Something Wicked Marches In' is a glorious display of DM, performed by intelligent and capable artists who manage to individually stamp their authority on the record yet at the same time are mature enough to work as a complete and cohesive unit.

Let's start with David Vincent. He's by no means at an 'Altars...' or 'Blessed...' level of stature here yet his performance grabs the attention, not in the least due to the vocals being so forward in the mix. His grim and menacing style compliments the music perfectly, adding atmosphere and clearly enunciated declarations of wicked intent alongside his familiar growls. The painful memory of 'Illud...' is put to bed firmly here, much more effectively than Morbid Angel's mediocre follow up offering of 2017, it has to be said.

The dissonant , gnawing and at times melancholic guitar of Eriksen builds Mayhem-esque structures within solid chugging death metal riffs, offering variety and diverse pace throughout. Again, whilst sounding like Eriksen throughout the record it never feels at any point like his guitar work is dominating proceedings. His work moulds well around the percussion and vocal performances, crafting a real sense of balance and true artistic unison.

Then of course we have the machine that is Mounier. The famed Cryptopsy skin-basher is as you would expect on good form here, the varied pace of the album lending well to showcase the many sides to the repertoire of the Frenchman. Whether it is the faster pace that dominates much of the album or the more mid-paced tracks or passages that populate the album in abundance, Flo is there blasting and pounding as required with all the surety and aptitude you would expect form a man of his experience and ability.

Standout tracks include the title and opening track that sets the tone so well for the rest of the album with its multifarious pace. Straight away the performance feels tight and professional and as the blasting opening to 'Praevalidus' smashes into the listener like some DM freight train the quality level is immediately maintained. The ritualistic feel of 'Monolilith' with its chanted admiration of the demon of the night is superb and as enticing as the subject matter herself.

As I say, it is not a flawless record. For a start the bass is virtually lost in the mix (not 'And Justice For All...' lost but, nonetheless, undervalued somewhat in the mix. There are also times when you forget you are listening to an album as such since some of the tracks merge together a little and sound the same, almost like you are listening to established group jamming in their studio instead of recording a full-length. These are only minor quibbles since when 'Something Wicked Marches In' is on point it is fucking amazing.

Of the many black metal bands from Greece, few have the variation from that traditional warm and hellenic sound that the region is famed for.  The many sides of Acherontas are displayed throughout most of their discography but it is on album number three that this diversification really shines through.  For all the recognisable BM on display here there is a fair old portion of mantra-laden, ritualistic experimentation also.  The album opens up with such a passage and revisits the theme later on the superbly crafted 'Ohm Krim Kali'.

The album clocks in at a neat 45 mins and this feels just right for the listener to absorb the brilliance on display here.  Some later releases by the band push to over an hour in length and struggle sometimes to keep momentum I feel, but 'Vamachara' is that perfect combination of a honed and established sound coupled with a run time that compliments the saturation requirement of the album.

The atmosphere and experimentation shown on this record got ramped up on future releases, but what you get here that is a little lacking on the future full lengths is catchy riffs and an obvious heavy metal influence ('Drakonian Womb').  The brooding atmosphere here serves like some pre-eruption of volcanic proportions in terms of the creativity to come on later releases.  On the whole you have some confident, exciting and stylish riffing built into some steady, stable and consistent levels of songwriting.  The content may vary but the aptitude is unwavering.

Boasting an impressive line up consisting of members of Sargeist within the ranks, Finland's Desolate Shrine first grabbed my attention back in 2015 with this, their third release.  Exhibiting a blackened, death metal style the album is an assault of misanthropic occultism that lives up perfectly to the bands name.  With the added death/doom influence coupled with the odd burst of black 'n roll it is an album of variety also that commands attention on more than one level.

Beyond the extremity of the sound, the album is rooted on strong song writing.  Well-paced tracks build momentum without necessarily remaining staid for periods as they develop.  Just as you think a track has grown into a fixed level of darkness and intensity it kicks on some more or drops deep into murky waters; often diving from scathing heights.  The vocals of Roni Sahari and Markus Tuonenjoki are the main drivers to the album.  Cavernous and gruff, their style is more blackened overall than most other elements of the record but they work perfectly with the dark and leaden atmosphere of the instrumentation.  When the  music takes a more industrious pace the vocals seem to fit effortlessly with the changes in tempo without an alteration to pitch or delivery.

Lauri Laaksonen completes all instrumentation on the album and I am not sure why this is (perhaps other commitments kept the Sargeist duo occupied) and he does a great job.  Able to turn his hand to both lead/rhythm and bass guitar as well as drums, all his work feels present and accounted for in his own mix job without ever letting much of any one instrument dominate.  They all do sit in the shadow of the vocals in the main, which whilst not entirely a bad thing does make the record a bit one dimensional overall.  But it is full of consistent and tenebrous content all the same.

Fantasy-themed heavy metal rarely lives up to the expectation set by the album cover/title.  It often crosses my mind that if bands paid half as much attention to the musical content of their albums as they did with the cool artwork then the world would be a better place.  Most Manowar albums suffer from this scenario quite a lot in my experience so it is refreshing to have found Cirith Ungol a decade or so ago as one of the few bands who lived up to the promise of the etchings and sketchings on their record covers.

I get the dislike for the vocals (usually it is one of my major issues with records) but I have played this so much now that I actually would miss Tim Baker's vocals if they weren't there, I couldn't see anyone else being able to fill his shoes most definitely.  I think the vocals is what sets the music apart from other similar artists - in a good way for me - and makes me reach for anyone of the bands first three albums in order to scratch my epic/heavy metal itch.

The main cause for celebration here is the late Jerry Fogle's guitar work.  It is precise and vivacious, making the album soar and glide like some giant winged metal eagle that casts a huge shadow over all it flies over.  The pace of the album is largely slow to mid-tempo and Fogle's guitar sounds like it is centre-stage for most of it as a result, like it truly takes the lead and not just in the solo sense!  The percussion/rhythm unit of "Flint" on bass and Robert Garven on drums compliment him superbly, supporting where required and pairing back when required to do so also.

As much as I enjoy it, I can't go much above four stars for it as it never quite strays into being outstanding.  It most certainly is competent and unique at the same time but still lacks a little edge to just elevate it to five star material.  Too many tracks end the same or seem to get trapped within themselves and almost feel like they end without a full exploration of what they set out to achieve.  Still the album kept the flames that Frost and Fire started some three years earlier burning brightly for another couple of years.

Watain's last album "The Wild Hunt" got slated on one internet review for being "Nu-Dark Funeral with the heart of Bon Jovi". Whilst a certain amount of butthurt contributed the scribe of aforementioned review choosing such a frankly ridiculous statement, it was unfortunately indicative of the direction change of the album that saw the raw and ferocious nature of the band be trimmed back to make way for more melodic, progressive and accessible aspects.

"Trident Wolf Eclipse" is a return to that more traditional sound. Although melody is obvious throughout, it is more restrained. We have more Gorgoroth here than we do Bon Jovi that's for sure. No wheels are reinvented on Watain's sixth studio album. It is pretty standard BM fare, full of raw production values, tremolo leads and drums that can peel flesh from faces. You won't find a lot here that hasn't been done by Watain before but then again the fan base has been crying out for a return that more "underground" sound for four years plus now. As opposed to innovation let's just look at this albums raison d'etre as being to rectify the imbalance in their discography.

Even the album cover is more BM than your average Bandcamp BM demo release nowadays. Straight out of a 13 year old boy's maths jotter who gave up on trigonometry weeks ago. So, depending on whether the kvlt legions of troo black metal want to put their sacrificial goat carcasses down for long enough to give them a chance, Watain are back. Average at best, but back at least.

Despite producing three solid DM records in the mid to late nineties, Brutality somehow never hit the dizzy heights of the Deicide's or Cannibal Corpses of this world.  They seem to be talked about in tones that commend the output but no rationale can be applied to how they just weren't bigger than they were.

'When the Sky Turns Black' is album number two from Brutality and had a job to do to follow up the excellent debut, 'Screams of Anguish'.  Although it never quite tops that, the sophomore does give it a good go.  I think the arrangement is a little off on 'When...' in terms of the instrumental tracks and it just breaks up the album unnecessarily.  I also am not a fan of cover tracks early on in records, so when Black Sabbath's 'Electric Funeral' makes an appearance on track number four then this does grate a little bit for me as I just see it as disruptive to the flow of the record (as good a cover as it is).

On the plus side though, there are some excellent compositions on this record.  The title track that opens the record is an ugly motherfucker, it just cuts straight in to a slightly off-kilter rhythm (which is something I don't normally enjoy) before the pace kicks up and we get some glorious DM riffs and scorching sonics fired across our ear drums.  'Artistic Butchery' does exactly what it says on the tin as it systematically dismantles the listener with clinical precision.  'Race Defects' blazes its way through some of the finest DM riffing you'll see this side of 90's Trey Azagthoth and is clearly well written, coming across as structurally strong and varied.

So, not a bad DM record just not that well planned to my tastes.  When it does hit full stride it is just as good as the debut but sadly it somehow stifles itself a little too easily.

Immolation's importance in death metal gets overlooked all too often in my opinion.  The brilliance of their first two records alone has them rooted in the very fabric of all that we have to be thankful of as fans of the genre today.  Although I concede that things have been known to go off the boil (Harnessing Ruin, Shadows in the Light, Majesty and Decay) over the past three decades, in terms of overall consistency there are few bands with such an established fan base and length of service who can compete with the Yonkers horde.

After their slightly patchy third album Failures for Gods, the band returned with a real beast of a follow up in the superb Close to a World Below.  The dank and clammy death metal sound cloyed at your ears with that constant shift and expansion feel to the music giving serpentine like sensibilities to the experience.  Dolan's grim and uninviting vocals reverberate with distaste or all that is considered divine whilst the band layer the hatred on by the spade full.

For just over forty minutes you get ominous and baleful death metal, full of Immolation's trademark dissonant and pinched harmonics alongside complex riffing.  Unapologetic in its attitude and unrelenting in its delivery,  Vigna and Wilkinson add their unique and harrowing bends to proceedings, enhancing the sinister atmosphere whilst Hernandez thunders and thumps his way through complicated and intricate fills as he seemingly effortlessly follows the guitars with his sticks.

In terms of the overall discography, this record is up in the top three for me.  Whilst it may not touch on the timeless classics aspect of the first two records it stands out as an excellent return to form to start the new millennium off with and is just so disquieting in atmosphere and unfaltering in delivery.

What turned out to be Bolt Thrower's final full length saw the band go out with a real bang.  Sad though it was to see them decide to not go on after Martin Kearns' sad passing their final offering as a band was every bit as entertaining as the rest of their hefty back catalogue was.  A further tinge to the sadness is the belief that they could have carried on and done even more (Memoriam's output alone proves this).

Nostalgia and hope aside Those Once Loyal continued the rich vein of war themed death metal that fans had become accustomed to.  Opening duo At First Light and Entrenched drive forward the Bolt Thrower charge, setting their stall out perfectly.  Coventry's finest never rocked up to piss about and that attitude drips from this record.  The catchy and equally ripping The Killchain pummels away at you for nearly five minutes like some relentless artillery assault, fading in like some raging machine before immediately settling down into a robust chug and cut riff machine.

The power in those riffs never sounded more full or threatening and the menace in the brooding rhythm of the sound feels as assured as it does domineering.   The range and scope of the drums feel deft and dangerous as any sniper looking down on unsuspecting lead fodder.  I never felt like Bolt Thrower were veterans of the metal world, despite them having been around for the best part of two decades at the point of this release.  There was an energy here that belied their years, an urgency and eagerness to the sound that still appeals in bucket loads to my battered and bruised ears.

Having released the largely underwhelming Honour-Valour-Pride four years prior to this release the band took the return of Willetts as a springboard to get things firmly back on track.  We might only be able to speculate on what could have been had fate been kinder but we shouldn't rest too long on that negative and focus instead on the near perfect swan song that Bolt Thrower gave us.

Hard to imagine that this record is nearly 28 years old.  Bolt Thrower never really broke any moulds or pushed any boundaries during their time but the level of consistency they exhibited for 30 years is impressive enough an accolade.  More than ever on this record, the band find the required gear and cleverly drop up and down through the gear box as necessary.  At times this makes for predictable yet never monotonous structures but on other occasions shows subtle variation to the pace of tracks.  Embers is a great example of this starting off more upbeat before slowing down just enough to offer a variation in structure before going back the more full on riffage to end the track.

The trademark Bolt Thrower sound is all over tracks such as Where Next To Conquer with its frenzied stabs of melodic edged riffs and relentless drumming courtesy of Andy Whale.  The band sound cohesive and complete throughout the whole record though, like a well oil machine with all the component parts working in perfect synergy.  The power of the sound is what stays with you though, whether it is those riffs and drums or the rumble of Bench's bass, Willetts has a plethora of support for his throaty and guttural orations.

One of the many things I love about Bolt Thrower is the way the sound always appear charging and driving forwards on more or less all of their tracks and this is again present on The IVth Crusade.  Whilst by no means the best record that the band ever produced, their fourth full length release showed a mature band who had thoroughly earned their props by this stage and could effortlessly bash out top notch death metal with a consistency that only started to wane after this release.

The far-eastern promise of the opening seconds of this album blends well into the increasing aggression of Artillery's particularly raging blend of thrash metal.  Arguably it doesn't go away for much of the opening track as it seems amid all the cutting riffs and screeching vocals the trail that started proceedings remains interwoven into the very atmosphere of the music.

The familiar sound of the vocals of Flemming Rönsdorf is as welcome as ever here as he explores his gruff yet ranged capabilities in full throughout the record.  The other standout part of the sound here is the dual attack of guitarists Michael Stützer and his late brother Morten.  There's a real fluidity to their playing prevalent on here backed up by some dizzying lead work alongside the efficient and energetic riffing.  All the while the bashing drums of Carsten Nielsen provide a perfect rhythmic accompaniment alongside Peter Thorslund's occasionally audible four string rumblings.

The only real downside I catch regularly is that on occasion the production sounds a tad sterile making the drums a little too forward in the mix and a bit "tishy".  There's also a degree of tracks sounding the same in some instances or at least a lack of variation in structure for sure.  But overall this is one fine thrash metal record that somehow gets overlooked in conversations about good albums from 1990.

The debut from London's Angel Witch is full of high octane NWOBHM that has a clunky yet still kind of cool style about it.  Whilst never to the point of truly grating Kevin Heybourne's vocals are clumsy at best.  That withstanding there's absolute standout songs on here like the title track that will be stuck in your head for days with their simple repetition and catchy chants.  But the real success of the album is the musicianship on display.

The band are tight as fuck on this release, creating super charged heavy metal tunes full of intense percussion and romping riffs and pulling no punches in the delivery department.  Reminiscent of both Diamond Head and Iron Maiden's sound of the time (Angel Witch coming in December of the same year that the other two bands also dropped their debuts) the album celebrates all that was good about metal at this point in history.  As the move away from rock and then punk started to gather momentum it is clear on this record where the draw came from for fans as they latched onto the pandemic energy of albums such as this.

I listen to the 30th Anniversary edition when spinning this record as it has two discs that showcase the full album, some BBC radio sessions as well as various demos and single A & B sides.  This gives me more of a feel of insight into the band at the time and shows that they were skilled musicians capable of putting down a solid track whether live or recorded.  All that brute force from the demos got transferred superbly into the record.  Even the instrumental track, Devil's Tower is chocked full of pervasive intent to get you headbanging along to it.

The lead work sings on this record, oozing quality throughout and firmly stamping its authority over all ten tracks.  You'll be hard pushed to find a record that holds up in conversations that mention Iron Maiden, Lightning to the Nations, Court in the Act or Wild Cat.  But Angel Witch is rightly able to be classed alongside such classics from the same era.

Drudkh's natural tour de force was my first experience of the band, and what a great gateway record Autumn Aurora was.  Opening with the sounds of the outdoors and continuing this theme throughout the album alongside soaring passages and atmospheric movements, ticked so many boxes in my brain it was hard to believe that it all fit so well together.

The depth of the sound of the instruments here was what impressed me the most upon first listen, and still does to this day.  There's a richness to the notes and a ruddiness to the complexion of the whole musical soundscape the album unveils.  Cleverly, the record maintains an assured and constant pace throughout also.  Alongside all the interspersed sounds of nature, there is a healthy charge to the direction of the record that keeps things upbeat and varied where required.  The drumming is strong and vibrant without ever becoming intrusive, the drums support the overall sound perfectly helping the formation of a complete picture being painted here.

There is of course folky elements to the record also that again serve to cement that variety and boost the spectrum of influences on display across the record.  You can't not have the echoes of the more catchy elements of the record ringing around your head for days after listening to this record just once.  Likewise, the more ambient moments reflect the sound of wildlife and the autumnal season the record represents and these also stick with you post-listening.

Astonishingly, for such a complete and opulent sounding record this was only the band's second full length, building well on the solid foundation left by the debut Forgotten Legends some 12 months before.  For all the beauty present in these tracks there is a fierce, passionate and barely distilled sense of anger still acting as the key driver underneath the surface.  Vocally the delivery is still harsh and scathing, rooting the album firmly in the realm of black metal whilst letting the rest of it explore near ethereal realms also.

"True Norwegian Black Metal.  Piss Off & Fuck Off" reads the rather direct message on the bastardised parental warning slogan that adorns the front of this EP.  The sound most certainly is 'true'.  I mean it sounds like you'd expect Norwegian Black Metal to sound with the harsh and abrasive vocals, scathing guitar attack and chaotic blastbeats.  Side Piss Off sets off nefariously enough with opening track 'Voldtekt' (meaning 'rape' in Norwegian) setting a hefty 'n roll' feel to proceedings.  This track was originally from a split EP done with Gigantomarchy ('Dra til Helevete').  A cover of the Von track 'Lamb' closes Side Piss Off in a short, sharp fashion leaving the listener with little to remember of it.

Side Fuck Off (you see what he's done here?) has just one eleven minute plus track that again appeared on a split EP previously, this time with Vidsyn ('Lagnonector').  'Hennes Kalde Skamlepper' again translates into controversial wording, literally meaning 'her cold Labia'.  The track goes on for far too long although maintains some direction and adds variety in pinches also.  It is not a boring track by any means, it just feels a little unnecessary at times.

It is hard to really formulate any lengthy review of an EP with just three tracks, but to summarise "Nekro" shares Hoest's dark brand of BM with the listener and does it with an almost assured sneer.  Worth a play every now and again but if you want more of a full experience of Taake, stick with a full length.

After the often chaotic and confusing sound of 'IX Equilibrium', Emperor managed to somehow refine that style and make it more cohesive on their follow-up 'Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise'.  Gone was the "bashing pots n' pans" percussive sounds of what came to pass 2 years earlier and we now had a solid, much more relevant performance from Trym that compliments both the faster and progressive parts of the album as opposed to feeling like the drums were in competition with everything on the last full length.

I should say at this stage that like others on here, although 'IX Equilibrium' was no 'Anthems2...' I still found the album perfectly listenable.  I would go as far as to say I actually enjoyed it, but for me the 2001 offering just cemented the direction better.  'Prometheus...' has more tangible edges and boundaries that whilst obvious, never feel restrictive.

The symphonic elements dropped away a little to my ears and the album relies more than ever on those soaring guitar melodies and the fable telling style of the vocals to raise the music up to the familiar levels of the grandiose and magnificent that we had become accustomed to from Emperor.  The tracks also benefit from having a real feeling of flow about them.  Yes the pace and timing changes regularly but the songs are strong, the arrangements feel like engine parts working in unison in some kind of well-oiled machine.

The depth of clarity towards the end of 'The Tongue of Fire' is resplendent, as are the bold keys and horns of 'In The Wordless Chamber' which is a fine use of the symphonic elements that the band are so well known for.  They drive this track forward like they are galloping on the back of some giant steed.

Although in so many ways 'Prometheus...' is one of the more accessible Emperor albums sound wise, the pompous, lofty and imperious nature of it makes for quite a complex record to consume in one sitting.  It took me a good few listens before the whole thing really clicked with me (at least 20) but it was more than worth the effort.  Interspersed with the progressive elements at times are the jarring riffs of a Gorguts record.  Whilst still recognisable as blackened (at least around the edges), the vocals benefit from King Diamond-esque clean passages too.  'Prometheus...' is a real celebration of metal in general if you listen carefully enough.

Whether you love or hate Cannibal Corpse, their penchant for churning out accessible, fun and consistent DM can't be denied. Yes when they suck they really do suck (Gallery of Suicide), but even if technically never more complicated than most Kinder egg toys there's always a familiarity to CC albums that appeals. I get those that hate that familiarity. If you prefer to become lost in a Portalesque vortex when enjoying your extreme metal then the obvious churn of CC won't be for you. However, for every complex and archaic DM record in my collection I like to have a fair amount of surety too (someone will be along in a minute to replace "surety" with "safety" no doubt) and "Red Before Black" is as familiar to me after a few listens as most of the band's previous output.

"Red Before Black" reinvents no wheels, either in terms of DM in general or the CC specific brand. It is naive to say it has no variety as this simply isn't true, the pace of "Remaimed" for example goes from a slight itch to a raging STD style of a rash. Opening track "Only One Will Die" comes for you like a deranged serial killer, devoid of any bizarre macabre master plan to use your body in some horrific piece of death art, just driven instead by the need to rip your head off and shit down your neck.

"Firestorm Vengeance" starts like a thrash track, chopping away at the bars like a lumberjack on LSD defacing a tree. The mastery of "Scavenger Consuming Death" is undeniable as it chugs away sitting imperiously glaring at you like some cocksure domestic pet who just shat in your sock drawer! Sonically, the album seems a little more developed than usual without ever dissolving into the territory of "guitar wankery". My only instrumentation grumble is the slightly soft edge to the drum sound which taps along instead pummelling in unison with the rest of the activity on display here.

Whilst still being relevant (and it has achieved this without becoming "core" orientated either) and it staying in my head a lot better than the last two Suffocation records (for example) it sets nothing alight. As solid a DM record as this is my face isn't torn off at any point, my ears aren't battered and my neck doesn't get sore due to some over-exuberant headbanging session. Most tracks do dip away unfortunately.

Let's take nothing away from the effort though. To not be producing shit metal at this stage in your career is an achievement in itself, I just start to question if motions are starting to just be gone through?

Like some journey whilst blindfolded and hogtied in the trunk of a kidnapper's car, you never quite know where you'll end up with Blut Aus Nord. The blend of near poetic melody contrasted with their harsh industrial leanings and complimentary darkest of ambience across their discography can leave the average metal head spinning on their metallic shoulders. Counter-intuitively you end up waiting for the next change, chop, turn or trick whenever you listen to anything new by BAN and this almost starts to detract from the experience as you wait like some cowering wreck for the sucker-punch to arrive.

Merciless though they are in the delivery of "Deus Salutis Meæ" (God of my Salvation) the twists and turns - although far from predictable - are as one would expect having heard anything by the band since "The Work Which Transforms God". Where "Deus..." differs slightly to my ears is the more obvious structure to proceedings, with obvious use of ambient tracks to pace the album over the full experience.

What occurs between these passages of dark reflection is just as chaotic and scary as you would expect it to be. There's little obvious "Memoria Vetusta" styling here but some of it is still present amidst the clashing percussion, churning bass and dense atmosphere of what sounds like a natural extension of the previously mentioned "The Work..." album. It is impossible to deny the power behind BAN's music and typically "Deus..." is a bashing of an affair. The thunderous opening of "Abisme" for example causes you to stop whatever you are doing and listen - like some industrial riffing dictator at some vast and menacing stage, addressing their crowd of loyal subjects. 

Never content with just pummelling the listener with percussion there's a fair amount of mesmerising repetition also, like some endless coiling snake or fathomless vortex encircling the listener, crushing the very soul from their shell. "Revalatio" fades away but the same intensity of the track just churns on and on as though still playing now in some parallel universe, long after the reels have stopped turning here in this one! The void that "Ex Tenebrae Lucis" drops you into has no friendly alien lifeforms present as it taunts you like some inter dimensional bully after your cyber lunch money.

Criticisms? It seems over and done with too quickly, which whilst never coming across as disjointed or fractured does leave you stumbling a bit as the record just ends really suddenly. You end up feeling like a sprint runner, expecting the finish line but then suddenly seeing a wall just after it and having to slam on the heel brakes. The longest track on here is five and a half minutes and it almost feels like the album needs a couple of seven minute numbers to vary the experience a little. That having been said, "Deus..." is a still a triumph for a band who despite switching genres more often than some people change their duds, still manage to produce challenging and though-provoking music. 

I call false album title. There's no doom on here folks. Any flare-wearing readers can stand down at this point of the review. I imagine the doom aspect of the title refers to the medieval threat of some Tolkien inspired fictitious army that Summoning have kindly recorded a soundtrack for. If you are familiar with Summoning there's little in the way of anything new here as the Austrians again bring their own brand of epic/atmospheric black metal to 2018.

The problem I have with "With Doom We Come" is that it doesn't really "go" anywhere. It could quite easily all be one track with seven pauses given the sound and structure varies very little from track to track. That is not to say it is a bad album, it just drips into the water without ever making a real "splosh" at any point. There's the usual gruff vocal style and occasional chanting over keys whilst the guitar just sits in the corner with a tea and some crossword books to bide the time one presumes.

Sarcasm aside, fans of the band will like this albeit without any truly remarkable moments to cement it as a stand out album. Usually, I can't sit and listen to Summoning without doing something else and this made a great accompaniment to some shelves I hung this morning, very rousing at times to the point of making me forget about my hangover altogether. The atmospheric magic never really finds any identifiable peak though, beautiful though the record is at times nothing really stands out overall.

Stumbling across a Yob CD on my shelves so soon after inducting myself into The Fallen clan seems a fitting place to undertake my first post-challenge review. I do not recall the exact moment (or indeed the exact reason) that I purchased Our Raw Heart, however based on my revisit of it this past week it had to be related to the variety of styles and pacing that are present on the record.

As I sit here now listening to the butt-fuck ugly riffing of the sludge-sodden, The Screen I sense that connection with that alienating guitar sound just as much as I do with the latent beauty of the title track or indeed sixteen minute epic, Beauty in Falling Leaves. Inherent also on the album is the near constant sense of life that is present. Ironic though that may seem considering Mike Scheidt nearly died the year before from diverticulitis, the album heralds the success of his (and the bands) survival. Our Raw Heart is a sensuous affair that sounds like a band that has seen the possible endpoint of time and has grown from the experience.

The constant construction and deconstruction of a track like In Reverie suggests a band that is willing to fuck about with time also and still provide atmosphere laden entertainment in the process. Touching on elements of psychedelia, death doom and stoner metal along the trajectory of the record, the trio are able to show the full range of their influences and abilities. In addition to this, you can hear all the component parts of the instruments as well as Mike’s vocals, the sum of all parts making a harmoniously clunky yet unified sound.

All that keeps this from top marks is the slightly too cumbersome Original Face that never quite grasps a hold of me quite like the rest of the track listing. Otherwise, Our Raw Heart is an absolute triumph of a record.

In terms of their discography, Immortal’s sophomore album represented a sudden peak in Black Metal mastery that they only ever really matched once more during their time with At the Heart of Winter.  What Pure Holocaust did was take the blastbeat frenzy of most BM of the time and wrap it in hypothermic riffs that chilled the very soul of the listener.  

This was the first Immortal record I ever owned.  I heard the debut around the same time but it didn’t stand up at all against this follow up and as I got familiar with the rest of the back catalogue it was soon apparent that not much of anything else could stand up either.  Whilst the aforementioned 1999 release was notable for its vast scope, robust structures and excellent storytelling, Pure Holocaust was almost the exact opposite.  It thrived on relentless aggression, merciless blasting and bone jarring turbulence.  There’s little in the way of variety here and whilst for some records that means an almost certain unmemorable death the sheer audacious nature of the delivery on this record just captivates me still to this day.

I can’t think of many more records that capture the grim and inaccessible nature of BM so perfectly.  There’s an audible arrogance to how Abbath and co deliver this release.  Completely unapologetic and full of unwavering menace and threat throughout, Pure Holocaust should be on the shelf of every Black Metal fan’s library for when their room temperature needs dropping a few degrees.

Slavonic Heathen Metal is how one write-up of Drudkh's seventh studio outing describes this highly atmospheric yet densely sad sound that permeates these six tracks.  It is probably safe to say that none of the regulars on this site have (knowingly) heard any Slavonic Heathen Metal before slapping on this absolute triumph of a record, however, on personal level, if this is what this made-up sub-genre of metal sounds like then I am more than happy to listen to more of this.  Microcosmos is my favourite Drudkh record and one that sits on my vinyl shelves across the room from where I sit to write these musings.  I have heard almost everything by the band since I first clapped my ears on Autumn Aurora many years ago and I went on a dotted journey of discovery flitting across their releases in no particular order following my discovery of their sophomore as my gateway release into the band.

By the time Drudkh had gotten around to 2009 they had arguably dropped a lot of their bm roots and then rediscovered them on 2007's Estrangement.  The harsh blast beats of that record once again cemented their repute as one of bm's finest if not more experimental artists and it came as no surprise to hear them add a different and more atmospheric direction to their follow-up album.  Microcosmos is an intensely rich and rewarding experience that embraces the familiar folk elements of their sound and drives the emotion of their themes with the trademark black metal harshness that we had all come to expect from Drudkh at this point.  However, we now got an aggressively expansive album with a lavish menu of emotionally-charged atmospherics to develop these themes.  The bass on most tracks here is so audible and is placed front and centre to give it real prominence in proceedings.  Whether it is within the slower sections to help with build or in the more intensely paced sections to underpin the guitars and percussion with a solid foundation, the strings of Krechet are a joy to behold.

Melodic without lacking power and aggressive without ever sounding one-dimensional, Microcosmos plays as virtually an instrumental album for large sections of its runtime.  Unafraid to let the instruments take the floor and lead, Drudkh are confident enough in their own ability to let soaring leads and solid percussion sections do the talking and build their tracks.  Memorable without trying to be catchy or hooky, this is an album that manages to really get under my skin as a listener and sticks with me for hours/days afterwards.  One of the few records that I still can consistently hold at full-marks year after year.

Coming three years after the success of their debut album, Phoenix Rising took the black/thrash of Unchain the Wolves and rammed it back down the throats of anyone foolish enough to be stood nearby with mouth agape.  In doing so, they didn't quite hit the heights of the previous album and whilst by no means a failure there's a sense of there being one or two fangs missing from the bite this time around.

Whilst still super-aggressive and as in your face as you'd like it to be, I find a sense of the record not quite delivering on some levels.  Oddly for this style of music, I miss the catchier elements of the debut.  These seem to have been replaced with more plodding/hum-drum/run of the mill type sections that don't really drive the message home with the same intensity as expected.

Even the obviously more memorable tracks such as I am the Wargod (Ode to the Battle Slain) lack a certain degree of punch to leave a lasting enough bruise to the brain.  Despite the intensity and the energy levels it doesn't appear to get the album anywhere near what came to pass on their debut.  

On the plus side, as a standalone blackened thrash record it is a solid enough a record in its own right.  Charging and rampant enough for any fan of the genre to enjoy, with grim and raspy vocals and a motoring rhythm section to boot.

The rabid death/thrash sound of the debut album from Pestilence Malleus Maleficarum was replaced by a more straight forward death metal sound on the sophomore record. Still a massively riffy affair, Consuming Impulse was the sound of extreme music delivered skillfully.

Patrick Mameli's dexterity on guitar knows no bounds on the band's sophomore release. He took simple riffing and elevated into a frenzied intensity that still had enough in the way of catchiness to make them memorable and repeatable, either in your head or on your own six string. On the same record there were still more complex passages that showed his range yet still they gave space to Van Drunen who set about his trademark unhinged, deranged and crazed vocal style to great effect on what was to be his final release with the band (very much a big loss as it turned out to be). 

This was all from a band several thousand of miles away from the developing US death metal scene, yet the Dutch band from Enschede, Overijssel dropped an album of such magnitude and presence that it could trade blows with the Morbid Angel's and Obituary's of the time and only narrowly lose out on points. 

In a rapidly developing scene the release of Consuming Impulse showed just how the spread of death metal could infect the European market as it went on to infect the world. This album acted like a super-spreader, taking all the good elements of the debut and marrying them up with an enhanced arsenal of riffs and howls. The rabid thrashing of the debut became the threat of greater devastation from a slightly more measured delivery on the follow up.  The maturity and adaptability displayed on only their second record to my ears drained the tank for the rest of the band's output as they have never topped Consuming Impulse.

Another gateway record for me.  The introduction to the medieval minimalism of Summoning was at first a stretch too far for my more traditional black metal tastes.  However, after sticking with it and giving it repeated listens it soon found some semblance of regular rotation and to this day is still my most visited and familiar release.

This is a tough sell for a lot of people and I get it, really I do.  Not only is this a very different take on black metal in terms of sound it is also structured on epic song lengths making the repetitive nature of the delivery a tad arduous.  Barring the opening instrumental your looking at six minutes plus here as your shortest track with more than a couple going over the nine minute mark.  I find some odd comfort in the album though in the sense that once I am tuned into the environment I don’t necessarily want to hear anything too different so I end drawn in to the record almost inevitably.

To say there’s fanfare here is an understatement.  Unlike other albums I have reviewed with symphonic elements riding roughshod over proceedings or trying to keep up unnecessarily with the more aggressive parts of the music, here the balance is great.  Despite the minimal style deployed there’s still a sense of depth to the record, like it is background music for some heinous Middle Ages banquet, complimenting the rich opulence of some of the guests whilst also giving a grim nod to the mire the servants move around in.

Whilst it might not be worthy of anymore than three stars, this record is as solid and consistent a release as you could hope to find and whilst it may bore the living daylights out of some listeners, I take great solace in every listen.

Listen back to "Pure Holocaust" or "Battles In The North" and you simply cannot deny the cold, harsh and blistering fury of the pace across those records. Relentlessly executed and delivered with real venom each time, they are quite rightly bona fide classics in any BM collection. What "At The Heart Of Winter" brought was a less frenzied, much more calculated assault. With it's immediate use of melody from virtually the word go (check out album opener "Withstand The Fall Of Time" from about 3 mins in for 30 seconds or so as a fine example of how things were going to pan out on this record), measured perfectly by those awesome riffs and thunder toms, man!

This was never a case of Immortal wimping (or selling) out. This album was a point in time for Immortal and at that point they were at the top of their game not just musically but also in the quality of the songwriting. Each track is an epic foray into Abbaths' nightmarish, frozen world only this time there is no searing, ice-cold wind stinging your eyes; instead you have Immortal as the fiery dragon scorching out of the blueish haze, standing proud and stoic over their realm.

The pace isn't doom by any stretch and that is one of the key successes of this album. It might be a change of sound but it is still so very obviously Immortal, Abbath is unmistakeable in his vocal delivery but this time the band are building structures around them. Take second track "Solarfall" and listen as it swoops in and out of fast paced riffs and more melodic passages that help build the imagery behind the song title brilliantly. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the "Tragedies Blows At Horizons", with it's measured development and well reined pace punctuated superbly by dreamy plucked strings and big, bold and plodding riffs.

Of course I am going to mention the artwork too. It's up there with Emperor "In The Nightside Eclipse" in terms of epic, fantasy artwork doing great justice to what lies beneath. It is one of those records that if ever owned on vinyl I could sit gawking at the cover for hours.

By the time you get to the oddly titled "Where Dark & Light Don't Differ" the sense of controlled aggression is all the more evident here with the thrashing riffs and astonishing drum work of Horgh combining perfectly. 

If you haven't figured out by now that the title track is going to be awesome then its opening foray of picked strings and haunting keys should be enough of a wake up call. It is a whole 2 minutes before that riff crashes in and Abbath's grim croak establishes itself. Again there is variety galore in terms of riffs, melody and drums on this one track alone. The track gallops along with riffs leaving horseshoe imprints on your forehead as the mighty Immortal beast thunders on.

By the time you reach "Years Of Silent Sorrow" you are still just as exhausted as you were at the end of "Pure Holocaust". Only this time your Immortalised brain has had to come to terms with a melodic style of BM that retains all the harsh, cold and scathing darkness of the genre yet it has been somehow packaged in a solid structure of accessible and thoughtful songwriting. 

Rotting Christ's brand of Hellenic black metal went into full on Gothic story telling mode on their 1996 release.  Balancing the Gothic and melodic elements whilst still retaining their charcteristic grim vocals and yet warm guitar tones, the album was the work of a band developing well.  I think this album shows a level of maturity and growth that was pivotal in getting the band to become almost household names in the world of black metal.

End to end the album has a real sense of flare.  Whilst never straying to the realm of being garish the panache for fluid and flowing melodies was in over drive on this release, cementing the bands sound alongside grown up songwriting that oozed class and captured the ear of the listener well.  Incorporating catchy riffs that are allowed to standout despite the thick production job, the album also builds great atmosphere to boot.  The weight of the production keeps the feel of everything being played through some dank fog but still gives key components space to thrive when needed, like swimming underwater without goggles and still being able to see aspects of the sea bed clearly.

The band had by this point in their career released numerous demos and two full lengths so if there was a time to expect them to "Kick on" a few levels then album number three was it.  Sakis, Themis and Jim all work together well to deliver a measured yet still very powerful feeling album.  There isn't a lot of power to the music here and it is better for it, the Gothic melancholy coats most of the music and shrouds it bleak and dreary tones whilst the melodic aspects lift the instrumentation, warming further the tone of the riffs and the stabbing leads.

Probably one of my preferred Rotting Christ releases so an absolute pleasure to be able to spend an hour with it earlier to relive it's dark, melodious glory.  In terms of its place in this list for the North Clan Challenge it is a particular standout record in comparison to the vast majority of the other albums listed.  Nobody else on the list sounds like Rotting Christ for sure and this only serves to fuel the fires of this being one of the standout releases here.

Blut Aus Nord’s “777” trilogy initially passed me by as being just “three more BAN records!” Foolish though my initial summary admittedly was there is no denying that taken as three sprawling soundscapes that explore the full dynamic range of one of black metal’s more experimental artists, this trilogy commands more than just a cursory listen. To truly unfold the ethereal and haunting and downright catastrophic tale they tell here requires time to be dedicated to the cause.

The theme (I suppose I could say the story at a push) behind the trilogy is essentially the death of mankind as we know it. Predictably perhaps, this does not happen in as simple a format as a nuclear war or even a deviant strain of some pandemic. BAN’s vision is much more terrible and is delivered with a real sense of there being a taunting applause reaching a steady crescendo, somewhere in the darkest corner of the universe.

Told in three parts, this macabre yet (increasingly) relevant scenario plays out with the upmost contempt for humanity that you can muster. Do not be fooled by the relatively tame artwork that adorns Sect(s). The bold silver and gold symbolism belies a cruelty without bounds. Capturing this vision of man being stripped of his belief systems, of his ideologies, of his very existence. Artist Daniel Valencia clearly understood the vision from his discussions with Vindsval. As the first third of the trilogy, Sect(s) sets out a bold undertaking in deconstructing the known foundations of life itself, pouring scorn on the selfish nature of humanity and assaulting the very principles of cultural, religious, and existential need.

“…there once was a star on which clever animals invented knowledge. That was the highest and most mendacious minute of 'world history' — yet only a minute. After nature had drawn a few breaths the star grew cold, and the clever animals had to die. One might invent such a fable and still not have illustrated sufficiently how wretched, how shadowy and flighty, how aimless and arbitrary, the human intellect appears in nature. There have been eternities when it did not exist; and when it is done for again, nothing will have happened.” Friedrich Nietzsche, On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense, (1873) – with thanks to Lurkersgrave.com for pointing me to this.

Nietzshce’s quote seems to be a perfect summary for the trajectory that Sect(s) starts us on for the rest of the “777” trilogy. It begins at a hopeless point of no return, without any reverse gear to select or handbrake to apply. This crude sense of inevitability that it flings the driver and all passengers head-first through the windshield is the opening act of a series of events on an unimaginable scale.

To deliver all this BAN simply dip into their armoury of tormented chords and deviant rhythms that disorientate the listener. It is an album that you can lose all sense of narrative in and for once I have no issue with this – it is after all exactly how it was intended to be done. This is not supposed to be an easy listen. The tracks are all entitled “Epitome” followed by the relevant numerical order, but this order is against the values of the song writing of course and as such I find it has little traction.

By and large the more aggressive of the three albums, Sect(s) will appeal to the more traditional bm fan whilst also clearly setting a tone for the imaginative and the alien aspects of the style also. The opening track flies straight out of the traps leaving the listener in no doubt as to what they are in for. Niggling riffs flit about the place before the track breaks into a much more looming prospect. As with a lot of tracks on the album, BAN have this art of making riffs taunt one another. Like tormented serpents writhing in some biblical pit of reckoning; just as one thinks it has the better of another its opponent snaps its head away, prolonging the anguish of the game.

As we have come to expect with BAN, the album also has more than its fair share of ambient ludes/sections, often they appear when we least expect them, causing a sudden change of pace or tempo. These moments seem to just be placed to emphasise the misery of the unfolding story and can equally lead to melancholic melodies just as easily as they can charges of ferocious black metal. At the same time though there are arty rock moments that shimmer in their avant-garde nature, delivering a sense of maturity and total consciousness to the horrific subject matter. This is truly the beginning of the end, and the auditory assault will not let you forget that.

For an album that I hold in such high regard (now that I have taken time to listen properly to it over many spins) it is hard to find fault as so much of what goes on here only has value when explored in the context of the whole trilogy. As such there is very little wrong with Sect(s), despite its obvious deviance from the norms of extreme metal. For any first-time listeners – what the hell are you doing starting out here? Go and start at Ultima Thulee and build yourself up to this stage of the bands career. For the uninitiated, this is a hellish soundscape to comprehend. The undulation of the riffs, the constant subtlety of the drums that frustrates and compliments at the same time, finalised by vocals that you are never quite sure if they are there or not make for a dizzying experience. I have heard the word hypnotising applied to reviews of this album and I have to say that this sums my experience up perfectly. I am so in tune with the album that I can track the mesmerising dissonance that haunts the experience from start to finish. I look upon Sect(s) as being a collection of six rituals that defy linear narrative and yet are just as interesting and enthralling as any story, legend or myth you could care to think of.

There's an intensity to Ulver's third full length that is as warming as it is abrasive.  Lot's of black metal records use the harsh tremolo of the riffing to push the extremity of their sound but on Nattens Madrigal... there's an edge to that corrosive fury that forms a structured layering to the chaos.  In that regard, you can feel each track building, evolving and taking on new form throughout.  Far be it from an unexpected trait but the intelligence behind this record is obvious and celebrated really well across all eight tracks.

I can't always put my finger on the true pulse of the album's more abrasive moments but that is not to say that it is lost as such; at it's core this album is pure black metal fury at its very finest.  But what appears to be a very fast or uptempo track actually feels more laboured upon closer listen, almost like the true dark heart of the record refuses to be suppressed by its own fiery rage and is constantly striving to thrive and make it's presence felt.

The album has it's share of sonics too.  Bold and blazing, not fully forward in the mix yet still so audible and virulent, they contextualise the refinement of the record perfectly.  At the same time there is still a definite sense of the album not suffering from any of the obvious poise and capability present.  Tracks start clumsily at times and can end suddenly in mid-full flow, the authenticity value of this as a trve black metal album is high.  The album is crudely melodic with only a handful of the more ambient/atmospheric passages present on the record.

It's hard to find fault with an album of such unadulterated and unbridled barbarity that at the same time offers such a depth in the sound whilst maintaining a familiar howling coldness.  Definite must have black metal right here.

"This is Armageddon!", he said.  Turns out his version of Armageddon is powerful as we all fear but is full of melody and enchantment.  The army it brings marches full of poise but is devoid of pomp; each confident footfall is firm holding the frame of each soldier stoic in their armour. When they charge, they blister the very earth itself as they scorch a black fire across the face of humanity, searing it's skin burning it's clothing and hair.  Back at marching pace they are vigilant, leaving no stone unturned, missing no opportunity to spread their disease far and wide, constantly expanding the invasion.

"This Armageddon!", he said.  This isn't a slaughter though, there's no hacking, no beheadings, no quick endings.  This is a torturous and vibrant parasite that dances on the air like some macabre firefly.  It kisses the oxygen gently, igniting it, teasing it's victims - forcing them to witness the performance.  Morbidly vivacious in their theatre, there is almost an air of enticement to its obvious yet alluring intent.  Not content to merely petrify with their looming atmospherics and siren-esque application of marauding melodies, when the swarm speaks it's tones are grim and ghastly.  The words are spat, mockingly into the faces of the terrified.  Their echoes, ring in the ears of all who he hear their utterance, carried on cold winds full of grit and darkness.

"This is Armageddon!", he said.  But this is actually a rebirth.  Once the addressing of the balance of power is done and darkness reigns supreme, it will learn to cast aside its ways of old.  It will show the vibrancy of evil's colour, the shades of black shall mix with the fiery orange of it's wrath, the deep crimson of its bloodlust, the burrowing green spread of the hellish micro-organisms it sweats from its very skin. 

"This is Armageddon!", he said.  It won't be quick, but nor will it outstay its welcome - the memory of it will not fade soon it knows.  As it clouds the skies, choking the life from the earth, the hordes play occasional folky melodies, aping the prey, letting it know the amusement this suffering brings.

"This is Armageddon!", he said.  Revel in its glory.

Another classic release that I get to review for my clan challenge.  Like my review for Filosofem this is another mechanised affair that takes some real close attention to get the best from.   The album is interspersed with ambient interludes that I normally don't get on with and see as a usual obstacle to the flow of a record but here they work seamlessly.  They allow tracks to breathe in and out of the listing either side of them, setting atmosphere perfectly and allowing for subtle infusion of dissonance that is another big factor in the sound of this album.

The whole album gives me the imagery of some giant part-humanoid/part-mechanised beast lumbering, stumbling and stuttering around some cavernous realm.  Partially blind but still so very in tune with its surroundings on some other near extra-sensory level.  Multiple limbs or feelers bashing against metallic and stone structures, sometimes chaotic as it thrashes around in it's trap giving a more traditional BM feel to the sound, whereas on other occasions much more subtle and measured in the awareness of the surroundings and able to translate this into the more dissonant and ambient parts of the record.

There's variety here to the sound, with more aggressive moments like Axis and The Supreme Abstract bashing and blasting their way through shorter bursts of energy.  At the same time the structure and poise to other tracks allow for an atmospheric and reflective build up using all the discordant, inharmonious and atonal tricks in the book to create fractious and unruly forms that follow no common structure.

This is an album to truly get lost in.  There's unexpected pace, time and tone changes that still catch me off-guard despite me having listened to the record on multiple occasions over the years.  The sum of all the moving parts is somehow tangible in form and reasoning despite the albums seemingly conscious attempts to be as incongruous as possible.  Album closer Procession of the Dead Clowns is one of my all time favourite closing rites to a record, dark, repetitive and smothering at the same time.  Brilliant album.

As it turns out, doing these album reviews not only puts me onto new records that I have never gotten around to listening to but also it seems it is highlighting former favourites that aren't perhaps ageing as well.   Anthems... falls into the latter unfortunately.  For the first time today, I noticed how confusing the whole experience of the album was.  All of sudden the sweeping keys and the grandiose swagger of the symphonic elements seemed hurriedly put together.  The once well-formed maelstrom of sound came across as being more a wall of noise nowadays.  

Maybe my ageing brain is the part of the equation that is all out of fluster here, musical tastes do change after all over time.  But, as per my review of Dimmu Borgir's Enthrone Darkness Triumphant there really is a sense of their being an utter rejection of the concepts and notions of coupling poise and calm with direct and driving pace to give a more clear vision of what the direction an album is taking.

With more traditional BM the journey is much easier of course.  The raw, lo-fi ethics of the music lends itself well to repetition and sustained attack.  When Anthems...  applies the same ethos with symphonic elements to boot it loses sight of the need to temper one or the other.  It is like a pack of racehorses, neck and neck for the whole race, resulting in no clear winner.  Imagine a whole day at the races where every race was like that, where nothing was clearly putting daylight between itself and the rest of the pack.  This is how the track listing feels to me now as I listen back.  Everything kind of becomes one.   Just a singular charging mass that allows nothing to really standout or for any leader position to change hands over the course of what soon becomes a slog.

I am not a fan of Nevermore.  There's a positive and non-judgemental start to a review if ever I saw one.  I find them to be reminiscent of high school metalheads the majority of whom liked thrash metal and one who wanted to be in a power metal band.  Warrel Dane's fantastic vocal ability was an abrasive clash too far me, it just did not fit alongside the equally superb guitar work of Loomis.  As good as they both were in their own way, they should never have been in a band together.

What The Politics of Ecstasy lacks in coherence it makes up for in effort.  There's nothing forced here, the performances are juxtaposed to me yes, but at the same time they are of a sufficiently high standard to entertain me as they espouse quality musicianship delivered with obvious passion.  Unfortunately there's just no me getting over the opposing styles.  This is one of the most frustrating metal albums I have perhaps ever had to review.

There's lots of Pantera like lead work here and very similar rhythms also, with this prevalent to the point of me being constantly reminded of Cowboys from Hell throughout the record.  I suppose we could argue that the vocals are what really set the sound apart from Anselmo and company, but again it is just too harsh a contrast even for that sake.  Even in the album's more enjoyable moments there's still a cringey moment lurking around the corner somewhere to jump out and make me pull a distasteful face as some vocal passage seems to be completely out of sync with the rest of the arrangement.

Overall, this album just doesn't work for me even with the many offerings of rope it throws me, i just can't get on with it.

Album number three for Megadeth was always going to be a challenge after the success of their sophomore.  "Peace Sells..." was a solid (if not a tad overrated) affair that cemented Mustaine's band firmly in the genre.  To open up your next release with a racing instrumental piece is a big call but they do manage to pull it off as 'Into The Lungs of Hell' immediately peaks the interest.  The big build up to 'Set The World Afire' continues this big feel to the opening of the record, however once the track starts proper it soon falters and feels like it is getting weaker, barely making midway through before the dip occurs to my ears.

Quite why 'Anarchy In The U.K.' made it onto the track listing remains one of my long standing strokey beard moments.  I actually saw it on the rear of the album for the first time and thought it would suit Mustaine's style of vocals perfectly and it kind of does but although I acknowledge they are essentially key to Megadeth's sound, I don't actually rate Dave's vocals all that highly.  The relevance of them on this cover is that they are the strongest part of the track.  To say I prefer the original version tells you how much I rate the rest of the band's contribution here (I hate the Sex Pistols).  Dave attests to listening to a lot of punk rock at the time of making this record so it does all make some sense.

'Mary Jane' again offers a strong build and injects a variety into the structure stakes along the way.  Thankfully, the strong start continues into the full length of the track as it rages and rants its way through four minutes plus of prime Megadeth.  '502' doesn't start well, I find it confusing and bashy, but it does settle down soon enough into a sufficiently angry little number to start the second half of the album.

Although I get the sentiment behind 'In My Darkest Hour' it just feels like it could have been so much more.  Structurally it is all there, I just can't get over my dislike for Mustaine's vocal delivery.  The rabid and meandering lead work fits the subject matter perfectly but somehow the whole song still falls short.  'Liar' is another classic, mocking and sneering Megadeth track with its sonics, chopping riffs and rumbling bass line.  This is the stuff that Dave's vocals were made for, give me 8 tracks of this and I am a happy fucker.

If not obvious from my review thus far, I find "So Far, So Good...So What!" frustrating because it is just so inconsistent.  'Hook in Mouth' just about sees to it that the record finishes on much higher a note than it started with (proper).  The reason it gets 3 stars is because although it fumbles it a bit, the record never drops the ball and still makes the end zone with it's head held high.

The version of the CD that I have includes unreleased bonus tracks because the band wanted to try and share the power that was present on this record so Paul Lani's mixes of 'Into the Lungs of Hell', 'Set the World Afire', 'Mary Jane' and 'In My Darkest Hour' make this version of the release up to 12 tracks.  They do sound fuller and less restrained than their final cut incarnations but they only really would have impact if they had made the final cut in this mix.  I just end up with a real sense of "look at what you could have won!" with these bonus tracks.

In three decades of line up changes, drug abuse, fallouts and increasing political awareness Megadeth have always still remained for me on the fringes of my thrash metal tastes. After the first 3 albums which I enjoyed immensely, I was totally bemused then (and still am now) by the worship for "Rust In Peace" in 1990. "Countdown To Extinction" fared better in these ears but still that was my last Megadeth album purchase. Nothing happened release wise for me until I stumbled across "Endgame" in 2009 which I actually thoroughly enjoyed, with its showy guitar antics and solid song structures it kept me entertained.

It's fair to say that Megadeth are a different band to the duo that first came together back in 83, however "Dystopia" instantly captures something that was lacking in the bands two previous releases. Energy. Four tracks in and the racing plod of "Death From Within" will have you thinking that you are listening to a Testament record because this album has a dark energy in it, a heaviness not always present with Megadeth releases of old. Mustaine's vocals are definitive and identifiable still but somehow are different (whether this is entirely down to the production or his age is a point for debate however). The comparison to latter Chuck Billy performances isn't a million miles away as a reference point at least.

Prevalent throughout are the excellent lead exchanges (the work on "Bullet to the Brain" being of particular note) which are tempered superbly by that familiar solid riff work, rigid in structure and firm in delivery. You can't help but listen to "Post American World" without thinking it is 1985 and Mustaine and co are just chopping away like the young thrash maniacs they were back then, it is moments like this that Anthrax should sit up and take note of. Far from the predictable and at times dull "For All Kings", Megadeth have released a very solid thrash metal album here.

There's a life to each track on "Dystopia". Taken as a whole the album has a clear influence of old school thrash yet has a spectrum of melody and variety coupled with clever orchestration and superb musicianship. Loureiro is superb and sounds like he's been duelling with Mustaine for all 33 years of the bands existence and Adler supports the whole structure perfectly with Ellefson dispatching his bass duties with assured calmness throughout.

"Dystopia" is charged. It is explosive, searing and heavy to boot. There is a real sense of a return to form most definitely. Listen to instrumental "Conquer or Die" and hear that choppy riff rumbling along to the bass perfectly whilst Mustaine and Loureiro scorch blistering leads everywhere effortlessly. Even the cover of hardcore heroes Fear's "Foreign Policy" is carried off with enough aplomb to work a treat! 

I started listening to "Dystopia" very much of the opinion that I wasn't going to like it. Maybe influenced by peer pressure or the poor effort from Anthrax from earlier the same year, I had pretty much decided that Megadeth's best days were well and truly behind them. It is nice to be proved wrong sometimes though and also nice to see veterans of the metal genre be able to pop up and drop an amazing record in today's market that pound for pound matches almost anything else I have heard from bands a lot younger and fresher than Megadeth.

I can't sign off without mentioning the artwork. It is not my cup of tea at all, CGI concocted nonsense for nonsense's sake to me but thank Satan that what lies beneath is light years better than the packaging suggests.

I have never really got on all that well with any Anthrax release.  Whether it is the debut, the much lauded Among The Living or their live output, I just find everything to be lacking somewhat overall.  Their best release has to be Spreading the Disease but even then the world doesn't get bathed in flames for me.  I think that fundamentally I have never enjoyed any of the vocalists over the years.  Whether it has been Turbin, Bush or Belladonna things have always felt underwhelming and decidedly weak on the vocal front.  Whether it has been to please a younger audience (or maybe just a more accessible one) I have found the output in recent years to be weak overall and lacking in any real power.

1990's Persistence of Time was by all accounts disappointing.  Two singles released from the album had been given mixed response.  The cover of Joe Jackson's Got The Time being less well received than the more anthemic In My World and this is probably the story of the album overall, a mish-mash of some good ideas and some real filler thrown in to permeate the cracks.

The album does take a while to get going, the first three tracks - despite being memorable enough - just don't really make me feel like this is a positive start to an album.  Time feels clunky and cumbersome in both structure and delivery, Blood comes off as quite immature from a songwriting perspective and likewise Keep It In The Family lacks any real bite despite seemingly trying to say a lot.

It is the aforementioned single, In My World that kicks things off proper for me.  It feels authentic and angry like a thrash metal album should do.  Seething with despair and crippled by hatred for mankind it is one of the few real gems of the many songs that Anthrax have written.  Unfortunately, the next few tracks just pass me by and without the record playing I could not recall any context of how they sounded at all.  Only Belly of the Beast provides some glimmer of well constructed thrash metal but it is not until the penultimate track One Man Stands that things get back on course, albeit fleeting before the horror of Discharge closing the album.

I hadn't quite realised just how much I disliked this record until I sat down to write this review, I even neglected to notice I owed a copy on CD which I have no recollection of picking up.  Sorry Anthrax fans, after 30 years of listening to metal I doubt much is going to change in the way of my low opinion of Anthrax.

In case anybody still hasn't realised yet, I like my thrash metal as vicious as possible.  The very essence that attracted me to thrash metal in the first place was the more primitive and aggressive end of the spectrum.  Raging energy, lightning fast delivery and unapologetic attitude tick virtually all my boxes and float my boat to kingdom come.

Epidemic of Violence has all of the above highlighted characteristics in abundance.  Whether it is the scathing vocals of Steve Reynolds, the pounding drums of the late Vinny Daze or the chugging riffs and warped leads of James Reilly and Derek Sykes, I am literally spoilt for choice on here.  For the whole album there's a real sense of authenticity for the aggressive art form the band have chosen to pursue.  Track by track things just get layered up with more riffs, sharper leads and blindingly paced rhythm sections.

A lot of people prefer the debut to this but I think the sophomore more than edges it.  It takes the primeval style of the debut and adds some elements of refinement to make the assault seem more calculated this time around. It is just as terrifying as the first time around with the lyrical content being just as blunt and uncompromising as the crude utterances were on the debut.  If you take a listen to the 2008 remaster you get hear these vocals in the live setting on four bonus tracks that underline the prowess on display on this record already. 

Whichever version you have the pleasure of listening to, Epidemic of Violence is an absolute tour de force from start to finish and their finest offering over a discography of just three albums.          

In the grander scheme of things, despite a career spanning nearly forty years and with my metal listening years fast approaching thirty, I only really started to get on with Overkill from about 2014.  White Devil Armory received enough praise amongst peers for me to give it a whirl when previous attempts to engage with the band had been unsuccessful due to me not instantly getting along with Bobby's vocal style.  Slowly but surely I began to unravel their vast and varied discography, picking my favourites and dismissing the less appealing releases over the past five or six years.

Horrorscope  sits atop the pile of favourites.  I find it one of the most consistent thrash metal albums in my collection if I am honest, perhaps even the most consistent of all.  Surprisingly for me it is not an album that goes near the extremity of my preferred end of the thrash spectrum.  The album is surprisingly accessible and catchy to find in my collection (considering that the likes of Condor and Sadus adorn my shelves as regular plays).  I am a sucker for real chuggin' riffs and that motor engine like efficiency to the riffs on this album just pull me right in.

In terms of the aforementioned consistency they maintain this for eleven tracks which is no mean feat.  Even the cover track doesn't trip the record up.  It just feels full of running still even as it draws to a close.  This was the final album before the groove elements started to creep into the band's sound and to be fair if you manage to achieve a great album like this then it is forgivable to try something new on future releases, although it wasn't as successful admittedly.  I hear melody on Horrorscope as opposed to any real groove influence entering the fray and it is on these more obvious melodic moments such as New Machine that the record loses a bit of entertainment unfortunately.  Not devastating but enough to keep the record away from a full five stars at least.

Life outside of the Big 4 of thrash metal isn't always as constant a struggle as you may be forgiven for believing.  By the time their debut full-length dropped in 1987 Testament were sailing into very well-known waters for the average thrash metal fan.  By this stage we had heard three Metallica albums, a multitude of Slayer albums including the much lauded Reign In Blood, a couple of solid releases from Mustaine and co and Anthrax had just dropped Among The Living a month earlier.  The Legacy therefore had to land with a real splash to make any impact.   Even though I wasn't around the metal scene then, it is clear from spinning the record some 30 years after it was released that it could hold its own against any of the aforementioned artists and their key albums to this point.

Whilst it wasn't as extreme as Reign In Blood or as accomplished as Master of Puppets, Testament had a major asset over everyone else in the ballpark at the time and his name was Chuck Billy and he gave The Legacy a unique edge over almost anything that thrash metal had heard before.  I feel he is often overlooked as one of the most challenging of vocalists in thrash metal, with a gruff style that is more domineering than James Hetfield yet equally as racing as Tom Araya with the high-end shriek being another obvious if not obligatory thrash trait that he also had in the bag.  As Testament grew, his style became more bellowing and boisterous but on the debut he found his feet quickly and established himself well in an already established scene.

The other thing that strikes me about The Legacy is how good the lead work is with Skolnick and Peterson doing energetic and well-paced solos on an album that isn't all that well produced to be fair (the mix leaves a fair bit to be desired in my book at least).  There was also a real team effort on the songwriting front, with everyone barring Chuck putting in a shift and this shows certainly with the two guitarists (the chief songwriters) who sound cohesive and slick.  Tracks like Alone In The Dark stick in your head for a lifetime after one listen and the energy throughout the whole thing is consistent.  It never gets to Slayer-like speed yet still has a burning intensity akin to the aforementioned band, it just feels a tad more subtle in delivery.

Whilst obviously held back on the production/mixing job for me, The Legacy is still a great thrash metal record that deserves more credit than it often gets.  The bits that shine - the vocals and guitars - are blinding.  There are better debut albums yes but there aren't many of those bands with those better debuts still around building their own legacy like Testament still are.

One of the reasons why I enjoy Metallica’s debut album is the level of sheer, unadulterated pleasure that the band sound like they are having in delivering the album. That raw energy perfectly transposes into entertainment value and really captivates my interest some near forty years after it was released. One of the few other debut album releases that matches my experience of Kill ‘Em All is Slayer’s Show No Mercy, both in terms of that raw energy (which I find to be less cutting on SNM in all honesty) but also in how it encapsulates how fun it must be to be in a metal band.

The reason why I say this is because Slayer wear a lot of influences on their sleeve throughout SNM. NWOBHM is a big influence here which should come as no surprise given the year was 1983, however they did not merely copy these influences, verbatim. Instead, they used them as a solid foundation on which to progress the vibrant speed and thrash metal elements that dominated their sound. Whether it is the Maiden or Priest influences that are dashing through on the tracks or the cruder Venom-like moments, they are all being represented on Slayer’s terms.

I can excuse the poor production, in fact it is part of the charm of SNM, but I do find elements of the performances lacking still. Araya’s vocals show all the hallmarks of a conventional 80’s speed metal shriek but they do fall short in some places. He lacks the gruffness of Hetfield and places his inflections in the wrong place on more than one occasion. Equally, again with production aside, Lombardo just appears to go through the motions for most tracks. In terms of ability, it is only the relentless riffing that I find consistent here and it is this, alongside the astute use of influences that keeps the album at a four-star experience.

Although not on a par with Kill ‘Em All in terms of perfection, SNM still stands up as a defining album for The Pit clan since it explores the early niches of extremity that Slayer would come to represent within three years of this release. Whilst flawed in places, none of these are fatal to the success of the album and SNM did a fine job of doing enough to whet the appetite for what was to follow.