Ben's Forum Replies
The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 17th to the 28th of June, 2022.
1. Heathen's Rage (GUARDIANS)
2. Villain (GUARDIANS)
3. Vampyr (GUARDIANS)
4. Kuni (GUARDIANS)
5. Preyer (GUARDIANS)
6. Death Mask (GUARDIANS ,PIT)
7. Dr. Mastermind (GUARDIANS, PIT)
8. The Comes (GUARDIANS)
9. White Tiger (GUARDIANS)
10. Amahiru (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
11. Ancient Myth (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
12. Antillia (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
13. Centvrion (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
14. Cross Borns (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
15. Crystal Gates (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
16. Mari Hamada (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
17. Misako Honjoh (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
18. Natur (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
19. Nemophila (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
20. Saber Tiger (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
21. Fatima Hill (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
22. Sonic Prophecy (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
23. Midnight Darkness (GUARDIANS)
24. Cobra (GUARDIANS)
25. CJSS (GUARDIANS)
26. Ripper (GUARDIANS)
27. Impaler (GUARDIANS, PIT)
28. X-Caliber (GUARDIANS)
29. Demonic Christ (HORDE, NORTH)
30. 122 Stab Wounds (HORDE)
31. Withered Earth (HORDE)
32. Disordered (HORDE)
33. Lothlorien (HORDE)
34. Infertile Surrogacy (HORDE)
35. Hacavitz (HORDE, NORTH)
36. Zygoatsis (HORDE, NORTH)
37. Crawlspace (HORDE, REVOLUTION) - requested by shadowdoom9
38. A Mind Confused (HORDE)
39. Exhumation (HORDE)
40. Burning Inside (HORDE)
41. Solerrain (HORDE)
42. Begrime Exemious (HORDE, NORTH)
43. Ezophagothomia (HORDE)
44. Luminous Vault (HORDE, NORTH, SPHERE)
45. Pyramid (INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
46. Amon Goeth (NORTH)
47. Nox Intempesta (NORTH)
48. Mayhemic Truth (NORTH)
49. Magane (NORTH)
50. Von Goat (NORTH)
51. Airs (NORTH)
52. Eïs (NORTH)
53. Sektemtum (NORTH)
54. Moon (NORTH)
55. In Aeternum (NORTH)
56. Stribog (NORTH)
57. Hetroertzen (NORTH)
58. Black Matter Device (REVOLUTION)
It's Entombed's "Clandestine" for me personally. Sonny
Me too!
I went to the end of the A albums in my collection, so this should be the last big ask I have of you for a while:
Amahiru
Ancient Myth
Antillia
Centvrion
Cross Borns
Crystal Gates
Fatima Hill
Mari Hamada (I want to say everything between In This Precious Age and Persona is not metal, with the first couple of '00s albums being Alternative)
Misako Honjoh (Visualize I and Shall We Dance? are not metal, I'm not certain if Visualize II is or not)
Natur
Nemophila
Pyramid (New York)
Saber Tiger
Sonic Prophecy
These have all been added. There were exactly 100 releases all up!
Sorry for being so late on this Sonny. Things are hectic at the moment. If you haven't already made the list, I'd like to include...
- Primitive Man - This Life off Insurmountable (2022)
- Epitaphe - Insignificant off II (2022)
The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 9th to the 16th of June, 2022.
1. Magus (FALLEN, HORDE)
2. Crown of Autumn (FALLEN, HORDE)
3. Meatjack (FALLEN)
4. Abstract Spirit (FALLEN)
5. Ophelia (FALLEN)
6. Absum (FALLEN)
7. Breaker (GUARDIANS)
8. Medieval (GUARDIANS)
9. Whitecross (GUARDIANS)
10. Agentz (GUARDIANS)
11. Drifter (GUARDIANS, PIT)
12. Commander (GUARDIANS)
13. Northwind (GUARDIANS)
14. Assault (GUARDIANS)
15. Mephisto (GUARDIANS, PIT)
16. Ossian (GUARDIANS)
17. Exodo (GUARDIANS)
18. Destiny (GUARDIANS)
19. Aftermath (GUARDIANS, PIT)
20. Axat (GUARDIANS)
21. Backyard Mortuary (HORDE)
22. Torch Runner (HORDE)
23. Putrevore (HORDE)
24. Gyze (HORDE)
25. Katechon (HORDE, NORTH)
26. Party Cannon (HORDE)
27. Reverorum Ib Malacht (HORDE, NORTH)
28. Ellorsith (HORDE, NORTH)
29. Noneuclid (HORDE, INFINITE, PIT
30. Necroexophilia (HORDE)
31. Cannabis Corpse / Ghoul (HORDE, PIT)
32. The Kennedy Veil (HORDE)
33. Hymenotomy (HORDE)
34. Heaving Earth (HORDE)
35. Grey Heaven Fall (HORDE, NORTH)
36. Inanna (HORDE, INFINITE)
37. Slidhr (NORTH)
38. Nine Treasures (NORTH)
39. Vuyvr (NORTH)
40. Nightbringer / Dødsengel (NORTH)
41. Denouncement Pyre (NORTH)
42. Manii (NORTH)
43. Basarabian Hills (NORTH)
44. Eerie (NORTH)
45. Mosaic (NORTH)
46. Kjeld (NORTH)
47. Dynfari (NORTH)
48. Chambre Froide (NORTH)
49. Obskuritatem (NORTH)
50. Minenwerfer / 1914 (NORTH)
51. ['selvə] (NORTH)
This has been on my list for a while. Next time I work with my developer, I'll see what we can do. I'll PM you all when it's done. 
I think you've got all the necessary releases now. If you want to go deeper, you could check out Hellwitch, Merciless, Massacra, Master, Atrocity and Cancer.
The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 1st to the 8th of June, 2022.
1. Le Baron Vampire (FALLEN)
2. Nadja & OvO (FALLEN)
3. Evoken / Beneath the Frozen Soil (FALLEN)
4. Bastard Noise (FALLEN)
5. Skraeckoedlan (FALLEN)
6. Pyrithe (FALLEN, INFINITE)
7. Bog Body (FALLEN)
8. D (FALLEN, GATEWAY) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
9. Halestorm (GATEWAY)
10. Alias (GUARDIANS)
11. Oracle (GUARDIANS)
12. Leather (GUARDIANS)
13. Witchhammer (GUARDIANS, PIT)
14. Phantom (GUARDIANS)
15. Wicked Maraya (GUARDIANS)
16. Patrick Rondat (GUARDIANS)
17. Terra Rosa (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
18. After Image (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
19. Aion (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
20. Volcano (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
21. Seikima-II (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
22. Zigoku Quartet (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
23. Hydra (GUARDIANS, PIT) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
24. Hamka (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
25. Arthemis (GUARDIANS) - requested by Morpheus Kitami
26. Self Deconstruction (HORDE)
27. Abhomine (HORDE, NORTH)
28. Sinsaenum (HORDE, NORTH)
29. Reptilian (HORDE)
30. Spinebreaker (HORDE, REVOLUTION)
31. Rude (HORDE)
32. Suppression (HORDE)
33. Lunar Blood (HORDE)
34. Megace (INFINITE, PIT)
35. Osiris (INFINITE, PIT)
36. Hint (INFINITE,SPHERE)
37. Vomitron (INFINITE)
38. Tómarúm (INFINITE, NORTH)
39. Selvans / Downfall of Nur (NORTH)
40. Ragehammer (NORTH, PIT)
41. Trautonist (NORTH)
42. Ritual Knife (NORTH)
43. Blattaria (NORTH)
44. Grav (NORTH)
45. Druadan Forest (NORTH)
46. Faceless Entity (NORTH)
47. Akvan (NORTH)
48. Beyond Possession (PIT)
I've added all your requested bands Morpheus. Note that it wasn't always clear which genres should be added to each release, as some of them have no genre votes at all at RYM. I've made educated guesses, based on the releases either just prior or just after them in the band's discography. If you know better for any of them, please let me know and I'll adjust.
It was fun tracking down good quality covers for some of these albums, particularly the 33 Seikima-II releases. Had to use all my investigative skills.
This is a discussion that Daniel I have also had and generally disagree, so it's an each to their own thing. As a DJ, he likes to build the "set" up from the lighter side to the more extreme. I'm the complete opposite, and like to mix things up throughout the playlist, shifting the styles so that there aren't long stretches that might be a challenge for some listeners or just become tiresome. When putting The North playlist together, the idea of kicking off with a bunch of folk, blackgaze and lighter melodic black metal tracks, that a lot of listeners might not be into at all, and then closing things with a lengthy run of intense black and war metal, just doesn't appeal to me. I think I'm much more likely to endure and possibly appreciate the tracks that aren't to my taste when I know that just around the corner there will likely be one that does. The not knowing what's coming next approach is something I really enjoy, so try to bring that to my playlists.
To be clear though, this is just my preference, and there's no right or wrong answer here.
I might have to reposition it if we ever have lots of users, but for now it seems fine.
When on a Release page, you can now see who has that release in their Top 20 and at what position. Check it out...
June 2022
1. Aara - Mitgift (from Triade II: Hemera, 2022)
2. Marduk - Throne of Rats (from Plague Angel, 2004) [Submitted by Sonny]
3. Watain - We Remain (from The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]
4. Sear Bliss - Birth Of Eternity (from Glory & Perdition, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]
5. Inquisition - From Chaos They Came (from Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zentih, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]
6. Månegarm - Vitta vettr (from Ynglingaättens öde, 2022)
7. Forteresse - Spectre de la rébellion (from Thèmes pour la rébellion, 2016)
8. Slaughtbbath - Black Revelation of Death (from Contempt, War and Damnation, 2017) [Submitted by Sonny]
9. Dissection - A Land Forlorn (from The Somberlain, 1993) [Submitted by Sonny]
10. Bethlehem - Wahn schmiedet Sarg (from Bethlehem, 2016)
11. Teitanblood - Anteinfierno (from Death, 2014) [Submitted by Sonny]
12. Mistur - Downfall (from In Memoriam, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]
13. Yellow Eyes - Sick with Bloom (from Sick with Bloom, 2015)
14. Immortal - In My Kingdom Cold (from Sons Of Northern Darkness, 2002) [Submitted by Daniel]
15. Tómarúm - Condemned to a Life of Grief (from Ash in Realms of Stone Icons, 2022)
16. Abigor - Project Shadow (from Fractal Possession, 2007)
17. Sacramentum - Fog's Kiss (from Far Away From The Sun, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]
18. Blasphemy - Blasphemous Attack (from Gods Of War, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
19. Caladan Brood - Book of the Fallen (from Echoes of Battle, 2013)
To be honest Ben, I think I prefer the look of the single decimal point ratings. Although I am a numbers nerd, I feel the two decimal places look a bit much in comparison to the standard layout. It may also be off-putting to some as it may feel excessively stat-driven.
As a point of interest though, are the charts still ranked by the two decimal point ratings, even though they aren't visible? (Told you I was a numbers nerd!)
I believe the charts do use the multiple decimal points. I recall testing that theory at one point and it seemed to be the case.
I intentionally made it one decimal point when designing the site (for simplicity), but I kind of thought I might change it once there were lots of site users (at which point it would become more relevant). We haven't reached the "lots of site users" point yet, but I am wondering whether I prefer it or not. Keen to hear from others.
I think there's more clarity, Ben. Also why are the My Dying Bride and Cynic albums both #4 on your list?
Because I was testing, and wanted to know what would happen if I did that. I guess I was hoping it would move the ones below it down a spot, but that was wishful thinking.
Not very user friendly to adjust unfortunately. I've asked my developer how we can improve it.
As an aside, what do you guys think about the way the ratings display in the Top 20 lists, with two decimal places. I kind of like it, and am considering applying that to the whole site. Thoughts? Does it make it too busy? Or would this just provide more clarity?
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a band who's sole claim to fame is that they were on M-A's top 100 list of bands by number of full-lengths...Baboon/Baboon Rising. And also used to not have any reviews whatsoever, which was irrespective of quality, their music just wasn't on the internet.
That's impressive! Unfortunately, despite seeing this as a challenge, I don't think I can add Baboon Rising to Metal Academy. Since I have to select a clan for every release, I rely on RYM genre voting to be accurate. Given no-one has voted on any of these releases, I can't be certain that they all belong to The Guardians.
Hey, when did the ability to list your top twenty releases on your profile page appear? Just updated mine, but it'll probably change quite regularly!
Anyway it's pretty easy to use, but if you want to insert a different release do you have to delete all the ones below where you wish to place it then add them back in, or am I being thick?
I haven't tested it yet. It was just completed overnight. Let me have a crack at it!
The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 20th to the 31st of May, 2022.
1. Drowning Horse (FALLEN)
2. Fister (FALLEN)
3. Bast (FALLEN, INFINITE)
4. Bird Eater (FALLEN, HORDE, REVOLUTION)
5. Hate & Merda (FALLEN)
6. Tzompantli (FALLEN)
7. Cable (FALLEN, REVOLUTION) - requested by Andi
8. Serpent Venom (FALLEN)
9. Ixion (FALLEN)
10. Junius / Rosetta (FALLEN)
11. When Nothing Remains (FALLEN)
12. Funeral Circle (FALLEN, GUARDIANS)
13. Heriot (FALLEN, REVOLUTION)
14. Dethrone (GATEWAY, PIT)
15. Tom Angelripper (GATEWAY, GUARDIANS, PIT)
16. Napalm (GATEWAY, PIT)
17. Destinity (GUARDIANS, HORDE, NORTH)
18. Exlibris (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)
19. Ivory Tower (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)
20. Hollow (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)
21. Soulspell (GUARDIANS)
22. Sebastien (GUARDIANS)
23. Morton (GUARDIANS)
24. Hammerforce (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)
25. Borrowed Time (GUARDIANS)
26. Solar Fragment (GUARDIANS)
27. Heinous (HORDE)
28. Trichomoniasis (HORDE)
29. Malthusian / Suffering Hour (HORDE, NORTH)
30. Bloody Falls (HORDE, PIT) - requested by Vinny
31. Once Human (HORDE, PIT)
32. Ruin (HORDE)
33. Imperialist (HORDE, NORTH)
34. The Order of Apollyon (HORDE, NORTH)
35. Hated (HORDE, INFINITE)
36. Monotheist (HORDE, INFINITE, NORTH)
37. Construct of Lethe (HORDE)
38. Abraded (HORDE)
39. Petrification (HORDE)
40. Stagnant Waters (INFINITE, NORTH, SPHERE)
41. Mandroid Echostar (INFINITE)
42. The Kindred (INFINITE)
43. Talons (INFINITE)
44. Metallic Taste of Blood (INFINITE)
45. Enochian Theory (INFINITE)
46. The Korea (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)
47. Virgil Donati (INFINITE)
48. Until Rain (INFINITE)
49. Means End (INFINITE)
50. Vouïvre (NORTH)
51. Lucifer's Child (NORTH)
52. Bonjour Tristesse (NORTH)
53. Pure (NORTH)
54. Horns & Hooves (NORTH, PIT)
55. Witchaven (NORTH, PIT)
56. Solbrud (NORTH)
57. Bezmir (NORTH)
58. Ulg (NORTH)
59. Incandescence (NORTH)
60. Airwolf (PIT)
61. Recipients of Death (PIT)
62. Hellkrusher (PIT)
63. Sacrament (PIT)
64. Bitter End (PIT)
65. Dr. Know (PIT)
66. Wasted Youth (PIT)
67. Sarcasm (PIT)
68. Necrosis (PIT)
69. Volcano (REVOLUTION)
Welcome Morpheus! Didn't realise you were a metal fan. I hope you find the site to be valuable, and I'll add your requested albums in the coming days.
To answer your question around the ratings on the album covers, it depends where you are on the site. Generally speaking, the blue ratings are the overall average rating for the release by all site users, whereas the orange ratings are the average rating for the release by the site users that belong to the releases clan(s). So I see that you've joined The Fallen, The Guardians and The Pit. If you were to rate an album that belongs to just The Horde, then your rating would count in the blue Site Rating, but not in the Clan Rating for that release. If you were to rate an album that belongs to The Guardians, your rating would count in both the blue Site Rating and the orange Clan Rating, as you belong to the release's clan. If you were to rate an album that belongs to The Fallen AND The Horde, then your rating would also count in both the blue Site Rating and the orange Clan Rating, as you belong to at least one of the album's clans.
That said, if you visit The Gallery (which you'll find in the menu at the top of the site), the numbers on covers represent the average Site and Clan Ratings for the covers rather than the music. If you look at the below release page, I think it will start to make sense, but ask any questions you might have.
Don't feel stupid Sonny. I was just schooled as well!
Mizmor & Thou - Indignance off Myopia (2022)
MWWB - Logic Bomb off The Harvest (2022)
Night Hag - Phantasmal Scourge off Phantasmal Scourge (2022)
The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 12th to the 19th of May, 2022.
1. Alaskan (FALLEN, INFINITE)
2. The Well (FALLEN)
3. Freedom Hawk (FALLEN)
4. Mirrors for Psychic Warfare (FALLEN)
5. Telekinetic Yeti (FALLEN)
6. Dead Witches (FALLEN)
7. Autism (FALLEN, INFINITE)
8. A Secret Revealed (FALLEN, INFINITE)
9. Mares of Thrace (FALLEN) - requested by Sonny
10. Sigiriya (FALLEN)
11. A.N.I.M.A.L. (GATEWAY, GUARDIANS, PIT)
12. Cobra Strike (GATEWAY)
13. Philm (GATEWAY)
14. Jeff Williams (GATEWAY)
15. Dangerkids (GATEWAY)
16. Islander (GATEWAY)
17. Haski (GATEWAY)
18. Vexes (GATEWAY)
19. Imminence (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)
20. Wolves at the Gate (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)
21. Skiltron (GUARDIANS, NORTH)
22. Starkill (GUARDIANS, HORDE)
23. The Dagger (GUARDIANS)
24. Gus G. (GUARDIANS)
25. Palantír (GUARDIANS)
26. Black Sites (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)
27. NorthTale (GUARDIANS)
28. Fortress (GUARDIANS)
29. Gygax (GUARDIANS)
30. Skelator (GUARDIANS, PIT)
31. Minenfeld (HORDE)
32. Target (HORDE, INFINITE)
33. Oath of Cruelty (HORDE, PIT)
34. Vacivus (HORDE)
35. Gomorrah (HORDE)
36. Skullsmasher (HORDE)
37. Lahmia (HORDE)
38. Urushiol (HORDE, INFINITE)
39. The Ritual Aura (HORDE)
40. Special Providence (INFINITE)
41. Ghost Ship Octavius (INFINITE)
42. Heart of a Coward (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)
43. Napoleon (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)
44. Jason Richardson (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)
45. Foscor (INFINITE, NORTH)
46. Ashenspire (INFINITE, NORTH)
47. Asira (INFINITE, NORTH)
48. Perihelion (INFINITE, NORTH)
49. Ibaraki (INFINITE)
50. Ails (NORTH)
51. Grá (NORTH)
52. Horna / Pure (NORTH)
53. Volahn / Xaxamatza (NORTH)
54. Suspiral (NORTH)
55. Triste Terre (NORTH)
56. Drawn Into Descent (NORTH)
57. Asphodèle (NORTH)
58. Furor Gallico (NORTH)
59. Rosenfeld (PIT)
60. Ravenous (PIT)
61. Entropy (PIT)
62. Ripped (PIT)
63. Anonymus (PIT)
64. Terror Squad (PIT)
65. Fuck Off (PIT)
66. Diamond Plate (PIT)
67. Mortillery (PIT)
68. Foreseen (PIT)
69. Rubbish Heap (REVOLUTION)
70. Rise to Remain (REVOLUTION)
71. Jamey Jasta (REVOLUTION)
72. Tempest (REVOLUTION)
73. Knocked Loose / Damaged Goods (REVOLUTION)
74. Joliette (REVOLUTION)
75. Advent (REVOLUTION)
76. KAQRIYOTERROR (REVOLUTION)
77. Palm (REVOLUTION)
78. Sonic Mayhem (SPHERE)
79. Breach the Void (SPHERE)
80. Surgical Meth Machine (SPHERE)
Hi Ben, I just read your review of the new Thou/Mizmor split and your request for advice. Thou are doom/sludge and Mizmor are more blackened sludge as a rough guide. If you want to check out either I would suggest you start with Cairn from 2019 for Mizmor and 2018's Magus for Thou. Both are great, but personally I prefer Thou, although I still have much to explore myself from both bands. Mizmor's ALN has close ties to MSW of Hell and plays drums for Hell live.
Thanks Sonny! Sounds like I have a lot to get my teeth into.
Ah... I've figured it out. Somehow you've rated the release twice, which causes it to show twice for you. I've deleted one, so it should only show once now.
I still can't replicate that Andi, or see multiple of the album in the database. Maybe it's a caching issue? Just to make sure I'm not missing something, can you send me the URL that you're on when you see the duplication?
I'm going here: https://metal.academy/bands/6617
Ben, please add these new albums:
Eighteen Visions - 1996
Upon a Burning Body - Fury
Also there a couple errors involving Upon a Burning Body in the site; Southern Hostility is duplicated in the band's releases page, and all of that band's releases are missing the sub-genres tags in their respective pages. So could you please fix these errors when you can? Thanks!
I've added the missing sub-genres Andi, but I'm not sure what you mean by Southern Hostility being duplicated. I can't see that anywhere.
A few notable anniversaries today, but none more important than the 35th anniversary of Bathory's Under the Sign of the Black Mark. Not just an immensely important album, but also a damn great one. R.I.P. Quorthon!
The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 4th to the 11th of May, 2022.
1. Zess (FALLEN, GUARDIANS)
2. Giant (FALLEN, INFINITE)
3. Caldera (FALLEN, INFINITE)
4. Black Mayonnaise (FALLEN)
5. The Sword / Witchcraft (FALLEN)
6. Ornaments of Agony (FALLEN)
7. Beehoover (FALLEN, GATEWAY)
8. Mind Eraser (FALLEN, REVOLUTION)
9. Scissorfight (FALLEN)
10. Cowboys & Aliens (FALLEN)
11. Mizmor & Thou (FALLEN, INFINITE)
12. Saron Gas (GATEWAY)
13. IC3PEAK (GATEWAY)
14. Thrasher (GUARDIANS, PIT)
15. Chasar (GUARDIANS)
16. Zions Abyss (GUARDIANS)
17. Abraxas (GUARDIANS)
18. Iron Attack! (GUARDIANS, INFINITE) - requested by SilentScream213
19. Mystic-Force (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)
20. Kirk Hammett (GUARDIANS, INFINITE)
21. Tension (GUARDIANS, PIT)
22. Cerebus (GUARDIANS)
23. Nite (GUARDIANS, NORTH)
24. Purgatory (GUARDIANS, PIT)
25. Taliön (GUARDIANS, PIT)
26. Hammer (GUARDIANS)
27. StarGazer / Invocation (HORDE, NORTH)
28. Creation Is Crucifixion (HORDE, REVOLUTION)
29. Nyctophobic (HORDE)
30. Dominus Xul (HORDE)
31. Waco Jesus (HORDE)
32. Reprisal (HORDE, REVOLUTION)
33. Enemy Soil (HORDE)
34. Meat Shits (HORDE)
35. Bad Acid Trip (HORDE, PIT, INFINITE)
36. Cryptic Wintermoon (HORDE, NORTH)
37. December Wolves (HORDE, NORTH, SPHERE)
38. Judecca (HORDE)
39. Decrepit (HORDE)
40. Auberon (HORDE)
41. Sins of Omission (HORDE)
42. Disembarkation (HORDE)
43. Shadow (HORDE)
44. Agiel (HORDE, NORTH)
45. Morgue (HORDE)
46. Enforsaken (HORDE)
47. Searing Meadow (HORDE)
48. Estradasphere (INFINITE)
49. Garden Wall (INFINITE)
50. WAIT (INFINITE)
51. Satan's Almighty Penis (NORTH)
52. Graupel (NORTH)
53. Malveillance (NORTH)
54. Abhor (NORTH) - requested by Sonny
55. Throne of Katarsis (NORTH)
56. The Ruins of Beverast / Deathgate Arkanum / Nihil Nocturne / Anti (NORTH)
57. Deathgate Arkanum (NORTH)
58. Diaboli (NORTH)
59. Draugar (NORTH)
60. Zargof (NORTH)
61. The Mist From the Mountains (NORTH)
62. Shattered Realm (PIT, REVOLUTION)
63. Malevolence (PIT, REVOLUTION)
64. After the Bombs (PIT)
65. Nuclear (PIT) - requested by Sonny
66. A Breath Before Surfacing (REVOLUTION)
I have to admit that the Hall situation is frustrating. I do think it's something the site needs, so it's disappointing that we haven't attracted a large enough membership to make it really tick. I also have to admit that I struggle to stay on top of all the submissions (I'm currently close to 5o behind!). I guess there's not a lot of encouragement for me to put in consistent effort in that area when very few submissions go past a couple of votes.
Daniel and I have been talking about it though, and I think I'm going to hand him the keys to manage the whole process. I'd rather not lower the amount of votes required, but since submissions can be completed manually, I think we just start calling them successful or unsuccessful when it looks like a forgone conclusion. For example, if a submission has around 6 yes votes and 0 no votes, I think we just need to call it successful and move on, at least for now.
I can't say I've heard the Sempiternal Deathreign demo Sonny. I might have to check it out at some point as I've always had time for "The Spooky Gloom".
What he said.
Challenge completed!
Consider me intrigued. I'll have to give this album a go.
This discussion convinced me to bite the bullet and start writing some reviews again, letting go of the need to cover every release from every possible angle. Thanks for opening up Sonny!
Listened to this playlist over the last couple of days and found a lot to enjoy.
There were some great tracks that I'm already familiar with, such as Ruins of Beverast, Profetus, Isole, Electric Wizard, Mar de Grises and Type O Negative. More importantly though, there were a few tracks from bands that I definitely need to get more acquainted with, particularly Ufomammut and Arð. I'm not sure if that Arð track is representative of their overall sound, but I'm hoping it is. Right up my alley.
Thanks Sonny!
One thing I would appreciate some feedback on is what is acceptable as constituting a review on the site. I have sensed a certain attitude that you must write some sort of academical treatise on every release you review for it to be acceptable. My own style of review writing is never going to fall into that category as I have neither the skill nor knowledge to produce such pieces, but I would rather say something about a release, even if it is only one paragraph, especially if there are no other reviews for it rather than just let it sit there with a pile of numbers next to it. Do the rest of the membership consider that view to be acceptable or would you rather be like metal-archives and require everyone to have a masters degree in music before accepting their review submissions?
Apart from me making it so that only reviews of more than a set amount of characters appears as a "review" on a release (I don't remember how many characters it was, but it wasn't very many), I don't recall any conversation about what does or doesn't constitute a review. Personally I think even a couple of lines of thoughts is way better than no thoughts at all, so I'm all for whatever you want to do Sonny.
If anything, after writing essays for every review when I was younger, I set a standard for myself that I just don't have the time to uphold anymore. So I think you and I might be placing the same unnecessary expectations on ourselves. You'll see more single paragraph reviews from me in future, and I hope we'll see your thoughts too, no matter how brief.
Because I know you're all desperate to get an update on my Iron Cross project, I've managed to find decent quality images for all of them. Rest assured that all 79 releases will be on Metal Academy in time for the weekend!
I've already spent over an hour on this challenge, and all I've got to show for it is a list of releases. It has taken all of my Batman detective skills to discover release catalogue IDs so that I make sure I don't miss anything. I've also attempted to translate all titles into English to keep things consistent. I've only failed with one, being 秘封奇塊遺産 1 , for which the best attempt I can make translates to Secret Lump Heritage 1. Somehow I don't think that's correct, although the Japanese can be wonderfully weird at times.
So now I just need to find high quality artwork for all 80 releases (I won't be adding the single or the split), format them all to 1000 x 1000 while removing any obvious blemishes I discover, then add them all to the site one by one.
If the above gives you the impression that I'm not enjoying myself, you're wrong. I love this shit!
MIA001 Metal God Knows… SINGLE
MIA002 Blave Heart EP 2007 29/04/2007
MIA003 Unleashed in the East Album 2007 17/08/2007
MIA004 Iron Attack! Album 2007 24/12/2007
MIA005 Evil Mountain Album 2007 31/12/2007
MIA006 Cave Attack! Album 2008 9/03/2008
MIA007 Blade of Ancient Temple SPLIT 2008 25/05/2008
MIA008 Dead Heat Refrain Album 2008 16/08/2008
MIA009 Devil's Daughter Album 2008 13/10/2008
MIA010 Thunder Concert Album 2008 30/12/2008
MIA011 Savage Flames Album 2009 8/03/2009
MIA012 Sparking Album 2009 5/05/2009
MIA013 Far East Judgement Album 2009 15/08/2009
MIA014 Crying Destiny Album 2009 11/10/2009
MIA015 Miss Understanding Album 2009 30/12/2009
MIA016 Vampire Concerto Album 2010 14/03/2010
MIA017 Best Collections Compilation 2010 5/05/2010
MIA018 Black History Compilation 2010 5/05/2010
MIA019 Arashi No Hurricane Album 2010 14/08/2010
MIA020 Pre-Historic Eruption Album 2010 11/10/2010
MIA021 Poltergeist Album 2010 30/12/2010
MIA022 Concerto of the Scarlet Elements Album 2011 13/03/2011
MIA023 Angel Mountain Album 2011 13/08/2011
MIA024 Bullet Wind Album 2011 16/10/2011
MIA025 Deamon's Seal Album 2011 30/12/2011
MIA026 STAR DUST Album 2012 27/05/2012
MIA027 Guitar Odyssey - Instrumental Best Compilation 2012 11/08/2012
MIA028 Sailing Destiny - Vocal Best Compilation 2012 11/08/2012
MIA029 Paper Moon Album 2012 7/10/2012
MIA030 Burn in Hell Album 2012 30/12/2012
MIA031 Heaven's Sword Album 2013 26/05/2013
MIA032 Plastic Mind Album 2013 12/08/2013
MIA033 Fairy Tale Album 2013 13/10/2013
MIA034 Thundercrack Album 2013 30/12/2013
MIA035 Sail Up EP 2013 30/12/2013
MIA036 Artemis Album 2014 27/04/2014
MIA037 Scarlet Furor Album 2014 11/05/2014
MIA038 Icicle Fall Album 2014 16/08/2014
MIA039 Sentimental Symphonia Album 2014 12/10/2014
MIA040 Raise a Flag Album 2014 29/12/2014
MIA041 Dim.Starlight Album 2014 29/12/2014
MIA042 Takasago Army Album 2015 26/04/2015
MIA043 Death and Rebirth Album 2015 10/05/2015
MIA044 Star Dust Memory Compilation 2015 14/08/2015
MIA045 Sister of Puppets Compilation 2015 14/08/2015
MIA047 Shanghai Moutan Album 2015 30/12/2015
MIA048 Triumph Album 2015 30/12/2015
TRNA-10012 Sangoku Attack! Album 2016 20/01/2016
MIA049 Space Galaxy Album 2016 24/04/2016
MIA050 Bullet Blitz Album 2016 8/05/2016
MIA051 Twilight Under World Album 2016 13/08/2016
MIA052 Takasago Army 2 Album 2016 13/08/2016
MIA053 Uchu to Fantasy Album 2016 9/10/2016
MIA054 Perpetual Nightmare Album 2016 29/12/2016
MIA055 Power and Glory Album 2016 29/12/2016
MIA056 80's Graffiti Album 2017 30/04/2017
MIA057 Keep Your Faith Album 2017 7/05/2017
MIA058 The Hard Facts of the Scary Touhou world Album 2017 11/08/2017
MIA059 Spirit of Shumshu - Battle of Shumshu Album 2017 16/08/2017
MIA060 Mystique Concerto Album 2017 15/10/2017
MIA061 Holy Krieg - Crimson Axis Album 2017 29/12/2017
MIA062 Demon City Fantasy Story Album 2017 29/12/2017
MIA063 80's Graffiti 2 Album 2018 29/04/2018
MIA064 The Seventh Sin Album 2018 6/05/2018
MIA065 Unknown Flowers Album 2018 10/08/2018
MIA066 Iserness Kreuz Album 2018 10/08/2018
MIA067 Future and Past Album 2018 14/10/2018
MIA068 Illusion Crisis Album 2018 30/12/2018
MIA069 Deutschland's Advance Album 2018 30/12/2018
MIA070 秘封奇塊遺産 1 Album 2019 5/05/2019
MIA071 Red Justice Album 2019 12/08/2019
MIA072 Blue Faith Album 2019 12/08/2019
MIA073 Japonism Album 2019 6/10/2019
MIA075 Follow the Destiny Album 2019 31/12/2019
MIA074 Daitoa Holy War Album 2020 31/12/2019
MIA076 Labyrinth with Vampire Album 2020 22/03/2020
MIA077 Little Daybreaker Album 2020 5/05/2020
MIA078 Perfume of Silence Album 2020 11/10/2020
MIA079 No Loser, No Winner Album 2021 21/03/2021
MIA080 Maze of Gradation Album 2021 24/10/2021
MIA081 Flame of Deliverance Album 2022 24/03/2022
Can I assume from your questions Daniel, that you and Ben are unhappy with how the playlists are panning out in their current form?
We're not at all unhappy with the playlists. We just want to make sure that site members are enjoying contributing, collating and listening to the playlists. From the above feedback, the answer is a resounding yes!
I do know that putting together a two hour playlist for The Sphere every month, which in all likelihood no-one is listening to, is a pretty thankless task for Daniel. The suggestion above to make it a one hour playlist might help on that front. I do agree that it wouldn't be very inclusive to stop doing any specific clan playlist, and he could always up it back up to two hours if we do manage to attract some contributing Sphere members.
As for me personally, I made it a goal a few months back to at least comment on the playlist threads that I listen to (which is normally The Fallen and The Horde), and I don't think I've followed through on that at all. I'm very happy to see that people are enjoying the process of putting the playlists together, but I don't want people to ever feel like their efforts are not appreciated. Even a "very much enjoying this playlist on my trip in to work this morning" can make it all worthwhile, so I'm going to recommit to doing it.
Iron Attack! from Japan have (listed on RYM) 59 full length albums, none breaching 50 ratings (as of now). I have heard almost 40 of them! And they are all strong, solid pieces of Neoclassical Power Metal. Some have J-Pop style vocals while others are purely instrumental. I don't expect you to add all of these to Metal Academy... but I wouldn't be complaining!
Was that a challenge? That sounded like a challenge!
I definitely listened to the Holocausto release, but remember very little about it. That probably says a lot about how I actually felt about it. I do know that I gave it three stars, so I guess it wasn't terrible. ***
The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 22nd of April to the 3rd of May, 2022.
1. Bloodstar (FALLEN, PIT, SPHERE)
2. Rose Kemp (FALLEN)
3. As Serenity Fades (FALLEN, HORDE)
4. Dispatched (FALLEN, HORDE, GUARDIANS)
5. Halfway to Gone (FALLEN)
6. Omit (FALLEN)
7. Secret Cutter (FALLEN, HORDE)
8. Droids Attack (FALLEN)
9. Cryptic Brood (FALLEN, HORDE)
10. Jesters of Destiny (GATEWAY, GUARDIANS)
11. Bride (GATEWAY, GUARDIANS)
12. L.A.P.D. (GATEWAY, PIT)
13. Zilch (GATEWAY, SPHERE)
14. Sektor Gaza (GATEWAY)
15. Endo (GATEWAY)
16. Mutha's Day Out (GATEWAY)
17. Haji's Kitchen (GATEWAY, INFINITE, PIT)
18. Lynch Mob (GATEWAY)
19. Wicked Wisdom (GATEWAY)
20. Crysys (GUARDIANS)
21. The Handsome Beasts (GUARDIANS)
22. Sledgehammer (GUARDIANS)
23. Demon Eyes (GUARDIANS, PIT)
24. Trauma (GUARDIANS, PIT)
25. Glory Bells (GUARDIANS)
26. Parasite (GUARDIANS)
27. Cutty Sark (GUARDIANS)
28. Demontage (GUARDIANS, NORTH)
29. InnerWish (GUARDIANS)
30. Bluuurgh... (HORDE, PIT)
31. Transmetal (HORDE, NORTH, PIT)
32. Hazael (HORDE)
33. An Isle Ate Her (HORDE, REVOLUTION)
34. Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship / Cheerleader Concubine (HORDE)
35. Cheerleader Concubine (HORDE)
36. Amboss (HORDE)
37. No Zodiac (HORDE, REVOLUTION)
38. Tanpopo Crisis (HORDE, NORTH)
39. Exoto (HORDE)
40. Buddy Lackey (INFINITE)
41. Embraced (INFINITE, NORTH)
42. Drawn (INFINITE)
43. Jamie Saft (INFINITE)
44. Kinsky (INFINITE)
45. Superior (INFINITE)
46. Lemur Voice (INFINITE)
47. Aeon Zen (INFINITE)
48. Gnaw Their Tongues & Crowhurst (INFINITE, NORTH)
49. War (NORTH)
50. Wederganger (NORTH)
51. Death Like Mass (NORTH)
52. Grylle (NORTH)
53. Martyrium (NORTH)
54. Violet Cold / Sadness / A Light in the Dark / Unreqvited / Show Me a Dinosaur (NORTH)
55. Imperial Cult (NORTH)
56. Terrahsphere (PIT)
57. Carrion (PIT)
58. Black Shepherd (PIT)
59. Impact (PIT)
60. Apostasy (PIT)
61. Stygian (PIT)
62. Pulkas (PIT)
63. Black Comedy (PIT, SPHERE)
64. F.K.Ü. (PIT)
65. Crisix (PIT)
66. Foundation (REVOLUTION)
67. Division of Mind (REVOLUTION)
68. One King Down (REVOLUTION)
69. Acrid (REVOLUTION)
70. Xe-NONE (REVOLUTION, SPHERE)
71. Traitors (REVOLUTION)
72. AngelMaker / A Night in Texas (REVOLUTION)
73. Insane Driver (REVOLUTION)
74. A Plea for Purging (REVOLUTION)
75. Pigface (SPHERE)
Haha... I find it amusing that Sonny and I both defended ourselves against Daniel's (valid) discussion point, yet provided very different reasons. It just shows how personal listening to music is, and we all come at things from different angles.
I do understand what you mean Sonny when you talk about not hearing what's there sometimes. I often listen to an album around three times and then feel like I'm ready to rate it. I give it one more listen just to be sure, and then find that I like it a lot more than I thought I did. Suddenly things click, and I find myself a bit confused about what my rating should be, and have to give it yet another listen. So yeah, I think I'm with you, in that I don't think judging music comes completely naturally for me (I honestly think it does for Daniel). I have to work at it pretty hard before I'm confident sometimes.
I know what you're saying Daniel, but to be clear, when I talk about "listening in context", I don't mean that we should all be generous when rating early releases due to their importance. As you know, I can't make myself enjoy Hellhammer (or even the earliest Bathory), and you won't find me giving horribly produced demos high scores just because they were the first of their kind. I'm talking about the fact that I spent the better part of a year working my way through the first 6 or 7 years of death metal releases almost exclusively, and as a result of hearing an album like Scream Bloody Gore when compared to what else was out there at the time (in it's original context), I actually got much more enjoyment out of it than I had previously. It's not just that I appreciated it more, or that I understood it's relevance / importance more, it's that listening to it in context caused something to click. What wasn't grabbing me all that much previously suddenly did. I genuinely like it a lot now, and I do think my own death metal discovery year played a strong role in that.
I just checked, and have only given three pre-1990 death metal releases over 4 stars, being Leprosy, Altars of Madness and Consuming Impulse, the latter of which I'd given 3.5 prior to listening to it in context.
I only checked out Necrophagia's effort a couple of years back, and was also pretty surprised to hear just how much death metal it contains. I think you're right that it's nothing hugely special, but I found it to be a solid listen, and certainly underestimated when it comes to the development of the genre. Your score feels bang on to me. ***1/2
As for Scream Bloody Gore, well it also took me a long time to appreciate it. My Death journey began with Human, which is still a top 5 death metal album for me today, so working my way back to this obviously more primitive debut was tough going when I was 15 years old. Just like you, it was placing it in it's proper context that proved the difference, and I now very much enjoy what it has to offer. And how can any early death metal fan not dig Zombie Ritual?! ****
May 2022
1. Nordjevel - Fenriir (from Fenriir, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
2. Blut aus Nord - Tales of the Old Dreamer (from Tales of the Old Dreamer, 2022)
3. Black Fucking Cancer - Eradic Hate (from Procreate Inverse, 2022)
4. Dawn - Malediction Murder (from Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy), 1998) [Submitted by Daniel]
5. Xasthur - Screaming at Forgotten Fears (from To Violate the Oblivious, 2004)
6. Infernal Coil - Wounds Never Close (from Within A World Forgotten, 2018) [Submitted by Daniel]
7. Fall of Rauros - Poverty Hymn (from Key to a Vanishing Future, 2022)
8. Deathspell Omega - Enantiodromia (from The Long Defeat, 2022) [Submitted by Sonny]
9. Shade Empire - Ruins (from Omega Arcane, 2013)
10. Dark Funeral - Let the Devil In (from We Are the Apocalypse, 2022)
11. Äera - Äera (from Äer, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
12. Enslaved - Ethica Odini (from Axioma Ethica Odini, 2010) [Submitted by Sonny]
13. Saidan - Kissed by Lunar’s Silvery Gleam (from Onryō II: Her Spirit Eternal, 2022)
14. Bestial Warlust - Barbaric Horde (from Blood & Valour, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]
15. Woods of Desolation - Somehow… (from Torn Beyond Reason, 2011)
16. Ultha - Der alte Feind (Jeder Tag reißt Wunden) (from All That Has Never Been True, 2022)
Great discussion guys. Sadly you've already got way ahead of me, so I'll briefly play catch-up. Note that I didn't write reviews for a lot of these early death metal albums, so I'll be relying on my aging memory.
Like Daniel, I do believe Possessed's Seven Churches is the first officially released death metal album. For that reason alone it certainly deserves respect, and thankfully it delivers too. The influence on Morbid Angel is so critical to the development of the genre, but I think the influence that Slayer had on extreme metal in general is even more so. All this said, Seven Churches has never fully connected with me the way that I would like it to. It's a very good album, but not an elite one. Satan's Curse is the highlight track for me. ****
When I set off on my own death metal origin exploration a few years back, I was super excited to hear Messiah. They'd always been on my radar, but for some reason it wasn't until I was in my forties that I gave them a go. In the end the experience was a bit underwhelming, with the obvious enthusiasm tarnished by amateurish performances and vocals, not to mention those damn awful (embarrassing) spoken word intros. The debut is certainly better than it's follow-up (IMO), but I might have been generous with my score. ***
While Possessed's debut definitely contains death metal, the Beyond the Gates follow-up leans more into thrash. While it doesn't hit quite as hard, and I'm not sure any track can be considered to be a classic, there's still much to enjoy. Just a solid, if somewhat forgettable effort. ***1/2
Sepultura were a HUGE band for me, but I've always struggled with the production on their debut. It doesn't help that my original journey to it started with Arise and worked backwards to it. Looking at my scores now, I'm probably being a bit harsh on it (it does have Troops of Doom), but I'll stick to my original score for now. ***
Onwards to Scream Bloody Gore!
The latest addition to Metal Academy of a band that has stacks of releases that no-one's ever heard of is... Transmetal. This Mexican death / thrash band has no less than 26 full length albums! Only one of those albums has over 50 ratings on RYM, being El infierno de Dante from 1993. They must have a following in Mexico, as they also have a bunch of live and compilation releases. Anyone willing to give them a listen?
Having undertaken a very similar journey through the early years of death metal some years back, I'm totally on board to witness your own. We can compare notes.
Another couple of improvements.
1. Newly created forum threads now immediately appear on the homepage under Recent Topics. I've noticed that deleted threads don't immediately disappear, but I think that happens rarely enough to not be an issue.
2. I've added the ability to select the release that you're Currently Listening To.
Once you click the Currently Listening To button on a release, your site name will appear in the Currently Listening To release name section, which you'll find just above the band chronology on the release page.
The release you're currently listening to will also appear on your profile page. (Note that I'm going to get it changed so it has BAND NAME - RELEASE NAME, instead of RELEASE NAME - BAND NAME.)
You can only be listening to one release at a time. You can remove the release by either selecting that you're listening to a different release, or by clicking remove next to the release in your profile.
Please give feedback on this new feature if you have any. I'm sure I'll end up doing something else with it, such as having a page where you can see what everyone is listening to, but I'm open to suggestions for improvements or additional functionality.
Cheers,
Ben.