Daniel's Forum Replies
Suicide - "Alan Vega · Martin Rev" (1980)
I've never really understood the appeal of the 1977 self-titled album from this New York duo but I thought I'd give their highly praised sophomore record a chance to impress me nonetheless. It sees Suicide sitting somewhere between synthpop & synth punk with the dodgy vocals of Vega presenting a significant challenge for me. There are a couple of decent tracks here in the one-two punch of "Touch Me" into "Harlem" but I have to admit that I find the rest of the ten song tracklisting to be somewhat of a chore. I think "Alan Vega · Martin Rev" might actually offer me less appeal than the debut to be honest as it simply sounds so cheap by today's standards.
For fans of Silver Apples, The Young Gods & Metal Urbain.
3/5
Archgoat - "The Luciferian Crown" (2018)
I thought the fourth full-length from this Finnish war metal four-piece was their best work to the time when I first heard it shortly after release &, off the back of this week's latest revisit, I'd suggest that those feelings still hold up. Archgoat have always had a great sound & "The Luciferian Crown" is another well produced record that doesn't try too much but does what it does very well. It kinda sounds like Blasphemy meets Celtic Frost meets early Carcass which can't be a bad thing, can it? There's a big death metal component included here with the inclusion of ultra-deep vocals, doomier tempos & guitar solos all blending very well with the frantic war metal of the band's roots. This is a really solid release for the subgenre in my opinion, particularly the first couple of tracks which are brilliant. The only qualm I have is that the quality dips a bit through the middle of the tracklisting with "Messiah of Pigs & "Darkness Has Returned" being a touch weaker than the rest of the material.
For fans of Blasphemy, Beherit & Black Witchery.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten War Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Infernal Coil - "Within a World Forgotten" (2018)
02. Bestial Warlust - "Vengeance War 'Till Death" (1994)
03. Teitanblood - "The Baneful Choir" (2019)
04. Teitanblood - "Death" (2014)
05. Antichrist Siege Machine - "Purifying Blade" (2021)
06. Teitanblood - "From the Visceral Abyss" (2025)
07. Antichrist Siege Machine - "Vengeance of Eternal Fire" (2024)
08. Archgoat - "The Luciferian Crown" (2018)
09. Abominator - "Barbarian War Worship" demo (1995)
10. Impaled Nazarene - "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz..." (1993)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/216
Alice Coltrane - "Turiya Sings" (1982)
I discovered this lovely, meditative release many years ago now & have returned to it semi-regularly in the time since. "Turiya Sings" sees the iconic jazz artist & former wife of the legendary John Coltrane taking a dramatic stylistic departure from her jazz roots by composing nine deep new age pieces that utilize her own mantra-style vocals in praise of the Lord. It's quite a transcendental experience with the better inclusions relaxing & soothing me in a way that few others can.
For fans of Nala Sinephro, Sofie Birch & Mary Lattimore.
4/5
Burzum - "Fallen" (2011)
Varg Vikernes' eight (second recorded after his release from prison) studio album was a major disappointment for me at the time but it's been a good decade & a half since we last crossed paths now so I thought I'd give it another chance to capture me this week. Unfortunately, despite not being quite as bad as I first thought, "Fallen" is still a fairly underwhelming experience with pretty much every element being less effective than they've been during Varg's incredible creative peak of the mid-1990's. The overall sound is thrashier than he'd offered up before & spends time in both the conventional & atmospheric black metal space. There's a noticeable lack of synthesizers here though which is regrettable when you consider how wonderfully Varg's utilized them in the past. Vikernes' harsh vocals are totally different too & sound like he's really struggling to reproduce them in his old age while his incorporation of clean vocals is misguided, even bordering on being cringe-worthy. In saying all of that, there are some great black metal riffs here at times which leads to a good half of the record being pretty enjoyable (see "Jeg faller", "Vanvidd" & my personal favourite "Enhver til sitt"). Sadly though, the other half is pretty lacklustre with the tracklisting petering out badly at the end & collapsing completely with the God-awful neo-pagan folk closer "Til Hel og tilbake igjen". Look... you can obviously tell from my rating that "Fallen" isn't a complete disaster but it simply isn't up the task of maintaining Burzum's legacy. In fact, it's hard to deny that it does its best to tarnish it. I think "Fallen" was comfortably the weakest Burzum album to the time.
For fans of Drudkh, Forgotten Woods & Judas Iscariot.
3/5
Miles Davis - "Live-Evil" (1971)
Miles' 1971 double album is a very solid representation of where he was at creatively at the time & is a hybrid package that features both studio & love material. It's a lot less avant-garde than the highly praised "At Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East" from the previous year but has maintained a strong focus on improvisation with the star-studded lineup of contributors making for a very interesting & highly captivating listen which comfortably eclipses the previously mentioned 1970 live release for me personally. The influence of funk is quite pronounced throughout & I really dig that combination in my jazz fusion. The short & more ambient "Little Church" is the only blemish to be found here with the lengthier inclusions being not only the most indulgent but also the most compelling. I'd suggest that opener "Sivad" is probably my favourite piece but "What I Say", "Funky Tonk" & closer "Inamorata & Narration by Conrad Roberts" are also very strong. This release won't let down too many Miles fans.
For fans of Weather Report, Herbie Hancock & Mahavishnu Orchestra.
4/5
Here's the current list of releases with high votes in the Hall of Judgement. I encourage anyone who is eligible but is still yet to submit a vote on any of these records to consider participating so that we can reach a consensus that utilizes the full 15 vote system.
Celtic Frost - "Into the Pandemonium" (The Infinite/The Pit) Currently has 12 votes & just one more may see us reach a result
Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi" (The Infinite/The North) Currently has 11 votes & just one more may see us reach a result
Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath" (The Fallen/The Guardians) Currently has 11 votes & just one more may see us reach a result
Black Sabbath - "Master of Reality" (The Fallen/The Guardians) Currently has 11 votes & needs at least a couple more for a result
Sarcofago - "I.N.R.I." (The North/The Pit) Currently has 10 votes & needs at least a couple more for a result
Napalm Death - "Death by Manipulation" (1992)
This 1992 compilation popped up in my Spotify feed while I was driving this week & it has been a while since I last checked it out so I decided to give it another crack. "Death by Manipulation" compiles a number of Napalm Death's early singles & E.P.'s & falls very much in line with my feelings on 1987-1992 era Napalm Death in general in that I find it to be generally enjoyable but fail to really connect with it to a point that I feel like reaching for it for future revisits. I sit very much in the camp that feels Napalm's best work was still to come through records like "Utopia Banished" & "Fear, Emptiness, Despair", although I do really dig 1988's "The Curse" E.P. & their 1989 split with S.O.B. (admittedly due to the S.O.B. material). It's handy to have all of these records collected together on the one release but I don't think it's as essential as people seem to think.
For fans of Terrorizer, Brutal Truth & early Carcass.
3.5/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Deathgrind Releases of All Time list:
01. Napalm Death - "Utopia Banished" (1992)
02. Cattle Decapitation - "Monolith of Inhumanity" (2012)
03. Brutal Truth - "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" (1992)
04. Full of Hell - "Weeping Choir" (2019)
05. Damaged - "Passive Backseat Demon Engines" E.P. (1995)
06. Brutal Truth - "Need to Control" (1994)
07. Exhumed - "Dissecting the Caseated Omentum" demo (1992)
08. Lock Up - "Necropolis Transparent" (2011)
09. Cephalic Carnage - "Misled by Certainty" (2010)
10. Napalm Death - "Harmony Corruption" (1990)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/223
https://metal.academy/hall/640
For the record, I disagree & have voted NO on this nomination. There is certainly a doom/death influence but it's not enough for a primary tag in my opinion.
I've just finished this book that Ben bought for me for my 50th birthday & it was really interesting & entertaining. It focuses each individual chapter on a different band with the main focus being on extreme metal. There are some really interesting omissions actually & one gets the impression that the authors simply covered whatever bands they personally love but I can easily overlook that given that there are some real gold nuggets to be found here. I've learnt quite a bit about bands that I thought I knew everything about. Highly recommended.
Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch - "Twin Peaks: Season Two Music & More" (2007)
This is third Twin Peaks soundtrack release I've checked out over the years & I'd also suggest that it's also the weakest of the three. 1990's "Soundtrack From Twin Peaks" (i.e. the soundtrack from the original TV series) is comfortably the best of them & I return to it semi-regularly. 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (i.e. the score from the film) is a little hit & miss but is generally enjoyable while this release offers a similarly wide array of wins & losses, coming out on top overall though thanks to some remarkable highlight pieces that usually come from the deeper, darker side of Badalamenti's creative mind. I don't really think you need all three of these releases if you've already got the first one as it provides all of the Twin Peaks you really need in my opinion. I'll be taking some nice playlist inclusions from this one though.
For fans of Dean Hurley, Bohren & der Club of Gore & Johnny Jewel.
3.5/5
I've also been thinking that I should check out more electro-industrial as I generally enjoy that combination given my history with electronic music.
Defeated Sanity - "Chapters of Repugnance" (2010)
The highly regarded third full-length from this well-respected German brutal/technical death metal band is another very solid & ultra-chunky slab of barbarity. In fact, it's hard to think of too many bands that can out-brutal Defeated Sanity. You certainly know what to expect but they simply do this stuff so damn well that it's hard not to love 'em. In saying that, their material is so consistent that it's often hard to pick out highlights in terms of albums & tracks. I do think they're at their best when they slow things down a touch & take it a little easier on the technicality for a classic Suffocation vibe like on openers & clear album high point "Introitus". The unintelligible vocals, slightly chaotic drumming & the pingy snare sound are limiting factors but I can't deny that this shit is my bag so it's hard not buy into it. After this week's revisit, I think "Chapters of Repugnance" might be my second favourite Defeated Sanity album behind their 2013 follow-up "Passage Into Defomity" these days but there's very little between all of their classic releases so you could basically pick any of them.
For fans of Disgorge, Deeds of Flesh & Wormed.
4/5
Nine Inch Nails - "Pretty Hate Machine" (1989)
I introduced Ben to NIN off the back of the bangin' industrial metal tunes on 1992's "Broken" E.P. which saw him becoming a little bit obsessed with them during the early 1990's. He soon picked up their debut full-length "Pretty Hate Machine" on CD & found that it was much less metal than the much heavier E.P. he'd grown to love so much. From memory, I ended up stealing his CD & playing it day & night in my bedroom with my first real girlfriend who was heavily into the grunge scene & alternative rock. In fact, I think I may have lost my virginity to this album (I'm sure Ben will immediately throw his CD out now if he still has it). While it's certainly not as strong as NIN's next couple of releases, "Pretty Hate Machine" is devoid of any real blemishes & still has some great stuff on it, particularly when Trent Reznor strips things back & goes for more of an introspective sound (see the brilliant "Sanctified" & "Ringfinger" or spectacular album highlight "Something I Can Never Have"). If you're into NIN in any capacity then you really should devour their debut at some point as it's a high-quality industrial rock/electro-industrial record in its own right.
For fans of Filter, Gary Numan & "Sins of the Flesh"-era Sister Machine Gun.
4/5
Panopticon - "Autumn Eternal" (2015)
I haven't returned to Panopticon's highly praised sixth full-length since the time of release when I recall finding it to be fairly decent, without ever really fully captivating me. The same can said of this week's experience too which is similar to how I feel about a record like 2012's "Kentucky". I tend to favour Panopticon's more recent work like "...And Again Into the Light" & "The Rime of Memory" over this era to be honest. This material is simply a little two light-weight for my taste. It feels more like Sigur Ros than Mayhem with the pretty, melodic post-metal guitar lines & unintrusive production job making it a noticeably easy-listening release for the black metal scene. In fact, I find a fair few blackgaze records to be more in line with my musical comfort zone than I do "Autumn Eternal" if I'm being completely honest. It's certainly not a bad listen. It just doesn't really float my boat either. I would admittedly place it slightly ahead of the previously mentioned "Kentucky" in the Panopticon pecking order though.
For fans of Saor, Wolves in the Throne Room & Falls of Rauros.
3.5/5
The Geto Boys - "The Geto Boys" (1990)
A remix album that has become the calling card for this Houston gangster rap outfit. It's not a bad listen if can deal with the over-the-top gun-toting, misogynistic, drug-dealing lyrics. I'm not sure I'd say that it's in any way essential though.
For fans of Ganksta N-I-P, Gangsta Pat & Low Down da Sinista.
3.5/5
Dark Age - "Dark Age" E.P. (1984)
This one-off six-track E.P. has become a minor classic in US power metal circles over the years but I'd never explored it until now. The usual classic metal influences are all here in Iron Maiden, Judas Priest & Mercyful Fate while vocalist Robert Stevens sounds a hell of a lot like Rob Halford when he hits those incredible high notes. The guitar solos of Johnny Lj Issacs & Alan Foley are excellent too & have taken a lot of inspiration from Hank Shermann & Michael Denner. I'm just not sure the song-writing is strong enough to command the sort of praise I've read online though & it certainly doesn't help that "Dark Age" opens with its weakest cut in the disappointing "Metal Axe". The inclusion of Christian Death bassist Jimmy Thaiger is an interesting side note however I'm not sure I can see myself feeling the urge to return to "Dark Age" any time soon, even if it is a pretty decent heavy metal record.
For fans of Griffin, Tales of Medusa & Rat Attack.
3.5/5
Empyrium - "Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays" (1999)
This German act began life as a folk metal outfit before deciding to drop the metal altogether in favour of a purely organic dark folk sound with their third full-length "Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays" which is essentially the product of multi-instrumentalist Markus Stock (Noekk/Sun of the Sleepless/The Vision Bleak/Autumnblaze/Deinonychus) & his flutist wife Nadine Mölter with Empyrium & Noekk band mate Thomas Helm providing some guest vocals here & there. It's obviously been inspired by Ulver's "Kveldssanger" sophomore album & certainly has its moments (see wonderful album highlight "Dying Brokenhearted" or the excellent "The Sad Song of the Wind" for example) but it fails to reach those peaks regularly enough to see this becoming one of my go-to dark folk releases. I do think the duo have managed to achieve a similar level of quality to the Ulver record that inspired it though. In fact, I think I might slightly favour "Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays" to tell you the truth but I won't be placing Empyrium on the same shelf as artists like Tenhi or Vàli just yet.
For fans of Uaral, Vàli & "Kveldssanger"-era Ulver.
3.5/5
Antichrist Siege Machine - "Purifying Blade" (2021)
I was in dire need of some punishing war metal treatment yesterday so I turned to a very reliable source in American duo Antichrist Siege Machine & their 2021 sophomore record "Purifying Blade", a record which I consider to be the best of their three full-lengths to date. As usual, there's an impressive consistency to this material with just enough variety to keep the suitably short 29-minute run time interesting throughout. The wonderfully blasphemic vocals & frantic blast-beat drumming are par for the course with war metal but there are also some great grindcore riffs included here with Napalm Death & early Carcass being clear influences. I know a lot of people find this subgenre to be one dimensional but, frankly, I'm comfortable in that dimension so why would I look outside of it?
For fans of Primitive Warfare, Caveman Cult & Profane Order.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten War Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Infernal Coil - "Within a World Forgotten" (2018)
02. Bestial Warlust - "Vengeance War 'Till Death" (1994)
03. Teitanblood - "The Baneful Choir" (2019)
04. Teitanblood - "Death" (2014)
05. Antichrist Siege Machine - "Purifying Blade" (2021)
06. Teitanblood - "From the Visceral Abyss" (2025)
07. Antichrist Siege Machine - "Vengeance of Eternal Fire" (2024)
08. Abominator - "Barbarian War Worship" demo (1995)
09. Impaled Nazarene - "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz..." (1993)
10. Damaar - "Triumph Through Spears of Sacrilege" (2007)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/216
I can't believe my Pistons gave up a fifteen point lead to concede by four points in overtime to the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday. That leaves us at 2-3 in the best of seven series with game six now in Cleveland after losing three straight. It's not looking good.
Fennesz - "Endless Summer" (2001)
I bought this third full-length from Austrian electronic producer Fennesz on CD shortly after it was released but I can't remember for the life of me why because I don't find it very appealing now & don't think I did back then either because I haven't returned to it in all the years since. "Endless Summer" offers a noisy glitch sound that lacks the structure to make the song-writing work for mine. There are a few tracks that I quite like (see the ambient "Caecilia", my personal favourite "Got to Move On" & lengthy closer "Happy Audio") but it's not enough to overcome the less melodic & meaninglessly bleepy/clicky material. I can't see myself returning to this release any time soon.
For fans of Tim Hecker, Oval & Biosphere.
3/5
Rainbow - "Live in Germany 1976" (1990)
After checking out this excellent double live album, I'm gonna add it to "On Stage" (my personal favourite) & "Rising" as the Rainbow releases I can see myself returning to in the future. "Live in Germany 1976" is a collection of recordings from that tour with the vast majority of them being drastically extended & littered with creative improvisation & jamming. It really works most of the time though & gives you that true live band feeling. Dio's performance is wonderful as usual but I think this might be the only one of Ronnie's releases where I think he's actually been outdone as Ritchie Blackmore's contribution is spectacular here. How about the sweep-picking in 1976 then!? You can easy tell where Yngwie got his inspiration from. Anyway... this should be essential listening for Rainbow-heads & hard rock fans in general.
For fans of Deep Purple, Dio & Scorpions.
4/5
Yeah, I don't mind Munly but I wouldn't say that I've found any of his material to be essential as yet. My favourite gothic country releases are Chelsea Wolfe's "Birth of Violence" & Angel of Light's "How I Loved You", both of which I consider to be genuine classics. Wovenhand's "Blush Music" & Sixteen Horsepower's "Secret South" are also very strong & won't disappoint.
Yes, that's right Sonny. It's not a monthly playlist. I'm consistently adding material to the bottom & removing from the top to keep it fresh.
Henry Flynt - "You Are My Everlovin/Celestial Power" (1986)
I couldn't get into this debut album from North Carolina minimalism exponent Flynt when I first encountered it many years ago & have had a very similar experience this week. It contains two lengthy tracks, the first being a pretty decent 43-minute drone piece that I quite enjoy. Unfortunately though, the second piece (i.e. the 45-minute free folk tape music excursion "Celestial Power") is completely random & doesn't make any sort of musical sense & this ruins the overall release for me. This is a playlist record for me as I only place any value on the first half.
For fans of Natural Snow Buildings, Pelt & The Wooden Cupboard.
2.5/5
Aphex Twin - "I Care Because You Do" (1995)
The Irish IDM wizard's third full-length is yet another strong album from Richard David James whose first two "Selected Ambient Works" records were both essential releases for this ol' metalhead. This time, we see James opting for a much more chaotic & complex brand of composition, highlighted by the regular use of abrasive distortion which is effectively complimented by Aphex Twin's signature ambient synthesizers. While I wouldn't take "I Care Because You Do" over either of the two earlier ambient releases, I still find plenty to enjoy here, particularly the acid techno-infused material.
For fans of µ-Ziq, Autechre & Squarepusher.
4/5
Regurgitation - "Tales of Necrophilia" (1999)
I first checked out this highly regarded debut album around 17 years ago now but haven't felt the need to return to it until now. This Ohio four-piece certainly know a bit about making brutal death metal but I don't think they've quite achieved the level of technical proficiency to fully pull it off. They've certainly got a filthy sound with some very deep vocals & some disgustingly goresome lyrics. They don't do anything terribly original though & there are better exponents of this craft out there. In saying that, it's easy to tell that Regurgitation have come from a similar musical bandcground to myself as there's an obvious Chris Barnes-era Cannibal Corpse influence in their sound which also bares an uncanny resemblance to my own band Neuropath from earlier in the 1990's. The tracklisting fades a bit towards the end of the short run time but there's nothing that I'd mention as being weak included in this short 29-minute tracklisting. It's a mildly enjoyable listen without ever tempting me to award my higher scores at any point.
For fans of Necrotic Disgorgement, Heinous Killings & Deaden.
3.5/5
Delerium - "Spheres II" (1994)
I recently revisited the first few albums from this Canadian duo & really got into all three, particularly their classic debut. 1994's "Spheres II" was their eighth full-length & their third from that year alone. I hadn't heard it since I reviewed it way back in 2010 so couldn't really recall a lot about the experience but it's definitely got a different sound to the IDM, electro-industrial & dark ambient-driven early material. Instead, "Spheres II" sits somewhere between psybient & progressive electronic with a bit of space ambient here & there. In fact, after giving the album a few spins, I'm gonna have to suggest that this may well be the very first legitimate psybient release ever recorded & could have been the catalyst for what was to come. It's not as strong as the early Delerium records in my opinion though. The progressive electronic material hasn't aged all that well & the quality levels drop over the second half of the album. Still... it's not a bad listen either & isn't far off being another compelling Delerium release.
For fans of Front Line Assembly, Enigma & Pete Namlook.
3.5/5
The latest tracklisting of Metal Academy Radio's Metal Party Mix Tape is as follows:
01. Gojira - "Remembrance" (from "The Link", 2003)
02. Ministry - "The Missing" (from "The Land of Rape & Honey", 1988)
03. Negura Bunget - "Tesarul de Lumini" (from "OM", 2003)
04. Wormrot - "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Grind" (from "Voices", 2016)
05. Excessive Force - "In Your Blood" (from "In Your Blood", 1995)
06. combatwoundedveteran - "48. I Talk, You Listen" (from "I Know a Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos", 1999)
07. Incantation - "Abolishment of Immaculate Serenity" (from "Upon the Throne of Nazarene", 1995)
08. Satyricon - "The Dawn of a New Age" (from "Nemesis Divina", 1996)
09. Abigor - "Dornen" (from "Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)", 1995)
10. Immortal - "Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons" (from "Battles in the North", 1996)
11. Saint Vitus - "Sloth" (from "Die Healing", 1995)
12. Behemoth - "Before the Aeons Came" (from "Demigod", 2004)
13. Summoning - "Lugburz" (from "Minas Morgul", 1995)
14. Imperial Triumphant - "Rotted Futures" (from "Alphaville", 2020)
15. Amon Amarth - "Cry of the Black Birds" (from "With Oden On Our Side", 2006)
16. Dying Fetus - "Streaks of Blood" (from "Grotesque Impalement" E.P., 2000)
17. Necromantia - "Devilskin" (from "Scarlet Evil Witching Black", 1995)
18. Bethlehem - "Dorn meiner Allmacht" (from "Dictius te necare", 1996)
19. Teitanblood - "From the Visceral Abyss" (from "From the Visceral Abyss", 2025)
20. Judas Priest - "Heading Out To The Highway (Live)" (from "Metal Works '73-'93", 1993)
21. Traitors Gate - "Love After Midnight" (from "Devil Takes The High Road" E.P., 1985)
22. Dusk - "Paled" (from "...Majestic Thou in Ruin", 1995)
23. Blut aus Nord - "Inner Metal Cage" (from "The Work Which Transforms God", 2003)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JhEdPqjMqaMjnqIYKSwlq?si=eec916d439d14371
Harmonia - "Deluxe" (1975)
Harmonia was collaborative German project between past & present members of Cluster, Kraftwerk & NEU! with this sophomore album sitting somewhere between krautrock & progressive electronic from a stylistic point of view. It's got the quirky electronic melodicism of the krautrock scene which is an element that I struggle to connect with at times but there are clear moments of depth in some of the more trance-inducing sections (particularly early in the tracklisting) that offer me plenty of appeal. Overall though, I've found "Deluxe" to fall just short of my enjoyment threshold with disappointing closer "Kekse" being the deciding factor in me tagging this record as not really being my thing.
For fans of Cluster, NEU! & Manuel Göttsching.
3/5
Dusk - "...Majestic Thou in Ruin" (1995)
It's easy to forget just how good the debut album from this Wisconsin-based doom/death outfit is because no one has tended to talk about it much over the years but this really is one of the great examples of the genre in my opinion. Perhaps it's not the most original of releases as it clearly borrows from the template created by Aussie superstars Disembowelment but does it a little differently with a more decipherable death growl & a lack of grindcore influence. You'll find similar atmospherics here though & I've always found huge appeal in them too, particularly given that I'm one of the biggest Disembowelment fans on the planet. There is a basicness to the riff structures which won't challenge too many guitarists in the technique department but that's not really what this type of music is about now, is it? The first & last of the four lengthy songs included are both very solid but it's the one-two punch of "Paled" (my personal favourite) into "Thy Bitter Woe" that are the real gold here. Don't miss out on this one guys.
For fans of Morgion, Ceremonium & Disembowelment.
4.5/5
Fuck yeah! The Pistons just won game seven of their first-round play-off series with the Orlando Magic to win 4-3 after being down 1-3 a few days ago. The game six victory was one for the ages after coming back from a 24-point deficit just after halftime. We now face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals which starts in a couple of days. We've struggled with them a bit throughout the year so it'll be a serious challenge.
Also, props to my Manly Sea-Eagles for taking the competition-leading Penrith Panthers right down to the wire last night in an 18-16 loss that ended our four-match winning streak since Kieran Foran took over the coaching duties.
Traitors Gate - "Devil Takes the High Road" E.P. (1985)
I decided to give this three-song heavy metal E.P. another go after failing to connect with it on my last revisit but still found it a little lacking in class for my liking. Sonny would probably get more out of these Welshmen than I would but I do quite like "Love After Midnight". I have to admit that it annoys me that "Devil Takes the High Road" is associated with the NWOBHM when it came out a good couple of years too late for that in my opinion.
For fans of Virtue, Borrowed Time & Judas Priest.
3/5
I've never really been able to get consistently into RnB & soul music but have recently become interested in the "UK street soul" movement so I've decided to indulge a bit there over the coming months.
Judas Priest - "Metal Works '73-'93" (1993)
I've never been known to froth about Judas Priest as much as other heavy metal maniacs do as they only have one album that I can genuinely claim as a personal classic in "Painkiller" so it shouldn't surprise anyone that I could only muster a four-star rating for this compilation of their best material to 1993. Still... this a really solid double-album of anthemic heavy metal tunes that summarizes their recording career very well & offers truckloads of highlights amongst its 32 tracks. I'd still personally reach for "Painkiller" over this release but no metalhead in their right mind would find "Metal Works '73-'93" anything less than captivating, despite the inclusion of a couple of cuts that I don't appreciate much like "Ram It Down"& "Living After Midnight".
For fans of Iron Maiden, Accept & Halford.
4/5
Burzum - "The Ways of Yore" (2014)
I checked out Varg's first two prison-recorded dungeon synth albums "Dauði Baldrs" & "Hliðskjálf" back in the day as I was pretty obsessive about Burzum during the entire 1990's. Neither were anywhere near as bad as fans seemed to suggest & I found myself quite enjoying both of them, particularly "Hliðskjálf" which is really very good & has seen me returning to it a few times since. Interestingly though, I hadn't explored any of the other dungeon synth releases in Burzum's back catalogue until now but I've found that 2014's "The Ways of Yore" is another underrated release in the Burzum discography. There's some really solid dungeon synth & ambient material included here but, unfortunately, it's offset by some pretty fucking terrible pagan folk pieces at times. Thankfully, the quality overpowers the shite by a fair margin & I've ended up with a strong 3.5-star rating that sees me placing "The Ways of Yore" between the two releases I mentioned earlier in terms of overall value. Closer "To Hel & Back Again" is a fucking belter of a dungeon synth track too just quietly.
For fans of Malfet, Thangorodrim & early Mortiis.
3.5/5
Teitanblood - "From the Visceral Abyss" (2025)
I've enjoyed all of these Spaniards proper releases to date so I jumped straight onto their fourth full-length "From the Visceral Abyss" as soon as it hit the shelves last year. I've now had a bit of time with it so I feel reasonably well positioned to assess where it sits in Teitanblood's very solid back catalogue. Well, these guys have done a great job at tip-toing along the boundary between death metal & war metal for most of their careers & they do so again here, although they've definitely leant further over to the death metal side on this occasion with the vocal delivery, psychotic guitar solos & general ferocity being the main links to war metal. The production job has been kept intentionally murky which adds to the atmosphere but can make it a little hard to pick out the guitar solos & vocals at times. I love the relentless blast beats though & the quality of the song-writing is very consistent throughout too. There's a punky Swedish death metal influence on display at times with early Entombed seemingly being the source of inspiration there. Looking at Teitanblood's past glories, I definitely place 2019's "The Baneful Choir" on a pedestal as their finest full-length album to date & I'm also gonna give 2014's "Death" sophomore record a slight edge over "From the Visceral Abyss" but this is still a great example of its type & I'd comfortably take over Teitanblood's 2009 debut album "Seven Chalices" which I quite like but don't think I've ever fully committed to.
For fans of Proclamation, Pseudogod & Sadistik Exekution.
4/5
So, I tell you what I've done Andi. I've added the release to The Guardians & Heavy Metal based on the RYM tagging but have also created a Hall of Judgement entry to have it removed from those too because all I hear is Progressive Metal & Progressive Rock. It's interesting that you compare "Guilty as Charged" to Queensryche in your argument because I feel the exact same way about records like "The Warning", "Rage For Order" & "Operation: Mindcrime", all of which I'd suggest are Progressive Metal rather than Heavy Metal, so our difference of opinion with "Guilty as Charged" would appear to be about differences in our understanding of what constitutes Progressive Metal.
The Future Sound of London - "Lifeforms" (1994)
This double sophomore album from Manchester duo The Future Sound of London has been a really big release for me over the years, particularly during the 2000's when it would regularly guide my best mate & I through all-day comedown sessions after druggy nights on dark nightclub dancefloors. It's a beautifully laid-back mix of IDM, ambient & ambient techno that was heavily influential on the scene at the time, spawning truckloads of copycats who tried to emulate its unique connection with nature & fantasies of a simpler & more tribal world. I know that Rex shares my feeling that "Lifeforms" is one of the most premium examples of its type & it should definitely be essential listening for electronic music afficionados.
For fans of Global Communication, The Orb & The KLF's "Chillout".
4.5/5
Yeah, Hate Eternal are very much my style of death metal. I haven't returned to "I, Monarch" in a long while but I remember it fondly.