Daniel's Forum Replies
Close for me, but I have Judas Priest's "Turbo" and "Ram It Down" even lower - yes even lower than the 'Ripper' Owens' pair.
Quoted Sonny
I have to admit that I actually really dig "Turbo" (4/5) & I don't mind "Ram It Down" (3.5/5) either. The Priest records that I struggle with are "Jugulator" (3/5), "Demolition" (2.5/5), "Nostradamus" (3/5) & "Redeemer of Souls" (3/5).
Weird day today. No less than 10 releases having a 25th anniversary on the same day! Some big ones too, such as Neurosis' A Sun That Never Sets and Maudlin of the Well's jaw-dropping duo of Bath and Leaving Your Body Map.
All three of those releases have made a big impact on me over the years & are records that I still like to return to on occasion, particularly "A Sun That Never Sets" (4.5/5) which an absolute classic in my world with Neurosis being one of my favourite bands. Unfortunately, I can't fully commit to celebrating these 25th anniversaries though as, if I'm being honest, I didn't make any of these album's acquaintance until a good eight years after they were released.
Through no conscious effort on my part, I completely missed the Blaze-era albums that Maiden put out in the 90s. The fact that I have never heard or read a good word about that period anywhere has ensured that I have never bothered to find out if I was missing anything at all.
Trust me when I say that you are not missing out in any way. Those two records may well be worst pair I have ever heard by a major metal act. At least by one that I formerly respected.
Yeah, definitely a top 10 war metal release for me too.
It'll be interesting to see if "Tightened Noose of Sanctimony" & "Slave Morality" do end up forcing their way into my top ten as well once I finally get around to giving them an attentive revisit.
Profane Order - "One Nightmare Unto Another" (2023)
This Canadian duo first came to my attention around a decade ago through their 2016 "Marked by Malice" demo which I quite liked at the time. They've since become a mainstay of my war metal listening habits as their proper releases all took things to another level from that initial release but this is the first Profane Order record to receive a proper review &/or rating from me for one reason or another. Like many of the sizable Canadian troop of war metal bands, Profane Order is made up of just the two members in multi-instrumentalist & Spectral Wound drummer Illusory & guitarist/bassist L.A. who enjoys his very first appearance on a Profane Order release here. Profane Order is very much the passion project of Illusory though who has been consistently filling the world with hatred, hypocrisy & death since 2015. "One Nightmare Unto Another" is very fine example of that too.
For Profane order's second full-length, we find the duo partnering up in the studio with Illusory's Spectral Wound band mate & guitarist Patrick McDowall to produce a record that nicely balances the abrasive qualities of all good war metal with just enough clarity to keep everything audible. In saying that, the wall of sound is still quite compacted with Illusory's face-melting vocals & pummeling blast beats kept very closely tied to the rhythm guitars, although the fairly uneventful guitar solos do tend to stand out in the mix. When the chaos reaches its peak, you can struggle to make out the riffs for a few seconds but you're generally given the time to successfully pull them out of the musical cesspool before the duo change course again (as they regularly do throughout the short twenty-five minute run time).
With just seven songs on offer, "One Nightmare Unto Another" has a tendency to fly by in no time, although that's not generally a concern for a war metal release as your ears can only take this sort of battering for so long. The tracklisting is extremely consistent though so it's very hard to select highlights with the vast majority of the tracks being of a very similar standard. The one that stands out to me is actually the shortest of them in "Suppression", although I really enjoy closer "Of Bile & Malice" too. Each of the songs expresses a similar musical theme with both the black metal & death metal components playing a strong role in the holistic message, although a few of the thrashier riffs do display a strong affiliation with Slayer's classic era too. Despite that, it would be quite easy to simply label "One Nightmare Unto Another" as blackened death metal as it's so clearly a combination of the two but the sheer chaos of its execution sees it always maintaining its war metal integrity.
War metal nuts will no doubt enjoy the experience because its everything it claims to be on the tin with the outstanding cover art being very much in line with what you've come to expect from a high-quality war metal release. If you were already a fan of the group through releases like 2017's "Tightened Noose of Sanctimony" E.P. or their 2019 debut album "Slave Morality" then you'll no doubt find "One Nightmare Unto Another" to offer a similar level of appeal. If pushed, I'd probably suggest that I regard those two releases as being just slightly ahead of this one but there's not a lot between them & I've thoroughly enjoyed being flayed to within an inch of my life by Profane Order once again.
For fans of Antichrist Siege Machine, Antichrist & Pig's Blood.
4/5
Here's my adjusted 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. Profane Order - "One Nightmare Unto Another" (2023)
07. Teitanblood - "From the Visceral Abyss" (2025)
08. Antichrist Siege Machine - "Vengeance of Eternal Fire" (2024)
09. Archgoat - "The Luciferian Crown" (2018)
10. Abominator - "Barbarian War Worship" demo (1995)
Vice - "Daddy's Little Girl" E.P. (1985)
Oh dear! What have we here I hear you ask? Well, this Brisbane-based trio were one of the earliest metal bands to come of my adopted home state of Queensland back with 1985's awfully titled four-song "Daddy's Little Girl" E.P. being their first proper release. Vice weren't exactly a household name in this country so I didn't get around to checking this relatively unknown release out until earlier this decade &, even then, it was only out of sheer completism. I would suggest that the cover art alone would have scared off the majority of punters from this century but, you know what, someone's gotta do it so I recently decided to take the plunge by returning for a second helping, purely in the name of the glorious Aussie metal scene that I love so much.
The horribly titled "Daddy's Little Girl" was released on the completely insignificant Sundown Records label right in the middle of the 1980's. One look at that cover will probably tell you that Vice were at least loosely associated with the glam metal movement &, if that was the case, then you'd be correct because a good half of their sound fits that description pretty comfortably. However, they also possessed a much tougher heavy metal edge at times & opening track "Morpheus" will no doubt have you second guessing yourself with its powerful, down-tuned, bottom-string chug riff that's been pulled straight off of Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave". It's a great opener actually & I really enjoy it. It also sounds very different to other three tracks on the release. "Morpheus" is immediately followed by a very commercial sounding & misguided cover version of The Supremes "Stop ...in the Name of Love" which is certainly well performed & energetic but doesn't do a lot for me personally. The lengthier "Into the Night" sees things descending further with front man Peter Sharman's vocals struggling to find his feet amidst the glam/heavy metal instrumentation before the more than decent closer "Thriller Between the Sheets" rewards our patience with an up-tempo heavy metal feel that reminds me a lot of the punk-infused electricity of Iron Maiden's debut album. The variation in approaches across the four songs tells the clear story of a young band who were still trying to decide on what musical direction they should take so it can come across as unfocused but it does keep you on your toes nonetheless.
The production job on "Daddy's Little Girl" is more than acceptable for such an underground release of the time as it presents the band's strengths quite well. Peter Sharman would appear to be the main attraction with his big, masculine, powerful tone tending to make up for his occasional pitchiness with sheer charisma. The guitars of Dr Dave Warner (unfortunately not the former Australian opening batsman) are loud & proud while drummer Scott Allard would appear to be influenced just as much by hard rock as he is heavy metal, alternating between the two across the four songs. My enjoyment does tend to vary depending on how successful Sharman is at tackling each track though &, when he's in his element, Vice can be well worth hearing. I do think they were a significantly better heavy metal band than a glam metal one though so I've found myself enjoying the two more metallic inclusions a lot more than the two glammier ones. In fact, Vice don't really sound much like a glam metal act on the two songs that bookend this release which can only be a good thing in my opinion. Unfortunately, the two tracks that make up the middle of the E.P. do exist which has led to me deciding that "Daddy's Little Girl" probably isn't for me so I can't say that I'd recommend it to members who are looking for a hidden Aussie gem.
For fans of Axatak, Twisted Sister & early Kings Cross.
3/5
Critical Mass - "Unholy Wars" (1992)
Sydney five-piece Critical Mass were a name that I saw floating around the live scene in my home city during the early 1990's but never had the opportunity of experiencing in the flesh as far as I can recall. I did, however, get the chance to check out this one-off album which would occasionally find its way onto the CD player of whoever's house the after party happened to be at though. Critical Mass had begun life as a cover band called Foreign Order in the late 1980's before changing their moniker & attempting originals but they didn't really amount to much before calling it quits around 1993/94. I was familiar with vocalist Greg Moore through the 1989 "Into Reality" demo tape from Sydney speed/heavy metallers Enticer (3.5/5) which I quite liked but the rest of the band didn't really come from any level of metal pedigree & it shows on their sole full-length.
The "Unholy Wars" album was released through Vampire Records in 1992 which surprises me really. Label owner Danny Kaleda was a well-known member of the local metal community thanks to his long-standing "Monday Night Metal" radio program on 2RRR (a show that I was a guest on at least once) & Vampire would be responsible for putting out high-quality extreme metal records like Sadistik Exekution's "The Magus" & the first couple of Nazxul releases. It seems a little strange to me that he'd associate himself with such a mild-mannered & fairly easy-listening metal release such as this one but that would appear to be the case. The production isn't anything to write home about either with the rhythm guitars being too far back in the mix & being over-powered by the rhythm section. For this reason, "Unholy Wars" sounds a lot like a self-financed affair.
Critical Mass' musical approach sits somewhere between Metallica's more chuggy, mid-paced thrash metal material & a more accessible heavy metal sound built around power chords & vocal hooks. Unfortunately the thrash riffs are so simple & generic that I can't help but feel that the band would have been better served by concentrating on their less intense side as they're certainly a little better at it with power ballad (& clear album highlight in my opinion) "Road That Never Ends" & the catchy heavy metal singalong "Nineties" being two of the more rewarding numbers. The lead guitar work is quite accomplished for such an inconspicuous release though & is definitely one of the better elements of Critical Mass' game although Moore doesn't possess the vocal chops to see the song-writing maximizing its potential. There are no genuine shockers included here but the peaks are rare & I generally find myself feeling a little underwhelmed rather than disappointed.
It's not hard to see why "Unholy Wars" might have drifted past most of the global metal scene without much fanfare because it's sound is simply a little too simple, generic & lightweight to raise too many alarm bells. I can't in good conscience score it any lower than three stars though as it certainly has its moments (such as thrasher "When..." which I quite like). It just feels a little flat & never really sees my heart-rate increasing which means that it was never going to amount to more than a blip on the radar of my metal journey.
For fans of Metallica, Nothing Sacred & Aggressa.
3/5
Magrudergrind - "Magrudergrind" (2009)
Washington grindcore act Magrudergrind really hit me hard when I first discovered them off the back of this debut album back at the time of release. I'd just returned to the extreme metal scene after spending the previous decade exploring electronic music & was looking for artists who could take me to new levels of extremity. The "Magrudergrind" record certainly did that & did it with a such a consistently high level of quality that I've found myself returning to it several times over the seventeen years that have elapsed since, even going so far as to claim a spot towards the top of my all-time grindcore release list in recent times.
Magrudergrind had been around for a while by the time the self-titled record became known to me, first forming back in 2002 with their original lineup of vocalist Avi Kulawy (Gravesend), guitarist Marc Levin & drummer Chris Moore (Repulsion/Coke Bust/Kontusion) having been maintained through to this sophomore album. It shows too as Magrudergrind prove themselves to be a finely-honed, well-oiled grind machine across these seventeen tracks, producing a wonderfully powerful release that sounds fantastic thanks to the well-credentialled engineering team of Scott Hull (Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Anal Cunt/Pig Destroyer/Suppression) & Kurt Ballou (Converge/Kid Kilowatt/Supermachiner). Each of the three contributors make their mark in emphatic fashion with Moore's precision extreme drumming display being right up my alley. It's the face-shredding vocals of Kulawy that are the real highlight here though as it's difficult to describe how vicious & maniacal he sounds while ripping into his higher register screams which were just what the grind doctor ordered in my opinion.
The tracklisting kicks off incredibly well with opening track "The Protocols of Anti-Sound" being arguably the best thing that Magrudergrind ever produced. You have to wait until the middle of the album for the quality levels to rise to those sort of heights again but the one-two punch of "Cranial Media Parasite" into "Excommunicated" brings things back to an elite class very nicely. I also really dig the untitled closing track which utilizes recordings of Reverend Jim Jones to great effect with Jones addressing his people just before the mass suicide/murder of over 900 members of the Peoples Temple in Guyana in 1978. It's a suitably unnerving, eerie way to end a release whose sociopolitical messaging is very much a part of the attraction. The rest of the album is all very solid & rarely dips below a compelling platform of blasting, punk-infused mayhem with only the novelty electronic components of "Heavier Bombing" seeing Magrudergrind's integrity dipping slightly. This should be essential listening for all grind nuts.
For fans of Wormrot, Insect Warfare & Nasum.
4/5
Here's my revised Top Ten Grindcore Releases of All Time list:
01. Nails - "Abandon All Life" (2013)
02. Nails - "You Will Never Be One Of Us" (2016)
03. Discordance Axis – “The Inalienable Dreamless” (2000)
04. Magrudergrind - "Magrudergrind" (2009)
05. Pig Destroyer – “Prowler in the Yard” (2001)
06. Pig Destroyer – “Terrifyer” (2004)
07. Wormrot - "Voices" (2016)
08. Insect Warfare - "World Extermination" (2007)
09. Nasum - "Helvete" (2003)
10. Atka - "Untitled Album 1" (2018)
I quite liked Crawl's split release with US black metallers Leviathan back in 2018 but I haven't heard anything else they've done as yet so I'm interested to see what people think of this one.
I've enjoyed everything I've heard from Suffering Hour since first discovering them through their 2017 debut album "In Passing Ascension". "Impelling Rebirth" is one of their stronger releases & I've been meaning to get around to rating it at some point.
I've enjoyed Dorso's 1993's "El espanto surge de la tumba" album since first discovering it back in my tape trading days but haven't heard anything else they've done. I shall watch this thread with interest.
While I do think that "Brave New World" righted the ship to an extent following the utterly abysmal Blaze albums & was the strongest Maiden record since 1988's classic "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" record at the time, I can't subscribe to the consensus that it was a return to Iron Maiden's glory days as I've never found it to be more than a 3.5-star record. In fact, I'd take 2006's "A Matter of Life & Death" (3.5/5) over it these days & it's not particularly essential either.
The new site is a long way off Andi. I haven't been experiencing any of these errors for 24 hours now. Are they still happening for you? Do they come & go? I'm sure it'll end up being something memory-related & entirely fixable. I haven't spoken to Ben yet as I thought it had been resolved but I'll do so in 4 or 5 hours when it's a reasonable hour in Sydney.
I'm a big fan of Rorschach's 1993 follow-up album "Protestant" (4/5) but have never explored their other material. I'll make a note for a rainy day.
I have to admit that I still haven't explored Protest the Hero further after really digging their 2006 debut album "Kezia" (4/5) when it was featured here a few years back. I really should correct that at some point.
While I quite like Alice in Chains' third full-length, I've never found it to be to the classic that most fans seem to regard it as. I admit that the idea of an even darker, drearier & druggier Alice does sound appealing on paper but the reality is that it took away a bit of their edge which left the album feeling a little flat in comparison to their other 90's releases. These days, I don't regard "Alice in Chains" as being an essential record for the band & have it sitting just ahead of 1992's "Sap" E.P. (3.5/5) at the bottom of their Layne Staley-era back catalogue. 3.5/5
Yep. All the cool kids are experiencing them. I believe it's the arrival of the ultimate apocalypse & only Ben can save humanity. I'll send him a DM to ask him to fix....... Oh wait!
Dream Theater - "A Change of Seasons" E.P. (1995)
I bought this release on cassette shortly after falling for Dream Theater's classic "Images & Words" & "Awake" albums during the second half of the 1990s & really enjoyed it. "A Change of Seasons" is a lengthy E.P. that includes the 23-minute title track as well as four live recordings of cover version medleys from the band's tour of England in January 1995. All of the material is worth hearing but the cover of Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers" is the clear highlight & has become a real favourite of mine. The way the band are able to so effortlessly reproduce a wide array of different sounds & artists without ever losing their identity is genuinely impressive. I still return to "A Change of Seasons" from time to time & would take it over some of Dream Theater's later releases like "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" or "Octavarium".
For fans of Symphony X, Rush & Liquid Tension Experiment.
4/5
From the time I first heard 1995's "Gradually Melted" E.P. back in the underground tape trading scene of the mid-1990's, Californian brutal metallers Deeds of Flesh became a regular contributor to my more extreme musical moments. They joined an elite collection of bands who were shaping my musical taste & directing my own creative endeavours as their sound seemed to indicate a close artistic affiliation with my own. A couple of solid full-length albums later, I would drift away from the metal scene for around a decade, only returning to it with any level of commitment in 2009 when I would very quickly attempt to make up for lost ground. In order to find my feet, I wasted no time in catching up with the five subsequent albums that Deeds of Flesh had released during my defection with this third record "Path of the Weakening" being the most well-known of them. That experience would see me returning to the album semi-regularly over the years as it's never failed to deliver in terms of tight, relentless brutal death metal, a style that perhaps speaks to me more than it does to the majority of extreme metalheads out there.
Deeds of Flesh had been a band for around six years by the time "Path of the Weakening" hit the shelves, having been put together by guitarist/vocalist Erik Lindmark (Disgorge), bassist Jacoby Kingston & drummer Joey Heaslet back in 1993. Heaslet had taken some time out after 1996's "Trading Pieces" debut album, only to return again & replace Brad Palmer (Scythe) who had only contributed to the one full-length release in 1998's "Inbreeding the Anthropophagi". "Path of the Weakening" also saw Deeds of Flesh bolstering their sonic arsenal with a second guitarist in Jim Tkacz who had formerly been a member of fellow Californian brutal death metallers Vile, giving Deeds of Flesh a four-piece lineup for the first time. The results are very impressive too with the group pulling off a precision display full of tightly-executed death metal riffage, complete with techy rhythmic ideas & a plethora of high-quality palm-muted, tremolo-picked riffs. The album would be self-produced so it's not terribly glossy with the guitar tone perhaps lacking a touch of brightness but there's no doubt that it suited the bands image & concept at the time which was important given that "Path of the Weakening" would be the first release for Deeds of Flesh's own record label Unique Leader records.
The tracklisting on "Path of the Weakening" is seriously consistent with the boys generally sticking to a fairly limited formula. It certainly works though as I don't find myself waiting around for more restrained tempos until they drop the only slower tune right at the end in closer "A Violent God". Opener "Indigenous to the Appalling (Mutinous Human)" is an absolutely fantastic example of the BDM genre & is arguably Deeds of Flesh's signature tune to this day. I don't think that any of the other eight songs included ever get close to reaching those lofty heights again but they also never hint at dropping below a very solid degree of quality either so I never feel my interest waning. There are no wanky guitar solos or generic slam sections to be found here as Deeds of Flesh clearly possess a deep understanding of what it is that they're trying to achieve. Heaslet's drumming can be a little repetitive but his execution is really strong so it's hard to be too critical while Lindmark's dark death growl is unanimously effective in taking the listener to the darker end of the metal spectrum.
Ultimately, Deeds of Flesh have produced the sort of death metal that I find myself craving most on this record & have done a great job at it too. Perhaps the riffs aren't consistently catchy or unique enough to see me ever being tempted to claim "Path of the Weakening" as a classic release but I'm never left wanting either. A bit more variety of tempo would perhaps have added another dimension to the album but it's hard to complain about a release that so clearly & emphatically champions the same cause that I myself once promoted myself.
For fans of Defeated Sanity, Suffocation & Disgorge.
4/5
I am really gonna show my age now, but I remember when I was a kid going to my gran and grandad's, they had a wind-up gramaphone that played 78s. The ones they had were almost exclusively brass band music because the local truck firm had a pretty famous brass band that my mum and her sister used to travel all over the country with. I don't really have any wish to emulate their setup!!
Our parents had a gramophone when we were kids too, mainly as a bit of a novelty. They used to plat Nat King Cole 78's when people would come over. The real attraction was the antique juke box though & my father & I would head to the local record store every few months to purchase new 7" singles to stock it with. It was quite the asset for parties.
I still have extensive record & CD collections but never play any of it these days with most of it sitting untouched in cupboards that we rarely open. Come to think of it, I don't even have a CD player any more! My record player is a USB one that I used to use to rip my techno so that I could manipulate it using Ableton Live software when DJing in clubs.
Fair Warning - "Love to Rock 'n Roll" E.P. (1985)
Melbourne four-piece Fair Warning played a short but valuable role in the early Australian metal story, shining brightly in the underground during the middle of the 1980's before unceremoniously disappearing along with so many others in a local scene that suffered from being so isolated from the rest of the world. Perhaps unsurprisingly given their moniker, Fair Warning began life as a Van Halen cover band in 1983, mainly in order to showcase the talents of guitarist Simon Hosford. They'd become a regular on the local live circuit but would only go on to produce a couple of demos/promos & this short four-song E.P. before calling it quits in 1987.
The "Love to Rock 'n Roll" E.P. is a familiar yet generally enjoyable listen. Much like Tasmania's Tyrant who were also floating around at the time, Fair Warning's sound sits right in the middle between the classic Aussie hard rock sound & a more shreddy 80's heavy metal one. It's fairly well produced for the time with all of the band members proving themselves to be quite capable musicians. The opening title track is the clear highlight & sees the boys having a crack at the classic AC/DC stadium hard rock sound with front man Bob Topping (S.A.S.) doing a great Brian Johnson impression & bass player Harold (Tyrus) maintaining a lumbering mid-paced thump throughout. "Too Late for Love" seems to be a more metal attempt at David Lee Roth-era Van Halen while up-tempo burner "All's Quiet" is the most metal of the four songs on offer & reeks of Judas Priest. The fairly dull "Pass This Way" is the only disappointment as it doesn't quite pull off the AC/DC feel they were going for.
I didn't get around to checking out "Love to Rock 'n Roll" until early this decade but, while I'm not gonna claim that I'd been missing out to any major extent, it's definitely worth a listen & compares fairly well with some of the international heavy rock outfits that were applying their trade on a much grander scale at the time.
For fans of AC/DC, Van Halen & Judas Priest.
3.5/5
Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Hey Joe" E.P. (1967)
This four-song psychedelic/blues/acid rock E.P. doesn't do much for me to be honest. Sure, the title track is obviously really good & I've always quite liked "Can You See Me ?" but the other two songs ("Stone Free" & "51st Anniversary") have never done much for me to be honest.
For fans of Cream, The Doors & Led Zeppelin.
3/5
I thought I'd fill in a couple of easy gaps this morning given that I'm already so familiar with the material:
The Doors - "Light My Fire" E.P. (1967)
4/5
The Doors - "Break on Through" E.P. (1967)
3.5/5
I've always been a big fan of The Doors' self-titled 1967 debut album which was played a lot while socializing in my high school years. The "Light My Fire" single is an excellent three-song affair that makes up for the lackluster "Take It As It Comes" with the very solid title track & the amazing "The Crystal Ship" which is one of the LA psychedelic rock legends' very best tracks in my opinion. The "Break On Through" E.P. isn't quite as consistent. "End of the Night" is absolutely mind-blowing & may be their finest moment, the title track is of a similar high standard to "Light My Fire" & "Back Door Man" is worth a listen but I can't stand "Alabama Song" if I'm being honest.
For fans of Jefferson Airplane, Iron Butterfly & Country Joe & The Fish.
Jimi Hendrix Experience - "The Wind Cries Mary/Purple Haze" E.P. (1967)
A four-song psychedelic/blues rock E.P. that features the two title tracks as well as "Fire" & "Highway Child". It's definitely worth listening to for the two main features, particularly "Purple Haze" which is magical of course. I quite like "Highway Child" but "Fire" has never done anything for me to be honest.
For fans of Cream, The Doors & Led Zeppelin.
4/5
Cromok - "Image of Purity & Live" (1996)
I was aware of these young thrash metallers back in the early 1990's when I picked up their self-produced 1990 "Image of Purity" demo through the tape trading scene. Cromok were formed by a group of Malaysian students who attended the University of Wollongong in my home state of New South Wales around 1987. They'd later graduate & relocate back to their home country around 1991/92 where they'd become pioneers of the Malaysian metal scene. I don't think I ever saw Cromok live before their departure but this release combines that early demo tape with a couple of live versions of two of the songs from that release, both recorded at Life Centre in Kuala Lumpur in July 1992. I didn't like "Image of Purity" much at the time & it still fails to hit the mark today but the live material is even less engaging which makes "Image of Purity & Live" a pretty ordinary release in my opinion. The lead guitarist Khairul Anuar Shariff has some serious chops on him when he solos on the live tracks but the rhythm guitar work is very sloppy indeed. I lost track of Cromok after they left Australia but they're supposedly very well respected in their homeland. I can only speculate that they improved quite a bit on later releases because this one isn't anything to write home about.
For fans of Mortal Sin, Darkness & Metallica.
2.5/5
Miles Davis - "A Tribute to Jack Johnson" soundtrack (1971)
I picked up this soundtrack CD when I was going through an obsessive Miles phase during the late 1990's & it's stayed with me ever since. It's comprised of two lengthy pieces that are both very solid jazz fusion workouts & rarely varies in terms of groove & quality. If pushed, I'd probably take the more stripped back "Yesternow" over opener "Right Off" but there's not much between them. "In A Silent Way" is still my favourite music release of all time from any genre but I'm gonna suggest that "A Tribue to Jack Johnson" might be my third favourite Miles record these days behind "Kind of Blue", although it's not far in front of "Bitches Brew" & "Live-Evil". Miles was a fucking genius & so was guitarist John McLaughlin who I absolutely adore.
For fans of Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra & Soft Machine.
4/5
Emperor - "IX Equilibrium" (1999)
I believe Ben showed me Emperor's third full-length while I had already entered the early stages of my decade-long hiatus from metal but I wouldn't fully explore "IX Equilibrium" for myself until a good decade after its release. I remember really liking it too, as I do now after revisiting it several times over the last decade & a half. It's certainly not the undeniable classic that 1994's wonderful "In the Nightside Eclipse" debut album (4.5/5) was but it compares fairly well with 1997's "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" sophomore release (4/5) & Emperor's split album with Enslaved (4/5) in my opinion.
Emperor were just a trio by this point with their iconic frontman Ihsahn (Hardingrock/Peccatum/Thou Shalt Suffer/Zyklon-B) being supported by only rhythm guitarist Samoth (Scum/The Wretched End/Arcturus/Gorgoroth/Satyricon/Thou Shalt Suffer/Zyklon/Zyklon-B) & drummer Trym (Enslaved/Zyklon) but their sound still has plenty going on. The Norwegians had toned down the symphonic component by this stage in their evolution so this is more of a conventional black metal record, although we are starting to see some more progressive elements starting to take shape here & there. If I'm being critical, I'd suggest that Trym's drum sound is far too clicky which highlights his deficiencies in timing but there can be no denying his sheer speed when he conducts his trademark blast beats. The otherworldly atmosphere that Emperor have built their careers on is still here but I don't think Ihsahn's vocals are quite as effective as they have been in the past & there certainly aren't as many highlight tracks. Closer "Of Blindness & Subsequent Seers" is the obvious exception & it takes you to all manner of weird & wonderful outlooks. "The Warriors of Modern Death", on the other hand, seems to be nothing more than a Viking-period Bathory tribute (complete with intentionally chaotic guitar solos) & is comfortably the least effective piece on the album, even if I do still kinda like it.
Ultimately, I can't deny that Emperor were still a class act but I don't think "IX Equilibrium" (or "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk" for that matter) are tier one black metal releases. They sit very comfortably in the middle of the second tier which is still a more than respectable place to be. Let's just not kid ourselves that they retained their position at the top of the black metal pecking order for more than a few years. If pushed to choose sides, I would place "IX Equilibrium" slightly behind its predecessor & the Enslaved split but comfortably ahead of the 1992 "Wrath of the Tyrant" demo tape. I don't think it'll leave too many The North members disappointed & I'll continue to revisit it for years to come but I don't think it's the outright classic that many of you were probably hoping for after the huge success of "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk".
For fans of Limbonic Art, Ihsahn & Enslaved.
4/5
It's a huge feather in Led Zeppelin's cap that fans place their back catalogue in such different orders but rarely dispute other people's differences of opinion because there's simply no right or wrong answer when it comes to the greatest hard rock band of all time. For me personally, "Led Zeppelin III" would just round out my top five behind "Houses of the Holy (my personal favourite), "Led Zeppelin IV", "Presence" & "Led Zeppelin I".
Electric Wizard - "Supercoven" EP (1998)
From the earlier, more jam-centric, three-piece phase of Electric Wizard's career, this EP contains two heavy as hell stoner jams that are the apex of this period of the band's development for me. [90/100]
I'm a big fan of this one. In fact, it'd probably make my top three for Electric Wizard overall behind "We Live" (4.5/5) & "Let Us Prey" (4.5/5) which are both classic releases as far as I'm concerned. 4/5
I think Fate would have been more popular at the time if they had a Rob Halford-style vocalist but I don't think they would have been as enduring without the mystique of the King. The best part of the band was definitely the guitars & drums though as they managed to create a unique atmosphere that's gone on to become incredibly influential, much more so than Diamond himself.
Nine Inch Nails - "Fixed" E.P. (1992)
I introduced Ben to NIN through their classic 1992 "Broken" E.P. shortly after it hit the shelves & he went kinda mental for Trent Reznor for a while off the back of it. He'd go on to very quickly pick up a CD copy of their 1989 debut album "Pretty Hate Machine" & (I'm not 100% sure but) I think he also purchased this "Broken" remix E.P. because I definitely gave it quite a few spins at the time but definitely didn't buy it myself. It's a massively underrated release in my opinion too, probably due to the whole "this isn't rock/metal so I need to say it's electronic shit" thing that tends to happen. While it may not be as obviously classic as "Broken" was, "Fixed" offers some universally interesting alternative takes on the material from that E.P., produced in collaboration with several highly regarded electronic producers. The intense extended version of "Wish" & the big-room industrial techno version of "Happiness in Slavery" are outstanding & have become long-time favourites of mine while the rest of the material is also worth hearing so I think NIN fans should give this one a chance. It does tail off a bit over the last couple of tracks but they're still of a decent quality.
For fans of Coil, Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel & PAL.
4/5
Sinister - "Hate" (1995)
I was originally introduced to these Dutch death metallers through Neuropath vocalist Mark Wangmann via their incredibly raw & intense 1992 debut album "Cross the Styx" (4/5) which I really enjoyed. This led to me picking up Sinister's classic 1993 sophomore record "Diabolical Summoning" (4.5/5) shortly after it was released & finding that the band had taken things to another level with that release becoming somewhat of an all-timer for me. For that reason, I was first in line to pick up Sinister's third album "Hate" as soon as it hit the shelves & it left me more than satisfied. In fact, I'm gonna suggest that it's Sinister's best release overall these days &, for that reason, you can probably find photos of me wearing a "Hate" t-shirt on stage during the middle of that decade. "Hate" sees the trio returning with a more controlled & mature sound that may be a touch less frantic & brutal but more than makes up for it in class & tightness. There's a major Cannibal Corpse influence throughout but this is a step up from anything those Buffalo extremists had produced to the time. The first couple of tracks are utterly devastating & so is closer "The Bloodfeast". Front man Mike van Mastrigt's (Houwitser) vocal delivery is powerful yet intelligible throughout, the riffs of Bart van Wallenberg are angular & interesting & the beats of drummer Aad Kloosterwaard (Houwitser/Thanatos), who is the MVP for me personally, are pummeling & super-tight. This is peak-time, elite-level mid-90's death metal at its finest & should be essential listening for all of our The Horde members.
For fans of Cannibal Corpse, Deicide & Monstrosity.
4.5/5
Paris - "The Devil Made Me Do It" (1990)
This is definitely one of the better early hip hop records I've heard. Paris gets the right balance between political/conscious lyrics & deep, pulsating basslines here with the tracklisting being surprisingly consistent. Highly recommended.
For fans of Public Enemy, Ice Cube & X-Clan.
4/5
Primitive Warfare - "Extinction Protocol" (2024)
I quite liked the 2019 self-titled debut E.P. & 2020 split E.P. with New York death/doom outfit Bog Body but North Carolina's Primitive Warfare's first full-length really took my interest in the duo to new heights. This is a relentlessly brutal experience whose high points can be truly devastating on those who are open to this sort of thing. The blast beats of Pu239 (Black Eucharist/Demiser) are very fast & powerful while the riffs of U235 (Demiser/False Light/Guttural Engorgement) are abrasive & noisy yet still remain intelligible throughout. There's a dual vocal attack with the higher screams sounding like what you'd expect from a war metal outfit & the deep death growls making very little attempt to enunciate actual words. The war-related samples & snippets are highly effective & add to the atmosphere. Primitive Warfare are generally referred to as a war metal act however there is very little in that space on this album with most of the record falling into deathgrind territory in my opinion. That makes "Extinction Protocol" my highest rating deathgrind release ever at this point though which is pretty amazing.
For fans of Antichrist Siege Machine, Caveman Cult & Human Agony.
4.5/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Deathgrind Releases of All Time list:
01. Primitive Warfare - "Extinction Protocol" (2024)
02. Napalm Death - "Utopia Banished" (1992)
03. Cattle Decapitation - "Monolith of Inhumanity" (2012)
04. Brutal Truth - "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" (1992)
05. Full of Hell - "Weeping Choir" (2019)
06. Damaged - "Passive Backseat Demon Engines" E.P. (1995)
07. Brutal Truth - "Need to Control" (1994)
08. Exhumed - "Dissecting the Caseated Omentum" demo (1992)
09. Lock Up - "Necropolis Transparent" (2011)
10. Cephalic Carnage - "Misled by Certainty" (2010)
I think this is a big advancement on the current Hall of Judgement concept to be honest Ben. I've always felt that our regular's opinions should hold more weight than a newbies in these discussions as they have more skin in the game & have built up community respect over time. I also think the Administrator should have the right to block a change that's not going to present the site in the right light too. The audit trail is an excellent addition as we've only recently seen people questioning changes that I've made behind the scenes that weren't visible to the users. The points system may come across as complicated to some of our less analytical users however that will chug away in the background & do its thing autonomously so people won't really have to understand it. All they have to know is that the more they contribute, the more say they have in the site. Ultimately, any change that will see us being less tied to the another website's genre-tagging is a positive one in my opinion as I have no faith in those other sites to get it right.
Wardruna - "Runaljod – Yggdrasil" (2013)
It's taken me a really long time to finally get around to checking out these Norwegians who I had a strong feeling I'd enjoyed based on the opinions of some of our other members. Wardruna's sophomore album hasn't let me down either as it's an extremely consistent & classy record indeed with every song offering a wonderful view of history & tradition. Wardruna's sound can be described as dark Nordic neo-pagan folk music & it sounds exactly like what you'd hope that description would. It's interesting that all of the true highlights appear on the B side though with "Ingwar" & "Solringen" lifting Wardruna into elite territory before they crush you under the weight of clear album highlight & closing track "Helvegen" which is one of the finest examples of its style I've ever heard. This is great shit in my opinion & I'll definitely be coming back for more in the near future.
For fans of Heilung, Danheim & Faun.
4/5
Axatak - "Axatak" E.P. (1985)
Melbourne's Axatak are often referred to as a key player in the early Australian metal scene that was still just in its development stage during the early-to-mid 1980's. Their four-piece lineup got together some time between 1981 & 1983 before quickly becoming a mainstay of the local live scene. During their time together, Axatak produced one demo, one full-length album (i.e. 1984's "Shock Rock") & this five-song E.P. which I actually never explored until earlier this decade. Axatak wouldn't be around for too long though, disbanding in 1988 off the back of frontman Andy Zouman having become a born-again Christian & subsequently producing a film about the influence of Satan on rock music.
Axatak are widely known for being heavily influenced by KISS. In fact, they started as a KISS cover band so it's no real surprise that their image involved makeup & theatricality. They could no doubt play a bit though, as can be seen from the performances on this E.P. which certainly has its moments. Guitarist's Pete Denero & John McCulloch know a thing or two about shreddy 1980's guitar solos & drummer Don Hailes keeps a tight rhythm throughout. The production job offers plenty of clarity but does tend to feel a little too separated with the high-end being a touch too prominent. It's the inconsistency of the song-writing that's the real issue here though as this is somewhat of a roller coaster ride in that regard. I quite like hard-rocking opener "Shock Rock" (which was also the title track of the band's debut album) & the more metallic "Let the Beast Run Wild" (my personal favourite) but the remaining three songs all fail to hit the mark, particularly the God-awful power ballad "You" which reeks of Motley Crue at their worst. Zouman's vocals are patchy at times & the weakest points of the release generally match up with his biggest failures.
Axatak's sound sits somewhere between the US glam metal that was booming at the time & the classic heavy metal that most of us know & love. You need to be a little patient if you go in searching for the metal side of that equation though as the first couple of tracks don't really present much in that respect with all of the genuine metal appearing during the middle & end of the release where you can expect to hear some aggressive bottom-string palm-muting & even a bit of tremolo-picking, reminding one of WASP more so than the band's idols KISS. I have to warn you that gang vocals are drawn upon quite regularly during the choruses which can be a deterrent for those with a weak stomach for the glammier side of Axatak's delivery, me included.
While this is certainly a better record than Kings Cross' dodgy "Gimme" E.P. from the previous year which traverses similar creative ground, I still wouldn't recommend "Axatak" as an early Australian metal release worth pursuing. It sounds more like a demo than it does a proper release as the songs deserve a glossier coat of paint, one which they likely would have received had the band resided in Los Angeles. I can easily understand how Axatak would have gone down really well in the Melbourne live scene of the time though as their sound & image would have translated very well to the stage. I'm just not terribly surprised that they didn't break out of the local live scene for wider success.
For fans of Bengal Tigers, Boss & WASP.
3/5
Mortification - "Mortification" (1991)
Victoria's Mortification may not be a household name for extreme metalheads around the globe these days but, for those who are dedicated to the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ, they may be the most important artist in the entire Christian metal movement. Mortification began life as a fairly uneventful heavy/power metal band by the name of Light Force that was built around long-standing bass player Steve Rowe back in 1985. Light Force didn't exactly achieve world domination but they did manage to release two full-length albums during the back half of the 1980's before Rowe gave in to his new-found passion for more extreme metal sounds & transitioned Light Force into something altogether different in 1990. Guitarist Cameron Hall would soon depart, being replaced by Michael Carlisle who would join Rowe & drummer Jayson Sherlock (Revulsed/Deliverance/Horde/Paramæcium) to record the self-titled Mortification debut album in 1991, a record that would become my entry point for the band shortly afterwards. The trio would go on to produce a couple more important records for the Christian metal scene in 1992's "Scrolls of the Megilloth" & 1993's "Post Momentary Affliction" before changing their style dramatically & confusing a large portion of their fanbase with 1994's "Blood World" which took more of a groove metal approach. The band have maintained their presence consistently ever since, returning to their death metal roots during the mid-2000's.
My introduction to Mortification would come through underground metal radio programming in the early 1990's with the opening track "Until the End" from the self-titled album representing ground zero. I generally liked what I heard from the "Mortification" album but it would be Ben who would ensure that my exposure to the band would reach a new level when he picked up their second full-length "Scrolls of the Megilloth" a couple of years later, following that purchase up with Mortification's next couple of CDs progressively over time. I wouldn't say that I ever found myself genuinely loving any of these releases but I did always maintain a level of respect for Mortification, despite their Christian affiliations which have always been at odds with my strong Atheistic beliefs. The fact that you really wouldn't know any better unless you read the lyric sheets certainly helped in that regard as I never had any intention of allowing their God-fearing message to reach my conscious more directly.
The "Mortification" album is somewhat of a transitional album in the band's creative journey. It sees the trio shunning their earlier classic metal influences altogether by adopting the more extreme style that Light Force had hinted at on their 1990 "Break the Curse" demo tape with three of the six songs from that relatively unknown release being re-recorded for this debut full-length. "Mortification" offers a fairly basic brand of death/thrash with the boys still very much trying to find their own sound & often resorting to crude imitations of the bands that influenced them. The music is generally more thrash based than it is genuine death metal at this point but those lines are often blurred. You won't find too many blast beats here though with the gruff death grunts of Rowe being the main element that ties the "Mortification" album to death metal.
The debut album was produced by American Roger Martinez who was known as the vocalist & guitarist from LA Christian thrash metallers Vengeance Rising with the result being a pretty rough & ready effort that's noticeably lacking in precision & bottom end. Despite the basic nature of the riff construction though, Mortification had a knack for producing catchy death metal hooks & it's this component that maintains my interest for the majority of the record. "Until the End", the short 33-second blast of "Turn", my personal favourite "No Return" & energetic closer "The Majestic Infiltration of Order" are all excellent examples of the early Mortification sound but there are some flat periods to be found across the eleven tracks, particularly during the latter stages of the B side with a three-song run that doesn't do a lot for me. You'll no doubt be able to pick up a couple of riffs that have been pulled straight from Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" too which isn't something you would usually find on a death metal record but, as I said earlier, this was very much a transitional release for these Victorians.
While I haven't paid any attention to Mortification's lengthy string of releases since 1995's "Primitive Rhythm Machine" sixth album, they do still hold a place in my heart as one of the bands who inspired me to start my own death metal band. They were amongst the earliest Aussie acts to reach international recognition so I've always maintained a level of respect for them, even if I can't get onboard with their Christian messaging. Looking back now, the Mortification debut isn't a bad record either & it compares pretty well with "Scrolls of the Megilloth" in terms of quality to tell you the truth, although I would no doubt pick their sophomore effort over this introductory effort if I had to choose. Neither represent anything terribly essential for the death metal community though in my opinion & I doubt that Mortification would have amounted to much had it not been for their religious slant. Still... I can't deny that I get some enjoyment out of their first few albums, despite rarely feeling the urge to return to them.
For fans of Master, Cancer & early Living Sacrifice.
3.5/5
sora - "re.sort" (2003)
The highly regarded lone album from this Japanese glitch/folktronica artist. I really enjoy the relaxing, stripped back atmosphere but the compositions are a little too structure-less for me to fully appreciate at times. I can't deny the joy that's in this music though. It reminds me of those childhood summers when you didn't have a care in the world & is similar to artists like Lemon Jelly & The Avalanches in that it's kinda quirky & doesn't possess even the slightest trace of darkness.
For fans of Fennesz, Oval & Nobukazu Takemura.
3.5/5
Éliane Radigue - "Jetsun Mila" (1987)
This French composer's third full-length may just be my new favourite drone release ever! "Jetsun Mila" was originally a single, lengthy piece spread across both sides of a cassette with the A side being absolutely incredible & the B side being very solid too. This isn't for everyone as it's extremely deep & minimal but those that can get into that type of stuff are gonna go completely nuts for this shit. Wonderful stuff!
For fans of Robert Rich, Phill Niblock & Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto.
4.5/5
Carcass - "Surgical Steel" (2013)
My old review of the 2013 comeback album from these Liverpool extreme metal legends still holds up pretty well. "Surgical Steel" wasn't a bad return to the scene but it's not nearly as captivating as their classic releases (see "Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious" & "Heartwork") which is no doubt why I haven't returned to it in thirteen years. A lot of the instrumentation is essentially heavy metal & thrash metal with Jeff Walker's signature raspy vocals commanding the listeners attention. The production job is excellent & Bill Steer's lead guitar work is amongst the most memorable in recent times (ooohhh... that vibrato is to die for) but I'm afaid that the song-writing simply isn't as compelling as it once was. This isn't a bad record but it's far from essential. The fact that the quality drops so significantly over the last couple of tracks doesn't help either.
For fans of At The Gates, Arch Enemy & Intestine Baalism.
3.5/5
That's the earliest Moonsorrow release that I actually like to be honest. Their previous material was simply too cheesy for my taste but I can get into all of their post-2005 records.
I'll definitely be checking out the new album at some point. I didn't mind Kaatayra's debut album "No ruidar da mata que mirra" but everything they've done since then has been very solid.
Our "Metal Academy Radio's Metal Party Mix Tape" playlist has just gone through another complete rotation of tracks with the current tracklisting looking like this:
01. Amesoeurs - "Gas in Veins" (from "Amesoeurs", 2009)
02. Antichrist Siege Machine - "Defiled in Iniquity" (from "Purifying Blade", 2021)
03. Defeated Sanity - "Introitus" (from "Chapters of Repugnance", 2010)
04. Napalm Death - "Rise Above" (from "Death by Manipulation", 1992)
05. Burzum - "Enhver til sitt" (from "Fallen", 2011)
06. Holocaust - "Hypnosis of Birds" (from "Hypnosis of Birds", 1992)
07. Këkht Aräkh - "In the Garden" (from "Pale Swordsman", 2021)
08. Babasónicos - "Demonomania" (from "Babasónica", 1997)
09. Brodequin - "The Virgin of Nuremburg" (from "Instruments of Torture", 2000)
10. Grief - "Lifeless" (from "Dismal" compilation, 1993)
11. Insect Warfare - "Street Sweeper" (from "World Extermination", 2007)
12. Archgoat - "Rise of the Black Moon" (from "Angelcunt (Tales of Desecration)" E.P., 1993)
13. Dystopia - "Ruptured Silence" (from "Human = Garbage" compilation, 1994)
14. Children of Bodom - "Sixpounder" (from "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2003)
15. Mortal Sin - "Inside Out" (from "Every Dog Has It's Day", 1991)
16. Mortal Decay - "Brutalized & Defiled" (from "Forensic", 2002)
17. Imprecation - "Emperor of the Infernal Spirits" (from "Theurgia Goetia Summa" compilation, 1995)
18. In Flames - "Come Clarity" (from "Come Clarity", 2006)
19. Abramelin - "Deprived of Afterlife" (from "Deprive of Afterlife" single, 1991)
20. Revenge - "Destiny Mastery" (from "Victory.Intolerance.Mastery", 2004)
21. Unanimated - "Die Alone" (from "Ancient God of Evil", 1995)
22. Drudkh - "False Dawn" (from "Forgotten Legends", 2003)
23. Taramis - "Dreaming" (from "Stretch of the Imagination", 1991)
24. Dehumanized - "Prophecies Foretold" (from "Prophecies Foretold", 1998)
25. Blut aus Nord - "From Hlidskjalf" (from "Ultima Thulée", 1995)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JhEdPqjMqaMjnqIYKSwlq?si=4344737a91754db2
Autechre - "Tri repetae" (1995)
The third full-length from these Manchester IDM legends is probably their most well-known. It's certainly one of their most highly regarded. Autechre sit amongst my very favourite electronic artists & I absolutely adore earlier releases like "Incunabula", "Amber" & "Garbage". While "Tri repetae" is still a very solid record in its own right, it hasn't had quite the same life-changing impact on me to be honest. I think the reason for that is that it champions a glitchier sound with less of an ambient techno component. There are still some outstanding tracks included of course with the incredible ten-minute closer "Rsdio" featuring a sound that reminds me heavily of one of my all-time favourite techno artists in Plastikman. "Leterel" draws to mind past glories too as it gradually builds & draws the listener in before allowing its transcendent main melodic theme to unfurl over the back end of the track. There are a few numbers that are more acceptable than they are enthralling included though too (see "Stud", "Eutow" & "Gnit") & those tend to offset the more classic Autechre tracks to pull "Tri repetae" down below the wonderful records they'd produced over the previous couple of years. I'd still suggest that all IDM afficionados should be across it though as these guys generally sit at the pinnacle of their craft.
For fans of Plaid, Richard Devine & Phoenecia.
4/5
Blut aus Nord - "Ultima Thulée" (1995)
It's interesting that many of our members rate the debut album from French black metallers Blut aus Nord extremely highly but it's never impressed me as much to be honest. "Ultima Thulée" was recorded when band leader vocal, guitarist & main musical mastermind Vindsval (Ershetu/Forhist/Yerûšelem/Children of Mäani/Eitrin/Karras/The Eye/Vlad) was just 15 or 16 years old so it's not surprising that its approach is a little less original than Blut aus Nord would later become known for but it still represents a more than decent example of the atmospheric black metal sound with Vindsal's tortured screams being a highlight & reminding me of Varg Vikernes performances on the classic Burzum records. The youngster's riffs are shrouded in frostbitten, lo-fi noise & often rely upon the basslines of session musician Ogat (Antaeus) & keyboards of W.D. Feld (Yerûšelem) to become fully intelligible. Like most of Blut aus Nord's releases, the drums are entirely programmed & I do feel that this is a slight weakness as I would have preferred a more organic feel to them.
The atmospheres presented on "Ultima Thulée" are suitably icy & most of the tracklisting is fairly engaging with songs like opener "The Son of Hoarfrost", my personal favourite "From Hlidskjalf" & the excellent "On the Way to Vigrid" being the clear standouts of the eight tracks included. I must admit that I find "Till' I Perceive Bifrost" to be fairly lackluster & the only genuine disappointment with the others all managing to maintain my interest in some capacity. Some of the transitions in these pieces are pretty jarring & disjointed which is perhaps understandable given the age of the main composer while the keyboard-driven interlude sections aren't anything terribly special but are certainly passable.
I've gone on to become a big fan of Blut aus Nord over the years as they always manage to create fresh & original yet still inherently dark soundscapes for me to get lost in. "Ultima Thulée" doesn't achieve the same sort of otherworldly majesty but it's still a passable black metal release that perhaps suffered from the time it arrived on the scene as 1995 sits towards the back end of a five-year period that represents the peak for the genre with loads of important releases appearing either side of it. Still... "Ultima Thulée" is certainly worth a listen & should satisfy most punters who enjoy the wintery European atmospheres of the time.
For fans of Burzum, early Emperor & the first couple of Enslaved albums.
3.5/5
Scorn - "Evanescence" (1994)
I bought this classic album on CD back in the day & absolutely adored it. Scorn's third full-length was really the record that properly defined the new "illbient" sound that the duo had pretty much single-handedly created. The three-track run that includes "Dreamscape", "Exodus" & "Night Tide" is absolutely spectacular & would go on to be a career high point. "Evanescence" provides the listener with a tense & largely uncomfortable atmosphere that draws upon some brilliantly put together trip hop beats to numb you into an admittedly pretty twisted yet still fairly cosey 63-minutes of electronic bliss.
For fans of Techno Animal, Godflesh & James Plotkin.
4.5/5
Dehumanized - "Prophecies Foretold" (1998)
My first experience with New York brutal death metal outfit Dehumanized came through their 1996 "Terminal Punishment" demo tape (4/5) back in my mid-1990's tape trading heyday & it made a significant impact on me, receiving regular replays over the next couple of months. I was a huge fan of the New York BDM sound at the time & these five guys offered a very solid example of it without ever really pushing the leaders of the scene like my very favourite metal band ever Suffocation. Dehumanized's debut full-length wouldn't land until my interest in metal was already tailing off during the late 90's so our paths wouldn't cross until a good decade later. The experience was similarly positive though & "Prophecies Foretold" & I have exchanged blows several times since then, appearing to enjoy each other's company quite a bit. When I first heard the record in full though, there was something a little fishy about it. You see, halfway through the tracklisting I started to get a strong feeling of deja vu & there's a good reason for that because the final four tracks are essentially an untouched version of the "Terminal Punishment" demo I'd enjoyed so much as a kid. The first five songs sound vastly different to the demo though which gives "Prophecies Foretold" a bit of a split personality. Both personalities are certainly worth knowing but I hold a slight favour for the demo material.
The new material that kicks off the album sees Dehumanized taking on a sound that splits the brutal & conventional death metal styles, never quite deciding on where it wants to reside. There's just as much Disincarnate & (dare I say it) Neuropath in their sound as there is their New York counterparts with a stronger melodic component & a little more nuance & tempo restraint being shown. The demo material is pure New York BDM though with those signature palm-muted slam riffs in strong effect throughout. The vocals are more gutteral & the tempos whiplash between slow & chuggy, hardcore-inspired Dying Fetus style slams & light-speed blasting. It doesn't appear as if drummer George Torres was using triggers as the kick drums sound fairly messy due to the disparities in their sound. Surprisingly, Torres is the only member of Dehumanized that I recognize from other projects, having contributed to slam death metallers 420 & Artery Eruption as well as BDM legends Skinless over the years. Frontman Jerry Barco's vocals differ quite a bit between the two releases too, being more gutteral on the early material with the brand-new songs all sporting a brighter production job.
Regardless of the split personality, I still really dig "Prophecies Foretold". It champions everything I enjoy about death metal & arguably does it better than they managed to do on either of their subsequent albums. Don't let the terrible cover art fool you. There are easily enough chunky riffs & spasmodic blast beats to satisfy your average brutal death metal nut included here.
For fans of Internal Bleeding, Pyrexia & Mortal Decay.
4/5
I love that album, it is one of the first TD albums I bought, alongside my favourite Rubycon.
"Zeit" is my personal favourite with "Rubycon" currently sitting in second place.
Tangerine Dream - "Ricochet" (1975)
This was my first crack at the Berlin School legends' first live album & it's been a lovely experience too. The record is comprised of two lengthy pieces known as "Ricochet" Parts 1 & 2, neither of which appear on any of Tangerine Dream's studio albums. This is mainly because they were put together in the studio from a variety of recordings of improvised sections from shows that took place in England & France, as well as some additional studio recordings. The result is much less ambient than some of the group's earlier post-krautrock era albums like "Zeit" with piano & electric guitar popping up at times. There's a great energy to this material & you can even find some sections that appear to provide a lot of the blueprint for trance in some of the arpeggiated synthesizers & percussive builds included in part 2. "Ricochet" is well worth seeking out if you have a taste for Berlin School or progressive electronic music in general, even if the themes are a little less obvious due to the experimental nature of the performances.
For fans of Klaus Schulze, Edgar Froese & Redshift.
4/5