Daniel's Forum Replies

Merciless - "Unbound" (1994)

The third full-length from these Swedes sees them returning with a slightly more polished & melodic sound than the one they'd built their early reputation on. The claims for "Unbound" being a melodic death metal record are overstated though as there are really only a couple of tracks that fully qualify for that subgenre with the rest of the material fitting much better under the death/thrash tag. Perhaps the fact that Rogga Pettersson's vocals sit somewhere between Carcass' "Jeff Walker & At the Gates' Tomas Lindberg is partially responsible for those links but the rest of the music is admittedly a little more tame than a record like 1990's excellent "The Awakening" debut. Interestingly, I find the opening title track to be the least interesting inclusion as it's generally thought to be the highlight but is a little too melodic for my taste. I quite liked "Unbound" back in my tape trading days & that hasn't changed but I'm not sure I can see myself returning to it too often in the future.

For fans of Protector, Massacra & Grotesque.

3.5/5

We’ve already featured this album Sonny so you might wanna go for something else.

This comfy favourite has finally packed it in this week with the holes getting too big to be manageable any longer. Farewell old friend. I'll see you in Valhalla.

White Trash - "Feel Free to Say..." demo (1990)

A Sydney thrash metal band formed by drummer Wayne Campbell (Grungeon/Baltak) after leaving Mortal Sin where he played on classic Aussie metal records like "Mayhemic Destruction" & "Face of Despair". "Feel Free to Say..." also features future Mortal Sin guitarist Troy Scerri interestingly enough. White Trash's sound was built around a backbone that was drawn from Steve Souza-era Exodus but which added a few more adventurous influences for added interest. The band can all play really well & the song structures are tight & professionally executed. Front man Brendan Grimes does a pretty reasonable job too. It's only the demo-quality production job that caps the appeal of a release like this one with all six songs being worth a listen. Wayne is a bit of an icon of the Sydney metal scene & I knew him back in my Neuropath days as he used to book us for shows at the Enfield Boulevard Hotel which was the location of what I consider to be our most successful headline gig. Sadly, he hasn't been seen for almost three years now after going missing while walking near his home. He was always a larger than life character who didn't mind a drink & could be a bit divisive at times but I really hope that he turns up shortly, if only for his family's peace of mind.

For fans of Exodus, Mortal Sin & Grungeon.

3.5/5

Mercyful Fate - "The Bell Witch" E.P. (1994)

I had this six-song E.P. bolted onto another Mercyful Fate release I purchased back in the day. It includes two studio tracks taken from the "In the Shadows" comeback album from the previous year as well as four live cuts from an October 1993 show in Los Angeles. I've never liked the title track much but the rest of the material is pretty enjoyable, particularly the live version of "Egypt" was is excellent & is my clear release highlight. The live version of "Come to the Sabbath" is superior to the album version in my opinion while "Curse of the Pharaohs" is a little less effective than its album counterpart. I wouldn't say that this is an essential Fate release as it doesn't match their early works but I'd certainly take it over any of their other 90's releases so it's probably worth giving a couple of listens if you're a fan, even though it doesn't bring anything new to the table. It does have Hank Shermann & Michael Denner's stunning lead guitar work & Snowy Shaw's rock-solid drumming in full effect so that alone should be a drawcard for many heavy metal nuts.

For fans of King Diamond, In Solitude & Attic.

3.5/5

Rothgar - "Where Chaos Reigns" demo (1990)

The first of three demo tapes from this Perth-based four-piece who are generally known as a thrash metal act. Their debut effort is much more in line with the US power metal scene though with the lengthy 44-minute run time being comprised of an impressively consistent eight song showcase. The band make strong reference to their heavy metal upbringing during a couple of slower numbers in "Dark Passion" (the only weaker track in my opinion) & "On the Run" while opener "The Passion Behind the Throne" is an up-tempo speed metal affair. I enjoy the vocals of guitarist Andrew Day as well as the expansive arrangements which defy the short lifespan of the band who had only been around for a year by this stage. Closer "Season's End" is probably the thrashiest inclusion & (perhaps inevitably) has comfortably become my favourite song here. I may not be the biggest power metal fan but I can certainly get onboard with this material which is worth a few listens for our The Guardians faithful.

For fans of Iron Maiden, Nothing Sacred & Taramis.

3.5/5

Amorphis - "Black Winter Day" E.P. (1994)

A four-song E.P. that was released four months after the Fins' highly celebrated 1994 sophomore album "Tales from the Thousand Lakes" & was clearly taken from the same sessions. The title track was one of the highlights from the album & is the clear standout here two with the other three previously unreleased pieces all playing more of a supporting role. I quite like the short "Folk of the North" as well as the doomy "Moon & Sun". Closer "Moon & Sun Part II: North's Son" doesn't do a lot for me though as it errs a little too far over towards the melodic side of Amorphis' sound. There's a fair bit of doom/death here as was the case with a lot of their early material & it's those parts that make for the more compelling material. If you're into the full-length then you'll probably want to give this release a couple of listens too as they kinda go hand in hand.

For fans of Barren Earth, Paradise Lost & Sentenced.

3.5/5

Exceed - "Deranged Hallucination" demo (1990)

The first of two demo tapes from this short-lived Canberra-based thrash metal act that features future Alchemist bassist Alchemist & whose sound owes more to the down-tuned darkness of Celtic Frost than it does to the Americans. Front man Andrew Norris' tone sounds like a less-whiny "So Far, So Good... So What!"-era Dave Mustaine while "Doubled Existence" hints at "Bleach"-period Nirvana more than it does thrash but it's an anomaly with the other three songs sitting in the thrash space & also being noticeably stronger. I don't mind this cassette for something a little different.

For fans of Celtic Frost, Obituary & Megadeth.

3.5/5

Fripp & Eno - "(No Pussyfooting)" (1973)

The first of four full-length collaborations between King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp & Roxy Music keyboardist & ambient music legend Brian Eno. It comprises of two lengthy pieces, both around the twenty minute mark. Fripp's contribution comes in the form of extended jazz fusion improvisations which present the listener with an element of danger given that he takes plenty of melodic risks, often straying in terms of key but ultimately coming across as more inventive than incompetent. Eno's accompaniments were pretty groundbreaking for the time. "The Heavenly Music Corporation" is a twenty-one minute drone piece while nineteen-minute closer "Swastika Girls" falls more into the tape music category given that it's built from a short tape loop that's repeated throughout the full length of the piece. Both are high-quality efforts that keep me well entertained throughout & have seen me returning to Fripp & Eno's debut a number of times over the years.

For fans of Brian Eno, Harold Budd & Cluster.

4/5

Klaus Schulze - "Cyborg" (1973)

The second album from this Berlin School pioneer sees Klaus expanding on the space ambient sound of his high-quality 1972 debut album "Irrlicht" by upping the spaciness with a more overtly synth-heavy feel that borders on progressive electronic music a lot of the time. "Cyborg" comes in a similar one-track-per-side double album format to Tangerine Dream's wonderful "Zeit" release from the previous year & pulls it all off amazingly well, even managing to upstage his German peer's classic effort to become the finest example of the ambient sound the world had heard to the time. The second sides of both discs is simply incredible, particularly "Conphära" which sits amongst the most imposing pieces of electronic music ever recorded. "Cyborg" is nothing short of a triumph & should rightfully sit alongside the greats of the genre, particularly the space ambient subset. In fact, I've had to find space to include it in my Top Ten Ambient Releases of All Time this week (see below).

For fans of Tangerine Dream, Edgar Froese & Ashra.

4.5/5

01. Biosphere – “Substrata” (1997)

02. Robert Rich – “Somnium” (2001)

03. Steve Roach – “Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces” (2003)

04. Brian Eno – “Ambient 1: Music for Airports” (1978)

05. Stars of the Lid – “The Tired Sounds of” (2001)

06. Stars of the Lid – “And Their Refinement of the Decline” (2007)

07. Steve Roach – “Structures from Silence” (1984)

08. A Winged Victory For The Sullen – “A Winged Victory for the Sullen” (2011)

09. Klaus Schulze - "Cyborg" (1973)

10. Gas – “Pop” (2000)

Satyricon - "The Shadowthrone" (1994)

I picked the Norwegian black metal trios sophomore album up on CD shortly after release & really enjoyed it, despite never overcoming the feeling that Satyricon ascend out of the second-tier. The folk influence that perpetuated the band's debut album "Dark Medieval Times" is less prominent here while "The Shadowthrone" is a little more grim & abrasive. The symphonic element proves itself to be a valuable asset at times, without ever feeling like touching on full-fledged symphonic black metal. I really love Satyr's vocal contribution which is the epitome of what a black metal front man should be & tends to carry the record while the instrumentation is a touch inconsistent with quite a few disappointing sections scattered across the tracklisting. "Vikingland" & "I en svart kiste" are both pretty substandard while album highlight "Dominions of Satyricon" is some of Satyricon's best work & compliments a trio of solid inclusions to kick off the album. Ben's review indicates that there's a big Viking metal component included but I wouldn't go that far. I think the sections he's referring to are simply poorly executed black metal that contains structural similarities to Isengard's groovy beer-swilling moments. This is one of the reasons that I prefer "Dark Medieval Times" over "The Shadowthrone" but there's not all that much between them when viewed holistically so I'd still recommend Satyricon's second album to all of our The North members.

For fans of Taake, Emperor & Darkthrone.

4/5

The Currumbin Chill Council playlist is now up to volume 8, each representing a two-hour blend of timeless chillout music from the classic era of the genre.

https://open.spotify.com/user/31btv5smkocl5bpiep3h46rfsjcy?si=250d2bcf8ce247dc

Those sort of situations are never smooth sailing so I really hope things work out as pain-free as possible for both of you.

I don't think Budgie were ever a metal band, at least they weren't on the releases I've heard from them which equates to the first four full-lengths & 1980's "If Swallowed, Do Not Induce Vomiting" & "Power Supply" records. They did throw in the odd metal track here & there but no more than other artists like Deep Purple, Randy Holden, Flower Travellin' Band, Lucifer's Friend or Sir Lord Baltimore did at the time. None of those one-off metal songs appear on the debut either as it predominantly stays in hard/stoner/blues rock territory throughout. I know I've said it before but I honestly doubt that anyone would talk about Budgie in terms of metal if not for Metallica having covered a number of their songs.

I'm gonna disagree on Cirith Ungol's "King of the Dead". I think there's enough genuine doom on that record to justify a dual traditional doom metal/heavy metal tag as the three lengthier doom tracks make up more of the run time than the shorter heavy metal tunes do.

Have you considered the 1982 self-titled debut album from Germany's Warning Sonny? From memory, I described it as avant-garde doom metal when I last revisited it & it's much more well-known than a Nemesis or a Mercy too.

Speaking of Paul Chain, do you think Death SS have any skin in the game here? Me, I am not so sure, but am open to pursuasion.

I don't think so. I never considered a record like "Evil Metal" to have more than a doom influence. It's a heavy metal release as far as I'm concerned.

"Death Penalty" was no doubt an important record in the birth of the doom metal genre but I have to admit that I've never actually thought of it as a genuine doom release as it's not consistent in its focus on that sound so I think there are more faithful releases for a 101 session. "Friends of Hell" was closer to the mark in my opinion but obviously wasn't as strong a record so I'd be thinking more along the lines of artists like Candlemass, Pentagram (80's releases only), Trouble, Pagan Altar, Saint Vitus & Paul Chain for the early days of doom personally. Pagan Altar's self-titled was probably the earliest one of those but then there would have to be doubts about how many people had access to that record for the first decade & a half of its release as it existed only as an underground demo until its re-release in 1998. The Pentagram & Bedemon compilations are an interesting discussion point too because they're so often referenced as having been a major influence on the early doom scene yet I very much doubt that many people had access to that material until a couple of decades later, particularly Bedemon.

Spectral Birth - "Raze" demo (1990)

The excellent second & final demo tape from this Melbourne extreme thrash metal outfit. I quite liked 1987's "Sinful Dreams" demo tape (which they released under their earlier Incubus moniker) & 1988's "The Turbulence" cassette was also worth hearing. This time we see the duo taking things to the next level though by opting for a more traditional thrash metal sound rather than the blackened thrash of "Sinful Dreams" or the death/thrash of "The Turbulence". These five tracks sound a lot like the Teutonic scene, particularly Kreator who would appear to be the main influence here, & the end result is a balls-to-the-wall, aggressive thrash outing that should tick most of our The Pit members boxes. In fact, I'm gonna go so far as to say that I think "Raze" might be the best thing to come out of the Australian extreme metal scene to the time too which is really saying something. "Raze" sounds as fresh & incisive as it did the first time I heard it back in the early 1990's. It's a complex riff-fest with rhythmic & structural changes coming thick & fast but the song-writing always maintains cohesion due to the fact that main song-writer Laurie Ferdinands contributes all vocals, guitars & bass. Get on this one gents!

For fans of Kreator, Slayer & Agressor.

4/5

If we're gonna talk early doom metal & are including obscure demo tapes then I'm gonna throw out a few really underground ones:

Hammerhead (NWOBHM) - "1978 Demo" demo (1978)

Spitfire (SWE) - "Outer Space" demo (1978)

Tyrant (USA) - "1978 Rehearsal" demo (1978) [i.e. The band that spawned Saint Vitus]

Cannibal Corpse - "The Bleeding" (1994)

The Buffalo death metal legends fourth full-length album was their best to the time in my opinion. While Chris Barnes' vocals may not be as unintelligible & the instrumentation may not be quite as brutal as it was previously, the song-writing is more consistent & the quality of the riffs is spectacular. I still feel like drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz is still the weakest link here, particularly his blast beats which simply sound lacklustre a lot of the time, but the three axemen are devastating. I could probably do without Barnes' ill-conceived attempts at higher register screams as they sound pretty weak to my ears but "The Bleeding" is undeniably a high-quality death metal that doesn't try to be anything it's not & pulls it all off with the class that Cannibal Corpse have made their calling card over many decades now.

For fans of Deicide,  Cannabis Corpse & Monstrosity.

4/5

"Master of Reality" is generally referred to as Sabbath's doomiest record in my experience while "Vol. 4" is where they maximized their stoner side.

I don't think Sabbath have a release that's really a doom metal record as such but if I had to pick one then I'd probably go for "Paranoid" as both "Iron Man" & "Electric Funeral" present a suitably doomy sound. Each album had the odd doom metal track on it here & there but they also offered a number of other sounds too & the first four records are closer to stoner metal than doom in my opinion. I don't think Pentagram's 1970's material was doom metal either. In fact, I'd suggest that the majority of it isn't even metal. Bedemon's "Child of Darkness: From the Original Master Tapes" should qualify though, despite being somewhat of a hybrid with heavy psych. Pagan Altar's "The Time Lord" demo re-release E.P. is another one that documents the very early traditional doom metal sound.

For the earliest proper traditional doom metal releases, I'd be looking at records like Witchfinder General's "Soviet Invasion!" E.P. & Pagan Altar's self-titled album, both of which appeared in 1982.

Cromok - "Image of Purity" demo (1990)

The earliest demo recordings from an Australian thrash band that originated in Wollongong (a city that's located a couple of hours south of Sydney) & ended up relocating to Malaysia in 1991 where they continue on with their craft still to this day. This six-song affair is pretty well produced but is let down by some very limited drumming & fairly uninteresting guitar solos. I don't mind the Cromok sound though which presents Bay Area style thrash instrumentation underneath some grunty vocals that come more from a Teutonic angle. It's all largely forgettable stuff in the grand scheme of Aussie thrash though & Cromok seem to have a much stronger legacy in Malaysia these days.

For fans of Mortal Sin, Darkness & Exodus.

3/5

Phlebotomized - "Immense Intense Suspense" (1994)

I picked this unusual Dutch debut full-length up through the tape trading scene after hearing the outstanding album highlight "Dubbed Forswearer" on a compilation record back in the mid-1990's & found it to be pretty decent. Phlebotomized were a seven-piece band that championed a symphonic death metal sound complete with full-time keyboardist & violinist. They sound very much like a more up-tempo version of My Dying Bride here so I'd imagine that the Englishmen were a major influence. The production isn't amazing & neither is the majority of the song-writing but Phlebotomized have enough about them to keep me well & truly interested. Ben fucking loves this release so perhaps they'll offer more appeal to some of our more open-minded members of The Horde. Boy, that cover art is crap though, isn't it?

For fans of My Dying Bride, Pan.Thy.Monium & Disharmonic Orchestra.

3.5/5

Iron Lightning - "The Winds of Change" demo (1990)

I wasn't a fan of Brisbane thrash metallers Iron Lightning's 1989 demo "Don't Fear... the Darkness" & their second effort doesn't fare much better to be honest. The band members can play alright but the song-writing & vocals leave a fair bit to be desired. As with their earlier work, there's a classic heavy metal vibe to some of this material but I would have preferred it if they'd stuck with their higher velocity tempos as the shreddier tracks are a touch more palatable. Front man Max Valentine & bassist Mouse (also of blackened thrashers Spear of Longinus) were originally a part of speed metallers Black Widow who I got a little more out of than Iron Lightning but still don't rate particularly highly so my adopted state of Queensland would have to wait a little longer to receive a genuine contender in the extreme metal stakes. 

For fans of Metallica, Megadeth & Testament.

2.5/5

Ved Buens Ende..... - "Those Who Caress the Pale" demo (1994)

You know what? As much as I've always dug the highly regarded "Written in Waters" album from these Norwegians, I can't deny that I gravitate to this demo more. It's very well produced for a demo yet still showcases the band's incredible knack for creating beauty in dissonance, rarely feeling avant-garde & maintaining more of the classic Norwegian black metal ethos I love so much. "The Carrier of Wounds" is one of the greatest achievements in forward-thinking black metal & it alone pushes this five-song release up into the upper echilons of my rating system while the other four inclusions are invariably classy & intriguing too. There are a couple of songs that I'd suggest fall into the progressive metal space but it's not enough to qualify for The Infinite in my opinion though.

For fans of Dødheimsgard, Fleurety & Code.

4.5/5

Alchemist - "Demo '90" (1990)

This is the best of the three Alchemist demo tapes in my opinion, closely followed by 1987's "Eternal Wedlock" tape. Alchemist were still a progressive thrash metal act at this stage although there are clear avant-garde & death metal leaning on show at times that hint at the Canberra four-piece's future. All four songs are worth hearing with the title track from their 1993 debut album "Jar of Kingdom" being presented in a similar format to the one we'd hear three years later. The vocal duties have been taken over by band leader & guitarist Adam Agius (The Levitation Hex) but still take more of a clean thrash direction than the grunty death metal one he'd adopt shortly afterwards. The rest of the lineup is completely different to the one we heard on "Eternal Wedlock" with short-lived second guitarist Andrew Meredith & bassist James Preece having joined the fold for this recording as well as iconic long-time drummer Rodney Holder. This cassette isn't likely to become a permanent fixture in your collection but I think that most members of The Pit & The Infinite will find it interesting nonetheless as the ambition is certainly there along with a reasonable amount of musical prowess for such a fresh-faced group of young dudes.

For fans of Voivod, Atheist & Alarum.

3.5/5

Ben, please add Ved Buens Ende.....'s 1994 "Those Who Caress the Pale" release.

Carcass - "The Heartwork E.P." E.P. (1994)

This three-song single is taken from the "Heartwork" recording sessions & includes the popular title track as well as two unreleased songs. I've gotta be honest with you, as much as I enjoy the "Heartwork" album the much loved title song is comfortably my least favoured inclusion on it, despite the fact that it's still a fairly decent listen, so I've never gotten too excited about this E.P., particularly given the fact that the other two tracks provide a sneak peak into the death 'n' roll experimentations that Carcass would undertake on their highly divisive 1996 fifth album "Swansong". Admittedly "This Is Your Life" is pretty enjoyable but groovier closer "Rot 'n' Roll" does very little for me. Overall, you can expect to hear a more stripped back Carcass sound that could easily be labelled as melodic death 'n' roll with the vocals of Jeff Walker & the guitar solos of Bill Stear being relied upon to do all of the heavy lifting. It's an inessential release from a band that was still very much in their prime at that particular point in time so I've always found it to be a touch disappointing even though I inevitably come away from it feeling predominantly positive.

For fans of Helltrain, At the Gates & Arch Enemy.

3.5/5

Martire - "Demo 1990" (1990)

The second demo from this seminal Adelaide extreme metal crew & a damn fine one it is too. I enjoyed Martire's 1988 "Demo 1" tape quite a bit but this one is definitely a step up from that one. In fact, I'm actually finding that I enjoy it significantly more than the band's self-titled 1991 E.P. which is generally regarded as Martire's calling card too. It's a short two-song, seven-minute affair with the lengthier opener "The Eldritch" being an early example of a Celtic Frost-inspired doom/death sound & faster & more aggressive closer "Peace Keeper" being a thrashy black metal burner. This is all high quality stuff that's full of the sort of chaos & blasphemy that I look for in an underground demo.

For fans of Abominator, Spear of Longinus & Mongrel's Cross.

4/5

Sonny, you'll wanna check this one out as it's somewhat of an underground gem in my opinion.

Meshuggah - "None" E.P. (1994)

This five-track E.P. not only marks the point where these Swedes started to find their signature sound but it also represents the birth of the djent subgenre. I'd gotten a fair bit of enjoyment out of Meshuggah's 1991 debut album "Contradictions Collapse" but had never heard anything like "None" at the time & it subsequently sealed the deal for me with this band who have stuck with me ever since. There are a few more external influences on display here than we'd see on some of their later material which was more finely honed. You can easily pick up sections that harness groove metal, progressive metal ("Ritual") & industrial metal ("Aztec Two-Step") but the dominant component is the heavy reliance on rhythmic, atonal bottom-string chugging built around some seriously complex time signatures. All five songs are really solid but there's not any genuinely classic Meshuggah material on offer here so I don't feel that too many punters will be tempted to claim "None" as a lost masterpiece, even if it should be essential listening for all djent nuts.

For fans of Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects, Gojira & Strapping Young Lad.

4/5

I would have to agree, particularly given the fact that I've had no power in my home for the last four days. The only solace I've had was to play pre-downloaded music through a battery-powered bluetooth device while I tried to keep my three young daughters entertained with zero assistance when it was unsafe to leave the house. It's really made me value to role that music plays in my life as it's simply essential.

So, we survived the cyclone but not without the threat of water infiltrating our home & the loss of power, internet & hot water to our home for four days. It's gonna keep raining for the rest of the week so the clean-up job will have to wait until the weekend. I'm just happy to have power back so that I can type this message as you don't know how reliant you are on technology until you no longer have it available to you.

Redeemer - "The Light is Struck..." (1990)

This is a one-off album from a little-known female-fronted Sydney band whose sound sits right in the middle between US power metal & thrash metal & is influenced by records like Judas Priest's "Painkiller" & Savatage's "Sirens". It's all pretty good metal-as-fuck stuff too, particularly the shredding guitar solos. I dunno what happened to Redeemer after this but it's a shame that they didn't go on to bigger & better things as there's definitely some potential here, despite the cheesy folk metal style cover artwork.

For fans of Vicious Rumors, Helstar & Enticer (AUS).

3.5/5

Rollins Band - "Weight" (1994)

The follow-up to the 1992's wonderful "The End of Silence" album which was a massive record for me personally. I saw Rollins Band live on both tours & have always felt that "Weight" was a rock-solid effort that further solidified Henry Rollins' credentials as a premium heavy music front man. The claims of this release championing funk metal or jazz metal vibes are drastically overstated, predominantly off the back of new bass player Melvin Gibbs' diverse musical background. This is another chunky slab of Black Sabbath-inspired alternative metal performed by quality musicians with excellent production & potent social messaging throughout. You can pick up the influence of stoner outfits like Sleep at times & I've recently had that confirmed while reading interviews with the band. While it may not reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, "Weight" is a damn fine record in its own right.

For fans of Black Flag, Helmet & Fugazi.

4/5

We got through the night without water breaching our sandbags which is a great relief while the cyclone has now been downgraded to a category 1 which means that the wind speeds are now slightly reduced. Last night was hectic though so my wife & I barricaded ourselves in the downstairs spare bedroom for the night for safety reasons. Things are pretty calm right now but the cyclone is hitting land for the first time right now so there's still a long way to go yet with enormous volumes of rain expected over the weekend.

The Moody Blues - "Days of Future Passed" (1967)

The seriously ambitious sophomore album from this Birmingham outfit who started out as a rhythm & blues cover band but, through a quick succession of lineup changes & stylistic decisions, ended up producing this epic progressive/baroque pop concept-based album that's intended to document a day in the life of your everyday person. Many people have claimed "Days of Future Passed" as the release that first brought prog rock to the world's attention but I would argue that it's not actually a rock record at all & is much more closely aligned with pop music. The production job is spectacular with The London Festival Orchestra being wonderfully presented in the mix. In fact, producer Tony Clarke might as well have been a member of the band at this point given the importance of the role he plays in The Moody Blues' sound. The influence of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is as clear as day & the two go hand in hand given that both were released in the same calendar year. The A side is OK but it's been the excellent B side that has stuck with me all these years since my father would play this album in our household when Ben & I were kids. It's no surprise that I'm gonna claim closer "The Night: Nights in White Satin" as the clear highlight either as it's undoubtably one of the greatest pieces of music ever written but I also really dig "The Afternoon: Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?): (Evening) Time to Get Away." & "Evening: The Sun Set: Twilight Time" which combine to see this record sneaking up on me after the first half tends to wash over me without making as significant an impact.

For fans of The Beatles, Yes & Procol Harum.

4/5

The cyclone has apparently slowed in its trajectory towards land so it is now estimated to hit us at around 4 AM on Saturday morning. Conditions are already pretty terrible. We had no power last night while it's poured rain with howling winds for at least the last twelve hours. It's a miracle that water hasn't gotten in thus far but it's a good sign that maybe we'll get lucky & the angles will play to our advantage. One things for sure though, the sandbags & tarpolines we've put up to try to stop the water from entering won't do much if nature decides it's gonna cause us more problems than that over the weekend. With that in mind, we're preparing as if it's a forgone conclusion that we'll have water in our house at some stage.

Black Widow - "See Our Evil, Hear Our Evil, Speak Our Evil" demo (1985)

A one-off demo tape from a particularly underground Brisbane-based act that are often referred to as being one of the earliest Aussie thrash metal acts but who, in reality, were actually speed metal band with heavy metal influences. The production job on this six-song cassette is really good for the time but the song-writing & vocals aren't strong enough to make it worth tracking down in my opinion. Interestingly, vocalist/guitarist Kevin Dreise would go on to form thrashers Iron Lightning while drummer Darryl MacDonald would find himself with heavy/glam metal act Vice during the late 80's.

For fans of Alice Cooper, Motorhead & Venom.

3/5

Alfred is expected to hit somewhere between Brisbane & the Gold Coast as a category 2 cyclone (potentially bordering on a 3) in just under 24 hours. Both cities have been completely shut down for today & tomorrow & we've been warned to stay in our homes for the two-day period with the expectation of widespread flooding, power & internet outages & winds of up to 160 km/hr. It's all very exciting but I can't say that I'm looking forward to the flooding that will inevitably take place at the front of my house. I've got sandbags built up to give us a bit of protection but I don't think it'll be enough if I'm being honest.

Marduk - "Opus Nocturne" (1994)

I've always found this to be one of the Swedish black metal establishments better records. It works as somewhat of a transition album between the more measured & melodic "Those of the Unlight" & the relentless blastfests that were to come over the coming years in that it offers a piece of both worlds. The black metal atmosphere is certainly here in spades & there are no weak tracks included however there are a couple of things that prevent "Opus Nocturne" from reaching the top tier. Firstly, there's nothing original about this material that you haven't heard many times before, even back at the time of release. And secondly, drummer Fredrik Andersson (Allegiance/Triumphator) was still yet to fully develop his skill set & contributes a sloppy & fairly repetitive performance here with his blast beat often struggling for timing. Still... vocalist Jocke Göthberg (Cardinal Sin/Darkified/Dimension Zero) sounds vicious & evil with his tone being similar to Emperor's Ihsahn while the instrumentation shows a clear understanding of what made black metal so great at the time. While it may not have topped "Those of the Unlight", "Opus Nocturne" should really be in every dedicated black metallers collection & showcases just how far the Swedes had come since releases like their 1992 debut album "Dark Endless" or their 1991 "Fuck Me Jesus" demo.

For fans of Dark Funeral, 1349 & Funeral Mist.

4/5

Wilhelm Kempff - "Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, Moonlight" (1925)

A very well executed piano sonata from a gifted German musician. The first of the three parts is particularly enjoyable with its darker & more stripped back feel appealing to my taste a touch more than the more melodic or extravagant arrangements. The second part doesn't do a lot for me but I've always enjoyed the great classical pieces from a musical perspective & this one certainly ticks those boxes.

For fans of Emil Gilels, Daniel Barenboim & Glenn Gould

3.5/5

The Upsetters - "Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board Jungle" (1973)

The record that pretty much put the dub subgenre on the reggae map. It's quite minimal & is almost entirely instrumental but is generally enjoyable throughout. The production job is super-raw though with the balance all outta whack. It's lucky that I really dig deep, trance-inducing beats & bass, isn't it? The dirty, DIY vibe only adds to the atmosphere in my opinion.

For fans of Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby & Augustus Pablo.

3.5/5

Preparing to take a direct hit from Cyclone Alfred.

Mass Confusion - "Confusion Intrusion" (1990)

The only album from this Melbourne thrash metal outfit whose 1988 "Rolling in Stitches" demo tape I revisited in recent months. It's a pretty good effort too although I think I slightly prefer the demo as there are a few obvious duds included amongst the higher quality material here. This is more of a conventional thrash release than the crossover thrash of the demo tape. The gnarly vocals of front man Darren Walsh remind me very much of Nuclear Assault's John Connelly & are highly effective while a lot of the riffage brings to mind Steve Souza-era Exodus which can't be a bad thing. You may know bassist Phil Gresik from his time with Bestial Warlust, Deströyer 666 & Hobbs Angel of Death while drummer Chris Phillips spent some time with Tyrus & Depression. I'm not gonna suggest that "Confusion Intrusion" is in any way essential but it's not a bad Aussie thrash record nonetheless. 

For fans of Nuclear Assault, Exodus & Vio-lence.

3.5/5

Ben, please add Aussie thrashers Redeemer.

Etta James - "At Last!" (1960)

I gave this oldie a crack for something smooth to listen to with the wife & kids while we did puzzles on the floor on a lazy Sunday afternoon & it fit the bill fairly well. I do think that there are three or four flat numbers spread across the tracklisting but the majority is pretty entertaining, particularly the few genuine highlight tracks in "Sunday Kind of Love", "Stormy Weather" & the infamous title track. 

For fans of Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone & Otis Redding.

3.5/5

Fange - "Purulences" [French industrial sludge metal]

Ministry - "The Squirrely Years Revisited" [Chicago industrial metal]

Hirax - "Faster Than Death" [California speed/thrash metal]

Warbringer - "Wrath & Ruin" [Californian thrash metal]

Borgne - "Renaître de ses fanges" [Swiss black metal]

Cradle of Filth - "The Screaming of the Valkyries" [English symphonic black metal]

Deafheaven - "Lonely People With Power" [San Francisco blackgaze]

Drudkh - "Shadow Play" [Ukranian atmospheric black metal]

Magogaio/Sadness - Split album [English/Mexican blackgaze]

Trhä - "∫um'ad∂ejja ∫ervaj" [Mexican atmospheric black metal]

Trhä - "∫um'ad∂ejja mºoravaj" [Mexican atmospheric black metal]

Trhä - "ducel ëf ∂acet'asde§ den alëcaáhabna ë∫ igatenamëc. já sjaboj. já qá§mëna. ëmat'alsob nimëde eh enΩëcunnab nipi¶e" [Mexican atmospheric black metal]