Daniel's Forum Replies
His Name is Alive - " Love Can't Buy Happiness" (1990)
This obscure demo tape seems to have gained somewhat of a cult following over the years so I thought I'd see what it's about. You can expect a sound that utilizes sound collage techniques in combination with post-rock & dream pop elements to create a warm, fuzzy atmosphere. The 17-song tracklisting is a little bit hit & miss but the stronger tracks tend to be the longer ones which has seen me coming away from "Love Can't Buy Happiness" with a predominantly positive feeling.
For fans of Natural Snow Buildings, Stars of the Lid & Lovesliescrushing.
3.5/5
Satyricon - "Nemesis Divina" (1996)
I raced out & bought the highly acclaimed third full-length CD from Norwegian black metal gods Satyricon immediately upon release back in 1996 & I think it's fair to say that I gave it plenty of gushing feedback too. Time has shown me that it's perhaps not quite as classic as I originally thought though & I think the same can be said for Satyricon in general if I'm being completely honest. These days, I'd suggest that they've never released a genuinely classic album with all three of their most popular early records suffering a little from some misguided moments, even though they all include their fair share of brilliance. It's interesting that this week I've found myself thinking that the much more finely polished "Nemesis Divina" is structured very similarly to Satyricon's solid yet significantly rawer debut album "Dark Medieval Times" too but it's surprised me that I'm now slightly favouring the debut for the first time in the last three decades. The vocals & drumming are great on "Nemesis Divina" but the instrumentation is occasionally a little too melodic (even folky) for my taste. Opener "The Dawn of a New Age" is an absolute ripper & Frost's blast-beat sections are invariably spectacular but where are the other classic songs here? I don't think there are any to tell you the truth. Still... the greatly improved production job makes "Nemesis Divina" a fine Norwegian black metal experience nonetheless.
For fans of Taake, Darkthrone & Emperor.
4/5
I'm seriously pissed off that the Detroit Pistons' superstar point guard has received a collapsed lung during a collision with another player during a match-up with the lowly ranked Washington Wizards a few days ago, seeing him having to sit out for an undefined recovery period just fourteen matches out from the play-offs. Thankfully we've got a pretty reasonable run to the finals & have already won our first two matches without Cade Cunningham but I'm pretty concerned about him missing the start of the playoffs & also about the potential for the Pistons to be overtaken for the number one spot in the Eastern Conference by the Boston Celtics who have recently been buoyed by the return of their own star player Jayson Tatum. Fingers crossed that Cade makes a swift recovery & it doesn't impact the team's chances too much because they deserve a good crack at the championship this year.
A huge "Fuck Yeah!" to the Sydney Kings who absolutely annihilated the Adelaide 36ers in game one of the five-match NBL playoff finals series last night. The victory was so emphatic that I can't see the 36ers being able to recover to be honest. Pumped about this today actually!
And finally, a big thumbs down to my Manly-Warringah Sea-Eagles after an abysmal showing against a struggling, injury-ridden Newcastle Knights side last weekend. Manly are now under extreme pressure after starting the season 0-2 with both matches having been at home. I'm afraid I don't hold much hope for a finals appearance this season.
The Soft Machine - "Volume Two" (1969)
After quite enjoying my time with Canterbury Scene legends' Soft Machine's 1968 debut self-titled album & also their widely celebrated third full-length "Third" recently, I thought I'd better see what the record that split those two releases is like too, particularly given how highly regarded it seems to be. "Volume Two" sees the trio upping the proggy complexity significantly from the more straight forward psychedelic rock of Soft Machine's first album & also incorporating a lot more of a jazz fusion influence which can't be a bad thing in my opinion. Well.... on paper at least... because "Volume Two" tends to sound like a bit of a mess a lot of the time really. Of course, the musicianship is impressively ridiculous but the sum of those contributions often challenges my understanding of what music is a little too regularly for my liking. Plus, drummer Robert Wyatt's vocals are noticeably pitchy a lot of the time which may be endearing to some but comes across as too quirky & intentionally weird for my taste. The jazzier sections are some of the best parts though & I really appreciate it when the boys strip things back & concentrate more on traditional song-writing too (see album highlight "Dedicated to You but You Weren't Listening"). Overall though, I'm afraid "Volume Two" hasn't connected with me like the releases either side of it did so I'm gonna place it on a lower shelf for the time being.
For fans of Caravan, Matching Mole & Frank Zappa.
3/5
Vlad Tepes/Belkètre - "March to the Black Holocaust" split album (1995)
Here we have one of the crowning glories of the French "Les Légions Noires" black metal scene of the 1990's & a release that doesn't really stand up to modern scrutiny in my opinion.
Vlad Tepes was a Brest-based duo made up of Vorlok Drakksteim (Black Murder/Dzlvarv/Seviss/Susvourtre/Torture/Vèrmyapre Kommando) & Wlad Drakksteim (Black Murder/Dzlvarv/Seviss/Vèrmyapre Kommando). As you can see, these guys were involved in a whole slew of important French demo projects & I didn't mind a couple of their earlier demo tapes under the Vlad Tepes moniker at the time either (see 1994's "War Funeral March" & "Celtic Poetry") but the eight tracks included here do very little for me, despite containing much of the same material as "Celtic Poetry". What you can expect is an extremely raw & lo-fi brand of early 90's black metal that's performed in a very sloppy fashion with many of the riffs having more of a melodic feel than I'd like (kinda like Ulver's 1997 "Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden" third album in a way) & occasionally even veering into folk metal territory which triggers my yucky gag reflex. The vocals are nice & grim (think Abbath meets Nocturno Culto) but the instrumentation is pretty lacklustre in my opinion, leaving me struggling for connection across most of the eight pieces included here. 2.5/5
Bergerac's Belkètre are far more interesting in my opinion with their distorted, treble-heavy sound being highlighted by the overthetop vocal delivery of band leader Vordb Dréagvor Uèzréèvb (Black Murder/Brenoritvrezorkre/Chapel of Ghouls/Dvnaèbkre/Moëvöt/Seviss/Torgeist/Vagézaryavtre/Zelda) who is ably supported by Aäkon Këëtrëh (Torgeist/Zelda) to give us a much more engaging eight pieces of ultra lo-fi & primitive French black metal. I have some time for Belkètre's 1996 "Ambre Zuetki Vuordrevartre" demo tape & I get a similar level of enjoyment out of their contribution to this split album which arrived the previous year. The interludes don't do anything for me at all but the proper songs are all pretty decent, although they're definitely held up by the demo-quality production & fairly sloppy performances. I guess that's kinda the point here though as neither band are looking for accessibility, quite the opposite in fact. When taken holistically though, Belkètre's side of the release is the reason for exploring "March to the Black Holocaust" as far as I can see. Unfortunately, it's charms are overcome by the inadequacies of Vlad Tepes' contribution so I can't in good conscience recommend this supposedly classic record. 3.5/5
For fans of Mütiilation, Torgeist & Black Murder.
3/5
Jethro Tull - "Benefit" (1970)
The third full-length from this well-known English five-piece saw them steering away from the bluesy sound of their first two records towards a proggy folk/hard rock hybrid that I have a bit of time for. I don't think Ian Anderson's vocals are particularly strong & I can't say that I'm a firm believer in the regular use of the flute as a rock instrument but it seems to work relatively well here. There are a few tracks included that I find to be pretty flat though (see "Inside", "Son" & "Teacher") & I don't think the better material (see the solid one-two punch of "To Cry You A Song" into "A Time For Everything?") is frequent enough to make "Benefit" essential listening. Still... it's nonetheless been a pretty enjoyable experience this week.
For fans of Fairport Convention, Camel & Rush.
3.5/5
Imperial Triumphant - "Goldstar" (2025)
Another high-quality record from this unusual New York trio, possibly their finest work actually. Guitarist Zachary Ezrin (Folterkammer) does a great job behind the microphone with his deep death growls being both powerful & well phrased. I really enjoy the drumming of Kenny Grohowski (John Frum/Secret Chiefs 3/Titan to Tachyons) too while Sarmat bass player Steve Blanco also provides us with a capable performance. The black metal component of the Imperial Triumphant's 2010's era is long gone by this point with "Goldstar" sitting more comfortably under an Avant-Garde/Experimental Death Metal tag in my opinion. Even the dissonant elements are probably not consistent enough to call this full-blown dissonant death metal. There's a lot of progressive metal & tech death influence here though too. Unsurprisingly, I find "Goldstar"s best moments to be when the boys simply go hell for leather with the more frenetic & aggressive phases being the most effective & often marrying up with the simpler sections of the album but that's not to say that the more experimental parts of "Goldstar" aren't impressive as they're very smoothly incorporated for a record that jumps around so much. If you exclusively like your death metal of the old school variety then you'll wanna steer well clear of this release but those that like a bit of ambition & creativity should find it to be universally interesting because there's no doubt that it's a classy effort by a forward-thinking extreme metal outfit.
For fans of Pyrrhon, Ad Nauseam & Portal.
4/5
Rhythm & Sound - "The Versions" (2003)
This is a remixes collection of material taken from the above-mentioned "w/ the Artists" album & it's just as incredible too, even if it requires a little more patience again due to its repetitive nature & minimal construction. If pushed, I'd probably suggest that I slightly favour the original album as the vocals are incredible & "The Versions" is mostly instrumental but there's very little in it & both should be regarded as being essential dub releases from the important Berlin scene.
For fans of Deepchord, Deadbeat & Paul St. Hilaire.
4.5/5
Incantation - "Upon the Throne of Apocalypse" (1995)
While I really dug 1992's "Onward to Golgotha" debut album, it was New Jersey death metallers Incantation's 1994 sophomore full-length "Mortal Throne of Nazarene" that really made me into a full-blown worshipper, so much so that I bought 1995's "Upon the Throne of Apocalypse" CD blind upon release without realising that it was in fact a different mix of the same album. The band apparently hated the previously released mix of "Mortal Throne of Nazarene", preferring an earlier rough mix to the one that eventually saw the light of day. "Upon the Throne of Apocalypse" shows why & in no uncertain terms too because it's an absolute beast of a record, highlighted by one of the most punishing & cavernous bass-heavy sounds the metal world had heard to the time. The slower material is taken to another level here while the faster sections sometimes lack the intelligibility of its predecessor so I'd suggest that it's really just a matter of taste as to which version of the album you prefer. Personally, I've always preferred this one but both are genuine classics as far as I'm concerned with songs like "The Ibex Moon", "Iconoclasm of Catholicism", "Demonic Incarnate" & incredible opener & clear album highlight "Abolishment of Immaculate Serenity" sitting amongst Incantation's finest work.
The incredibly deep death growls of guitarist Craig Pillard (Disma/Methadrone/Evoken/Goreaphobia) are an absolute masterclass in monstrous atmosphere while Jim Roe's (Disciples of Mockery/Goreaphobia) battering yet precise drumming is also worth mentioning. Bassist Dan Kamp (Crucifier) & guitarist John McEntee (Funerus/Goreaphobia/Mortician/Revenant) chime in beautifully throughout too with some of the best down-tuned tremolo riffing you could ever wish for. If only it was possible to make out those more blasting sections where the percussion becomes a little over-powering... Oh well... you can still take solace in the fact that the doomier parts of the album are utterly mind-blowing. 1998's "Diabolical Conquest" may always be my favourite Incantation record but this one is a pretty close second & should be essential listening for all members of The Horde.
For fans of Immolation, Dead Congregation & Disma.
4.5/5
Agent Orange - "Bloodstains" E.P. (1980)
A short three-song affair that spans just five minutes in duration & represents the earliest proper releases from this California hardcore surf punk trio. I fucking love the title track which carries this record & is an absolute classic of the early hardcore scene in my opinion. The other two songs "America" & "Bored With You" are pretty decent too but sound noticeably different to the illustrious opener, often displaying more than a hint of Motorhead at times. This is a high-quality recording that should offer plenty of appeal to the punk crowd.
For fans of Black Flag, Germs & Circle Jerks.
4/5
combatwoundedveteran - "I Know a Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos" (1999)
The debut (& sole) full-length album from this Tampa, Florida five-piece is a nineteen-minute/nineteen-track beast of a record that combines the emoviolence sound of the screamo scene with genuine grindcore to great effect. I'm clearly more drawn to the latter though so the most enjoyable parts of the album are definitely when these guys simply let loose & fire out light-speed blast-beats on all cylinders with little regard for their own well-being. When they get a little more weird I find my attention drifting a touch but I can still appreciate this ultra-extreme release, even if I'd suggest that it might be one that I'll return to too often in the future given that it's pretty one-dimensional with the screamo vocals offering little in the way of depth or substance.
For fans of Bucket Full of Teeth, Diploid & Setsuko.
3.5/5
I just finished watching the final season of "The Walking Dead" & it was a much better series than season 10 & a fitting ending for the show (even if there is about a thousand spin-off shows to consume if I ever feel the need). I got pretty emotional at times during the final episode which is always a good sign.
Slo Burn - "Amusing the Amazing" E.P. (1997)
Slo Burn was a short-lived four-piece project from former Kyuss frontman John Garcia (also of Hermano, Unida & Vista Chino) who I've always been a really big fan of. John doesn't let me down here either as "Amusing the Amazing" is another high-quality release from the highly publicized Palm Springs Scene. Slo Burn don't try to reinvent the wheel but they clearly display a great understanding of what their homeland was known for & you'll likely find yourself swaying along to the groovy, fuzzy stoner riffs & gurning away as you mouth the words to Garcia's invariably bad-assed vocal delivery. You've really gotta love this shit &, at just sixteen minutes in duration, this E.P. won't take up too much of your time either.
For fans of Unida, Kyuss & Queens of the Stone Age.
4/5
Excessive Force - "In Your Blood" (1995)
This week saw me breaking my cherry with this highly regarded Straight Edge metalcore outfit from California & it's been a reasonably worthwhile venture too as "In Your Blood" certainly hits the spot for some simple yet aggressive hardcore-inspired metal music. There's not a huge amount of variation across the ten tracks with most of the material taking a similar approach but there aren't too many failures here either with only a couple of flatter numbers (see "Vengeance" & "No Excuses") across the ten tracks on offer. Unfortunately, there aren't all that many highlight tracks that stand out from the rest here either though which has certainly played a role in my middling score. The title track is probably the only one that I can identify as being a cut above the others & some of that comes down to the very basic riff construction that's been used throughout the album, leaving the impression that the band members may have only just read "Baby's First Hardcore Riff" or "Metalcore For Dummies". Thankfully, the execution is really tight & the guitar tone is nice & chunky which gives the song-writing a bit of oomph but I could still do without the consistent use of gang vocals & bouncy metalcore breakdown riffs. I guess that's more of a taste thing though as those are obviously generic hardcore traits so you can't really blame a metalcore band for using them. Overall, "In Your Blood" isn't a bad record though & I think most fans of 90's hardcore/metalcore will get a fair bit out of it.
For fans of Reprisal, Chokehold & 7 Angels 7 Plagues.
3.5/5
Love - "Forever Changes" (1967)
It's been quite a while since I returned to this highly acclaimed "Flower Power" release from the Laurel Canyon Scene. Love's third full-length was somewhat of a breakout record for them & sees the band lightening their approach up for more of a psychedelic/baroque pop sound. There's some really nice stuff included here too, particularly in the tender vocals of Arthur Lee, the sweet acoustic guitar work & the excellent production job of Bruce Botnick. The quality level fades a little towards the end of the tracklisting though with "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This" & "Bummer in the Summer" both falling a little flat. The highlights (see the very solid "Andmoreagain" & "The Red Telephone") aren't quite strong enough to see me ever considering a premium score either but that's got more than a little to do with the whispy pop atmosphere this release exudes as that's not generally something I'd consider to be my comfort zone. Still... there's no doubt that "Forever Changes" is an accomplished creative statement & also a pretty enjoyable listen.
For fans of Nick Drake, Van Morrison & The Beach Boys.
3.5/5
Immortal - "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" (1992)
I'm not much of a fan of Immortal's two 1991 self-titled releases (i.e. their initial crude death metal demo tape & subsequent move into black metal through a two-song E.P.) so it's their debut full-length "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" that really represents the birth of our relationship. The album includes both of the tracks from the E.P. in a superior format & showed Immortal to be ahead of most of the pack in terms of timing with the Second Wave of Black Metal boom about to land. I will say that I still wasn't fully convinced by the debut though which is probably why I haven't rated "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" until now. It wouldn't be until I purchased Immortal's classic 1993 sophomore album "Pure Holocaust" that I'd find myself giving one of their releases more than a few listens & I still maintain that feeling after this week's revisit.
There's no doubt that opener "The Call of the Wintermoon" is an excellent example of the Norwegian black metal sound but I don't think the album ever reaches those heights again over the remaining five songs. The croaky signature vocal delivery of bassist Abbath Doom Occulta (Abbath/I/Old Funeral) is already a highlight but the instrumentation still feels a little under-developed with the musicianship being very simple &the noticeable lack of the exciting blast-beats that would drive Immortal's next couple of records when Abbath would take over the drumming from Armagedda (Demonaz/I). Admittedly, Demonaz' (Demonaz/I/Old Funeral) guitar work is cleaner than his fairly sloppy performance on "Pure Holocaust" but the riffs are clearly less challenging to play from a speed & technicality point of view at this point. I do quite like the production job though as it gives the music its own personality, even if the riffs aren't exactly anything to write home about. The increased Bathory influence over later material is most welcome here with "Blood Fire Death" appearing to be a major influence on tracks like epic closer "A Perfect Vision of the Rising Northland". The lacklustre "Blacker Than Darkness" is the only dud included with the rest of the tracklisting being more decent & acceptable than it is essential.
For fans of Inquisition, Abbath & Bathory.
3.5/5
Yellow Magic Orchestra - "Solid State Survivor" (1979)
The most highly celebrated of this Japanese synthpop outfits many studio albums is yet another one that fails to connect with me on any level due to its inherently cheesy approach to music production. A lot of this material sounds like a cheap early-80's video game soundtrack which I assume is a large part of the appeal for some people but which puts me off pretty majorly. I'd probably take "Solid State Survivor" over the first two Yellow Magic Orchestra records but it still never manages to ascend out of the garbage bin at the back of my home office & I think 1981's "BGM" follow-up was a good couple of steps up from here, even if I still have no time for that particular release either.
For fans of Telex, Kraftwerk & Ryuichi Sakamoto.
2/5
Scattered Remnants - "Inherent Perversion" E.P. (1995)
This week's revisit to the debut release from this Massachusetts-based brutal death metal outfit has reminded me of just how solid a band Scattered Remnants were. I picked "Inherent Perversion" up through the mid-90's tape trading scene & connected with it pretty much immediately which saw my dubbed cassette copy getting a whole bunch of replays that year. I'd even hazard to suggest that it may have had an effect on my song-writing for Neuropath given the similar sounds between the two acts. Scattered Remnants always maintain a thick layer of authenticity as they combine the exciting brutal death metal sound of Suffocation with a filthier graveyard death metal sound similar to Incantation. The vocals are excellent & tear strips off of the listener while the dirty production job is very well suited to this style of music & compliments the performances which never aim at perfection. I really love chunky shit like this & there are some excellent riffs on display here so "Inherent Perversion" comes highly recommended for all of our The Horde members.
For fans of Eternal Suffering, Pyrexia & Internal Bleeding.
4/5
Harold Budd - "The Pavilion of Dreams" (1978)
The second full-length from this Californian ambient legend is a pretty decent listen, if not as classic as it's often made out to be. It's four lengthy tracks sit in more of a new age space than an ambient one with a clear jazz & classical component appearing at times. It's perhaps not as exciting as I would like but there are no weak moments included. I don't think it's Budd's best work (not even close) but that hasn''t stopped it from playing a role in a couple of relaxing drives to & from work this week.
For fans of Brian Eno, Pharoah Sanders & Hiroshi Yoshimura.
3.5/5
Wormrot - "Voices" (2016)
Extreme metal fans generally frothed over 2022's fourth full-length "Hiss" from Singapore grindcore masters Wormrot but I have to admit that I didn't think it was quite as special as most punters seemed to claim, despite being a pretty enjoyable listen. And one of the reasons for that is that I'd already been really digging the trio's excellent third album "Voices" for six years by that stage so my expectations were very high. You see, "Voices" is a step up from "Hiss" in my opinion. It may not see the band experimenting quite as much with outside influences but there are still plenty of change-ups to keep me on my toes. The differentiator is in the execution though as "Voices" is a brutal-as-fuck exercise in extremity that's been stunningly produced to leave the listener with the perfect sound for hardcore-based music. Oh, the wonderful guitar crunch of Rasyid (Marijannah) & Vijesh's (Code Error) ultra-powerful snare sound! What a pleasure they are to hear while the musicianship is also outstanding for grindcore music. Former Code Error front man Arif's psychotic vocals are simply devastating most of the time with plenty of variation thrown in to ensure that this doesn't drift into mindless blasting territory but it's Vijesh's drumming that's the clear highlight here as his style fits right inside my wheelhouse. I've long thought that "Voices" might be one to eventually crack my Top Ten Grindcore Releases of All Time list & what do you know... I was right! It's probably Wormrot's finest hour for mine.
For fans of Insect Warfare, Nasum & Pig Destroyer.
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. Pig Destroyer – “Prowler in the Yard” (2001)
05. Pig Destroyer – “Terrifyer” (2004)
06. Wormrot - "Voices" (2016)
07. Nasum - "Helvete" (2003)
08. Atka - "Untitled Album 1" (2018)
09. Terrorizer - "World Downfall" (1989)
10. Repulsion – “Horrified” (1989)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/149
Look, I don't think you can force it. It has to happen organically. Every metalhead discovers that for themselves. You know the story... you meet someone who says they're a metal fan. Initially the music conversation flows nicely. Then you start sending them songs or albums that they might dig. They respond to the first one or two but then start to go quiet & you realise that they're just not as interested or as passionate as you are & would prefer to stick with "Ride the Lightning" & "Vulgar Display of Power" for the rest of their lives. We've all been there. It's been a hard slog to find people that are passionate enough to want to share & contribute over any sort of period at the Academy too so we eventually just decided that it will either happen organically over a longer period or it won't so we should just enjoy what we have & stop trying to force it. So, long story short, I don't have the answer but I would start by embracing everything that Metal Academy has to offer & enjoy it for what it is rather than what you hope it could be. Tell anyone you think might be interested about it but don't try to force it. In our experience, metalheads like to be able to make their own discoveries & move at their own pace. If we've smothered a promising new member with suggestions & try to drag more contributions out of them then they generally disappear. Other than that, go to lots of gigs & talk to the people who you see at all the shows. When you meet people that clearly share your passion like labels, website owners, band managers, etc., ask them how you can contribute.
Bohren & der Club of Gore - "Black Earth" (2002)
After my incredibly successful revisit to 2000's "Mission Sunset" album recently, I thought I'd pull out my old "Black Earth" CD too & have been rewarded to an equally mind-blowing extent. These guys are quite frankly playing on another level to the rest of the dark jazz scene & I now have to speak of them in terms of being one of my very favourite musical artists overall. "Black Earth" is even deeper, darker & more stripped back than "Mission Sunset" was & sits right up my alley from a stylistic point of view. I think I'd give its predecessor a slight edge over it in terms of overall consistency these days though but there's very little in it as both are pretty much perfect. I challenge any doom metal fan to tell me that this jazz is not their bag.
For fans of Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble & Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation.
5/5
I see things a little differently Zach. I think there are definitely two tiers of metal scenes & I don't that has ever changed much from when I first became a part of the metal scene in the late 1980's. There is the commercial metal scene which is made up of those who only explore the biggest selling & most well-known metal acts, never venturing further down the chain than the likes of Anthrax, & then there is the more hardcore underground scene which is made up of people who take their metal passion to a much more extreme place & dedicate most of their lives to exploring & promoting their chosen musical style. For every one of the latter there were probably ten of the former & that's still the case now with the majority of metalheads still being stuck listening to old-school bands like Metallica, Slipknot, Rammstein, Linkin Park & Iron Maiden & choosing never to look much deeper. The true underground scene is still out there though & has never been stronger & that comradery you mentioned still plays a strong role in that. We used to have tape trading & fanzines connecting us & now those people are starting things like Metal Academy or YouTube channels instead. Metalheads don't have to wear band t-shirts or have long hair to be noticed any more thanks to the internet. Personally, I think it's a mistake to consider places like Reddit, TikTok or X/Twitter as locations to meet the metal underground though. Those online communities are full of wankers that are just looking for attention & that's not what the underground metal scene is about. It's about people like Jason from Sphere of Apparition Records who spent months seeking me out before putting a year of his life into releasing some old demo tapes by a band that he loved as a kid at the risk of his own financial loss. It's about people like Sonny, Vinny, Andi, Saxy, dk or Rex who are all different ages & from different cultures & backgrounds but who still choose to interact together & enjoy sharing their thoughts on their musical passions.
I think your statement about metal being more mainstream today is incorrect. Metal's commercial peak was the 1980's when it was getting miles more radio play & chart recognition. The grunge takeover of the early 1990's saw metal pulling back into the underground though with extreme metal taking the reins & it's never really come back out into the open (unless you consider the nu metal explosion of the early 2000's to be a revival I guess). What is true though is that the underground scene is healthier than it was back then with more bands & higher live show attendances. The average metalhead just looks a little different these days with no necessity to present themselves like Dave Vincent or Rob Halford. I'll always consider the late 1980's & early-to-mid 1990's to be the metal glory years but that's likely only because I was at the right age at the time & I have no doubt that today's youth will feel that way about their prime years too as the music is just as strong. I do think the scene is a little more fractured than it was back in the day though with people tending to stick to their lanes rather than listening to all styles of metal. There wasn't as clear a set of lines between the genres back in the day so people were more likely to listen to Motley Crue as well as Bathory. These days it's more common for people to choose their paths a little more strictly as we see with a lot of the younger crowd now staying in their metalcore, djent & alternative metal comfort zones & never really feeling the urge to explore darker pastures.
Mayhem - "The Dawn of the Black Hearts: Live in Norway 1990" (1995)
This live bootleg release was a total conquest for me at the time after the Reverend Kriss Hades from Sadistik Exekution told me that he had a picture disc version of it. I was so jealous that I spent the next week hunting down a mail order picture disc copy of my own, probably at an incredibly inflated price. It turned out that it wasn't much to listen to though as the recording quality is pretty much handheld cassette recorder level but the novelty factor is certainly there, firstly for the incredibly poor taste cover "artwork" which features a graphic photo of Mayhem's legendary front man after he'd blew his own head off & secondly for the inclusion of the Dead's vocals which are invariably brilliant. Even though the sound quality is incredibly raw, it never threatens to mask the incredible skills of Dead who pretty much set the scene for the modern black metal vocalist. No one was doing this shit in 1990 but three years later we'd see every man & his dog trying to emulate Dead's style. There are a few tracks that manage to overcome the lack of production here (see "Deathcrush", "Necrolust" & my personal highlight "Freezing Moon") but I can't seem to overcome the feeling that I'd much rather be listening to "Live in Leipzig: East Germany 26/11/90" which is a good couple of steps up from this release. I'd admittedly still take "The Dawn of the Black Hearts: Live in Norway 1990" over pre-Dead 1980's Mayhem releases like the "Pure Fucking Armageddon" demo tape or the "Deathcrush" E.P. though.
For fans of Gorgoroth, Darkthrone & Watain.
3/5
Miles Davis - "At Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East" (1970)
This release is a collection of material pieced together from four consecutive shows at the Fillmore East in 1970, presented in a double album format & featuring an incredible line-up that includes Steve Grossman (saxophone), Chick Corea (piano), Keith Jarrett (organ), Dave Holland (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums) & Airto Moreira (percussion). The notable absence of my all-time favourite jazz guitarist John McLaughlin is a bit of a bummer as I've always been drawn to jazz fusion that includes killer guitar playing but Corea & Jarrett do their very best to sound like guitarists at times, utilizing fuzz boxes & wah pedals consistently across the tracklisting. This is some really whacked out shit going on here though & even hardcore Miles fans will struggle to pick out the originals from these improvised jams that are all drastically different night to night. In fact, I'm gonna have to suggest that this release is a little TOO experimental for its own good, often falling into mindless noodling at the expense of genuine musical value. Still... Miles is an absolute god in my eyes & you can't deny the sheer creativity & musicality on display here. Just don't expect anything particularly classic. I'd recommend the Friday night show as the clear highlight if you're looking for a taste.
For fans of John McLaughlin, Miroslav Vitous & Weather Report.
3.5/5
Negură Bunget - "OM" (2006)
I first encountered Romanian black metallers Negură Bunget through the tape trading scene back in the mid-1990's with their 1996 "Zîrnindu-să" debut release not doing very much for me to tell you the truth. I wouldn't encounter them again until Ben introduced me to their fourth full-length "OM" upon my return to metal from a decade-long hiatus in 2009 & I have to admit that I initially found it to be a challenge for a few reasons. Time saw me warming to it though & I now find myself returning to "OM" semi-regularly, if not claiming it to be the masterpiece that many punters would have you believe it is.
"OM" possesses a very clear personality that's all its own with its array of different sounds & influences being presented in a fairly coherent way throughout & the main attraction being the full, lush synthesizer sounds of front man Hupogrammos (Dordeduh/Sunset in the 12th House) & fellow guitarist Sol Faur (Dordeduh/Sunset in the 12th House). Hupogrammos' vocal performance is passionate & authentic too which fits the requirement nicely. Unfortunately, all is not roses though with the thin rhythm guitar tone & weak snare sound leaving a little to be desired & not doing a very good job at masking the instrumentalist's obvious technical limitations. The six-string performances of both men are fairly sloppy at times while drummer Negru's blast beats are an absolute rabble that should never have been attempted on the evidence presented here. Thankfully though, the atmospherics on display throughout "OM" are generally quite stunning which allows the album to overcome those deficiencies reasonably comfortably. It certainly helps that the opening three tracks are nothing short of marvelous & it's a little disappointing that the quality dial never quite reaches those heights again for the remainder of this lengthy 67-minute release. Progressive folk metal number "Hora soarelui" is the only genuine disappointment included though with its bouncy folk melodies being a little too much for this battle-hardened extreme metalhead to cope with.
For all its failings, I find "OM" to be an endearing listen these days, as well as being the clear career high-point of Negură Bunget's inconsistent recording career overall.
For fans of Dordeduh, Marțolea & Darkestrah.
4/5
Yeah, I had a lot of fun with this record as a young fella. Rock solid second-tier death metal that never disappoints.
I haven't heard these guys yet either but they sound interesting so I'm penciling them in.
I recall quite liking this record when I briefly checked it out around the time of release so I've been intending on revisiting it at some point in the future. I haven't heard any of Givre's other material though.
Nice! I'm not across these guys as yet.
Ministry - "The Land of Rape and Honey" (1988)
I introduced Ben to these Chicago industrial metal legends through the more popular tracks from their classic 1992 fifth album "ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69]" shortly after it was released & those experiences saw him racing out & purchasing the CD post haste. We both went pretty nuts for that record for a long while afterwards & Ben would subsequently go about picking up a handful of other Ministry CDs in the coming months, including 1988's excellent "The Land of Rape & Honey" third album which is the centre of this discussion. It was the first Ministry record to see mastermind Al Jourgensen's signature sound starting to take shape with songs like the brilliant high-octane industrial metal anthem "The Missing" & the very solid industrial rock/metal hybrid "Deity" being closest to the mark. "The Land of Rape & Honey" is very much a story of two halves though with the B side being dominated by more of an electro-industrial sound like we'd heard on a chunk of Ministry's more-than-decent 1986 sophomore album "Twitch". For this reason, I'm gonna suggest that "The Land of Rape & Honey" feels a little like a transition record as it hasn't quite committed to its sound as yet but is still full of high-quality industrial music. Thankfully, I'm more than down for some well-produced electro-industrial material, as evidenced by how nuts I've gone for the powerful dancefloor number "You Know What You Are" this week which I'm pretty devastated I never considered dropping into my club sets while DJing during the 2000's. The quality does fade a little over the last couple of tracks though with electro closer "Abortive" in particular sounding like a bit of a mess.
I'm sure there's probably a bit of a nostalgia factor with how much enjoyment I've gotten out of this release this week but I'm gonna suggest that it's a slightly better record than 1996's highly regarded sixth full-length "Filth Pig" or the previously mentioned "Twitch", even if it doesn't reach the upper echelons of Ministry's potential like the incredible trio of "The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste", "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (Live)" & "ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69]" did during their 1989-1992 heyday. Any Ministry fan worth their salt should definitely be well versed in "The Land of Rape & Honey" though because Al hasn't produced anything of this quality for well over three decades now.
For fans of Skinny Puppy, Front 242 & KMFDM.
4/5
Parnassus - "In doloriam gloria" (1995)
Ben picked this debut album up on CD back at around the time of release & seemed to like it quite a bit from memory. I traditionally used to struggle with it though so I haven't returned to it since but I thought I'd give it another chance to impress me this week. Parnassus was a one-man solo project from a Swedish gentleman going by the name of Fredrik Söderlund who you may also know as one half of martial industrial act Puissance. "In doloriam gloria" sees him presenting us with a clear musical direction that's built around some fairly unintimidating & positive sounding keyboards that have been consciously brought right to the front of the mix with the lightning-fast, tremolo-picked guitars & continuous bombardment of high-velocity (not to mention quite repetitive) drum-machine blast-beats being left at the back & sounding pretty thin for the most part. The atmosphere is undeniably centred around fantasy with that Lord of the Rings style feel being pretty easy to buy into. Personally, I find most of this to be far too high on lightweight melodies for my taste so I only really find myself enjoying a couple of the eight tracks on offer, namely the half-decent "Void of All Desires" & the hypnotic instrumental interlude "Cum trist issimo dolore". The rest of the tracklisting is more or less none of my business but I'd be overstating things to call it low quality. It's just designed for a fairly niche audience that I'm not associated with so, on this occasion, I'm gonna have to leave Ben to galivant around his bedroom in his Parnassus undies all on his lonesome (not that I'd ever consider joining him in that undertaking anyway because... let's face it... I don't have a plastic Viking sword & helmet worthy of the exercise). After my initial experiences with this debut, I steered well clear of Söderlund's 1997 sophomore album "Let the Stars Fall & the Kingdom Come" so I have no idea how it compares with "In doloriam gloria".
For fans of Dies Irae, Eldrig & Tartaros.
3/5
I'd suggest that death metal lyricists are telling stories by placing themselves in the role of the protagonist in the same way as a horror film actor whereas Ice Cube is presenting his stories from his own viewpoint rather than a fictional character, effectively sharing his own thoughts. I don't really believe that these are his views (at least I hope they're not) but it makes for an awkward listen at times nonetheless.
Ice Cube - "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" (1990)
I hadn't explored a full Ice Cube record before but have quite enjoyed his debut this week, if not exactly understanding why it's held up on such a lofty pedestal by hip hop fans. I mean, I'd comfortably take earlier hip hop releases like Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" or Eric B. & Rakim's "Follow the Leader" over this one but it's still a fun listen, particularly due to the consistently funky rhythms & the welcome guest appearances. I can probably do without the horribly misogynistic lyrics at times though.
For fans of N.W.A, Public Enemy & Kool G Rap & DJ Polo.
3.5/5
Gojira - "The Link" (2003)
I think the 2003 sophomore album from these Frenchmen is probably the least impressive release I've heard from them to tell you the truth (Note: I'm still yet to experience 2021's "Fortitude" album), although I was still very close to awarding it an additional half-star as Gojira are undoubtedly a class act. "The Link" just lacks the genuine highlights required to get it there & the tracklisting fades a bit over the last few tracks in my opinion. It's a highly complex record in terms of rhythm & is way more of a progressive metal album than it is a death metal one. In fact, I'm gonna suggest that a death metal primary is misguided here actually as the majority of "The Link" simply doesn't feel like death metal. The groove metal influence that Gojira are known for is definitely evident though. There's some very solid stuff on this record. I just don't think there's enough to make it essential listening.
For fans of Meshuggah, Mastodon & Strapping Young Lad.
3.5/5
Chelsea Wolfe - "Birth of Violence" (2019)
I've intended on exploring some of Wolfe's solo material in more detail for a long time now (ever since falling in love with her collaboration with Converge "Bloodmoon: I" back in 2020 actually) but haven't gotten around to it until now, although I have skipped through her 2015 "Abyss" record on occasion. "Birth of Violence" is Chelsea's ninth full-length & sees her combining gothic country & dark folk to brilliant effect. Her voice is incredibly powerful yet super-sweet at the same time & I have to admit that I've somewhat fallen in love with her talents over the past week. This record is dark & introspective yet still devastatingly emotive & dynamic & I can't help but feel that it's been heavily underrated as I consider it to be nothing short of classic.
For fans of Emma Ruth Rundle, Jay Jayle & Darkher.
4.5/5
Hecate Enthroned - "Upon Promeathean Shores (Unscriptured Waters)" E.P. (1995)
I picked up the debut release from these British black metallers through my Neuropath circles at around the time of release & quite liked it. "Upon Promeathean Shores" was originally released as Hecate Enthroned's second demo tape "An Ode for a Haunted Wood" but ended up getting a proper release through the Blackend label shortly afterwards. There is really no doubt as to the artist that Hecate Enthroned most admire because this is very much an attempt to clone Cradle of Filth's 1994 debut album "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh" but it's not a bad effort as the quality level is quite close, even if the musicianship is not quite there yet. Future Cradle of Filth bassist Jon Kennedy's high-pitched shrieks are uncannily similar to Dani Filth's actually & one would imagine that he'd spent a fair bit of time in front of his bedroom mirror while staring at a poster of Dani. The tracklisting does tend to fade over the last couple of tracks but there's still enough decent material included here to justify a couple of listens.
For fans of Cradle of Filth, Anorexia Nervosa & Graveworm.
3.5/5
The fact that the Aussies have performed very poorly in the T20 World Cup has been more than made up for by the fact that my Detroit Pistons are now the number 1 ranked NBA team & the Sydney Kings have taken out the minor premiership in the NBL. Fucking loving my basketball right now, especially Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham who is absolutely sensational.
Just finished season 10 of "The Walking Dead" &, while I did enjoy it, I think it was a little poorly structured & a bit long. They should never have ended it with an historical episode that really didn't do anything to leave me hanging for season 11 either. It's one of the show's weaker series in my opinion.
I really enjoyed listening to this playlist this afternoon. The latest tracklisting is as follows:
01. Cruciform - "Gutter" (from "Paradox" demo, 1995)
02. Slipknot - "Birth of the Cruel" (from "We Are Not Your Kind", 2019)
03. Cryptopsy - "The Nimis Adoration" (from "An Insatiable Violence", 2025)
04. Bathory - "Sociopath" (from "Octagon", 1995)
05. Dream Theater - "The Great Debate" (from "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence", 2002)
06. In Flames - "Behind Space '99" (from "Colony", 1999)
07. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Panasonic Youth" (from "Miss Machine", 2004)
08. Mortician - "Apocalyptic Devastation" (from "Hacked Up For Barbeque", 1997)
09. Converge - "Under Duress" (from "The Dusk In Us", 2017)
10. Gojira - "Clone" (from "Terra Incognita", 2001)
11. Invocator - "Altar of Sacrifice" (from "Slatanic Slaughter Vol. 1", 1995)
12. Rammstein - "Weisses Fleisch" (from "Herzeleid", 1995)
13. Dying Fetus - "Blunt Force Trauma" (from "Purification Through Violence", 1996)
14. Damaged - "Internal Dismemberment Conflicts" (from "Passive Backseat Demon Engines" E.P., 1995)
15. Wolves in the Throne Room - "Face in a Night Time Mirror, Pt. 2" (from "Diadem of 12 Stars", 2006)
16. Orphanage - "Weltschmerz" (from "Oblivion", 1995)
17. Wintersun - "Beautiful Death" (from "Wintersun", 2004)
18. Nails - "Imposing Will" (from "Every Bridge Burning", 2024)
19. Black Lodge - "Dissonance" (from "Covet", 1995)
20. Summoning - "A Distant Flame Before The Sun" (from "Stronghold", 1999)
21. Six Feet Under - "Remains of You" (from "Haunted", 1995)
22. Dark Tranquillity - "Silence, & the Firmament Withdrew" (from "The Gallery", 1995)
I've quite liked all of Fossilization's releases to date & I'm hearing great things about this one so I certainly have it on my radar.
Dark Tranquillity - "The Gallery" (1995)
I wasn't much of a fan of this Swedish melodeath pioneer's 1993 debut album "Skydancer" but was impressed enough by their follow-up "The Gallery" to purchase it on CD upon release. It's interesting that I thought it was pretty great at the time but haven't felt like giving it a revisit in decades which is telling really. It shows that I had perhaps overrated the album's appeal & that was proven this week as it can't compete with the most elite releases from the subgenre in my opinion. It's certainly very consistent in its quality with no week tracks included & the compositional & structural work is quite ambitious. It's just that I don't connect with the more overtly Iron Maiden-inspired melodeath as much as most extreme metal fans (at least not in modern times) & "The Gallery" is a prime example of that sound.
For fans of In Flames, At the Gates & Insomnium.
3.5/5
Here's my adjusted Top Ten Melodic Death Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. At The Gates – “Slaughter Of The Soul” (1995)
02. Stortregn - "Finitude" (2023)
03. Carcass – “Heartwork” (1993)
04. Sentenced – “North From Here” (1993)
05. In Mourning – “The Weight Of Oceans” (2012)
06. The Breathing Process - “Odyssey (un)Dead” (2010)
07. Unanimated - "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" (1993)
08. Amorphis - "The Karelian Isthmus" (1992)
09. Amorphis - "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" (1994)
10. At The Gates - "Terminal Spirit Disease" (1994)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/147
Pole - "2" (1999)
The second full-length from this German producer which sees him upping the ambient dub component that was hinted at on the debut for a genuine hybrid sound that compliments the glitchy soundscapes nicely. The result is an album of similar quality although I think the enhanced dub component gives "2" a slight edge.
For fans of Rhythm & Sound, Basic Channel & Deepchord.
4/5
Pole - "3" (2000)
The third & final Pole album is also his best, taking the ambient dub/glitch hybrid sound slightly further. To be fair, it's the dub material that makes up the highlights of "3", putting me into that deep, fuzzy headspace that leaves my whole body feeling warm. Unfortunately, the straight-up glitch tracks tend have significantly less impact but that doesn't stop "3" from pushing for one of my more elite ratings. Unfortunately, it couldn't quite get there though.
For fans of Oval, Jan Jelinek & Deepchord.
4/5
Six Feet Under - "Haunted" (1995)
I picked this debut album up from Neuropath vocalist Mark Wangmann shortly after it was released. The whole band was looking forward to it at the time given the star-studded lineup. Six Feet Under comprised of Cannibal Corpse/Torture Killer front man Chris Barnes, guitarist Allen West (Massacre/Obituary), bassist Terry Butler (Inhuman Condition/Left to Die/Obituary/Death/Massacre) & future Nasty Savage drummer Greg Gall so it was a bit of a who's who of the Florida scene. Now, Six Feet Under get universally slammed these days but I have to admit that I quite liked this one back in the day, even though I haven't felt the urge to return to it since. It sounds very much like Barnesy singing over Obituary's instrumentation but that can't be such a bad thing. Unfortunately, it's very, very simply in its structure & execution & Barnes' higher register vocal stuff has never offered me much appeal but there's enough groovy graveyard shit here to keep me interested, particularly the very solid "Lycanthropy" & my personal favourite "Remains of You" which might as well have been taken straight from Obituary's "World Demise" album. In fact, I'm gonna suggest that "Haunted" is still Six Feet Under's best album all these years later.
For fans of Torture Killer, Obituary & Jungle Rot.
3.5/5
Pole - "CD 1" (1998)
The debut full-length from this German producer offers a lovely ambient, dubby take on the glitch genre that's done with enough class to leave me impressed. I didn't get as much out of this record back in the day but it would seem that I'm able to cope with the lack of clear structure in some of this material these days.
For fans of Deadbeat, Porter Ricks & CV313.
4/5
Summoning - "Stronghold" (1999)
Is this the best release from Austrian epic/atmospheric black metal duo Summoning? Perhaps. Does that mean that it doesn't suck? Nup. Still cheesy as fuck. There are a couple of decent tracks here though, namely "Long Lost to Where No Pathway Goes" & closer "A Distant Flame Before the Sun" (my personal favourite). That leaves "Stronghold" feeling like a step up from some of Summoning's other popular releases like 2001's "Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame".
For fans of Caladan Brood, Emyn Muil & Elffor.
3/5
Roland Kayn - "Tektra" (1984)
Now, this release was a serious challenge given its enormous 292-minute run time which takes up 6 LPs or 4 CDs. It's taken me a full week (or more) to get through three full listens but the effort was thoroughly rewarded with one of the most forward-thinking, ground-breaking releases I've ever encountered. If you like drone then look no further because most of this material is utterly transcendent. I find it to be utterly ridiculous that "Tektra" was released way back in 1984.
For fans of Bernard Parmegiani, Eliane Radigue & Alvin Lucier.
4.5/5
Black Lodge - "Covet" (1995)
Ben & I jumped onboard with this one-off album from an obscure Norwegian doom/death outfit back around the time of release & both really enjoyed it. Black Lodge were a six-piece band that included female clean vocalist Monica Pedersen (Sirenia), bassist Halvor Larsen (Ljå) & drummer Frode Gundersen (Twin Obscenity) among others. Their sound was quite dirty & authentic while offsetting that filthiness with the beautiful vocals of Pederson whose contribution reminds me quite a bit of The 3rd & the Mortal. My Dying Bride were clearly an influence but Black Lodge give "Covet" their own unique flavour which is contributed to by the production job which features a guitar tone that wouldn't have seemed out of place on an Autopsy record. Highly recommended.
For fans of Paradigma, Unholy & Mindrot.
4/5
Oh, nice. I might have to check this one out at some point as I thought Invictus' 2020 debut album "The Catacombs of Fear" was pretty decent.
I'm similar to Ben in that I quite like "Killers" but have always placed it behind the other classic-period Maiden albums. Similarly, I don't rate the Dianno-era anywhere near the Dickinson one but I'm also gonna suggest that "Killers" was a touched over-produced so I slightly prefer the rawer self-titled over it.