Daniel's Forum Replies
Suffocation - "Hymns From The Apocrypha" (2023)
I've had a good couple of years to get used to it now so I thought it was about time that I shared my thoughts on the latest release from my all-time favourite metal band. "Hymns From The Apocrypha" is the first Suffocation album not to include iconic front man Frank Mullen as the main vocalist with long-time live death grunter & Disgorge drummer Ricky Myers having finally taken over the studio duties. He does a very good job too although I think most would agree that Mullen is the slightly superior protagonist, at least for this band. Mullen does make an appearance though, guesting on the reenactment of "Breeding the Spawn" closer "Ignorant Deprivation" & interesting that it's his performance that sees that song being easily the least impressive inclusion on the album. Frank seems to have lost his depth & power so perhaps that's got something to do with his absence. The other eight tracks are all of a very high quality & are buoyed by one of the cleanest & more precise production jobs ever for a brutal death metal release. The New Yorkers don't attempt to reinvent the wheel but they easily prove that they're in a class all of their own in respect to the more brutal end of extreme metal with drummer Eric Morotti contributing a superb combination of technicality & brutality & becoming the clear album highlight. The guitar solos are noticeably less psychotic than we've come to expect & I have to say that this disappointed me a little but the same can't be said for the riffs which are suitably adrenaline-fueled with tracks like "Perpetual Deception", "Seraphim Enslavement" & "Descendants" sitting comfortably alongside Suffocation's best work. I don't think the song-writing is consistently enough at that level to justify the claims that this is Suffocation's best full-length since 1995's classic "Pierced From Within" as I regard 2006's self-titled & 2013's "Pinnacle of Bedlam" as legitimate death metal classics but I'd take "Hymns From The Apocrypha" over records like "Souls to Deny", "Blood Oath", "...Of the Dark Light" or even "Breeding the Spawn" these days. Few would expect a record of this quality from an extreme metal band of this ilk at this point in their career.
For fans of Dying Fetus, Cryptopsy & Nile.
4/5
Lustmørd - "Lustmørd" (1981)
The first album from the Welsh dark ambient legend is more of a combination of his industrial roots with his earliest dark ambient ideas. It's generally not well regarded & you can see why because the tracklisting is extremely inconsistent although there are a couple of real gems here, especially the wonderful early dark ambient classic "Slabstone" which I've always loved. I wouldn't suggest that this is a release to hunt down though as Brian has done so much better over the years.
For fans of Nurse With Wound, Big City Orchestra & Psychic TV.
3/5
Poppy - "I Disagree" (2020)
My only prior experience with Boston electropop artist Poppy was through her 2021 "EAT" E.P. which I didn't mind so I thought I'd see what her other metal material was like. I feel similarly about "I Disagree" (her fifth full-length apparently) although I'd probably take the E.P. over this one if pushed. It starts off very poorly with the first two tracks doing very little for me but things start to get interesting after that & I ended up finding appeal in around 70% of the tracklisting after a few listens. "I Disagree" sees Poppy combining her electropop sound with alternative metal in what is a stunningly well producing album. You can easily pick up her heavier influences with names like Devin Townsend, Marilyn Manson & Dream Theater all popping up at times but I honestly think her gorgeous vocal tone is the best part of this record & often more on the poppier parts more than the metal ones. Look... I was obviously not the target market for this sort of record but I still think it was worth a few listens, despite not being worthy of all the attention it received a few years ago.
For fans of Bring Me the Horizon, Motionless in White & Spiritbox.
3.5/5
1. The Horde - At my core, I'm an extreme metalhead & this is where my comfort zone is which will probably come as no surprise given my association with Sydney brutal death metal outfit Neuropath. I'm not big on melodeath, symphonic death metal, goregrind, gorenoise or cybergrind but I absolutely worship the remainder of the subgenres included.
2. The North - I totally froth over high-quality black metal & war metal which overcomes my reservations about symphonic/melodic black metal, black 'n' roll, folk metal & most Viking metal to see this clan taking out second spot.
3. The Pit - This is where my roots lie & thrash metal will always have a strong place in my heart. I'm not huge on groove metal or speed metal but those don't play anywhere near as strong role in the clan.
4. The Fallen - Probably the clan whose subgenre set I find the most universally appealing. Sludge metal, drone metal, doom/death & funeral doom are all strong faves of mine but I can dig pretty much anything to come out of The Fallen so it was challenging for my top three.
5. The Infinite - I love a bit of complexity & value high-quality production & performances so this clan is one that I always find interesting, outside of the more avant-garde stuff.
6. The Sphere - There's a lot to like for me in this clan & I often discover bands that I've never heard of that are producing compelling metal here.
7. The Revolution - I'm not a fan of the melodic side of -core music but can really dig the more chaotic & aggressive stuff, particularly mathcore, deathcore & old-school metalcore. When it becomes fused with sludge metal or grindcore then I'm all in. I'm very much out when things get all clinical though & I find a lot of the bands that are popular these days tend to lack any sort of heaviness even if they utilize the same tools. There's definitely a saminess about a lot of The Revolution artists that I find a little bemusing.
8. The Guardians - Despite having strong affiliations with the classics of the 70's & 80's, I'm strongly turned off by European power metal, symphonic metal & neoclassical metal. I invariably enjoy half of the monthly playlists but really struggle with the other half.
9. The Gateway - Whilst I absolutely love the early 90's brand of alternative metal, this clan has totally died in the arse for me in recent times as I find that it's become a dumping ground for the most commerically accessible metal. My taste here is pretty much the opposite of Andi's as most modern alternative metal does very little for me. I've never been big on nu metal, funk metal or rap metal either so this is easily my least favoured clan.
Ultramagnetic MC's - "Critical Beatdown" (1988)
The debut album from Ultramagentic MC's is a fairly enjoyable affair that perhaps suffers a little from being released in the same year as classic records from Public Enemy & Eric B. & Rakim as it's difficult not to draw comparisons with "Critical Beatdown" sitting on a slightly lower rung. The main reason for that is that the tracklisting doesn't really get going until track seven with all of the best material coming towards the back end of the album. Kool Keith is clearly the better of the MC's with producer Ced Gee being noticeably (& perhaps unsurprisingly) less cool. This is not a bad listen overall however, unlike the two classics I mentioned earlier, I can't see myself feeling like returning to it all that regularly. I'm much more likely to include the best material (like the brilliant "When I Burn") in my custom Spotify playlists.
For fans of Kool Keith, Boogie Down Productions & EPMD.
3.5/5
Highlight the text & press the REMOVE FONT STYLE button i.e. the picture if the eraser which is sitting to the right side of the underline button.
Thergothon - "Stream From The Heavens" (1994)
Unlike most fans of funeral doom metal, I was lucky enough to have encountered the birth of the subgenre in real time, having developed a strong fascination with the slowest extreme metal moments through bands like Winter & diSEMBOWELMENT during the early 1990's & then picking up Thergothon's early works in my quest for ever more downtrodden & disparaging forms of doom metal. It's fair to say that "Stream From The Heavens" had a noticeable effect on me when I picked it up through my tape trading network around the time of release too & it worked to further enhance my already insatiable hunger for this type of music. In fact, I can vividsly recall feeling some level of justification upon first encountering Thergothin because I'd been telling myself that slowing things down to the lowest tempos imaginable would work & I'd now found that it did. That's not to say that I've ever felt that Thergothon's sole full-length was a classic release though because it's not. There are simply too many flaws with it to warrant those sort of claims & the subgenre has gone on to much greater heights since, even later in 1994 when Mournful Congregation would release their "Weeping" demo which was heavily inspired by the early Finnish works & would take things up a good couple of notches from what you'll find here. The production job isn't great & it would have been nice if the Fins could have kept the higher register guitar parts in tune with each other. The clean vocals can be a bit flat & dreary too while those croaky death growls aren't always brilliant & the keyboards & acoustic guitars can sound a bit naff at times. You can't deny the unique atmosphere Thergothon manage to build though & those crushingly heavy doom riffs still reverberate through my headphones with great power & majesty. There's no doubt that you have to hear this one if you have even a passing interest in funeral doom metal.
For fans of Skepticism, Mournful Congregation & Evoken.
4/5
Defeated Sanity - "Psalms of the Moribund" (2007)
I always really enjoy these Germans & their highly complex brand of ultra-brutal death metal. I do have to admit that their appeal is capped at how far it can go with me though as I feel similarly about every subsequent release, mainly due to the unintelligible, slam-style nature of the vocals & the chaotic song-structures which tether on the verge of getting completely out of control most of the time. That's all a part of the appeal of a record like "Psalms of the Moribund" though of course & it's also a point of differentiation for Defeated Sanity in general. If you don't like technical metal music then this one isn't for you as it's about as gratuitously technical as they come & very much highlights the sort of death metal release that I feel should rightly be labelled as such rather than the Deaths, Atheists & Cynics which are all clearly more progressive than they are technical. I would also have to say that if you're a bit half-assed in your love for brutal death metal then you'll likely struggle with "Psalms of the Moribund" too as it's as in your face as any BDM release on the market. I would have liked a few more shredding guitar solos but hey... you can't have everything right? Well, I guess you can because... you know.... "Reign in Blood". "Psalms of the Moribund" may not be my favourite Defeated Sanity release but it's certainly in the discussion.
For fans of Disgorge, Wormed & Deeds of Flesh.
4/5
*** BEN, YOU HAVE THE COVER ART FOR THE FIRST TWO DEFEATED SANITY RELEASES AROUND THE WRONG WAY, YA SILLY DUFFER!!!
Ulver - "Kveldssanger" (1996)
The second album from Norwegian atmospheric/pagan black metallers Ulver saw them taking the metal world by surprise by releasing a record that was entirely made up of traditional Norwegian folk music. It was certainly enjoyable enough stuff but it wasn't necessarily what the band's existing fanbase were looking for. Despite quite enjoying them, I have to admit that I've never been as big a fan of Ulver's metal albums as most metalheads seem to be so I wasn't all that fussed & managed to enjoy "Kveldssanger" for what it is. It would go on to become the driver for the entire dark folk movement really with artists like Tenhi, Empyrium & Vàli using this release as the catlyst for their own music. Ulver's next record "Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden" is my Ulver record of choice these days (at least of those that I've heard) & "Kveldssanger" is probably the weaker of their first three but it's still definitely worth a listen for the open-minded extreme metallers out there.
For fans of Vàli, Wardruna & Sylvaine.
3.5/5
Here's my old review:
Unlike many people, I found some enjoyment in all of the 80's Sabbath albums. The Dio ones were clearly of the higher quality however each of the subsequent albums featured some great tracks & were well worth a few listens. It's a shame that they were generally held back by the inclusion of a few weaker songs as well. Their first 90's album "Tyr" was much the same. It's a mixed bag really. There are some really solid & anthemic heavy metal tunes here like opener "Anno Mundi (The Vision)", the fist-pumping "Jerusalem" & the epic "Valhalla". But then we also have a few tracks that don't really hit the mark at all like "Heaven In Black", "Feels Good To Me" & "The Law Maker". Strangely the album highlight for me is probably the seductive acoustic number "Odin's Court" which flows straight into "Valhalla" in what is the clear climax of the album. All faults considered there's certainly still enough quality to make "Tyr" a worthy purchase for heavy metal fans but it's a little frustrating that the band have yet again failed to put together a full album of high grade material. I think their previous album "Headless Cross" was probably a touch more consistent than this one but there's not much in it. Another decent Black Sabbath record that pulls up just short of where I'd like it to be.
3.5/5
Slipknot - "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" (2004)
I hadn't heard the third record from the Iowa nu metal champions until this week. I quite enjoyed their 1999 self-titled & 2001's "Iowa" albums & the same goes for this one, despite it clearly steering away from nu metal towards a more commercially accessible alternative metal sound for the most part. The band wear their influences on their sleeves for the most part so you'll easily be able to pick up the inspiration for each part of "Vol. 3" with alternative rock & groove metal each playing a decent role in the result but there's enough quality vocal hooks to keep me interested, even if the band's sound may not be terribly original by this point in their evolution. Sure, there are a few duds included amongst the fourteen songs (see "Opium of the People", "Vermilion, Pt. 2" & particularly "The Nameless") but I'm gonna go against the grain by claiming that this is a better Slipknot record than the debut was with "Iowa" remaining my pick of the three.
For fans of Mudvayne, Sevendust & Ill Niño.
3.5/5
Dusk (USA) - "Dusk" E.P. (1994)
The debut release from this Wisconsin outfit is a little overrated in my opinion. I'd describe Dusk's sound as being atmospheric doom/death metal that includes the intelligent use of keyboards which add to the effect nicely. There are some very strong sections here but they're generally offset by some forgettable ones while the vocal delivery reminds me heavily of Aaron Stainthorpe's early death growls. There aren't any genuinely weak tracks amongst the six included in this 27-minute release which is generally pretty enjoyable but I can't say that I regard it as essential listening. Perhaps if the production was stronger it may have allowed "Dusk" to reach the next level that seems so close but ends up being just out of reach.
For fans of Morgion, Ceremonium & early My Dying Bride.
3.5/5
Fripp & Eno - "Evening Star" (1975)
The second collaboration album from King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp & ambient music godfather Brian Eno is arguably their finest, just managing to top 1973's excellent "(No Pussyfooting)" debut off the back of the wonderful ambient post-rock title track which is likely the best thing the duo ever recorded. There's a little more variety to be found this time with ambient & drone once again holding equal footing. The short tape music piece "Evensong" is a bit of a fail but the rest of the record is a very rewarding & highly creative listen.
For fans of Cluster, Jon Hassell & Harold Budd.
4/5
Brodequin - "Harbinger of Woe" (2024)
The first album from this Tennessee trio in twenty years sees them returning with pretty much the same ultra-brutal death metal sound as we remember from the early-to-mid 2000's, only this time they've brought with them a cleaner production job. I can't deny that this sort of stuff is right up my alley which leaves me with a clear disposition to enjoy a record like "Harbinger of Woe" while others might struggle a bit with the lack of variety as this is simply a 31-minute blastfest. Drummer Brennan Shackelford does his best to peak the pace high but I have to admit that he's not in the same class of some of the better exponents of extreme drumming in 2025 while bassist Jamie Bailey opts for the undecipherable slam death metal "bbbrrrreeeeeeee" we've all become accustomed to hearing. I wouldn't say that the riffs are all that exceptional either but the sum of the parts certainly amounts to a seriously heavy & invariably exciting record & one that has hit me almost of hard as Brodequin's first two records with 2001's "Festival of Death" still being my favourite from these guys.
For fans of Liturgy, Disgorge & Orchidectomy.
4/5
"Focus" was a huge record for Ben & I at the time & I still regard it as a classic progressive death metal release today.
4.5/5
Autechre - "Incunabula" (1993)
The debut full-length from this Manchester duo was a huge influence on the early IDM/ambient techno scene & made a lasting impact on me when I first discovered Autechre in the late 1990's. "Incunabula" may not be their best album overall but it certainly set the tone for a wonderful career that's seen them sitting amongst the absolute elite electronic music artists on the planet for nearly four decades now.
For fans of Aphex Twin, Squarepusher & Clark.
4.5/5
The title track is a fun number, but it stands firmly in rock, lacking any heaviness to it.
I would suggest that "Fireball" is one of the most influential early heavy metal songs personally. The extensive use of tremolo-picking & double-kick went a long way to defining some of the most important tools in any metal musician's toolkit & differentiate it from hard rock.
I thought I'd just provide a little bit of an update on how I'm tracking since reducing my metal intake & moving away from reviews, playlist contributions, feature releases, etc. To be honest, I'm really happy with how things are going right now. My hearing & tinnitus seem to have stabilized a bit & I'm enjoying my music as much as I ever have, particularly the variety & the fact that I no longer feel the obligation to blast everything so loud in the interest of review accuracy. My life is a little more balanced too as I'm not putting as much pressure on myself to contribute all the time & it's been good to see that the site is still active enough that I can enjoy it along with our other members.
Check the riff that appears at 15:25 in the Morpheus Descends YouTube clip & compare it with the riff that arrives at 1:55 in Neuropath's "Rectal Pulpation:
"Rectal Pulpation" was the first song I ever wrote for Neuropath back in 1993 & the Morpheus Descends track was released in 1994. We didn't release a studio recording of our track until the start of 1995 though so it must be pure coincidence, despite the riffs being almost exactly the same.
You're a good man Sonny. I know you'll be taking good care of her & she's lucky to have you.
Korn - "Follow the Leader" (1998)
I'd only ever checked out one Korn record before this week & that was their self-titled Debut which I thoroughly enjoyed a few years back. "Follow the Leader" is their third full-length & it's not a bad listen but I do agree with the consensus that it's a step down in quality from Korn's first & most popular initial effort. The album starts off really well with the first three tracks all being very strong, particularly the super-popular "Freak on a Leash" which really is classic alternative metal & is deserving of its teen anthem status. Things start becoming a lot more inconsistent when the collaborations start though will all of the rap-infused numbers being universal failures. Thankfully, there are more than enough chunky nu metal numbers to keep me happy with bass player Fieldy being the clear star of the band. I'm not the biggest fan of this subgenre but I think Korn are my second favourite nu metal band behind early Linkin Park these days.
For fans of Slipknot, Limp Bizkit & Coal Chamber.
3.5/5
Here's my new Top Ten Nu Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Linkin Park - "Meteora" (2003)
02. Korn - "Korn" (1994)
03. Slipknot - "Iowa" (2001)
04. Linkin Park - "Hybrid Theory" (2000)
05. Deftones - "Adrenaline" (1995)
06. Korn - "Follow the Leader" (1998)
07. Sevendust - "Animosity" (2001)
08. Dir en Grey - "Uroboros" (2008)
09. Slipknot - "Slipknot" (1999)
10. Sepultura - "Roots" (1996)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/313
Scorn - "Deliverance" E.P. (1992)
"Deliverance" saw Mick Harris (Napalm Death/Defecation/Doom/Extreme Noise Terror/PainKiller/Pigface/Unseen Terror) & Nick Bullen (Napalm Death) pulling away from the Godflesh-style industrial metal sound of Scorn's "Vae Solis" debut album from earlier that year &, in doing so, single-handedly creating a new subgenre in "illbient", a sound that combines elements of ambient, hip hop & dub. There's still a lot of industrial included here though which makes these five tracks a fairly abrasive listen. The title track is easily the best of them with the other four coming across more as remixes of it than they do as fresh creative statements. The opening three songs are all enjoyable but things go off the rails towards the end of the release with the last couple of tracks being largely redundant but there's still enough quality here for me to enjoy, even if Scorn would undoubtably do much better in the near future.
For fans of Necro Deathmort, Techno Animal & The Third Eye Foundation.
3.5/5
Morpheus Descends - "Chronicles of the Shadowed Ones" E.P. (1994)
Filthy New York death metal with a genuine graveyard atmosphere & excellent deep death growls. The production job is the major detractor for this E.P. with the guitars being far too low in the mix & the snare sound being less than ideal but the simple slow-to-mid tempo riff & song structures are effective nonetheless, particularly on opening track "The Cruciform Hills" which is the clear highlight here. "Chronicles of the Shadowed Ones" is worth a few listens but I do think it's been a little overrated by those that have claimed it as somewhat of an underground classic which seems to be largely an historical opinion than one that was prevalent back in the mid-1990s.
For fans of Infester, Rottrevore & Baphomet.
3.5/5
Battiato - "Sulle corde di Aries" (1973)
The third solo album from Italy's Franco Battiato is a wonderfully creative piece of work that's hit me really hard this week. It combines a slew of classy influences to brilliant effect, ranging from Steve Reich-style minimalism to the early jazz fusion works of Miles Davis. The album is really hard to pigeonhole too as it isn't a prog rock or a progressive electronic record as it's often touted to be. It's something altogether different that's better described as the Italian prog scenes answer to krautrock in my opinion. "Sulle corde di Aries" contains enormous depth & atmosphere but requires a level of patience to fully absorb.
For fans of Tangerine Dream, Heldon & Mike Oldfield.
4.5/5
Cannibal Corpse - "The Wretched Spawn" (2004)
The Buffalo death metal legends' ninth full-length may not be their finest work but it's definitely still worth a few listens if you're into the classic death metal model like I am. In fact, I think I'd probably take it over earlier releases like their self-titled demo tape, their 1990 debut album "Eaten Back To Life" or middle period records like "Gallery of Suicide" & "Gore Obsessed" these days. Front man George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher is the clear highlight here, offering up one of his most powerful studio performances. I do think that the guitar tone is a little messy during the more fast-paced & technical parts but Cannibal be Cannibal so you can't really go wrong with these guys now, can you?
For fans of Deicide, Cannabis Corpse & Monstrosity.
3.5/5
Depressive Silence - "Depressive Silence [II]" (1996)
One of the more highly regarded dungeon synth releases on the market, German duo Depressive Silence offer up a demo tape that spans five reasonably lengthy instrumental pieces. I have to admit that I went into this expecting something a lot darker than what I ended up receiving though because this is hardly an appropriate soundtrack for a dank & dreary dungeon. The majority of the 37-minute run time sounds much more positive than that which doesn't sit as comfortably with me. It doesn't fit as nicely with the cheap keyboard tones utilized here either to be honest.
For fans of Secret Stairways, Solanum & Gothmog.
3/5
My old review of this one still holds up nicely with modern ears as it's another highly rewarding Deftones record, despite being a touch less impressive than anything they'd done since their debut full-length "Adrenaline":
Deftones - "Deftones" (2003)
While “Around The Fur” & “White Pony” may have been Deftones finest moments they were also fairly similar sounding albums from a production point of view so I think they were due for a change when it came to their next release. It seems that the band had similar thoughts as “Deftones” presents some noticeable points of difference. The first thing that hit me was the much dirtier production. The vocals sound like they’ve been recorded with a shitty old microphone & there is an overall lack of brightness. It actually took me a couple of listens to get used to as I initially found it a little intrusive but with familiarity came acceptance & I don’t have any qualms with it now. I’m not sure I like it as much as the cleaner production on the previous couple of records but I’m also not sure that style of production would have suited this record as much.
Apparently vocalist Chino Moreno really screwed his voice on the tour for “White Pony” & needed extensive vocal training to help him recover. Well if that’s the case then I doubt he did himself any favours with his choice of vocal styles here. A large portion of the tracks feature him absolutely screaming his head off which is in direct contrast to the breathy melodies of his recent work. When you add the dirtier production & some of the heaviest down-tuned riffing of the bands career, what you get is the most extreme Deftones material they’d released to the time. And then, in direct contrast, there are also some more laid back & experimental tracks where the band dabbles in trip hop & downtempo & it’s this variety that makes “Deftones” a more challenging & diverse album than people expected too.
Whether you like all of the ideas here is another question. Personally, I don’t find any of the material here to be a failure. Some tracks certainly work better than others & you won’t find the instantly memorable hooks of the previous couple of albums here but it’s a different type of album. It’s less obvious & more ambitious but also less focused. To me, it seems like a conscious attempt to prove they were not just another generic nu-metal band. It takes a few listens to come to terms with but the pay-off is worth the effort. It’s a heavily underrated album in my opinion & I really enjoy it.
For fans of Fleshwater, Bleed & System of a Down.
4/5
The KLF - "Chill Out" (1990)
A really solid & highly influential debut album that I've been enjoying since the late 90's. The duo mix ambient & sound collage with an early example of the chillout sound to brilliant effect to create a single-track journey that spans 44 minutes.
For fans of The Orb, Global Communication & Moby.
4/5
Septic Flesh - "Mystic Places of Dawn" (1994)
Ben & I picked up on this Greek outfit very early on in their recording career through their first two full-lengths. Whilst I've always quite liked their debut album "Mystic Places of Dawn", I do think it failed to meet its full potential & has generally been a little overrated in an historical sense. There's certainly a lot to like about the ideas being presented with a sound that sees Septic Flesh sitting right in the middle between the classic death model & a more atmospheric doom/death one. I definitely prefer the Greek's doomier side on this release though with the couple of faster & more brutal numbers taking a clear step down from most the other metal material. There's a nice gothic edge to some of the more atmospheric tracks & I really enjoy the harmonized guitar melodies whenever they choose to employ them, along with those ultra-deep & gutteral vocals which are somewhat of a trademark for them. The two major obstacles here though are the very ordinary production job (which definitely caps the appeal the album can offer me) & the silly decision to close the record with a very cheap sounding nine-minute dungeon synth piece that has almost single-handedly caused me to drop a half star off my rating. Overall, I find Septic Flesh's debut album to worth a listen but nothing I'd suggest as being particularly essential.
For fans of Nightfall, Horrified & Paradise Lost.
3.5/5
Pet Shop Boys - "Introspective" (1988)
I struggled with the third & most widely celebrated full-length from these London synthpop legends to be honest as it was simply far too fruity for my taste. I actually think this record is more of a dance-pop release than it is synthpop as it was clearly heavily influenced by the underground house & Hi-NRG music the duo were hearing in the UK gay clubs of the time. "Introspective" served as a major gateway release into dance music for a lot of people for that reason. I have to admit that I have a soft spot for the cover version of "Always On My Mind" but found the rest of the album a little hard to stomach.
For fans of Erasure, Electronic & Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.
3/5
Nile - "Those Whom the Gods Detest" (2009)
The sixth album from these South Carolina brutal/technical death metal legends is my second-favourite Nile release these days, only falling behind 2005's classic "Annihilation of the Wicked" record. George Kollias' drumming is absolutely off the Richter & I love the ultra-shredding guitar solos of Karl Sanders & Dallas Toler-Wade. In fact, I was a bee's dick away from scoring this release even higher but it does have one weakness. The A side is simply incredible & comfortably warrants one of my more premium ratings but unfortunately the B side sees the quality level dropping off a bit to a level that mere mortals tend to play in so I fell just a smidgeon short of pulling the trigger on classic status. Still... I fucking love my brutal shit with this level of sophistication, particularly when there's such a clear Morbid Angel influence on display.
For fans of Hate Eternal, Suffocation & Lykathea Aflame.
4/5
16 Horsepower - "Secret South" (2000)
The third album from LA's leaders of the gothic country pack sees them returning to the heights of their 1996 debut "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" after 1997's "Low Estate" had come down a step, despite still being an entertaining listen. In fact, I'd suggest that I even slightly prefer "Secret South" over the debut with it's more stripped back format offering me plenty of appeal by maximizing the strength of front man David Eugene Edwards' story-telling prowess.
For fans of Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Me & That Man & The Builders & the Butchers.
4/5
I've passed these two nominations uncontested Andi.
I've passed these two nominations uncontested Andi.
I've passed the "Death Walk" nomination uncontested & have posted the "Empire" nomination in the Hall of Judgement here:
I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.
I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.
My updated Top Ten Progressive Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes of Absolution" (2012)
02. Leprous - "Live at Rockefeller Music Hall" (2016)
03. The 3rd & the Mortal - "Sorrow" E.P. (1994)
04. The 3rd & the Mortal - "Tears Laid in Earth" (1994)
05. Tool - "Fear Inoculum" (2019)
06. Lucid Planet - "Lucid Planet II" (2020)
07. Death - "Individual Thought Patterns" (1993)
08. Mastodon - "Leviathan" (2004)
09. Dream Theater - "Live at the Marquee" (1993)
10. Pestilence - "Testimony of the Ancients" (1991)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/153
Tool - "Fear Inoculum" (2019)
Oh, my fucking God! What in the actual fuck is going on here then. This isn't just a contender for the most underrated record of all time. It's EASILY the most underrated record of all time in my opinion. "Fear Inoculum" is the best thing that Tool have ever done as far as I can see & is the culmination of everything that preceded it. The production is utterly spectacular. The performances are as amazing as anything I've ever experienced. Every single note is presented with clear intention & serves its purpose beautifully while the song structures are fully realised, despite their indulgent length. There's more dynamics & a greater focus on atmospherics than ever before with the tension created being so thick you can almost touch it. This one is going right in the middle of my Top 100 Metal Releases of All Time list so I can't possibly fathom how it's been so apathetically received by the vast majority of the global marketplace. I can only put it down to the general impatience that the internet/Spotify age has proliferated over the last couple of decades.
For fans of Karnivool, Soen & Mastodon.
4.5/5
It's my opinion that a large portion of the releases tagged as tech death on other websites are mistagged as the understanding of the genre is pretty atrocious these days. For example, the biggest names in tech death are all much better served by the progressive death metal tag (Death, Cynic, Atheist, Pestilence, etc) & the dissonant death metal tag has made the tech death tagging on bands like Gorguts & Ulcerate redundant too. The same can be said of the more brutal acts we're referring to here as labelling Cryptopsy's first couple of releases or the vast majority of Dying Fetus' back catalogue as tech death is stretching the friendship as far as I'm concerned. I'd even extend that to some of the earlier Nile releases like "Black Seeds of Vengeance" & "In Their Darkened Shrines" which only seem to receive the tech death tag due to the speed & brutality of the drumming which is inherent in all brutal death metal so I can't see the need to go there personally. I'd prefer it if the tech death tag was reserved for genuinely technical yet non-progressive bands like Suffocation or Spawn of Possession.
Orbital - "Orbital 2" (1993)
The second full-length from these highly celebrated Kent brothers would become the first album release to truly break the underground techno phenomenon on both a critical & commercial scale with Paul & Phil Hartnoll creating a record that was full of class & depth. It's not wall-to-wall wins as far as I'm concerned but the highlights are devastating & played a strong role in my electronic music journey. There are a number of tracks included that received air play from me as a DJ throughout the 2000's with the brilliant "Planet of the Shapes" making for an outstanding early set builder & peak time acid techno number "Remind" really tweaking people's cerebellums later in the evening. I played those two on multiple occasions while I believe I also dropped "Walk Now... " once too. This all still sounds as fresh as it did the first time I heard it & it's impossible to deny the power of classic ambient trance number "Halcyon + On + On" to lift one's spirits & take you into the stratosphere. I could probably have done without the dull intro & outro pieces, as well as the slightly cheesy attempt to emulate Detroit techno classic "Strings of Life" that is "Monday", but "Orbital 2" should be essential listening for all EDM disciples.
For fans of The Orb, Underworld & Chemical Brothers.
4/5
I'd take "Frost" over the "Nema" & "Yggdrasill" demos but I agree that it's the least impressive of Enslaved's first three proper releases.
Enslaved - "Frost" (1994)
I was already a big fan of these Norwegian black legends by the time their sophomore album appeared, having thoroughly enjoyed their "Hordanes Land" E.P. & "Vikingligr veldi" debut full-length & also quite liking their second demo tape "Yggdrasill" from 1992. So "Frost" was very well received from both Ben & I at the time & it's pretty easy to see why when listening back now because there's some classy shit going on here. The highlights represent some of the best material these guys would ever produce with the rip-roaring "Loke" & "Wotan" being my favourite Enslaved tracks to the time. Unfortunately though, the quality of the nine tracks included on "Frost" fluctuates a bit in much the same way that it does stylistically. The two Viking metal tracks "Yggdrasil" & "Isöders dronning" are disappointing & don't do much for me at all which contributes to the album not really fulfilling the potential it showed on great songs like "Jotunblod". It's probably no surprise that I enjoy the most blackened & relentless material the most with drummer Trym Torson's powerful blast beats & front man Grutle Kjellson's vocal performance being clear highlights. Overall though, I think I'd take "Vikingligr veldi" & "Hordanes Land" over "Frost" but there's not a lot in it as "Frost" is still an excellent example of the early Norwegian black metal scene.
For fans of Borknagar, Emperor & Windir.
4/5
Andrés Segovia - "The Segovia Collection, Vol. 3: My Favorite Works" (1988)
A compilation CD I purchased back in the 1990's when I was absolutely obsessed with guitar technique & wanted to hear the best the world had to offer. Segovia certainly delivers in terms of Spanish classical guitar too with all ten tracks on offer showcasing his incredible abilities in solo performances that sound to the average listener as if there are multiple instrumentalists contributing, given his unparallelled skill in managing disparate basslines & melodies simultaneously. I enjoy this as relaxing background music more than anything these days.
For fans of Julian Bream, Narciso Yepes & David Russell.
3.5/5
Slipknot - "Iowa" (2001)
I didn't mind the 1999 self-titled debut album from Iowa's Slipknot when I checked them out for the first time only within the last few years although it was certainly let down a bit by a poor production job. The 2001 follow-up fares better in that department & is also a slightly heavier & more extreme record overall which helps it to slightly eclipse its predecessor. It's easy to pick up on Slipknot's influences here with Korn, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera, Slayer & Morbid Angel all receiving some attention & assisting in the creation of a slew of high-quality groove-laden material. Unfortunately, there's also a couple of clear creative failures included too & these generally align with the band's more commercially focused clean-vocal choruses (see "My Plague" & "Left Behind"). I really dig the slower, sludgier moments, as well as the more death metal inspired ones while Corey Taylor's aggressive delivery is well up to the task. There's little doubt that "Iowa" is one of the better nu metal releases I've heard but I couldn't quite bring myself to award it the four stars I was hoping it would achieve in order to place it alongside records like Linkin Park's "Meteora" & Korn's self-titled.
For fans of Korn, System of a Down & Mudvayne.
3.5/5
If it was a legit primary genre then we'd select the single clan that's the best fit for it (i.e. The Infinite in this case) as we've been down the path of dual clan genres before & it's far too messy.