Daniel's Forum Replies

No I'm afraid I haven't as I was spending most of my time preparing for the Metal Academy podcast recordings by revisiting the earlier metal releases at that stage from memory. Really looking forward to this one.

To be honest my selection criteria has changed consistently since we first kicked off the feature releases Sonny. To begin with I just wanted to see as many people making comments as possible so as to build up our active content so you would have seen a fair few releases that most metalheads would know in order to encourage that. I was also making a conscious effort to choose releases from right across the spectrum of subgenres included in each clan. Over time I realised that a) some of the releases from the more niche subgenres weren't drawing a lot of attention & b) that our regularly contributing members seemed to want some more underground releases to investigate so I adjusted my approach accordingly. For last month I restructured things again to make sure that people wanting modern material were catered for so moving forwards you'll get a mixture of new releases, old classics, forgotten gems & releases that I simply thought might make for interesting discussion (e.g. the Neptunian Maximalism record). There's not really a set criteria for selection other than to make sure that people get a wide cross-section of high quality metal (that they may or may not have previous experience with) to discuss. The time it takes me is really pretty minimal when compared to the time it takes me to select & program 18 hours of Spotify playlists every month but what can I say... it's a labour of love & I enjoy every minute of it!

P.S. I'm really enjoying the feature releases part of the site & (like last month) will be making a conscious effort to contribute to the discussions on all nine monthly feature releases moving forwards. Feel free to join me guys.

A track taken from the brand new "Saint Desecration" album from Polish death metallers Azarath.

A track taken from the new "Over & Out" album from German thrash metal stalwarts Darkness.

You can only do so if you are in the associated clan Sonny. Does that make sense?

I think the consensus has been that we're better off not going for two changes in the one Hall entry any more Andi. This one is a prime example of why as I'm very much onboard with one of your suggested changes & strongly against the other so I'd have to vote "no" overall.

Some very underground late 80's thrash metal from Melbourne, Australia. The vocals are pretty dodgy but there's a very cool dark atmosphere going on here that I find attractive,

Rampage - "Veil Of Mourn" (1988)

1988's "Veil of Mourn" represents the only proper release from relatively unknown Melbourne-based thrash trio Rampage. It's a self-financed & self-produced affair & it really shows with the sound quality being reminiscent of Venom's early records. The drums are absolutely booming with the rhythm guitars being soft & muddy & the bass guitar being clearly audible. Instrumentally, this is a very interesting record. It's got a very European feel to it with an inherent darkness about the atmosphere that reminds my of artists like Mercyful Fate & Celtic Frost but there's also been a conscious attempt to challenge the listener with some progressive elements at play. "Show No Mercy" era Slayer comes to mind quite often during the faster material however this is not a pure form of thrash metal. There's enough speed metal & traditional heavy metal on display to keep me questioning my position on that but the atmosphere eventually gets me over the line. It's almost like this record should have been released a few years earlier than it was. Unfortunately there are three major obstacles that commit "Veil Of Mourn" to rot away in the second-hand bins. The production issues I spoke of earlier are the first but the guitar solos & vocals leave a lot to be desired as well, particularly the drastically out-of-key higher register screams of front man George Mitrov. Mitrov would find God shortly after this release which would spell the end for Rampage however bassist Dave Frew & drummer Bruno Canziani would both go on to brighter things with several stints in Hobbs Angel Of Death each. Give this one a miss.

3/5

I have a very simple methodology to my rating & reviewing system that ensures that there is minimal subconscious bias involved. I simply listen to each release at least three or four times before a rate them & that includes releases that clearly don't appeal to my taste on my first visit. The first listen is purely to clear my expectations & take in the music. I never make an attempt to think about how I might rate the music during that initial listen as it will clearly be slanted by my feelings on where the release sits in comparison to my expectations going into it. On the second listen I will start to form my opinions on what the music offers now that I know what I should expect. It's only on the third listen that I'll commit to a rating & I make a very conscious effort to remove myself from any bias & to focus completely on the sounds coming out of those speakers, especially since we started the Metal Academy podcast as I quickly realised that we had taken on a greater level of responsibility with regards to presenting an unbiased & accurate account of each release. If I'm on the fence between two ratings then I'll give the release a fourth listen which will resolve my conflict 99% of the time. In the rare case that it doesn't then I'll listen to what that little voice inside me is telling me as far as what I really WANT the score to be. I know some people can have their feelings diluted by things like cover artwork, lyrical content or their thoughts on the artist as a person but I've never had a problem with separating myself from those things. Perhaps it's my background as a musician that sees me more easily able to focus purely on the music.

To summerize, I honestly don't think think you can accurately rate or review a release on a single listen (or even two actually) but I know that some of you disagree with me on this so each to their own. 

That's one instance where I'm not wrong. I'm sure it wasn't pure coincidence that you force fed me some Summoning for the November playlist & it was one of my least enjoyable moments in October. I think it gave me hearing AIDS. ;)

Like I was wrong about you being a supportive brother?

Just give it a fair chance Andi. You might completely disagree with me on that one. :)

Thanks so much Ben. As a user, I'm so impressed with how quickly these improvements have come about & how closely they're aligned with our member's requests.

To everyone else, I think it's important to mention the large cost that Ben takes on with the regular site improvements & functional developments. I'm simply not in a financial position to contribute much to the cause so Ben has been incredibly kind & generous in covering all of the costs out of his own pocket. This is one of the reasons that I remain so motivated to throw all of my spare time into the marketing of the site & the contribution of content (playlists, feature releases, forums, ratings/reviews, etc). These things often go unnoticed unless they're pointed out so I just wanted you all to be aware of Ben's financial contribution on top of of his obvious time commitment with administering & growing the already large database. He's a true underground metal warrior of the highest order.

I can tolerate the first of these six tracks but everything after that is pure shite, particularly the god-awful B-side.

Cremator - "Home Style Surgery" (1988)

I think the sole release from this unheralded crossover thrash outfit from Perth in Western Australia may be the worst metal record I've heard in years. The production & performances are nothing short of disgusting. It kinda sounds like Destruction trying to play Suicidal Tendencies & English Dogs cover versions with only their feet.

1.5/5

Here you go Andi. I'd actually take the Exterminator album over this one. I'll ask Ben to add Cremator to the database.

It's the same for reviewing only I add a 0 and 0.5 just specifically for anything Machine Head release nowadays.

And the Disillusion feature release apparently.

I've just added my "Top Ten Thrash Metal Releases of 1987" list to the Public Lists section if anyone's interested:

https://metal.academy/lists/single/95

01. Anthrax - "Among The Living"

02. Metallica - "The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-revisited" E.P.

03. Exumer - "Rising From The Sea"

04. Sepultura - "Schizophrenia"

05. Sodom - "Persecution Mania"

06. Sacrifice - "Forward To Termination"

07. Destruction - "Release From Agony"

08. Sacred Reich - "Ignorance"

09. Testament - "The Legacy"

10. Infernäl Mäjesty - "None Shall Defy"

Ben, please add Cremator (Australia), Rampage (Australia) & Massive Appendage (Australia).

So I thought I'd give the lists section a test run by creating my "Top Ten Teutonic Thrash Release of 1987" list. Here's the link:

https://metal.academy/lists/single/93

01. Exumer - "Rising From The Sea"

02. Sodom - "Persecution Mania"

03. Destruction - "Release From Agony"

04. Violent Force - "Malevolent Assault Of Tomorrow"

05. Sodom - "Expurse Of Sodomy" E.P.

06. Kreator - "Terrible Certainty"

07. Protector - "Misanthropy" E.P.

08. Holy Moses - "Finished With The Dogs"

09. Destruction - "Mad Butcher" E.P.

10. Tankard - "Chemical Invasion"

Feel free to share your thoughts or your own personal lists.

Aggressive Teutonic thrash for fans of Slayer, Celtic Frost & Motorhead.

Sodom - "Persecution Mania" (1987)

Sodom's second full-length album was a big record for me when I first discovered the band as a teenager back in 1989. I think I heard the follow-up "Agent Orange" first but ventured back to its older sibling very quickly & it's been my preferred Sodom release to this day. “Persecution Mania” saw the band taking full advantage of their talented new lead guitarist Frank Blackfire with a noticeably cleaner & more proficient delivery that had shed the rough-&-ready production values of Sodom's early blackened period in favour of a much more polished Harris Johns production. Musically, it's very much a combination of three distinct sounds. Firstly, you have a fast & aggressive Slayer-inspired form of thrash metal which is always exciting & really accentuates Tom Angelripper’s raspy vocal delivery. Then you have a jangly, bass guitar-driven & inherently fun form of speed/heavy metal that’s obviously a tribute to Sodom’s beloved heroes Motorhead. And finally, you have a chuggier mid-paced form of thrash that’s similar to early Celtic Frost. All of the faster, thrashier tracks include these slower chuggy sections sections at some stage & I can’t help but feel that they detract from the overall effect a little due to their more calculated & generic nature. The song-structures seem to have been loosely pasted together at times too as Sodom were still very much learning their craft. Tom’s bass work has improved out of sight & his vocal performance still sounds genuinely incisive today. I really do love the faster parts of the album but those mid-tempo parts haven’t aged as well as I’d hoped & this has contributed to me scoring the album slightly lower than I would have back in the day when it represented a minor obsession for me.

For fans of Slayer, Celtic Frost & Motorhead.

4/5

The best thing you can do to speed things up there is to recruit more active members Andi. Any help we can get in that regard would be greatly appreciated.

Devin Townsend wishes you all a very merry Xmas.

Brutal death metal from Seattle, USA.

Here's a taste of the brand new live album from Maryland djent masters Periphery entitled "Live In London".

That's a really good question & one that I've pondered on from time to time. I can't think of any other way around this other than to limit the changes to one per Hall entry & to allow multiple Hall submissions per release. I'll have a chat with Ben about it over the coming days.

While we figure that out, the most important part of this particular vote is that we get the release into the right clans so I'd suggest that you base your call on whether or not you feel that the album should be removed from The Pit.

Thrashy progressive metal from Quebec, Canada. For fans of Vektor, Coroner & Watchtower.

Andi, if you haven't checked this one out then I'd suggest you do.

Voivod - "Killing Technology" (1987)

The third album from unusual Canadian thrash metallers Voivod is a significant release in their back catalogue in that it sees the band taking huge strides towards a much more ambitious & progressive sound. Voivod's first two albums certainly hinted at a prog rock influence but were predominantly driven by a blend of Venom/Motorhead & hardcore punk worship whereas "Killing Technology" categorically leaps straight off the platform into a progressive wilderness previously traversed by Syd Barret era Pink Floyd whilst never losing the fast-paced energy of the band's early works. For that reason, it very much represents the mid-point in Voivod's creative transition into a fully-fledged progressive outfit but is this really a thrash metal release? Well, in a word... no it isn't. There's undeniably more thrash here than on any of Voivod's other classic period releases (particularly in the drumming which seems to have taken influence from the likes of Slayer's Dave Lombardo) but thrash is still just one of many tools at the band's disposal & there's probably even more punk included in all honesty (see the urgent tempos, quirky vocals & open-string guitar work). To my ears the primary focus is always on making progressive music like none that we'd heard before or since & for that reason I've always struggled with Voivod's links to thrash. Still... "Killing Technology" is another genuinely fascinating musical excursion from one of metal's most unique entities. I think Voivod's best work would come the following year with their classic "Dimension Hatröss" album where they would take their new sound even further but "Killing Technology" isn't far behind in second place in my opinion & should be essential listening for fans of metal music that takes genuine risks & challenges the listener.

For fans of Vektor, Coroner & Watchtower.

4/5

Underworld - "Dubnobasswithmyheadman" (1994)

Underworld make the incredible transition from a radio-friendly new wave/synth pop outfit into one of the most influential progressive house/techno artists of all time. An incredibly important release for dance music in general which never gets old..

What a ripper of an opener from Canadian industrial metallers Strapping Young Lad. For fans of Fear Factory, Ministry & Nailbomb.

Some interesting comments here. I came into "Alien" fresh as the only Strapping Young Lad release I'd experienced previously was "City" (which I really enjoyed) but over the last couple of days I've found that I marginally prefer "Alien" & was blown away by just how heavy this record is. It takes no prisoners whatsoever & very few fucks are given along the way. I can understand how it might seem like one huge barrage of aggressive to some listeners but I feel that I'm well equipped to handle that sort of thing due to my extreme metal background. I definitely noticed a Napalm Death influence to many of the more intense riffs which isn't surprising given that Devin's been a long-time fan of the band going way back to his contribution to Steve Vai's "Sex & Religion" album in 1993. The timing makes sense because I was continually reminded of 1992's "Utopia Banished" album.

Devin puts sssoooo much into his vocal performance here. I really enjoy the crazed lunatic vibe on some of this material (see "Shitstorm" for example) & feel it's when he's at his best. His more melodic moments are also high quality though with the chorus of "Love?" actually reminding me a lot of Deftones. Gene Hoglan is an absolute enigma & proves that his feet should be insured for a very hefty sum as he's more machine than human. What a performance! And the production job couldn't have been better suited to the product to be honest. Every track sounds enormously epic here with the listener being virtually assaulted with sound which I would imagine was exactly the outcome that Devin was hoping for. The subtle use of keyboards at key moments is used to great effect & fills out the sound beautifully. 

The lone ballad "Two Weeks" is clearly the least effective song on the tracklisting even though I still have time for it's sweeter take on an 80's Pink Floyd vibe as the listener is definitely in need of a short break by that stage. Closing twelve minute industrial noise piece "Info Dump" was certainly a challenge at first though with my initial thoughts being "Oh no, he's decided to give us the impression that the album is longer than it actually is by filling in time with pointless noise" but I'm very pleased to say that it develops over time & ends up leaving the listener with a unique & disturbing atmosphere that I really enjoy. But it's the heavier tracks that really float my boat, particularly when they're matched with some of Devin's more intense screams. Brief opener "Imperial" is nothing short of devastating with the gradual buildup & crescendo of "Thalamus" being a close second. The triple play of "Shitstorm" through to "Shine" is also spectacular! 

Despite the fact that most of the highlights reside on the A side for me, I find "Alien" to be a very consistent release overall. In truth, some of Devin's more progressive & melodic moments take me a touch outside of my comfort zone & this (along with the first five minutes of "Info Dump") prevent me from going with a slightly higher rating but the quality here is undeniable. It's an outstanding effort from a highly capable & significantly battle-hardened group of musicians. Whoever selected this album for feature release inclusion really knows his shit & should be heaped with praise for eternity.

For fans of Fear Factory, Ministry & Nailbomb.

4/5

Classic mid-80's thrash metal from New Jersey, USA. For fans of Exodus, Anthrax & Testament.

Overkill - "Taking Over" (1987)

The 1987 sophomore album from New Jersey thrash metal establishment Overkill represents my entry point for the band way back around 1989 when I was in my early teenage years & completely obsessed with extreme metal (kinda similar to now really). I have to admit that, whilst I've always found it to be relatively enjoyable, it's never really convinced me that the band were a tier one act & my feelings haven't changed in that respect. "Taking Over" certainly featured some improvements on their 1985 debut album "Feel The Fire" with more appealing production, performances & song-writing but some of the riffs & arrangements still seem so basic & generic that it sounded a little dated even back then in my opinion. It's not a total thrash-fest either as almost half of the album falls into speed metal or traditional heavy metal territory.

I think the reason that "Taking Over" has remained so popular over the years is due to the tight execution & its uncluttered accessibility. It's like the band understood their limitations a bit better than they did previously & worked within them to create an appealing & marketable product. The other reason is likely the melodic vocal approach of front man Bobby Blitz who hadn't opted for the grindier approach he'd take on later material just yet & contributes some much needed pizzazz to some otherwise fairly uneventful pieces of music. There's definitely a little bit of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson about his performance here & if you listen closely you can hear that he was giving everything he had as far as charisma & effort go. It's certainly paid off as there's only really "Fatal If Swallowed" that fails to leave the desired impact as far as hooks go. In saying that, Bobby's performance still wasn't enough to make any of this material a genuine thrash classic in my opinion so I don't think I can justify the high regard that "Taking Over" is generally held in amongst thrash purists.

3.5/5

This really looks like a piss-take, doesn't it?

I just tried it & it works great & is very useful to me personally. I do need to mention the fact that you can select all of the check-boxes simultaneously though which isn't a big deal but probably isn't ideal.

Andi, I've recently changed my direction with the selection criteria for our feature releases. I'm now focusing much more on picking releases that the clan members may not be familiar with but would likely enjoy so I'd encourage you to check out the ones that are associated with your four clans moving forwards.

Gaza - "I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die" (2006)

I'm keen to get your thoughts on our November feature album Andi.

Supreme mathcore from Salt Lake City, USA. For fans of Converge, Botch & The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Unlike saxy, I have to admit that Gaza are right up my alley. I guess I just get it. I first heard their 2012 album "No Absolutes in Human Suffering" at the time of release & it totally blew me away. Strangely, I hadn't explored their earlier releases until just now but I'm very glad I did because the band came out of the blocks at the top of their game in my opinion. "I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die" is a swarming beast of violence & complexity &, despite it's undeniably haphazard & jerky format, it never seems to falter in its consistency. The vicious performance of front man Jon Parkin is absolutely savage & a genuine highlight for me. When he really gets going he achieves some of the more searing & brutal moments the mathcore subgenre has to offer.

Instrumentally, this is an enormously interesting release too. Not all of the material hits directly on my sweet spot but I can't help but maintain my intrigue nonetheless. The more expansive works are where you'll inevitably find the true highlights with tracks like "Hospital Fat Bags" & "Pork Finder" representing major peaks for metalcore overall. The sludge metal component cannot be overstated & it's during the sludgier moments that Gaza are at their very best with some truly crushing riffs on offer. The only negative comment I have is that the production is noticeably lacking in brightness which sees the material losing a little bit of its edge. The fact that I've still rated it as highly as I have is a statement on just how strong an example of extreme music this album is.

4.5/5

Rip-snorting Californian thrash metal from earlier this year.

I have to admit that I quite enjoyed "Weapons Of Tomorrow". It sees the band trying quite hard to keep enough variety in play so as not to sound completely generic & this results in a good mix of brutality & melody. There's a whole tonne of influences going on here. From the classic thrash end of the spectrum there's definitely a fair amount of Exodus worship going on & the slower, darker passages seem to draw influence from "Seasons In The Abyss"-era Slayer at times but there's also a consistent melodeath feel going on that reminds me of At The Gates or even Kreator's last couple of albums which often gave a passing glance to the Swedes in a similar way. Warbringer also have a shot at fully-fledged black metal & your classic old-school Swedish death metal sound at various points across the tracklisting so it's clear that they have a rounded taste in extreme metal. Just check out the clear ode to Bathory at the four & a half minute mark in "Heart of Darkness" for example.

As Vinny mentioned, John Kevill's nasty vocal delivery is definitely similar to Demolition Hammer's Steve Reynolds (& At The Gates' Tomas Lindberg to an extent) which can't be a bad thing & he gives it absolutely everything he's got at all times. The lead guitar work is sensational & is a real highlight of the album in my opinion. The production is excellent & compliments the natural energy of the song-writing. I can't say I agree with saxy's statement about the bass guitar being hard to pick up. I can hear it pretty comfortably throughout so maybe it's to do with our listening devices of choice. There are a couple of tracks that don't do much for me though (see chuggy thrasher "The Black Hand Reaches Out" & the epic power metal influenced "Glorious End") & these lapses generally line up with the moments that drummer Carlos Cruz goes for bouncier & more accessible beats over mid-paced chuggy riffs. I'd much prefer to be flayed by light-speed tremolo riffage & a machine gun of double kick personally (see album highlight "Unraveling" for example) but this is not really a flaw but a matter of personal taste.

Overall I find "Weapons Of Tomorrow" to be an enjoyable if inessential thrash metal release that eclipses most of the other new school thrash exponents out there pretty comfortably through pure class. It's beautifully executed & hints at some real potential but doesn't quite deliver as consistently as our 80's faves.

3.5/5

I have to ask guys, what are your feelings on DSBM as a unique subgenre of black metal? I have to say that I struggle with the concept of differentiating most of the DSBM releases I've heard from traditional black metal as the differences are mostly thematic rather than musical. Sure there are some musical differences with certain strains of DSBM but those differences don't seem to have become unique characteristics of the entire subgenre so I treat them as a fresh takes on black metal rather than a new subgenre & this Shining release is a prime example of that. Perhaps it's just that over time the DSBM tag has been afforded to releases that never really claimed to conform with the characteristics that led to the tag being penned to begin with so the subgenre has become less defined as a result?

I also find that the whole concept of basing your lyrics & image around depression & suicide is very much against the core of what made black metal so appealing for me in the first place. Black metal has always been about empowerment & I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude in my opinion. It's simultaneously a celebration of its own self-imposed isolation from society's chosen path & a call to arms to like-minded individuals around the globe. I struggle with the self-pity that DSBM seems to use as its thematic platform as it's just so far removed from those ideals & I more often than not find that the instrumentation doesn't really work to create all that depressed an atmosphere anyway. I want to be uplifted by my black metal via raw brutality & a cold atmosphere that takes me to dangerous & desolate places from the comfort of my car or lounge. I don't want to be encouraged to take my own life because I can't bring myself to get out of bed. It's the opposite extreme as far as I can see.

OK, that's my two cents. What are your thoughts?

New York thrash metal at its finest.

Anthrax - "Among The Living" (1987)

The third full-length from New York thrash metal institution Anthrax was an absolutely HUUUGGGE record in my childhood. I got into the band through their underrated 1988 record "State Of Euphoria" in late '88/early '89 before meeting a new mate that had an older cousin that was obsessed with the band. I proceeded to investigate their entire back catalogue very quickly & was floored by both "Among The Living", its predecessor "Spreading The Disease" & the horribly overlooked "Armed & Dangerous" E.P. in particular. In truth "Spreading The Disease" will likely always remain my favourite Anthrax release however "Among The Living" is awfully close behind. It saw the band utilizing a heavier dose of hardcore punk & it resulted in an infectious energy that permeates every part of an exceptionally consistent tracklisting. The use of gang vocals is possibly the best example you'll find in all of metal &, even though this in not something that I usually go for, I can't help but admit that I shout along with every word as a united front with the band members here. Although there are tight-as-hell thrash riffs for days through the undeniable Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna & Charlie Benante are the key components on "Among the Living" as Joey manages to gives every track the sort of hooks that leave an indelible mark on your brain for life & Charlie's confident & powerful performance behind the kit is what drives this music to heights that similar US thrash outfits simply weren't capable of at the time. Interestingly (& quite tellingly), my favourite tracks aren't the big name classics like "Caught In A Mosh" & "Indians". It's the more thrashy & violent numbers like "A Skeleton In The Closet" & "Imitation Of Life" that float my boat with the most buoyancy & that's the strength of this album really as literally every track is essential listening for all fans of 80's thrash.

4.5/5

Fantastic review there Vinny. One of your best.