Daniel's Forum Replies

The new album from Bristol's finest thrash metal exponents Onslaught entitled "Generation Antichrist" which is due for release on 7th August.

The brand new E.P. from Swiss death/thrash outfit Messiah entitled "Fatal Grotesque Symbols - Darken Universe" which is due for release on 7th August. The title track is a sneak peak at the new album which is currently in the works while "Space Invaders" & "Extreme Cold Weather" are re-recordings of tracks from the band's 80's albums featuring guest vocal performances.

Yep. "Lateralus" is a absolute masterclass. I adore it! In saying that though it's probably not one of my favourites from the album which is a strong indication of just how amazing that record was. My personal highlights are "Schism", "The Grudge", "The Patient", "Reflection" & "Triad" .

Yeah I'm a huge fan of "Digital Bath". It's an absolute belter from a genuinely classic album. It's Deftones best record too & is one of the highlights of the alternative metal subgenre overall in my opinion.

Fuck me this bad! It sounds like they've taken Judas Priest's cheesiest 80's moments & combined them into an all-powerful super cheddar. Unfortunately I'm lactose intolerant when it comes to music so my gag reflex goes into overdrive.

Comfortably my favourite of the legitimate songs from "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I". Probably because it's the least cheesy & power metal oriented.

My feelings aren't all that different to your own but I've probably spent more time trying to understand the appeal of "Weighing Souls With Sand" & it's resulted in my eventually finding it to be a decent (if a heavily overrated) listen. I think the thing that draws me back is my intrigue in the fact that no one else on Earth sounds like this. It's definitely not like any drone metal release I've ever heard & I refuse to settle on that as the correct genre tag. I honestly can't imagine how people are finding a 5/5 rating in this though as it's so fucking abrasive & is very much a one-trick pony. 

Here's my review:

https://metal.academy/reviews/15885/1063

3.5/5

The first great Aussie thrash metal anthem in my opinion. Fans of Slayer, Kreator & "Bonded By Blood"-era Exodus will really dig this. Plus, check out the proto-death metal vocals!

Mortal Sin - "Mayhemic Destruction" (1987)

I can personally attest to the fact that if you were an Aussie thrash fan in the late 80's & early 90's then Mortal Sin were likely a pretty fucking big deal for you. They were the support band for pretty much every international act that toured, they'd pack out the local metal clubs whenever they headlined & they were the inspiration for an entire generation of Aussie metal bands who grew up idolizing them, so it should be no surprise that I held them up on a pedestal as a young fella too. Their debut album "Mayhemic Destruction" represented the birth place of Australia thrash metal & is universally revered amongst those of us Sydney-based metalheads who were old enough to have been around to hear it within a few years of its release. Personally, I've always found it to be a fun listen that brings back a lot of fond memories but I'm also realistic about what it brings to the table from a musical point of view because Mortal Sin's brand of meat & potatoes thrash metal already sounded a little dated at the time of release. "Mayhemic Destruction" was very much a tribute to Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" with many of the tracks being obvious takes on popular early thrash anthems like "Seek & Destroy"  & "Phantom Lord" while Mat Maurer's vocal delivery is clearly trying to fill the exact same niche as James Hetfield did on those early releases too. But despite the lack of originality, the thing that gives Mortal Sin its appeal is the undeniable catchiness of the song-writing. Sure there are a couple of flat speed metal tracks included toward the middle of the tracklisting but otherwise I find that these simple metal tunes overachieve on their fairly basic packaging. Plus the closing title track is nothing like the rest of the material in that it's much more intense & extreme with Slayer, Kreator & "Bonded By Blood"-era Exodus playing off against each other under what can only be described as a proto-death metal vocal delivery. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this was the first genuinely classic Australian extreme metal anthem. At least it was for me. Overall, "Mayhemic Destruction" is a pretty good underground thrash record that was more influential & important than it was essential but is definitely worth a few listens if you like a bit of NWOBHM influence in your thrash.

3.5/5

I'll leave that to you Andi. I can't really see the point as it's nullifying the despondency that the slower tempos are intended to create in my opinion.

I’d also like the ability to @ other members in forum posts. For example, I recommended one of our members a release in the forum for The Revolution this morning however it’s really up to chance as to whether they’ll ever read the message. It’d be better if they were alerted to it without me having to send them a private message. Perhaps they could see a notification on their profile symbol at the top of the screen which would direct them to a notifications section in their profile?

MartinDavey87, have you checked Protest The Hero's 2006 debut album "Kezia" out before? Yes its sound is based on the melodic metalcore blueprint however its execution is spectacularly ambitious & progressive with incredibly complex arrangements & constantly evolving song-structures. I think you might dig it.

A belter of an opening track from this Canadian progressive/melodic metalcore outfit. For fans of Jinjer, ERRA & Mutiny Within.

So I finally got around to giving "Kezia" a few spins last week & I have so say that I was very impressed. The melodic metalcore genre-tagging has certainly seen me steering clear of releases like this one over the years but perhaps it's time that I opened myself up to the subgenre a bit more because this is a quality release. In fairness, the predominant genre is progressive metal as far as I'm concerned & the musicianship & arrangements are nothing short of spectacular. I agree that the impact does wane a little as you progress through the tracklisting however there are no weak tracks on offer & Protest The Hero always keep things interesting by constantly changing things up. The clean vocal style is appealing & I really enjoy the use of vocal harmonies which remind me of progressive artists like Fates Warning even though Rody Walker's tone is more similar to Cedric Bixler-Zavala's from The Mars Volta. In fact, I have no doubt that The Mars Volta were a influence here along with your more clinical progressive metal artists like Dream Theater. You can probably draw comparisons with Between The Buried & Me only with a stronger melodic component & a bit more of a punk feel to the up-tempo drumming & some of the singalong choruses. The performances & execution are next level & fans of Jinjer, ERRA & Mutiny Within should be all over this.

4/5

I think you might want to stay open to the possibility that you're being played with here Andi. Let's just close this thread & move on, shall we?

How bored are some people on the internet?  I mean if your goal in life is to see your favourite albums ranked in your preferred order to the point where you would cheat to get the desired outcome then I would suggest that you aren't winning at life.  Jeez!

I think it's mostly about cheating the three-clan system more than it is the charts (God knows why because it essentially achieves nothing for the user or the other members). Then once they've got two accounts with different clan selections they want both to have a reasonable status on the site so they double up their ratings.

All I'll say on this topic is that Ben is much more generous than I would have been.

The new live album/DVD from Greek symphonic death metal masters Septicflesh entitled "Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX" which is due for release on 31st July. The performance comes complete with a full orchestra & choir by the looks of it.

The new single from Swedish progressive metal outfit Pain Of Salvation which is taken from their upcoming album "Panther". It's due for release on 28th August,

Bolt Thrower is an interesting one because almost every release has its fans that claim it to be the band's best work. My comfort zone has always been the trio of "Realm Of Chaos", "Warmaster" & "The VIth Crusade" with the latter being the pinnacle of their career. I had been so into them during the early 90's that "...For Victory" sounded a bit too safe & samey to me as I felt that it was time for them to change things up a bit & it was essentially just more of the same. I really like the hugely popular "For Those Once Loyal" & rate it a 4/5 but the added groove to some of the riffs prevented me from ever considering placing it up with Bolt Thrower's best records. "The Killchain" seems to be the most popular song from it too & I quite like it but it never stood out to me as one of the album highlights. The title track & "Salvo" were the two big tracks for me.

To summarize, I am strange & you should all think of me as such. It's for the best really.

Perhaps each user could have the option to choose an album of the month that they can display on their profile page? I think it might make for an interesting talking point that encourages connection & recommendation.

Bravo Ben. Interestingly, this move has immediately resulted in our By Site Rating charts having a new number one release too.

OK, so this is absolutely impossible but here's my shot based on my all-time favourite records:

01. Slayer - "Angel Of Death"

02. Burzum - "Dunkelheit"

03. Deathspell Omega - "II"

04. Pig Destroyer - "Natasha"

05. Sunn O))) - "Báthory Erzsébet"

06. Isis - "Poison Eggs"

07. diSEMBOWELMENT - "Cerulean Transience of All My Imagined Shores"

08. Metallica - "Blackened"

09. Morbid Angel - "Immortal Rites"

10. Death - "Lack Of Comprehension"

Well it's too nu metal for me Vinny so I won't be surprised to hear you say the same. I really like some of Deftones later material too (especially "White Pony") but "Adrenaline" sounds like the band were still finding their creative feet & subsequently stands out like a sore thumb in their back catalogue. The nu-metal bits annoy me, the production is very dry (especially the guitar sound) & the song-writing doesn't capture me consistently enough. It's not miles off the mark as there's a few decent tracks & the performances are generally pretty good but overall I find it to be a bit flat.

3/5

I would think you are Andi. "Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis)" is not only one of the best couple of tracks on Coroner's best album but it's also one of the greatest pieces of progressive metal I've ever heard to be honest.

P.S. 90's Coroner > 80's Coroner are far as I'm concerned.

An absolute shocker of a vocal performance from this Teutonic thrash front man. Ben, you'll want to stay well away from this record because it's just the type of vocal style that you hate.

A high quality mid-80's Teutonic thrash instrumental for fans of Destruction, Iron Angel & the more aggressive Accept material.

Living Death - "Protected From Reality" (1987)

Some vicious German thrash metal with over-the-top screechy Udo Dirkschneider-style vocals. Living Death's first couple of albums had taken more of speed metal approach but this record is fully-fledged Teutonic thrash & is all the better for it too. The term "metal as fuck!" comes to mind pretty readily as the searing guitar tone & aggressive riff assault is a real drawcard. It's just a shame that the album is so top heavy because the quality fades substantially from the middle of the tracklisting which prevents me from opting for a slightly higher rating. Thorsten "Toto" Bergman's vocal delivery is definitely an acquired taste too & when he's not quite on the money it can spell disaster (see "Intruder" for example). Still... this is a more than decent example of the German thrash sound & was Living Death's best work to the time so it should offer some appeal for fans of Destruction, Iron Angel & the more aggressive Accept material.

3.5/5

It's been several years since I've heard "Somewhere Along The Highway" but I've always found it to be a solid release. I've never regarded it as a genuinely classic album though & I agree that Cult Of Luna have better records. I'm happy with a 4/5 rating.

Here's a few of my favourites:

Deathspell Omega - "II" (from 2005's "Kenose" E.P.)

Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" (from 2008's "Natasha" E.P.)

Isis - "Poison Eggs" (from 1998's "The Mosquito Control" E.P.)

Nine Inch Nails - "Happiness In Slavery" (from 1992's "Broken" E.P.)

Slayer - "Haunting The Chapel" (from 1984's "Haunting The Chapel" E.P.)

"Black Future" is certainly a very interesting record & I regard it as Vektor's best work but I still can't that say I've ever felt it deserving of the classic status that so many critics seem to label it with. I'd describe it as a cross between the technical thrash metal of Coroner & Sadus & the progressive metal of Voivod with little bits of the more melodic Swedish black/death metal bands like Dissection or At The Gates tossed in here & there. All of that sounds brilliant on paper but in reality I only find myself saying "Yeah I quite like this" instead of "FFFUUUUCCCKKKINNNNN YYYEEAAAHHHHH!!!!". It's just missing something for me & I feel very similarly about later works like "Terminal Redux" too. They're high quality thrash records but I struggle with overall engagement at times.

3.5/5

My relationship with Opeth goes right back to their 1995 debut album "Orchid" & I religiously checked out every subsequent release & invariably got a lot of enjoyment out of them however I can't say that I ever regarded an Opeth record as a genuinely classic release until "Blackwater Park". For me, it was the culmination of everything they'd been working towards for the previous decade & it finally opened me up to the sort of adoration that Ben had been throwing at the band for 5 or 6 years up to that point. It's not my favourite Opeth record. That honour belongs to 2002's follow-up "Deliverance" but there can be no denying the class & consistency of "Blackwater Park". It's a wonderful record in my opinion.

4.5/5

Andi, are you already onboard with this one? If not then I'd suggest you get on it.

The highlight of The Dillinger Escape Plan's one-off collaboration with Faith No More/Fantomas/Mr. Bungle/Tomahawk front man Mike Patton. Superbly interesting & unique mathcore.

The Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton - "Irony Is A Dead Scene" E.P. (2002)

I'm really enjoying this little collaboration between two big names at the moment. The usual Dillinger intensity has been somewhat off-set by the avant-garde experi(mental) stylings of Patton which makes it really interesting as you never quite know what to expect next. In fact, I was surprised to discover that Patton's influence has extended far further than I would have thought likely as you could be forgiven for thinking this was a Mr. Bungle record during certain sections. The Aphex Twin cover version was a nice surprise too although it doesn't quite match the original for twisted scare-factor. "Irony Is A Dead Scene" is a unique alternative for fans of either artist should satisfy those who enjoy Converge, Mr. Bungle & Car Bomb.

4/5

Interestingly, I bought the standard "The Angel & The Dark River" CD (i.e. not the digipack) immediately upon release & "The Sexuality Of Bereavement" was included on it so I don't think it was limited to the digipack.

Turbo - "Ostatni wojownik" (1987)

Sonny & Vinny, I think you might enjoy this raw & sophisticated early Polish thrash record. I'm really digging it at the moment. It's classy & consistent with excellent musicianship & a raspy European vocal delivery. The band always sounds in control whilst always maintaining that dirty Teutonic edge.

Raw & Sophisticated early Polish thrash metal for fans of KAT, Destruction & Coroner.

Turbo - "Ostatni wojownik" (1987)

Raw & sophisticated Polish thrash metal with speed metal influences & an over the top raspy European vocal delivery for fans of KAT, Destruction & Coroner. In fact, this was the earliest Polish thrash release that I'm aware of & it makes an extremely good fist of it too. It has a clear Teutonic edge to it whilst also maintaining the classy execution of the US thrash sound. Turbo started as a more than decent hard rock band & I quite enjoyed their 1983 debut album "Dorosle dzieci" but this is not only a completely different kettle of fish but also a clear step up from that record.

4/5

The new album from Japanese drone/stoner/noise/post metal outfit Boris entitled "No" which is due to be released on 3rd July.

The new single from Atlanta alternative metal establishment Sevendust. It's a cover version of Soundgarden's "The Day I Tried To Live".

The new single from crazy LA death metal outfit Brujeria entitled "COVID-666".

The new single from Justin Broadrick's shoegaze/post-rock project Jesu entitled "Because Of You" which is taken from his upcoming E.P. entitled "Never" which is due for release on 1st July.

Ripping Canadian death/thrash for fans of Slayer, Possessed & 1980's Morbid Angel.

So I checked out Witches Hammer's "Damnation Is My Salvation" album over the last couple of days & I really liked it. In short, it's a death/thrash hybrid with hints at black metal. In fact, I can't believe that no one has voted for death metal primary on RYM because it's close to being the major element on display here. These guys have both feet firmly planted in the 1980's with their sound sitting right between the first couple of Slayer records & 1980's Morbid Angel (i.e. my two favourite bands ever). Very much where Possessed & early Protector reside actually. The occasional hint at black metal brings to mind pre-"In The Nightside Eclipse" Emperor. The performances aren't pristine & the production sounds very much of that era which gives everything an added feeling of forboding darkness & old-school authenticity. I absolutely love this release from an atmospheric & stylistic point of view but I think some of the bouncier thrash beats bring things back to the pack a little. As does the fact that Witches Hammer don't really hide their influences all that well ((see "Witches Hammer" for example which is clearly a reworking of Slayer's "Black Magic"). It's a well received 4/5 rating from me though as I feel this is a release that I'll be returning to quite often in the near future.

You seem to understand my musical taste pretty well Xephyr. Thanks for the heads up!

P.S. Sonny & Ben, you'll both really dig this.

The Field - "From Here We Go Sublime" (2007)

Outstanding minimal tech house from Sweden. A couple of really big tracks from my DJ days on this one.

The very solid opener from Neue Deutsche Härte's finest hour. For fans of Eisbrecher, Oomph! & Lindemann.