Daniel's Forum Replies

It's rare that a day shares two massive anniversaries, but today, Electric Wizard's Dopethrone turns 20 and Slayer's Seasons in the Abyss turns 30. When an album that Daniel and I owned on release turns 30, it really makes me feel old!

I actually bought "Seasons In The Abyss" on pre-order from The Metal Factory in Parramatta which was run by Mortal Sin front man Mat Maurer. I used to buy from Mat quite regularly because he'd ship the imports to me before other record stores even got any stock on their shelves. Slayer were my favourite band at the time & I absolutely flipped out on first listen. Over time I've come to regard the album as the last truly classic studio record from Slayer's peak period although I don't think it quite matches the two albums that preceded it which both sit in my top three for thrash overall.

The thrashiest number on Holy Terror's 1987 debut album is also my favourite (unsurprisingly).

Holy Terror - "Terror & Submission" (1987)

LA speed metal with thrash & heavy metal influences. For fans of Agent Steel, Hallows Eve & early Living Death.

3.5/5

That's an interesting take Xephyr. We featured "Battle Hymns" on episode 11 of Metal Academy podcast which meant that we were required to pull the record apart & examine every nut & bolt before putting it all back together again so I ended up developing a pretty good understanding of my feelings on the album. After having a quick look at the tracklisting just now, I'd suggest that "Death Tone" & "Shell Shock" are nothing more than hard rock tunes. There's very little doubt about that. But, with the exception of the bass solo track "William's Tale",  I'd definitely class the rest of the album as being heavy metal with the B-side pretty much creating & defining the epic metal sound for all eternity. I don't have any qualms with "Battle Hymns" staying in The Guardians but it will be interesting to see what your fellow clan members think as I don't get a vote.

Chris Van Etten, you might wanna give this one a shot.

Brutal thrash from the Bronx for fans of Morbid Saint, Dark Angel & Kreator.

Demolition Hammer - "Epidemic Of Violence" (1992)

The 1992 sophomore effort from New York brutal thrash outfit Demolition Hammer highlights a band that are both well on top of their sound & also seem to be incredibly well tuned to my particular taste. I mean you won't find too many releases that are more directly targeted at my sweet spots from a purely stylistic & theoretical point of view than this one but that doesn't necessarily amount to a successful undertaking in practice. Thankfully Demolition Hammer are a class act who know exactly what strings to pull to get the most out of a riff & there are a multitude of them here. In fact, "Epidemic Of Violence" is a long succession of total riff bombs with little restraint offered or time wasted. Powerful drummer Vinny Daze is the perfect foil for the dual guitar attack as his timing is impeccable & his often restrained approach leaves exactly the right amount of room for the thick & chunky riff assault. Vocalist Steve Reynolds possesses a gnarly snarl that I'd imagine would tear paint of the walls in a live environment & when you combine his aggression with some super-tight rhythm guitar performances you get one hell of a ride for fans of the more intense end of the thrash spectrum. Interestingly, I often see this album linked with death metal but that link has never seemed relevant to me personally. This is simply a very heavy & intense thrash record that will undoubtedly please fans of Morbid Saint, Dark Angel & Kreator.

4.5/5

Interestingly Andi, I originally had that Black Breath track sitting after the melodeath tracks & there was a noticeable drop in energy when it came on because the Insomnium & Wolfheart tracks are full of high-paced blast beats which makes them noticeably more intense. I tried relocating Black Breath next to the At The Gates track as they're both based on the classic old-school Swedish death metal sound & once I gave those first six tracks a re-listen I found that the playlist flowed really nicely that way. I don't pay much attention to subgenres when programming the running order of these playlists these days. It's all about the ebbing & flowing of energy & intensity. Besides... if you struggle with that Black Breath track then you're REALLY gonna struggle with the remainder of the playlist.

Definitely a classic example.

When I first encountered the 2001 sophomore album "Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness" from Norwegian progressive metallers Green Carnation I was absolutely blown away. I simply hadn't heard an hour-long single-track album that not only kept me interested throughout but also flowed effortlessly through any number of different & equally impressive movements. In fact, it made such an impression on me that I saw myself reaching for full marks which is a very rare occurrence.

We're now a good twelve years down that track & I've finally gotten around to revisiting this progressive masterpiece & it's certainly an impressive release that oozes of class. I do have to say that it hasn't connected with me on the same level as it did before though, mainly due to the fact that when I consume it in one sitting I find several parts that don't appeal to me as much as others from a purely stylistic point of view but also because I don't connect with the vocals as much as I'd need to for this record to maintain its place in my Hall of Metal Glory. I do love the sheer ambition in taking on so many different musical styles in the one lengthy piece & it's quite astonishing that they've made it sound so natural & fluent.

"Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness" is a prime example of a release that only really needs the "progressive metal" tag because it celebrates the very essence of progressive music while not really fitting into any of your popular genres. Sure, you can definitely identify the influence of the Peaceville Three in the heavier & doomier riff work (particularly My Dying Bride) & there are even more smatterings of the gothic metal of Type O Negative however you're never left pondering as to what type of album this one is. Don't expect to be dazzled with obscure time signatures & technical gymnastics though. That's not the sort of progressive metal Green Carnation concern themselves with. They're far too busy creating wonderfully captivating soundscapes to worry about anything too showy & that approach has rewarded them with an timeless & enduring release that may not annihilate me like it did over a decade ago but still manages to have me nodding in appreciation of some fully realised potential.

For fans of In The Woods..., Novembre & Wolverine.

4/5

I came to this record very late in the piece as it was released during my DJing days during the 2000's so it was 2009 before I had the pleasure of wrapping my ears around it & I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. I thought I was in for something with significantly less weight & substance but what I ended up receiving was an enjoyable, fresh & vibrant sounding brand of quite heavy alternative metal with a broad crossover appeal built around decent hooks & a general feeling of quality. There's not a weak track amongst this lot & songs like "Forest", "Psycho" & "Aerials" sit amongst my very favourite examples of the subgenre still to this day. "Toxicity" should be essential listening for all members of The Gateway & I'd encourage the casual listener from other clans to give it a chance as well because it may just surprise you.

4/5

Probably more speed metal than thrash & has a significant Iron Maiden presence too but hey... it's Anthrax so I don't think anyone will complain too much.

Here's one from the most recent thrash-related release I've been revisiting this week. I'd suggest that this particular track is more like traditional heavy metal than thrash though to be fair. In fact it sounds a hell of a lot like Rush at times.

I found "Transilvanian Hunger" to be the finest example of the black metal sound to the time of release so "Panzerfaust" seemed like a little bit of a step down to me. Where its predecessor was incredibly focused & pretty much defined the modern black metal sound, "Panzerfaust" seemed to be more of a collection of individual tracks that were more of a tribute than an artistic statement. It lacked the focus & cohesion of the previous trio of albums. There are some fantastic ttracks of course (like the unbelievable "Quintessence" for example) but I do feel like it was just an enjoyable Darkthrone release rather than a classic one like "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" or "Transilvanian Hunger".

From memory "Broken" was the release that first got Ben & I into Nine Inch Nails. I think I brought them to his attention shortly after release & he subsequently bought the CD before also purchasing their debut "Pretty Hate Machine" from a bargain bin. "Broken" was easily the more accessible of the two for a couple of obsessive metalheads however the more brooding & electronic "Pretty Hate Machine" grew on me over time to become another important release in my formative years.  In fact, it was a big album for my very first relationship & does bring back some pleasant & not so pleasant memories. I think it's fair to say that "Broken" possesses very little in the way of subtlety. It's easily NIN's most metal release & goes straight for the jugular for most of its run time but the quality of the song-writing is exceptional & I find it very hard to understand why Trent Reznor wouldn't have expanded this E.P. into a full-blown album because it undoubtedly would have been one of his best. In fact, songs like "Happiness In Slavery" & "Physical (You're So)" sit amongst the best works of his entire career so "Broken" is absolutely deserving of its status as one of the premier industrial metal releases of all time.

4.5/5

There's some interesting perspectives being voiced here. I actually selected "Feel The Fire" for this month's feature release because I was keen to see if our more discerning Metal Academics would perpetuate the same level of unbridled enthusiasm that the rest of the world seems to for Overkill when I've never been seen them as a tier one player myself & so far the results are proving my point. Don't get me wrong, I have a fair amount of time for "Feel The Fire" but I've never regarded it as any sort of classic thrash release. I first encountered Overkill through their 1987 sophomore album "Taking Over" around 1989/90 & then checked out "Horrorscope" in 1991 (my favourite Overkill release to this day) before exploring their back catalogue so "Feel The Fire" was always going to feel a little primitive in comparison. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it though. The tracklisting is generally pretty consistent with only "There's No Tomorrow" leaving me with a negative impression but there's a distinct lack of genuine highlights on offer. The album possesses nowhere near the menace of some of its peers of the time with Iron Maiden's classic metal influence being far more obvious & faithful to the original than with some of their contemporaries. There's also a fair whack of speed metal included at times without ever really pushing for primary subgenre status. "Rotten To The Core" & "Blood & Iron" are the clear album highlights for me personally but neither of them are competing with the big boys of the US thrash movement. Overall I'd suggest that "Feel The Fire" is a generally enjoyable US thrash record that I rarely feel the need to return to. I feel similarly about their self-titled debut E.P. to be honest but I do think that "Feel The Fire" was a minor improvement on that relatively underground release.

3.5/5

Seriously, why would someone want to hear this as the opening to an album? Does it really enhance anyone's day? If it does then I'd suggest that they may be lacking in maturity.

Carnivore - "Retaliation" (1987)

BAM! Yep I went there! this album & Carnivore in general are overrated as hell in my opinion.

New York crossover thrash for fans of S.O.D., Cro-Mags & D.R.I. Am I the only one that thinks Slayer lifted the back end of this track for the climactic outro section of "Mandatory Suicide"?

Carnivore - "Retaliation" (1987)

The second & final album from this New York crossover thrash outfit is generally regarded as one of the pinnacles of the subgenre but I have to admit that I've always struggled to find much appeal in Carnivore's music. It's certainly true that I've never been one to be particularly interested in the concept of humour being integrated into my metal (particularly when it borders of being racist at times for pure shock value) but (with the obvious exception of an intro track that's essentially the sound of someone vomiting) that's not the reason I don't dig a record like "Retaliation". It's more around the constant changing of styles even throughout the individual tracks which sees the album lacking in cohesion. I'm also not such a big fan of future Type O Negative front man Peter Steel's angry yet spasmatic vocal delivery here. He sounds like he's trying too hard to sound unhinged & psychotic to me.

Musically, it's quite hard to pin down Carnivore's sound. For example, I never regarded their self-titled debut as a crossover release as it actually included very little that I'd actually class as crossover. "Retaliation", on the other hand, has much stronger credentials as it's much faster & thrashier with a significantly stronger hardcore component so I'm comfortable that it's the senior subgenre here with New York hardcore, traditional heavy metal & stoner metal (think Black Sabbath's "Vol 4") all playing a strong role at various points. The instrumental track "Five Billion Dead" even seems to draw on Rush! There are some decent tracks included & you can hear the obvious influence that the album had on a diverse array of bands from Crowbar to Morbid Angel but it's the lack of consistency that gets to me in the end & this is the deciding factor in me never really feeling the urge to pull out a Carnivore record when I feel like thrashing around my car or loungeroom. I agree that "Retaliation" is Carnivore's best work but unfortunately it's still not really for me. For fans of S.O.D., Cro-Mags & D.R.I.

3/5

There's a key word in the term "private message" Andi & it seems that you're not fully across it's relevance.

How is this any different from including Blind Guardian in The Guardians playlist, My Dying Bride & Type O Negative in The Fallen playlist or Opeth & Dream Theater in the The Infinite playlist Andi? All of those were your suggestions & I regard them as very much the same thing in my the context of those clans. I mean I've heard those bands a whole lot more than Linkin Park as I've never paid much attention to commercial radio.

Look... you may not be aware of it but a good portion of Spotify playlist listeners won't even think about listening to a playlist if they don't recognize any of the bands/tracks & another portion like to hear the odd track that they know amongst the tracklisting (including many of our regulars) so for this reason I've been intentionally mixing things up with known & unknown material. In fact, I have two friends that have been really digging the playlists for The Gateway. Neither are metalheads & neither are Metal Academy members. Both of them love the fact that they know a few of the tunes & it helps to keep them engaged across the two hour set & they subsequently give the site free publicity with their friends. Plus, not a single member of The Gateway has rated "Hybrid Theory" as yet so why not encourage people by reminding them that they actually know & enjoy one of the tracks from the album? These playlists are not only to serve the existing members. They're intended to draw in new members too so I have to cater for both markets.

Glad you enjoy the playlist regardless mate.

The new single from Justin Broadrick's Jesu project entitled "When I Was Small".

maudlin of the Well - "Leaving Your Body Map" (2001)

Xephyr & saxy, I'd strongly urge you to give this one a few spins if you haven't already. I slightly prefer it to its also impressive partner album "Bath".

An amazing example of progressive doom/death from Massachusetts, USA.

maudlin of the Well - "Leaving Your Body Map" (2001)

The second of Massachusetts-based progressive metal outfit maudlin of the Well's duo of classic 2001 albums is also my favourite of the two. It takes a similar direction to "Bath" &, as with that release, I think the avant-garde element is over-stated a bit. There are certainly a couple of tracks that sit comfortably in that space (see " Stones of October's Sobbing" & "The Curve That to an Angle Turn'd") however the rest of the album sounds more fluent in its execution of an ambitious form of progressive metal that's strongly influenced by a diverse array of bands like Morbid Angel, My Dying Bride & The 3rd & the Mortal. Also consistent with "Bath" is the strength of the gentle folk inclusions. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that I regard the sweet indie folk ballad "Sleep Is A Curse" as the highlight of the album. There are no weak tracks here as this a high class release full of intrigue & artistic expression. It's perhaps just slightly more consistent than "Bath" was although they essentially go hand in hand. For fans of Kayo Dot, Thy Catafalque & Forgotten Silence.

4/5

Hi everyone. The new October playlists for each of the nine clans have all gone live this morning. Check the associated forums for details.

The October playlist is now completed. Thanks for your submissions Andi. It's a really good set in my opinion.

Thanks for your contributions gentlemen. I've just completed the October playlist & it's looking particularly awesome if I do say so myself. 

Taken from the brand new Sevendust album "Blood & Stone" which was released last week.

Taken from the new Devin Townsend live album "Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1" which was released last week.

Orbital - "In Sides" (1996)

The fourth album from these English dance music icons & the record that would be my introduction to the duo in the late 1990's. "In Sides" represents the progressive breaks sound in its most elite form & it would encourage me to explore the rest of Orbital's back calatlogue which would see them becoming a major contributor in me becoming a techno DJ during the 2000's.

US death metal with black metal, melodeath & doom/death influences. I didn't really dig the album but this track was a clear standout.

So I've given "At The Crossroads Of Infinity" a few spins over the weekend & I have to admit that I'm not really onboard with Draghkar's style. There's an interesting array of influences on display which starts with the old school death metal of Autopsy & dilutes it with the early works of bands like Rotting Christ (black metal), Amorphis (melodic death metal) & My Dying Bride (doom/death). The growly vocals in particular remind me very much of Aaron Stainthorpe from My Dying Bride actually which can't be a bad thing. Now that all sounds very good in theory but, with the exception of bassist Cameron Fisher, I'm not sure the band had the technical skills to pull it off successfully at this stage. The drumming is probably the main annoyance for me as almost every track includes some very lightweight & bouncy punk-driven speed metal beats which totally lose me & I'm often left wondering whether their inclusion was out of necessity rather than preference. The rhythm guitar performances are a little sloppy during the chuggy down-picked sections & the relatively basic guitar solos don't really add anything much to the sonic landscape either. Also, the use of lead melodies had a lot of potential but could have been so much more interesting if they didn't simply mirror the underlying riff for the most part. On the positive, the production lends itself well to the task at hand & the doomier sections are generally very successful (particularly during the lengthy album highlight track "An Erosion of the Eternal Soul"). I really dig those vocals too. In fact, most of these songs have really good moments but they're inevitably balanced out by some mediocre ones which tend to spoil the experience for me I'm afraid. Perhaps Draghkar are simply a touch too melodic for my taste? I dunno but there's no doubt there's potential for the future. I just don't think they're are quite there yet.

3/5

Gonna drop a couple of suggestions, even though I’m too late for September maybe these will work for October: “Age of Greed” by Killing Joke and “Verklempt” by Foetus. The KJ track is off of Exremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions as well as the Laugh? I Nearly Bought One! compilation. I think Extremities is the first record they did which could reasonably be called metal. Most of the Foetus material is NOT metal, but this particular track (and the GASH LP it comes from) comes close enough, I like it anyway. 

Chris, I've given those two tracks a spin this morning. I agree with you that the Foetus track is metal enough to warrant inclusion & have added it to the list. The Killing Joke one, on the other hand, doesn't quite get there in my opinion so I've opted against including it. I might choose another Killing Joke track that's a little more metal instead.

Finished the October playlist this morning. Got through a good chunk of your track submissions & will attempt to get through the rest in November.

The ominous political introduction to the world's first encounter with genuine grindcore.

Napalm Death - "Scum" (1987)

The debut album from this Birmingham-based grindcore outfit represents the birth of the subgenre & is generally placed on a pedestal by the grind community. I first became acquainted with it around 1989/90 when I purchased the Earache reissue that placed both of Napalm Death's first two albums in the one package. I'd already been introduced to grindcore through Terrorizer by that stage & it's interesting to see just how far the scene had come in just a couple of years because "Scum" already sounded pretty primitive by the time it hit my ears. The production & performances are very sloppy but that's not really the point of grindcore now, is it? What is important is sheer energy & aggression & you'll find plenty of that here. It's just that I feel these tracks rarely reach their potential due to the sloppy execution. Drummer Mick Harris is the obvious exception here as his pounding performance is responsible for giving the underground scene an immense shot in the arm that saw extreme metal taking enormous strides in a more brutal direction forever after. The two sides were recorded in different sessions & with completely different lineups & it's very obvious. The A side (with Godflesh front man Justin Broadrick) is generally very strong with the production & consistency dipping a bit on the B side (with Carcass guitarist Bill Steer). All things considered I find "Scum" to leave me with similar feelings to Venom's classic releases in that I think I would have found it a little more appealing if I'd been onboard at the time of release because metal had already evolved in positive directions from here. As it stands though, "Scum" is an important (if slightly immature) take on early grindcore that serves the short-term purpose of getting me thrashing my body around pretty well but has never commanded regular return visits. For fans of Terrorizer, Brutal Truth & Repulsion.

3.5/5

Thanks for your submissions everyone. The October playlist is now completed.

FYI Andi, your MaYaN track wasn't available on Spotify so I couldn't consider it for inclusion.

Thanks for all of your submissions. The October playlist is now completed.

Final call for submissions for the October "The Sphere" playlist....

Final call for submissions for the October "The Revolution" playlist....