Daniel's Forum Replies
Vektor - "Black Future" (2009)
Progressive thrash metal from Arizona, USA. It's very interesting although I can't say I've ever felt it deserving of the classic status that so many critics seem to label it. 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. I think you'd probably dig this more than I do Ben.
3.5/5
What was your take on this one? Taken out of the context of the time, I reviewed it rather harshly. Though honestly the music is awesome, I just cant do the vocals!
I really like it but admittedly "The Spectre Within" & I go back a very long way. To me, it sounds like they've combined elements of the three most sophisticated heavy metal bands in the world at the time in Iron Maiden, Queenryche & Mercyful Fate. It's an absolute riff-fest & the rhythm section do a great job at making some of those more complex riffs & transitions work in such a smooth fashion with Rush being the obvious influence in that respect. The lead guitar work is inconsistent & doesn't compare to the best the metal scene had to offer at the time but the vocals are undoubtedly the potential deal-breaker for most people. They definitely need time to sink in as they're the very epitomy of an acquired taste. This is exacerbated by the fact that there aren't that many legitimate choruses or other vocal hooks. I think the John Arch was still learning how to fit lyrics over the more complex rhythms & it results in some very unusual & occasionally jarring outcomes. It's like he was so hell-bent on fitting those lyrics in that he's sacrificed on flow & melodic structure. But when he gets it right with those Geoff Tate style upper register harmonies we definitely get the high points of the album & the overall class of the instrumentation is right up my alley. This was definitely the most complex heavy metal record released to the time. I gave it a 4/5.
I completely agree. Ben seems to think it's amazing though which is disappointing as the family had such high hopes for him early on.
Gojira - "From Mars To Sirius" (2005)
An awesome combination of "Domination"-era Morbid Angel, the progressive metal of Devin Townsend & little bit of groove metal.
4.5/5
Chicago-based atmospheric black metallers Chrome Wave cover a Nirvana song from their classic 1991 album "Nevermind".
Knocked Loose - "Mistakes Like Fractures" E.P. (Release date: 10th May)
The new 7" E.P. from this Kentucky metalcore outfit.
Ringworm - "Death Becomes My Voice" (Release date: 3rd May)
The eighth studio album from this Cleveland metalcore outfit.
A teaser from Abbath's new video which will be released next week.
The new video taken from Rotting Christ's "The Heretics" album.
Fleshgod Apocalypse - "Veleno" (Release date: 24th May)
The fifth album from this Italian symphonic death metal band.
Helloween - "Helloween" E.P. (1985)
Origin - "Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence" (Release date: 3rd May)
These technical death metal legends will release a new rarities album which encompasses early Origin and pre-Origin material between 1991 and 1996. A lot of this material has been re-recorded with Origin mastermind Paul Ryan playing all the instruments.
Ben, please add Raven, Anvil & Loudness.
The Howling Void - "Bleak and Everlasting" (Release date: 30th April)
The seventh album from this San Antonio funeral doom metal outfit.
Manowar - "The Final Battle I" E.P. (Release date: 29th March)
MANOWAR has confirmed the impending release of "The Final Battle I", an EP comprised of eagerly awaited brand new material. Fans will first get their chance to own this initial instalment in a trilogy of thunderous EPs in an exclusive pre-sale at the merchandise booth of the band's "The Final Battle World Tour 2019", starting with MANOWAR's show in Frankfurt, Germany on March 29. An exclusive digital presale period will start on iTunes the same day. The rollout will then continue into retail and online stores on May 30 and digitally on Amazon and Google Play.
The first of three parts which will constitute the highly anticipated new MANOWAR album, this EP is "destined to go down in heavy metal history as one of the most insanely epic releases of all time," according to a press release. "An imperious demonstration of the band's undisputed mastery of both skull-crushing metal anthems and extraordinary feats of symphonic bombast, these four new molten metal tracks have been inspired by MANOWAR's 'The Final Battle World Tour' and fuelled by the support and energy of their fans. All music was conceived, recorded and mixed at MANOWAR's very own Valhalla Studios, utilizing the unparalleled power of their PMC statement monitors with over 27,000 watts of ground-shaking clarity."
Says MANOWAR bassist and leader Joey DeMaio: "The sheer power of these four songs is mind-blowing! We simply couldn't release more songs at one time; it's just too much. We want to give our fans the chance to take in every note, every word. Gain more strength from this experience and then be ready for the battles they fight every day. And join us on the road, on 'The Final Battle'!"
"The Final Battle I" covers a vast amount of musical ground in its quest to deliver the ultimate heavy metal experience. The opener, the epic fantasy-brought-to-life "March Of The Heroes Into Valhalla" reimagines MANOWAR's music in vivid, cinematic form, providing a deeply moving journey through the warrior's life, from bloody battles to ascension into Valhalla. The battle-filled mood continues with the spine-shattering might and fury of the new anthem "Blood And Steel". Next is "Sword Of The Highlands", one of the most explosive and dramatic songs DeMaio has ever penned: a profound and stirring tribute to heroes long perished, it begins with exquisite elegance before erupting into a grand crescendo of power and glory, exemplified by a possible career best vocal performance from the ever-impressive Eric Adams. Finally, the most startling surprise arrives in the dark, lurking, brutal and merciless form of "You Shall Die Before I Die"; a hypnotic and coruscating epic that delivers a vengeful statement of intent and invincibility… with lead vocals by DeMaio himself.
"The Final Battle I" comes with a crushing new artwork by iconic fantasy artist Ken Kelly, masterfully echoing the emotional roller coaster you'll be taken on.
Parts II and III of the trilogy will arrive in course, inspired by MANOWAR's adventures on the remainder of "The Final Battle World Tour".
Lots of split releases in their back catalogue Ben. I know you’ll love that.
Here's what current Priest lead guitarist Richie Faulkner has to say about Downing:
"I've never spoken to Ken. And I don't really know. I honestly don't know. I don't think anyone's spoken to him. I don't think he's spoken to them. I think he speaks to the management. But I've never spoken to him. Most of the stuff now is online. It seems that there's a lot online and not enough talking with each other. But who knows? But we're just forging forward and doing what we can — new record, new tour, and forging forward with that, really."
Sleep - "Dopesmoker" (2003)
A total stoner/doom drone-fest featuring a 63 minute epic.
4/5
Savatage - "Power Of The Night" (1985)
Thanks mate. :)
Ben, please add these bands:
Fist
The Rods
Cirith Ungol
Candlemass - "Nightfall" (1987)
My favourite Candlemass album these days.
4/5
Tank - "Re-ignition" (Release date: 26th April)
Veteran British metallers TANK will release their new album, "Re-Ignition", on April 26 via Cleopatra Records (Rubicon Music in Japan). The LP is a tribute to the early days of TANK and features 11 classic TANK songs chosen from the first four albums which were originally released in the early '80s: "Filth Hounds Of Hades", "Power Of The Hunter", "This Means War" and "Honour And Blood". "Re-Ignition" also features two very special guest appearances. CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth and thrash legend Tom Angelripper of SODOM both add their own unique style and energy to this already formidable album.
"Re-Ignition" track listing :
01. Walking Barefoot Over Glass
02. Power Of The Hunter (feat. Tom Angelripper)
03. Just Like Something From Hell
04. (He Fell in Love With A) Stormtrooper
05. This Means War
06. Shellshock (feat. Dani Filth)
07. W.M.L.A.
08. Honour And Blood
09. Blood, Guts And Beer
10. Echoes Of A Distant Battle
11. The War Drags Ever On
Says TANK guitarist Mick Tucker: "Many of the songs from those classic albums are still present in our live set and we are constantly being asked by our fans if we would ever consider re-recording any of them. Those original recordings are timeless and will always be there but we thought what harm can it do to give them a full metal makeover and inject new life into them. They deserve it!"
Adds TANK guitarist Cliff Evans: "We approached U.S. label Cleopatra Records to see if they would be interested in releasing the album. They jumped on it straight away and suggested the possibility of adding some special guests on the album. Maybe some artists who were influenced by TANK back in the '80s. Great idea! We recruited CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth to record a version of 'Shellshock' in his own unique style and also German thrash legend Tom Angelripper from SODOM who has taken 'Power Of The Hunter' to another insane level."
Tucker and Evans are joined on the album are recent recruits David Readman (PINK CREAM 69) on vocals and Randy Van Der Elsen on bass. Longtime TANK member and former SODOM drummer Bobby Schottkowski occupies the drum throne.
Readman replaced former TANK vocalist and one time DRAGONFORCE frontman ZP Theart after he was approached by SKID ROW to join them on a permanent basis. ZP recorded one album during his time with TANK ("Valley Of Tears") which became the band's best-selling album since 1984's "Honour And Blood". Prior to ZP, the vocalist position was taken by former RAINBOW frontman Doogie White who is a member of MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP. His contribution to TANK includes the albums "War Machine" and "War Nation" plus the band's first-ever live DVD ("War Machine Live!").
Says Evans: "We've always aimed high when it comes to recruiting new vocalists and musicians and it's always paid off. We're very proud of the albums we've made with Doogie and ZP and now this new album showcases the amazing vocal talent of David Readman."
TANK will embark on a run of shows in April 2019 when they'll be visiting Holland, Belgium, Finland, Sweden and also making an appearance in the Ukraine for the first time at the Volume Club in Kiev. A full European tour is scheduled for September/October 2019 along with shows in Japan and South America.
High On Fire - "Bat Salad" single (Release date: 13th April)
High On Fire recently announced they'd be participating in Record Store Day 2019 with a new EP called "Bat Salad". The EP features a new song that doubles as the title track and then covers of "Into The Crypts Of Rays" by Celtic Frost and "Don't Bother Me" by Bad Brains. While the band hasn't yet released the new song in full, they've posted a full one minute of it on their Instagram.
Mastodon - "Stairway to Nick John" single (Release date: 13th April)
As the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll goodbye to longtime manager, trusted advisor, confidant, and close friend Nick John, Grammy Award-winning Atlanta progressive metal juggernaut Mastodon reveal the details for Stairway To Nick John. For this very special release, the quartet cut a cover of “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin—who their late manager professed a lifetime of fandom for as his favorite band. For the first time, Mastodon will uncover their take on this classic as a permanent Record Store Day exclusive vinyl, featuring the Studio Version on Side A and a Live Version on Side B. Only 1,500 copies pressed to 10-inch vinyl will be available in participating independent retailers during the 12th annual Record Store Day on Saturday April 13, 2019. Poised to sell out fast, fans are encouraged to get one as soon as possible. All of the proceeds benefit the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Mastodon has issued the following statement: “In early September 2018 we lost one of our closest friends and our biggest fan, our manager Nick John. He was essentially the band’s Dad. From our highest highs to our lowest lows he was always there. Every single move we made went through him first as our trust in him was marrow deep. His favorite band besides us and Gojira, was Led Zeppelin. We were asked to perform “Stairway to Heaven” at his funeral. Afterwards, finding out that someone had recorded it, we figured we should record a studio version and release it on RSD as a tribute to Nick with all the proceeds to be donated to pancreatic cancer research. We would not be the band we are today without the help of Nick John. We miss him dearly and think of him always. We love you buddy!”
Ozzy Osbourne - "Randy Rhoads Tribute" (1987)
The best of Randy's Ozzy records in my opinion although I do prefer "Speak Of The Devil" in terms of Ozzy's live albums.
4/5
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Entombed - "Left Hand Path" (1990)
This is not a bad death metal record but I've never really understood the unanimous praise that seems to be heaped on it by fans of the subgenre. The follow-up was clearly superior in every way in my opinion.
3.5/5
Apparently Machine Head are auditioning replacements:
MACHINE HEAD has begun holding auditions to find replacements for drummer Dave McClain and guitarist Phil Demmel, who left the band last fall. During an Instagram live stream, frontman Robb Flynn revealed that the sessions are taking place at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer Zack Ohren, who worked on the group's latest album, 2018's "Catharsis".
Flynn stated about the musicians taking part in the auditions: "You might not know some of these guys" while "some of [them] you may."
Among the tracks that all prospective guitar players and drummers were asked to learn are "Locust", "Old", "Imperium", "From This Day", "Halo", "Aesthetics Of Hate" and "This Is The End".
Robb said that the audition process has "been awesome, really good; in fact, really confusing." He added: "[I] don't know where we are going. We've got some thinking to do."
Nocturnus - "Paradox" (Release date: 24th May)
Sci-fi death metal masters Nocturnus may have changed the game on their sci-fi themed debut The Key in 1990, but the spirit of the album is alive and well with Nocturnus AD. Led by Nocturnus (and Morbid Angel) founder Mike Browning, Nocturnus AD will release their debut album, Paradox, via Profound Lore on May 24. Picking up where The Key left off, the band explains that Paradox will continue to build on the same story and themes present on the 1990 release.
The lineup is rounded out by guitarists Demian Heftel and Belial Koblak, bassist Daniel Tucker (ex-Obituary) and keyboardist Josh Holdren, who also play with Browning in his band After Death. They’ve unleashed first single “Precession of the Equinoxes” for streaming.
“I think Paradox is a great successor to The Key,” Browning says. “I didn’t want to try and compete with what I did on that record or try and recreate it. I wanted to continue with the ideas and themes I never got to do back then. ‘Precession Of The Equinoxes’ is a brand new song that talks about the shifting of the magnetic poles of Earth. And in fact right now the magnetic poles are shifting faster than ever; it has been in the news just in the last couple of months. It happens in 26,000 year cycles, so we humans have never experienced a pole shift to where its effects were recorded. It could be a huge, disastrous occurrence when they shift completely.”
Darkthrone - "Old Star" (Release date: 31st May)
The 18th studio album from these Norwegian black metal legends.
Accept - "Life's A Bitch" single (Release date: 19th April)
Accept is about to take their “Symphonic Terror Tour” to select European stages, kicking off on April 20 in Wuppertal, Germany. To celebrate, the band will release a special 7″ vinyl single, featuring a brand NEW studio track titled “Life’s A Bitch” as well as ‘Restless And Wild (Live at Wacken 2017)’ on the B-side, on April 19. Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann comments, “We love the title of the single…WHO does not agree to THAT: ‘LIFE’S A BITCH’? It is universal, even if the stories are different. EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS!”
Holocaust - "Elder Gods" (Release date: 19th April)
Ninth studio album from this Scottish NWOBHM outfit.
Death Angel - "Humanicide" (Release date: 31st May)
The ninth studio album from these legends of San Francisco thrash.
Please add the following NWOBHM bands Ben:
Witchfynde
Tygers Of Pan Tang
Holocaust
King Diamond - "Abigail" (1987)
My go-to King Diamond-related release these days.
4/5
Woe - "A Violent Dread" E.P. (Release date: 15th March)
The new two-song E.P. from these US black metallers.
Destrage - "The Chosen One" (Release date: 24th May)
The fifth studio album from this Italian metalcore outfit.
Amon Amarth - "Berserker" (Release date: 3rd May)
The Swedish melodic death metal institution release their eleventh studio album.
Blindead - "Niewiosna" (Release date: 5th April)
The sixth studio album from these Polish progressive post-metallers.
Edge Of Sanity - "Crimson" (1996)
Not bad but I've never quite understood the widespread devotion for this one.
3.5/5
Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor has flat out denied the claims that he's defrauded Chris Fehn of money that was rightfully his. Taylor made the denial on Twitter, responding to a fan who responded to the news of Fehn’s ousting by calling Taylor “dickish.” Taylor replied:
“You think that’s dickish, try being wrongfully accused of stealing money from someone you cared about, and having a lot of your fans believe it.”
In a second, since-deleted tweet, Taylor replied: “Fuck I Would LOVE that” to a suggestion that they get original Slipknot frontman/percussionist Anders Colsefni back in the band.
Here's Downing's latest comments from an interview with "Full In Bloom":
Had the choice of bringing Downing back to PRIEST ever been presented to Halford, Hill and Travis, "I think that [they] would have welcomed it, because it seems to make eminent sense," K.K. said. "To get the fans to accept a brand new guy or a guy that was there, the originator from day one that's written all of those songs and played all of those solos, it doesn't make any sense to bring someone in that's essentially more of a great producer than anything else."
Downing went on to take credit for being "the first guy to bring the flying V to heavy metal, ever," a look that is "so synonymous with metal that both Richie and Andy play flying Vs, let alone almost every metal band in the world," he said. "So it doesn't make sense not to have my image and my persona there."
Asked if he has tried reaching out to Rob directly and talking things out, K.K. said: "Rob's always been cool. I mean, Rob left the band for 14 years, and I was the one that brought him back in, I was the one that was instrumental, I was the one that reached out to him. But at the moment, everything's outside of his control, Ian's and Scott's. That's what I think."
Pressed about whether he believes Tipton is still running PRIEST from behind the scenes, Downing said: "Well, if Glenn isn't, who is? Rob's never been a decision maker, or Ian, really, in the band ever. It was always me and Glenn, really. Well, it was, to start with. Then the decision making was more Glenn and Jayne [Andrews from PRIEST's management company], really. But, anyway, it's a sad state of affairs. It's well documented now, and I certainly wouldn't like to get any more quotes on Blabbermouth, because I think everybody's had enough of it. It will be what it will be."
Downing reiterated that he believes most of his former bandmates would have been open to the possibility of him returning to PRIEST.
"Given the choice, Rob, Ian and Scott, I believe, would have certainly entertained the idea of having me step back in the band, if there wasn't something preventing them to do so," he said. "I don't know what influences there are, but I've always had a very, very good relationship with Rob, Ian and Scott — always. Me and Ian were just brothers.
"A lot of things went on in the band that us collectively were not happy with — me, Rob, Scott and Ian," he explained. "For a long time, collectively, we were not happy. We were joint, we were as one for some years towards the end. And so, there must be some power that I don't know about that's not doing things the way they should be done."
K.K. has spent the last few months promoting his autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", which came out in September.
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Immolation - "Close To A World Below" (2000)
One of my all-time favourite death metal records. It sounds like they've read my mind & made an album based purely on my musical & lyrical sweet spot.
5/5
Ben, please add the following:
Paralex (UK)
Killer (BEL)
Sarcofagus (FIN)
Sunn O))) - "Life Metal" (Release date: 13th April)
The latest album from the masters of drone metal.
Possessed - "No More Room In Hell" single (Release date: 15th March)
The new single from these 80's death/thrash metal legends. It's taken from the upcoming "Revelations Of Oblivion" album which is due for release on 10th May.
The latest single from Devin Townsend's upcoming studio album "Empath" which is due for release on 29th March.
Fleshgod Apocalypse - "Sugar" single (Release date: 8th March)
The new single taken from this Italian symphonic death metal outfit's upcoming album "Veleno" which is due to be released on 24th May.
Pantera - "Projects In The Jungle" (1984)
A much better record than "Metal Magic". This is legitimate heavy metal & sounds like a combination of Queensryche & Def Leppard. So underrated.
3.5/5