Daniel's Forum Replies

The new single from Icelandic post-metallers Sólstafir which is taken from their upcoming album "Endless Twilight of Codependent Love" which is due for release on 6th November.

The new single from English black metal outfit Anaal Nathrakh entitled "Endarkenment" which is taken from their upcoming album of the same name which is due for release on 2nd October.

Here's my review of "Wolverine Blues" which says everything I need to say on the topic:

https://metal.academy/reviews/14613/695

3.5/5

I've never been able to understand the hatred for this record. It's very close to being a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned & is clearly the best example of the blackgaze subgenre that I've experienced. Sure there are some sweeter melodies than you'd usually associate with black metal but they're nicely counter-balanced by some searing aggression. The musicianship is excellent & those screeching vocals really do it for me. It's just such a professional package all round.

4.5/5

Awesome work Ben. That's much better & I think this feature will encourage more people to contribute on releases that sit outside of their personal clans as they'll now be able to easily see all of the releases without having to go to foreign forums.

I notice that the cover art is being cut off. Not a big deal but it wasn't before. Easily fixed or a major hassle?

Boris - "Akuma no uta" (2003)

Sonny & Chris Van Etten, you boys need to get onto the re-release version of this one pronto if you haven't already. High class stoner rock with noise rock & drone metal elements.

An unmitigated drone metal classic of the highest order from the Japanese masters of the sound.

Boris - "あくまのうた (Akuma no uta)" (2003)

Boris is such a talented, ambitious & unique band & "Akuma no Uta" showcases this in no uncertain terms. It sees the trio combining stoner rock, stoner metal, drone metal, noise rock & psychedelic rock into one extremely varied release that not only manages to perfectly replicate the warm, organic atmosphere of late 60's/early 70's rock music but is also very successful at everything it touches. In truth, I'd suggest that this is more of a stoner rock record than a metal one & it should please fans of Kyuss, Monster Magnet & early Queens Of The Stone Age.

4/5

This is the re-release which has a different & greatly extended take of the opening track. I'd strongly urge you to go with this one over the original as this new version of drone metal monster "Introduction" is not only the album highlight but is also one of the best examples of the subgenre you'll ever hear. I'll go with an extra half mark for this one too.

4.5/5

Sonny & Vinny, I'll be surprised if you don't dig this very solid meat-&-potatoes US thrash metal record.

Oustanding US thrash metal from 1987 for fans of Exodus, Vio-lence & Nuclear Assault.

Sacred Reich - "Ignorance" (1987)

The debut album from this meat-&-potatoes thrash metal outfit from Phoenix, Arizona. It's much rawer & more intense than their later efforts but lacks the hooks & polish that separated Sacred Reich's follow-up "The American Way" from the pack. Fans of Exodus, Vio-lence & Nuclear Assault should lap this up though as it offers some very solid US thrash with no real weak moments.

4/5

Or could it highlight the immortality of classic metal & in doing so empower us to reach greater heights? I mean "Black Sabbath" is 50 years old & still unfathomably powerful after all. On the other hand, Andi might not feel as old as some of us when he sees these anniversaries. In fact, he may have the exact opposite reaction to the one we do.

I like it a lot Ben. What time zone does the page update take place under? Is it Australian ESDT?

It really says something that no one else picked that up until now, doesn't it? I think we've all probably referred to "Cowboys From Hell" as Pantera's debut at some point (despite the fact that I quite like 1984's "Projects In The Jungle" album).

Djent-fueled Minneapolis deathcore for fans of Veil Of Maya, Within The Ruins & Rings Of Saturn.

So I've finally gotten around to checking this release out this week & what I didn't realise when I posted it as one of our March feature releases was that there are actually two very different versions of this album. The one pictured above is the original version which was released in 2008 while the one pictured below is the re-release from the following year that also came with a DVD. The re-release has had some of the parts re-recorded after the band were disappointed with the result of the original sessions & this includes a much more powerful vocal performance & a punchier drum sound. I didn't bother with the original version as people seemed to be unanimous with there preference for the re-recording.

On first listen I was immediately taken out of my comfort zone & it took me a while to recover. All of the generic deathcore attributes are here only they're done with incredible professionalism & precision, not to mention an enormous focus on melody which is not usually my bag. While this is certainly a deathcore record at its core, the djent component is very strong too with some of those mind-bending off-beat rhythms being ridiculously well executed. I'd throw melodic metalcore in there too as the regular use of melodeath style melodies is probably the element I most struggled with early on.

The production & performances are almost too precise at times, to the point where After The Burial sound mechanical most of the time. Meshuggah has obviously been a major influence on the band in this regard. I don't really like the vocals which sound like every other deathcore band you've ever heard but thankfully the lead guitar work is utterly stunning & it's often used to colour some of the more generic deathcore breakdowns. The performance of the rhythm section (particularly the drummer) is very strong too.

Overall, I have to admit that I quite enjoy three quarters of "Rareform" with the couple of tracks that I don't like unsurprisingly being the two more popular ones with the deathcore audience (i.e. "Berzerker" & "Ometh" which are the more melodic tracks). I've always been partial to a bit of deathcore when it's infused with a little more ambition & this release fits the mould fairly well so "Rareform" scores a respectable 3.5/5 rating from me.

I have actually Ben. They went up on Saturday.

A track from the new Venom demos compilation entitled "Sons of Satan: Rare and Unreleased" which is due for release on 28th August. It contains rare material recorded between 1979 & 1983.

A track from the new album from New Jersey death metallers Incantation. "Sect of Vile Divinities" is due for release on 21st August.

The new single from Swedish progressive metal outfit Pain Of Salvation entitled "Restless Boy". It's taken from the band's new album "Panther" which is due out on 28th August.

The new Mastodon single "Fallen Torches" which is taken from their upcoming compilation entitled "Medium Rarities".

The new single from German progressive metallers Disillusion entitled "Between".

The new Korn single which is a cover version of Charlie Daniel's 1979 classic "The Devil Went Down To Georgia".

The brand new Napalm Death single "Backlash Just Because". The new album "Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism" is due to be released on 18th September.

I think there's a number of reasons that I'm more open to a non-physical musical solution:

1. I come from the tape trading generation & spent years & years listening to poor-quality dubbed copies of underground releases & demos. I think the streaming & downloading model is an extension of this really. I also spent a decade in the techno scene & the exchanging of digital files was part of parcel of being a DJ.

2. I don't think cover art has ever meant as much to me as it has to some of you. I've been a musician all my life & focus almost entirely on the sound coming from my speakers. Even lyrics mean substantially less to me than they do to most other metalheads so I don't have any tendency to want to investigate them unless they're already at hand. Gimme great metal music that's wrapped in a dirty napkin & has lyrics about scratching your arse & I'll be happy as Larry.

3. I have absolutely fuck-all disposable income. We're a single income family living in one of the most expensive cities in the world & most months we finish in the negative. It's been that way ever since my first child was born four years ago & this gives me no avenue to spend money on physical music even if I wanted to. I'm an obsessive completist when it comes to music too. If I started collecting CDs & vinyl again you'd find me living in a bus shelter full of rare & limited edition vinyl in a year's time.

4. Living in a two bedroom unit with my wife & two young daughters means that the only time I get a chance to listen to music is while driving to & from work & through headphones between 5:00-6:30 AM. Physical media isn't as conducive to just sticking something on whenever you get a spare minute. Sound quality has always meant a lot to me but I've been forced to sacrifice it in the name of efficiency.

I'm pretty sure that Sabbath was my introduction to heavy metal as well (well, if you don't include the Twisted Sister video clips I'd see on TV). My dad brought home a second-hand double cassette Ozzy-period compilation tape (that I've never been able to identify in modern times) some time around 1986 & it blew me away. Previous to that I'd been obsessively spinning my dad's hard rock collection. "Paranoid" was unsurprisingly the record that contributed the most heavily to that compilation so when I gave the proper albums a try I found the most comfort there. Time has seen me revisiting all of Sabbath's back-catalogue repeatedly with a particularly in-depth analysis done during the recording of the first few Metal Academy podcasts but "Paranoid" has stayed at the top of the pile for me personally. It's the absolute pinnacle of 70's metal as far as I'm concerned & I don't think Tony Iommi has ever managed to top it.

4.5/5

I got onboard with "Cowboys From Hell" at around the time of release & it had already made a significant impact on me by the time "Vulgar Display Of Power" came along. For that reason along with the fact that it's a touch thrashier, I think I preferred "Cowboys From Hell" over "Vulgar Display Of Power" for many years. But in recent times I've started to doubt that position. Particularly after reviewing "Vulgar Display Of Power" earlier this year. It's been a long time since I've revisited "Cowboys From Hell" though so maybe it's time to see how time has treated it. No matter where it sits in the Pantera discography though, it was the shot in the arm that the metal scene needed at the time.

I let my passion for physical media go many years ago now. For decades I spent ridiculous amounts on rare & limited edition releases & prided myself on having those albums that no one else could find but then the internet came along & ruined all my fun by making those things accessible to everyone else & I thought to myself "What's the point?". These days I'm happy enough to simply stream my music using Spotify whenever I can as space is at a premium since my second daughter was born. Even worrying about losing hard disks or having to take backups are stresses I no longer need in my life &, if I'm honest about it, I'm so enamored with hunting down new music all the time that I rarely return to the same thing enough to make my purchase worth the money.

Nasty Savage - "Indulgence" (1987)

As with the first Nasty Savage record, I can't help but feel that "Indulgence" is heavily overrated. Perhaps this band simply aren't for me but it all seems to be a little chaotic & unpolished for my taste. Sure there's something very unusual about this band. Ronnie Savage's vocals are certainly different as he's extremely raw in his delivery & those random King Diamond screams seem to come out of nowhere. The experimentation with progressive song structures is appreciated but often comes off as more ridiculous than it does classy. There are a few songs where they get things right but even then they're held back by Ronnie's vocals. "Indulgence" is marginally better than the self-titled debut but it's still more interesting than it is entertaining.

3/5

Mid-80's thrash metal from Florida. For fans of Hallows Eve, Destructor & Mercyful Fate.

Nasty Savage - "Indulgence" (1987)

Florida-based thrash metal with heavy/progressive metal influences. For fans of Hallows Eve, Destructor & Mercyful Fate.

3/5

Did the tape get chewed up or dropped in the toilet?

You're the only member that's rated "Fluxion" to date Andi so I wouldn't expect we'll see too many responses to this one. Perhaps stick to releases that most people know for these DIS vs DAT polls until our membership grows significantly larger.

Although I quite like it, I was never as blown away by Mastodon's debut album "Remission" as everyone else seemed to be. I always felt that it wasn't as memorable as the band's later works & that it lacked those couple of  highlight tracks that every top tier release seems to possess. "Leviathan" was where Mastodon really fucking impressed me & I still regard it as my favourite of their releases to this day. Its sound was so polished & sophisticated yet so heavy at the same time. The improved production had a major impact on my enjoyment factor too. "Leviathan" is a legitimately classic release as far as I'm concerned.

4.5/5 

Furious US thrash metal from Wisconsin for fans of 80's Kreator, classic Slayer & "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel.

Morbid Saint - "Spectrum Of Death" (1990)

When I first wrapped my ears around this release many years ago I was absolutely floored. It ripped my face off & stuffed it up my arse in no uncertain terms & I immediately reached for my full marks card. But time has seen me reassess that position a little bit. The production is a bit lacking as this was only ever intended to be a demo tape. Also, there's a lot of Kreator, Slayer & "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel worship going on & some of the song-writing is a little disjointed & lacks cohesion. Regardless, there can be no denying the sheer unbridled aggression that this Wisconsin thrash metal outfit possessed. They left the shackles behind in no uncertain terms & simply went for broke at all times with this furious debut release. Fans of classic 80's Kreator, classic Slayer & "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel should be all over this.

4/5

Here's my revised list:

1970: Black Sabbath – “Paranoid”

1971: Black Sabbath – “Master Of Reality”

1972: Black Sabbath – “Vol 4”

1973: Black Sabbath – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”

1974: Budgie – “In For The Kill”

1975: Black Sabbath – “Sabotage”

1976: Rainbow – “Rising”

1977: Quartz – “Quartz”

1978: Judas Priest – “Killing Machine”

1979: Judas Priest – “Unleashed In The East”

1980: Diamond Head – “Lightning To The Nations”

1981: Motorhead – “No Sleep Till Hammersmith”

1982: Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil”

1983: Slayer – “Show No Mercy”

1984: Metallica – “Ride The Lightning”

1985: Exodus – “Bonded By Blood”

1986: Slayer – “Reign In Blood”

1987: Bathory – “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark”

1988: Metallica – “…And Justice For All”

1989: Morbid Angel – “Altars Of Madness”

1990: Slayer - "Seasons In The Abyss"

1991: Death – “Human”

1992: Alice In Chains – “Dirt”

1993: diSEMBOWELMENT – “Transcendence Into The Peripheral”

1994: Darkthrone – “Transilvanian Hunger”

1995: Suffocation – “Pierced From Within”

1996: Burzum – “Filosofem”

1997: Exodus – “Another Lesson In Violence”

1998: ISIS – “The Mosquito Control” E.P.

1999: Neurosis – “Times Of Grace”

2000: Immolation – “Close To A World Below”

2001: Green Carnation – “Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness”

2002: ISIS – “Oceanic”

2003: Boris – “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“

2004: ISIS – “Panopticon”

2005: Deathspell Omega – “Kenose” E.P.

2006: Celtic Frost – “Monotheist”

2007: Wolves In The Throne Room – “Two Hunters”

2008: Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" E.P.

2009: Alice In Chains – “Black Gives Way To Blue”

2010: Hate – “Erebos”

2011: Esoteric – “Paragon Of Dissonance”

2012: Gaza – “No Absolutes In Human Suffering”

2013: Suffocation – “Pinnacle Of Bedlam” 

Speed metal-infused mid-80's Teutonic thrash for fans of Destruction, Nuclear Assault & S.O.D.

Tankard - "Chemical Invasion" (1987)

The sophomore album from Frankfurt's Tankard is an enthusiastic example of alcohol-obsessed, speed metal-infused Teutonic thrash. It's certainly well composed, executed & produced & is always fun but I rarely find it competing on the same level as the other German heavy-weights. In saying that though, I do like it a touch better than Tankard's enjoyable 1986 debut album "Zombie Attack". For fans of Destruction, Nuclear Assault & S.O.D.

3.5/5

So I guess modern groove metal is not really the ideal genre for me. 

I don't know about that Andi. I mean you didn't score any of those releases under a very solid & respectable 4/5 & a 4.1 average would be the sort of score we'd expect to see for most people's favourite subgenre. I think it just reflects your general fanaticism for metal overall.

Masterful metalcore from the finest hardcore band you're ever likely to find.

Also I'm curious Daniel, and this isn't meant to be a jab since I'm genuinely curious, are all folk melodies cheesy for people who don't care for Folk Metal? I ask because I saw a few comments about Nokturnal Mortum's Голос сталі saying it was the cheesiest thing they've ever heard, and I honestly don't get where they're coming from. It can get a bit over the top, sure, but I try not to instantly equate that to "cheesiness". 

Yeah I'm afraid to say that 99% of folk melodies do sound cheesy to me when they're presented in a metal context. To be clear though, I actually quite like folk music in isolation. It's just that I have a strong preconceived notion of what metal music is supposed to be & the more uplifting & joyous feelings these melodies tend to evoke are in direct opposition to that. In fact, the only folk metal releases I've ended up enjoying over the years have been the ones that veer away from these melodies & are actually pretty borderline as to their qualification within the folk metal subgenre. Fans say that good folk metal is quite epic but I don't feel the same empowerment & crave something darker & more intimidating.  I don't ever want my metal to make me feel like dancing a jig but I respect that many people enjoy this aspect of folk metal. It's really that simple.

Necrodeath - "Into The Macabre" (1987)

Sonny, this has got your name all over it.

An absolute ripper of a brutal thrash banger from these Italians. It reminds me very heavily of "Flag Of Hate"-era Kreator.

Necrodeath - "Into The Macabre" (1987)

An under-appreciated gem from my tape trading days. "Into The Macabre" is the debut album from Italian thrash metal outfit Necrodeath & it sees them combining the raw & intense thrash metal of early Kreator & Sodom with the primitive & under-produced brutality of Sarcofago & Vulcano then throwing in a bit of exciting mid-80's Slayer for good measure. Sure it's not the most accomplished of releases but it possesses that underground proto-death metal atmosphere in spades & is particularly vicious & evil for the time. I really dig it.

4/5

P.S. How funny is their band name!? When is death ever NOT necro?

SilentScream213, are you on top of this one?

Supreme English death metal from 1992. One of the classics for sure.

Bolt Thrower - "The IVth Crusade" (1992)

English death metal at the elite level. I'll fight anyone who doesn't agree that this is Bolt Thrower's best record. The production was stepped up & it presented a band that knew their limitations & worked within them to perfect a beautifully refined brand of death metal full of hooks & controlled power. Karl proves once more that a bit of intelligibility in your death metal growls is always a plus when trying to portray a message too. Yes it can get a little samey but the melodies in their riffs are strong enough to allow them to get away with it. I saw them on the tour in support of this record from the middle of the front row (when I wasn't stage diving) & it was one of my greatest death metal experiences. For fans of Benediction, Asphyx & Hail Of Bullets.

4.5/5

Yeah "The Drapery Falls" is an elite level example of progressive metal alright. One of the the classics for sure.  "Harvest" & "Dirge For November" are my personal favourites from "Blackwater Park" though & "Bleak" isn't too far behind.

"The Erosion Of Sanity" was a really big record for me at the time. I was already a fan of "Considered Dead" but it definitely wasn't a tier one offering as it was fairly generic. Their sophomore release was where they stepped up to play with the big boys through a much greater level of complexity & artistic vision.