Daniel's Forum Replies

Ben, please add Remembrance (France).

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DJ Sprinles -"Where Dancefloors Stand Still" (2013)

An ambient deep house DJ mix from Minnesota USA.

Wolves In The Throne Room - "Two Hunters" (2007)

Superb atmospheric black metal from Washington USA. Mixes the classic Scandinavian black metal sound of Burzum, Darkthrone & Emperor with the post-metal of Neurosis & Isis & the analogue ambience of Gas & Popol Vuh. Quite possibly the best US black metal release ever recorded.

4.5/5

Ben, please add Pressure Points (Finland).

Ben, please add Pensées nocturnes (France) & Petrychor (USA).

Sentinel Beast - "Depths Of Death" (1986)

The debut album from this female-fronted Sacramento thrash/speed metal outfit. They really lay on the velocity & kinda sound like Vio-lence meets Acid meets Iron Maiden. Great shredding guitar solos. I quite like it.

3.5/5

Pretty Maids - "Pretty Maids" E.P. (1983) 

The self-titled E.P. from Danish heavy metallers Pretty Maids is an inconsistent release whose highlights aren't quite strong enough to overcome the two cheesy AOR numbers on offer. It's a shame really as the production & performances are all pretty solid for a debut & the other four songs all rock pretty hard. You can definitely hear hints of the more synth-driven sound they'd champion on the debut full-length the following year but in a more subtle way. Unfortunately I don't think the song-writing is as strong as "Red, Hot & Heavy" though. It kinda sounds like a cross between W.A.S.P. & the NWOBHM with some Thin Lizzy & UFO thrown in for good measure. 

3/5

Cyclone - "Brutal Destruction" (1986)

Belgian thrash metal for fans of early Metallica, Slayer & Dark Angel. It's not bad actually but certainly doesn't offer anything you won't have heard many times before.

3.5/5

Juggernaut  - "Baptism Under Fire" (1986)

The debut album from a talented four-piece progressive metal outfit from San Antonio, USA who used speed metal & traditional heavy metal as their platforms of choice. Unfortunately the production is well below par & the song-writing is often quite weak despite some very flashy technicality. The guitar solos are particularly impressive but apart from a trio of strong tracks in the middle of the B side there's really not a lot to see here. The most noteworthy aspect of the album is the inclusion of future Fates Warning, Halford, Iced Earth & Riot drummer Bobby Jarzombek. Fans of Rush, Watchtower & Mekong Delta may find something to enjoy here but I won't be returning any time soon.

3/5

Motor City Drum Ensemble - "Raw Cuts Vol. 1" (2009)

High quality deep house from Stuttgart, Germany.

Crucifixion - "After The Fox" compilation (Release date: 27th September)

A compilation of the complete studio recordings from this underground NWOBHM band from the early 1980's.

Ereb Altor - "Järtecken" (Release date: 20th September)

The eighth studio album from these Swedish Viking/black metallers.

Cult Of Luna - "A Dawn To Fear" (Release date: 20th September)

This Swedish post-metal outfits ninth studio album.

Leprous - "Pitfalls" (Release date: 25th October)

The seventh album from this Norwegian progressive rock/metal outfit.

Mayhem - "Daemon" (Release date: 25th October)

The Norwegian black metal Gods return with their sixth full-length album.

HEAVY METAL - Thinking back I've come to the decision that my first experience with genuine heavy metal would have been through the music video for Motorhead's "Ace Of Spades" in the very early 1980's. I was immediately attracted to the speed & intensity even though I was only so young so I guess you're born with it.

NEOCLASSICAL METAL - I started playing guitar in 1988 & very quickly became obsessed with finding progressively more technically proficient examples of lead guitar technique. The first example of neoclassical guitar playing I encountered was Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force's "Heaven Tonight" single which quickly led me to their "Odyssey" album. Possibly more of a heavy metal record overall but the same can't be said for their "Rising Force" debut which I picked up a short time later.

POWER METAL - I'm pretty sure this was through tracks from Helloween's "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II" which were being played on underground metal radio in the late 80's I didn't like it much at the time & I still don't although I would find the US variety of power metal much more easily palatable in the near future.

SYMPHONIC METAL - I think this might have been through X Japan's "Art Of Life" E.P. through tape trading with a Japanese trader in the mid-90's. Another release that didn't do much for me & the whole symphonic metal subgenre has been something that I've always struggled with since too.

Have you forgotten to put up the last three bands I requested Ben? It's probably been a week since I posted them.

Dio - "Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987" (2010)

A high quality double live release compiling two of Dio's triumphant performances at Donington. The production isn't amazing with the rhythm guitars sounding a little muffled but Ronnie's performance is superb & you can't really go wrong with a tracklisting spanning classic material from Dio, Black Sabbath & Rainbow. Lead guitarist Craig Goldy absolutely slays on the second disk too.

4/5

Weakling - "Dead As Dreams" (2000)

Possibly the most celebrated US black metal release ever. It's certainly pretty strong & also quite diverse. Kinda like Satyricon meets Wolves In The Throne Room with post-rock & My Dying Bride influences scattered around. The vocals have a fair bit of Burzum about them while the immensely long song durations don't seem to bother me too much. Perhaps due to the unusual song structures.

4/5

Yes I've experienced that bug too. The only way I could get my copied text to display in an appropriate font size was to delete my review altogether & start again. It's nothing to do with the copying you've done. I've tried pasting it into Word & resizing & formatting it before pasting it in but to no avail. It seems like the work of Jesus to me. That bastard is always looking for ways to bring us down.

Welcome to Metal Academy Xephyr. It's really great to have you here. Particularly given your background & the fact that you're adding some much needed diversity given our extreme metal dominant membership thus far. Please feel free to spread the word. We need as many ratings & reviews as possible to make the site as relevant as possible so the more the merrier.

Alcest - "Spiritual Instinct" (Release date: 25th October)

The sixth full-length studio album from these Frenchmen whose sound sits somewhere between black metal, shoegaze & post-metal.

In Mourning - "Garden Of Storms" (Release date: 4th October)

The fifth studio album from this Swedish progressive melodeath outfit.

Razor - "Malicious Intent" (1986)

An underrated thrashfest of a record that makes up for it's poor production (particularly the super-loud drums) with unbridled enthusiasm & energy. I actually prefer it to any of Razor's more celebrated earlier releases as it's thrashier style & more aggressive vocal delivery is better suited to my tastes. Sounds like "Haunting The Chapel" & "Hell Awaits" era Slayer & Dark Angel's "Darkness Descends" crossed with some dirty Venom & Motorhead style speed metal.

3.5/5

Scorpions - "Blackout" (1982)

I've never been the biggest Scorpions fan but I generally enjoy their classic material & this album is one of their more celebrated releases. Of course it definitely includes a few overly cheesy duds but the highlight tracks are very strong & the guitar solos are excellent. In fact, "Blackout" is my second favourite Scorpions studio album after 1978's "Taken By Force".

3.5/5

Ben, please add Order of Ennead (USA & Orpheus Omega (Australia).

Ben, please add October Falls (Finland).

Messiah - "Hymn To Abramelin" (1986)

An ultra-raw Swiss thrash debut that sits somewhere between their countrymen Hellhammer/Celtic Frost & the early Teutonic thrash & speed metal outfits like Kreator & Living Death. Extremely aggressive vocals that often border on black metal. The album is really carried by a few highlight tracks as the tracklisting is pretty inconsistent overall.

3.5/5

Ben, please add Nyseius (France).

Ben, please add Morbid Carnage (Hungary).

Ben, please add Martriden (USA).

Demilich - "Nespithe" (1993)

The only album from this seminal Finnish technical death metal outfit. This was quite a big record for me at the time of release. It still sounds entirely unique today too. Kinda like Gorguts' "Obscura" album crossed with Autopsy & early Carcass. If you're a tech death fan then this record is a must.

4/5

Sodom - "Obsessed By Cruelty" (1986)

I have to admit that I've never quite understood the appeal of Sodom's early works. I've always been down with the more evil, bestial form of European thrash metal but I'm afraid the inadequacies in the performances, composition & production are all just a little too much for me to overcome with this record.

3/5

Blood Red Throne - "Fit To Kill" (Release date: 13th September)

The ninth studio album from this Norwegian death metal outfit.

Kayo Dot - "Blasphemy" (Release date: 6th September)

The ninth studio album from these US post-metallers.

Sinner - "Santa muerte" (Release date: 13th September)

The nineteenth studio album from these long-time German heavy metallers.

Picture - "Wings" (Release date: 16th August)

The tenth studio album from these Dutch heavy metal stalwarts.

Boris - "Love" single (Release date: 15th August)

The new single taken from the legendary Japanese dronesters upcoming album "LφVE & EVφL".

Cough - "More Dead Than Live" (Release date: 9th August)

Limited edition vinyl-only live album from these US doom/sludge metal outfit. It was recorded during the closing series of their local venue Strange Matter. 

Kayo Dot - "Choirs Of The Eye" (2003)

An incredibly slick post-metal debut from this US outfit which sits amongst the best few examples of the subgenre overall.

4.5/5

Ben, please add Kruger (Switzerland).

Ben, please add Kerasphorus (USA) & Kronos (France).

Voivod - "Rrröööaaarrr" (1986)

Thrashy Canadian speed metal that should appeal to fans of Exciter, Venom & Motorhead. I think it's an underrated release even though I definitely prefer Voivod's "debut album "War & Pain & their "To The Death" demo tape over this one. The filthy production is the main problem but there can be no denying the quality of the song-writing & musicianship you'll find if you polish off the dirt a bit.

3.5/5

Welcome Vlgrim. We're delighted to have you onboard & from the looks of your ratings so far you're just the sort of member we're looking for. So don't be shy. The very concept of this website is about acceptance & celebration of the widely varying tastes & backgrounds that make up the global metal community so you won't be seeing any judgements floating around here. We encourage active participation & get excited about every new member & every fresh contribution.

Y&T - "Black Tiger" (1982)

The fourth album from this Californian heavy rock outfit is unfortunately a noticeable step down from its predecessor "Earthshaker" from the previous year. There's little doubt that "Black Tiger" is the more metal record but unfortunately there's a thick layer of 80's cheese coating a few of these songs & the high quality guitar solos & Sammy Hagar-eque vocal delivery aren't quite enough to warrant return listens.

3/5

Hirax - "Hate, Fear & Power" (1986)

The raw & intense second album from these Californian thrash metallers & it was a huge step up from their "Raging Violence" debut of the previous year. Eight tracks over just sixteen minutes with a strong thrashcore element that even includes the use of blast beats. This is a massively underrated release that should appeal to fans of Anthrax, Vio-lence & Steve Souza-era Exodus.

4/5

Ben, please add Jucifer (USA).

Ben, please add Istapp (Sweden).