Daniel's Forum Replies

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.

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

Pantera - "I Am The Night" (1985)

Pantera - "Metal Magic" (1983)

Pantera's debut is a far cry from their glory days with their sound taking more of a glam metal direction & appearing to be a combination of KISS, Van Halen & Judas Priest. Dimebag was only 16 or 17 at the time & he can already shred like a bastard though. It's certainly not as bad as some people make out but I wouldn't bother with this record even if you're a diehard fan.

2.5/5

Anthony Shake Shakir - "Frictionalism 1994-2009" (2010)

A 3 CD compilation that encompasses the unheralded Detroit techno legends entire career. It's pretty decent but I wouldn't say it's essential. There are only a couple of the 35 tracks that I regard as genuine techno classics.

3.5/5

Stars Of The Lid - "And Their Refinement Of The Decline" (2007)

Another incredible ambient double album from the modern masters of the genre. Very nearly matches their classic 2001 double album "The Tired Sounds Of". Top shelf premium stuff.

4.5/5

1349 - "Dødskamp" single (Release date: 5th April)

Norwegian black metal masters 1349 have released a new single, titled "Dødskamp". The song has been commissioned by Innovation Norway, Visit Norway and the Munch Museum, who asked four Norwegian artists within four different genres of music to interpret their angle on a freely selected work by the famous painter Edvard Munch. Naturally, 1349 approached the art of Munch from their black metal perspective. 

Regarding the single, 1349 guitarist Archaon comments: "Munch is arguably the biggest Norwegian artist throughout history, together with Edvard Grieg, I suppose. His works are tremendously dark and eerie, reflecting a lot of anxiety, pain and loneliness, in the way I perceive them. So, it suited us perfectly. I chose the work 'Dødskamp' which directly translates 'Death Struggle' and speaks volumes for itself. It was an emotionally heavy task, and also a completely new way to compose. As well as some very long nights, bereaved of sleep. In the end though, it was worth it. This is the soundtrack to the dilemmas of mortality." 

The new single can be found on all digital platforms and streamed via the official Season Of Mist YouTube channel below. The song is available on vinyl, together with the bonus track "Atomic Chapel" and can be pre-ordered the Season Of Mist shop. 1349 will return with a full-length release later this year. 

"Dødskamp" track listing:  

01. Dødskamp (05:05)  

02. Atomic Chapel (live) (06:54) (only available on EP)

Drudkh - "Кілька рядків архаїчною українською (A Few Lines in Archaic Ukrainian)" compilation (Release date: 5th April)

‘A Few Lines in Archaic Ukrainian’ is a compilation of tracks of their split EPs since 2016. The lyrics of these tracks are either direct words of or inspired by Ukrainian poetry penned by poets who lost their lives under the cruel Soviet regime.

Entombed - "Live Clandestine" (Release date: 17th May)

ENTOMBED has uploaded the song "Sinners Bleed" from the upcoming "Clandestine - Live" release. The effort contains the unique experience of the band performing its second album "Clandestine" in full live for the first time ever for the album's 25th anniversary on November 12, 2016 at Malmö Live in Malmö, Sweden. 

Joining original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid, Uffe Cederlund (guitar) and Nicke Andersson (drums) at the concert were Robert Andersson (vocals) and Nicke's half brother Edvin Aftonfalk (bass), both formerly of the Swedish death metal band MORBUS CHRON. 

Threeman Recordings presents "Act 2: The Entombed" performance — a concert in two acts based entirely on the Swedish band's acclaimed album "Clandestine" from 1991. It is a unique concert where the pioneering album is played from beginning to end. From the opening track "Living Dead" to closer "Through The Collonades". In the first act, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra And Choir performs "Clandestine", arranged for orchestra by Thomas Von Wachenfeldt (WACHENFELDT), with the original members from ENTOMBED sitting in as part of the ensemble. In the second act, the band performs the entire album live in the original version for the very first time. 

Hellid comments: "It is amazing to experience the musical journey with an orchestra and we really enjoyed the experience." 

Conductor Josef Rhedin adds: "Allowing ENTOMBED's suggestive music to meet Symphony Orchestra And Choir is a very creative and exciting concept. Composer Thomas Von Wachenfeldt's arrangement contains challenges for both orchestral musicians and for me as a conductor, as the starting point has been to interpret the 'Clandestine' in a classical, symphonic format, rather than plank the music outright." 

"Clandestine - Live" will be released on CD, CD bundle with exclusive t-shirt and 2LP 180-gram deluxe vinyl including a poster on Threeman Recordings on May 17. Pre-order here. 

The ENTOMBED band that performed at Malmö Live is not to be confused with ENTOMBED A.D., which features vocalist Lars Göran Petrov alongside Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Guilherme Miranda (guitar). 

Hellid and Petrov have been embroiled in a legal battle over the ENTOMBED name for several years.

Saint Vitus - "12 Years in the Tomb" single (Release date: 28th February)

The first single from the new self-titled album which is due for release on 17th May 2019.

East Of The Wall - "NP - Complete" (Release date: 29th March) 

The fifth studio album from this progressive post-metal outfit from New Jersey, USA.

Orpheus Omega - "Wear Your Sins" (Release date: 29th March)

The fourth studio album from this melodic death metal outfit from Melbourne, Australia.

Yngwie Malmsteen - "Blue Lightning" (Release date: 29th March)

The Swedish neo-classical metal guitar virtuoso's 22nd studio album.

Lustre - "Another Time, Another Place" (Chapters One & Two) (Release date: 29th March)

Two compilation releases from this Swedish atmospheric/ambient black metal outfit. The first chapter consists of the never before released “The Ardour of Autumn” EP from 2013 as well as “Welcome Winter” EP from 2009. The second chapter consists of the debut EP “Serenity” from 2008, followed by the one-track EP “A Spark of Times of Old” from 2012.

Deafheaven - "Black Brick" single (Release date: 27th February)

Fair enough. Can you please add these:

1. Nokomono - "From The Black World" (1979)

2. All of Samson's back-catalogue

3. The Hand Of Doom - "Poisonoise" (1979)

The new single from Los Angeles death metal establishment Brujeria.

The new single from Canadian progressive metal maestro Devin Townsend. The new album "Empath" will be released on 29th March.

So Body Count guitarist & 'Forbidden' producer Ernie C has responded on a recent episode of 'The Official Danko Jones Podcast':

"On Ice's first record, he sampled Sabbath's 'War Pigs'. And Tony Iommi got a whiff of it and he started listening to it and he said he liked it. And then he heard that I produced those first Body Count records that we did and he just gave us a call. And also, Miles Copeland helped out. Stewart Copeland's brother ran I.R.S Records. Miles helped get it together. Tony listened to the sample on there and then he started listening to our records and said 'I like that.' Miles came and said, 'I can get him to produce your next album].'… So we were in England and Tony came to our hotel. He said, 'I would like you to do our new record.' 

 Producing Sabbath was cool. It was a rock and roll experience that you can just say, 'Well, I did a Black Sabbath record, and I'm done. And it also made me say, 'Yeah, I really don't wanna produce bands that are already established'. It's good to produce young people that are listening. But when you're so set in your ways… I didn't feel any pressure trying to make a Sabbath album that would stand alongside the band's classic efforts. I really didn't pay that much attention to it. I was more of a Led Zeppelin fan. I loved Sabbath and this and that, but I wasn't a 'die-hard die-hard.' I wasn't intimidated… And the thing about that was that was the time when the vinyl was out, and I told them, 'I'm gonna dry the sound up a little bit.' Those records from the '80s were big sounding records. They sound like you're playing in a tunnel. So I told them, 'We're gonna dry it up a little bit.' 'Cause the vinyl was dry — that's what made the vinyl sound. It was so dry and in your face. It's not a big tunnel. That was the Van Halen stuff — the one guitar in the one ear. It's big and large, but if it had been dried up, I don't think it would have been that popular. There's something to that era that lends to you almost seeing 'em on a stage and you're back in the seats. And then when Nirvana came along, it made it more personal, like you're sitting down with someone… Nirvana made it more dried up and in your face, like we're gonna sit down and come to my garage and listen to my band." 

Megadeth - "Warheads on Foreheads" compilation (Release date: 22nd March)

A best-of compilation that contains 35 remastered songs handpicked by Dave Mustaine.

Please add the Zarpa Rocks album, the Heavy Load records & Iron Maiden's "The Soundhouse Tapes" EP Ben.

Personally I think there's a world of difference between the two albums from a quality point of view & I agree with Ellefson to an extent. 'Risk' was an absolute abomination. It represents the clear weak point of the Megadeth back catalogue & is the only one of their albums that isn't regarded as a legitimate metal release. The band clearly didn't have a clue what they were doing with that one & were in a very bad place creatively. 'Super Collider' on the other hand is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me & I think the reason I'm able to view it that way is because I didn't come to it from a position of context even though it was at the time of release. I'd skipped Megadeth completely since 1994's "Youthanasia" but decided to go back & explore what I'd missed just before the release of 'Super Collider' & therefore I was able to take each record for what it was rather than what it represented in the metal climate at the time. And when you look at 'Super Collider' as a record & don't try to make it into something it's not, it's actually not too bad. The production & performances are excellent & there is some very catchy song-writing there too. Sure it's never going to sit amongst the top half of Megadeth's prestigious discography but I don't think it deserves to sit at the bottom either. In fact, I prefer it to three or four of the other post-'Youthanasia" albums. What are your thoughts?

Fen - "Sea & Stone" E.P. (Release date: 8th March)

Atmospheric black metal from London. A limited edition 12" E.P. that includes remastered versions of the tracks included on the 2016 split CD with Brooklyn-based one-man atmospheric black metal project Sleepwalker.

Here's the first single from the upcoming Dream Theater album "Distance Over Time" which due to be released on 22 February.

Here's a song from the upcoming Periphery album "Periphery IV: HAIL STAN" which is due for release on 5th April.

Here's a track from the new Queensryche album.

Here's Downing taking further strides to tarnish his relationship with Rob Halford in a recent interview with All The Shreds:

"When Ripper joined the band... We would have to say that, physically and technically, Ripper was a better singer than Rob, because Tim was always in tune, he was always in key. I mean, Rob was good. Rob got better after he started to wear in-ear monitors. But Tim was stronger. He still is. I mean, the guy is a powerhouse. But the thing is that the tonality of his voice is not Rob's, and I guess that's what the Priest sound is. That's why it had to come to an end. We would come offstage. Tim would absolutely murder the show, and we would still come offstage and the fans would be saying, 'Oh, yeah, yeah. I enjoyed the show. But when's Rob coming back? Is Rob coming back?' And it was hard. And it must be hard for those guys in Priest out there now, hearing fans say, 'Is K.K. coming back? Is Glenn coming back?' It must be tough for them." 

Here's what he said about the events that led up to Rob coming back to Priest: 

"It's a long story. Sharon Osbourne rang up one day and said, 'Hey, what's happening with Rob? Is he back in the band? Because I want you to do the Ozzfest and I'm gonna pay you a lot of money for doing it.' And that didn't happen the first time around. But then another year or so went by, and kind of the same thing happened again. But by this time, we'd done 'Demolition', and things seemed to be on the decline for us. The venues seemed to be getting worse. And eventually, I took part in the 'Demolition' album, but I wasn't happy. Glenn said he wanted to produce the album and stuff like that. It was all getting a bit funky, so I walked away from it for a while, but I came back and put as much into it as I could. I just think it's the fact that…it was what the fans wanted — it was fan demand, really. And I couldn't see that getting any better, really. Because everything that the band had done before Ripper seemed to be getting more and more popular, having more acclaim, like the 'Painkiller' album. The 'Painkiller' album wasn't very big when we first released it; it was just mediocre. But it started to gain momentum year after year, and it started to become a big album. And the fans wanna hear the band, the original bandmembers." 

Tim 'Ripper' Owens' has recently suggested that he'd like to go back and re-record "Jugulator" and "Demolition". Ripper's been quoted as saying that he feels that Priest is trying to remove any mention of his involvement with the band & is annoyed that it's hard to find "Jugulator" anywhere and that "Demolition" isn't terribly accessible either. Here's Downing's take on it when prompted during the interview:

"It would probably be legal reasons, I think. Somebody actually must own the rights. But it's worth finding out, because one thing is for sure, between me and Ripper, if nobody owns the rights to them, then we'll start producing them and marketing them. I'd be happy to do that. I'll do some research and find out who owns the rights to those albums. But somebody must have acquired the rights, I'm sure."

Downfall Of Gaia - "Ethic Of Radical Finitude" (Release date: 8th Febraury)

The fifth album from these German atmospheric black metallers. I absolutely adored 2012's "Suffocating in the Swarm of Cranes" so this is definitely on my list.

Soen - "Lotus" (Release date: 1st February)

The fourth full-length album from this Swedish progressive metal/rock outfit that features former Opeth & Amon Amarth drummer Martin Lopez. I really enjoyed their 2012 debut album "Cognitive" so I might need to check this one out.

I really enjoyed their 2011 debut album "The Harvest Wombs" but haven't checked them out since so I might join you. I believe they've gotten a little more progressive in recent times.

Fallujah - "Undying Light" (Release date: 15th March)

The fourth full-length album from these San Francisco-based tech deathsters.

Queensrÿche - "The Verdict" (Release date: 1st March)

The fifteenth studio album from this legendary Washington heavy metal institution.

Saor - "Forgotten Paths" (Release date: 15th February)

The fourth studio album from this one-man atmospheric black metal project (or third if you don't count the one he did under the Àrsaidh moniker).

Can you please add Quartz Ben? I want to add a rating for "Quartz" & a rating & review for "Stand Up & Fight".