Daniel's Forum Replies

Dismember - "Pieces" E.P. (1992)

1992's "Pieces" E.P. was the second release I picked up from Swedish death metal legends Dismember after their 1991 debut album "Like an Ever Flowing Stream" album, both of which I picked up through trading back in the early 1990's. Despite the unanimous hype around the early Dismember records, I have to admit that I've never seen either as being particularly essential, even though I get a fair bit of enjoyment out of both. I think it simply comes down to my preference for a more sophisticated & extreme version of the death metal model to the one being churned out by the Swedes at the time to be honest. "Pieces" is very much in line with Like an Ever Flowing Stream" but I tend to slightly favour the album over the E.P. due to the greater number of highlight tracks. There's not a lot in it though as I'd suggest that "Pieces" is perhaps a touch more consistent. Anyway... if you like this sort of Swedish BOSS HM-2 pedal-driven death metal then you'll no doubt get a kick out of "Pieces". Just don't expect anything terribly life-changing with closer "Soon To Be Dead" being clearly the strongest inclusion.

For fans of Entombed, Carnage & Grave.

3.5/5

Also taken from Deep Purple's 1972 "Machine Head" album, we find this heavy metal chugger "Pictures of Home". Just listen to that driving chugger of a metal riff from the bass & guitars which manages to overcome some fairly swinging drumming to qualify as legitimate metal in my opinion.

This morning we close out Rainbow's "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" album with "Rainbow Eyes", a ballad that I'd suggest sits best under the chamber folk tag. That leaves me with a very clear "NO" result for "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll". There's really only the one metal song included in the infamous "Kill The King" & I've always struggled to understand how anyone could view it differently to be honest as it's just so clearly a hard rock record as far as I can see.

Tomorrow we'll begin a new release in 1978's "Los cuatro jinetes del Apocalipsis" debut album from Spain's Zarpa Rock (or simply Zarpa as they're more commonly known as). This particularly underground record has built up quite a reputation in the underground as being a bit of a player in the early metal scene. Let's see if it lives up to its reputation, shall we?

Here are the feature releases nomination recipients for July:

THE FALLEN: Daniel, Ben

THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi

THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Daniel

THE HORDE: Ben, Daniel

THE INFINITE: Xephyr, Saxy, Andi

THE NORTH: Xephyr, Daniel, Ben

THE PIT: Ben, Daniel

THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Andi

THE SPHERE: Andi, Daniel

No, I'm in the minority, too.  I checked some ranked lists around the internet, and it's rare to find Sin After Sin in the top 4.  Typically the battle's between Painkiller, Vengeance and Defenders.  The latter two are a bit straightforward for me, especially Defenders.  That was the first of the various Priest albums I got through in the last 24 hours, and I really can't even say it holds a candle to the others, let alone to Invincible Shield or even British Steel which is more hard rock than anything.

Interesting. I guess it just goes to show what an important band they were given that a lot of people have very different preferences. For the record, "Defenders of the Faith" is comfortably my second favourite Priest record behind "Painkiller" (which is the only Priest record that I regard as being a genuine classic just quietly).

June 2024

01. Civerous – “Shrouded in Crystals” (from “Maze Envy”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

02. Krisiun – “The Great Execution” (from “The Great Execution”, 2011) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

03. Abhorrent Decimation – “A Glass Coffin Burial” (from “The Pardoner”, 2017) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

04. Gorguts – “Disincarnated” (from “Considered Dead”, 1991) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

05. Malevolent Creation – “Premature Burial” (from “The Ten Commandments”, 1991) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

06. Akercocke – “Shelter From The Sand” (from “Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone”, 2005) [Submitted by Sonny]

07. Septicflesh – “Anubis” (from “Communion”, 2008) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

08. Balmora – “A Dagger To The Heart Of Finality” (from “With Thorns Of Glass & Petals Of Grief” E.P., 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

09. Critical Extravasation – “Waltz of Hypocrisy” (from “Order of Decadence”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

10. Neuropath – “Rectal Pulpation” (from “Nefarious Vivisection” demo, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Sadistik Exekution – “Cautness Darling Blood” (from “The Magus”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. PainKiller – “Skinned” (from “Buried Secrets”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Venenum – “Merging Nebular Drapes” (from “Trance of Death”, 2017) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Massacra – “Atrocious Crimes” (from “Enjoy The Violence”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

15. Coffins – “Chain” (from “Sinister Oath”, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

16. Gorephilia – “Devotion Upon The Worm” (from “In The Eye Of Nothing”, 2020) [Submitted by Daniel]

17. Grave – “Deformed” (from “Into The Grave”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Stortregn – “Cold Void” (from “Finitude”, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

19. The Crown – “Devil Gate Ride” (from “Deathcrown King”, 2000) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Deicide – “Bury The Cross… With Your Christ” (from “Bury The Cross… With Your Christ”, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

21. Soreption – “Architects of the Apocalypse” (from “Monument of the End”, 2018) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

22. Suffocation – “Catatonia” (from “Human Waste” E.P., 1991) [Submitted by Sonny]

23. Discordance Axis – “Jigsaw” (from “The Inalienable Dreamless”, 2000) [Submitted by Sonny]

24. Dying Fetus – “Enlighten Through Agony” (from “Make Them Beg For Death”, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

25. Devourment – “Shroud of Encryption” (from “Molesting the Decapitated, 1999) [Submitted by Sonny]

26. Hour of Penance – “The Morality of War” (from “Devotion”, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

27. Benighted – “Le Vice des Entrailles” (from “Ekbom”, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

June 2024

01. Bonfire – “Temple of Lies” (from “Temple of Lies”, 2018)

02. Running Wild – “Sinister Eyes” (from “Pile of Skulls”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

03. Paul Di’Anno’s Battlezone – “Rip It Up” (from “Children of Madness”, 1987)

04. Axel Rudi Pell – “Too Late” (from “The Crest”, 2010)

05. I Am The Intimidator – “Eat My Smoke” (from “I Am The Intimidator” E.P., 2024)

06. Sir Lord Baltimore – “Caesar LXXI” (from “Sir Lord Baltimore”, 1971)

07. Danzig – “Heart of the Devil” (from “Danzig III: How The Gods Kill”, 1992)

08. Dust – “Love Me Hard” (from “Dust”, 1971)

09. Black Sabbath – “Paranoid” (from “Paranoid”, 1970)

10. Stryper – “Co’mon Rock” (from “The Yellow & Black Attack” E.P., 1984)

11. Blaze Bayley – “Absence” (from “Circle of Stone”, 2024)

12. Venom – “Countess Bathory” (from “Black Metal”, 1982)

13. Myrath – “The Empire” (from “Karma”, 2024)

14. Alestorm – “Voyage of the Dead Marauder” (from “Voyage of the Dead Marauder” E.P., 2024)

15. Scanner – “Space Battalion” (from “The Cosmic Race”, 2024)

16. Avantasia – “Scary Eyes” (from “Lost in Space Part 2” E.P., 2007)

17. Cage – “Spectre of War/Science of Annihilation/At the Edge of Infinity” (from “Science of Annihilation”, 2009)

18. Frozen Crown – “Crown Eternal” (from “Winterbane”, 2021)

19. Týr – “Hammered” (from “Battle Ballads”, 2024)

20. Dreamtale – “Silent Scream” (from “Everlasting Flame”, 2024)

21. Dragonforce – “Pixel Prison” (from “Warp Speed Warriors”, 2024) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

22. Rage – “Cold Desire” (from “Afterlifelines”, 2024)

23. Firewind – “Land of Chaos” (from “Stand United”, 2024)

24. Manticora – “Demonday” (from “Mycelium”, 2024)

25. Sodom – “One Step Over The Line” (from “Tapping The Vein”, 1992)

While I certainly quite like "Sin After Sin" & "Screaming For Vengeance" & have had a very long relationship with both, I've always felt that they were heavily overrated with neither being essential Judas Priest releases for me personally.

I can say the same for "Stained Class" actually. I guess my sweet spots for Priest are a little different to the norm.

Comecon – “Ulcer” (from “Megatrends in Brutality”, 1992)

Balmora – “An Angel’s Final Prayer” (from “With Thorns of Glass & Petals of Grief” E.P., 2023)

Critical Defiance – “The Search Won’t Fall” (from “The Search Won’t Fall…”, 2024)

Exhorder – “Unforgiven” (from “The Law”, 1992)

Solstice – “Cleansed of Impurity” (from “Solstice”, 1992)

Sodom – “Hunting Season”, (from “Tapping the Vein”, 1992)

Sadus – “Machines” (from “A Vision of Misery”, 1992)

Aura Noir – “Caged Wrath” (from “Black Thrash Attack”, 1996)

Master’s Hammer – “Utok” (from “Ritual”, 1991)

Evilfeast – “From The Northern Wallachian Forest… Tyranny Returns” (from “Elegies of the Stellar Wind”, 2017)

Emperor – “My Empire’s Doom” (from “Wrath of the Tyrant” demo, 1992)

Critical Defiance – “Full Paranoia” (from “The Search Won’t…”, 2024)

Malevolent Creation – “Multiple Stab Wounds” (from “The Ten Commandments”, 1991)

Critical Defiance – “All The Powers” (from “The Search Won’t…”, 2024)

Asphyx – “Diabolical Existence” (from “The Rack”, 1991)

Pestilence – “Twisted Truth” (from “Testimony of the Ancients”, 1991)

Convulse – “Incantation of Restoration” (from “World Without God”, 1991)

Bolt Thrower – “Destructive Infinity” (from “War Master”, 1991)

Immolation – “Those Left Behind” (from “Dawn of Possession”, 1991)

Autopsy – “Destined to Fester” (from “Retribution For The Dead” E.P., 1991)

Comecon – “Omnivorous Excess” (from “Megatrends in Brutality”, 1992)

PainKiller – “Warhead” (from “Guts of a Virgin”, 1991)

Hypocrisy - "Suffering Souls" (from "Penetralia", 1992)

Anthem – “Night Stalker” (from “Gypsy Ways”, 1988)

Sorrow – “Insatiable” (from “Hatred & Disgust”, 1992)

Anathema – “…And I Lust” (from “The Crestfallen E.P.”, 1992)

My Dying Bride – “Sear Me” (from “As The Flower Withers”, 1992)

Welcome to the Academy ZeroSymbolic7188. We're very glad you enjoy the concept & encourage you to be as active as you'd like on the site. There are some very cool activities that go on every month (like the Hall of Judgement genre-tag voting, our nine monthly clan Spotify playlists & our monthly clan feature releases) & if you'd like to be involved in any of them then simply shoot me a private message & I can help guide you through the process. If not, then enjoy the site & our tight-knit little metal community.

While I certainly quite like "Sin After Sin" & "Screaming For Vengeance" & have had a very long relationship with both, I've always felt that they were heavily overrated with neither being essential Judas Priest releases for me personally.

The 24th March 1972 would be a significant day in rock music with Deep Purple releasing arguably their heaviest & best record in their illustrious sixth full-length "Machine Head". It kicks off with a belter of a heavy metal track too in the driving headbanger "Highway Star" which has gone on to become an iconic inclusion in the band's back catalogue over the years:

Today's track is Rainbow's " Sensitive to Light" which I regard as being hard rock:

I'm across about two thirds of the Illdisposed back catalogue Andi. I remember picking up "There's Something Rotten... In the State of Denmark" back in my tape trading days & got some mild enjoyment out of it. I liked their earlier & more conventional death metal albums a little better unsurprisingly enough.

Ok, so I've updated all of the playlist titles, descriptions & images & they now seem to be much easier to find in Spotify searches. With next month's The Guardians & The Horde lists, I've attempted to program them in a way that will offer immediate appeal to the casual listener with five strong tracks from the primary genre kicking off proceedings. I've also made an attempt to ensure that I had the best material from each release on The Guardians list & have picked a couple of obvious classics in order to draw in the less educated audience. The Horde playlist is looking really bloody good now that it's 100% comprised of member's selections actually so I think that was a good move. I'm planning to start a social media marketing campaign for those two playlists in June to see what I can accomplish too.

The brand new "Les chants de l’aurore" seventh full-length from French blackgaze/post-metal outfit Alcest is being released on 21st June. Some of Alcest's releases have really grown on me in recent years while others have left me feeling a bit flat but I'll no doubt give this one a run at some stage, particularly given that I enjoyed the promotional video for the opening single recently.

The brand new "Discontinued" fifth album from New York brutal/technical death metallers Malignancy hits the streets on 14th June. I really dug everything I've heard from these guys to date, particularly their 1999 debut album "Intrauterine Cannibalism" which was stellar, so I'll most certainly be indulging in this one at some point.

The seventh full-length album from LA sludge metallers Thou hits the shelves tomorrow & is called "Umbilical". I've had mixed experiences with Thou on record over the years but there's no doubt that they're a fantastic live act.

A new live album from San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal legends Exodus hits the streets tomorrow. It's called "British Disaster: The Battle of '89 (Live at the Astoria)" & was recorded on the 1989 tour for their excellent "Fabulous Disaster" third album.

Another fresh new live recording from [hate5six], this time from Detroit metalcore outfit Cold as Life whose 1998 "Born to Land Hard" debut album I quite like.

Genre-shunning Tokyo experimental band Boris share some of their favourite music in a special NTS radio residency:

https://www.nts.live/shows/boris/episodes/boris-21st-may-2024

LA sludge metal/metalcore outfit Admiral Angry have released their long-awaited sophomore album "Albania" this month. I was a big fan of their 2009 debut album "Buster" but felt that they'd dropped the ball a little bit with 2010's "A Fire to Burn Down the World" so it'll be interesting to see what the last fourteen years have brought to the table.

US progressive metallers Nospūn have released an instrumental version of their excellent 2023 debut album "Opus" that I really enjoyed. This one might be worth checking out at some point given how impressive the vocal edition was.

I investigated the 1978 "Cuentos de ayer y de hoy" debut album from Spanish five-piece Ñu this morning. There was definitely the odd sign of metal but it never amounts to a full song. I'd suggest that this is a progressive hard rock record with strong folk influences.

Well, we're very pleased to have you here at the Academy Pelle & would like to encourage you to get as involved in the site as you wish. There's a whole bunch of cool activities to choose from. You can help us vote on potentially incorrect genre tags in the Hall of Judgement, can submit your favourite tracks from the last month for the monthly clan Spotify playlists or can take part in nominating our monthly clan feature releases for example. If any of those options sound interesting then please feel free to send me a private message & I can help you with the finer details. Until then... have fun with the site & we hope to see a lot more of you around these parts. :)

The doom train continued its journey in February 1972 when Philadelphia hard rockers Bang released their self-titled debut album which included this doomy number which I'd suggest should qualify as traditional doom metal:

This morning's track is Rainbow's "The Shed (Subtle)" which I regard as being a hard rock song:

Anthem - "No Smoke Without Fire" (1990)

I feel very similarly about the Japanese heavy metallers sixth album as I did about their fourth (see above) with Anthem taking a familiar yet unanimously effective approach. If anything this one might offer a touch more of a hard rock influence as well as a little more speed metal in parts. Once again, the production job & performances are on the money although Yukio Morikawa's vocals don't appear to be quite as strong here. Anthem were a seriously class act by this point in their careers though so there are no hints at weak song-writing with "No Smoke Without Fire" containing just as many highlights as "Gypsy Ways" did. I do think I slightly prefer "Gypsy Ways" over it but there's very little between the two, neither coming close to matching 1989's marvelous "Hunting Time" fifth full-length. The sensational "Fever Eyes" is my pick of the nine tracks on offer & is definitely one of Anthem's finest moments.

For fans of Loudness, Judas Priest & Accept.

3.5/5

Anthem - "Gypsy Ways" (1988)

I've gotten a fair bit of enjoyment out of the two releases I've heard previously from Japanese heavy metallers Anthem. Their 1987 "Bound to Break" album was more than decent but it was really 1989's excellent "Hunting Time" that sealed the deal for me & I've intended on checking out the records either side of it ever since. Well, 1988's "Gypsy Ways" sits somewhere between those two releases in terms of quality. It's certainly not as essential as "Hunting Time" but it's worth a listen none the less. As usual with the Japanese, the musicianship is excellent, particularly the shredding Eddie Van Halen/Randy Rhoads inspired guitar work of Hiroya Fukuda & powerful vocals of talented front man Yukio Morikawa. There are no duds included here either with the few highlight tracks being very impressive, particularly the outstanding closer "Night Stalker" which I'd suggest is somewhat of a classic for Japanese heavy metal overall.

For fans of Loudness, Judas Priest & Accept.

3.5/5

The self-titled album from Philadelphia trio Bang was released in February 1972 & opened with this number that sits somewhere between heavy metal & hard rock:

Today we look at Rainbow's "Kill The King" which sits somewhere between heavy metal & power metal making it the very first power metal song:

Traitors Gate - "Devil Takes The High Road" (1985)

I generally regard myself as having a very extensive knowledge of the NWOBHM after having analyzed & reviewed pretty much every release of any significance over the years but this little three-song E.P. from Welsh four-piece Traitors Gate is an exception to the rule, most likely because I've never recognized this release as a legitimate NWOBHM record since it didn't come until 1985 which is a good two years after the end of the movement finished as far as I'm concerned. "Devil Takes The High Road" seems to have gone on to some level of underground notoriety over the years though so I thought it was about time I checked it out. I have to say that it hasn't impressed me much though with only "Love After Midnight" offering me much in the way of lasting appeal. The vocals are pretty pitchy & weak & the production isn't amazing either. It certainly sounds a hell of a lot like a NWOBHM release though it has to be said. I'd imagine that Judas Priest & Deep Purple would have been on high rotation at the Traitors Gate rehearsal studio. They remind me quite a bit of England's Virtue who also released a one-off single back in 1985. Nothing much to see here I'm afraid.

3/5

Dark Millennium - "Ashore the Celestial Burden" (1992)

I hadn't returned to the debut album from this German outfit since the 1990's & I can kinda see why now. It's gone on to develop somewhat of a cult following over the years but, even though I find it to be generally pretty enjoyable, I'm not sure that I see it in that sort of light. I'm only aware of Dark Millennium's first two full-lengths with "Ashore the Celestial Burden" being by far the best of them. It sees Dark Millennium pushing a fairly diverse sound that I'd describe as conventional death metal with strong doom/death & progressive metal influences which would be brought further into the foreground on subsequent releases. The production & musicianship aren't amazing but these flaws are made for by general ambition & some excellent death growls from front man Christian Mertens who sometimes even reminds me of Obituary's John Tardy (i.e. my all-time favourite death metal vocalist). In fact, I'd suggest that the Florida heavyweights were a clear influence on parts of the album if I'm not mistaken. Unfortunately, there aren't any genuine classics amongst this lot & the album never feels like a tier one or two death metal release to me, even if it is worth a few listens.

For fans of The Chasm, Phlebotomized & Pan.Thy.Monium.

3.5/5

Liers in Wait - "Spiritually Uncontrolled Art" E.P. (1992)

I'm finding that I don't have much time for full-length reviews this week so I'm gonna give you a short synopsis of a few records that I've been spinning recently. This one is from my early 90's tape trading days & represents the only proper release from Swedish death metallers Liers in Wait. "Spiritually Uncontrolled Art" isn't a bad description of what you can expect to hear either as these three dudes go completely apeshit with the compositions being extremely chaotic & ADD-fuelled. The song structures rarely stay in one place for longer than a few seconds, changing spasmodically from one idea to the next amid a barrage of clicky drum blasts. While the riffs themselves may not be all that technical, the song structures are so complex that this release simply must reside in the tech death camp with the urgency & vitality in the performances keeping me on the edge of my seat throuhgout. The performances aren't terribly precise but that's all part of the appeal with an artist like Liers in Wait & I've found myself really buying into what they're selling here.

For fans of VoidCeremony, early Atrocity & "The Red In The Sky Is Ours"-period At The Gates.

4/5

This morning we take a look at another highly underground early stoner metal track in the one-off 1971 "Slave of Fear" single from Texas four-piece Stone Axe which once again sports a significant amount of Black Sabbath influence along with a fair whack of Jimi Hendrix style psychedelia. 

This morning's track is gonna be a controversial one. It's Rainbow's "Gates of Babylon" which is often touted as an early metal classic but really contains very little metal to speak of. Once again people are wanting to tag it as metal simply because of how "epic" it sounds when the tools that are being used really have no basis in metal. It's a symphonic progressive rock piece as far as I'm concerned & would seem to my ears to be Rainbow's attempt at something like Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". 

I'm doing very well Pelle. Struggling a little with my work-life balance & rarely finding enough time to myself but generally can't complain as I'm in good health, have a beautiful family & live in the very best part of the world. Where are you from? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

This morning we take a look at the B side from the above-mentioned 1971 "Midnight Witch" single from Australia's Ash, a song entitled "Warrant" which is built on a heavy psych backbone but has also been heavily influenced by Black Sabbath. So much so, in fact, that the verse riff has been completely ripped off from Sabbath's classic "War Pigs".

This morning's track is Rainbow's "LA Connection" which is pure hard rock with a strong Led Zeppelin influence:

Found it! And it's been done with the other clans too: https://open.spotify.com/user/3uyuzxp5v3bxjdlm0x7x97og6/playlists

Impressive, but can't really say I approve of all that being done behind our backs.

I'll reach out to her & ask her to stop using the images & clan names as they're not for public use. Those logos were created specifically for Metal Academy by a paid designer.

She's removed the images at my request but not the playlist names which I also have a problem with.

Guys, please feel free to suggest a suitable image for your playlists too. I've already changed the ones for The Horde & The Guardians to make them more appealing to the casual listener. Make sure they're freely available for public use & don't breach copyright though.

Found it! And it's been done with the other clans too: https://open.spotify.com/user/3uyuzxp5v3bxjdlm0x7x97og6/playlists

Impressive, but can't really say I approve of all that being done behind our backs.

I'll reach out to her & ask her to stop using the images & clan names as they're not for public use. Those logos were created specifically for Metal Academy by a paid designer.

Black Metal Blasphemy has unfortunately already been taken.