Daniel's Forum Replies
I revisited the 1979 self-titled sophomore album from Liverpool outfit Marseille today. There's certainly a little bit of metal here & there but I couldn't help but, more often than not, it's presented in a glam metal format. In fact, I'd suggest that this sounds so much like Motley Crue that it seems almost impossible that they didn't borrow their sound from Marseille. It's a glam metal record with hard rock influences for mine & is certainly not a NWOBHM release in my opinion.
FYI: From next month the new The Horde playlist track submission limit will be 30 minutes for each of the four nominators after irunak James-Lee has elected to take part.
FYI: The new The Fallen playlist track submission limit will be 40 minutes for each of the three contributors since irunak James-Lee has decided to take part.
For August (for now, will add to it as required around other submissions if we get any):
Ten Ton Slug - "Mogore the Unkind" (from "Colossal Oppressor", 2024)
Triptykon - "Goetia" (from "Eparistera Daimones", 2010)
Feel free to bulk your submission out to the 40 minute mark Vinny as I have a new The Fallen member that would like to contribute.
This week's experiences with our July The Revolution clan feature release have seen me having to reassess the top end of my Top Ten Metalcore Releases of All Time list with Unbroken's "Life. Love. Regret." album shoving its way into the top of the list at the expense of Rorschach's "Protestant" which has dropped out the bottom:
01. Converge – “All We Love We Leave Behind” (2012)
02. Unbroken - "Life. Love. Regret." (1994)
03. Converge – “Axe To Fall” (2009)
04. Converge – “You Fail Me” (2004)
05. Loathe – “I Let It In & It Took Everything” (2020)
06. Converge – “When Forever Comes Crashing” (1998)
07. Between The Buried & Me - “Colors_Live” (2008)
08. Snapcase - "Progression Through Unlearning" (1997)
09. Every Time I Die – “Radical” (2021)
10. Converge – “Jane Doe” (2001)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/178
Here's my review:
I’ve been meaning to get around to checking out San Diego metalcore outfit Unbroken for a long time now. I don’t mind me a bit of 1990’s metalcore on occasion & these guys seem to be known as one of the more prominent examples of that sound so I had a funny feeling that they might be something I’d dig. Their 1993 debut album “Ritual” seems to receive generally positive feedback but it’s Unbroken’s classic 1994 sophomore album “Life. Love. Regret.” that receives the bulk of the attention so let’s see if it warrants the lofty praise that is inevitably heaped upon it then.
Unlike many of the more widely celebrated metalcore releases, “Life. Love. Regret.” doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, instead taking a tried & tested direction that lives or dies by its attitude & authenticity. Thankfully though, it has both of those attributes in spades which has no doubt pleased the hardcore purists to no end. The relatively short 35 minute album doesn’t try to be anything that any good hardcore band shouldn't aspire to be. The production job is fairly raw but is still chunky & heavy while the performances are left pretty loose with no attempt having been made to clean up any timing concerns. Those things simply don’t matter all that much when it comes to hardcore music. It’s a more about the visceral urges they inspire in the listener & a general lack of fucks being given.
From a musical point of view, “Life. Love. Regret.” might as well be a guidebook for new players on what 90’s metalcore was all about really. Simple yet crunchy power chord-driven riffs? CHECK! Mosh-worthy breakdowns? CHECK! Angry & aggressive screamed vocals? CHECK! Occasional post-hardcore experimentation? CHECK! In saying that though, there’s an honesty & integrity about this music that places it above the sum of those tick boxes. There’s a purity in Unbroken’s sound that I find to be really easy to buy into. It didn’t quite sink in on first listen but I found myself liking this record more & more with each revisit & that has a lot to do with its consistency as the quality of the song-writing as it rarely dips below the really solid platform that’s set right from the offset with only “Blanket” feeling a little less essential even if it still generally enjoyable.
The two elements that drive this album are its clear points of strength. The riffs are the first of those components with Unbroken seemingly rewriting the manual on metallic hardcore crunch. I can easily imagine how intense this band would have been live because these anger-fuelled guitar parts seem to have been born for mosh pit mayhem. As a guitar nut myself, I found it hard not to buy into Unbroken’s selling point in that regard as I live for the sort of amplifier reverberation they possess in spades, even if the riffs are kinda basic a lot of the time & aren’t exactly performed with precision. The other major highlight can be found in the vocals of front man Dave Claibourn who steers away from that gurgly hardcore tone that I’ve always found to be a little weak by giving himself a little more of a natural sound. It gives his stories of life on the streets some added believability & he does a fantastic job at drawing the listener in through sheer fire & vitriol. In fact, it’s hard to deny that he’s the major calling card for the album overall & I’d suggest that he’d have to one of the more appealing hardcore vocalists out there.
A four-star rating was always on the cards from the first second I pressed play on “Life. Love. Regret.” to be honest as it stays predominantly at that level throughout its nine songs. While “Blanket” may have seen the quality curve dipping just a touch, the biggest talking point for the album comes in the form of a total game-changer that sits right at the end of the tracklisting. The nine-minute epic “Curtain” is nothing short of a devastating, tension-building beast of a track that I’d suggest should rightfully sit amongst the absolute elite examples of the metalcore genre. Its use of repetition & dynamics to draw the listener in from both a physical & cerebral perspective is astounding & I’ve found it hard not to allow my passion for this one piece to dictate my feelings on the holistic package to tell you the truth. I genuinely feel sorry for people that don't have the patience to connect with a piece like this one.
Despite the lengthy classic that dominates the B side though, I still can’t see “Life. Love. Regret.” as a classic release. Essential? Oh definitely, particularly if you’re a die-hard metalcore or hardcore fan. But I don’t think the majority of the album is different enough for it to command the loftier scores in my ratings system. Perhaps I’ve simply come to it a little late in the game but I can’t help but feel that “Life. Love. Regret.” doesn’t really do anything terribly different to a lot of metalcore release. Perhaps Unbroken are the source of all of that in the first place though? I dunno but what I can say is that I’ve rarely heard a better example of this type of music than this record & I can easily see why those metalheads with a stronger affiliation with the metalcore genre than I would tend to gush over it as I’ve been surprised at just how much I've enjoyed the experience.
For fans of Rorschach, Starkweather & Racetraitor.
4/5
I checked out 1979's "The Soundhouse Tapes Part 2" E.P. from NWOBHM band Praying Mantis this morning but found no metal whatsoever. It's purely a hard rock record.
I just investigated the 1979 "A golpe de látigo" sophomore album from Spain's Ñu. There's a little bit of metal there but nothing like the proto-folk metal claims seem to indicate. It's primarily a progressive rock record with hard rock & progressive folk influences in my opinion.
Seance - "Saltrubbed Eyes" (1993)
If you follow my reviews fairly religiously then you're probably aware that I recently reinvigorated my deep passion for Swedish death metallers Seance through their 1992 debut album "Fornever Laid to Rest", a record that I've always regarded as being nothing short of an undiscovered classic. "Fornever Laid to Rest" played a really big role in my teenage years. In fact, the title of that album is fairly reflective of my interactions with my dubbed cassette copy of the album back in 1992/93 so it's fair to say that I was royally pumped when I heard news of a second Seance full-length shortly afterwards. I quickly sought it out through my tape trading network before giving it a good ol' thrashing, convinced that it would see the Swedes reaching unparallelled heights. Sadly though, it never quite managed to achieve the sort of adoration I'd heaped on its predecessor, somehow failing to captivate me in quite the same way even if I'd maintain my respect for what was undeniably a classy outfit. I've returned to "Saltrubbed Eyes" quite often over the years which is a clear indication of its quality but, for one reason or another, I've still felt that it should rightfully reside in the shadows of its more relentless & shackle-free predecessor. This week I decided to uncover just why that is &, in doing so, see where Seance's second album sits in terms of the early 90's death metal explosion overall.
"Saltrubbed Eyes" is the product of a mature & capable group of musicians who clearly knew their shit when it came to the underground extreme metal scene. The level of musicianship & the sophistication in the compositional work is top notch which marked Seance as a band that had the potential to reside in the top tier of the genre for an extended period. The band were obviously satisfied with the results of their first studio effort as they opted to return to Malmö's Berno Studios for another session with producer Berno Paulsson who was still fairly unknown at the time but would go on to a long career off the back of his work with Seance. Rightly so too as "Saltrubbed Eyes" sounds really good with each instrument jumping out of the speakers with rare ferocity, particularly the bass guitar which has benefited from one of the most powerful bass tones I've heard in many a year. The arrangements are also very well constructed, this time offering noticeably more variation than "Fornever Laid to Rest" which rarely took its foot off the accelerator.
For those listeners that are already well acquainted with Seance's debut, it shouldn't take you long to realise that "Saltrubbed Eyes" is clearly not "Fornever Laid to Rest II". While there's still plenty on offer for those that were converted by the unbridled savagery of Seance's earlier work, the Swede's sophomore effort has added some additional components to the mix which gives it a noticeably different feel & also sees it creating its own well-defined identity. The faster material ("Soulerosion", "Skinless", etc.) still holds plenty of reward for old school fans & will undoubtedly command a similarly primal response but "Saltrubbed Eyes" contains a lot more in the way of dynamics & is a little more measured in its assault on the senses. I've always felt that "Fornever Laid to Rest" was largely built on the influence of the American death metal scene which was a little unusual for a Swedish band given the huge impact of the Entombeds & Dismembers that were making such enormous inroads into the global metal market at the time. "Saltrubbed Eyes" sees Seance adopting some of that crunchier Swedish sound & combining it with the American one in a best of both worlds approach that seems to work for them for the most part. But that's not the only new addition as there are quite a few simpler, groovier & more rhythmically inclined death metal riffs included on the album which sometimes sees me making comparisons with a band like Gorefest. The influence of "Reign in Blood"-era Slayer is very easy to identify during the higher tempo passages, particularly in the guitar solos of Tony Kampner & Patrik Jensen who at times border on Kerry King/Jeff Hannemann fanboyism. As with the debut, the monstrous & ultra-gutteral death growls of Johan Larsson are one of the highlights of the album & I'd definitely suggest that he was one of the better exponents in the scene at the time.
You can't really fault Seance in terms of consistency as "Saltrubbed Eyes" maintains a really solid level of quality right across its nine-song tracklisting. It's perhaps no surprise that the groovier title track does a little less for me than the rest of the material but it's still an entertaining listen, mainly because I'll always have time for a professionally produced & executed product like this one. The album is clearly missing the genuine highlights of its older sibling though with even the best material falling short of achieving classic status. As is often the way with me, it's the more aggressive & high velocity inclusions that hit me the hardest with the barbaric cacophony of "Skinless" coming the closest to reaching my Hall of Metal Glory. There's always something missing here though & I've struggled to put my finger on exactly what it is which has left me accepting that it's probably just that the songwriting isn't quite as engaging as the more youthful & care-free collection of death metal tunes I enjoyed so much only a month ago. I'd also suggest that I'm not quite as into the stylistic changes that Seance have taken, preferring the more consistently high-tempo & physically battering approach of "Fornever Laid to Rest". Please don't take these thoughts as a negative impression of "Saltrubbed Eyes" though because it's still a high-quality death metal record in its own right & one that has given me a lot of enjoyment over the last few days.
I honestly can't see "Saltrubbed Eyes" disappointing too many open-minded death metal fans even if it doesn't quite meet the same lofty standards set by its predecessor. If you can imagine a record that combines the vicious US death metal of Deicide, the hard-hitting, crunchy Swedish death metal of Grave, the mid-tempo grooves of Gorefest & the blistering shredding of Slayer then you'll get a fairly accurate image of what to expect & the reality is as good as that sounds on paper too. There's no doubt at all that Seance should have been much bigger than they were which has always baffled me. If anything that only provides an added incentive to jump onboard with a high-quality underground release like this one though, doesn't it?
For fans of Deicide, Malevolent Creation & Grave.
4/5
I revisited the 1979 "First Investment" debut album from Birmingham's Money yesterday but, despite it often being claimed as an early NWOBHM release, found no metal whatsoever. It's a hard rock record with progressive rock influences as far as I can see.
The 1979 "Recept za Rock 'n' Roll" double album from Bosnian trio Vatreni poljubac has a legitimate claim to being a hard rock/heavy metal hybrid & I feel should qualify for inclusion here with a metal ratio of 50%. I haven't been able to identify a release date as yet so I may need to take a punt on exactly where to place it in the list.
Ben, please add Vatreni poljubac's 1979 sophomore album "Recept za Rock 'n' Roll".
Thanks Daniel. With Sonny on a break if you want to top up your suggestions to a full hour then I am happy to accommodate? No pressure though as I know you are handling other playlists also.
That's all I've had the chance to listen to over the last month mate. Might just go with that as it's clear that I've been spending most of my listening time filling gaps in my coverage of 1992/93 & I'm sure you've got enough material from that period now anyway.
Here are the feature releases nomination owners for August:
THE FALLEN: Ben, irunak James-Lee, Daniel
THE GATEWAY: Andi, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: Karl, Xephyr
THE HORDE: Daniel, Karl, irunak James-Lee, Ben
THE INFINITE: Saxy, Andi, Xephyr
THE NORTH: irunak James-Lee, Daniel, Ben. Karl, Xephyr
THE PIT: Daniel, Ben
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi
July 2024
01. Slugdge – “Slave Goo World” (from “Esoteric Malacology”, 2018) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
02. Vomitory – “The Dead Awaken” (from “Opus Mortis VIII”, 2011) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
03. Malevolent Creation – “Multiple Stab Wounds” (from “The Ten Commandments”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
04. Immolation – “Those Left Behind” (from “Dawn of Possession”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
05. Asphyx – “Diabolical Existence” (from “The Rack”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
06. PainKiller – “Warhead” (from “Guts of a Virgin”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
07. The Chasm – “Storm of Revelations” (from “Procession to the Infraworld”, 2000) [Submitted by Sonny]
08. Comecon – “Omnivorous Excess” (from “Megatrends in Brutality”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
09. My Dying Bride – “Erotic Literature” (from “As The Flower Withers”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
10. Pungent Stench – “Games of Humiliation” (from “Been Caught Buttering”, 1991) [Submitted by Sonny]
11. Autopsy – “Destined to Fester” (from “Retribution For The Dead” E.P., 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
12. Pestilence – “Twisted Truth” (from “Testimony of the Ancients”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
13. Adramelech – “As The Gods Succumbed” (from “Psychostasia”, 1996) [Submitted by Sonny]
14. Unleashed – “Before the Creation of Time” (from “Where No Life Dwells”, 1991) [Submitted by Sonny]
15. Fuming Mouth – “Timeless” (from “Daylight Again” single, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
16. Convulse – “Incantation of Restoration” (from “World Without God”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
17. Bolt Thrower – “Destructive Infinity” (from “War Master”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
18. Hypocrisy – “Suffering Souls” (from “Penetralia”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
19. Ulcerate – “Drawn Into The Next Void” (from “Stare Into Death & Be Still”, 2020) [Submitted by Sonny]
20. Mithras – “Behind The Shadows” (from “Behind the Shadows Lie Madness”, 2007) [Submitted by Sonny]
21. Eternal Rot – “Devouring Purge” (from “Anatomia/Eternal Rot” split album, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
22. Atræ Bilis – “A Kingdom of Cortisol” (from “Aumicide”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
23. Replicant – “Orgasm of Bereavement” (from “Infinite Mortality”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
24. Critical Defiance – “All The Powers” (from “The Search Won’t Fall”, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]
25. Vredehammer – “From The Abyss” (from “God Slayer”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
26. Muldrotha – “Red in Tooth & Claw” (from “Red in Tooth & Claw” single, 2021) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
27. Defeated Sanity – “Generosity of the Deceased” (from “Disposal of the Dead/Dharmata”, 2016) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
July 2024
01. Striker – “Stand in the Fire” (from “Stand in the Fire”, 2016)
02. Motorhead – “Death or Glory” (from “Bastards”, 1993)
03. Mogul Blade – “Beneath The Black Sails” )from “Heavy Metal Wraiths”, 2024)
04. Stratovarius – “Götterdämmerung (Zenith of Power)” (from “Stratovarius”, 2005)
05. Anthem – “Night Stalker” (from “Gypsy Ways”, 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]
06. Flower Travellin’ Band – “Kamikaze” (from “Kamikaze” single, 1971)
07. Bang – “Lions, Christians” (from “Bang”, 1971)
08. Traitors Gate – “Love After Midnight” (from “Devil Takes The High Road” E.P., 1985)
09. Buffalo – “Sunrise (Come My Way)” (from “Volcanic Rock”, 1973)
10. Sacred Reich – “I Never Said Goodbye” (from “Independent”, 1993)
11. Gaskin – “Handful of Reasons” (from “End of the World”, 1981)
12. Deep Purple – “Fireball” (from “Fireball”, 1971)
13. Van Canto – “Take To The Sky” (from “Hero”, 2008)
14. Powerwolf – “Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend” (from “The Sacrament of Sin”, 2018) [Submitted by shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
15. Girlschool – “Bomber” (from “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” E.P., 1981)
16. Blood Star – “No One Wins” (from “First Sighting”, 2023)
17. Stormtrooper – “Steamroller” (from “Armies of the Night” E.P., 1985)
18. The Sword – “Acheron/Unearthing the Orb” (from “Warp Riders”, 2010)
19. TOWER – “Lay Down The Law” (from “Shock To The System”, 2021)
20. HammerFall – “Natural High” (from Threshold”, 2006)
21. Rhapsody of Fire – “Holy Downfall” (from “Challenge The Wind”, 2024)
22. Triumpher – “I Wake The Dragon (Promachos)” (from “Storming the Walls”, 2023)
23. Solitude Aeturnus – “Seeds of the Desolate” (from “Beyond The Crimson Horizon”, 1992)
24. Unleash The Archers – “Seeking Vengeance” (from “Phantoma”, 2024)
25. Attic – “Synodus horrenda” (from “Return of the Witchfinder”, 2024)
July 2024
01. Frayle – “Darker Than Black” (from “1692”, 2020) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
02. Trouble – “The Beginning” (from “Run To The Light”, 1987)
03. Black Sabbath – “Electric Funeral” (from “Paranoid”, 1970)
04. Randy Holden – “Fruit & Icebergs” (from “Population II”, 1970)
05. YDI – “Get Out” (from “Black Dust”, 1985)
06. Flower Travellin’ Band – “Kamikaze” (from “Kamikaze” single, 1971)
07. Black Space Riders – “Black Part 1: Space is Back” (from “Black Space Riders”, 2010)
08. Los Natas – “Hombre de Metal” (from “Nuevo orden de la Libertad”, 2009)
09. Orange Goblin – “Round Up The Horses” (from “Thieving From The House Of God”, 2004)
10. Tad – “Nipple Belt” (from “God’s Balls”, 1989)
11. Culted – “Brooding Hex” (from “Oblique to All Parts”, 2014)
12. Sorrow – “Insatiable” (from “Hatred & Disgust”. 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
13. My Dying Bride – “The Return of the Beautiful” (from “As The Flower Withers”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
14. Anathema – “…And I Lust” (from “The Crestfallen E.P.”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
15. Couch Slut - “The Donkey” (from “You Couldn’t Do It Tonight”, 2024)
16. Bad Luck Rides On Wheels – “Le livre du ciel et du monde” (from “Semper Eadam”, 2020) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
17. Thou – “I Return as Chained & Bound to You” (from “Umbilical”, 2024)
18. Civerous – “Geryon (The Plummet)” (from “Maze Envy”, 2024)
Killing Joke – “Millenium” (from “Pandemonium”, 1994)
Earth Crisis – “Stand By” (from “All Out War” E.P., 1992)
Sepultura – “Drug Me” (from “Third World Posse” E.P., 1992) [Can be found on the expanded version of “Arise”]
Anthem – “Voice of Thunderstorm” (from “No Smoke Without Fire”, 1990)
Motorhead – “Burner” (from “Bastards”, 1993)
Obliveon – “Frosted Avowals” (from “Nemesis”, 1993)
Overkill – “World of Hurt” (from “I Hear Black”, 1993)
Sacred Reich – “Product” (from “Independent”, 1993)
Annihilator – “Set the World on Fire” (from “Set the World on Fire”, 1993)
Enslaved – “Heimdallr” (from “Ygdrasill”, 1992)
Samael – “After the Sepulture” (from “Blood Ritual”, 1992)
Cradle of Filth – “To Eve the Art of Witchcraft” (from “The Principles of Evil Made Flesh”, 1994)
Aura Noir – “Conqueror” (from “Black Thrash Attack”, 1996)
Sorrow – “Unjustified Reluctance” (from “Hatred & Disgust”, 1992)
Embodyment – “Breed” (from “Embrace the Eternal”, 1998)
Nocturnus – “Mummified” (from “Nocturnus” E.P., 1993)
Séance – “Fornever Laid to Rest” (from “Fornever Laid to Rest”, 1992)
Solstice – “Netherworld” (from “Solstice”, 1992)
Mortification – “Scrolls of the Megilloth” (from “Scrolls of the Megilloth”, 1992)
Entombed – “Dusk” (from “Stranger Aeons” E.P., 1992)
Autopsy – “Dead Hole” (from “Fiend For Blood” E.P., 1992)
Dismember – “Soon to be Dead” (from “Pieces” E.P., 1992)
Anthem – “Fever Eyes” (from “No Smoke Without Fire”, 1990)
Faith No More – “The Cowboy Song” (from “Live at the Brixton Academy”, 1991) [No, this is not a live track]
My Dying Bride – “Gather Me Up Forever” (from “The Thrash of Naked Limbs” E.P., 1993)
Tiamat – “Undressed” (from “Clouds”, 1992)
diSEMBOWELMENT – “The Tree of Life & Death” (from “Dusk” E.P., 1992)
Cathedral – “Frozen Rapture” (from “Soul Sacrifice” E.P., 1992)
Burning Witch – “Warning Signs” (from “Crippled Lucifer”, 1998)
Solitude Aeturnus – “Beyond…” (from “Beyond the Crimson Horizon”, 1992)
Here's one that's a little more leftfield & includes a few deeper cuts:
Rainbow
01. Stargazer (from "Rising", 1976)
02. Gates of Babylon (from "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll", 1978)
03. A Light in the Black (from "Rising" 1976)
04. Man on the Silver Mountain (from "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow", 1975)
05. Tarot Woman (from "Rising", 1976)
06. Eyes of Fire (from "Straight Between the Eyes", 1982)
07. Run With the Wolf (from "Rising", 1976)
08. Danger Zone (from "Down to Earth", 1979)
09. Tearin' My Heart Out (from "Straight Between the Eyes", 1982)
10. Snowman (from "Bent Out of Shape", 1983)
Swedish hard rockers Ghost will be releasing their brand-new "Rite Here Rite Now" film soundtrack record on 26th July. I believe they've headed further away from metal over their last couple of albums but I thought this might interest some of you anyway. I've only heard their 2015 third album "Meliora" before but I have to admit that I didn't mind its professional progressive metal sound. I can't see me finding the time to check this one out though if I'm being honest.
London stoner metal kings Orange Goblin will be releasing their tenth studio album "Science, Not Fiction" on 19th July. I can't say I've ever really given them much time over the years as stoner metal isn't exactly my musical sweet spot. I did quite like their split E.P. with Electric Wizard & their "Nuclear Guru/Hand of Doom" single but those came more than 25 years ago now so perhaps it's time I gave them a long overdue chance o impress me with their new record.
Exulceration/Putrid Offal - "Infernal Disgust/Premature Necropsy" split album (1991)
This extremely underground split release is one that I picked up through the tape trading scene back in the day but have rarely heard mentioned since. I was recently reminded of it when I stumbled over it on another website where it was having large amounts of praise heaped on it but I found that I couldn’t remember anything terribly positive about it so I thought I’d revisit it to see what the fuss was all about. The record was released by Dutch label Sicktone Records & features two three-piece artists, neither of which had achieved a full-length album yet or would amount to much afterwards either. The two bands sound quite different from each other but some of that is due to the vastly different production jobs as they share many of the same influences. Let’s take a look at the release in a little more detail.
Exulceration were a Swiss goregrind band that specialized in a sound that seems to have been borrowed from Carcass’ “Reek of Putrefaction” & the early Xysma releases. The production job on their "Infernal Disgust" E.P. is pretty thin & weak which doesn’t help the band’s cause but they don’t really possess the skills to pull this material off anyway in my opinion. The poor drumming doesn’t help much at all as it leaves everything sounding very messy & those vocoded vocals simply make the whole thing sound a little bit childish too but then… I generally feel the same way about most goregrind releases to be fair. The side made up of French deathgrind outfit Putrid Offal's "Premature Necropsy" E.P. is a different story altogether as the filthy & noticeably thicker production job really suits the band’s sound which is similar to “Symphonies of Sickness”-period Carcass & Sweden’s Necrony. I absolutely love the guitar tone for this style of music as it gives it that graveyard atmosphere that I generally look for. The riffs & vocals are both of a very decent standard &, once again, it’s only the fairly incompetent drumming that lets Putrid Offal down a bit here. Thankfully though, they have a little more about them than Exulceration did which allows me to see past that flaw & to gain a fair bit of enjoyment out of the B side overall.
Look, I’m not sure if it’s just a taste thing or not but I can’t see that this split release is in any way essential, despite quite liking the Putrid Offal material. In fact, I wouldn’t even call the B side essential listening so I can’t say that I’m surprised that this record has stayed largely in the underground. It may appeal to those that get off on an ultra-primitive, DYI style of grindcore but I think this will be the last time our paths cross to be brutally honest.
For fans of Carcass, Xysma & Necrony.
3/5
I explored the 1979 "Let It Roll" debut album from Seattle outfit TKO this morning but found no metal whatsoever. This is a commercial hard rock record built for US radio.
I checked out the 1979 "Which Platform Please?" debut album from France's Silvertrain today. There's definitely some metal influence on this mothafucka but I don't think it's enough to qualify as a heavy metal release overall. I've gone for a hard rock primary with heavy metal & progressive rock secondaries for this one.
These are the releases that are currently very close to a result in the Hall of Judgement:
Pink - "Boris" (The Fallen)
Turbo - "Dorosłe dzieci" (The Guardians)
Motorhead - "Motorhead" (The Guardians)
M.S.W. - "Obliviosis" (The Fallen/The Infinite)
Cryptic Shift - "Visitations From Enceladus" (The Horde/The Infinite/The Pit)
Katatonia - "The Great Cold Distance" (The Gateway/The Infinite)
maudlin of the Well - "Leaving Your Body Map" (The Infinite)
Månegarm - "Vredens tid" (The North)
Mastodon - Blood Mountain (The Fallen/The Infinite)
Author & Punisher - "Krüller" (The Fallen/The Sphere)
Hexer - "Cosmic Doom Ritual" (The Fallen/The Infinite)
If you're familiar with any of these releases but are still yet to cast your vote then what are you waiting for!
So, we've finally reached an outcome on "Ride The Lightning" with the vote tally finishing at YES 4 NO 8 to deny its entry into The Guardians. Thank you to everyone who participated in reaching this result.
I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.
These two nominations have now been posted in the Hall of Judgement Andi.
I've passed this nomination uncontested Andi.
Dark Tranquillity - "Skydancer" (1993)
While there were a few different players in the race for the earliest example of the sound we now know as melodic death metal, I can definitely tell you that Sweden’s Dark Tranquillity were the first exponent that I encountered personally. I can say this with confidence as I can still remember being impressed with how fresh & exciting their approach was, even if their overall sound didn’t sit that comfortably within my wheelhouse. I think it may have been Dark Tranquillity’s 1992 “A Moonclad Reflection” E.P. that first graced my ears but it wasn’t until I discovered the band's very solid 1991 “Trail of Life Decayed” demo that I started to pay attention. Their debut album “Skydancer” would cross my radar shortly after release too & I found myself being thoroughly impressed with the level of compositional complexity on show. I've often wondered whether that might have skewed my opinion on the record a little though as I’ve always seemed to rate it a touch more highly than other metal enthusiasts with the common opinion being that it was merely a blip on the timeline that saw Dark Tranquillity’s popularity exploding with their 1995 sophomore album “The Gallery” two years later. This concern has seen me revisiting “Skydancer” with fresh ears this week & I’m glad that I have because it’s seen me drastically adjusting my position on this seminal yet divisive record.
Let’s get one thing straight from the offset, “Skydancer” isn’t the super-polished product that the melodic death metal scene would start producing in the coming years. It’s still very much a product of the underground scene at the time with the production job having a rough edge to it & the performances lacking the precision that the subgenre would eventually make one of its major calling cards. It does, however, sport a sound that was already clearly identifiable as Swedish melodic death metal, even if it does stand out a little in the Dark Tranquillity back catalogue given the additional layer of rawness its managed to maintain. The vocals of current In Flames & former Ceremonial Oath & Passenger front man Anders Friden already possess that raspy blackened edge that has become part & parcel of the Gothenburg sound while the complex melodic interplay of future HammerFall guitarists Niklas Sundin & Mikael Stanne (Grand Cadaver/The Halo Effect) weaves in & out of the interesting bass lines of Martin Henriksson. Despite some pretty fast blast-beats for the time, I’d have to suggest that the drumming of Anders Jivarp is the weaker component of the groups offering as he can’t boast the power & control of the modern-day exponents of the melodeath sound.
I have to admit that my initial thoughts upon my first revisit of “Skydancer” weren’t all that positive. It’s fair to say that I was caught off guard by just how far the early tracks fell beneath the shelf my nostalgia had placed them on all these years & it wasn’t until the third song “A Bolt of Blazing Gold” that things started to look up. The triple play of “Skywards”, folk number “Through Ebony Archways” & “Shadow Duet” (my album highlight) saw Dark Tranquillity hitting a more consistent flow through the middle of the record but things take a sharp curve towards the negative at the end of the album with both “My Faeryland Forgotten” & “Alone” failing to connect with me. There’s simply not the consistency I’ve come to expect from the more premium examples of the Gothenburg sound here & I've struggled to identify the appeal that the album had on me the last time our paths crossed a good fifteen years ago now.
The use of a duel clean vocal delivery at various points across the album was misguided in my opinion. Engineer Stefan Lindgren takes on the male cleans with guest female singer Anna-Kajsa Avehall also making a contribution on a few songs. I don’t think it’s a surprise that neither have gone on to anything of significance in the future as the efforts of both parties lack a level of professionalism & are noticeably pitchy at times, particularly that of Avehall which goes against the usual arrangement of dodgy male metal vocalists being backed by more capable female singers. I generally enjoy the clean folk guitar sections but unsurprisingly struggle a bit with the more metallic folk influences. Interestingly, it's the slower & more atmospheric parts of the tracklisting that offer me the most consistent appeal which isn't the norm for this hard-nosed ol' extreme metaller.
Look, “Skydancer” isn’t a horrible record by any stretch of the imagination but it clearly isn’t everything I’d pumped it up to be over the years either. It presents Dark Tranquillity as very much a work in progress & I think I'm gonna have adjust my position on the album significantly by suggesting that newcomers to the band &/or the Swedish melodeath scene might want to skip past the band’s first couple of proper releases & jump straight into “The Gallery” because it took a good couple of steps up from “Skydancer” & “A Moonclad Reflection”.
For fans of In Flames, At The Gates & Insomnium.
3/5
Despite what I might or might not have said about the one-off 1979 "Fröm the Fjörds" album from US trio Legend in the past, upon listening to it with fresh ears now I can't see that there's enough genuine metal here to qualify for this exercise. It's predominantly a progressive/hard rock record for mine with heavy metal & jazz fusion only playing supporting roles.
I checked out the 1979 self-titled debut album from Spanish outfit Medina Azahara this afternoon. There's no metal whatsoever here. It's a symphonic prog-focused Rock andaluz record for mine.
Like Ben, I haven't really focused on metal labels since the 1990's. Back then I used to religiously follow labels like Earache Records & premier Aussie extreme metal label Warhead Records but these days that's limited to ones that are a little closer to home like Sphere of Apparition (Oni, Neuropath, Unholy Redeemer, etc.). It's far easier to find good music in the internet age than it was when all we had to go on were magazines & word of mouth. Labels served a stronger purpose as a reliable provider of music that fit their particular niche. You can simply Google that stuff these days.
Annihilator - "Set the World on Fire" (1993)
Canadian thrashers Annihilator went from zero to hero in quite a hurry back in 1989 with their debut album “Alice in Hell” making huge waves in a thrash metal scene that was already starting to show signs of decline. Songs like the title track & “Word Salad” were all over the metal radio programs I religiously recorded & replayed at the time which saw me investing in a cassette copy of “Alice in Hell” shortly afterwards. While I don’t prescribe to the idea that "Alice in Hell" was a classic thrash record like many extreme metal fans do, I’m certainly a big fan of its classy complexity & beautifully executed compositional work which would lead to Ben & I picking up Annihilator’s more technical 1990 “Never, Neverland” sophomore CD as soon as it hit the shelves. I found that record to be pretty enjoyable too however, once again, I’d suggest that my affection for it is slightly less intense than others as I don’t consider it to be in any way essential. There’s no doubt that I classed myself as an Annihilator fan in the early-to-mid 1990's though so I took a keen interest in the band’s third full-length when it finally saw the light of day three years later with Ben purchasing the release on CD. I think it’s fair to say that my initial experiences with “Set The World On Fire” weren’t what I expected though & I found myself struggling to give a shit given that my taste had moved into such extreme territories over the previous few years. I’d continue to catch up with every subsequent Annihilator release over the years, if only for reasons of nostalgia & completism, but I don’t think I’ve returned to “Set The World On Fire” since the early 1990’s, apparently being scared off by the fact that it’s the band’s least intense release overall. Recent events have seen me discovering that I’ve been a little harsh on releases that took similar creative turns recently though so I thought I’d see if that was the case with this one too. I’ve gotta say that I’m glad I did too because it’s not half bad.
Now, let’s get one thing out of the way very early on by stating that “Set The World On Fire” is NOT a thrash metal record. In fact, there’s only really one thrash song included on it in the Exodus-inspired “Knight Jumps Queen”. The rest of the ten-song tracklisting is made up of an array of different subgenres that I’d generally suggest fall into a more commercially accessible space than anything Annihilator had done before or since. The production job is outstanding & is a real feather in the record’s cap with every instrument jumping out of the speakers at you in vibrant fashion. The performances are also stunning, particularly that of band leader Jeff Waters & his guitar-slinging partner in crime Neil Goldberg whose rhythm guitar work sits amongst the best I’ve ever heard which is really saying something. New front man Aaron Randall puts in a high-class performance too & gives the more commercially focused songs an additional layer of integrity. I have to admit that I didn’t even realise he was making his debut for Annihilator as he doesn’t sound drastically different to Coburn Pharr who appeared on “Never, Neverland” as far as I can recall. And what about the drum skills of future Extreme/Dream Theater/James LaBrie/MullMuzzler/Steve Vai skinsman Mike Mangini then!? Fuck, this dude can play. That elite capability has certainly played a strong role in my enjoyment of this release as I find it really hard not to get into a record when it sounds this good & it showcases the work of such capable artists. Thankfully though, the song-writing is nowhere near as bad as I remember it being. In fact, this is really a very consistent record with only the intentionally weird progressive metal closer “Brain Dance” failing to meet the mark.
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of different influences on display on “Set The World On Fire” but this doesn’t leave the album sounding like it’s been pasted together. The strong production job & musicianship give this material enough of a common theme to tie it all together nicely. To be critical, the tracklisting is quite top heavy though with the three best songs kicking off the album in fine style. In fact, after those three songs I was wondering if I might have an underground classic on my hands here but it sadly wasn’t to be with the quality of the song-writing dipping a bit after that & never quite returning to its former glory. The clear highlight of the record comes right at the beginning with the Pantera-style groove metal title track being one of the finest moments in the entire Annihilator back catalogue. Speed metal burner “No Zone” keeps the energy high before catchy heavy metal anthem “Bats in the Belfry” brings the intensity down a bit. Interestingly, there’s a strong glam metal edge to a couple of numbers with “Snake in the Grass” clearly having been inspired by Skid Row & “Don’t Bother Me” having borrowed it’s rhythms from Van Halen. There’s even a bit of Extreme about the slick AOR sound of ballads “Pheonix Rising” & “Sounds Good To Me” but, just when you think Annihilator are verging on the cheese zone, we find them reaching into their back pockets & pulling out a progressive edge that eases any tension that may have been building up inside of my hardened extreme metal mind. The influence of fellow Canadians Rush is clear at times although I wouldn’t suggest that it’s ever intended as a focal point. It’s more of an accompaniment that’s used to good effect in my opinion.
Look, I’m not going to tell you that “Set The World On Fire” is essential listening, even for Annihilator fans. But I am going to tell you that it’s a pretty decent effort if you’re willing to follow the band into uncharted territory with an open mind. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that I don’t think “Set The World On Fire” sits far behind its much more highly praised predecessor “Never, Neverland” in terms of general song-writing quality. It’ll only be the stylistic license that Waters has taken that might turn you off. Let’s be honest, Annihilator have always struggled to offer anything that comes even remotely close to their debut album in the 35 years since its release so I don’t think fans of the band can afford to be too picky when it comes to a record like this one & I’m really glad that I’ve reset my opinion on it as I’d clearly let my initial shock get the better of me back in the day. This simply isn’t the cheese factory I thought it was all these years.
For fans of Skid Row, Metallica's "Black Album" & Megadeth records like "Cryptic Writings" & "Super Collider".
3.5/5
Brujeria - "Matando güeros" (1993)
Back in the pre-internet days, it wasn’t uncommon for devoted metalheads to make the blind purchase of a new release based purely on cover art, the involvement of a key individual & a general hunch that it was worth pursuing. The 1993 debut album “Matando gueros” was very much the sum of all three for me as a seventeen year-old with the cover artwork clearly depicting someone holding up what looks very much like a severed head (i.e. some bad ass shit that would shock everyone around me which was a major tick for me at the time) & the mysterious masked band reportedly containing some of metal’s most prominent heroes, many years later being confirmed as Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares & drummer Raymond Herrera, Napalm Death/Lock Up/Meathook Seed/Unseen Terror bassist Shane Embury & Faith No More bassist Billy Gould. These attractions would see me purchasing Brujeria’s debut album on CD & eagerly racing home with hopes of something genuinely special. Did those hopes end up being met? Weeellll…. No, I’d suggest not… but it was no doubt a pretty fun record to thrash my teenage body around my bedroom to nonetheless.
The Brujeria side-project was definitely an interesting concept on paper with the idea of a psychotic, murderous bunch of Mexican drug lords somehow living a double life as an extreme deathgrind band immediately providing pay-off through a humorous intro piece that set the scene for what was to come. “Matando gueros” took on the classic grindcore format with its nineteen short songs spanning just 32-minutes. It didn’t offer anything drastically different to other deathgrind records from an instrumental perspective but contained a clear differentiator in the rabid Mexican-language death metal vocals of Juan Brujo & Pinche Peach. The production job was kept suitably dirty & (unlike Fear Factory) the performances don’t focus too hard on precision, instead aiming less for seriousness & more for unbridled fun. There’s a noticeable grooviness to some of the riffs but Brujeria are at their best when they’re at their most brutal & grinding in my opinion. This isn’t one of those grind records where every track sounds the same either with brief u-turns into alternative subgenres like industrial metal taking place here & there.
The tracklisting has its ups & downs & I wouldn’t say that there is anything terribly life-changing included here. The wins outweigh the losses by a significant margin though with only a few tracks not managing to maintain my interest. Strangely, it’s the most highly regarded of those that I find myself struggling with the most as the groovy title track does pretty much nothing for me. Give me blasting deathgrind over that shit any day of the week I say & particularly when it’s done as well as highlights like “Leyes narcos”, “Cruza la frontera” & “Chinga de mecos”.
The album is all over in a flash of fun & there is the potential for the whole thing to fly straight over your head if you’re not paying close attention. Repeat listens will see you becoming accustomed to the song-writing fairly swiftly though & it’ll come down to taste as to just how much of impact “Matando gueros” ends up having on you. Personally, I find it to be a pretty enjoyable yet largely inessential extreme metal party record that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. The band clearly had their tongues in their cheeks while they wrote this material but there’s still more than enough substance to satisfy the hard-nosed grindcore enthusiasts out there.
For fans of Asesino, Napalm Death & Machetazo.
3.5/5
Cancer - "The Sins of Mankind" (1993)
I first became aware of English death metallers Cancer through their 1990 debut album “To The Gory End” through underground metal radio programming in the very early 90’s & quite liked what I heard. Their simple brand of death metal wasn't terribly challenging but was undeniably catchy & seemed to tick a lot of my boxes, if not with a particularly bold pen. I’d go on to seek out their 1991 sophomore album “Death Shall Rise” once it hit the shelves & found it to be a slight improvement on their first-up effort, largely thanks to the contribution of super-talented hired gun guitar shredder James Murphy who I was already quite infatuated with after falling in love with his work on Death’s “Spiritual Healing” & Obituary’s “Cause of Death”. So, given my generally positive experiences with Cancer to the time, I think it’s fair to say that I was an interested observer when it came to 1993’s “The Sins of Mankind” third album. They certainly hadn’t knocked it out of the park as yet but I felt that the potential was there for something more significant. There must still have been a little hesitation though as once again I found myself holding off from throwing my hard-earned cash down on the counter, instead seeking out a dubbed cassette copy of the record through the tape trading scene.
The production job on “The Sins of Mankind” isn’t exactly brilliant. The guitar tone is a touch flat & a little bit messy which plays a significant role in the album’s overall tone. It’s certainly not a dealbreaker but it’s worth mentioning regardless. James Murphy’s involvement with Cancer was unfortunately limited to “Death Shall Rise” too so here we see the band trying to make their own way without the oversight of such an undeniable musical highlight. I would imagine it must have been quite an imposing proposition for new axeman Barry Savage who had no prior credentials on his resume & clearly didn’t have anything like the talent of Murphy. It would really be up to the rest of the band to step up to the plate a bit in support given that they’d stayed largely within themselves on “Death Shall Rise” which was a pretty simple, meat-&-potatoes example of the old-school death metal sound.
So, how did Cancer fair in this endeavour then? Well, I think it’s fair to say that the success or failure of “The Sins of Mankind” is a little divisive with fans. For my personally though, I really needed Cancer to push themselves a bit outside of their comfort zone if they were to maintain my attention in a post-Murphy world & I feel that they’ve managed to achieve that to a reasonable extent with their third album. They’d added just enough in the way of compositional complexity to make “The Sins of Mankind” the next logical step for the band rather than a poor man’s “Death Shall Rise”. There can be no doubt at all that Savage struggles a little on lead guitar duties but the riffs are generally very good with drummer Carl Stokes contributing a rock-solid platform for the rest of the band to work off. Stokes is often criticised for his tendency to want to play in mainly fairly safe, mid-paced territory but I think that’s a touch unfair because it’s clearly a strength of his with his double-kick being both precise & powerful. When he tries to up the ante a little it’s rarely as effective so I can hardly blame him for this approach. I’ve always enjoyed rhythm guitarist John Walker’s signature death growl too as it’s always easily intelligible, despite possessing the required level of monstrosity.
The tracklisting on “The Sins of Mankind” is very consistent with no obvious duds amongst the eight songs on offer. There are a couple of numbers that stand out from the rest as clear highlights in opener “Cloak of Darkness” (my personal favourite) & the equally impressive “Patchwork Destiny” & they both appear fairly early in the album which does give it a slightly top-heavy feel. Neither can lay claim to being genuinely classic death metal tunes though & this is a part of the reason why “The Sins of Mankind” has been destined for the also-rans category. In fact, I’d suggest that they wee the very definition of a third-tier player at this stage of their musical evolution to be honest. I find all three of their early 90’s albums to be pleasant enough but none challenge me much or provide me with enough in the way of excitement to see me claiming them as essential releases for fans of the genre.
Don’t get me wrong, I do have quite a bit of time for “The Sins of Mankind” & actually don’t think it’s all that far behind my favourite Cancer release in “Death Shall Rise” to tell you the truth. The added ambition in the riff construction has worked quite well in ensuring that the record doesn’t simply sound like a Murphy-less “Death Shall Rise”. With a better production job it may well have made a bigger play at the death metal market of the time too. As it is though, I find it to be an entertaining (if inessential) example of the classic old-school death metal sound. Nothing more, nothing less.
For fans of Massacre, Master & Death’s first couple of albums.
3.5/5
Godflesh has a few albums deemed sludge metal, Daniel, but I understand, since you have objected to those releases having that genre tag.
That's just a reflection of how little RYMers understand about sludge metal to be honest. There's never been a more obviously industrial metal artist than Godflesh. There's absolutely no need for any other tag, at least not on their classic releases.
OK, I'll give it a crack:
01. Mick Gordon
02. Alice in Chains
03. Botch
04. Leprous
05. Faith No More
06. Iron Maiden
07. Godflesh
08. Deftones
09. Ministry
10. Lucid Planet
Pungent Stench - "Dirty Rhymes & Psychotronic Beats" E.P. (1993)
I feel like I was lucky to have come across Austrian death metallers Pungent Stench fairly early in life to be honest because, as a general rule, I can do without any sort of silliness or humour in my extreme metal, preferring to imagine that the sounds being omitted from my speakers are truly the work of Satan or some horrifying zombie creature. But I’d suggest that I was perhaps a little more open to the concept when I first wrapped my ears around Pungent Stench’s 1990 debut album “For God Your Soul… For Me Your Flesh” as I was simply gorging myself on anything even remotely tied to the death metal genre & it fit the mould nicely with its disgusting subject matter & filthy aesthetics. I thoroughly enjoyed that record which saw me going back to explore Pungent Stench’s 1989 split album with fellow Austrians Disharmonic Orchestra, a release that I quite liked too. These early experiences saw me purchasing 1991’s “Been Caught Buttering” sophomore album on cassette as soon as it hit the shelves & playing the absolute shit out of it too. It was the band’s strongest release to the time in my opinion with the song-writing perfectly balancing the band’s deathly atmosphere with a clear tongue-in-cheek shock factor. So, by the time 1993’s “Dirty Rhymes & Psychotronic Beats” E.P. hit my CD player two years later, I would certainly have called myself a fan of Pungent Stench. Perhaps a slightly reluctant one but a fan nonetheless.
I think it’s fair to say that “Dirty Rhymes & Psychotronic Beats” represents somewhat of a gap-filling exercise that was drawn upon in order to make the extended period between 1991’s “Been Caught Buttering” album & 1994’s follow-up record “Club Mondo Bizarre – For Members Only” more palatable for Pungent Stench’s growing fan base. It clearly fits the bill for what your average E.P. generally tries to achieve too as it’s more of a collection of random songs than it is a fluent creative statement. Different versions of the same track? TICK! Silly novelty tracks? TICK. Cover versions? TICK! Useless, extended noise outro on the last track to make the release seem like you get more value for money than you actually do? TICK! You know the drill, right? But that’s not to say that there’s not anything here to keep you entertained because this E.P. still clearly highlights the things that made Pungent Stench an attractive prospect for your average death metal fan in the first place i.e. catchy song-writing with fun themes & memorably hooks.
The seven-song tracklisting begins with a two-minute intro piece called “Praise The Name of the Musical Assassins” which utilizes a layered, sample-heavy electronic music platform through which to express itself. It’s a very effective way to kick things off & I don’t think my background in electronic music has done me any harm at all in seeing me unexpectedly favouring this piece over the rest of the tracklisting. The proper metal material begins with “Viva la muerte” which I’d suggest is probably the most effective metal number included. It sees Pungent Stench placing their creative cards down on the table right from the word go as this isn’t your standard death metal number. Oh no… there’s a noticeable groove to the tightly-performed riffs that is more in line with the Entombed-led death ‘n’ roll movement than the sound the Stench began life with. That sound has never really been my cup of tea but it seems to fit in with this band’s image & themes quite nicely. The cover version of Warning’s “Why Can The Bodies Fly” takes the hardened extreme metaller even further outside of their comfort zone with its quirky electronic component doing its very best to make me feel alienated. Thankfully though, I’m a pretty big fan of the original which makes this a nice novelty inclusion, despite not being up to the same standard as the German’s 1982 effort. The wheels start to fall off a little bit from there though with two of the remaining three metal tunes (i.e. “Blood, Pus & Gastric Juice (Rare Groove Mix)” & “Four ‘F’ Club”) lacking the substance to keep me interested. “Horny Little Piggy Bank” has enough in the way of chunky, groove-laden heaviness to get my blood pumping though. Closer “Blood, Pus & Gastric Juice (Tekkno-House-Mix)” is no doubt the biggest eye-opener for the dedicated metalhead as it’s essentially an electro-industrial, early techno-infused remix that has very little to do with extreme metal. I don’t mind it actually but then I was a techno DJ throughout the 2000’s & probably would have considered playing this track as it’s pretty well done to tell you the truth.
So, as you can see, “Dirty Rhymes & Psychotronic Beats” requires a bit of effort & a few obvious challenges to be overcome for your hard-nosed death metal fan. The death ‘n’ roll sound that Pungent Stench had adopted certainly isn’t for everyone but they do it very well if that’s something that you’re into. I sit somewhere in between so the E.P. wasn’t without its obstacles but I’m pleased to say that, despite it being clearly the least significant release for the band to the time, I found enough enjoyment in the material to make this revisit a worthwhile exercise. Just don’t expect it to be up to the same sort of standard as Pungent Stench’s first two albums because you’ll be disappointed. Oh... & I'd also avoid spending too much time looking at the intentionally repulsive cover artwork as I'd suggest that it's enough to turn off all but the most desensitized punter.
For fans of Blood Duster, mid-90’s Gorefest & “Swansong”-era Carcass.
3.5/5
The Burzum conundrum is certainly a tough call as both records changed my life upon release. "Hvis lyset tar oss" is undeniably the true source & includes the track that many (including me) consider to be the high point of the entire subgenre but "Filosofem" is arguably the more consistent & complete record of the two & there's a case to say that it's the most widely celebrated release in all of black metal. I honestly can't see a list like this one without "Filosofem" being right at the top. It simply wouldn't feel right to me so I've gotta go with it. If I'm only allowed to pick from the releases you've listed then "Hvis lyset tar oss" would easily make the cut of course.
I'd suggest that "Bergtatt" should be a no-brainer as it represents the blueprint for the folky/Pagan side of atmospheric black metal & was hugely influential.
Paysage d'Hiver simply MUST be here as they're easily the second most important band in the subgenre & the only one that comes close to touching the majesty of Burzum too in my opinion.
As much as I hate to admit it, I'm forever finding myself shocked & appalled by just how popular & influential Agalloch's "Pale Folklore" has been & it dropped the year before the Weakling album too so I'm gonna have to reluctantly concede that it needs to be included (even though I absolutely despise it).
And finally, I'd go with Wolves in the Throne Room over Weakling. Not only do I think "Two Hunters" is comfortably the better record but I also think it's been more influential in the way the Cascadian black metal scene has developed as it's reached a much wider audience & has created a whole bunch of pretty decent copy-cats.
The Blut aus Nord record isn't really atmospheric black metal for mine so it shouldn't be considered for this category.
The less said about Summoning the better really. I mean, there's not a tonne of bands that sound like Summoning out there right now, is there? At least, I hope not.
The 1979 "Slaughter House" third album from Germany's Mass is once again nothing more than a hard/boogie rock record with no metal on offer whatsoever.
This one-off 1979 live album from Texas-based hard rockers Impeccable displays quite a bit of metal influence. In fact, two of the seven songs should qualify for a heavy metal primary in my opinion. I don't think it's quite enough to justify a dual primary tag overall though so I'm gonna suggest that this is predominantly a hard rock record with heavy metal influences.
Belgian post-metallers Amenra have a brand new live album hitting the streets next month entitled "Live at Rock Werchter 2023". These guys are always great so I've added it to my list to check out.
