Daniel's Forum Replies
Mordred – “Falling Away” (from “In This Life”, 1991)
Cathedral – “Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain” (from “Forest of Equilibrium”, 1991)
Great Falls – “Old Words Worn Thin” (from “Objects Without Pain”, 2023)
March 2024
01. Orphanage – “At The Mountains Of Madness” (from “By Time Alone”, 1996)
02. Dismember – “Dreaming in Red” (from “Indecent & Obscene”, 1993) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
03. Decameron – “Carpe Noctem” (from “My Shadow…”, 1996)
04. I’m Letting Unseen Forces Take The Wheel – “Jake Is A Mostly Dog Name” (from “Scary Website” E.P., 2023)
05. Cryptworm – “Miasmatic Foetid Odour” (from “Oozing Radioactive Vomition”, 2023) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
06. Anal Cunt – “Radio Hit” (from “Morbid Florist” E.P., 1993)
07. Nocturnus – “Standing In Blood” (from “The Key”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]
08. Nihilist – “Morbid Devourment” (from “The Head Not Found Session ‘89”, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]
09. Terrorizer – “Doomed Forever” (from “Darker Days Ahead”, 2006)
10. Grotesque – “Incantation” (from “Incantation” E.P., 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]
11. Watchmaker – “Great Misleader” (from “Kill.Fucking.Everyone.”, 2003)
12. Atheist – “Fraudulent Cloth” (from “Jupiter”, 2010) [Submitted by Sonny]
13. Neuropath – “Nefarious Vivisection” (from “Nefarious Vivisection” demo, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]
14. Mongrel – “Dog Complex” (from “Off The Leash”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
15. Horrifier – “Assimilated Life” (from “Horrid Resurrection”, 2023) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
16. Wormhole – “Almost Human” (from “Almost Human”, 2023) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
17. Immolation – “Of Martyrs & Men” (from “Unholy Cult”, 2002) [Submitted by Sonny]
18. Ribspreader – “The Skeletal Towers” (from “Reap Humanity”, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]
19. Vomit Forth – “Unclaimed Cadaver” (from “Northeastern Depravation” E.P., 2019) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
20. Deicide – “Carnage In The Temple Of The Damned” (from “Deicide”, 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]
21. Disbelief – “Assassinate The Scars” (from “Worst Enemy”, 2001) [Submitted by Daniel]
22. Plague of the Fallen – “Cycles of Anguish” (from “Amongst The Rats”, 2023) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
23. Cave Sermon – “Beyond Recognition” (from “Divine Laughter”, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]
24. Coma Cluster Void – “Iron Empress” (from Mind Cemeteries”, 2016)
25. Napalm Death – “Puritanical Punishment Beating” (from “Smear Campaign”, 2006)
26. Phobia – “Contest To Amend” (from “Grind Your Fucking Head In” E.P., 2003)
27. Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition – “xx.03.02” (from “2”, 2003)
28. Maximize Bestiality – “Caustic Unction of Ferocity” (from “Extraterrestrial Skolexomorphic Infestation”, 2014)
Devastation - "Idolatry" (1991)
I first wrapped my ears around Texas-based thrash metal outfit Devastation when I experienced some of the material from their 1989 sophomore album "Signs of Life" back in the very early 1990's & I quite liked what I heard too just quietly. The band seemed to offer a fair bit of potential so I found myself checking out the full-length album shortly afterwards, a record that I liked enough to see me heading back to their very ordinary 1987 debut album "Violent Termination". The debut did very little for me unfortunately but when 1991's "Idolatry" third full-length was released it wasted no time in repaying me for my initial faith & is easily Devastation's finest work. It's the record that I reach for whenever I think of this band & is pretty much the only one you NEED to own as a respectable thrash metal fan.
"Idolatry" is often referred to as being a death/thrash hybrid but that's not an accurate depiction of what you can expect because there's really very little in the way of death metal to be found across the eight tracks included. Instead, you'll find a very pure thrash metal sound that's heavily influenced by bands like Slayer, Dark Angel, Exodus & Kreator but simply "feels" more brutal than most other thrash releases primarily because of the savage production, the powerful, driving double kick drum work & the aggressive vocals of front man Rodney Dunsmore which are probably the weak point for the band if there is one as they could certainly have been a little more accomplished. Thankfully though, the same cannot be said for the instrumentation which is absolutely devastating (see what I did there?). Guitarists Dave Burk & Henry Elizondo totally slay with their solos generally placed over the most intense parts of the songs & being made very much from the Kerry King & Jeff Hannemann mold. Drummer David Lozano is the hero here though & proves himself to be an elite exponent of his craft. He doesn't try too many extravagant rolls & fills but what he does contribute is exciting & super-precise which gives Devastation an exceptionally solid basis to work over.
The album kicks off brilliantly with opener "Deliver the Suffering" being one of the highlights of the 44 minute run time. There aren't any weak tracks included. In fact, there's nothing short of being a very solid example of the classic thrash metal model with "Forsaken Hatred" (my personal favourite), "Subconscious" & super-shredding closer "Never Believe" being the other major highlights. Devastation are definitely at their best when they're really going for it at the higher tempos but the slower, chunkier material is also very entertaining as the band seem to have mastered the art of the riff with "Idolatry" providing somewhat of a smorgasbord of delights for underground thrash fans. There's a noticeable class about everything they do with note selection & riff complexity being placed upon a pedestal & Lozano providing the perfect support for each section.
"Idolatry" really does sound like it was tailor made for someone with my particular background & taste profile as it combines so many of the things I look for in my metal. It's such a shame that it'd represent Devastation's final hurrah as the band seemed to have so much still in the tank. Perhaps it's best to leave the scene on such a high though as it certainly helps in maintaining the aura around the band for all eternity. Fans of the more brutal end of thrash metal (think Demolition Hammer, Dark Angel & Morbid Saint) should regard "Idolatry" as the very epitome of the hidden gem & one of the best thrash releases of the 1990's. It's a genuine thrash classic in my opinion.
4.5/5
I'm just gonna say it: Black Sabbath were already heavier than Sad Wings on their barely-metal debut album.
You could argue that Black Sabbath's debut was "heavier" than "Sad Wings of Destiny" but I'd challenge anyone who claims that "Black Sabbath" was as metal as Priest's sophomore album. I don't think it's a very fair comparison anyway as the first four Black Sabbath records weren't really "heavy metal" records per se which means that you're essentially comparing releases from different genres. Early Sabbath took on more of a stoner metal format by today's genre definitions in my opinion & that description would generally bring to mind thoughts of a heavier sound than your average heavy metal band anyway. "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" & "Sabotage" are more of a like-for-like comparison with "Sad Wings of Destiny". Regardless... how many heavy metal bands are as heavy as the early Black Sabbath even today? I'd suggest that the answer is not all that many.
Today's track is Judas Priest's "Epitaph" which I'd suggest fits comfortably enough under an art pop tag:
This week's revisit to Pestilence's "Testimony of the Ancients" album has seen me needing to find space for it in my Top Ten Metal Releases of All Time list which has seen it slotting in at number 86 & forcing Meshuggah's "I" E.P. out of the list.
This morning's track is Judas Priest's "Genocide" &, at the risk of retaliation, I'm gonna have to suggest that you have to wait until right at the end for the climax & fade-out section before you get any legitimate metal on this one. It sounds much closer to AC/DC than it does to Iron Maiden for mine so I have go with my heart & say that it's predominantly a hard rock tune.
For the record, I don't consider any of those band's classic releases to be technical death metal. They're all progressive death metal records in my opinion. The incorrect use of the tech death & tech thrash tags has long been a source of annoyance for me & is one that I'd like to clear up in the Academy database at some point but have had to simply accept until such time as we have an avenue to make the required changes.
I'm sure I'll annoy a few of you with this morning's hot take but I believe Judas Priest's "Tyrant" offers as much in the way of hard rock as it does heavy metal so I'm going with a dual tagging. The verses & guitar solo section are clearly metal but the rest is decidedly grey, particularly the intro, choruses & bridge along with the performance of the rhythm section being predominantly rock based.
Pestilence - "Testimony of the Ancients" (1991)
Dutch legends Pestilence first came to my attention back in 1990 through their classic death metal anthem "Out Of The Body" which was played on late-night metal radio & saw me quickly exploring Pestilence's first couple of albums. I found both of them to be very solid examples of the early death metal scene too & have returned to them quite often over the years but it would be their 1991 "Testimony of the Ancients" third full-length that would really set my world on fire after I picked up a cassette copy of the album upon release. It would be by far Pestilence's most ambitious effort to date as it would see them expanding their musical palette significantly with a more progressive approach that sat very well with my taste profile at the time. For some reason though, I've managed to never get a firm rating down on Metal Academy & I'd like to change that today.
1988's excellent death/thrash debut album "Malleus Maleficarum" & 1989's widely praised death metal classic "Consuming Impulse" were both classy affairs that showcased a band that was willing to push themselves as musicians but were still comparitively straight forward in their structure & composition. The loss of influential front man Martin van Drunen would see a reshuffle in the ranks with guitarist Patrick Mameli stepping up to the microphone & the super-talented Tony Choy taking over Mameli's bass duties which were both extremely positive moves in my opinion. While I do enjoy van Drunen's psychotic howls, I've always found Mameli's more controlled & traditionally deathly vocals to be far more to my taste while Choy's undeniable chops & impeccable tone would see Pestilence reaching a new level of technical proficiency that would no doubt play a role in the musical direction they'd take.
"Testimony of the Ancients" sees Pestilence offering eight full songs in combination with eight short interludes of various styles for a wonderfully expansive take on the death metal model that wouldn't totally isolate old-school fans but would open Pestilence up to a whole new audience of open-minded metal fans. It's still very much a death metal album at its core but the incorporation of more complex song-structures, the wide use of octaves & dissonance within the chord structures & the integration of jazz fusion concepts within the guitar solos would see Pestilence starting to play in spaces previously only traversed by bands like Atheist & Cynic but maintaining a darkness & intensity that neither of those seminal acts could match. The influence of Teutonic thrash heavy-weights Kreator's classic 1988 "Extreme Aggression" album is obvious throughout without the record ever feeling like thrash while the contribution of death metal godfathers Death to Pestilence's music is still as clear as day, although it's certainly worth noting that "Testimony of the Ancients" actually came out before Death's wonderful 1991 fourth album "Human" with which it shares so many of its traits. Pestilence had traditionally followed Death's lead but here we see them making the running in no uncertain terms. The tendency for people to want to call both bands "technical death metal" is misguided though in my opinion with neither being particularly technical in the true sense of the term. This music is far better served by a "progressive death metal" tag as it's a lot more adventurous than simply making the riffs & rhythms harder to play. In fact, a lot of the material isn't actually all that hard to reproduce, even Choy's bass lines which are still fairly faithful to the riffs for the most part.
Despite the inclusion of the many interludes which are quite varied in their effectiveness, "Testimony of the Ancients" possesses an outstanding tracklisting that's full of genuine classics. "Twisted Truth" is one of my all-time favourite death metal tracks & lead the way nicely while "Land of Tears", "Prophetic Revelations", "Stigmatized" & particularly the incredible "Testimony" & "Presence of the Dead" present an elite artist that's at the very peak of their creativity. This all amounts to a record that I still consider to be the clear highlight of an impressive four album run that would etch Pestilence into the annals of death metal folklore for all time. Sadly, the band's subsequent reformation & continuous efforts to match their early works hasn't amounted to anything of significance but they'll always be afforded a position amongst the greats of the genre nonetheless, such was the impact of those late 80's/early 90's releases on the global extreme metal scene. If you're a diehard Death, Atheist or Cynic fan then you owe it to yourself to get across this record too.
4.5/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Technical Death Metal Releases of All Time list with Death's "Symbolic" dropping out to make way for "Testimony of the Ancients":
01. 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes Of Absolution" (2012)
02. Death - "Human" (1991)
03. Suffocation - "Pierced From Within" (1995)
04. Suffocation - "Despise The Sun" E.P. (1998)
05. Death – “Individual Thought Patterns” (1993)
06. Pestilence - "Testimony of the Ancients" (1991)
07. Gorguts – “Colored Sands” (2013)
08. Cynic - "Focus" (1993)
09. Ulcerate – “Everything Is Fire” (2009)
10. Ad Nauseam - "Imperative Imperceptible Impulse" (2021)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/148
30 minutes
This morning's track is Judas Priest's "Prelude" which I feel is best served by a dual tag of classical music & art rock.
Swedish melodic blackened death metallers Necrophobic's tenth full-length "In the Twilight Grey" is due for release on 15th March. They've managed to pull together a couple of more than decent albums since 2013's disappointing "Womb of Lilithu" so I'm expecting more of the same here without ever threatening to produce anything of the quality of their mid-90's peak.
Belgian brutal death metal stalwarts Aborted have generally been pretty consistent since a couple of dodgy releases in the late 2000's with their last five albums all being worth a listen so I'll probably get onboard once their brand new twelfth full-length "Vault of Horrors" is released on 15th March.
I'm a big fan of 2021's "Feel" debut album from Los Angeles death metallers Apparition which we featured here at the Academy at some point so I'm planning to be all over the follow-up "Disgraced Emanations From a Tranquil State" which is due to be released on 22nd March.
I haven't minded either of Japanese blackgaze artist Asunojokei's two full-lengths to date with their latest "Island" being the stronger of the two. It looks like the band might don't mind it either as they're about to release a live album that sees them performing "Island" in its entirety.
The news that Judas Priest are releasing a brand new album next month has made me realise that I never even got around to checking out their last one in 2018's highly praised "Firepower". The newie is called "Invincible Shield" & will no doubt get a fair bit of attention. I'm a fan of new-ish guitarist Richie Faulkner so there would have to be a good chance of some more quality heavy metal with this one too.
I first discovered French black metallers Merrimack through their 2006 "Of Entropy & Life Denial" sophomore album a few years after in hit the shelves & have kept track of them ever since. I wasn't much of a fan of 2012's "The Acausal Mass" record but they recovered pretty well with their 2017 follow-up "Omegaphilia" so I'll probably check out next month's sixth full-length "Of Grace & Gravity" at some point.
I've generally enjoyed my experiences with US speed metal solo act Midnight over the years with both their 2011 "Satanic Royalty" debut album & 2022's "Let There Be Witchery" fifth full-length being worthy of a few listens. Next month will see Jamie Walters releasing his follow-up to "Let There Be Witchery", a release entitled "Hellish Expectations". Might be worth a look I would expect too.
Chile's Pentagram have also got a new one out in April. It's their sophomore, released eleven years after their debut, The Malefice, an album I enjoyed a fair bit. They actually date back to the late-80's, releasing two well-thought of demos back in 1987, so I would be interested to hear how their new material sounds.
Is that right? I quite liked "The Malefice" too & was also a big fan one of their 1980's demos back in my tape trading days so I'll definitely check that release out at some point.
Finnish melodic death metallers Before The Dawn have a brand new E.P. coming out in March called "Archaic Flame". I've always found these guys to be worth listening to but they dropped the ball with their last album "Stormbringers" so the jury is out on whether they can recover from that blip.
Here's a new release that I do hold strong hopes for in Chilean thrash metallers Critical Defiance's third full-length "The Search Won't Fall..." which is due to hit the shelves next month. Both of their first two albums have been worth listening to (particularly the last one "No Life Forms" which I thought was really strong) so I'll be checking this one out at some point too.
US industrial metal legends Ministry have yet another new full-length coming out next month under the suggestive title of "Hopiumforthemasses". I believe this will be their gazillionth album if I'm not mistaken. Admittedly the public has generally discarded everything they've done for decades now so I can't see them pulling out an unexpected classic at this point. I think the last Ministry record I actually checked out was 1996's "Filth Pig" though so what would I know.
Swiss death/thrash outfit Messiah have a new album coming out in March. I haven't enjoyed anything they've released since the early 1990's so I'm not holding out hopes of this release offering anything too special.
Underappreciated Aussie black metallers Pestilential Shadows are releasing their brand new seventh full-length "Devil's Hammer" next month which should be worth a few listens. Their last few releases have been pretty decent but have drifted past the public gaze relatively unnoticed. 2011's "Depths" album is a prime example of an undiscovered gem in my opinion.
Swedish trance metal masters Amaranthe have just released their brand new seventh full-length "The Catalyst". I actually didn't mind their last record "Manifest" so I wouldn't be averse to this one passing by my ear holes at some point although I'd suggest that it's unlikely to get too much of my attention.
Emperor front man & progressive metal icon Ihsahn's self-titled eighth solo album is due for release on 16th February. I'm well across his 2008-2012 period but haven't checked out his last few records, potentially because I didn't get on all that well with 2012's "Eremita" at the time. Perhaps it's time to get back in the saddle with this one.
It seems that Ihsahn has released an "orchestral" version of this album too which is interesting. Anyone know what that's all about?
US drone metal duo The Body have just released a new collaboration album with German post-industrial solo artist Dis Fig entitled "Orchards of a Futile Heaven". I've had mixed experiences with The Body over the years but thoroughly enjoyed their more recent 2021 album "I've Seen All I Need to See" to this could be worth a look at some point. I've admittedly never heard of Dis Fig though.
We aren't seriously considering this to be non-metal are we, that would be revisionism gone too far for me to take I think.
Quoted Sonny
Hahahaha.... let's not jump the gun as I never said that.
Asphyx - "The Rack" (1991)
My introduction to Dutch death metallers Asphyx would come through their 1991 debut album "The Rack", a release that was highly praised within underground death metal circles at the time. I enjoyed it too, enough to explore their 1989 demo tape "Crush the Cenotaph" which was also quite good but I can't say that I ever found enough premium quality to see me lumping Asphyx in with the more elite artists in the thriving death metal scene of the early 1990's. Their 1992 follow-up "Last One On Earth" left me feeling fairly similarly & to this day I've always felt that Asphyx was more of a third tier death metal player that's largely built its reputation off the back of the pedigree of their illustrious front man Martin van Drunen whose prior exploits with fellow Dutchmen Pestilence & subsequent contributions to bands like Grand Supreme Blood Court & Hail of Bullets have seen him placed up on a grisly pedestal of blasphemy & decay by many. I can't say that I've ever rated his vocals as highly as some but I've never had a problem with them either so I guess I'm in a good position to make an unbiased judgement on a record like "The Rack" where Martin also plays bass guitar.
"The Rack" comes from the rawer side of the death metal spectrum with the performances being noticeably unpolished & the song-writing pushing the musicians to perform at a higher level than they were capable of delivering at the time. The guitar work of Eric Daniels (Grand Supreme Blood Court/Soulburn) is pretty basic & lacking in subtlety while drummer Bob Bagchus (Grand Supreme Blood Court/Soulburn) stays well within himself for the most part. These technical limitations are perhaps the reason why the slower, doomier parts of the record work best & it may not be a stretch to suggest that the success of those elements on their early releases may have contributed to the musical direction that Asphyx have chosen to take with their music over the decades since. You see, Asphyx have built their reputation around their ability to incorporate crushing doom riffs into their grimy European death metal sound & there are some very clear examples to be found here on "The Rack". In fact, it's the doom component that I find most attractive about Asphyx with my album highlights inevitably being the doomier inclusions.
While I don't think "The Rack" offers anything terribly life-changing in terms of genuine classics, it's also a very consistent record with no obviously weak songs. Most tracks suffer from the occasional dud riff or two which sees all of the band's best intentions brought back to the pack but none of their creative missteps are drastic enough to warrant you reaching for the skip button. "Diabolical Existence" (my personal favourite), "Ode to a Nameless Grave" & "Pages in Blood" are my picks for the stronger examples of Asphyx's sound but I'd suggest that others might pick alternative tracks given how compressed the quality band is across most of the album.
If I was to provide some points of reference for the early Asphyx sound I'd probably reach for acts like Obituary, Morgoth & Celtic Frost who are all obviously crushingly heavy bands who utilize(d) elements of doom metal within the context of extreme metal. The technical limitations of a young Asphyx do cap the potential for them to reach to upper echelons of the death metal pile for me personally but there's definitely enough here to keep me interested nonetheless & I'd have to say that "The Rack" appeals to me slightly more than 1992's "Last One on Earth" does, mainly because I think it offers one or two more highlights. If I'm being completely honest though, I'd actually take Asphyx's last record "Necroceros" over either of them but none of the three are records I reach for all that regularly.
3.5/5
Is the metal status of an album with this, The Ripper, Tyrant and Genocide on it really in doubt?
I would suggest that most of the A side is clear cut with the three of the four songs being clear examples of heavy metal but, upon revisiting the album in great detail over the past week, I've found that the B side is nowhere near as cut & dry.
This nomination has been posted as two entries in the Hall of Judgement.
Today's track is Judas Priest's "Deceiver" which I consider to be heavy metal:
Heavens Gate - "Livin' in Hysteria" (1991)
I've been meaning to get around to Germany's Heavens Gate for some time now as they seem to have built up a pretty reasonable following over the years, particularly off the back of their 1991 sophomore album "Livin' In Hysteria" which is widely known as their finest work. I think the links to power metal & the God-awful cover artwork have put me off a bit but given my recent re-exploration of so many of my musical passions from the period I thought it might be as good a time as any to see what Heavens Gate are all about.
I didn't have any expectations going into my first listen as I hadn't done much prior research but my first impressions would tell me everything I needed to know with Heavens Gate sitting on the cheesier & more cliche-ridden end of metal. Heavens Gate's sound sits right at the mid-point between heavy metal & power metal with "Livin' In Hysteria" including a number of tracks from each genre without opting to blend the two all that often. "The Neverending Fire" is probably the only track that represents a hybrid of the two & is also one of the better tracks on the album. The inclusion of the progressive/neoclassical instrumental piece "Fredless" was most welcome while the other highlights strangely coming in the form of a couple of the cheesier & more chiche-filled heavy metal numbers in "Can't Stop Rockin'" & "Best Days Of My Life". I don't think it'll shock too many people to discover that none of the pure German power metal numbers appeal to me much but neither does the one-off speed metal track "Flashes". Front man Thomas Rettke's vocal histrionics can be grating at times but I feel that he's probably one the main drawcards for fans of the band so it really comes down to your musical preferences. I struggle with him a bit to be honest but he's not a deal breaker as such. The power metal material has clearly been influenced by Helloween which was never gonna be a positive thing for someone like me. I greatly prefer the Judas Priest-inspired heavy metal numbers, even when they take the "arena anthem" format that saw so many fans fall off the Priest train during the 1980's.
Overall, I'd suggest that "Livin' In Hysteria" will offer the most appeal to those with a penchant for bands like Scanner, Rage or Artch that play somewhat of an each-way bet between the heavy metal & power metal sounds but I can't say that it does much for me personally. Records like this one often baffle me as to why people would want to rate them so highly when they're so clearly a representation of the band's influences only not executed with the class of their idols. I guess I'll just have to accept that a record like "Livin' In Hysteria" is simply none of my business as I'm clearly not the target audience.
3/5
Ария - "Кровь за кровь" (1991)
I finally got around the investigating highly regarded Russian heavy metallers Ария over the last twelve months with both their 1987 third album "На службе силы зла" & their 1989 fourth album "Игра с огнем" offering me a fair bit of enjoyment. With that in mind, I felt that I'd better complete the trio of the band's most celebrated albums with 1991's "Кровь за кровь" & it's once again proven to be worthy of my time. The production is quite raw but is effective nonetheless with the excellent vocals of Кипелов front man Valery Kipelov soaring over the top. The obvious Iron Maiden worship of the band's previous work is still as clear as day although there are very few who can claim to do it as well as Ария do so I'd be lying if I said that I didn't experience some warm feelings of nostalgia while listening to the Russian's take on what were some pivotal records for me as a teenager. The musicianship is excellent throughout, particularly the guitar work of Vladimir Kholstinin & Sergey Mavrin who both prove themselves to be quite accomplished musicians but it's Kipelov that is the clear focal point here with his tone reminding me a lot of Klaus Meine from Scorpions as usual.
"Кровь за кровь" is predominantly a heavy metal record & a particularly metal one it is too I have to say. There's just the one track that veers away towards hard rock in the excellent Dio-esque "Всё, что было". My other favourite moments can be found in the one-two punch of "Антихрист" & "Не хочешь, не верь мне", both of which are high on Maiden worship but are emphatic in their creative statements nonetheless. As usual, there are a couple of failures included too though with "Бесы" & particularly "Зомби" falling short of the mark but this doesn't ruin the party for "Кровь за кровь" as there's still more than enough quality on offer to keep my attention. In saying that, I do feel that "Кровь за кровь" is perhaps the weaker of the three classic Ария albums with its 1989 predecessor "Игра с огнем" being my pick of the bunch. There's not all that much between them in terms of quality or style though so if you enjoy one then you'll likely find enjoyment in the other two as well, particularly if you're a fan of the classic Iron Maiden/Judas Priest heavy metal sound or Kipelov's other band Кипелов.
3.5/5
This morning's track is Judas Priest's "Dreamer Deceiver" which I'd suggest is progressive rock:
Also, I checked out Rush's 1974 self-titled debut album over the last few days & there's no metal whatsoever there. It's purely a hard rock record in my opinion.
This week's revisit to Mr. Bungle's self-titled debut album has seen me changing my Top Ten Funk Metal Releases of All Time list a little with Ugly Kid Joe's "As Ugly As You Wanna Be" E.P. being the unlucky release to drop out:
01. Faith No More - "The Real Thing" (1989)
02. Primus - "Frizzle Fry" (1990)
03. Mr. Bungle - "Mr. Bungle" (1991)
04. Faith No More - "Introduce Yourself" (1987)
05. Primus - "Sailing The Seas Of Cheese" (1991)
06. Scatterbrain - "Here Comes Trouble" (1990)
07. Living Colour - "Time's Up" (1990)
08. Mordred - "In This Life" (1991)
09. Infectious Grooves - "The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move... It's the Infectious Grooves" (1991)
10. Living Colour - "Vivid" (1988)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/265
Mr. Bungle - "Mr. Bungle" (1991)
While I was the source for Ben picking up so many of the extreme metal game-changers that would stay with us for most of our lives, he would also open my eyes to exciting new bands at times too with bizarre Californian outfit Mr. Bungle being one of the more significant of them. Faith No More was a REALLY big band for Ben & his best mate Matt during the early 1990's with Mike Patton becoming nothing short of an obsession for Matt so I think it might have been him that initially brought Mr. Bungle's self-titled debut album to our attention before Ben purchased the CD. While I also loved me some Faith No More, Mr. Bungle sounded like none of my business on paper. I mean it's quirky, it's funky & it's consciously weird, none of which are characteristics I would usually be open to in my metal. But that's the true genius in this artist really i.e. the ability to do something so unusual but still achieve timeless hooks & eternal laughs that manage to immediately recall a time in my life with an effortless ease that few acts can achieve. It's been a while since I've revisited "Mr. Bungle" though & I really didn't have any idea how I might end up rating it in the modern day so it was with much anticipation that I pressed play on my long drive into work this week. What I found was that my passion for Mr. Bungle's freakish circus sideshow took very little time to rekindle too.
"Mr. Bungle" is very much a mishmash of disparate genres & ideas that somehow manages to sound cohesive & vital. Other websites will tell you that it's a blend of experimental rock, avant-garde metal & funk metal but I don't think that's quite right. I mean, there's very little actual rock on this album so calling it experimental rock is a little misleading in my opinion. There's certainly a lot more metal than there is rock here but even metal is just one of many tools that are used within a wider range of sounds & styles that include funk, ska, experimental, psychedelia, deep jazz, field recordings, circus-themed music & an array of other subgenres. Still... I think there's enough metal on offer to warrant the avant-garde metal tag given that metal provides somewhat of a platform for which to present the other quirkier sounds. Funk metal is a little bit more of a stretch in my opinion though as the funk & the metal rarely appear together & there's a lot more to "Mr. Bungle" than just funk. Regardless of these concerns, it's fair to say that "Mr. Bungle" sounds like nothing you've ever heard before so traditional tags are ineffective in preparing you for what's in store for you anyway.
The hero of the day is certainly Faith No More/Dead Cross/Fantômas front man Mike Patton as this record provides him with the ultimate showcase for his extraordinarily wide range of psychotic vocal techniques & noises. In fact, I find it entirely captivating to simply follow him through the record & observe just how fucking nuts he can be. Anyone that hasn't heard the extended "No Place Like Home" section on "Egg" or the "Redundant" part of "My Ass Is on Fire" really owe it to themselves to experience it & I challenge you to not let out at least the odd giggle (if not uncontrollable laughter) which is really saying something all these years later. Mr. Bungle are a seriously talents group of musicians too though & the way they manage to bring all of the whacked-out insanity together as a cohesive whole is really quite something. I tend to love the opposite extremes the most with the deeper psychedelic moments & the heavier metallic sections giving me the most joy but there's not a weak track to be found amongst the ten on offer with opener "Quote Unquote" & the previously mentioned "My Ass Is on Fire" both playing pivotal roles in my youth. Fantômas bassist Trevor Dunn's contribution is worth mentioning as he shows himself to possess some pretty impressive chops with some of the funky bass lines he manages to pull off. The way that Faith No More/Asva/Faxed Head guitarist Trey Spruance manages to swap from the funkiest of clean ska or funk riff to the heaviest of metal dirge is quite an eye opener too.
"Mr. Bungle" is certainly not the sort of thing that you'll find me listening to all that often as I tend to take my metal music pretty seriously at times but it's refreshing to take a musical u-turn like this every now & then, particularly when it summons up so many memories of Ben & I rolling on his bedroom floor laughing until tears streamed down our faces. Mr. Bungle serve a very clear purpose in reminding me that I don't have to be quite so intense all the time &, for that reason alone, I think everyone should experience their debut at some point in their lives, particularly where weed is involved. Fans of the more avant-garde end of metal will almost inevitably see the genius in this record while those with a strong penchant for artists like Fantômas, Buckethead & Diablo Swing Orchestra may just rank it amongst their more elite releases of the time.
4/5
This experience has led me to update my Top Ten Avant-Garde Metal Releases of All Time list too with Dog Fashion Disco's "Adultery" album dropping out to make way for "Mr. Bungle":
01. Oranssi Pazuzu – “Mestarin kynsi” (2020)
02. Deathspell Omega - "Paracletus" (2010)
03. Kayo Dot – “Choirs Of The Eye” (2003)
04. Ad Nauseam – “Imperative Imperceptible Impulse” (2021)
05. Blut aus Nord - "777 - Cosmosophy" (2012)
06. Kayo Dot – “Moss Grew On The Swords & Plowshares Alike” (2021)
07. maudlin of the Well – “Leaving Your Body Map” (2001)
08. Deathspell Omega - "Fas – Ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum" (2007)
09. maudlin of the Well – “Bath” (2001)
10. Mr. Bungle - "Mr. Bungle" (1991)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/156
Fates Warning - "Parallels" (1991)
The 1991 sixth full-length from Connecticut progressive metallers Fates Warning would represent not only my introduction to the band but would also be the only one of their releases I'd dish out my hard-earned cash for with my purchase of the CD coming very shortly after its release & off the back of my experiences with the magnificent "Point of View" single which was being consistently flogged on late-night metal radio programming at the time. "Parallels" would also be the last Fates Warning album I'd ever bother to check out which is a little strange when you consider that I still regard it as being the best of the four records I'm familiar with from them. Still... better late than never I guess as I fully intend to get there eventually. It's been a little while since I revisited "Parallels" though so it's well past time that I got a well-informed rating up on the Academy for it. Let's see how I went.
Fates Warning's first three albums from 1984-86 were all heavily weighted towards a US power metal sound with the last two (1985's "The Spectre Within" & 1986's "Awaken The Guardian") also sitting amongst the most complex & ambitious examples of metal music released to the time. Their debut "Night on Bröcken" was merely a chance to break the ice & saw the band simply emulating their NWOBHM idols Iron Maiden but things got significantly more creative after that with their two 1980's classics taking a much more technically challenging road & achieving suitable notoriety as a result. I didn't mind "Night on Bröcken" & "Awaken The Guardian" but it was "The Spectre Within" that I found the most appeal in &, of the three, it's still the one that I go back to when I feel the inclination for 80's Fates Warning. Despite possessing clear prog credentials though, "Parallels" is a very different record from that trio of early works & it makes me wonder what I might have missed out on with the two albums in between "Awaken The Guardian" & "Parallels". The 1991 Fates Warning model is a much cleaner & more sophisticated one to the band's more aggressive roots, utilizing strong prog rock influences for a moodier result that leans hard on social issues for inspiration. Rush was no doubt a huge source of influence at the time with three or four of the songs feeling more like rock than they do metal. The more metallic inclusions see the instrumentalists flexing their rhythmic muscles through structurally complex time signatures & less riff-oriented textures which makes for a highly intellectual sound that I would imagine wouldn't appeal to some metalheads. For me though, it showcases a new level of maturity & creativity for Fates Warning over their early works & it worked a treat for me as a teenager.
The tracklisting begins in stellar fashion with the technicalities of opener "Leave the Past Behind" being balanced by some brilliant hooks & vocalist Ray Alder proving himself to be infinitely more capable than divisive original front man John Arch. In fact, Alder is so wonderful on this record that I have to question why he's not spoken of more often when discussing the great metal singers of all time, such is his range & control. But the opener would not be the only highlight to be included on "Parallels" with the two real classics being the previously mentioned progressive metal anthem "Point of View" & the splendidly atmospheric prog rock closer "The Road Goes on Forever", both of which would go on to become some of my very favourite tracks of the early 1990's. The rest of the tracklisting sees the quality levels varying a little with the fairly insignificant prog rock of "We Only Say Goodbye" being the only clear failure. Songs like "Life in Still Water", "The Eleventh Hour" & "Don't Follow Me" are all high-quality examples of their type while the hard rocking riffs of "Eye To Eye" are merely pleasant without taking the same grip on the listener's emotions that the better tracks so emphatically achieve.
While "Parallels" may be a little less metal than Fates Warning's 80's classics, there can be no doubt that it's still an inherently progressive release & it shouldn't alienate fans of the other two US prog metal heavyweights in Queensryche & Dream Theater in any way as there are easily enough points of comparison to satisfy the fan bases of all three classic bands. Alder's contribution puts him right up with Geoff Tate & James LaBrie in my opinion (perhaps even surpassing the latter) & I can't help but think that I may have missed a trick by not fully exploring the rest of the band's Alder-fronted back catalogue at some point. Perhaps I've just been a little fearful of what Fates Warning might become following the hints at more of a rocky direction on this record but I've certainly found my interest peaked by this revisit which has only firmed up my opinions on what was already my favourite Fates Warning release to begin with.
4/5
Apparently it is if past experiences on this website are anything to go by Sonny with at least one semi-regular member having questioned its metal credentials at one point or another.
Anyway, today's track is "The Ripper" which is clearly heavy metal.
This morning's track is Judas Priest's classic opener from "Sad Wings of Destiny" in "Victim of Changes" which is undeniably heavy metal:
Iced Earth - "Storm of the Nightrider" (1991)
I had a great deal of time for the 1990 self-titled debut album from Florida outfit Iced Earth after discovering them through a video compilation shortly after its release. The five-piece band more than made up for the vocal deficiencies of front man Gene Adam with a splendid blend of US power metal & thrash metal that ticked a great many of my metal boxes. Rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer's impeccable right-hand technique was of particular interest for the budding young axeslinger that I was at the time & I quickly committed to checking out Iced Earth's subsequent releases as well as their earlier "Enter the Realm" demo. 1991's "Night Of The Stormrider" sophomore album was a little bit different though with John Greely replacing Adam behind the microphone stand & Richey Secchiari filling Mike McGill's empty drum stool. The resulting recordings would see Iced Earth presenting just as strong a "Master of Puppets"-era thrash metal influence as "Iced Earth" did but the greater emphasis on creating an epic atmosphere through soaring melodic content saw the album sitting a little less comfortably next to your average thrash record & feeling much better suited to the power metal scene (both the US & the European ones). I have to admit that my struggles with power metal were very real at the time &, if anything, I'm actually a little more open the genre now so it's fair to say that I found "Night Of The Stormrider" to be pretty tough going which would see me distancing myself from Iced Earth until 1997's "Days of Purgatory" re-recording album would entice me into checking out what their early works might sound like with a more suitable production job & front man. Sadly, I wouldn't explore Iced Earth's more accomplished 1990's studio albums until 2014 when I was preparing to see them play live at Sydney's Manning Bar at which time I discovered that they had a lot more to offer than "Storm of the Nightrider" had delivered to me back in the day. Fast-forwarding to the modern day & it's been decades since my perceptions around the merits of Iced Earth's sophomore record were first developed. The unanimous praise that seems to be heaped on it have not gone unnoticed by me either so it's about time I gave the album a reassessment.
The first thing I noticed about "Night of the Stormrider" upon this revisit is the production job which isn't amazing to be fair. Jon Schaffer's rhythm guitar sound is a bit dry which I don't feel provides his skill sets with the best platform. The lack of bass guitar in the mix doesn't help either while the use of synthesizers is often a little over the top. Still... I found that I was able to get used to the sound over a few listens to the point where it definitely made less of an impact by my third spin. New front man Greely's vocals are like chalk & cheese with Gene Adams' delivery with Greely opting for a theatrical, operatic approach that reeks of power metal indulgence. I do really enjoy the moments where he pushes up into Rob Halford style falsetto territory though as he reminds me very much of Judas Priest's classic "Painkiller" album at times. Sanctuary/Nevermore front man Warrel Dane sometimes comes to mind too actually.
The stylistic approach of "Storm of the Nightrider" is very much what I remembered with the band keeping one foot in Iron Maiden/Judas Priest territory while galloping forwards with some of the most precise right-hand thrash riffage this side of James Hetfield with the other. Unlike the self-titled debut though, this record simply doesn't "feel" like thrash metal even though it's so clearly dominated by the consistent use of fast thrash guitar work. The added melodicism, consciously epic atmosphere & over the top vocal style are all at odds with the mentality of your average thrash band & I feel that the US power metal tag covers a wide enough area to encapsulate the sounds heard on this record. The fluency of the song-writing is still a work in progress though as there are many examples of disparate parts simply being pasted together & the art of the segway would be an area that Iced Earth would get much better at by the end of the decade.
I have to admit that I've been a bit hard on Iced Earth in regard to the quality of the material though as there aren't really any genuinely weak tracks included so I do find myself enjoying the album as a whole these days. It certainly helps that the tracklisting kicks off with one of the best inclusions in the excellent "Angels Holocaust" with its symphonic flourishes & face-tearing vocals. The excellent "Pure Evil" is the other clear highlight in my opinion & is probably my favourite track on the record to be honest. The rest of the songs are all pretty good without ever pushing me to consider awarding my higher scores. All of the material sits at a very consistent level of quality but I'm not sure that I ever feel that I'm listening to a tier one metal band because "Night of the Stormrider" is just a little too consciously extravagant for my taste &, as a result, I hold a preference for the darker records either side of it. I can definitely see why it appeals to some people so much these days though, particularly those with a penchant for thrashy US power metal like Metal Church & early Nevermore or Jon Schaffer's side project Demons & Wizards.
3.5/5
Grave - "Into The Grave" (1991)
1991's "Into The Grave" debut album was my introduction to major Swedish death metal players Grave when I was only a young chap & I quite enjoyed it at the time. It's fair to say though that, as with most of the Swedish Boss HM-2-pedal worshipping death metal crew, I never saw it as the classic release that so many did. You see, other than Entombed's wonderful "Clandestine" album from the same year, that sound simply doesn't offer me as much appeal as the more sophisticated & complex Florida death metal model so, while I'd inevitably gain a fair bit of enjoyment out of the better Swedish releases, I rarely found myself returning to them all that often & the same can be said of "Into The Grave". For that reason, I didn't find myself rushing out to purchase Grave's sophomore album "You'll Never See..." when it was released the following year but a dubbed copy I received from Neuropath vocalist Mark Wangmann shortly afterwards would see me finally giving in to Grave's slightly weightier take on the Swedish sound & I've always thought of it as the superior Grave record. It's been decades since I revisited "Into The Grave" though so it's time I reassessed that position.
"Into The Grave" is very much the signature Swedish death metal record as it showcases all of the key attributes that made those early Entombed & Dismember records so popular. I'd suggest that the guitar tone isn't quite as over the top but it's still fairly immense & serves its purpose well. The drumming of Jensa Paulsson often takes that punky 1-2 style but also includes the occasional use of blast beats although they aren't particularly well executed & he pales in comparison to someone like Entombed's Nicke Andersson for overall chops. Front man Jörgen Sandström's vocals are a little more deep & deathly than most of the other Swedish exponents though & I think Grave benefit from it too.
The tracklisting kicks off beautifully with one of the highlight tracks "Deformed" leaving me with great hope for an improved impression of the album overall but the quality dips immediately after that & doesn't return to its earlier level until the B side which includes the other two clear highlights in "Extremely Rotten Flesh" & "Day of Mourning". There are no weak tracks included though so it's a pretty consistent listen but the majority of the album feels more acceptable than it is impressive. I guess by that point in time I'd already become well aquainted with the Swedish sound through records like "Left Hand Path", "Like An Ever Flowing Stream", "Dark Recollections" & "Where No Life Dwells" so Grave's take on the same sound would perhaps seem a little too similar to make a lasting impression, even if it is a touch more deathly than some of those releases.
While "Into The Grave" may not convince me of its classic status, it is a pretty decent quality example of its type & should offer appeal to most fans of the old-school Entombed/Dismember sound that led to bands like Bloodbath down the track. "Clandestine" is still head & shoulders above the rest when it comes to Swedish death metal in my opinion but I'd suggest that "Into The Grave" sits just behind Dismember's debut album "Like An Ever Flowing Stream" in terms of overall class & quality. In fact, I'd definitely take it over Nihilist/Entombed's iconic pre-"Clandestine" work or Carnage's highly praised 1990 debut "Dark Recollections" which would have to be regarded as somewhat of a feather in its cap, wouldn't it?
3.5/5
This morning's track is Cool Feet's "Alone In Your Cage" which I regard as being progressive rock.
This rounds out the "Burning Desire" album which has finished with a 34% metal/66% rock ratio which isn't enough to qualify it as metal. Tomorrow we'll be kicking off a new release in Judas Priest's classic 1976 sophomore album "Sad Wings of Destiny" so please feel free to join in on the discussion.
This morning's track is Cool Feet's "Now I Know I'm Free" which I'd suggest is pop rock. It's not available on YouTube but can be found on Spotify.
There's no metal on Deep Purple's 1974 eighth album "Burn", including the title track which inexplicably seems to attract a heavy metal tag from many people. It's a hard rock record with progressive rock influences.
Check out the chorus vocal hooks to these two tracks; the Cool Feet one coming having been released on 14th April 1976, the Scorpions one two years later in April 1978. Too close to be coincidence?
This morning's track is Cool Feet's "The Fool" which I'd suggest is hard rock:
How about an epic deathcore album in the style of Lorna Shore? How would you make that?
I'd recruit some very talented symphonic power metal musicians & would give them some neck tattoos & huge holes through their ear lobes. Then I'd pay them to create something called "death metal" which none of them have much of a prior understanding of. I'd request that they add a generic hardcore breakdown to each track where the vocalist should do their best to try to vomit all over the microphone.
How would you make an ambient album?