Daniel's Forum Replies

Speak for yourself Andi. One of us has been in & around the Aussie metal scene since the early 1990’s. You’d probably be surprised at how many bands reach out to us for interviews & publicity too.

I've been wondering if the missing piece might be to crossover into similar territory as sites like Metal Sucks by including regular articles & interviews. It'd obviously require an enormous effort but I'm not gonna rule a line through the idea just yet. Thoughts?

Archgoat - "The Light-Devouring Darkness" (2009)

My first dalliances with Finnish war metal heavy-weights Archgoat came about way back in my early-to-mid 1990’s tape trading days when a European trader sent me their 1991 demo tape “Jesus Spawn” & their lovingly-titled 1993 “Angelcunt (Tales of Desecration)” EP. The former did very little for me to be honest but the latter commanded a decent amount of my time over the next year or so. For one reason or another though, Archgoat & I wouldn’t cross paths again until my return to metal in 2009 when I discovered their 2006 debut album “Whore of Bethlehem” which once again saw me raising an eyebrow or two. Their brand new “The Light-Devouring Darkness” sophomore album would very quickly be getting the once-over off the back of that experience but I don’t recall it making as much of an impact as Archgoat’s two earlier proper releases &, as a result, I haven’t returned to it since. I’ve been thinking that it might be time to reassess that position though, particularly after refreshing my passion for “Whore of Bethlehem” not too long ago.

“The Light-Devouring Darkness” sees Archgoat returning with the same three-piece lineup as had impressed me so much on their debut album but it definitely sounds a bit different to its older sibling. “Whore of Bethlehem” possessed a swarming, filthy wall of humming guitar noise & a raspy vocal delivery. “The Light-Devouring Darkness” sees Archgoat opting for a more traditional & much dryer guitar tone that’s reminiscent of the underground extreme metal scene of the 1980’s. Lord Angelslayer’s vocals are also quite different in timbre, this time going for a much deeper death metal croak. I think it’s fair to say that I preferred the guitar tone from the debut pretty comfortably over this one but the vocals are equally evil & actually come across as a refreshing change. The clear Celtic Frost influence from the debut has been toned back a touch here with Archgoat now championing a sound that harnesses several seminal extreme metal bands. The slower sections regularly draw upon early Mayhem & Darkthrone for inspiration while Autopsy & mid-80’s Bathory also get an airing or two.

Despite sounding a little different to “Whore of Bethlehem”, Archgoat have maintained their initial point of difference as they’re clearly a little less chaotic & noticeably more controlled than their war metal brethren. They leave more space in their riff & song structures & utilize slower tempos much more regularly which has become somewhat of a signature for them. Despite this, they still keep things sounding nice & loose which gives the record that lovely underground authenticity that’s so important for any successful war metal release. When they drop the shackles though, they can still cane along at a hectic rate but you won’t find too many over-the-top chromatic guitar solos here which is a shame in my opinion as I’ve always really enjoyed that element of the war metal assault.

If I’m being honest with myself, I think I appreciate “The Light-Devouring Darkness” more for what it represents than what it actually is. Despite finding myself enjoying every one of the ten tracks included, there are quite a few here that are really a little bit insignificant when looked at in any sort of detail. Archgoat keep things VERY simple for the most part & there’s not a lot of ambition on show. The atmosphere they create during those slower sections (often accentuated by the subtle use of keyboards) is pretty awesome though & there can be no denying their ability to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the more savage roots of the underground extreme metal scene. The fact is that they did it a touch better on “Angelcunt (Tales of Desecration)” & “Whore of Bethlehem” though which makes “The Light-Devouring Darkness” seem inessential in comparison, even if it’ll no doubt please diehard fans of bands like Blasphemy, Beherit & Black Witchery.

3.5/5

Here's my updated Top Ten War Metal Releases of All Time list:

01. Infernal Coil - "Within a World Forgotten" (2018)

02. Teitanblood - "The Baneful Choir" (2019)

03. Teitanblood - "Death" (2014)

04. Damaar - "Triumph Through Spears of Sacrilege" (2007)

05. Archgoat - "Whore of Bethlehem" (2006)

06. Bestial Warlust - "Blood & Valour" (1995)

07. Conqueror - "War Cult Supremacy" (1999)

08. Blasphemy - "Blood Upon The Altar" demo (1989)

09. Archgoat - "The Light-Devouring Darkness" (2009)

10. Revenge - "Behold.Total.Rejection" (2015)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/216

We both know it was all for the chicks Ben.

Forbidden - "Forbidden Evil" (1988)

When I first got into thrash metal in a major way back in late 1988 I quickly threw myself into anything I could find that was even loosely attached to the genre. That originally led me to the Big Four of course but once I’d navigated my way through their entire collective discography I went looking for lesser-known bands in order to expand my understanding of the underground scene. I remember Testament & Exodus being the first two artists I’d wrap my ears around but fellow Bay Area thrashers Forbidden were always listed in the same articles so it didn’t take me long before I’d take the plunge with them too. I recall 1988’s “Forbidden Evil” & 1990’s “Twisted Into Form” albums both kicking a fair amount of arse too but Forbidden would go off the rails during the mid-90’s & I subsequently lost interest in them after that. I did check out their 2010 “Omega Wave” comeback record many years later however & didn’t think it was too bad either but it hardly compared with Forbidden in their prime so it only received a couple of passing listens. Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been filling in some gaps in my ratings for releases I used to listen to as a kid of late though which was seen me reaching for a Forbidden record for the first time in quite a while.

Let me start this review by saying that “Forbidden Evil” was a serious player in the Bay Area thrash scene at the time. The band members were all in their twenties by this stage & were extremely capable at their craft too after having spent a good few years indulging in everything the exciting Bay Area scene had to offer. The “Forbidden Evil” lineup is probably best known for containing future Slayer, Exodus & Testament drummer Paul Bostaph &, in truth, Forbidden were never the same after he left the fold but the main attractions here are really the twin guitar attack of Craig Locicero & future Testament axeman Glen Alvelais whose razor-sharp riffage & searing lead solos gave Forbidden an edge over much of the competition. The other protagonist is front man Russ Anderson who proves himself to possess a diverse & durable vocal range that can sound aggressive like Slayer’s Tom Araya at one moment & then melodic (& even operatic) like Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson the next. I personally really enjoy Russ’ contribution here as he offers a nice balance & plenty of variety.

The production job of John Cuniberti is spot on for this raw brand of thrash metal which is hardly surprising given that he’d only just finished producing Vio-lence’s “Eternal Nightmare” debut. The guitar tone is particularly effective which sees the riffs maintaining a similar weight to classic Exodus. The ripping solos effortlessly cutting through the mix too so “Forbidden Evil” ticks a lot of boxes before you even start looking at the song-writing. Once you do though, you’ll find that there are no weak tracks included with some of the material showcasing a clear pedigree in classic heavy metal & speed metal, particularly the up-tempo speed metal assault of opener “Chalice of Blood”, the Judas Priest inspired riffs of “Through The Eyes of Glass” & the King Diamond-ish progressive delivery of closer “Follow Me”. Interestingly, these are the more highly regarded tracks on the album which is (predictably enough) directly opposed to my own preferences. The two most essential thrashers for me personally correlate with a couple of the least popular tracks with “Feel No Pain” & my personal favourite “As Good As Dead” both giving me significant pants jollies. The Slayer influence in some of the better riffs is most welcome by this ol' Slayer tragic.

“Forbidden Evil” is an electric & weighty example of the late 80’s American thrash sound that I still get a lot of enjoyment out of which leaves me wondering why Forbidden aren’t more readily included among the more senior second tier thrash bands. Heathen, Testament & Vio-lence fans should consider it to be a real treat & I look forward to seeing how “Twisted Into Form” compares with it in the coming months as I seem to recall the sophomore album being my preference back in the day.

4/5

Here's my adjusted Top Ten Brutal Death Metal Releases of All Time list following this week's revisit of Nile's "In Their Darkened Shrines" album:

01. Suffocation – “Pierced From Within” (1995)

02. Suffocation – “Despise The Sun” E.P. (1998)

03. Suffocation – “Effigy Of The Forgotten” (1991)

04. Suffocation – “Human Waste” E.P. (1991)

05. Hour Of Penance – “The Vile Conception” (2008)

06. Hour Of Penance – “Paradogma” (2010)

07. Suffocation – “Pinnacle Of Bedlam” (2013)

08. Suffocation – “Suffocation” (2006)

09. Deadly Remains – “Severing Humanity” (2012)

10. Nile - "In Their Darkened Shrines" (2002)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/144

Personally, I'd like to see people taking whatever they like from the Academy so I wouldn't want to offer upgraded statuses to those that see merit in completing the clan challenges when there are so many other ways to contribute to the site. In fact, I'd argue that bringing new members to the site, regularly contributing to the forums, helping to close out Hall of Judgement submissions & participating in the monthly playlist & feature release activities all bring more to the wider community than progressively completing clan challenges in isolation. Besides, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with individuals holding higher statuses than others on the Academy given that our original intent was to create an elitist-free environment where everyone is treated equally.

This week's HORDE album:

Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines (2002)

Genres: Tech Death, Brutal Death

Votes: 2

Reason: A couple other Nile albums are in the main chart with more than five votes, but this album is one of their highly regarded classics, and it only has two votes, this this was a perfectly easy choice.

You reminded me that I've been meaning to return to "In Their Darkened Shrines" for a good couple of years since revisiting "Annihilation of the Wicked" as one of our 2021 feature releases & findingit to be a genuinely classic technical death metal record. Here's my thoughts:

My initial experiences with South Carolina death metallers Nile back in the mid-90’s tape trading scene didn’t exactly set my world on fire to be honest. It wouldn’t be until Ben reintroduced me to them through their 2000 sophomore album “Black Seeds of Vengeance” upon my return to metal in 2009 that I’d start to give them much of my attention. Admittedly, I did initially find them to be a little lacking in dynamics but that perception gradually wore off as I came to grips with the sheer barbarity of Nile’s most relentlessly brutal offering. Once I was hooked, I’d quickly investigate the rest of Nile’s back catalogue of studio albums & found them to be universally enjoyable so I’ve continued to keep abreast of each subsequent Nile record over the years. Our most recent crossing of paths was when I revisited 2005’s “Annihilation of the Wicked” fourth album as one of our November 2021 feature releases which resulted in me claiming that particular record as Nile’s finest work & a genuine death metal classic. Since that time though, I’ve always wondered how it’s illustrious predecessor might compare with it as it's been many years since it last passed my unsuspecting ears. Let's find out then, shall we?

The “Black Seeds of Vengeance” album was a dense barrage of unrelenting brutality that showed a clear intent to separate itself from any form of accessibility & that approach hasn’t been abandoned for “In Their Darkened Shrines” by any means. You won’t be in any doubt as to what band you’re listening to here as the changes in Nile’s Egyptian-themed death metal model are fairly subtle but are important nonetheless. There’s a touch more technicality & angularity to Nile’s high-velocity riffage here (particularly on tracks like “Execration Text”, “Wind of Horus” & “Destruction of the Temple of the Enemies of Ra”) but not enough to warrant the almost unanimous tagging of this record as a technical death metal release in my opinion. I honestly think that many critics are tricked into that association by the technical proficiency of new drummer Tony Laureano (Acheron/Angelcorpse/Brujeria/Malevolent Creation/Nidingr) who capably fills the shoes of equally talented session skinsman Derek Roddy (Blotted Science/Divine Empire/Hate Eternal/Malevolent Creation/Today Is The Day) on what would end up being his only appearance on a Nile record. I’d actually suggest that “In Their Darkened Shrines” still sits much more comfortably under the brutal death metal tag as it spends far more time simply bludgeoning the listener into submission than it does dazzling them with technical wizardry. Regardless of that though, the most rewarding parts of the album tend to be those that benefit from an increased focus on atmospherics with the slower sections allowing for a newly invigorated level of creativity. In fact, I’d suggest that the two tracks that leave me truly devastated both fall into this category in doom/death closer “Ruins” (my personal favourite) & the ambient-infused death metal of “I Whisper In The Ear Of The Dead”, both of which better harness & enhance the lyrical themes than the relentless blastathons are capable of.

The 58-minute length of “In Their Darkened Shrines” makes it Nile’s longest release overall & I have to question the need for such indulgence given that most of the record is so savage & blast-beat driven. It seems pretty extreme to me as I find myself feeling close to exhausted once it’s all over. The need to include an 18-minute, four-part opus at the end of the tracklisting (i.e. the title track) is probably the reason for it but that piece may as well be four separate songs as you likely wouldn’t know it was a single epic if you didn’t read about it. In fact, the same can be said for the infamous Egyptian lyrical themes because they mean very little if you don’t read the lyric sheet (which I don’t). There are mild melodic links to the themes included in the instrumentation but it’s nothing too extreme so it’s very easy to simply treat “In Their Darkened Shrines” as a very solid brutal death metal record which contains no real blemishes across it’s twelve tracks.

So how does Nile’s third album compare with its highly praised “Annihilation of the Wicked” follow-up then? Well, I don’t consider it to be as classic as that particular release. It’s not as sophisticated or fully realized as its younger sibling, mainly because it spends a greater percentage of its run time simply bludgeoning the listener in as brutal a fashion as it can muster &, in doing so, misses the opportunity to better capitalize on those wonderfully effective atmospherics. It’s still a very strong death metal record though & I'd suggest that it was the best thing Nile had released to the time. I have no doubt that it’ll more than satisfy the requirements of your average Suffocation, Hate Eternal or Lykathea Aflame fan but it’s status as one of the true greats of the death metal genre is perhaps a little overstated in my opinion.

4/5

I read something here about it.  That's not the kind of thing my mind would make up.  When I see it I'll let you know.  But it surprises me that you never had a "discussion."

Ben & I certainly discussed what the maximum amount of clans would be right at the beginning of the Academy website if you wanna get technical but we decided that it wasn't a good idea to go above four. In fact, I wasn't even too keen on allowing a fourth if I'm being completely honest but I ended up caving in the end. Since that time we've only responded to people's enquiries about whether we'd consider allowing a fifth but it's never been something we've seriously considered up until now.

Yeah, that's something that we've had on our radar for a while Sonny. I'm not sure how hard or costly it would be to implement (Ben might) but you can kinda work around it by searching on releases with a Black Metal genre that are also in The Horde for example.

Also I think I found a potential criterion for that fifth clan Daniel and Ben have discussed the possibility of: completing one of each clan list.  If they already discussed that and decided against it, nevermind then.

For the record, Ben & I have had no discussion around allowing a fifth clan. I'm not a fan of it personally as I think it reduces the effectiveness of the clan concept.

Ben / Daniel, I believe I have now completed the Death Metal - The 1st Decade clan challenge and as such I would like to seek admission into the hallowed halls of the Horde clan. It has taken a mere four years, but I believe I now have earned that fourth badge!!

Congratulations Sonny. The minions of the dead & I have long plotted this moment. A new age of darkest nightmares is finally upon us as the zombification process is now complete.

Flotsam & Jetsam - "No Place For Disgrace" (1988)

I still remember my first encounter with Arizona thrash metallers Flotsam & Jetsam very fondly. As an early teenager I would obsessively tune into late-night underground metal radio programs, often recording them for repeat listens during the next week. I’d imagine that it would have been some time in 1989 when I first heard “Hard On You” blasting out of my headphones during one of those sessions & I recall it making an immediate impact on me. The combination of American thrash metal instrumentation with higher register US power metal vocal hooks offered plenty of appeal to a youngster that was still fresh from his transition from your more classic heavy metal sound & I soon found myself investigating Flotsam & Jetsam’s first two albums, both of which gave me a lot of enjoyment. The following year I’d purchase the band’s brand new third album “When The Storm Comes Down” on cassette &, despite it seeming like a clear step down from the previous two full-lengths, I’d convince myself that I liked it too & would commit to investigating the vast majority of Flotsam & Jetsam’s subsequent works but, if I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ve ever found anything to rival those first couple of late 1980’s releases. The real question with this week’s revisit to 1988’s “No Place For Disgrace” is whether it’s really as good as I remember it being though. I revisited 1986’s “Doomsday For The Deceiver” album in more recent times & it’s lost none of its lustre. Let’s see how Flotsam & Jetsam’s second & final essential release has stood up in comparison then, shall we?

One thing that becomes apparent very early on in proceedings is that Flotsam & Jetsam were a class act. “No Place For Disgrace” is a beautifully produced & executed thrash album from a collection of very talented metal musicians. There’d been just the one lineup change since “Doomsday For The Deceiver” with bassist Jason Newsted notoriously having been recruited by Metallica to replace the legendary Cliff Burton & this had opened up a position for future Prong, Killing Joke & Swans bassist Troy Gregory to join the fold. Troy was clearly very capable & slots straight into the band seamlessly. In fact, his combination with Kelly David-Smith is one of the key ingredients in Flotsam & Jetsam’s precision thrash assault. The twin guitar attack of Edward Carlson & Michael Gilbert is equally as impressive with the flashy solos & super-tight riffage being a real highlight but it’s arguably front man Eric A.K. that’s the main talking point when people discuss Flotsam & Jetsam as his delivery is quite operatic & far more melodic than you’d usually expect from a thrash metal singer. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Queensryche legend Geoff Tate at times which is really saying something. When Flotsam & Jetsam hit their full stride it’s when Eric soars into the better chorus hooks or throws in some additional spite & aggression during the verses so it's fair to say that he contributes to Flotsam & Jetsam creating a slightly different sound to your average American thrasher but you’ll also find traces of US power metal in the instrumentation, particularly during the slower tempo track “Escape From Within” or the lead guitar motifs during the opening title track.

“No Place For Disgrace” is a reasonably consistent record which is perhaps not surprising given the undeniable talents of the various contributors. Instrumental closer “The Jones” is the only genuinely weak track & was actually a pretty poor way to finish up the album in my opinion. In fact, I may well have scored the album a half star higher if not for that unfortunate inclusion. The rest of the tracklisting all offers me some level of appeal, even the strange addition of a cover version of Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” which the band used to play as a part of their early live sets. The stronger moments definitely line up with Flotsam & Jetsam’s darker & more fully realised material though with the title track, “Escape From Within” & “I Live You Die” all seeing the band flexing their muscles. I’m not sure how much nostalgia plays into this but “Hard On You” is still my pick of the bunch though as I can’t seem to get that chorus out of my head for days after hearing it. The other half of the tracklisting is all reasonably enjoyable but I can’t say that it’s of a high enough quality to see me placing “No Place For Disgrace” in the "essential listening" category. It's more pleasant than it is engaging which makes the album as a whole feel kinda third tier when placed alongside the heavy-weights of the thrash metal movement.

Flotsam & Jetsam’s sophomore album certainly has its moments & it’s hard to be too harsh on such a professional metal act. It does seem to be a step down from the band’s most well-known release in their “Doomsday For The Deceiver” debut these days though. Perhaps if they’d opted to cull the final track I might not feel that way but the reality is that I do which has surprised me a bit given that I was expecting to dish out a strong four-star rating for this record based on my childhood memories of it. All qualms aside though, I’d suggest that there’s at least a few enjoyable listens on offer here for fans of bands like Artillery, Overkill & Heathen.

3.5/5

This nomination has posted in the Hall of Judgement.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

These two nominations have been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

Here's my review:

I think it’s fair to say that many outsiders can’t comprehend why fans of extreme metal spend their time searching for releases that essentially take them further & further into the depths of Hell. There are those release that do it in a subtle way by masking some of the intent through the use of melody & more accessible song structures of course. But then there are those that bask in & celebrate to sheer darkness & evil by steering as far away from anything your average music fan could understand as possible & in doing so ensure that they remain as underground as possible. Well, with his third full-length album Surinamese producer Gnaw Their Tongues didn’t only ensure that he’ll stay well within the unholy confines of the underground but he created an entire new level of musical horror. In fact, “Reeking Pained & Shuddering” may just be the perfect musical representation of Hell itself as I think it may just be the most evil piece of musical art I’ve ever encountered.

In my recent review of Gnaw Their Tongues’ 2018 album “Genocidal Majesty” I questioned the validity of it’s links to metal, despite the inherent darkness & power it possesses within it’s inhuman Power Electronics sound. I won’t be doing the same with “Reeking Pained & Shuddering” however as the glory of extreme metal runs thick in its veins & is the very core of its atmosphere. It certainly fits the criteria for Black Noise qualification as it harnesses both genres equally but also draws upon Drone Metal & Black Ambient to give it a more rounded position with which to spread its message of violence & torture. The riffs here are doomy as fuck while Maurice de Jong’s screaming vocals are as over the top & psychotic as you’ll ever find, even within the realms of black metal. Both represent sensational additions to the Black Noise sound & give the album additional layers. So too do the beautiful gothic ambient accompaniments which further compliment the horrors the listener is witnessing by adding a cinematic quality.

The black metal component is strongest on the record’s most popular song “Nihilisim; Tied Up & Burning” but I tend to find that track to be the least impressive of the six included with its programmed blast beats & more traditional black metal guitar work sounding a little too run of the mill to make the same impact as the other material. The wonderfully titled opener “Blood Spills Out Of Everything I Touch” kicks things off in transcendent fashion & is followed by the very solid & equally well named “Utter Futility of Creation” but it’s the second half of the album that sees Gnawing Their Tongues truly reaching the peak of his blasphemic powers. In fact, I’d suggest that I’ve never heard a more perfect side of metal in my life with the deep dark ambient of “The Evening Wolves” creating an imposing atmosphere for black noise masterpiece “Destroying Is Creating” & the ten minute album highlight “Transition” to capitalize on in the most emphatic fashion.

“Reeking Pained & Shuddering” is a visceral & cerebral experience to say the least & is certainly not for the faint-hearted. It’s audience will be limited even within the extreme metal scene as it simply doesn’t allow for any form of hope or light at the end of the tunnel. It presents the world as the most harsh, barren & generally disgusting place & utilizes the most sickening serial killer associated vocal samples on Earth to drive its point home. There will certainly be times when I won’t feel up to listening to a record like this as it’s simply that depressive. But when I feel the urge to get into nastier territory I’m not sure I’ll find a more blatant example of hatred in music.

For fans of Abruptum, La Torture des ténèbres & Nahvalr.

4.5/5

Here's my review:

I’ve been aware of Californian death metallers VoidCeremony for five or six years now & have given all of their proper releases a casual listen at various stages so the nomination of their brand new sophomore album for feature release status was warmly received, especially given that I already had “Threads of Unknowing” on my list of records to check out over the next month or so. In saying that though, they’ve never quite been able to seal the deal for me with all three of the releases I’ve heard showing promise but failing to deliver that knockout punch. Initial reports seem to indicate that this may be the one that sees them finally dropping those shackles & making room for themselves amongst the more essential artists in the tech death movement though so my hopes were high going into my first listen.

Those hopes begun to falter fairly quickly though it has to be said. The production job on “Threads of Unknowing” sounds like they've taken an each-way bet as there’s enough clarity for you to easily make out all of the individual components however it’s far dirtier than I would like for such a technically-inclined release. It seems like they’ve intentionally kept a layer of filth over the recording in order to maintain that elusive death metal street credibility that can either make or break a modern extreme metal band but the result is simply not what’s going to best support an artist like VoidCeremony whose appeal is in no small part based on their expansiveness & creativity. They would have been far better served by a glistening progressive metal production job that better highlighted the deviations from the standard death metal model but, as it stands, some of these sections take a bit of digging before they become apparent.

The lineup for “Threads of Unknowing” is the same as for last year’s “At The Periphery of Human Realms” demo with the credentials of band leader Garrett Johnson’s trio of supporting musicians being almost too significant to fit on the one page. Guitarist Philippe Tougas has an enormous pedigree in extreme metal with his resume including time with the likes of Atramentus, Chthe'ilist, Cosmic Atrophy, First Fragment, Funebrarum, Worm, Equipoise, Eternity's End, Serocs, Vengeful & Zealotry. The dual axe attack is joined by Australian metal royalty in bassist Damon Good of Cauldron Black Ram, Martire, Mournful Congregation & StarGazer fame while drummer Charles Koryn has amassed an equally impressive music career with bands like Ascended Dead, Chthonic Deity, Decrepisy, Funebrarum & Ghoulgotha. That’s a fuck-tonne of recording experience right there so it’s a little bit of a shame that the production issues I mentioned have dulled the brightness of some pretty wonderful performances.

Before going into “Thread of Unknowing”, I’d been led to believe that it was Void Ceremony’s most progressive release to date but the first four tracks only show glimpses of that with the majority of that material staying in the tech death space for the most part. It’s only really the last two tracks that see the band flexing their creative muscles a little further which is a bit of a shame as these moments seem to elevate things to another level, particularly the more expansive, jazz-inspired solos & Good's angular bass lines which are the clear highlights of the album. The hints at an early 90’s progressive death metal influence (Atheist, Cynic, Death, etc.) are most welcome & I’m hopeful that we’ll see those expanded upon in the future. Unfortunately, the production tends to take the edge off a bit as it doesn’t seem to want to let VoidCeremony free itself of its association with Immolation/Morbid Angel style death metal. The generic death growls don’t help there either to be fair which is a real shame as it feels like the band were being held back a bit.

Look, “Threads of Unknowing” is far from a disappointment. On the contrary, it’s a very consistent tech death outing from a group of quality performers. I think I’m perhaps just being a little harsh on it given the clear potential for greater things. It wouldn’t surprise me if the next VoidCeremnoy record sees them dropping death metal altogether & presenting the world with something significantly more adventurous & I for one hope that’s the case but for the time being we’ll have to be satisfied with what we have here i.e. a pretty decent example of the technical/progressive death metal sound that should appeal to fans of StarGazer, Ænigmatum & Lunar Chamber.

3.5/5

Ali Farka Touré - "The Source" (1993)

A wonderfully bluesy collection of Songhai music from this widely celebrated Malian guitarist.

Yeah, I think it's a little more accurate personally but would throw Nintendocore in under the Electronicore banner too if I was them as it's simply too specific.

Global Communication - "76:14" (1994)

Seriously brilliant ambient/chillout from Somerset, England. An all-time favourite of mine over many decades now.

I revisited "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" only relatively recently & found that a lot of its lustre had faded for me personally. Perhaps it's just my general struggles with the melodic death metal subgenre more than anything else but I prefer some of Amorphis' later releases like "Elegy" & "Under The Red Cloud" these days. It's a 3.5 star rating from me.

Looking at this new "Kawaii Metal" genre on RYM just now, it would seem that it's been created in order to draw together the j-pop/metal hybrid that's come about off the back of the BABYMETAL phenomenon. At this stage there's only three artists (including BABYMETAL) with releases with over 100 ratings that fall into that category & of those three I'd suggest that Candye♡Syrup's "iDOL Can Dye Sick Rock!!" isn't actually a metal record (it's a trancecore/electronicore release for mine) so I'd have to suggest that the justification for a new genre is flimsy at best.

It just looks like they've changed the name of the Trancecore subgenre to Electronicore.

Tony MacAlpine - "Maximum Security" (1987)

Despite being a total shred-head for most of my youth, it's interesting that I hadn't experienced a full Tony MacAlpine album until this weekend. I've been fully across the bulk of the Shrapnel Records back catalogue since the late 1980's but the Massachusetts-based neoclassical guitar virtuoso & Squawk Records label head has somehow managed to avoid my salivating teenage gaze. I don't think I've been missing out on anything terribly unique though mind as "Maximum Security" sounds a lot like a poor man's Vinnie Moore in my opinion. There's no doubt that his chops are next level (on both guitar & keyboards just quietly) but the song-writing never quite manages to fully engage with me, potentially due to the neoclassicisms as I've never been much of a fan of that style in my metal. It's perhaps no surprise then that the better moments come when Tony parks his classical urges for few minutes in order to indulge further into his progressive side as he does on my personal favourite "Dreamstate". There are a couple of obvious failures in the short Romanticism-inspired keyboard interlude "Etude #4, Opus #10" & flat closer "Porcelain Doll" with the rest of the album being mildly enjoyable without ever presenting the listener with a genuine highlight track. If you still listen to your Jason Becker or Joey Tafolla CDs then you'll no doubt want to own this record as well (Hell, you likely already do) but "Maximum Security" represents more of a passing interest for those of us that moved on from the guitar shred movement several decades ago.

3.5/5

Here;s my updated Top Ten Neoclassical Metal Releases of All Time list with Marty Friedman's "Dragons Kiss" now having dropped out to make way for Tony:

01. Vinnie Moore – “Mind’s Eye” (1986)

02. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – “Marching Out” (1985)

03. Jason Becker – “Perpetual Burn” (1988)

04. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – “Rising Force” (1984)

05. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – “Odyssey” (1988)

06. Yngwie Malmsteen – “Trial By Fire: Live In Leningrad” (1989)

07. Yngwie J. Malmsteen – “Trilogy” (1986)

08. Cacophony – “Speed Metal Symphony” (1987)

09. Tony MacAlpine - "Maximum Security" (1987)

10. Yngwie Malmsteen – “The Seventh Sign” (1994)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/141

I would simply direct those people to the Trance Metal deep dive thread where they can get a clear understanding of our reasoning. I was completely transparent & provided detailed explanations of my position on each of the releases I investigated as a part of each of the deep dives I've conducted. I also encouraged others to provide their opinions in the interest of an unbiased process. That being said though, if a large portion of our audience decided that they disagreed with our approach then we're certainly open to reviewing it but please bare in mind that whatever position results will need to be in line with our clan configuration (which Trance Metal wasn't just quietly).

I'm not sure how you're suggesting that we're biased here Rex. Trance Metal was removed from the database because it was deemed to not be a legitimate metal genre. This was because, after doing some fairly in-depth research, I discovered that most of the releases sound nothing alike & draw upon a wide array of alternative genres for their base sounds with the only common element being that they utilize trancey synthesizers to some extent. All of the releases were added to move suitable genres though so they're all still here & fall under the same clan rules as any every other release which protects them from trolling.

The last couple of full-lengths from Québec depressive/atmospheric black metal duo Gris are worth checking out. 2007's "Il était une forêt..." is arguably Canada's most widely celebrated black metal release however I prefer their 2013 double album "À l'âme enflammée, l'âme constellée..." to tell you the truth.

I completely agree with your assessments of the first two Gorguts albums Sonny. I bought them both on CD upon release &, while "Considered Dead" was a solid enough (if a little generic) death metal record, it was "The Erosion of Sanity" that really took them to the elite level for me personally. For the record, I struggled significantly with "Obscura" on my first three attempts to understand its merits. It took me until my fourth to fully grasp it which was years after I first encountered it. It's admittedly the most extreme example of the dissonant death metal sound you'll find though.

Harold Budd - "The Pavilion of Dreams" (1978)

Revisited the sophomore album from this Californian ambient legend this morning while playing with the kids on a lovely Gold Coast morning. This really is the best place in the world to live.

Here's my updated Top Ten Atmospheric Black Metal Releases Of All Time following my revisit to Altar of Plagues' "Teethed Glory & Injury" album which has seen "Dark Space III" dropping out:

01. Burzum – “Filosofem” (1996)

02. Akhlys – “The Dreaming I” (2015)

03. Altar of Plagues – “Mammal” (2011)

04. Burzum – “Hvis lyset tar oss” (1994)

05. Wolves In The Throne Room – “Two Hunters” (2007)

06. Paysage d’Hiver – “Im Wald” (2020)

07. Paysage d’Hiver – “Winterkaelte” (2001)

08. Murmuure – “Murmuure” (2010)

09. Altar of Plagues - "Teethed Glory & Injury" (2013)

10. Lurker Of Chalice – “Lurker Of Chalice” (2005)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/160

Here's the updated October feature release roster:

THE FALLEN: Sonny, Morpheus Kitami, Ben, Daniel

THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi, Saxy

THE GUARDIANS: Morpheus Kitami, Xephyr

THE HORDE: Ben, Sonny, Daniel

THE INFINITE: Andi, Xephyr, Saxy

THE NORTH: Xephyr, Ben, Sonny, Daniel

THE PIT: Ben, Morpheus Kitami, Sonny, Daniel

THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel

THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi

Here's my submission for the October playlist Andi:

Napalm Death - "Evolved As One" (from "From Enslavement to Obliteration", 1988)

No submissions from me for October thanks.

Here's my submission for the October playlist Vinny:

Sodom - "Lead Injection" (from "M-16", 2001)

Vio-lence - "Serial Killer" (from "Eternal Nightmare", 1988)

Anthrax - "Belly of the Beast" (from "Persistence of Time", 1990)

Helstar - "He's A Woman, She's A Man" (from "A Distant Thunder", 1988)

Meshuggah - "Paralyzing Ignorance" (from "Contradictions Collapse", 1991)

Scanner - "Grapes of Fear" (from "Hypertrace", 1988)

KAT - "Porwany obledem" (from "Oddech wymarlych swiatow", 1988)

Here's my submission for the October playlist Ben:

Armagedda - "Skogens morka djup" (from "The Final War Approaching", 2001)

Revenge - "Blood Of My Blood" (from "Triumph, Genocide. Antichrist", 2003)

Mgla - "II" (from "With Hearts Toward None", 2012)

Altar of Plagues - "God Alone" (from "Teethed Glory & Injury", 2013)

Here's my submission for the October playlist:

Sarmat - "Formed From Filth" (from "Determined To Strike", 2023)

Suffocation - "Rapture of Revocation" (from "Pinnacle of Bedlam", 2013)

Napalm Death - "Sometimes" (from "From Enslavement To Obliteration", 1988)

Internal Bleeding - "Inhuman Suffering" (from "Voracious Contempt", 1995)

Full of Hell - "Burning Myrrh" (from "Weeping Choir", 2019)

Here's my submission for the October playlist Xephyr:

Vicious Rumors - "Digital Dictator" (from "Digital Dictator", 1988)

No October submissions from me thanks Saxy.

Here are my submissions for the October playlist Sonny:

Paradise Lost - "No Forgiveness" (from "Shades of God", 1992)

Candlemass - "Incarnation of Evil" (from "Ancient Dreams", 1988)

Full of Hell - "Armory of Obsidian Glass" (from "Weeping Choir", 2019)

September 2023

01. Fleshvessel – “The Void Chamber” (from “Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed”, 2023)

02. Atheist – “Enthralled in Essence” (from “Unquestionable Presence”, 1991) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

03. Unanimated – “Life Demise” (from “Ancient God of Evil”, 1995)

04. Dark Tranquillity – “Of Chaos & Eternal Night” (from “Of Chaos & Eternal Night” E.P., 1995)

05. Horrendous – “Cult of Shaad’oah” (from “Ontological Mysterium”, 2023)

06. VoidCeremony – “Abyssic Knowledge Bequeathed” (from “Threads of Unknowing”, 2023) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

07. 200 Stab Wounds – “Masters of Morbidity” (from “Masters of Morbidity” single, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

08. Teitanblood – “The Abomination of Desolation” (from “Seven Chalices”, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

09. Geryon – “De Profundis” (from “Geryon” E.P., 2013)

10. Splatterhouse – “Baptizing The Dead” (from “The House That Dead Built”, 2004)

11. Immolation – “A Glorious Epoch” (from “Majesty & Decay”, 2010) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

12. Torture Rack – “Lord of the Massgrave” (from “Pit of Limbs” E.P., 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

13. Sanguisugabogg – “Testicular Rot” (from “Homicidal Ecstasy”, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. The Zenith Passage – “Deletion Cult” (from “Datalysium”, 2023)

15. Tzompantli – “Ohtlatocopailcahualuztli” (from “Tlazcaltiliztli”, 2022) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Imperial Triumphant – “Sodom” (from “Goliath” E.P., 2013)

17. Discordance Axis – “Ikaruga” (from “Discordance Axis/Corrupted/324” split, 2001

18. The HIRS Collective – “A Different Kind Of Bed Death” (from “We’re Still Here”, 2023)

19. Bloodbath - “Blasting The Virginborn” (from “Unblessing The Purity” E.P., 2008) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Omnivortex – “Dwells” (from “Circulate”, 2023) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

21. Waking The Cadaver – “Insult To Injury” (from “Real-Life Death”, 2013)

22. Party Cannon – “Duct Taped to a Flag Pole” (from “Partied In Half” E.P., 2013)

23. Cattle Decapitation – “Your Disposal” (from “Monolith of Inhumanity”, 2012) [Submitted by Daniel]

24. Mutilatred – “Sickened To Death” (from “Determined To Rot”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]

25. Aborted – “Parasitic Flesh Resection” (from “Goremageddon: The Saw & the Carnage Done”, 2003) [Submitted by Daniel]

Some pretty decent German power metal.

I pondered on this topic again while out for a walk today & surmised that you must down-rate a full-length album when comparing it with a double or triple album Ben. I mean, by your assessment above, it makes sense that it's much easier to create a single five-star album than it is a four-&-a-half hour epic. Or do you down-rate those for being too long?

Technical/progressive thrash metal from Sweden.

Those Brutality & Demilich records are certainly high-quality examples of 1990's death metal that have brought me a lot of joy over the years. I'm not sure that I'd place either in the top tier of the genre but they're both gold members of the second tier.

KAT - "Oddech wymarłych światów" (1988)

I first became aware of Poland’s premier thrash metal export KAT in the very early 1990’s through the tape trading scene. I’d been trading with a European metal fanatic who was really big on them & he thought I might enjoy some of their thrashier material so he sent me over a few tapes that included their most highly regarded release in 1988’s classic third album “Oddech wymarłych światów”. I ended up really enjoying all of the releases he’d sent me so I’d follow KAT’s subsequent releases for the remainder of my tape trading days & would even check out one of their post-reunion albums upon my return to metal in 2009 but somehow KAT have drifted off my radar in recent times. I’m not familiar with a good half of their back catalogue & have never taken the time to revisit any of the releases I enjoyed as a youngster for the purpose of rating & review until now but I thought I might start with KAT’s pièce de résistance.

I’ve never experienced the first couple of KAT albums from when they reportedly championed more of a Venom-style heavy/speed metal sound but they were already a fairly classy & professional outfit by 1988 & that’s quite evident in the way they go about things on “Oddech wymarłych światów”. The production is perfectly suited to underground thrash with all of the instruments being presented clearly but never at the expense of the rawness that made European thrash so appealing during the 1980’s. The compositions are quite sophisticated too & one gets the feeling that KAT were just as influenced by the Americans as they were the Germans.

Instrumentally we find KAT taking a predominantly thrash-fronted approach although you can easily detect the band’s more traditional heavy metal roots at times, particularly on songs like the chuggy “Śpisz jak kamień” or the more commercially accessible power ballad “Głos z ciemności”. The highlights of the album definitely come when KAT are at their more intense & thrashy though with songs like opener “Porwany obłędem” (my personal favourite), “Dziewczyna w cierniowej koronie” & “Mag – Sex” all being very solid examples of the late 80’s European thrash metal sound. The thrashier works of fellow Poles Turbo are a pretty good guide for what to expect with Turbo having taken a very similar path of transition from their early heavy metal/rock works to high energy thrashers over their first few albums too. Greece’s Flames are another band that springs to mind while I’m consistently reminded of San Francisco Bay Area legends Exodus in both the vocals & instrumentation. There’s certainly a gruff European edge to Roman Kostrzewski’s vocal delivery that sits somewhere between the raspy squeals of Destruction’s Schmier & the psychotic outbursts of Exodus’ Paul Baloff while the regular use of clean guitars & melodic lead work is drawn from Americans bands like Metallica & is generally executed with great aplomb too just quietly.

You can see that all of the key elements are there for a high-quality thrash outing so why the middling score then? Well, there’s a couple of reasons for that. The first is the noticeable lack of genuine highlight tracks with none of the seven songs included sitting alongside the top tier artists in the genre. There are admittedly no weak tracks here either but the song-writing is often brought back into second or third tier territory by the inclusion of a flat riff or chorus. The music has a nice, raw feel to it but there’s probably not the consistency of elite thrash riffage required for my higher scores here. There’s no doubt that I’ve enjoyed my revisit to “Oddech wymarłych światów” but I did think I might have scored it just a touch higher if I’m being honest.

3.5/5

Full of Hell - "Weeping Choirs" (2019)

My knowledge of Maryland-based extremists Full of Hell began around a decade ago through their 2014 collaboration album with Japanese noise legend Merzbow & has continued in sporadic fashion ever since. Full of Hell are so prolific & have undertaken such a broad array of different musical styles & sounds that I’ve never committed to digesting their complete discography but the seven or eight albums, splits & E.P.'s that I have indulged in over the years have inevitably hit the mark. It’s strange that I haven’t fully committed to a detailed investigation of any of those releases to date though but my recently renewed passion for the deathgrind hybrid sound has seen me finally rectifying that omission via Full of Hell’s 2019 fourth album “Weeping Choirs”, an album I remember very fondly from the time of release.

“Weeping Choirs” very much represents the short-sharp-shock style of grind-oriented extreme metal release with its eleven tracks only clocking in at a total duration of 25 minutes but I doubt even the most ardent supporter of the grindcore scene would argue that you need a deathgrind release to exceed the half hour mark. It would simply be overkill, especially when the music contained within is as extreme as it comes & with the tracklisting having been programmed specifically to see the listener presented with the most blasting & generally superior tracks at the start & the completion of the album.

Full of Hell’s sound sees them beautifully combining the relentless freneticism & psychotic screaming of grindcore with the down-tuned, tremolo-picked riffage & deep growls of death metal to great effect with their most intense moments leaving fans of the deathgrind subgenre feeling nothing short of exhilaration. The band change it up regularly though through the use of industrial power electronics sounds & a couple of lower tempo sludge metal-inspired numbers. The longest track on the record “Armory of Obsidian Glass” makes fantastic use of the sludge component to become one of the records true highlights while the tracks that include elements of power electronics tend to be the weaker inclusions, potentially due to my taste more than anything else. In fact, I find the most blatant noise excursion “Rainbow Coil” to be particularly tough going & by far the weakest moment on the record.

The production job is tailor made for this type of music so it doesn’t surprise me to see a few naysayers floating around the Academy. Personally, I’ll take this sound every day of the week & will come back for a second helping shortly afterwards. Deathgrind is quite simply meant to be abrasive & in your face so any expectation of subtlety should categorically be left at the door. But even by deathgrind standards, “Weeping Choirs” is a super-extreme example of its type & one that I hold in very high regard. The vocal & drumming performances are utterly insane & leave me with no alternative but to damage something… anything…. in salute of this bold & brash statement of malicious intent. Fans of bands like Knoll, Jarhead Fertilizer & Napalm Death need not hesitate to enter into this twisted house of the sick & barbarous. They should only rejoice that there are bands like Full of Hell out there that sacrifice their own physical well-being for the sake of their art.

4/5

My revised Top Ten Deathgrind Releases of All Time list now looks as below with "Weeping Choirs" having just pushed Aborted's 2003 "Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage Done" album out of the list:

01. Napalm Death - "Mentally Murdered" E.P. (1989)

02. Cattle Decapitation - "Monolith of Inhumanity" (2012)

03. Brutal Truth - "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" (1992)

04. Napalm Death - "Utopia Banished" (1992)

05. Napalm Death - "Mass Appeal Madness" E.P. (1991)

06. Full of Hell - "Weeping Choirs" (2019)

07. Lock Up - "Necropolis Transparent" (2011)

08. Cephalic Carnage - "Misled by Certainty" (2010)

09. Damaged - "Passive Backseat Demon Engines" E.P. (1995)

10. Misery Index - "Heirs to Slavery" (2010)

That's a great review that's very much in line with my own feelings Sonny. Four stars from me too.