Daniel's Forum Replies

A couple that I've been spinning while playing with the kids in the backyard:

Buddy Guy - "Left My Blues in San Francisco" (1968)

The Blind Boys of Alabama - "Spirit of the Century" (2001)

Anthem - "Hunting Time" (1989)

Prolific Tokyo-based heavy metal outfit Anthem have been on my radar for many years but I’ve never taken the plunge by giving any of their twenty full-length albums a fair crack until now which is a shame because their 1989 fifth album “Hunting Time” has proven to be a bit of a cracker to be honest. The band returned with the same lineup that recorded their previous record in 1988’s “Gypsy Ways” with their Japanese label Nexus Records once again calling upon English producer Chris Tsangarides to oversee the recordings. Chris was very well respected in the metal scene at the time given his previous involvement with records like Tygers of Pan Tang’s “Wild Cat” & “Spellbound”, Anvil’s “Metal on Metal” & “Forged in Fire” & Black Sabbath’s “The Eternal Idol” so Anthem were certainly in good hands & the results speak for themselves because “Hunting Time” sports a ripper of a production job (particularly for 1989) which takes what could have been a just another heavy metal record & thrusts it into the global spotlight.

“Hunting Time” is a ball of bright, energetic metal fury that jumps straight out of those speakers, grabs you by your late 80’s mullet & forces your head to bang in time with its up-tempo metal assault. The musicianship & arrangements show Anthem to be very capable & highly experienced exponents of their craft with the consistent tracklisting containing no weak moments. Anthem's sound sits very much in the metal-for metals-sake space that Judas Priest’s “Defenders of the Faith” built its reputation on & I don’t think we have enough records like that to be honest. The riffs & solos of guitarist Hiroya Fukuda are face-ripping, ball-tearing monsters that possess a weight that often pushes the limitations of the heavy metal subgenre to their limit.

The tracklisting contains just the eight songs & kicks off in very strong fashion with the first three songs being arguably the best on the album. There are a few filler tracks that pop up after that initial barrage however none of them can be considered to be duds. Front man Yukio Morikawa doesn’t seem to be able to decide on whether he wants to sing in Japanese or English, sometimes going for a mixture of the two but delivering his lyrics with confidence nonetheless. He’s quite engaging though & pulls it all off with aplomb, even if the Japanese sections are a little harder to engage with & some of the English lyrics are pretty poor.

“Hunting Time” has proven itself to be a breath of fresh air with its concentration on undiluted molten metal being very much in line with my preferences for your more conventional style of heavy metal. I think it just lacks the presence of a few genuinely classic songs in order to push it up into my more elite rating bracket. It’s consistency & proficiency are commendable though & fans of Japanese heavy metal bands like Loudness, Seikima-II & Metalucifer shouldn’t hesitate in checking it out.

4/5

In Rexorcist's Top 100 Prog Metal Albums list, he has mentioned the need for the "progcore" tag to exist. As a fan of progressive metal and hardcore/metalcore, I absolutely agree with Rex. It's the most accurate tag to describe bands and albums that aren't too progressive or too hardcore but just right. In my opinion, progcore can be used for releases that combine progressive rock/metal with any of the hardcore/metalcore subgenres that also include melodic metalcore, mathcore, deathcore, and post-hardcore. 

So do any of you guys like the "progcore" term, and what are your favorite albums that can fit that term? Discuss!

I'm not a fan of this idea as we're trying to steer away from hybrid subgenres, particularly when they're cross-clan ones as they create logistical problems given that a subgenre can only reside in one clan in our database. Surely a dual tag of Progressive Metal & Metalcore is sufficient for these releases, isn't it?

Ария - "Игра с огнем" (1989)

It was only a couple of months ago that I finally investigated one of Russian heavy metal icons Ария’s highly regarded albums & I generally found it to be a pretty enjoyable experience too. They proved themselves to be a very capable group of musicians who had clearly paid their dues & knew exactly what they were doing. I felt that it was a shame that Ария hadn’t secured overseas record label backing because 1987’s “На службе силы зла” certainly deserved more attention than it received at the time. It did however pique my interest in what Ария’s other classic period releases might have to offer though which brings us to their 1989 fourth full-length “Игра с огнем”.

As with “На службе силы зла”, “Игра с огнем” is once again produced by guitarist Vladimir Kholstinin & bassist Vitaly Dubinin, only this time they’ve achieved a more professional result with the very raw guitar tone of the previous album having been replaced with a crunchy yet far more cohesive one on this occasion. There’s been only the one lineup change since their third album with drummer Sergey Mavrin having been replaced by Alexander Manyakin who would stay with the band until Mavrin's return in 2002. The high-quality musicianship that was a feature of “На службе силы зла” is once again on show on “Игра с огнем”, perhaps even being a little better highlighted by the improved sound quality. Ария were certainly a class act at the time & I’d imagine their live shows (if they played any) would have been well worth seeing.

If you do a little online research you’ll very quickly discover that Ария are generally regarded as an Iron Maiden clone. I could see how people might say that after spending some time with “На службе силы зла” but Ария really doubled down on that approach for “Игра с огнем”, so much so that if you replaced front man Valery Kipelov with someone that sounded a little more similar to Bruce Dickinson then you’d find it hard to tell them apart from the NWOBHM legends. In fact, some of this material is so close that you can pick the exact Maiden track that Ария are trying to emulate at any one time but the fact that they pull it off to a comparable level of quality to their idols is a pretty major feather in their caps. I mean, despite how popular & influential they are, there are relatively few bands out there that have the skills required to accurately recreate the melodic complexities & progressive atmospherics of Iron Maiden in their prime but Ария seem to do it with ease & the fact that they’ve stopped short of recruiting a Bruce-clone & choose to maintain their native language gives them a reasonable point of differentiation. Valery Kipelov is a talented front man in his own right &, despite the instrumental prowess on display, most of the best moments are aligned with Kipelov's more successful vocal hooks. I believe I mentioned it in my review of “На службе силы зла” but it's worth reiterating how much he reminds me of a gruffer version of Scorpions' front man Klaus Meine.

There are a few clear highlight tracks included amongst the seven on offer in the fast-paced opener “Что вы сделали с вашей мечтой?”, the lengthy progressive number “Игра с огнем” & the anthemic “Бой продолжается” (my personal favourite). It’s a real shame that the tracklisting finishes up with clearly the weakest song on the album in the lethargic “Дай жару!” as “Игра с огнем” seemed to be heading towards a very solid four-star rating prior to tripping at the finish line. I also wonder whether I might have rated an album like this one a touch higher if not for the foreign language vocals. I don’t dislike them in any way but I do think metal records with clean-sung, foreign-language vocals are at a slight disadvantage with me in that I’m not sure I can quite reach the intended climax with a chorus hook that I can’t connect with from a lyrical perspective. I think it’s an even playing field until you start to hit that four-star threshold though. It’s not the same with harsh vocals as there’s far less of a reliance on melodic chorus hooks.

“Игра с огнем” is another pretty decent album from a highly talented group of Russian metalheads who weren’t willing to allow politics to dictate to them on how they spend their spare time or express themselves creatively & artistically. I’d suggest that it’s a slight improvement on the already enjoyable “На службе силы зла” from two years earlier although there’s not a lot in it with the improved production perhaps being the clincher. If you’re a fan of Valery Kipelov’s other band Кипелов, don't mind a bit of foreign-language heavy metal like Japan's Loudness or simply wish that Iron Maiden's incredible run of 1980's classics had never ended then I think you could do a lot worse than to give “Игра с огнем” a spin or three.

3.5/5

Here's my updated Top Ten Neoclassical Metal Releases of All Time list after revisiting Yngwie Malmsteen's "Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad" live album this week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yngwie Malmsteen - "Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad" (1989)

My relationship with the music of Swedish neoclassical guitar icon Yngwie Malmsteen began way back in 1988 through his fourth studio album “Odyssey” & would lead to me very quickly becoming infatuated with him. Well… to be fair it was more about his technique than it was the song-writing because I’d honestly never heard anything quite like it. Albums like “Rising Force”, “Marching Out” & “Trilogy” all offered a unanimous level of appeal for a budding young shredder like myself & I’d invariably check out everything Yngwie would put out for the next seven years before losing interest through the middle of the 1990's. In more recent times though, I’ve found myself retreating to these records & have been a little surprised at how enjoyable I still find them to be. Yngwie’s 1989 live album “Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad” is perhaps the release that I’ve spent the least amount of time with from his peak 1980’s period though. Being a live performer myself, I’m generally open to live releases as they can sometimes bring new elements to the music, often through imperfections that aren’t always a bad thing & that’s certainly the case here. On the contrary, the very slight blemishes in Yngwie’s performance here only provide further proof of his absolute mastery of his chosen instrument.

“Odyssey” is my favourite Yngwie studio album these days so the timing of “Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad” couldn’t have been much better really, particularly as it features very much the same lineup with bassist Barry Dunaway (Joe Lynn Turner/Saraya/38 Special) being the only addition in order to reproduce Yngwie’s bass lines. Former Rainbow & future Deep Purple & Sunstorm front man Joe Lynn Turner proves himself to be a class act, putting in a highly professional performance that rarely puts a foot wrong while the wonderfully talented Johansson brothers Jens (Cain’s Offering/Rainbow/Stratovarius/Dio/Silver Mountain) & Anders (HammerFall/Manowar/Silver Mountain/Stratovarius/Blue Murder) absolutely slay in their roles behind the keyboard & drum kit, Jens often challenging Yngwie in the chops department.

The tracklisting is fairly heavy on the last two studio records “Odyssey” & “Trilogy” with “Rising Force” having just the two instrumental tracks included & “Marching Out” being overlooked altogether. There’s also an admittedly pretty solid cover version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” included right at the end of the album too while Yngwie takes the opportunity to showcase his undeniable talents with a ten-minute guitar solo section. I haven’t traditionally found as much appeal in Yngwie’s more neoclassically inspired instrumental pieces & that’s still the case here but there are no weak tracks included. It’s in the material drawn from “Odyssey” that you’ll find most of the highlights though along with Yngwie’s signature instrumental hard rocker “Black Star”. My personal favourite is “Heaven Tonight” whose hooks have lost none of the power of their studio counterpart. “Déjà vu” & “Crystal Ball” are also wonderful examples of the melodic European heavy metal sound.

It's honestly hard to go past a live album like this one given that it showcases most of Yngwie’s best material on the one record. I would have liked to hear a track or two from Yngwie’s very solid “Marching Out” sophomore album but I’m gonna assume that the decision not to go down that path was related to Lynn Turner’s ability to replicate Jeff Scott Soto’s voice as I doubt it had anything to do with the strength of the material. Regardless, it’s hard not to feel like I’ve been missing out over the years when you consider that I haven’t given this record the same level of attention as Yngwie’s studio albums. In fact, this may be my new favourite Yngwie record overall which was certainly unexpected. If you’re into guitar shred artists like Cacophony, Axel Rudi Pell or Alcatrazz then “Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad” comes highly recommended by this ol’ shred-head.

4/5

I would recommend Pig Destroyer's "Natasha" E.P. as a very diverse take on sludge metal.

My updated Top Ten Technical Thrash Metal Releases of All Time list after revisiting Destruction's "Cracked Brain" fourth album this weekend. Vektor's "Black Future" is the unlucky record to drop out of the list:

01. Coroner – “Mental Vortex” (1991)

02. Sadus – “A Vision Of Misery” (1992)

03. Coroner – “No More Color” (1989)

04. Cryptic Shift – “Visitations From Enceladus” (2020)

05. Ripping Corpse - "Dreaming With The Dead" (1991)

06. Toxik – “World Circus” (1987)

07. Destruction - "Cracked Brain" (1990)

08. Аспид – “Кровоизлияние” (1993)

09. Coroner – “Punishment For Decadence” (1988)

10. Vektor - "Outer Isolation" (2011)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/173

Destruction - "Cracked Brain" (1990)

Teutonic thrash heavyweights Destruction & I have always maintained an unusual relationship when compared to that of most extreme metal fans. You see, despite my having quite enjoyed the their early “Bestial Invasion of Hell” demo, I have to admit that I’ve never really gotten on with Destruction’s first couple of proper releases in 1984’s “Sentence of Death” E.P. & 1985's “Infernal Overkill” debut album. It’s not until they became a little more adventurous & added a bit of sophistication to their sound with their 1986 sophomore album “Eternal Devastation” that I saw my interest being held with any sort of regularity & from that point I saw Destruction adding a little more appeal with each release they put out during the back end of the 1980’s. But the reality is that I discovered all of these releases in quick succession & not necessarily in chronological order after first having Destruction brought to my attention through some material from “Sentence of Death” that was playing on a late-night underground metal radio program I used to obsessively follow as an early teenager.

The first & only Destruction release that I’d purchase an original copy of at the time of its release would be 1990’s “Cracked Brain” fourth full-length which came off the back of my favourite Destruction records in 1987’s “Release From Agony” & 1989 live album “Live Without Sense”. Ben & I picked “Cracked Brain” up on cassette & I played it fairly religiously for some time afterwards. It wouldn’t be for a couple of decades that I’d discover that I really shouldn’t enjoy “Cracked Brain” as much as I had been. It’s apparently forbidden for one reason or another, mainly due to the sacking of legendary front man Schmier just prior to the recording of the album from what I can make out. But my memories of “Cracked Brain” are in direct contrast to the consistent criticism I’ve read about it online lately so I decided to see how much of my positivity is caused by nostalgia & how much is genuine quality.

As with all of Destruction’s previous records, “Cracked Brain” was released through legendary German metal label Steamhammer Records, this time with experienced English producer Guy Bidmead sharing the production duties with the band. Guy had certainly paid his dues over the years but his most noteworthy contributions as a metal producer were through Motorhead’s “No Remorse” & “Rock ‘n’ Roll”, Exciter’s “Long Live The Loud” & “Unveiling The Wicked”, Cloven Hoof’s “Dominator” & Coroner’s “Punishment For Decadence”. Unfortunately though, the result of his work on “Cracked Brain” amounted to a wishy washy & slightly muted sounding record that’s a little lacking in brightness. Thankfully though, the quality of the majority of the material is strong enough to overcome the deficiencies in the mix.

That’s right ladies & gentlemen. I said it. “Cracked Brain” is a high-quality thrash metal record that features Destruction’s most complex & sophisticated song structures to date. The angular, technical nature of many of the riffs gives the album a fresh & exciting feel while, contrary to popular opinion, I’ve always felt that the inclusion of a new vocalist in André Grieder of Swiss thrashers Poltergeist breathed new life into the band. Original singer & bassist Schmier had been unceremoniously sacked just prior to the recording of the album, a decision that most (eventually including the rest of the band members too it has to be said) felt was a very poor decision. André’s raspy delivery sounds a little more screamy & psychotic in a Paul Baloff kinda way as opposed to the snarlier Schmier but I think both have their merits & the two guitarists do a great job at picking up Schmier’s bass duties. Where “Release From Agony” bordered on technical thrash metal, “Cracked Brain” takes the full plunge for a good half the album, often sounding as much like Coroner as it does Kreator or Sodom. The way they manage to incorporate melody into their riffs without sacrificing on the darkness is something that really appeals to me personally. Don’t get me wrong though, this is still an aggressive & thrashy as fuck Destruction record with a whole lot of energy & I don’t think any member of The Pit will have too many problems with the musical direction.

This brings us to the obvious exception however & one that I feel is primarily responsible for “Cracked Brain” being treated unfairly by many diehard fans. I’m not sure whose decision it was to include a cover version of The Knack’s “My Sherona” right in the middle of the tracklisting but it was undeniably a very poor one. Again contrary to popular opinion though, I don’t think it’s a bad version of the track if you listen to it in isolation & don’t focus on the fact that it’s been produced by a thrash band. In fact, if you heard it playing in a pub at high volume after downing a few beers with your mates then I can almost guarantee that you’d all be singing along to it merrily. It’s just that it sounds so out of whack with the material around it that’s the big problem here & I simply can’t justify the decision to include it. Thankfully though, the rest of the tracklisting is completely blemish-free & is actually very strong. The opening title track is the clear highlight & is one of Destruction's best tracks overall in my opinion but the rest of the tracklisting rarely dips below a very solid & consistent level of quality with the less ambitious thrasher “Die A Day Before You’re Born” probably being the weaker of the bunch if you exclude the poorly placed cover version.

The musicianship on “Cracked Brain” is nothing short of stunning to be honest & is a real highlight with Destruction once again proving themselves to be miles ahead of the other three Teutonic Big Four members when it comes to technical proficiency. The two lead guitarists Mike Sifringer & Harry Wilkens really go to town on the sweep picking during some highly creative guitar solos that lean pretty heavily on progressive concepts to differentiate themselves from standard thrash metal fodder. Odd time signatures are pulled off with ease while drummer Oliver Kaiser (who joined the band for their last album “Release From Agony”) once again puts in a solid performance that works more to accentuate the music around him than trying for anything too showy.

While I do think that “Release From Agony” just manages to top “Cracked Brain”, I simply can’t understand or condone the consistently lacklustre opinions on what I consider to be a very engaging European thrash metal record & one that I’d take over any of Destruction’s pre-1987 releases. People need to look past their anger at Schmier’s sacking & the silly cover version so that they can reach the gooey centre that clearly seems to have been eluding them up until this point.

4/5

Yeah, I'm a big fan of "Idolum" & Ufomammut in general. If you ever get the chance to see them play live then you should definitely do that too as you won't forget it in a hurry.

Taj Mahal - "The Natch'l Blues" (1968)

A rootsy, organic blend of blues, r 'n' b & southern rock.

Good call Rex. I slightly prefer the Inferno Festival set but still hold a lot of love for the Wacken one so I'll be awarding it an impressive 4.5 star rating.

I put my Top Ten Metal Releases of 1988 list together yesterday after revisiting a number of old records from my past over the last month or so with this being the result:

01. Metallica - "...And Justice For All"

02. Slayer - "South of Heaven"

03. Iron Maiden - "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son"

04. Bathory - "Blood Fire Death"

05. Pestilence - "Malleus Maleficarum"

06. Queensrÿche - "Operation: Mindcrime

07. Godflesh - "Godflesh" E.P.

08. Viking - "Do or Die"

09. Vio-lence - "Eternal Nightmare"

10. Razor - "Violent Restitution"

https://metal.academy/lists/single/239

Vendetta - "Brain Damage" (1988)

My experience with second tier Teutonic thrash metal outfit Vendetta began fairly early in my time as a teenage tape trader back in the early 1990’s when I received their first two albums on either side of the one cassette from a reliable European gentleman I’d been corresponding with. I remember them being quite entertaining too & they both received a good few listens over the coming month or so but I think it’s fair to say that my attention had already been well & truly captured by the thriving death metal insurgence by that stage so I’d suggest that Vendetta were always going to be facing an uphill battle in their quest to justify return visits in the longer term. As a result, Vendetta kinda slipped off my radar until a few years ago when I revisited their 1987 debut album “Go & Live… Stay & Die” & found it to offer an enjoyable brand of speed metal-infused thrash, complete with NWOBHM influences, a wonderfully raw guitar tone, an electric energy & some lengthy arrangements that showcased an impressive attention to detail. The vocals & guitar solos weren’t amazing but it was a decent enough first-up effort overall. Ever since that time I’ve been meaning to revisit Vendetta’s most highly regarded release in their 1988 sophomore album “Brain Damage” which seems to have gained somewhat of a cult following over the years.

"Brain Damage" sees legendary German metal producer Harris Johns returning to produce his second Vendetta album only this time he's under the guidance of experienced executive producer Karl-U Walterbach whose resume certainly proceeded him. Walterbach had worked on a string of classic Teutonic metal releases such as Celtic Frost’s “Morbid Tales”, “Emperors Return” & “Into Mega Therion”, Kreator’s “Pleasure To Kill” & Running Wild’s “Port Royal” while Johns’ own CV sported the likes of Helloween’s self-titled E.P. & “Walls of Jericho” debut album, Kreator’s “Pleasure To Kill”, Voivod’s “Killing Technology” & “Dimension Hatross” & Sodom’s “Persecution Mania” so Noise Records had certainly brought in the big guns & “Brain Damage” sounds less raw & more professional than “Go & Live… Stay & Die” as a result. In fact, the clear & bright production quality plays a pretty major role in the appeal of this record as the song-writing isn’t always up to scratch.

The time that Vendetta put into the arrangements on the debut is once again on show here with some quite progressive & slightly technical moments popping up here & there. The musicianship is excellent throughout with the band's performances being super-tight which gives the arrangements their very best chance at success. Vendetta prove themselves to be well capable of creating some great, chuggy thrash riffs but the NWOBHM influence that was so evident on “Go & Live… Stay & Die” is once again fairly obvious here with Iron Maiden being the clear source inspiration, particularly in some of the more progressive sections where bassist Klaus Ullrich is given the chance to shine such as the lengthy instrumental centrepiece “Fade To Insanity”. I mentioned earlier that speed metal played a role in the make-up of the debut & “Brain Damage” is no different in that regard, so much so that I’d suggest that the dual tagging is warranted here. Thrash metal is still the main player but I don’t think you can disregard the significance of the German speed metal contribution as there's often a little ambiguity about which genre has the ascendency.

Once again though, the limiting factor in Vendetta’s metal assault can be found in the vocals of guitarists Achim Hömerlein & Michael Wehner which don’t really meet the mark for a band with such a melodic sensibility in my opinion. Perhaps if Vendetta took a more raw & aggressive approach similar to Kreator or Sodom then I wouldn’t be discussing it so much but Vendetta’s sound is intended to be cleaner & more accessible so I’m not sure that this result has served then particularly well. The raspy vocals certainly don’t hide their German origin but often remind me a lot of Kai Hansen’s dodgy contributions to the early Helloween releases which I wasn’t much of a fan of to begin with.

Despite this shortcoming, there is some reward to be found in “Brain Damage” as the class in the instrumentation is quite impressive. There are a few weaker numbers to be found across the tracklisting (see the title track, “Precious Existence”, Dominance of Violence” & particularly the pointless “Love Song”) but the stronger material is able to balance it out with opener “War”, the previously mentioned instrumental “Fade To Insanity” & the fast & thrashy “Never Die” (my personal favourite) being the best inclusions. I do have to admit that I’d be more likely to reach for the rawer debut album over this one though as it’s simply a little more consistent. Still… if you really dig some of the more underground bands from the Teutonic thrash scene like Grinder, Darkness & Pyacanda then “Brain Damage” will no doubt be of interest to you.

3.5/5

Rex, can you please repost your last post. My newborn daughter just managed to press the BAN POST button while I was reading it. Sorry about that.

Mgła - "Age of Excuse" (2019)

Polish black metallers Mgła are an intriguing artist. Much like US blackgaze icons Deafheaven & countrymen Behemoth, they’ve managed to largely divide the underground metal community but seem fairly undeserving of their criticism based purely on the quality of their work. Sure, they may not buy into the lo-fi aesthetic that black metal purists seem to value so much which gives them an immediate advantage over the competition in terms of accessibility but they’ve never claimed to be anything they’re not as far as I’m aware & simply continue to do what they enjoy (& very well too it has to be said). Nonetheless, my recent revisit to their 2012 “With Hearts Toward None” sophomore album couldn’t muster more than 3.5 stars which seemed a little out of line with the common consensus that it’s one of Mgła’s best records. My view is that it doesn’t come close to the duo’s exceptional 2015 follow-up “Exercises in Futility” which I consider to be nothing short of a modern black metal classic & that led me to wonder whether perhaps Mgła’s 2019 fourth album “Age of Excuse” may be worth a re-examination given that its predecessor had already seen them transcending the concerns I held for “With Hearts Toward None”. I've been generously rewarded for my efforts too with “Age of Excuse” proving itself to be a worthy entry in Mgła’s illustrious discography.

Mgła is made up of just the two band members in founding vocalist/guitarist/bassist Mikolaj Zentara (Kriegsmaschine/Owls Woods Graves) & drummer Maciej Kowalski (Kriegsmaschine/Crionics/Darzamat/MasseMord) who has been his partner in crime since the band’s second proper release in 2006’s highly regarded “Mdłości” E.P. In the seventeen years since that time M. & Darkside (as they are known under their chosen aliases for this project) have amassed a number of critically acclaimed releases that seem to inevitably draw as much disapproval as they do celebration. I can see why with a record like “With Hearts Toward None” to be honest as the quality levels seem to be a little out of line with some of the fanfare it seems to draw & my only explanation can be that people have fallen for the band's image & aesthetics more than the actual art but the same can certainly not be said for “Exercises in Futility” which is as essential a black metal release as you’ll find in my opinion.

2019’s “Age of Excuse” sees Mgła returning with an album that sounds exactly like you’d expect it to in many ways. The boys certainly knew how to reproduce a glisteningly polished recording of their art by this stage as, just like “Exercises in Futility”, Mgła’s fourth full-length possesses an immaculate production job that goes a long way to explaining its appeal. It’s also quite simple in its structure & the composition is always fairly melodic too which makes it easier on the ear than most of their black metal competition. The performances are pretty spectacular though with both musicians choosing not to push their technical limitations & instead opting to create sweeping soundscapes of perfectly executed & quite musical extreme metal. Despite the basic make-up of this music, there’s no shortage of nuance in Mgła’s sound with M. continuously finding ways to layer melodic guitar arpeggios over his standard tremolo-picked riffs & Darkside once again showcasing his masterful cymbal work. Darkside never really goes for broke here by ascending into realms of sheer battery. He prefers to stay a little more within himself in the best interest of the song-writing & it works nicely for him too as each track is given ample space for which to realise its full potential.

The album begins very well with the opening two cuts being particularly solid examples of the Mgła sound but things really heat up in the middle of the tracklisting. The third & fourth tracks see the darkness & intensity ramping up significantly for what are unquestionably a couple of the best tracks of Mgła’s career to date, particularly the wonderful “III” which will no doubt completely destroy all of the Dissection & Emperor fans out there. It's in these moments that M.'s intimidatingly grim vocals are most effective. He may not possess the most original black metal delivery on the planet (on the contrary, he sounds like any number of other black metal front men) but there can be no denying his effectiveness. Unfortunately though, the remaining two tracks see Mgła opting for a less imposing & more atmospheric sound that’s nowhere near as engaging in my opinion. “V” & “VI” aren’t weak tracks as such but they do seem like a step down from the first four pieces which results in “Age of Excuse” failing to reach the potential it had shown earlier on in the tracklisting.

Don’t get me wrong guys, “Age of Excuse” is another high-quality release from the Polish black metal phenomenon. I guess I’m just left feeling a touch disappointed at the end of each listen because the last sixteen minutes aren’t up to the same level as the first twenty-six. The album is well worth exploring though & should be essential listening for fans of the band as well as those partial to artists like Uada, Kriegsmaschine or Plaga. Just don't expect anything terribly different as Mgła make no attempt to push any creative boundaries here. Instead, they prefer to take a path that's already well-trodden but do it with a class & professionalism that's not all that common in the black metal space.

4/5

Yeah, it's true that I've never genuinely "loved" Ulver. I do have time for everything I've heard from them over the years though. I slightly prefer "Nattens madrigal" to "Bergtatt" as far as their classic metal releases go but neither would reach four stars for me personally.

And yes, I do have a Suffocation t-shirt that I'm wearing as we speak. I haven't owned a Burzum top since my grey "Filosofem" long-sleeve died in the ass a couple of decades ago.

Pestilence - "Malleus Maleficarum" (1988)

Dutch death metal legends Pestilence played an important role in my original defection from thrash metal back in the very late 1980’s through their seminal 1989 sophomore record “Consuming Impulse” & they would quickly become a mainstay in my newly instigated death metal obsession for decades to come. Their position was only strengthened by their classic “Testimony of the Ancients” album (my Pestilence release of choice) in 1991 while I also found 1993’s experimental “Spheres” record to be more than a little intriguing. It’s a little baffling that I didn’t give Pestilence’s highly regarded 1988 debut album “Malleus Maleficarum” more time than I did though to be honest. I’d suggest that it was probably due to its thrashier sound which was a little at odds with the adjusted musical direction I was starting to take. I certainly found it to be an entertaining record but I didn’t find myself pushing its cause with others or reaching for it whenever I was putting together any top ten lists. It’s been decades since I’ve heard it now though & I feel it’s deserving of a revisit given that its reputation has only grown in the many years since.

Shortly after you first press play on “Malleus Maleficarum” it becomes abundantly clear that Pestilence were already a super-classy metal band because this music doesn’t sound much like a debut album from 1988 given the ambition & precision on show. German producer Kalle Trapp has done an excellent job at capturing such a raw & aggressive sound, drawing upon his previous experience in producing popular Teutonic artists such as Destruction, Paradox, Sieges Even & Blind Guardian to create one of the more professional releases to come from the late 80’s extreme metal scene. The musicianship is outstanding with the riffs possessing a consistent memorability that would become one of the band’s calling cards over the next five years. The use of progressive flourishes within the riff structures may not be anything terribly unusual these days but it was well ahead of its time back in 1988 & is executed with surprising confidence for such a young band too.

While “Malleus Maleficarum” is generally regarded as a thrash metal record, I would argue that it’s a genuine death/thrash release because it maintains a level of ambiguity throughout the ten tracks included with many of the riffs sounding like they’d be equally at home on either side of the line of segregation. Pestilence often showcase an angularity that would seep its way into the death metal scene through heavy-weights like Death but also maintain the visceral thrash metal edge that the Teutonic thrash metal scene had built its reputation on. In short, guitarists Patrick Mameli (who spent some time with Dutch groove metallers C-187 in the mid-2000’s) & Randy Meinhard (also of Dutch thrashers Sacrosanct) simply weren’t willing to settle for mere emulation. They wanted to achieve something more substantial & I’d suggest they were successful at that undertaking too. Patrick’s solos may not have been as polished or fully realized as they would become shortly afterwards but the rhythm guitar work certainly sounds pretty impressive for the time nonetheless. The other element worth mentioning in the death metal argument is the vocal delivery of legendary death metal figure Martin van Drunen (Asphyx/Grand Supreme Blood Court/Hail of Bullets) which may not be the psychotic howl he’d build his career on at this point but is deathly enough to be significant in the argument for a dual tagging. He kinda sounds like the love child of Motorhead’s Lemmy Killmeister & Death’s Chuck Schuldiner here but I really enjoy his contribution. Overall, I’d suggest that “Malleus Maleficarum” takes the potent thrash metal of Sodom, Kreator & particularly "Schizophrenia"-era Sepultura & combines it with the early US death metal of Possessed & Death for a best-of-both-worlds sound that ticks all of my boxes in emphatic fashion.

There are no weak moments on “Malleus Maleficarum”. The tracklisting is as muscular as it is consistent but the big moments take place at either end of the run time with opener “Malleus Maleficarum/Antropomorphia” & closers “Cycle of Existence” & “Systematic Instruction” being my personal favourites. The beautiful clean interlude “Osculum Infame” is also stunningly well executed & was a clear hint at the creativity & experimentation that was to come in the future. The middle of the album is more solid than classic but maintains a high level of sophistication throughout.

I’ve been really surprised by how hard “Malleus Maleficarum” has hit me on this revisit to be honest as I don’t often reach for it when I feel the need for a Pestilence hit. My passion for the more aggressive thrash metal of the late 1980’s & early 1990’s has only grown if anything though & that has perhaps contributed to me taking a lot more from the album than I may have anticipated. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s just shaded “Consuming Impulse” to become my second favourite Pestilence release behind “Testimony of the Ancients” which is really saying something. It’s also gone very close to breaking into my elite ratings so I'd suggest that “Malleus Maleficarum really should be regarded as essential death/thrash these days & it comes highly recommended from this ol' metalhead.

4/5

XavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffX - "Gore" E.P. (2016)

I’d suggest that most Metal Academics are probably fairly aware of the fact that subgenres like slam death metal & deathcore are unfairly treated on most other metal websites. In fact, this was one of the major reasons for Ben & I even starting to discuss the possibility of a Metal Academy site in the first place. In saying that though, there are some pockets of the subgenres I mentioned that are more maligned than others & it's hardly surprising that South Africa’s XavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffX (short for Acidic Vaginal Liquid Explosion Generated by Mass Amounts of Filthy Fecal Fisting and Sadistic Septic Syphilic Sodomy Inside the Infected Maggot Infested Womb of a Molested Nun Dying Under the Roof of a Burning Church While a Priest Watches and Ejaculates In Immense Perverse Pleasure Over His First Fresh Fetus) fit into that bracket now, is it? I mean, you could be forgiven for making the immediate assumption that they’re a novelty band because the reality is that they clearly are, not only because of their ridiculous moniker & completely absurd logo but also because they also seem to want to showcase & highlight all of the commonly criticized traits from both genres. While that may be true though, sometimes I just find that I like what I like & how cool I may appear is not something that I've ever been too concerned with.

2016’s “Gore” E.P. was the Durban duo’s first release with Kris Xenopoulos (Vulvodynia) handling all of the instrumentation & Duncan Bentley (Vulvodynia/Wormhole) taking on all vocal duties. The sound you can expect to hear sits somewhere between slam death metal & deathcore with a slightly stronger emphasis on the former even though the breakdowns often tend to angle a touch more towards the other direction. Kris’ performance behind the drum kit is worth mentioning as he possesses some impressive chops for someone that’s presumably more of a guitarist based on his prior experience. The blast-beat sections are amongst the strongest components to the band’s sound & are accentuated by a bright & crystal-clear mix that brings the kick drums right to the front. It’s a really well produced little E.P. actually which admittedly isn’t all that uncommon for groups that tackle these sort of niche subgenres these days.

Duncan’s vocal performance offers a bit of variety. He’ll no doubt annoy those who can’t stand a pig-squealed “BBBBRRREEEEEE” or two because he seems to be consciously trying to highlight the absurdity of that technique here. He also displays some level of hardcore pedigree at times through some more aggressive beatdown-style deathcore rants. Another element that might piss of the purists out there is XavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffX’s tendency to indulge in a bit of humour, both lyrically & instrumentally. You won’t understand the lyrics but I’m led to believe that they’re particularly silly (see the weakest inclusion "Dicks Out For Harambe" for example) while the random u-turns into disparate musical genres like djent, groove metal or even jazz require an open-mind but are well-executed nonetheless.

Look, I’m not gonna suggest that any non-believers try “Gore” on for their very first slam or deathcore experience but it’s not half bad when taken on musical value alone. I love me some brutal death metal & there’s certainly some brutality about this stuff. I’m also a bit of a sucker for decent production jobs in my extreme metal & it ticks that box too. I can’t see myself giving this twelve-minute release too many revisits in the future but fans of artists like Acrania, Ingested or the previously-mentioned Vulvodynia will no doubt find some appeal in this unfairly maligned piece of over-the-top extreme music.

3.5/5

Great to hear from ya Shezma & welcome back. You can find the Clan Challenges here:

https://metal.academy/lists/1

Num Skull - "Ritually Abused" (1988)

Illinois brutal thrash metal outfit Num Skull are yet another 1980's band that time seems to have been very kind to, having slowly built up somewhat of a cult following over the several decades since their debut album “Ritually Abused” hit the shelves back in 1988. I was certainly aware of it back in my tape trading days & probably gave it a few more chances to seal the deal with me than I might usually do based purely on my love of the more brutal end of thrash metal. I can’t say that it ever really impressed me enough to become a go-to record when I’m in the mood for that kinda thing though so I never bothered to explore their 1996 follow-up record "When Suffering Comes". Regardless of that, there’s been a lot of water go under the bridge since forming my lasting impressions of “Ritually Abused” so perhaps I’ve been a little harsh on it. I intended to find out when I revisited it over the last couple of days.

The production job on “Ritually Abused” is everything you’d expect from an underground metal release of the time & was handled by legendary scene figure Griffy who was most notable for managing bands like Motley Crue & Death as well as for being the co-promoter of the Milwaukee Metalfest. He also produced releases for a string of respected bands such as Morbid Saint. There’s very little gloss & polish about “Ritually Abused” with Num Skull being presented in a suitably raw fashion that works quite well for this style of music. The levels are often overdriven to the point of distortion but you can still make out all of the instruments & everything feels quite authentic to the late 80’s model of underground thrash. The musicianship is very good for a debut release too & you can easily see that the band had paid some dues during their three years of existence.

Num Skull place their cards down on the table very early on in proceedings with their sound being built upon a few things. Firstly, we have the violent, high-speed thrash assault of Sadus, Kreator & “Darkness Descends”-era Dark Angel. This is done marvelously well at times too, particularly through the hectic Slayer-style guitar solo sections which generally represent a no-hold-barred attack on the senses. Num Skull regularly incorporate chuggier mid-tempo sections that wouldn’t feel out of place on an Anthrax record though & this material isn’t nearly as effective although it’s hard to argue that there needed to be some respite given from the relentless up-tempo stuff. Also worth noting is the vocal delivery of front man Skip McGullam which sits very much in the late-80’s death metal space, particularly reminding me of Death mastermind Chuck Schuldiner. That recipe certainly sounds pretty good on paper & the more aggressive tracks are unanimously successful at what they'd set out to achieve but it’s not all roses in thrash town.

The main detractor I find with “Ritually Abused” is in the mid-tempo material which isn’t bad in isolation but sounds pretty light-weight when placed alongside the more vicious stuff. Skip’s vocal style doesn’t exactly gel over mosh-worthy Anthrax riffs either & subsequently sounds a bit forced. I’d also suggest that even the strongest tracks (such as “No Morals”, “Turn of a Screw”, “Kiss Me, Kill Me”, “Rigor Mortis” & my personal favourite “Death & Innocence”) suffer from a lack of identity in their riffs. To be more specific, the overall energy is fantastic but the riffs aren’t all that memorable & Skip’s vocals don’t offer much in the way of hooks either which prevents any of these tracks from reaching classic status. Then we have a couple of clear duds in “Pirate’s Night” & the decidedly flat speed metal closer “Murder By The Minister” which tarnish a lot of the good work Num Skull had done elsewhere.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about “Ritually Abused” but I can’t say that it’s essential listening by any means. Fans of bands like Devastation, Morbid Saint & Solstice should definitely check it out as there’s not nearly enough extreme thrash around but just don’t go into it expecting a fully-realized & supreme example of its type. You will, however, find a fine selection of tracks to include on your gym playlists though.

3.5/5

I would argue that there are no death metal riffs on "Into Darkness" which means that the only way it can be doom/death is if the vocals clearly bring it back into the death metal space. The vocals sit very much on the borderline between angry crust punk/sludge & death metal though so it's not conclusive enough for the album to be doom/death in my opinion. The instrumentation is a combination of mid-tempo Celtic Frost & hardcore inspired chug riffs & slow doom metal riffs, both presented with a seriously down-tuned, abrasive & oppressive tone. That's a pretty good description of a sludge metal record for mine as sludge is essentially a more abrasive & angry version of doom metal with hardcore influences.

I've decided to pass this Hall of Judgement entry given its currently lop-sided vote tally of YES 5 NO 0. The appropriate database changes have been made.

So I've decided to pass the first half of this submission based on the currently lop-sided YES 5 NO 0 vote tally. The Grindcore genre has subsequently been added to the release as well as the Goregrind subgenre.

I've also added another Hall of Judgement entry to have the Death Metal genre removed from the release here:

https://metal.academy/hall/411

This week's revisit to Winter's "Into Darkness" has seen me needing to find room for it in my Top Ten Metal Releases of All Time list. I've had to drop Cult of Luna's "Somewhere Along the Highway" out of the list altogether so that "Into Darkness" can take up position number 83.

Winter - "Into Darkness" (1990)

New York’s Winter represent one of the Holy Grail bands in the underground metal scene in that they seemed to come out of nowhere with an imposing sound that would prove to be as influential as it was confronting before disappearing in a puff of smoke as suddenly as they appeared, never to be heard of again. I was lucky enough to discover them way back in the early 1990’s when I borrowed a cassette version of their sole full-length “Into Darkness” from a younger mate (who in hindsight had no real business owning such a release) & found it to sound like nothing I’d ever heard before. It was slower & darker than anything Winter's doom & death metal competition had ever dreamt of creating but it also possessed a much more suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere which really appealed to me although I wasn’t quite sure as to why just yet. One thing I was sure of though was that the genre tags that "Into Darkness" was being labelled with didn't seem to me to be entirely accurate as it simply didn’t sound like any of the other early doom/death releases I’d heard up until that point. As a result, I held it up on somewhat of a pedestal for its sheer originality & ambition & could clearly see the influence it had on the early funeral doom scene in particular. I haven’t returned to Winter’s debut album for many years now but have been really looking forward to it as I've long suspected that this might end up being a very high scorer based on my past experiences with it.

“Into Darkness” doesn’t waste any time in building its much-celebrated atmosphere with opening track “Oppression Freedom/Oppression (Reprise)” slowly dragging the listener down deep into Winter’s dungeon of the dreary. It’s a classic opener in all honesty & is probably the only genuine doom/death track on the album if you wanna get technical about it. The only other track that offers much in the way of that death metal feel (think Autopsy) is the closing title track but even then it’s kinda 50/50. The wonderful three-minute “Power & Might” that sits right in the middle of the tracklisting represents one of the earliest examples of the funeral doom metal sound & is possibly even one of the best too but the rest of the album is made up of an abrasive brand of doom metal that, when combined with bassist John Alman’s growled vocals, seems to sit far more comfortably under a sludge metal tag than anything death metal related. There’s really not much death metal instrumentation included on “Into Darkness” in all honesty & the links to Celtic Frost (see “Servant of the Warsmen” in particular), crust punk gods Amebix & sludge metal acts like Crowbar seem like far more appropriate points of reference to me. Are the vocals death growls? I’d suggest they play in the space between sludge metal & death metal but when combined with this super down-tuned & filthy guitar tone they seem to possess a crusty hardcore edge more regularly than they do that grisly Chris Reifert-ish death metal tone. That’s right ladies & gentlemen. I’m suggesting that “Into Darkness” isn’t actually a doom/death record. It’s predominantly a sludge metal one for mine.

The strongest moments on “Into Darkness” are where Winter fully indulge in their slower, doomier side (see “Goden”, “Power & Might” & my personal favourite “Eternal Frost”) & you’ll rarely find as doom-laden a record in that respect. Drummer Joe Goncalves does an outstanding job with his minimal contribution which always maintains a metronomical tightness despite playing in spaces that are rarely touched on as far as tempo goes. Joe seems to know exactly what these tracks require & provides no more & no less that that. Guitarist Stephen Flam (also of fellow New York doom/death outfit Serpentine Path) has achieved a ridiculously heavy guitar tone too but I’d have to suggest that the album would have benefited from his riffs being higher in the mix, despite that oversight contributing to the unique atmosphere that “Into Darkness” pervades. On the occasions when Winter head in a chuggier, mid-tempo direction we see them more openly sharing their crust punk/Celtic Frost roots (see “Servants of the Warsmen” & the start & end of “Destiny” & the title track) & these sections don’t offer the same level of appeal for this doom-obsessed ol’ extreme metalhead.

“Into Darkness” is the epitome of cold, barbarous oppression & perhaps shares this trait as readily with doom/death bands like Australia’s diSEMBOWELMENT or America’s Cianide as it does with its sludge metal contemporaries but that shouldn’t prevent us from labelling the record under its most appropriate genre tag (which is sludge in my opinion). There’s little question that it’s one of the best examples of doom-focused metal music you’re likely to find though which has subsequently forced me to find room in Top 100 Metal Releases of All Time list to cater for it as a result.

4.5/5

I'd actually suggest that Archgoat offer significantly more variety in tempo than 99% of other war metal acts.

Rigor Mortis - "Rigor Mortis" (1988)

Dallas four-piece Rigor Mortis are a classic example of a band that really took advantage of the tape trading scene of the late 1980’s & early 1990’s. They’re raw, aggressive & possess the sort of underground aesthetic that was always going to appeal to an extreme metal aficionado like myself at the time. I became aware of them through exactly that scene a few years after the release of this debut album & recall quite liking it too but “Rigor Mortis” wouldn’t be a record that I’d find myself returning to all that often for one reason or another, despite my having checked out all of the band’s subsequent releases at some point. I can usually judge the magnitude of the impact a band might have had on me as a youngster by using my younger brother Ben as a point of reference. Did I pass “Rigor Mortis” on to Ben as an elite release for him to check out or did it sit in the back of one of my huge boxes of cassettes gathering dust? In this case it sat in the box so I’ve been a little surprised to see the sizeable cult following the album seems to have gained over the many years since. With that in mind, it’s probably time for a revisit to see if I’ve misjudged this record.

The first box that “Rigor Mortis” ticks for any underground thrasher worth their salt can be found in its raw, slightly cold production job which comes courtesy of Skinny Puppy’s Dave Ogilvie who had previously been responsible for producing some of his band’s more highly regarded works such as 1984’s “Remission” & 1988’s “Vivisect VI”. There’s not much gloss about the overall tone & atmosphere which suits Rigor Mortis’ intent quite well. You won’t struggle to make out the individual components though so it’s a nicely balanced portrait of Rigor Mortis’ sound at the same time. This is probably helped by the fact that they haven’t added a second rhythm guitar track underneath future Ministry/1000 Homo DJ’s/Lard/Revolting Cocks axeman Mike Scaccia’s rapid-fire solos which gives the album some much needed space & a distinctly live feel. Mike is well capable of holding his own without them though it has to be said. The rhythm section of bassist Casey Orr (Ministry/Gwar) & drummer Harden Harrison do a reasonable job but it’s Scaccia’s ridiculously fast right-hand endurance that’s the clear focal point & drawcard for the Rigor Mortis’ sound. His solos are utterly shred-tastic & must have left a few budding late 80’s shredders with their heads in their hands while his light-speed thrash riffs give a very clear indication as to why Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen would recruit him to reproduce the technique on his more intense material. Just check out “Shroud of Gloom” & tell me that you can’t hear the main riff from Ministry’s 1992 industrial thrasher “TV II” for example.

Front man Bruce Corbitt guides Rigor Mortis through the 40-minute, ten-track run time with a muscular, masculine tone that’s well suited to aggressive thrash metal. The references to death metal you’ll sometimes read online are a little misguided although it’s not hard to pickup the influence of Possessed & particularly early Death in some of the riffs on tracks like “Condemned To Hell”. Slayer were clearly the most significant point of inspiration for Rigor Mortis (both their early “Show No Mercy” debut album & their more extreme mid-80’s classics) in a thrash-at-all-costs assault on the senses that doesn’t bring anything terribly new to the table but is unanimously successful in its attempt to capture the diehard metal audience. Speed metal tune “Die In Pain” stands out a bit in the tracklisting given that it would seem to be a tribute to Venom’s faster material if my ears are not mistaken.

“Rigor Mortis” is very consistent in the quality of its song-writing & performances & I’d have to suggest that I get enjoyment from all of the ten tracks included. It’s just lacking those couple of knockout punches that take a decent thrash metal record & make it into an essential one. There are no obvious highlight tracks on offer so even though fans of bands like Deceased…, Gammacide & Evildead will likely find plenty to interest them, I’m not sure that “Rigor Mortis” will end up on too many top ten lists.

3.5/5

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - "Gospel Train" (1956)

Bluesy gospel music from Arkansas, USA.

I agree with you that "Fallen Angel Of Doom…." is overrated & would take "Gods of War" over it pretty comfortably.

Lightnin' Hopkins - "Mojo Hand" (1962)

A highly prolific, lesser-known Texas blues guy.

Muddy Waters - "KIng Bee" (1981)

The last great album from this Chicago blues legend.

Testament - "Practice What You Preach" (1988)

Legendary San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament represent quite a pivotal band in my life in many ways. My first encounters with thrash metal back in late 1988 were a clear example of love at first sight & I’d subsequently throw myself head over heals into the Big Four with a vigour that I’ve rarely repeated in all the years since. Where Testament fit in is that they, along with fellow Bay Area heavy-weights Exodus, were the first artists to prove to me that there was a thriving underground thrash scene outside of the four senior players & we shouldn’t underestimate that event because it was the key moment that took me from being one of those people that only likes the big, well-known bands to becoming a complete extreme metal obsessive. I’d find myself purchasing Testament’s 1989 third album “Practice What You Preach” blind, based primarily on the feedback I’d received from metal magazines of the time that indicated that they sounded a lot like my beloved Metallica & that ended up being pretty accurate in the end. I wouldn’t adore “Practice What You Preach” to the same extent as the classics from the Big Four or Exodus’ jaw-dropping “Bonded By Blood” but it would certainly become a staple record in not only my own bedroom but also my younger brother Ben’s. In fact, I think Testament probably played an even bigger role in Ben’s life & it was “Practice What You Preach” that kick-started it all. It's been interesting to see Testament’s third album receiving mixed reviews in recent years though as that certainly wasn’t the case back in the day when it became a minor hit for the band. It’s been literally decades since I revisited it though & I’d been wondering if I might find my childhood feelings being tarnished in a similar way to what my recent revisit of Anthrax’s “State of Euphoria” album did to be honest so it’s been interesting to see how big a role nostalgia has played in my long-time position that “Practice What You Preach” is yet another very high-quality thrash record to follow on from their first two full-lengths which are generally held up as pivotal moments for the genre.

The first obstacle that I thought I might need to overcome would be the production as I’ve seen quite a few online murmurings about it being weak in recent times but that’s not the case with producer Alex Perialas doing a pretty reasonable job. He was an experienced campaigner by that point having already produced a slew of classic thrash records like S.O.D.’s “Speak English or Die”, Overkill’s “Taking Over”, Carnivore’s “Retaliation” as well as Testament’s “The Legacy” & “The New Order” so it would have been a surprise to find that he’d cocked this album up but I needn’t have worried too much as it’s certainly an improvement on the weak, thin guitar tone that plagued “The New Order”. The real stumbling blocks are two-fold; firstly, front man Chuck Billy’s tendency to sing out of key during the more commercially accessible moments &, secondly, Testament’s newly found love affair with chuggy, mid-paced & generally fairly unintimidating thrash metal riffs. That’s right, there’s a reason that “Practice What You Preach” was the biggest selling Testament record to date & it comes down to accessibility. My first listen saw me very quickly being reminded of it too & after the first few tracks I was worried that I might find myself needing to realign my feelings on the album fairly drastically with even the legendary title track sounding pretty tame by today’s standards. Thankfully though, things picked up significantly after that.

Having given the album a few full & active revisits now I can honestly say that I’ve gotten used to Chuck’s vocal issues. I remember initially struggling with them a bit back in the day too if I’m being honest but it seems like I just need some time with him. The more lethargic riffs are another story though. I’ve never rated drummer Louie Clemente & feel that he’s one of the main reasons that I’ve never considered Testament’s highly praised 1980’s releases to be tier one thrash records. He simply loves a rocky & accessible beat which may contribute to Testament’s widespread appeal but it doesn’t rock my boat personally. Future Savatage & Trans-Siberian Orchestra lead guitarist Alex Skolnick’s solos are nothing short of fucking sensational though & I’ve very quickly remembered why I worshipped him so much as a budding young shredder. His sense of melody is second to none & he compliments Dragonlord guitarist Eric Peterson’s riffs perfectly. Despite the focus of mid-paced tempos, the duo still present some belter riffs here on occasion which makes tracks like “Time Is Coming”, “Blessed In Contempt”, “Sins of Omission” & instrumental closer “Confusion Fusion” highly captivating. Strangely though, it’s the most obvious attempt at commercialism in “The Ballad” that is the real highlight of the record in my opinion, thanks largely to some stunning lead work from Skolnick. Billy is at his pitchiest here but the doubling of his vocal lines gives them an eery atmosphere that I find quite endearing. The song structure is beautifully constructed too & by the end of the record I find that these moments of brilliance do just enough to overcome a couple of clear duds in the lethargic chugger “Envy Life” & unintelligent thrasher “Nightmare (Coming Back To You)”.

While “Practice What You Preach” is clearly the weaker of Testament’s first three albums, it’s also their most ambitious as it sees the band incorporating some additional elements & expanding their repertoire as musicians. The more progressive touches, the stronger focus on song-writing & their most obvious attempt at a radio hit are all interesting additions but I do crave a little more energy in my thrash which leaves “Practice What You Preach” feeling a little light-weight. This has been offset by the class with which Testament are able to go about their work & the ridiculous skills of their dual guitar attack though which results in a final product that will surely please fans of peers like Metallica, Exodus or Death Angel.

4/5

The "atmospheric sludge metal" discussion has been had many times here at the Academy with the unanimous position of our members being that it's much better suited to post-metal than sludge metal. I'm thinking about removing that subgenre too & simply having the releases tagged as post-metal (& sludge metal where necessary) but we can discuss that elsewhere. Let's keep this thread about deathgrind.

The whole concept of war metal is intended to be pretty limited by its very definition to be honest Rex (i.e. complete worship of metal's most extreme elements) which has probably got a lot to do with why people like Sonny & I love it. There are a few artists that sit somewhere between war metal & other genres like death metal & grindcore (see Infernal Coil, Teitanblood, etc.) but you're not gonna find any acoustic interludes or long progressive improvisational sections here. You're still looking exclusively at pure hatred, vengeance & goat sodomy. Ultimately, if you don't like the more popular bands like Blasphemy, Damaar or Archgoat then war metal is probably not the subgenre for you.

Look, I'm not saying that Ben & I won't consider some of this in the future but it's probably worth mentioning what the Clan Challenges are there for in the first place. They're intended to prove that a potential member has a good understanding & interest in the clan in question before allowing them entry to that clan which is the reason that we haven't included challenges based around niche genres as they don't do much to prove a person's commitment to the overall clan. I mean, if someone really only likes Neoclassical Metal but not Heavy Metal or Power Metal then I don't think they're a great fit for The Guardians. The same can be said for Stenchcore in The Pit or Folk Metal in The North.

Sacred Reich - "Surf Nicaragua" E.P. (1988)

Phoenix-based thrash metal four-piece Sacred Reich is a band that holds a fair amount of nostalgic value for me these days if I’m being honest. Ben & I discovered them together after purchasing Sacred Reich's 1990 “The American Way” sophomore album on cassette shortly after release & finding it to be an absolute riff-fest. I’d work my way back through their first couple of records via the tape trading scene shortly afterwards & found both to offer a similar level of enjoyment but Sacred Reich’s time in the sun would be fleeting with my taste moving into ever more extreme territories through the early-90's & their bubble well & truly bursting thanks to a couple of pretty ordinary albums during the middle of that decade. I returned to their 1987 debut album “Ignorance” a year or two back though & was pleased to find that it had well & truly maintained its appeal & that experience wet my appetite for some further revision, especially given that Sacred Reich’s 1988 “Surf Nicaragua” E.P. seems to be held up on some sort of pedestal these days which surprises me given that I’d always regarded it as the least significant of Sacred Reich’s three essential releases. It's fair to say that I’ve been more than a little intrigued by this phenomenon & have subsequently been planning to investigate just what it is that gives it such a widespread appeal for some time now.

“Surf Nicaragua” is pretty much the epitome of the “E.P.” as it brings together one novelty track (i.e. one that you probably wouldn’t want on your serious thrash album), one brand new song, a cover version & a fresh recording of a track from the band's early days. The CD version (which is what I’ve always been associated with & will be reviewing here) also includes a couple of live cuts taken from Sacred Reich's debut album. Sounds like the classic E.P. now, doesn’t it? Well, it is but very few of these sort of releases are as successful at such an undertaking. "Surf Nicaragua" is produced by Metal Blade Records’ house engineer Bill Metoyer, a man that’s been involved with any number of noteworthy metal releases over the years, having produced highly praised records such as Trouble’s “Psalm 9" & “The Skull”, Flotsam & Jetsam’s “No Place For Disgrace” & Helstar’s “A Distant Thunder” & “Nosferatu” as well as having engineered some of the greatest metal releases of all time. The result is a significant step up from the Brian Slagel-produced “Ignorance” which suffered a little from production issues & this gave “Surf Nicaragua” a nice platform to work off. Sacred Reich certainly sound like a highly professional, well-oiled machine here too it has to be said with the instrumentalists all working together as a tightly cohesive unit that had paid their dues & were ready to take the next step in their careers after the obligatory fast & raw debut album.

I’m not sure of the timing around the two releases but I’d be very surprised if “Surf Nicaragua” wasn’t linked to M.O.D.’s “Surfin’ M.O.D.” E.P. in some way as it would seem to me to be too coincidental to have two surf-inspired American thrash releases seeing the light of day in the same year. Sacred Reich make a much better fist of their effort though as the title track is actually a pretty decent crossover thrash tune. Yes, it does include some silly references to old surf rock tunes but they only make up a small portion of what is otherwise a pretty enjoyable (if fairly innocuous) opening to the record. Things pick up in a major way from there though with brand new song “One Nation” being some of Sacred Reich’s best work. It starts off in pretty solid fashion before hitting on a fantastic chug riff midway through the song & then milking it for all it’s worth. There are some brilliant references to late 80’s Slayer in there & the guitar solos & the way the rhythm section accentuates the riffs are nothing short of top notch. While the cover version of Black Sabbath’s classic “War Pigs” may not touch the original or the amazing Faith No More version from the following year, I can’t deny that it’s still a very strong inclusion. It probably helps that it’s my favourite Sabbath track & an all-timer for me for heavy metal overall but it’s very well done nonetheless. Where it’s lacking in comparison to the other two major versions is in Phil Rind’s vocal limitations, the fact that it’s slightly sped up & a little looseness in the performances through the middle of the song. The rehashed “Draining You of Life” is a pretty decent speed metal-inspired thrasher which is a little guilty of “Show No Mercy”-era Slayer plagiarism given that the main riff seems to have been borrowed from “Black Magic” but I can let that go in the interest of having a good ol' drunken mosh. The two live cuts are both high-quality too (particularly a very solid rendition of “Death Squad”) so there’s not a weak moment to be found here.

You know what? I think I can now see why “Surf Nicaragua” is held in such high regard because, despite it not ever really trying to flow like a proper album, there’s some damn fine thrash metal included here which has made for a highly energetic partner to my afternoon walk with my newborn. I wouldn’t suggest that it’s a better record than “Ignorance” or “The American Way” but I’d be very surprised if fans of high-quality thrash metal acts like Xentrix, Vio-lence or Evildead don’t get plenty out of it. Hell, I’d even go so far as to say that it holds up really well as a thrash release in its own right so I highly recommend that our The Pit clan members check it out with an open mind.

4/5

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.