Daniel's Forum Replies

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.

Skepticism - "Stormcrowfleet" (1995)

Ben & I became involved with the debut album from this highly praised Finnish funeral doom metal outfit very early on in their recording career however we've always been quite divided on the merits of "Stormcrowfleet". My younger brother claims it to be an unmitigated classic in every respect while I've never been able to see past a few obvious failings that have prevented it from ever eclipsing the status of a passing interest. This revisit hasn't seen that changing as I still struggle with the poor production & performances. The fuzzy guitars sound like they're in another room from the rest of the band while the ultra-lethargic drumming is regularly out of time which makes the album sound more like a cheap demo than a proper release. The fact that there aren't technically many genuine guitar riffs doesn't help either with most of the melodic themes being presented by some pretty cheap sounding synthesizers.

Despite these obstacles though, there's something mysterious about Skepticism's sound that manages to keep my interest in 2023. It's an ethereal quality that's not dissimilar to those found on lo-fi atmospheric black metal releases & it's this element alone that sees Skepticism offering me enough reward to justify my continued attention. The lengthy tracks that bookend the tracklisting are the best examples, particularly the marvellous closer "The Everdarkgreen" which has surprised me enough to see me now calling it a classic example of the funeral doom metal sound. "Stormcrowfleet" may never come close to reaching any of my top ten lists but I'd suggest that it contains an unusual aura that may appeal to fans of Thergothon, Profetus & Pantheist.

3.5/5

Candlemass - "Ancient Dreams" (1988)

Listening back now, I don't think I'd actually heard the third album from these Swedish doom masters' before to tell you the truth which is a shame because it's another ultra-professionally produced & executed slab of epic doom utopia. Iconic front man Messiah Marcolin's vocals soar & the lead guitar work of Lars Johansson dazzles while the riffs of Mats Björkman are as bone-crushingly heavy as any you'll find. Unlike many fans, I definitely prefer the slower, doomier material over the more heavy metal-influenced numbers & that means that the album starts off a little slower for me over the first couple of tracks but from there on it hits a new level of power & atmosphere with my personal favourite "Incarnation of Evil" being right up there with Candlemass' best work. I even really enjoy the Black Sabbath medley that closes the album. "Ancient Dreams" may not quite equal the first two Candlemass records but it doesn't sit very far behind in my opinion & I slightly favour it over 1989's more highly regarded "Tales of Creation" fourth album if I'm being honest. Fans of bands like Solitude Aeturnus, Crypt Sermon & Solstice should be all over this one.

4/5

I consider Metal Church's first 3 to be among the best USPM albums I've heard so far.  I also classify the first 3 as speed metal, but they fell out of the speed sound after that.

It's been a long time since I listened to "Blessing in Disguise" but I'd tag the first two Metal Church albums as below:

METAL CHURCH

01. Beyond the Black                Heavy Metal

02. Metal Church                       Thrash Metal

03. Merciless Onslaught          Thrash Metal

04. Gods of Wrath                     Heavy Metal

05. Hitman                                  Heavy Metal

06. In the Blood                          Heavy Metal

07. (My Favorite) Nightmare    Thrash Metal

08. Battalions                             Speed/Power Metal

09. Highway Star                        Heavy Metal

THE DARK

01. Ton of Bricks                         Thrash Metal

02. Start the Fire                          Heavy Metal

03. Method to Your Madness    Heavy/Speed Metal

04. Watch the Children Pray      Heavy Metal

05. Over My Dead Body              Heavy Metal

06. The Dark                                 Power/Heavy Metal

07. Psycho                                    Speed Metal

08. Line of Death                         Thrash Metal

09. Burial at Sea                          Heavy Metal

10. Western Alliance                   Speed Metal

The current Heavy Metal tag works well enough for the Metal Academy database in my opinion as Ben & I have never agreed with the US Power Metal tag as a legitimate genre. It's more of a catch-all for records that blur the boundaries of heavy, power, speed & thrash metal & these two are good examples of that. Feel free to nominate these releases for the Hall of Judgement if you think they'd be better served by a Speed Metal tag though.

Scanner - "Hypertrace" (1988)

Every now & then I like to push myself musically by experimenting with releases that sit outside of my usual comfort zone & I think it's fair to say that the European brand of power metal sits on the polar opposite end of the metal spectrum to myself. Occasionally though, I've discovered a hidden gem that brightens my spirit & encourages me to continue to push myself with these sort of exercises but I'm afraid the 1988 debut album from Germany's Scanner isn't one of them. "Hypertrace" seems to be referred to as some sort of groundbreaking "sci-fi metal" release by some reviewers but I can't say that I can pick up anything particularly different about it. It sounds exactly like you'd expect a German power metal record to sound really. There are a couple of speed metal numbers & a couple of Judas Priest style heavy metal songs included in classic Teutonic fashion but at the end of the day this is a fairly generic power metal record that sounds remarkably similar to countrymen like Rage, Mania & particularly Helloween who would seem to be the primary source of inspiration here. It's not horrible by any measure but if I'm being honest I'd have to admit that I only really enjoy a couple of tracks ("Locked Out" & speed metal banger "Grapes of Fear" which is my personal favourite) with the rest of the album merely floating past me with very little fanfare.

3/5

Meshuggah - "Contradictions Collapse" (1991)

I feel that I was probably a little fortunate to stumble over Swedish djent phenomenon Meshuggah very early on in their recording career after taking in the first of Nuclear Blast’s “Death… Is Just The Beginning” video compilations & finding their video clip for “Abnegating Cecity” to be very interesting. It was the sheer complexity of the song & riff structures, the incredible ability of front man Jens Kidman to deliver his vocals while playing such obscure time signatures on his guitar & the ground-breaking use of Allan Holdsworth style jazz fusion guitar solos that really got me & I immediately proceeded to pick the “Contradictions Collapse” album up through the tape trading scene. I think it’s fair to say that I found it to be generally entertaining too but the song-writing hasn't proven to be consistently engaging enough to see me making regular return visits over the years & it wouldn’t be until 1995’s “Destroy Erase Improve” sophomore album that I’d become truly convinced of Meshuggah’s credentials as a genuine star of the global metal scene. “Contradictions Collapse” is a very different record to that one though to be fair.

I think one of the limiting factors in just how much appeal a record like “Contradictions Collapse” can offer is the production job as the rhythm guitar tone is quite dry & the snare sound isn’t the heaviest but the performances are nothing short of spectacular for a debut full-length. This music is as complex as metal came at the time with drummer Tomas Haake already proving himself to be an absolute machine. The unusual time signature changes fly past with high regularity but the whole band somehow manages to keep everything sounding tight & precise. The guitar solos I mentioned are exquisitely composed too, despite sounding pretty random at times. That style of lead work requires a lot of training & practice to perfect so I’ve been very impressed with how well it’s been presented for such a young band.

Kidman’s vocals aren’t as aggressive as you’re probably used to from him these days & he sounds a fair bit like a gruffer James Hetfield a lot of the time. He does a reasonable job of it but I definitely prefer his later work if I'm being honest. It’s the instrumental side of Meshuggah’s sound that was the most dramatically different to the signature djent sound they’d create shortly afterwards though & I’m not sure I heard anything that sounds like “Contradictions Collapse” during the early 1990’s. It really was one of a kind. A lot of people tend to tag it as a technical thrash metal release but I’ve always found that to be a little dubious… until now that is. When examined closely it soon becomes apparent that a lot of the riffs are extremely technical variations on themes that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Metallica or Anthrax record so I’ve had to change my tune a bit. That’s not to say that there’s not a lot more to this album than thrash though as I’d suggest that a good portion of it fits comfortably under the progressive metal tag, not the djent variety however as Meshuggah hadn’t yet homed in on that sound regularly enough to warrant the creation of a new subgenre at this early stage of their evolution. There are quite a few odd-timed, groove-oriented riffs scattered across the tracklisting too & this is where Meshuggah’s chances of achieving my higher scores start to diminish as I certainly find the thrashier material to be superior to the chuggier stuff which tends to sound a touch flat in comparison.

It's pretty hard to see why “Contradictions Collapse” is so poorly regarded these days to tell you the truth as it’s a very consistent record that sounds like no one else & contains no genuinely weak moments. It also highlights an inspired, talented & ambitious group of musicians with tracks like opener “Paralyzing Ignorance” (my personal favourite), “Internal Evidence” & “Greed” being very solid examples of where Meshuggah were up to in their evolution. Sure, it may be the band’s least impressive album overall but that’s more of a reflection on what a consistent band they are than an indication of any failure on this record’s part as it still holds up well today & should be of interest to fans of bands like Stam1na, Obliveon & Watchtower.

3.5/5

A very solid progressive metal instrumental from this highly regarded US power metal outfit.

Biosphere - "Substrata" (1997)

A stunning ambient work from Norway. One of my favourite records.

Progressive US power metal from Houston, Texas.

Helstar - "A Distant Thunder" (1988)

Despite holding some mixed opinions on a few of their later releases, I wasn’t terribly impressed with my only significant experience with Houston-based US power metal outfit Helstar’s much talked about 1980’s releases to tell you the truth. It came during my research for the Metal Academy podcast many years ago with Helstar’s 1984 “Burning Star” debut album leaving me cold thanks in no small part to the inadequacies of the vocal & lead guitar performances. You could easily identify the early links to power metal in Helstar’s chunky American heavy metal sound though & I was well aware of just how widely celebrated the band’s late 80’s work was so I always intended on investigating it at some point. Perhaps not as late as has ended up being the case though.

Helstar’s highly regarded third album “A Distant Thunder” sees them returning with a very different lineup to the one I’d heard on “Burning Star”. Front man James Rivera (Destiny’s End/Malice/Vicious Rumors/Seven Witches) is still there although he’s strangely changed his name from Bill Lionel since the debut which would seem to be a good move as his skills have significantly improved since then with none of the pitchiness that plagued that record being evident here. Guitarist Larry Barragan is also back, only this time with a new partner in crime in the little-known Andre Corbin who has replaced original axeman Tom Rogers. The duo seem much more capable too with the theoretical gaps that saw Barragan & Corbin blindly wandering out of key no longer causing an issue here. And finally, the entire rhythm section of Paul Medina & Hector Pavon have been replaced with bassist Jerry Abarca & Frank Ferreira so it really is a very different Helstar from the one that disappointed me many years ago & it certainly sounds it too.

The inconsistencies that marred the song-writing on “Burning Star” have been replaced with a very consistent & blemish-free tracklisting on “A Distant Thunder” & I can honestly say that I enjoyed the whole album to some extent. Helstar’s sound had well & truly embraced the US power metal sound by this stage with the guitar tone possessing a chunkiness that you’ll rarely find in your more traditional heavy metal. The soaring & theatrical vocal delivery is also more in line with power metal while the riffs often verge on speed/thrash metal. In fact, I’d describe the closing Scorpions cover version “He’s A Woman, She’s A Man” as a genuine thrash number that wouldn’t seem out of place on one of our The Pit playlists.

While I generally enjoy all of this material & regard the album as a decent example of its type, I wouldn’t say that it sits all that comfortably with me from a stylistic point of view. The clear highlight tracks manage to get past that obstacle with proggy US power metal anthem “Scorcher” being my pick up the bunch along with the out-&-out progressive metal instrumental piece “(The) Whore of Babylon”. In fact, there’s a fair whack of progressive stuff on the album to tell you the truth with (much like the debut) the riffage possessing significantly more complexity than your average heavy/power metal band was attempting back in the late 1980’s. It’s perhaps not quite enough to warrant a dual tagging but it’s certainly worth noting nonetheless.

If you’re into the US brand of power metal in a big way then I’d suggest you give “A Distant Thunder” the once over as I’m sure you’ll rate it more highly than I do. Fellow US power metal outfits like Liege Lord, Agent Steel & Sanctuary are a good point of reference.

3.5/5

Mgła - "With Hearts Toward None" (2012)

I revisited this popular Polish black metal sophomore album for the first time in over a decade this week & I have to say that, despite finding it to be a generally enjoyable listen, I still think it's been heavily overrated over the years. It's a serviceable enough traditional black metal record to be fair but it certainly lacks the menace of the true classics of the genre. The main reason is the drum sound & performance from Darkside (also of Kriegmachine). His beats simply lack intensity & come across as being fairly unintimidating. The vocals of M. (Kriegmaschine/Owls Woods Graves) are effective although a little generic while his guitar work is pretty simple but suitably melodic & atmospheric, often hinting at an underlying Dissection influence in their accessibility & catchiness. It's not hard to see why "With Hearts Toward None" is so popular as it's obviously pretty easy on the ear & offers significant crossover appeal but it's not a patch on the wonderful 2015 follow-up "Exercises in Futility" which is just so much more substantial in every way. I'd still recommend this album to fans of Plaga, Groza & early Uada though.

3.5/5

Vicious Rumors - "Digital Dictator" (1988)

Although Californian heavy metallers Vicious Rumors have been a fairly significant band in the US power metal spectrum for over four decades now, my exposure to their material has been fairly limited up until now. I think my general understanding of their sound amounted to a few tracks I may have heard on late-night underground metal radio programs in the early 1990’s, possibly taken from their 1991 fourth album “Welcome To The Ball” if memory serves me correctly. Given that I’ve filled a few other obvious gaps in my knowledge of US power metal in recent times though, I thought it might be time to give Vicious Rumors most highly regarded record a few spins with my enthusiasm levels being quite high going into listen one.

1998 “Digital Dictator” sees Vicious Rumors returning from nearly a three year absence following the release of their first album “Soldiers of the Night” in May 1985. The debut had been generally well received but some lineup changes had taken place since then with former Hawaii front man Gary St. Pierre making way for new singer Carl Albert & (perhaps more significantly) guitar virtuoso Vinnie Moore (UFO/Alice Cooper) being replaced by the relatively unknown Mark McGee. Despite not having heard Vicious Rumors’ debut, I’d have to suggest that fans would have been happy with the result because both newbies do a stellar job here. In fact, the vocals & lead guitar work are amongst the highlights of the album for mine.

Vicious Rumors’ sound is much like many other US power metal associated bands in that it tinkers with a few different subgenres. The main one is that of classic heavy metal with most of the ten tracks fitting reasonably comfortably under that tag. There are not quite as many tracks that tick all of the boxes required to be classed as US power metal but the muscular metal riffage is still a major component of the album’s appeal so I feel that a dual tagging is appropriate on this occasion. Speed metal also raises its head here & there, particularly on the pacy “Minute To Kill” which should be of interest to members of The Pit. When taken holistically though, I’d suggest that the best points of comparison can be drawn with bands like Liege Lord, Metal Church & Helstar, all of who tend to tip toe along the same greyed-out lines between the various subgenres.

The tracklisting kicks off beautifully with the Iron Maiden-esque instrumental guitar harmony piece “Replicant” leading into the wonderful title track (my personal favourite) which sees Albert’s vocals possessing a Geoff Tate-like higher register sheen & the song-writing being ably assisted by a production job that almost feels like progressive metal, despite the compositions showing few genuinely progressive elements. The remainder of the A side is pretty good too with only the more commercial “Towns On Fire” failing to deliver but the B side is nowhere near as strong, struggling through the middle with a number of filler tracks appearing in quick succession. It’s these inconsistencies that see a record with huge early potential ending up being just another decent 80’s heavy metal record. This style of music lives & dies by the quality of its hooks & there are too many flat ones here to justify my higher scores, despite the instrumentation being right up my alley for the most part.

3.5/5