Daniel's Forum Replies
Disillusion - "Ayam" (2022)
I recall being very pleasantly surprised by the 2004 debut album from German progressive metallers Disillusion when I finally got around to checking it out many years ago. I hadn’t heard all that much about it & just kinda stumbled over it a good five years after its release which left me wondering what rock it’d been hiding under for all those years. Ben didn’t hesitate in advising me that it was me that’d been hiding under a rock which is probably true but given the impression that “Back To Times Of Splendor” left on me at the time it’s a little surprising that I haven’t checked out any of the band’s subsequent releases until now, even more so after being thoroughly captivated & enthralled by this spectacular example of progressive metal music.
You see, “Ayam” is everything a prog metal fan could reasonably want from an album. The production is expansive & glistening, the musicianship is to die for & the song-writing is layered & ambitious. The melodic death metal component of Disillusion’s sound has almost completely disappeared since the debut but has been replaced by a stronger focus on melody, dynamics & atmosphere. This could be viewed as a negative by some fans but for me personally this has ended up being a positive. The instrumentation still reminds me of the less intense material from some of the premier extreme progressive metal bands like Opeth, Persefone & Ne Obliviscaris however Disillusion are a little more restrained & introspective these days. In fact, I’ve found myself making comparisons with Anathema’s more progressive works at times such is the refined sense of emotion in Disillusion’s modern sound. I simply adore the vocals of front man Andy Schmidt who sounds uncannily like Beck at times & possesses a tone that competes with Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse in terms of smoothness. Another highlight comes in the form of some wonderfully progressive guitar solos which refuse to be held back by traditional rock conventions & soar above the rest of the music with some truly angelic melodies that harness the exponent’s obviously impressive technique rather than being purely a showcase for it. Don't forget drummer Martin Schulz either cause the dude can play!
The tracklisting is without blemish with each of the eight tracks being very strong in its own right. Unlike “Back To Times Of Splendor” though, I’ve found that "Ayam" possesses a few truly transcendent tracks that enable the album to reach a higher level of adoration for me personally. Eleven minute opener “Am Abgrund” sets to tone beautifully & is probably the heaviest song included. “Longhope” is pure class too but it’s the most introspective piece of the eight that captured me to the highest degree in closing number “The Brook” which has probably ended up being the track that’s seen me tempted to push “Ayam” up into the running for my higher scores. Throw in some heavenly cover art that I can’t seem to see myself looking away from & you’ve got one of the best metal albums of 2022 & an essential release for members of The Infinite.
4.5/5
^^^^ I'd suggest that that track is the only genuine avant-garde metal inclusion on the album.
Sigh - "Shiki" (2022)
I quite liked Sigh when they first hit the scene back in the 1990’s but when I returned to them following my decade-long absence from the metal scene I found that they’d gone way too far with the weirdness & albums like “Scenes From Hell” & “In Somniphobia” left me nothing short of repulsed. As a result, my expectations for their twelve full-length weren’t exactly high if I’m being completely honest but I’ve been left pleasantly surprised because last year’s “Shiki” has seen them dropping their avant-garde side for the most part, instead concentrating on a beautifully produced & well-composed progressive metal sound that's full of chunky riffs, blackened vocals & well integrated references to space rock & traditional Japanese music. The recruitment of session musicians guitarist/bassist Frédéric Leclercq (Dragonforce/Kreator/Loudblast) & drummer Mike Heller (Malignancy/Fear Factory/Raven) have proven to be very positive moves but unfortunately the Japanese-language black metal vocals are somewhat of a limiting factor here as I don’t think they’re powerful or professional enough to allow “Shiki” to reach the heights it was so clearly intended for. As usual I find myself being drawn to the album’s least popular tracks more than its obvious drawcards too with the three shorter intro/interlude/change-up tracks being the parts of the tracklisting that appeal to me the most (particularly the stunning space rock piece “Kuroi kagami”) but there aren’t any weak numbers included & I found “Shiki” to be an intriguing & generally rewarding experience that's probably the best material I've heard from Sigh.
3.5/5
Effluence - "Liquefied" E.P. (2022)
I really struggled with unusual American solo-act Effluence's 2021 debut album "Psychocephalic Spawning" as it just seemed to hold nothing of musical value so I've been very hesitant to return for another helping, despite the continuous stream of praise being heaped on them from my beloved underground death metal scene. However, the fact that Effluence's "Liquefied" E.P. is one of the top rated BDM releases of 2022 has seen me feeling that I simply had to give it a crack but unfortunately I'm now regretting that decision because this little release is right up there with the worst metal records I've ever encountered. It's essentially an attempt to make as much of a cacophony of silly noises as it's humanly possible to achieve & I've never been one that appreciated humor in my extreme metal.
The death metal component brings to mind bands like Defeated Sanity, 7.H Target & Dripping with the over the top blast-beats & super-deep, unintelligible vocals but every track might as well be the same because there aren't any themes or differences in atmosphere to grab onto. As absurd as it sounds for a death metal record, there seem to be several references to the kitchen here with the inclusion of blender sounds & the cover art & track titles being angled towards food preparation themes. I find it all so hard to tolerate to be honest & I also struggle to think of who the target demographic for a release like "Liquefied" might be. Perhaps they're not even metalheads but teenage stoners looking for a laugh? Certainly not any of our Metal Academy regulars & I'd encourage everyone to give Effluence a wide birth.
1/5
Qrixkuor - "Zoetrope" E.P. (2022)
Single track E.P.'s are often found to be guilty of over-indulgence but this 25 minute piece from English death metal duo Qrixkuor has cast aside any potential for musical wankery by creating a unique & (at times) quite frightening soundscape that takes the listener through uncharted territory. The basis for Qrixkuor's sound sits in the darkest & swampiest depths of the death metal spectrum however they've managed to differentiate themselves from the crowd through the incorporation of symphonic elements in such a way that it reminds me of a horror movie soundtrack rather than any cheesy attempt at atmosphere. You see, Qrixkuor's dense wall of darkness is far more complex & possesses a lot more integrity than the vast majority of bands that are linked to the term "symphonic". The guitar & bass work is highly complex & layered, the drums are used in an almost military fashion at times & the growled vocals are as deep & cavernous as you could want. As the song structure runs its course, you'll encounter several acts that make up the overall piece but it's unquestionably the crescendo that takes place during the last 5 or 6 minutes that's the kicker here & it represents the culmination of all of the band's hard work during the build-up of the first 20 minutes or so. You'll rarely hear something more unnerving or genuinely scary.
"Zoetrope" isn't the perfect piece of art however. The drumming isn't as accomplished as it could be which is a shame because there's definitely some unfulfilled potential left here. I do feel that the piece could have been a little snappier & a little culling could have gone a long way here but it's hard to be too critical when as artist has created an horrific world that sounds like nothing you've experienced before. The purely death metal component will likely draw comparisons to the likes of Teitanblood, Portal & Antediluvian but it's presented in a way that pulls Qrixkuor away from their peers by giving them their own identity. I have to admit that I can't pick up any of the black metal influence that's seen Qrixkuor being tagged as blackened death metal on many competitor's sites. "Zoetrope" is as death metal as they come as far as I'm concerned & it comes highly recommended for devotees of the darker end of the genre (Vinny, I'm looking at you).
4/5
I'll tell the bassist Bjorn you like it. He's currently finishing the mastering of the Neuropath CD & is also the vocalist/guitarist/bassist from Grave Upheaval. He's just joined a Gold Coast band called Grotesque Bliss which includes one of the guys from Paramæcium too.
Bekëth Nexëhmü - "De dunklas sorgeakt (Ett nordiskt afvsked...)" (2022)
I don't mind the latest release from prolific Swedish one-man atmospheric black metal artist Bekëth Nexëhmü. It was his second album for the year, following just two months after "De evigas gravrit" which is self-indulgent enough in itself if not for the fact that this new record is 104 minutes long which is just taking the piss, isn't it? You can expect a very raw, lo-fi production, the consistent use of tremolo-picked riffs & blast-beats & those distant, tortured Varg Vikernes style screams, kinda like a more brutal example of the cold & atmospheric sound that other solo acts like Paysage d'Hiver, Trhä & Burzum champion. There are quite a few interludes included which comprise of some post-black metal inspired pieces as well as a couple of lengthy folk guitar instrumentals. The black metal material is hit & miss for me as some of the tracks can sound a bit too consciously epic & triumphant, occasionally turning to glistening melodic riffs that remind me of blackgaze artists like Deafheaven. The brutality factor is a definite plus for me though & the quality of some of the interludes is excellent with a few of those pieces being my favourite moments on the album. Overall, this release will probably satisfy a lot of our The North members (Xephyr in particular) but doesn't compete with the top tier in my opinion.
3.5/5
Death SS - "Evil Metal" single (1983)
The first official release from this underground occult metal band from Italy. The three tracks are all very different from each other with the lengthy opening track (& clear highlight of the release) "Chains of Death" starting off as an excellent example of the early traditional doom metal subgenre & morphing into a more conventional heavy metal sound during the back end. The B side kicks off with a fast speed metal number by the name of "Inquisitor" before the tracklisting is closed out by a genuinely avant-garde metal song in "Schizophrenic". The doom metal tag that this record generally draws (in conjunction with heavy metal) is a little ambitious as there's really only a few minutes of proper doom on offer here. I think heavy metal is as good a tag as you're gonna find in this case as there's an element of it on all three tracks even though it may not be the primary genre for any of them. Sadly, the quality is really confined to the A side even though Death SS are undeniably an interesting act with a sound that combines the classic heavy metal of Black Sabbath/Mercyful Fate with the speed metal of Bulldozer & the traditional doom metal of Black Hole.
3/5
The Sisters of Mercy - "First & Last & Always" (1985)
A pretty suitable gothic rock accompaniment to the two hour drive home in the pouring rain after a shit day at work.
Quartz - "Against The Odds" (1983)
I quite liked Birmingham NWOBHM outfit Quartz' 1977 self-titled debut album & also their 1980 sophomore record "Stand Up & Fight" which saw them upping the metal significantly. I'd never ventured further forwards than that in the band's discography until now but thought I'd take on the third of their more well-known releases in 1983's "Against All Odds" third album. Quartz would split up later the same year, only to reform in 2011 & they're apparently still around today & have in fact just released a brand new album. Anyway... "Against All Odds" isn't as entertaining as its older siblings with the wishy washy production job & uninspired song-writing missing the mark they'd previously reached. You can certainly expect to hear the hard rockin' brand of heavy metal that became the calling card of the NWOBHM but the tempos are sluggish & the chorus hooks are a bit lacking this time, particularly when they attempt their more accessible numbers. The best moments inevitably occur when we find Quartz channelling metal idols like Black Sabbath & Judas Priest but there are a couple too many failures overshadowing the album highlights here in my opinion. My suggestion is that you stick to the first two Quartz records if you're looking to expand your NWOBHM horizons.
3/5
Note that there are other noteworthy releases that only have 2 ratings to date, including albums from Gaerea, Tómarúm, Ultha and White Ward. One more rating will qualify these for album of the year for The North.
Quoted Ben
I'm gonna help you out here Ben as I've just spent the last couple of days checking out White Ward's "False Light" album. I don't mind it but it's probably more up your alley than it is mine to be honest. It's current atmospheric black metal tag is wildly inaccurate in my opinion. I don't think it possesses the structure or texture of post-metal as some seem to think either. It's a progressive black metal record as far as I'm concerned as there's a truckload of classy experimentation on offer & it has a proggy sheen to the production & performances. There's no shoegaze influence left in their sound while the deep jazz sections are very well integrated. There's definitely more than the odd melodic black metal reference which is possibly one of the reasons that I can't buy into "False Light" as much as others seem to. I find some of the lead guitar work to be a little too clean-cut for a black metal record at times too. I tend to enjoy the more savage moments as well as the stripped-back & jazzy parts most. It's certainly not a bad album . It's just probably not something I can see myself returning to much in the future.
3.5/5
Girlschool - "Play Dirty" (1983)
The early 80’s releases from all-female London NWOBHM four-piece Girlschool have generally offered me a fair bit of appeal in the past. Their 1980 debut album “Demolition”, 1981 “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” split E.P. with Motörhead & their 1982 third album “Screaming Blue Murder” all possessed enough rock ‘n’ roll electricity to keep me entertained although I strangely found their most widely celebrated 1981 sophomore album “Hit & Run” to be a little flat in comparison. I’d never ventured any further into the band’s back-catalogue however, perhaps being scared off by the claims that they’d sold out by taking a more polished & commercially accessible direction with their subsequent albums, so it's high time that I investigated a) whether that is indeed the case & b) whether it’ll have a detrimental effect on their appeal.
The album cover certainly gives you a strong indication that Girlschool had moved on from their dirty Motörhead-inspired roots, doesn’t it? And opening track “Going Under” (the only genuine heavy metal song on the tracklisting) does nothing to turn that impression around as it sounds much more like Def Leppard’s over-produced post-NWOBHM releases than it does Girlschool’s much rawer previous albums with its use of synthesizers & meticulously harmonized backing-vocals not being the only time those tools would pop up amongst the ten tracks. It’s a catchy number though & sees the record getting off to an entertaining start. Unfortunately, the remainder of the album makes for a rocky ride with some of the tougher hard rocks songs (see the title track, “Rock Me Shock Me” & album highlight “Running For Cover”) getting me nodding my head & humming the chorus hooks while the filler tracks around them left me slightly bemused & a touch bored, particularly the god awful “High & Dry” which is nothing short of terrible. There are even a couple of songs that I’d suggest cross over into… *gulp*.. US glam metal territory which I don’t regard as a positive move & I much prefer the material that sticks to an AC/DC-style crunch over those numbers.
There can be no denying the quality of the production job here as everything sounds crisp & attractive. Perhaps that’s not a good thing with a band like Girlschool though as a big part of their appeal lay in their grimy, working-class attitude & care-free, punk-rock image. Both of those things have been cast aside with “Play Dirty” & it’s been hard not to let that fact taint my impression of a record that was clearly intended for the US market. Sadly, it’s ended up being the band’s weakest release to the time & Girlschool have apparently never managed to right the ship in all the years that have passed since as far as I can tell either. “Play Dirty” may not be awful as such but I’d nonetheless suggest that you stick to records like “Demolition” & “Scream Blue Murder” if you’re looking for a bit of danger in your hard rock music.
3/5
It's just been fixed Andi but you'll need to resubmit your genre votes.
These two nominations have been added to the Hall of Judgement.
Cult of Luna - "The Long Road Home" (2022)
Yet another stunning highlight from a band that is now the clear leader of the post-sludge metal movement. "The Long Road Home" is an album that creeps up on you slowly, gradually attaching itself to your heart-strings & ever so gently increasing the tension until Cult of Luna have you strung up so tight that you feel you'll likely burst at any moment. The album starts off in fairly predictable fashion & (as Sonny spoke of in his review) you're very unlikely to be surprised by what you receive with a new Cult of Luna record however I simply cannot deny that the class & sophistication that this band possesses places them up above their peers when I experience the stunning attention to detail & compositional complexity they invariably produce. Things only start to really get going with the glorious atmospherics of earie third track "Beyond I" but they rarely subside from that point onwards. As usual with me, it's the least popular tracks that I rate the highest with short post-rock piece "Full Moon" & closing ambient number "Beyond II" stealing the show from wonderful post-sludge epics like "An Offering to the Wild" or "Blood Upon Stone". "The Long Road Home" is perfectly suited to it's title as it's a lengthy record at 69 minutes but will continue to open up with each listen, offering increasingly greater rewards for the active listener's investment. "Somewhere Along The Highway" may still be Cult of Luna's crowning achievement however "The Long Road Home" isn't all that far behind their best work & I'd even go so far as to say that it has a slight advantage over their classic 2004 third album "Salvation" for me these days. Essential listening for post-metal fans.
4.5/5
P.S. I see that this release is currently tagged with both the Atmospheric Sludge Metal & Post-Metal (conventional) subgenres in our database but I'd encourage members of The Infinite to consider down-voting Post-Metal as this release so clearly sits in the sludge end of the Post-Metal spectrum which makes the Post-Metal (conventional) tag redundant.
Cocteau Twins - "Head Over Heals" (1983)
The sophomore album from this seminal Scottish artist is a gorgeous blend of ethereal wave, gothic rock & post punk that's made cleaning the house & having play battles with the kids much more enjoyable on my Saturday afternoon.
I decided to pay this nomination Andi as I really only took a wild guess when allocating the Trance Metal releases to alternative subgenres & the other Amaranthe releases all received Melodic Metalcore tags so it's pretty likely that you're correct given that it was already borderline as to whether this one would land under Alternative Metal or Melodic Metalcore anyway.
Motörhead - "What's Words Worth?" (1983)
This was an historical live recording of a gig from 1978 & I get the feeling it was more of a cash-grab intended to milk the band's growing popularity than anything else as the production is pretty much radio quality & the performances aren't their best either although guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke consistently gives us a whole bunch of his most electric solos. I've never been a fan of Motörhead's pre-1979 work as it's a bit too rock 'n' roll based for my liking & "What's Words Worth?" is another example of that with songs like "On Parole", "Leaving Here" & "I'm Your Witchdoctor" sounding pretty damn flat compared to the much more exciting & visceral material we'd hear from the band the following year. "Iron Horse/Born To Lose" & "White Line Fever" have always been great songs so they manage to stand out of the pack but the rest of the album is pretty uneventful to tell you the truth & is a hell of a long way short of the standard 1981's classic "No Sleep Till Hammersmith" (my favourite Motörhead record) set. It baffles me that people might think this is a metal record too. It's fucking miles away from metal in my opinion.
Ultimately "What's Words Worth?" is an inessential release for completists only. I'd take it over Motörhead's 1976 debut album release "On Parole" (released in 1979) or the 1980 "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers" E.P. but that's about it for Motörhead's back catalogue to the time I'm afraid.
3/5
What you're describing there is very much the post-rock component of the atmospheric sludge metal sound Sonny. That characteristic without much in the way of genuine sludge metal is generally regarded as post-metal.
I have to admit that the Artificial Brain record doesn't do as much for me as it does for others & I regard it as being a couple of steps down from the best material from dissonant death metal peers like Gorguts & Ulcerate. The Demilich-style vocals are over the top & I find them to be a bit annoying to be honest. They're certainly a rating-limiter for me personally. The production doesn't sound quite right either. I'd suggest that it's intentionally murky which isn't uncommon for the subgenre but it's ended up sounding a bit muted & lacking in excitement to my ears. The musicianship isn't in question as these guys definitely know their shit but when they go off in more avant-garde directions they can often miss the mark in my opinion, as seen in the inclusion of the dreamier progressive/melodic parts in the back end of the album which sound out of place to me. They're far more successful when they stay a little closer to conventional death metal paths for mine. In saying all that though, I do enjoy all of the material to some extent as there's no denying it's interesting stuff but I don't find "Artificial Brain" to be essential listening for dissonant death metal fans overall.
3.5/5
The Otolith - Folium Limina
Released 21/10/22 on Blues Funeral
Initial thoughts after three or four playthroughs, although I suspect this is an album that will reveal itself more fully as I become more familiar with it:
SubRosa were one of my favourite 21st century bands, their three albums released in the 2010s being among the very best doom metal from that decade, More Constant Than the Gods in particular lodging itself very near the summit of my 2010s metal list. So it was with great disappointment that I learned of their disbanding in 2019 and the apparent loss of a singular-sounding metal band. However, three years later, in this winter of 2022, the bulk of Subrosa's members return with a new album under the name The Otolith, to much rejoicing from yours truly. Thankfully Folium Limina retains all the ingredients that made SubRosa such a compelling listen, be it Levi Hanna's thick, crunchy doom metal riffs, Sarah Pendleton's seductive vocals or the atmospheric and unsettling violin work of Sarah and Kim Pack overlaying proceedings. As with the classic albums, the tracks all clock in at around the ten-minute mark, so give themselves plenty of time to develop without becoming self-indulgent and overstaying their welcome.
Where Otolith differ from Subrosa is that they lean more heavily on post-metal / atmospheric sludge metal songwriting and it's reliance on building atmosphere, rather than a straight-up doom metal approach. They also feature harsh male death doom vocals as provided by bassist/vocalist Matt Brotherton who is also bassist and vocalist for atmospheric sludge crew Huldra, and I am guessing his presence in the band may be the influence for a more post-metal style of songwriting. It also feels like the classical strings take a more prominent role during Folium Limina's run time, often being pushed right up front rather than acting as a provider of atmospheric layering as was it's main purpose in SubRosa. These differences are not at all jarring however, and The Otolith are very much a continuance of the sterling work begun by SubRosa and I would be very surprised if any fans of the latter didn't enjoy Folium Limina as it still contains those idiosyncrasies that made SR such a compelling and singular doom metal act. Personally, I don't think it is quite up there with the very best of SubRosa, especially More Constant Than the Gods (not much is though), but it is certainly a strong follow-up to SR's final album, For This We Fought the Battle of Ages and is a very welcome continuation of the SubRosa legacy.
4.5/5
Your review sparked my interest Sonny so I checked out "Folium Limina" over the last few days & really enjoyed it. It's probably not something that I'd generally regard as falling into my musical comfort zone but it simply sounds so fresh & is so well executed that it easily won me over in the end. I find it interesting that it's being tagged as a combination of doom metal & atmospheric sludge metal because there's very little sludge metal here other than some sparingly used hardcore vocal yelps. To my ears this is more of a hybrid of gothic metal, doom metal & post metal. The doom riffs are there is droves. The post-metal tag is warranted given the use of stripped back atmospherics & alternative instrumentation while I find it strange that no one has put two & two together as far as the gothic component goes as there's a clear ethereal wave influence to both the female vocals & the instrumentation. Regardless, the six lengthy pieces are all of a high quality, even if they do test your patience a bit. I'd imagine that Ben will probably enjoy this one.
4/5
Hate Forest - "Innermost" (2022)
The ninth album from this Ukranian black metal artist is fucking superb & should come into contention for the award. It's a clear tribute to the great Norwegian Second Wave of Black Metal records from the early-to-mid 1990's with Immortal & Darkthrone being the main players along with a bit of Burzum here & there. It's a relentless experience with Roman Saenko's signature deeper death metal vocals giving it a point of difference. It compares very favourably to the stronger releases from the bands I mentioned too.
Sonny, Vinny & Ben, you will definitely wanna hear this.
4.5/5
Y&T - "Mean Streak" (1983)
I first experienced Californian hard rockers Y&T (formerly Yesterday & Tomorrow) through their 1981 third album "Earthshaker" which I quite enjoyed but I found their 1982 follow-up "Black Tiger" to be a bit of a let-down. I feel similarly about his fifth full-length to tell you the truth as it doesn't possess the highlight tracks of Y&T's previous two albums but doesn't venture as far off track as "Black Tiger" did either so I'd probably take it over that album if I was forced to decided between them. You can expect to hear some well executed & fairly accessible US hard rock for the most part but they've tossed in a few metal tunes for a bit of excitement too. The vocals sound very much like Monstrose/Van Halen front man Sammy Hagar which can't be a bad thing. Sadly, the tracklisting dies in the arse over the last two tracks which are the weakest on the record but I really only found myself getting into about a third of the songs & didn't come close to saying that I love any of them. This is unintimidating party-time hard rock that won't do a thing to change your life but likely won't ruin your day either.
3/5
Here's my new Top Ten Blackgaze Releases of All Time list:
01. Deafheaven - "Sunbather" (2013)
02. Woods of Desolation - "Torn Beyond Reason" (2011)
03. Deafheaven - "Roads to Judah" (2011)
04. Deafheaven - "New Bermuda" (2015)
05. Alcest - "Kodama" (2016)
06. Deafheaven - "Ordinary Corrupt Human Love" (2018)
07. Lantlôs - ".neon" (2010)
08. Alcest - "Écailles de lune" (2010)
09. Asunojokei - "Island" (2022)
10. Alcest - "Le secret" (2011) E.P.
Asunojokei - "Island" (2022)
I recently read Ben's review of this popular sophomore album from Tokyo, Japan & wasn't surprised to see him give it a thorough panning. I guess the blackgaze meets post-hardcore tag was a little scary for me too if I'm being honest & I suspected that it might not be for me either but that hasn't ended up being the case in the end. Despite the numerous examples of non-metal genres scattered across the tracklisting (post-hardcore, screamo, downtempo, etc.), "Island" is definitely a metal record; a black metal related one to be more specific. The shoegaze component may not be as prominent as it is on some releases but there can be no denying the generally positive feel to almost all of the riffs & melodies on offer because Asunojokai seem to be a consciously working against all traditional black metal calling cards here, even though they're clearly using black metal tools such as open-string tremolo-picked chords & blast-beats. The vocal delivery sounds very similar to Emperor front man Ihsahn & is pretty effective but it's the class in the executive & production that really shine here & make it hard not to enjoy "Island". The level of musicianship is outstanding which seems to be a prerequisite for most Japanese metal these days. It's a shame that the album peters out at the end with a couple of tracks that overdo the positive vibes because the majority of the tracklisting is really pretty comparable to bands like Deafheaven or Alcest, if taking things another step further in regard to the uplifting melodies. The cover artwork is also a little bemusing given that it's so clearly making a conscious attempt to push the elitists buttons. Regardless of these flaws though, there's easily enough quality (black) metal here to keep me interested, even if a record like "Island" was never going to make a play for my best-of lists.
3.5/5
Bauhaus - "In The Flat Field" (1980)
My soundtrack to working out, cleaning up the garage & taking my daughters for a swim in the pool this weekend. And yes... I did tease my hair up & wear black eyeliner & a cape for all of it.
Chat Pile - "God's Country" (2022)
Last year's debut album from this Oklahoma four-piece seems to be getting major attention recently so I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about. "God's Country" is being tagged as a noise rock & sludge metal hybrid but there's a lot more going on here than that. There's certainly a strong Sonic Youth noise rock influence present but I don't think this a rock release so I find the use of a rock subgenre as a primary tag to be a little deceptive. This is more of a metal meets hardcore thing in my opinion with the vocals being firmly planted in psychotic hardcore realms & the instrumentation being predominantly metal with post-hardcore & noise rock leanings. The thing that most listeners seem to be missing though is that the biggest influence being championed on "God's Country" would seem to be Godflesh &, as a result, I'd suggest that this is actually just as much of an industrial metal record as it is a sludge metal one, perhaps even more so. There's even a noticeable Korn influence in some of the rhythmic riffage which is done very tastefully. All that aside, "God's Country" is also a high quality release that's worthy of a lot of the attention it's receiving. The vocals are emotion-charged & meaningful while the riffs are heavy & intense. The field recording/acappella piece "I Don't Care If I Burn" is a bit of a waste of space but the rest of the tracklisting is very consistent without ever really hinting at any genuine highlights. Fans of Godflesh & Fange should definitely check it out.
4/5
Swans - "White Light From the Mouth of Infinity" (1991)
A spectacular example of the gothic rock sound. Right up there with my favourite releases from the genre in fact. Perhaps not the best record to play games with my kids or do the supermarket shopping to though as it's a seriously dark album but then again... I've never been one to give much of a fuck as great music can move me no matter where I am or what I'm doing.
It was a reasonably solid group of feature releases for me this month with just the one album that I struggled with in the European power metal of Fellowship. The Knut album was by far the biggest discovery for me as it blew my away & has subsequently gained entry into my Hall of Metal Glory. Both of Ben's Monstrosity & Leviathan submissions were previously known to me but I'd never gotten around to giving them the focused attention required to award them a Metal Academy rating. It was great to see them both delivering on my expectations. The Neptunian Maximalism, Communic, Author & Punisher & Moon Tooth submissions were new to me & were all very well received. I quite liked the Autonoesis album but can't say that it hit me as hard as it seems to have done to other members. Here are my scores in order of preference:
THE REVOLUTION: Knut - "Challenger" (2002) 4.5/5
THE HORDE: Monstrosity - "In Dark Purity" (1999) 4/5
THE FALLEN: Neptunian Maximalism - "Set Chaos To The Heart Of The Moon" (2022) 4/5
THE INFINITE: Communic - "Waves of Visual Decay" (2006) 4/5
THE SPHERE: Author & Punisher - "Krüller" (2022) 4/5
THE NORTH: Leviathan - "Scar Sighted" (2015) 4/5
THE GATEWAY: Moon Tooth - "Phototroph" (2022) 4/5
THE PIT: Autonoesis - "Moon of Foul Magics" (2022) 3.5/5
THE GUARDIANS: Fellowship - "The Saberlight Chronicles" (2022) 2.5/5
Well done to Andi for snatching up my bikkies in emphatic fashion this month.
A wonderful progressive metal outing with stunning vocal hooks & sophisticated riffage.
I really enjoyed this one Saxy. It was a pleasant surprise as I wasn't across Moon Tooth previously & there's no doubt that they're a capable & classy metal outfit. I'd suggest that they're probably more of a progressive metal band than an alternative metal one & "Phototroph" might have been a slightly better fit for The Infinite but there can be no denying Moon Tooth's alternative edge, particularly in the vocals of John Carbone who sounds very much like Sevendust front man Lajon Witherspoon to me. There's a strong Mastodon influence here with many of the riff structures being quite complex but there are also some tracks that take a more accessible alternative route. I particularly enjoy the lead guitar work of Riot V axe man Nick Lee who showcases a clear Eric Johnson influence in his fluent & speedy runs. The only track I didn't enjoy was the lightweight "Carry Me Home" but this was easily compensated for by the stunning progressive metal highlight track "O My Isle" which is a couple of steps up from the rest of the material (& is apparently the least popular track on the album according to RYM). Another nice feature release selection here gents.
4/5
Unfortunately for Monstrosity, they've kinda gone on to become known as somewhat of a breeding ground for more well-known bands to cherry-pick new members from over the years Sonny. It's not just George Fischer that originated in Monstrosity. They've also shared members with Malevolent Creation, Terrorizer, Cynic, Solstice, Death, etc. but have never quite managed to make the leap out from the underground. I've been following them since their 1992 debut album "Imperial Doom" & they rarely disappoint. This one is very much as I remember it i.e. a high quality meat-&-potatoes death metal record with some techy tendencies. Jason Avery sounds like he's trying very hard to sound like Fischer & to his credit makes a very good fist of it. The musicianship is outstanding throughout & I really appreciate the attention to detail in the riff structures & arrangements. There's not a bad track included although there's probably not enough genuine highlight tracks to command my higher scores. The best moments generally come when the band go for a more sophisticated sound like they do on "Perpetual War" (my personal favourite), "Hymns of Tragedy" or the searing "Dust To Dust". I absolutely love the "Angel of Death" cover too as, despite being very faithful to the original, it manages to harness the unequalled electricity of mid-80's Slayer in a way that doesn't sound out of place amongst the rest of the tracklisting. It essentially still sounds like the greatest metal song ever written which is a feather in anyone's cap. If you love the classic death metal sound of bands like Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation or Sinister then "In Dark Purity" will certainly hit your spot, even if it doesn't push too many boundaries.
4/5
G.I.S.M. - "Detestation" (1984)
This debut album from rough 'n' ready Japanese hardcore outfit G.I.S.M. represents a very early example of the Crust Punk sound with the band incorporating heavy metal & speed metal elements into their filthy hardcore arsenal in a similar way to Amebix's "Arise!" album. The production & musicianship is extremely primitive & the vocals are kinda silly so I struggled with this record although it's very easy to see the influence it may have had on the early exponents of Norwegian Black Metal (Mayhem, Darkthrone, etc.). I can see why some people might want to lump "Detestation" in with the metal crowd but this material is far too obviously weighted towards the hardcore side of the equation in my opinion so I don't buy it personally. This album might appeal to diehard punk fans or metalheads with a strong penchant for punkier metal acts like Plasmatics or Sacrilege but it unfortunately wasn't for me.
3/5
Absolutely agree & you've beaten me to it.
This nomination has been added to the Hall of Judgement.
He's kinda "falling" into it, isn't he?
*drum roll & cymbal crash*
"I'm here all week."
I'm clearly in the minority when it comes to "Dance of December Souls" but I have to admit that I still sit in the space you previously resided in with this record Vinny. These were my thoughts when I last revisited it in November 2021:
To be honest, I've never understood the unanimous praise that Katatonia's debut full-length seems to inevitably draw. Sure, it's got some lovely melodies & creates a uniquely sombre atmosphere at times but is it really a genuine classic? I don't think so. The musicianship is pretty amateurish, the vocals are lacking in power & control, the arrangements are pretty loose, it's lacking in heaviness for a doom release & Dan Swano's keyboards are cheesy as hell for the most part. Somehow though, the overall package seems to draw me in just enough to qualify for a pass mark. I think the first couple of proper songs taint my impression a bit as they both sound pretty lethargic & this is exacerbated by the fact that the closer is absolutely awful but there's a lengthy four track run in between that I really enjoy & it just does enough to overcome my concerns. In fact, you can pretty easily see where a classic like "Brave Murder Day" came from during that stronger period & perhaps that fact alone is enough to command a 3.5/5 rating from me. I have to say that I've never understood the links to melodic black metal though. There's approximately one minute of black metal here if you look closely. There's a lot more of the gothic component which would stay with Katatonia for most of their career. Overall, I'd suggest that "Dance of December Souls" is a mildly enjoyable if inessential & overrated release that kicked off a consistently high quality discography.
3.5/5
Quiet Riot - "Mental Health" (1983)
I fucking hated the first two albums from Los Angeles glam metal outfit Quiet Riot. I investigated them primarily due to the presence of legendary Ozzy Osbourne guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads many years ago but found them to be horribly cheesy & poorly executed with Randy not really standing out as anything terribly special two or three years before his association with Ozzy. Fast forward to five years later though & this third album took the band from bedroom bangers to household names overnight, mainly off the back of their hugely popular cover version of Slade's "Cum On Feel The Noize" which was a global mega-hit for them, taking them to the top of the Billboard charts which was a first for a heavy rock band in the USA. I listened to that song a zillion times as a seven or eight year-old as my mum had a compilation record that included it & it's obviously the clear album highlight here too.
"Mental Health" is admittedly a much better record than Quiet Riot's first two efforts but I still can't count myself as a fan. The cheesy glam metal sound that most of this record is pushing is simply far too bubblegum for my taste. There are a couple of genuine heavy metal tracks here in "Breathless" & "Run For Cover" but these are easily squashed by two awfully commercialized AOR/soft rock numbers. There's even a blatant attempt at emulating Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption" which just comes across as a waste of space given the comparitively immature skills of guitarist Carlos Cavazo & his focus on simply copying his idol. The rhythm section of future Blue Oyster Cult, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Dio & Whitesnake bassist Rudy Sarzo & future WASP drummer Frankie Banali do a pretty good job here. As does front man Kevin DuBrow who has a great voice for glam metal but unfortunately the weak moments are far too catastrophic to allow the stronger tracks like "Cum On Feel The Noize", the title track & "Breathless" to carry the album. I'm afraid I don't ever think Quiet Riot will be for me but you may have better luck if you're a big fan of bands like Twisted Sister, WASP & Motley Crue.
3/5
Yeah, this was certainly a very solid & enjoyable record for me. I can't say that I connect with it on the same level as some of you do but I appreciate it as a piece of art. The heart & soul that's been put into it is certainly impressive. What it lacks is the melodic hooks to take it to the elite level though in my opinion. For all his passion, I don't think that Tristan has a good enough voice to make any of these tracks genuine classics. Instead, I just find them to be densely orchestrated, well executed & quite ambitious works that hit the spot without ever ascending into the stratosphere. The Portishead cover was an interesting choice & I initially struggled with it a bit as the original is the best song from one of the greatest albums in my lifetime. This reworking took quite a few listens to draw me in but never to the extent of the original. The first half of the album is very strong & consistent. Unfortunately I think the tracklisting fades over the last couple of tracks, particularly the closing title track which sounds a bit sickly to me (particularly the chorus which I can't stand) & is the only song that I don't have time for. Besides that blemish though, I don't have too many qualms with this high quality industrial metal record.
4/5
P.S. If someone can point me in the direction of the drone metal on this release it'd be much appreciated. I can't identify any but suspect that it's being drawn from the power electronics influence & it's deep, farty electronic noises. There's certainly a strong gothic/doom metal component as well as electro-industrial. In fact, much of this material sounds like Type O Negative songs being covered by a power electronics artist to me.
Thanks Andi. I've just voted YES on that one.
This month's feature release has seen me having to alter my Top Ten Mathcore Releases of All Time with The Dillinger Escape Plan & Mike Patton's "Irony Is A Dead Scene" E.P. having to make way for Knut's "Challenger".
01. Botch – “We Are The Romans” (1999)
02. Gaza – “No Absolutes In Human Suffering” (2012)
03. Inside The Beehive – “Drink Bleach; Live Forever” E.P. (2011)
04. Gaza – “I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die” (2006)
05. Knut - "Challenger" (2002)
06. War From A Harlots Mouth – “MMX” (2010)
07. Botch – “An Anthology Of Dead Ends” E.P. (2002)
08. The Dillinger Escape Plan – “One Of Us Is The Killer” (2013)
09. Converge – “You Fail Me” (2004)
10. Serpent Column – “Endless Detainment” E.P. (2020)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/180
Yeah, this one's a ripper of a feature release Andi. I absolutely loved it! The raw hardcore aggression, the brilliantly executed mathcore technicality, the crushingly heavy sludge metal crunch... it's all sensationally executed with vocalist Didier Séverin totally slaying with his violent screams of pure hatred over the top. The musicianship is outstanding & the production is excellent. It's interesting that this release only has the mathcore tag at present because a good half of the album is sludge metal in one form or another. The first four tracks are very mathcore heavy but from there on it becomes a total sludge-fest (think Old Man Gloom or early Isis) with my favourite track on the album (i.e. "H/armless") being an industrial sludge monster & a couple of tracks even hinting at the post-sludge of Neurosis. I think I'll be posting a Hall of Judgement entry for this one. This is music to truly fuck shit up to & I regard it as a top five mathcore release for me overall. Outstanding stuff!
4.5/5
A catchy little heavy rocker from this Irish NWOBHM power trio.
Mama's Boys - "Plug It In" (1982)
A very well produced & executed debut album from this very underground Irish NWOBHM outfit who played a crunchy brand of hard rock similar to AC/DC, Thin Lizzy & "Wheels Of Steel"-era Saxon. The musicianship is excellent but I think Mama's Boys probably just lacked a bit of x-factor in both the song-writing & the vocal delivery as the album lacks any real highlights & includes 3 or 4 pretty flat tunes, particularly when the band branch out into lighter & more accessible creative spaces. The album isn't currently listed on the Academy database & I'd be happy to keep it that way as there's really very little actual metal included here.
3/5
Siouxsie & The Banshees - "Juju" (1981)
The soundtrack to playing Barbies with my four-year old daughter & swimming in our pool with my six year-old daughter on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
I don't mean to ruin the fantasies of any of you kvlt/elitist types out there but Autonoesis is apparently this guy:
Well, you aren't wrong with your assessment of this one Xephyr & I'm not going to be offering any surprises with my own feelings as a result. The whole album feels like it's got a thick layer of Vaseline over the top of it with the band taking an unapologetically bubblegum approach to their power metal & hinting at Christmas carol cheese with great regularity. The soft production job & super-precise performances have had any hint of an edge sanded off with everything sounding so perfect that it's hard to find anything that resembles aggression outside of the driving double-kick work. The symphonics are ultra-smooth & sit quite high in the mix to ensure that the rhythm guitars don't try anything funny by heading into heavier territories while the neoclassical guitar solos sound like every other Yngwie Malmsteen wannabe you've ever heard & leave me feeling pretty bored despite the obvious technical talents on display. Vocalist Matthew Corry possesses the sort of pipes where you can easily imagine his throat to be positively oozing with honey but he stays well within himself at all times & never makes any attempt to belt out the higher registers which again makes "The Saberlight Chronicles" a very easy-listening metal release indeed. But it's also a very generic one in my opinion. Any fan of European power metal will have heard this super-melodic symphonically-driven stuff a thousand times before from bands like Rhapsody & Dragonforce while Fellowship's hints at a more progressive & sophisticated Kamelot style approach never really get going for long enough to make an impression. Look... there was never any question of this album being something I'd enjoy & I really struggle to differentiate between the good & the bad in this subgenre given that both generally leave me feeling alienated. I did enjoy "The Hours of Wintertime" though which is an example of European power metal done well.
2.5/5
Nice choice Ben. I really enjoyed this one. It was a huge undertaking for a multi-instrumentalist solo artist to attempt given the broad scope of sounds & techniques on show. I'd probably use the traditional black metal tag to draw together all of the different elements that are at play here but you'll also find examples of depressive black metal, atmospheric black metal, avant-garde metal, dissonant death metal, funeral doom metal & dark ambient scattered across the tracklisting. For all of the creativity on display, Wrest also manages to present his work in a twisted, tortured fashion that borders on the sickly at times. His barks & screams only add to the feeling that you're listening to the work of a deranged mind. It sounds like he's down-tuned his guitars a bit here too which gives his bottom-string tremolo-picked riffs a darker, more deathly feel than most black metal while his bass work is interesting & adventurous. If there's one weakness in Leviathan's sound then it's in the drumming which is serviceable enough without ever feeling authoritative. I guess this shouldn't be surprising for a one-man band but he makes up for it with some really inventive song structures which make for a dense & ambitious release that successfully covers a lot of artistic ground while drawing the listener into a thick & deeply blackened atmosphere.
4/5
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "Let Love In" (1994)
Drinking a glass of cheap Sauvignon Blanc & watching the Sydney Sixers play the Melbourne Stars on TV with the sound down & this album playing over the top.
Cocteau Twins - "Treasure" (1984)
The dreamy & ethereal soundtrack to a couple of hours spent swimming in our pool with the kids on a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon on the Gold Coast.
The Cure - "Pornography" (1982)
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