Daniel's Forum Replies

This submission has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

Here's my review:

I first discovered Massachusetts-based stoner metal trio Elder while programming the monthly The Fallen playlists a couple of years ago & was invariably impressed by what I heard. They sounded like a very capable & professional outfit that knew their way around their instruments & had a very well-defined sound. I subsequently investigated their 2012 “Spires Burn/Release” E.P. in order to get a better idea of what they’re all about & found it to be a very solid release indeed. 2017’s “Reflections of a Floating World” would follow shortly afterwards & would leave a similar impression so I quickly found myself claiming myself as a fan of the band. And this leads me to this month’s The Fallen feature release in Elder’s 2011 sophomore album “Dead Roots Stirring” which I selfishly selected in order to further expand my knowledge of Elder’s back catalogue.

“Dead Roots Stirring” is a 51 minute excursion across five lengthy tracks that all offer something a little different from each other while always maintain a clear direction & focus. Unlike “Spires Burn/Release” which sat roughly at the mid-point between stoner metal & stoner rock, this record sees Elder staying firmly on the stoner rock side of the equation &, despite what you may read elsewhere, there’s really very little metal to be found here. There’s simply far too much blues in both the tone & structure of the five songs included & I’d suggest that the band’s influences come mainly from late 60’s/early 70’s blues rock bands like Cream more than they do metal bands like Black Sabbath. Don’t take that as any sort of negative though because this music still has plenty in the tank in the way of classy rock music. The production job is well-executed & gives Elder an authentic 60’s/70’s vibe that also plays a major part in steering the album away from metal. It’s got that lovely fuzzy sound with a dirty distortion on the guitars that feeds very nicely into the more psychedelic moments which are a real highlight of the record. The bass tone is full & powerful which does a great job at selling the doomier moments where the band finally click into overdrive. You won’t find much in the way of the more ambitious progressive rock sounds that can be found on “Reflections of a Floating World” here as yet but that’s not to say that this is simple music with the song structures still being quite expansive & building over time with twelve minute closer “Knot” being a prime example given that it doesn’t really show you its full hand until the last third of the song.

The best material tends to come at the start of the tracklisting with opener “Gemini” (my album highlight) & the lengthy title track being my personal favourites but there isn’t a lot of variation in quality between the various songs with only fourth track “The End” seeing things dipping just a touch. In saying that though, I’m not sure this style of music will ever command my higher scores unless it heads into psychedelic territory more often than Elder do here. Front man Nick DiSalvo has a great voice for this style of music & he does hint at some really great vocal hooks that may have the potential to take things higher up into the stratosphere but it never quite eventuates & the album is much more focused on lengthy instrumental passages anyway. This isn’t intended as a major criticism though as I’ve found it hard to fault Elder on ANY of the three releases I’ve checked out to date. They’re a class act who understand their craft really well & are very unlikely to dish up something subpar.

If you’re a fan of stoner rock then you’ll definitely want to check out “Dead Roots Stirring”. I’d suggest that it’s probably the weaker of the three Elder releases mentioned above with the progressive stoner rock sounds of “Reflections of a Floating World” remaining my personal favourite but don't take that as a negative comment because it’s still a great record that’s provided me with further encouragement to continue investigating this talented artist’s back catalogue.

For fans of Om, Stoned Jesus & Acid King.

4/5

Great selection Ben. Here's my review:

My brother Ben can always be relied upon for quality feature releases & this brand new third album from Chilean death metallers Inanna is no exception as the band clearly possess a strong pedigree in all forms of deathly delights. “Void of Unending Depths” sees them tackling a number of different extreme metal subgenres & proving themselves to be proficient in all of them in the process. It’s quite a lengthy record for this style of music at nearly an hour in duration & I feel that it does overstay its welcome a touch but you can’t deny the quality that’s on offer.

The album begins in a very different way to what it finishes & opens with the strongest track on the tracklisting in dissonant death metal monster “Evolutionary Inversion” before “Among Subaqueous Spectres” sees them dipping their feet into more of a death/thrash sound which reminds me of US death metallers Serpens Aeon’s thrashier moments. The dissonant take on the classic death metal sound returns for “Far Away In Other Spheres” before the record starts to take a turn into increasingly more progressive territory for the remaining four tracks, the B side taking very much a progressive death metal direction in its entirety. I have to admit that the thrashier drumming doesn’t appeal to me as much as the darker death metal stuff & I think Inanna are probably at their best when they get their dissonant pants on.

The production job is very well suited to this style of music & does a good job at highlighting the dark atmosphere while the performances of the four instrumentalists are all high class. I particularly enjoy the use of blast beats but the highlights of the album tend to come through the sporadic incorporation of ethereal lead guitar melodies that remind me very much of Paradise Lost. It’s easy to pick up the influence of classic death metal bands like Immolation & Morbid Angel in the first half of the album while the commitment to progressive song structures & stylistic diversity is similar to that taken by South American counterparts The Chasm. Interestingly, I find the atmospheric interludes included in a few of the tracks to be inspired by Iron Maiden as much as anyone else (particularly the eerie mid-section of their classic “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”) but the last few tracks see the instrumentalists casting their creative inhibitions aside & tackling some highly technical riff structures. Front man Max Neira is an absolute beast with his super-deep yet still easily decipherable death growls providing another highlight for Inanna but unfortunately I find the higher pitched screams to sound a little immature in comparison.

“Void of Unending Depths” is a splendid example of the modern death metal sound & is very hard to fault. If anything, I’d suggest that Inanna may just be lacking a bit of focus as the record jumps around quite a bit & I tend to think that perhaps their next album might be the true culmination of their creative development once they firm up exactly what it is they’re trying to achieve. Regardless, there aren’t a lot of releases that can match Inanna for death metal integrity these days & I doubt there will be too many extreme metal fans out there that can’t get onboard with it.

For fans of The Chasm, Serpens Aeon & Morbid Angel.

4/5

It's been many years since I heard "Clouds" but I think I'd probably rate it the same score as you have Vinny. Tiamat's next album "Wild Honey" was their first to really command my attention.

Bathory - "Jubileum, Vol. I" (1992)

Bathory was a big fucking deal for me when this best-of compilation was released thirty years ago today; so much so that I bought it immediately upon release & primarily so that I could gain acccess to the unreleased tracks. Seriously though, when you put Quorthon's best material together on one CD it really does make an impressive celebration of his recorded career. Vol 1 was comfortably better than Vol 2 & 3 & I played the absolute living shit out of it.

Negură Bunget - "'n crugu bradului" (2002)

It's 20 years since the highly regarded sophomore album from Romanian atmospheric black metallers Negură Bunget first hit the shelves today. I've gotta say that I've never understood the attraction to this band (in fact I rated this album 2/5 on my last revisit) but they seem to have developed an almost cult-like following over the years. 

I picked "Έσοπτρον" up on CD at the time of release & Ben & I both really enjoyed it. I don't think I've ever rated or reviewed it though so I'll need to rectify that at some stage.

This nomination has been added to the Hall of Judgement.

Sixteen Horsepower - "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" (1996)

Some very cool country music with a darker gothic edge. I haven't returned to this one for a while but it really suited my morning chores nicely as I've prepared to have friends around for the NRL Grand Final this afternoon.

Here's my new review after deleting my old one from 2010:

I came into Birmingham industrial metal godfathers Godflesh’s 2001 sixth album “Hymns” very late when you consider that I’d been a huge fan of the band since around 1989/90. My decade-long hiatus from metal during the 2000’s saw me completely avoiding it until a good year after my return which meant that it had already been out & about for a good nine years by the time I reviewed it in 2010. I have to say that I wasn’t blown away by it either it has to be said. That’s not to say that I thought it was a bad record or anything but I had such high expectations of Justin Broadrick’s projects by that stage & I just found “Hymns” to be a little bit lacking by comparison. It’s been a full twelve years since that review now though so I’ll be coming in with fresh ears & it’ll be interesting to see if my feelings have changed over time.

Godflesh has always possessed a very unique sound that had stayed with them throughout their career even though they’d usually experiment with it in different ways on each release & that trend continues with “Hymns”. 1999’s hip hop inspired “Us & Them” album was probably the record where they’d taken the most risks across their back-catalogue to the time so I was kind of expecting them to expand on that further but “Hymns” sees them bringing things back to a more organic & stripped back sound that relies more heavily on the guitars than the beats which are kept a little further back in the mix. Despite the guitars & bass being so far forward, I feel that this lack of power in the drums makes “Hymns” sound a touch less heavy & places a stronger reliance on the riffs which may or may not be a good thing depending on your taste. You’ll also find that Justin & co. have incorporated alternative & nu metal influences into their sound to an extent which is obvious enough to give the album its own identity but not significant enough to overshadow the industrial metal platform that the band had built their careers on. I mean this fucker still sounds like it could be made up of sounds from a factory but the workers are probably playing alternative radio in the workshop if you know what I mean. Those of you that are familiar with the alternative scene will likely pick up on moments that sound distinctly like Korn, Primus, Soundgarden & Smashing Pumpkins across the lengthy 73 minute tracklisting with the emphasis on groove-driven riffs reminding me quite a lot of a band like Nottingham sludge metallers Fudge Tunnel. Some of the more staccato-based riffage can also draw comparisons with Helmet & Prong but the interesting thing is that at the end of the album I’m still left feeling that “Hymns” sits most comfortably alongside industrial metal counterparts like Killing Joke.

It's interesting that a lot of people seem to want to link Godflesh with the Sludge Metal genre. I can definitely see why given the dissonant riff structures & thick & oppressive guitar tone but there’s a noticeable lack of the anger & aggression required for sludge qualification in my opinion. Godflesh’s music is much more trance-inducing with its repetition being a key component in its appeal so I can't agree with that sentiment. With the possible exception of the very poor hidden track, I also struggle to see how “Hymns” has anything to do with Post-Metal as it’s reliance on riffs is far too extreme for that. As far as I can see this album is still very firmly rooted in the Industrial Metal genre with the alternative elements adding a point of differentiation for a record that has essentially seen Godflesh regressing a bit towards past glories from their recent releases. The jumpy nu metal rhythms that pop up here & there aren’t particularly to my taste if I’m being honest & at times I’m left wondering if the band were clutching at straws in the hope of finding relevance in a quickly changing heavy music scene. I mean let’s be honest, the weaker moments like the nu metal track “Deaf, Dumb & Blind” sound pretty uninspired but then the album highlights like the catchy alternative metal number “Anthem” & the sublime atmospheric closer “Jesu” are some of Godflesh’s very best work so the album can be a little bit up & down. It certainly takes a few tracks to get going which can impact initial impressions but the back end of the record is the stronger of the two sides which sees it redeeming itself over time. In saying that though, there’s very little question that the run time is too long & the requirement for the hidden track is more than a little questionable.

As a Godflesh album, I would have to say that “Hymns” is certainly worth a few listens but I’d suggest that is was the band’s weakest full-length to the time. Despite the respectable rating I’ve given it, I do end up feeling a little disappointed given their star-studded back catalogue. Perhaps my taste profile isn’t really in line with the alternative feel to a lot of the material? Yeah sure, that definitely plays it’s part here but I’m not sure that can explain a few of the flatter tracks here which sound like a band in auto-pilot. It's probably telling that I find the tracks with Justin's gruffer vocal delivery to be more appealing than those that see him struggling with his more melodic side too. I can't help but think that this is a sign of my own affiliations with Godflesh's early works but you have to admire the way the band consistently reach for something a little different without completely severing the ties with their past.

For fans of Pitchshifter, Fall Of Because & HALO.

3.5/5

This playlist is now up on Spotify.

With a current vote tally of YES 7 NO 2, I've decided to pass the second of the two submissions so the Post-Metal genre has now been added to "Mestarin kynsi". Thank you to everyone who contributed to the vote & allowed us to achieve a majority outcome.

Grouper - "A I A: Alien Observer" (2011)

Angelic female-fronted ambient from California, USA. It's a classy effort & I really dig it.

None this month thanks .

None this month thanks.

I believe that Dorsal Atlantica release is a re-recording of Dorsal Atlântica's 1986 debut album "Antes do fim" which I love. Corrosion of Conformity's "Animosity" is worth a listen if you don't mind a bit of early crossover thrash too.

Eyehategod - "Dopesick" (1996)

Every now & then I find a major gap in my knowledge of a fairly significant player in the global metal scene & that was certainly the case with New Orleans sludge metallers Eyehategod when I realised that I’d never actually heard one of their releases in full the other day. I did actually have a ticket to see them play live at one point but they ended up cancelling the show so it never actually eventuated. Anyway, I went about filling this glaring hole in my understanding of the more significant metal releases over the last couple of days & I’ve gotta say that I really enjoyed the experience.

The term “Sludge Metal” is often misused in my opinion. Some people seem to think that it’s required whenever a band opts for a particularly dirty (read: “sludgy”) guitar tone which was never the intent of the label. What it’s really referring to are bands that use the aesthetics of doom metal & stoner metal yet give the music the vocal delivery, aggression & general abrasiveness of hardcore punk & you’ll rarely find a better example of that than Eyehategod. Much like California’s Dystopia, this band have taken the crushingly heavy stoner doom model & combined it with a never-ending stream of drug-addicted depression & depravity to create what can only be described as one of the most hopeless & discouraging atmospheres you’re likely to find. Front man Mike IX Williams sounds like a man possessed with so much spite & resentment that he’s about to tear his own limbs off start attacking people with them as he spits his words out with an enormous amount of malicious intent.

Musically, Eyehategod’s sound tends to drift between slow & crushingly heavy doom riffs & groovier Black Sabbath style stoner metal riffs with the occasional up-tempo hardcore section tossed in for a bit of variety every now & then but never over-staying its welcome. I personally love the doomier parts but find the stoner sections to be noticeably less appealing which is very much a reflection of my taste profile more than it is anything to do with the quality of the music on offer. There’s not a single track of the twelve included that doesn’t offer some level of enjoyment but I don’t think there’s anything here that I’d claim to be a genuine classic. Even the best material includes some element that brings it back down from the upper heights of my affection with album highlight & closing track “Anxiety Hangover” being a prime example of that as it taints its wonderfully doomy first half with one of those groovy stoner riffs right in the middle of the song. It’s also worth noting that the production doesn’t offer any sort of brightness or light which is likely intentional but it does make for a record that sounds pretty samey. Thankfully I enjoy the depressive atmosphere enough to make the whole experience a very enjoyable one though.

There’s no doubt that “Dopesick” is a quality example of the sludge metal genre as it ticks all of the critical boxes. Is it the classic release that many make it out to be though? I’m not so sure about that. Perhaps if I had of come across it 25 years ago I might think so but right now it would seem more like a record that you’d cherry-pick for those occasions when you’ve simply had a gut-full & want to fuck shit up to the soundtrack for your own self-destruction.

For fans of Acid Bath, Iron Monkey & Grief.

4/5

Nice choice Ben. "Nighttime Birds" is an absolute classic in my opinion & sits amongst the top couple of gothic metal releases I've ever experienced.

Here's the schedule for the November feature release nominations:

THE FALLEN: Sonny, Ben, Daniel

THE GATEWAY: Saxy, Andi

THE GUARDIANS: Xephyr, Rexorcist

THE HORDE: Daniel, Vinny, Ben

THE INFINITE: Rexorcist, Andi, Xephyr, Saxy

THE NORTH: Xephyr, Daniel, Ben, Vinny

THE PIT: Ben, Vinny, Rexorcist, Daniel

THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel

THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi

Here's my submission for the November playlist Vinny:

Sepultura - "We Who Are Not As Others" (from "Chaos AD", 1993)

Here are my submissions for the November playlist Ben:

Gnaw Their Tongues - "Lick The Poison From The Cave Walls" (from "Abyss of Longing Throats", 2015)

Батюшка [Batushka] - "Ектения • VIII • Спасение" (from "Литоургиiа (Litourgiya)", 2015)

Nahvalr - "Swallower of Bile" (from "Nahvalr", 2008)

Here are my submissions for the November playlist:

Brutal Truth - "Stench of Prophet" (from "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses", 1992)

Dying Fetus - "Idealogical Subjugation" (from "Wrong One To Fuck With", 2017)

Nails - "No Surrender" (from "Abandon All Life", 2013)

Here's my submission for the November playlist Xephyr:

Cross Borns - "The Hill Of Destiny" (from "Tales of a Winter Night", 2000)

Here are my submissions for the November playlist Sonny:

Solitude Aeturnus - "Upon Within" (from "Alone", 2006)

Eyehategod - "Anxiety Hangover" (from "Dopesick", 1996)

October 2022

01. Bloodbath – “Zombie Inferno” (from “Survival of the Sickest”, 2022)

02. Soilwork – “Övergivenheten” (from “Övergivenheten”, 2022)

03. Revocation – “Diabolical Majesty” (from “Netherheaven”, 2022)

04. Xysma – “I Feel Like Lou Reed” (from “Deluxe”, 1994)

05. The Chasm – “Vault To The Voyage” (from “Farseeing The Paranormal Abysm”, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

06. In Flames – “Behind Space” (from “Lunar Strain”, 1994)

07. Gorguts – “Nostalgia” (from “Obscura”, 1998) [Submitted by Daniel]

08. Miasmatic Necrosis – “The Putridarium” (from “Apex Profane”, 2020)

09. Master – “Pledge of Allegiance” (from “Master”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]

10. Jungle Rot – “A Burning Cinder” (from “Jungle Rot”, 2018) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Sedimentum – “Krypto chronique II” (from “Suppuration morphogénésiaque”, 2022)

12. Consumption – “Suffering Divine” (from “Necrotic Lust”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Portal – “Sunken” (from “Seepia”, 2002) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Carnal Diafragma – “Human Monster” (from “Space Symphony Around Us”, 2006)

15. The Zenith Passage – “Deus Deceptor” (from “Solipsist”, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Cephalic Carnage – “Hybrid” (from “Exploiting Dysfunction”, 2000)

17. Fallujah – “Embrace Oblivion” (from “Empyrean”, 2022)

18. Belphegor – “Blackest Sabbath 1997” (from “The Devils”, 2022)

19. Hissing – “Meltdown” (from “Hypervirulence Architecture”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

20. Fleshgrind – “Burning Your World” (from “Destined For Defilement”, 1997)

21. ZOMBIESHARK! – “Keyboards For Insects” (from “I Will Destroy You, Myself, and Everything I've Ever Loved.”, 2020)

22. Exhumed – “Necromaniac” (from “Gore Metal”, 1998) [Submitted by Vinny]

23. Cryptopsy – “Emaciate” (from “Whisper Supremacy”, 1998) [Submitted by Daniel]

24. Amputated – “Slam Pig” (from “Wading Through Rancid Offal”, 2009)

25. Waking The Cadaver – “Beyond Cops” (from “Beyond Cops. Beyond God.”, 2010)

26. Aborted – “Drag Me To Hell” (from “ManiaCult”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

27. Vermin Womb – “Rot In Hell” (from “Retaliation”, 2022)

28. Nails – “Friend To All” (from “You Will Never Be One Of Us”, 2016) [Submitted by Daniel]

29. Atka – “2xs{:777ll.}4xs{/:\}5xs{:j7::}4xs{ll}3xs{//}” (from “Untitled Album 1”, 2018) [Submitted by Daniel]

Sepultura - "Chaos AD" (1993)

I think it’s fair to say that Brazilian thrash metallers Sepultura were more of an obsession than a passion for me from the time I first discovered their classic third full-length album “Beneath The Remains” in late 1989 right up until the release of this divisive fifth full-length. The timing of their infamous breakout from the underground was perfectly aligned with my own period of extreme metal discovery so they represented somewhat of a cult figure in my formative years & if it would have been up to me then the world would have waited until their arrival as a premier thrash act before deriving any sort of Big Four of thrash metal. But………. this brings me to the “Chaos AD” album from 1993, a record that would see the band dramatically altering the course of their careers via a fresh & innovative new sound.

I can still remember excitedly rocking up at Sandy’s Records in the Northern Beaches of Sydney on the day of release, racing home to experience “Chaos AD” for the very first time & the feelings of confusion I battled with as a result. It wasn’t that I found the music I was hearing to be unpleasant in any way. It was that it was so clearly very different from what I was expecting after the thrash metal icon that was 1991’s “Arise” album. The production job on "Chaos AD" is very solid with the rhythm guitars offering a chunky, heavy-weight platform that enables the fairly simple & uncluttered song-writing to do its work in workman-like fashion. Igor’s drums possess an organic depth, particularly the toms which were clearly meant to be a highlight of the record thanks to the continued focus on tribal rhythms that had been experimented with on “Arise”. There isn’t the brightness & energy to the guitars that I was expecting to hear though which is in large part due to the band having experimented with down-tuning their instruments for the first time. That’s not to say that the experiment didn’t work though as these more rhythmic & groovy riffs certainly benefited from the approach. It’s just that they sounded a little foreign to my fanatical thrash-trained ears at the time. You see, unlike the Sepultura of old, this Sepultura was in no hurry whatsoever with the songs given plenty of space & sticking predominantly to mid-paced tempos, the result of which was a more accessible product that was capable of seeing Sepultura crossing over into an as yet untapped market. Despite my initial hesitation though, I couldn’t deny that they'd managed to achieve this without losing much of their creative street credibility because “Chaos AD” is a long way from a sell-out.

Pantera had changed the face of the global metal scene in the very early 1990’s with their groove metal sound seeing a trillion bands adopting a more rhythmic approach to metal guitar playing & we can definitely see that influence on “Chaos AD” as there’s really very little that you can call legitimate thrash metal on this album. There’s an obvious hardcore punk edge to a lot of the material with Andreas Kisser having now turned all of his attention to creating dissonant, textured interludes rather than flashy, melodic guitar solos. The lyrics are predominantly politically focused which suits the material very well too. Igor is certainly the star of the show as far as the performances go as the groove metal platform afforded him additional room to move given the more rhythmic nature of the riffs around him. I saw Sepultura play live on the tour in support of the album back in 1994 actually & it was no surprise to find that the new material came across brilliantly in a live environment. I’d been lucky enough to see them two years earlier on the tour for the “Arise” album & they were just as impressive the second time around to be honest.

It didn’t take me all that long to find a level of acceptance for “Chaos AD”. My major challenge was accepting that the Sepultura I’d loved & adored was now a thing of the past & to treat the new Sepultura as almost an entirely different band. Once I was able to do that I found that it’s actually a very consistent, well written & professionally produced metal record that achieved a feat that so many have failed at. It had created something fresh & different that could draw the attention of a wider audience but still appeal to a large percentage of their existing fans (at least those with an open mind). I have to say that the New Model Army cover version of “The Hunt” was a poor choice as it stands out very clearly in an otherwise quite cohesive artistic statement & there aren’t many genuine classics here either but the majority of the album is very strong nonetheless with “We Who Are Not As Others” (the least popular metal track on the album unsurprisingly) being my clear standout. There’s no doubt that “Chaos AD” was a step down from the two classics that preceded it but I actually think it sits very comfortably next to the Sepultura’s earlier material these days. In fact, I’d probably take it over “Bestial Devastation” & Morbid Visions” & don't place it too far behind “Schizophrenia” either. Fans of the band’s earlier work really should give “Chaos AD” a chance as you may just find yourself buying what it’s selling.

For fans of Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy & Machine Head.

4/5

Here's my updated Top Ten Groove Metal Releases Of All Time list after finding that "Chaos AD" doesn't quite appeal to me as much as Pantera's two classics these days:

01. Coroner – “Grin” (1993)

02. Grip Inc. – “Nemesis” (1997)

03. Exhorder – “The Law” (1992)

04. Pantera – “Vulgar Display Of Power” (1992)

05. Pantera – “Cowboys From Hell” (1990)

06. Sepultura – “Chaos A.D.” (1993)

07. Pantera – “Far Beyond Driven” (1994)

08. Anthrax – “Sound Of White Noise” (1993)

09. Trepalium – “XIII” (2009)

10. Pantera – “The Great Southern Trendkill” (1996)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/175

The revenue is now coming from streaming - a digital world that was nonexistent back in the day.

From everything I've read & heard, bands actually make bugger-all off streaming their music unless they're at the extreme top level. I have several friends that produce music that's sold on streaming platforms & they're always complaining that they make next to nothing from it. All but the absolute elite metal bands make most of their money from touring & merchandise sales these days. The importance of producing their own music is so that they can get people to book them for live shows.

claire rousay - "t4t" (2019)

I thought I'd give some Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response recordings (otherwise known as ASMR) a shot & see if they made my head tingle like they're supposed to. They certainly did at times. They can also be boring as shit to tell you the truth. I'm not sure the pay-off is strong enough to justify the effort involved unfortunately. Perhaps if I was lying still in a quiet room & trying to relax with headphones on it'd be more effective than cleaning up the kitchen & making dinner with it playing on a Bluetooth speaker? Yeah probably.

The Specials - "Specials" (1979)

A legendary 2 tone ska album from Coventry, England. It's a bit of fun but doesn't have much lasting appeal for me stylistically.

Veniamin D'rkin - "Крышкин дом" (2001)

Man-&-his-guitar style singer-songwriter Russian folk music. Didn't really dig it much but there are a couple of pretty cool stripped-back tracks in the back end.

Just waiting on your features now Rex. Can you please send them to me by private message ASAP?

Nine Inch Nails - "Still" (2002)

A deep, stripped back & introspective record from Trent Reznor that you need to be in the right mood for. You can expect some reworks of past works, some new material & also some more ambient stuff. It's pretty close to essential listening if you're a fan of the band & I found it pretty interesting.

I say that I feel metal is more popular now because it seems to be more in the public consciousness than it was before. Most people have heard of Metallica and Iron Maiden, sure, but also bands like Linkin Park and Slipknot who are forever on Kerrang!!'s TV channel or on Scuzz are also well known.

See I guess that's kinda my point really. Linkin Park & Slipknot's popularity peaked at around the turn of the century which is 20+ years ago now but where are the new mega-bands to replace them? I could be completely off the mark here but if people are still predominately associating metal with bands from multiple decades ago rather than the current crop of metal acts then I would have thought that would have been an indicator that the scene had retreated into the underground again. Who are we looking at from the 2010's & 2020's that can compete at that level?

I think that people's perceptions around metal's image are probably drawn from their own experiences. As someone that was raised in a middle-class family, was always provided for well & lived in one of the most attractive parts of the world, I can't say that I ever thought of metal as anything working class until I was playing in bands & saw the audience we would draw to shows. At that point it became very clear that metal was more attractive to a specific clientelle but I don't think that audience has changed much over time (at least it hasn't in Australia where metal music is probably less popular & has always remaining exclusively in the underground). Metal is clearly an escape & a way to get your aggression out for many people & it's possible that there's not as much of a requirement for that in the upper class. The Aussie metal scene was generally always quite inclusive & welcoming for those outsiders that struggled for acceptance elsewhere, again not something that the upper class have a problem with most of the time. You could be a part of something that felt like it was vital & important but also had an element of secrecy about it which gave it an added level of attraction for many people. Perhaps the internet has put an end to a lot of that feeling of being "in the know" as everything is so accessible now but I tend to think that metal is still very much an underground thing.

I'm interested to know why you think metal has grown in popularity since the early 2000's Sonny as that's certainly not the case over here in Oz. It's never been more uncool to be an Aussie metalhead as far as I can tell. The only bands anyone outside of the scene is aware of are the classic bands from the 1980's & early 1990's which was when metal was at its peak here.

Boris - "Heavy Rocks" (2002)

Tokyo’s Boris are an interesting artist in a creative sense as they’ve never felt confined to any one sound or scene &, as a result, people really struggle to pigeon-hole them under an easily understood subgenre tag. I’m not sure whether that’s been an advantage or a hindrance for them over the years in all honesty as they seem to have developed a huge cult following & always seem to draw positive acclaim from critics but have probably never managed to truly break into the sort of fanatical support that they so clearly deserve. Us metalheads seem to want to make sure they stay tightly wrapped within the banner of the underground metal scene however they’ve never really sat all that comfortably there & Boris' seminal 2002 fourth full-length album “Heavy Rocks” is a prime example of that.

The first three Boris albums were heavily directed towards a drone inspired sound & saw the band really building a niche for themselves through highly regarded records like 1998’s “Amplifier Worship” & 2000’s “Flood” but with “Heavy Rocks” we see Boris moving into new territory with a fresh sound that’s much more focused on traditional rock music than their previous records were. In doing so though, Boris lost none of their street appeal as they very quickly proved themselves to have a deep understanding of what it is that makes heavy rock music so exciting. There’s a danger in these sounds that we find so rarely in modern rock music & it takes me back to a time when rock represented an exciting escape for me as a youngster with the experience of the live performance taking on an almost transcendent stature in an artist’s creative image. You see, as with most of Boris’ lengthy back catalogue, “Heavy Rocks” really does sound like a recording of a live band with very few of the rough edges having been buffed out. You can feel the amplifier’s buzzing & almost see the kids leaping from the stage & thrashing themselves about in glee & that’s what makes a band like Boris so appealing.

Musically speaking, I have to admit that “Heavy Rocks” doesn’t sit as close to my musical comfort zone as Boris’ drone metal works though. Most people seem to want to lump it in with Stoner Metal which isn’t entirely accurate. There’s far too much of a late 60's blues rock influence in this material for it to sit primarily in the metal space. In fact, I really struggle to see why "Heavy Rocks is not unanimously tagged as Stoner Rock because it fits the description of that genre to a tee in my opinion. The loose vocal delivery is miles away from anything a metal front man might attempt while the overall feel of the instrumentation generally possesses a much noisier & bluesier outlook too. The psychedelic guitar excursions are brilliantly executed & are a real highlight for me personally, particularly album high point “Soft Edge” which is nothing short of spectacular (&, as is so often the case with me, is also the least popular track on the album). Boris simply seem to “get it” if you know what I mean & the fact that front man Takeshi doesn’t even try to stay in tune is completely overlooked in the interest of the elusive quest for heavy rock supremacy. There’s a deep-seated authenticity to this material that makes it inherently relatable but gives it some added x-factor as well. To put it bluntly, it's simply a way cooler record than the vast majority of the competition could ever hope to muster up.

In saying that, I do think that “Heavy Rocks” is a fairly top-heavy release. Despite not possessing anything that comes close to being a weak track, I have to admit that all of the best material sits on the A side with the flip side seeming to be a little bit lacking in comparison. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of taste as I would suggest that I was always going to be more drawn to the crushingly heavy stoner metal of opener “Heavy Friends”, the stripped-back psychedelia of “Soft Edge” & the more aggressive & dangerous rock outings like “Korosu” & “Dyna-Soar”. Boris would perhaps execute this stoner rock sound with slightly more consistency on 2003’s “Akuma no uta” album too but one can’t be too critical of a rock record with this level of potency. It’s all too rare that you encounter music that encapsulates what it means to be “rock” in such a clear & concise fashion these days so “Heavy Rocks” should be celebrated for what it represents as much as what it’s achieved.

For fans of Melvins, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard & Church of Misery.

4/5

Here's my revised list:

1970: Black Sabbath – “Paranoid”

1971: Black Sabbath – “Master Of Reality”

1972: Black Sabbath – “Vol 4”

1973: Black Sabbath – “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”

1974: Budgie – “In For The Kill”

1975: Black Sabbath – “Sabotage”

1976: Judas Priest - "Sad Wings Of Destiny"

1977: Quartz – “Quartz”

1978: Judas Priest – “Killing Machine”

1979: Judas Priest – “Unleashed In The East”

1980: Diamond Head – “Lightning To The Nations”

1981: Motorhead – “No Sleep Till Hammersmith”

1982: Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil”

1983: Slayer – “Show No Mercy”

1984: Metallica – “Ride The Lightning”

1985: Exodus – “Bonded By Blood”

1986: Slayer – “Reign In Blood”

1987: Bathory – “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark”

1988: Metallica – “…And Justice For All”

1989: Morbid Angel – “Altars Of Madness”

1990: Slayer - "Seasons In The Abyss"

1991: Death – “Human”

1992: Alice In Chains – “Dirt”

1993: diSEMBOWELMENT – “Transcendence Into The Peripheral”

1994: Darkthrone – “Transilvanian Hunger”

1995: Suffocation – “Pierced From Within”

1996: Burzum – “Filosofem”

1997: The Gathering - "Nighttime Birds"

1998: ISIS – “The Mosquito Control” E.P.

1999: Botch - "We Are The Romans"

2000: Immolation – “Close To A World Below”

2001: Tool - "Lateralus"

2002: ISIS – “Oceanic”

2003: Boris – “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“

2004: ISIS – “Panopticon”

2005: Deathspell Omega – “Kenose” E.P.

2006: Celtic Frost – “Monotheist”

2007: Ufomammut/Lento - "Supernaturals - Record One"

2008: Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" E.P.

2009: Dragged Into Sunlight - "Hatred For Mankind"

2010: Hate - "Erebos"

2011: Inside The Beehive - "Drink Bleach; Live Forever" E.P.

2012: 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes Of Absolution"

2013: The Amenta - "Flesh Is Heir"

2014: Dead Congregation - "Promulgation Of The Fall"

2015: Akhlys - "The Dreaming I"

2016: Mick Gordon - "Doom (Original Game Soundtrack)"

2017: The Ruins Of Beverast - "Exuvia"

2018: Infernal Coil - "Within A World Forgotten"

2019: Altesia - "Paragon Circus"

2020: Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi"

2021: Fange - "Pantocrator"

2022: Scarcity - "Aveilut"

Batushka - "Litourgiya" (2015)

I've really enjoyed this week's revisit to one of the more popular black metal releases of the 2010's. "Litourgiya" is essentially made up of some fairly traditional & simply structured but very well executed Polish black metal with the ground-breaking addition of some church-style chanted male vocals as a clear point of differentiation. This certainly making for an interesting combination but if I'm honest I'd have to suggest that it's not that component of Batushka's sound that I find most appealing. In fact, the weakest moments on the album generally match up with the less inspired chant sections. The best elements at play here are the searing black metal screams & the incredibly precise blast beats. For the record, I actually had to check I wasn't listening to programmed drums when I first encountered this album, such was the sheer confidence & control on display. The riffs aren't anything all that different to what you would usually expect however the guitars appear to be down-tuned which gives Batushka a slightly different tone to most of the competition. Closer "Ектения • VIII • Спасение" is the only track that I find to be a genuine classic but there are no weak tracks included which makes "Litourgiya" a very professional & high quality release with enough accessibility to appeal to broad cross-section of extreme metal fans.

For fans of Cult of Fire, Mgła & early Uada.

4/5

Trhä - "Nvenlanëg" (2020)

I first came across Mexican one-man black metal artist Trhä shortly after the release of this debut album & generally liked what I heard so I always intended on returning to it for a more comprehensive analysis at some point. However I must admit that my poor experiences while reviewing Trhä’s follow-up release (the “Novej kalhnjënno” E.P. from later the same year) saw me delaying things a bit longer while I built up the courage. Thankfully “Nvenlanëg” is a much more enticing prospect than it’s younger sibling though & has left me feeling generally positive about its merits.

“Nvenlanëg” is comprised of three lengthy tracks that amount to a total duration of 55 minutes with the main component being a lo-fi atmospheric black metal sound similar to Swiss act Paysage d’Hiver. Despite a strong focus on frost-bitten winters though, this record isn’t half as cold as Paysage d’Hiver’s classic releases. There’s a dreamy positivity to a lot of the melodies with the synthesizers being the protagonists more often than not. At times you’ll actually find a similar atmosphere to a blackgaze artist like Sadness only Trhä never veers too far from the path of blasphemy, his vocals opting for the trademark tortured route of so many of his atmospheric black metal counterparts. The regular use of winter synth style ambience breaks the album up nicely & is quite effective in its enhancement of the themes.

I can’t say that “Nvenlanëg” hits my black metal comfort zone particularly. It’s a little too light-weight for that but I do find more than enough depth in its atmospherics to keep me interested. The epic 23 minute opener “Lhelhën Majlan” summarizes the album’s content well while 18 minute closer “Alandlhan ëlh Nítak” is probably the most fully realised example of the Trhä sound. The track in the middle “Nëlhlica” doesn’t appeal to me much though to be honest. It’s simply too melodic for my taste & seems like a step down from the other two tracks.

I can’t say that I feel the fanfare around “Nvenlanëg” is warranted but it’s not a bad record nonetheless. It’s certainly a good three levels up from the awful “Novej kalhnjënno” E.P. & hits the wintery atmosphere it was aiming for pretty well, despite not gathering the darkness & evil around it in the process.

For fans of Paysage d’Hiver, Bekëth Nexëhmü & Evilfeast.

3.5/5

For some reason the notes on this submission didn't match up exactly with what was originally asked for in this thread & it sounded a bit misleading so I've deleted it & recreated the entry. I also found that the album wasn't in The Revolution in the first place but should definitely have qualified for it so I've added it under Melodic Metalcore.

Andi, you might want to submit your vote again.

Nails - "Abandon All Life" (2013)

I have to say that after revisiting all three of Californian grindcore legends Nails’ full-length albums over the last few months I’ve come to the conclusion that they’re really out there on their own as far as the leading grindcore exponents go. No one can touch them in this space as they simply possess another gear to even the most highly regarded of opposition & this sophomore album may just be the high point of the entire movement. Once again we have an extremely short run time at just over seventeen minutes in duration but one that’s dominated by the inclusion of two lengthier sludge metal pieces that take up just under half the run time. Both of these tracks are utterly superb & you get the feeling that Nails might have been one of the greats of the sludge scene if they’d chosen their niche a little differently as they have serious talent in the elusive & highly desirable art of riff creation. The rest of the album is made up of the most extreme grindcore violence you’ve ever heard in your life, only with ultra-clinical performances & a wonderfully powerful production job from Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. The drum sound & guitar & bass tones are all spectacular & go about tearing your face off in the most efficient manner imaginable. The performance of drummer Taylor Young should be highlighted in particular as the guy is an absolute beast. His blast beats are as pummeling as any in extreme metal & he’s a major contributor to making “Abandon All Life” sound so fucking tight. The only negative I can find here is that I’m not sure I dig the slight change in vocal delivery from front man Todd Jones as much as his other efforts but that’s a small price to pay for what has essentially now become my favourite grindcore release of all time from my favourite grindcore band of all time.

For fans of Full Of Hell, Dead In The Dirt & Trap Them.

4.5/5

Here's my revised Top Ten Grindcore Releases of All Time list for those that are interested:

01. Nails - "Abandon All Life" (2013)

02. Nails - "You Will Never Be One Of Us" (2016)

03. Discordance Axis – “The Inalienable Dreamless” (2000)

04. Pig Destroyer – “Prowler In The Yard” (2001)

05. Pig Destroyer – “Terrifyer” (2004)

06. Nasum - "Helvete" (2003)

07. Atka - "Untitled Album 1" (2018)

08. Terrorizer - "World Downfall" (1989)

09. Repulsion – “Horrified” (1989)

10. Unseen Terror – “The Peel Sessions” (1989)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/149

This submission has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

With a result of Yes 7 No 1, I've today decided to uphold this Hall of Judgement entry & add "Värähtelijä" to The Infinite clan as well as the the Post-Metal genre.

Also what the sh*t is this?! I checked on the release page for the Leave Everything Behind EP, and The Sphere clan appeared as part of the release's clan lineup! I enjoy The Sphere, but there's no way Amaranthe can be part of that clan...unless they can be considered cyber metal, but even that's way too far-fetched.

Well spotted Andi. I'd suggest that was simply a data-entry error from Ben. I've corrected that in the database now.

Also, I'm going to add an additional Hall entry to have "Leave Everything Behind" removed from Trance Metal as I don't think there's enough Trance there to justify it.

There is absolutely zero death metal on this release. You couldn't find anything further away from death metal in my opinion. What in the actual fuck are people thinking?? It's a categorical YES vote from me Andi. I'd also question the Trance Metal tag on this release too because I never feel like what I'm hearing is a strong Trance influence. What are your thoughts on that Andi? To my ears this is a very poppy version of Melodic Metalcore with a whole bunch of influences ranging from Power Metal to Progressive Metal to Djent to Linkin Park-ish Alternative Metal.

Dying Fetus - "Wrong One To Fuck With" (2017)

The most recent full-length from Maryland death metallers Dying Fetus has seen me drawing very much the same conclusion as I have with the vast majority of their previous releases. While I certainly find “Wrong One To Fuck With” to be a more than decent brutal/technical death metal album, it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from them with very little variation on past themes. The production is very clean (almost as clean as the pristine performances from the trio who can no doubt play the living shit out of their instruments) while the band’s trademark hardcore grooves are still very much in effect along with the thrashier sections that remind me a lot of Slayer. Then toss in the consistent use of blast beats & slam riffs as well as those intentionally technical & often sweep-picked wanky parts that server very little purpose other than to show off the band members techniques & you get a Dying Fetus album…. any Dying Fetus album really.

Now that’s not such a big deal in theory as I generally love my brutal death metal & it doesn’t always need to be anything too original to get my juices flowing but the thing with Dying Fetus is that they seem to lack a bit in the way of soul. Everything sounds so intentional, calculated & precise but the song-writing is often where the band’s attention could have been better spent. Many of the transitions sound jerky & pieced-together while the groove sections are often a bit too basic. In direct contrast though, those technical parts I mentioned earlier are far too obvious & (as with every other Dying Fetus record) sound much more like practice exercises than they do actual music. Even the vocal phrasing is lacking in ambition as it often simply follows the rhythm of the riffs & lacks a bit of sophistication. Dying Fetus are definitely at their best when they’re simply blasting away with reckless abandon though & there’s enough of that to justify your interest if you’re a fan of the more brutal end of death metal.

Overall, I’d suggest that “Wrong One To Fuck With” is another decent but fairly uneventful Dying Fetus record that’s fun while you’re listening to it but doesn’t command much in the way of repeat listens. That’s very much par for the course in how I’ve felt about their albums since day one however I’d suggest that earlier releases like “Reign Supreme” & “Destroy The Opposition” still have a slight edge over this one. There’s an undeniable consistency of quality across the ten tracks included (eleven if you’re listening to a version with the bonus track “Induce Terror”) but sadly there are no genuine highlights here & the tracklisting does tend to sound a little samey as a result. Every track has great parts mixed in with flatter parts with the good clearly out-weighing the bad but never by an emphatic margin.

For fans of Suffocation, Nile & Cryptopsy.

3.5/5

Somi - "Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba" (2022)

Vocal jazz with genuine soul & emotion. I believe she resides in the USA but a lot of this is heavily influenced by traditional African music. It's made for a more than decent background accompaniment over the last few days when I've wanted to wind down a bit.

Two big records for me are hitting major milestones today with German thrashers Protector's 1987 debut E.P. "Misanthropy" reaching 35 years of age & French atmospheric black metal masters Blut aus Nord's 2012 "777 - Cosmosophy" album turning 10. The Protector E.P. is one of the earliest genuine death metal records in my opinion & is also one of the best releases to come from the genre in the 1980's too (4/5). I love the sheer balls that Blut aus Nord displayed during their early 2010's 777 trilogy with "777 - Cosmosophy" being perhaps the best of the three releases (4.5/5).

So this brings me to the end of my Black Noise deep dive with the outcome being as follows:

Is Black Noise really a defined sound? YES it is but it's often misused to describe your noisier conventional Black Metal or noisy music that really doesn't have much to do with metal.

Is it worth differentiating from other forms of Black Metal? YES because I think it'll only have a very niche audience with many Black Metal fans wanting to steer away from it.

Does it belong in The North? YES very clearly.

Should it be added to the Metal Academy database? YES I think it should.

Затухание - "Затухание" E.P. (2012)

A short eleven minute ride through a very faithful six tracks of Black Noise with half of the the tracklisting taking a pure Noise direction & the other half sounding like traditional Black Metal with the levels heavily overdriven to give it that white noise aesthetic. I do find a bit of enjoyment in the raucous Black Metal material which should appeal to those that like to blow off some steam with their mates after a few drinks but the pure Noise stuff is pretty redundant & is the very definition of filler in my opinion. It's a shame this release isn't on Spotify as the ideal outcome would be to add the couple of decent tracks to your playlist & turf the rest.

For fans of Wold, Mnima & Enbililugugal.

3/5

Saxy & Rex, just a reminder that you have some feature releases to nominate for October:

THE FALLEN: Daniel, Sonny, Ben

THE GATEWAY: Andi, Saxy

THE GUARDIANS: Rexorcist, Xephyr

THE HORDE: Ben, Daniel, Vinny

THE INFINITE: Saxy, Rexorcist, Andi, Xephyr

THE NORTH: Vinny, Xephyr, Daniel, Ben

THE PIT: Rexorcist, Ben, Daniel, Vinny

THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Andi

THE SPHERE: Andi, Daniel