Daniel's Forum Replies
Helena Hauff - "Kern Vol. 5" (2020)
A brilliant 132 minute techno mix from this German DJ that traverses all sorts of sounds & subgenres with ease. Love it!
Brutal death metal from Maryland, USA.
Dying Fetus - "Destroy The Opposition" (2000)
Maryland brutal death metal outfit Dying Fetus are one of those bands that I respect more than I do enjoy. They're a fantastic live act but their studio albums always leave me feeling like they promise so much more than they deliver with their 2000 third album "Destroy The Opposition" being a prime example even though it's one of the band's better releases. I love the more brutal end of death metal, especially when it's beautifully produced & performed like this record is, however there are definitely some elements that I struggle with here. Firstly, the trademark sweep-picked riffs sound a lot more like practice exercises than they do art & I immediately find my interest waning as soon as they pop up. There are also a few pretty unintelligent groove metal riffs in "Epidemic of Hate" which is the clear weak point of the album. The band's strength is definitely in their slower slam riffs which are somewhat of a signature & were a huge influence on the deathcore scene. Dying Fetus aren't at their best when they try to get too technical. In fact, I find that the simpler they are the more I enjoy them. There's a noticeable hardcore influence here too & I'll be darned if I don't dig it. Ultimately this is a reasonably entertaining if slightly overrated piece of brutal death metal.
3.5/5
High velocity late 80's thrash metal from Los Angeles, USA.
Holy Terror - "Mind Wars" (1988)
This late 80's sophomore album was my introduction to Los Angeles thrash metallers Holy Terror way back in the day. I quite liked it too but I have to admit that I've never spoken of it in the same lofty terms as many extreme metal fans seem to. The band's 1987 debut album "Terror & Submission" was more of a speed metal record than it was thrash but here we see Holy Terror reversing the ratio with a good six of the ten tracks on offer falling under the bracket of some fairly aggressive & up-tempo thrash. The remaining four tracks vary between speed metal, US power metal & your more traditional heavy metal. The vocals are a major contributor to my finding an insurmountable cap on my appreciation of "Mind Wars" as they're a little pedestrian to tell you truth. The guitar solos are surprisingly great though & there are plenty of great energetic riffs on offer. I found a fair bit of enjoyment in Holy Terror's debut but I think "Mind Wars" just shades it for the band's finest work. It's just not an album that I feel the need to return to all that often.
3.5/5
I don't think I ever thought it could be made to be as fast as it is now Ben. That's really pretty amazing.
Unusual instrumental alternative metal from this one-man Australian artist.
This one is a definite grower. On first listen my feelings were similar to those expressed above however repeat listens saw it opening up significantly with headphones being an absolute must if you're going to see the full value in the immersive experience on offer. What sole member Jacob Paddison gives us here is a combination of many disparate influences that come together to create a fairly unique little record. It might not always gel but there can be no denying his ambition. I think the alternative metal tag is sufficient to cover this release but you'll easily detect sections that are more like ambient, shoegaze, gothic rock, stoner rock, psychedelic rock, noise rock & even doom metal. When it works you'll get a truly psychedelic wall of sound that's ever-changing & unpredictable. When it doesn't you're left with several cool ideas that are presented in a quirky yet noticeably haphazard way. There's certainly an electricity to this music that becomes pretty infectious after a few listens though. I won't deny that there a few tracks here that don't do much for me (see opener "!!!", "Helios" & the lengthy noise-fest of a closer "Black Sun Mirage") but by listen three I found myself really fucking digging the stronger material (see the three track run of "Red Planet", album highlight "Starburst" & "Slug" in particular). I've always been one for psychedelics so the more cerebral sections give me a lot of enjoyment while the heavier riffs are are definitely chunky enough to get my head nodding. I guess my background in electronic music doesn't hurt either given the inclusion of drum 'n' bass elements. Overall I find this to be an interesting listen that won't make any best-of lists but definitely offers something a little bit different for the occasional change of scene.
3.5/5
Super brutal Aussie war metal just the way it should be.
This record got a good ol' thrashing within underground metal circles in Australia back when i was still playing in death metal bands & it's been really fun to relive some of those glory days this week. "Blood & Valour" is about as war metal as war metal gets really & that's something that appeals to me a lot. It kinda sounds like Bestial Warlust have combined the early war metal of Blasphemy with the over-the-top death metal of Sadistik Exekution & the blackened thrash of Sarcofago with a dash of 80's Morbid Angel thrown in for good measure but this is a very Australian sound in my opinion. There were a number of bands in our little scene that flew in on the coat-tails of the Sadistik crew but Bestial Warlust took their super-extreme approach in a slightly less ridiculous but no less entertaining direction. No fucks have been given whatsoever with the production job seemingly aimed at the most raw & underground sound it could muster & they've done a splendid job of it to be fair. I really love the ultra-aggressive vocal performance of Bloodstorm who sounds positively demonic while the instrumental performances are never clinical enough to lose their underground street credibility. The tracklisting is pretty consistent with only blackened thrash outing "Legion of Wrath" falling short of the mark but, in saying that, I'm not sure that Bestial Warlust ever quite manage to transcend the idea that they lack a little depth. Sure, they offer an entertaining & undoubtedly brutal ride but I wouldn't call any of this material a genuine classic. I find it a little too shallow for that which is interesting because I rank a track or two from their debut right up there with the very best the war metal subgenre has to offer. There's an element of novelty about it that's hard to overcome if I'm being honest. But let's not overthink things too much here because I'm sure that the band weren't intending that when they put this record together. You can easily hear how much fun they're having & it's hard not to buy into that when experiencing "Blood & Valour" which will no doubt offer plenty of appeal for all war metal fans.
4/5
Dark & doomy old-school death metal from a cemetery somewhere in San Francisco, USA.
This one really hits the spot for this old-school death metal fanboy Vinny. Vastum start with the dark & doomy atmosphere of Incantation (complete with similarly deep & cavernous vocals) & then throw in some high quality tremolo-picked riffs that remind me very much of Bolt Thrower & Grave. It all reeks of that classic graveyard vibe. The tracklisting is incredibly consistent however I do think there's a lack of genuine highlight tracks with all six inclusions falling a bit short of tier one status due to the odd flatter riff or bouncier beat. Still... I can't complain too much as this fucker is right up my alley for the most part, particularly when Vastum indulge in their doomier side.
4/5
The slowest track from English blackened thrash trio Hellfekted's 2020 debut album "Woe To The Kingdom Of Blood".
I'd not heard of the very poorly named Hellfekted before so I had no idea of what to expect from "Woe To The Kingdom Of Blood" going in. What we get here is a very raw & primitive brand of blackened thrash that's built around a hardcore punk aesthetic & the limited technical skills of the band members. Hellfekted have certainly managed to develop their own sound & I can't deny that it possesses an endearing quality due to its authentic old-school vitality however I do struggle with the lack of class in the performances & composition. It sounds very much like a trio that are still learning their craft, particularly the guitar work of front man Liam Stubbs whose lead solos offer nothing in the way of chops or theoretical understanding. Chris Brownrigg's bass guitar work is enjoyable thanks to its powerful position in the mix while Stubbs' raspy blackened screams (that wouldn't feel out of place on a sludge metal record given their hardcore tendencies) often see me being drawn in through their sheer energy & enthusiasm but neither can quite overcome the consistent inclusion of some fairly generic thrash riffs that aren't executed well enough to compete at the top level just yet. Still... that hardcore influence I mentioned definitely affords Hellfekted a similar sort of appeal to a band like Hellhammer. Perhaps Hellfekted might be one to watch for the future but they're not there yet in my opinion.
3/5
So yeah.... I hated it. Who would have thought it, right? Symphonic metal & I simply don't see eye to eye at all & that fact probably hasn't escaped too many of our regular contributors so I doubt my general apathy for this release will surprise too many of you. I'd actually describe this late 90's example of the niche genre as symphonic doom/death metal & I can't see that it sits all that comfortably under The Guardians clan. Despite the fact that I really struggled with it though, I tend to think that it'd sit better in my much beloved The Fallen clan given the direction of the heavier elements. There's significantly more orchestration than there is metal included here though & it's the metal material that really let's Haggard down in my opinion. The production job & musicianship is seriously lacking on the metal parts while the death metal vocals are subpar at best. I have to admit that the neoclassical/medieval orchestration is actually done fairly well at times but (with the exception of the short & effective classical piece "Cantus Firmus in A-Minor") I can't say that it interests me in the slightest. Nor does the occasional folk melody which only adds to my pain. I couldn't be more outside of my comfort zone really. Let's go our separate ways & forget this ever happened, shall we?
2/5
Look, there are 5 or 6 tracks on the album that I enjoy but I think "LifeWar" is probably the one that I get the most out of because it doesn't try to cancel out it's aggression with an easy-listening accessibility. I'll go with a 62% for the album overall.
A short, rhythmic groove metal piece from Seattle-based melodic metalcore outfit Demon Hunter.
I can't say that this release got my blood boiling too much I'm afraid. It's simply too commercially focused for my taste. It's a well produced & executed collection of tracks of course but the tracklisting is very inconsistent with even the highlight tracks having their potency limited by the uncomfortable feeling that this record was really intended for commercial radio & a much younger audience than myself. Musically, there's a lot more to "The World Is A Thorn" than only melodic metalcore. In fact there's almost as much alternative metal here as there is metalcore & groove metal plays a very strong role too with Pantera, Machine Head & Sepultura clearly have been an influence (particularly the former). There's even a genuine thrash metal tune in the title track. I do tend to get a fair bit of enjoyment out of the heavier material but the clean melodic choruses are frustratingly hit & miss. When they're on the money they can be annoyingly catchy, even if they'll never reach the upper end of my ratings system. But when Demon Hunter get them wrong they can be pretty high on the cheese factor (see Nickelback, Linkin Park for points of reference). Admittedly, I do get enjoyment out of six of the eleven tracks included however the other five leave me so cold that it cancels out all of the band's hard work. I guess this is just another melodic metalcore record that's not for me really.
3/5
This weekend's top ten list is my Top Ten Atmospheric Black Metal Releases Of All Time:
01. Burzum – “Filosofem” (1996)
02. Akhlys – “The Dreaming I” (2015)
03. Altar of Plagues – “Mammal” (2011)
04. Burzum – “Hvis lyset tar oss” (1994)
05. Wolves In The Throne Room – “Two Hunters” (2007)
06. Paysage d’Hiver – “Im Wald” (2020)
07. Paysage d’Hiver – “Winterkaelte” (2001)
08. Murmuure – “Murmuure” (2010)
09. Lurker Of Chalice – “Lurker Of Chalice” (2005)
10. Darkspace – “Dark Space III” (2008)
A high quality progressive metal collaboration between the legendary Emperor & Opeth front men.
Yeah, this is a really solid outing that might just be my new pick of the Ihsahn solo work I've heard. It's very professionally performed & produced, offers enough traces of genuine black metal to keep the extreme metal tragic in me satisfied & features some really interesting & exciting progressive lead guitar work. There's not a weak track on offer but the Mikael Akerfeldt collaboration piece "Unhealer" is the clear highlight which is an indication that Ihsahn's clean vocals aren't exactly in the same class as his Swedish counterpart. I'd also suggest that the hooks aren't strong enough to push this into the upper ratings but it's hard to be too critical of a package that's this well executed. Perhaps the symphonic more moments don't fit quite as well inside my wheel-house but this is about as "progressive metal" as progressive metal gets & will undoubtedly offer a lot of appeal for fans of bands like Opeth & Enslaved.
4/5
A wonderfully ethereal cover version of English new romantic/synthpop artist Visage's hit single from 1980.
As you probably gathered from my introduction, I've been a MASSIVE fan of this release going right back to the time of release & revisiting it now has proven that it also has the endurance to become one of the elite releases in my life. Is it a metal record? Well... I can see why people might say that as there are certainly some tracks that draw upon doom metal riffs for added weight & support but never as the main focal point of the song-writing. I think it's fair to say that the ethereal darkwave component is much more consistent & prominent & if you like that sound then you'll no doubt gush over this record which amplifies those elements into even more lush & transcendental territories. There's a noticeable "The Dark Side Of The Moon"-era Pink Floyd influence on show at times too which can't be a bad thing. The fairly miserable goth rock vocals might annoy some people but I find them to perfectly suit the atmosphere that's created by the heavily effected guitars & lush synthesizers which don't even sound like they come from this planet most of the time. The consistency of the tracklisting is astounding with almost every track seeming like yet another highlight. I can't recommend this album enough to your more open-minded metalhead. It's nothing spectacular stuff!
5/5
Here's my updated list:
25. ISIS - "The Mosquito Control" E.P. (1998)
24. Dragged Into Sunlight - "Hatred For Mankind" (2009)
23. diSEMBOWELMENT - "Transcendence Into The Peripheral" (1993)
22. Neurosis - "Souls At Zero" (1992)
21. Botch - "We Are The Romans" (1999)
20. Rosetta - "The Galilean Satellites" (2005)
19. Slayer - "South Of Heaven" (1988)
18. MonumentuM - "In Absentia Christi" (1995)
17. Immolation - "Close To A World Below" (2000)
16. Esoteric - "The Maniacal Vale" (2008)
15. Suffocation - "Pierced From Within" (1995)
14. Boris - "Boris At Last -Feedbacker-" (2003)
13. Alice In Chains - "Dirt" (1992)
12. Death - "Human" (1991)
11. 7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes Of Absolution" (2012)
10. Morbid Angel - "Altars Of Madness" (1989)
09. Metallica - "...And Justice For All" (1988)
08. Mick Gordon - "DOOM (Original Game Soundtrack)" (2016)
07. Akhlys - "The Dreaming I" (2015)
06. Sunn O))) - "Black One" (2005)
05. Ufomammut/Lento - "Supernaturals - Record One" (2007)
04. Pig Destroyer - "Natasha" E.P. (2008)
03. Deathspell Omega - "Kenose" E.P. (2005)
02. Burzum - "Filosofem" (1996)
01. Slayer - "Reign In Blood" (1986)
Meaty & muscular industrial metal from Notting Hill, England.
I absolutely adored Killing Joke's self-titled 2003 album when we featured it in early 2021 so I was really looking forward to seeing what its follow-up had to offer (especially given that its arguably Killing Joke's most popular metal record) & it hasn't disappointed although it hasn't quite made the same impact as its predecessor. The production job is noticeably rougher &, even though this is apparently intentional given that the band felt their previous record was a little too clean, I do find the guitar tone to be a bit disappointing & the drums to sound a little flabby & thin at times. It took me a couple of listens to become accustomed to this but once I got my teeth into the song-writing it was pretty easy to overlook that flaw.
The first three tracks seem to be the clear fan favourites but interestingly (although hardly surprising) I find the less popular inclusions to be the real gems. If you only listened to those first three tracks though you'd likely be given the impression that "Hosannas From the Basements of Hell" isn't actually a metal record because opener "This Tribal Antidote" (the only track I struggle with here) sounds more like the band's early post-punk works than anything else while the title track & the heavily symphonic "Invocation" are much closer to industrial rock than they are to metal. But never fear because the album gets significantly heavier from that point on with an abrasive industrial metal sound taking over for the remainder of the tracklisting. If you're not a patient metalhead & you aren't into a more cerebral style of music then turn around & walk away now because Killing Joke's approach is very repetitive with these long tracks featuring relatively few changes. The aim is to get the listener into a consistent groove that builds in tension gradually over time. It either works for you or it doesn't & luckily for me I'm right onboard with music like this (perhaps helped by my techno days in this regard).
You can detect the post-punk component of Killing Joke's sound in the guitar arpeggios & tribal rhythms employed throughout while front man Jaz Coleman's grindy vocals & beautifully timed & placed keyboard lines are always very effective. You'll have to wait till right to the end of the album to hear the true potential in this material though with the last two songs ("Judas Goat" & "Gratititude") being utterly mind-blowing & the clear album highlights for me. I also love the lengthy "Walking With Gods" which sits in the middle of the tracklisting. It's hard to argue with the pure class that Killing Joke exude here & my hopes for another vitally important record have been richly rewarded, even if I do favour "Hosannas From the Basements of Hell"s wonderful elder sibling by a clear margin.
4/5
Interesting. I have no problem finding both of those Neurosis albums on Spotify from Australia. They must have an alternate streaming service agreement in the UK.
I think he's still the drummer for Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Fantômas & Misfits too, isn't he? Is this man even human?
So it's just been announced that Dave Lombardo is Gene Hoglan's replacement in Testament.
Fenriz talking about A Blaze in The Northern sky, released 30 years ago:
“Definitely one major, major point was looking at my collection and [realizing] I had bought maybe five death metal releases from 1990,” explains Fenriz of the stylistic shift. “I was so sick and tired of it, even though it was what we’d trained to play. I mean it was okay to play, but not to listen to other bands. And many other death metal bands came out with disappointing stuff after their promising demos … it became apparent that what we got a kick out of was, to put it simply, Celtic Frost, Motörhead, and Bathory. Throughout 1990 it was more and more of this but the songs we made were still death metal—we had 13/16 beats and shit like that, it was almost jazz—and I was thinking in my head, ‘This professionalism has to go, I want to de-learn playing drums, I want to play primitive and simple, I don’t want to play like a drum solo all the time and make these complicated riffs. Ted and Ivar had also talked between them and said the same damn thing. Then one time they took the car and drove to my place, which was also the rehearsal place, without Dag ’cos he was really into the technical stuff, and said to me, ‘What if we just skip playing all the intricate stuff and just play what we really care about, what we’re listening to, what fires us up?’ And I said, ‘Oh yeah, let’s go guys,’ so we quickly stopped rehearsing the Goatlord material. But we had to use some of the material for the A Blaze album, ’cos we didn’t want to make an EP with just three new total black metal songs. So we made three new black metal songs—‘Kathaarian Life Code,’ ‘In the Shadow of the Horns,’ and ‘Where Cold Winds Blow,’ and the rest would be Goatlord-ish material that was ‘blackened’ because of the studio sound we choose".
March 2022
01. Morbid Angel – “Omni Potens” (from “Illud Divinum Insanus”, 2011)
02. Apartment 26 – “Doing It Anyway” (from “Hallucinating”, 2000)
03. Keygen Church – “D I L E R K E F E T” (from “░█░█░░█░█░█░”, 2021)
04. Unheilig – “Seenot” (from “Grosse Freiheit”, 2010)
05. Nine Inch Nails – “Help Me I Am In Hell” (from “Broken” E.P., 1992)
06. Godflesh – “Godhead” (from “Godflesh” E.P., 1988)
07. Scorn – “Suck & Eat Me” (from “Vae Solis”, 1992)
08. Eisbrecher – “Gothkiller” (from “Eiszeit”, 2010)
09. Rob Zombie – “Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Grass” (from “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”, 2021)
10. Ministry – “Good Trouble” (from “Moral Hygiene”, 2021)
11. Skrew – “Cold Angel Press” (from “Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame”, 1992)
12. Rammstein – “Links 2 3 4” (from “Mutter”, 2001)
13. Pitchshifter – “Catharsis” (from “Industrial”, 1991)
14. Old – “Vein Water” (from “Lo Flux Tube”, 1991)
15. Fear Factory – “Purity” (from “Aggression Continuum”, 2021)
16. Static-X – “Permanence” (from “Machine”, 2001)
17. Samael – “Antigod” (from “Lux Mundi”, 2011)
18. Author & Punisher – “Incinerator” (from “Kruller”, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]
19. Youth Code & King Yosef – “A Mother’s Love” (from “A Skeleton Key In The Doors Of Depression”, 2021)
20. The Amenta – “Cell” (from “Flesh Is Heir”, 2013) [Submitted by Daniel]
21. Red Harvest – “The Itching Scull” (from “Cold Dark Matter”, 2000)
22. Thorns – “Existence” (from “Thorns”, 2001)
23. Lard – “Time To Melt” (from “The Power Of Lard” E.P., 1988)
March 2022
01. 200 Stab Wounds – “Path To Carnage” (from “Slave To The Scalpel”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
02. Shadow Of Intent – “From Ruin… We Rise” (from “Elegy”, 2022)
03. Atræ Bilis – “Bacterium Abloom” (from “Apexapien”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
04. In Mourning – “At The Behest Of Night” (from “The Bleeding Veil”, 2021)
05. Entombed – “Serpent Saints” (from “Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments”, 2007)
06. Venom Prison – “Comfort Of Complicity” (from “Erebos”, 2022)
07. Psycroptic – “The Colour Of Sleep” (from “The Scepter Of The Ancients”, 2003) [Submitted by Daniel]
08. Begravement – “Valley Of Everlasting Darkness” (from “The Anaphylaxis Demo” demo, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]
09. Angelcorpse – “Wolflust” (from “The Inexorable”, 1999) [Submitted by Vinny]
10. Unleashed – “Blood Of Lies” (from “Midvinterblot”, 2006) [Submitted by Ben]
11. Gorguts – “Disincarnated” (from “Considered Dead”, 1991) [Submitted by Ben]
12. Nekrovault – “Eremitorium” (from “Totenzug: Festering Peregrination”, 2020) [Submitted by Ben]
13. Rot – “Fatality?” (from “Cruel Face Of Life”, 1994)
14. Mörser – Doom (The Divine Gift)“” (from “Two Hours Of Doom”, 1997)
15. Malignant Altar – “Belial Rebirth (Metempsychosis)” (from “Realms of Exquisite Morbidity”, 2021) [Submitted by Daniel]
16. Deicide – “Lunatic Of God’s Creation” (from “Deicide”, 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]
17. Morbid Angel – “Cleansed In Pestilence (Blade Of Elohim)” (from “Heretic”, 2003) [Submitted by Daniel]
18. Cannibal Corpse – “Unleashing The Bloodthirsty” (from “Bloodthirst”, 1999) [Submitted by Daniel]
19. Shapeshifter – “Black Liquid” (from “Dark Ritual”, 2022)
20. ZONΞ ΞATΞR vs §E▲ ▓F D▓G§ - “It Swallows” (from “ZONΞ ΞATΞR vs. §E▲ ▓F D▓G§”, 2017)
21. Gruesome Malady – “Malodorous Ejaculation” (from “Infected With Virulent Seed”, 2003)
22. Virum – “Tentacles Of The Sun” (from “Illuminance”, 2016) [Submitted by Ben]
23. Internal Bleeding – “Despoilment Of Rotting Flesh” (from “Voracious Contempt”, 1995)
24. Putrid Pile – “Drenched In Gasoline” (from “Collection Of Butchery”, 2003) [Submitted by Daniel]
25. Immolation – “Apostle” (from “The Age Of No Light”, 2022) [Submitted by Ben]
26. Deeds Of Flesh – “Three Minute Crawlspace” (from “Gradually Melted” E.P., 1995)
27. The Amenta – “Flesh Is Heir” (from “Flesh Is Heir”, 2013) [Submitted by Daniel]
28. Lock Up – “Feeding On the Opiate” (from “Hate Breeds Suffering”, 2002) [Submitted by Daniel]
29. Infected Malignity – “Revenge To Capitalism” (from “The Malignity Born From Despair”, 2006)
30. Concrete Winds – “Nerve Butcherer” (from “Nerve Butcherer”, 2021)
Here's my April playlist submission Andi:
Impending Doom - "Chaos: Reborn" (from "Baptized In Filth", 2012)
Here are my April playlist submissions Vinny:
Bulldozer - "The Death Of Gods" (from "The Final Separation", 1986)
Allegiance - "Chaos Dies" (from "D.E.S.T.I.T.U.T.I.O.N", 1994)
Dark Angel - "Time Does Not Heal" (from "Time Does Not Heal", 1991)
Hirax - "Hate, Fear & Power" (from "Hate, Fear & Power", 1986)
Juggernaut - "Juggernaut" (from "Baptized Under Fire", 1986)
Messiah - "Messiah" (from "Hymn To Abramelin", 1986)
Here are my April playlist submissions Ben:
Endstille - "Satanarchie" (from "Infektion 1813", 2012)
Teitanblood - "Cadaver Synod" (from "Death", 2014)
Enslaved - "Ridicule Swarm" (from "Below The Lights", 2003)
These are my submissions for the April playlist:
Nile - "The Black Flame" (from "Black Seeds Of Vengeance", 2000)
7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Divine Amnesty" (from "Throes Of Absolution", 2012)
Cannibal Corpse - "Compelled To Lacerate" (from "Gore Obsessed", 2002)
The Amenta - "Mictlan" (from "Mictlan" E.P., 2002)
Suffocation - "Surgery Of Impalement" (from "Souls To Deny", 2004)
Blood Red Throne - "Altered Genesis" (from "Altered Genesis", 2005)
Here's my submission for the April playlist Saxy:
Chevelle - "Family System" (from "Wonder What's Next", 2002)
Here are my submissions for the April playlist Sonny:
Ahab - "The Hunt" (from "The Call Of The Wretched Sea", 2006)
Paradise Lost - "Gothic" (from "Gothic", 1991)
Neurosis - "Through Silver In Blood" (from "Through Silver In Blood", 1996)
Here's the plan for the April feature releases:
THE FALLEN: Daniel, Sonny, Ben
THE GATEWAY: Andi, Saxy S
THE GUARDIANS: Andi, Vinny, Xephyr
THE HORDE: Ben, Daniel, Vinny
THE INFINITE: Saxy S, Andi, Xephyr
THE NORTH: Ben, Vinny, Xephyr, Daniel, Sonny
THE PIT: Vinny, Ben, Daniel, Sonny
THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Andi
THE SPHERE: Daniel
Experimental slam death metal from New Jersey, USA.
Dripping - "Disintegration of Thought Patterns During a Synthetic Mind Traveling Bliss" (2002)
New Jersey's Dripping clearly didn't take themselves too seriously as this short 21 minute novelty release draws together some particularly brutal if fairly generic slam death metal (complete with ultra-fast grind blast-beat sections, exaggerated Suffocation-style slam riffs & dual vocals featuring high-pitched screams & super-gutteral extended pig grunts) with techy melodic parts that remind me of Atheist & then layers a whole bunch of abstract samples that have no place in an extreme metal release over the top. Does it all work? Well, in a word no it doesn't... but that doesn't mean it's not a fun listen. The blast-beats suffer from the same issue that I have with 99% of the BDM artists that attempt to go this fast in that they struggle for power & precision. I greatly prefer a vocalist that attempts to make actual words too while the production isn't real flash. But strangely I can't divert my attention away from this car crash of an album. It's quirky & childish but somewhat endearing at the same time.
3.5/5
Amazing news Vinny! Congratulations from not only Metal Academy & its members but also the entire global metal community. We shall all celebrate by getting drunk & rowdy, raising our death claws to the sky & shouting the wrong lyrics to Manowar battle anthems
It's not my favourite black metal release of all time any more but it's hard to argue with that statement Sonny. I bought "A Blaze In the Northern Sky" upon release & it utterly reset my mind. I was already a First Wave fan by that stage but this shit took that sound to another level & saw black metal stepping up alongside my beloved death/thrash metal obsession.
A gorgeous post-metal builder from this post-black/doom metal solo act from San Francisco, USA.
Lurker of Chalice - "Lurker of Chalice" (2005)
Sonny, I highly recommend that you get onto this Post-Black/Doom Metal masterpiece if you haven't already. I'll be very surprised if it doesn't hit right on your musical sweet spot.
Lurker of Chalice - "Lurker of Chalice" (2005)
I have to admit that when I first encountered this unique release I was completely unprepared for what was in store for me. That was back in 2009 & I was still yet to allow myself to become completely immersed in the incredible atmospherics of the post-metal movement so I was still looking to hear an ultra-aggressive Satanic blast-fest when I put on a "black metal" record & that's certainly not what I got from "Lurker of Chalice" so I was left struggling to come to grips with my disappointment rather than treating the record on it's merits. Since that time a lot has changed in my world & this revisit has seen me being completely opened up to the charms of what is essentially a pretty indescribable extreme metal release.
"Lurker of Chalice" is generally tagged as Atmospheric Black Metal & there's little doubt that this subgenre plays a strong role in the outcome however there's a lot more to this album than that. In fact, I'd suggest that there's probably as much Doom Metal (often venturing all the way over to the Funeral Doom end of the equation) & Post-Metal on offer as there is Black Metal & I've found it very hard to identify an easy pigeon-hole with which to place "Lurker of Chalice". The best I can do is to label it as Post-Black/Doom Metal which I feel is the fairest assessment. I love the croaky vocals which are beautifully placed towards the back of the mix so that they seem to contribute more to the atmospherics than they do guide the listener down their dark path. Interestingly I find the pure black metal sections to be the least engaging inclusions with the stunning Post-Metal atmospheres & cripplingly depressive yet still decidedly beautiful doom metal parts grabbing me by the balls & dragging me into territories of appreciation that I never expected to venture with this artist. It's an emotionally engaging experience that leaves me feeling thoroughly rewarded, even if the more conventional atmospheric black metal track "Granite" is pretty flat when compared to the other material.
4.5/5
The hour is at hand Sonny. The moment where the three moons of Cthulhu are aligned for the first time. Feel the strength & power of the Ancient Ones (our true rulers) surge through your veins for your time of metal glory is finally upon us. May we all cower & recoil from your ascendance to the dark throne as it been written for eons past. May the ten thousand minions of Hell bow down to the majesty of the undying flame of Lord Sonny as your inevitable destiny eventuates in emphatic fashion while all but the most feeble & cowardous watch on in awe. Oh, it is a truly glorious day that shall be spoken of only in whispers, passed down through a millennia of unrelenting darkness. A reign that shall never end. A reign that shall define our very existence.
The highly influential title track from a very important English death/doom record.
Paradise Lost - "Gothic" (1991)
I can distinctly remember the impact that this album made on the extreme metal scene at the time & rightly so but I have to admit that I've never rated it as highly as most death/doom fans seem to. There are some great atmospheric moments here but it does still sound like a work in progress to me rather than the finished product. The introduction of gothic elements such as female vocals & symphonics add a lot of interest however the gothic parts don't always hit the spot for mine. Gregor Mackintosh's guitar skills were still very basic at this stage too. He spends far too much time floating in & out of key for my liking as he clearly had no theoretical understanding of music. It's pretty amazing that he manages to hit such transcendent melodies at times when you take that into consideration, Nick Holmes death growls are outstanding & are probably the highlight of the album for me personally.
The album kicks off really well with the gothic-inspired title track (arguably the best & most ambitious piece on the album) & the more traditionally focused death metal number "Dead Emotion" being fine examples of the band's atmospheric skills but I find the two tracks that follow (i.e. "Shattered" & "Rapture") to be decidedly flat which means that the rest of the album is spent trying to recover (which it admittedly does reasonably well). "Eternal", "Angel Tears" & "Desolate" are all very strong but overall I'm left feeling a touch underwhelmed for such a highly regarded & important record. Perhaps it's that Paradise Lost aren't all that special at the classic death metal sound that makes up part of the album & I'm not the biggest gothic metal fan in the world either. Still... there's no argument from me when it comes to the unique atmosphere that Paradise Lost were able to create here & I enjoy the experience whenever I return to "Gothic"
3.5/5