Daniel's Forum Replies

(just thought I would mix up the format a bit, OK? Anyway...)

Quoted shadowdoom9 (Andi)

Using graphics is a great idea Andi. I'd encourage you to continue with that as long as you're not in breach of any sort of copyright (that goes for the use of an artist's music too as I noticed that you used snippets on your YouTube ad). In saying that though, I'm not comfortable with clan members attaching their names to the playlists they're programming though. They're intended as a representation of the clan, not the individual.

Overkill - "E.vil N.ever D.ies" (from "The Years Of Decay", 1989)

Morbid Saint - "Depth Of Sanity" (from "Destruction System", 1992)  [Note: You can find this on the Extended Edition of "Spectrum Of Death"]

Testament - "Fall Of Sipledome" (from "The Gathering", 1999)

Nevermore - "The Psalm Of Lydia" (from "This Godless Endeavour", 2005)

Metreya - "Machines Of War" (from "Machines Of War" E.P., 2014)

Slayer - "Repentless" (from "Repentless", 2015)

Pestilence - "Out Of The Body" (from "Consuming Impulse", 1989)

Cannibal Corpse - "Hammer Smashed Face" (from "Tomb Of The Mutilated", 1992)

Devourment - "Choking On Bile" (from "Molesting The Decapitated", 1999)

Nile - "Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten" (from "Annihilation Of The Wicked", 2005)

Dead Congregation - "Subjugation" (from "Graves Of The Archangels", 2008)

The Amenta - "VO1D" (from "VO1D", 2010)

Andrew Hulshult - "DUSK" (from "DUSK (Original Game Soundtrack", 2018)

Trouble - "The Skull" (from "The Skull", 1985)

Katatonia - "Without God" (from "Dance Of December Souls", 1993)

Isis - "Celestial (The Tower)" (from "Celestial", 2000)

Messa - "Da tariki tariqat" (from "Feast For Water", 2018)

Knocked Loose - "Where Light Divides The Holler" (from "A Tear In The Fabric Of Life" E.P., 2021)

Sun Of The Blind - "Fire & Thirst" (from "Skullreader", 2009)

Blasphemy - "Hording Of Evil Vengeance" (from "Fallen Angel Of Doom...", 1990)

Darkthrone - "Quintessence" (from "Panzerfaust", 1995)

Spiritbox - "Sun Killer" (from "Eternal Blue", 2021)

Here's the January feature release nominators:

THE FALLEN: Daniel, Sonny, Ben

THE GATEWAY: Saxy S, Andi

THE GUARDIANS: Andi, Vinny, Xephyr

THE HORDE: Ben, Daniel, Vinny

THE INFINITE: Saxy S, Andi, Xephyr

THE NORTH: Xephyr, Daniel, Sonny, Ben, Vinny

THE PIT: Ben, Daniel, Sonny, Vinny

THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel

THE SPHERE: Daniel

Playlist compilers, I've now updated the tracklistings in each of the clans playlists so please feel free to create the monthly playlist threads & to add the tracklistings to the Past Tracklisting threads in each clan forum at your leisure.

December 2021

01. Samael – “Let My People Be” (from “Lux Mundi”, 2011)

02. Keygen Church – “H A R E K L A V I T” (from “░█░█░░█░█░█░”, 2021)

03. Oomph! – “Breathtaker” (from “Sperm”, 1994)

04. Rob Zombie – “Boom-Boom-Boom” (from “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”, 2021)

05. Autarkh – “Impasse” (from “Form In Motion”, 2021)

06. Pitchshifter – “Condescension” (from “Deviant”, 2000)

07. 1000 Homo DJs – “Apathy” (from “Supernaut” E.P., 1990)

08. Wayne Static – “Slave” (from “Pighammer”, 2011)

09. Static-X – “Cold” (from “Machine”, 2001)

10. Ghostemane – “Crime Time” (from “Fear Network II” E.P., 2021)

11. Eisbrecher – “Böse Mädchen” (from “Eiszeit”, 2010)

12. Godflesh – “Wounds” (bonus track from “Godflesh” E.P., 1988) [Submitted by Daniel]

13. Old – “Citient Null” (from “Lo Flux Tube”, 1991)

14. Ministry – “Sabotage Is Sex” (from “Moral Hygiene”, 2021)

15. Mechina – “The Worst In Us” (from “Siege”, 2021)

16. Author & Punisher – “The Speaker Is Systematically Blown” (from “Beastland”, 2018) [Submitted by Vinny]

17. Youth Code & King Yosef – “The World Stage” (from “A Skeleton Key In The Doors Of Depression”, 2021)

18. Nine Inch Nails – “Last” (from “Broken” E.P., 1992)

19. Morbid Angel – “Profundis - Mea Culpa” (from “Illud Divinum Insanus”, 2011)

20. Fear Factory – “End Of Line” (from “Aggression Continuum”, 2021)

21. Fange – “Tombé pour la France” (from “Pantocrator”, 2021)

22. Thorns – “Shifting Channels” (from “Thorns”, 2001)

23. Red Harvest – “Absolut Dunkel:heit” (from “Cold Dark Matter”, 2000)

December 2021

01. Dragged Into Sunlight – “Lashed To The Grinder & Stoned To Death” (from “Hatred For Mankind”, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

02. Be’lakor – “Hidden Window” (from “Coherence”, 2021) [Submitted by Ben]

03. Necrophagist – “Only Ash Remains” (from “Epitaph”, 2004) [Submitted by Daniel]

04. Bologna Violenta – “Valium Tavor Serenase” (from “Utopie e piccole soddisfazioni”, 2012)

05. Illdisposed – “Now We’re History” (from “1-800 Vindication”, 2004) [Submitted by Ben]

06. Six Feet Under – “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” (from “Graveyard Classics III”, 2010)

07. Edge Of Sanity – “The Masque” (from “The Spectral Sorrows”, 1993)

08. Soilent Green – “Slapfuck” (from “Pussysoul”, 1994)

09. Apparition – “Nonlocality” (from “Feel”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

10. Asphyx – “Asphyx (Forgotten War)” (from “Last One On Earth”, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Coffinrot – “Reduced To Visceral Sludge” (from “Reduced To Visceral Sludge” single, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. 200 Stab Wounds – “Drilling Your Head” (from “Slave To The Scalpel”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Cryptopsy – “Cold Hate, Warm Blood” (from “Whisper Supremacy”, 1998) [Submitted by Ben]

14. Suffering Hour – “Obscuration” (from “The Cyclic Reckoning”, 2021)

15. Wombbath – “A World Of Destruction” (from “Agma”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. No One Knows What The Dead Think – “Autumn Flower” (from “No One Knows What The Dead Think”, 2019) [Submitted by Ben]

17. Morbid Angel – “Brainstorm” (from “Blessed Are The Sick”, 1991) [Submitted by Ben]

18. Aeon – “Queen Of Lies” (from “God Ends Here”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Spawn Of Possession – “Scorched” (from “Noctambulant”, 2006) [Submitted by Ben]

20. Cannibal Corpse – “Meathook Sodomy” (from “Butchered At Birth”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

21. Exhumed – “Worming” (from “Worming” E.P., 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

22. Regurgitate – “Deranged Menarche Injection” (from “Hatefilled Vengeance” E.P., 2002)

23. Archspire – “Drone Corpse Aviator” (from “Bleed The Future”, 2021) [Submitted by Ben]

24. Phyllomedusa – “Nook Modification (A Startiling Modification)” (from “Suburban Pest”, 2015)

25. Mortician – “World Domination” (from “House By The Cemetery”, 1994)

26. Vomit The Soul – “The Lost Aurea” (from “Cold”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

27. Devourment – “A Virulent Strain Of Retaliation” (from “Obscene Majesty”, 2019) [Submitted by Daniel]

Highly energetic Bay Area thrash for fans of Metallica, Exodus & Death Angel.

Testament - "The Gathering" (1999)

Californian thrash metal establishment Testament's eighth album seems to be held in very high regard these days which perhaps has more to the amazing lineup than it does the musical result. Don't take that comment the wrong way though. "The Gathering" is certainly a quality release from a super-capable group of musicians but I'm not sure it comes close to being a genuine classic at any point. The inclusion of James Murphy (Cancer/Death/Hallows Eve/Disincarnate/Obituary) on lead guitar, Steve DiGiorgio (Autopsy/Control Denied/Death/Iced Earth/Sadus/Soen) on bass & Dave Lombardo (Slayer/Dead Cross/Fantômas/Grip Inc./Misfits/Mr. Bungle/Suicidal Tendencies) on drums is a salivating idea for any thrasher worth his salt however I think the eventual outcome is somewhat of a missed opportunity. I mean the talent of these musicians hasn't really been fully utilized here, particularly that of Murphy whose solos are generally pretty short & uneventful & DiGiorgio who seems quite restrained for the most part. There seems to be a groove metal influence creeping into Testament's sound at times too & I have to admit that the groovier moments inevitably represent some of the weaker parts of the album for me personally.

The tracklisting is fairly inconsistent with thrashing belters like "Legions of the Dead" & album highlight "Fall of Sipledome" being mixed in with disappointing inclusions like "Eyes of Wrath", "Allegiance" & the depressingly flat "Careful What You Wish For".  Despite the hits & misses though, front man Chuck Billy puts in a commanding performance & is definitely the focal point of the star-studded band, his powerful bellows often bordering on death metal. He carries some of the weaker tracks & adds some much needed weight to the record. Overall I think "The Gathering" is a more than decent thrash metal album that's worthy of a few spins but is certainly not as mind-blowing as a lot of people make out & is a clear step down from Testament's classic first two records.

For fans of Metallica, Exodus & Death Angel.

3.5/5

Wonderful Norwegian black metal that sounds a lot like early Burzum.

Danish power metal with folk/symphonic influences. For fans of Falconer, Manticora & Lost Horizon.

Wuthering Heights - "The Shadow Cabinet" (2006)

The fourth album from this Danish power metal outfit falls firmly into the "none of my business" category I'm afraid. The polished & glistening package is beautifully produced & executed but unfortunately it's all a bit too pompous & cheesy for my taste. The guitar solos are spectacular but they can't make up for the gag-worthy folk metal melodies, the overuse of synthesizers & the consciously anthemic choruses. Sure it sounds pretty epic & all but it's just too far removed from my wheelhouse I'm afraid. Xephyr & Andi will probably love this stuff though.

For fans of Falconer, Manticora & Lost Horizon.

2.5/5

Playlist compilers, please get your playlist links over to me in the next 24 hours so that I'm ready to transfer them into the live playlists on Wednesday morning.

Kode9 & Burial - "Fabriclive 100" (2018)

I was expecting a DJ mix from these two highly acclaimed dubstep/future garage/footwork/UK bass producers but "Fabriclive 100" ended up being more of compilation given that there's very little actual mixing going on. There are some really interesting & extremely varied tracks included but it certainly sounds pretty jerky & tossed together when taken as an holistic piece. I don't think I'll be returning to this one any time soon.

Relentlessly brutal slam death metal from Dallas, USA. For fans of Cephalotripsy, Abominable Putridity & Kraanium.

Devourment = "Molesting The Decapitated" (1999)

After putting together yesterday's list I felt like indulging in some slamming death metal while driving around the city to pick up one of my wife's event styling jobs so I pulled out this oldy that I haven't heard for a while. It was extremely influential in the underground death metal scene at the time but I didn't get to experience it until around 2009, by which time every man & his dog was doing this stuff so it had lost some of its impact. Honestly, nothing has changed much with how this Dallas-based outfit conduct themselves in the more than two decades since this debut album. "Molesting The Decapitated" concentrates entirely on two concepts: ultra-fast blast beats with a super-tight pinging snare drum sound & slow-to-mid-paced Suffocation-worshipping slam riffs. That really does sound very good to me on paper & in honesty I was always going to find this record enjoyable for that reason but it's definitely not without its flaws. Firstly, the blast beats aren't very tightly performed, particularly the gravity-blasts which is no doubt accentuated by the snare sound which sounds like a toy monkey playing a tiny drum. Secondly, the vocals are ridiculously gutteral & unintelligible to the point of ridiculousness & there's been no attempt whatsoever to resemble the actual lyrics which are admittedly some of the most vile & putrid you'll ever read. As with 2019's "Obscene Majesty", the lack of guitar solos is a clear missed opportunity too as there's very little to break up the monotony. All things considered though, I just love super-brutal death metal with chunky riffs & it's hard to argue against this album possessing those attributes in spades, even if it does sound very generic by today's standards. "Molesting The Decapitated" does easily enough to keep me interested & in doing so has managed to usurp Kraanium's "Post Mortal Coital Fixation" by breaking into the top ten slam death metal releases list I only put together yesterday.

For fans of Cephalotripsy, Abominable Putridity & Kraanium.

3.5/5

As for Death Angel, I still love their debut, but can't get on with any of their other releases at all.

I've always liked "The Ultra-Violence" but I can't deny my feeling that it's a flawed & overrated release, particularly vocally. To my ears "Act III" is the band's peak as it saw them ironing out all of the kinks & producing a well thought-out & mature metal record that may not be all that thrashy but makes up for it with quality song-writing & execution. Death Angel's 2000's material is worth a look but I wouldn't say it's essential while their 1988 sophomore album "Frolic Through the Park" is an absolute abomination.

I agree with Sonny & Vinny. I don't see that there's a lot to gain there Andi.

Kreator, Dark Angel and Testament gave me my hits this month really.

Yeah those are all really solid examples of the thrash metal genre, aren't they? Especially the Kreator one which sits amongst my all-time favourites.

I am making a conscious effort to expand my horizons in the clan though especially outside of my comfort zone which in all honesty is conventional thrash metal with the odd bit of crossover and a lot of blackened thrash.  I have already got loose playlists put together that cover these more "uncomfortable" sub-genres such as Groove, Speed and Technical thrash metal to around Feb 22.  I am actively listening to full albums of this stuff as well so the playlist does represent genuinely what I am listening to and I do still include shit I can't get on with (like Chimaira).

It's so great to see you fully embracing the spirit of the clan arrangement Vinny. I think this list has turned out tremendously well & I can only see it improving further from here.

For this weekend's top ten list I decided to go with the niche subgenre of slam death metal so here's my all-time top ten:

01. Pathology – “The Time Of Great Purification” (2012)

02. Abominable Putridity – “The Anomalies Of Artificial Origin” (2012)

03. Devourment – “Obscene Majesty” (2019)

04. Devour The Unborn – “Consuming The Morgue Remains” (2012)

05. Disfiguring The Goddess – “Sleeper” (2012)

06. Pighead – “Rotten Body Reanimation” (2012)

07. Coprophiliac – “Whining Bitch Treatment” (2012)

08. Devourment - "Molesting The Decapitated" (1999)

09. Delusional Parasitosis/Ecchymosis/Dissevered/Bleeding – “Scaphism 4-Way Split” (2017)

10. 7 H.Target – “Fast-Slow Demolition” (2012)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/145

Feel free to post yours.

A New Jersey thrash metal classic for fans of Anthrax, Testament & Annihilator.

Overkill - "The Years Of Decay" (1989)

The 1989 fourth full-length from legendary New Jersey thrashers Overkill summarizes my feelings on the band nicely. It's very well composed & executed & I find the vast majority of it to be pretty enjoyable but it rarely takes me to the upper echelons of my excitement. I actually think that Ben & Sonny's reviews sum up my own thoughts pretty well as I definitely think that Overkill are at their best when they tone the velocity down a little & focus on atmosphere over aggression but their tendency to want to indulge in their classic metal influences at key moments does detract from the intensity a bit at times, despite a few welcome tributes to the mighty Black Sabbath. The album takes a while to get going & we have to wait until right at the end for the highlight track in the thrashy Anthrax-inspired "E.vil N.ever D.ies". They rely very heavily on their impressively charismatic front man Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth for the fireworks as the instrumentation is generally pretty basic but admittedly very tightly performed & produced with the bass guitar sitting very nicely in the mix. There's not much to complain about with "The Years Of Decay" as it's a quality thrash record but (as with Overkill's earlier works) it's hard to see why people regard it as such a classic for the genre. In saying that, I do think it was their best album to the time but they hadn't quite reached their peak just yet with their next record (1991's "Horrorscope") seeing them taking a step up to the next level.

For fans of Anthrax, Testament & Annihilator.

3.5/5

I actually don't mind that stuff as long as it's in line with the themes & is well executed. I listen to a lot of ambient music though so I guess I'm probably a little more open to purely atmospheric pieces than your average metalhead. In saying that, your average metalhead is likely going to be more open to the cheesy folk/Viking metal material than I am. Ben's certainly not wrong that I occasionally listen to releases that I'm highly unlikely to enjoy & I do it purely because I like to have a well-rounded knowledge of all metal subgenres. How else am I gonna discover the next Primordial or Dissection if I don't get myself outside of my comfort zone every now & then?

The clan has spoken! Feel free to carry on taking submissions then. Just an idea but perhaps the guidelines could be that non-clan members can submit multiple tracks as long as they've genuinely listened to those records during the month prior? Otherwise they get just the one.

I think you've turned all of us into Warning fans over the past couple of years. 

Yeah I didn't mind Warning prior to that but my last revisit blew my mind. The vocals were always a problem for me but they finally clicked & WOH!!!!! "Footsteps" isn't one of my top few songs from the album (I prefer the title track, "Bridges" & "Echoes" which are pretty much perfect examples of the doom metal genre in my opinion) but it's still a damn fine piece in its own right which is a clear indication of the consistent strength of the album overall.

I've got a feeling someone else was kidding with that Månegarm track as well.

I wasn't actually. I found that atmospheric piece to be by far the most enjoyable thing on an album that I genuinely struggled with.

Yeah that's a fair call Ben but are you saying that you enjoy this latest Windir submission? Take a listen with fresh ears & tell me it's not a poorly executed Isengard clone.

Highly atmospheric Swedish doom/death for fans of October Tide & early Paradise Lost/Anathema.

Katatonia - "Dance of December Souls" (1993)

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.

For fans of October Tide & early Paradise Lost/Anathema.

3.5/5

Superbly chunky progressive metal for Seattle, USA. For fans of Sanctuary, Communic & Warrel Dane.

Nevermore - "This Godless Endeavour" (2005)

Another very solid outing from an undeniably high quality progressive metal outfit. The production & performances are outstanding, particularly the lead guitar work of Jeff Loomis. I don't think this is a classic release for me personally though. Perhaps it's the groove metal style of some of the riffs or that the vocal hooks don't dig their teeth in quite far enough to allow me to reach the upper levels of my adoration but ultimately I don't think there are enough genuine highlight tracks for a classic release even if everything sounds super impressive. It's interesting that this album is generally regarded as a progressive thrash metal too. Progressive? Yeah definitely. Thrash? Hhhmmmm.... that's a considerable stretch in my opinion & I'll be raising an entry for the Hall of Judgement for this one. Anyway... I really enjoyed my "This Godless Endeavour" experience & place it in third place behind 1999's "Dreaming Neon Black" (their true classic in my opinion) & 2000's "Dead Heart in a Dead World" for Nevermore's overall discography.

For fans of Sanctuary, Communic & Warrel Dane.

4/5

The highlight track from the 2015 archival release of the demo tracks for the Wisconsin-based brutal thrash metal legends' sophomore album that never saw the light of day. For fans of Demolition Hammer, Kreator & early Sadus.

Morbid Saint - "Destruction System" (2015)

This archival release was originally recorded as the preliminary demos for Wisconsin-based thrash metallers Morbid Saint's follow-up to their classic 1990 debut album "Spectrum Of Death" but the final product never ended up seeing the light of day so these recordings lay dormant for more than two decades before finally becoming available in 2015. I actually don't think that's such a bad thing because, even though it's an enjoyable enough listen, "Destruction System" doesn't come close to the quality of Morbid Saint's legendary first-up effort. It's very much a meat-&-potatoes thrash record that doesn't possess the sheer violence & aggression of "Spectrum Of Death". It's heavily weighted towards the A side with a couple of pretty flat inclusions on the B side while the production job is unsurprisingly pretty awful with the guitars being far too low in the mix & the drums totally dominating. Still... I can't deny the appeal in this band. Pat Lind's brutal vocals are still a welcome novelty & there's a four track run on the A side that I really dig. The best moments tend to match up with the more up-tempo material (particularly the Slayer style solos) while the less appealing stuff is a lot more chuggy & mid-tempo than I remember from Morbid Saint in their prime with tracks like "Halls of Terror" & "Living Misery" sounding more like middle-of-the-road Testament or Exodus than they do the more brutal end of thrash. Overall, "Destruction System" is deserving of a cursory listen for fans of Morbid Saint's classic debut but will remain inessential as it's lacking in replay value.

For fans of Demolition Hammer, Kreator & early Sadus.

3.5/5

Melodic/symphonic/Pagan black metal from Norway. For fans of Mistur, Cor Scorpii & Vreid.

Robert Hood - "Fabric 39" (2008)

A super-cool Detroit techno mix from one of the true masters of the craft. No production tricks or studio mixing here. 32 tracks across a 69 minute mix that never loses momentum.

Devastated that this ol' favourite has finally packed it in after the material under armpits gave way due to overuse. It's likely my most used piece of clothing ever I would think. On the plus side, I have a one in/one out policy so I wasted no time whatsoever in securing myself a super-cool replacement band shirt.

I think we might close out the option for non-clan member submissions on The Gateway playlists now that we have two members contributing to the tracklisting.

For this week's top ten list I've opted to go for my Top Ten Brutal Death Metal Releases Of All Time. Unfortunately though, I've found it to be impossible to avoid having it completely dominated by my all-time favourite band:

01. Suffocation – “Pierced From Within” (1995)

02. Suffocation – “Despise The Sun” E.P. (1998)

03. Suffocation – “Pinnacle Of Bedlam” (2013)

04. Suffocation – “Effigy Of The Forgotten” (1991)

05. Suffocation – “Human Waste” E.P. (1991)

06. Hour Of Penance – “The Vile Conception” (2008)

07. Hour Of Penance – “Paradogma” (2010)

08. Suffocation – “Suffocation” (2006)

09. Deadly Remains – “Severing Humanity” (2012)

10. Pyrexia – “Sermon Of Mockery” (1993)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/144

What's your top ten look like?

Seminal Canadian war metal for fans of Archgoat, Proclamation & Black Witchery.

Blasphemy - "Fallen Angel Of Doom...." (1990)

After revisiting Canadian war metal godfathers Blasphemy's infamous 1989 demo tape "Blood Upon The Altar" a few weeks ago & quite enjoying it, I thought I'd branch a little further out by investigating their seminal debut album "Fallen Angel Of Doom...." as well to see if it'd grown on me of the years. I recall struggling to see what all the hype was about back in the day & after giving it a few spins over the last couple of days I have to admit that I still do. "Fallen Angel Of Doom...." is loosely written, sloppily performed & is presented within the context of one of the worst production jobs the world has ever seen but you can certainly hear the potential that it offered. Blasphemy managed to combine all four of the major extreme metal sounds of the time (i.e. death metal, black metal, thrash metal & grindcore) into one swarming mass of largely indecipherable noise with this release but I certainly find myself wanting to like it more than I actually do if I'm being completely honest. The drums & vocals are mixed absolutely miles higher than the bass & rhythm guitars which are almost completely lost on most tracks &, as a guitarist myself, I find this to be a little bit offensive. There's a noticeable variation in sound between the various tracks too with some possessing more high end & reminding me of a bunch of aluminium trash cans being rolled down a steep hill simultaneously while others seeing the guitars peeking through a little more which provides an obvious improvement to my listening experience. The insane guitar solos are a real highlight though as they're almost invariably placed over the most intense sections & create psychotic blankets of excitement over the most over-the-top of musical sequences. There are a few tracks that see Blasphemy managing to overcome the rubbish production job (see "Hoarding of Evil Vengeance", "Desecration" & album highlight "Demoniac") but these are simply not enough to create much value in repeat listens for me & overall I still find "Fallen Angel Of Doom...." to be more interesting than it is enjoyable to tell you the truth. I greatly prefer the "Blood Upon The Altar" demo which included a few of the same songs only with a vastly superior production job.

For fans of Archgoat, Proclamation & Black Witchery.

3/5

Dead Congregation - "Graves Of The Archangels" (2008)

Sonny & Vinny, I notice that neither of you have rated this one but I'd recommend it if you haven't already checked it out.

A short blast of pure underground death metal joy from this Greek outfit. For fans of Incantation, Immolation & Cruciamentum.

Dead Congregation - "Graves Of The Archangels" (2008)

The debut full-length from this Greek death metal band is a dark, swampy mass of deathly decay that reminds me heavily of Incantation meets "Covenant"-era Morbid Angel. The light-speed blast-beats are beautifully executed & are a real highlight while the vocals come from the deepest bowels of hell where they've been meticulously trained by the likes of Incantation & Immolation. This shit is right up my alley but isn't a patch on Dead Congregation's 2014 follow-up "Promulgation Of The Fall" which is utter death metal perfection. Still... "Graves Of The Archangels" won't disappoint a single fan of your darker brand of death metal.

For fans of Incantation, Immolation & Cruciamentum.

4/5