Daniel's Forum Replies

I'd suggest that it's a lot closer to progressive metal than it is to heavy metal in all honesty. I'd take it out of The Guardians too if it was up to me.

To be honest I've always regarded the US power metal movement as more of a scene than a sound. I mean the term was originally penned to draw together bands that had removed the hard rock edge from the NWOBHM brand of heavy metal & taken a more chunky & aggressive approach to heavy metal (more often than not incorporating the influence of the new & exciting speed metal & thrash metal genres) but in reality it ended up encompassing a whole range of sounds with many of them amounting to nothing more than heavy/progressive metal instrumentation with an operatic/theatrical style of vocal delivery. A large percentage of these bands would have sat very comfortably under the already established heavy metal, progressive metal or speed metal tags if they weren't American, particularly those that resided on the white collar side of the US power metal equation (i.e. the more melodic & progressive side as opposed to the more thrashy & testosterone fueled blue collar variety). There were loads of bands that were simply ripping off Iron Maiden & Judas Priest but still seemed to get lumped in with the US power metal crowd when no one ever considered their idols for inclusion under the power metal banner, despite having the same sound & even the same vocal style. I'd be much more comfortable with releases simply being labelled as heavy metal, speed metal, power metal, thrash metal or progressive metal or a combination of the five as those terms genuinely mean something whereas the US power metal tag doesn't have much meat on its bones in my opinion, at least it didn't until more modern times. And what of releases that have the US power metal sound but don't come from the US? Why shouldn't they receive the same tag if they have the same sound? It's never made sense to me. In fact, I don't regard a good half of my top ten as US power metal but have chosen them simply because they're generally regarded as being a part of it.

I've never bought into the idea that Fates Warning's "The Spectre Within" was the release that initially created the classic US progressive metal sound. "The Warning" was a fully fledged progressive metal release as far as I'm concerned & it's always baffled me that it's not regarded as such. There were actually a few earlier & significantly more underground examples of progressive metal too in my opinion however they were all a bit rough around the edges & weren't as well defined & executed as this one. I'll chuck 'em your way & see what you think at some point Andi.

Classic early 90's Finnish death metal for fans of Depravity, Adramelech & early Convulse.

Demigod - "Slumber Of Sullen Eyes" (1993)

The debut album from this highly regarded Finnish outfit is a great example of the strength of the early 90's underground death metal scene. Demigod's first up effort combined the old school death metal of the Swedes with the classic graveyard atmosphere of Incantation & the melodic sensibilities of Paradise Lost to create one of the defining releases in the history of Finnish death metal. The musicianship & execution aren't perfect however there can be no denying that the band had a strong understanding of what made death metal so great. The variations in pace, the melancholic guitar lines & the deathly vocals all highlight a record that brings together several key influences in order to achieve a fresh take on the genre without ever threatening to reinvent the wheel. The consistency of the tracklisting & the deathly atmosphere are certainly impressive however the lack of genuine classics prevents me from exploring the upper echelons of the rating spectrum. It's a very strong release for fans of classic death metal though & comes highly recommended.

For fans of Depravity, Adramelech & early Convulsed.

4/5

Vinny & Sonny, this one should offer you plenty of appeal.

Here the link to my top ten US power metal releases of all time:

https://metal.academy/lists/single/127

01. Crimson Glory - "Crimson Glory" (1986)

02. Iced Earth - "Alive In Athens" (1999)

03. Manowar - "Into Glory Ride" (1983)

04. Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" E.P. (1984)

05. Crimson Glory - "Transcendence" (1988)

06. Queensryche - "The Warning" (1984)

07. Riot - "ThunderSteel" (1988)

08. Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within" (1985)

09. Griffin - "Flight Of The Griffin" (1984)

10. Queensryche - "Queensryche" E.P. (1983)

They have a new album coming out on 25th September too gents.

Well done mate. No I don't think I've checked out that Slough Feg record before. I actually have another one of their albums on my playlist for the next few weeks already so you've given me some encouragement to get stuck in. Thanks for the tip.

I did my list some time ago & it can be found here:

https://metal.academy/lists/single/9

01. Iron Maiden - "The Number Of The Beast" (1982)

02. Iron Maiden - "Piece Of Mind" (1983)

03. Iron Maiden - "Maiden Japan" E.P. (1981)

04. More - "Blood & Thunder" (1982)

05. Saxon - "Power & The Glory" (1983)

06. Diamond Head - "Lightning To The Nations" (1980)

07. Saxon - "The Eagle Has Landed: Live" (1982)

08. Saxon - "Strong Arm Of The Law" (1980)

09. Def Leppard - "High 'n' Dry" (1981)

10. Grim Reaper - "See You In Hell" (1983)

Ben & I did a ton of research on the NWOBHM while recording our podcast several years ago now. We found that the movement really ran from 1979-1983 & ended with the rise of glam metal & MTV in the USA as well as the kick-off of the US power metal movement.

Chaotic Norwegian death metal for fans of Incantation, Portal & Infester.

Molested - "Stormvold" E.P. (1997)

I remember this relatively unknown Norwegian death metal band creating quite a stir in the underground tape trading scene in the mid-to-late 90's & you can easily see why given the metal-at-all-costs approach taken here. Molested were built around Borknagar guitarist Øystein Garnes Brun who also handles the super-deep growly vocal duties here &, on the evidence of this short five-song EP, it would seem that his prime ambition for the project was to create as much chaos as humanly possible.

"Stormvold" kinda sounds like they've taken the suffocating death metal of Incantation & combined it with the out-of-control execution of the South American extreme metal scene & the commitment to outright insanity of the war metal subgenre. Now that synopsis sounds pretty amazing to me in theory but I've always wanted to like this E.P. more than I actually do. I certainly appreciate the vicious atmosphere they've managed to achieve however the execution isn't everything I'd like it to be. It's simply TOO chaotic for my taste a lot of the time with the riffs struggling to maintain their structure.

There's no doubt that this is a metal-as-fuck release that will appeal to fans of the most extreme of the extreme & it ticks many of my boxes in the process (see the outrageously metal guitar tone for example) however it unfortunately doesn't end up becoming something that I find myself returning to all that often.

For fans of Incantation, Portal & Infester.

3.5/5

Classic heavy metal for fans of Iron Maiden, Dio & Halford.

Bruce Dickinson - "Accident Of Birth" (1997)

Vinny & Andi, I'd suggest you give this one a few spins if you haven't already.

Cripplingly cold & atmospheric Swiss black metal for fans of Burzum, Darkspace & ColdWorld.

Paysage d'Hiver - "Winterkaelte" (2001)

Swiss atmospheric black metal solo project Paysage d'Hiver may be most well known for his 1999 self-titled demo however I've always questioned the validity of that particular release being his crowning achievement as I don't rate it amongst Wintherr's strongest material. 2020's epic "Im Wald" release is still my favourite after the second hour absolutely blew me away me away however 2001's "Winterkaelte" isn't far behind as it possesses one of the purest frost-bitten Scandinavian atmospheres you'll ever hear & doesn't taint it with ill-fitting clean instrumentation nearly as regularly as the self-titled.

This time we see Wintherr offering us six lengthy pieces that generally exceed the ten minute mark with the two strongest tracks opening proceedings. If you struggle with trance-inducing repetition then this won't be the release you're looking for but if you love nothing more than closing your eyes in pure darkness & being engulfed by a swarming mass of arctic winds then this will be right up your alley. The general ambience is further accentuated by well-executed field recordings that add further weight to the feelings of desolation & loneliness you'll inevitably be experiencing through the layers of guitars & distant drum pulse. It really does come at you in waves with Wintherr's insane screams being a real highlight. You would have to imagine that he would have completely burnt his voice out with this performance. 

The last couple of tracks do see the quality dropping a touch which is mainly due to their faster tempos which see the drum machine becoming much more obvious & this element does take a little away from the atmosphere however it's not enough to see me pulled out of the foreign & intimidating place I've been transported to. The 79 minute run time is a little extreme too however the consistency of the tracklisting is excellent so it's very hard to argue against it, particularly when I don't have any problems taking in the whole release in one sitting. Overall, "Winterkaelte" is a glorious & majestic piece of black metal art that should captivate anyone regarding themselves as a black metal purist.

For fans of Burzum, ColdWorld & Darkspace.

4.5/5

Ben, Vinny & Sonny, I noticed that you haven't rated this one yet. I highly recommend that you investigate it.

Here's another earlier demo tape we did in 1995.

I think 1993 was the beginning of the golden metal age in my opinion

Personally I'd suggest that 1985-1995 was the golden age of metal but it depends what genres you're into. Most people would probably say it started a little earlier in the 1980's than I do.

1993 was the final year in death metals five year reign at the top of extreme metal with black metal taking the mantle the following year.

This month's feature release list was so impressive. I loved all bar one of the nine records included & even added the M.S.W. album to my Hall of Metal Glory. It was good to revisit some old favourites from my past (Ministry, Converge, Alice In Chains, Necrodeath) & the Blood Red Throne, Keep Of Kalessin & Altesia records were all worthy additions to my collection. The Altesia one was particularly surprising given that I'd never heard of them before. To be fair on Andi, I was never gonna like the Gamma Ray album as that variety of European power metal just isn't my bag.

Here's the list of features in order of preference:

1. M.S.W. - "Obliviosus" (2020)  4.5/5

2. Ministry - "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" (1989)  4.5/5

3. Blood Red Throne - "Altered Genesis" (2005)  4/5

4. Converge - "You Fail Me" (2004)  4/5

5. Keep Of Kalessin - "Reclaim" E.P. (2004)  4/5

6. Altesia - "Paragon Circus" (2019)  4/5

7. Alice In Chains - "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" (2013)  4/5

8. Necrodeath - "Into The Macabre" (1987)  4/5

9. Gamma Ray - "Power Plant" (1999)  3/5

Well done to Sonny who has picked up my monthly award for best feature release too.

This track is such a disappointment given the undeniable strength of some of the other material on Savatage's "Edge Of Thorns" album.

I'm very surprised to hear myself saying that I genuinely adore this Savatage belter. For fans of Queensryche, Virgin Steele & Crimson Glory.

Well done Sonny. That's quite an achievement. 

In reference to your decisions on whether to aim for a fourth clan or not & which clan you might choose if you decide to go down that path, here's a couple of insights that might help:

1. It's worth keeping in mind that the primary purpose of the clan configuration is to try to ensure that our audience can view release ratings that aren't diluted by scores from people that don't have a general passion for the subgenres in question. For this reason, I would suggest asking yourself if a) you can speak with some level of authority about a prospective clan & b) you have a strong passion for the majority of the material the clan contains.

2. As an individual, what clan members get out of being a part of a clan is the privilege of selecting the monthly feature releases, nominating tracks for the monthly Spotify playlists & voting on Hall entries so I'd also ask whether you feel that you have something to contribute in those areas as an active & informed fan of the clan's music.

If the answer to those questions is "yes" then you're a good candidate for that particular clan. :)

For the record Andi, the ability to add a fifth clan is not something we're likely to consider as the more clans you give people access to the less powerful the whole clan arrangement becomes. We really only want people to be a part of clans that they have a strong passion for in order to ensure that the clan ratings are as reflective of the associated fanbase's opinions as possible.

To be fair, Saxon wouldn’t even come close to the top five of heavy metal in terms of popularity. Probably not even the top ten. The top three bands are obvious in Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath & Judas Priest. There’s probably a case for Metallica & Megadeth to be included somewhere given the huge success of their more traditional heavy metal outings but for the sake of this argument let’s exclude them. In that case, Motörhead & Ozzy Osbourne would round out a Big Five of heavy metal pretty clearly in my opinion.

Of the bands you mentioned, I would suggest that Accept are easily more popular than Saxon & would likely push for inclusion in the remainder of the top ten along with Dio, Queensryche, King Diamond, Avenged Sevenfold, WASP, Manowar, Venom, Mercyful Fate, etc.

I think you've missed my point Andi. The bands you mentioned may not reside in the top few most popular heavy metal bands of all time but they definitely sit amongst the most celebrated artists from the remainder. They all have multiple albums that are regarded as genuine classics & are pretty much essential listening for any fan of your more traditional heavy metal sound so I find it hard to fathom the idea that they're underrated. I mean Accept were (& still are) fucking huge for example!! I don't think it would taking too much creative license to suggest that their latest album is the biggest heavy metal release of 2021 so far.

I dunno about you guys but I actually think top tens are much more relevant than extended ones. I generally only wanna see the life-changers. I don’t agree with honourable mentions either. A record is either good enough to make it or it’s not. Quality over quantity as they say!

I don't think the rest of British Steel is as overrated as most other Priest albums, maybe even Iron Maiden (the kind of opinion that might have metalheads from the early half of the 80s yell "Off with his head!!"). If I want true underrated classic heavy metal from the late 70s and 80s, at least I have Riot, Accept, Running Wild, Virgin Steele, and Crimson Glory.

Quoted shadowdoom9 (Andi)

All of who wish they were Judas Priest & none of which are underrated.

Pig Destroyer - "Prowler In The Yard" (2001)

The 2001 second album "Prowler In The Yard" from Washington grindcore legends Pig Destroyer is right up there with my favourite grind releases ever. It's not the most substantial of records. I mean you shouldn't go into it expecting an emotional rollercoaster. Instead, you can expect to leave the experience feeling a little shaken up & disturbed, particularly after the five minute finale to the epic "Piss Christ" which is some of the most fucked up shit you're ever likely to hear & reminds me of something from a Rob Zombie horror film.

The album starts off on a real high with it's two strongest & most brutal tracks giving you a solid battering of blast beats & insane shrieking. As the album progresses Pig Destroyer become a lot more riffy & you'll pick up the obvious influence of Slayer, Pantera & Machine Head. It's this strong riff component that gives founding guitarist & Agoraphobic Nosebleed main man Scott Hull his edge & enables the album to dig its teeth in.

Unfortunately, much like most grindcore releases, the novelty does wear off after a while & I usually use this record for a short blast of enjoyment that I don't have to think about too much. It's strength is in its consistency with no weak songs amongst the 22 included in the tracklisting. It's interesting that I've always found the most popular track "Trojan Whore" to be the weakest of the lot, perhaps due it also being the most accessible. The production is excellent & J.R. Hayes' insane vocal performance really adds to the unhinged atmosphere. You don't even notice the lack of a bass player here as the guitars have a lovely thick tone.

"Prowler In the Yard" is a solid & professional example of the grindcore genre that's been put together by a group of dudes that really know what they're doing. As far as Pig Destroyer's back catalogue goes, I rate it slightly ahead of its more highly regarded follow-up "Terrifyer" from three years later but a fair way behind their incredible one-track sludge metal E.P. "Natasha" from 2008 which is on another level to anything else they've done in my opinion.

For fans of Napalm Death, Brutal Truth & Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

4/5

Intense Washington grindcore for fans of Napalm Death, Brutal Truth & Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

Hi guys. I don't mean to be difficult but I'd just like to reiterate that I need your playlist submissions in by the 15th of each month (Sydney time). I know I've accepted late submissions on several occasions over the last few months but this has meant that I've had to rework playlists that were already completed which adds an additional challenge when I'm already so time poor.

Some fine blasting Norwegian black metal for fans of Immortal, Dark Funeral & 1349.

Ok, so it doesn't take a genius to be able to figure out that this little E.P. was always going to be something that I'd enjoy given its unquestionable pedigree & consistent use of well executed & undeniably brutal blast-beats. I've had a rocky relationship with Norway's Keep Of Kalessin over the years with albums like 2010's "Reptilian" doing very little for me but "Reclaim" is likely the best material I've heard from them. Admittedly a lot of that appeal comes from the two monumental figures that Obsidian C. has drafted into the fold which was obviously an excellent move, particularly in relation to Frost who is clearly the major drawcard. I'm a total sucker for full-on extreme drumming displays like he contributes here & this component alone pretty much secures a more than decent rating from me as long as the rest of the group don't fuck things up too badly & there's no hint of that. Sadly though, I do agree with Vinny that there is still a fair amount of unfulfilled potential here.

Despite the general tendency to tag this release as Melodic Black Metal, I'd argue that the conventional Black Metal tag is a little more appropriate. Obsidian's guitar work certainly keeps a foot on more melodic ground however it also has an undeniably thrashy quality to it & possesses the sort of dark grandeur that the Norwegians have built their reputations on over several decades now. I agree that the guitar solos are largely unnecessary as they really do go against everything that Norwegian black metal stands for but they don't completely kill the atmosphere so I can overlook them. Attila's vocals are as varied & unhinged as you would expect however I wouldn't say that they get under my skin as much as they have on his most celebrated releases. He simply delivers on his part of the deal. No more, no less. There are moments when he reminds you of how transcendent he can be at his very best however these are more the exception than the rule. But it's Frost that steals the show with a fine array of extreme drumming that thankfully manages to elevate some of the less successful riff concepts to acceptable levels.

Pretty much every track starts out in fine blasting form & my blood stays pumping for the vast majority of the tracklisting however I'd suggest that ALL of these pieces drop the ball a little bit at some point. Some of those weaker moments are due to a few overly ambitious rhythmic structures in some of the riffs with Frost doing his level best to hold everything together while others are triggered by some of the more thrash-oriented beats which lighten the mood up a little more than I'd like & it's only the majestic "Come Damnation" that manages to overcome it's failings to reach a truly elite result. I guess some of this material just seems a touch underdone, like the tracks haven't been given quite enough time to develop & the band have rushed the whole process in order to get a product out. The E.P. format of the release would support that theory too I would think. Don't get me wrong, this is some fine blasting black metal that's right up my alley. It's just that I get the impression that it could have been truly great if it was given a little more attention to detail. As it is though, "Reclaim" is still an excellent example of the genre from some of the best in the business.

For fans of Immortal, Dark Funeral & 1349.

4/5

The wonderful opening track from this Oregan-based post-sludge/doom solo act M.S.W. whose debut album "Obliviosus" (2020) should appeal to fans of Hell, Lento & Dark Buddha Rising.

"Obliviosus" is a wonderful release Sonny. A truly captivating piece of art that gains further emotional investment with each repeat listen. I honestly don't think the Doom Metal tag does it justice because it's so much more than that with each track taking a different direction. The opening track "O Brother" is the best of the four in my opinion, perhaps because it's the most extreme with M.S.W. taking more of a blackened doom/sludge direction & in doing so managing to get my blood boiling nicely. The short ambient piece "Funus" is a well executed instrumental interlude that would fit very nicely on a Stars Of The Lid record (in fact I'd be very surprised if they weren't the direct influence for this one). "Humanity" sits very much in line with the stripped back post-sludge sound that Neurosis championed on their "The Eye Of Every Storm" album while epic closer "Obliviosus" is a post-metal monster that draws heavily on post-rock superstars Sigur Rós for inspiration.

In truth, there's not a huge amount of your conventional doom metal sound here with a lot more of the album sitting more comfortably under the post-metal tag & incorporating clean instrumentation, string arrangements & soaring melodic guitar overlays however whenever M.S.W. gets his doom on he leaves you crushed under the weight of a thousand anvils with the screechy vocals pushing things into sludge territory. The guitar & bass tone are wonderfully filthy whilst always remaining clear & concise. The links to black metal are fairly tenuous to be honest. Sure, the vocals kinda sit somewhere between a black metal shriek & an angst-ridden sludge metal scream & there are a couple of two minute sections where the drumming kicks into a more up-tempo blasty style that sees you temporarily transported to an icy Scandinavian winter however there's not nearly enough genuine black metal to warrant any considerations of blackened doom as a primary subgenre. In fact, I'm more inclined to go with the post-sludge tag as the most senior subgenre for this one & will certainly be looking to add a Hall entry to have it included in The Infinite.

"Obliviosus" is an introspective & emotional rollercoaster of a record. It's as beautiful & uplifting as it is dark & depressing with the glistening post-metal component playing the perfect foil for the dank & doomy sludge metal one. The ambitious instrumentation has been splendidly executed & I have to wonder how much of a solo act this really was given the sheer scope of the arrangements. The vocals do a great job at conveying the heart-wrenching subject matter too & you don't have any trouble picking up on the storyline despite the lack of cleanliness in their delivery. This element also helps to pull the variety of styles & sounds into a more cohesive unit than they might otherwise have appeared. It's releases like this one that have been one of the real positives of the Metal Academy feature release concept & keep me looking forward to connecting with all of you well-informed metalheads as often as possible to share our passions.

For fans of Hell, Lento & Dark Buddha Rising.

4.5/5

P.S. Am I the only one that's baffled by Metal Archives having labelled M.S.W. as funeral doom metal? I've always been baffled by many metalheads' insistence on using that site as a reliable point of reference when making arguments on metal-related topics.

8. Dare - Blood from Stone

I've never actually heard of this one before Vinny. What's the story behind that selection?

I’m not really a fan of alternative metal as much as most other metal genres, so here are 5 Gateway albums coming to my mind, rated from low to high (#1 being the highest):

5. Devin Townsend - Addicted (2009)

4. Linkin Park - The Hunting Party (2014)

3. Disturbed - Asylum (2010)

2. Linkin Park - Meteora (2003)

1. Coldrain - The Side Effects (2019)

I've never heard of Coldrain before Andi. What can we expect from this record? I was also interested to see that Dir en Grey's "Uroboros" didn't make an appearance. Didn't you give that album the full five stars last month? Surely you'd have that above "Addicted" which you were fairly critical of a few months back.

To be open & transparent, I've always thought that you're very well suited to The Gateway to be honest. There seems to be a common misconception that The Gateway is in some way less metal than the other clans however I'd argue that it's generally heavier than The Guardians & a lot of what The Infinite encompasses too. If you ever get a spare couple of hours, I'd recommend giving a full The Gateway playlist a listen. You might be surprised.

For me, probably:

1.) Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2

2.) Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue

3.) Psychostick - Do

4.) Waltari - Big Bang

5.) Devin Townsend - Addicted

6.) Waltari - Space Avenue

7.) Disturbed - Indestructible

8.) Dub War - Pain

9.) System of a Down - System of a Down

10.) Stam1na - Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä

Such an interesting list Tymell. Your refusal to have your opinions guided by the masses if a trait that I've always respected.

7. Angela Martyr - The November Harvest (2016)

Quoted Sonny

Interesting selection Sonny. I've honestly never heard of this artist. What can we expect from this record?

5. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992

Quoted Sonny

So you've finally taken the plunge & given an Alice In Chains record a few spins, have you Sonny? I'm glad you have because "Dirt" is a top ten metal record in general for me. It's about as perfect as it gets in my opinion.

5. Alice in Chains - Dirt

Quoted Vinny

I thought you liked the last couple of Alice In Chains records far more than the Layne Stayley era Vinny. 

Some very solid Norwegian death metal for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Vomitory & Cannabis Corpse.

Yeah I'm really digging this one too. I've been familiar with Blood Red Throne for more than a decade now & have always liked them. Ben & I actually got the chance to see them live at Hellfest 2012 & they were really solid in a live environment too. They're tight & brutal & have a very strong death metal pedigree. I love the gutteral vocals & the Cannibal Corpse style half-time riffage. The performance of the rhythm section is obviously pretty awesome too with the Alex Webster inspired bass playing of future Deeds Of Flesh & Spawn Of Possession member Erlend Caspersen & the powerful double kick work of Carpathian Forest, Green Carnation & In The Woods... drummer Anders Kobro being some of the highlights of the album.

There's just a few things that prevent Blood Red Throne from competing with the top tier of the death metal spectrum in my opinion. Firstly, they wear their influences very obviously on their sleeves. In fact I can pretty easily pick out where most of the riffs were derived from so it's lucky that they do it extremely well. It's just that they jump around a little bit in paying homage to one classic death metal band after another without ever really firming up their own identity. They probably missed an opportunity with the lead guitar work too as I feel that a more accomplished performance could have taken them to the next level. But the main reason that I can't quite get my scoring up to the higher end is the inclusion of some fairly generic riffs here & there. These often come with some bouncy up-beat drumming that doesn't appeal to me all that much too &, although these sections usually only stick around for a short period, they've managed to encourage me to drop a half mark off my rating in the process. Still... this is a very high quality death metal record with great intensity & brutality & I'd be surprised if any fans of the genre fail to find enjoyment in it.

For fans of Cannibal Corpse, Vomitory & Cannabis Corpse.

4/5

A belter of an industrial metal anthem from these Chicago legends. For fans of White Zombie, Red Harvest & "Broken"-era Nine Inch Nails.

You may be aware of the commonly used phrase that states that "absence makes the heart grow fonder" & there's rarely been a better example of that idea than with my first revisit to "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" in a couple of decades. This album represents one my earliest experiences with the industrial metal subgenre (along with Godflesh's legendary "Streecleaner" album from around the same period) & it came at a time when I was deeply entrenched in the extreme metal scene. There was something different & quite special about Ministry & songs like "Thieves" & "Burning Inside" would become regular plays on my Walkman over the next year or so. 1992's "Psalm 69" would see Ministry take off into the stratosphere & become a household name & this has meant that it's "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" is often overlooked in favour of its younger sibling however I'd like to suggest that it's not all that far behind it in terms of overall quality. Don't get me wrong. I still prefer the thrashier & more consistently metallic violence of "Psalm 69" but when you look at it closely you'll find that "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" more than holds its own alongside it. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's a genuine classic for the genre & not just because it its timing either. 

The album begins with what can only be described as two complete industrial metal anthems in the two iconic tracks I mentioned earlier & there are likely many fans that feel that the album peaked too early & never quite recovered the same level of intensity. However, I'd argue that the more stripped back & atmospheric numbers like the post-punk inspired "Cannibal Song" & closing industrial darkwave piece "Dream Song" are equally as potent only in a very different way. There's not a weak track on the tracklisting actually. Sure, the rap vocals on "Test" drag it down a fair bit however it's far from an embarrassment with its gradual building of tension & climactic crescendo. I definitely prefer it when the vocals take that aggressive approach run through gurgly effects though. That technique has gone on to be a staple of the Ministry arsenal over the years & for good reason. Some of the dance-tempo beats on a few of the tracks sound a little dated by today's standards but there's an air of authenticity & a universal electricity about all of this material that I find really fresh & exciting, even when listening to it in the modern day. This is the sign of a special group of musicians & I think that Ministry were such a group at the time.

If you're a fan of industrial rock or metal then I'd suggest that "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" should be essential listening along with the records either side of it. Ministry have managed to beautifully layer their interest in more extreme music over the top of a wealth of generally dark influences that include industrial, post-punk, gothic rock & darkwave & have come up with a ground-breaking & seminal work that played a strong role in developing the genre. Is there an element of nostalgia attached to my feelings? I'm not too sure but I can't deny my inclination to label this record as a classic metal release these days.

For fans of White Zombie, Red Harvest & "Broken"-era Nine Inch Nails.

4.5/5

Leave it to two terrible sh*t-wipes of songs to ruin what would've been my entryway album to industrial metal:

I agree that "Test" is the clear weak point of the album as the rap vocals were misguided & drag an otherwise vibrant & electric track down significantly. It gradually builds in intensity & climaxes in a pretty epic crescendo though so I still don't mind it. "Dream Song" on the other hand is a wonderfully dark, majestic & transcendental way to finish the album & sits amongst my all-time favourite Ministry material. The Dead Can Dance & 80's industrial influences are beautifully synchronized & I have no hesitation in awarding it the full 5/5. I'd ask what drugs you're on with that call Andi although I fear it's probably more about what drugs I'VE taken to be honest.

Superb French progressive metal for fans of Dream Theater, Opeth & Haken.

Wow! What a great feature release selection this is. I'd never heard of Bordeaux-based progressive metallers Altesia before but I can honestly say that I've come out of my initial experiences feeling pretty amazed at how incredibly well written & executed this album is for a debut release. The ambition Altesia have displayed here is nothing short of amazing when you think about it & they've been blessed by the perfect production job to compliment their efforts.

It's probably worth mentioning up front that "Paragon Circus" isn't exactly the most metal of releases you'll find in the Metal Academy database. On the contrary, I'd probably suggest that it sits closer to progressive rock than it does to progressive metal when viewed holistically. The super-clean production job is a big part of that as this simply feels a lot like a prog rock record with the guitar tone not overdoing the distortion & the layered vocals coming across as pretty unintimidating. These are not meant to be criticisms but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that my score was limited by the lack of darkness & danger in Altesia's sound. I guess it just comes down to personal preference but if the band are reading this then they shouldn't take it to heart as I genuinely feel that any fan of prog rock giants like Porcupine Tree will likely go completely nuts over "Paragon Circus".

As a point of comparison, the Dream Theater influence is the most obvious in my opinion but it rarely highlights itself in the form of plagiarism. Altesia run their own race but have clearly learnt a lot from their idols & have mastered the tools required to compete on a similar level. There's definitely more than a hint of latter day Opeth about them too, particularly in the vocals of Clément Darrieu who often sounds strikingly similar to prog icon Mikael Åkerfeldt. The complexity in the song-writing is super impressive but you never get the feeling that Altesia are trying to be overly showy. These elements are used more as tools of expression than as advertisements of their technical prowess & they're performed with a smooth precision that sees them glide over the listener like a brush rather than savaging them with a chisel. It has to be said that the lead guitar work of Alexis "Idler" Casanova is utterly superb & consistently toys with my musical sweet spot through a combination of exotic melodicism & artistic experimentation. I truly love the understated extravagance in his tone, style & technique, all of which showcase a solid pedigree in the finer nuances of progressive music. Why do I feel that we're likely to hear a lot more about him in the future? 

"Paragon Circus" is a splendid debut from a super talented band with enormous focus & an uncanny understanding of their own sound for such a new artist. The ability of the Metal Academy regulars to consistently highlight unknown releases of this quality is one of the biggest selling points for participation in our feature release discussions so I thank Saxy for bringing another strong outing to our attention.

For fans of Dream Theater, Opeth & Haken.

4/5

05. Corrosion Of Conformity – “Albatross” (from “Deliverance”, 1994)

3.5/5 Groove laden metal. But is this really a Fallen track?

17. Yautja – “Tethered” (from “The Lurch”, 2021)
3.5/5 Not bad, but I don't hear a Fallen track here.

I’m not sure I agree with you in regards to the Corrosion of Conformity track Sonny. Stoner metal is very often quite groovy in my experience & this track sounds very much like the classic Sabbath-inspired Southern stoner metal model to my ears. 

I've only just listened to the Yautja track in full for the first time & would suggest that it's pretty closely affiliated with our The Revolution clan. I'd probably describe it as mathcore played with a sludge metal sound & attitude so the joint status between The Fallen & The Revolution seems logical however I can certainly understand your point.

A solid & memorable German power metal anthem for fans of Helloween, Blind Guardian & Judas Priest.