Daniel's Forum Replies

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.

With the exception of the 2000 double re-recording album "Blast From The Past", I can pretty much cut & paste my feelings on Gamma Ray's other "classic" releases here as my feelings are very much the same. "Power Plant" is well written, executed & produced & includes some brilliant examples of "Painkiller"-era Judas priest worship that I really enjoy but they're rarely extended to an entire song & are well & truly cancelled out by overdoing the schlocky melodic cheese in an attempt to out-epic & out-anthem the competition. The guitar solos are outstanding & are generally the highlight of the album while Kai Hansen's Rob Halford-esque vocal delivery is also impressive but I just can't see past my usual issues with the signature German power metal model here. In relation to the Gamma Ray back catalogue, the weaker tracks on "Power Plant" aren't as bad as they were on 1997's "Somewhere Out In Space" which gives it a slight edge however it's worth noting that there aren't as many highlight tracks either. "Land Of The Free" is probably the stronger of the three however it's pretty clear that Gamma Ray simply aren't my cup of tea. Still,,, I'd definitely take them over Helloween.

For fans of Helloween, Blind Guardian & Judas Priest.

3/5

These are my personal Alice In Chains preferences:

01. Dirt 5/5

02. Black Gives Way To Blue 4.5/5

03. Facelift 4/5

04. MTV Unplugged 4/5

05. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here 4/5

06. Jar Of Flies E.P. 4/5

07. Alice In Chains 3.5/5

08. Sap E.P. 3.5/5

I enjoy all of them to be honest. I haven't heard "Live" or "Rainier Fog" as yet but I'm sure I will at some point.

I was referring to my own concerns about qualification Andi as there are definitely a few releases that I'd have included if the lines were less blurred in regards to genrification.

I picked up both of these albums on cassette at around the same time in late 1988 & played the shit out of them at a very young age so I've possibly got a stronger emotional attachment to them than most people would. I haven't listened to "State Of Euphoria" is decades now though which is probably saying something to me in regards to which release should win this debate. "So Far, So Good... So What!" certainly has a few duds on it but none of them are horrible. They're more disappointing or flat than anything else. The rest of the tracklisting is nothing short of spectacular though & showcases a level of sophistication & technical proficiency that the thrash world was yet to experience from anyone else. I regard "So Far, So Good... So What!" as Megadeth's third best album behind the records either side of it whereas I wouldn't place "State Of Euphoria" in quite so high a position in Anthrax's back catalogue. Therefore I'm gonna have to go with Megadeth here even though I've always regarded "State Of Euphoria" as being unfairly underrated.

Alright. I'll bite. Here's my expanded list:

01. Iron Maiden – “Somewhere In Time” (1986)

02. Iron Maiden – “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” (1988)

03. Iron Maiden – “Powerslave” (1984)

04. Judas Priest – “Painkiller” (1990)

05. Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil” (1982)

06. Black Sabbath – “Paranoid” (1970)

07. W.A.S.P. – “The Crimson Idol” (1992)

08. Iron Maiden – “Live After Death” (1985)

09. Crimson Glory – “Crimson Glory” (1986)

10. Black Sabbath – “Live Evil” (1982)

11. Iron Maiden - "Rock In Rio" (2002)

12. Black Sabbath - "Sabotage" (1975)

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

14. Queensryche - "Operation: Mindcrime" (1988)

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

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

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

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

19. Unleash The Archers - "Apex" (2017)

20. Motorhead - "No Sleep Till Hammersmith" (1981)

21. Dio - "Holy Diver" (1983)

22. Black Sabbath - "The End: 4 February 2017 Birmingham" (2017)

23. Queensryche - "Operation:LIVEcrime" (2001)

24. Judas Priest - "Defenders Of The Faith" (1984)

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

Here's my top ten for The Revolution:

01. Botch – “We Are The Romans” (1999)

02. Inside The Beehive – “Drink Bleach; Live Forever” E.P. (2011)

03. Gaza – “I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die” (2006)

04. Converge – “All We Love We Leave Behind” (2012)

05. War From A Harlots Mouth - "MMX" (2010)

06. Converge – “Axe To Fall” (2009)

07. Botch – “An Anthology Of Dead Ends” E.P. (2002)

08. The Dillinger Escape Plan – “One Of Us Is The Killer” (2013)

09. Converge – “You Fail Me” (2004)

10. Serpent Column – “Endless Detainment” E.P. (2020)

Here's my top ten for The Infinite which seems to be fairly post-metal heavy. It's also worth noting that I did choose to omit a few due to concerns around qualification:

01. Boris – “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“ (2003)

02. Rosetta – “The Galilean Satellites” (2005)

03. Neurosis – “Souls At Zero” (1992)

04. Isis – “Panopticon” (2004)

05. Oranssi Pazuzu – “Mestarin kynsi” (2020)

06. Leprous – “Live At Rockefeller Music Hall” (2016)

07. Lucid Planet – “Lucid Planet II” (2020)

08. Mastodon – “Leviathan” (2004)

09. Neurosis – “Times Of Grace” (1999)

10. Neurosis – “A Sun That Never Sets” (2001)

Here's my top ten for The Guardians:

01. Iron Maiden – “Somewhere In Time” (1986)

02. Iron Maiden – “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” (1988)

03. Iron Maiden – “Powerslave” (1984)

04. Judas Priest – “Painkiller” (1990)

05. Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil” (1982)

06. Black Sabbath – “Paranoid” (1970)

07. W.A.S.P. – “The Crimson Idol” (1992)

08. Iron Maiden – “Live After Death” (1985)

09. Crimson Glory – “Crimson Glory” (1986)

10. Black Sabbath – “Live Evil” (1982)

Here's an old demo tape from 1996 from my brutal death metal band Neuropath.

My review from earlier this year:

Massachusetts’ finest mathcore exponents Converge & I have had a fairly fruitful relationship over the last decade or so. I first encountered them through their 1996 sophomore album “Petitioning The Empty Sky” shortly after release & whilst I had a bit of time for it, there would be a gap of more than a decade before our paths would cross again following my extended hiatus from the metal scene. Upon returning to the passion of my youth in 2009, I quickly caught on to the buzz surrounding the band’s “Jane Doe” LP which inevitably led to me immersing myself in the rest of Converge’s back catalogue. This included the follow-up to “Jane Doe” in 2004’s “You Fail Me” which saw the band initiating a new business relationship with punk rock label Epitaph Record. Epitaph was owned & run by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz & had built a strong reputation as a breeding ground for commercially successful punk bands like NOFX, Pennywise, The Offspring, Rancid & Bad Religion for over two decades by this stage so it was a move that opened up opportunities for a hardcore-based band like Converge. “You Fail Me” would also be the band’s first album as a four-piece following the departure of guitarist Aaron Dalbec who was asked to leave after the band & their management became concerned with Aaron’s increasing focus on his hardcore punk side project Bane.

Epitaph would recruit experienced producer Alan Douches to produce “You Fail Me” in partnership with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou & the result seems to have received mixed responses from what I’ve read online over the years. In fact, Ballou has openly stated that he felt the original mix was lacking something & put that down to engineer Matt Ellard’s lack of comfort & familiarity with the mixing desk he was asked to use & also having to battle through consistent power failures throughout the process. I’m not sure if the Spotify version I’ve been listening to this week is the one that was later remixed by Ballou & remastered by Douches for the 2016 “redux” edition or not but I certainly don’t have any problems with how it sounds. On the contrary, it’s a perfect representation of where Converge were at at this particular moment in time. The separation between the instruments is spot on & each band member receives a clarity & brightness that hasn’t always been afforded to metalcore bands over the years. There’s enough crunch to crush the listener under the weight of the heavier moments but enough subtlety to ensure that the nuances of Converge’s newly stripped back sound are also highlighted. The rhythm section sound particularly impressive in my opinion so there’s very little to complain about in this regard.

It’s interesting to see how Converge have developed their sound in the three years since Jane Doe & I’d be keen to hear how much the band members feel the new label & line-up have contributed to that. This is an extremely professionally put together package & it shows a newly found maturity in the band’s song-writing skills with a number of fresh ideas being presented with universally successful results. The four-piece lineup seems to have had some sort of impact on the direction of this material as it’s noticeably less dense & more stripped back than its gargantuan older brother “Jane Doe” & there’s also a fair bit more melody on display. Short opener “First Light” is a prime example of Converge’s exciting new approach with its atmospheric unaccompanied guitar work openly paying homage to Neil Young’s “Dead Man” soundtrack; a beautifully atmospheric record whose wonders I’ve basked in repeatedly for more than two decades now. The next track “Last Light” would also hint at the themes presented in the opener to great effect. Then we also get lengthy acoustic track “In Her Shadow” in the middle of the album; an experiment that has inevitably caused great divide amongst long-time fans. Personally, I think it works to break the record up nicely with its post-rock feel even hinting at psychedelia at times. But never fear all you metalcore fans, there’s more than enough heavy stuff included to satisfy your crazed thirst for rabid mosh-pits. My personal favourite is the gigantic title track which sees the band going for a sludgier approach driven by Nate Newton’s huge bass sound. Its use of repetition to build tension works brilliantly & I think it’s one of the best moments in Converge’s career overall. But “You Fail Me” also sees Converge returning to their hardcore punk roots more regularly than they did on “Jane Doe” & unsurprisingly those moments are the ones that appeal to me the least on the album (see “Eagles Become Vultures” for example). But, impressively, there are no genuinely weak tracks included here & it’s hard to argue with the band’s status at the top of the mathcore/metalcore tree.

Converge were a class act at this stage in their careers & everything is presented with purpose & precision & (even though metalcore isn’t my subgenre of choice) I find it hard not to really dig everything this band touches. The consistency in this material is almost intimidating to be honest. A lot of these tracks blur the lines between mathcore & traditional metalcore with the technicality that was so obvious on “Jane Doe” being more subtly utilized but no less impactful here; another a sign of the band’s new-found maturity. It sounds like Converge are more focused on song-writing & artistic expression rather than simply pulverizing the listener into submission or amazing their audience with their undoubted techniques. There’s an increased level of precision about everything they do & it makes the techier arrangements sound so fluent that it would probably be pretty easy for the more complex arrangements to fly straight over the untrained listener’s heads. This band is so talented & virtuosic by this stage that it’s almost embarrassing. Drummer Ben Koller is the clear highlight for me personally though & I regularly find myself having to pick my jaw up off the ground after those high-speed snare rolls he specializes in. What a band!

Front man Jacob Bannon’s vocal performance is a little different to what it was previously. The lyrical content is all about human failure & he uses a variety of techniques to get his point across. Personally, I’ve always found him to be the least appealing aspect of the band & that doesn’t change here. It’s mainly his more aggressive moments that I struggle with. His trademark shrieks of raw vitriol often sound like he’s spitting his lyrics out through a mouth-full of phlegm & he doesn’t possess the strength & power of many of his contemporaries. In fact, I often wonder if it’s Bannon’s contributions that leave me seeing my scoring of Converge albums being limited to the three & a half’s & four’s but I usually end up deciding that it’s more of an overall stylistic thing as no matter how good Converge are at their chosen craft, I’m not too sure they’ll ever manage to get me reaching for the higher scores.

Overall, “You Fail Me” showcases an extremely talented group of musicians flexing their creative muscles & continually pushing themselves artistically, musically & technically. It’s a more accessible record than “Jane Doe” was but its impact is felt in different & more subtle ways. I admire this album as a musician & a lover of music & it may just have been Converge’s best release to the time in my opinion.

For fans of: Botch, Drowningman, The Dillinger Escape Plan.

4/5

I've always really dug this under-appreciated gem from my tape trading days which combines the raw & intense thrash metal of early Kreator & Sodom with the primitive & under-produced brutality of Sarcofago & Vulcano & then throws in a bit of exciting mid-80's Slayer for good measure. It's certainly not the most accomplished of releases but it possesses that underground proto-death metal atmosphere in spades & is particularly vicious & evil for the time. A prime example of what made the early extreme metal scene so great.

4/5

P.S. How funny is their band name!? When is death ever NOT necro?

Razor - "Violent Restitution" (1988)

Ever given this one a spin Vinny? I think you'll dig it.

One of my favourite Canadian thrash songs of the 1980's. For fans of Slayer, Sacrifice & Exodus.

Razor - "Violent Restitution" (1988)

Razor's fifth & last 1980's album is also their finest work. I have time for all four of their previous records (Note: I don't like 1984's speed metal-driven "Armed & Dangerous" E.P. much) but none of them ever saw them managing to breach the also-ran category for me personally. This all changed when the Canadian thrash icons returned with this release which saw them upping the ante significantly as far as energy & production goes. All fourteen tracks are relentless in their velocity & aggression with nothing coming close to resembling a mid-tempo chugger. There's a significant hardcore punk influence to a lot of this stuff & even though Razor had fully embraced the thrash metal genre by this stage it's never too hard to identify their speed metal roots if you look hard enough (see the Venom inspired "Discipline" for example). The consistency of the song-writing is excellent with no weak tracks on offer & I really enjoy the snarly vocals. This is a high quality thrashfest that should be essential listening for all members of The Pit.

For fans of Slayer, Sacrifice & Exodus.

4/5

I reviewed this one in February 2014 & after giving the album a couple of spins over the last couple of days I think my review still rings true. This is what I said seven years ago:

I recently read a pre-release interview where Jerry Cantrell said that they'd created a "unique record that's completely different from anything we ever did". Well after giving the record a few spins that comment seems like a bit of an exaggeration to be honest. From a production point of view "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" sounds very similar to "Black Gives Way To Blue" (4.5/5). In fact these songs could easily be out-takes from the same sessions.

The release of BGWTB in 2009 saw a return to the more metal sound of AIC's first couple of albums but with a distinctly clean & modern production that made it sound a little more accessible. The overall heaviness of the riffs prevented it from ever treading too close to AOR territory though. I feel they've toed a bit closer to that line at times with TDPDH. It's definitely more of a traditional grunge record & champions a lighter feel to previous albums which is not necessarily a bad thing as long as the songs stand up. And there are certainly some fantastic songs here (see "Voices", ""Lab Monkey", "Choke" or album highlight "Phantom Limb" for example) but probably nothing to rival the highlights from the previous record. The album as a whole doesn't make as immediate an impact & although the songs are fairly straight forward I found that they took more time for me get into. Given repeat listens I was singing along to quite a few of these choruses though (especially the first four tracks). They haven't held back on indulging in some long run times on some of these tracks with most songs breaching the five minute mark. There are definitely a couple of flat songs spread across the tracklisting (see "Low Ceiling" & "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" for example) & given the overall length of TDPDH they could probably have dropped a couple of tracks without too much trouble.

Vocalist William DuVall seems to be a little more prominent on this record than he was on BGWTB when he was still the new guy on the block & spent most of his time sharing the mike duties with Jerry. He's definitely got a good voice & to be honest he probably contributes to the lighter feel of the album as he's a bit more clean cut sounding than Layne Staley was.

Overall I think "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" is a strong inclusion in Alice In Chains' discography. Alice In Chains are such a class act & everything they do is worth listening to but there's enough top quality material here to leave me wondering how it's been so universally underrated. I guess it could simply be a comparative thing because it's not an instant classic like a couple of their other albums.

4/5

Here's the lucky nominators for the August feature releases:

THE FALLEN: Andi, Ben, Daniel, Sonny

THE GATEWAY: Daniel, Saxy

THE GUARDIANS: Vinny, Xephyr, Andi

THE HORDE: Daniel, Vinny, Ben

THE INFINITE: Andi, Xephyr, Saxy

THE NORTH: Vinny, Xephyr, Sonny, Ben 

THE PIT: Vinny, Ben, Daniel, Sonny

THE REVOLUTION: Daniel, Andi 

THE SPHERE: Daniel

Yes I'm aware of the fact that "Anarchy In The UK" has been played regularly in a live environment Andi but that doesn't make a track a "fan favourite". That just makes it a good track to get people singing along to at the end of the night due to its simplicity & the fact that everyone knows all the words from the original. That's why it's been played as an encore. Not because it's one of people's favourite Megadeth tracks.

I agree that those three tracks are subpar Andi & I don't have much time for any of them to be honest. I think it's a bit harsh to place them in this thread though as I don't think I'd call any of them genuine stinkers. What gave you the impression that "Anarchy In The UK" is one of Megadeth's most popular songs? It's always seemed to be comfortably the least popular track from the album in my experience.

I've always liked Crowbar, particularly the vocals actually. The only thing that I find disappointing is that they've been cursed by the production gods for most of their career.