Daniel's Forum Replies

A classic US heavy metal anthem for fans of Judas Priest, Running Wild & Helstar.

I'm really glad I gave "ThunderSteel" another chance because time has seen me finding it to be not only a much more enjoyable experience but also to be comfortably the best Riot album I've heard to date. It really doesn't sound anything like the Riot I'm so used to from their first five albums & that's not only because of the new front man. It's a much more metal sounding prospect than anything they'd undertaken previously. The Rhett Forrester period was highlighted by a bluesier edge but that's been completely tossed aside in favour of a metal-for-metal's-sake approach that draws heavily on the greats of the heavy metal genre for inspiration whilst upping the ante in terms of energy a lot of the time.

Musically, "ThunderSteel" is a combination of heavy metal, power metal & speed metal so it fits very comfortably under the US power metal tag that's intended to cover bands that blur the lines between those subgenres. The album kicks off with two straight-down-the-line speed metal numbers, takes a more epic turn towards power metal with a trio of tracks in the middle & closes out with three more traditional heavy metal songs in the back end. It's really interesting to see just how opposing my views are from that of Xephyr who seems to favour power metal over the more traditional heavy metal sound. To my ears the B side is the stronger of the two sides with the super anthemic "Bloodstreets" & lengthy closer "Buried Alive (Tell Tale Heart)" being the clear standout tracks. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that "Bloodstreets" is one of the best examples of 80's heavy metal I've heard in a long time. It's chorus is absolutely spectacular! It's no surprise that the Dio-era Black Sabbath inspired "Sign of the Crimson Storm" is another favourite either as I simply feel much more at ease with the classic metal sound. Don't get me wrong. With the exception of the fairly flat "On Wings of Eagles", I still quite like the speed & power metal material. It's just that I don't find it to have the depth of the slower, heavier material. 

Riot's influences are plain for all to see here. Sure, you can hear plenty of early Iron Maiden scattered across the tracklisting but the more obvious influence is Judas Priest, so much so that there's a strong case for claims that "ThunderSteel" runs a little too close to the plagiarism line at times, particularly as new front man Tony Moore is a dead ringer for Rob Halford only with a little more politeness in his delivery. Tony’s certainly got a set of pipes on him & is one of the major drawcards for the album in my opinion. The other is band leading axe-slinger Mark Reale who really goes to town on the exciting, ultra-shredding guitar solos. The drumming is a little light-weight in comparison & reminds me very much of former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks in that regard. In fact, most of the speed & power metal material seems to be heavily inspired by the classic opener from Priest's 1978 album "Stained Class". Does anyone else hear "Exciter" throughout this record?

Regardless, I don't want anyone to think of any of those observations as being particularly negative because I really dig "ThunderSteel". My affection for it is driven fairly heavily by its highlights but also by its class & consistency. I'd honestly be very surprised if fans of bands like Judas Priest, Running Wild & Helstar don't wet themselves over it to be honest.

4/5

Thanks for the heads up Andi. I’m certainly aware of them but don’t believe I’ve ever checked them out. I’ve added them to my playlist for the next few weeks.

It’s actually an old favourite of mine from my tape trading days Sonny. This serves as a welcome reminder that I’ve never gotten around to rating it though so I’ll stick it into my playlist for the next few weeks.

"Necroceros" is a more than decent example of old school death metal in my opinion. The composition & execution is high quality however there's very little ambition on display with the riff structures being about as simple as you'll find in 2021. Still, despite the fact that I've never rated Martin van Drunen's vocal delivery as highly as some, I'm an OSDM tragic if you've ever seen one so it's hard not to enjoy the way that Asphyx maximize the impact of their arrangements by not overcomplicating things & keeping plenty of space in their composition. In fact, I was actually very close to going with a 4/5 simply due to the overall consistency of this record that includes no weak tracks but I was ultimately held back by the lack of genuine highlights.

3.5/5

P.S. How blatant is the Bolt Thrower worship on "Molten Black Earth"??

La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela - "31 VII 69 10:26-10:49 PM / 23 VIII 64 2:50:45-3:11 AM [aka The Black Record]" (1969)

This was the first collaborative project for this experimental US husband & wife team & was one that saw them giving birth to the drone genre in the process. "The Black Record" encapsulates two 20+ minute pieces that require patience & the right mind-set to fully understand. Unfortunately the first of them is 23 minutes of the couple making obscure vocal sounds & I find it to be pretty intolerable however the second piece offers a much darker & more industrial atmosphere that really appeals to me. This is music that's best consumed as background noise or a meditative accompaniment rather than being a primary focal point. It's a more interesting listen that it is an enjoyable one to be honest & I'd only recommend you investigate it as an historical reference point.

3/5

French thrash metal for fans of Destruction, Whiplash & Kreator. This particular track has some parts that were clearly influenced by the black metal of Darkthrone.

Hhhmmmm.... I tried hard to like this one. I really did. But unfortunately I just found it to be a bit too unpolished & unfocused for my liking. It's generally being labelled as thrash metal but thrash is really just one component with Hexecutor throwing the kitchen sink into this record as far as influences go. The basis of their sound sits somewhere between the Teutonic thrash metal of Destruction & Kreator & the German speed metal of early Helloween with flourishes of Iron Maiden's melodic heavy metal, the black metal of Absu, Bathory & Darkthrone & legitimate European power metal tossed in for good measure. I even hear a fair bit of Vektor at times although Hexecutor are nowhere near as ambitious. The vocal delivery sounds a lot like Kreator's Mille Petrozza & is likely the element that's most responsible for the consistent thrash tagging as there's probably more speed metal from a purely instrumental point of view. The production is definitely pretty thin & lacking which doesn't help but I simply couldn't get into the more speed/power metal sections much even though the thrashier moment are reasonably solid. I haven't picked a dud feature for a while but I can't say that I'll be coming back to "Beyond Any Human Conecption Of Knowledge..." any time soon.

3/5

I thoroughly enjoy "Swerve City", "Leathers" and "Entombed", but the second half of this record tries to get more progressive and can't stick the landing. 

It's interesting that I actually find the B-side to be the stronger of the two, particularly the four track run from "Tempest" through to "Goon Squad" which is the best part of the record for mine.

every Deftones album since Diamond Eyes has focused more on texture than hooks.

I dunno about that. To my ears "Koi no Yokan" is still built around heavy riffs & catchy hooks & I feel similarly about "Ohms".

P.S. This is fourth Deftones album featured in The Gateway in just fourteen months. And while I certainly see no problem with highlighting one of Alternative Metal's best groups, it does feel a little disproportionate, especially when there is a shoegaze/post-metal/alternative metal revival going on with groups like Loathe and Hum.

Point taken. I knew it was self-indulgent when I made the call for this month's feature but I honestly didn't realise how heavily I'd focused on the one band until you guys highlighted it. You'll see more variation moving forwards. In fact, I've already got something penciled in for next month that's more in line with your suggested direction.

We'll have to agree to disagree then as I don't hear much resemblance to the heavier, chunkier & hard-hitting grunge-based sound of Tool & Deftones to be honest. For me, alternative metal is more of a late 80's/ early 90's thing than is a late 90's/early 2000's one & doesn't have as much to do with crossover appeal as much as it does with a crossover with the sounds being heard on early 90's alternative radio stations who were taking an alternative route to the cleaner, glossier & more indulgent approach of 80's rock & metal. Pain Of Salvation just seem to take a traditional progressive rock/metal path that's much more in line with the 80's to my ears.

A ripper of a Californian alternative metal anthem.

Look, I probably deserved that but I was hardly trying to hide the fact that I just really wanted to find an excuse to listen to this record & my efforts were rewarded in spades because this is another brilliant Deftones record. It certainly sounds exactly like Deftones. There's no question about that & it's interesting that a lot of reviewers always seem to want to tell us that each subsequent release from this band incorporates this or that disparate influence but the end result is generally just what you expected it to be. That's not a problem for me at all because I love Deftones' sound & the more finely honed it becomes the more I find myself salivating at the prospect. The point of differentiation between each release in their back catalogue is just how deep those emotionally charged hooks dig their talons in & I'm pleased to say that these ones grab on for dear life. There's not a sign of a weak track amongst this lot with only closer "What Happened To You?" seeing the quality drop a little. Album highlights like "Leathers" & "Gauze" sit amongst the best work of Deftones' career while "Tempest", "Rosemary" & "Goon Squad" are also elite examples of the alternative metal sound. Where does "Koi no Yokan" sit against their highly praised back catalogue? I'd place it in the top three behind "White Pony" & their latest release "Ohms" (which I seem to rate more highly than most). This is perhaps not quite as consistently heavy as "Ohms" but goddamn the instrumentalists know how to hit on a chunky down-tuned riff!! This is a top ten release for the alternative metal genre as a whole for me.

4.5/5

I think your hip hop reference is a bit of a stretch to be honest Andi.

I'm intrigued by your reference to alternative metal saxy as I've always thought of "Remedy Lane" as a fairly traditional example of progressive rock/metal. What have I overlooked?

An enjoyable folk/Viking metal epic for fans of Falkenbach, Finsterfrost & Viking-period Bathory.

I'd suggest that "V: Hävitetty" is one of the most definitive releases for The North in that it really encapsulates elements of all three major genres housed by the clan. It never feels like black metal however it certainly borrows plenty of tools from its more evil brethren. To my ears it's just as much of a Viking metal record as it is a folk metal one though as it's not only got plenty of theatrical hints at longboats & the like but it's also got that rolling, epic feel you expect from Viking metal. You'll also find some progressive flourishes in the synthesizer use at times although anyone suggesting that this is a progressive release is overstating things.

I first encountered Moonsorrow very quickly after my return to metal in 2009. I'd noticed that their 2005 album "Verisäkeet" was very highly regarded so I thought I'd better check it out. Unfortunately I found myself struggling with it for all of the reasons that I struggle with folk metal in general. The folk melodies just don't appeal to me & I find that this takes most of the intensity out of the music for me. But after experimenting a bit more with the rest of Moonsorrow's back catalogue I would find that they'd undergone a gradual transformation that would see me identifying more & more to grab onto with each subsequent release. I utterly despise their first couple of albums "Suden uni" & "Voimasta ja kunniasta" but 2003's "Kivenkantaja" & 2005's "Verisäkeet" both saw them edging progressively a touch closer to my affection without ever really threatening to become something I'd class as being genuinely enjoyable. Looking back now I can easily see that Moonsorrow's ability to provide me with any sort of value is generally dependent on what the ratio of folk-to-Viking is like. They seem to have gradually added more of the Viking-period Bathory influences in over time whilst toning back the folk metal cheese & that's definitely a good thing for me. And this bring us to their fifth album "V: Hävitetty" which finally sees Moonsorrow breaching my tough exterior & offering me some sort of appeal. 

"V: Hävitetty" is a little bit of a frustrating album for me though. It starts off in the most awe-inspiring fashion with the first third of the immense 30 minute opener "Jäästä syntynyt / Varjojen virta" being nothing short of mind-blowing & leading me to question whether I'm in for a significantly more noteworthy experience. The next ten minute section sees the quality dropping back a bit but maintaining a solid level before the last third unfortunately signals the arrival of some of those cheesier folk metal extravagances that I find so grating. Overall it makes for an enjoyable listen but I can't help but feel that it was a missed opportunity. The other huge track "Tuleen ajettu maa" sees things dipping a little further with several sections that are just so consciously trying to sound epic & the heavier sections being almost cancelled out by the most unintimidating synthesizers & folk instrumentation. It's beautifully produced, performed & executed of course which is always the case with this band but it just sits so far outside of my comfort zone that I find myself squirming all the time even if I can appreciate the clear artistic value. So my main concern with "V: Hävitetty" is that I find it progressively less appealing across the span of its run time & it leaves me feeling a touch disappointed at the end even though I never feel my effort was wasted. Thankfully "Jäästä syntynyt / Varjojen virta" is strong enough to make this the first Moonsorrow album to offer me a reasonable level of appeal as an overall package.

3.5/5

Godflesh's first genuine classic in my opinion. A brilliant example of early industrial metal.

I first became aware of Godflesh around 1989/90 through "Streetcleaner" which thoroughly blew me away. When I went back to check out this E.P. shortly afterwards it took me some time to warm up to it because it takes a very similar direction but is slightly inferior to its younger sibling in all areas. However given a bit of time & perspective I was able to judge the release on its own merits & within a year or so I found it to be a very solid introduction to the Godflesh sound which already possessed all of the elements that made them so great on subsequent releases. The very cold production makes this a noticeably inaccessible release as there's simply no brightness or colour on offer. Instead the listener has to contend with very dreary & lifeless existence which will appeal to some & discourage others. This does hold "Godflesh" back a little bit in my opinion & is one of the reasons that I rate it behind most of the band's later material. Justin definitely made the guitars more up-front following this release where their heavily down-tuned tone almost disappears into the distorted bass at times & that was a good move as the result definitely gives them more urgency & excitement as well as making them a a little more accessible. His early approach does make the influence of some of the more seminal industrial acts a little more obvious than it would be on their more unique sounding records though. Justin's vocal performance is probably a little more inconsistent here than it would become but let's be honest.... his vocal musings were never intended to be the focal point or the epitome of vocal talent. "Ice Nerveshatter" is the track that I find to be most complete & it represents Godflesh's first genuine classic in my opinion. In fact, it's still one of my favourites amongst their entire back catalogue. The bonus tracks give an even clearer view of the band's industrial roots as you won't find any metal there whatsoever. Both are of a very high quality though (particularly the stunning twelve minute epic "Wounds" which challenges "Ice Nerveshatter" for top honours for mine) & I'd encourage everyone to seek out the extended version of the E.P. over the traditional one. In fact, I'd suggest that this E.P. should be essential listening for Godflesh fans but, despite its chronological significance, I don't regard "Godlfesh" as a classic release for the industrial genre overall (at least not the original six-track version of it). We'd have to wait for their next release to see them change the world.

For fans of Pitchshifter, Fall Of Because & Skin Chamber.

4/5 

An example of premium level progressive rock from these Swedes. For fans of Riverside, Leprous & Dream Theater.

I first became acquainted with "Remedy Lane" back in 2009 & found it to be a pretty enjoyable listen although it would seem that my affection for it has grown over time which has resulted in my bumping up my score a half star this week. I'd suggest that "Remedy Lane" is comprised of a mixture of progressive rock & progressive metal with the pointer sitting a little further over towards the rock side than the metal one. Some of that is due to the production which isn't as heavy as you'd expect from most metal albums. The heavier material has clearly been heavily influenced by Dream Theater, particularly a concept album like "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory". I've never been terribly interested in the idea of concept albums as they tend to include a lot of filler that's intended primarily for enhancing the story. There's definitely some filler here (see "Dryad Of The Woods" & particularly "Second Love") but the majority is comprised of high quality progressive music delivered with impressive professionalism so, even though I couldn't give a bugger about the storyline, I find that I'm comfortably able to enjoy the album purely on the strength of the music. There's a noticeable Mike Patton influence in the vocals at times which I find pretty interesting while the guitar solos are beautifully composed with a lovely balance of melody & technical proficiency. I don't think "Remedy Lane" is a classic release but it's certainly a damn enjoyable one & I'll be surprised if fans of bands like Riverside, Leprous & Dream Theater don't really dig it.

4/5

It's a lovely gesture Andi however the Hall submissions serve a purpose as they're the only avenue people have to combat incorrect clan positioning. My older submissions are still just as relevant now as they were when they were submitted so I see no reason to remove them despite the time it might be taking for them to be completed. I mean it's highly unlikely that we're going to see too many Hall entries going through in less than a year until the site is significantly busier. With regards to your own submissions, I'm sure we can remove them if you've changed your position on those releases.

Andi, no need to apologize as you're bang on with your thinking there. I've never seen any indication that you enjoy the definitive sludge metal sound so it never occurred to me to recommend that Isis E.P. to you. Sludge metal is angrier, noisier & more aggressive than it's doom metal neighbour & the stuff you refer to as "atmospheric sludge metal" more often than not has very little to do with it. I tend to prefer a heavier, nastier style of metal in general so I don't think it would be much of a surprise to find that I prefer a release like "The Mosquito Control" E.P. but, in saying that, there's very little in it & I still regard releases like "Panopticon" & "Oceanic" as utterly essential no matter what brand of metal floats your boat.

Ben, please add US mathcore outfit Inside The Beehive.

I've always found Prong's "Force Fed" to be a bit flat but this track represents the band at their worst. It just sounds like a mess, particularly those vocals which don't seem to know what they want to do.

These two come from a crossover thrash album but aren't thrash tracks specifically:

This one's my favourite track from the "Force Fed" album which is perhaps an indication of how much I struggle with Tommy Victor's vocal performance. The band's New York hardcore roots are particularly obvious here.

This one's a little sludgier & isn't as effective. 

Prong - "Force Fed" (1988)

New York trio Prong's sophomore release saw them returning with a more metal-heavy brand of crossover thrash to their 1987 debut "Primitive Origins" which sat a little further over to the hardcore end of the spectrum. "Force Fed" kicks off in an obviously crossover direction before taking a few detours through more traditional thrash metal territory (see early Voivod & "Reign In Blood"-era Slayer), straight-up New York hardcore & even some slower material that borders on sludge metal. In fact, there are a couple of tracks included that sound remarkably like UK industrial metallers Godflesh only without the electronic component. It's so pronounced that I'd actually be very surprised if this record wasn't an influence on a young Justin Broadrick with the generally inadequate vocal performance of front man Tommy Victor regularly coming across like a drunken version of Justin. And while we're on that topic, Victor's vocal performance often borders on incompetence to tell you the truth & this is one of my main issues with this release.  The other is the production which is very flat & inconsistent & unfortunately these two flaws combine to limit the appeal that "Force Fed" has to offer. There's a plethora of quality riffs scattered across the tracklisting but I don't feel that they manage to overcome Prong's failings & this results in "Force Fed" sounding a touch flatter than the debut which did just enough to keep me interested. Thankfully Southern Records' English CD release of the album includes two strong bonus tracks which give it the extra oomph required to make it an enjoyable listen so I'd recommend you look out for that one if you feel the urge to be "force fed" some early Prong. Why those two tracks weren't included on the album in the first place is anyone's guess, particularly the very strong sludgy eight minute cover version of Chrome's "Third From The Sun" which is very solid indeed.

For fans of 1985-87 period Corrosion Of Conformity, Suicidal Tendencies & the first couple of Voivod records.

3/5

Ben, please add US thrash metallers Acrophet.

High quality atmospheric black metal from London with a strong post-metal component. For fans of Agalloch, Altar Of Plagues & Falls Of Rauros.

You'll be pleased to know that I really enjoyed "Winter" saxy. It made a great accompaniment for four hours of driving yesterday & was whacked on again at 5:30 AM this morning while I was lying in bed. I'd suggest that it's not as cold & frostbitten as the artists you mentioned as it takes more of a glistening & at times quite beautiful approach that reminds me a lot more of bands like Agalloch, Altar Of Plagues & Falls Of Rauros. Many of the riffs & melodies possess a positive atmosphere but are still obviously black metal as opposed to the more overtly gazey artists out there. The post-metal component is substantial & is really well done, as is the clean production which suits what Fen were trying to achieve very nicely. If I'm being picky then I'd probably say that the album is about 15 minutes too long but I've gone with a very solid 4/5 rating nonetheless.

"Into The Strange" wasn't a great album but I found this track to be a particular struggle.

Brazilian thrash metal from 1988. For fans of Defiance, 80's Metallica & particularly the first couple of Testament records.

Mutilator - "Into The Strange" (1988)

I quite enjoy this Brazilian outfit's 1987 debut album "Immortal Force" which offers some very raw & intense thrash metal in the vein of Slayer, "Darkness Descends"-era Dark Angel & 1980's Sepultura however a number of lineup changes saw them returning with an entirely different sound for their sophomore effort the following year. This time their approach is much more in line with the US model of thrash with more technicality & significantly less of the raucous intensity I enjoyed about the debut. Despite still being a little on the raw side, the lead guitar work has improved noticeably following the recruit of new axe man C.M. & is the highlight of the album. The production is simply awful though & doesn't ever get above demo quality with a fair amount of inconsistency between the tone & volume of the individual tracks. I actually quite like about half of the tracks here & they tend to be the ones with a better sound which tells me that there was untapped potential in this record. There's a flatness to the rest that's accentuated by the generic nature of the song-writing which comes very close to plagiarizing Testament a lot of the time. These guys definitely know how to thrash but they've failed in the execution.

For fans of Defiance, 80's Metallica & the first couple of Testament records.

3/5

I'm the same actually Andi. I won't rate anything unless I've actively listened to it a minimum of three times. That means that I'm consciously thinking about the music & how it makes me feel for the entire duration rather than reading something on the internet or working or playing with the kids at the same time. I feel like I owe it to the musicians in a way.

And for the record, when "Bonded By Blood" was released in 1985 it was the best metal album ever recorded as far as I'm concerned.

Don’t worry about that Andi. Ben has a very long & stormy relationship with “Bonded By Blood”. It’s a real shame that his opinion is wrong about it too.

Thanks for the heads up saxy. I have a long drive to make tomorrow so this could be just what I'm looking for.

5. Your worship of live releases over studio albums has always baffled me.

Quoted Ben

"Live" is a very strong term to use when referring to "Live Undead".

3. Any album with a track like Passchendaele on can't be bad in my book. Brave New World is my most disliked Bruce-fronted album.

Quoted Sonny92

I have to admit that I actually don't like "Paschendale". There are only a few tracks that I like on "Dance Of Death" with "Gates of Tomorrow" being the clear highlight for me.

Unpopular Maiden opinion: The "Satellite 15..." intro track on "The Final Frontier" is amazing & is amongst the best things Maiden have done since their classic period.

5. Live Undead is a great record but I love Show No Mercy and Haunting the Chapel too.

Don't get me wrong here. I love "Show No Mercy" & "Haunting The Chapel" too. In fact "Haunting The Chapel" is a genuine classic in its own right & "Show No Mercy" is the best of the Big Four debuts in my opinion. I just think that the band member's overall energy & fast improving techniques (particularly Lombardo's) give "Live Undead" an edge over "Show No Mercy" while its brighter, clearer production is an improvement on "Haunting The Chapel".

Here's another unpopular opinion by the way, "Chemical Warfare" is the weaker of the three tracks from "Haunting The Chapel". "Captor Of Sin" & "Haunting The Chapel" are the genuine classics for me, particularly the title track which is generally overlooked but is one of Slayer's best overall.

1. "No Prayer For The Dying" isn't a bad Iron Maiden record. It just suffers from comparisons with their previous material.

2. I'd take Maiden's 2006 album "A Matter Of Life & Death" over the self-titled, "KIllers" or "Brave New World".

3. "Dance Of Death" is the only bad Bruce Dickinson-fronted Maiden record.

4. "Divine Intervention" is a better record than "Hell Awaits" which is the weakest of Slayer's classic period releases.

5. "Live Undead" is a genuine classic & the best of Slayer's pre-"Reign In Blood" releases.

6. Slayer's "Repentless" isn't a bad record.

More subgenres =  more lists. This can only be a good thing in my opinion as lists sit amongst the world's crowning achievements as far as I'm concerned. Besides, there's an absolute requirement to have a subgenre like melodic death metal differentiated from slam death metal as there's a very clear separation in their audiences. If we're serious about the site being the best place on the internet to discover metal music that's in line with each individuals unique personal tastes (which we undeniably are) then it really is a must-have feature,  particularly as we've had a number of people suggest that they felt this was a gap for us compared to the competition & drift away from the site.

The additional subgenrification also helps me to keep the monthly Spotify playlists fairly varied & opens up some of the more passionate & interesting discussion on the forums so I can't see that the new feature is anything but positive.

Isis' "The Mosquito Control" E.P. is one of the most underrated metal releases I've ever heard & is actually my favourite Isis record which is really saying something.

Black Cobra's 2011 album "Invernal" is a massively underrated sludge metal release in my opinion. In fact it's quickly becoming somewhat of a minor classic for me. personally.

Sonny, I think you might dig this Japanese sludge metal debut from 1996. Go for the re-release pictured above as the three bonus tracks add to the experience.

As for NWOBHM, this is absolutely a scene and not a genre. Out of interest, how does Metal Academy view NWOBHM bands that are obviously not metal - Demon spring to mind - would you allow them or not because RYM classes them under a metal sub-genre?

We've really only used the RYM tagging as a way to get everything into the database with a reasonable (if not entirely accurate) tag so that each release at least resides in the right clan in 99% of occasions. For those releases that are attached to the NWOBHM scene without actually being legitimate metal releases, I'd suggest that we'll likely keep them on the site as they're still relevant to some metalheads & have an attachment to the scene but they can be changed to the "Non-metal" primary genre so they don't appear in the charts for The Guardians. That would include bands like Saracen, Def Leppard, Demon, Girlschool, Rock Goddess, Praying Mantis, Shiva, White Spirit, Vardis, Dark Star, More, Heavy Pettin, Marseille, Money, A-II-Z, Ethel The Frog, Speed Limit, etc.

January Feature Releases

The Fallen: Rosetta - "The Galilean Satellites" (2005) 5/5

The Gateway: Katatonia - "The Great Cold Distance" (2006) 4.5/5

The Guardians: Eternal Champion - "Ravening Iron" (2020) 3.5/5

The Horde: Immolation - "Here In After" (1996) 4/5

The Infinite: Devin Townsend - "Terria" (2001) 3.5/5

The North: Serpent Column - "Endless Detainment" E.P. (2020) 4/5

The Pit: Overkill - "Horrorscope" (1991) 4/5

The Revolution: Botch - "An Anthology Of Dead Ends" E.P. (2002) 4/5

The Sphere: Uniform - "Shame" (2020) 4/5

It was another ripper of a month of feature releases for me with not a dud amongst them. It was great to be able to share my long-time love for Rosetta's debut as it's undoubtedly one of my all-time favourite releases. The Immolation & Overkill release also confirmed my feelings that they are both strong examples of their type. Devin Townsend's "Terria" has grown on me a little since my last revisit & I quite enjoy it now, despite still finding it to be heavily overrated. The big surprise for me was just how much I loved the Katatonia album. It's a genuine classic for mine. The Serpent Column, Botch & Uniform releases were all new to me & they were all really impressive. Even the US power metal of Eternal Champion gave me some enjoyment. But most of all... I just love engaging with you guys on the monthly features. It's one of the best parts of Metal Academy for me personally & I genuinely look forward to hearing what you all have to say.

You're right. The link doesn't work at all.

Greenmachine - "D.A.M.N. + 3" (1996)

The debut album from this Japanese sludge metal band. Musically, this is heavily driven by stoner metal & doom metal with a dense, noise-laden guitar tone & an intense screaming performance from front man Monzawa bringing it comfortably over into sludge metal territory. The doomier moments represent Greenmachine's more appealing material for me personally but there are no weak tracks included with the overthetop vocal delivery giving even the rockier sections a healthy dose of underground street cred. I'd highly recommend chasing down the 2003 re-release pictured above over the original 1996 version as the three bonus tracks offer similar quality & only work to enhance the overall offering given the short run-time of the original release. "D.A.M.N." comes highly recommended for fans of Soilent Green, Eyehategod & Kyuss (in fact Greenmachine appear to have taken their moniker from one of the highlight tracks from Kyuss' classic 1992 album "Blues For The Red Sun").

4/5

Now that I've listened to that Eternal Champion album, I can hear quite a difference. To quote from my review summary: This album is slightly better than probably the only other 2020 Guardians album I've listened to, Nightwish's Human Nature, in every aspect, including the sound, riffs, vocals, and confidence. Sadly, no symphonic orchestra, but thankfully, no orchestra-only tracks! Vocalist Jason Tarpey really lets loose a lot of vocal diversity, which is a boost of benefit for the band and other Guardians bands. His lyrics and concept could build worlds at strong points, such as bad-a** verses in a few songs. Those songs bring forward great influences from bands like Manilla Road and Sanctuary, all in passion and love to continue US power metal reign all over Earth. Basically, this is Sanctuary-like US power metal with fantasy lyrics you might find in Manowar and European power metal bands like DragonForce and Rhapsody of Fire, all formed into US power metal's ideal new name, "Epic Metal"!

So what makes this release US power metal when it doesn't fit your previously mentioned criteria Andi? Are you saying that all US power metal is epic & that's the common link for these bands? Do you think that's a strong enough characteristic to command its own subgenre over?