Daniel's Forum Threads
Dying Fetus - "Purification Through Violence" (1996)
I picked up the debut album from this legendary Maryland-based brutal death metal act through the tape trading scene at the time of release after quite enjoying (not to mention being influenced by) Dying Fetus' two early 90's demo tapes "Bathe in Entrails" & "Infatuation with Malevolence". "Purification Through Violence" offers more of the same (as does pretty much the entirety of Dying Fetus' recording career to tell you the truth) & suffers from the same limitations & failings which contribute to me awarding every one of their successive releases the same middling rating. Yes, the silly sweep-picking flourishes are here... so are the excellent hardcore-inspired slams... & don't forget those over-the-top dual vocals. Still... I'll always have time for this band, even in this more primitive form where their technical prowess is still clearly a work in progress. These boys played a big part in developing the brutal death metal sound that I was doing my best to replicate at the time, although I'd argue that I may have been doing it a little better than they were at this point if I'm being completely honest. Regardless, "Purification Through Violence" isn't Dying Fetus' worst record. It's not close to their best either but there's so little between their best & worst that it doesn't really matter too much. If pushed, I'd probably take "Purification Through Violence" over records like 2007's "War of Attrition", 2003's "Stop at Nothing" & even 1998's highly regarded "Killing on Adrenaline" sophomore record, not to mention the "Bathe in Entrails" demo tape.
For fans of Suffocation, Misery Index & Skinless.
3.5/5
Rammstein - "Herzeleid" (1995)
I've quite enjoyed the three Rammstein albums I've explored up until this point but I can't say that any of them are likely to receive a return visit. I simply don't think I can connect with the band on a stylistic level enough for that but it's enough of a connection to see me venturing back to their well-respected debut album for the first time this week & the results have been very similar. There's perhaps a stronger dance music influence on this material than on Rammstein's later releases which really cements their Neue Deutsche Härte crown while some of their thrashiest riffage adorns the stronger material on the tracklisting, even if it's still astoundingly basic in its construction. There are a couple of flat moments included here (see "Du riechst so gut" & "Laichzeit") but these are offset by two clear highlights in "Weisses Fleisch" & "Rammstein" which gives "Herzeleid" the same middling feel that I've found with records like 1997's "Sehnsucht", 2001's "Mutter" & 2004's "Reise, Reise". "Mutter" is still my pick of the first four Rammstein records but I've been pleasantly surprised to find that "Herzeleid" has now positioned itself into second position, mainly off the back of slightly greater consistency. Can I see myself venturing further into the Rammstein back catalogue? Yeah, probably.... but I'm also well aware that it's more of a box-ticking exercise than one that leaves me with genuine hope of finding anything that offers me anything longer-term.
For fans of OOMPH!, Megaherz & Eisbrecher.
3.5/5
Kreator - Krushers of the World (Released 13/01/26)
Since the turn of the century Kreator have taken to releasing a new album every four or five years and here we are at the beginning of 2026, with the world turning to shit, and the Teutonic Titans delivering full-length number 16. With Mille and Ventor both turning 60 this year, it would be overly optimistic to expect that they will ever reproduce the bile and venom that they unleashed with their classic period which spanned from "Pleasure to Kill" to "Coma of Souls". Indeed, they haven't really issued anything essential since 2005's "Enemy of God". This does not, however, mean that a new Kreator album deserves to be ignored. No, far from it because, although "Krushers of the World" is inconsistent and patchy, occasionally a brief glimpse of former brilliance does shine through.
There are riffs a-plenty and there is a decent energy to the album, but on the whole this latest is a little too groove-laden for my particular taste with choruses that often seem to have been written with optimum catchiness in mind and, as such, it lacks the biting venom of the band's best work. Some of the best moments come from the guitar solos which are deployed more sparingly than I would like, but when they are used, such as during "Barbarian and "Combatants"," they elevate the tracks with a level of intensity that the riffs and vocals don't quite encapsulate. For my money, the clear highlight of the album is "Psychotic Imperator". It sounds the closest to classic-era Kreator with an added choral section and a searing guitar solo that elevate it to head and shoulders above the rest of the album.
I guess that "Krushers of the World" delivers pretty much what you would expect from a Kreator album at this stage of their career, being cast into shadow by the monumental magnificence of their best and trying a little too hard to capture listeners with sometimes overtly catchy choruses. I am sure there are many who couldn't wait to tear this apart and I have no wish to join them as nothing here is actually poor but, apart from the aforementioned "Psychotic Imperator" I can't hear too much that will keep me returning to this either.
3.5/5
I am pleasantly surprised by this album if I am honest. I was so pissed off by their last studio album that I gave it a 2.5 rating, and it fucking deserved it. This one is a different beast to my ears, the melodeath elements combine with the thrashing intensity we have come to expect of Teutonic thrash almost perfectly. I cannot say the record is absent of filler and I am not a fan of the track with the singer from Hiraes on it either, but album number sixteen is a solid affair, well played, memorable and carrying some thankfully familiar levels of intensity.
Depeche Mode - "Some Great Reward" (1984)
While I'm a big fan of later releases from these English synthpop legends (see "Ultra", "Violator", etc.), I have to admit that their first alleged classic has never really done a lot for me. I was exposed to it quite a lot at the after parties I used to attend at the completion of druggy nights out in clubs when I was DJing, particularly given that one of my closest mates is a big Depeche Mode fan, but I can't say that I've ever really understood the appeal in "Some Great Reward". The synths just sound so dated here which leaves the song-writing erring on the cheesy side at times. I certainly enjoy the couple of big hits from the album in "People Are People" & album highlight "Blasphemous Rumours" while "It Doesn't Matter" is pretty catchy as well but the remainder simply leaves me feeling a bit flat to be honest.
For fans of Gary Numan, Pet Shop Boys & Tears For Fears.
3/5
Got the urge to throw some Burial on tonight, which is something that rarely happens. Heck, I am not even sure this is the right thread to discuss his music in. It’s most certainly electronic but has all manner of dubstep and ambient littered in there. My go to album has always been Untrue following a recommendation I picked up years ago on the old Terrorizer mag forum, of all places. I like the fractured nature (as it is often described) of the music here with that generally bleak outlook in that dreary sounding ambience. Tracks like Near Dark and the well known Archangel tend to scratch the itch best when it comes to a Burial fix. I really should get around to listening beyond just this one album (I have heard but never really bonded quite as well with the debut full length) and get into the plethora of EPs he has released.
Various Artists - "Slatanic Slaughter: A Tribute to Slayer" compilation (1995)
I really enjoyed this Scandinavian Slayer tribute album as well as it's sequel back in the mid-1990's. Volume 1 features a stellar line-up with all eleven cover versions being worth listening to. The quality ranges from decent to very solid to mind-blowing with the highlights surprisingly coming from some of the lesser-known bands. My personal favourite is Invocator's brilliantly brutal version of "Altar of Sacrifice" but Seance's take on "Post Mortem" & Grope's sludge metal version of "Spill the Blood" aren't far behind. I'd probably suggest that Dissection, At the Gates & Enslaved's efforts are perhaps a little underwhelming given their status in the scene but it's hard to be critical because it's pretty damn hard to compete with the best metal band of all time in 1980's Slayer.
For fans of Slayer, Merciless & The Crown.
4/5
Basic Channel - "Q 1.1" E.P. (1993)
The second E.P. from this legendary German techno duo is almost as impressive as their first but is perhaps a touch less consistent. It sees the dub techno godfathers veering away from their dubbier sound towards more of a traditional techno one that offered me just as much appeal. I can vividly remember playing A1 & B1 (my personal favourite) in my club DJ sets & receiving very strong responses while I also took A2 along with me on occasion but are not sure I ever got around to dropping it. I love the organic drum machine sounds of old & they're masterfully layered over smooth synth stabs here which ensures that "Q 1.1" E.P. should be essential listening for any aspiring techno nuts out there.
For fans of Maurizio, Cyrus & Porter Ricks.
4/5
Ben bought me a copy of this book for my 50th birthday last month & I finished it this morning. Its structure is really unusual as it's written in a chronological bullet-point format but it works for its intention which is to highlight every significant event in the building of what we know as heavy metal, starting at the earliest hints of darkness in music & ending with 1971 when Popoff claims the answer to his question had finally been undeniably confirmed. I'd suggest that Popoff's definition of what constitutes "metal music" is different to my own & I think that's driven by his age as he was involved with heavy music that was referred to as metal throughout the 1970's whereas I came to this music when there was more definition between rock & metal in the mid-to-late 1980's (although still not nearly as much definition as we understand today). For example, he talks about late 60's records by The Stooges, Blue Cheer & MC5 as being basically metal when I feel that is stretching the friendship by a considerable margin. At the end of the day though, he ends up coming to the same outcome as my own & it was interesting journey to get there. This book is worth a read for those of you who are interested in how this music came about.
I've been wanting to get back into "The Walking Dead" for a while now but couldn't remember where I finished off so I took a guess & tried Season 8. It turns out that I've already seen it but I used it as an investment to remember what had happened up until that point before heading into new territory. Jeez, that Negan dude was a right prick, wasn't he? Hopefully I haven't seen Season 9.
Also, just finished Season 5 of "Emily in Paris" with the family. It was pretty anticlimactic & a little disappointing. I think it's lost its way a little now so I can't say that I'm looking forward to another season
Converge - "The Dusk in Us" (2017)
It's taken me far too long to get around to exploring the latest full-length from my favourite metalcore act but better late than never as Converge simply continue to deliver & have not by rested on their laurels either because "The Dusk in Us" sees them continuing to be highly creative, even though they were a full 27 years into their existence by this point. It's rare that one of our older legacy bands can summon this much punk rock fury when they want to too. I just don't think that Converge could release anything subpar if they tried given how skilled all of the individual band members are. Perhaps this isn't gonna challenge their elite releases at the very top of my pile (see "Bloodmoon: I" & "All We Love We Leave Behind") but it compares very favourably with the solid also-rans like "Axe to Fall", "You Fail Me", "When Forever Comes Crashing" & "Jane Doe" in my opinion, if perhaps sitting just a touch behind all of them.
For fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch & Every Time I Die.
4/5
I got through all the feature releases this month (let's see how consistent that becomes throughout the year, eh?)
As stated in my review, Trivium is the most played given it's EP format seems so accessible and the music is great. The best release for me on reflection is the Skepticism one though.
Not so hot on The Gateway or The Sphere features but they are largely hit or miss clans for me regardless. My surprise fins was that In Mourning album which on paper would not be my bag but it proved to be a great listening experience.
Below screenshot from my spreadsheet as I have far too much time on my hands this month so far and yes, I have colour coded it!
Carcass - Reek of Putrification (1988)
Genres: Goregrind
In an earlier review for Carcass's second album, Symphony of Sickness, I mentioned that there was less of the melodic strength that made the third and fourth albums so beloved. In this early goregrind release, as well as their debut, there's even less of that. This is one of those somewhat common examples of early 80's metal albums compensating for lack of creativity with absolute brutality, the way earlier movies by Wes Craven were. "Mature" content over substance. Now the funny thing is, like Wes Craven, the band grew as their career progressed, so by the mid-90's this was basically nothing more than a historical example of how much they grew. Despite a few cute tricks here and there, I predicted how the whole album would go after listening to Symphony of Sickness. Now there may be some charm to have in the lo-fi production. It's certainly a heavy piece. But the production also muddles things that shouldn't be muddled, which cements yet another weak point in comparison to future works. Basically, this overly "adult" album amounts to little more than an imitation album made by a bunch of children who think all it takes to be the best is to be different and "true to yourself" by "not giving into radio capitalism" or some shit like that. Fortunately, this was the last time they ever sounded like this. With 22 short tracks, they found a way to make a 37-minute album way too damn long.
52
Cancer - "Black Faith" (1995)
I picked up a CD copy of this much-maligned stylistic diversion at the time of release & felt considerable shock to find the English death metallers' signature sound had been completely dropped. "Black Faith" has generally been absolutely slammed ever since but those criticisms are totally unfounded in my opinion. Sure, the third-tier, meat-&-potatoes death metal of the band's early days is nowhere to be found here, having been replaced with a groove metal sound that incorporates thrash metal, alternative metal, industrial metal, progressive metal & even metalcore influences. But if you can separate yourself from your expectations for a few listens, you'll soon find that the quality of the metal on offer here isn't any weaker than records like "Death Shall Rise" or "The Sins of Mankind". In fact, I'd probably take "Black Faith" over the latter if I'm being completely honest. Don't expect anything terribly essential but this is certainly worth a listen, despite the inclusion of a dodgy cover version of Deep Purple's "Space Truckin'".
For fans of Pantera, Prong & post- "Arise" Sepultura.
3.5/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Groove Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Coroner – “Grin” (1993)
02. Grip Inc. – “Nemesis” (1997)
03. Nevermore - "Dead Heart in a Dead World" (2000)
04. Gojira - "Magma" (2016)
05. Pantera – “Vulgar Display Of Power” (1992)
06. Pantera – “Cowboys From Hell” (1990)
07. Mnemic - "Mechanical Spin Phenomena" (2003)
08. Sepultura – “Chaos A.D.” (1993)
09. Pantera – “The Great Southern Trendkill” (1996)
10. Anthrax - "The Sound of White Noise" (1993)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/175
Zbigniew Preisner - "Trois couleurs: Blanc" soundtrack (1994)
The second film in the "Trois couleurs" series once again offers a beautiful classical score from Polish composer Zbigniew Priesner. It's perhaps even more stripped back & minimal than its more popular predecessor "Trois couleurs: Bleu" although, if pushed, I'd suggest that I slightly prefer this one. Neither are on the same level as Preisner's classic 1991 "La double vie de Véronique" though which remains my favourite of the Preisner work I've heard to date.
For fans of Arvo Pärt, Yann Tiersen & Michael Nyman.
4/5
Eric Clapton - "Unplugged" (1992)
My father picked this live album up on cassette when I was 16 or 17 years old & played the absolute shit out of it in the car & around the house so it was interesting to discover just how well I know the songs this week. It was also interesting to find that, despite his imposing legacy as a guitarist, Clapton's smooth voice is the main source of appeal with this MTV unplugged session. There aren't all that many genuine highlight tracks but there are only a couple of duds amongst the fourteen tracks included too (see "Alberta" & "San Francisco Bay Blues") so I've come away feeling fairly positive overall. The acoustic rock of "Lonely Stranger" & the stripped back acoustic blues of "Walkin' Blues" are my clear picks of the bunch. It's quite a nice release but isn't something that I connect with enough to see me returning again in the future. I think it's a little too unintimidating & vanilla for that to be honest.
For fans of Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer & JJ Cale.
3.5/5
Delerium - "Morpheus" (1989)
The second full-length from these Canadians saw them returning with a slightly different sound to that of their classic 1988 debut album "Faces, Forms & Illusions" which represented my introduction to the duo & saw me falling for their wonderful mix of IDM & ambient music in no uncertain terms. "Morpheus" is more of a blend of electro-industrial, conventional industrial & dark ambient music with the former being the main protagonist. The tracklisting is less consistent than that of "Faces, Forms & Illusions" although there are just as many truly wonderful moments on offer. The deeper inclusions are where you'll find the true gems though with the dark ambient of the title track (my personal favourite) & closer "Fragment of Fear" & the high-quality electro-industrial of "Faith" & "Allurance" all qualifying as genuine classics in my world. Some of the less significant industrial material tends to feel a little more middling with "Coup de tat" failing to capture me at all. When viewed holistically though, "Morpheus" is another horribly overlooked & underrated early Delerium release that has left me walking away feeling both rewarded & satisfied. I've even bumped my score up by a half star from my initial rating from more than fifteen years ago now.
For fans of In Slaughter Natives, Guillaume David & Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross' "Watchmen, Vol. 2" soundtrack.
4/5
The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Miss Machine" (2004)
This was my first time with the New Jersey mathcore legends' sophomore album & I have to admit that I've found "Miss Machine" to be a bit of a step down from the other Dillinger material I'm familiar with. I think it's just lacking those couple of genuine classics to encourage me to reach for my higher ratings & the inclusion of the fairly weak & more accessible "Unretrofied" hasn't helped the situation either. The rest of the tracklisting is invariably engaging but the sound isn't that different to what we'd heard from them on "Calculating Infinity" so the material does tend to feel like a very talented band going through the motions at times. Still... who the fuck can play like this anyway!? It's pretty phenomenal that they can pull it all together amidst while attempting such chaotic song structures.
For fans of Converge, Botch & Car Bomb.
3.5/5
Also, coming tomorrow, January 9th is the brand new album from Ruins of Beverast, the first for 5 years, entitled Tempelschlaf.
A couple of tracks are up for preview on Bandcamp:
Let Me Dream - "My Dear Succubus" (1995)
This relatively unknown debut album from obscure Finnish band Let Me Dream is one of the rare releases that I bought completely blind during the mid-90's. My purchase of the CD was based purely on a rapturous review I'd read in Terrorizer magazine which made this record sound like it would be right up my alley. I was sorely disappointed though as "My Dear Succubus" is generally pretty amateurish & lacking in any sort of class, despite possessing a noticeably underground cult vibe that would no doubt have pleased the purists out there. I'd describe Let Me Dream's sound as being blackened gothic doom metal which isn't a description you see too often & they admittedly have a pretty original sound that's highlighted by the regular use of cheap synthesizers playing simply single-note accompaniments. My main issue is with the clean male vocals though as they are completely incompetent & take a great deal away from the blackened snarls that make up more of the run time. The instrumentation is very basic too although the guitar tone will no doubt draw comparisons to Celtic Frost's early works. At the end of the day there are metal releases that simply aren't worth exploring & this is definitely one of them. Where do I claim my hard-earned $30 back?
For fans of Cultus Sanguine, Moonspell & Celtic Frost.
2.5/5
Dead Can Dance - "Garden of the Arcane Delights" E.P. (1984)
This four-song E.P. was recorded during the same sessions as Dead Can Dance's self-titled debut album from earlier in 1984 &, thankfully, the quality is just as good as the full-length although the E.P. represents somewhat of a transition release between the Melbournites' early gothic rock sound & their later darkwave one with two songs from each category included. "In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated" is an all-time favourite of mine & may be the peak for the entire goth rock genre actually. I used to play & sing it at parties back when I first met my wife. Closer "Flowers of the Sea" is a stunning example of Lisa Gerrard's otherworldly talents too. I can't tell you how much I adore this artist but, if pushed, I slightly favour "Dead Can Dance" over the E.P. which isn't the general consensus these days.
For fans of Lycia, Drab Majesty & Trance to the Sun.
4.5/5
In Flames - "Colony" (1999)
Another classic Swedish melodeath record & another release that I can't connect with. I wasn't a fan of widely praised albums like "Jester Race", "Whoracle" or "Clayman" so it's no real surprise that I've struggled with this revisit of In Flames' 1999 fourth full-length "Colony" either because it's pretty much on the same level as those three. If pushed I'd probably put "Whoracle" at the top of that list with "Jester Race" & "Colony" rounding out the top three. I have to admit that Anders Fridén's vocals are really good & so are the production & performances, particularly the guitar work of Björn Gelotte & Jesper Strömblad. The song-writing is just too accessible for me with those folky melodies not offering me much of substance though.
For fans of Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates & Soilwork.
3/5
Dream Theater - "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" (2002)
It's kinda strange that I hadn't given Dream Theater's sixth full-length studio album (a double album in fact) a run before now when you consider how highly I regarded Boston's progressive metal masters during the late 1990's but that's the way that things have fallen so I decided to fill that gap over the last few days. "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" is generally considered to be a solid release that fails to reach the lofty heights that Dream Theater had previously scaled yet does nothing to take anything away from their legacy either & I've found myself agreeing with that sentiment this week. These two records rarely see the quality dipping below an acceptable level with only the cheesy symphonic piece "i. Overture" failing to offer me any enjoyment. I will suggest that the tracklisting is fairly top heavy though as most of the gold can be found on the first disk with the lengthy title track being more mildly enjoyable than it is essential. "The Great Debate" is an absolute masterclass in progressive metal while the more stripped back balladry that takes place early on is also very impressive. Guitarist John Petrucci (my favourite guitarist ever) is once again the standout performer with his solos invariably seeing me picking my jaw up off the floor. In terms of the overall package, I think 2003's "Train of Thought" is of a similar standard to this release but neither come close to matching earlier classics like "When Dream and Day Unite", "Images & Words" or "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory". They do compare well with 1994's "Awake" though & I'd take any of those three over 2005's "Octavarium" which saw the band taking a further step down in my opinion.
For fans of Symphony X, Rush & Liquid Tension Experiment.
4/5