Daniel's Forum Threads
Here you go Sonny:
Nattverd - "Hvisk Deg Vekk" (from "Tidloes Naadesloes", 2025)
Wode - "Celestial Dagger" (from "Servants of the Countercosmos", 2017)
Sinmara - "Shattered Pillars" (from "Aphotic Womb", 2014)
The Great Sea - "The Maze" (from "Noble Art of Desolation", 2025)
Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane (2002)
Genres: Prog Metal
Here it is, the final of the four Pain of Salvation albums for my marathon, and the final album before I complete my Prog Metal Challenge List. To recap, my ratings for the first three albums fluctuated drastically from the general consensus. People say that Entropia was a great metal debut, but to me it was a bit imbalanced and not heavy enough. I almost adored Concrete Lake, and I thought the much-beloved Perfect Element was a good but somewhat overdrawn album with too much fixation on post-metal influence that seemed to take away from the identity of the first two albums. And now, here I am, at the general opus.
While I loved the instrumental direction the short opener took, the next track, ironically named Ending Theme, so was I in for more of the typical prog metal sound that I was so weary of when my marathon began with the debut's first couple tracks? Fandango seemed to answer my question: not entirely. Fandango's general sense of rhythm is totally xylophonic, not built in metal energy while the backing effects and percussion deliver a strong sense of surrealism. This is basically an experimental track, and I mean almost Residents level, even though it clearly uses the same instruments as previous efforts, so that was a damn good sign. But unfortunately, the next two tracks, while great and beautifully melodic, only provide faint ventures from the standard to other areas, so I'm not so sure what'll happen next. The eight minute Trace of Blood has some nice piano melodies scattered around, but remains high-level typical. The next track, This Heart of Mine, seems to have some Gabriel-era Genesis influence in the vibes, but not very strongly. Undertow was kinda lame in comparison. It just repeate the same slow melody over and over again and only differentiated itself by being more quiet.
Things got pretty proggy again on the more active track, Rope Ends, which knows how to put together a decent rhythm while maintaining the very reason I listen to prog in the first place. This one didn't stop being catchy, even when it was going wild. I get a nice follow-up with some Latin folk influence on Chain Sling, which showcases the best of the band's previously established strengths. Easily a winner of a song. Dryad of the woods continues the folk rock focus and is a nice and soft tune on its own, but even slow songs have more pizazz, and while this was nice and emotional, it was also missing that special something. After the title track, which is a largely prog electronic two-minute segue with a tamed but epic approach, the next track is immediately shamed as it falls into only decent melody and standard behavior for the band. Purely palatable, not remarkable. Same with the track after that, but then the ending, Beyond the Pale, gets back on track with a proper ending that takes the overall vibe of the band to a good strength, ending with one of their more emotional and rhythmically healthy takes of the modern prog sound.
Well, I didn't get the magnum opus everyone was bragging about, but it has plenty of strengths among the traditional sound. This was a very enjoyable album overall, but I'd say that instead of it being one of the greatest I've heard, it's more on the level of Dream Theater's underrated debut.
87
Tangerine Dream - "Phaedra" (1974)
An early Berlin School classic from these legendary progressive electronic adventurers. I don't think it has the quite the aura of 1972's "Zeit" (i.e. my favourite Tangerine Dream studio album these days) but it was still miles ahead of its time & offered obvious appeal for all of those with a penchant for ingesting the odd acid trip.
For fans of Jean-Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze & Kraftwerk.
4/5
Bobby Prince - "DOOM" (1993)
A bootleg of the original soundtrack to the "DOOM" video game. I've been absolutely infatuated with the 2016 Mick Gordon version of "DOOM" for a number of years now so I thought it was about time that I checked out the original but the experience has left me sorely disappointed because this is nothing like the incredible blend of techno, dark ambient & djenty metal that took a three-pronged approach to encapsulating my closest musical passions. Instead, we receive a cheap, home-made MIDI backdrop that sounds every bit as you would expect from an early video game. Fuck knows how two thirds of those voting for genre-tagging on RYM could possibly associate this release with metal. Those people clearly no fuck-all about what constitutes a metal release. The more eerie & atmospheric numbers are by far the most effective & I have to admit that I've got a bit of enjoyment out of them but the ones that try for a rockier feel inevitably fail to engage. It is worth mentioning that the attempts to cover bands like Pantera & Slayer in a synthesized format are fucking hilarious though & are worth hearing simply to enjoy how conceptually misguided they were.
For fans of ZUN, Ian Taylor & dai.
2.5/5
Tyler the Creatore - Don't Tap the Glass (2025)
Genres: Pop Rap, Dance
So one of modern hip hop's most experimental and wide-ranging artists, a total genius in the field, has now done a pop rap and dance album. Is this selling out? What reason would Tyler have to sell out? It's his right to do a pop album if he wants, so judging it based on that merit, this is extraordinarily catchy and clever. This so-called pop album might not be "experimental," but it's totally unpredictable. The behavior of the album fits perfectly within the Tyler the Crator canon, cleverly combining many of the tricks and techniques this guy used in the past, even if he's using more pop-oritented genres than soul-oriented ones. The production is almost constantly balancing out multiple facets with ease. Maybe fans will miss the more thematic elements of his lyrics and music, but sometimes, a guy just needs to have some fun. Tyler obviously considered that, and I'd say this is a very fun album full of good bangers. I'm putting it in the same league as Bjork's Post.
93.5
Massive Attack - "Blue Lines" (1991)
Here we have the debut album from one of my all-time favourite artists, an act that very much changed the course of my life for the next decade during the late 1990's. And while it may not be the Bristol trip hop legends' finest hour, there can be denying the impact that "Blue Lines" had on the global music scene with the chillout movement pretty much exploding off the back of it. It's an absolute stormer of a record too, it's tracklisting being littered with seriously mature & impeccably produced classics that were just as heavily influenced by dub, EDM & hip hop. The three-track run that contains "Five Man Army", Unfinished Sympathy" & "Daydreaming" is utterly earth-shattering & would challenge any trio of songs from the subgenre overall. I'll always prefer later releases like "Mezzanine" & the incredibly underrated "100th Window" but "Blue Lines" is an undeniable classic in its own right too.
For fans of Portishead, Tricky & Air.
4.5/5
Cryptopsy - "And Then You'll Beg" (2000)
I have to admit that I've never quite understood the public reaction to Canadian brutal/technical death metallers Cryptopsy. I got into them quite heavily with their 1993 "Ungentle Exhumation" demo tape at around the time of release but didn't like their debut album "Blasphemy Made Flesh" much & have never thought that "None So Vile" was anything terribly special. They reached their peak once they headed into more technical territories with 1998's "Whisper Supremacy" third album in my opinion which certainly isn't a common position to take but I also have to question the lethargic reaction to records like 2000's "And Then You'll Beg" too as it's really not that bad a record. Sure, Mike DiSalvo's vocals aren't the best you'll find on a death metal record but that failing is made up for with some interesting & inventive instrumentation & some generally consistent song-writing with opener "...And Then It Passes" being the clear highlight. Just don't go in expecting to hear a brutal death metal release because Cryptopsy no longer fell into that category by this point in their evolution. I know how big a call it is to say this but I'd take "And Then You'll Beg" over either of Cryptopsy's supposedly classic first two mid-1990's albums & the same can be said for 2005's more widely appreciated "Once Was Not" record too.
For fans of Suffocation, Gorguts & Wormed.
3.5/5
Behemoth - The Shit ov God (2025)
Genres: Blackened Death Metal
Even though I believe in God, I've made a point of forgiving people for sins that don't really affect me. Now matter how much I bitch and whine, there will be people who disagree with me on philosophy, so might as well accept it as a part of the natural world while acknowledging the difference in philosophy. So I've heard all the Slayer albums, a good deal of Bathory, and am of the opinion that the best death metal band is Septicflesh. But Behemoth really made their point of hatred towards religion a million times over, so do we really need it again?
Considering how familiar this album is, I'm going to have to say "not this time." Behemoth's "The Shit ov God" is obviously built specifically to get anti-religious people to buy the album, as if they're relying on edge factor. Newsflash: that's how people LOSE interest. Hell, Wes Craven used to think being edgy was what mattered most, and his early career was pretty downhill once he hated and disowned his own porn flick, and switched right to THEMES, which made his movies much better overtime. But Behemoth took the opposite route.
Now the two good things that can be said about this album are that the production is absolutely perfect. The crystal clarity is some of the finest in metal, but that's to be expected from veterans. As well, half the riffs are quite catchy, which really does help. I found myself really enjoying the bits that got quite proggy, like the midtro of O Venvs, Come. So there's a strong metal energy here that can help everything be at least fairly enjoyable to some, but this is also an extremely typical album for them. I said half the riffs were catchy, but the other half are so standard that you can pull them off of any obscure crap lost in the RYM charts. So only half the time does the production justify these performances. As well, taking a look at the lyrics, they feel thrown together and basic. The overabundance of old-timey / medieval phrasing seems to distract from that aggressive, angry nature that they're trying to promote so brutally, so the ancient vibes and the religious anger kind of contradict each other like matter and antimatter.
So this most recent entry in the Behemoth catalogue was an attempt at bringing back the vibes of their most beloved work, The Satanist, but the quality steers a bit closer to their middling debut, Sventevith. Fun moments and boring moments are held together with a strong metallic presence and pure diamond production, so while it's perfectly listenable, it has its problems.
64
Mr. Fingers - "Amnesia" (1989)
This highly regarded compilation of early Chicago house tracks from legendary house icon Larry Heard is a bit too hit & kiss for my taste. I really enjoy most of the deep house material & also the genuine techno inclusions but some of the acid house tracks are pretty messy in my opinion. I think this one will end up being the source of playlist material more than it will a cohesive album experience.
For fans of Frankie Knuckles, Larry Heard & Moodymann.
3/5
Deftones - "Gore" (2016)
What exactly is people's problem with Deftones' eighth full-length? Of all of their back catalogue, it's this one that seems to cop the heat but, to my ears, it doesn't stand out from the rest much at all, instead being very much another high-quality effort from an act that probably couldn't produce something crap if they tried at this point. "Gore" is known for being Deftones' experimental record & for being a touch less heavy than the rest of their releases but neither of those things make it sound like anything other than another Deftones record with their impact being dramatically overstated. There's not a dud amongst the eleven tracks on offer &, even though there aren't a lot of clear highlights, the overall consistency makes this a highly rewarding experience for fans of the band. In fact, I'd comfortably take "Gore" over Deftones' popular 1995 debut album "Adrenaline" & would even go so far as to place it ahead of 2003's self-titled as well. People need to stop believing everything they read & give this record a chance because the rewards become visible pretty quickly with a little patience.
For fans of Fleshwater, System of a Down & Kittie.
4/5
The Angels of Light - "How I Loved You" (2001)
The 2001 sophomore album from Swans mastermind Michael Gira's folk rock side project is utterly sublime at times, being heavily driven by its incredible highlight tracks which are easily the longest inclusions on the album. The gothic country element has been really well received from this particular punter & Gira's voice works perfectly in this Swans-like structure. Fucking lovin' it mo'fuckers!
For fans of Michael Gira, Swans & Wovenhand.
4.5/5
Krallice - Diotima (2011)
So, here is yet another example of the fact that I have no idea what I am talking about, or even what I like half the time. My only other exposure to Krallice was their 2015 album, Ygg Hur, to which I awarded a measly 2.5 stars. I remember said album as being a bit technical and a bit dissonant in the way that I didn't especially enjoy around that time. As such, I wasn't particularly enthused going in to this, but it is actually pretty good and I enjoyed it a helluva lot. It is made up of fairly lengthy and repetitive tracks of muscular black metal that seem to have a beefiness derived from employing death metal production techniques. With the repetitious nature of the riffs and lengthy runtimes you would be forgiven for filing this away as atmospheric black metal but it isn't really as I don't think the repetition is deployed in a way as to create atmospheric layers, but rather to bludgeon the listener and make them feel like they have taken a metaphorical punch on the nose. There is some dissonance involved, but nothing too egregious and certainly not enough to put even my sensitivity to it on alert, just enough to add a bit of bite and edge to the tracks to prevent them becoming too warm and fuzzy.
I don't want to give the impression that this is a boring slog of repetition, though, because the songwriting and composition of a track like "Telluric Rings" is much more accomplished and nuanced than that and is a fine of example of a band who want to make interesting black metal whilst still delivering on the darker side of the genre. The band employ two vocalists, the main one, I think, is guitarist Mick Barr whose vocals are a harsh bark in a more death metal style than the more familiarly thin shrieks of second vocalist, bassist Nicholas McMaster. Speaking of which, I must also make mention of McMaster's bass playing which is busily at work doing some serious heavy lifting for a fair bit of the runtime, not content to just follow the riffing, the bass weaves some quite complex patterns, adding some nice flavour to the musical mix.
I have got to say, I am quite impressed by Diotima and feel that maybe I have been unjustified in giving Krallice short shrift in the past. Every track is strong, but the aforementioned "Telluric Rings" sounds like something special to me and is possibly heading towards becoming a firm black metal favourite of mine. I notice that I am the first on here to rate it, but I strongly recommend a listen to most of the North regulars because, honestly, it is much better than I make it sound.
4.5/5
Gary Moore - "Blues for Greeny" (1995)
Our father got really into this Irish guitarist through his 1990 ninth album "Still Got the Blues" which was a huge commercial breakthrough for Moore who had spent the majority of his career in hard rock up until that point. That record was played on repeat around our house & in our car for many years & saw Dad also picking up this Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac/John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) covers album on cassette five years later. While it certainly wasn't as strong as "Still Got the Blues", Gary's one of the most talented blues guitarists I've ever heard so I've always maintained a soft spot for this release, even if it is a bit inconsistent in its appeal for this ol' shredhead. I tend to enjoy the more atmospheric & stripped back numbers over the groovier blues stompers but there's certainly enough to keep me interested here, even if I can't necessarily see myself returning to "Blues for Greeny" in the future.
For fans of Peter Green, Eric Clapton & Stevie Ray Vaughan.
3.5/5
Fans of Austin Lunn will be happy to know that he will release Laurentian Blues on 15th August. This is his eleventh full length and is released via Bindrune Recordings.
New Drain record due out 07th November, ...Is Your Friend. First couple of promo tracks are very aggressive and vocally remind me of Anselmo this time around.
Sodom have a new record out and I am hearing positive things, but I am yet to venture myself.
Lustmord - "Paradise Disowned" (1986)
The second studio album from this Welsh dark ambient god sees Brian Williams returning with a similar sound to his 1981 self-titled debut album which was very much a dark ambient/industrial hybrid, only this time Williams leans more heavily towards the dark ambient sound & with a greatly improved result. This record is often overlooked in the Lustmord back catalogue & I'm gonna suggest unfairly too as "Paradise Disowned" is a high-quality record in its own right. It's somewhat of a tale of two halves as the A side is jam-packed with excellent dark ambient music while the B side is covered in industrial noise which is something that you have to have a taste for so I'm not surprised to see a lot of Brian's ambient fans struggling a bit with this release. But if you can stomach the abrasive nature of the early industrial movement then there's plenty of good shit on offer here, particularly "Dreams of Dead Names" which is an undeniable classic of the dark ambient genre.
For fans of raison d'être, Kammarheit & Robert Rich's "Stalker".
4/5
Dying Fetus - "Descend into Depravity" (2009)
The sixth full-length from these Maryland-based death metallers is one of their more brutal & sports a clinically executed production job. It's also one of Dying Fetus' more technical records with a whole bunch of those pointless sweep-picking exercises I've always struggled with inserted into the song-writing for no real reason. Thankfully, the rest of the instrumentation is very entertaining & the dual vocal attack is some of their best work which sees "Descend into Depravity" sitting right in the middle of their back catalogue but once again failing to overcome that inevitable 3.5-star rating I always reach for with this band.
For fans of Suffocation, Misery Index & Skinless.
3.5/5
Korn - "Issues" (1999)
The fourth full-length from these Californian nu metal legends is another decent one, this time seeing them doubling down on their signature chunky groove-laden riff techniques to create a record that offers a crap-load of moshpit appeal, even if it can be a little bit samey at times. There are a few flat songs included (see "Wake Up", "Hey Daddy" & "Wish You Could Blame Me") & the last track "Dirty" is ruined but the inclusion of a pointless four minutes of continuous white noise at its completion but the stronger moments easily outweigh the weaker ones here with popular single "Make Me Bad" being the clear highlight & one of the better songs of Korn's entire career. "Issues" isn't on the same level as Korn's self-titled debut album but it's still an enjoyable enough listen, despite not offering me quite as much appeal as 1998's "Follow the Leader" album which is generally regarded as the weaker of the two.
For fans of Deftones, Slipknot & Limp Bizkit.
3.5/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Nu Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Linkin Park - "Meteora" (2003)
02. Korn - "Korn" (1994)
03. Slipknot - "Iowa" (2001)
04. Linkin Park - "Hybrid Theory" (2000)
05. Deftones - "Adrenaline" (1995)
06. Korn - "Follow the Leader" (1998)
07. Sevendust - "Animosity" (2001)
08. Korn - "Issues" (1999)
09. Dir en Grey - "Uroboros" (2008)
10. Limp Bizkit - "Chocolate Starfish & the Hot Dog Flavored Water" (2000)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/313
Ken Pomeroy - "Cruel Joke" (2025)
Fallen in love with this 12 track record from an artist I picked up randomly on a Bandcamp recommendation. That voice just resonates in my very soul. Could be a purchase on vinyl once finances permit.
Cocteau Twins - "Sunburst & Snowblind" E.P. (1983)
This short four-song E.P. makes for an excellent accompaniment to the Scottish dream pop/ethereal wave acts "Head Over Heels" album from the same year & shares its excellent opening track "Sugar Hiccup" with that release. The other three songs are all worth hearing too though, particularly the very solid "Hitherto" which utilizes Elizabeth Fraser's powerful vocals really well. "Sunburst & Snowblind" comes highly recommended for metalheads who fancy themselves as a closet goth.
For fans of This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance & early Slowdive.
4/5
Grief - "Dismal" E.P. (1992)
The first proper release from this Boston-based five-piece is the sort of oppressive, drug-riddled outing that only the Americans know how to create. The four songs included here are all relatively simple in their structure but the atmosphere that's created is suffocatingly dark & heavy with Grief sitting right over on the doomier end of the sludge metal scale. Second track "Isolation" is particularly gripping & is one of the finest examples of the genre I've ever encountered. I can see myself exploring more of this band's back-catalogue in the near future.
For fans of Noothgrush, Corrupted & Eyehategod.
4/5
King Witch - III (2025)
I am only part-way through my first listen to this new one from KW, a band that I have been following for quite a while, and i just had to come here and post, "holy shit Laura Donnelly can fucking sing". If Ronnie James Dio was a woman (and a bit taller) then he would have sounded just like this. I can definitely feel that this is going to be a 2025 favourite for me. If you love epic doom / heavy metal then you need to do yourself a favour and get an earful of this shit!
No score yet, but it's gonna be good....
The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Calculating Infinity" (1999)
The New Jersey mathcore legends' debut full-length very much defines the term "chaotic" with its jerky stop/start sound feeling almost like a novelty at times. The musicianship on display here is utterly astounding & I can still remember my face being unceremoniously ripped from my head upon Ben first playing me this stuff back in the day. Stylistically, this probably should be my favourite Dillinger record but that hasn't ended up being the case. These days, I find myself leaning towards 2013's "One of Us Is the Killer" album & 2002's "Irony Is a Dead Scene" E.P. with Mike Patton but there's not a lot in it & I still get the same sort of adrenaline rush from "Calculating Infinity" as I did twenty years ago which is certainly a feather in the band's cap.
For fans of Botch, Converge & Car Bomb.
4/5