Morpheus Kitami's Forum Threads

It's a new year and a time for a new feature release. This month's is one of Jag Panzer's 2004 albums, Chain of Command, which was another of the band's ill-fated attempts at making an album without Henry Conklin. Unlike other attempts,  Bob Parduba has his fans, even if it doesn't quite sound like Jag Panzer.

Album's page.

This nomination has just been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/448

Deceased's seemingly legendary concept album based on Romero's zombie movies, as they existed in the late '90s. The dead walk the Earth again, killing and eating everyone they can get their hands on. Something that humanity would easily be able to bounce back from if we could stop arguing about pointless crap for 5 minutes.
These guys are not the kind of band who should make long concept albums. Firstly, we get several interludes which add nothing to the music. I'm not really sure there IS an album improved by some dude talking for 2 minutes in the middle of it. Further, I'm not really sure that what death metal was missing was songs with about 8 riffs going on for 8 minutes. There's a very tedious aspect to this album because of it. Growly choruses that go on forever are not my favorite thing in the world.
While the album gets a lot better as it goes on, I can't help but think of this album as not knowing what it wants to do. The band jumps all over the place from drop and gritty death metal to Maiden-worship with some growls. There's some good stuff in here, but I got some serious tonal whiplash at times.
Speaking of tonal whiplash, the lyrics. These get weird. It's not quite the full tonal whiplash Romero's films would eventually get with zombies are actually the good guys, but it is out there. It goes through the expected arc of a zombie story, fleeing from zombies, fighting them, and eventually scientists trying to figure out how to cure it...and then the protagonist gets bitten and dies in Unhuman Drama. The final two songs involve him becoming part of some kind of zombie hive mind. It's a trip.
I'm not really sure how I feel about the album in the end. It's very all over the place.

3/5

SubRosa is an old favorite band of mine. I don't know how I found them, but I found the whole whole female-fronted sludge/stoner metal with violins idea a lot more intriguing than I normally would. While they used the violins on their debut album, it was far more sparingly than they would use starting here.
They really sought to make this album as crushingly heavy and depressing as possible. Usually when one thinks of metal and violins, one thinks of the later providing some contrast. Not so here, here it's just another element adding to the sorrow. There's a very on-edge effect the violins add. Without it, the band would be quite mundane, with it, a tension atypical of such bands.
While I like the EP, it's only after trying to figure out what the albums before and after it have that this lacks that I figured out what was missing. Two of the three tracks were remade for the follow-up, No Help for the Mighty Ones, and those versions of the songs are just better in every way.

3.5/5

Flower Travellin' Band - Anywhere
I'm somewhat perplexed by Flower Travellin' Band's apparent metal status, they really sound more like generic jam band from what I've heard. Really, if you want to hear something good from Japan at this time you'd probably be better off watching the Stray Cat Rock film series, or uh...Hausu. Yeah, watch Hausu, that'll give you some dreams. Stray Cat Rock is probably better for getting a grasp of what music they liked back then since that was popular, for a year or so. Has a nice wideth of music, unfortunately the only ones I remember were some Deep Purple-esque band and a group that for some reason the lead actress was singing for in the movie.
Anyway, Anywhere isn't terribly interesting musically. I mean the actual cover parts are okay, but for example let's use the song you probably haven't heard of as an example, Louisiana Blues by Muddy Waters. The original is according to a quick Youtube search, 2:55. This cover? 15:46. Basically the actual song, 12 minutes of decent but not great jamming, then the song again. They're not terribly special as covers, so there's not much to actually talk about.

I disagree on this one. I'm a big fan of Flower Travellin' Band's sophomore album "Satori" but hadn't heard "Anywhere" until now. God, I wish I hadn't waited so long because I really fucking connected with it. Flower Travellin' Band are almost impossible to categorize as they simply cover so much territory but do it with so much authenticity & electricity that, if you didn't know any better, you'd imagine that they'd spent a lifetime in each of the genres they cover. They remind me of countrymen Boris in that way & I'm sure there's a lot of inspiration & influence there. "Anywhere" isn't a metal album. If I had to describe it I'd probably label it as a heavy psych/jam band record. The cover version of "Black Sabbath" is certainly metal though & is as doomy as all fuck. It's definitely an earlier example of traditional doom metal.

What if Mercyful Fate were Brazillian and Christian? Its uncanny hearing Dark Night because of how exactly it nails that sound, right down to vocalist Roberto Castro's perfect imitation of King Diamond falsetto and clean vocals. It comes off as the good version of the band from some mirror universe or another.
While there are those obvious Mercyful Fate influences, it's not quite as strong as the rest of the music. Dark Night tries to maintain some of the dynamicism, they lack the prog influences. They try to make up for this with sheer aggression. It does work, but between the noticeably different songwriting and the cheap-sounding midi keyboard, it's an odd effect. As three members of the band are also in a few death and black metal bands, this explains the vast change.
There's this Doom-esque usage of lyrics, which seems unintentional, where the lyrics are repeated like some kind of strange pattern, less like conveying something to the listener and more surrealistic insanity. So called because the Japanese band Doom used this almost constantly in their songs. I'm not so sure that's intentional here as much as accidental. More like they took 9's overuse of choruses to it's logical extent, add in songs with lyrics that often sound similar to one from King Diamond, and they accidentally created some fever dream of music.
Despite their problems, I found myself enjoying the album. Most of it, anyway. Gotta say the last track, In the Dark Side so strange and questionable on so many levels it boggles belief. It starts with a bizarre intro reminding me of Scarborough Fair, before alternating between out of place blast beats and then a musical cover of Temple of Love by Sisters of Mercy. No part of which is done competently. It'd be a demo track if it weren't as high quality a production as everything else.
This is very much just an album for people who feel disappointed in the lack of new material from King Diamond or just want such an album that isn't childishly edgy. If you're satisfied with what exists or didn't care for their inspiration, you'll hardly find much worth listening to here. Unless you always felt sheer aggression was what was lacking.

3.5/5

Here's my review:

You have to admire the balls of a band to straight up just go for what kind of music they're going to go, no build-up of any possible confusion. Deep breath, then out comes the J-pop-esque singress of which I'm sure many reviews would describe as nails on a blackboard and full power metal sound. Sort of Nightwish, but with the keyboardist as the unquestionably second most important part of the sound.
It honestly should be something I hate, because this kind of saccharine power metal isn't my speed. Maybe it's the combination of overtly cutsy vocals and happy nostalgic, ethereal synths that work where a normal combo wouldn't. At least that's how I interpret it. I've heard some synth lines used here that I suspect it's some kind of Japanese folk song that landed outside of the Land of the Rising Sun with all the meaningful impact of a jelly donut.
The drums sound quite strange, not in a good way. For some reason it sounds like a real drum kit somehow altered to sound like something out of an Adlib sound card. It doesn't always sound like that. and there is an actual drummer here, but I just have to wonder if the keyboard player didn't do some of these. A lot of the synths sound straight off a PSX, which is funny because I'm pretty sure that's a real piano.
Which does get away from how the band is pretty good at constructing a song. There are bands who wish they could do as much in one album that these guys do in one song. Just not necessarily in a metal way, singer guitarist and keyboardist in perfect harmony.
If I were to nitpick, Rain, which is a genuinely nice song except for the parts she's trying to be Tarja Turunen. She's genuinely trying, but she just can't do it right. Far too high for her voice. There are also a lot of songs with weird-sounding backing singers. It's a bit too varied at times practically half the songs are some kind of ballad.
Unlike the band's hairstyles, Tales of Almanac is and timeless and unique piece of power metal, and well worth a listen.

4.5/5

I want to say that I gave this one a fair shake but in all honesty I didn't get too far. 

Darkmoon Blade are just not my thing as I don't really have any nostalgia for this kind of thing and the way that the vocal melodies fit in with the rest of what the band was trying to do made my skin crawl. I guess I can say that the instrumental portion of Darkmoon Rising does okay for what it is, but there wasn't a single riff that really caught my ear the entire time. Couple that with some rough songwriting in how they incorporate the riffs with the vocals and this one was an absolute disaster for me, sadly. I'm sure there are albums in this style that I'd enjoy, like that one Nite album from last year Voices of the Kronian Moon, but that's more aligned with Black Metal whereas this is definitely trying to be Heavy Metal.

1.5/5

Some albums most definitely fit into a sub-genre yet at the same time manage to express an alienation to the core sound that seems to make them seem like they do not really fit at all. I cannot think of a better example of this than Dream Death’s debut release. It most certainly has thrash elements but at the same time has a real slant on doom metal. Often listening to it like you are listening to two different bands or a band that is so torn with its influences that half want to do thrash and the other half want to do doom.

It makes for an interesting album in some regards but overall, you cannot get away from the fact that Journey Into Mystery suffers from a lack of direction. The songwriting is not particularly stellar either to boot and so there is a real sense of conflicting purposes over the eight tracks. It is not that any one element is particularly awful, more that no singular piece gets chance at a full exploration or development to its full potential. Personally (even with my fledgling doom metal ears) these guys are a better doom band than they are a thrash band. In fact, on certain tracks (The Elder Race for example) there are no thrash metal elements to my ears. Indeed, post this record saw the departure of bassist Ted Williams and the remainder of the band elected to change their name to Penance and become a doom band.

As far as I can hear, their hearts were never really into thrash at all and all Journey Into Mystery did was prove this lack of conviction made the music suffer. I hear a lot of Trouble in those riffs and at times I struggle with the vocals as I do with Trouble’s debut. The vocals here are so clumsy at times that I find myself cringing. Lines get rushed through often leaving the odd word iterated in isolation and completely out of context. Accepting that this is a debut album, the vocalist is far too forward in the mix and sounds like he is deliberately shouting over everything else which just comes off as amateurish and juvenile.

Whether it simply their own version of uptempo doom or genuine attempts into thrash metal, Dream Death are all over the place here and it really does destroy any sense of flow. The best track on here is the heavily Celtic Frost influenced Hear My Screams, it deploys a consistency (barring that awful, snatchy solo) that the rest of the album is sadly lacking. Maybe back in 1987 this would have more props but come 2022 it certainly has not aged well.

2.5/5

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/260

I'm afraid this one simply falls into the "none of my business" category. I'm gonna abstain from pulling it to pieces as it was never gonna finish any other way given my general aversion to folky symphonic power metal. I'm more interested to see what people like Rex & Xephyr think of it as their opinions are far more relevant than my own with a release like this one.

2/5

I wrote my Reign in Blood and South of Heaven reviews yesterday, and for some reason they're dated as having been published on the 22nd instead of the 31st.

In short, yes. If there's no available data, or at least very little data, to help me allocate a genre or clan, then I will trust the requesting Metal Academy attendee's judgement. This occurs from time to time.

That said, I will always use RYM genre data when it is available. In other words, I won't accept requests from Metal Academy attendees to add a new release to a different genre / clan to what RYM users have voted, when there is adequate data available. That's what the Hall of Judgement is for.

I hope that makes sense.

I have to admit that after giving this record a good few spins over the last couple of days I've found my opinion sitting at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum to some of those detailed above in that I feel "Danse de noir" fits the description for an epic doom metal release very accurately, so much so in fact that I'm gonna submit a Hall entry to have it removed from The Guardians because I don't feel the Heavy Metal tag is relevant given that it's more of an influence than it is a primary genre & is a necessary component of the Epic Doom Metal sound. Also, I really enjoyed this album & found it be a welcome addition to our list of feature releases. I thought the interludes were all really well done (particularly "Are You Human" which is outstanding) & the vocal delivery is something very different from what I'm used to hearing which gives it a strange appeal (think Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra meets the upper register delivery of Type O Negative's Pete Steele & you'd be pretty close). It's interesting that front man Patrick "Vinz Clortho" Palm is actually Lord Vigo's drummer too which isn't all that common. The incorporation of synthesizer accompaniment works well to enhance the epic atmosphere with Viking-period Bathory often springing to mind & the record finishes on a high with the chorus of album highlight "Memento Mori" possessing a dark anthemic quality that really hit the spot for me. There's a bit of a lull in the second half of the album when the band steer away from the doom for a couple of tracks with both the Maiden-inspired heavy metal number "And Then The Planets Will Align" & the noticeably flat Gothic Post-Punk song "Between Despair & Ecstasy" falling short of the mark but there's more than enough quality across the rest of the tracklisting to not only make up for those blemishes but to keep me very well entertained as well. Great stuff!

For fans of Candlemass, Solstice & Sorcerer.

4/5

This submission has now been added to the Hall of Judgement.

I added an entry in the Hall of Judgement for this release to be added to The Pit. If that's successful then we'll add another one to have The Guardians removed. Otherwise we could potentially be left without a clan.

This release has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

Hey Morpheus, I have used mp3 players extensively over the years and have found Sandisk players to be of really good quality. I have two of them and the first one is more than fifteen years old and still works perfectly. I used to use them at work and they took a bit of hammer there and still survived. The micro-SD slots also work fine. My problem was always trying to find headphones that would last. I don't have a smartphone, so I do sometimes get some use out of them, although I tend to use my Amazon Fire tablet and download off Spotify when away from home. I do however use USB drives in the car as the car stereo has a USB port. I know, what a Luddite, eh?!

Interesting way of doing it; an easy way to pull random albums definitely keeps it exciting. I'm sure I can speak for the rest of the frequent posters here that it's great to hear that the feature releases have been making their way into your collection, good luck!

This has been on my list for a while. Next time I work with my developer, I'll see what we can do. I'll PM you all when it's done. 

Thanks for the warm welcome and the info. Feel like more websites should have a rating of covers.

Welcome, nice to see a new member, especially with Pit clan membership.