Saxy S's Forum Replies
Not every sound is for everyone unfortunately. There are a lot of people that would rather just say "this sucks lol" instead of explaining why they don't enjoy something. It's so much easier than writing a fully flushed out review. If those people want to troll then so be it. I try not to let it bother me because I know that those comments don't have an argument. If we at Metal Academy can avoid that by methodology, then it'll just make for a more enjoyable experience for everyone.
The Anthrax influence on this record is unmistakable; from the hot mic'd bass and John Connelly's incredibly over the top vocal style. But given that I really like Anthrax, this album served its purpose and I actually enjoyed it more than I should have. Songs like "Betrayal", "After the Holocaust" and "Nuclear War" all sound fun, energetic and most importantly, catchy. There are some decent hooks on songs like "Cold Steel" and "Radiation Sickness", but the over the top production in the percussion is enough to blow everything else out. There are some sections on this record that harken back to one of Slayer's better records, Show No Mercy as well. For me, I enjoy this quite a bit simply because of the blatant punk influence in the production and songwriting. Pleasantly surprised to say the least.
7/10
Solid work this month Vinny! I was very pleased with your feature album this month.
As I prepare to enter into my fourth decade on this planet, I'm continually asking myself whether or not I have gotten soft in recent years? As the years go by, thrash metal has become a dead genre to me; what used to be full of life and nonstop energy, now I view it as a black hole of empty chugging and solos, lacking in grooves and melodies and bands devoid of originality and would rather just copy the golden era of thrash of the 1980s. Even more so, my favour with those bands (i.e. Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica) has also faded as they have become tiresome and boring. And as I have grown into extreme metal genres like death/black metal, most of my favourite albums are of the melodic and atmospheric variety. For as epic as Saor and Panopticon albums sound, they won't be winning any "most brutal breakdown of all time" awards anytime soon.
With that being said, I recently gave The Dreaming I by American duo Akhlys a spin and... well I think it is safe to say that my suspicions might be true, but goddamn does Akhlys make the realm of Hades sound like a pretty awesome vacation spot! This is a marvelous record that takes the atmospheric and melodic side of black metal and combines it with some filthy grooves and riffs for one of the most impressive hybrids that I have heard in quite some time.
Whereas most of my black metal is of the open, soaring variety, Akhlys use the atmo-black sound to create a soundscape that resembles the floor opening up below your feet as you are dragged down into the abyss. The extended ambient intro of "Breath and Leviathan" sets the ominous mood right out of the gate, before what can only be compared to a B-list horror movie jumpscare, the serial killer pops up around the corner wielding their perfectly sharpened machete ready to murder you. The wall of sound black metal is sudden and shocking, and may increase your heart rate!
And if that doesn't scare you enough, the chase scene will. This black metal sound is relentless and is complimented by some fantastic sounding lead guitars and a dazzling vocal performance. The way in which this duo is able to effortlessly match their ambient interludes and atmo-black passages is both technically impressive and compositionally sound as they play off one another to create wonderful dichotomy's for cooldowns and making the wall of sound hit that much harder.
While this album is impressive, it does have a little bit of a length problem, in which some songs sound like they begin to lose momentum and would rather fade out to their conclusion, rather than with a full stop, perhaps signaling the end of the road. But perhaps the lack of an ending shows a group that would have you believe that their is no end to this path; it persists far beyond the end of a single song. However, "Consumation" has a definitive ending, but then proceeds to go on another two/three minute ambient outro and it feels out of place.
But forget the minor issues surrounding the length and how songs end! The intros and body are exquisite and the production is spectacular; the bass lines are very prominent adding to the depth. In the end, Akhlys' album The Dreaming I helps to restore my faith (however slightly) in the most extreme metal to still invoke a positive reaction out of me.
8/10
So Christopher Bowes, the dude behind Alestorm and Gloryhammer, is back at it again with another hilariously over the top and slightly questionable band called Wizardthrone who seem to specialize in a slightly Gloryhammer-esque brand of Melodic Death Metal about mathematics, hyperdimensional space wizards, and a ton of other very long and bombastic words. It's not great, don't get me wrong, but I expected much, much worse. It's definitely fun for a few spins here and there. I want to believe this release exists in the same world as the current Gloryhammer story but there aren't any references that I've picked up on.
I read the titles of these songs and just about spit out my tea. I'm not expecting much given my recent success with Alestorm/Gloryhammer, but I'll check it out regardless.
The instrumental opener "Spectral Sons of the Mictian" has enough melodic tendencies to suck me in to this album before "The Scars of My Journey" begins and brings in the far more common death metal palette, song structures and atmosphere. I must admit that the incorporation of these sounds alongside the tones of the melodic opener are well put together and make for an album that is not as hellacious as Vinny describes. The heavier portions are very balanced and sound guttural and as brutal as they should be, but it never seems like they are becoming a cacophonous mess. The occasional flares of melodic hooks from the guitars are complimentary.
The percussion is very heavy footed and the vocals while not bad, they are very rough and scrappy. Perhaps not a bad thing for a death metal album, but even by comparison to Diabolical Conquest, the guttural vocals felt forced. But I still do enjoy this record. Quite a forceful little project, but lots of groove and melody make it more memorable than most death metal bands of the time.
7/10
Not a whole heck of a lot to say about this album. For a group that was on their twenty-forth album with Thunderbolt, we are already well beyond the "legacy act" tag. This is more than acceptable NWOBHM that contains plenty of nostalgia, while still having some modernizations that may only be surface level, but serve their purpose. The production is solid, the vocals, lead guitar, and fundamentals are well performed and mixed, and some riffs sound like they were borrowed from a similar era Testament album. Beyond that, many issues surrounding not just Saxon, but all NWOBHM and Power Metal artists still apply. Absolutely for Saxon fans, but not much else, and it's been this way for a long time.
7/10
I have repeatedly stood up for both Mike Patton and Devin Townsend on this website, even when these artists are at their creative worst, because they traverse far beyond simple binary genre tags/descriptors. Dog Fashion Disco is another group that could easily fall into that mix. And nowhere is this comparison more appropriate than on the bands 2006 album Adultery.
Now to be fair, the comparison to Devin Townsend off the top is less so in the sound of this album and more so due to its compositional style. The sound of this album is absolutely Mike Patton worship, or more specifically, Mr. Bungle. The heavier portions are complimented by smooth jazz and ska portions that would seem remarkably out of place on basically any other album by any other artist. But here, Dog Fashion Disco found a way for these ideas to somehow flow into each other without the use of whiplash transitions or hard stops. And unlike Mr. Bungle, DFD manages to pull these off in about half of the time.
As for the Avant-Garde tag, I think it is well justified given these songs with their frantic nature. But by comparison to Mr. Bungle, this feels more accessible and welcoming to those who are just trying to get their feet wet in the absolutely absurd. Songs like "The Darkest Days" and "100 Suicides" are meshed well with some cool interludes that continue to play into those main themes, but have enough unique characteristics to add to the quirkiness. And the "technical difficulties" interlude on "The Hitchhiker" literally had me jumping out of my seat with how good it was pulled off!
But like with all quirky albums such as this, your enjoyment will be dependent on how much nonsense you can tolerate. This album has an excess of filler. And while I might really enjoy the early album combo of "Sweet Insanity" and "Desert Grave", I cannot uncover any compositional circumstances for the smooth jazz interlude of "Private Eye", and then ending the album with "Adultery" and "Mature Audiences Only". The last of those getting special mention for featuring a supposed "chilling" conclusion, that is inaudible because the strings are mixed so damn close to the front!
I still do like Mr. Bungle and the comparisons to that group on this band/album have not rung hollow on me. This is absolutely diet Mr. Bungle, but that might not be a bad thing. After all, Mr. Bungle is heavily criticized for being too strange. DFD are not clear of this criticism themselves, especially from a production point of view. But they do avant-garde music in a way that includes better compositions than Mr. Bungle, memorable song structures, and a chilling concept.
7/10
Sorry everyone, but I need to be a voice to the contrary on this one...
One of the great things about Death Doom/Gothic Metal is how it incorporates atmosphere and texture into the music; not to overshadow the songwriting, but to compliment it. This is what allows for the stellar albums by artists such as My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Swallow the Sun, etc. to resonate with such frequency for me. Meanwhile, the earliest Katatonia records that incorporated this sound may have some nice texture and the songs lure the listener into a trance, but nothing about the individual songs stand out. In fact, I find Brave Murder Day to be a monotonous album.
The album kicks off with a ten minute opener, "Brave" that sees the group embark on a ten minute dirge that is devoid of structure or form. The use of one riff unaltered and unedited throughout the duration is mind numbing. And while it sounds nice from a production point of view, there is no good reason for me to traverse further into the song. This songwriting technique persists into the next song "Murder" as well as "Rainroom" and for the life of me, I couldn't tell you the distinguishing features between these two tracks. These two songs are broken up by the slower and cleaner "Day", which is a good change of pace, but it follows in step with the others with its songwriting technique. It feels too much like Katatonia took composition lessons from Drone Metal.
"12" actually has a form to it and does not sound like it is just borrowing the same riff from the previous four tracks, making it a standout. The closer "Endtime" starts with promise, but eventually just modulates back into same tempo/riff/melody that I've already heard far too much of for a relatively brief forty minute album.
In the end, I liken Brave Murder Day to a modern day Harakari for the Sky album. These albums are loaded with texture and atmosphere and they sound beautiful, but the songwriting is so painfully lacking in any development or structure that my attempts to latch on to any melody or groove is gutted when the artist refuse to do anything with them. I found that, following this album and the band began ditching the Death Metal adjacent tones for more Alternative rock, while still maintaining their Doom/Gothic aura, it opened up many more opportunities for them as songwriters. I for one am glad, alongside Within Temptation, that they dropped this sound as quickly as they did.
5/10
Quick little update on my part. I was a busy bee during most of 2020 when it came to listening to new music. Not all of it is metal, but I did find myself listening to a lot more than I had in previous years. One of my go to YouTube channel's for discovering new metal music went off the air at the end of 2019 and I feared that beyond that, metal would take an even further backseat then it already was at the time. This has certainly not been the case, thanks to the Metal Academy.
In the last year and a half I have been exploring outside of my clans more than I ever anticipated thanks in part because of the monthly featured albums. Sonny's nominations for Fallen albums have been a treat up to this point, the Revolution releases have been mostly enjoyable; both in Andi's nostalgia being similar to my own, and Daniel's blend of classic metalcore/mathcore, and even though Death Metal is nowhere close to a forte of mine, I have listened to quite a few adjacent albums that peaked my interest, most notably thanks to a mountain of critical acclaim for Ulcerate's Stare Into Death and Be Still from last year.
I have enjoyed exploring genre's outside of my comfort zone such as death metal and mathcore, and hearing how the sound has evolved over time, even if I may be listening to these albums out of chronological order. It does make for some more unique takes on records that may be considered classics, and can hear the influence in later records by other artists.
As I said in my review, the Opeth worship on this album is blatant, but more than varied enough to keep it from sounding like a direct ripoff of that band. As seems to be the case with far too many modern progressive metal bands, their blatant worship of early Dream Theater and mid 2000s Opeth is becoming a tired shtick and Altesia understand this by having very little interest in DT noodling and (hot take incoming) being better songwriters than Opeth. Every note serves a purpose on this record and each riff is connected to every other riff. But Altesia true claim to fame for me is that they were able to blow me away with a trifecta of 10+ minute tunes! Cult of Luna and Wilderun, meet Paragon Circus by Altesia, the final piece of the 2019 trinity of progressive rock/metal!
9/10
1. Tool - Lateralus
2. Alice in Chains - Dirt
3. Deftones - White Pony
4. Linkin Park - Meteora
5. Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles
6. System of a Down - Mezmerize
7. Moron Police - A Boat on the Sea - not listed as metal anywhere, but the band has roots in it
8. Alice in Chains - The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
9. Faith No More - Angel Dust
10. Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist
For the record, if Soundgarden's Superunkown was listed as an alternative metal album on Metal Academy/RYM, I'd probably rank it just below White Pony and drop Saturday Night Wrist as a result.
First of all: Sonny, you're remarkable run of selecting top tier doom metal albums is in peak form with Obliviosus as the featured release for this month. This record sounds breathtaking with its control of atmosphere and dynamics throughout the tracks. The mixing on this record is splendid as the bass lines are given ample amounts of space to breathe behind those pummeling guitars. The vocals are very interesting as they alternate between monochromatic chants and the unfiltered screams of the lead vocalist. Even being fully aware that this would be the case, I was still thrown off guard by how the spacing out of these hellacious moments contribute to the darkest moments of this conceptual record.
My favourite track on this album is "Humanity" in the way MSW works through a very simple melodic passage and transforms it into something that is still recognizable, but so distorted and far removed from the texture that was presented near the start. The closing title track shows patience and uses its full twenty minute runtime to change from soft, introspective post-rock, into a fit of rage that is complimented by slow blast beats in the percussion that is reminiscent of atmospheric black metal rather than doom, including shredded vocals. And then ending with an extended feedback loop as the album wains its way to an eerie conclusion.
Where this track does fall off the rails for me is the lack of focus contextually. Extended songs are hard sells in doom metal, since thematic development is sparse. What MSW does is brings together four/five different ideas that play out for a few minutes, then move to the next without much in the way of preparation. Each section is well documented by a return to the original post-rock instrumentation, so why not trim it down to two/three themes that could be meshed together? Furthermore, I don't think the atmo-black adjacent moments on "O Brother" work either; maybe it's a sound that could have been left alone.
With all of that being said, I still do like the closing track, and this album by design. The sound of this record is gorgeous, which helps to exemplify the heartbreaking reality of MSW's position; letting someone go (physically or otherwise) because of addiction. It's a bleak listen, and the long song structures only help elaborate the painstaking reality of it all. Very good stuff!
8/10
I debated nominating Dirt for this slot this month, but felt like the conversation would be more intriguing surrounding this record. So maybe another time...
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is Alice in Chains' most unabashed album of their entire careers and I enjoy every second of it! After the loss of Layne Staley, William DuVall was given the insurmountable task of trying to win back AiC fans who would inevitably call this new era of the band lesser work, and nothing other than a reunion with a Layne Staley hologram would suffice. Black Give Way to Blue was nothing more than a comeback AiC record in 2009.
TDPDH was the band making subtle changes to their sound that some may not have even noticed at first, but they helped certify DuVall as the lead vocalist of this band, while still showing respect to the legends of years past. The songwriting takes even darker turns than ever before; the brooding instrumentals play very well into the lyrical content surrounding most notably, religious denialists. I love this album because of its universality rather than the deeply personal moments that persist on Dirt and Jar of Flies.
This album was a slow burner for me as with a lot of people who have come around on it in recent years. As I realized how much was being changed, while still retaining classic Alice in Chains mannerisms, I started to love The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. Will it ever succeed Dirt, one of my favourite records of all time? I doubt it. But it also showed me that (1.) some greats can continue to impress this many years after their classic output and (2.) William DuVall is not half assing his way through the legacy of Alice In Chains and deserves far more respect from Staley traditionalists.
9/10
The Metallica drop off in quality is actually quite easy to breakdown. They were once one of the most important bands during the 1980s during the rise of thrash metal, but eventually decided to ditch that and go for something that was more accessible with something that more resembled hard rock. S/T is one of the highest selling albums of all time... and longtime Metallica fans were pissed! Many metal fans scour when even the most mainstream of heavy bands attempt to expand their audience further. So imagine how the gatekeepers of thrash felt during the eighties felt; just before the boom of death and black metal.
The rest of the nineties consisted of meandering dreck that was devoid of character and felt like b-sides of the S/T album. For as awful as 2003's St.Anger was, at least it was different. At least the band took risks, and were unabashed with their ambition, and did not care about the backlash they received, as opposed to Death Magnetic; essentially fan service to those iconic thrash albums, and it did even worse! I really need to review that album because oh my god is it horrible!
After S/T, there was a dramatic divide between Metallica fans and to this day has not been sewn back together. Those who grew up with 90s/2000s era Metallica will say they have done nothing less than superior quality, while others will say that everything this band made was shit, while simultaneously purchasing every new Megadeth record. Metallica were heavily overhated during the 90s/early 2000s, justifiably so today, but for very different reasons than what the mainstream metal community would have you believe.
Well I certainly wasn't expecting this: A metalcore album with groove and sludge metal elements, depicting lyrical themes of isolation, self-loathing and even suicide, and goddamn does it not slap! The opening of this EP with "Heroine Fingers" is so well done, almost reminiscent of Jordan Dreyer of La Dispute, one of my favourite modern post-hardcore bands with the alternating between softer spoken word and harsh screams. The hooks are sparse, allowing for the words to be fully understood which I greatly appreciated, but they are produced incredibly well for a twenty-plus year old record; the bass is heavy and these slower grooves are pummeling. If this isn't my type of throwdown music then I need to reevaluate myself!
8/10
Wreche - All My Dreams Came True
OK guys hear me out for just a second: black metal, but instead of guitars...piano. A fascinating little project that pushes the boundaries of what black metal can be. I would very interested to see what Xephyr thinks of this, especially considering how we were both enamored by Kaatayra's two albums last year.
https://wreche.bandcamp.com/album/all-my-dreams-came-true
After Mestarin kynsi won pretty much all of the critics 2020 best metal albums award, it was only a matter of time before those of us who caught on to Oranssi Pazuzu late would have to take the deep dive into the bands 2016 album, Värähtelijä. This album was equally as well received, if not more so, by critics at the time and as an outside looking in, I can only imagine why Oranssi Pazuzu were given such a loose second opportunity.
That's not to say that I do not like Värähtelijä, I absolutely do! But I've heard many atmospheric and psychedelic black metal albums in the years since this album was released and can only see it as a stepping stone towards greater things for Oranssi Pazuzu, including Mestarin kynsi!
First and foremost, I see Värähtelijä as an experimental project by comparison to its later sequel being the more refined mending of ideas together. This album contains a similar number of tracks as its follow up, but the tunes feel less impressive. The obvious outlier here is "Vasemman käden hierarkia", which sounds more like an extended jam session rather than a collection of ideas formulated together into something spectacular. At the very least, Ornassi Pazuzu are smart enough to make each of the tracks distinguishable from one another; a problem that many psychedelic albums face. After "Lahja" and the title track leave lots of space for post-rock elements, "Hypnotisoitu viharukous" drastically ramps up the intensity and is further explored on "Havuluu". And ending the album on the relatively laid back "Valveavaruus" gives this record a truly unsettling conclusion to a mostly unsettling project.
And even though the production on this album is very muddy, it does play into its benefit slightly. Psychedelic rock does not need to be riff-centric when it is the wall of sound technique that has been imported from atmospheric black metal that creates the comfortable, yet unsettling environment. I found that the fewer synthetic sounds did not help matters in making this nearly as unsettling as Ornassi Pazuzu may have thought, but these advances were made on later albums, so once again, I feel like this was an experiment for the band to see what would stick and then develop that sound further on subsequent releases.
But in the end, I know why people enjoy this record so much and while it may not be my personal cup of tea, I certainly appreciate its quality. For me, I prefer my atmo-black metal with sweeping melodic phrases and epic hooks and tales of folklore. Bit for an unsettling taste of psychedelic rock meets atmospheric black metal, you can never go wrong with Oranssi Pazuzu, even though I feel Mestarin kynsi is the culmination of this sound.
7/10
P.S. This absolutely needs to be essential listening if you enjoyed this months Infinite featured release: Lucid Planet II.
Damn Xephyr, you really found a gem with this one!
As I mentioned in my review, I think that this album has all the pieces to be a transcendent album, but falters ever so slightly when it comes to memorable hooks. Instead, Lucid Planet uses repetitive motifs to give the album a sense of unity, which I respect, but these motifs are typically very short spurts, very similar to that of Darth Vader's theme from Star Wars. That being said, the production is magnificent, the interludes are some of the best I've heard on any album in recent memory, and while the phrase "non-metal" does not apply here, the scarcity of the metal elements allow for the electric guitars to hit with additional velocity and power. An album that promises a trip and delivers in spades. Pressure is on for me and my next Infinite featured album!
8/10
ughhhh
I can tell that Unleash the Archers have some very good ideas on display with this album of theirs and I appreciate the craftsmanship being incorporated. For starters, I was very impressed by Brittney Slayes vocals; far too often women in high leverage positions in power and symphonic metal like to resort to highly operatic vocal timbres and tendencies. Which is why I found it so surprising when this album has none of that! the vocals are very comparable to Anneke van Giersbergen and this months featured release in the Fallen clan. In addition, Apex does have some very solid hooks provided by both the vocals as well as the lead guitar. My personal favourite is the major key change during the chorus of the opener "Awakening"; it was unexpected and remarkable. The instrumentals have a lot indebted to Iron Maiden, but they do have their own unique flare making them stand out amongst their influences.
That being said, I really wanted to like this more. Seeing all of these glowing reviews come before me leaves me in a very difficult situation where I have to point out that the production on this thing is terrible! You would think that for a band that is so heavily influenced by Iron Maiden and their specific brand of British Power Metal that this album would have something that resembled a bass line! Instead, the rhythm guitar is forced into doing all of the heavy lifting and it just doesn't work; the low end of this record is so gutted that any breakdowns on "Ten Thousand Against One" and "Earth and Ashes" are left feeling weightless. Contrary to popular belief, I do like a good breakdown, but it has to be implemented well and on this album, they just aren't.
And while the second half of this album does get a little more guitar heavy, I do find that many of the tunes start to blend together, with only "Call Me Immortal" and a drastic key change keeping the back end from falling off a cliff and making me want to turn the thing off. I know what this band was trying to do and I appreciate it... to a point. I know my score has a positivity bias because of their Victoria, BC residency, but this should have been a lot better.
6/10
I had never listened to Uroboros before writing my review and I can honestly say I enjoyed my time with it. As an avant-garde, genre swapping album, there is some genuine quality and care that has gone into each of these songs and highlighting Dir En Grey's influences without overtly ripping anyone off.
That said, this is an album that is very difficult to get through from top to bottom, simply because of all of the whiplash. The tonal shifts are drastic and unprepared, and can quickly diverge from radio friendly alternative metal to music snob, pretentious wanking in only a matter of seconds. I liken this album to last months featured release I Let It In And it Took Everything; both albums see a band splitting the difference between alternative metal and progressive/avant-garde music and metalcore respectively. And in each case, the alternative metal takes precedent, at least for me. I can see why Daniel suggests SOAD as preemptive listening for Uroboros because this album represents the next stages in creating a hybrid of alternative and progressive metal. And while I could never pass up on that (hello Tool), I know a lot of metal snobs who will.
7/10
Consider this my redemption arc following my poor reaction to Within Temptation's debut album that was featured a few months ago.
Where do I start when talking about The Gathering? In terms of gothic metal coming out of the mid to late 1990s, they are one of the groups frequently left behind in a slew of male fronted bands like My Dying Bride, Type O Negative and Paradise Lost. It certainly shouldn't be the case when you consider Anneke van Giersbergen is a truly magnificent voice in gothic metal, as well as the many guest appearances throughout the years in both power metal and progressive metal. And the sound of this album helped influence some of my favourite gothic/doom metal albums of all time, such as Swallow the Sun and Trees of Eternity with its heavy use of darkwave.
And what we end up with on Mandylion is a solid display of control. Anneke could have easily played the "I'm a woman in metal" card and gone for the bombastic, symphonic vocals of Within Temptation's Sharon den Adel that were used two years later on Enter, but rather we have a plainspoken delivery that sounds blunt and bleak, while still allowing for copious amounts of technical proficiency. And what's backing her up? A well balanced, heavily focused doom metal palette that does go heavy on the texture and atmospherics rather than hook or melody, but they are produced with convincing presence and a forward thinking bass line that prevents these sections from becoming played out and uninteresting.
In addition, the songwriting helps with memorability as well. Mandylion is one of the most forward thinking, progressive doom metal albums of the 1990s that I can recall. And yet it features some of the most infectious melodic drives of any of the great 90s doom/gothic metal albums. Anneke's plainspoken delivery makes these songs feel down to earth, as opposed to the bombast of Within Temptation. The drives are simple and match the lyrical content quite well, and many of these songs have a well constructed form making them feel well worth their extended runtimes, especially "Leaves" and "In Motion #2".
In the end, The Gathering are more of a band that I respect more than I like. I will not deny that the quality of Mandylion is very good with its great production and forward thinking songwriting, but I have heard plenty of 2000s and beyond gothic/doom metal that takes the quality of this record and expands upon it. For me, I see this more as a redemption after reviewing (and not very much liking mind you) Within Temptation's debut gothic metal album a couple of years later. I do like this sound and it can be done well. And The Gathering are one of the early influencers of a sound that I really enjoy and respect tremendously.
7/10
Early metal music was characterized by driving and distorted riffs, aggressive drumming, vigorous vocals, and an all around show of brute force.
Nintendocore is a style of Hardcore [Punk] that fuses the heavy riffing and vocals of Post-Hardcore and Metalcore with Chiptune instrumentation.
Both descriptors are from the RYM pages for Metal and Nintendocore respectfully. With that being the case, I can see why this discussion of "is Nintendocore metal?" exists. There is a fine line between hardcore punk and heavy metal music (more specifically speed/thrash metal). My opinion on genres is faulty for a number of reasons, but if I were to take these demo tracks and answer the question about "is Nintendocore metal?" I would say Sky Eats Airplanes is the only one that mostly represents the true metal framework. HORSE the Band is closer to Hardcore Punk, while Fucking Werewolf Asso is the farthest removed from either of those genre tags.
Does that mean I think HORSE the Band is metal? No. I say that if Nintendocore does receive a unique genre tag brand on this website, then we should also have a Hardcore Punk tag as well, since so much of this music is influenced by it.
Perhaps it is the benefactor of lowered expectations, but I had very little motivation to check out Grip Inc.'s sophomore album Nemesis. For me, I have had such bad luck with thrash metal in recent years that I've almost begun to start doubting the quality of any thrash metal record released beyond 1990. As we found ourselves moving further and further away from that era, it became increasingly clear that thrash metal bands were less than willing to push the genre forward instead of relishing its golden years of the 1980s.
Someone didn't tell Grip Inc. that. This is probably some of the most fun I've had with a thrash metal album since Vektor. Imagine if Kreator and Pantera had an offspring and you pretty much get the idea as to what this record is all about. There are some faster thrash grooves, but most of this album feels like slower Kreator tracks, complimented by some very obvious Pantera songwriting tips, such as pinch harmonics in the guitar, sung/scream vocals, and strong hooks. Unfortunately, the band were unable to take the great production of those albums with them, most notably in the bass; it is there, but heavily muted due to an overabundance of rhythm guitar.
The sound of this album does feel like a hybrid of those two bands mentioned earlier, but never feeling like a direct ripoff. Grip Inc. know what they want to do with their influences and thankfully transform them into a unique sound that is fresh, even by today's standards. This is probably the most noticeable during the second half of this album from around "Scream at the Sky" into "The Summoning" and carrying on subtly through the album closer "Code of Silence". And that is the Tool influence, which I was not expecting. I was getting a lot of Ænima vibes on these tracks, only heavier to fit in with the thrash/groove vibe of the album. The harsher vocal delivery has throwbacks to Opiate era Tool, but also shares a lot of similarities to Kreator's Mike Petrozza, which I appreciated.
It's a bit of a shame that this band broke up in 2006 because their approach to Thrash/Groove metal through the 1990s into the 2000s was heavily underappreciated. While so many acts were contempt with playing straightforward thrash metal and were unashamed to their blatant idolization of giants like Megadeth and Slayer, Grip Inc. were expanding the genre far beyond simple riffs and solos. This was a treat to hear and a very welcome surprise.
8/10
Anyone who knows my preference for technical death metal already knows that I have very little tolerance for full on aggressive death metal that is more concerned about creating the filthiest mosh pit of all time rather than coming up with a decent tune that I will remember the next day. Suffocation comfortably fall into this mold for me and this record can only be propped up by solid production and good performances all around for so long. It's a passable dose of technical death metal, but I can guarantee that I won't return to this again.
6/10
I did not realize how much I needed to let off some steam in my review, but here we are. I think what upsets me the most about 2000s era Dream Theater is how super talented each member of this group is, as both performers as well as songwriters and how they wasted away on half formed progressive metal albums throughout the entire decade. This band should have been pushing the envelope so hard given their reputation instead of releasing the same album like clockwork bi-annually for ten years. The hooks are empty, the production sounds thin in places where it shouldn't and bloated in others, the "innovation" feels surface level at best, and outside of "Stream of Consciousness", this album wreaks of non-effort in the worst way possible.
4/10
Can we add the new debut EP from Turris Eburnea?
While many of my criticisms of this album still persist from the day that I reviewed it, I can't deny that this album has grown on me in the year since its release. Mostly due to the band recent ambient album The Things They Believe from earlier this year. After such a seemingly dramatic pivot, going back and hearing the band brush elbows with the Deftones on "Two Way Mirror" and "New Faces In The Dark" have received a lot more acceptance from me. If only this band would combine the ambience and shoegaze together, then we could have a truly special album. As it is, Loathe wear their influences on their sleeves, but do enough to that sound that it doesn't feel like a direct copy.
6/10
I have cross referenced Dillinger Escape Plan many times in mathcore adjacent album reviews over the last year, most notably in my two Converge reviews for Jane Doe and All We Love We Leave Behind. Both bands played into two different branches of mathcore around the turn of the century and they both turned out to be equally influential to the genre, even if Converge became the more critically adored. I have always stood by the DEP was the better of the two for their songwriting that was equal parts frenetic energy and aggression, as well as well controlled and thought out melodies and hooks.
Now this album, One of Us is the Killer, can be viewed as one of the heaviest albums in the groups discography. The hectic songwriting, complete with very complex time signatures and unison riffage, is truly a marvel to behold. The way in which this group is able to make these sound good instead of as a technical wank break is commendable for sure. But what makes this album stand out is how it fits in remarkably well with tracks like "Hero of the Soviet Union", "Paranoia Shields" and "Crossburner". That is, how these sections are complimented by their more melodic influenced hardcore sections.
Now this album is remarkably loud and one of the poor examples of an album that fell victim to the loudness war. Quite a shame for a handful of reasons, but the main reason is the guitar riffing being so incredibly close to the front of the mix. Despite having some decent hooks at times, this is still math rock at its core, so leads are sparse, and I don't need to hear the chugging breakdown riffs at the same volume/intensity as I do during the melodic choruses. What's worse is how both the kick drum in the percussion, as well as Greg Puciato's vocals are blasted as compensation! It really is muddy and it hurts the album as a whole.
To be honest, I was hoping that the first DEP album to be featured would be Miss Machine or their fantastic swansong Dissociation from 2016, but those will have to wait for another day. As it is, One of Us is the Killer is a fantastic display of how one can make hook driven hardcore music without falling into already oversaturated pool that is melodic hardcore. But the production holds this album back from higher marks. I really enjoy how this sound has been taken and refined in recent years by a group such as Rolo Tomassi, and they owe a lot of that success to this album
7/10
P.S. Vinny don't forget BandCamp
https://martyrcanada.bandcamp.com/album/feeding-the-abscess
First and foremost, this album sounds incredible! If there is one thing that I miss the most in mainstream accessible rock and metal music, it's the bass independence from the rhythm guitars that give songs so much additional weight without having to blow out the mix. The bass lines on this album are kickass! Regardless of their importance or how they are implemented, these riffs hit like a tonne of bricks straight to the cranium and they would make for some insane mosh pits.
As for the music itself? I can't deny this is some top quality technical music. I'm a little hesitant to call it tech death because of it's very obvious tech thrash influences, but regardless, these tunes are crafted together surprisingly well. My brief dabbling's into tech death have been typically met with a resounding whirlwind of noise, but not a lot of substance to back it up. Martyr backs up the substance in a big way with some effortless transitions between alternating themes changing tempos, time signatures and even styles. And they are all delivered with pin point precision. "Feast of Vermin", "Nameless, Faceless, Neverborn" and "Felony" are among the album highlights. If you are one of those people that love the technical side of Between the Buried and Me, but can do without the metalcore interludes, this album will be just for you!
That being said, without those interludes, an album such as this could be incredibly daunting if not approached correctly. And by having shorter song structures altogether, you quickly realize that this album is not wasting anytime, working to their benefit and never turning into a show-off wank fest. What holds this album back for me at least is in most of the grooves that feel redundant after a while. There is some quality later on in the record, but listening to it from top to bottom can get a little one dimensional at times. Regardless, If this is a true display of technical death metal, then I will compare it to other acts in the same vein, and I would much rather listen to this than Nile or Dying Fetus any day!
8/10
I struggled with this one. For one, the sound of this album is super muddy and gross and almost left me reminded of the most recent Paysage D'Hiver album Im Wald. The obvious difference between these two albums is that Cultes des Ghoules are not using lo-fi production to exemplify the coldness that is on display. And I cannot deny that I think it sounds wonderful! The heaviness of the bass to go along with that guitar riffing is really good. The percussion is strong throughout the record and only feels overbearing when it has to be. And while I personally might not be the biggest fan of the shredded vocals, they do have some excellent passages that match the atmosphere that is being presented.
However, like with Paysage D'Hiver, too much of this album feels like it meanders its way to a conclusion. So much so that I can't recall any of the five tracks on this album having a distinct cap. Songs like "The Passion of a Sorceress" and "Vintage Black Magic" could have both been heavily trimmed down and even then, some dynamic growth would have helped (perhaps this wouldn't have made sense contextually, but we'll talk about that in a bit). Only the opener "Idylls of the Chosen Damned" and "Festival of Devotion", the shortest song on the album, made me feel like Cultes des Ghoules were putting their best effort into creating something that was perhaps not melodically innovative, but at the very least something that I would remember beyond basic themes of "ritualistic" or "hellish". The closer "The Devil Intimate" tried to be a little more progressive, which I respect, but the execution was lousy.
And part of the reason is the themes of this album. Many religious cults (or perhaps, occults) are very monochromatic in structure, and so it only makes sense as to why this album feels so formless at times. The reason why so many Gregorian chants were modulated with the rise of polyphony was so that they could be sung in church and people would know how to sing it. I'm not calling this a bad thing for Cultes des Ghoules since it fits with themes, but it doesn't stick in my mind very much as mentioned previously. I only remember atmosphere rather than hooks/grooves/melodies/etc.
This record fall into the category of mood album for me. In the right circumstances, Henbane by Cultes des Ghoules can be a splendid album. Beyond that, I wouldn't be able to tell you much else about it! Perhaps this style of black metal is outside of my jurisdiction, but if you're looking for a classic meets modern approach to occult-ish black metal, it will serve its purpose.
6/10
Not gonna lie here, I never cared for the debut record from Within Temptation. It's the only album of theirs that incorporates a heavy doom metal sound before venturing into something that resembles more traditional symphonic metal. The word that I would to describe this album is "weak" because almost everything about it is lacking in force. The guitars sound gutted, there is practically little to no dominant bass throughout the entire album, the snare drum is weak, the symphonic elements are painfully lacking, and the harsh vocals from Robert Westerholt left a lot to be desired. The only true saving grace for Within Temptation was there vocalist Sharon den Adel who significantly helped make this album somewhat memorable in front of the terrible mixing. When this group became more focused in their symphonic elements, the mixing considerably improved. It's no surprise as to why this was the bands only venture in this style of metal.
4/10
Whenever Devin Townsend adds his stamp of approval to an project/album, there needs to be some guidelines set in place by the audience. The most important of those is that you can leave any expectations of what you think this album will sound like at the door when you walk in. When I heard Addicted for the first time and I saw the Alternative Metal tag associated with it, I had to question what the hell did that actually mean? We were talking about the same Devin Townsend right? How is he, one of metal's most eclectic composers possibly ever, make an accessible metal album?
As soon as the opener "ADDICTED!" begins, it becomes clear that Devin Townsend hasn't really done that much different from earlier projects. Besides cleaning up much of the production, incorporating his harsh screams and raspy sung vocals far less frequently than ever before, and calling upon Anneke van Giersbergen for alternate vocals, and if I do say so myself, the tunes that heavily feature Anneke make up this albums best moments. And that's mostly because they are the cleanest to compliment her cleaner vocal timbre. Devin's harsh vocals are well hidden in the mix as usual, so I was pleasantly surprised by the flip on "IH-AH!" and later into "THE WAY HOME!" and "NUMBERED!". The later of those two serving as a well performed balance of the styles, something I wish the album did more of, let alone wait until so late in the track list.
As it stands, I do like the idea of an album such as Addicted, I just wish it was incorporated better. Of all of the groups that Devin Townsend has associated with, the DTP is the one that I have always liked the least; it has always felt the most safe and comfortable. In comparison to other Townsend projects, this is a dud for sure, but in a vacuum, I can see this clicking as a real "Gateway" into progressive metal and beyond.
6/10
I guess now is the time I have to make a confession to all of you: I used to be a Guitar Hero nerd. Well, I take that back: I still am a nerd for Guitar Hero even many years after that video game suffered a much deserved death due to oversaturation. There are still many content creators that play this game years later, albeit at a far less competitive state than during the games hay-day. And that hay-day was Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Considered to be the hardest game in the franchise and featuring one of the hardest charts for any song ever included in a Guitar Hero game: "Through the Fire and Flames".
With all of that being said, it should be no surprise to anyone here that I have listened to Inhuman Rampage a stupid number of times over the years. I know all of these songs and their guitar parts like the back of my hand, even if I'm really bad at playing them on a piece of plastic shaped to look like a guitar. And what I've noticed on this album (as well as every other DrangonForce album for that matter) is how same-y it all sounds. After the first two songs on this album: "Through the Fire and Flames" and "Revolution Deathsquad", you can already start to hear the same riffs being copied on "Storming the Burning Fields"! It's honestly remarkable that the band managed to make this album an hour long, and no one told them to cut it down maybe a little bit. Not every song needs to be a seven minute power metal epic.
One thing I never fully realized until listening to this album in full was how much better the Guitar Hero remastered versions of these songs are. Because for a power metal album such as this in which the ridiculous nature of the guitar leads is so important, the leads are so buried in the mix behind the percussion and vocals. I found the main synth leads to be quite annoying most notably on "Body Breakdown". And like with a lot of DrangonForce's best songs, ZP Theart's vocals can be good at times when they are an original idea, and the vocal layering gives the choruses of these songs some strong bombast and keep them memorable. That being said, because of the crazy guitar solo wankery, the vocals are quite limited throughout.
And it is even worth it to talk about the lyrics on this thing? EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE AND WE ARE GOING TO WALK THROUGH IT AND BECOME CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD! I guess as someone who has unwillingly listened to this album as much as I have, my opinion is quite harsh. But when you really think about it, this is power metal in its purest form: no progressive or symphonic elements turning it into a truly epic album. So if you like that kind of thing, then Inhuman Rampage will be just up your alley. Otherwise, "Through the Fire and Flames" is a decent song (if not an overplayed meme), and "Operation Ground and Pound" has a solid hook and great key change at the end. Beyond that, you don't need to hear the rest of it.
5/10
I would be lying if I didn't admit to being a little bit intrigued by this record; a death doom album with heavy emphasis on the "death" aspect. As many of you know, my background in this genre is heavily catered towards the atmospheric side, and I have been desperately looking for the Yang to my Ying (Swallow the Sun, My Dying Bride, etc.).
The first thing I thought of when I heard this record was how much it reminded me of Ulcerate. But whereas Ulcerate used this sound to create something that was... ethereal and dripping in post-metal, this record is a straight up death metal assault that is unforgiving with its intensity. There will be no soaring melodic guitar passages here. Everything is tuned down and the closest thing we get to a melodic lead is a mid range guitar solo, such as the one on "Quintessence Maligned". The way in which the ensemble is able to effortlessly transition back and forth between high octane death metal riffing/blast beats to painfully slow doom metal passages is super impressive. The transitions almost never feel rushed and the attention to detail on both is impeccable.
The sound of this album is pretty great. Being a death metal album, there is a certain unpolished level that persists throughout and it does make this quite interesting. The riffing, as mentioned before, is very low and is quite tepid about traversing anything higher than twelfth fret. I found that the bass is surprisingly dense and the kick drums are produced like ass; that is to say, they do not pierce over the rest of the mix. If I had to critique this in any way, it would be the lack of attention to the guitars when doing a "solo". They typically feel drowned by the rhythm guitars, which was a little disappointing.
But overall, add me to the list of people on MA pleasantly surprised by this. I understand that this isn't my forte, but I recognize talent when I hear it, and Dead Congregation are really good at creating claustrophobic, hellacious atmosphere.
8/10
An Abstract Illusion - Illuminate The Path
Progressive death metal with heavy emphasis on "progressive". This is essentially what I would dubiously call "deathgaze" with it's use of atmospheric bridges to connect the brilliant world that has been crafted together. The buildup's are justified and the extended runtimes do not feel overindulgent. FFO (if you could even compare this to anything else): Be'lakor, Wilderun, Ne Obliviscaris, Windir
https://anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com/album/illuminate-the-path
An Abstract Illusion - Illuminate The Path
Progressive death metal with heavy emphasis on "progressive". This is essentially what I would dubiously call "deathgaze" with it's use of atmospheric bridges to connect the brilliant world that has been crafted together. The buildup's are justified and the extended runtimes do not feel overindulgent. FFO (if you could even compare this to anything else): Be'lakor, Wilderun, Ne Obliviscaris, Windir
https://anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com/album/illuminate-the-path
A tough record to revisit.
I do respect Animals as Leaders for being extremely competent musicians and being able to incorporate it through overtly technical/progressive songwriting. I just wish that there had been more of a purpose for most of it. As Sonny mentioned, the wankery on display is less so for creating a captivating experience for the performer/listener, but rather a showcase in technical proficiency without any of the soul that is required for progressive metal to work. Still, not a bad record, but one that needed to be developed upon (and eventually was) for this style of progressive djent to have any staying power.
6/10
Twenty years of Blackwater Park
It should go without saying at this point that I am a huge mark for the band Agalloch and their blend of folk and post-metal. So it should be taken as the highest of praise when I say that this album is what I imagine Agalloch would sound like if they were a traditional doom band.
Now The Mantle was still a few years away at the time. Hell, Pale Folklore was still a year away at the time, but it wouldn't surprise me if Agalloch listened to this album as inspiration. It is a joy to hear Solstice harken to traditional English folk tunes to go along with a sound that is not that far removed from a band as recent as Spirit Adrift. The justification for long songs through expansive growth and swelling through "The Sleeping Tyrant" and "Hammer of Damnation" is remarkable. The mixing is superb and the melodic phrases in both the guitars and vocals are very well put together and interwoven.
9/10
The only version of this album that I could find was the thirty year anniversary remastered edition, so I might not be getting the full understanding/appreciation for this album as others here might.
Following the rise of D-beat in the UK, it was only a matter of time before that sound was developed. Sacrilege represents that simplistic songwriting alongside some of the heavier thrashing riffage coming out of the US through Slayer, Exodus and boPossessed. And if that sounds like something that sparks your fancy, I can admit that Behind the Realms of Madness is a great bonding of the two, in addition to serving as a true gateway between hardcore punk and thrash metal at the time.
However, when I went on my deep dive into the roots of 80s hardcore punk a few years ago, I have to admit that D-beat was my least favourite of the subgenres that I found. While the aggression was at an all time high, the songwriting took a significant backseat. And unfortunately, this album suffers a lot in the same way. These songs are very long and have no growth to warrant their runtimes; an issue that Discharge understood with See Nothing Hear Nothing Say Nothing three years prior. Not to mention the fact that you would be hard pressed to hear anything that resembles a bass line on this album. And the reverb effect in the vocals actively diminish the DIY sound that is so synonymous with early punk in general.
This album made me feel empty. This is the kind of album I expect visual arts students to play after lecturing me about "post-modernism"; about how uninspired hook driven music like Black Flag, Bad Brains and Minor Threat were. This album might have life, character and passion, but I cannot remember a single goddamned thing about it. It's great for the mosh pit, but worthless beyond that space.
5/10
Consistent almost to a fault. Even as Trivium continue to evolve with each subsequent album, they still can't figure out how to mix the bass properly. If they could ever figure that out, they might just have a truly transcendent album on their hands. As it is, In Waves is the bands most commercially and critically successful album, and it has some of metal's most iconic riffs of the 2010s. But it isn't their best. For me, I still prefer The Crusade.
7/10
Tobias Sammett creating the concept album/rock opera project Avantasia was a blessing for heavy metal. While Arjen Lucassen was creating more progressive concept albums with the group Ayreon, Avantasia was more traditional power/symphonic metal, making far easier to digest and more accessible. And despite this album serving as a warmup for what would come over the next two decades, it quickly became a classic. I personally don't agree, as later projects called upon far more noticeable guest features, and the songwriting became more fluent. As it stands, I would never put The Metal Opera above Into The Electric Castle, but if you want sweeping symphonic metal with epic tales of folklore...well you could listen to almost any power/symphonic metal album. But Avantasia were destined for greatness and The Metal Opera proves that.
7/10
The reason I chose this to be a featured release was to prove how timely so much of nu-metal was, and how you had to be there to appreciate its idiocy. I realize in hindsight how dumb a lot of nu-metal was during the mid 2000s, but Meteora stands out in a sea of machismo and Monster Energy drinks. It easily surpasses Hybrid Theory in both the sound and the maturity and has stood the test of time for someone who was there when it all went down.
And with all of that said, I understand why some people might not like this album as much as me. This may piss some people off with its very amateurish songwriting and whiny lyricism. And I get that. But as someone who was the target audience for this during the early 2000s, and how much of my favour with nu-metal has drastically faded over the years, Meteora still persists. I don't know if you'll find a better display of this genre than on this album.
9/10
Be sure to remind me when it's my month or I'll forget!!
This is a great idea letting clan members help in the decision making of featured records for the month. I am all for helping out with both The Gateway & Infinite clan events, but I am a lot less educated when it comes to Guardian records. I know that clan is in good hands with Xephyr, Andi and Vinny choosing and I will continue to participate in discussion when I can. I feel like it would be best if I sat out on that one.
Body, The - I've Seen All I Need To See (3.5/5)
Deftones - Koi no yokan (3.5/5)
Riot - ThunderSteel (2.5/5)
Asphyx - Necroceros (3/5)
Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane (3.5/5)
Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty (4/5)
Hexecutor - Beyond Any Human Conception of Knowledge (3/5)
I can see where the counterpoint comes from with this album being a metal album. My personal opinion came from this sounding far too similar to the darkwave and death industrial that I hear from Lingua Ignota.
The drone tag is deserved, but the "metal" tag is ambiguous. If there is enough debate, then I don't think it should lose its tag.
Click Track Click Track Click Track CLICK TRACK!!!
I wanted to like this more. The Death Doom hybrid on display is drastically different from the far more ethereal and atmospheric stuff that I am accustomed to. But the poor death vocal timbre from a guy in his fifties and a truly awful percussion mix that desperately needs a click track make this album far more of a chore than I would have liked.
6/10
I really enjoyed Aathma in 2017 and was one of that years best albums. Tried Spiritual Migration a couple of years ago and was a little bit turned off by the heavier focus on technical rather than progressive. I ought to give this a couple spins as well.