Sonny's Forum Replies

My picks for June Vinny:

Anthrax - "Now It's Dark" (from "State of Euphoria", 1988)

Antichrist - "Death Rays" (from "Forbidden World", 2011)

Artillery - "Death Is an Illusion" (from "My Blood", 2011)

Metallica - "No Remorse" (from "Kill' Em All, 1983)

Parkcrest - "Dwelling of the Moonlights" (from "...And That Blue Will Turn to Red", 2020)

Sacred Reich - "Crimes Against Humanity" (from "The American Way", 1990)

Vektor - "Tetrastructural Minds" (from "Outer Isolation", 2011)

In other news, I have been out working on a job for my brother for most of today (unpaid I might add) and this is the first day in fuck knows how many years where I have listened to NO metal music at all!

Great to hear that you have been given the all-clear Zach. Hopefully everything else will fall into place once the dust settles. All the best to you and yours in your new endeavours.

If you are moving to Florida then isn't it compulsory for you to join a death metal band?

I will have my suggestions ready soon, Vinny.

It is baffling to me that despite the obvious dearth of decent material in the last 35 years Metallica are still the planet's biggest metal band. I am glad I got to see them live in the 80s when they were at their best and not this pale parody of a thrash metal act because, as the great Bill Shankly meant to say, "if Metallica were playing at the bottom of my garden I would shut the curtains, put on my headphones and listen to Master of Puppets".

Metallica - 72 Seasons (2023)

Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct (2016)

Two for the price of one!!

Over the last two or three days I have been filling in the gaps in my Metallica discography knowledge and relistening to the rest for a track-rating project. In an attempt to make the venture more palatable I decided to work backwards. That way, at least I would still have the good stuff to look forward to. Anyway, I had never sat down with the last two albums, in fact I hadn't listened to anything after the complete shitshow that was St. Anger, so I went into Hardwired and 72 Seasons completely blind. In truth, neither was as awful as I had feared and both were certainly an improvement over the band's previously mentioned career nadir. Don't get me wrong, neither do they come close to rivalling their 80s output, but then again what does? There are actually some pretty decent tracks here, both the title tracks, "Lux Aeterna" from the later album and "Dream No More" and "Confusion" from Hardwired are solid efforts.

No, the insurmountable problem for me with both these albums, which was also an issue with 2008's "supposed" return to form, Death Magnetic, is the self-indulgence exhibited by the band. They have always been a band that lean towards lengthier tracks, Master of Puppets itself has three eight-minute-plus tracks, but on these two albums the musical ideas presented in no way justify the interminible runtimes. In fact Metallica now come off as little more than a heavy metal jam band and a parody of their former greatness. The ideas here in no way justify well over two-and-a-half hours of your valuable listening time. Hardwired could easily lose three tracks from the back end, in fact lose the whole second disc except "Confusion" whilst 72 Seasons would be much better if it ended at "Crown of Barbed Wire". Then remove a chorus from each of the remaining tracks and the jobs a good' un as we say round here.

Oh and someone please tell Hetfield to stop singing - his voice is shot and is at times fairly painful to listen to. Add the compression and loudness wars fallout on top of these issues and we have a couple of (very long) albums of material that is subpar for the band that gave us Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets and, if truth be told, for many lesser lights too. Metallica peers such as Testament and even Exodus have released much better albums in the same time span. Listening to both of these is like one of those sad old men with a pony tail and convertible sports car trying to recapture his long-lost youth and just coming off like some kind of weird tosser. It makes me sad rather than angry.

A generous 3/5 for each for old-times sake.

Electric Six - Fire (2003)

Whenever the weight of the world gets too much then I find myself turning to the sheer infectious stupidity of Fire to lift my spirits. It has worked its magic again today.

I haven't been able to conjure up a proper review, but here are my thoughts.

This is an album of bouncy, melodic, mainstream-baiting metal tunes from Japan and as such really isn't intended for a doom-obsessed lover of the darkness that envelops extreme metal such as myself. No surprising then that this didn't do a great deal for me and with which I found it quite hard to connect. Sounds to my jaded ears like a smoothie blended from part Evanescence, part Linkin Park and part Trivium with some electronic touches thrown in especially to irritate me. The singer sounds like he would actually have quite a nice voice given the right material, reminding me of Coheed and Cambria's Eduardo Sanchez, but his metalcore shouting isn't something I can appreciate - as perfectly illustrated by the track "Speak" which just had me thinking "shut up".

I find it quite hard to envision this gaining any popularity among older metal fans like myself who were brought up on a diet of seventies hard rock and eighties heavy metal. But I can easily hear that the younger metalheads who grew up more accustomed to a wider range of external influences such as rap, electronica and post-hardcore being incorporated into their metal may get off on this, particularly if they are drawn to a more melodic version of metal. That said, I have no idea if any true metalhead would ever get much out of the excretious ballad "1st January" which sounds like Robbie Williams at his soppiest. In fact, scrub that because Williams' "Angels" pisses all over this track.

Sorry to anyone who really digs on this, but this is the most positive summary of my feelings towards this that I could manage to summon and I am guessing that more than a single listen would have me getting increasingly abrasive in my assessment. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say, "no, not for me" and this is one of those cases I'm afraid. I tried, I really did... [closes Spotify halfway through "Answer/Sickness"].

1/5

Here's my (new) review:

I first encountered Angel Witch over 45 years ago, supporting Motörhead on one of their '78 or '79 tours, if I remember rightly. In those early days they were a trio consisting of mainman Kevin Heybourne alongside bassist Kevin Riddles and drummer Dave Hogg, playing what would become one of the most recognizable sounds of the NWOBHM. After providing the best track on the legendary Metal for Muthas comp, they released their 1980 eponymous debut, one of my absolute favourite albums from the NWOBHM era. Unfortunately the rest of the 80s weren't kind to AW, constant personnel upheavals and a couple of lacklustre albums resulted in the band disappearing from view. Fast forward to 2012 and The 'Witch were back, releasing a new album, their first new material in quarter of a century, "As Above, So Below" which was somewhat of a return to form and a shot in the arm for any long-standing fan of the band, such as yours truly, desperate to see them succeed.

So, 2019 came around and AW finally turned in their best and heaviest album since that seminal debut. It was more focussed than "As Above, So Below" and with a production job that would have absolutely killed forty years ago. This was hi-octane heavy metal and any band of young bucks flying the flag of the traditional heavy metal sound would have been proud to have put out an album as exhilharating as this, never mind a band now well into their fifth decade. Kicking of with an anthemic fist-pumper in "Don't Turn Your Back", you can just feel the years roll away, both from the band and from the listener with a track that would have felt well at home in the band's set of almost forty years ago. The tracks on Angel of Light are generally longer than their previous material, clocking in at between five and seven minutes which allows them more space to grow than their earlier material, whilst still delivering with catchy melodies and an inate understanding of how to make traditional heavy metal sound just as heavy as some of its more extreme offspring. Angel of Light harks back to those early days of the NWOBHM for sure, yet it has a modern sound and sensibility that makes it more than just a band trading on lost glories or trying to recapture their wasted youth, lending it a relevance and vitality than many of the band's peers are incapable of summoning these many years on. There is a greater fullness to the sound of this four-piece than the original trio that recorded the debut could muster with tracks like "The Night Is Calling" or "Condemned" drawing on a marked Sabbath influence soundwise. This is also aided by a deepening of Kev's voice as the years have passed and distinctive though it still is, it is only on the more strained sections where it sounds as thin and reedy as it used to. He also shows a greater propensity for soloing than he did in the earlier days and delivers some nicely controlled and mature-sounding leads.

Overall I have to acclaim "Angel of Light" as a real success and easily the best Angel Witch have laid down since the debut, striking right to the heart of what makes traditional heavy metal so great and awakening a love in me for that sound that I had believed to be long crushed by the intensity of extreme metal. This can easily stand alongside releases from the much-lauded new bucks of traditional metal such as Smoulder or Traveler and outshines most of them in my book. The band's debut will always hold a special place for me as it was a big release within my earliest metal experiences, but the additional power this latest iteration summon when coupled with KH's knack for writing hook-filled heavy metal melodies and the more expansive songwriting finally makes this an album worthy of the band that knocked out that classic of the NWOBHM oh so very long ago.

4.5/5

Nice one Ben. My thoughts exactly. Ironic that it isn't in a metal thread though.

Maybe we should start a thread rating our top 100 raters.

Hi Ben, could you add Arkham Witch's 2022 album, "Swords Against Death" please.

As I have said elsewhere, I am quite the fan of the Seattle husband and wife team that are Year of the Cobra, them first catching my ear with their "The Black Sun" EP back in 2015. I have, however, been a bit tardy getting across their latest release, this self-titled full-length being released over a month ago now. YotC play stoner metal with a doomy vibe and a bit of a psychedelic influence. Comprising vocalist and bassist Amy Tung Barrysmith and drummer husband Jon, the pair deliver their stoned-out doomy vibes without the use of six-stringed guitars. The riffs are carried solely by Amy's basslines as are any solo embellishments.

This S/T kicks off with the lead-off single, "Full Sails" which thunders straight out of the blocks with Amy's lumbering and forceful bassline which is then joined by Jon's bludgeoning drums and a second bass riff. As Amy's vocals join the fray we find that not a distant-sounding, shrinking violet, but a strong and powerful version of the ethereal-voiced siren trope that is common within doom metal, sitting somewhere between Windhand's Dorthia Cottrell and Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick ("White Rabbit" version, not "We Built This City"). This is followed by the more uptempo "War Drop" which is a groovier and more catchy example of the band's sound with a chorus that will keep bouncing around in your head well after the track has finished, despite the ominousness that it portends. By this time you find that you aren't really noticing the lack of six-string riffing, such is the force of the basslines, which not only stands as testament to the duo themselves, but also to producer Matt Bayles who owns and operates Seattle's Red Room Studio and is a veteran producer of bands such as Isis and Mastodon and does a fantastic job here.

"Daemonium" and its uncomfortable lyrics of confrontation of a violent sex offender, is another pounding, pulsing uptempo effort which has an almost punky feel to it and carries forward the momentum generated by "War Drop" into the heart of the album. I have to confess that, despite my evident preference for doom metal, here Year of the Cobra sound much more effective on the quicker-paced material than on the slower stuff. "Alone", which follows "Daemonium", doesn't quite strike the same chord as the previous tracks and feels amost aimless compared to the succinct and driving nature of the early part of the album. "7 Years" picks up pace once more and is another fist-pumping, psych-heavy, stoner workout with a catchy chorus. "The Darkness" is possibly the most interesting track on the album, with it's crawling, serpentine opening bassline enveloping the listener and tightening its coils as Amy turns in a nicely varied vocal performance that positions her well to the top of the list of female doom metal vocalists.

I think it is fair to say that the Seattle duo, despite sitting firmly in the stoner doom camp, have, wittingly or not, picked up some influence from their home city's historical assosciation with grunge and this is nowhere more apparent than on "Sleep" which feels like a downbeat, stonerised version of an Alice in Chains or Soundgarden track. Closing out the album is its longest track, "Prayer" which is a very laid-back sort of track and, to be honest, I found it ended the album on a bit of a low-energy downer that was at odds with the majority of the material on offer and may well send the casual listener away with a slightly distorted memory of what had gone before.

I think it is fair to say that Year of the Cobra inhabit a fairly unique area of stonerdom, with a grungy, punkish attitude to stoner metal that sees them writing some exceedingly groovy and catchy material, whilst still delivering with powerful, bass-heavy thunder some seriously downtuned and fuzz-laden psyched-out trips. I have never seen them perform live, but I suspect they may be one of those bands that attract a quite diverse following. I have not completely made my mind up yet where this S/T ranks in their discography, but it is certainly their most accessible I would suggest and could well see them really start to gain a foothold in the wider world.

4/5

This isn't exactly likely to sit very high on my list of metal favourites, but I would be lying if I said I hated it. On paper this really isn't up my street at all, but there was something I found infectious and likeable in the exuberance with which these Finns delivered their catchy, industrialised alternative metal ditties. In truth, the appeal would probably fade very quickly and even on a single listen the album was a bit too long for my preference. I could definitely do without the nu-metally rap parts and would gladly wave goodbye to those, but for an album of energetic poppy metal anthems this was reasonably tolerable. Damning with faint praise maybe, but considering where my metal tastes lie, that's not bad I would suggest.

2.5/5

I had already completed the May playlist, but I will have a look at juggling it to make room for your suggestion Saxy. 

Work in progress really Sonny.  The highest rated occupy the top two slots with the majority of the other rated and reviewed ones in order.  For example, I feel The Great Old Ones is going to place high but I simply have not gotten around to it yet in terms of enough critical listening time.  I will limit it to no more than 20 in the list otherwise it just becomes a list of some black metal albums i listened to this year.

I'll keep an eye on it Vinny because I haven't been engaging with new releases as much this year as I do normally and so it will be nice to see the best quality new black metal easily. TGOO's "Kadath" is my album of the year so far, but then again I have only listened properly to three!!

As you can see from my list, Gràb is the find of the year so far with that Grima record a close second.  I am trying to do simiar for The Fallen - both are based off new releases that Ben adds here but The North one has a couple of discoveries from elsewhere.

I shall be even more interested in your Fallen list, Vinny!

The new Deafheaven album, which has been out a whopping four days has now gone to #1 on the RYM all-time black metal album chart with 4000 ratings. WTF is going on over there? 

Work in progress really Sonny.  The highest rated occupy the top two slots with the majority of the other rated and reviewed ones in order.  For example, I feel The Great Old Ones is going to place high but I simply have not gotten around to it yet in terms of enough critical listening time.  I will limit it to no more than 20 in the list otherwise it just becomes a list of some black metal albums i listened to this year.

I'll keep an eye on it Vinny because I haven't been engaging with new releases as much this year as I do normally and so it will be nice to see the best quality new black metal easily. TGOO's "Kadath" is my album of the year so far, but then again I have only listened properly to three!!

This is a standout album for me in the world of folk-inspired atmospheric black metal, its Amazonian influence making a nice change from the euro-centric folk influences that black metal is already awash with and presenting some truly gorgeous atmospheres.

Anyway, here is my review:

Kaatayra is one of the solo projects of brazilian multi-instrumentalist Caio Lemos who released his debut under the name in 2019 and went on to release 5 full-length albums in two and a half years. "Toda história pela frente" ("All History Ahead") is the fourth of these, being released in August 2020. Kaatayra plays atmospheric black metal infused with Caio's native brazilian folk music that makes for a refreshing change and adds a nice twist to the genre, bringing a different aesthetic to the music away from the euro-centric folk most usually encountered within the genre. Gone are the frigid, icy soundscapes more readily associated with european and north american black metal, to be replaced by a warmer, more celebratory atmosphere, where the natural environment is not so much a hard and inhospitable setting which must be endured, but a life-giving and nurturing domain that is to be acclaimed.

"Toda história pela frente" consists of three lengthy epics and was Kaatayra's most black metal album up to that point. I also think it was the album where he best integrated the black metal and acoustic elements together, with a noticeble increase in consistency as his songwriting matured. Not that I am saying there was too much wrong with his previous albums, but there was sometimes a jarring feeling that the two disparate elements were being forced together rather than the tracks evolving the relationship between the metal and the folk-led in a more organic way as they do here. Sometimes he takes a completely fresh approach to black metal and even plays the riff on acoustic rather than electric guitar, complete with accompanying blastbeats which works surprisingly well. Elsewhere he weaves some nice synth-led ambient threads into his musical tapestries, with an especially soothing section coming in the latter part of opening track, the 17-minute, "O Castigo Vem à Cavalo", giving the listener a moment or two of calm which lends an even greater impact to the final climactic blackened explosion.

When Caio let's the black metal side of things rip, then he sounds more savage and visceral than he had at any point up until this, with his ragged shrieks, frantic tremolo riffing and pummelling blastbeats providing an aggressive, red-blooded assault on the listener's ears with the opening minutes of second track "Toda mágoa do mundo" being the prime example. Yet, despite this, there is a rhythmic quality to the riffs on even the most vicious sections that prevents the tracks from sounding spiteful or hate-filled, but rather impart the notion of a more wholesome "nature red in tooth and claw" ethos instead. The latin rhythms of the folk-led parts are also one of the major distinctions between this and the vast majority of the atmospheric black metal pack. The euro-centric folk incorporated by most black metal acts oftentimes gives a menacing, ritualistic and even occult vibe to proceedings, but the dance-oriented latin rhythms deployed here make for a much more positive and celebratory atmosphere.

I don't think I can give this more praise than saying that, in certain respects, it reminds me of Austin Lunn's Panopticon. Similar to Panopticon it has taken the local folk music of the artist that sits outside the scope of black metal that we are used to and has incorporated it in such a way as to impart a different, more positive and human ethos into what can so often be a misanthropic and negative style of music, giving the listener an entirely different experience of black metal than they may have expected.

4.5/5

Nice list Vinny. Is there any significance to the order, or is it just "as they come"?

Thanks Andi.

Hey Andi, if no one else objects then I wouldn't mind chipping in with a nomination or two. Although not a Guardians member, I have almost 500 Guardians releases rated (as well as nearly 50 years listening to it, so I reckon I know a little bit about it. If people would rather I didn't then that is OK too.

Nice one Karl. "Don't Turn Your Back" is a brilliantly catchy heavy metal tune.

Thanks Vinny, I can crack on with this one now.

I haven't checked this one out yet Vinny, despite being a big fan since their 2015 debut EP "Black Cobra", so I am looking forward to getting familiar with it this month.

Sorry, Daniel. New pick posted above. Insufficient attention paid - many apologies everyone. 

April 2025

1. Satyricon - "Du som hater gud" (from "Nemesis Divina", 1996) [submitted by Karl]

2. Desaster - "In the Ban of Satan's Sorcery" (from "Hellfire's Dominion", 1998) [submitted by Sonny]

3. Kvist - "Stupet" (from "For kunsten maa vi evig vike", 1996) [submitted by Vinny]

4. Emperor - "Night of the Graveless Souls" (from "Emperor", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

5. Satanic Warmaster - "Harken the Bells of Damnation" (from "Exultation of Cruelty", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

6. Dawn - "Sorrow Flew on Black Wings" (from "Sorgh på svarte vingar fløgh", 1996) [submitted by Karl]

7. Primordial - "The Mouth of Judas" (from "Redemption at the Puritan's Hand, 2011) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Oubliette - "Desolate Path" (from "Eternity Whispers", 2024) [submitted by Saxy S]

9. Stormlord - "Under the Samnites' Spears" (from At the Gates of Utopia, 2001) [submitted by Andi]

10. Black Witchery - "Barbarism Domination" (from "Inferno of Sacred Destruction", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]

11. Revenge - "Revelation Emaciated (Chalice Abominate)" (from "Violation.Strife.Abominate", 2025) [submitted by Sonny]

12. Ungfell - "Im Ruusch" (from "De Ghörnt", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

13. Sorcier des Glaces - "The Winter Nightsky" (from "Snowland", 1998) [submitted by Karl]

14. Saor - "Glen of Sorrow" (from "Amidst the Ruins", 2025)

15. møl - "Jord" (from "Jord", 2018)

16. Majestic Mass - "Sanguine Dreams of Lust" (from "Savage Empire of Death", 2018)

17. Ieschure - "Cold Stars of Eternity" (from "Cold Stars of Eternity" EP, 2020) [submitted by Sonny]

18. Inferi (ARG) - "Marked with Our Ancestors Blood" (from "The Awakening of the Black Hordes", 2005) [submitted by Karl]

19. Ruïm - "Fall of Seraphs" (from "Black Royal Spiritism - I - O Sino da lgreja", 2023) [submitted by Vinny]

20. Demoncy - "Risen from the Ancient Ruins" (from "Empire of the Fallen Angel: Eternal Black Dominion", 2015) [submitted by Karl]

21. Helheim - "raunijaR" (from "raunijaR", 2015)

Mercy - Witchburner (1985)

Sweden's Mercy are best known for being fronted by a pre-Candlemass Messiah Marcolin, especially as they struggled after he left, eventually splitting up in 1988. This, however, is a bit unfair on the rest of the guys because Witchburner is actually a very cool early doom metal record. It still retained a significant amount of heavy metal DNA, much like most mid-80's doom acts, except maybe Saint Vitus. It kicks off very strongly with the head-turningly-titled "I'm Your Pervert Priest" which possesses a crawling and portentously doomy riff which is topped off by Messiah's instantly recognisable vocals and marks the first time that a genuinely gifted and expressive vocalist was featured on a doom metal track, providing ample proof why Leif Edling wanted Messiah to join Candlemass after Johan Langquist refused to commit beyond the recording of "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus". What may surprise Candlemass fans is that Messiah was only seventeen at the time of recording and also played drums on "Witchburner"putting in a decent shift behind the kit, being basic, but effective. Lyrically, the track is obviously mocking of established religion, a theme that became well-established within metal circles, here given a sardonic and humorous slant rather than the out-and-out vitriolic attacks that became de rigeur within metal lyricist circles.

At this time Mercy had been reduced to a trio with three of the five that recorded the S/T debut having departed before the recording of "Witchburner" and remaining members Messiah and guitarist Andrija Veljaca being joined by second guitarist Jörgen Horst who also handled bass duties on the new record. The guitar sound on Witchburner is based on the "Tony Iommi" sound, but has a bit more of the grittiness of Saint Vitus' filthier intonation than heard on albums like Trouble's S/T or any of Sabbath's material. Where it does have more in common with these is in the songwriting, the slow, doomy material still being countered by a fair bit of traditional metal riffing, although that filthier, distortion-heavy guitar sound makes the faster riffs sound great. This was actually Mercy's sophomore full-length and I find it inconceivable that they hadn't received any exposure to the more doomy acts emerging, particularly from the US, between the recording of their 1984 debut and this because the two are worlds apart. The S/T takes its cues from the NWOBHM with the band coming off like a swedish version of Saxon for the most part, but "Witchburner" was much darker-sounding and had shed all the hard rock influences of the earlier record, becoming a much heavier album as a result.

The riffs are pretty memorable and Messiah's enunciation is excellent as usual, making "Witchburner" one of those albums that sticks around in the old grey matter and that people may find you singing along with later. The two guitarists are also impressive with some terrific soloing, the incendiary and blistering fretwork of the solo at the midpoint of Pain of Golgata, is just one example of a solo that would be salivated over had it come from KK Downing or his like and here provides a searing contrast to the plodding dirge of the main riff.

Whilst the three tracks of side one are undoubtedly the doomier and for me personally the better, the second side also has it's moments and is interesting for different reasons. The opener on side two, "Welcome to My Graveyard" is virtually speed metal and with that filthy guitar sound it actually sounds really good, so if you have always wondered what Messiah would sound like singing in a speed metal crew then here is your chance to find out. After that, "Judgement Day" has a bouncy "Children of the Grave" riff and may be the "catchiest" track on the album - all together now, "No one gets away... on Judgement Day". The penultimate track "Voodoo Kills" is for my money the weakest here being a little all over the place and not terribly well put together, but it is still listenable enough all the same. Closing out with the eight-minute title track, the ponderous ominousness of side one makes a welcome return and we are thrust into the doom-laden world of seventeenth century religious zealotry and witch huntings which was destined to become pretty standard doom metal lyrical fare.

All-in-all I think this is actually a very good example of early traditional doom metal which deserves far more attention than it has received. I would take this over Trouble's "Psalm 9", for example, which may or may not be a hot take, but is my heartfelt opinion as I think this sits much nearer to the Saint Vitus debut than to Trouble's and I would hold SV's self-titled up as the flagbearer for early trad doom. Sure this does step into trad metal and even speed metal territory occasionally, but the doominess of the three tracks on side one and the closing title track are ample proof that these Swedes were committed to playing and exploring doom metal further. It is a shame that we never really heard much more from Mercy, but as I said they struggled after Messiah left and their later output doesn't live up to this earlier promise with 1989's King Doom being a major disappointment. So, as it stands, "Witchburner" is an interesting development in the european take on doom metal and allows us to glimpse the early career of one of doom metal's iconic vocalists, making it a worthwhile listen which should be of interest to any serious student of doom metal and its history.

4/5

Before he joined Candlemass, a teenage Messiah Marcolin was vocalist and drummer with Mercy, a swedish band who released two albums with Messiah on vocals. These were a forgettable 1984 self-titled debut that merely trotted out NWOBHM tropes and sounded like Saxon and 1985's Witchburner which was much better, embracing the emerging doom aesthetic. This is the opener and possibly best track:

Doom Metal 101 #4: Trouble - S/T (Psalm 9) (1984)

Like Saint Vitus, Trouble formed in 1978, but also like their californian counterparts they didn't release their debut album until 1984. In fact Vitus' and Trouble's self-titled debuts were only released a month apart, with "Saint Vitus" issuing forth in February and "Trouble" (later retitiled "Psalm 9") following in March. Preceeding the album, the track "Assassin" was released as a single, backed by a doomy cover of Cream's "Tales of Brave Ulysses", which was decent enough, although Eric Wagner does struggle with some of the higher registers. "Assassin" was chosen as the lead single, I suspect, because of its strong resemblance to NWOBHM stalwarts Diamond Head in an attempt to garner some traction with the fans of the english heavy metallers.

Trouble are well-known for their Christian-themed lyrics but, in all honesty, I never realised this for the longest time because the lyrical content doesn't affect the darkness of the music at all. Their beliefs don't become that apparent until you actually sit down and go over the lyric sheet. The preachiness and happy-clappy demeanour of so many Christian-themed acts was something that Trouble managed to avoid, concentrating more on the music and less on converting the long-haired masses of young metalheads who comprised their prospective audience. This is a band equally at home pouring vitriol on unfeeling leaders with lyrics like "Come on people, let me hear you say, You fuckin' Bastards, you're gonna pay" as they are beseeching their lord for mercy with "I will praise thee O Lord, I will sing praise in thy name, Don't forget the cry of the humble, Have mercy on me".

Instrumentally, "Trouble" has quite a clean and well-produced sound, much more akin to Black Sabbath than the grimy grittiness of Saint Vitus' more distorted and downtuned debut. The band also employ a wider variation of pacing than is often encountered within the context of orthodox doom metal, but make no bones about it, when they want to, they are more than capable of bringing the doom. Despite their penchant for traditional metal-paced riffs, the downtuned and distorted guitar sound often makes the material feel slower and doomier than maybe it actually is. As well as varying the pacing from track to track they are also apt to change the velocity of the riffs within a given track, such as on the opener, "The Tempter," where, after an ominous tympanic intro, the riff crawls unctiously from the speaker and Eric Wagner intones a warning from satan himself before the band change up a gear and kick into a riff Angel Witch would have been proud of as the forces of good rally themselves. This then alternates with the slow, crawling riff as The Tempter tries his powers of pursuasion on man and quickens again when The Good resist. There is even a rocking, bluesy riff accompanying the guitar solo after the second verse, typifying a diversity that more doom-centric releases may lack. That said though, when they embrace a doomier, darker side, such as on "Victim of the Insane" then they are perfectly capable of conjuring up as sinister and ominous an atmosphere as anyone.

Vocalist Eric Wagner is, of course, a legendary name within doom metal circles, although I am sure his vocal style isn't to everyone's taste. Sure, he does sound like a strangled cat occasionally, but, similarly to Scott Reagers on Saint Vitus debut, his higher-pitched style does act as an effective counter and contrast to the low-tuned guitar and bass assault of the riffs. Unconventionally pleasing and technically restricted vocals, of which Wagner's are a solid example, have long since become the norm within doom metal circles and Wagner, Reagers and company, in the spirit of Ozzy Osbourne, were a big factor in that.

I cannot claim that I hold Trouble's debut up as an absolute top-drawer traditional doom metal release as, in all honesty, it doesn't commit enough to the doom aesthetic for me, despite showing promise with the likes of "Victim of the Insane". There are also a couple of clunkers among the tracklisting, with "Revelation (Life or Death)" and the instrumental "Endtime" in particular just not sounding coherent enough within the context of the rest of the album. That said, there is enough quality elsewhere to provide a really solid listening experience and this is ultimately an album that further bridges the gap between traditional heavy metal and doom metal proper and as such deserves the time and respect of all doom metal fans.

4/5

The excellent opening track to Trouble's S/T (Psalm 9) album has been bouncing around in my head for a few days now and has become one of my favourites from a band I haven't always necessarily been the biggest fan of.

My review is short and sweet, like the EP itself (well, maybe not so sweet!):

Morbid were a death/thrash/black metal band from Sweden who never had an official release before splitting in 1988, a couple of it's members going on to form Entombed (guitarist Ulf Cederlund and drummer Lars-Göran Petrov who was vocalist for Entombed). This demo is (in)famous for featuring legendary Mayhem vocalist Dead and features four tracks with a runtime of 17 minutes. I have loved this from the very first time I heard it, so much so that I managed to get a copy of the Reaper Records 2000 version a couple of years ago that set me back a ridiculous amount, but I felt it was worth it. It's death metal is very thrashy in execution and, mainly because of Dead's contribution, has quite a black metal sound, at least vocally. The production is very good for a demo, there is a hefty bottom end to it that contributes to the deathliness of the riffs and the playing itself is very good indeed with the band sounding like an inordinately tight outfit for a bunch of guys who had only been together a couple of years and had never put out a studio album. The songs are brilliant and easily rival the early stuff from the German thrashers on whom a lot of their material seems to be based. Similarly to the Poison demo this is probably more important to the black metal historian than the death metal antiquarian but either way it is a fantastic snapshot of a band who I wish could have produced more because if they were this good on a demo then we can only guess how fucking great they could have been had they put out a proper album or two.

Doom Metal 101 #3: Saint Vitus - S/T (1984)

The mid-1980s finally bore witness to the dawn of the doom age. The proto-doom metal of acts influenced by Black Sabbath, such as Witchfinder General, was finally usurped by "true" doom metal from the likes of Trouble, Pentagram and the subjects of this review, Saint Vitus. Forming in 1978 as Tyrant, the band released a demo tape in 1979 which was mostly comprised of tracks that would eventually surface on their first two albums. They changed name in 1981, the new monicker inspired by the Black Sabbath track, "St. Vitus Dance", from the Volume 4 album. Saint Vitus originally found little favour with metalheads as their slower, downtuned style was at odds with the burgeoning speed, thrash and power metal scenes, seeing the band struggling to find a recording deal. Until, that is, they caught the attention of Black Flag's Greg Ginn who signed them to his SST label just because they were so at odds with what was popular in metal at the time. This association finally led to the release of the band's self-titled debut in February of 1984, making it one of the very first official "genuine" doom metal albums. 

For a band that struggled to gain acceptance, the band membership remained remarkably stable in the early years. The quartet of guitarist Dave Chandler, vocalist Scott Reagers, drummer Armando Acosta and bassist Mark Adams who recorded that demo all the way back in 1979, was the same lineup responsible for the debut full-length five years later. Possibly due to their involvement with the hardcore punk scene, Saint Vitus have never really gone in for sprawling albums, keeping their full-length albums quite concise, with the S/T's five tracks weighing in at just 35 minutes. Opening with the paciest track of the five, the eponymous "Saint Vitus", the most striking initial aspect of the band's sound is Dave Chandler's filthy, fuzzed-up and downtuned guitar that sounds like the buzzing of a horde of seriously pissed-off hornets and achieves an atmosphere of darkness that few at the time could match. Chandler is ably supported by Adams' basswork, which is as effective at deepening and strengthening the riffs as Geezer Butler's is on those early Sabbath albums, although Vitus sound way more grimy and brooding than Sabbath ever did in all honesty.

Much like Ozzy and Witchfinder General's Zeeb Parkes, Scott Reagers isn't exactly what anyone would call a technically superb vocalist with a wide range, but his reedy and slightly nasal delivery is actually a lot more robust than you would expect and is well-suited as a counterpoint to the deep and warmly resonant guitar sound with the poor fella occasionally sounding like he has lost the plot mentally. Reagers has often been given short shrift when compared to his later replacement in the band, Scott Weinrich, but as much as I love Wino's grizzled vocals, I feel Reagers' more unhinged style suits the material on this debut better. There is something about the spirit of traditional doom metal that doesn't see technically accomplished vocalists as a requirement. I don't know whether that is down to the spiritual godfathers of the genre featuring Ozzy as their front man or if it is just a preference for dark atmospheres over technical ability, but either way it is a truism and gives an opportunity to singers like Reagers to push themselves to the fore on the strength of their vocal character and knack for creating a unique atmosphere rather than on their range and technical precision.

An underappreciated aspect of Saint Vitus' early material is their ability to write memorable and almost "catchy" riffs and songs without compromising on the inherent darkness of the tracks. The riff and chorus of the eponymous opener is every bit as catchy as Witchfinder General's eponymous track, yet has a far darker vibe to it, mainly down to the filthiness of the guitar sound. A noticeable feature of this album, whether intentional or not, is that after the relatively sprightly opener, it becomes gradually more and more sluggish in tempo, with the two tracks on side two, "The Psychopath" and "Burial At Sea" having slowed to a crawl, as if the energy has been drained from the band as they spiral further and further into darkness. With those two tracks especially, Saint Vitus laid down the commandments for doom metal - play it low, play it slow and keep it dark.

In summation I would cite Saint Vitus as one of the very earliest official full-length albums where a band went all-in and committed totally to the doom metal ethos that Sabbath promised, which, it must be borne in mind, was completely at odds with the zeitgeist of playing faster than everyone else and with an increasing emphasis on technical skill and songwriting complexity. This was a bold move for the time and, in truth, it wasn't until much later that the band gained the respect and kudos they were due for the influence they exerted on a whole genre. In fact, probably on two genres, because it is entirely possible that Saint Vitus' association with Greg Ginn had an influence on the direction of Black Flag's "My War" which was released just a month after "Saint Vitus" and which was a fundamental release in the evolution of sludge metal. All this makes "Saint Vitus" an indispensable release for fans of doom metal.

5/5

Have you considered the 1982 self-titled debut album from Germany's Warning Sonny? From memory, I described it as avant-garde doom metal when I last revisited it & it's much more well-known than a Nemesis or a Mercy too.

I must confess that I have never heard that record, Daniel, so am unable to comment at this point. I will try to check it out over the next couple of days, although that avant-garde tag is already causing my gag reflex to engage!

OK, so I checked this out today and, interesting though it is in it's own right, I don't think I can go along with it as much of a doom metal album to be honest. This sounds much more like quirky post-punk to me with that teutonic industrial weirdness the Germans are good at, any metal-adjacent material being purely incidental. I really don't hear doom metal at all. Post-punk can also be very good at slow and dark, it isn't the sole preserve of doom metal and I think that is what we have here. To be honest by the end I was finding it a little bit irritating as if it was being wilfully weird in an attempt to appeal to art school kids.

Not even close to being the best album by a band called Warning!

Doom Metal 101 #2: Witchfinder General - "Death Penalty" (1982)

Witchfinder General were formed at the onset of the NWOBHM in Stourbridge on the outskirts of England's "Second City", Birmingham. What set them apart from most of the new movement was that they took inspiration, unsurprisingly given where they hailed from, of Black Sabbath rather than the Judas Priests, Motorheads and Budgies of their contemporaries. They released a 7" single in 1981 that saw "Burning a Sinner" backed by "Satan's Children" which failed to make much of a splash and which is now incredibly rare. The following year saw the release of the three-track "Soviet Invasion" EP, which did see the band finally gaining a little traction. It contained a faux live version of "R.I.P.", recorded in the studio with crowd noise added later, at the behest of the label's head honcho, Paul Birch. This would be the track which also closed out "Death Penalty", albeit in a re-recorded and superior form.

Finally, in the autumn of 1982, Witchfinder General released their debut full-length to a mostly positive response from the UK's metalheads and the rest, as they say, is history. Grabbing the attention of every male teenage metal fan in record stores by featuring a famous Page 3 model in a churchyard and in a decided state of undress on the cover, the band then had to deliver within said album's grooves to match the hype thus generated. Fortunately, they did so and their brand of simplistic and youthful Sabbath worship saw them gain a dedicated following within the wider UK metal movement. It is actually a very slight album, its seven tracks barely managing to scrape past a thirty-minute runtime, but each minute is well spent and such is the quality that it is impossible to feel short-changed. The short runtime actually gives the material an immediacy and vitality that some later, more bloated releases just couldn't replicate.

As an aside, the band that recorded "Death Penalty" is actually a three-piece, with bassist Kevin "Toss" McCready having left after the "Soviet Invasion" recording sessions, to apparently be replaced by a guy called Woolfy Trope. In fact, the band hadn't replaced McCready by the time they went into the studio to record the album so the bass parts were supplied by guitarist Phil Cope, and the wholly fictitious Woolfy Trope was credited, with a roadie standing in as "Woolfy" for publicity photos.

I think it is actually a stretch to tag "Death Penalty" as a genuine doom metal album, it was very much a product of its time, with Sabbathian riffs run through a NWOBHM filter resulting in a version of doomy, downtuned heavy metal which does nevertheless provide something of a bridge between Sabbath's 70s psych influences and the grittier 80s UK metal scene with a DIY sensibility resulting from the influence of late 70s punk rock on the UK metal community. To this end I think it is fair to say that "Death Penalty" isn't exactly a lesson in complex songwriting or technical adroitness, but it is chock full of cool and memorable riffs and has a singular personality with a street-level perspective that sets it apart from the crowd. Most of the tracks are mid-paced affairs, with only the title track and, to a lesser extent, "Burning A Sinner" slowing to doom metal pacing, but the downtuned riffs pioneered by Tony Iommi are most definitely present and it is a truth that the earliest traditional doom metal bands very often switched it up to classic heavy metal velocity. Phil's soloing is also a product of intense study of Tony Iommi's technique, sometimes piling note upon note in a fretboard firestorm, as per the opening of "No Stayer" or soaring sky high like the solo at the end of the title track. Drummer Graham Ditchfield channels Bill Ward's blunt style, but I think it is also evident that he doesn't have the technical skill level that the often under-estimated Sabbath drummer possessed, although it still works very well in the context of this album. Then there is Stourbridge's answer to Ozzy in Zeeb Parkes who, like Ozzy, isn't technically a great singer, but who imbues his vocals with such personality that it is easy to forgive him his shortcomings and just go along for the ride. The production is a bit muzzy with a fair degree of echo, as opposed to Sabbath's much more professionally produced efforts where, presumably, much more money was thrown at them, but I think this actually works in Witchfinder General's favour, giving them more of an underground vibe.

Despite the band name and the imagery of the album cover, they aren't so much a horror / satanically-themed band, often with much more prosaic and down-to-earth lyrical themes such as drug-taking, drinking and fucking taking their place alongside the witch hunting of "Witchfinder General" or "Burning A Sinner". As a very young man from a strong working class background at the time of this album's release, these lyrics espousing a love of hokey horror movies, getting hammered and trying to get off at weekends absolutely captured the essence of life for me at the time. I know I may have a severe case of rose-tinted spectacles when it comes to "Death Penalty" and others may well scratch their heads in bemusement at my fanatical advocacy for it, but simple fact is that this is an album I still spin regularly to this day, forty-plus years later and every time I enjoy it immensely, so what more could I possibly want from a record?

That's sad to hear, Vinny, but I understand from experience that sometimes it is better for both parties to go their separate ways. I hope things work out well in both of your futures. 

Have you considered the 1982 self-titled debut album from Germany's Warning Sonny? From memory, I described it as avant-garde doom metal when I last revisited it & it's much more well-known than a Nemesis or a Mercy too.

I must confess that I have never heard that record, Daniel, so am unable to comment at this point. I will try to check it out over the next couple of days, although that avant-garde tag is already causing my gag reflex to engage!

Cirith Ungol tends to get thrown around a lot with early doom, but it kind of is a case of a band who did a lot without ever really committing to a genre like Death SS mentioned above.

Have you considered Mercy, Messiah's pre-Candlemass band?

Yeah, Morpheus, I agree that Cirith Ungol, great band though they are, didn't really commit sufficiently to doom metal to justify a place here. I accept that the same could certainly be said of Witchfinder General, but Death Penalty was 1982 and Cirith Ungol's classic "King of the Dead" album came out in 1984 when Saint Vitus, Trouble et al were rearing their doom-laden heads with genuine doom metal releases.

Thanks for bringing up Mercy, I absolutely had their 1985 Witchburner down for this list, but forgot to add it for some reason. I love that record and don't know how I came to omit it. 

Speaking of Paul Chain, do you think Death SS have any skin in the game here? Me, I am not so sure, but am open to pursuasion.

I don't think so. I never considered a record like "Evil Metal" to have more than a doom influence. It's a heavy metal release as far as I'm concerned.

Agreed.

I am looking now at the mid-80s and the dawning of the true doom metal era. Some of the most noteworthy releases from '84/'85 being Trouble's "Psalm 9", Saint Vitus' s/t debut and Pentagram's "Restless/Pentagram". As Daniel said earlier, Paul Chain's "Detaching From Satan" EP is also worthy of a spot. A little later and a definite for inclusion is 1986's debut from the mighty Candlemass, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", but I would also like to throw in 1984's "The Day of Retribution" EP from Leif Edling's Nemesis, a band which would shortly evolve into Candlemass.

Any thoughts anyone?

I very much agree with all you say here Daniel, but with Witchfinder General being a new generation, particularly within the context of the NWOBHM, paying massive homage to Black Sabbath, I think, with a contextual viewpoint, that their influence was significant.

I concur with you on the importance of Candlemass, Trouble, Saint Vitus and Paul Chain and I had definitely planned to include some or all of those guys in the next tranche of releases when we get onto doom metal proper.

Speaking of Paul Chain, do you think Death SS have any skin in the game here? Me, I am not so sure, but am open to pursuasion.

I am gobsmacked to see that Metal Academy has only a solitary two-star review for Master of Reality, so I thought I had better address that forthwith. Here we go then:

Doom Metal 101 #1: Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971)

Of all their albums "Master of Reality" is the Black Sabbath album that has grown most in stature over the years in my mind. I got into the band around 1976 via "Paranoid" and that was my go-to Sabbath album for many years, alongside "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "Sabotage" and the debut, with "Master of Reality" and "Volume 4" taking up supporting roles. The track which kept drawing me back to "MoR" over the years, though, was the masterful closer "Into the Void" which still stands as my favourite Sabbath track of all and is one of their more doomy offerings, it signposting me down the road of future doom metal appreciation. As time has passed and I have become more and more of a doomhead, I have acquired greater appreciation of the doomier material of "Master of Reality" and it now stands as my ultimate Sabs release, despite stiff competition.

Tony Iommi's guitar tone on this third album is perfect, its deep and resonant fuzziness pitches perfectly what would become the signature sound of future acts like Saint Vitus, Pentagram and Electric Wizard, bolstered and boosted by the brilliant and often busy basswork of Geezer Butler, an aspect of Sabbath's sound that is not always given the credit it deserves. Bill Ward's jazz-influenced drumming style takes a more blunt and bludgeoning approach here than maybe it does on some Sabbath albums, although the way his runs switch from side to side on "Children of the Grave" (best experienced through headphones) is a brilliant bit of production work and adds a little something extra to an already brilliant track. Then, of course, there is the irrepressible Ozzy Osbourne whose influence on doom metal vocalists mustn't be underestimated as he showed that you don't need to be an especially technically gifted singer to be effective, as long as you are committed and have a degree of charisma. With rock music being newly dominated at the time by the Robert Plants and Ian Gillans of the world and their ridiculous vocal range, Ozzy stood tall and proclaimed himself their equal, on sheer strength of personality alone.

Then there are the riffs. I have said it before and I will say it again, Tony Iommi can write better riffs in his sleep than all but a select few metal songwriters can ever hope to come up with, having penned some of the most iconic riffs in the history of metal. From the crawling, weed smoke-drenched, oozing of Sweet Leaf, via the choppy, romping "Children of the Grave" and the plodding grooviness of "Lord of this World", to the ponderous lumbering of the opening to Into the Void, where Geezer follows Tony's riff for added gravitas, this is metal riff heaven, with these riffs sowing the seeds of inspiration for so many aspiring doom metal riff writers of years to come. Sure, the stoner element may be fairly prevalent here, but it is difficult to imagine a "Born Too Late", "Dopethrone" or "Forest of Equilibrium" existing as we know them without this album.

"Master of Reality" isn't all just about thundering, fuzz-drenched riffing however, with the album including several moments of quieter reflection, whether it be the soothing acoustic guitar of "Orchid" or the gentle reflectiveness and soul-searching of the psychedelic-sounding and melancholic "Solitude", which thematically, if not musically, also unwittingly helps set the aesthetic for doom metal's future melancholy side. Then there is the track which always baffled me after the dark lyricism and hints at satanic influence of the band's earlier material, the pro-religious "After Forever", which is a bit of a curveball lyrically and stylistically, having a much more upbeat riff and feeling than the rest of the album. The track has grown on me somewhat over the years, but if the album had to lose one, then this would be my choice.

So there we have it, for my money "Master of Reality" is one of the great metal albums, being an influence for both stoner and doom metal and perfecting a guitar sound that still stands tall to this day, over fifty years later, as a signature sound in the metal world.

5/5

If we're gonna talk early doom metal & are including obscure demo tapes then I'm gonna throw out a few really underground ones:

Hammerhead (NWOBHM) - "1978 Demo" demo (1978)

Spitfire (SWE) - "Outer Space" demo (1978)

Tyrant (USA) - "1978 Rehearsal" demo (1978) [i.e. The band that spawned Saint Vitus]

I was thinking of a more accessible kind of list, maybe aimed at people who are looking to get into doom metal (hence the doom metal 101 tag), rather than one for hardcore fans looking to track the history of doom metal, but whatever you think works best.

"Master of Reality" is generally referred to as Sabbath's doomiest record in my experience while "Vol. 4" is where they maximized their stoner side.

This very much reflects my own thoughts Daniel, so I think Master of Reality probably best fits the bill.

So now, does anyone feel that Witchfinder General also deserve a spot here? I see Daniel mentioning tbe Soviet Invasion EP, but I have a deep connection to their Death Penalty debut album and can attest to my own personal experience of how my future doom metal fanaticism was shaped by that record. It shook my world when I first heard it all those many years ago and it remains one of my all-time favourites to this day.

I understand what you mean Daniel, but I meant a release that indicates the primordial soup that birthed the doom metal ethos, not necessarily an out and out doom metal album. I guess I'm not doing a very good job of explaining what I mean, but the mix of stoner, blues and psychedelic material, combined with Tony Iommi's (by necessity) downtuned guitar sound on early Sabs albums were the amino acids that coded the DNA of future doom metal acts (as most of them will attest) and to ignore their contribution would be disingenuous to my mind. Sabbath tracks like the eponymous track, Into the Void, Electric Funeral and Megalomania all fit the bill as tracks that set the ball rolling. I just can't decide which album best represents the Sabs huge influence on the genre.

Could you add the UK's Doomicidal please, Ben.

Hi Ben, could you add the 2014 EP Fògradh to the discography for Bròn please. It is a single-track release, but the track is over 28 miutes long. Metal archives lists it as a demo, but it had a full CD release in 2015 on Kunsthauch records with cat. no. Kunst 039.

Hi again Ben. Would you be so kind as to add Melbourne sludgy doomsters Merchant please. I have just started listening to their 2016 album Suzerain and so far it sounds amazing.

Just came across these guys whilst f-ing about on Bandcamp. Texan Gothic Metal. This is a promo track from their sophomore album due out next week. I like it.