Sonny's Forum Replies

Sepultura - Morbid Visions (1986)

The version of Morbid Visions I have been listening to also has the Bestial Devastation tracks from the 1985 split with Overdose so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and cover both here. As much as I am a huge fan of the four albums from Schizophrenia onwards, I have never even listened to these earlier releases before now... and wow, what a treat they are! It is amazing to think that the Cavalera brothers were mere teenagers at the time, but the fearlessness of youth, I suspect, enabled them to produce a brace of releases that pushed the envelope of what was then considered extreme in the metal world.

First off, Max has got the best iteration of the death growl heard up to this point, being deeper and gruffer than most of the other frontmen of the time who's vocals still remained very much in the Tom Araya / Mille Petrozza barking style. The playing is a bit messy and some of the transitions aren't as smooth as people would like, but hell, they were still learning their craft and yet mananged to produce a fireball of furious riffing and incendiary soloing that gives a real insight into just how fucking awesome and ahead of the curve early Sepultura were. I am not a person who is impressed by flashy showmanship or technical wizardry (in fact, quite the opposite) so I may be better disposed to such an obviously flawed release as Morbid Visions because, for me, it succeeds by sheer force of will and energy in presenting something that is just so damn exciting I can't help but love it. This is heartfelt metal from a band of youngsters in it solely for the love of metal at this point and that ethos shines through really brightly on this debut album. It seems strange that this is never mentioned much in the conversation about early death metal releases because there seems to be plenty here that qualifies - Mayhem and War both sound very death metal to me and as a whole I would venture it is more death metal adjacent than Possessed's Seven Churches is. The production isn't great, the drums seem to be pushed too far to the fore, sometimes at the expense of the guitar and there isn't much by way of bottom end but, for me, this is only a minor issue and certainly isn't a deal breaker as far as future listening potential goes.

Bestial Devastations consists of an intro and four tracks, again the production leaves a lot to be desired (sounding a bit like Seven Churches production-wise) and the performance could be tighter, but all the tracks have great riffs and an infectious energy that true metal heads should find difficult to ignore. Both the split and debut full-length marked Sepultura out as a band who would most likely go places and were pretty extreme-sounding for 1986 and are deserving of being part of the conversation surrounding the development of death metal in the 1980s.

4/5

Morbid Angel - Abominations of Desolation (recorded 1986/released 1991)

This was recorded in 1986 but was shelved by the band as they faced some lineup issues and were unhappy with the sound of the album. It was heavily bootlegged but eventually was cleaned up and given an official release by Earache in 1991 and this is the version I have been listening to. It's got to be said that this seems to raise the bar as far as metal extremity went in 1986 and you can't help but wonder if the argument about the first death metal album would have been well and truly been settled if it was put out at the time of recording. The riffs here sound like something beyond the ultra-aggressive thrash metal that was being produced by the most extreme bands at this time and more like a whole new thing entirely, Trey Azagthoth proving that from the very get-go he was ahead of the curve when it came to writing death metal riffs. In fact the riffing and the solos are the major draw for me here, their sheer brilliance somewhat overshadowing the other aspects of the album. Lyrically Morbid Angel looked to the Necronomicon for inspiration and consequently the lyrics are very much occult-centric. As many other commentators have pointed out, the weak point is drummer / vocalist Mike Browning and his performance behind both kit and mic may well be the reason that Abominations of Desolation was shelved (and his leaving the band, although an altercation with Trey over a girl is also cited as the reason for the latter).

To choose to shelve the album was a brave move really when you think about it, after having put the effort into producing a debut record, then holding off until they considered themselves better placed to produce a worthwhile release must have taken a great deal of discipline. Rather than just wanting to see their name on a record sleeve they took the conscious decision to wait and that must be applauded as it shows a band willing to go the extra mile to get across their true vision rather than settling for less. Most of the tracks here (all except for Demon Seed I believe) have been reworked and released on later albums, proving that they never felt the material itself was weak, but rather it didn't come across as they had envisioned in this form. On the whole, I would say this is not merely a release of historical importance in the emergent death metal scene of the 1980s, but is a decent release in it's own right and the perceived weaknesses aren't complete deal breakers for me, as the material and guitar work is still strong enough to give the recording value.
3.5/5

Possessed - Beyond the Gates (1986)

Possessed's follow-up to Seven Churches was always going to have a struggle to live up to it's seminal older sibling. Beyond the Gates seems to see Possessed pull back from the abyss and doesn't pack the punch of Seven Churches, as the band settle for a more conventional thrash metal release, toning down the more extreme aspects of what made Seven Churches such compulsive listening. This doesn't make Beyond the Gates a poor album, it is a good album, no doubt about it. There are some terrific riffs, the band have tightened up and the production is very good. But therein lies the problem, especially within the scope of this thread - the chaotic, kinda messy sound of the debut contributed massively to it's apppeal for a lot of it's fans and the fact that the follow-up was cleaner and less extreme was seen as a negative and a backward step. While others were cranking-up the extremity in their sound, Beyond the Gates feels like a safe move. Ultimately your opinion of the album is going to depend on what you are looking for. If you just want to hear a really solid mid-eighties thrash album then roll on up because this has the goods, but if you want to hear a band developing the extreme sound of a landmark release even further down the rabbit hole then you will be disappointed I think.
4/5

Not one of my favourite genres by any means, but my top five looks like this:

1. Sepultura - "Chaos A.D." (1993)

2. Grip Inc. - "Nemesis" (1997)

3. Slayer - "Diabolus in musica" (1998)

4. Machine Head - "Through the Ashes of Empires" (2003)

5. Mutant - "Pleiades" (2016)

What is becoming increasingly obvious as my project proceeds is that the eighties were a kind of primordial swamp of metal music from which the earliest forms of extreme metal genres emerged to further evolve into distinct entities on the dry land of the nineties. Albums like Hymn to Abremalin were probably only possible then because everything was still up for grabs and although conventional thrash was quite well established at this point, black and death metal were still being distilled and refined from a thrash foundation and even doom metal still had much evolution to go through before reaching it's more extreme forms. Interesting times indeed weren't they?

Look, I've always quite liked Messiah's "Hymn To Abramelin" to be honest. It's certainly not something I return to all that often but I think there's enough quality there to keep me interested. The problem I find with it though is that the tracklisting is so inconsistent with the quality levels differing greatly between excellent tracks like "Messiah" & "The Dentist" & disposable stuff like "Anarchus" & "Future Agressor". Thankfully I find that the highlights are strong enough to carry the filler though. I've got it pegged for a 3.5/5 rating personally. It's probably worth mentioning that I've never seen it as a death metal record. It's a thrash metal release with black/speed metal influences to my ears. 

I can hear thrash, black, doom and some death metal here, with a thrash primary and rhe others as secondary genres, but even then the black and death metal aspects aren't fully-formed. This general "try a bit of everything" approach is the album's great failing and the reason for it's inconsistency. Oh, and the spoken intros are horrible. But it IS an interesting release for anyone who is interested in the development of extreme metal. Again, this is an album I have only become aware of by doing this project, so as much as I am trying not to, I am coming at it with modern prejudices and it still sounds a bit of a mess to me - not without it's moments it must be said, but still a mess.

Messiah - Hymn to Abramelin (1986)

Well, this is certainly an interesting album in the evolution of metal during the mid-eighties. What is it with these Swiss bands that they can't just stick to one genre on an album? This one seems to blend thrash, black, death and doom metal into an unholy fucking stew of extreme metal - and all before some of these genres even really existed! Does this mean it's any good? Well actually, not necessarily because, to be honest, it is just such a fucking mess sometimes that it is hard to keep patience with it and what the hell is going on with the numerous spoken word intros? Unsurprisingly given my history, my favourite track was the doom metal of Space Invaders, this track and it's slower pacing being less sloppy and messy than most of the others, sounding a bit like Cathedral's Serpent Eve from Forest of Equilibrium. Future Agressor is quite decent too and kind of reminds me of Burzum's War from Varg's first album.

Full marks to them for trying to out-extreme virtually every other band on the planet, but minus points overall for the fact that they were actually, well.. a bit shit - enthusiastic for sure, but shit nonetheless. I know I have stated before that I would take enthusiasm and energy over technical adroitness, but this stretches the point. A curiosity release in the development of extreme metal and an interesting album for the metal historian, but nothing more than that I would say.

2.5/5

Another trio of demos this time from 1986, from Genocide (Repulsion), Death and Mutilator:

Genocide: The Stench of Burning Death EP (1986)

The final demo from Genocide before they changed their name to Repulsion is an important release in the US grind world. It is pretty rough sounding but it's twelve tracks are brutal and unforgiving grindcore, most of which would eventually end up on Horrified. The guitars struggle a bit to be heard, but it is an interesting demo nonetheless as it is hard to believe it didn't influence the emergent death metal bands as well as the grindcore scene.

I don't intend to delve any further into grindcore at this point, but merely use the Genocide demos as an indicator as to where extreme metal was at in 1986. A journey through the world of grindcore may  well be a project for the future!

Death - Mutilation EP (1986)

Three-track demo recorded in San Francisco on April 12th & 13th 1986. Tracks are: Land of No Return, Zombie Ritual and Mutilation, the second and third finally appearing on Scream Bloody Gore. This demo sounds really good and the vocals sound particularly great, exuding an evil not even achieved on the debut LP. They have obviously come on quite a bit from the Death by Metal demo at this point and the sheer vitality and professionalism on show here are probably how they got their deal with Combat records - I would certainly have given them a deal on the strength of this demo!

Mutilator - Bloodstorm EP (1986)

A much better demo than '85's Grave Desecration, the sound here is very good indeed. The three tracks featured are Bloodstorm, Mutilator and Evil Conspiracy, the first two of which ended up on '87's debut album, Immortal Force. The track Bloodstorm sounds a real slab of evil death metal, although it seems to have been cut off quite abruptly. Definitely an illustration that Brazil was no mere backwater in the evolution of extreme metal in the 1980s.

Note that the demo depicted isn't this one it is the earlier Grave Desecration demo, but the audio is for Bloodstorm.

I have always approached Seven Churches from a thrash metal perspective so that may be why I score it higher than yourself Daniel, because when considered as a thrash album it is undeniably fucking brutal. I agree about the Slayerisms present in Possessed's material, I dont know if Jeff was just fucking with everybody, but the Slayer influence isn't really up for debate is it? Apparenttly he was massive mates with the Exodus guys, so maybe he gave them a nod to keep them sweet.

What do you think about the production on Seven Churches? Do you think that echoey, "cavernous" sound it possesses was particularly influential on bands like Autopsy and the other death/doom bands of the early nineties?

Death - Death By Metal EP (1984)

Legendary five-track cassette demo from 1984 that has all the expected production issues, yet despite that it still manages to give an idea of how vital and aggressive Death's early tracks were. Opener Legion of Doom is a slower tempo piece that just sounds fucking evil through and through. The band are obviously very young and more than a little sloppy, but there is enough on show here to indicate where they were trying to get to and the fact that they could write a decent fucking riff, such as on Evil Dead. Despite it's poor sound this is a really interesting early Death demo and has legendary status for good reason.

Despite the general consensus pointing to Possessed's "Death Metal" demo, I've always thought that Death's "Death By Metal" was the true birth of true death metal, despite its tendency to emulate Possessed. I just find that it manages to push over that line in ways that Possessed couldn't manage consistently at that early stage. In saying that though, I get a fair bit of enjoyment out of the Possessed demo but none of the Death ones hold up to much scrutiny other than from a purely historical perspective these days in my opinion. "Reign Of Terror" probably came the closest to being something I can genuinely say that I enjoy but still fell a little short. 2/5 for "Death By Metal" from me.

I must admit, it is a little bit intimidating discussing Death Metal with guys so obviously well-versed in the genre as our Horde members, as my knowledge of it is severely lacking, but that is why I'm doing this in the first place. I will always say what I think, but if any of you think I'm full of shit please don't be afraid to say so.

I think it's fair to say that Death are nearer to what is accepted as death metal than Possessed, certainly at this point. It's difficult to assess in looking back retroactively as obviously Death Metal didn't yet exist as a separate entity, so in appraising retroactively the perception of these demos is coloured by our foreknowledge of what Death Metal would become, whereas at the time they had to be taken on their own merits and it is obvious that both Possessed and Death were pushing the envelope of metal extremity. As I said, I really love that opening track, Legion of Doom but I think Evil Dead is great too.

Luckily, and I know there are those who won't believe me, but I don't struggle much with shitty sound issues and I try to hear beyond the physical limitations of the recordings, so I genuinely do get a ton of enjoyment out of these early demos.

Apparently El infierno de Dante has Glenn Benton on a couple of tracks, so they must at least have grabbed his attention somewhere - maybe a support band from a Deicide Mexican tour? Benton's presence here is probably why that is the most popular of their albums.

And so to the first contender for the title of "First Ever Death metal Album"

Possessed - Seven Churches (1985)

I wish I could say that I have been a fan of Seven Churches since it first came out, that it changed my metal world and set me on my path to extreme metal appreciation, but unfortunately I was never so cool that I got into underground metal as soon as it was released, especially as, at the time, I lived in the arse-end of nowhere in England's industrial north west where the metal underground was on another planet entirely and the metal community I was part of numbered only one - me. Anyway, despite coming to it late, it was still instantly obvious, even to me, that, given the date of release, this is one hell of an influential album in the evolution of death metal.

Possessed were born out of the rarified atmosphere of the early eighties Bay Area thrash scene and although their sound would indicate that they were heavily influenced by Slayer, they themselves always cited Exodus and Venom as their main influences (quite plausibly I suppose, if you think about it). They released a demo in 1984 featuring three tracks which would eventually turn up on Seven Churches, Evil Warriors, Burning in Hell and of course, Death Metal. After playing a few shows with them, Exodus got Metal Blade interested and the track Swing of the Axe (featured on their second demo and a blistering track in it's own right that sadly doesn't appear on Seven Churches) was featured as the opener on the compilation Metal Massacre VI. This track got the attention of Combat Records and Possessed were offered a deal, releasing their debut full-length in 1985. The rest, as they say, is history. Now, is this the first death metal album? Personally I don't think so as it still retains a huge amount of thrash metal DNA, but Possessed had definitely pushed thrash to it's limit and had introduced elements that would be expounded upon later by true death metal outfits like Death and Morbid Angel.

So to the album itself and after the Tubular Bells intro, The Exorcist bursts from the speakers like a wild animal, tearing through your eardrums with an aggression and savagery that had been unthought of at this point in '85. Sure Slayer were plenty aggressive, but this opening salvo from the new boys was on a whole new level and it becomes apparent very early on that there is to be no respite from this blitzkrieg until the last notes have played out. The production first off isn't anything like as clear as the majority of metal albums you would hear in 1985, it's slight echoey sound possibly being the first iteration of that quintessential cavernous sound that became so requisite of old-school death metal. The riffs are tore through at breakneck pacing and are ridiculously heavy, the soloing is straight out of the Jeff Hannemann school of blistering, psychotic-sounding and squealing guitar torturing. Jeff Becerra's vocals and satanic / demonic lyrics went even further into the extreme than Tom Araya, his half scream / half growl paving the way for more and more vocal extremity in metal as subsequent singers tried to sound even more "evil" than the Possessed frontman. The drums are more in keeping with the thrash metal zeitgeist, not really possessing the blastbeat-heavy pummelling of true death metal drumming and are one of the main reasons why I still consider this mainly a thrash album. But of course there's that final track and, much like Venom with Black Metal, the band are at least assured a mention in the death metal conversation having coined the genre name. Every track here is killer and still sound great now, closing in on forty (count 'em) years later. This album has every right to be mentioned alongside thrash greats like Reign in Blood and Master of Puppets for it's sheer aggression and an almost tangible evilness and whether it is death or thrash metal is moot because either way it is a classic metal album in it's own right.

Sadly, Possessed never approached this level of awesome again in my opinion, but does that really matter because what they produced here was a catalyst and a precursor to one of the most prolific extreme music genres in history and most definitely secured them a legacy and immortality beyond the vinyl grooves of a mere record into the collective folklore of metal - listen to early Morbid Angel and Possessed's influence is plain for all to hear.
5/5

A couple more demos from 1985:

Possessed - 1985 Demo

An eleven minute, three track demo featuring tracks, Fallen Angel, Swing of the Axe and Death Metal. Tracks 1 and 3 would end up being the closing brace of tracks on Seven Churches and Swing of the Axe was featured as the opening track on Metal Blade's Metal Massacre VI compilation. Typical eighties demo quality sound, but the sound issues can't dampen the exhilharation induced by these heart-pumping slices of metallised adrenaline.

Mutilator - Grave Desecration EP

Mutilator hailed from Belo Horizonte in Brazil, home of Sepultura and this early demo is very much in the same vein - super-aggressive extreme thrash with gruff, growling vocals from singer Sílvio Gomes, who was actually a roadie for Sepultura (and still is I believe). Guitarist Alexander "Magoo" also turned down a chance to join Sepultura in 1987 when Jairo Guedz left the band. The sound is quite poor and doesn't really do the three tracks justice but does show that thrash metal in Brazil was moving in a more extreme direction.

Metal Blade Records - Metal Massacre VI (compilation)

I was only concerned with listening to Possessed's contribution, Swing of the Axe, which is the first track and so I didn't delve any further than that. Swing of the Axe is a pretty good slab of thrash, but I can maybe see why it didn't make it onto Seven Churches. The comp also features tracks from Hallows Eve, Hirax, Dark Angel and The Obsessed so I'll maybe have to check the whole album out at some point.

I decided to start in 1984 with some demos from bands recognised as influential in the development of early death metal:

Possessed - Death Metal EP (1984)

A 1984 three-track demo, all three of which would turn up on Seven Churches: Death Metal, Evil Warriors and Burning in Hell. Obviously, the production isn't great, but it isn't completely terrible either and the tracks still sound pretty good, exhibiting a lot of the energy and aggression their later versions would exude in excess. The only problem is with Burning in Hell, the production is unable to handle the track's extreme tempo and it's faster parts just become a fairly incoherent aural blur.

Death - Death By Metal EP (1984)

Legendary five-track cassette demo from 1984 that has all the expected production issues, yet despite that it still manages to give an idea of how vital and aggressive Death's early tracks were. Opener Legion of Doom is a slower tempo piece that just sounds fucking evil through and through. The band are obviously very young and more than a little sloppy, but there is enough on show here to indicate where they were trying to get to and the fact that they could write a decent fucking riff, such as on Evil Dead. Despite it's poor sound this is a really interesting early Death demo and has legendary status for good reason.

Genocide - Toxic Metal EP (1984)

An eight-minute, three-track demo from the band that would become Repulsion. The sound isn't great, but it does have an energy and vitality that comes across even in such primitive form. The three tracks are out-and-out, hi-energy, extreme thrash metal, no more no less and are well worth checking out if you are a fan of the thrash metal underground.
Tracks: Armies of the Dead, Satan's Whores and Crack of Doom.

A verry good month as far as the clans I am interested in are concerned:

1. Monarch! - Omens 4.5/5

2. Sinister - Diabolical Summoning 4.5/5,

3. Sear Bliss - Glory and Perdition 4/5

4. D.R.I. - Full Speed Ahead 4/5

5. Godflesh - Merciless 3/5

I can't really be bothered with the rest of the features as I would just be listening to them out of obligation and don't have any real interest in any of them. In all honesty I think I'm going to take a hiatus for a couple of weeks as I'm feeling a little bit burnt out. Nine features and playlists, compiling the Fallen playlist, feeling the pressure to repeatedly listen to stuff outside my comfort zone and then feeling obliged to try to write five paragraph reviews of albums I only have a few lines to say about, are all taking their toll and draining the joy out of my listening experience at the minute.

As a result I am going to take a break for the rest of the month and try to connect with what I enjoy in metal. I will still submit a playlist for the Fallen at the end of the month as I have already done most of the work on it.

This is no reflection on the site itself which is fantastic, but is more about my own interaction with it. So I'll see you all in May. Happy Easter!!

Despite my long-established love of thrash metal and my affection for punk, I have never really been much of a fan of crossover thrash, not helped by early exposure to SOD and their fucking awful Speak English or Die. I have probably only heard about twenty or thirty crossover albums and have rated very, very few above average. Even DRI's own Thrash Zone didn't really register too highly on my cool-shitometer. Well, finally it has come to pass that I have found a crossover album that strikes a chord with me and that I can actually get more out of than a simple shrug of the shoulders. The album takes the hardcore sensibilities of an album like Suicidal Tendencies self-titled debut (that ST themselves never even got close to bettering) and, using awesome-sounding thrash riffs, forges a frenetic, heavy-as-hell, spit-in-the-eye, fuck-you of an album. I mean, the guitar sound here is phenomenally powerful and is what really sets this apart from most other crossover albums I've heard. This is exactly the sort of album that makes me forget my knees are fucked and makes me want to mosh my ass off round the living room - I don't know about feeling like a teenager again, shit, I'll settle for thirty!!

If I had much of a criticism then I think they should have trimmed ten minutes off it - it should be illegal for crossover albums to be over 35 minutes long. Oh, and the CD had one of those fucking irritating hidden tracks on it that you had to wait twenty minutes to get to.

4/5

Well Ben, obviously I can't speak for everyone, but it seems your apprehension around this album was unfounded. I didn't think either the trombone or the keyboards intruded overly, both being fairly restrained in their usage and they enhanced the black metal rather than overwhelmed it, giving the music an additional dimension. I don't feel like the horns were included as some kind of gimmick either, as some may assume, because they are just too well integrated into the overall sound to simply be an afterthought. Of course all this is for nothing if the meat and potatoes of the album, the actual black metal, isn't any good. Thankfully, there is no cause for concern here as the black metal itself is of a pretty high standard and is as good as any band ploughing the fields of melodic black metal. There are some quite catchy riffs, such as during the title track which will stick in your head even after the disc stops spinning. Now I don't know if he is friendly with the band or is just helping his fellow countrymen out, but Attila Csihar puts in an appearance on a couple of tracks and it's always good to hear his input, even though regular vocalist András Nagy is a more than capable black metal singer.

I must admit I went into Glory and Perdition with a little bit of apprehension, but was pleasantly surprised by how great the record sounds and with a running time of less than forty minutes it is unlikely to outstay it's welcome (a lesson some other black metal bands still need to learn). Needless to say, I will have no qualms about returning to it and even delving further into Sear Bliss' discography.

4/5

Is there any chance you could let me have your selections for May before the weekend please Ben?

Interesting. I have no problem finding both of those Neurosis albums on Spotify from Australia. They must have an alternate streaming service agreement in the UK.

I have just come across a quote from an interview with Scott Kelly about a dispute with Alternative Tentacles and Jello Biafra over the rights to both Enemy of the Sun and Through Silver in Blood. I'm guessing this has something to do with why those albums are unavailable on Spotify.

Here's the quote:

"Alternative Tentacles ripped us off. That’s the simple version. They cooked the books and we called them on it. They accused us of all sorts of things and being greedy. And it was only about $3000!
It was basically an honor thing. There was no honor there. I don’t know what to say about it except that I was proud to be on the label when they approached us to do us records. We held them in high regard and it couldn’t be further from that now.
If he would rip us off for a small amount of money then he’d go after (the remaining Dead Kennedys) for huge amount of money. When is the last time he had to punch a clock or worry about rent? He doesn’t. Who lives in a house on the hill? He does. I live in a trailer in the woods. I have a day job and always have. What he did to his fellow band mates is all there in black and white."

So, to repay you Daniel for this month's excellent Fallen feature submission, I see you haven't rated the 2018 album The Slow Dying of the Great Barrier Reef  from Nottingham drone metal duo Bismuth. It's a superb drone / funeral doom / atmo-sludge tour-de-force that I believe you would really enjoy.

Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (1980)

Early 1980 I had just turned 18 and was mad into metal and heavy rock: Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, UFO and Budgie to name but a few. The trouble was, these bands were great, but they were old guys - some were even in their thirties! Kids my age were all playing in punk rock bands and, I had to admit, those punks sure played with some fire and energy. Then the music press started buzzing about this young bunch of cockney upstarts playing heavy metal called Iron Maiden and my ears pricked up in interest. Meanwhile, I picked up a copy of the newly released Metal for Muthas and it was pretty obvious to everyone that Maiden were the stand out act on that compilation (although Angel Witch's Baphomet is fucking brilliant too) and their two tracks, Wrathchild and Sanctuary, were snarly and aggressive calls to arms. Then came the single Running Free which was a bit different to the tracks on MfM and had a bounce to it that made headbanging a cinch!

Anyway, fast forward to spring and Maiden's self-titled debut hit our local Woolies and off I go to procure a copy. The first thing that confronted the prospective purchaser of said wax disc was the intense stare, rictus snarl and punk haircut of "Eddie the 'Ed" daring us to buy this album or be a pussy and stick with KISS or Foreigner! Needless to say, I was all in and handed over my quid seventy-five or whatever it was back then and headed off home with no shortage of anticipation to hear exactly what Chris Welch and Malcolm Dome were making all that fuss about in the music weeklies.

So, needle hits vinyl and <BAM> off we go with a degenerate tale of a flasher in the park called Prowler and those punks can kiss their arses goodbye. At last, a band of similar age to me playing with all the fire and venom and "fuck you if you dont like it" attitude the punks had co-opted, only this was fucking METAL!!! Second track Remember Tomorrow was a much slower and more subtle affair and this is where Maiden showed they had much more to offer than just punkish aggression and crass lyrics, Paul Di'Anno proved he had more than just a vicious, snarling vocal delivery and the twin guitars of Murray and Stratton unleashed hell with their incendiary guitar solos. At this point some of you younger fans may be saying "but Sanctuary is track 2" and on later CD versions it was, but that track was never on the original release. Remember Tomorrow is followed by the "hit" single Running Free and although I loved it at the time it has kind of paled for me in later years, but did serve as a great attention grabber for the band prior to the debut's release and, all things being relative, it is still a good song.

Next up and closing side one is one of the album's real highlights, Phantom of the Opera. Which already showed that Maiden had a bit more in their songwriting arsenal than the vast majority of bands sheltering under the NWOBHM umbrella, with Steve Harris in particular wanting to pursue a more epic and complex route than was the lot for most metal bands of the time and although Phantom is no Rime of the Ancient Mariner or even Hallowed Be Thy Name it is still a brilliant piece of nascent progressive heavy metal that doesn't trade complexity for heaviness, but keeps both intact and serves as one indicator as to why Maiden succeeded where so many others failed.

The instrumental Transylvania opens side two and allows the guitarists to showcase their skills with more of their soon-to-become trademark incendiary soloing, Harris' bass throbbing along underneath and Clive Burr setting the tempo with his fantastic, on-the-mark drumming skills. Transylvania subsides into the gentle intro to another somewhat atypical NWOBHM track, Strange World, where we actually get a kind of vulnerable, touchy-feely lyric and atmosphere that most metal acts would never even contemplate at that time. At this point Maiden ramp up the pace and aggression once more and are introduced to one of Harris' enduring lyrical characters, Charlotte the Harlot of 22 Acacia Avenue fame. Although the middle section and it's attempt at pathos is a little bit of a misstep for me, the track is otherwise heavy metal heaven. Rounding off pretty much as we started with a snotty-sounding, snarling piece of metal ass-kickery Iron Maiden firmly plant their flag in the ground.

Obviously the band later went on to dominate the world of metal, at least for a while after Di'Anno was replaced by Bruce, but I think it is testament to Di'Anno's performances and vocal style that the two albums he performed on are still massive fan favourites and, in truth, I have never heard tracks from the first two albums performed better by Bruce than they were by Paul, although, to be fair, he may well have conversely struggled with tracks that Bruce featured on. So, while Iron Maiden at the point of their first album were still on a journey rather than having arrived at  a destination, there can surely be no arguing that it was a trip well worth any fan tagging along on. To call the album the birth of a heavy metal legend is no hyperbole and is a defining moment in metal history.

I'm sure you will soon be recovered in such an idyllic-sounding setting Daniel! Sounds fantastic.

Are you going to become a surfer now then (or maybe you are already, hence the move)!?

Thanks Daniel, they all sound like perfectly feasible reasons. Strange how strict drinking laws are in The States, which could have been a factor as you say, not just the opening hours restrictions (they were still very strict here in the UK at that time), but also age restrictions. Don't you have to be 21 to buy booze in a lot of states (or at least had to be back then)? Plus, in most of Europe when the cops came to break up a rave they just chased people off and maybe gave them a slap ot two, they didn't turn up fully armed looking for a Waco-style shoot-out, as seems to be the MO of a lot of police forces in the US!

Not at all a question for this site really Daniel, I know, but I'm interested in your opinion as someone who was involved in dance music (sorry I'm not sure what terminology to use). Why do you think it was that rave culture wasn't very big in the US as here in the UK it was everywhere?

I actually had a few mates who were into metal who got involved in the rave scene and started acting like tthey had never listened to or liked a metal album in their lives. It was never a scene I personally got involved in, although some of the stuff I heard from time to time was OK, it didn't hold much appeal for me. I think I'm too grumpy and cynical for a scene like that!

Ah yes, hair metal. I had forgotten all about those times. What a horrible fucking thing that was. If death metal extremity was born out of a reaction to it then that is the only positive thing to come out of the whole horrible mess. 

Of course that's only my opinion, others may disagree (but they are wrong)!

I think it's a pretty safe bet that very few drone metal releases will get much traction with the "average punter". Drone metal is one of those extreme genres that provides greater reward the more the listener is willing to invest and many just can't get past the surface. But for those who are able, when done well, it can be an hallucinatory and revelatory listening experience that is well worth the effort. That said, though, Monarch! do seem to be lacking in exposure, even in a niche genre like drone metal and that is a great shame because Omens is as good as anything the genre has to offer.

Despite having reservations about a lot of death metal and not being a member of the Horde, that clan's feature releases are actually some of the more successful with me personally. Luckily this month's entry is no exception. Sinister are once more a new band to me, despite their more than three decade long existence, but is Diabolical Summoning ever right up my metaphorical alley. Trading against national stereotypes these Dutch masters lay waste to the notion that theirs is a nation of laid-back, super-chilled, peace-loving latterday hippies with a good old slab of filthy and diabolical death metal. The early nineties were the days of doing E's and getting loved-up to techno beats, which is more what I would associate the Netherlands with, but luckily Sinister spent their time getting brutal and nasty instead!

Sinister's death metal still seems to retain some thrash metal DNA in it's genetic makeup, which is no bad thing in my opinion. That said, it also blasts like a motherfucker at times too. The guitar riffs sound nice and dense with some real muscle behind them, the bass throbbing along underneath like an adrenaline-fulelled heartbeat and drummer Aad Kloosterwaard hammering his kit in a whirlwind of pummelling that I would imagine meant he had to be tethered down for fear of taking off! One of my favourite aspects is the vocals, Mike van Mastrigt's bull-roar is perfectly suited to the sonic brutality perpetuated by the instrumentalists and has made him one of my new favourite death metal vocalists.

Sinister rarely go for the slower tempos of many early 90's DM acts and so generally avoid the death doom tropes of the time, preferring instead to try to melt your face off with their piledriver approach. I can't help but compare this with Incantation's Diabolical Conquest, if for no other reason than it has become a favourite death metal release after hearing it for the first time via a Horde monthly feature, but more so for it's uncompromising style being exactly what I like in death metal (and they are both "Diabolical" obviously!)

4.5/5

I have made my own way through our metal world by and large and consequently there are a significant number of fairly popular bands that I had never listened to prior to joining Metal Academy. Godflesh are one of those bands and this is the first time I have knowingly heard any of their material and, you know what, I don't feel like I've missed out much in this case. Sure, I really like the chunky, sludgy riff of the opening title track, but the vocals are absolutely awful and ruin what might otherwise have been a decent start to the ep. The vocal woes don't improve as we get further in and as things get more industrialised I get increasingly alienated by the sound. Blind isn't too bad, just enough machine-like chugging, but Unworthy just started to piss me off as it went on for what seemed an interminable time, but was in fact only seven minutes. Flowers sounds like they are trying to metalise John Lydon's PIL to little success and holds little appeal for me in all honesty.

At least my ignorance of Godflesh hasn't been too costly for me as it seems that they are not really my cup of tea after all.

2.5/5

Edit 11/04/22: On reflection and a subsequent listen, I may have scored it a little harshly, so I'm bumping it half a star to 3/5.

Listened to The Pit playlist this afternoon whilst laying patio slabs in the garden and a damn fine list it is too. Nice work Vinny, really enjoyed it, the first half in particular which just piled great track on great track. In truth, there wasn't a single track I could honestly say I didn't enjoy to one extent or another. There's not much more you can ask for in a two-hour playlist really.

Back in the day I was that Mission uber-fan (I've even got a gatefold double LP live bootleg I bought for way too much back then) and I have those bonus tracks on the original vinyl 12 inchers!! I agree that The Mission are better than Fields of the Nephilim. I always considered FotN to be second tier gothic rock to be honest.

The First Chapter comp is worth checking out if you enjoy God's Own Medicine. Bauhaus' In the Flat Field is required listening if you want to sample some of the best of 80s goth rock too.

Slaughtbbath - Alchemical Warfare (2019)

Some more Chilean thrashers to add if you don't mind please Ben:

Hellish

Force of Darkness

Slaughtbbath

Hellish - The Spectre of Lonely Souls (2018)

It seems that the factories that used to crank out US thrash riffs have relocated to South America and, more specifically, Chile. It is insane how many great thrash albums have come out of Chile in recent times whilst thrash flounders elsewhere in the world. Hellish hit straight between the eyes with almost relentlessly febrile thrash riffs, intense drums and basswork and savage vocals. They take the intensity of Slayer and Kreator, set the pacing at crossover thrash speed and then weave in a little Immortal-like black metal influence. This is serious face-ripping shit and they make it work because they have the riffs and we all know that in thrash metal the riffs rule the roost.
4/5

I enjoyed this one after an initial spin a few weeks ago, didn't know it was an offshoot of Winterfylleth. Definitely one to go back to for, like you said, something a bit different than normal with the cool Medieval influences. It's rare that this blend of styles doesn't get tossed into the fantasy, orc-slaying bin and even though I'm a fan of that kind of stuff more than most, Arð is still a refreshing find. 

Edit: After another listen this afternoon I forgot how gorgeous this album can be, the orchestral and choir elements are perfectly placed as to not be overbearing while still attributing a ton to the atmosphere. It does plod along a bit too much here and there for my tastes, but it reminds me of a more bombastic and full sounding Obsequiae. Not sure if that's a good comparison or not, but it does remind me I haven't listened to their first two albums, which I really should do. Revisiting this one has really put me in the mood.

In a way, Xephyr, the Obsequiae comparison is not unfounded. I have only heard their second album, but they do seem to be attempting something similar with black metal to what Arð is doing with doom metal. As I said this isn't perfect, but it is great that someone is trying something fresh. If you really like the whole medieval sound, I would suggest Dolven's first album, Navigating the Labyrinth. It is tagged as dark folk on rym, but I think it sounds like medieval acoustic doom and is definitely worth trying if you dig non-cheesy, medieval-themed music.

Arð - Take Up My Bones (2022)

Released 18/02/22 on CD by Prophecy.

Arð is a solo project of Mark Deeks who, since 2016, has been the keyboard player for UK pagan black metallers Winterfylleth. Arð play a medieval-based, folk-influenced kind of doom metal that is, on the surface, a very different beast from Winterfylleth, yet if you are familiar with the Mancunians you will know that they are heavily involved with folk music, whether through their Harrowing of Heirdom album or Dan Capp's Wolcensmen project and the track The Green Cathedral on their The Dark Hereafter album is very much in the vein of the music on Take Up My Bones, albeit with blackened vocals.

I've got to say, despite initial reservations about an album tagged as doom and folk metal (no folk metal here), this has quite grabbed my imagination and is a very pleasant departure from a lot of the doom metal I usually listen to. Take Up My Bones' doom metal is very reminiscent of the kind of melancholic style often employed by any number of gothic doom outfits eager to follow in the footsteps of My Dying Bride et al, with contemplative piano, synths and strings woven into the fabric of the tracks, yet also containing the sweeping, soaring majesty found in some of the best atmospheric black metal from the likes of Saor, albeit within a doom metal context. The medieval folk elements are incorporated superbly well and sound sincere, thus avoiding the cheesiness so often (rightly) associated with any kind of folk metal. This is not the kind of medieval folk we would associate with The Lord of the Rings or fantasy scenarios generally, but a choral style of folk that has it's roots in ecclesiastical music.

The concept of the album is something to do with the relics of the bones of Saint Cuthbert, who was associated with Lindisfarne monastery and is the patron saint of Northumbria in the north-east of England where Mark Deeks makes his home. His remains were thought to be responsible for several miracles in medieval England and he was a big inspiration to King Alfred the Great in his battle against the Danes of ninth century England. The religious theme is realised by rich-sounding and nicely performed choral vocals that are very impressively produced and add to the overarching majesty of the music on offer. This is a very atmospheric album, weaving strands of melancholy and hope together into a gorgeous tapestry of sound. Arð aren't trying to squeeze the breath out of your body with huge, crushing riffs, but are rather trying to fill your soul with renewed hope.

As much as I love orthodox doom metal, it is nice to hear someone try something that is a little bit different and to eschew regurgitating the same old ideas. Take Up My Bones isn't a perfect album by any means, some of the tracks become a little samey and there is some limitation to how far a solo project and studio-generated effects can go, but I genuinely applaud Arð's attempt to produce something fresh in the doom scene and as long as artists like Arð can still serve up something of a surprise then doom metal is far from a spent force.

7.5/10

OK, so I've never even heard of Monarch! before, let alone heard any of their albums, so I went into this completely blind, apart from having an inbred aversion to bands who use punctuation marks in their names. Anyway, not to worry as this is right up my street. Slowly heaving, mega-distorted drone riffs with arresting female vocals, whether they are screaming in red-faced frustration or angelically crooning to the heavens. This is exactly how I love drone metal to sound, with the vocal atmospherics used as a counterpoint to the monolithic droning of the riffing, a siren call of redemption set against the crushing weight of the instrumentation. The almost twenty-minute closer, Black Becomes the Sun, is a fantastic piece of disturbing, droning wonderfulness with a seriously unhinged vocal performance from the terribly-monickered Eurogirl.

Count me all-in on this one and kudos for a brilliant underground selection, Daniel.

4.5/5

I'm fascinated to see Caladan Brood at number 4 and yet no Summoning. Is it a matter of the apprentice surpassing the master in your opinion? I haven't heard of Mist of Misery, so prob should check it out.

I make sure to include at least one symphonic black metal track in every North playlist, and not just because it should be represented. I've always been a sucker for it when it's done well. That said, I agree that Emperor have yet to be bettered.

Yes, I think it is Ben. Summoning just feel so OTT to me that they rub me up the wrong way. In all fairness I have only listened to a couple of albums for this reason, so they may have produced a classic I haven't heard.

Symphonic black metal is perfectly valid for inclusion in the North playlists as itseems to be quite a popular sub-genre, it just isn't one I personally enjoy massively. It is a great mystery why Emperor were so much better than all the rest though.

Does anyone else know of a sub-genre where one band so far outclasses all the competition or are Emperor a one-off?

I must admit to struggling with most symphonic black metal, with the obvious exception of Emperor. Wonder why they were so much better at it than everyone else? Great to see you have Live Inferno rated so highly, Daniel. It is one of the all-time great metal live albums in my opinion. I would have to echo your top three, so here's my somewhat limited top ten, bearing in mind there is a massive drop-off from #3 to #4:

01. Emperor – “In The Nightside Eclipse” (1994)

02. Emperor – “Live Inferno” (2009)

03. Emperor – “Anthems To The Welkin At Disk” (1997)

04. Caladan Brood - "Echoes of Battle" (2013)

05. Emperor - "IX Equilibrium" (1999)

06. Cradle of Filth - "Middian" (2000)

07. Mist of Misery - "Temple of Stilled Voices EP" (2014)

08. Abhor - "Occulta religiO" (2018)

09. Samael - "Passage" (1996)

10. Sigh - "Hangman's Hymn" (2007)

Do you think you could also add Swedish trad doom band Left Hand Solution and nineties French doomsters Astral Rising please Ben?

Demoniac - So It Goes (2020)

For the longest time I believed that thrash metal held no more surprises for me. That, however, was before I had heard Demoniac's incredible 2020 sophomore release, So It Goes. Sure, I have been very impressed by the vitality of the contemporary South American thrash scene, but the albums I had heard to this point were in the main existing tropes, taken and sharpened to the point of lethality. Some excellent stuff that had rekindled my interest in new thrash metal material, but Demoniac have gone well beyond that and So It Goes is a complete revelation to my jaded sensibilities. They play intense thrash metal with blackened vocals and hints at progressive tendencies and with a technical proficiency that is exceedingly impressive. The opening couple of tracks illustrate that these guys can out-thrash the shit out of almost anyone currently playing thrash metal. Fast, vibrant riffing, snarling vocals and a rhythm section that will destroy your apartment block if they play within a mile of it, deliver everything you could ever want from a thrash metal album. Then, following the opening one-two salvo, Extraviado opens up with a.. jazz clarinet. This is a weird and wonderful kind of doom and jazz number that may well leave you scratching your head, but I personally think is a glorious curveball that lets you regain some composure before the next neck-mangler. Equilibrio fatal is another riff-fest of lightning-powered thrash that will remove the skin from any unprotected body parts as it hurtles from riff to riff and contains some terrific soloing and superb basswork from Vicente Pereira.

This then brings us to the second half of the album, which consists solely of the almost twenty-minute suite of the title track which is a thrash metal tour de force and the track where Demoniac really show their chops and leave the competition eating their dust. Riff follows riff, solos rise and fall, that awesome, crunchy bass keeps baring it's teeth, Javier Ortiz snarls and sneers his way through the lyrics and our old friend that crazy clarinet even makes a reappearance. This track is one of the most glorious, OTT celebrations of thrash metal you are ever likely to hear and with the searing power of the shorter tracks from side one makes for one of the greatest thrash albums I have ever heard. Believe me, if this was released in the late eighties this would still be held up as an out and out classic. If, like me, you thought thrash metal was dead then spin So It Goes and behold thrash's Lazarus-like resurrection.

...oh, and could you please add Albert Witchfinder's new band Friends of Hell. Thanks.

Hi Ben, could you add Bulgarian doom band Obsidian Sea please?

Brief thoughts on this month's playlist:

1. Spirit Caravan - "Dead Love / Jug Fulla Sun" from "Jug Fulla Sun" (1999) [submitted by Sonny]
Spirit Caravan is a Wino-led trio that laces their stoner doom with acid. This is my favourite track from their debut and is one of my all-time top stoner metal tracks.

2. Anathema - "Radiance" from "Eternity" (1996) [submitted by Daniel]
Builds really effectively to a Comfortably Numb-style guitar solo climax.

3. Worm - "Empire of the Necromancers" from "Foreverglade" (2021) [submitted by Ben]
Heavy as fuck blackened doom from one of last year's great albums.

4. Cult of Luna - "Cold Burn" from "The Long road North" (2022)
It's CoL doing what they do and doing it supremely well. Quality atmo-sludge no more no less.

5. Crowbar - "Like Broken Glass" from "Broken Glass" (1996) [submitted by Daniel]
It's Crowbar doing what they do and doing it... What? I've used that one already? OK, but you know what I mean yeah?

6. Lethian Dreams - "Shades" from "Red Silence Lodge" (2014) [submitted by Ben]
I really like this album - I have a CD digipak with a nice message and signed by Carline Van Roos that I bought from Bandcamp when it was released This is a gorgeously melancholy track with terrific vocals from Carline that eventually explodes towards the end.

7. Internal Void - "Utopia of Daze" from "Standing on the Sun" (1992) [submitted by Sonny]
This is one of the great unheralded early 90's Sabbath-influenced trad doom albums and Utopia of Daze is my favourite track from it. I finally tracked down an original CD copy recently on Discogs from a guy in South Africa and it was worth every penny!

8. Melvins - "Vile" from "Ozma" (1989) [submitted by Sonny]
Melvins are one of those bands who baffle me with how they can go from ridiculous to sublime seemingly at will. This is a sublime moment and one of my favourites from the US sludgelords - what a brilliant crawling, creeping riff this is.

9. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - "Blood Moon" from "Bloodmoon: I" (2021) [submitted by Daniel]
The Fallen Album of the Year for 2021 is well represented by this track which beautifully illustrates the strength of this collaboration and the contrast between the two protagonists.

10. Khazad-dûm - "Transmuted" from "Hymns from the Deep" (2020) [submitted by Ben]
If you are a fan of the LoTR books or movies then you will recognise exactly what Khazad-dûm are aiming for - to use funeral doom to recreate the atmosphere of the dwarven mines from whence the band get their name, a task at which they have been supremely successful and no more so than on this brilliant track. Another criminally underappreciated album from the last couple of years.

11. Candlemass - "The Well of Souls" from "Nightfall" (1987)
A genuine classic of epic doom from the Swedish masters with Messiah in full flow. Epic doom doesn't get much beter than this!

12. Swallow the Sun - "Keep Your Heart Safe From Me" from "Moonflowers" (2021)
A real heartbreaker from one of the more emotionally-charged albums in metal.

13. Abandon - "Pitch Black Hole" from "The Dead End" (2009) [submitted by Sonny]
It kind of came out of nowhere and blew me away this one. A mix of sludge and funeral doom that really hits the spot for me.

14. Windhand - "Woodbine" from "Soma" (2013)
I fucking love that uber-fuzzed guitar tone on this album and Dorthia's washed-out vocals suit it just brilliantly. One of the best female-fronted doom metal albums out there.

15. My Dying Bride - "A Doomed Lover" from "Songs of Darkness, Words of Light" (2004) [submitted by Ben]
My old pals are back on the playlist! Still, this is MDB at their best - fortunately Aaron Stainthorpe puts in a quite restrained vocal performance that doesn't overdo the ham. Builds really nicely too.

16. Ufomammut / Lento - "Infect Two" from "Supernaturals - Record One " (2007) [submitted by Daniel]
The January Fallen feature was pretty much universally praised by the membership and with damn good reason too. Black hole-density metal fused with space rock aesthetics for some truly mind-blowing astral projection.

We all know Candlemass, Saint Vitus, Trouble, The Obsessed and Pentagram, but here are my top ten underappreciated Traditional Doom Metal albums of the eighties and early nineties. Less than 300 ratings on rym needed to qualify (in fact, all but one have under 200).

1. Internal Void - "Standing on the Sun" (1992)
2. Memento Mori - "Rhymes of Lunacy" (1993)
3. Penance - "The Road Less Travelled" (1992)
4. Mercy - "Witchburner" (1985)
5. Paul Chain - "Life and Death" (1989)
6. Revelation - "Salvations Answer" (1991)
7. Lost Breed - "Save Yourself" (1995)
8. Requiem - "Via Crucis" (1990)
9. Astral Rising - "In Quest" (1995)
10. Mourn - "Mourn" (1995)

April 2022

    
1. Dawn of Solace - "Erase" from "Flames of Perdition" (2022)
2. Penance - "A Wayfarer's Tale" from "The Road Less Travelled" (1992) [Submitted by Sonny]
3. Neurosis - "Through Silver in Blood" from "Through Silver in Blood" (1996) [Submitted by Daniel]
4. High On Fire - "Return to NOD" from "Death is This Communion" (2007) [Submitted by Sonny]
5. Mournful Congregation - "As I Drown in Loveless Rain" from "The Monad of Creation" (2005) [Submitted by Ben]
6. Mansion - "Traitor's Dirge" from "Altar Sermon EP" (2015)
7. Counting Hours - "To Exit All False" from "The Will" (2020) [Submitted by Ben]
8. Thou - "Inward" from "Magus" (2018) [Submitted by Sonny]
9. Space Coke - "Bride of Satan" from "Lunacy" (2022)
10. Deathbell - "The Stronghold and the Archer" from "A Nocturnal Crossing" (2022) [Submitted by Sonny]
11. Paradise Lost - "Gothic" from "Gothic" (1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
12. Konvent - "Pipe Dreams" from "Call Down the Sun" (2022) [Submitted by Ben]
13. Messa - "Serving Him" from"Close" (2022) [Submitted by Ben]
14. Inter Arma - "The Survival Fires" from "Sky Burial" (2013)
15. Ahab - "The Hunt" from "The Call of the Wretched Sea" (2006) [Submitted by Daniel]

I listened to this whilst out with the dog this month so I didn't have a tracklisting to hand whilst it was playing. It started off a bit slowly for me, unless it was the presence of Seek & Destroy early in the list laying waste to the tracks around it. It still grieves me greatly to recall what happened to Metallica when listening to their early stuff and how they completely shat on their own legacy. Anyway, it took Kreator to really shake me out of my reverie and from then on things really went up a gear. Old favourites like Venom, Sadus, Holy Terror and Hallows Eve interspersed with some less familiar ass-kickers like Dekapitator, At War and Cryptic Shift hit the spot.

The couple of groove metal tracks from Alien Weaponry and Biohazard didn't do too much for me unfortunately. Then we have a couple of bands I've only heard about and never bothered with as I didn't think they were that serious. Austrian Death Machine's Get to the Choppa is actually pretty good though and not at all what I expected (when will I learn?) I remember seeing Lawnmower Deth everywhere at one point in the eighties (here in England anyway) but thought that they sounded a bit silly - and so they are, although this is actually quite a fun track I don't know if I could take a full album or if it would rub me up the wrong way like M.O.D.

Things then get real and we have a pretty solid run to the end. I've never heard or heard of Détente before, but I quite dug the punk/thrash vibe they exhibited here. Of course we end with a classic Slayer track, which has my second favourite Slayer intro (Raining Blood being #1).

Seriously though, I've been feeling the brunt of this bias pretty heavily albeit in a more indirect way. I don't really interact with or care about the ratings/downvotes of certain sub-genres because I just listen to what I feel like listening to, write my own reviews and lists, and move on. But, I pretty much use the RYM current year Metal charts to scroll through and see what I can find that piques my interest pretty much all year. What I've found is that I end up listening to, like Daniel said, an extremely disproportionate amount of Black and Death Metal. I've found myself having to specifically search for and target Progressive, Power, and Heavy Metal (among other sub-genres) in order to even out what I'm listening to and get some variety, so the strain is still felt just from a music discovery standpoint even before getting into ratings/comments.

I find the best way to use the rym charts is to use genre-specific charts and I quite often just limit them to the ratings of people I follow on rym who's tastes are more closely aligned to my own than the membership at large. For example, whilst compiling the Fallen playlist I will generate a current year chart for doom, sludge, drone, stoner and gothic metal, include the sub-genres, exclude albums I've already rated and see what new releases come up that I can include in the list (after listening to them obviously). So there are ways to make the rym charts work for you.

To be honest Ben, a lot of the reactions to releases on rym makes me wonder if some of these people even actually like music or not. It seems that a few people just get a kick out of shitting on anything and anybody, which is a pretty sad way to live your life if you think about it.

Another factor to take into consideration is the "positive rating system" that seems to be gaining favour with an increasing number of people on rym. For those who don't know, this involves rating everything you don't particularly like 0.5/5 and thus giving a wider range of scores to rate the stuff you do like. So for these people a 2.0 is more likely a 3.5 for normal people. Now whilst I can see why some people may like to use such a rating system, it fucks things up for everyone else unless all members use it.  So, even though it is still a minority who use this method, this may too contribute to the lowering of ratings on rym. 

The great thing about Metal Academy is the trust that has been built between members that if someone rates something highly then it is probably at least worth checking out. It may not eventually be your sort of thing but the rating will be an honest one as we are thankfully free of trolls and edgelords! Most importantly is that most regular members back up a significant proportion of their ratings with words, so you can get an idea of how they think about music and so are able to understand where they are coming from, which is more in keeping with a normal human interaction than spewing random bile in a comment box. I have discovered much more interesting stuff and releases from outside my own comfort zone (well outside sometimes) since joining Metal Academy, mainly because of this trust in the other members views. Long may it continue!

Right, thanks Daniel, I understand exactly what you mean now and I wholeheartedly agree. Whilst rym does have it's uses there's no denying, I have long thought it is a bit sniffy towards a lot of music. Look at how many people claim to be massive jazz nerds on the site, when in real life how many people do you know who actually listen to jazz that much? Metal Archives is notorious for it's bias against certain genres and how it can possibly  claim to be an encyclopaedia whilst ignoring many bands for not being their kind of metal I don't know. 

Metal is sufficiently diverse to be able to produce some albums that genuinely do take your breath away with their originality and complexity. There is no doubt these will always garner decent ratings and be fully deserving of it, but may not always appeal to all metal fans universally. In real life a lot of metal fans (possibly the more casual fans) are quite conservative in their tastes and often stick within a quite narrow set of genres and aren't necessarily interested in the more experimental or diverse releases. A site like rym (and maybe any online music rating site) is, by the nature of the beast, going to appeal more to music "nerds" and so, as a consequence, will favour the more "nerdy" (for want of a better word) releases and artists.

I completely agree with your observation that rym downrates so-called generic releases. I have many times wondered exactly how some people can claim to be a fan of a particular genre when they are shitting on albums only for sounding like other great albums, irrespective of the quality of the songwriting or performance. RYM's comment boxes are notorious for such assholery. It has got to the point where I sometimes even doubt my own ears as to what I have heard as some of these comments make me feel stupid for thinking what I do about some perfectly good, albeit generic, releases.

In respect of Metal Academy, the clan set up is a great way to remove some of these inevitable biases against certain genres. For example, it is becoming increasingly obvious that I will probably never get to grips with The Revolution, but my lack of understanding and appreciation for the clan's releases is countered on the site by the fact that my ratings can be discounted via the clan-only ratings, thus allowing the true and more knowledgable fans of the clan's style to have more of a say in the releases' ratings. The more I think about it, the more ingenious a solution it seems.

The ironic thing is that there is no objectively right or wrong way to think about or appreciate music of any sort, yet some of these sites perpetuate certain views as dogmatically as any religious or political zealot and openly ridicule or persecute anyone who disagrees with their dogma. At the end of the day, it's all just shit that helps us get through life so let us all enjoy what we like without some asshole telling us we're wrong all the time!

Hi Vinny, I know it's a little early but here are my suggestions for the May playlist:

Metallica - "...And Justice for All" (9:45) from "...And Justice for All" (1988)
Demoniac - "RSV - Fools Coincidence - Testigo" (7:25) from "So It Goes" (2020)
The Bleeding - "Storm of the Hellspawn" (3:35) from "Morbid Prophecy" (2019)
Cryptosis - "Transcendence" (4:02) from "Bionic Swarm" (2021)
Kreator - "Under a Total Blackened Sky" (4:28) from "Enemy of God" (2005)

Total runtime: 29:15