Sonny's Forum Replies

I hate this fucking track, it is embarrasing and completely out of place on what is otherwise one of the most influential albums of the early 80s.

Hi Ben, could you add Wolves in the Throne Room's new album Primordial Arcana please.

Ben, please add Brazil's Mythological Cold Towers, New Jersey's Green Dragon and UK sludge band Ishmael.

Wow, 30,000 releases. That's a hell of a lot of metal. Total respect for all your hard work Ben. And 5000 releases in 8 months still sounds like a lot to me! My request is similar to Vinny's - on the releases and bands pages could it be possible to have the page tabs at the top as well as the bottom of the page?

I have only had a limited exposure to Nuclear Assault over the years. I did see them support Slayer on the South of Heaven tour in the UK and the main thing I remember about their performance was them taking the piss out of hardcore for about five minutes by making lengthy introductions to songs that only lasted ten seconds or so. Their Handle With Care was also one of the first of those new-fangled CD things that I bought in the early nineties and was one of those albums that was kinda OK, but didn't exactly blow me away.

Game Over was the NY thrashers debut released in 1986 and is a more immediate and vital release than Handle With Care. It obviously has a hardcore/crossover influence with quite short track lengths in the main and an urgent, punkish delivery that conjures up images of frantically flailing bodies hurling themselves into seething mosh pits. Consequently the tracks tend to blur together and the album does have a breakneck runaway train quality to it and I don't say that as a criticism. They occasionaly thrust their tongues firmly into their cheeks as presumably a track like Hang the Pope is not to be taken too seriously, or at worst was designed merely to bait the PMRC (no bad thing that).

The guitar tone is not the best, it's a bit harsh and, in all honesty is a bit hard on the ears. Conversely Dan Lilker's bass manages to underpin the tracks and the ex-Anthrax bass man provides a solid foundation upon which the rest of the band can wreak their nuclear-fuelled destruction.

I must admit I enjoyed this much more than Handle With Care, despite the mediocre production job and it's energetic thrashing is just the thing if you want to work out some aggression. The band's fascination with nuclear annihilation is in full flow on Game Over and the album's best tracks are those Mutually Assured Destruction-themed tracks - Nuclear War being my personal favourite, but Radiation Sickness and After the Holocaust are both very good tracks. Ultimately a pretty good debut that I enjoyed for it's unapologetic aggression from a band that are really only seen as peripheral in the thrash metal history books.

4/5

This is the first Saxon album I've listened to released after 1984 and I went into it with low expectations, expecting nothing more than a rehash of old ideas and a band into it's fifth decade of existence going through the motions because they don't know what else to do. Man, was I wrong because Thunderbolt actually kicks ass as seriously as anything the Yorkshiremen have ever put out. The band haven't stood still in the intervening years since last I encountered them, their sound has evolved in a more power metal-inspired direction and it really suits them. Their knack for writing anthemic songs has been reinforced with steel-edged metal for a heavier and, dare I say, more energetic sound. Sure, they still sound like the old Saxon at times - They Played Rock and Roll is reminiscent in many ways of The Bands Played On, but this is a more "metal-sounding" Saxon to be sure.

Talking of They Played Rock and Roll, I've got to confess to becoming a little bit emotional on hearing it the first time. As I've said before I was a HUGE Motörhead fan and I fondly remember the 1979 Bomber tour with Saxon supporting Lemmy, Eddie and Philthy. I attended that gig at our local venue with a number of fellow metalhead mates, a couple of who are now gone. We all had a fantastic night and the track kind of bought back memories of long-gone simpler times when all we had to worry about was how to get the money for gigs, booze and weed and fuck everything else.

I think the most surprising thing about Thunderbolt is how great Biff Byford's voice still sounds. The guy is seventy years old now and here he sounds better than he ever has. Studio jiggerypokery can only cover so many cracks, so the guy as obviously still got the pipes to deliver an impressive performance. Musically, Paul Quinn and second guitarist Doug Scarratt deliver some amazing riffs and the greatest adrenaline-fuelled solos Saxon have ever delivered are fired off with deadly precision. The production job is superb, with crystal clarity that certainly does the album no harm at all and brings out the best in all the band members.

Tracks such as Thunderbolt, A Wizard's Tale, They Played Rock and Roll and my new favourite Saxon track The Secret of Flight are as good as anything I have heard from the band previously and this is seriously challenging Wheels of Steel as my favourite Saxon album. Respect to such a veteran outfit for not resting on their laurels and still being able to go toe to toe with the younger bucks and not be left wanting. Colour me impressed!

4.5/5

My September suggestions:

Vreid - Shadows of Aurora (5:20) from Wild North West (2021)
Nekromantheon - Zealot Reign (4:43) from Visions of Trismegistos (2021)
Anthrax - Imitation of Life (4:21) from Among the Living (1987)
Kreator - Under A Total Blackened Sky (4:28)  from Enemy of God (2005)
Testament - The Haunting (4:14) from The Legacy (1987)

Total runtime: 23:08

I know the Vreid album isn't in the Pit but I think this track is thrashy enough to get a run out here. If you disagree Daniel by all means feel free to exclude it.

My suggestions for September:

Mare Cognitum - Pulses in Extraconscious Lucidity (9:12) from An Extraconscious Lucidity (2012)
Sainte Marie des Loups - Des profondeurs le silence (7:21) from Funérailles de feu (2020)
Warmoon Lord - Empowered With Battlespells (6:38) from Battlespells (2021)
Total runtime: 23:01

My suggestions for September's playlist:

Temple of Void - Leave the Light Behind (5:19) from The World That Was (2020)
Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus (4:49) from Saint Vitus (1984)
Witchrot - Million Shattered Swords (7:03) from Hollow (2021)
Inter Arma - Citadel (6:40) from Sulphur English (2020)
Total runtime 23:51

Nice choice Vinny. I love this album, although I haven't spun it for a while. Looking forward to getting reacquainted for the feature.

I managed seven of this month's nine releases and I thoroughly enjoyed all seven of them.

My rankings of those seven:

1. M.S.W. - "Obliviosus" (2020) 

2. Necrodeath - "Into The Macabre" (1987)  4.5/5

3. Altesia - "Paragon Circus" (2019)  4/5

4. Alice In Chains - "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" (2013)  4/5

5. Keep Of Kalessin - "Reclaim" E.P. (2004)  4/5

6. Ministry - "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" (1989) 3.5/5

7. Blood Red Throne - "Altered Genesis" (2005) 3.5/5

The Altesia album was a real find and one I even had to buy on CD. Also great to finally get to grips with Alice In Chains.

I'm inexcusably tardy getting my comments in on this month's Pit feature, especially considering it's my suggestion. Sorry.

Anyway, Daniel has given me some great recommendations for more underground 1980's thrash metal albums and this is one of my favourites. I got into metal around the same time as the punk scene exploded here in the UK and I could never understand why the one could not co-exist with the other. Some may argue punk was a fashion-based scene and to some extent this is true, but musically both were about the energy and resistance to authority and I could never understand the two scenes mutual antipathy. I mention this because my love of both punk and metal has always drawn me towards bands that sound like they have a more "garage" mentality and although their playing may not be the most technically gifted, sheer adrenaline and attitude shine through and give certain albums and bands an X-factor that can't be defined by technical assessment. The Italian thrashers debut is an album that, I would contend, is a perfect example of this attitude. Sure at times it sounds sloppy and the production isn't the greatest (although it's nowhere near as bad a s some would have you believe), but it is an adrenaline-fuelled half an hour of balls-out riffing and snarling Kreator-influenced proto-death thrash metal that makes you feel like you could punch through a brick wall. Although 1987 gave us some classic thrash metal albums I personally feel Necrodeath have no reason to feel outgunned by most of them and Into the Macabre fully deserves a place in that year's best of lists.

I've discovered some great music through recommendations, reviews, clan challenges, feature releases and playlists that I would probably never have come across otherwise. All these have come from members of the site whose opinions and musical knowledge I respect enormously. A particular aspect of the site that sets it apart from all the other metal sites I have interacted with is the lack of snarkiness and one-upmanship. Though we may be small in number, I think we  make up for it with a huge love and enthusiasm for the music and a great generosity in sharing that love and enthusiasm with others, whilst respecting the fact that, whilst others may hold differing opinions we are all "Brothers in Metal".

More specifically, I have regained an appreciation of and enthusiasm for good old heavy metal that I thought I had largely lost. Yet at the same time I have probably dived further down the extreme metal rabbit hole than before. The Monthly Feature releases especially have been instrumental in widening my listening scope - I never thought for a minute I would ever enjoy a Trivium album, yet there I was back in March enthusing all over In Waves! I have been directed to a number of albums that have since become firm favourites, becoming firmly ensconced in my all-time top twenty, forty, fifty or whatever. Of particular pleasure is the huge number of more underground 80s / 90s thrash I have listened to, in main it must be said thanks to Daniel's prolific recommendations.

But mostly I've learnt that even after 45 years of listening to metal, I've still got plenty to learn.

Nice one Tymell! I'm already loving doing this particular challenge.

I am not the biggest fan of power metal, but I have only recently cottoned on to the fact that there are two distinct styles of power metal and it is the european style that I dislike and, unknowingly, I have listened to and enjoyed a bit of US power metal - Iced Earth in particular but also some Queensryche, Metal Church, Savatage and Slough Feg. I haven't enough releases under my belt to have a top ten, but it is a genre I am looking forward to exploring further.

Well done Vinny. I've just started hitting one if the Heavy Metal challenges myself. I've decided to go at the First Age challenge and see if I can lock The Guardians in as a fourth clan. I've found during initial spins of albums on the challenge that it has re-ignited my love of classic heavy metal and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into this one.

Could you please add Portland's Silver Talon Ben?

OK, here we go:

1. Autopsy - Mental Funeral (1991)

2. Incantation - Diabolical Conquest (1998)

3. Cianide - A Descent Into Hell (1994)

4. Terrorizer - World Downfall (1989)

5. Venenum - Trance of Death (2017)

6. Rippikoulu - Musta seremonia (1993)

7. Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness (1989)

8. Coffins - Buried Death (2008)

9. Autopsy - Severed Survival (1989)

10. Fleshcrawl - Descend Into the Absurd (1992)

Hi Ben, please add Canadian doom outfit Witch Rot.

I've had a quick look at Lucifugum and it appears that they are a Ukrainian husband and wife duo who own and run the label their albums are released on. So maybe they use black metal as a kind of relationship therapy. "What do you want to do this weekend love? We can go to the garden centre and buy some new patio furniture and a few begonias. Or, if you'd rather, I've been working on a few songs in scorn of the bastard Nazarene, so we could go down to the basement, light a few candles, maybe sacrifice a goat and record a new album. It's completely up to you." 

The two releases I would suggest that book-end Metal's Golden Age are The Number of the Beast in 1982 and Mayhem's De Mysteriis dom Sathanas in '94.

Ok, so if I said I loved this album you would all know I was lying and if I said I hated it I would know I was lying. It's got a few tracks I quite enjoyed in a cheesy, Helloween kind of way, but there were definitely some I disliked and in particular the Pet Shop Boys cover of a song I've always hated. There were some decent solos that were OTT, but managed to stop short of Dragonforce levels of ridiculousness. I felt the band were at their best the more they stuck to the Judas Priest / Iron Maiden template and worst when the old euro-power beast is allowed full head. 2.5/5 - half and half.

Wow, how good are these guys!? I've got to say up front that I really enjoyed this album. I wouldn't say there's a whole lot of metal on this record, other than the odd heavy section, but as a prog fan who prefers prog rock to prog metal, this is in no way a detriment for me. As to whether the album belongs in The Academy I'll let others debate, but I'm just going to enjoy it for what it is and what it is, is an album that takes a lot of cues from King Crimson, via Steven Wilson's Porcupine Tree and later-era Opeth (it is surprising how much vocalist Clément Darrieu sounds like Mikael Akerfeldt at times). In addition to the obvious influences it also reminded me of English band Galahad, a band I have been a big fan of for some time now. The songs are complex, but not merely to act as a showcase for the band's virtuosity because these guys don't sound like they are showing off for the sake of it, in fact some of the instrumentation is quite restrained - we don't have hugely overwhelming tidal waves of keyboards or indulgent guitar solos every few minutes. Rather, the complexity keeps driving the tracks forward and their multifaceted nature feels artistically rather than egotistically driven. True, there is nothing stylistically original here, but when the sources are so great and the execution is so immaculate, then there really is nothing to complain about, particularly in progressive music where there is so much variety available to the artists that out and out plagiarism is rare. So, despite me not usually being all that well-aligned with the monthly features for The Infinite, I have to say that I really loved this album, in fact so much so that I've just ordered the CD from Bandcamp. So that's a winner from me!!

4.25/5

Well done Sonny. That's quite an achievement. 

In reference to your decisions on whether to aim for a fourth clan or not & which clan you might choose if you decide to go down that path, here's a couple of insights that might help:

1. It's worth keeping in mind that the primary purpose of the clan configuration is to try to ensure that our audience can view release ratings that aren't diluted by scores from people that don't have a general passion for the subgenres in question. For this reason, I would suggest asking yourself if a) you can speak with some level of authority about a prospective clan & b) you have a strong passion for the majority of the material the clan contains.

2. As an individual, what clan members get out of being a part of a clan is the privilege of selecting the monthly feature releases, nominating tracks for the monthly Spotify playlists & voting on Hall entries so I'd also ask whether you feel that you have something to contribute in those areas as an active & informed fan of the clan's music.

If the answer to those questions is "yes" then you're a good candidate for that particular clan. :)

I must admit, Daniel I am very much tending towards not seeking a fourth clan for the very reasons you state. Sure, I think I know a fair bit about the earlier Guardians releases and can perhaps provide some contextual insight and I do have a love of old-school death metal, but other than that I don't think I can add anything meaningful to either of those clans (to be honest, I'm not even sure if that's not the case with my original three clans!) In fact, the more I interact with Metal Academy and it's exceedingly well-informed membership, the more I realise that I know fuck all.

I thought this month's playlist got off to a great start with Vinny's trio of selections kicking us off in fine style. That impetus was lost by the Skyclad and Lantlôs tracks unfortunately - Skyclad I've never liked and this was a particularly awful track and I found the Lantlôs track a bit boring. Still, the remainder off the list had some awesome tracks I'm familiar with from Panopticon, Darkthrone, Kanonenfieber, Batushka and Emperor and some unfamiliar and interesting stuff from Djevel and Evilfeast as well as the three bands at the beginning of the playlist. Overall another great playlist with something for everyone I guess.

That's a challenge for each of my three clans completed, so now I have to determine which clan to go for as a fourth. I am still not sure and that makes me wonder if I should even have a fourth clan if I can't commit to one or the other. Of the six remaining, The Gateway, Revolution and Sphere are out for me. The Guardians, Horde and Infinite all have plenty of albums I love, but also a lot that I'm not keen on. I still intend to keep on with the challenges, but I may not seek a fourth clan at the end of it.

Skimming through the lists of your reviews per clan, you have more Guardians reviews than The Horde and Infinite, and most of them are positive, with nothing as low as 0.5 or one star. I think you'll have no trouble doing one of the Guardians clan challenges, Sonny, specifically heavy metal.

Whilst what you say is true Andi, I find more new music that I enjoy in The Horde than I do in The Guardians, so that ratio may well change going forward. 

I believe I have just completed The North: Black Metal - The Modern Era challenge after a little over a year. I have definitely enjoyed this one - tough though it was - as I have discovered some great albums through it.

I've just been looking through the earlier posts in this thread and can't see if I informed Ben of my completion of THE PIT: Thrash Metal - The 80s challenge which I completed some time last year.

That's a challenge for each of my three clans completed, so now I have to determine which clan to go for as a fourth. I am still not sure and that makes me wonder if I should even have a fourth clan if I can't commit to one or the other. Of the six remaining, The Gateway, Revolution and Sphere are out for me. The Guardians, Horde and Infinite all have plenty of albums I love, but also a lot that I'm not keen on. I still intend to keep on with the challenges, but I may not seek a fourth clan at the end of it.

OK so here we go - nothing too out there for me, I'm afraid. I guess my taste is quite orthodox when it comes to black metal.

1. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992)

2. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)

3. Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä (2016)

4. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger (1994)

5. Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi (1994)

6. Mayhem - Live in Leipzig (1993)

7. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters (2007)

8. Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss (1994)

9. Panopticon - Kentucky (2012)

10. Shining - V - Halmstad (Niklas Angående Niklas) (2007)

I dunno about you guys but I actually think top tens are much more relevant than extended ones. I generally only wanna see the life-changers. I don’t agree with honourable mentions either. A record is either good enough to make it or it’s not. Quality over quantity as they say!

That's actually a very good point Daniel. I guess a top five or ten really focusses the mind on which releases REALLY mean something to you.

All of who wish they were Judas Priest & none of which are underrated.

Amen to that!

Only ten!! Shit, I've got some whittling to do on my list. I'll get to work and get back to you...

As I've said before, I have never listened to Alice in Chains. I was always under the impression that they were a grunge band, not that I hate grunge or anything, in fact in it's heyday I was quite a fan, but I never felt any great urge to get to know another grunge act. So before listening to this month's feature release, I thought I would familiarise myself with their seemingly most popular release, 1992's Dirt. Well, it's a damn fine record and if I had listened to it at the time of it's release it would probably have become a firm favourite - nowadays, not so much, but I still enjoyed it.

So to this month's featured contender, 2013's The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. Now I don't know if this is a contentious opinion or not, but I have to confess that I prefer this to Dirt, probably fired by the fact that I had no emotional connection or context for the earlier album. I was kind of caught out by just how catchy TDPDH is, in much the same way as I was by a previous monthly feature, Trivium's In Waves. Now of course they are very different albums, but both have some real memorable earworms that just keep swirling around in my head and neither are of a style that I would normally listen to all that much. The accessibility of the material could have been an issue in less capable hands and some of the tracks have the potential to veer off into Foo Fighters stadium rock territory. But Jerry Cantrell's genius seems to be that he can imbue these songs with a heaviness that keeps the tracks grounded in more metal territory and so keep them out of the clutches of the Glastonbury Festival rock hipsters - the opening brace of Hollow and Lab Monkey are prime examples. There is no doubt that the band exhibit their grunge roots on virtually every track, but that metal slant ensures that no one confuses the album with some Pearl Jam or Stone Temple Pilots rehash.

I definitely envision this being one of my go-to albums when I want to resurface from the foetid darkness of whatever extreme metal pit I've been spending my time in and feel the need to reconnect to music that is just about great songs. Personally, I don't think there's a duff track on TDPDH - Hollow and Phantom Limb are the obvious standouts and, sorry Daniel, but I love the title track and Low Ceiling too, despite their alleged "flatness". A great choice for a monthly feature, I must have listened to this a dozen times this week and enjoyed it every time, so mission accomplished Saxy as far as introducing something new to at least one Academy member this month.

4.5/5

MSW / Hell may incorporate a number of genres but Funeral Doom certainly ain't one of them. I think metal archives are a bit lazy when it comes to genre tagging to be honest.

I didn't think RATM were classed as alternative metal, but it looks like they are, so I've got to update my list:

1. System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)

2. Tool - Lateralus (2001)

3. Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles (1999)

4. System of a Down - Mezmerize (2005)

5. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger (1991)

6. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992)

7. Angela Martyr - The November Harvest (2016)

8. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)

9. Drain S.T.H. - Freaks of Nature (1999)

10. System of a Down - Hypnotize (2005)

Wolvennest- Temple

I stumbled across this by accident a few weeks back and actually really like it.  The Belgian accent in particular adds to the experience, especially on album highlight, All That Black.  I know Sonny is familiar with it so would be happy to take recommendations of similar artists in the occult/doom vein if you have any shout outs sir? (Or indeed anyone else of course).

The trouble with the majority of occult doom albums I find Vinny, is that the "occult" side of things is only in the lyrics and the music is often quite conventional. One exception that does spring to mind is 2019's Covenant by Karyn Crisis' Gospel of the Witches. I'll have to have a good think and get back to you!

Suggestion for August:

Yerûšelem - Triiiunity from The Sublime (2019)

August suggestion:

Angela Martyr - On the Edge of Next Time from The November Harvest (2016)

Suggestions for August:

Shining - Fields of Faceless (10:21) from III - Angst - Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie (2002)
Negură Bunget - Ţesarul de lumini (12:48) from OM (2006)

Total runtime - 23:09

7. Angela Martyr - The November Harvest (2016)

Quoted Sonny

Interesting selection Sonny. I've honestly never heard of this artist. What can we expect from this record?

i think you may get something out of this, their only release to date I believe, Daniel. It takes the melodies and vocals from nineties grunge and alternative rock bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins and marries it with huge, atmospheric post-metal chords for an interesting and melodic wall-of-sound result. I must admit, in my limited experience with both alternative and post-metal, I haven't come across anything quite like it before. It is probably more post-metal than alternative metal, so it may be that you don't feel it counts a s a bona fide alternative metal release, however. Whatever way it cuts, I still think it's a good release though.

So you've finally taken the plunge & given an Alice In Chains record a few spins, have you Sonny? I'm glad you have because "Dirt" is a top ten metal record in general for me. It's about as perfect as it gets in my opinion.

Yes, in preparation for reviewing this month's feature I thought I'd better familiarise myself with their most celebrated album. I think if I had listened to it at the time it was released, when I was quite into the whole grunge thing, it would have knocked me out. I can still hear that it is a class album, but I don'thave the connection to it I think I would have had if I'd listened to it much earlier. But I am glad I've come to it eventually.

Suggestions for August:

Bathory - Sacrifice (3:16) from Bathory (1984)
Possessed - Satan's Curse (4:14) from Seven Churches (1985)
Anthrax - Lone Justice (4:36) from Spreading the Disease (1985)
Whiplash - Power Thrashing Death (4:12) from Power and Pain (1986)
Critical Defiance - Punished Existence (5:06) from Misconception (2019)
Antiverse - Black Waves of Sorcery (5:03) from Under the Regolith (2018)
Witchery - Unholy Wars (3:12) from Symphony for the Devil (2001)
Total runtime - 29:39

Suggestions for August:

Alastor - The Killer in My Skull (8:03) from Onwards and Downwards (2021)
Blóð - Energumène (7:40) from Serpent (2021)
Primitive Man - The Lifer (7:31) from Immersion (2020)

Total Runtime: 23:14

Not exactly the sort of death metal I usually go for, this. It seems to take a lot of influence from early Cannibal Corpse and I did listen to quit a bit of CC back in the day, along with the likes of Deicide and Morbid Angel, but of those only Morbid Angel really stuck with me through to today. I prefer death metal a little looser and more abyssal-sounding as I'm sure you all know by now. That said, I've given this four or five spins and I haven't got fed up of it yet. This is probably about as intense and brutal as I go with death metal, I'm not at all into the br00tality wars that seems to afflict a lot of the more extreme DM bands, but this has a nice trade-off between brutality and listenability. One thing I couldn't get enough of with this album was that bass sound - I just wish it was a bit more prominent because it seriously kicks the proverbial ass, especially on the pair of tracks Arterial Lust and Flesh to Destroy. The vocals are great (at what they are intended to do) and remain consistent throughout the album, the drumming is energetic, tight and focussed. I must admit that whilst listening through, the album does run together a bit for me, but then a killer riff jumps out and grabs me by the throat, demanding more of my attention and this happens often enough to keep me listening. There are a couple of tracks in the middle of the album that feel a bit more technical and I didn't enjoy them anything like as much - my aversion to tech-death being fairly well-documented by now.

Overall, this was an album I got quite a bit out of, considering that it does reside a little out of my comfort zone. I wanted to give it a 4, but I think realistically, for me it's got to be a 3.5/5.

Not my forte this, but I'll give it a go:

1. System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)

2. Tool - Lateralus (2001)

3. System of a Down - Mezmerize (2005)

4. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger (1991)

5. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992

6. Drain S.T.H. - Freaks of Nature (1999)

7. Angela Martyr - The November Harvest (2016)

8. System of a Down - Hypnotize (2005)

9. Deftones - Ohms (2020)

10. Therapy? - Troublegum (1994)

Ah, southern stoner metal. Something I'm not too well-informed about and I've not been overly impressed by what I have heard, which is mainly Down. I wasn't saying it shouldn't be a Fallen track, as you can see I did phrase the comment as a question (in regards to the CoC track anyway).

I must admit, I've only heard two or three of Ministry's albums, but I kind of like what's going on there. They are a band that sound quite irreverent, which is not a very common trait in metal. Their industrial rhythms are not the most punishing you're likely to hear, but somehow they just seem like a fun listen. There is a fair bit of post-punk influence mixed in with the metal on this album. Cannibal Song, for example, sounds very much like a track from John Lydon's seminal band Public Image Limited and So What is another track that gives more than a passing nod to PIL. The rhythm track to Breathe sounds like that Run DMC vs Jason Nevins track, It's Like That and has a real bouncy feel, in complete contrast to the serious environmental theme of the lyrics. It's not something I would listen to often and it certainly isn't the most metal album you'll ever hear, but I could see myself returning to it at some point if I fancy a change.

3.5/5

Ben please add UK stoner metal solo outfit Froglord.

So Phyllomedusa aren't the only frog-loving metalheads out there. They have some competition from a one-man, toad-licking stoner from Bristol in England known only as Froglord. His debut EP, The Froglord Cometh, was released in May of 2020, quickly followed by a full-length entitled Amphibian Ascending, released in November on Oakland's The Swamp Records.

Another EP followed in February of 2021, this one entitled Save the Frogs, it actually has a serious ecological message with tracks like Ecocide and Take Action and, of course, Save The Frogs with it's thought-provoking lyrics

"So we stand on the razors edge, here at the brink of collapse,
Balancing upon the precipice, let not your judgment lapse.
200 species have all gone extinct,
In the last 40 years, lost before you even blinked.

We should consider that frogs are indicators of,
The health of the ecosystem, the land they dwell upon.
So much more than a conservation tool, but also integral too,
A way of life and survival, without them we shall fall.

Now here in July, Froglord has unleashed his second full-length, The Mystic Toad. It's not as serious lyrically as Save the Frogs, being a concept album telling the story of an invasion by an alien race who launch their attack by trying to burn The Amazon forest. The Amazon however, is where The Froglord lives and he fights back by summoning the Lovecraftian Ancient One's from across The Void to defeat the invaders. Finally he retakes his place on his throne and warns the Human Race that they too must take heed of his powers and leave his home free or perish. The Mystic Toad is a groovy, sludgy hunk of stomping stoner metal that is not merely a gimmick release. Sure it has some fun samples and doesn't take itself too seriously as far as subject matter goes, but this is still a solid chunk of metal that should appeal to the less poe-faced metalhead looking for something fun to listen to.

Planet of the Dead hail from Wellington in New Zealand and style themselves as playing cosmic stoner doom metal. The four-piece formed in 2018 and in 2019 gained a support slot with Eyehategod which should give a clue to how heavy these guys are. They released their criminally-overlooked, self-titled debut album in early 2020 and I for one really dug on it's supermassive stonerized doom riffs, it's throbbing bass lines and harsh, barked vocals. Their lyrical themes are based around classic science fiction and horror tales and did I mention it's exceedingly heavy?!

Members: Malcolm McKenzie - Guitars, Mark Mundell - Vocals, Kees Hengst - Bass, Dion Harris - Drums.

Now here in 2021 they have a new album in the pipeline. Pilgrims is due for release on July 23rd and features eight more tracks of sci-fi-themed, pummelling stoner doom (well at least if the two preview tracks, Escape from Smith's Grove and Directive IV are anything to go by).

Here's the Robocop-featuring video for Directive IV:

My (very brief) thoughts on this month's Fallen playlist:

01. Olde – “The Dead Hand” (from “Pilgrimage”, 2021)
4.5/5 I love this band - tight and ultra-heavy stoner doom.

02. Melvins – “At A Crawl” (from “6 Songs” E.P., 1986)
4/5 Melvins are very hit & miss for me. This is a hit.

03. Bongzilla – “Space Rock” (from “Weedsconsin”, 2021)
4/5 It's not space rock - it's stoned-out doom for fans of everything bong-related.

04. Witchfinder General – “Love On Smack” (from “Friends Of Hell”, 1983)
Classic NWOBHM and Sabbath worship.

05. Corrosion Of Conformity – “Albatross” (from “Deliverance”, 1994)
3.5/5 Groove laden metal. But is this really a Fallen track?

06. Charon – “The Stone” (from “Tearstained”, 2000)
3.5/5 Not bad, better than a lot of gothic metal.

07. Beyond Dawn – “When Beauty Dies”, (from “Pity Love”, 1995)
2.5/5 Kinda like the Sisters of Mercy, but boring.

08. The Gathering – “In Sickness & Health” (from “Always…”, 1992)
2.5/5 I didn't like this at all - not for me I'm afraid.

09. Isis – “Carry” (from “Oceanic”, 2002)

4/5 It's ISIS so it was always going to be good.

10. Saturnus – “Christ Goodbye” (from “Paradise Belongs To You”, 1997)
4/5 Nice riff. One of the better gothic doom outfits.

11. Wolvennest – “Disappear” (from “Temple”, 2021)
4/5 I love this album. This track has a Sisters of Mercy vibe in a good way.

12. Rifflord – “Trancendental Medication” (from “7 Cremation Ground/Meditation”, 2018)
4/5 Real kick-ass stoner metal

13. My Dying Bride – “Bring Me Victory” (from “For Lies I Sire”, 2009)
4.5/5 Another classic MDB track.

14. Candlemass – “Bewitched” (from “Nightfall”, 1987)
5/5 Classic epic doom with a truly shit video!

15. The Body – “A Curse” (from “All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood”, 2010)
4/5 I've not listened to a lot from The Body, but when I have I've dug it.

16. Big Brave – “Half Breed” (from “Vital”, 2021)
4/5 Just read about these in JJ Anselmi's book Doomed to Fail and I'm interested. A great droning riff.

17. Yautja – “Tethered” (from “The Lurch”, 2021)
3.5/5 Not bad, but I don't hear a Fallen track here.

18. Leechfeast – “Cold Flow” (from “Village Creep” E.P., 2019)
4.5/5 Menacing, yet sorrowful droning funeral doom from a band who deserve more recognition.

19. Shape Of Despair – “Angels Of Distress” (from “Angels Of Distress”, 2001)

4.5/5 Classic and classy Funeral/Death Doom

Another patchy Fallen list for me, some real classics this month like Candlemass, Witchfinder General, ISIS and Shape of Despair.

Unfortunately a few duds too - Beyond Dawn and The Gathering weren't for me at all.

Big Brave are a band I must dig deeper into, as are The Body.

There was a couple that didn't really sound like Fallen tracks at all - Corrosion of Conformity and Yautja weren't bad but they just didn't seem to fit in with the whole Fallen aesthetic.