Sonny's Forum Replies

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.

Vancouver crusty black metal crew Wormwitch have a new album out on August 27th called Wolf Hex.

The preview track is called Abracadabra:

Wolves in the Throne Room's new album is called Primordial Arcana and is due out August 20th on Relapse.

The preview track is album opener Mountain Magick:

German trad doom four-piece Wheel released their first album in eight years back in April.

It's great stuff for fans of Lord Vicar, Spiritus Mortis etc.

I know little of Keep of Kalessin and haven't heard much of their output, so I can't impart any great insight to this release I'm afraid. I do know that this EP features vocals from sometime Mayhem & Sunn O))) vocalist Attila Csihar, so at least that side of things should be in good hands and indeed Attila is in fine form, his trademark croaking bark sounding as menacing as ever. Drum duties are handled by black metal veteran Frost of Satyricon and 1349 fame, so again no worries on that front. The mainman of KoK, Obsidian Claw, is responsible for guitar, bass and keys, along with the songwriting duties and isn't found to be wanting in the presence of such black metal royalty as his two guest musicians.
The EP features five tracks and clocks in just short of half an hour which I think is a nice length for a black metal release. The production is incredibly clean and the band sounds great, the guitars are meaty-sounding, not at all the thinly produced, treble-heavy lo-fi sound of many black metal releases. The tracks are intense, yet melodic, busy, but focussed and exceptionally memorable, Come Damnation, for instance, is a great example of a black metal tune that will stick in the listener's head all day, yet is still aggressive and menacing in it's delivery. There's even a point halfway through IX when the band go full-on Finntroll on us and turn in a black metal polka moment.
I don't know how much Attila and Frost's presence have elevated the material on this, their sole appearance with the band I believe, so I can't speak to how this compares to KoK's other work, but on the strength of this I guess I'd better find out. Another nice choice Ben and another band for me to explore further. 4/5.

I am going to shred any credibility I may formerly have had and admit that I have never listened to an Alice in Chains album. I guess that had better change then!

Here's my top twenty Infinite-related albums. If they are on the site under The Infinite then that has given them qualification for the purposes of my list:

1. Opeth - Still Life (1999)

2. Venenum - Trance of Death (2017)

3. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)

4. Inter Arma - Sulphur English (2019)

5. Opeth - Deliverance (2002)

6. Kauan - Sorni Nai (2015)

7. Boris - Boris at Last -Feedbacker- (2003)

8. Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi (2020)

9. Waste of Space Orchestra - Syntheosis (2019)

10. Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury (2013)

11. Isis - Oceanic (2002)

12. Pelican - The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw (2005)

13. Enslaved - RIITIIR (2012)

14. Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (2006)

15. Rosk - Miasma (2017)

16. Opeth - Morningrise (1996)

17. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

18. In the Woods... - Pure (2016)

19. Deathrow - Deception Ignored (1988)

20. Psicosfera - Beta (2018)

I actually quite like both of these albums - they are very similar in that they have some great tracks, some filler and a cover version apiece. So let's start with the covers - Megadeth's cover of the Pistols classic is an abomination in every way (Dave can't even get the lyrics right), whereas Anthrax's cover of Trust's Antisocial is better than the original in my view, so first point to Anthrax. Both have quite a weak original track, 502 in Mustaine's case and the single, Make Me Laugh, in Scott Ian's case. I prefer 502 over MML, so point 2 goes to Megadeth and it's 1:1. Both LPs kick off strongly, Be All, End All is a great opener and Out of Sight, Out of Mind is a solid follow-up track, but the instrumental Into the Lungs of Hell is an absolute killer of an opening track and Set the World Afire is also a great track that carries the openers momentum forward. 2:1 to Megadeth. Both first sides also end well, but Mary Jane just pips Who Cares Wins for me so Megadeth go 3:1 up. The side two openers is a walk over for Anthrax - Now It's Dark is the album's best track and 502 isn't. 3:2. The remainder of State of Euphoria is solid and Finale is a great ending. So Far's last three tracks are much better though - Mustaine's cynical vitriol is in full flow. In My Darkest Hour is classic and contrary to other Academy members I fuckin' love Liar - Dave's venom spitting is a treat to behold. Hook In Mouth's tirade against Tipper Gore, Mary Whitehouse and all the other fucking self-righteous assholes who seek to censor what we supposedly free-willed adults listen to is worth the price alone. So that's 4:2 to Megadeth. One interesting point is that all the available modern versions of So Far... (well, the CD version I own and the streaming versions anyway) seem to have a very different mix than the original vinyl version I also own which seems to have toned down the album's bite, so I gotta knock a point off I'm afraid. Still I pronounce Megadeth the winners for me, 3:2.

OK, so I'm gonna go with a top 25:

1. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

2. Iron Maiden - Killers (1981)

3. Grand Magus - Hammer of the North (2010)

4. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

5. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

6. Grand Magus - The Hunt (2012)

7. Iced Earth - Days of Purgatory (1997)

8. Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971)

9. Motörhead - Bomber (1979)

10. Witchfinder General - Death Penalty (1982)

11. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (1983)

12. Angel Witch - Angel Witch (1980)

13. Judas Priest - Stained Class (1978)

14. Black Sabbath - Sabotage (1975)

15. Rainbow - Rising (1976)

16. Grand Magus - Iron Will (2008)

17. Mercyful Fate - Melissa (1983)

18. Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)

19. Motörhead - Overkill (1979)

20. Queensrÿche - Operation Mindcrime (1988)

21. Witchfynde - Give 'em Hell (1980)

22. Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider (1991)

23.Saxon - Wheels of Steel (1980)

24. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (1980)

25. Arkham Witch - I Am Providence (2015

I was originally going to propose Hell's 2012 album III but thought it might be a bit much for some, so instead I went with his 2020 album released under his own name (well, initials), the superb and not quite as abrasive, Obliviosus. As Daniel rightly says, I have been raving about this guy for ages, both with this album and his Hell releases. Nobody does bleak and desolate better in my book, but Obliviosus is one of those very few albums that, for me personally, transcends the music and connects on a deeper level in the same way that Warning's Watching From A Distance or Shining's V-Halmstad do.

The album is a very personal album to MSW, hence it's release under his own name, in that it's subject matter concerns his brother RAW's crippling drug addiction and the fraternal love he feels for his sibling, countered by his anger and frustration at the damaging effect his addiction had on the brothers' close family. As MSW says in the opener, O Brother, "I will never forget you, I will never forgive you" and this dichotomy is at the heart of what makes this album tick.

That opener is a real gut-wrencher, the music ebbs and flows and threatens to wash the listener away in a tide of emotion. Female clean vocals and Bell Witch-style strumming are swept away by black metal blasting, angst-ridden harsh singing and Hell's trademark sludge/doom riffs. This is followed by a short piano piece entitled Funus, which is apparently Czech for funeral and refers to a metaphorical funeral rather than an actual one, I feel, as the addict is lost to the family, possibly for ever.

Both the remaining track, Humanity and twenty-minute closer Obliviosus dive deeper into the emotional turmoil of living with an addict in the family, extreme doom and atmospheric sludge metal berate the bringer of this curse and vie with cleaner, emotionally-charged melancholic musings upon life, death and the suffering of death in life.

I really cannot state strongly enough how highly I rate this album. Once I start on a listening trip with it, I find it hard to stop and can find myself playing little else for days at a time, most other music seeming puerile and insignificant in comparison. Maybe that's MSW's genius - perhaps the music itself has become the drug against which he rails.

If I could only ever listen to one album ever again, it would very probably be this one.

SHIT.... I can't believe I forgot to post my suggestions for this month's Pit playlist!

I only managed six of this month's features - time has been real tight lately!

The North: No surprise here. One of my all-time favourites and a resounding 5/5.

The Pit: Again, no surprise. I love early Sodom and Agent Orange along with Persecution Mania are top class teutonic thrashers. Another 5/5.

The Infinite: Sonny fails to slag Infinite release shock! Really enjoyed this, very proggy, not so metally. Concentrates on writing great songs rather than trying to dazzle with technical wizardry. I wish more prog metal sounded like this. 4/5

The Horde: Another one that floated my boat. A modern take on that filthy old-school sound and a winner all the way. 4/5

The Fallen: Not hearing an awful lot of gothic metal here, which is to it's credit. Another very proggy release that sounds in a number of places like neo-prog acts such as Mostly Autumn and Magenta (both of which I like). Classy vocals as nearly everyone seems to comment. 4/5

The  Guardians: I really don't intend to shit on every power metal album I hear and this is far from the worst, but I just can't get into it at all. It just seems so overtly theatrical and a little bit naff. 2.5... no, go on - 3/5

I did borrow Internal Punishment Programs off a guy I worked with just after it came out and hated it, so I really couldn't be arsed revisiting it. Let's say 1.5/5 from memory.

Could you add Eremit's Bearer of Many Names (2021) please Ben.

Hi Ben, please add Darkthrone's latest Eternal Hails (2021).

...and here it is. This is some real necro-sounding shit. Sounds like the corpse of Celtic Frost has been dug up and been made to perform one more time, despite having been rotting in the ground for years. First wave blackened heavy metal meets doom metal done as only Fenriz and Nocturno Oculto can. My oxblood vinyl is on it's way as we speak:

A split album from Heavy Psych Records featuring two bands playing Electric Wizard worshipping occult stoner doom. The first is Mark Greening's Dead Witches and the other is the French outfit Witchthroat Serpent. I think Greening's mob are out-Wizarded on this split, but judge for yourself:

British Steel was the album that  finally broke my love affair with Judas Priest. I had been a Priest fanatic since Sad Wings of Destiny was released and so I had forgiven their godawful Take On the World from the otherwise terrific Killing Machine and their appearance on weekly pop show Top of the Pops - the ultimate sell out in the UK. But Living after Midnight and especially United were a step too far for me, the cringe-worthy video for Breaking the Law didn't help either. With the NWOBHM exploding in full force at this time, Priest from that point on became merely peripheral in my metal world, although the earlier albums have remained some of my go-to classics and no amount of bullshit has ever changed that.

So to get back to this month's playlists. Time has been short this month so I've only listened to the playlists from my three clans, The Fallen, The North and The Pit. So my take on those three:

The Fallen was very much back-loaded for me. Started off well enough with Solitude Aeternus, but Crowbar ain't my thing and Moonspell, KYPCK and Lake of Tears were horrible. Divide & Dissolve and Black Sheep Wall are new to me and both kind of piqued my interest without being earth-shattering. Apostle of Solitude and Esoteric were the best two tracks on the list and I enjoyed the Officium Triste way more than I expected to. So a list of two halves for me. 3.5/5

The Pit was a damn good list and my favourite this month. Another slow starter though. Even though it was my own selection, I'm still not too struck by the Evile track, Lamb of God were as annoying as ever and Exciter have never done it for me, so three duds in the first four tracks. However from Nuclear Assault onwards this was a killer playlist, the only letdown being the Cryptosis track (guess I shouldn't believe the hype). Plenty of quality unfamiliar stuff to check out too - Speedwolf, Inculter, Evoke and Paranorm all require further exploration. 4/5

The North was a fine list also and although I was familiar with quite a few, there were again some less familiar artists that seem worth checking out further - Bal-Sagoth, Arkona and Diabolical Masquerade for example. For me, obviously, the highlight was the WitTR track and it was probably a good idea to put the lists two weakest tracks either side of it. 4/5

...not at all, merely stating a matter of fact. I'm all for the site getting it's promotion, I'm just saying I'm unlikely to be much help in that regard.

I'm sorry but I'm not really going to be able to provide much help with marketing etc. for several reasons, not least being I fucking hate advertising/marketing and one of the reasons I like MA is it's lack thereof. I don't use any social media platforms, I don't have a smartphone, I'm mostly anti-social and have a very small social circle, none of who are into metal. Anyway, I've started a new bands thread for The Fallen, which I hope to update regularly as I do listen to a lot of new music. If anyone can use it to the site's benefit then go for it.

Another band formed in 2018 has grabbed my attention this year. They are Portuguese death doom five-piece Sepulcros. Although the band are very protective of their personal identities - preferring to let the music speak for itself - I believe three of the members make up the death/black metal band Summon.

March saw the release of their debut album Vazio with it's striking Mariusz Lewandowski cover art. I submitted a track from it, Magno Caos, for the June Fallen playlist. The album is filthy-sounding old-school death doom that, at times, verges on funeral doom. From my review: "I always though Portugal was a nice sunny place, but Lisbon's Sepulcros have laid that belief to rest as there must be something very dark lurking there for the band to tap into in order to produce an album this dark-sounding, because what we have here seems to ooze up from unfathomed abyssal depths before exploding to the surface and covering everything with a pall of utter and impenetrably dark bleakness. In other words, ridiculously sublime old-school death doom that often borders on funeral doom, particularly on my favourite track, Magno Caos which should appeal to all Esoteric fans out there."

Though this isn't yet it, I believe that if these guys keep doing what they're doing and honing their craft they could yet produce a modern OS death doom classic album. Anyway give them a listen, I think they're worth your time:

The album's Bandcamp page:

https://sepulcrosdoom.bandcamp.com/album/vazio-atmospheric-death-doom-metal

I've never listened to this album before and in all honesty, I'm not even sure if it is really a release that belongs in The Fallen. Sure there are the occasional nods to gothic and doom metal but this strikes me as far more of a progressive metal album and not exactly what I would look for in a Fallen release. In fact, especially in light of the vocals, I personally think this sounds like a heavier version of neo-prog outfits like Mostly Autumn and Magenta (both of who I am a fan of). That aside though, I really did enjoy this and it is more my idea of progressive metal than the Dream Theater-type technical stuff that seems to prevail within that genre. The vocals are fantastic, the songwriting is intelligent and interesting and the instrumentation and production are great. Despite what may seem apparent from comments I have made in the past, I do genuinely love progressive music, especially 1970's prog rock, and this has far more in common with those albums than, say, My Dying Bride or Tiamat. A resounding 4/5 from me.

Or, how about a New Bands thread where we post new releases from bands who are putting out their first record and might appreciate a bit of exposure? I guess the question is how interested would the site's members be in such a feature? I think it's interesting that most of the overrated/underrated threads (which I guess is a similar theme) seem to garner little traction. 

I think the success of such an endeavour would very much be dependent on where the members live. For people like yourself Daniel who lives in a major city like Sydney it wouldn't be too difficult I imagine. Although my city (Stoke-on-Trent) did birth Lemmy and Slash, both left at a pretty young age and the only other bands of note were the mighty Discharge and NWOBHM band Demon. The city's most famous musical son is Robbie fucking Williams ffs. The actual metal scene here is small to non-existent. The only bands I know anything about are Sludge/Doom outfit Space Witch and goth band Lesbian Bed Death. Maybe a forum thread for promoting local acts would be better suited than as part of the playlist. How about a monthly feature like "Unsung Metal Hero" of the month similar to the feature release where the site showcases an act that has very few ratings/reviews (either here or on other unnamed sites) but deserve more? Doesn't have to be shackled by geography then either. For example, I've put together an unpublished list on RYM for doom albums I've rated 4/5 or better that have less than 100 ratings and it has over 200 entries. Just a thought.

So, finally managed to get some time to sit down with this month's Fallen playlist.

Some very brief thoughts:

01. Solitude Aeturnus – “It Came Upon One Night”
4/5 - Epic. I like these guys - surprised they aren't more popular.

02. Crowbar – “Existence Is Punishment”
3/5 - A little bit too alt. metal for my taste.

03. Sleep – “The Druid”
3.5/5 - OK, but not my favourite from Holy Mountain.

04. Moonspell – “The Hermit Saints”
2/5 - I've never liked Moonspell and this hasn't changed that.

05. Divide & Dissolve – “We Are Really Worried About You”
3.5/5 - OK, my interest is piqued. Will have to check out more.

06. KYPCK – “2017”
1.5/5 - No no no

07. Lake Of Tears – “The End Of This World”
2.5/5 - A gothic metal James Bond movie theme song.

08. Apostle Of Solitude – “Sincerest Misery (1,000 Days)”
5/5 - The best song from one of doom's great underrated bands. This is a fucking monster!

09. My Dying Bride – “It Will Come”
4/5 - Not heard this album - will have to check it out on the strength of this track.

10. Black Sheep Wall – “Ren”
3.5/5 Interesting - bit of a head-fuck. Gonna check out this album for sure.

11. Cult Of Luna – “Leave Me Here”
4/5 - A quality track as almost always from Cult of Luna.

12. Officium Triste – “Roses On My Grave”
4/5 - I actually rather enjoyed this despite it's gothic leanings.

13. Paradise Lost – “Medusa”
3.5/5 - I,ve never been that impressed with Paradise Lost. This is OK - nowt special

14. The Ruins Of Beverast – “Malefica”

4/5 - Great, despite the echoey beginning that was starting to do my head in just before it ended.

15. Sepulcros – “Magno Caos”

4/5 - Desperate and destructive sludge that flows like magma.

16. Esoteric – “Dissident”

5/5 - It's Esoteric. That should be recommendation enough for anyone!

Personally I feel that Metallica's downward spiral all started with the tragic passing of Cliff Burton. He was a bit older than the other members and seemed to be the solid foundation upon which the band was built, acting as a grounding influence on the other members - I believe he was a really laid back dude! Remember that most of Justice... was written before Cliff passed away and The Black Album, which is commonly viewed as the beginning of their downward spiral, was the first to be written without any of Cliff's input. His passing coinciding with a huge upswing in Metallica's popularity found Ulrich and Hetfield becoming a little detached from reality and I think they lost sight of why they started Metallica and became more intent on becoming rock stars - earning gold and platinum records and performing in front of immense, adoring crowds. This alienated a lot of their original fans, a situation that worsened when they took on Napster and made comments in the press apparently denigrating their own fanbase, turning more and more real metal fans against them. Seeing Lars Ulrich on TV proudly telling everybody about how he spent $7million on a Jackson Pollock painting and other bullshit didn't seem to help their standing with what is essentially a working class fanbase either. So basically what started as a bunch of supremely talented and energetic young men had their heads turned by fame and fortune and compromised their art in order to chase the adoration and financial rewards they so craved. Later still they have just become a sad joke - a band so lacking in integrity that most true metalheads would rather just ignore them. Fuck off and go play Glastonbury with Foo Fighters so we can all get on with listening to real metal you fucking sell-outs (sorry, but these guys really upset me thirty years ago).

I had never heard of Charnel Passages before this months feature and on my intitial listen I wasn't particularly impressed but, to be honest, I wasn't really giving it full attention and my mind was, at least partly, elsewhere. Anyway, a couple of weeks later I have decided to return to it and give it another chance and the attention it deserves. So after a proper spin or three I'm feeling much better disposd toward it's gnarly charms. There is far more going on here than I originally suspected, riff after riff ripping through my skull from ear(phone) to ear. It is most definitely a throwback to my particular favourite era of death metal, ie early to mid-nineties and a looser-feeling style of DM that doesn't feel as constipated as much of the output of later decades. Having become a recent convert to the Incantation juggernaut, I can hear the influence of the Americans' nineties output on these British boys' sole full-length and that can surely never be a bad thing. I am not as steeped in the ethos and history of death metal as some Academy members so I'm not really aware of whether the album is overtly derivative and I can take it on it's own merits, which are pretty damn impressive to my ears. This is most definitely reanimated, semi-decayed corpses, foggy graveyard-style death metal of a type I really enjoy, so I am giving this month's Horde feature a most heartfelt thumbs up.

4/5

Just a question though, can anybody else hear the similarity between the early riff in Piety Carved From Flesh and Cathedral's North Berwick Witch Trials from The Garden of Unearthly Delights?

It's been almost a year, so here's my updated (and expanded) list - still limited to one album per band:

1. Warning - Watching from a Distance (2006)

2. Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986)

3. Winter - Into Darkness (1990)

4. Solstice - New Dark Age (1998)

5. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion (1985)

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

7. Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi (1994)

8. Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)

9. Opeth - Still Life (1999)

10. Esoteric - A Pyrrhic Existence (2019)

11. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)

12. SubRosa - More Constant Than the Gods (2013)

13. Autopsy - Mental Funeral (1991)

14. Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä (2016)

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

16. Hell - III (2012)

17. Venenum - Trance of Death (2017)

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

19. Iron Maiden - Killers (1981)

20. Incantation - Diabolical Conquest (1998)

21. Evoken - Quietus (2001)

22. Kreator - Coma of Souls (1990)

23. Terrorizer - World Downfall (1989)

24. Grand Magus - The Hunt (2012)

25. Cianide - A Descent Into Hell (1994)

26. S.O.A.D. - Toxicity (2001)

27. Panopticon - Kentucky (2012)

28. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

29. Ruins of Beverast - Rain Upon the Impure (2006)

30. Ahab - The Call of the Wretched Sea (2006)

Well, I guess it's time for an update on my list:

1970: Black Sabbath - Paranoid

1971: Black Sabbath - Master of Reality

1972: Deep Purple - Machine Head

1973: Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

1974: Budgie - In for the Kill

1975: Black Sabbath - Sabotage

1976: Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny

1977: Motörhead - Motörhead

1978: Judas Priest - Stained Class

1979: Motörhead - Bomber

1980: Angel Witch - Angel Witch

1981: Iron Maiden - Killers

1982: Witchfinder General - Death Penalty

1983: Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind

1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning

1985: Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

1986: Slayer - Reign in Blood

1987: Candlemass - Nightfall

1988: Saint Vitus - Mournful Cries

1989: Terrorizer - World Downfall

1990: Winter - Into Darkness

1991: Autopsy - Mental Funeral

1992: Darkthrone: A Blaze in the Northern Sky

1993: Rippikoulu - Musta seremonia

1994: Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse

1995: Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler

1996: Scald - Will of the Gods Is Great Power

1997: Iced Earth - Days of Purgatory

1998: Solstice - New Dark Age

1999: Opeth - Still Life

2000: Immortal - Damned in Black

2001: Evoken - Quietus

2002: Reverend Bizarre - In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend

2003: Monolithe - Monolithe I

2004: Nehëmah - Requiem Tenebrae

2005: Tyranny - Tides of Awakening

2006: Warning - Watching From a Distance

2007: WitTR - Two Hunters

2008: Winterfylleth - The Ghost of Heritage

2009: Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With the Stars

2010: Grand Magus - Hammer of the North

2011: Disma - Towards the Megalith

2012: Panopticon - Kentucky

2013: Subrosa - More Constant Than the Gods

2014: Saor - Aura

2015: Kauan - Sorni Nai

2016: Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä

2017: Venenum - Trance of Death

2018: Yith - Immemorial

2019: Esoteric - A Pyrrhic Existence

2020: MSW - Obliviosus

I know it seems like a lot of changes, but I am a notoriously unreliable narrator!

Actually, I've just had a look at the Wayfarer cover on fullscreen and it's much better than I thought it was.

What even is that thing lying on the ground, some kind of man-dog hybrid? Or is it a monkey? Fucked if I know.

Awww... now I'm disappointed!! I was hoping to do an Open University course on the aesthetics of Funeral Doom.

Xephyr, did you really do a college thesis on Blackwater Park? That's awesome! Academia sure must have changed from when I was at school. Makes me very self-conscious about my reviewing "style" now.

The clan challenges are indeed a hefty undertaking. I have been chipping away at The North: Black Metal The Modern Age for some time now and only have about three or four left to review. Of the three challenges I've undertaken so far this has been my favourite because I've discovered some really excellent albums I'd never heard previously and, perversely, I've even enjoyed the process of reviewing the ones I didn't especially love. I think the fact I've taken my time with it rather than charging at it like a bull at a gate has made it more enjoyable. In fact, I may even take on an extra  challenge or two just for the hell of it. Maybe I'll be ultra-perverse and do a Gothic Metal or Metalcore challenge (or maybe not).

Another prolific releaser of material is Belgian black metaller and doomster Déhà who has released 19 albums and 6 eps since 2018 under his own name as well as other stuff in projects like Slow, Imber Luminis, Clouds, Yhdarl and Aurora Borealis, to name but five! I haven't listened to them all, but he has released some good stuff, particularly as funeral doom project Slow, black/doom project Imber Luminis and his four album A fleur de peau series under his own name. Highest number of ratings on RYM - 58. Respect to these guys who do it for love not money.

I've not looked into it in any depth, but would guess this is a relatively recent phenomenon. With the availability of home recording software and internet distribution, such as Bandcamp, it is possible for anyone with the knowledge and skill to issue albums virtually at will. I have seen more than enough evidence of this in the black metal community where some acts treat Bandcamp like some kind of Twitter feed, spewing out their every musical thought no matter the quality.

A band I actually quite enjoy who have released 23 albums in fifteen years, with the highest number of ratings on RYM being 16, is a fellow countryman of yours Ben, who goes by the unfortunate name of The Horn. His weird black metal is all based around the Egyptian Book of the Dead and his is certainly an original voice. What keeps him going is sheer enthusiasm, I'm guessing because he can't make much money from it, although I have bought a CD or two!

Blackened Doom Metal seems to have entered a bit of a purple patch just lately.

Old Forest's latest album, Mournfall, is another great example of the style.

Heavy and imperious metal with an inherent sorrowfullness:

GM were definitely doom metal on their first couple of releases, but moved away from doom to a trad metal sound certainly by the time of 2008's Iron Will album.

The Flight of Sleipnir's latest, Eventide, is a great example of blackened doom metal and this is the best track on it:

As far as the Epic Doom Metal tag goes, I liken it's relationship to Traditional Doom Metal similar to Power Metal's relationship to Traditional Heavy Metal. Maybe a better genre tag would be Power Doom?

"Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" was actually my introduction to doom metal back in the late 1980's. I couldn't get into it initially (which was likely because due to the vocal style & my obsessive taste for extreme metal) however it majorly grew on me over time & I ended up really digging it. I think it was a genuine landmark for the genre because it nailed that doom metal atmosphere better than anyone had done previously. Come to think of it, I'm wearing my old "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" t-shirt right now actually. Their sophomore album "Nightfall" is my favourite Candlemass record these days but it's not that far in front of this one.

Likewise Daniel, initially I enjoyed the music but struggled with the vocal style, in the same way I did with Cirith Ungol. Also Epicus came out at a time when I was probably most heavily into thrash and the slow and gloomy stuff was on the back  burner for me. Ultimately however, true class will always prevail, hence Candlemass being rightly revered as one of, if not the, prime movers in the development of doom metal (which wasn't even a thing back then).

I found my way into doom via Sabbath's doomier tracks like Into the Void and Black Sabbath, Witchfinder General's Death Penalty and later Saint Vitus and Cathedral. I remember well that Candlemass were very much derided by the music press originally (as were Venom) which just goes to show how much the music writers know! Epicus is still my favourite Candlemass release, but recently I have been playing the self-titled 2005 album a lot as it really does kick all kinds of ass. I notice very few Academicians have rated it, so I strongly suggest checking it out if you haven't already. If you're not hooked after opener Black Dwarf then I guess we can never be friends and I wish you well for the future!