Sonny's Forum Replies

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.

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.