Sonny's Forum Threads

I appreciate the respect, Vinny, but I also understand that my view of this probably isn't going to be typical. It has special meaning for me, as does anyone's truly special records, because of a specific time and set of circumstances that give it an emotional resonance that nobody else would attach to it. So if that means your honest opinion is to give it a slating then I wouldn't be even remotely offended or upset.

I may be wrong and this may be the fading fancy of an aging metalhead who looks nostalgically upon the comradeship of bygone days, but I suspect that sort of emotional attachment has been almost eradicated by streaming and online interaction. The general quick turnover of music and the fragmentation of music as a social glue between groups of friends doesn't really allow for it. Attachment to particular records is probably more to do with whether the music especially resonates with the listener on a personal level rather than from  the human relationships it brings into focus.I

Playing a tape of something like Give 'Em Hell on a welsh hillside with a close group of mates, drinking, smoking and generally having a brilliant, stress-free time after a week of working shitty jobs, gave said music a resonance I have never really felt replicated in the internet era where the sheer quantity of music consumed is staggering. If this is still happening out there, with whatever music and in whatever way, then I for one am glad, but fear it is not the typical experience for most music fans anymore and that is much sadder.

Sorry I seem to have gone off on one a bit there...

The above has happened to me today in my The Fallen 2025 list only it also appears to have duplicated my review of the affected album (Morast 'Fentanyl') as well. 

EDIT - I just deleted one of the reviews and it solved this issue.

Both of the "Exuviae of Gods" EPs are terrific, but I went with the second, even though I marginally prefer the first, as it seems to have had less attention than the earlier. Anyway, here's my review from the time of its release:

A year on from the release of the wonderful Part I, Mournful Congregation unveil the second part of The Exuviae of Gods EPs. Of course both EPs are album length for most bands, each weighing in at almost forty minutes, but that is short for this particular band. In common with Part I, Part II contains a re-recording of a track from their 1995 An Epic Dream of Desire cassette demo, this time around opener Heads Bowed being the track getting a makeover.

Whilst Mournful Congregation are absolutely practitioners of that most sorrowful of all doom metal sub-genres, funeral doom, what they do better than virtually every other band is imbue their funereal dirges with a sliver of light and hope. They definitely conjure up a sorrowful, mournful atmosphere with their music, but they always seem to be able to add a wistfulness that says, yes, death has come, but fear not, death is not the end. I am not at all a religious or even a particularly spiritual person, but there is something about Mournful Congregation's music that always makes me feel less oppressed by the thought of life's inevitable ending. Fortunately the band are also able to deliver this ray of hopefulness without ever compromising on sheer crushing weight, the reworking of Heads Bowed being a prime example, it's heaving weight being countered by the lightness of the acoustic guitar intro and outro that bookend the track.

The second and shortest track, the sub-nine minutes, The Forbidden Abysm, has more of a death doom vibe about it, being the "fastest" and heaviest track on display here and is pretty decent, although the least interesting of the three. Closer, The Paling Crest, weighing in at eighteen minutes, is the real heart of the album and the EP's standout piece. Beginning with an acoustic guitar and harmonised clean, choral-type vocal intro complete with a soaring electric lead solo, it segues into the track proper with Ben Petch's abyssal growls being accompanied by leaden chords and more of those soaring guitars, backed by a subtle application of keyboards. Around mid-point this subsides and is replaced by a light and airy, picked acoustic melody that is itself swept away as the heaviness returns, albeit with a more hopeful atmosphere permeating the hulking chords. Lyrically the band seem to back this up, with Petch intoning that "Fear of death is fear of wisdom" and "Fear of natural order is fear of nature itself, For death is merely the consequence of birth", the implication being, "So what are you worrying for?"

I am a massive fan of the sorrowful and heart-wrenching heaviness of funeral doom, but there is something very appealing about Mournful Congregation's wistful acceptance of the inevitability of death and the absolute conviction that it is nothing to be feared, which comes across not only lyrically, but also in the atmospheres they create with gorgeous, airy melodies being woven into their heavier backdrops of mournful sorrow to lend their music a positivity lacking in so much doom metal. I slightly prefer last year's Part 1 of the Exuviae of Gods EPs over this, but it is still a fine release and one I would have no reservations about recommending.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rSh9MnfQo9HmPLo2W5MBa

1. Windhand - "Winter Sun" (from "Windhand", 2012) [submitted by Sonny]

2. Year of the Cobra - "Full Sails" (from "Year of the Cobra", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

3. Pentagram - "Walk The Sociopath" (from "Lightning in a Bottle", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

4. Black Bile - "L'Oratoire" (from "L'Oratoire", 2023) [submitted by Vinny]

5. Deathwhite - "Earthtomb" (from "Grey Everlasting", 2022) [submitted by Saxy]

6. Ahab - "The Isle" (from "The Boats of the Glen Carrig", 2015) [submitted by Sonny]

7. Temple Nightside - "Charnel Winds" (from "The Hecatomb", 2016) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Cough - "Mind Collapse" (from "Ritual Abuse", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]

9. Kowloon Walled City - "Sleep Debt" (from "Gambling on the Richter Scale", 2009) [submitted by Vinny]

10. Onirophagus - "Landsickness" (from "Revelations from the Void", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

11. Morast - "On Pyre" (from "Fentanyl", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

12. The Lone Madman - "Häxan" (from "Let the Night Come", 2019) [submitted by Sonny]

13. Mael Mórdha - "King of the English" (from "Damned When Dead", 2013)

14. Cradle of Filth - "When Misery Was A Stranger" (from "The Screaming of the Valkyries", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

15. -16- - "Blood Atonement Blues" (from "Guides for the Misguided", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

16. Abysmal Growls of Despair - "Nyarlathotep" (from "Lovecraftian Drone", 2014)

The next Fallen playlist will be for August, so suggestions by 15th July please (or, preferably, sooner).

I have done a couple of listens through to this and although I get the talent and the direction, it just doesn’t work for me.  For a start, the songs are too long and have far too much to say over their duration.  As a result they feel like a collection of ideas moulded (although not forcibly so) into whole songs.  I find myself losing interest pretty quickly to be honest and then I get snapped back into the room by a more beautiful or interesting moment.  I even tried the bedtime black metal trick, where I sit in bed with headphones on and listen to something in the dark, yet this still didn’t keep me present with the album.

I like my folk music now and again (in fact, increasingly so of late) but I almost just want this to be all folk or all black metal really.  As I say, clearly a talent, but not one that is resonating with me.

2/5

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

As it is my turn to nominate this month's feature for The Pit I have gone with an album I enjoyed a fair bit at the time, but which I haven't listened to in a while. That is Minneapolis thrashers Antiverse's 2018 album "Under the Regolith". Let us know what you think of it below.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15. møl - "Jord" (from "Jord", 2018)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/5

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

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

“Information is not knowledge.

Knowledge is not wisdom.

Wisdom is not truth.

Truth is not beauty.

Beauty is not love.

Love is not music.

Music is THE BEST.”

― Frank Zappa

Here is my review:

Slomatics are a little-known doom metal three-piece from Belfast in Northern Ireland who formed in 2004. As well as their seven full-length albums they have featured on a slew of splits with the likes of Conan and MWWB, so have certainly been around the block a few times, despite making little impact outside of the hardcore doom metal fraternity. Estron was the band's fourth full-length, released in 2014 and, for me, still ranks as their best.

The album is a concise affair, it's seven tracks clocking in at 37 minutes, which is fairly brief for this style of doom metal. It kicks off with a great one-two punch of Troglorite and Tunnel Dragger the former of which runs straight into the latter, denying any respite from the looming, thunderous riffs. It is worth pointing out at this point that the trio has two guitarists and no bassist, yet despite this there is still a huge depth to the distorted riffs and the lack of a bassist is not readily apparent. The vocals are provided by drummer Martin Harvey and are quite thin and reedy, pushed down in the mix to give that distant, heard-on-the-wind kind of feeling that is quite popular in some corners of the doom world and of which I am quite a fan, actually. Harvey's drumming is also very good, with some busy fills and crashing cymbals aplenty, his work on "Futurian" illustrating this best. A feature that sets the band apart from most of their contemporaries is their sci-fi aesthetic which they express through the inclusion of spacey synths both within the tracks generally and in interlude, a trope that puts them more in-line with a band like Ufomammut than Monolord, despite being straight-up doomheads rather than stoners.

Side A, ie the first four tracks, continues in the relentlessly punishing mode of the two openers, providing little relief from it's menacing, booming riffs, other than a short synth-led breather during Tunnel Dragger. Side B is a bit different, featuring two longer tracks, bridged by a brief space ambient interlude called "Red Dawn", which is actually quite a soothing touch after all the sonic bombardment that had gone before it. Red Dawn's ambience leaks into the beginning of the album's longest track, the closer "The Carpenter" which I have seen touted as being about film director John Carpenter, which I would say is a good shout, because those first few minutes of the track come across very much like a John Carpenter soundtrack, which always had a very distinctive feel. Then, four minutes in, a huge, hulking riff kicks in and things get seriously heavy as the riff morph into a very close approximation to the famous riff from the track "Black Sabbath" with Harvey even begging "No, no,no..."

I love this album, I love the huge riffs, the distant-sounding vocals and the cosmic flourishes that lend it something a little different. It is eregiously heavy, yet still manages to turn in some nice melodies within the riffs that stop it becoming relentlessly monolithic. It manages to do something a little bit different whilst still sitting comfortably within the conventional doom metal template and, being quite short, it is never in danger of outstaying it's welcome.

4.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0R0a3qxSe1XkOMxBN6gkwi

If you happen to check it out, then let me know what you think below.

1. Just Before Dawn - "Intro: Paths of Armor / To the Last Tiger" (from "An Army at Dawn", 2020) [submitted by Karl]

2. Blood Red Throne - "Revocation of Humankind" (from "Union of Flesh and Machine", 2016) [submitted by Vinny]

3. Unmerciful - "Ravenous Impulse" (from "Ravenous Impulse", 2016) [submitted by Vinny]

4. Pyre - "From the Stygian Depths" (from "Where Obscurity Sways", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

5. Phrenelith - "Stagnated Blood" (from "Ashen Womb", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

6. Darkthrone - "The Watchtower" (from "Soulside Journey", 1989) [submitted by Sonny]

7. Threnody - "The Elder" (from "As the Heavens Fall", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

8. Analepsy - "Witness of Extinction" (from "Atrocities from Beyond", 2017) [submitted by Vinny]

9. Excruciating Terror - "Don't Care Who You Are" (from "Divided We Fall", 1998) [submitted by Sonny]

10. Nuclear Death - "Place of Skulls" (from "Bride of Insect", 1990)

11. Stenched - "Mucus, Phlegm and Bile" (from "Purulence Gushing From the Coffin", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

12. Garden of Shadows - "Citadel of Dreams" (from "Oracle Moon", 2000)

13. Shadowspawn - "Sacrament of Deceit" (from "Blasphemica", 2023) [submitted by Vinny]

14. Necrophagist - "To Breathe in a Casket" (from "Onset of Putrefaction", 2004)

15. Desecresy - "Shattered Monuments" (from "Chasmic Transcendence", 2014) [submitted by Karl]

16. Gatecreeper - "Patriarchal Grip" (from "Sonoran Depravation", 2016) [submitted by Vinny]

17. Noxis - "Horns Echo Over Chorazim" (from "Violence Inherent in the System", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

18. Tormentor Tyrant - "Heavy Death Bombardment" (from "Excessive Escalation of Cruelty", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

19. Deteriorot - "Endless Hauntings of Demons and Despair" (from "In Ancient Beliefs", 2001) [submitted by Karl]

20. Upon Stone - To Seek and Follow the Call of Lions (from "Dead Mother Moon", 2024) [submitted by Saxy S]

21. Death Toll 80k - "Cycle of Misery" (from "Harsh Realities", 2011) [submitted by Sonny]

22. Nails - "Obscene Humanity" (from "Unsilent Death", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]

23. Putridity - "Repugnance Enshrined in Deformity" (from "Ignominious Atonement". 2015)

24. Waking the Cadaver - "Blood Splattered Satisfaction" (from "Peverse Recollections of a Necromangler", 2007) [submitted by Vinny]

25. Putred - "Inscripții antice" (from "Megalit al putrefacției", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

26. Obscura - "Silver Linings" (from "A Sonification", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

27. Iniquitous Deeds - "Infinitive Putrefaction" (from "Incessant Hallucinations", 2015)

28. Twilight Glimmer - "Fate of Mankind" (from "Indignation", 2013) [submitted by Vinny]

29. Infernal Conjuration - "In the Presence of Another World" (from "Infernale metallum mortis", 2019) [submitted by Karl]

30. Sepsism - "Dissection" (from "Purulent Decomposition", 1998) [submitted by Sonny]

31. Engulfed - "Occult Incantations" (from "Unearthly Litanies of Despair", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

Finished reviewing in just in time:

At first glance, Light Will Consume Us All is a nearly unremarkable album. On Metal Archives, the band is listed as doom/sludge, and the similar artists tab lists many, many other doom/sludge bands who form a similar niche that I have little interest in. There is something slightly remarkable about Chrch though, it's that they have a female singer. This is unusual for a band in this niche, does the music follow up on this?
Well, yes, and that sludge part is somewhat misleading. It takes a while before the album gets to anything resembling metal rather than just a dark ambient piece, and when it does, it's just doom. But that dark ambient is interesting, it reminds me of sludge the strongest out of the entire album, because it sounds like the clean bits from Subrosa, even though this doesn't carry over to the metal parts. It's very effective, especially once the vocalist starts kicking in. She's got a lot of the same energy Dawn Crosby did, and it really works in creating a haunting atmosphere.
At times the metal part of the equation actually makes the album worse. Not like it's a bad album because of it, but it just feels like it's there to be there. The opening track relies a lot on a more ambient sound, building up tension for the eventual metal parts. Other tracks feel like they're missing them, and while there are some nice guitar solos to compensate, those feel oddly tacked on.
Ignoring these issues, this is a surprisingly pleasant album, well worth a listen.

4.5/5

Well, this was a neat little find as I went through the feature releases this month. My usual excuse of not having the time to listen to much of the releases was left to one side by virtue of this being an EP. That twenty-one minute run time was perfect for me to perform a few smash and grab raids on Contra iglesia y estado on breaks between work calls and it even accompanied a few workouts this past week also. What kept it on such frequent rotation was the obvious passion for their art that Dekapited clearly have. As thrash metal continues to be viewed with that regurgitated/retro lensed glasses on, it is clear that this band are just out for the fun of it. High energy levels with a consistent and scathing attack make for a very entertaining experience indeed for me.

Laden with Sepultura and Sodom vibes, Contra iglesia y estado does little to reinvent the wheel, and it is stronger as a result of this in my book. I cannot point to any weak tracks on here, even though the overall rating still sitting below a five star mark does mean that I equally cannot flag this EP as being truly remarkable overall. However, what is here is powerful sounding stuff. The blows hit with a consistent level of force and are certainly not pulling any punches as they rain down on the listener. The ferocious form of Chilean thrash that we have come to know and love (well me at least) from the likes of Critical Defiance and Ripper is certainly coursing through the veins of Dekapited as well.

The appeal of this EP for me is its earthiness. It sounds like a true reflection of the band. Never tryingto be something that they are not, Dekapited here simply play the music they love and provide a fine celebration of thrash metal at its best. Short, sharp and succinct whilst being delivered with a hell of a level of grit this leaves me full of promise for further exploration of their discography. My only reservation is how they make this style of balls to the wall intense thrash metal interesting across a full length release, but I guess I will have to wait and see.

4/5

Revenge - Violation.Strife.Abominate (2025)

Canada's Revenge are not a band for fucking around - they burst in, drop their war metal ordinance which is designed to cause the maximum number of aural casualties and then they get the fuck out. It isn't pretty and it isn't melodic. It is vicious and nasty and is meant to provoke a reaction of repulsion from the general record-buying public - and even the majority of metal fans I would surmise. To say that a band like Revenge only play for themselves and their fans is no hyperbole. I can't imagine them giving a shit about what anyone says about them because they make no concessions to trends, they make no attempt to expand their sound to appeal to a wider audience and they exhibit no desire to stretch themselves artistically. And you know what, I can respect that because I always appreciate those who are comfortable in their own skin and who couldn't give a toss what naysayers think or say.

Then, on the other hand there is a counter argument which says, how many Revenge albums do you actually need if they all plough exactly the same furrow? How can you get excited about a new Revenge release when it sounds so much like all the others? These are both good questions and certainly have a validity. They are charging $9.99 for the digital version on Bandcamp, $16 for a CD and from $29 for the vinyl - even the cassette version is $18, so why should you pay that much for a further rehashing of the same old sound? I am sorry, but I don't have a nice, neat answer for you and if you need to ask the question in the first place then I would have to say dont bother and look elsewhere for your musical kicks.

So what is that sound I probably don't hear you ask? It is a pulverising deathly black metal cacophony that is typical of the war metal genre. It is abrasive and unrelenting - there are no lulls in the perpetual aural bombardment, no reduction in tempo, no dropping into the odd groove-laden riff or dishing up of the occasional hook to give the brain a fragment of flotsam to hold onto in a boiling sea of blood and steel. The vocals are distorted shouts and hideous growls that often don't even seem to be issuing from human throats, shearing away even that shred of human connection from the listener. The drums batter away with a basic brutalisation of blastbeats whilst the few guitar solos just sound like somebody torturing their six-stringer into acquiescence. War metal in general and Revenge in particular produce metal that is meant to test the endurance of the listener. It is meant to be a visceral, almost physical, experience that is supposed to leave you feeling worn out and spent, it isn't deep and contemplative, or designed to make you think, unless it is about unmentionable horror and fear. This is metal that is uncompromisingly primal, raw and uncaring, so if that sounds truly awful to you then don't waste your time here - Revenge wouldn't thank you for it anyway.

3.5/5

https://metal.academy/hall/570

Fuck Yes! Cheers!

Saint Vitus:

1. Mournful Cries

2. Saint Vitus (1984)

3. V

4. Die Healing

5. Born Too Late

6. Hallow's Victim

7. Thirsty and Miserable EP

8. The Walking Dead EP

9. Saint Vitus (2019)

10. C.O.D.

11. Lillie: F-65

Gorgoroth:

1. Under the Sign of Hell
2. Pentagram
3. Antichrist
4. Destroyer
5. The Last Tormentor / Bergen 1996
6. A Sorcery Written in Blood demo
7. Quantos possunt ad Satanitatem trahunt
8. True Norwegian Black Metal - Live in Grieghallen
9. Incipit Satan
10. Instinctus bestialis
11. Under the Sign of Hell 2011
12. Ad majorem Sathanas gloriam
13. Twilight of the Idols

I honestly think they managed to avoid dipping below a certain level of quality across the whole discography. I'd suggest that even the lowest placed records on the list ain't that bad, although I certainly am biased as far as this band goes - Gorgoroth were my first love when it comes to extreme metal, and I will always place them among the highest deities of my metal pantheon. I hope we're going to hear from them once more - it's been 10 years already since "Instinctus bestialis" and I wouldn't mind at all to witness yet another "Rebirth".

Edit: For every connoisseur of Infernus' unique riff attack, allow me to recommend some 2024 releases to scratch the itch a bit:

1. Förgjord (FIN) - "Perkeleen weri"

2. Sørgelig (GRE) - "Φθορά"

3. Isolert (GRE) - "Wounds of Desolation"

Alright, jumpin' on the Crazy Train.

1. Paranoid

2. Master of Reality

3. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

4. Black Sabbath

5. Heaven and Hell

6. Sabotage

7. Mob Rules

8. Vol. 4

9. Past Lives

10. Technical Ecstasy

11. Born Again

12. The Eternal Idol

13. Never Say Die

14. The Seventh Star

It's not a perfect process, but then there really isn't one. It's the one that I enjoy using and feel happiest with the results.

That's the only thing that matters.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

Tracklist:

1. Bathory - "A Fine Day To Die" (from "Blood Fire Death, 1988) [submitted by Sonny]

2. Dark Funeral – “My Dark Desires” (from “Dark Funeral” E.P., 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

3. Kampfar - "Kledd i brynje og smykket blodorm" (from "Mellom skogkleedde aaser", 1997) [submitted by Karl]

4. Novembre – “Let Me Hate” (from “Dreams d’azur”, 2002) [submitted by Daniel]

5. The Great Old Ones - "Me, the Dreamer" (from "Kadath", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

6. Keep of Kalessin - "Obliterator" (from "Reclaim", 2003)

7. Black Anvil - "On Forgotten Ways" (from "As Was", 2017) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Ragnarok - "Minner om svunne tider" (from "Nattferd", 1995) [submitted by Karl]

9. Imber Luminis - "We Are Not Free" (from "Nausea", 2017)

10. Ellende - "Ballade Auf Den Tod" (from "Todbringer", 2016) [submitted by Vinny]

11. Al-Namrood - "Kail be mekialain" (from "Wala'at", 2020)

12. Aggressa – “VooDoo Doll” (from “Nuclear Death” E.P., 1988) [submitted by Daniel]

13. Kvlthammer - "Hounds" (from "Kvlthammer", 2014)

14. Gehenna - "Morningstar" (from "First Spell", 1994) [submitted by Sonny]

15. Bestial Warlust – “At the Graveyard of God” (from “Vengeance War ‘Till Death”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

16. Angantyr - "De dødes valg" (from "Indsigt", 2024) [submitted by Karl]

17. Impaled Nazarene – “Steelvagina” (from “Suomi Finland perkele”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

18. Barshasketh - "Nitimur in vetitum" (from "Antinomian Asceticism", 2025) [submitted by Sonny]

19. The Black – “The Black Opal Eye” (from “The Priest of Satan”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

20. Смрт - "U raljama košave" (from "Na utrini", 2024) [submitted by Karl]

21. No Point In Living - "The Path To the End" (from "The Cold Night", 2017)

The next playlist for The North will be published at the beginning of April, so suggestions in by 15th March please.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0R0a3qxSe1XkOMxBN6gkwi?si=2dae8e2f5eab47eb

Tracklist:

1. Burn Down Eden - "Fake News for Breakfast" (from "Epiphany", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

2. Dismember – “Fleshless” (from “Indecent & Obscene”, 1993) [submitted by Daniel]

3. Nile – “The Underworld Awaits Us All” (from “The Underworld Awaits Us All”, 2024)

4. Gorguts – “The Erosion of Sanity” (from “The Erosion of Sanity”, 1993) [submitted by Daniel]

5. Siderean - "The Sacred Sea" (from "Spilling the Astral Chalice", 2024) [submitted by Karl]

6. Bolt Thrower - "Celestial Sanctuary" (from "The IVth Crusade", 1992) [submitted by Karl]

7. Coffin Curse - "Reeking Filth of Ages" (from "The Continuous Nothing", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Dissection - "Retribution" (from "Storm of the Light's Bane", 1995) [submitted by Karl]

9. Revocation - "Lessons in Occult Theft" (from "Netherheaven", 2022) [submitted by Vinny]

10. Blood Incantation - "The Stargate [Tablet III]" (from "Absolute Elsewhere", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

11. Vitriol - "Flowers of Sadism" (from "Suffer & Become", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

12. Diabolic Oath - "Oracular Hexations Leeching" (from "Oracular Hexations", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

13. At the Gates - "Windows" (from "The Red in the Sky Is Ours", 1992) [submitted by Karl]

14. Avulsed – “Morgue Defilement” (from “Dead Flesh” compilation, 1993) [submitted by Daniel]

15. Mortician – “Brutally Mutilated” (from “Brutally Mutilated” single, 1990) [submitted by Daniel]

16. Exhumed – “Oozing Rectal Feast” (from “Dissecting the Caseated Omentum” demo, 1992) [submitted by Daniel]

17. Pathologist – “Progression of Putrefaction” (from “Forensic Medicine & Pathology” demo, 1992) [submitted by Daniel]

18. Eucharist - "Floating" (from "A Velvet Creation", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

19. Black Curse - "Ruinous Paths…" (from "Burning in Celestial Poison", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

20. Atomic Aggressor - "Faceless Torment" (from "Sights of Suffering", 2014) [submitted by Sonny]

21. Slaughter Lord – “Die by Power” (from “Taste of Blood” demo, 1987) [submitted by Daniel]

22. Antagonyze - "Deadly Sorrow" (from "Interpretations of the Unknown Wilderness", 2024) [submitted by Karl]

23. The Fallen Prophets - "Beneath the Veil of Flesh" (from "Beneath the Veil of Flesh", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

24. Illdisposed – “When You Scream” (from “1-800 Vindication”, 2004) [submitted by Daniel]

25. Embalmer – “Rotten Body Fluids” (from “Rotting Remains” demo, 1993) [submitted by Daniel]

26. Invocation - "Hypnosis" (from ""The Archaic Sanctuary" (Ritual Body Postures)", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

The next Horde playlist will be published at the beginning of March, so suggestions by 15th February please.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rSh9MnfQo9HmPLo2W5MBa

1. Paradise Lost - "No Forgiveness" (from "Shades of God", 1992) [submitted by Vinny]

2. Avatarium - "My Hair Is on Fire (But I'll Take Your Hand)" (from "Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead", 2025)

3. Smoulder - "The Sword Woman" (from "Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring", 2019)

4. Electric Wizard - "Legalise Drugs and Murder" (from "Legalise Drugs and Murder" single, 2012) [submitted by Sonny]

5. Impaled Nazarene – “Quasb/The Burning” (from “Suomi Finland perkele”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

6. Boris - "Farewell" (from "Pink", 2005)

7. Woods of Ypres - "Shards of Love" (from "Woods 4: The Green Album", 2009) [submitted by Vinny]

8. Iron Monkey - "Misanthropizer" (from "Spleen & Goad", 2024)

9. Marthe - "Victimized" (from "Further In Evil", 2023)

10. Hypocrisy – “Apocalypse” (from “The Fourth Dimension”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

11. World Below - "Gilgamesh" (from "Repulsion, 2006)

12. Ufomammut - "I" (from "Eve", 2010)

13. Chained To the Bottom of the Ocean - "One Last Dream" (from "Sisyphean Cruelty", 2024)

14. Orphaned Land – “My Requiem” (from “Sahara”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

15. Daevar - "Amber Eyes" (from "Amber Eyes", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

16. Toadliquor - "Tenderloin" (from "Feel My Hate - The Power Is the Weight - R.I.P. Cain", 1993)

17. Slimelord - "The Hissing Moor" (from "Chytridiomycosis Relinquished", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

18. Sepulcros - "Vazio" (from "Vazio", 2021)

The next Fallen playlist will be published at the beginning of May, so suggestions need to be in by 15th April

This year I'm going to try not to sleep on new releases and aim to do 52 new releases this year. It's a drop in the bucket of course, but at least it's a drop compared to the very little I've had the past few years.

I really don't need to worry about the things most people do resolutions for since, well, I already do most of them. One could always do better on them, but something like getting fitter or learning a new language don't really have concrete endgoals. I guess get better at guitar, but that's something I've been slowly working on for a few months. I guess sticking to these things requires you not just do them because it's a new year...

I thought I would start this thread for general chatter about the Metal Academy charts. I don't know if this will be of interest to anyone else, but it's the sort of shit that I get to thinking about sometimes!

I thought it might be interesting to track the charts over time to try to gauge how The Academy is developing. To this end I have made archiving lists for the Top 100 with a minimum of 15 votes and the Top 50 with a minimum of 20 votes as of 1st January 2025 and hope to use these for comparison with future charts to track any changes and trends. 

Links to the lists:

Metal Academy Charts Top 50 With 20+ Ratings 01/01/25

Metal Academy Charts Top 100 with 15+ Ratings 01/01/25

The top 100 chart as an even spread of clan representatives for 6 of the 9 clans although the Gateway and Revolution on 2 each and the Sphere with a lone representative are lagging, quite expectedly I suppose. The others rank as:

Horde & Pit - 20 each

Guardians - 19

Infinite - 18

North - 17

Fallen - 15

(This adds up to more than 100 due to dual-tagged releases)

There are a total of 173 releases with 15+ ratings. 21 releases scored a higher site rating than clan rating.

There is a larger gap, percentage-wise on the Top 50 chart. The Gateway still has 2 representatives and the Sphere one, but The Revolution has no representation at all.

The others rank as:

Infinite - 15

Pit - 13

Guardians - 11

North - 10

Horde - 8

Fallen - 6

So a big drop-off for the Horde between 15 and 20 ratings.

There are 63 releases with 20+ votes.

Wishing a happy New Year to all our listeners

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rSh9MnfQo9HmPLo2W5MBa

1. Black Sabbath - "War Pigs" (from "Paranoid", 1970)

2. Kyuss - "50 Million Year Trip (Downside Up)" (from "Blues for the Red Sun", 1992)

3. Anathema – “Eternal Rise of the Sun” (from “We Are The Bible” E.P., 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

4. Acid Bath - "Jezebel" (from "When the Kite String Pops", 1994)

5. Pallbearer - "Mind Burns Alive" (from "Mind Burns Alive", 2024)

6. Ceremonium - "Into the Autumn Shade" (from "Into the Autumn Shade", 1995) [submitted by Sonny]

7. Neon Nightmare - "Promethean Gift" (from "Faded Dream", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

8. Slomatics - "Tunnel Dragger" (from "Estron", 2014)

9. Enchantment – “Kneading With Honey” (from “Dance the Marble Naked”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

10. Unkirk - "Sky" (from ".burial", 2017)

11. Christbait – “Loose” (from “Yeast” E.P., 1992) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Black Oath - "Wicked Queen" (from "To Below and Beyond", 2022) [submitted by Vinny]

13. My Dying Bride – “The Crown of Sympathy (Remix)” (from “I Am The Bloody Earth” E.P., 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

14. Ataraxie - "Vomisseurs De Vide" (from "Le déclin", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

I think the only major change is how much power metal played into writing my debut.  My second book had nothing to do with power metal, but as I was proofreading the final stages, I played Type O Negative's Paranoid a lot.

I think in little ways, the clan system got me interested in exploring other areas for conversational purposes, which is likely why I like TON so much now, as well as Septicflesh.

https://metal.academy/hall/560

Some brief notes and comments on this month's playlist:

1. Candlemass - "Born in a Tank" (from "Candlemass", 2005)

One of my favourites from Candlemass' great 2005 return-to-form album. Some uptempo epic shit to get us going!

2. Moonspell - "Wolfshade (A Werewolf Masquerade)" (from "Wolfheart", 1995)

I recently checked out Moonspell's "Night Eternal" album and enjoyed it massively, so I thought I would dig a bit deeper and that resulted in this catching my attention from their debut, particularly the guitar work in the latter part of the track.

3. Reverend Bizarre - "Doom Over the World" ( from "II:Crush the Insects", 2005) [suggested by Vinny]

An old Rev Biz classic suggested by Vinny. I love this track, being compelled to nod my head and tap my foot whenever I hear it, so no complaints from me!

4. Anathema - "Cries on the Wind" (from "Eternity", 1996) [suggested by Sonny]

I have been spending a little time filling in the gaps in my listening of the Fallen charts here on Metal Academy and "Eternity" was one of the highest-rated releases I hadn't heard, so I had to put that to rights, with this penultimate track being the one to especially stand out. A real melancholy, creeping-under-the-skin cracker this one with a cool guitar solo.

5. Ministry – “Filth Pig” (from “Filth Pig”, 1996) [suggested by Daniel]

I honestly didn't think Ministry were capable of producing a track as great as this. Good pick Daniel, count me impressed. Sickly, crawling industrialised sludge - sounds like the description of the UK river network!

6. Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas - "The Wreck of the S.S. Needle" (from "Mariner", 2016) [suggested by Sonny]

Another great discovery from my Fallen charts completionist project. Obviously I am familiar with CoL, but I thought Julie Christmas was a stand-up comedienne! As atmospheric as we have come to expect from the band, but Ms. Xmas adds an extra dimension and they sound even more menacing and ominous than usual. A top discovery.

7. Shape of Despair – “Monotony Fields” (from “Monotony Fields”, 2015) [suggested by Daniel]

I am well familiar with this as I bought a digital copy from Bandcamp when it came out and I am always up for some funeral doom, especially as performed by experts like SoD. Another nice pick from Daniel as Monotony Fields is often overlooked in favour of the first two albums, but is a great listen nonetheless.

8. Eyehategod – “Blank” (from “Take as Needed for Pain”, 1993) [suggested by Daniel]

Another album I have become well acquainted with over recent years. Desolate, bleak sludge that comes from a place of pain and frustration. A top example of real sludge metal with loads of hardcore attitude.

9. Castle Rat - "Dagger Dragger" (from "Into the Realm", 2024) [suggested by Vinny]

I have had this on my "to listen" list for a little while, so thanks to Vinny for nominating this one. Nice, catchy chunk of trad doom that reminds me very much of Jess and the Ancient Ones' "Astral Sabbat". Good enough to see me checking out the album at some point I think.

10. The Flight of Sleipnir - "Vingthor" (from "Nature's Cadence", 2024) [suggested by Sonny]

I selected this for submission as I bought the album on vinyl and have been playing it a fair bit over the last few weeks. This is my favourite and a nice indication of where thay are now.

11. Earth – “German Dental Work” (from “Demo 1990”, 1990) [suggested by Daniel]

Much as I love some of Earth's work, the lack of production quality of a demo recording does them absolutely no favours.

12. Grin - "Torre del Serpe" (from "Hush", 2024)

I love the riff on this, although the song is a bit too brief and is over just as it really gets good.

13. Sporae Autem Yuggoth - "Disguise the Odius Spirits" (from "...However It Still Moves", 2023)

I'm always a sucker for some Lovecraft-themed doom metal, so when that also involves a relatively new chilean death doom crew then I am doubly interested. Hulking and ominous-sounding old-school death doom that isn't innovative, but that is still very atmospheric and heavy. Could do with a bit more bottom end though (unless it's my headphones).

14. In the Woods... - "The Recalcitrant Protagonist" (from "Pure", 2019) [suggested by Sonny]

This is from my favourite In the Woods... album since their debut and I have been giving it a fair bit of airtime over the last couple of month's, so thought a track from it would be in order. I love the epic melancholic feel of this track and this is how gothic metal should sound.

15. Pallbearer - "Cruel Road" (from "Heartless", 2017) [suggested by Vinny]

One of Pallbearer's best tracks since the debut album. A nice warm up for a dive into the new album.

16. Dystopia - "Sleep" (from "The Aftermath", 1999) [suggested by Sonny]

I've been getting well into Dystopia just lately. Noisy, pissed-off sludge, just as it was originally meant to be.

17. Toadliquor – “Fratricide: A Requiem” (from “Feel My Hate - The Power Is the Weight - R.I.P. Cain”, 1993) [suggested by Daniel]

This is another sludge metal release I have got more into over the last year or two, so it's good to see a track from it getting nominated here. I like to round the playlists off with some dark shit and this certainly fulfills that criteria. It's pretty fucking heavy too.

18. Yith - "centuries of horror" (from "dread", 2016) [suggested by Sonny]

A seriously overlooked blackened doom outfit who are one of the best in the field. This just exudes horrifying, misanthropic menace and is a genuine black metal / doom hybrid and, I think, a good way to end the playlist.

Unfortunately, I have never got to grips with "Transcendence into the Peripheral". It's been a long time since I last tried so maybe it's due a revisit, but I found it to be very disappointing on previous occasions.

That fact has always very much surprised me Sonny as "Transcendence into the Peripheral" was nothing short of life-changing for me personally & seems like something that is tailor made for your taste profile. It's never been surpassed as the best doom/death release I've ever heard & the influence it's had on many of the current crop of bands is as clear as day. Each to their own though of course.

Yes, exactly Daniel. I am as perplexed as you are as to why it has never resonated with me because, as you say, it seems to be exactly my sort of thing on paper. I really need to try again, because I am not one of those who dogmatically sticks to his guns and I would love to join the party. There are just so many people whose opinions I respect who love that album that I know the problem is mine alone. 

2. Darkthrone - It Beckons Us All

I can't place my finger on it but just cannot get into the latest Darkthrone.  I have loved everything they have done recently but cannot get my head around this one.  Had a fair few spins of it too.  Could be that I am a bit tired of the format/style now and it needs some variety to jazz it up for me.  I keep trying though.

As with any end of year list, my focus is never really on new releases anymore and so I can only vouch for a handful of those (Civerous, Coffins, Ponte del Diavolo and Darkthrone).  Prob should check a few of those out that I missed (The Obsessed,  Hamferð and Spectral Voice).

I'm a total and unapologetic Darkthrone fanboy (or fangrandpa if you will), so I totally understand others not being into them as much as me. I would only bother with the Obsessed album if you really like them already, Vinny, because it's not all that special to my ears. Hamferð and Spectral Voice are both worth a listen though.

Secondly, the thread loads really quickly for me (a couple of seconds per page). I can't see any issue, either on my PC or my phone.

I've just visited the main forum page for The Guardians & it took 32 seconds to completely load up so there's definitely something going on Ben, at least there is for me.

Like Ben, I have no issues with slow loading speeds on either tablet or laptop for most pages except for those under the "Releases" main tab, which can take 30 seconds or more.

Apostasy - Fraud in the Name of God (Demo) 1989

Apostasy formed in Valparaíso in 1987 as Damn Soul, but changed their name in 1988 before releasing anything. "Fraud in the Name of God" is actually their second demo after a rehearsal tape containing two tracks, "Deceased in Funeral" and "The Night", both of which appear on this later cassette. In all "Fraud in the Name of God" contains four tracks, well actually three, with a short instrumental titled "The Sullen", serving as an intro to "Deceased in Funeral" and the title track being the other 'new' track. Apostasy were one of the fortunate early chilean thrash bands that managed to get a deal to release a full-length (1991's "Sunset of the End") and all four of these tracks eventually made it onto the album.

The three 'proper' tracks are all fairly lengthy affairs, clocking in at over seven minutes each and display an impressive level of songwriting nous for such a fledgling outfit. The vocals have a roughened, death metal-derived edge, which ups the tracks' savagery and aggression levels another knotch. The high-quality riffing exudes a visceral energy that will have you yearning for the fevered fury of a heaving moshpit, driven along by a furious rhythm section, Julio Jerez's drumming in particular sounding especially manic, yet also controlled, thus avoiding any tendency for the whole to descend into a chaotic mess. The solos are firey, explosive affairs, but mostly remain quite brief with Apostasy seeming to understand that the key to thrash metal is held in the riffs, which totally dominate this demo - and desevedly so, because they are great. The throbbing main riff of "Deceased in Funeral" is of particular note, pulsing with threat and menace it lays the foundation for the tape's best track.

Of course, this being a demo, the production is thinner than the material deserves, but it is good enough to impart a sense of the guys' quality and is by no means terrible. Listening to "Fraud in the Name of God" it is easy to hear why Apostasy managed to gain a record deal where so many of their compatriots failed, because this is seriously great thrash metal and it is a total injustice that these guys weren't bigger than they proved to be, ultimately splitting in 1996, having only released the one full-length. Obviously they reformed, in their case in 2013, and are still going to this day, having put out new albums in 2018 and 2021 which I am definitely going to have to check out. Overall, if you appreciate aggressive thrash metal with great riffs and quality songwriting then you really need to check out "Fraud in the Name of God" for a snapshot of what makes the South American metal scene so lauded.

4.5/5

Thanks Daniel. The RYM genre voting pixies have fucked up again on this one.

This nomination has been added to the Hall of Judgement:

https://metal.academy/hall/544

This nomination has been added to the Hall of Judgement:

https://metal.academy/hall/543

I’m very much the opposite to be honest. I came to Maiden through “Somewhere in Time”, “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” & “Live After Death” before heading back to their esrlier work & I have to admit that the Dianno albums always seemed to be a step down (a couple of steps down in some cases) from the Dickinson ones for me personally. In fact, the only Dianno record that I regard as being essential is the “Maiden Japan” E.P. & I consider “Killers” to be the least impressive of Maiden’s 80’s full-lengths. I guess the huge variety in opinions on what Maiden’s best & worst records are is the strongest representation of just how consistent & relevant they were during their prime.

Yeah, I think with Maiden, more than with any other metal band, it all comes down to what albums meant most to you when you got into them. Sure, I can appreciate that the later albums are technically better and better written, but they don't mean as much as Killers because that album captured a period of time, for me personally, that transcends mere grooves on records. That is one of the things I find endlessly fascinating about music - it's ability to capture a time and place in a listener's mind better than any photograph. I think that if we dismiss that and judge music solely on it's technical merits then we are much poorer as individuals for it.

This only half-surprises me.  From what I understand from my old days there, RYMer's on the forums were generally disdained with the amount of metal albums throughout each modern yearly chart.  But this also means the raters are generally metalheads themselves.  Taking a look now, the new Blood Incantation is number 5 for 2024 at this time, and the charts have been like this for years.

Probably gotta be "Powerslave" for me, even though it's a very tough pick between most of the tracks on the album, honestly. As someone who didn't necessarily grow up with Iron Maiden, I had myself do a complete marathon of their discography back when the only full album I had listened to was The Number of the Beast. To this day, Powerslave remains my favorite Iron Maiden album through and through, even though Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son come closest. I'll admit that I'd probably have to go back and spend some more time with their entire 1980's catalogue to get a fully updated opinion since their output for an entire decade was extremely dense, but for now I'll keep with my opinion that Powerslave stands out amongst a legendary discography and is stellar from start to finish. 

Let's see,  first four Metallica albums, Sepultura with Schizophrenia through Arise, Drudkh from Autumn Auroa through Blood in Our Wells. 

Ulcerate are still on a golden run on their last four albums.

Maiden for me would also match Ben's opinion and I would also go with that Opeth run too.

I would throw in Judas Priest from Sad Wings of Destiny through Stained Class.

I considered that Sepultura run. I need to revisit Schizophrenia.

One of my NWOBHM favourites and a band I always loved seeing live:

My Top 20 Angel Witch tracks:

1. Angel of Death (Angel Witch)
2. Baphomet (Metal for Muthas)
3. Gorgon (Angel Witch)
4. Don't Turn Your Back (Angel of Light)
5. Atlantis (Angel Witch)
6. Confused (Angel Witch)
7. White Witch (Angel Witch)
8. Free Man (Angel Witch)
9. Angel Witch (Angel Witch)
10. Sorcerers (Angel Witch)

11. Geburah (As Above, So Below)
12. Condemned (Angel of Light)
13. Evil Games (Screamin' n' Bleedin')
14. Death From Andromeda (Angel of Light)
15. Sweet Danger (Angel Witch)
16. Angel of Light (Angel of Light)
17. Flight Nineteen (Sweet Danger / Flight Nineteen)
18. Devil's Tower (Angel Witch)
19. Dead Sea Scrolls (As Above, So Below)
20. Witching Hour (As Above, So Below)

Heavily dominated by their superb debut LP.

What you gonna do when a band issues an album so much better than the rest of their discography?

Another favourite band of mine, Sweden's Grand Magus:

1. Hammer of the North (Hammer of the North)
2. Valhalla Rising (The Hunt)
3. Son of the Last Breath (The Hunt)
4. Mountains Be My Throne (Hammer of the North)
5. Iron Hand (The Hunt)
6. At Midnight They'll Get Wise (Hammer of the North)
7. Starlight Slaughter (The Hunt)
8. I, The Jury (Hammer of the North)
9. Legion (Grand Magus)
10. Sword of the Ocean (The Hunt)

11. The Hunt (The Hunt)
12. Black Sails (Hammer of the North)
13. Storm King (The Hunt)
14. Northern Star (Hammer of the North)
15. Like the Oar Strikes the Water (Iron Will)
16. Silver Moon (The Hunt)
17. Ravens Guide Our Way (Hammer of the North)
18. Draksådd (The Hunt)
19. Spear Thrower (Wolf God)
20. The Naked and the Dead (Triumph and Power)

A band who are incredibly consistent and deserve more acclaim.

A Spotify playlist I've made based on my Trail of Tears favorite tracks list, though Disclosure in Red is not on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5PumWxcuPRl0sgAGqglkTt

Have no fear, your resident new music sap is here!

1. Ulcerate - Cutting the Throat of God (Technical Death Metal)

2. Pallbearer - Mind Burns Alive (Doom Metal)

3. Dvne - Voidkind (Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal)

4. Big Brave - A Chaos of Flowers (Post/Drone Metal)

5. Vorga - Beyond the Palest Star (Black Metal)

6. Judas Priest - Invincible Shield (Heavy Metal)

7. Ihsahn - Ihsahn (Progressive/Symphonic Metal)

8. Dissimulator - Lower Form Resistance (Technical Death/Thrash Metal)

9. Hoplites - Παραμαινομένη (Paramainomeni) (Avant Garde Black Metal)

Sorry for not including a whole lot of black metal so far this year; scheduling adjustments have made finding new black metal really difficult. These are just some of the albums that I went through my list and found albums that we have not mutually reviewed yet. I also kept the genres pretty close to ones that I know you'll be more interested in checking out.

Here's my updated list, and since we already have a "metal in 2024" thread, I don't need the "albums I'm looking forward to getting" thing in this thread anymore:

Beginning oldies (1975-1989)/B.M. (Before Metalcore):

1975: Scorpions - In Trance

1976: Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny

1977: Riot - Rock City

1978: Scorpions - Taken by Force

1979: Riot - Narita

1980: Scorpions - Animal Magnetism

1981: Riot - Fire Down Under

1982: Scorpions - Blackout

1983: Metallica - Kill 'Em All

1984: Voivod - War and Pain

1985: Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly

1986: Dark Angel - Darkness Descends

1987: Voivod - Killing Technology

1988: Voivod - Dimension Hatröss

1989: Voivod - Nothingface

Golden hit classics and millennium transition highlights (1990-2004)/Metalcore's humble beginnings and light of day-seeing classics:

1990: Rorschach - Remain Sedate

1991: Coroner - Mental Vortex

1992: Sadus - A Vision of Misery

1993: Alchemist - Jar of Kingdom

1994: Circle of Dust - Brainchild

1995: Waltari - Big Bang

1996: Red Harvest - HyBreed

1997: Illdisposed - There's Something Rotten... In the State of Denmark

1998: Embodyment - Embrace the Eternal

1999: Madder Mortem - Mercury

2000: AP2 - Suspension of Disbelief

2001: Eternal Tears of Sorrow - A Virgin and a Whore

2002: Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child

2003: Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye

2004: Turmion Katilot - Hoitovirhe

Modern favorites (2005-2019)/Rise of the full Revolution:

2005: Trivium - Ascendancy

2006: Mercenary - The Hours That Remain

2007: Becoming the Archetype - The Physics of Fire

2008: In This Moment - The Dream

2009: Trail of Tears - Bloodstained Endurance

2010: High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine

2011: Trivium - In Waves

2012: Tremonti - All I Was

2013: Alter Bridge - Fortress

2014: The Acacia Strain - Coma Witch

2015: Intronaut - The Direction of Last Things

2016: Insomnium - Winter's Gate

2017: Unleash the Archers - Apex

2018: Alien Weaponry - Tu

2019: Northlane - Alien

The best of the most recent (2020-present)/A greater new uprising:

2020: Code Orange - Underneath

2021: Trivium - In the Court of the Dragon

2022: Lorna Shore - Pain Remains

2023: Mutoid Man - Mutants

2024: Ryujin - Ryujin

Here's my review:

I was lucky enough to discover Vader very early on in their recording career with 1992’s “The Ultimate Incantation” debut album first crossing my path shortly after release & at a time when I was completely obsessed with death metal (which… let’s fact it… has never really changed, has it?). I quite liked it too although the fact that I haven’t returned to it since the 1990’s is probably a sign that its impact wasn’t as significant as some of the more classic death metal releases of the time. It did, however, do enough for me to see me seeking out its follow-up “De Profundis” as soon as it hit the streets as well as a couple of Vader’s earlier demos in 1989’s “Necrolust” & 1990’s “Morbid Reich”, both of which I got some enjoyment out of. “De Profundis” would be the record that would cement Vader as an artist worthy of deeper attention for me though so I’ve been excited to take another look at it this week.

Now, let’s get the obvious out of the way right from the start. “De Profundis” is a well-executed example of mid- 90’s death metal produced by a band that clearly possessed a strong pedigree in the extreme metal underground. The band can all play their instruments well & the production is more than acceptable. Those statements alone will generally be enough to ensure a strong score from me given my undeniable affiliations with the genre & era. The question has to be asked about Vader’s credentials for the higher tier ratings though & we're about to take a look at why.

For all the positives on display on “De Profundis”, the major elephant in the room is the fact that they are so clearly trying to emulate the most premium band in the entire global scene at the time in Morbid Angel. The worship is absolutely blatant at times with the riff structures, vocal style & phrasing, drumming & guitar solos all paying homage to the one & only Morbid Angel, a band that I was as obsessed with as any other artist in my life-time when “De Profundis” hit the streets. This leads to the question of whether Vader can compete on that lofty scale & the answer is a categorical no which immediately limits Vader’s scoring potential given that they’ve been relegated to tier two status right from the get-go. The class in their execution & the consistency in their song-writing ability are their feathers in both caps though & Vader draw upon both of those attributes to create a high-quality (if a touch generic) death metal record.

The vocals of front man Piotr Wiwczarek are worth discussing because they’re slightly different to what you would usually expect from a death metal band. His tone is simply not as monstrous or growly, perhaps even semi-clean, & I see this as a slight weakness if I’m being honest. His intelligibility could be argued to be a strength though as it gives Vader a level of accessibility that some of their peers are not always afforded. There are plenty of blast-beats on offer & Morbid Angel’s Pete Sandoval has clearly been an influence on drummer Krzysztof Raczkowski although he lacks the unparalleled power, control & precision of his idol. The guitar solos are probably the highlight of the record for me & we once again see Morbid Angel being the major influence here with Trey Azagthoth’s psychotic chaos being reflected pretty accurately here & with great effect too just quietly. I love the sheer over-the-top energy they bring to proceedings & can accept the similarities to the man who was very much my own personal idol at the time.

One of the real strengths of “De Profundis” is the consistent quality in the song-writing with the tracklisting being very consistent & offering no weak tracks as such. It doesn’t, however, offer as many highlights as I would generally need from an elite death metal release with only the outstanding “Blood of Kingu” (I’m assuming yet another reference to Morbid Angel’s lyrics) being the clear classic of the nine songs. “Of Moon, Blood, Dream & Me” stands out as the weaker number included & is affected by Wiwczarek’s vocal performance which seems to struggle a bit at times but it’s still worth a few listens & isn’t a major distraction.

Look, despite the fact that “De Profundis” doesn’t attempt anything majorly new & targets one band’s sound in particular, I can’t deny that I fucking love that sound so I was always going to find a lot of entertainment in Vader’s sophomore effort. In fact, I’d suggest that it may well be the Pole’s best full-length overall although I do tend to reach for their 2005 “The Art of War” E.P. as my go-to Vader release these days. I can’t see too many battle-hardened death metal fanatics not getting some jollies out of this one.

For fans of Morbid Angel, Hate & Malevolent Creation.

4/5

I had a sneaking suspicion that this might be right up your street, Daniel.

Yes it was. Ben & I were obsessed with the figurines. Me in particular.

When my self-imposed exile from metal was ending at the end of the Nineties and I was casting around for bands to get me into the new sounds that had developed since I left it behind in 1990, I stumbled upon CoF playing live on some late night UK TV show and was mesmerised by their sound and aesthetic which were all new to me. I soon obtained a copy of Principles of Evil (via Napster I am ashamed to say) and really got into this new, eccentric-sounding and thoroughly exciting "new" style. I've not always been wowed by all their stuff, but I did find that this debut, Middian and even Nymphetamine offered me enough enjoyment to thoroughly shred any possibility of me claiming to be any kind of trve kvltist black metal fan! However, over the intervening years my black metal listening has refined itself somewhat with Cradle no longer appealing to me that much and it has been a long time since I last listened to Principles of Evil all the way through, so it's time to see how it stacks up 25 years on from my initial discovery of the East Anglian black metal goths.

The most striking thing about CoF is the sheer theatricality of their sound. Combining the symphonic black metal of Emperor with the gothic aesthetics of MyDying Bride, Dani Filth strikes me as a black metal version of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Cradle albums as soundtracks to black metal musicals. In truth, that fanciful notion has less basis in fact here on the debut than it does on some of their later releases, but it is still a fair comment, I think, as it is still steeped in theatricality. To this end Benjamin Ryan's keyboards play a significant role on The Principle... providing intros, outros, interludes and as atmospheric layering they are never far from the action and provide some great moments, such as during The Forest Whispers My Name where they provide a nice melodic overlay and my favourite track, To Eve the Art of Witchcraft, which is undoubtedly elevated by Ryan's keyboard work.

Obviously, Cradle never really sounded this black metal again, with them inching into more gothic metal territory with each release, but underneath the gothic and atmospheric trappings there are some pretty decent slices of melodic black metal blasting here with the title track, the aforementioned The Forest Whispers My Name and A Crescendo of Passion Bleeding. They are unafraid to slow things down, too, and lean more into the gothic metal direction. The Black Goddess Rises, for example, contains little actual black metal and is a much more considered tempo, almost resembling doom metal, for much of it's runtime.

I'm actually glad I returned to this for May's feature because it has held up quite well across the intervening years and I feel a bit more love towards it today than I did before revisiting it. Of course there is an inherent degree of cheesiness here, with Dani's clean vocals providing much of it, but I do like his singular brand of ear-piercing screams which possibly makes me a bit more forgiving. All in all, I am feeling so well-disposed to Principle today, after several revisits during the month, that I am going to up my long-standing 3.5 star rating to a full 4.

4/5