Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

March 2023

1. Stigmata - "The Heart Grows Harder" (from The Hard Grows Harder, 1992)

2. Bleeding Through - "Fade into the Ash" (from Love Will Kill All, 2018)

3. Dead to Fall - "Stupid?" (from Are You Serious?, 2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

4. Deadwater Drowning - "The Best Sex I Ever Had Started with a 900-Number and a Credit Card Verification" (from Deadwater Drowning, 2003)

5. Shai Hulud - "The Consummate Dragon" (from That Within Blood Ill-Tempered, 2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

6. Trivium - "Insurrection" (from Shogun, 2008) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

7. All That Remains - "The Last Time" (from For We Are Many, 2010)

8. Kingdom of Giants - "Motif" (from All the Hell You've Got to Spare, 2017)

9. Lorna Shore - "Into the Earth" (from Pain Remains, 2022)

10. Slaughter to Prevail - "Demolisher" (from Kostolom, 2021)

11. From Here On - "Shard of Glass" (from Hope for a Bleeding Sky, 2000)

12. Sikth - "How May I Help You" (from How May I Help You, 2002)

13. Void of Vision - "Hole in Me" (from Hyperdaze, 2020)

14. Strife - "Angermeans" (from Angermeans, 2001)

15. Ice Nine Kills - "Hip to Be Scared" (from The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood, 2021)

16. Memphis May Fire - "This Light I Hold" (from This Light I Hold, 2016) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. The Chariot - "David De La Hoz" (from Long Live, 2010)

18. Unbroken - "Blanket" (from Life. Love. Regret, 1994)

19. The Browning - "Carnage" (from Geist, 2018) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. August Burns Red - "Ghosts" (from Found in Far Away Places, 2015)

21. Motionless in White - "Puppets 2 (The Rain)" (from Infamous, 2012)

22. Parkway Drive - "Deliver Me" (from Sleepwalker, 2010)

23. Amaranthe - "Danger Zone" (from Massive Addictive, 2014)

24. From Autumn to Ashes - "Short Stories with Tragic Endings" (from Too Bad You're Beautiful, 2001) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

25. Rolo Tomassi - "Howl" (from Astraea, 2012)

26. Car Bomb - "Blackened Battery" (from Mordial, 2019)

27. Chelsea Grin - "All Hail the Fallen King" (from My Damnation, 2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

28. The Last Ten Seconds of Life - "Annihilation Phenomena" (from Disquisition on an Execution, 2022)

29. Coalesce - "There is a Word Hidden in the Ground" (from Ox, 2009)

March 2023

1. Blind Guardian - "Majesty" from Battalions of Fear (1988)

2. Helloween - "Guardians" from Walls of Jericho (1985)

3. Motley Crue - "Looks That Kill" from Shout at the Devil (1983)

4. Scorpions - "Rock You Like a Hurricane" from Love at First Sting (1984)

5. Ozzy Osbourne - "God Only Knows" from Patient Number 9 (2022)

6. Black Sabbath - "Heaven and Hell" from Heaven and Hell (1980)

7. Judas Priest - "Breaking the Law" from British Steel (1980)

8. Accept - "How Do We Sleep" from Too Mean to Die (2021)

9. KISS - "I Love It Loud" from Creatures of the Night (1982)

10. Dio - "Holy Diver" from Holy Diver (1983)

11. Bitch - "Riding In Thunder" from Be My Slave (1983) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Krokus - "Screaming in the Night" from Head Hunter (1983)

13. Dokken - "Dream Warriors" from Back for the Attack (1987)

14. Symphony X - "Smoke and Mirrors" from Twilight in Olympus (1998)

15. Queensryche - "Chapters" from Digital Noise Alliance (2022)

16. Within Temptation - "Mother Earth" from Mother Earth (2000)

17. Epica - "Victims of Contingency" from The Quantum Enigma (2014)

18. Kamelot - "Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)" from Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem) (2023)

19. Stratovarius - "Frozen in Time" from Survive (2022)

20. Sabaton - "Christmas Truce" from The War to End All Wars (2022)

21. Nick Z Marino - "Freedom Has No Price" from Freedom Has No Price (2010)

22. Warfare - "Metal Anarchy" from Metal Anarchy (1985)

23. DragonForce - "Chemical Interference" from Maximum Overload (2014)

24. Nightwish - "Endlessness" from HUMAN. :II: NATURE. (2020)

Here's my review summary:

If you can look back at Underoath's past in the couple years before this album in a more outer perspective, you can find the era of Define the Great Line to be the highlight of this band's career, with that album reaching a golden spot on the Billboard. However, I only think most of the second half of that album is good, so they could've just made an EP or something, and that album's future wasn't bright for the band either. They dropped out of the Warped Tour due to Spencer Chamberlain's drug abuse and almost split up. Luckily they stood strong and fought those hard times to unleash one of two more albums, Lost in the Sound of Separation! This is the second album in a row co-produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Matt Goldman, but now, helping with the mixing was David Bendeth who had also just mixed Paramore album #2 Riot! (coincidentally, Aaron Gillespie would tour with Paramore during Underoath's two-year split). The 11 songs in this album are probably the most massive I've heard from this band, with wide vibes moving you in different directions. Chamberlain's massive growls shake the speakers alongside Gillespie's improved singing and bombastic drumming. One moment there are soothing calm melodies, and the next has the huge guitar riffing from Timothy McTague and James Smith. Grant Brandell’s booming bass and Christopher Dudley's atmospheric keyboards let the instrumentation really pummel away the so-so-ness of Define the Great Line. And one highlight is a very notable one, for me anyway; "Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home" may waste a bit of review space with its long title, but the song itself never wastes any time. I sh*t you not, this was used briefly in a TheOdd1sOut video, and that restored my music video memories of this band and got me to start listening to them full-time. Lyrics like "We always assume the worst!" and "How can I still be alive?!" show the theme of anxiety on a frantic search for hope. As for the rest of the album, all the previous Chamberlain-era albums' clichés have been wiped out for ear-piercing fury and unpredictable melody. Underoath have once fallen into their own dark ages but manage to climb out and make this album with the moral that you are never alone. Lost in the Sound of Separation has stabbed the bleak darkness of their times and quality with a ray of optimistic light!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Breathing in a New Mentality", "Anyone Can Dig A Hole But It Takes A Real Man To Call It Home", "Emergency Broadcast :: The End Is Near", "The Only Survivor Was Miraculously Unharmed", "Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear", "Desolate Earth :: The End Is Here"

For fans of: The Chariot, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die

I need to revisit BTBAM someday soon. I really do! The Great Misdirect is known as one of the greatest albums from the band besides Colors, and was a masterpiece for me when I was still listening to them. Look out for my second attempt at reviewing this album sometime this month!

Saturnus is one of the more underground bands of The Fallen that has pleased the doomier metalheads with their melodic atmospheric brand of death-doom, having a similar vein to My Dying Bride. They were one of my favorite bands when I was still in that clan, but I'm not sure I'm up for giving this album another chance sometime soon. Maybe one day if I have some of that dark doom in my heart...

I've ended my ultimate Pit test in a perfect bang, with Dark Angel's most technical riff-filled offering that includes this mighty 9-minute epic:

Thanks, Sonny! I also didn't think I would enjoy a lot of classic thrash as much as now, I'm glad I do. However, what really hits the perfect spot is when technicality is added to the heaviness, proven by this album I've chosen as the grand finale for my ultimate Pit test, which I'll add the technical thrash metal subgenre to when I'm added to the clan...

I was thinking about trying to find one more thrash band that would be perfect enough to prove that I can fit well in The Pit, but ultimately, I decided that this can already be proven by a classic I'm already familiar with. One that has... 246 RIFFS!!!! All of them rule as they strike through your mind and soul, taking control from beginning to end. Everyone has a different feeling when it comes to a certain album, and I find this album to be full of high-quality thrash genius! The perfect lineup can show you more than just those killer riffs. The production is clean with audible instrumentation. Drummer Gene Hoglan adds some slower technicality alongside his usual fast thrash. Vocalist Ron Rinehart is a perfect fit here with strong vocals as the riffs from the guitarists slay away. The lyrics written by Hoglan are awesome, dealing with insanity and death in greater depths than the still perfect Darkness Descends. Even the music is incredible, including how well the bridges and choruses are structured. All that confirms that this is one of the most complex and extreme thrash albums around. The amazing soloing reaches the top compared to some other thrash albums. All this will make you stay in attention through the progressive length that most songs have, which one of them at over 9 minutes. People might think of Darkness Descends as the band's greatest album, and while they're right, Time Does Not Heal is very close to that reign as one of the greatest albums of thrash and tech-thrash. Truly standing the test of time!

5/5

So what have I learned from my Ultimate Pit test? I've learned to have the bravery of expanding my thrash comfort zone to check out the popular classics, not just the underrated underground gems. And it has really paid off, scoring some 4 or 4.5-star reviews from me! But like I said, what really hits the perfect 5-star spot is when technicality is added to the heaviness, as you can see from the 5-star reviews I've given albums from thrash bands like Annihilator, Demolition Hammer, and Dark Angel, along with tech-thrash bands that aren't involved in the test, like Coroner, Sadus, and Vektor. The only bumpy part of that road is the groove metal section, in which the albums of that style I've reviewed in the test don't reach that mark of greatness, only about 2.5 or 3 stars in my reviews, except for Demolition Hammer's Time Bomb (4.5 stars) which made me too optimistic about those other groove metal albums before checking them out. So yeah, I've finally proven myself ready for The Pit! Though I'm not yet ready to replace the clan that's likely to be taken out of my lineup, The Gateway. Although I haven't really finding a lot of alt-metal masterpieces lately (despite a few great gems) which is a solid reason in my opinion, I plan to participate in one more round of playlist track submissions and one final feature release submission before making my grand switch, so stay tuned for those. That's all in this thread, folks!

Daniel, I just found out that your Angra track submission is not available on Spotify. It's extremely odd that almost all the Angra albums have been removed from Spotify, at least in my country. Please feel free to replace it with a different submission, if you have one in mind.

I know how much of a classic the title track is, but this sinister thrasher needs some praise as well:

I'm glad to finally get into the thrash action of this band Slayer, and that's quite impressive for me considering their infamous controversies. Here are my thoughts:

Their 1983 debut Show No Mercy has been known as more of a Maiden/Priest-influenced album, albeit more satanic. Basically a more melodic and less brutal thrash sound. Haunting the Chapel has been known as the EP that hinted at their darker heavier direction. I think choosing this album to review that sits right after moving out of the classic heavy metal-influenced sound and starting their full-on thrash sound that would reach its most brutal in Reign in Blood is a wise move of mine. Hell Awaits has a lot of wicked evil thrash anthems with the raw power of the guitars added to a lot to the evil sinister themes and perfect top-notch drumming from thrash veteran Dave Lombardo. And don't forget the subtle bass playing and not-so-subtle vocal range of Tom Araya. Thrash fans shall headbang to the speed, structure, and darkness that made Slayer the unique thrash band they've been known as. This is mandatory for extreme metal fans. Welcome to Hell!

4.5/5

I think I'm up for one more thrash metal album to find on my own before concluding my ultimate Pit test for real. Stay tuned for that real soon...

A 7-minute riff monster in which the band rewrote a composition by ex-guitarist Dave Mustaine, in which the original would be re-recorded by Mustaine's later band Megadeth:

Metallica's debut has made me realize the band's earlier strength, and it can pretty much be the ultimate start of thrash! Here are my thoughts:

Kill 'Em All (originally titled Metal Up Your A** until their record label manager suggested changing the album title and cover art) combines the more speedy and punky elements of Motorhead, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, as if they covered the heaviest tracks from those bands and increased the tempo and added more heaviness to the riffs, solos, and vocals, thereby updating the classic formula. Of course, these are all original songs, and very unique ones too. Many of them are classics that have the potential to kick-start thrash metal, though the phrase "thrash metal" wasn't coined until next year when the late Kerrang! journalist Malcolm Dome was describing an Anthrax song. There are a few different-sounding tracks, either having a hard rock groove or mid-paced destruction, along with an instrumental in which the late Cliff Burton shines with his bass soloing, though maybe it can be more of a bonus track, no disrespect to Burton. Kill 'Em All is perhaps the first full-on thrash metal album, so listen before you judge, and...well, have fun!

4.5/5

A brutal headbanging thrash classic:

The Kreator album I chose to review is indeed a classic to the heavier metalheads. However, a few riffs here are a bit repetitive and don't stand out as memorable for me. And that album is...

Despite the riffing issue, the album is very good! Drummer Ventor and Guitarist Mille have an awesome motive of each song using vocals from one of them. Ventor has a shouting style, while Mille is a thrash growler. Ventor performs some d*mn kick-A drumming with a bit of hammering technicality. Mille performs an OK blend of smooth and crunchy in his guitar, though his guitar work could've used some improvement. Rob Fioretti performs audible bass that helps the brutal rhythms stay steady. There are some brutal headbanging thrash classics here, and they have different tempo changes, switching from slow and soft to fast and brutal. Though the repetitive riffing and choruses make the album just a tad overrated. Despite that, the wicked heaviness is something that can't be lost....

4/5

Crusty hardcore and speedy thrash sound great together in this blend of styles known as stenchcore, now don't they?

And now for a dive into an album (or EP because of its short length, 6 tracks in 26 minutes) that has formed a crossover sound crossover between thrash and crust punk known as stenchcore. Here are my thoughts:

Filled with political angst, one of the founding bands of the genre (besides Amebix), Sacrilege severed the border between hardcore and thrash in a darker sound with their debut Behind the Realms of Madness! To level up their uniqueness, the band has front-woman Lynda "Tam" Simpson doing some of the grittiest female vocals since Joan Jett, though Tam can't keep compete with other crossover thrash vocalists out there. Despite that, the vocals add to the well-executed dirty vibe of thrash. Most of the tracks are thrilling anthems with the hardcore of Discharge, the speed of Motorhead, and the thrash of Destruction, all combined into one. That's the kind of sound fans of those bands should look out for. I'm quite amazed to find this stenchcore sound that really kicks a**!

4.5/5

Coming up tomorrow: The final moment of truth for whether or not I'm qualified for The Pit, checking out an album (selected by myself, still a surprise) from each of 3 of the most popular bands of the genre; Kreator, Metallica, and Slayer!

While those two songs you mentioned are indeed the two most metal songs on the album, I find a couple other tracks like "Simple Design" and "Breakdown" to be closer to the more conventional alt-metal or at least hard rock. But looking back on it, I guess you're right, Daniel. The post-grunge/alt-rock sound of the album has much more in common with Nickelback and Three Days Grace than it does with Tool and Korn. YES vote coming up for your entry!

What's interesting is, I found out that their first two releases (their 2001 self-titled EP and their debut album Saturate) have the alternative metal tag in RYM valid enough to be in this site, so I asked Ben to add them to the site in the Requests for The Gateway Releases thread. Once they get added in, I'll give Saturate some listening and a review to see if it belongs in the clan. I won't review the EP though, since it's basically demo versions of 5 of the tracks from Saturate (a similar technique to Amaranthe's EP and debut album).

Ben, please add the first two Breaking Benjamin releases including their self-titled EP. The releases' Alternative Metal tag now fits the RYM 2:1 ratio:

Breaking Benjamin (2001 EP) - for: 3 - against: 1

Saturate - for: 45 - against: 20

An incredible blend of raw metal and energetic hardcore to form crossover thrash:

Back in my ultimate Pit test, it was hard for me to decided which crossover thrash album to give a listening/reviewing session to see if I have what it takes in the subgenre, but ultimately I chose the second album from Corrosion of Conformity...

Animosity is different from the hardcore style they had in Eye for an Eye. This band and Suicidal Tendencies are known as two bands who started adding more metallic influences to their thrashy hardcore to create a different subgenre, crossover thrash! Solos and heavier riffs are added to hardcore, though not as metallic as metalcore which was not invented yet at that time. The instrumentation shows the band refined talent as the band play like professionals. There's great flow in the rhythms and sinister harmonies to make punky metal anthems. Animosity has that insidious energy to fill this offering. So get ready for a crossover the heavier metalheads will surely never forget with many songs mixing raw metal with energetic hardcore. A couple songs even hint at the band's later sludgy sound, with the title closer having a Black Sabbath-like sound. Animosity is a swift album sealing the thrash-hardcore blend known as crossover thrash. The riffs punch through static and atmosphere to create some evil dark punky metal anthems. The aggression has made this album a classic for mostly punk fans. The metalheads wish for the sound to be more metallic. Still this is an album I would recommend to anyone looking for an earlier blend of hardcore punk and metal, worth some good listening....

4/5

Indeed it has, Daniel. That suffering experience made me realize what cybergrind really is, so I might vote YES in your Horde removal Hall entry for that Genghis Tron EP after all. Interestingly though, the one track in the EP to qualify as cybergrind, "Ride the Steambolt" is solid enough to be a highlight for me, and one of the bands I started listening to recently, The Red Chord has a technical mix of deathcore and deathgrind in their releases that I enjoy, especially their first couple albums. So while I do hate grindcore as a release's entire genre, if it's just for one or two tracks in a release, or if elements of the genre appear in an album with a different primary genre, whether or not a grindcore subgenre is also a primary genre for that release, then it is, for my taste, acceptable.

As part of reviving my melodeath interest, Dark Tranquillity's Damage Done still lives in my mind even after a few years away from it, with strong highlights like the title track:

Update to my list:

1. Fuck the Facts - Mullet Fever (2001)

2. Bologna Violenta - Il nuovissimo mondo (2010)

3. Gigantic Brain - The Invasion Discography (2004)

4. Dead World - This Will Hurt Someone (1994)

5. Premonitions of War - Premonitions of War (2000)

6. State Craft - Until the Darkness Is Gone (1998)

7. Nineironspitfire - Seventh Soul Sacrificed (1996)

8. Downcast - Downcast (1991)

9. State Craft - Never Forget... (1996)

10. Unbroken - Ritual (1993)

This weekend break from my Ultimate Pit test has also been filled with discoveries. Besides some different bands from genres I like, I also decided to test some more strength in cybergrind, to see if it's worth a good visit and, well...

Bologna Violenta's album Il nuovissimo mondo is just so f***ing bizarre. I don't even know if it can be considered actual music, really. I mean, there is a lot of the guitar riffing that occurs in short grindcore blasts, but the only vocals here are Italian spoken word and quotes, and apparently, they're about cynicism and violence. Other than the grindcore parts, there's some weird avant-garde sh*t with elements of different genres. The only track I would consider music is the "Blue Song", and that's one quite boring and sh*tty. If anyone wants to check out all that massive ear-melting experimentation, go ahead. But f*** it, that doesn't suit me at all!

0.5/5

Gigantic Brain's The Invasion Discography isn't all that better. There's screaming vocals and guitar feedback, all of which seems so f***ed up. And that goes on for... 63 tracks in one hour?!? HOLY F***ING SH*T!!! The Meshuggah-like structure that has occurred in a few tracks gives the release a half-star added to the rating. The harsh vocals that range from growls to shrieks are laughable at both ends, not helping with the gross-a** grind. It is avant-garde in the sense of adding dissonant electronics and ambience, but let me tell you... While the sound really hurts like a b***h, I'm glad to have over a decade of metal/heaviness experience. Otherwise, this would kill me within seconds. This is only for those truly experienced with grindcore and the rest of The Horde clan. I think this sh*t might just be at least close to the dangerous-to-access Lands of Death in my possible Metal Academy MMORPG Clan Map: https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/271

1/5

I didn't even put the reviews in their release pages because I'm only up to writing them in only one post. I'm wondering why the f*** I even checked that torturous bullsh*t out. Oh yeah, because I want to test my strength in cybergrind and see if they're suitable for The Infinite as avant-garde metal. Good news: They are. Bad news: They really taint the sacredness of the clan. All in all, grindcore and cybergrind don't work well for me in most of their releases. I need to f***ing control my curiosity!

Ever since the first time I started listening to melodeath, I've been trying to get interested in this band Insomnium, but not one of my attempts paid off...until recently, when they released their new album Anno 1696. That album finally hit my interest level and got me up to more melodeath, and I also enjoy songs from other albums like this one:

The Kovenant is a band that started off as symphonic black metal band Covenant. When they were forced to change their name due to a couple bands already using the name, they also changed their style, becoming the inventors of cyber metal:

Ben, please add the 1996 self-titled Will Haven EP.

Ben, please add the new Insomnium album Anno 1696.

Ben, please add the new Avatar album Dance Devil Dance.

A genuine early example of cybergrind:

An avant-garde mix of mathy grindcore with Daft Punk-like synths and Polysics-like ambient rock guitar:

I decided to give this EP some listening and a review to test my strength in avant-garde cybergrind, and honestly, in a couple tracks outside the grindcore one in the middle ("Ride the Steambolt"), there's still a prominent amount of grindcore mixed with contrasting electro-synth sections, often bleeding into each other and I believe that's what makes cybergrind the unique yet weird subgenre it is. However, with many other weird experimental elements, the avant-garde metal tag is something that I can agree with. So I'll vote YES for the avant-garde metal addition entry. Can't say the same about the later cybergrind removal entry though.

A memorable addition to the revival of classic thrash, with different elements of chaotic dissonance:

The last album of the main initial part of my ultimate Pit test is one of the most evil and well-structured thrash metal releases in very recent times. Here are my thoughts:

The second album from Sepulcher, Panoptic Horror has quite an evil thrash metal sound that has rarely touched the genre in the present compared to the past. It's basically a reboot of early thrash metal with blackened guitars. I personally like the rough pain in the vocals. There's interesting bass and solid drums, the latter being subtle yet shining. The songs in the first half have pretty much the same structure with riffing transitions from slow and fast without being too overpowering. The riffing is quite memorable and, for the newer thrash fans, worth coming back for. In the second half, the structure gets more varied while focusing on the classic thrash revival with different elements of chaotic dissonance. Panoptic Horror is worth helping out in that mission. If you're up for Leviathan-like arrangements added to Opeth-like progressive structure injected into a thrash sound reminiscent of Vektor and early Voivod, this album has it all!

4.5/5

And that's the end of my initially planned part of my ultimate Pit test, but it's not entirely over yet! After a small break for the weekend, this Monday I'll continue the Pit test with an album for two remaining Pit genres, crossover thrash and stenchcore. Then the next day, I'll review an album from each of the 3 essential thrash bands that I've originally missed; Kreator, Metallica, and Slayer (the albums I choose will still be a surprise), along with maybe one more album that hopefully I'll find perfect (5 stars). Stay tuned for the encore, Pit members...

Lots of thrash in the riffs and drumming in this overlooked classic:

Another extreme thrash album that should be listened to by the heavier thrash fans (especially Ben, Daniel, Vinny, and Sonny), though this one is from a short-lived practically unknown band. Here are my thoughts:

Hypnosia was a more unknown and underrated band. They were formed in the late 90s and tried to revive the withering thrash metal scene with a few releases, including this album Extreme Hatred released in 2000. Sadly, they did not get the amount of fame they were hoping for, and they split up a couple years later. There's no chance they will ever reform, due to the passing of drummer Michael Sjöstrand from skin cancer. RIP... When the band was still active, their music did not affect metal's formula or popularity at the time, yet you can't deny the goodness of the music that's worth many listens. Extreme Hatred can be considered a tribute to the classic 80s era of bands like Sepultura, Kreator, and Slayer, in almost a higher level. You can hear it from the vocal screams, drum blasts, and guitar riffs of fast beastly thrash fury. The thrash metal scene is no longer how it was in the classic 80s era, though the Swedish death metal scene was expanding in the early 2000s to include thrash, with bands like The Haunted and The Crown. Different from the popular 80s thrash bands while touching upon what made them great. If you wish for more of the aspects of Sepultura, Slayer, and the Teutonic thrash Big 4, in a short-lived yet different and unique band, Extreme Hatred is your answer. Nothing wrong if you're up for the riffs chopping you and drums running you over like a train before you're pieced back together by the end!

4.5/5

A highlight with everything you could ask for in deathly thrash:

Ben, Daniel, Vinny... You guys can't miss out on this melodic yet brutal offering of horror-themed deathly thrash metal. I think it's so amazing, and I'm sure some of you might like it slightly more. I would encourage adding the melodic death metal subgenre to this release due to its common use of European-style melody. Sonny, this can also be for you when you're ready to continue your death metal rediscovery.

Longtime Deceased fans might have discovered them as early as 1997's Fearless Undead Machines, but I've only just found this band via this album As the Weird Travel On, almost two decades after its release. It's a weird yet great and underrated gem that mixes pieces of speed metal, heavy metal, and death metal into their own different brand of deathly thrash, worshipping horror films and literature in their lyrics are aesthetic, while staying more underground than the buried dead. It's amazing how this band can be at the height of their evolution despite not releasing any full albums in the 80s. Though this album is far past when mixing death metal with thrash metal could be considered a milestone, this is quite a timeless sound, one that I have much more leeway for now than in my more melodic teenage years. There's more complex structure in the heaviness and melody, without going technical or progressive. Half the amount of songs each range from 6 to 8 minutes in length. The riffs and different tempos are catchy, though sometimes predictable. Still there are fresh things that often appear like a great rhythm, a tasteful lead, or background keyboards in the gloomy night. Guitar duo Mark Adams and Mike Smith do some grade-A leads and solos that are close to Guardians territory, but you're still reminded about the album's rightful place in The Horde and The Pit. In fact, fans of Morbid Angel might like this more than fans of DragonForce. The intense hyperspeed of some songs is filled with rock-on rhythms while firing away with deathly blast beats, all performed by drummer Dave Castillo (RIP). Throughout these killer deathly thrash albums, King Fowley and co. keep themselves steady in their unique direction of genuine coherence. And they certainly add more fame to the Swedish death metal sound despite being from America. I would've never had the courage to explore this band, album, or metal genres a decade before this review, but now I do. It's great to hear such energetic speed with different ideas of horror, like Helloween but far more brutal. So get ready for this f***ing fright night, metalheads!

4.5/5

Almost as much of an under 4-minute adventure as Sikth's "How May I Help You?", though this one, instead of being progressive mathcore, is a classic thrash metal hit:

The remaining part of the 80s thrash metal part of my ultimate Pit test is yet another 4.5-star classic album. My time reviewing it makes up for the odd reviewing experience I had with their next album So Far, So Good... So What! a couple years back. Here are my thoughts:

To say that this band is a joke would be blasphemy to any metal community, but fortunately, there's nothing in Megadeth's sacred highlight album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? that can ever be considered a joke! Without the Big 4, the majority of the next generation of thrash wouldn't have existed. What can be considered a joke is the sh*t that band and Metallica released in the late 90s. Peace Sells... is what got Megadeth into the Big 4, though the success isn't as huge as Metallica's 3rd album that year. Most of the songs here can be considered classics in the thrash realms. The highlights have so much happening, and I really did have the need to explain them in full detail in the review. There's just a lot you can find in the tempos, riffs, solos, vocal sections, you name it! The track I've had the most struggle with is the penultimate track that is the cover but it's better than one in the next album and not a total stinker. The rough weakness is easy to overlook so you can focus on this music that any fan of metal/thrash can't live without. With the young genius minds of Mustaine and crew, they know how to work out their true charm. Well, it has often been suggested that their true charm isn't finalized until Rust in Peace, but I'm talking about the classic 80s thrash era here, an era that's part of my ultimate Pit test, a part that I just finished in the test, with this album of thrashy madness. A true classic winner!

4.5/5

Coming up: The last part of my initially planned Pit test, the 21st Century era of thrash.

A heavy killer thrash tune filled with catchy fun and memorable riffing:

After checking out an album from a band from the American thrash metal Big 4, it is time to check on one of the bands from the Teutonic thrash Big 4, and the results are mostly spectacular here too. Here are my thoughts:

After their debut album of blackened-ish thrash, Destruction took on a more intense and killer pure thrash metal sound in their second album Eternal Devastation. This is such powerful energy with some of the best of classic Teutonic thrash! There's a lot of top-notch riffing in here! It's different from what I normally expect in classic thrash while staying firmly in that style. The riffing dominates with catchy strength without ever having to drag in improvisation. It's quite enjoyable! The memorable riffing is indeed what makes those songs quite brilliant. Though one or two songs might not reach total perfection while they're still great. Throughout this 7-song album, the aggressive riffing and drumming can easily cause listeners to headbang and air-guitar to these destructive thrash anthems. It's a neck-breaking thrashy riff-fest that can scare the sh*t out of the weak, and make the strong stronger. The heavier classic metalheads will be up to joining in this bad-a** fast offering of mass thrash destruction!

4.5/5

A brilliant moshing anthem from one of the most influential classics in thrash metal history:

The greater side of The Pit continues on in the thrash metal part of the challenge, specifically its classic era of the 80s. And this is a great classic start here:

Anthrax is the kind of band who can brain-storm. They can think up better and new ideas at ease. With the classic thrash scene rising, and their side-project Stormtroopers of Death, Anthrax made a different sound that combines hardcore punk and speed metal into their own form of thrash metal, making them part of the Big 4. That was the right call! Among the Living is full of insane relentless thrash lightning, almost competing with bands like Slayer and Dark Angel. The tempos, vocals, and attitude are in better influential elements than in bands like Megadeth. Most of the instrumentalists also provide background vocals to add in a "gang" kind of vibe, which is kind of what Exodus has done also. The vocals by Joey Belladonna often hits the highs as much as Judas Priest and Metal Church, in contrast to the grittiness of Metallica and Slayer. Many of the songs here are thrash classics worth headbanging and moshing along, though a couple of them sound a bit forced and bizarre while still being a lot of fun. Among the Living can be considered the highest point of Anthrax's career, showing them as a much better band than when they made Sounds of White Noise. So tip your hat off, like the guy in the middle of an emotionless crowd in the album cover, to one of the most influential classics in thrash metal history!

4.5/5

A perfect anthem of punky speedy heavy metal:

A metal anthem of speed and fury:

This album has a more punky vibe added to speed/heavy metal, quite underrated despite not selling well! And something that happened in an attempt to promote the album is one of the wildest stories in all of metal. I'll share it here as I share my thoughts:

1985 saw the second album by punky metal band Warfare, produced the late Lemmy of Motorhead. It sold poorly, and they couldn't do any big tours. They didn't want to spend all their money on a special opportunity to support Metallica at the Hammersmith Odeon. To protest their management with a big "f*** you", the band rode their truck to the parking lot outside the venue while Metallica was performing, and played their own show. They caused destruction to many different cars, including one owned by the Odeon manager. They were arrested after the chaos, but it was f***ing worth it for them. This band could really speak out their attitude with actions rather than words. Of course, vandalism and public disturbance should never be condoned, but it really shows the band what a wild group they can be. And the music they made for Metal Anarchy expresses their attitude even further, more rebellious than even The Revolution clan. The songs here all punky metal anthems, often fast, sometimes slow, all to have you raising your fists. Feel the restless madness throughout this album. You might very well enjoy it. However, it might not be for everyone, nor a perfect 5-star masterpiece. Still, I had no idea before now punky speed metal could be so thrilling!

4.5/5

More potential in: The Guardians

Coming up: The true part of the Ultimate Pit test, thrash metal from the 80s and 2000s. Let's see if I'll enjoy them as much as those speed metal releases...

A pure thrashy speed metal assault, while keeping the melodic riffing going through the fast tempo:

About 25 years late for the speed metal party, but it's timeless for metalheads looking for a mix of melody and speed. This one actually teeters on the line between The Pit and The Guardians, having more aggressive speed than most Guardians bands (even DragonForce) while being more melodic than most Pit bands. Here are my thoughts:

The wolves of metal have been really rising in the first two decades of the new millennium. Two of which include heavy/power metal acts Wolf and Powerwolf. And there are probably more obscure bands that also "wolf" in the name. One interesting band in the wolfpack is Speedwolf, cooking up a fresh new punky brand of speed metal in their sole album Ride With Death. The vocals have kind of a Motorhead/Sodom vibe, while the distorted bass sounds like the bassist has learnt from the late Cliff Burton of Metallica. Generally, the album is packed with speed metal fire in many songs, and a few of them head close into classic heavy metal, melodic thrash metal, and even old-school black metal in one song. Speedwolf made a pretty great representation of reviving speed metal's 80s essentials. The mix sounds different in this current age while giving listeners what to enjoy from its powerful past. A new rebellious generation of metal fans out there is ready to ride, drink, smoke, and howl in the night!

4.5/5.

More potential in: both The Guardians and The Pit