Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Replies

I just talked to MadManx2084 via private message, asking him what the whole motive behind his actions was, and boy do I have an interesting tale to tell. You might be find this hard to believe, but even though he has a Metal Academy account, he's so busy working on his own metal music projects, even when he's stuck at home during the ongoing virus, though he never intends on releasing them in any way. Apparently, what he has been doing in Metal Academy is rating many of the metal albums he's been listening to over his years, starting with the ones that deserve 5 stars, and eventually he would go down rating albums 4.5 stars, 4 stars, and lower. His tight schedule has made it really difficult to progress through his rating idea or respond to any messages. So he has apologized for what he has done and deleted all his ratings. But the story ain't over yet! This might be pretty unbelievable, but that AlteredManx02 account is stalking him! That account was made by someone with a slightly different username and clans and intended to copy his every move, starting with those ratings. The person who made the account even sent MadManx2084 a death threat email saying that they would steal his identity and murder him. I can't believe it! MadManx deleted the email and emptied the trash. He said that as soon as he's free from his schedule, he's gonna track down that stalker and turn that person over to the police. He has insisted that nobody help him because he's a tough guy who can protect himself and go solo in a mission like that. Guys, stalking is no joking matter. This video below shows someone else's experience with a stalker and how you can avoid that kind of situation:

It's times like that where we have to give someone the benefit of a doubt instead of just threatening to block them. Ben, you did the right thing of banning the stalker account. Who knows what that fake account would've done if they got their way? The lesson is: Don't jump to conclusions and watch out for people with actual criminal tendencies.

My review for Mekong Delta - Dances of Death (And Other Walking Shadows) mentions two of the band's earliest members also from Living Death. What a coincidence! Here's a 20-minute classic(al) progressive thrash metal epic from the album I've reviewed:

Regarding single track albums, I seriously considered including Edge of Sanity's Crimson, but it did feel a bit like cheating.

I would've included Edge of Sanity's Crimson, both I & II, if I felt up to adding in a couple mega-long epics. 20+ minute/single-track album epics are welcome here. I'm trying to make this thread as inclusive as possible.

Need I say more about this dark glam-rock-ish sh*tter?

This epic ballad was originally written about the 30-year war, but that chorus, if you take out the "decades of war" reference, reminds me of how people have made mistakes during this ongoing virus and end up dying, while the survivors avenge the fallen, prevent the disease from reaching them, and help save our world even at dark times.

Ever since Sonny92 started his "What is (are) your favourite non-album track(s)?" thread just now, I feel like reserving my favorite songs that aren't in full-length albums for that thread. I also wanted to update my list again to include a few previously mentioned tracks that I felt bad for not including. So here's another update to my list, still two per genre:

20. The Crimson Armada - Guardians (melodic/technical deathcore)

19. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (melodic/technical deathcore)

18. Septicflesh - Persepolis (symphonic metal)

17. Eluveitie - Inis Mona (folk-melodeath)

16. Tiamat - Whatever That Hurts (gothic metal)

15. Type O Negative - Love You to Death (gothic metal)

14. Katatonia - Brave (epic death-doom)

13. Draconian - Death Come Near Me (epic death-doom)

12. Gojira - Flying Whales (progressive metal)

11. Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons (progressive metal)

10. Revocation - Anthem of the Betrayed (progressive thrash metal)

9. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side (power metal)

8. At the Gates - Blinded by Fear (melodic death metal)

7. In Flames - Moonshield (melodic death metal)

6. Vektor - Forests of Legend (progressive thrash metal)

5. Wintersun - Starchild (folk-melodeath)

4. Within Temptation - Mother Earth (symphonic metal)

3. All That Remains - Two Weeks (metalcore)

2. DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames (power metal)

Honorable mentions:

Paradise Lost - Gothic (death-doom)

Lamb of God - Laid to Rest (groove metal)

And finally, #1:

Trivium - In Waves (metalcore)

Did you know Mastodon contributed to the soundtrack for the film Jonah Hex? D*mn, I gotta watch that movie...

Here are my top 5:

5. Converge - My Great Devastator

4. Mastodon - Death March

3. My Dying Bride - The Barghest o' Whitby

2. Meshuggah - I

1. Trivium - Drowning in the Sound

Insomnium - "Winter's Gate" (Is this cheating?)

Bell Witch - "Mirror Reaper" (I think this is cheating.)

Dream Theater - "A Change Of Seasons" (This is definitely cheating.)

Opeth - "Blackwater Park"

Blind Guardian - "Another Holy War"

Moonsorrow - "Pimeä"

Gojira - "Flying Whales"

In Flames - "The Jester Race"

Inter Arma - "Citadel"

Wilderun - "Far From Where Dreams Unfurl"

Favorite songs have always been impossible for me to personally nail down, but I figured I'd throw something in here anyway. 

Great list, Xephyr! Though I also had a small "How could I miss this?!" moment when I saw Gojira - "Flying Whales". And don't worry, you're not cheating. 20+ minute epics are welcome here. I'm trying to make this thread as inclusive as possible. Personally, if I had the chance to include a few 20+ minute epics in my list, I would also include Dream Theater - "A Change of Seasons", along with Seventh Wonder's "The Great Escape" and Edge of Sanity's "Crimson I+II".

I did my review already. Here's a summary:

Vektor is way more of a new unique band than a so-called "Voivod ripoff". First off, the instruments really work together with precise drumming, tight riffing, and bass with more than one note per bar. The instrumentation is really cool, but what's really amazing is the vocal range of David DiSanto that's beyond belief. His vocals might remind some of Destruction's Schmier, but his high soaring screams are near-impossible! The guitars are so unique and really stick out in this album. One unique thing that marks a different approach is the F-tuning (a half-step higher than standard E tuning). I think more bands should start tuning their guitars up to F or F# 6-string, or even C or C# 7-string. When they play a riff that sounds familiar (other than the higher tuning), suddenly a different never-before-heard riff smashes into your face, while keeping constantly high quality. What's also pleasant is, the solos are magically placed in fields where you would never expect. But in the parts where you do expect a solo, they are short and end up coming out anti-climatic. However, the guitarists are really skilled and can master them easily. The songs here range from 4 to 7 minute thrashers to 10 to 13 minute progressive epics, and altogether they make Black Future a 98% flawless work of progressive thrash metal art. There are a couple weak points, but those weak points are really tiny flaws and they don't bring down this 5-star rating. With this album, Vektor has reached for the progressive thrash metal stars!

5/5

A good hit from BFMV's shining moments of melodic metalcore:

The highlight of The Dillinger Escape Plan's one-off collaboration with Faith No More/Fantomas/Mr. Bungle/Tomahawk front man Mike Patton. Superbly interesting & unique mathcore.

One of my favorite mathcore bands collaborating with one of the most legendary vocalists out there. So amazing!

I finally got to listen to that My Dying Bride single "The Sexuality of Bereavement", and what an incredible piece of death-doom! Thanks Ben for kind of reminding me to listen this great work of art that I didn't until now.

I did it! I listened to "The Sexuality of Bereavement", and it is indeed an incredible track, one of their best! My newly updated review for The Angel and the Dark River explains what I like about it. Anyway, here's my updated list, again two songs per metal genre:

20. The Crimson Armada - Guardians (melodic/technical deathcore)

19. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (melodic/technical deathcore)

18. Septicflesh - Persepolis (symphonic metal)

17. Eluveitie - Inis Mona (folk-melodeath)

16. Tiamat - Whatever That Hurts (gothic metal)

15. Type O Negative - Love You to Death (gothic metal)

14. Katatonia - Brave (epic death-doom)

13. My Dying Bride - The Sexuality of Bereavement (epic death-doom)

12. Persefone - Shin-Ken (Parts 1 & 2) (progressive metal)

11. Nevermore - The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover) (progressive thrash metal)

10. Sabaton - Twilight of the Thunder God (Amon Amarth cover) (power metal)

9. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God (melodic death metal)

8. In Flames - Moonshield (melodic death metal)

7. Vektor - Forests of Legend (progressive thrash metal)

6. Wintersun - Starchild (folk-melodeath)

5. Within Temptation - Mother Earth (symphonic metal)

4. Between the Buried and Me - White Walls (progressive metal)

3. All That Remains - Two Weeks (metalcore)

2. DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames (power metal)

Honorable mentions:

Paradise Lost - Gothic (death-doom)

Lamb of God - Laid to Rest (groove metal)

And finally, #1:

Trivium - In Waves (metalcore)

Cool list, SilentScream! I'm gonna list some songs from your list that I'm thrilled and surprised about. And I mean the good kind of surprised, not the criticizing surprised.

"Thrilling" songs:

Persefone - Shin-Ken (Parts 1 & 2)

A superb underrated two-track epic.

Katatonia - Rainroom

Also great, though I like "Brave" a little more.

"Surprising" songs:

In Flames - Evil in a Closet

Beginning their move into their current alt-metal era, out of their greater melodeath past.

Anathema - Inner Silence

Beginning their move into their current alt-prog rock era, out of their greater gothic death-doom past.

My top 20 favorite metal songs, two per metal genre:

20. The Crimson Armada - Guardians (melodic/technical deathcore)

19. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (melodic/technical deathcore)

18. Septicflesh - Persepolis (symphonic metal)

17. Eluveitie - Inis Mona (folk-melodeath)

16. Tiamat - Whatever That Hurts (gothic metal)

15. Type O Negative - Love You to Death (gothic metal)

14. My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans (epic death-doom)

13. Draconian - Death Come Near Me (epic death-doom)

12. Vektor - Forests of Legend (progressive thrash metal)

11. Nevermore - The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover) (progressive thrash metal)

10. Sabaton - Twilight of the Thunder God (Amon Amarth cover) (power metal)

9. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God (melodic death metal)

8. In Flames - Moonshield (melodic death metal)

7. Mastodon - The Czar (progressive metal)

6. Wintersun - Starchild (folk-melodeath)

5. Within Temptation - Mother Earth (symphonic metal)

4. Between the Buried and Me - White Walls (progressive metal)

3. All That Remains - Two Weeks (metalcore)

2. DragonForce - Through the Fire and Flames (power metal)

Honorable mentions:

Paradise Lost - Gothic (death-doom)

Lamb of God - Laid to Rest (groove metal)

And finally, #1:

Trivium - In Waves (metalcore)

Ok then how about I increase it to top 20 favorite songs to make it a little easier for any member who has tons of favorite metal songs. I'll demonstrate tomorrow...

Another great hit from Swedish melodeath masters Dark Tranquillity:

LOL, this isn't the only time black metal has taken over a popular food company...

Actually looking back at this now, even though Atmospheric Sludge is closer to post-metal than sludge, some of the sludge metal elements that dominated the first half of The Ocean's career can still be found in their second half, both the hardcore and atmospheric kinds. And...well this might sound a little biased, but ever since gaining The Fallen clan, I'm starting to feel kinda uncomfortable about giving up The Fallen position for half of The Ocean's discography, in case one day I feel like expanding my Fallen horizons a little bit into sludge. So now I say we put this request on hold for now, at least until more members have a say in this. The submission is temporaily off!

This is for The Gateway members. Two alternative metal releases in 2019, each from a band with an entirely different metal past! Which one has the greater edge? Choose one and explain the reason!

Cool list idea, Ben! I'm gonna list some albums from one or two of the lists here that I'm both thrilled and surprised about. Of course I mean the good kind of surprised, not the criticizing surprised. I'll start with some albums from SilentScream's list and one of the albums from Daniel's list.

"Thrilling" albums:

Before the Dawn - Rise of the Phoenix

Kamelot - Karma

Persefone - Spiritual Migration (d*mn, I should've added that album to my Top 55 Favorite albums, but I guess I should've also listened to that band more often)

Septicflesh - Codex Omega

Katatonia - Brave Murder Day

My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

"Surprising" albums:

Anathema - Eternity/Alternative 4 (the two transition albums out of their greater gothic death-doom darkness into the alt-prog rock light)

Lacuna Coil - Black Anima (in their new alt-metal era instead of their greater gothic metal past)

In Flames - Come Clarity (in their new alt-metal era instead of their greater melodeath past)

Modern technical death metal mixed with mid-80s-esque thrash metal. If anyone here is a fan of thrash bands like Sodom and Slayer and tech-death bands like Anata and Rivers of Nihil, plus a bit of Vektor, and wonders what they all would sound like mixed together, here ya go!

I just became more interested in two of the bands from The Fallen Gothic Metal Modern Era Clan Challenge, and they were two bands that I tested out listening to a few songs from them in my earlier epic metal taste but wasn't into them until now. I've finally realized their gothic glory!

Update on my list, now at a whopping top 55 favorite albums! Why did I extend the list that high, you may ask? This video, that's why:

This guy, Bruno Terrosa made a list of 55 favorite metal/punk albums, one per each band, and I thought "Hey I have more than 55 bands I listen to, I can make a list that big too!" Well this is not a competition, I just felt like making a more complete list of my favorite metal albums. For my list, I'll include most of the bands in my current heavier modern era, and the ones that are left out are the ones I for some reason listen to less frequently. And just to make writing the list easier, I'll also alphabetize it instead of ranking it from worst to best. So let's get this list going from A to Z!

1. All That Remains - Overcome (2008)

2. Amaranthe - Amaranthe (2011)

3. Anata - The Conductor's Departure (2006)

4. At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)

5. August Burns Red - Constellations (2009)

6. Ava Inferi - Onyx (2011)

7. Before the Dawn - Rise of the Phoenix (2012)

8. Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)

9. Bleeding Through - Love Will Kill All (2018)

10. Born of Osiris - The Discovery (2011)

11. Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2005)

12. Charon - Songs for the Sinners (2005)

13. Converge - Jane Doe (2001)

14. Cynic - Focus (1993)

15. Darkest Hour - Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation (2003)

16. Demon Hunter - The World is a Thorn (2010)

17. Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell (2005)

18. Edge of Sanity - Crimson I+II (1996/2003) (both work better as one full 2-part suite)

19. God Forbid - IV: Constitution of Treason (2005)

20. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage (2012)

21. HIM - Venus Doom (2007)

22. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream (2018)

23. In Flames - The Jester Race (2006)

24. In Mourning - Shrouded Divine (2008)

25. Katatonia - Brave Murder Day (1996)

26. Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake (2004)

27. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)

28. Lord - Fallen Idols (2019)

29. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom (2012)

30. Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)

31. Maudlin of the Well - Bath (2001)

32. Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three (2005)

33. Moonspell - Irreligious (1996)

34. My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans (1993)

35. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)

36. Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World (2000)

37. Paradise Lost - Draconian Times (1995)

38. Parkway Drive - Horizons (2007)

39. Protest the Hero - Kezia (2005)

40. Revocation - Existence is Futile (2009)

41. Septicflesh - Codex Omega (2017)

42. Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)

43. Shadows Fall - The War Within (2004)

44. The Contortionist - Exoplanet (2010)

45. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)

46. The Ocean - Pelagial (2013)

47. Threat Signal - Under Reprisal (2006)

48. Tiamat - Wildhoney (1994)

49. Trivium - In Waves (2011)

50. Type O Negative - October Rust (1996)

51. Veil of Maya - [id] (2010)

52. Vektor - Black Future (2009)

53. Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)

54. Unearth - The Oncoming Storm (2004)

55. Within the Ruins - Elite (2013)

Update on my 2005 list, but with a different twist! I was inspired by Ben's "anniversary section" idea (15 years today) to update my list to the top 4 albums per clan.

And yes I know, I've included The Horde, not The Guardians. Since The Guardians has a huge array of power metal bands from my earlier epic metal taste, it would cause some unfair competition against my other clans in which most of them suit my current heavier modern era. Hence replacing The Guardians with my former clan The Horde! Anyway, here's my best of 2005 for each of those clans (plus I'm ranking the clans themselves):

Clan #4: The Horde

4. Children of Bodom - Are You Dead Yet?

3. Scar Symmetry - Symmetric in Design

2. Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine

1. Dark Tranquillity - Character

Clan #3: The Fallen

4. The Ocean - Aeolian

3. Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost

2. Charon - Songs for the Sinners

1. Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell

Clan #2: The Infinite

4. Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor

3. Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three

2. Gojira - From Mars to Sirius

1. Between the Buried and Me - Alaska

Clan #1: The Revolution

4. God Forbid - IV: Constitution of Treason

3. Demon Hunter - The Triptych

2. Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison

1. Trivium - Ascendancy

Update on my list (it's been a couple months):

Classic oldies: 

1990: Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise 

1991: Meshuggah - Contradictions Collapse 

1992: Edge of Sanity - Unorthodox 

1993: My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans  

1994: Tiamat - Wildhoney 

1995: At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul 

1996: Katatonia - Brave Murder Day 

1997: In Flames - Whoracle 

Old-school but newer: 

1998: Meshuggah - Chaosphere 

1999: Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black 

2000: In Flames - Clayman 

2001: Converge - Jane Doe 

2002: Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance 

2003: Darkest Hour - Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation 

2004: Converge - You Fail Me 

2005: Trivium - Ascendancy 

Higher original quality: 

2006: Persefone - Core 

2007: Between the Buried and Me - Colors 

2008: In Mourning - Shrouded Divine 

2009: Revocation - Existence is Futile 

2010: Underoath - Ø (Disambiguation) 

2011: Trivium - In Waves 

2012: Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence 

2013: The Ocean - Pelagial 

New and improved: 

2014: Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel 

2015: Bullet for My Valentine - Venom 

2016: Vektor - Terminal Redux 

2017: Septicflesh - Codex Omega 

2018: Rivers of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name 

2019: Lord - Fallen Idols 

2020 (first half): Trivium - What the Dead Men Say 

2020 albums I'm looking forward to getting: 

Avatar - Hunter Gatherer 

Amaranthe - Manifest 

Draconian - Under a Godless Veil

Protest The Hero - Palimpsest

Protest The Hero are back with their first new album since 2013. I'm going to be putting quite a bit of time into this one, I like what I hear. I've really warmed up to Protest over the years, so this should be exciting. 

Their comeback album after 7 years (or 4 years if including Pacific Myth)! Upon hearing this album's two singles, I can hear how mind-blowing this is gonna be for both longtime and new fans (me being in the latter category). Can't wait to hear the rest soon. Hardcore-ish progressive metal coming our way!

I have another idea to suggest, Ben. Another member just joined the Metal Academy, named Dani. Nothing wrong with that...except there's another member named Dani!

It can be quite confusing to have two members named Dani, in case one of them is good and the other is evil (not black metal evil, just bad evil). There's a reason why there can't be two accounts with the same name in email websites like gmail and MMORPGs like RuneScape, and that's because they don't wanna cause massive confusion. On top of that, as all of you here know, one of the site's founding brothers is similarly named, Daniel! I'm not judging any names, I'm just saying that if two or three people have the same name, they should have a different username to not confuse people. So my suggestion is: Ben, please PM the two members named Dani and ask them each to change their username, either by changing it to something different, adding another part of their username (for example, "Dani Filth"), or their full name (unless they wanna keep it private). Then once they changed their names, please implement a new rule saying that new accounts can't have the same username as other accounts. OK thanks!

If I'm a huge fan of power metal, but REALLY don't like death metal, I'm probably not going to think very highly of the artwork found on the majority of death metal releases. Let's go with a really well-known cover like Cannibal Corpse's Tomb of the Mutilated. There will undoubtedly be death metal fans that rate that cover 5 out of 5 and think it's awesome, but how many site users that aren't into the more extreme genres of metal would consider it to be a good cover? The same logic could be applied the other way. How do you think those same death metal fans will rate the cover of power metal albums like Twilight Force's Heroes of Mighty Magic?

As a fan of album covers in the "epic" category and avoiding any of the gory ones, I would give covers from power metal bands like Twilight Force high ratings but leave alone covers from death metal bands like Cannibal Corpse. Though there are some melodeath bands with covers that I would consider epic, like Amon Amarth's Twilight of the Thunder God. You might already know this from an earlier thread, but I also enjoy abstract covers from progressive metal bands like Between the Buried and Me and dark but not too graphic covers from metalcore bands like Bleeding Through. In my opinion, those deserve 4/4.5/5-star ratings!

I've just listened to and reviewed both of those 2004 Sphere albums, and I consider them both good 4-star releases that help shape up industrial metal into the modern times. But the one I prefer is... Houses of the Mole! Yeah, I prefer that Ministry album which has a killer mix of industrial riffs with the energy of modern extreme metal that I'm more used to. Rammstein's Reise Reise is good too, but it's a little hard to understand because of the lyrics being mostly German, not to mention ranging from horrific ("Mein Teil") to humorous ("Keine Lust"). Of course, there is some good powerful riffing in the epic title track and the fancy dance-y "Moskau". Anyway, Ministry makes my vote!

Houses of the Mole - 1

Reise Reise - 1

Hey there, Chris! Since you're really into the Jesus Built My Hotrod 12” by Ministry, I'm gonna recommend to you a cover of that song by Burn the Priest (Lamb of God). It has a greater groove feeling while they managed to keep the fast industrial sound of the original and make it sound heavier. I guarantee you would have a fun blast and you can even share it with Rebecca, I assume your sister? Girlfriend/wife? Sorry if I sound personally interrogating there... Anyway, enjoy this!

A true gothic doom anthem from the Portuguese masters of gothic metal:

The ultimate metalcore epic! Say no more and listen more:

I did my review! Here's its summary:

Jane Doe is considered to be Converge's greatest achievement, and that sounds just about right! Everything is in a seamless flow as each band member pours out all their emotion to be able to fuse together this math-metalcore classic album. They have their signature intense screaming vocals, crushing guitar riffs, insane drumming, beautiful undecipherable lyrics, and strongly present killer bass, all put in this perfect cauldron of hardcore metal madness! What's brilliant about Jane Doe is not only the great tracks but also how they flow into a superb concept album. Is this a concept album? Probably... The lyrics focus on heartbreak and separation, whereas the music is powerful enough to pin you to the wall and start punching you in the head and kicking you in the b*lls until you're bleeding and begging for mercy. Proceed with caution! Everything to show you what extreme hardcore is all about can be found from its one-minute "intro" to its glorious 11 and a half minute title epic. I would recommend this ultimate metalcore masterpiece to fans of music that is intelligent, emotional, and brutal. You have to make a full listening experience to put it in the best part of your metalcore collection. Jane Doe ain't anonymous no more!

5/5

Continuing the tournament from the original DIS vs DAT Thread - The Sphere Edition, here are two Sphere albums released in 2004. I haven't listened to any of these albums myself, so this is up to listeners of these albums to decide. Which one of these albums with a different subgenre has the greater edge? Choose one and explain the reason!

Industrial metal:

Neue Deutsche Härte:

Yeah great track. The highlight of "Petitioning the Empty Sky" in my opinion along with closer "Color Me Blood Red".

"Color Me Blood Red" is another great highlight that ends the album (not including the live tracks). Some of the albums I like the best are the ones in which the two best songs are the first track (including intro) and the last track (including outro) because then I can hear its perfection for a promising start and, at the same time, I want the last song to end the album in a satisfying bang with no disappointing flaws at all. Start with the best, end with another best! I call that technique "The Perfect Metal Album Storm". More info about that in a different later thread...

Incubus' Serpent Temptation (1988)

Given I'd never given this band a go previously, I have to say that I'm stunned at how great this is. Ripping thrash metal with lots of great riffs and blast beats. I can understand why it's often listed as death metal due to its intensity, but the vast majority of the riffs are pure thrash. If it wasn't for the somewhat lacking vocals, this could rate even higher than the 4 stars I'm giving it. If you're into the more intense side of thrash (think Morbid Saint and early Kreator and Sadus), then you owe it to yourself to check this album out.

4 out of 5 stars!

Fun fact: When Incubus reformed after an 8-year split, it had to be under the new name Opprobrium because of the alt-funk rock/metal band Incubus. I don't listen to any of those two Incubus bands, but about the alt-funk rock/metal band Incubus, I absolutely agree that their first two albums (Fungus Amongus and S.C.I.E.N.C.E.) are what metal fans really want from that band. Scr*w "Drive"!!

You might not wanna inhale the toxic hardcore punk debut album Halo in a Haystack by the band who would later pioneer metalcore Converge, especially this song to avoid:

Update due to Sonny's vote:

Skeptics Apocalypse - 1

To Mega Therion - 2

I've just listened to and reviewed both of those 1985 Pit albums, and I consider them both great strong 4.5/5 classics that were important turning points in the development of their respective genres back then. But the one I prefer is... Skeptics Apocalypse! Yeah, I prefer Agent Steel's debut which pleasantly brings back a few flashbacks to the late 80s speedy power metal I used to listen to. Celtic Frost's To Mega Therion may fit in as thrash metal but is known for influencing extreme genres like death metal and black metal and that doesn't suit my anti-blasphemous interests. So yeah, Skeptics Apocalypse it is for me!

Skeptics Apocalypse - 1

To Mega Therion - 1