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Mini-Review Game
https://forum.metal-archives.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85108		 Page 53 of 72
Author:  Acrobat [ Sun May 19, 2013 5:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Witchrist - Exile.

Alright, so it's some death metal band of sorts, I'm guessing that this is a newer band. Sonically speaking it sounds like Incantation meets Grave. Certainly, it's pretty competent; appropriately heavy and appropriately hellish (maybe everything's a little too appropriate and that's part of the problem). But after that Discharge-y bass intro there's not much that stands out. Call me crazy but when I go for this style of death metal - I generally want the originals and not the copy. I guess it's a reflection of my personal tastes rather than any lack of quality on the band's part. As I said, this was generally quite good; certainly if you like the idea of Ola from Grave singing on the second Incantation album give it a go. To me, it seems like there's a few thousand bands doing this "X old dm band + Y old dm band = our new band", but I guess that Witchrist are one of the better ones. I can't say I'm a fan, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di2usZRduyU
Author:  Abominatrix [ Sun May 19, 2013 3:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Pokolgép: "Tökfej"

Children's choir music. Cool. A nice way to wake up on a sunday. Where are the birdies? Oh no, they've all been killed by the oncoming train of...speeed metal! Well, this is just so cool, without really being anything beyond what you'd imagine if you were a veteran of this kind of music if someone says "they sound like a speed metal band". I mean, the tempo never alters from that nimble sprint, although there's a brief and nifty stop/start bit after the solo section. There's a gang chorus, yelling something mighty in Hungarian, or at least it sounds mighty, but it might well be the singer lamenting that he can't find his bedroom slippers. The production may be a little quiet overall but the guitar sound is actually really good...I just can't seem to turn it up loud enough, and that's probably a sign of how much I really like this. OH sure, you could say the singer's reedy, heavily-accented voice isn't too strong; that the solo section, while being quick and limber enough, is not really all that memorable, but there's something about this that is just infectiously great and well, works. A perfect example of how breaking a formula isn't always desirable. Plus, the Hungarian language makes this sound kind of exotic and unusual. As far as this kind of speed metal goes, it isn't even the riffs that stand out, but the propulsive, relentless sound/attitude that makes it feel as though you could run through an apocalyptic wasteland for hours and never be caught by marauding hordes of zombies or organ harvesters or cannibals or whatever else populates this hell. :hail:

Ok, now to change things up a bit...hopefully I didn't post this already but I just can't look through all this thread right now to find out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyCVXchHB6U
Author:  cultofkraken [ Sun May 19, 2013 5:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
In The Woods... - I Am Your Flesh

Gah I am such a sucker for In The Woods... Yet curiously I have not spent a ton of time with Omnio as opposed to Heart of the Ages or Strange in Stereo. I love the 80's Gothic style of clean vocals, and while there is an esoteric feeling to the song the "metal" elements are very muscular with that guitar tone and crispness to the drums in particular an excellent snare sound. Some of the melody and guitar work always reminds me strongly of My Dying Bride, but the song structure is much more loose in parts allowing for that avant garde element. I don't know if it makes sense but this song breathes and then quickly tightens up in sections allowing for incredible dynamics, and the beautiful guitar part in the fade at the end could have gone on forever if I had my way. Overall I want to go back and pull out all my old In The Woods... albums now. It's been too long!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MixmHnVZug
Author:  Abominatrix [ Sun May 19, 2013 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
@ CultofKraken:

Spoiler: show
Nice. Omnio was always my favourite work from the band actually. Although they come close to paying tribute to Pink Floyd at times (Interlude in the title track = "Echoes"), it's just a really emotional, beautifully heartfelt piece of work. Never quite associated the vocals with 80s goth but I do see what you mean now, since I always likened his singing somewhat to that of David Bowie! I agree about that guitar part at the end...the fade-out comes at this aching moment that you just don't want to finish!
Author:  cultofkraken [ Sun May 19, 2013 5:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Abominatrix wrote:
@ CultofKraken:

Spoiler: show
Nice. Omnio was always my favourite work from the band actually. Although they come close to paying tribute to Pink Floyd at times (Interlude in the title track = "Echoes"), it's just a really emotional, beautifully heartfelt piece of work. Never quite associated the vocals with 80s goth but I do see what you mean now, since I always likened his singing somewhat to that of David Bowie! I agree about that guitar part at the end...the fade-out comes at this aching moment that you just don't want to finish!


@Abominatrix

Spoiler: show
I would not have complained if that song was twice as long with an extension of that guitar part at the end! I see what you mean on the David Bowie reference and I personally thought they definitely flirted with that more on Strange in Stereo (Bowie and Pink Floyd) but for some reason the first thing that came to mind was 80's Goth on this track. This is probably due to some of the reverb and layering on his voice. I'm going to go back and give Omnio a whole bunch of spins... also see if I can track down some vinyl!
Author:  CrushedRevelation [ Mon May 20, 2013 8:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
cultofkraken wrote:
Throne Of Ahaz - Nifelheim


Wow. Now here's an album I have not pulled out in a long time. This is Swedish black metal. But not blasturbation worship, instead they rely heavily on HUGE riffs, and a solid, meaty production. This is a slight anomaly this album history-wise in the Swedish scene, as like I stated it's firmly rooted in a mid-paced almost Bathory style, and one that's bloody effective. This track burns massive furrows in the earth with the first opening wall of thick, stoically paced guitars while some throat tearing rasps deliver their Nordic sermon. This isn't to say that there isn't some speed to be had, as they pick up the pace towards the ends with a frosty, brittle spray of momentum to close the track out - almost like the furious black waves of the sea striking the hull of a longboat, charging towards aa sleeping shoreline... Nifelheim is a hidden gem amongst the contemporaries of their time, but one that shouldn't be overlooked. Great stuff.

Staying in Sweden.
Author:  MalignantTyrant [ Mon May 20, 2013 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Grand Magus- Silver Into Steel

The music isn't bad at all, I like the guitar tone. The acoustic intro made me think that it was going to be some sort of ambient and/or melodic black metal, but it turned out to be quite different. I also like the vocals, but they're nothing remarkable except at the very beginning when he comes in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMeEzBR1YiE
Author:  Acrobat [ Mon May 20, 2013 6:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Abom and LegendFrog
Spoiler: show
I'm glad that you both liked the tracks, boys!
I do find it funny that so many Warlord fans dislike that album purely because it's the Hammerfall dude on vocals, when he really does a good job on vocals. I always thought he was a decent singer, myself, even if I never liked Hammerfall much. As for the song itself it's not really "new Warlord" by any stretch as the song dates back to 1981. Certainly, it's controversial as it was originally recorded on an 1981 demo and then with Lordian Guard. However, this seems like its only proper-metal-non-distorted-demo-tape version so that's why it's somewhat controversial. Check out the album and let me know what you think! :)

Abom, I'm very glad that you dug the Pokolgep so much. I can't really comment on the production that much as I've only got a crappy mp3 version, at the moment. However, I have to say that the singer is my favourite thing about the band. A little thin and reedy, sure, but he's just irresistibly charming! That's not even my favourite song on the album (the whole thing's great, to be honest). What's really interesting is that they've got some Keeper I guitar parts on there in 1987 and I don't actually know when the album was released, so potentially they could be predating the Euro-PM guitar style with only Accept and Pretty Maids as influences.
Author:  Cthulhu_Fhtagn [ Mon May 20, 2013 6:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Hollenthon - Ars Moriendi
This starts off with a very epic bombardment of choruses, fast riffing, and blasting drums. The vocals are not the typical boring Gothenburg mid-ranged growl, they are sort of a more deathy rasp. In the middle is an awesome groovy riff that reminds me of the ones found in grindcore, with an overlaid solo. There is orchestral bits, but they are not overbearing. Quite a great song in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qk8A3ES6Nk
Author:  DeathBySuicide [ Tue May 21, 2013 2:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
MalignantTyrant you are killing the vibe of the thread with your criminally short analyses.
The acoustic intro made me think that it was going to be some sort of ambient and/or melodic black metal, but it turned out to be quite different, how the FUCK is that descriptive??????
I, like so many others come to this thread sometimes to simply read what has been posted with no intention to post ourselves and it is such a grand bitch when we are denied the pleasure of a thorough dissection of song. If you can't widen your scope of analyzing shit then best fuck off and leave it to the vets like Abominatrix, LegendMaker and ANationalAcrobat.

Just saying.
Author:  QueenElizawreck [ Tue May 21, 2013 2:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Looking For An Answer - Extinction

Mildly interesting grindcore but with an over pouring of riffs, so you have to give them that. They compress as much dynamism as they possibly can within a minute and some forty seconds. I like the thick bass and how it is situated far off in the background yet still rings clearly, as a big fan of sludgy stuff I'll tell ya, that tone is MASTER! The drumming is quite another affair, sloppy and lifeless and rather untogether in so many places. The vocals are a thick and insistent throaty mess that works abundantly well but I'd still rely on the riffs because they say the most and really hold up the song well. Into the full minute, there's a bit of a classic USDM vibe to them that leads to a groove break that is rendered classy by the thick texture of the guitars. I dug that immensely, I liked how they didn't have to resort to mindless chugging to make it headbangable. A slow trod towards the end brings back that awesome bass amidst a furious last onslaught and we're done.
Too dynamic for too small a song but if it's good for you then why complain? And it was good for me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8raeq-PW4E
Author:  DeathBySuicide [ Tue May 21, 2013 3:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Black Sabbath - Heaven In Black

I'm a huge fan of the epic style Black Sabbath adopted on "Headless Cross" and "Tyr" from which this song is taken. Tony Martin's voice was just perfect for that kind of craft. Ian Gillan might thrive best when not too shallow, but not too deep either and Ozzy might still reign as the best one to wield that half asleep, disinterested stoner pitch but Ronnie James Dio was the quintessential storyteller and clearly Tony Martin drew more from Dio than anyone else to ever sing in Sabbath. The song opens with an energetic thump by none other than Cozy Powell (may he rest in peace) before Tony Iommi launches a laid back but effective riff to cushion Martin's narrative. His voice rings clear and is deeply evocative with lyrics that sound distinctly Dio-ish (If only you had known to be honest was wrong) and a rousing chorus that amiably invites you in. The link cut it short but as I'm well familiar with the song, it is still hands down, the more decent of later Sabbath and one that ought to have been played more live. Dio should have sang on this a bit live, it would have fit like a glove.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb2L1QT2cpc
Author:  caspian [ Tue May 21, 2013 3:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Man, pretty stoked you posted something else, that Sabbath was painful. The Helstar was pretty cool! I thought the vocals were somewhat flat but there were a ridiculous amount of good riffs. Is this just pretty slow thrash or USPM? Either way I rather enjoy it. Enjoyed the rather complex song structures, the audible bass, and those various maiden-but-more-vicious sort of gallop that pervaded much of the song. Good shit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Jr5w6FU-c
Author:  VirginSteele_Helstar [ Tue May 21, 2013 3:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Helstar - Face The Wicked One

Damn, I should get to writing that review of Helstar's Remnants of War.
I can see fans of Agent Steel easily bopping their heads to this one. It has that shifty persona that AS were so good at bringing out in their childre...I'm sorry, songs. You know the one where the illusion is painted of a rhythm staying grounded and solid yet it runs amok going off on a tangent into something entirely different from how it started out. In fact the riffing in this partly reminds me of AS' "Taken by Force" except they didn't have RIVERA!
He owns this one, folks and his enthusiasm is contagious. I can't see it working as well with another singer. The guitar work is excellent throughout but there's just too much going on for any singular riffs to be easily distinguishable. That solo that creeps in at the third minute however is my definition of face=melted! LAWD MY GAWD! And I can't go without mentioning the drumming! It is such a key element on the entire album and had as much to do with Rene Luna's actual skill as with the engineering. It is loud and abrasive and cuts through with big ass teeth, keeping the chaos to a minimal and classy degree.
Don't just listen to this, hear the whole album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o639w7KIQQg
Author:  QueenElizawreck [ Tue May 21, 2013 3:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Persefone - The Endless Path

Fucking A, man! This is some good melodeath or meloblack or whatever you're in the mood to call it. I like how insistent it all is. And I mean, it never lets up! I can't make out what they're saying and I don't really think I'd be impressed so I'll leave the lyrical angle to more inquisitive minds but musically this is rather too ambitious to not whistle at anyway. There's too much synthing but it is not some shoddy job and the guitars are still plentiful so all bases are covered so to speak. And then at 6:00 something weird happened, some really Euro-clubby synthing that made me want to scream in agony, thankfully the whole thing was descending to a final halt just as I was tiring of it.
Author:  QueenElizawreck [ Tue May 21, 2013 3:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
D.C. Lacroix - Devil's Son

I'd never heard of this band before but I'm always in the mood for some good old traditional metal. This however is more Quiet Riot with more angry vocals than anything Iron Maiden attempted. The riffing is mid tempo and not really anything special but the vocals and I believe it is a woman singing, are energetic in all the right places and kept me interested. She shrieks with the best of them but I think if she met Harry Conklin she would be forced to eat crow. Harmless stuff but with the right attitude.

How about some Crowbar;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmORnqZoqRs
Author:  Punishing [ Tue May 21, 2013 4:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Crowbar - Waiting in Silence

I don't listen to as much sludge as I should because it lacks immediacy. But this song proves me wrong. It starts out as most sludge songs that I've heard do, with echoey things and pounding drums, but then it grows and grows by leaps and bounds. The bass is audible and you can literally feel it moving the song along. The guitars are a bit too background to make out but the vocals are, JUST GREAT! I was expecting them to be low and depressed but they're actually of a higher register and very moving. Midway, things get speeded up a bit and by then, I was comfortable with the proceedings. This is obviously at the top heap of sludge and I'll check out more of their stuff.

Good Egyptian melodeath is so hard to find, but try this on for size;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cEVEAj2Srs
Author:  caspian [ Tue May 21, 2013 9:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
It's not terrible, I don't know a huge amount about melodeath but yeah, it's ok, just not really anything above that. Dudes can clearly play their instruments and the riffs aren't too bad. I've never heard them but this is how I've always imagined something like Insomnium would be like, if the production was better anyway. It's competent, I like the tendency towards leads here and there, but it didn't blow my mind or anything.

Have some irish doom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYSWEdWlAj0
Author:  Tron_79 [ Tue May 21, 2013 1:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Graveyard Dirt - These Hands Defiled

Really good heavy riff start of this song. I can't say i was too impressed when the vocals came in as its that half growl/yell that i'm not a big fan of... carrying on, the leads add some nice melody over the crushing riffs. The riff at 1:45 strays away from the crushing aspect, but delivers some really good melody. The drums also are adding some nice fills which keep the song interesting and adds some nice variety. I get this almost melancholy sound from this song but balances well with the heaviness of it. I like the section just after 6 minutes where it seems to transition from the smooth melodic sound to pummeling riffs and double bass drums. Overall, i'm digging this but the main item thats bothering me is the vocals. having said that, I think I will be looking into other songs to check them out as musically i liked it

8/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s7zpwG7Lww
Author:  Amerigo [ Tue May 21, 2013 5:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Therion- Powerdance

Yes! This song is a sterling example of the very best Therion is capable of. What we have here is Therion elegantly navigating the tight-rope between death metal and orchestral melody. Weaving creepy keyboards with extreme frugality, this becomes a piece of extreme metal with a touch of the bizarre, evoking images of ancient rituals. But most of the time, the song plows on with a beautifully orchestrated, forceful aggression, chalk-full of interesting riffs, tempo changes and a traditional heavy metal solo that completes a rollicking ride through distant landscapes of long forgotten gods.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He4lscLuGkU
Author:  Cthulhu_Fhtagn [ Tue May 21, 2013 5:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Exodus - Cajun Hell
This starts of with the sounds of the Bayou, and then goes into a midpaced bay area thash riff. Not the best or most creative riff I've heard, but it does it's job. Steve Souza sound like a mixture of Bobby Blitz and Scott Waters, using his nasally snotty voice. The solo in the middle is not the typical short shredfest, but more of an extended solo. Overall, pretty good but not very standoutish for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6lv7lpI4S8
V
V
V
V
V
You missed my song.
Author:  Veracs [ Tue May 21, 2013 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Exodus-Cajun Hell

0/10

Here we have in Exhibit A people one of the most awful songs ever done by Exodus, and that's a lot to say for a band that gave us pieces of shit like Force of Habit and The Atrocity Exhibition. Far be it from me to say a band can never have any fun with their music as Exodus have inspired shitloads of worthless bands like Lich King and Municipal waste, the band is also famous for all of the post-Bonded by blood material being jumpdafuck up groove metal horseshit! After a boring Cajun instrumental the main riff devolves into a monotonous groove metal awfully whiffly sounding chug, the main riff is not heavy at all just annoying and flaccid sounding going back and forth awfully monotonously with that dry production. This goes on for six minutes mind you and apart from Souza being a decent vocalist, the song is really just a monotonous chug riff with a decent solo towards the closing moment. A piece of shit song from a one hit wonder band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KidpyT1WTto
Author:  Turner [ Tue May 21, 2013 6:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
infester - braded into palsy

ok so this is basically about ... 5? 6? songs pasted into one. the guitar has a cool murky tone to it but the atmosphere is lacking. i can see what they're aiming at, but it doesn't get there. there are a handful of decent-sounding riffs/melodies throughout but the muddy production and stupid "mic in the mouth" vocals ruin them. every now and then it breaks out into a blasting, grindy....thing for a few seconds, then goes back to a slower, plodding "thump"-type rhythm. the tightest 2 seconds or so are the final 2, ridiculously. i have the feeling that if they'd had the sense to sit down and think about it, they could've arranged this mess into a half-decent song of 2min or so. it's basically a couple of cool elements overridden by shitty vocals and a really amateur approach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sYai5i9AkA
Author:  Cthulhu_Fhtagn [ Tue May 21, 2013 6:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Necrophobic - Dark Moon Rising
Pretty typical black metal. Vocals are the normal high rasp. The production leaves something to be desired, it's a little tinny, which makes the guitars blend together. The drumming is nothing to be amazed about. The song only gets better than average when it reaches about 1:18 seconds. It goes into a slow slightly middle-eastern echoing melody, and then goes into a solo which ends to abruptly.

Reposting my song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6lv7lpI4S8
Author:  Turner [ Tue May 21, 2013 6:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
gargoyle - destroy (g-manual version)

this is pretty cool, shame we missed it the first time you posted it man ;)

it's pretty .... silly, i guess. but it's thrashy in just the right amounts - grooves a bit, then thrashes pretty hard. the vocals give it a bit of that GWAR touch. solo is huge - first impressions were that it's out-of-key but it goes into key and this guy isn't a half-bad guitarist. there are good riffs throughout. it kinda follows this fast-slow-fast-slow-etc formula, but in this context that's totally fine. this is why this rules - it doesn't pretend to be something it's not. it's unashamedly stupid but rocks when you're least expecting, which is such a fucking change from bands that try so hard to create high art and end up with a load of shit instead. in truth, if all their material is like this the joke'd get pretty old pretty quick, but for a once-off listen, thumbs up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvqZ1t-nnCw
Author:  Tron_79 [ Tue May 21, 2013 6:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
@Cthulhu_Fhtagn
Spoiler: show
I dunno if i would call Necrophobic typical black metal.... I find they are one band that mixes the dark "evil" atmosphere of Black metal with death metal riffs quite well....especially on their first album The Nocturnal Silence
Author:  Thumbman [ Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
My Sister's Machine - I'm Sorry
Not really metal at all - this more on the grunge side of things, oddly featuring a distinctly 80s guitar tone for a lot of the rhythm guitar. There is an occasional riff that is a bit doomier, but by and large this is very accessible grunge. It does seem to tread on the more commercial side of things, and while not bad, doesn't really come off as anything all that special. It all sounds very expected, especially the vocals. Didn't dislike it, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXd8DVlGvsY
Author:  Turner [ Tue May 21, 2013 7:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
@dystopia4 and @Tron_79
Spoiler: show
yeah, i wasn't sure how my sister's machine would be received by and large here... i think they're best compared to the first alice in chains album, which they more or less ripped off, haha. the album is about a 50/50 grunge/metal mix... hard to say a lot of the time exactly which it is. that song is more on the grunge side for sure.

and yeah, necrophobic were one of the first bands to be playing that style. their first album is basically what the somberlain would be if you tuned it to C. i think they're pretty underrated. there IS a lot of difference between their first two albums though - probably the difference between death and black metal.
Author:  enigmatech [ Tue May 21, 2013 11:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Nails - Suum Cuique

To me, this sounds like a mixture of Autopsy, Asphyx, "Back from the Dead"-era Grave, and a bit of Obituary. The song starts with a very brutal riff before jumping into an extremely catchy mid-paced verse riff. After awhile, the song speeds up a bit with a very unique solo, and about halfway through we are greeted by an unbelievably evil riff that sounds like the bastard child of "Dark Crusade" and "Asphyx (Forgotten War)". It carries on until the band decides to get brutal again, with the last riff sounding like something you would hear on "The Last One On Earth" by Asphyx. The vocals are the biggest surprise to me. Not death metal at all, more of a distorted-yelp, but they manage to get the job done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zZLnbA6ujU
Author:  Jonpo [ Wed May 22, 2013 12:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
King Diamond - To The Morgue

First of all I need to get this off my chest: I can't fathom that King OK'd this cover art for the remastered edition of the album. Jesus Christ that is really bad.

I actually own this album! And to be honest this remastered edition sounds like they may have done a respectable job with it. I don't remember the guitar tone sounding nearly this meaty. I'm going to have to pull out my copy and review. Not an album I spin often and if memory serves this is one of the best tracks and hands down the best chorus. Normally it comes off as lazy and kind of pedestrian when the hook is just the song title repeated but you take a Kim Petersen, you add a choir effect and a HUGE Iommi-derived riff and viola, mid-nineties metal magic is made! The song itself starts VERY strong with a teaser of what functions as chorus and anchor. Unfortunately that is by far the best aspect of the whole song and my attention tends to wane until it comes back. Not a very inspired spooky story and the music matches. It feels like they were trying to represent some of the "madness" in the verse riffs going back and forth between a solid groove and more of a misty wavering sound but it just doesn't do much for me. This song really functions as a great representation of the album as a whole: It's alright. Laroque squeezes out a few neat solos because that's just what he does, the drumming is completely faceless, and the outro is kind of cool I guess? The stark contrast in quality between the incredible chorus and the rest of the song is kind of startling. I worship the King on bended knee but he's capable of much better (and worse, looking at you House of God and The Graveyard).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bco4yhgVarc
Author:  HeySharpshooter [ Wed May 22, 2013 2:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
The Lamp of Toth- Frost & Fire(Cirith Ungol cover)

First off, that cover art... woah. Amazing.

The song however, does not a single thing for me. I am not familiar with either the band or the artist they are covering, but this particular style of Doom Metal is not my forte. The cheese level is far too high, and the vocals are both loud and yet weak at the same time; they are a sort of grating high end yelp that just annoys me to no end. Im also not a huge fan of highly melodic metal, and this certainly falls into that category. Everything sounds fine production wise and I like the one riff that starts at 4:30, but it's too short and enters into the corniest guitar solo I've ever heard. I admit I am a "no fun, no mosh, no trends, only death" type Metalhead without a very deep appreciation for "classic" Metal sounds, so take my opinion on that value(I imagine some of you will completely discount it).

Not that I dislike all "Classic" Metal though...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8LrwmsuXkU
Author:  Jonpo [ Wed May 22, 2013 9:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Spoiler: show
I don't guess I'll ever learn my lesson. I wasn't necessarily expecting a positive review but that was so generic. I feel like I would have got the exact same response no matter what band/song I chose because it isn't your "style". What made the "cheese factor" so high? Also that isn't quite the band name.

I'd encourage any fans of Cirith Ungol to check out this cover. They really made it their own, sounds nothing like the original. Pretty cool.
Author:  HeySharpshooter [ Wed May 22, 2013 12:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Jonpo wrote:
Spoiler: show
I don't guess I'll ever learn my lesson. I wasn't necessarily expecting a positive review but that was so generic. I feel like I would have got the exact same response no matter what band/song I chose because it isn't your "style". What made the "cheese factor" so high? Also that isn't quite the band name.

I'd encourage any fans of Cirith Ungol to check out this cover. They really made it their own, sounds nothing like the original. Pretty cool.


Spoiler: show
Get.Over.It.

Quit derailing the thread. Don't like my review? Too bad. I once got smashed for posting an entire 15 minute EP in this thread for review, and on top of it the reviewer completely destroyed it. BTW, it was a 15 minute EP that I ADORE and listen to almost every day, and needless to say I was none to pleased to see his review.

But I didn't post a lame, whiny response to the review and derail the thread, crying about it.
Author:  Jonpo [ Wed May 22, 2013 1:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Spoiler: show
How could I possibly be derailing the thread with spoiler tags? That's the entire reason we use them for non-review posts.

I didn't mean to sound like I was whining or crying, I was hoping you could give me a little more description on what made it so cheesy and what made the solo corny. I don't care that you don't like the song, as I said originally I wasn't necessarily expecting a positive response. This thread actually sucks when everyone just loves everything.

Weak, vague reviews and openly demonstrating that you don't understand what's going on here by posting an entire EP? If there's any problem here it's on your end I'm afraid.
Author:  HeySharpshooter [ Wed May 22, 2013 1:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Spoiler: show
I honestly feel no need to explain myself further. If the mods have an issue with my review, they can say so. Build a bridge friend.
Author:  Metantoine [ Wed May 22, 2013 3:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Spoiler: show
It really appears that you have a clear bias against traditional metal. I mean there's nothing quite cheesy about The Lamp of Thoth and your criticism were general and not particularly aimed at the song but more at the whole style. And I certainly agree with JonPot's first comment, I'm sure he's not butthurt that you didn't like it, he was more pissed at the way you did it and that's understandable. Finally, there's also nothing wrong with posting comments like he did. "Derailing the thread" what? Comments are encouraged.

I should participate too, but I don't want to review Celtic Frost -_-
Author:  Dave_o_rama [ Wed May 22, 2013 6:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Celtic Frost - Dawn of Meggido

For some reason, the only Celtic Frost album I've really gotten into was Morbid Tales. Haven't really listened to the other ones as much. This is a good reminder that that has to change.

The song opens up with a very slow-paced, eerie riff that turns into an equally-eerie verse riff to accompany Tom Warrior's vocals. If my memory is correct, this is one of the slower-paced tracks off of To Mega Therion, but it doesn't feel any slower than the other tracks on the album. Before I know it, at about the 2-minute mark, there's a sudden appearance from some strings and thunderous percussion, and we hear it again and again as the song goes on. A really nice touch if you ask me. After that, the song picks up to a fairly quick speed (not Into the Crypts of Rays-level fast, but quick enough) with things I can only describe as Celtic Frost-ish riffs, except for when the booming percussion comes back in. These moments still sound cool, even though they seem a bit out of place when the band picks up speed, but it's not a deal-breaker or anything. The song ends at a slightly quicker pace than it began, with that same Celtic Frost-ish riffing I can't find any other words for. Probably not my favorite CF song ever, but I still like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z3XPKhqkn0
Author:  Cthulhu_Fhtagn [ Wed May 22, 2013 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
The Sun The Moon The Stars - Moon Crazy
Starts off with an echoey spacey melody and then goes into Voivodish riffs. The vocals remind me of the guy from Living Death, back when he was referred to as "the screamer". Interesting, this is stoner metal, but sounds like Voivod. Around 3 minutes it goes into a groove break with an overlaid solo. Pretty cool stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqsBgFczAF0
Author:  draterami [ Thu May 23, 2013 9:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
HMKids - Chaos Temptation

With the keyboard opening and first riff, I was braced for full-on cheesy power metal. Turns out, I was getting full-on cheesy melodeath. As the song title suggests, there is some chaos, but it seems to come almost entirely from the vocals, with different vocal lines overlapping and many different growling/screaming styles. There is a riff at about the 2 minute mark that really pushes the song forward. It is easily the highlight of the track. But otherwise the riffs are pretty uninspired. Nothing particularly new or exciting about them, and they don't fit particularly well with the vocals. Drumming just plods along in the background, doing nothing of note. I wouldn't be surprised if it's programmed drumming, such is the way that it sounds. Basically, this song is just a bland, uninteresting cheesefest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf7i6UB5vGw
Author:  Thumbman [ Thu May 23, 2013 10:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mini-Review Game
Orphaned Land - Ocean Land
Man, I remember this from when I was 15. Haven't listened in years. Starts out with some ethnic folk music, which breaks into a cool riff. The folk comes creeping back, this time accompanied by distorted guitar. The cleans are alright, but the growls are definitely the high point of the vocals. Overall, cool middle-eastern themed stuff. I used to really like this album and just kind of forgot about it over time.

I'm going to do something a bit different and post a live video. The visuals are important here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmdmnnv2NkY
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