Yeah it really is. I wouldn't say they're all perfect, but there is indeed no dull moments anywhere. All of them are fantastic.

Dio's whole legacy is almost flawless to me. The only exceptions are a couple tracks off of Sacred Heart, and Stay Out of My Mind off Angry Machines.

Dio - Egypt (The Chains Are On)

I wish Ronnie had done more epic length tracks like this.

Xasthur - Karma/Death

This is certainly one of the best songs on Portal of Sorrow.

I'm actually with you there. I like everything he ever did. Even Elf kicks ass. There's a few weak spots here and there from him but nothing bad.

Man, even his stuff before Elf was awesome! His voice was clearly defined even in the early years. I'm a Dio fanboy if you've ever seen one, I cannot get enough of his work.

Delain - 'Danse Macabre'

'Let the Earth cover me, angels will call for me....'

Forbidden - "Infinite"

Stuck in my head all damn day.

Its way more interesting than Sunbather. Its heavier and darker, I like it very much.

When Nothing Remains - A Lake of Frozen Tears

good, but generic, death/doom

Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the Lost Lovers

Really fucking awesome melodic Black/Gothic metal. Easily their crowning achievement

Alchemyst - Nekromanteion

Digging this a lot so far. Some of this reminds me more of old Neurosis circa Souls at Zero than any death metal band. Good stuff.

Sonata Arctica - Pariah's Child

This album is cotton candy in music form, but it's still good.

Eternal Champion - The Armor of Ire

Finally out! Enjoying it very much, though I wish it were longer. Eight songs, two of which were released before the album came out, and two instrumentals. Essentially 4 new full songs...but oh well.

Scanner - Hypertrace

This is a speed metal masterpiece! Great conceptual album about outer space. Highly recommended.

Neurosis - fires within fires

So I've gotten to listen to this a good six or seven times now, different headphones, systems etc. (Still haven't gotten the LP in the mail yet though) This is outstanding. Very close to perfection, which is not new territory for Neurosis. What is different and took some getting used to is the abbreviated playtime; At just under 41 minutes this thing whizzes by. But they make the absolute most of every second. Reach is already in the running for my personal favorite song of the year, And I'm a huge Neurosis fanboy so im not going to deny this will make my #1 spot AOTY.

Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss

Definitely my least fav out of what I've heard so far (Hell Awaits, Reign in Blood, South of Heaven). Some of the songs like "Expendable Youths" and even the title track just kind of feel like throwaway tracks. Also not really a big fan of Tom's cleans. Also also where are the riffs?

Running Wild — Under Jolly Roger

The title track of Seasons is one of the best songs on it, probably the best actually, they've been trying to recreate that kind of midpaced song and failed hard everytime.

Seasons in the Abyss is the quintessential Slayer song for me. Easily their best song. I find Slayer work better with the mid paced stuff like on South of Heaven.

I'm far from a big Slayer guy, but I can really enjoy their first four. But that one is utter garbage to me. One of the worst thrash albums done by a big thrash band.

'Seasons in the Abyss' is great, it has that dread-filled atmosphere of South of Heaven that none of the other songs on Seasons had. If it wasn't for the production and vocals it would fit right into the former.

No way does the album suck though.

How can you like South of Heaven, but dislike Seasons in the Abyss? They basically follow the same formula. Granted, South of Heaven is better, but Seasons in the Abyss is the continuation of South of Heaven. Makes absolutely zero sense to me.

Also, Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself, and let your mind go.

I like SC2112 but Testament is his favorite thrash band, right? I think we can safely put him in "meh opinions about thrash" alongside Master_of_thrash!

NW Chopped Canada

It's a grower. Come back to it later. The riffs are there and the semi-melodic songs are different than what Slayer had done up to that point. You could try the debut next, though you may be in for a shock with that one.

Seasons in the Abyss is a huge step down from everything else Slayer did up to that point though.

The White Stripes - Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)

Great album to put on when writing for work or pleasure, of which I'm doing both right now.

Bruh!

Chopped Canada is sick. Not sure why they kicked Dean out and replaced him with a fucking Bachelor!

Edit: He wasn't kicked out.

Running Wild — Marooned

The latter part of this album is better than the start, barring Riding The Storm ofcourse

Seasons... is the weakest of the first five Slayer albums, yet also the last Slayer album worth listening to. Decade of Aggression aside, it really went downhill from there.

Necrophobic - Before The Dawn

One of their catchiest songs with the guitars and vocals working well together.

Yeah Brad Smith has the personality of a bag of breadcrumbs. I do like the panel of judges though. I just watch the Food Network all day haha!

NP: new BolSSer

Seasons is a mixed bag, but it has some of my favorite Slayer tracks on it. "Hallowed Point" is among their best RiB-esque barnstormers, and "Skeletons of Society" is one of the few tracks where their later attempts at atmospheric, mid-paced riffing really worked for me. Then there's "Spirit in Black," which is just ridiculously fucking awesome in every way. But yeah, it's got its share of problems ("Expendable Youth" and "Dead Skin Mask," yuck) and is the weakest of the first five.

Slayer - Spirit in Black

COILS OF THE SERPENT UNWIND

Helloween - All Over The Nations

As someone once said in a review...this albums as dark as the sun, still good though

Bathory - Bathory

Classic. Nothing much else to say.

Necrophagist - Onset of Putrefaction

There's plenty of tech here but the production is too slick and inorganic for my tastes. Kind of just sounds like a manufactured machine. That's probably what they were going for, and it's similar to Cattle Decap in that regard. I honestly felt like it was a breakdown away from something -core like All Shall Perish.

On to the next album!

Sonata Arctica - Rise a Night

Oh yes this is straight up Ecliptica/Silence sound

Type O Negative - 'Pyretta Blaze'

Fantastic song. The lyrics are bizarre too!

Dude, that song rules! as does the whole album. My favorite, however is still either Dead Again or Bloody Kisses.

Ultraboris said it best about SITA. It's a classic, but you can see the signs of the end.


Sepultura- Primitive Future


Sepultura September marches on!

Voivod - Missing Sequence

Why didn't I listen to this five years ago?

Pride & Glory - Horse Called War, off Pride & Glory

Jesus, Zakk. Should've stuck to this, instead of Black Label Society and Ozzy's shittier albums.

Arkhtinn - II

Hey this isn't bad as far as atmoblack goes.

Blind Guardian - I'm Alive

Their best album. Utterly savage, brilliantly melodic and blazingly original. No one ever sounded like this before.