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Gutterscream
The Last Old Schooler in Town

Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 3:59 pm
Posts: 1083
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:19 pm 
 

On Morbid Angel's Altars of Madness -

Abominatrix wrote:
The speed factor makes it pretty exciting, but Trey's twisted riffing sure doesn't sound like anybody else (especially from 1989!) and there's so much happening at such an urgent pace that I feel like I haven't really discovered every nuance even to this day, and I think that's awesome.


I had heard an MA demo or two prior to getting AOM, so I knew what I was getting into, but right off the bat I could tell "Immortal Rites" was throwing down the gauntlet for that sound's future. The backward beginning is nifty (though done already by Queen, among others), but the real proactive event comes with the sets of atonal, keyboard-backdropped 'breakdowns' that war with each other toward the middle. Some of the best moments of metal right there.

As for Domination, it's an album I've always liked, especially "Inquisition" and, yes, "Hatework". Giant Records or no, I still think it's better than anything they've done after that.
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Morbid89
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:07 pm
Posts: 471
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:36 pm 
 

I think I'm one of the few death metal fans that really really likes Domination. As in like right on a par with the other David Vincent albums. Maybe just because it was one of the first Morbid Angel albums I bought (after Covenant, best death metal album ever), I just fucking love all the songs on it. Some of the reviews on here dismiss it as "for Pantera fans" or whatever, but I really like some of the ideas on it. "Eyes To See" for example has a really unusual riffing style that they haven't really explored again, but sounds awesome. The guitar solos are also excellent on that album IMO, especially the one on Dominate.

The first two albums they did with Steve were really good as well IMO, Formulas was a brilliant album, and Gateways was worthwhile as well. The production puts me off Heretic, surely they could have made it sound better than that... :S They played a new song when I saw them in London earlier in the year which sounded closer to the Domination sound, really looking forward to the new album, just hope they don't fuck up the production again. :)

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thomash
Metal Philosopher

Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:31 pm
Posts: 1713
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:49 pm 
 

Nhorf wrote:
Morbid Angel Blessed Are the Sick

Well, I've been listening to their whole discography during last week and this album is undoubtely their best.

I agree wholeheartedly. Also, I like Domination a good bit. I don't think that's too uncommon.

Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death

This album is a classic, and it's even better after the remaster. It's a little over-rated by some, but it's still great. I've always felt that it started a little weak and didn't really get started properly until "Assassin." That said, "Assassin," "Damien," "Beyond the Gates of Hell," and "Oskorei" are amazing enough to make up for the weak opener.

Zoroaster -Zoroaster

I was quite impressed with this release. Aside from the last track, which is a bit of a throwaway demo track, every track is fucking awesome. The guitar tone is thick and rich and the songs are well-composed, particularly "Defile." It's no wonder that this demo was re-released and is so highly rated here on the Archives. It's a very solid, enjoyable release, although it's not all that innovative.

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Acrobat
Eric Olthwaite

Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:53 am
Posts: 8854
Location: Yorkshire
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:27 pm 
 

Am I really this predictable? Yes.

Pentagram - Be Forewarned

An absolutely magical record from start to finish, I've learned to love every note and every nuance. Simply the finest doom metal album outside of Sabbath's first six (and I don't even refer to them as doom, so I'm just being nice). I've elaborated on this in my review, but this is really dark record but at the same time an instantly accessible one. Variation, too is something it has in spades, never once do you get a feeling that record is forced and to me it's a culmination of everything I love about doom metal; the attitude, the darkness, the heaviness and yes, the melodies.

Slough Feg - Down Among the Dead Men

This has turned me into a much greater fan of this band, it's got Thin Lizzy written all over it. One of the songs repeatedly threatens to actually turn into Roisin Dubh. It's a bit messy at times - the harmonising could be seen as overdone to some - but I really like this aspect. Messy can work well, look at Walls of Jericho. It's going to take a while to fully appreciate but I'm sure I'm going to love this one.
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Krelgen
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:23 pm
Posts: 56
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:16 pm 
 

Mentioned previously in this thread: Axel Rudi Pell - Tales of the Crown.
That album has so far been my only exposure to the band, but I have to agree with the negativity about it. Very few tracks stood out, and they were mediocre at best. A completely forgettable album.

For my contribution to the thread, I've recently given several listens to the album The Secret Place by Attack (Ger). The album kicks off strongly with four tracks featuring a brisk speed/power metal pace. The choruses here are catchy and melodic with an interesting vocal range. The album then tries to mix things up with a few slower paced or otherwise mellow tracks. There are two instrumentals, one happens to be the longest song on the album and is notable for its long drum solo spanning the entire middle half of the track. It didn't blow me away, but it was certainly different. The album closes with another instrumental track, a fast melodic speed metal style with a few strange moments thrown in.

Overall I found it to be an interesting listen, if somewhat inconsistent. Although the final half was a bit weaker and wasn't as memorable, I'd personally rate this album higher than most of the stuff I've listened to lately. Some random things to note, the higher vocals remind me slightly of Tobias Sammet although not as high or clean sounding; a more unrefined, standard voice. The bass guitar also shined through a bit more than usual instead of getting lost in the background.

Well that's that. My reviews aren't particularly deep and may lack proper description, but if this was adequate, I may contribute further.

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~Guest 126069
Skanky

Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:47 pm
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:57 pm 
 

ANationalAcrobat wrote:
Slough Feg - Down Among the Dead Men

This has turned me into a much greater fan of this band, it's got Thin Lizzy written all over it.


How do you mean? Like in the intricacy of the polyphonic guitar lines, or what?

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WinterBliss
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:55 am
Posts: 287
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:38 pm 
 

thomash wrote:
Nhorf wrote:
Morbid Angel Blessed Are the Sick

Well, I've been listening to their whole discography during last week and this album is undoubtely their best.

I agree wholeheartedly. Also, I like Domination a good bit. I don't think that's too uncommon.

Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death

This album is a classic, and it's even better after the remaster. It's a little over-rated by some, but it's still great. I've always felt that it started a little weak and didn't really get started properly until "Assassin." That said, "Assassin," "Damien," "Beyond the Gates of Hell," and "Oskorei" are amazing enough to make up for the weak opener.


On Morbid Angel. I've never understood the praise for Altars and Blessed... i like Morbid Angel but if i listen to them it's usually Covenant. I'm sure i take them for granted and if i had been around when Altars first came out maybe i'd be blown away by it. Covanent was also one of the first real metal albums i got into, so maybe thats why i like it the most.

Morbid Saint has seemed to get this huge following, that album is great and i love it. I'm not the biggest thrash fan, but Assassin always get me in the mood to listen to more thrash.


I'll add my two cents.

Fleshpress-Pillars

After a long search for finding Eyehategod+black metal, the wonderful people of this forum turned me onto Fleshpress. They sound a lot like Grief(which they took their name from) but to me, not as boring. I absolutely love this band and got hooked right away. While i wouldn't say there's a whole lot of black metal to their work, Pillars defiantly showcases the most bm out of any of their releases. I absolutely love the two shifts from sludgey slow rhythms to blast beats found on the album, there's not enough of that if you ask me. The band also encompasses a lot of atmosphere. espeically in Pillars which makes it all the better.

I love the album except there's a bit too much ambience/interludes or whatever. The second track is completely worthless and I feel too much time is taken up with noise. I think i like their first album the most, it's more or less sludge with black metal vocals and it's great. I was also surprised to find out that Mikko, the singer of DsO, plays drums in the band(he does an excellent job by the way). Pillars is a great album, but has some fat to be trimmed. What is cool about Fleshpress is their brand of Sludge isn't too Southern sounding, which is something i don't like too much. I love Eyehategod and Dystopia a whole lot, but i've never been too into sludge, so it was nice to find Fleshpress. I'd love to find similar stuff to them. They've also inspired me to checkout more doom based metal, some of which i've liked (Asunder,Corrupted) stuff i want to like (nerousis) and stuff i dislike (The Ocean).
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MikeyC
Official Greeter of Broken Hills

Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:16 am
Posts: 14205
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:50 pm 
 

Whourkr - Concrete

This has not only been played a lot in the past week, but it's been played a lot ever since I got my grubby fingers on the album. Concrete is electronic perfection (almost). To be honest, when I purchased this album, I was not expecting it to be better than their previous debut, Naät, for the sole reason of a new vocalist. I was very wrong...Concrete mixes death metal, electronica, and hints of out-and-out techno sections in such a manner that I have to stop myself playing it several times a day. The vocals are very experimental, but it adds another alien dimension to it. If you like electronica and industrial music, and a lot of weirdness weaved through it, then Whourkr needs to be on your playlist.
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Saethiaal
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 3:47 am
Posts: 66
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:01 am 
 

Venom - Hell

Well, without being great or groundbreaking or anything. This album has suprised me. Although with that being said it is missing something, one of the main things i've noticed is a slight change i Cronos' vocals. Its nothing major, you can still tell its him, just sounds different. Stand-out tracks 'Kill the Music' (Sounds like it belongs on a Motorhead album) and "Hand of God" (I really dug the intro with the slow drumming". Not on par with their first two or three albums but definately a good addition to their discography..

On Covenant, its not a bad album, but i'd rather put Altars on. The only songs that stood out for me on Covenant were 'God of Emptiness' and "World of shit(The Promised Land)". It just didn't have the same effect when i listened to it compared to Altars, which just blew me away.

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TheJizzHammer
Metalhead

Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 10:47 pm
Posts: 1047
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 12:39 am 
 

I had a good week, lots of new experiences. Among them - Two of The Exploited's most recent outputs, Obituary - The End Complete, Watain - Casus Luciferi, Nifelheim - Servants of Darkness, Enslaved - Eld, Opeth - Deliverence, Vader - Black to the Blind, Unleashed - Hammer Battalion.

Here are my three picks:

Enslaved - Eld
Picked this up as a blind purchase, knowing they are viking/black, and I can't get enough! This album has the raw(ish) production and atmosphere I look for in a black metal album, and still has some good clean vocals that take me places. I like the drumming and the black metal vocals work nicely. I also appreciate the contrast between the fast parts, and the slower, softer parts.

Opeth - Deliverence
My first Opeth album ever, and I like this a lot. Six songs, and still one hour of material. I like to sit through this and catch the heavy/faster parts, then the segway into slower, more clean parts. Akerfeldt is a talented musician and writer, and has a great voice, be it cleans or growls.

Watain - Casus Luciferi
When I first listened to these guys, I was kind of digging it, they sound tight and solid, but I couldn't quite understand why so many people adore them so much. But, the more I listen to this, the more I'm starting to get it! Very heavy, evil sounding black metal from Sweden. Something that stands out - that bassline that comes front-and ceter during Opus Dei. I can't describe it, the best word I could come up with is "Rotting", or "rotten".
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Deucalion
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:29 pm
Posts: 1101
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:09 am 
 

divine_torture wrote:
Maybe start with some Suffocation. "Effigy of the Forgotten" is somewhat the beginning of brutal death metal. Brutal death is much faster and lower vocals than the bands you've named. And it never hurts to just give it a shot. Start with Suffocation-"Effigy" like I said, then some old Severe Torture.


I agree with your Suffocation recommendation. However, I've heard some Severe Torture and didn't like it. That being said, I don't think it was older material. For me, Severe Torture didn't have a thick enough guitar tone (maybe production as well), boring vocals (they seemed to be the kind of vocals that are low without any regard to emotion or evilness or anything), pretty boring riffs (perhaps in part because of the tone), and drums that I abhorred. I'm not sure if it was the tone of the drums or what the drummer was doing. Drums and weak riffage can really break a band for me.

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eViLbOrIs
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:15 am
Posts: 346
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:13 am 
 

ANationalAcrobat wrote:
Psychotic Waltz - A Social Grace

A very unusual album for me and indeed anyone else. Buddy Lackey's voice in particular stands out - on the one hand some really unsettling melodies and tones that recall singers like John Arch, Halford and I even drew some comparisons between him and Sabotage era Ozzy (though I can't remember what they were right now). But there's something uneasy about his voice and it's brilliant. But then you get a complete change in mood on I Remember, which is a really convincing and earthy take on Ian Anderson's style.

The guitars are wonderful too, the use of layering is really impressive. On Only in a Dream, which I now realise is a bonus track, it's one part whale noise and the other is like youtube styled shred... if that makes any sense.

I've been listening to this as a whole (bonus tracks and all) for quite a while now and sometimes it feels like a little too much to take in. I'm going to give the original 10 tracks a play later and see if that works better.


This is indeed one of the weirdest albums I've ever heard. On paper, it sounds like a pleasant piece of prog, but darn if it isn't the most awkward, unsettling and maybe even disturbing prog albums ever made. Make no mistake, though, it's a deserving classic.

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Acrobat
Eric Olthwaite

Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:53 am
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Location: Yorkshire
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:07 am 
 

ThrashingMad wrote:
ANationalAcrobat wrote:
Slough Feg - Down Among the Dead Men

This has turned me into a much greater fan of this band, it's got Thin Lizzy written all over it.


How do you mean? Like in the intricacy of the polyphonic guitar lines, or what?


Just the really heavy reliance on guitar harmonies and the fact that one of the songs nearly does go into Black Rose. The celtic vibe too, it's something Lizzy were doing a long time before with stuff like Emerald.
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mjaeltbrand
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:46 am
Posts: 921
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:10 am 
 

Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction


This album is so awesome and it bothers me that the band never released something that could compete with this one when concerning quality. All songs are great, the only one that never caught my attention being The Watching(and its not bad), otherwise the songs are pure riff-monsters with amazing vocals delivered by Harry Conklin and great solos. It is the epitome of power metal and should be owned by every guy that loves metal in general. It is a shame that these guys never got as famous and appreciated as they deserved because their performance on this album is godly. Conklin manages to pull of some shrieks that is in the same league as Halford himself, and the guitarists deliver catchy and memorable riffs and the drummer is good too. The bass is not very audible which is a shame because it would have made the album even better.

This album should be turned into a weapon striking upon bands like Dragonforce with, I'll quote the song Generally Hostile, NO MERCY!
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~Guest 126069
Skanky

Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:47 pm
Posts: 2149
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 3:45 pm 
 

ANationalAcrobat wrote:
Just the really heavy reliance on guitar harmonies and the fact that one of the songs nearly does go into Black Rose. The celtic vibe too, it's something Lizzy were doing a long time before with stuff like Emerald.


Yeah, I can see that. I wonder if Slough Feg actually were really influenced by them or if it's one of life's odd little coincidences. Guess it wouldn't be hard to find out.

Demigod - Let Chaos Prevail

Wow, now this album freaked me out, and I'd really like another opinion on it. When did these guys become so... modern? It's really odd how many modern melodeath trappings their are on here and the frequency in which they show through. Tons of Gothenburg type melodies are found here, only existing to seemingly sweeten up the songs with catchiness, fuckloads of groovy chugging plague the riffing, and the vocals have unsettling similarities to later day At The Gates. It's not bad, as all this is done relatively well, and sounds a fair amount better than the bands they are, seemingly, drawing influence from; plus their are quite a few times on the album where the band sheds the aforementioned traits in favor of some really good, intricate dual-leading. But, man, this one sure surprised me.

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divine_torture
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:04 pm
Posts: 39
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:30 pm 
 

Deucalion wrote:
divine_torture wrote:
Maybe start with some Suffocation. "Effigy of the Forgotten" is somewhat the beginning of brutal death metal. Brutal death is much faster and lower vocals than the bands you've named. And it never hurts to just give it a shot. Start with Suffocation-"Effigy" like I said, then some old Severe Torture.


I agree with your Suffocation recommendation. However, I've heard some Severe Torture and didn't like it. That being said, I don't think it was older material. For me, Severe Torture didn't have a thick enough guitar tone (maybe production as well), boring vocals (they seemed to be the kind of vocals that are low without any regard to emotion or evilness or anything), pretty boring riffs (perhaps in part because of the tone), and drums that I abhorred. I'm not sure if it was the tone of the drums or what the drummer was doing. Drums and weak riffage can really break a band for me.


It could have been later stuff you heard. They do tend to play some noodly riffs with higher end notes/hammer-on/pull-offs. But there's quallity brutality on their first two albums. Maybe check again with their "Feasting On Blood" and "Misanthropic Carnage" albums. Drums and vocals are pretty basic brutal death. Not as much blasting but tasteful.

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Entranceemperium
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:23 pm
Posts: 43
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 8:16 pm 
 

I've been trying to catch up on 2008

Two albums that have had many spins are Unleashed' s Hammer Battalion and Averse Sefira' s Advent Parallax.

First off Unleashed's offering is primal, pummeling, and, well, Swedish. It's the best thing they've done since their first two. It's barbaric with a super thick tone and organic production, and it just pummels you with tempo changes from speedy blast attacks, to super slow plodding, to mid paced galloping. It's one of my top picks of the year.

Averse Sefira's take on Black Metal makes me constantly think of a USBM Deathspell Omega. I like it a lot as it's chaotic and dissonant, but memorable. These guys are definitely technically proficient, and it's great to hear stuff like this when the scene seems to be overrun with droning and atmospheric pieces (I enjoy them, but there's too many!).

I also acquired Krallice-s/t and Cor Scorpii-Monument. I'll need to listen to these more, but they sounded promising.

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Deucalion
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:29 pm
Posts: 1101
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:55 am 
 

divine_torture wrote:
It could have been later stuff you heard. They do tend to play some noodly riffs with higher end notes/hammer-on/pull-offs. But there's quallity brutality on their first two albums. Maybe check again with their "Feasting On Blood" and "Misanthropic Carnage" albums. Drums and vocals are pretty basic brutal death. Not as much blasting but tasteful.


I believe it was later stuff. Yeah, the riff (s) was (were) like what you described. Actually, I listened to the same stuff a bit more earlier today, and I didn't detest it as much. I think the vocals may have actually kinda reminded me of Suffocation. That being said, I still didn't think it was great or anything. I'll probably end up checking out the first two albums sometime (I think the store I go to actually had both of those at one time...though I doubt I'll buy them).

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rexxz
Where's your band?

Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2004 8:45 pm
Posts: 9094
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:06 am 
 

Still Sunday for me here, so I'll post mine, and then later follow up with some comments on what the rest of you all have been listening to.

Sieges Even - 2005 - The Art of Navigating by the Stars

Pretty cool stuff. I am really unfamiliar with any other album by this band, and as I come to understand that played a variety a permutations on the progressive metal genre. The Art of Navigating by the Stars is rather nice. There is mostly clean guitar and bass guitar work here. The overdriven electrics take a backseat, and as a result this doesn't really feel like much of a metal album.. it's more reminiscent of prog rock, but not any psychadelic sort. Making multiple reprisals is a very effective bass ostinato that shows up in the very beginning of the first track (not counting that intro), in the middle and end of the album.

Coffin Texts - 2000 - Gods of Creation, Death and Afterlife

This is crushing. Do not make the mistake of associating them with Nile despite the Egyptian theme. This album throws one devastatingly heavy riff after another, piling up the heavy moral weight of desecration and sacrifice. Infectiously catchy grooves interchange with nebulous and evolving multi-part dirge-like passages as well as frantic barrages of blasting that pepper the songs sparsely to liven things up. There unfortunately is very little original material on this album, the last two tracks being covers.
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divine_torture
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:04 pm
Posts: 39
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:26 am 
 

Entranceemperium wrote:
Averse Sefira's take on Black Metal makes me constantly think of a USBM Deathspell Omega. I like it a lot as it's chaotic and dissonant, but memorable. These guys are definitely technically proficient, and it's great to hear stuff like this when the scene seems to be overrun with droning and atmospheric pieces (I enjoy them, but there's too many!).


I've been reluctant to check them out as they seem like they may bore me. Or just be another DsO...I'm good with the one.

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orionmetalhead
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:54 am
Posts: 2327
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:11 pm 
 

divine_torture wrote:
Entranceemperium wrote:
Averse Sefira's take on Black Metal makes me constantly think of a USBM Deathspell Omega. I like it a lot as it's chaotic and dissonant, but memorable. These guys are definitely technically proficient, and it's great to hear stuff like this when the scene seems to be overrun with droning and atmospheric pieces (I enjoy them, but there's too many!).


I've been reluctant to check them out as they seem like they may bore me. Or just be another DsO...I'm good with the one.


When I saw them live, I never got the sense of them being a new DsO. They sounded like a much more straightforward Norwegian BM band. I never got the sense of them being as experimental or as complex as DsO either. Maybe they have released new material since then but I remember them being a fairly typical black metal band.
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PlagueRages
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:31 pm
Posts: 142
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:34 pm 
 

Entranceemperium wrote:
I've been trying to catch up on 2008

First off Unleashed's offering is primal, pummeling, and, well, Swedish. It's the best thing they've done since their first two. It's barbaric with a super thick tone and organic production, and it just pummels you with tempo changes from speedy blast attacks, to super slow plodding, to mid paced galloping. It's one of my top picks of the year.


Have to agree with you on this album, bought it back in September and I really love it. Probably my favourite album from 2008, though I haven't exactly bought many albums released this year.

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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
Posts: 9311
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:14 pm 
 

I didn't see much new stuff posted, so I'll throw mine in now, though it's a bit late. Just two for now:

Aspid: "Krovoyziliyanie"
Some pretty nice and quite technically-demanding thrash metal here from Russia. Kruel's review describes it pretty well, I think. Funny thing .. I downloaded some tracks several weeks back, thinking that they were from this band .. only I suddenly realised that the lyrics were in Spanish, and though it was definitely thrash, it was hardly what I call technical. I still don't know what Aspid I was originally listening to as the album and song-titles don't seem to be on the archives. Anyway, the Russian one is really exciting, at least at first. Vocals are a lot like Destruction's in their classic era, but the production sounds very early 90s, and that's not a bad thing in this case .. the riffs come through with a nice and meaty sound and the bass is very audible and always doing interesting things. I find my attention wandering as the album progresses though and the riffs seem to become less memorable. I'll have to listen to this one some more, but it's certainly something good to put on occasionally.

Damien Thorne: "Wrath of Darkness"
Everyone seems to only know "Sign of the Jackal", but I must say that this album is really good! Sound is a bit thin and not so heavy but I like it .. it forces you too pay attention to everything that is going on and there's quite a bit here. Definitely far from predictable heavy metal .. in fact, they remind me a lot of Slauter Xstroyes on this one, but without the crazy and charismatic singing of John Stuart of course. Vocals are still good though, and I really enjoy the way the structures of the songs are never conventional and twist around in surprising ways. Nice basswork too, which, due to the thin guitar sound, fills out the bottom end of the music quite audibly. I'd definitely suggest this to fans of Slauter Xstroyes and perhaps Manilla Road.
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STORMM
Veteran

Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:27 am
Posts: 3414
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:05 am 
 

Golden Dawn - The Art Of Dreaming (fantastic black metal)
Came across this band by chance and very glad i did, this is one of the finest black metal albums I have bought in a few years, I had never herd of them previously tbh. They mix so many styles it is hard for me to put them in one category. The keyboards really stand out, I can not compare them to any other BM band I have herd, strange melodies but very effective, they sound medi-evil, then orientel, then ambient from track to track, the album has also nice acoustic interludes throughout, the song writing is top notch, it is one of the few albums you can listen to without reaching for the skip button to miss any fillers.This is what I would call forward thinking black metal, was prob ahead of its time when it was released. My only prob was how the fuck I had never herd of these guys as this came out in 1996! If you are a fan of BM this is definately worth a spin or two. Can not comment on their latter material though.

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Jarnroth
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:38 am 
 

Well, what have I been listening to then...

Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East 1979

So, just recently I heard someone say this was their best album, even though it's recorded live, and that if anything I should check this one out.
Being a sort-of-fan of "Defenders of the Faith", and never really getting into their old classics which most people hold in the highest esteem, I put this one on a spin with no high expectations since the material was from that period of time.
And oh whoah! I was blown away. Thick guitars, Halford sounding better than ever and everything was just top notch. This was a real heavy metal experience worth writing home about! They ripped through every song and made my head bang even though I was home with a cold, and I more or less felt like lying down feeling sad for myself. Instead, it revitalized my spirits and put Judas in higher regards in my eyes. Guess it's a starting point to get into "Sad Wings..." etc!
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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:09 am 
 

Jarnroth wrote:
Well, what have I been listening to then...

Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East 1979

So, just recently I heard someone say this was their best album, even though it's recorded live, and that if anything I should check this one out.
Being a sort-of-fan of "Defenders of the Faith", and never really getting into their old classics which most people hold in the highest esteem, I put this one on a spin with no high expectations since the material was from that period of time.
And oh whoah! I was blown away. Thick guitars, Halford sounding better than ever and everything was just top notch. This was a real heavy metal experience worth writing home about! They ripped through every song and made my head bang even though I was home with a cold, and I more or less felt like lying down feeling sad for myself. Instead, it revitalized my spirits and put Judas in higher regards in my eyes. Guess it's a starting point to get into "Sad Wings..." etc!


Definitely it should inspire you to check out those 70s albums. The only problem with "Unleashed in the East" is that the set-list could have been better. You'll find that stuff like "genocide" is played faster on "Unleashed", but I actually somewhat prefer the original version of that song anyway.
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Rottenrectum
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:41 pm
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Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:19 pm 
 

Have been playing a lot of Scream Bloody Gore this week.

Death has never been a favorite band or so for me, although I respect look up to Chuck for pioneering the genre. I've been listening to the remastered version of the debut album, and while it may not have been that much different from the original, it made me a bit more interested in the band. Before I mostly listened to Symbolic and the other more progressive albums, but now I'm starting to seriously like the older Death. It will be more from Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy and Spiritual Healing in the future. I have also been trying to learn some of the older songs on guitar, they are quite simple but sound great and are fun to play. Great for a beginner like me.

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206
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 4:00 pm
Posts: 870
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:49 pm 
 

The only band I have listened to this week that is on the archives is Tard - Disgorging Guttural Regurgitations...

They are listed as Brutal Death/Grind, but there is little to no grind riffing at all on the album. They play death metal at three speeds, Sludge, Mid-Tempo and All-Out, and use the compact song structure of grindcore, so the riffs come and go quickly.

And what I really like about it is the riffing. I am not too knowledgeable of a death metal fan. I like it all, but I do not know the different between Brutal/Technical/Slam, etc. I just know this music sounds good. They have moments that sound like Morbid Angel at their most sludgy (Blessed era breakdowns) and moments of break neck speed that we have come to expect from modern musicianship and metal theory. (Sure, just about all death metal bands can play fast, but the precision and technicality has improved immensely over the years - this is what I am referring to.)

The bass actually stands out. The fuzz/distortion is turned down, so it has more of a crossover feel to it - which paradoxically, actually adds more depth to the music. And the drummer has interesting, almost free jazz snare rhythms in some of the songs. He's not just hitting a snare on every 8th note with a triplet leading into the next sequence. As a whole, the musicans are fantastic.

Overall, as a death/grind band, I place them in the B-List. The album is too short and there is a paucity of grind riffs. But at the same time, this is the type of band that would really sit well with someone who likes death/grind because the songs are shorter, the riffs are a-plenty and the dual vocals adds a nice touch to the overall presentation. This could also be a nice band to use as an introduction to death/grind along with early Misery Index. Tard is in no way comparable to MI, but they serve as a nice ballast.

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Dark_Mewtwo1
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:20 pm
Posts: 179
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:05 pm 
 

I listened to both of Verdunkeln's albums last night, my favorite being the self-titled by far. Both albums have a hypnotic quality to them, thanks to that eerie clean guitar they use. What I enjoy the most about this band is that clean guitar. Something so simple as that makes this band stand out to me out of all the black metal bands out there, because it's not just a gimmick, it's an integral and necessary part of their music. The s/t has a rawer sound, a sound that I ended up preferring over the cleaner Einblick In Den Qualenfall. Both albums are quality.

I'm also very impressed with Seance and their new album, Awakening of the Gods. I remember hearing the samples on the myspace and hearing a lot of Gothenburg-isms. The real CD barely has any, so it goes to show you that samples only tell part of the story. IMO, this new album sounds as good as their old albums. The material on this record is top notch, and the playing is tight and heavy. I loved it, I honestly had low hopes, too many bands have come back and only one comeback album stands out to me (Monotheist), but this is another. For a band to go 15 years without an album, and finally put out such a monster, is mighty impressive.

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TheJizzHammer
Metalhead

Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 10:47 pm
Posts: 1047
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:53 am 
 

Another good week for me. I have so much in my collection and accumulated it so fast that I've decided to digest what I already have before I go out and get more shit.

Here are my picks:

Windir - 1184

What a great folk/black band from Norway. I think all their albums are just great, and this is the one I spin the most. This gives off a very wintery feel for me, especially with the keys. The other night we were hit by a snow storm. I was the only one on the road. I turned off my headlights and drove home with this on. Fucking amazing. The clean vocals are great, and the folky parts are fun and memorable.

The Exploited - Beat The Bastards

An old school punk rock group gone cross-over. This album is fast, agressive, and blends good bits of punk and thrash. It makes me want to grab my cat by the scruff of his neck and punch him in the fucking face. The riffs on the album are fucking sweet. Not innovative or mind blowing, just fucking sweet. I'll always prefer the Exploited of the 80s, but this is good crossover.
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orionmetalhead
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:54 am
Posts: 2327
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:21 am 
 

Over the week:

Iron Maiden - Powerslave: I've listened to this album since before I was in high school. Every single time I listen to it, the exact same things really hit me and though it could be a sense of nostalgia, I tend to think its really just because the album has legendary moments scattered throughout. 2 Minutes To Midnight's solo section screams classic metal, Back In The Village's chorus, supported by the lead that took me forever to hear still gives me shivers. Rime of the Ancient Mariner is hands down, the best of their longer songs. Perfect closing. Even the middle tracks, Flash of The Blade and The Duellists kick ass. I could still do without Losfer Worlds. I do find myself enjoying Powerslave (the song) more now than when I first got the album. This is one I should pick up on vinyl.

Black Sabbath - Headless Cross: Of all the "forgotten" Sabbath albums, this is the only one that I feel really stands up to their early work. Though the absence of Geezer and Bill will always knock it down a few notches. "Headless Cross" opens the album in classic Sabbath tradition with heavy riffs and a driving rhythm section. Tony Martin's vocals on the album are superb. Lyrically, the album is fantastic too. I've only noticed this recently though; neglecting the lyrics of basically all the stuff I listen to until the past year. I know, it's ashame too. "When Death Calls" is still my favorite track. Though "Devil and Daughter" definitely crept up into my blind-spot on the few listens I gave the album. It will pass into first place soon.

Other shit that struck me:

Sapremia - With Winter Comes Despair: Hah, rexxz you're going to kill me for continuously mentioning this album. If you like Grave / Entombed and the swedish sound, get it.

Opeth - Morningrise: Though I am far from an Opeth fanboy, I still enjoy this record greatly when I am in the mood for something more mellow. It sounds distinct, and important. Songs like Nectar and To Bid You Farewell make me yearn for the band to go back to their origins.

Solitude Aeturnus - Alone: Scent of Death is the best song on the album for me with a killer chorus. Sadly, the rest of the album, especially after the fourth or fifth track really falls into the redundant category.

Akercocke - Rape Of The Bastard Nazarene: It took me a long time to get around to listen to this. Awesome album, weird as shit too. You can really see where the material on GoM and Choronzon progressed from. I think some slight production touch ups on this could really give it a boost.

Down - Over The Under: Definitely better than Down II with more emotion and more attitude though the songs are not nearly as good as on NOLA. "Beneath The Tides" and "Nothing In Return (Walk Away)" really come off as the strongest tracks - probably due to such genuine heartfelt lyrics.

Darkthrone - The Cult Is Alive: This is awesome when I am in the mood for it. "Graveyard Slut", "The Cult Of Goliath" and "De Inderjordjske (Aelia Capitolina)" are the stand out tracks for me though mostly because of the riffs. The whole thing is catchy.
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TheJizzHammer
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:25 am 
 

Powerslave is my personal favorite Maiden album, and when I saw them live, they played a good chunk of it, and the stage setup was amazing for it.
Flash of the Blade is my personal favorite song by Maiden, I love the shit out of that chorus, and Aces High is the perfect song to start with - that's how they got the ball rollin'. The leads after the song picks up really kick ass.
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orionmetalhead
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:54 am
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Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:26 am 
 

Rottenrectum wrote:
... but now I'm starting to seriously like the older Death. It will be more from Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy and Spiritual Healing in the future.


Everyone needs to hear Spiritual Healing. It always gets pushed into the forgotten areas of Death's Catalog (with Individual Thought Patterns) though I think it is one of their strongest albums. You can definitely tell how they got from SBG and Leprosy to Human which, with Spiritual Healing, is the Pinnacle of their career for me. Pull The Plug, Killing Spree, Defensive Personalities... oh man, classic.
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rexxz
Where's your band?

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:27 am 
 

By the way, Chuck sounds like Rita from the Power Rangers on the Painkiller cover.
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Empyreal
The Final Frontier

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Location: Where the dead rule the night
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:29 am 
 

I think Headless Cross is the quintessential metal album. It's short, succinct and has everything you could ever want in a traditional metal album. Why more people don't worship it is beyond me.
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orionmetalhead
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Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:53 am 
 

Empyreal wrote:
I think Headless Cross is the quintessential metal album. It's short, succinct and has everything you could ever want in a traditional metal album. Why more people don't worship it is beyond me.


Its not THAT short. It's still a 40 minute listen to straight through. But there is more substance on it than on most albums of a longer length.

The tone of the keys on the album is perfect too. Where used, they sound more like a dirty, ancient church organ than a Casio keyboard or grand piano. It really gives the album a much more religious and spiritual feel. The whole thing is caked in that tone also.
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Zakillah
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:35 pm
Posts: 381
Location: Austria
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:49 am 
 

Over the last 2 days I have been listening to

Legion of the Damned - Cult of the Dead
I always loved those guys for their no nonsense sound. Little has changed on that album, its instant win for all who liked them before.
For my taste they got even better and this is their best album to date. They change tempo a little bit more than before, the riffs still kick an insane amount off ass and the drums are pummeling with great double bass flurries....and they still hardly play any solos (not that I care, really).
It all sounds very, very familiar, so if you look for something innovative, look somewhere else. If you´re in the mood for some straight forward, brutal Thrash by all means pick it up.

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Torwilligous
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:19 am
Posts: 50
Location: Togo
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:40 am 
 

rexxz wrote:
By the way, Chuck sounds like Rita from the Power Rangers on the Painkiller cover.

Hahaha. You know, he actually really does! Great, now I'll never be able to listen to it again without cracking up.

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Empyreal
The Final Frontier

Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 6:58 pm
Posts: 35138
Location: Where the dead rule the night
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:31 am 
 

orionmetalhead wrote:
Empyreal wrote:
I think Headless Cross is the quintessential metal album. It's short, succinct and has everything you could ever want in a traditional metal album. Why more people don't worship it is beyond me.


Its not THAT short. It's still a 40 minute listen to straight through. But there is more substance on it than on most albums of a longer length.

The tone of the keys on the album is perfect too. Where used, they sound more like a dirty, ancient church organ than a Casio keyboard or grand piano. It really gives the album a much more religious and spiritual feel. The whole thing is caked in that tone also.

Well, 40 minutes is still short - I never said it was EXCEPTIONALLY short. ;)

Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

Man, I love this shit. The unique guitar playing, with its slight folksy flourish at times and the long, elaborate guitar solos, combines with Phil Lynott's narrative way of singing and lyrics to make a classic. There are so many great songs here that it's staggering. The title track, with its catchy rhythms and rocking chorus, "Angel From the Coast," with its "stream of consciousness"-styled structure and catchy riffs, "Romeo and the Lonely Girl," "Warriors," which has the best riff on the album and "Cowboy Song" which is a somber epic with a big, catchy chorus and some cool country parts at the beginning. And let's not forget "Emerald," with its proto-Power Metal soloing and unstoppable riffage. This album rules, and anyone who doesn't think so is just weird.
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yogibear
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:22 pm
Posts: 377
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 12:45 pm 
 

Winterhawk-Revival

alright a power metal /guitar hero album from the mid later 80's.The band led by jordan mcmanus plays some heavy rock with some killer guitar pyrotechnics. The singer is a cliched sort of higher tenor but within this music he does alright.The music is excellent and well done the tunes tend to be longer and has some leads and jams where he smokes, some would call it overplaying but imo its all fits the flow of the songs and he does fill all the spaces. The production is ok for the time but compared to modern times seems weak in the overall loudness of the whole sound. this one is one that is in demand and seems to go OOP quite reguarly.now if i could only find a copy of slauter xstroyes.

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