Diversity is the thing in Monotheist for me too. To Mega Therion still remains number one, but not so far away. I remember being quite let down with Monotheist, because no song on it sounded like Return to the Eve or The Usurper. But then somehow it just clicked.

Thanks to this conversation I'm listening to Monotheist now. To be totally honest I actually prefer the first Triptykon album to this, but I like the variety of songs here, as you said. "Obscured" is the complete highlight for me, though. That song oozes feels.

Good boy, keep working.

I love both Triptykon albums but Monotheis and its variety are the winners(and once again, those female voices....)

I'm glad you approve, Basquedude.

Bass is such a non-factor in black metal I'm actually somewhat surprised the founders of it even kept it in the genre's sound and didn't exclude it for being "trendy" or whatever. Bass in black metal is minimalist, minimalist, minimalist.

Hell the only black metal song I can even think of that has a bass intro at the moment is Master's Hammer's "Wrok."

There are some good basslines on Burzum's Belus, surprisingly enough. Simple, but noticeable and effective.

Accept - Balls to the Wall

Perfection. Fight it Back is my fave from this album right now.

Thorns Of Crimson Death - Dissection

Listening to some melodic black metal. Unlike rest of the Swedish melodic death acts, At The Gates has a more richer set of influences. Definitely more of the Venom/Hellhammer, and less of NWOBHM.

Isis - Panopticon

My friend asked what I who was listening to, to which I replied 'I'm listening to Isis'. Got some funny looks, I have to say.

^

Cynic - Traced In Air

This album puts me in a good state of mind. It got a lot of flak for not being as heavy as Focus but who gives a damn. It still hits the spot with me.

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

Another one I don't put on often enough.

Best Iron Maiden album right there buddy. (before any of you get butthurt, that's called an opinion, people have those things)

Man come on, don't do that passive aggressive defensive shit like that. Powerslave is probably their most popular album anyway so it's not even like it's a controversial opinion to have.


Grave Digger - Return of the Reaper
Or more accurately, just Hell Funeral a bunch of times in a row. The recent GD thread got me listening to them again and I just keep going back to this song. Seriously the best thing they've done since Rheingold without any real competition. The rest of the album is solid and I like the whole thing but that opening track really puts it over the top in a huge way.

Powerslave is a classic, but it's far from my favorite by them. While I like it a lot the first two and last two songs clearly eclipse everything in between. Album flow and consistency is really important to me overall, so I like other Maiden albums quite a bit better and tend to play them more. Powerslave is also a bit simpler and more anthemic, while I like Maiden more for their long guitar gallops and more complex twin-axe stuff on other albums.

Iron Maiden - Wasted Years

Like this one.

I assume the song isn't so stellar that it makes the rest of their stuff sound mediocre, right? I'm thinking of your Goatwhore review here.

Nah, not to that degree. It's sorta more like Riot, who obviously have a huge and fantastic discography, but the opening track on Immortal Soul does sorta render the rest of that particular album irrelevant to me, even if I do recognize how great it is. "Hell Funeral" makes the rest of the album sound good but not as brilliant as that song, "Apocalyptic Havoc" makes an entire discography seem pointless.

@BastardHead I wasn't being passive aggressive, that was more of a joke than anything. But if you were doing what I think you may have been doing with that response, then lol

@Empyreal I felt exactly the same for the longest time, feeling as if the album was a sandwich with the best bread ever but not as good of meat, but one day The Duellists and Back in the Village just clicked with me. I think it's their one flawless album, but really any of their Bruce stuff could be claimed as flawless.

Face to Face - Don't Turn Away

This and No Control are always fighting for the spot as my #1 punk album.

Songs like The Duellists or Flash in the Blade, as fun as they are, I always just want the title track and Rime to come on instead. Ah well, it's nitpicking and the album is still very good anyway, easily a 90%+ score for me anyway. I think the title track may be the best song Maiden ever wrote, too.

Ha, and that Riot song - I actually think it's one of my least favorites on Immortal Soul. Fun and energetic but I just like some of the other stuff on there so much more.

Iron Maiden - Sea Of Madness

I'm not even sure what I would consider their best album. I lose interest after their 80s work, just like a lot of people. Lately I have been enjoying the first two albums more than anything else.

Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Man I love that opener. Thankfully it doesn't ruin the rest of the album though!

Is that the one with Colony of Birchmen? That album kicks total ass!

I think it might just because it was such a personal kick in the teeth for me the first time I heard it. I never listened to a whole lot of Riot, but hearing all the hyper when it came out about it being their best since Thundersteel piqued my curiosity enough to give it a whirl, and all that energy + the brilliant chorus just gobsmacked me. There are a ton of great songs with all sorts of emotion and variety across the album, but that fairly typical speed metal song just blew me away so fucking hard the first time I heard it that it wound up overshadowing everything. Can't help it, I like dumb music


Mighty Midgets - Raising Ruins for the Future
I just told iTunes to shuffle and it landed on this album. I realize it's not going to appeal to many people here but it's one of my favorite unsung gems of punk. It carries itself with such a thick coating of melody while still managing to spaz the hell out and just let out some completely unhinged chaos. Pretty sure my favorite part is the vocals, and it's because they kinda suck but kinda rule. It's hard to explain, but I don't exactly know the makeup of the band, but it's really obvious that several people do the vocals across the course of the album. The gang shouts are just out of this world because of it. Usually when a band utilizes that technique the voices are all well harmonized or at least sound similar enough to not be all that jarring. These guys on the other hand, all sound completely different, with varying levels of harshness or melodic skill. A track like "Our Perfect Lies" or "Plea for Peace" showcases this wonderfully, with the chorus of the former song probably being the highlight of the album for me. The "WE'RE SPARE PARTS FOR THE MACHINE" part is just the cacophonous explosion of incompatible voices that are all just belting their hearts out and it somehow just works. Restraint is not the band's forte and they know how to work it.

It really is a great song, which is why it's tough to say it's my "least favorite." But when it comes down to "Fall Before Me," "Sins of the Father," the title song, "Insanity"...I dunno, just like those ones better. It's weird that they put that speed metal anthem in front of an album with mostly melodic hard rock songs, though - kind of a retrospective of their whole career I guess, but even so.

Agora - En La Eternidad
This is the kind of progressive metal I've been looking for for years, that has the same sort of warmth and heart and musical diversity that early Dream Theater has. I love the way the guitars and keyboards interlock and wind around each other, the fact that the guitars do other things than play chugs and shredding all the time (a part most Dream Theater clones fuck up massively), the way they manage dynamics, and the singer's sweet yet piercing timbre, almost uncannily like James LaBrie in his prime.

Agora - Sin Despertar
Oh my god. This is like medical-grade musical heroin for me, I'm in love.

I have a few of Maiden's 80's albums, but I got into them with AMOLAD, so I prefer their 21st century work.

ReVamp - Wild Card (song)

In my opinion, this is Floor's best vocal performance to date.

I still haven't heard AMOLAD, is it worth digging into? I see that it's rather polarizing. I have only heard two post reunion Maiden albums but I did like them both (Brave New World and Book of Souls). I guess I'm missing Dance of Death and Final Frontier along with that one.

Metal Church - Hitman

My favorite Metal Church song, and that's not an easy decision. I love the riffs on the debut album. They're like thrash/speed/heavy/power riffs all in one. Not to mention those cool vocals and the ace rhythm section.

@Woolie; I understand that you're a very picky guy when it comes to your musical preferences (and I say that as a compliment). That means I should probably check that Agora band out at some point, if you're gushing so hard about them

Sumerlands - Seventh Seal, off Sumerlands

Very solid heavy metal with an ancient, misty feel to it. Dig it a lot.

Incantation - Impending Diabolical Conquest

Vicious as fuck.

I think AMOLAD is fantastic, though a bit long-winded by its last few songs. But it's a really dark, harrowing album for them. I like how atmospheric and warlike it is. You'll like that and TFF if you liked Book of Souls or if you just like Maiden at their most long-winded and epic. If you mostly like their really early stuff you'll hate all of it.

AMOLAD wasn't mastered and I believe most of the vocals are 'live'. It really gives the album a different feel. I'd give it a go.

Falconer - Wings of Serenity (acoustic)

Falconer needs an acoustic album.

I hate basically every single solitary thing about AMOLAD, but if you like BoS and BNW, you'll like AMOLAD just fine.

No. It's when I realized Steve Harris had stuck his head in to his stupid "re-write Fear of The Dark forever" sphincter and wasn't coming out. Take that for whatever its worth.


Edge of Sanity- The Dead

Tasteful use of keyboards.

I think I'll try 'em. No harm in doing so. The only Maiden I dislike is Fear of the Dark through Virtual XI (I actually kinda like No Prayer haha) so I'm sure they'll go down well.

TrooperEd Fear of the Dark is arguably my least favorite thing in their entire discography but I think Virtual XI may win in terms of suck so if you're right this ain't gon' be good!

I actually downloaded Book of Souls before it came out on my computer and still haven't to listen to it cos I'm still so dejected and bitter with the one two punch of suck that was AMOLAD and TFF. I still want to slap them for playing the entire thing live. That was the worst mistake they made since Blaze Bayley.

Edge of Sanity- Decepted By The Cross

Apparently decepted isn't a proper english word cos my spell checker says otherwise. Swedish language barrier?

Was that the only album they've ever played in full live? I like it, but that was an odd decision.

Demons and Wizards - Fiddler on the Green

One of my favorite Hansi-related songs.

In a beginning to end format? Yes.


Edge of Sanity- Immortal Souls

"Incoming Death" -
Asphyx

In Flames - Ordinary Story

Illustrates the descend of In Flames into irrelevance!

Seasons In The Abyss

"Close your eyes...and forget your name..Step outside yourself...and let your thoughts drain..As you go insane"

Grave Digger — Rheingold

Guardians of the holy treasure!, nice chorus.