It depends on the language for me. With German the accent usually isn't a problem, but with French and Japanese I definitely prefer them to sing in their own languages. It's not hard to get a translation or figure out the general gist of the lyrics, certainly much easier than slogging through some Engrishy lyrics with a silly accent. I mean, compare the English-language songs from Sortilege to the same songs in French; there's just no contest to my ears.









Also, Disillusion is a fuckin' cool album, way better than Thunder in the East.

Hahah whenever I play the Sortilege EP I let it go, complete French recordings and then English back to back. That record is perfect either way. God damn I want Metamorphose!

I think the guy from Blaze has a real soulful voice and his accent doesn't ruin it for me at all. But I understand how it could deter others. I would love to see them on stage I have a feeling they understand what showmanship really means.

Im fine with them singing in english and his accent didn't bother me until the EP which just had too many chunks that were really difficult for him to pronounce. And it really stood out in a bad way too me.

What do you lads think of Accept's Objection Overruled? I just got it today and it's very good; as strong as some of the '80s classics (Metal Heart and Russian Roulette) and with excellent performances and production. It seems to be a bit overlooked due to the time of its release, but I'd certainly take this over their newer stuff (although that's quite good, too).

Haven't listened to it for a while, but I'd say it's better than Russian Roulette, but not as good ad Blood of the Nations.
No doubt up there with the classics.

All or Nothing is a classic Accept anthem, Wolf at his best!

One of my favorites but the next one 'Death Row' is better in my opinion. That's one of my favorite metal albums of all time. I understand that not everyone, including Accept die hards, feel that way. *shrugs* Oh well. Too bad for them.

I just bought my first Axel Rudi Pell album, Oceans of Time, a few days ago, and I'm really digging it. It's funny, one of its strengths is something other bands, particularly Iron Maiden, often get derided for: Endlessly repeating choruses. There are a lot of long songs on the album, and that could in a lot of cases be attributed to the oft repeated choruses, but the choruses are just so good on this album, it works really well.

Another great thing about the album is the soloing. Axel is a great lead player, he does great at both shredding and more slow, soulful leads. And there is plenty of soloing.

Something that's interesting about the album is that it's filled with ballads, but they are all great. Maybe in part because there's not a lot of sections where it's just a clean guitar playing, he writes ballads so the electric guitar is still emphasized. Before getting this, I thought it was horrendous that he had so many compilations dedicated to nothing but ballads, but if his ballads tend to be this strong, I probably wouldn't mind those comps at all.

One more thing: It's about and hour and six minutes, which to my knowledge is pretty long for a heavy/power metal album. But it never gets boring!

I was listening to MetalUSAfer Not the best thing Chris Black has been involved in and seemed like a bit gimmicky US version of Metalucifer while not being as good.

I also just listened to the Katavasia album. Yes its black metal but its classic greek black metal including strong heavy/power elements. More importantly its very good.

I appreciate that album, quite refined with focus on melody and pace. Masquerade Ball is also equally as good.

I gave up on ARP after The Crest - every album just seemed to be the same one over again. Oceans of Time and Mystica were fun though.

I definitely prefer it when Japanese bands sing in Japanese. Partly because, as FSM said, engrish lyrics with a silly accent tend to detract from a song (though the extent varies), but also because I think, phonetically, Japanese is just a really great language for metal. It lends itself very well to rhythmic, accented delivery - much moreso than English, to my ears.

Complete agreement here. I cannot think of any instance where singing in English made anything better. Most of the lyrics in English I can't understand anyway so they might as well sing in Japanese. Then you get bands who love to mix English with Japanese... I don't mind having some song-titles or album titles in English though (gives me something to cling to).

There is definitely a bit of a learning curve (most bands I listen to are not immediate and took me several plays to get into)... its strange that it wasn't that long ago I avoided anything not in English With listening to music these days, I'm mostly extricated from language and am more focused on the vocal lines and "intent" behind the vocals.

From my experience, Japanese metal bands with male vocalists that sing 100% in Japanese are pretty rare (mind you, my focus is on the last 5-10 years). I love Japanese female vocals - the more shrieky, vibrato-laden and intense, the better. Kate Bush is fairly influential over there.

The stuff you post in the Purchases thread doesn't even look real to me. It's astounding.

You guys REALLY need to check out Ghost Tower. I snagged it because the artwork ruled. I didn't realize the guitarist was Matt from Borrowed Time. This stuff is special.

Wow, thats a woman singing!? I thought it was the vocalist from Borrowed Time too. She is pretty great, I hate all the heavy metal bands fronted by Celine Dion wannabe's.

Most of the female vocalists in bands I like use that real husky, raspy tone. This chick is just a pure trumpet-voiced monster. I like the way they have her buried a little though, to add to the ghostly flavor.

I always assumed, because I have a crush on the Ruiz brothers, that Matt Preston was just in Borrowed Time to play killer solos. After hearing Ghost Tower I don't think I possibly could have been more wrong. I bet he was HEAVILY involved with riffing and arrangements as well. It doesn't sound exactly like Borrowed Time, because it's a lot more frantic and graveyard-esque but the seed is there. Couldn't recommend this enough to anyone who might care to listen, and the whole album is on YT.

So, the new Terminus album is fucking amazing and all of you should listen to it.

https://terminusni.bandcamp.com/album/t ... rs-spiral#

It's sort of like Traveller-era Slough Feg, but less weird and better overall. Really great harmonization and riff progressions, gutsy vocals.

This is pretty good, though I like the weirdness of Slough Feg...vocal melodies are kinda meh. Still listening though. So far I definitely wouldn't say it's better than Traveller, but as you may guess from my screen name I find very few things better than Slough Feg

Nah it's not better than Traveller, but it's better than every other Slough Feg as far as I'm concerned. Though of course Traveller's the only Slough Feg I like. Terminus are pretty fucking cool, though. Nice that they have a full-length out now.

Maybe better than The Animal Spirit and Digital Resistance

You don't like Down Among the Deadmen? It's fucking classic!

Nah, it didn't click with me at all, but I'll try it again at some point. Most of Slough Feg just doesn't seem like my bag, though. It's not really the same type of Manilla Road-y stuff as Terminus and its ilk.

If try any of them again, try that one again. Funny how things click or don't. I loved Slough Feg from the first time I heard them, yet for some reason I can never get in to Manilla Road. It seems like something I SHOULD love; it's classic heavy metal, it just doesn't do anything for me at all.

Still listening to Terminus though, and it is pretty solid.

Not sure if that's better than Slough Feg, but this Terminus is pretty damn cool. Vocal melodies are kind of Atleantean Kodex-ish, which is interesting with the brick-like riff work. I dig it.

Listened through the whole album twice, and my only real complaint is that it needs more solos. Other than that, this is just about perfect.

Only on the first song, but if the rest of the album is like this, I can tell I'll like Terminus a whole lot. They remind me of Argus, their latest album especially.

Track 7, Poseidon's Children is really, really great.

It took me years to get into DAtDM. I didn't really become a big Slough Feg fan until Ape Uprising. Their newer stuff still speaks to me more than the old but I can enjoy Deadmen all the way through now. Everyone swears it's their undisputed classic but it was a very slow burn for me.

I guess I'll have to check out Terminus at some point. I hope they're better than Antiquus or whatever the fuck. I think that was the last album I bought on Oblarg's word.

Man, what, Antiquus is fucking awesome.

I'll dig it out and give them another shot soon. I understand my tastes don't exactly line up with a lot of you guys. If they did we'd all be doing backflips over Ghost Tower and Demon Bitch.

Eh, if mine all lined up more people would love Edguy or Sonata Arctica. Just seemed like Antiquus was something you'd dig, was surprised to hear that!

I'm giving it another shot as we speak. I'm pretty sure I never made it beyond the first song or two. I just like talking completely unfounded shit. Which is probably why no one listens to the stuff I DO promote hahaha

Yeah dude, Antiquus is top-tier stuff for me, the second album especially.

Have you heard Thunder Rider? You'd probably dig 'em, they're like Brocas Helm meets Virgin Steele. Epic awesome E R Eddison metal recorded in a ruined castle. Remember that special "otherworldly" quality we were talking about earlier regarding Borrowed Time? Well, put this into your earginas:

I really like Antiquus but the drumming is kinda subpar imho.

The drumming on Eleutheria is kinda sloppy, but it's really good on In the Land of the Blind.

Oh I've known for years I needed Thunder Rider in my life. JMs review tells it all. I've just been trying to find them at the right price which hasn't been a success yet. I'm holding your link hostage. Tell me what you think of that Ghost Tower track first!

Jonpo, Ghost Tower and Demon Bitch are both great stuff. This is way more my speed in terms of Mercyful Fate influence. Kick ass, underground, sloppy stuff that just rocks out with amazing guitarwork - definitely going to track down more of both.

Yeah Thunder Rider is sweet, I ought to re-check their second album, although I don't remember it being great. That Ghost Tower song has cool guitar, but man I don't like those vocals at all. I remember hearing Ghost Tower a few years ago and thinking they were cool though, but I think the vocals were a problem even then. Avalon Steel are another cool band in the vein of Thunder Rider, Terminus, etc., if anyone hasn't checked 'em, they're excellent stuff as well. I've also been digging In the Colonnades' s/t lately, awesome goth rock-inspired metal (as opposed to "gothic metal" bands like Within Temptation or Tristania or whatever) with cheesy synths and a super warbly, overdramatic vocalist. KILL THE SUN! KILL THE SUN! Definitely get on that shit if you haven't.

If y'all like sleazy, grimy and vaguely blackened speed metal, check out this rippin' Nuke demo:

https://nukedetroit.bandcamp.com/

Any newer bands on the Power Metal front doing fast-paced work similar to that of Silence-era Sonata Arctica or some earlier Edguy/first two Avantasia albums? It seems that every newer power metal band I discover these days is focused on slower music, which is upsetting to me. And all of the stalwarts from years past like Gamma Ray are just not good anymore.

I know Ancient Bards is good and Enceladus, but who else is making early-2000s style power metal?

its not the sloppyness that bothers me but how unimaginative it is.