LORD - Set In Stone

sounds like a mid paced power metal song. Some solid guitar work with the intro riff being quite nice. The chorus riffs tend to be just a chugging along type, but the solo section along with the bridge in the middle of the song is good and has some nice melodies. Vocals are what i'd expect...seems like he can hold the notes and has some decent power in them....lyrically, it seems the majority of the singing is the chorus and gets abit repetitive. The drumming could have been better in terms of adding something interesting. He holds the beat just fine, but thats about it. I guess nothing overly wrong with the song, but doesn't really "wow" me.

6/10

Lets try this Polarizing band

Dimmu Borgir - Raabjorn Speiler Draugheimens Skodde

Haters gon' hate, traitors gon' trait, for that's the way of the world....

And with that said, I have to stress how much of a classic I think "For All Tid" is. Dimmu's later career may have them scorned and utterly reviled but on this album and with this song they were truly masters of their craft. "Raabjorn Speiler Draugheimens Skodde" operates on a subtle brilliance that later Dimmu records may lack and it is a deeply felt and haunting tune with a great use of keys and effects and a way with atmosphere like never before. I heard the Enthrone Darkness Triumphant version first which was all speeded up and much cleaner but this is the definitive version and the guitars sound raw and shoddy but give it a much needed viscerality. The vocals are horrible but this was the first Dimmu record and I forgive them a lot based on how ambitious their ideas were.

Black metal from the USA;
Presenting Element of Eclipse

Element of Eclipse- Aphotic Throne Triumphant

Pretty cool sounding. I like the unusual riffing at the beginning. It isn't anything too unusual, but it's just a good way to grab a listener early on in the song. The whole song is pretty atmopsheric, but it's rather faint, not overbearing or drenched with it. You don't really have to listen too hard to hear the keyboards in the background but they're less of a main feature and more of an extra just there to add bulk to the sound of the song. The guitar tone is rather thin but it isn't so thin that it makes the song sound weak and empty. The bass, unfortunately, is completely inaudible. You can't even hear it when the guitars start playing on the lower 2 strings. That, ladies & gentlemen, is bullshit. The vocals are nothing spectacular, just a standard mid-range rasp/growl and nothing more...pretty damn boring. Drumming is pretty much the same, nothing to write home about at all. The YouTube description says black/death metal but it's definitely leaning more towards the black as opposed to death. Sounds to me more like black metal with hints of death metal in it. Overall, a well-done and cool song, but it wasn't anything spectacular nor did it stand out very much at all.

Whoops :/

Once again reminding people not to post the name of the artist of your song...


Alghazanth: "Daemonolith"

Some interesting, odd little bendy guitar licks going on here, and very, um, theatrical, pseudo-baroque kind of keyboards. I thought the production, especially on the drums, was similar to that of Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse, but this is just far less extreme and far less dark sounding. In fact, there was a near playful nature suggested, only a part of that may have been the kind of spastic music. It really did sound like they were just sort of trying things out in the studio rather than playing a song they had written. The piece felt rather haphazard and pasted together. Despite some tantalising little guitar licks here and there, the guitar tone itself was too weak for them to leave much of an impression. There's a lead at the end that is supposed to cap off this piece, and I have a feeling it should sound triumphant and grand, but the mess of keys and reedy thin tone of the guitar meant it just sounded...well, noodly. That, sadly, is an adjective I might apply to the piece as a whole, too. I guess this is kind of far from the way I feel black metal ought to be, and I can't really justify calling this anything else, so I'm afraid this seems a failure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ovWNJVYm8

Sabbat - Witchflight

Man, fucking hails to Sabbat!
I can easily headbang away to this all day. It is pretty much built like all their songs; speedy, gritty and still so damned essential. The riffing is nothing complex or layered, it is a straight ahead assault but the drumming is an interesting affair and really brings out a great feel of the song with its persistent and frenetic styling. The bass is wonderfully audible and keeps the song locked in nice and easy. The vocals are in engrish of course and Gezol is as evil as always. Really, there's nothing bad to be said about this fun tune. Nothing's out of place, nothing's overdone and Sabbat after all these years still sound authentic and damned essential.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq_ieZLXbL0

Jotenheim - Queen Of The Black Coast
So I was digging the classic heavy metal riff that started off the song, though somehow I was expecting it to act as a transition into something heavier. Instead, the riff is basically the entire song. Some gruff vocals come over the top, though they ultimately sound more like an additional rhythm guitar rather than the ear-catching lead of most bread-and-butter heavy metal. There's really not much more to this song besides a competent solo and some nice twangy basswork springing to attention every once in a while. A solid example of heavy metal, but not something I'd ever go back to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar7nMRyl32E

You do know it's a Manilla Road cover, right?
I thought it was well done actually.

Reverend Bizarre - In The Rectory

I love Reverend Bizarre and this epic crawler is something of a template. It opens with an ultra slow riff upon which a mournful vocal is perfectly knitted. This goes on for quite a while but is very engaging while it does. I love the bass tone - it is a tad too plucky but it adds to the crawly sensation the whole song possesses. The vocals are anguished in a forefather of doom kind of way which makes the song very "elder" in quality but when the band rocks out in the midsection, they take on an Ozzy like inflection. The faster paced section does add a bit of variety but I prefer the slow, woe-is-me tempo and they soon rush back to that with a monster of a riff. I think the song is best heard within the context of the album where it sounds tremendously necessary whilst abandoned on its own it may overwhelm some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4YHfeeN4go

Argus - "Wolves Of Dusk" off Boldly Stride the Doomed

Holy crap, I fell in love!

The band's genre tag says "doom/heavy", but this is pretty pure traditional heavy metal with a blunt rusty edge of the epic quality of old-school doom of Candlemass-ish style, with convincing vocal work and professional execution. I like it. A lot. A quick look at the other tracks off the same album shows an abundance of slower material, with the same adherence to tradition. Maybe the fetid wave of retro-thrash will be replaced by retro-doom soon.

This album goes on my wish list. 9/10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRg2jFt_7y4

The Axis of Perdition - Pendulum Prey (Reciprocating Horror)
Been meaning to check these guys forever, and I'm glad you posted. Now I definitely will look more into these guys. This is rather bombastic noisy black metal with a slight industrial tinge. It actually manages to sound terrifying, which is a hard feat to pull off. This all has a very crawling feel to it. This is rather brutal while retaining a desperate and filthy atmosphere. The tortured shrieks are something else, beats the hell out of melodramatic DSBM. Not much else to say besides this is really fucking good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laKn-KzTgS4

jenovavirus - hexevildom

ok, this is unexplored territory for me. doom-grind? literally half the song is just the guitars palm-muting one note every few seconds while the drum machine changes speed. speeds up for about 30 seconds, with an actual riff, goes back to the chug. lots of "BOOM!"-type effects. vocals are some dude with the microphone next to his voicebox, making a noise like those kids from that movie the ring. the thing is, i can only really review this song in terms of what i know about metal, and this song is a long way from that. so it gets a bad review. this could very well be the pinnacle of grind achievement, but it's lost on me.

inspired by a recent thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhQZGJTgmq0

Mortification - Scrolls of the Megilloth

Hallelujah metal is never my thing but this, although something I probably won't be revisiting, was good while it lasted. Interesting intro kicks the thing off with a rather "epic" tone kinda similar to how King Diamond's "The Candle" begins but without the spooky narration. The ensuing drum and riff rumble is a sound of pure rapture (no pun intended goddammit!) and the vocals are fucking awesome and fit like a glove in this well managed chaos. I don't have a clue what he's ranting on about but he sounds like he means it in a most fanatical way. The bass leaps onto the forefront every now and then but is just too freaking plucky to cut across. I wish more thrash/death bassists played like Ellefson circa So Far, So Good...So What? Anyway it continues on nicely and is quite catchy and there's no pointless breakdowns...wait, hear comes one now, ah just to close off the song. Alright, then!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJURpBWhZr0

Fatal Influence - Hook in Mouth (Megadeth Cover)

I'll be damned but this sounds just as good as the original and even better in some places. the vocalist is really good, with a Mustaine like snarl and a gruffer tone too and still ably articulate. I also really dig that thin tone the guitar solo took on. The riffing is nothing to write home about. It sticks to the original formula and has a rather too loud tone and the drumming is also nothing outstanding. The vocalist really works the life into the song though. I'll check out some originals from Fatal Influence. Vocalist rules!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULHlQW0Yp8Q

Centurion's Ghost - 'The Eighth Deadly Sin'

Nominal horror movie samples to start, but of course, we're talking doom metal! A snarling but uninteresting main riff gets things to a start and then a sweep picked shred solo [?!?!] that sounds like some bedroom shredder's first time in a studio. Weird. Gruff, but not excessively harsh vocals, with an English accent coming through... unique but not that great, to be honest. At the 2 minute mark we finally get a cool refrain riff, but it's maybe a case of "too late, too late". I've known about this band for years, but they never really struck me as something particularly interesting so I guess I was right to pass over the s/h copies of their stuff all those times. It's doom with a slight extreme touch to it (strangely enough I'm reminded of early 1990s Carcass more than anything). I guess it doesn't help matters that I always confuse these lot with Thee Plague of Gentlemen (who, if you remember, were fronted by a nonce). The latter half of the song takes us into slower tempos and it's rather bland... a big "meh" from me.

Here's something from a not-so-popular genre here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKDd27svM2Y

Dokken - 'Turn on the Action'

It has a good riff that lasts throughout. But I absolutely can't stand the vocals.
I remember hearing one song by this band "It's Not Love" back in the day and I remember thinking that of all the hair metal troupe they probably had the best guitar players. Or was it player?
Anyway, the riffs are actually quite reminiscent of Judas Priest and Accept and it has that whole '80's party mood thing going for it which makes it quite catchy but not as overbearing as KISS and Motley were. The guitar remains the constant highlight and if you're into the whole showy electric molestation thing then this is one you don't wanna pass up. It's probably from the more classy end of a filthy establishment. And just a bit too much for plain old me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-WAOpxmZv8

Powers Court - "Conquistador"

A nice acoustic guitar intro leads to a rather convoluted song with weird vocals. Sure, the chick (!) can carry a tune (in a bucket...), but her nasal voice wanders somewhere between Geddy Lee and something else I can't quite put my finger on right now. The production somehow brings the singing and the drums to the front of the stage, and there are some more obviously female wails in the background as well, and that results in a funny, tinny, and rather powerless sound. The performance is otherwise fine, but the intention has obviously been to make a prog masterpiece, and it's perhaps the definition of a "masterpiece" that makes this crash and burn. Funny rhythms, multiple parts, unnecessary and unexpected instruments, and a tune that twists and turns at every opportunity, like an eel on meth, but still does not flow; indeed, this lacks what my favourite brands of prog have, a flow and a progression instead of sudden changes to something completely different. Proggy for the sake of being proggy, and complex for the sake of complexity, and artsy for the sake of farts---y.

Attempts too much, and sounds funny. Not bad otherwise. 6/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gohrcJWGHE4

Wasara - Saatanaiset

Taking a page from Tales/Elegy Amorphis' book, Wasara attempt to write a 3-minute pop-folk-metal-with-growls-and-chanting song. It works, if you're listening with mates in a dungeony pub, while drinking from alehorns. But you won't be looking to buy the CD the next day.

triv bit: google translate gives me the song title as "escort women", which is slightly removed from "Satan's gown".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQsKKk0B-i8

@Turner

Messiah Marcolin & Requiem - I Stand Alone

Sounds kind of cool. It's doomy with industrial and electronic influences all over it. Nice and slow, but it has a pretty cool atmosphere. I'm not really sure how much I would like it long term. I've never been really fond of doom (don't have anything against it though). Starts off kind of slow too before it goes anywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYq5fRatUQY

X-Japan - I'll Kill You

Whoa...I need to listen to more X Japan! This is along the lines of East Coast thrash in the guitar department and straight rocking power metal in the vocals. The riffing is very involving and there's gang shouts to really complement the tone and delivery of the rhythm parts. The drumming is persistent and thrashy and holds up the riffs really well. The bass just pounds away entirely not really changing much but it keeps the song consistent and the vocals man, are really wild and energetic and well delivered.
A really small but cool song with loads of fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEPozIE9_5Q

Yeah, X Japan's first two albums are really damn good. I don't dislike anything they've done, but I do have some mixed feelings about their later material.

Dream Theater - Take Your Fingers From My Hair

Apparently this song is a cover from a band called Zebra. I've never heard the original so I have no idea how faithful this is. Seems to play out as a more ballad-type at first and the picks up as you go along which is a fine song structure to have. Not a bad song. Plenty of interesting bass lines, cool solos and all that. Certainly not anywhere near Dream Theater's best (it's a freaking cover after all), but it's not bad at all. Would probably grow on me with a few more listens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKCornF12SI

Kekal - Characteristicon

As with many other Kekal songs, this track jumps around between many different styles in its run time, with the predominant sound being heavy progressive metal approach. Thankfully, the tempo changes are not too jarring, and actually allow for some interesting riffing. They have also avoided being a band too dependent on keyboard, which is a problem with a lot of avant-garde style bands. Vocals are definitely not the focus, as they only show up for brief moments, before letting the music take over again. When they are there, they're usually in a black metal rasp style, which works well with the music. One problem I have with this song, is that there is no sense of progression. There is an intro, then a series of riffs and solos, then a quick return to the int-END. It's very sudden and jarring. It didn't feel as if it was building towards the end of the song. I thought that youtube had just stopped working. However, overall, the music is decently interesting, and having listened to the band's earlier albums, I know that a single listen won't reveal all the song has to offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvmTiPOH6Ew

YOB- Atma

Some very interesting and dark sounding metal. I really like the vocalist, he reminds me of someone but I actually can't remember who it is off the top of my head...the guitar tone is really nasty and mean sounding without overdoing it and the bass is audible when necessary, otherwise it is just kind of there chugging along with the rest of the instruments. The riffs are fairly simple and there isn't really too much experimentation or anything of the sort. The drumming is also fairly simple, not too much going on, it is just as slow, brooding and depressing as the rest of the music. This could easily be a wrestler's theme since it sort of has that vibe. It kind of reminds me of Albert's theme in the WWE (back when it was the WWF) while he was still known as Albert. Overall, this song is pretty damn cool and I definitely like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j110LPtxTc

Pulsus Furor - Lured into life

The song on youtube labels them as blackened death metal, but I hear alot more black metal than death metal. I like the intro some mleody in the lead but it still has a "cold" atmosphere to it. The opening growl is cool....almost sounds like a howling wind. The song then gets into its tremolo riffing...which is kind of a downer after the intro as its just somewhat dull...it does however keep the mood of the song well. I also like the leads that occur at 3:40 ish and add to the song. The last couple minutes are good and finish the song off on a good note. I actually quite liked this. The vocalist was good...i enjoyed his long growls and the leads were good too. Do they just have this demo out?

8/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBQbTn4UlTY

Dawn - Thirst of the Dead

Dawn is a band I know very little of. I’ve only heard the album Slaughtersun and it wasn’t as death metal-esque as this it. Still, I don’t find it that surprising to see that this is Dawn before they played black metal. There’s lots of tremolo picked riffing going on and they’re actually easy to follow as they’re still very melodic and well, accesible. The difference lies in the vocals which definitely weren’t as low pitched as on Slaughtersun. Here they’re incoherent and definitely not as venomous spitting. I think the guitars are also downtuned here, as they sound muddier and thicker. With the musicianship itself is solid, I don’t find the song to be exactly interesting though. To me it lacks direction. There’s a riff popping up once in a while that will catch your attention, but that’s the case till the song eventually ends. Atleast the song is well produced to, I wouldn’t think its a demo judged by its quality. Everything is pretty much clear and audible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p65Lrc6A38

argentum- serpents lament

Thought the intro was rather cool, the rest is cool as well; all rather amateur sounding but except for the way too loud vocals this is actually fucking rad. There's a bit of early English death/doom in the sound I reckon, but otherwise it's like someone lifted all the atmosphere from Disembowelment. There's this Venus-thick atmosphere held in all the synths and guitar leads, heavy, dark, reflective, quite excellent. Not hugely keen on the guitar shred/piano shred moments though. Still, this is fucken cool man, and Imma definitely check more of this band out.. hope its' easy to find!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYdVepNibuk

Beastwars - Imperium

This is some really cool shit.
Imagine sludge with a wall of sound a black metal upstart would envy. Yes! The riffage is that persistent.
here's a slight break down in the riffs but one that works well and doesn't divert from the main proceedings. The bass is plucky but is tightly governed and quite exciting to hear as he does his thing. The vocals are the cherry on top and complement everything well.
The drumming...oh, I got distracted by all that rich, rich, riffing.
It is delivered in a doom, straight pound kinda way. But back to the guitars. Towards the end, there's this weird thing they do with some effect that is mind blowing. I honestly didn't want this to end. I was hoping it'd be some 13+ minute sludge epic. But for what it is, it is still great.

10/10
100%
Absolute masterpiece!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78pgQBAeOn0

@caspian

Overkill - Weight Of The World

Thrash was my introduction to metal in the 80s, but Overkill is a band that just doesn't stick with me as a band i want to listen to over and over again. But with that said, they do have songs I like and i haven't explored their entire discography (not even close). Kinda cool build up to begin the song, but the first riff, doesn't wow me too much...just a non-intricate mid tempo style riff which doesn't do much for me although listening to the entire song, sort of has an infectious groove to it. Its odd as the tempo of the song is fairly quick, but the riff is somewhat slow in comparison. Bobby's vocals are also hit and miss with me, but this song i enjoy them. he kinda uses some lower vocals and even shows off a growl or two in the song. I do like the bridge at 2:30, the lead is good and although the riff remains the midtempo one, the lead is the star of that section. This song is i guess the epitome of my thoughts on Overkill. Some good things in the song, and other stuff that really just doesn't do it for me...

6/10

Lets take a break from my usual extreme metal song

Powermad - Nice Dreams

This isn't necessarily bad, but man, I don't care for this stuff at all. Super shreddy metal, I'd be surprised if it didn't come out the 80s, has that big arena sound. I mean it's good enough for what it is, but I'd never really listen to this stuff on my own volition. The sort of stuff that I wouldn't turn it off if it was on, but I'd never feel the need to turn on. Also felt the excessive soloing was kind of boring and hurt the flow of the song. The old man in the video was pretty awesome, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjg_ehcLttg

Ah yes, that band who are infinitely superior to Type O Negative in every conceivable way! Isn't there a song by The Exploited by the same name. Pete's weird bass playing kicks things off with a nice intro, of course, it's to lull us into a false sense of security. Then things take a hardcore-y twist. I always thought that Carnivore were one of the most convincing metal bands when it came to incorporating a hardcore influence. Indeed, the down-tuned punky riffs sound fucking massive; like the Cromags after the apocalypse. Fuck, this band's fun. Always puts a smile on my face.

This one goes out to Jimmy Savile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWetMXud_iQ

Living Death: "Wood of Necrophiliac"

I thought this was going to be about pedophiles. Turns out it's an atmospheric instrumental from a cool German speed/thrash band. This tune isn't speedy at all though, alternating between moody clean picking and heavy stomp riffs. There's a tension that is never really released until the tempo finally picks up toward the end, after a very strange (and awesome) high-end riff that is just not the sort of thing you would normally associate with this type of band. Some competent if not particularly remarkable soloing is happening, and while it doesn't particularly distinguish itself it feels right and perfectly in step with the composition. Who says this sort of metal can't have atmosphere? The guitar tone reminds me of Kreator's Terrible Certainty ... that is, not very heavy but with a certain sharpness that's just pleasurable for the ears; I wouldn't want all my thrash to sound like this but hey, it's immediately recognisable and well, just likable. On some other records this kind of thing would be a space filler but this does actually work rather well, and I can hardly believe over five minutes went by. Unfortunately just as things are really beginning to pick up....the track is over, seguing immediately into the next, far thrashier number. Kind of a tease, isn't it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v8QOhZb1wg

Varathron - 'Unholy Funeral'

I really like this album (and everything I've heard from this band, in general). Then again, old Greek black metal rules! That mournful riff at the beginning actually gives me a bit of a Burzum vibe... ghostly, foggy and quite obscure. Goddamn that fake ride sound sucks, though. We'll never really be sure as to why there were no metal drummers in Greece until around 1996! Funnily enough, I often get a Candlemass vibe from this sort of thing - I can certainly imagine hearing some similar stuff on their Nightfall album, at any rate. My favourite riff might be the one at the very end of the song when they introduce the hauntingly cheap keyboards, too. This isn't my favourite Varathron song but I think I have to listen to the album now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbCy9nNGFyw

Sodom - "One Step Over The Line"

OK, guys, let's get back to the basics here. You can't really make German thrash better than what the late 80's and early 90's Sodom did. The bulldozing is there, and in this song, the wonderful moment when the first part of the song turns into the easy-rolling but crushing basic rhythm is one of the most satisfying and also the most basic formulas in thrash. Angry like a really angry German, heavy as a military boot, and at the right place at the right time in the history of metal, kinda like a riff-fueled schwere-Panzer-Abteilung 503. Can't beat this, really, and the album would be the only thing contesting certain contributions by Destruction to be my personal top pick for the best German thrash album ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT30Lwawa_o

Dew-Scented - Soul Poison.

What we have here is some blistering thrash from the early 2000's. I'm only vaguely familiar with the band at hand but this track definitely has me wanting to check out more.

Lots of interesting riffs to be found here and a lot more interesting as a whole than a lot more of the generic thrash bands from the past decade. Everything works here, great drumming and guitar work with very aggressive vocals bordering on death metal. Anyone who is interested in some aggressive thrash should check it out.

8.5/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ithIad4MQso

Black Sabbath - "When Death Calls"

Headless Cross is one of my fave Sabbath albums and this song is probably the finest on there. It is very well measured, very calculated and a far cry from the carefree band that yielded to us "Electric Funeral" or the pummeling hard rock of "Turn On The Night". But of course the band had immensely changed at this point and only Tony Iommi remained of the old guard. His riffing is slightly muted in this piece, very subtle and very elegant and the leads sound as though they're coming from some distant hills. The reverb adds an eerie glow to the proceedings and like most of the album, the song is very atmospheric, very evocative and very moving. Tony Martin continues to channel Dio and puts up a spirited performance and for that wild solo, take a bow, BRIAN MAY! Although there's nothing orchestral about the way he plays here, it is still a very strong showing from him.
Wonderful jam from a time when keyboards were sucking the life out of so called "hard" rock!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK8csIPUQwY