Dug Twisted P.'s King Witch and Blackwulf views as they're now my latest doom fetish bands!

(I've also introduced them to a metal protege of mine (aspiring metal head) who's particularly on the prowl for doom bands fronted by women as well as male vocalists who don't outright sound like Ozzy!)...

Trooper Ed's review for Sabbath's Vol.4 was solid as well as brief and to the point. Although, I was hoping for some kind of fawning reference to "St. Vitus Dance"...now THAT is a gem! (I believe Cathedral does a great cover of it).

Cut the passive-aggressive shit.

I'm not being passive aggressive, I'm stating the truth. I had a review a while ago where I talked about 6 of the 10 songs and it got rejected for being a track by track review.

As it should have been, since it was certainly cut-and-dry in its delivery. We don't just total the tracks mentioned up, use some pre-determined algorithm and reject based on that. It depends on many factors, including the writing style, length of album in question, etc.

Seems like the balance is shifting nowadays from site-regular writers to webzine/bloggers blindly cross-posting their entire catalogue. I can't help but find that nowhere near as engrossing from a discourse standpoint, since they oftentimes never visit the boards and intermingle.

I guess it doesn't help that most of the site-regular writers who still post reviews have been given scribe status so they don't appear in the review pool anymore. Granted, in my case my work schedule has caused me to limit my time of the forum of late save for when there is a review challenge, hope to see you putting out a heavy supply next time.



I've actually been going through my oldest reviews that were purged and rewriting them and I took note that there was definitely a common problem with them all being all but bereft of any summation of the album's overall sound, which tends to be an issue with any webzine review where it is required to score individual songs or aspects of the album's sound. It's definitely not a total number of tracks mentioned since I still have a tendency of referencing more than half the songs at some point in my reviews.

I will say this, not being allowed to write that kind of review has forced me to become more creative with writing. I fully credit that with any improvements I've made. I do just wish some leniency would be allowed, like say, you're allowed one track by track review every 6 months or so. That way you'll have to choose which one you want to do very carefully.

I, for the life of me, do not get all the hate that has been launched at Shadow Of Intent lately. Granted, I love their output because it tends to de-emphasize a lot of the shortcomings of deathcore while still sporting the stereotypical look. Of particular mystery to me is the latest review by BoneBoyJack complaining about the production. Maybe my ears are broken from all the power metal I listen to, but I don't think there was any way for that album to have a cleaner production and the symphonic elements DO NOT drown out the guitars at all.

Thanks, man, I'm glad you liked it. It's really good to find out that people are aware of this not very well known, but really worthy, outfit.

Oh, by the way, kudos for the very good job on the Weapons to Hunt review. I'll focus elsewhere now that you have provided this fair conclusion to the "ramblings" around the Sinister/Infinited Hate/etc. saga...

Good job, Trooper E. on the recent Priest and Maiden reviews! Although I'm not quite as enthralled by British Steel, I agree it shouldn't be snobbed outright...in any case, I dig the quiproquo! As for Powerslave, nice anecdote at the end there...it was actually the very first CD I ever owned (along with Live After Death (which was sort of redundant!); this was sometime around 1990 when CDs were all the rage!

Glad to see we're on the same page regarding Back In The Village; some cats on moo-tube do a mighty fine cover of it, as the rhythm riffs look pretty tough, never mind the mind blowing soloing (and yeah, the leads to Powerslave are godly, no pun intented!)...

Thank you good sir, as well for your compliments on my Sabbath review and whatever else I didn't address.

Yeah, agree about "Powerslave", the best Maiden album hands down; although I have to admit I still have problems going through this larger-than-life opus ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner") at the end in its entirety... without drifting away I mean.

Just read Gasmask_C's Metal Church review...love the gleeful bit about "Hitman" (as well as the Liege Lord reference):

("Anyway, I want to talk about the chorus, because one of my favourite moments in metal is the part when Wayne warbles out, “It was you, woah-oh-oh-woah,” in the most achingly weird and bittersweet manner you could imagine.")

I feel the same!

Btw, for you all you doom worthies out there, the new Iron Void (Excalibur) release is due out March 9th so feel free to get excited!

Just read Gas_C's good, quite personal review.

Gasmask, I think you meant 'premise' in your last chapter.

Anyone know if Lars and Hammett saw Metal Church play frequently before the advent of Metallica?

Flippyinvader's last paragraph of Six Feet Under's True Carnage reads, 'they're the Limp Bizkit of death metal'.

Can being referred to as 'the Limp Bizkit' in any genre be good?

Ha, I suppose it's no better or worse than "Soggy Biscuit"...

In regards to JP's SfV (re.: Trooper Ed's write-up today), I'd just like to suggest Hellchamber's Electric Eye cover as well as Ambush's "Night of Defilement (from its Desecrator sophomore) as it highly evokes, in the best possible way, "Devil's Child", easily one of my fav Priest tracks alongside Tyrant, Starbreaker, Grinder, Riding on the Wind (nothing beats wind riding), Jawbreaker, The Sentinel, Hard As Iron, Hot Rockin', Red Heat, White Hot (or is it the other way around) and Thunder Road...oh, and Reckless, the only really decent track from the turgid Turbo!

First off, thank you again

Second off, it is the other way around (White Heat, Red Hot).

Third off, I rather liked Locked In.

Fourth off, Hard As Iron fucking rips.

You're very welcome. I always mix up that track title! It's sort of a running gag with me now; I don't remember Locked In, but I'm relieved you left out
"Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days"...haha! You've got to check out Felix666's write-up for Turbo as he hilariously slams both track and album!
As well, apparently, Turbo has a killer bonus track, "All Fired Up", which was retardedly eschewed from the original pressing.

https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/ ... 666/329559

Oh, and I forgot to mention Heading Out to the Highway, Running Wild and Rocka Rolla, among so many other humdigs!

Lol, this In Flames review is the first time I've ever cracked a smile at a TrooperEd review. Something about the tone and deadpan style of this one just works.

Generally not a fan of vulgar humour, but there's no way I can't laugh at a string of words like "your ass will need to expunge as a result of a brown note being hit so hard it made the Sarlacc Pit have an event horizon." It's just too good.

However, I do find TrooperEd's Defenders of the Faith review quite confusing. Why are you writing like it just came out last week, man? It's... not wrong, but it's weird.

It's not written as if 'it just came out last week'. TrooperEd just wrote 'Nonetheless, at the very least, Priest are becoming more and more consistent.' It should be obvious that he meant to say, 'Priest WERE becoming more and more consistent.'

P.S. Black Panther sucks!

There was a Black Panther reference in those two reviews?

And you are right, I should have used past tense, but I'm more or less writing my Priest reviews with the intention that a reader is starting with Sad Wings of Destiny and working their way forward chronologically.

I'm also so happy my jokes are finally starting to land with you guys.

I see.. Done or gonna do Turbo?

verrbal assault against Rian Johnson's Last Jedi made it onto Megadeth, Dystopia review

I've actually had a draft in my backlog for about a month now but I can't think of anything to say about it other than "Locked In kicks ass!"

What a petty little man you are.

About as sad as Everyone using the net; and, in English, the word 'petty' means of insignificance, as if your opinion on Black Panther supersedes mine. Have some common courtesy on this site, 'cause it's the second time now.

Meh!! I just can't! lol

I suggest against schooling an English teacher on the meaning of words. Also, you're really not gonna let go, uh? Man, must be pretty awful to get that butthurt over such an insignifcant exchange on the internet

I won't derail this thread any further. Welcome to the foe list. I won't miss your posts.

Funny to see that Diamhea sees in later Children of Bodom what I saw in 'Are You Dead Yet'. I really disliked that album, though I don't think I ever reviewed it, but clearly we differed on that one. It seems that stopping with that band at that album was the best time to over a decade ago because wow, Diamhea sees right through the new stuff like I saw right through 'Are You Dead Yet'. How bad has that band fallen from being fun metal/rock group with some classical licks and plenty of fan service? I haven't heard anything from them in a long time.

The 'English Teacher' who got petulant and wrote on Movie Thread, ' I'm not even gonna bother discussing it further with you', because I began to rip apart Black Panther, 'cause its a ridiculously bad Marvel movie.

Maybe you need to use some of Black Panther's high-tech balls just to chill out; those balls are so high-tech–they activate cars and overturn spinal injuries. Isn't it Bilbo Baggins who is injured? And, he unconcious in Wakandan, so the gang are debating about how to deal with him because he'll know their secret when hevwakes up. I sat there for ten minutes watching this crap thinking, 'keep him unconscious –heel him with you Harry Potter, bullshit powers, then dump him back in America'. They can 'fix another damaged white boy' with their dumb powers. Yeah! Black Panther is just about the worst Marvel movie.
(Only time I'll mention that terrible movie here)

Man, I love the foe feature here. So nice to be able to simply sweep inane posters under the rug!

As for Children of Bodom, well, I think their time in the limelight was a while ago. I remember them being huge some years ago, even seeing lots of high school kids here in the ass end of nowhere wearing their T-shirts and everything, but after their decline, they seem to have quietly slipped into irrelevance at large. They still put out albums and tour, sure, but they're not that new, young force of nature they were initially.

Really dug that little purple, wide-eyed and nervously scurrying emoji Trooper Ed dropped off amidst the latest heated exchange...

I don't wish to see the thread derailed beyond this point. Keep it on topic, thanks.

Please also keep in mind this lovely thread I made three years ago, and stickied at the top of this forum.

With that said, let's get back to discussing reviews!

hehe, I found it a bit curious that Infinited Hate just suddenly decided to change their band name and take on Sinister's vocalist given that they always had a fairly similar vibe. I'm guessing that those guys suddenly came to the realization that their original band name didn't quite roll off the tongue. Looking forward to reading some more of your material, I've been particularly enjoying your obscure thrash reviews and have even caught myself learning about some new material I hadn't discovered yet despite fancying myself as something of an expert in the sub-genre.

I liked it then and I still like it. Not going to repeat everything I've already said but one example is Jaska's drumming. Listen to "Trashed, Lost & Strungout;" it isn't overly complicated but he has a good feel for the fills and jounce of the beat. The drumming sucked on every album after that, and yes, Are You Dead Yet? has flashes of the older sound like the chorus of "Next in Line." "Living Deadbeat" is an awesome opener and the title track has some meaty riffs... finally, the production fits the style well. Every album after it sounded kinda flat and weird, plus the band stopped writing memorable hooks.

Didn't anyone like Blooddrunk? I thought that pretty much wiped the floor with Are You Dead Yet?, a couple of dodgy moments excepted.

Sorry to take the conversation back a few days, but I felt kind of strongly about the discussion on track-by-track reviews.

I'm not really saying who is wrong or right about these kind of reviews (although they are boring to read), but when you guys listen to an album, do you listen to it track-by-track? I mean, do you actually sit down and pay attention to each individual song on the record and does what you think about each song remain discrete? I might do that maybe once for each album, since the first time I listen to it, I prefer to pay full attention, but even at the end of that listen, I'll have an overall picture of the album, maybe with some highlights standing out in my mind.

I think the point of NOT doing track-by-track reviews is because we are mostly reviewing albums and not singles, so it's the overall experience that matters, along with some highlights and lowlights.

However, I'm often surprised because I see a lot of track-by-track reviews being accepted on the site, including some by the regular contributors. I get a bit frustrated by these, because the writers usually should know better than to do a review that looks like a list.