C’mon BastardHead, challenge him to a metallic knowledge showdown. Stop hiding behind your moderator god complex.

Took a glance at BH's No World Order and while I think most people misunderstand badass as an idiom that doesn't need any suffixes, I muchly prefer "badassitude" to "badassery." God I hate that latter word. It sounds like some 12 year old loser trying to be edgy came up with it.

Speaking of BH, that GermanSteel fruitcake arguing with him is needs to smoke some weed, listen to Johnny Cash and chill the fuck out.

I'm a little surprised he hasn't threatened to start his own metal database. He clearly has the required knowledge.

He won't. He wouldn't be that cruel. He knows what a crushing blow that would deal to Metal-Archives, and he doesn't want to go there.

I, for one, would gladly jump the bandwagon to such a superior site, permitting (at the overlord's behest) that such an ill-suited mind as mine lend an opinion in a review that does not besmirch the overwhelming intelligence governing it. Progress must be made, whether by small steps or the great leap forward this genius promises. I do only hope that he saves a small space for the lowly below his city on the hill.

I just hit 1000 points with that Peace Sells review, which evidently marks "veteran" rank.

That said, I'd like some feedback with my two most recent Megadeth reviews. I know how "obvious" band discography reviews are sorta frowned upon, so I took it as a challenge to try and bring new stuff to the table and keep the reviews semi-interesting (plus, for how horrible the last 'Deth discography by Mailman was, a new one would be refreshing). I'm also weaving some less known records in between Megadeth reviews. I would kindly appreciate any and all feedback on the first two as I continue the discography. Are interesting points being brought up, and is the writing style entertaining? Are they both absolute shit and I need to try harder? Positive or negative feedback would be greatly appreciated! Any criticisms, whether I decide to use it or not, will be considered.

I read your Peace Sells one and it's not poorly written, but it's also just not interesting. In two paragraphs in a row you say how you shouldn't have to mention/talk about certain widely known aspects of the album. There's just nothing there that really justifies writing about such a well known release - I say pick something more unique to write about.

Even though I generally hate most of what Machine Head has put out, including their earlier material, Sigillum_Dei_Ameth did a solid job of reviewing "Burn My Eyes" and "The More Things Change..." and laying out a clear case for why an individual would consider them strong offerings for their era, though putting his track by track interpretation in a checklist fashion did slow down the read a bit.

Empy: Thanks. I'll try to cut out mentioning the stuff that doesn't need to be mentioned from here forth. I tried to hit heavy on the suspense, tempo changes, and "prog factors" I guess, since that seems to be far more overlooked than almost everything else that everyone talks about. I appreciate the feedback.

I rather enjoy the Van Halen thread that's running through the Deth reviews thus far.

Thanks! I plan on doing that for each one, as a way to try and set them apart.

Sweetie: RE: The Megadeth Thing

I think that your discography is clearly a step up from the last one and the points about suspense on 'Peace Sells' and tempo changes on the debut were a bit fresh. I know your writing style is quite brief and precise, so maybe you could try a final paragraph to draw insights like that into a larger view of the album. Your examples are good and the writing isn't tedious, nor totally repetitive of old views, so make the most of those differences. However, please don't talk about the same points on all of the '80s Megadeth releases.

I'm also pleased to know that it was in God's plan for Mustaine to get a second chance at forming a band by hearing 'Runnin' with the Devil'. Also the comment on your user profile: "Feel free to add me on Facebook, I'm as social as one gets." That's gold.

Understood, thank you! Also, why is that gold? Haha.

gasmask_colostomy knocked off our Secret Satan exchange with a bang. Thanks for covering that Burning Starr album. You covered my main gripe with it, that despite having some ripping tunes, a lot of it is a bit banal and monotonous at times. Cheers man!

Yikes, I'm not even a fan of Rivers Of Nihil, but all of these negative reviews (especially the most recent) make me wanna check it out, just out of curiosity.

Please don't bring up Sammy Hagar until Cryptic Writings.

As much I like both dystopia4 and Napalm Satan as reviewers, each of their reviews makes the other redundant, as they say basically the exact same thing in almost the same amount of words. The other one is, well, hyperbolic to say the least. Apart from misleading allusions to pop music and implying that Guitar Pro didn't exist in 2012 though, it's not exactly wrong. I do like that album for reasons I can't really explain, but he's right that it is the very model of a modern major label release. Pretty much any vaguely djenty/proggy death metal band could've released it this year, I wouldn't have even blinked if it was released as a Faceless album. Also this line is really really good:

I tried a song just now and it's not bad at all. It's weird that those reviews act like this kind of clinical tech death stuff didn't exist for like over a decade before this, like this is some new breed of overly-polished technical stuff. "How did the genre go from Morbid Angel to this???" Uh, yeah, wasn't exactly an immediate jump...

Yeah, I wanted to fulfil my obligations to you. It helps living in a weird time zone, because I'm basically the only one awake when the challenge starts.

As for the Jack Starr, I feel like it could have been really something, but occasionally those guys were just content to take the easy way out and make a few poppy songs that didn't require much thought. Thanks for the rec though, I'll try to do the other two later this week.

I've never read a more confusing 85% review than that writeup on Burn My Eyes.

I think he was going for the "open-minded" approach, ergo having a change of mind about an album that he use to dislike while still having some reservations about it. I've never really taken that approach to a review (if I don't like the album, the score reflects that, even if I think it will probably appeal to its target audience), I thought both that review and the other Machine Head one he did were decent, though I wished he had not have done the song by song checklist part.

I enjoyed the Burning Starr review as well. I think I've only heard their s/t, but I had many of the same issues with it.

I just want to say something in regards to a review of that Rivers Of Nihil album by splntrdgrss. You mention that this album is generic in a way that maybe only an AI would have made. Just wanted to mention that in the next decades more and more machine learning will be applied to creating music via AI. And that music will ultimately be better that whatever music we humans can create, which is incredible to think about. Can't wait for it to be honest.

Also listened to a couple of tracks of the album and there is a motherfucking SAX SOLO on the title track at like 2:00. I think it sounds fine not sure why people shit on it, altough MA can be kinda hesitant at first in accepting different music ideas in their extreme metal (Deathspell Omega anyone).

Edit: Ok like 4 songs have sax in this thing. Should have read the reviews or something. I think I like this.

We've had sax solos on metal albums for years including on albums that are better regarded and considerably more boundary pushing than rivers of nihill.

I've barely heard anything of Rivers of Nihill but the little glimpses i've heard to me just indicated that it is just another noodly spacey tech death metal album with deathcore influence. We've seen quite a bunch of albums in this style the last couple of years and none of them really do anything.

I doubt any so-called extreme metal band will pull off the sax the way Necromantia did.

Great Game Over review by Gas. I'm really glad that others recognize the awesomeness of that band.

I was all ready to write them off as just another neo-thrash group but they're not quite that straightforward. Besides, the regular thrash songs they do are fucking cool anyway, so I really hope they get the attention they deserve.

Carpathian Forest would like a word with you.

Speaking of CF, that recent review for "Likeim" is a tad extreme. Dude seems to have taken it personally.

I find it funny how three reviews popped up for the new Wayfarer album yesterday. It's a great album that deserves the exposure so I'm certainly not complaining.

Winterbreed's "Facing the Void" review contains a mjor error: it was Irene "Eva" Scapin who handled vocal duties for the EP, not Lucrezia Naj Fovino

Great Sabbat review from Abominatrix! I was going to review that for the challenge but I’ll do Disembody some other time.

I have to insist : Winterbreed's EP review must be corrected. Saying that Lucrezia Naj Fovino's vocals are the album major flaw, while It was Irene Scapin Who sang in the EP, is a great error and it should be fixed. Otherwise, we risk that a talented and emerging singer like Fovino gets roasted for no reason by The community

Corrected.

ah, it's great to have place and laptop again...if only to gleefully (and rabidly) write fandanglin' metal reviews, eh?

Totally dug, like a lucid, well-fed ferret, televiper11's Hexecutor and tanuki Al Atkins write-ups...jolly good show!

Yeah, I don't get the hate for the new Rivers of Nihil album, I think it is their best work so far. But I am also uniquely biased. They are from my home town, I've known many of the band members for over a decade. Jake used to do growls for a previous band called Amongst The Decay (or Amongst Decay but I can never remember if they had a 'the' and neither can they). Brody and Adam were in a band called Dissian back in the day. They would play at The Silo all the time. Rivers of Nihil had one of their first shows there (maybe even the absolute first). Back then they certainly had more of a deathcore-like sound, Ultimate Sentience is one of my favorite songs by them just because of its crushing breakdown. They have moved away from that kind of sound, even by Conscious Seed. So I think they are a band that puts a lot of thought and work into the songs, that they do so as a band, and the result isn't anything remotely bland.

If anything, the only accusation that might be pointed at them is that they emulate Black Crown Initiate a little bit on this new record with the clean singing. They even bring in Andy Thomas for the title track.

Say, what do people think of the reviews I am writing? I want to get into writing more regularly and I appreciate constructive criticism, or even harsh not-very-constructive criticism such as "fuck you Goatfangs your reviews suck".

Dug your latest nose diver, Goatfangs (toothsome handle btw)...as well as impressed by your strong string of write-ups these past couple of days...

Ah thanks. I thought that would be hard to write, but it felt like it really wrote itself. I just put the album on, and let my fingers do the rest, or so it seemed. i finished writing just as the album itself finished, and then went back and corrected/cleaned up some of my crazy writing/typing. Reviews nowadays don't come as easy as they used to, but that one really did.

Tanuki's hate boner for new Priest by means of Al Atkins reviews is kind of amazing. Well written at least.

Did he call Dave Holland an original Judas Priest member in the Victim of Changes review, or am I imagining things?

Kind of.

"It's worth noting that Atkins isn't the only original member of Judas Priest performing on this record. Actually I changed my mind, it isn't worth noting. Forget I said anything."