It certainly is tough for Left Hand Path. My biggest complaint I could have with the album is that it's best track is the opener. Not saying the rest aren't good, but man did they blow their load immediately. That title-track should have been the closer. It's so epic.

It's kind of funny that there's been all this talk of fresh reviews for Left Hand Path. The other day I was going through some old discs with MP3's on them (burned sometime in the 1998-1999 era probably) and found myself getting the urge to review albums that I used to love back when I was a teenager. It's been a bit fun listening to some of that stuff that I haven't heard in ages, though it's funny to think that I used to love some of the stuff I've (re)stumbled across (because, in hindsight, a lot of it is not very good). Maybe I'll get to some of them in the next few weeks.

I don't really like this clash "true metalhead vs false core teen" people often do. There's no shame in starting metal with core or alt metal bands, nor actually still listening to these kinds of bands. People like what they want! Besides, a lot of metalcore and deathcore are pretty talented in composition and in technicity. I don't like these genres much but check Despised Icon for instance! I don't see myself saying metal is better than core. These genres can't be compared actually, its like comparing hardrock and grunge!

And listening to metal doesnt mean you have the best musical tastes in the world. ^^

The last few pages have taught me that, when you break it down, the real reason metalheads have such a fiery disdain for the genres that "replaced" metal in the 80s is because they were losers in high school.

To swing things back on topic, I'd like to give Twisted_Psychology a shout out for his concise and elucidating review of Riot V's latest. I kinda lost track of those guys after Mark Reale passed and have been meaning to get caught up, and it looks like I'll be starting with their two latest endeavors.

Solid write-up of Imaginerium, gasmask. Though after hearing it's remastered studio version I think I Want My Tears Back has enough guitars to be worthy enough to be considered metal (or at least quality).

Precious Jerusalem rips off Roots Bloody Roots and rules while doing it. What do I mean by that exactly? Well, just imagine someone was showing Blind Guardian the Sepultura AIDS-sandwich-with-mustard of a track in question, and the band thought they could fix it by applying Freddy Mercury's kind of ghey instead of Robb Flynn's type of ghey.

Is this the most bafflingly stupid combination of words in MA review history?

shakes Magic 8ball

"wtf is this shit?"

I was just about to say that, I don't understand how he got this review accepted by describing something as "gay".

I can semi-understand the Sepultura reference though the rhythm has more in common with Refuse/Resist to my ears. What I can't understand are the "this is ghey" comments strewn throughout. Took me back to 2005 in the worst way.

Hells_, buddy, you've been sticking with the WASP's for some time, the single less crowded stuff... I like it how detailed and profound your musings are provided that there isn't much actual material to instigate that. A good job on all counts.

So shall I expect a nostalgic reminiscence of our school daze... sorry, days any time soon?

what's wrong is that you unironically used the word "ghey" in 2018.

To be honest, even using "ghey" ironically is a sin in my book.

Speaking of ironic uses of words, was there ever a time that people seriously used the terms "kvlt" and "br00tal"? Maybe I'm just showing my age, but I can't recall a single time I've seen those written in a context other than insulting some supposedly close-minded segment of the fanbase (and almost always in defense of some band with mainstream acceptance).

Not sure for br00tal but "kvlt" yes indeed. I saw plenty of raw underground BM addicts using several times this term, even calling a genre "trve norvegian black metal".