LegendMaker:

@ LegendMaker

Meliah Rage: "Razor Ribbon"

A sombre acoustic piece with low almost gothic vocals, and I'm so confused. I should have looked at the artist later on; I thought Meliah Rage was supposed to be a third-rate American thrash band that nobody cared about? THough I do remember hearing something of theirs and enjoying it once...anyway, that bit was only an introduction, and the song becomes something of a "post-thrash" excursion. It's steady, a bit groovy, and very 90s, and while that's not necessarily too bad for me (Prong!!), I can't say that this isn't anything typical. I was reminded of mid-period Flotsam and Jetsam, although the singer isn't as good as Erik and at times seemed to be trying hard to ape the mannerisms of one James Hetfield. Still, that chorus sounds very good in my view, and the riffs aren't too bad, even if they don't really seem to be going too far off the beaten track. The sound is nice, too; if I were at home I'd be cranking this on my speakers, but as it is all I've got are some fairly inferior headphones. What is all that noise at the end? Sorry, I just can't think of a lot to say about this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OskvqSRJeM

Tristitia - Kiss The Cross
I'm very sorry Abom, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing like a maniac when the song started and the vocals kicked in! But now, after the initial impression, I'd say that this is very cool. Sure, the clean vocals are silly, what with their "scary monk foreboding unparalleled horrors" style, but at the same time they fit the music like a glove. The same applies to those Abbathesque croaks that seem to be the ones with the protagonist role. The melodic riffing, on it's own, has a very epic feeling, and reminded me a bit of Candlemass at their most solemn, and the short, sweet, noodling leads that appear once in a while are anything but pointless. I also thoroughly enjoyed the use of gregorian chants and keyboards, as it gives the thing a very mystical aura. And I got very surprised after checking their MA page to see that they play a mix of black and doom metal, as this pretty much sounds like epic doom with harsh vocals thrown in for good measure. Damn man, I think that between this and Mortuary Drape you should be the one to rec me black metal bands from now on!

Time for something much more, let's say..... Punishing.

Vader- Xeper.

Damn, that main riff is devastating. Not sure why you chose the live version, as some areas lack in clarity. The vocals are pretty shitty, but then again I've never liked Vaders vocals. He sounds like if a dude that smoked for 30 years and had laryngitis tried to growl. I can't fault any riff in this song, as they're all headbangable. The drums have a nice thunderous sound and groove, I like how the cymbals stand out. There is no bass to speak of.
This is pretty good, if not amazing. I was just getting back into Vader, so it's good timing that you posted this.

Now for something completely on the other end of the spectrum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1714Q6ID2bA

@Necro:

Pallbearer - Gloomy Sunday

Wow, this song is just awesome and it took me by surprise given that I'm not the biggest Doom Metal fan for being too slow but this song is a killer. The vocals make this fantastic and the atmosphere is killer. The lead guitars are to die for (no pun intended). It has this beautiful sober feel to it with the crunchy down-tuned guitar that makes this song have that funeral dream feel to it. Really excellent stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e4xLo56xE4

Angel Dust - Bleed

The piano intro to this song immediately reminded me of the title track of Symphony X's Paradise Lost. The riffing is quite different though, the bulk of it sounding like a Nightwish rhythm guitar chugging, with some additional intricacies dropped here and there, though nothing spectacular. The vocalist is, by far, the greatest aspect here. His voice has elements of Dio and Nick Holmes. The synth-based theatricality assumed more role later, which really reminded me of Nightwish. The riffing is quite boring, though the rhythm is powerful and the tone, though excessively produced-sounding and not loud enough in the mix, quite decent, and the atmosphere is slightly awkward due to the steamrolleresque guitars accompanied by the emotional synth piano and powerful vocals. Ultimately I wasn't sure what Angel Dust tried to convey here. It wasn't overtly passionate, and yet it was. I'm not sure I found the music entirely honest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8agIqN4Si2U

By the way, if you ever have to tag or name files with letters such as æ or Þ, please look up how to write them using alt and numpad. þ is definitely not a p.

Arckanum - Lae Elr

The riffs and tone in this are strange as hell. It starts off with this weird two chord dissonant-ish riff and moves into something more hypnotic. There are blast beats but I see this as more atmospheric than agressive. There's even a kind of ambient part at 2:05 before the riffing kicks back in. The vocals are good though, he dosen't sound like every other BM vocalist, if only by a little bit. All in all, this is not my favourite kind of Black metal. I like the position of the drums in the mix though. It serves the song well, they're not really the focus. I found it hard to get excited about this, it's just a series of unremarkable riffs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbC50C_J7ws

Anata - The Conductor's Departure
Anata, one of the few modern tech death bands who priorize songwriting over fret wankery. I don't know why I haven't listened to them more, as I quite enjoy their music. Anyway, the song starts off with some very strong melodic yet thick riffing, so as to convey the idea of something "rising", and it works faily well. After the appropiate although not flooring intro the more dyinamic riffing starts, coupled with the pounding of the drums and the vocals. The latter are nothing to write home about, but they do their job well enough, and the drums are fantastic, making a very impressive use of blast beats and cymbal work, and don't even get me started on the beautiful application of double bass..... But, alas, they are not perfect from a production point of view, due to the fact that they sound very artifical and soulless. A shame, really, as the playing is nothing short of impeccable, and it would sound even better with a more organic sound. Back to the actual song; I'm forced to say that, for a tech death song, the extensive length works suprisingly well, and the piece has enough different passages and variety so as to not make it feel overlong (although I think they sould've ended it with something else rather than a fade out). And the riffs? They're great. Not "Morbid Angel great", but they more than accomplish the task of leading the song and making it interesting. In conclusion; this was really enjoyable with only a couple of minor defects, and encouraged me to listen to Anata a bit more in the near future. Which is great.

Whoever reviews this better have a positive opinion on it, or we're gonna have a problem.....

@Xlxlx:

@Necroticism174:

@Ilwhyan:

Xlxlxl

@Ilwhyan:

Artillery - Bombfood

Haven't listened to these guys in ages. I know they have a small but incredibly dedicated fanbase on these forums though. First things first in the interest of honesty I should probably come clean on two points: 1) I hardly ever listen to thrash anymore. 2) I usually despise thrash songs with soft sections or acoustic/clean picked breaks.

The song introduces itself with a very neat harmony and opening riff. It doesn't sound like Fate but it reminds me of the same way they would always make sure to grab your attention from the first note. Unfortunately this bigger-than-life intro leads directly into a clean-picked, gently delivered section with crooning vocals. I understand the idea of this section, as it sets the band up for a violent eruption (similar to the subject matter) and helps create some "mood", but it just sounds flaccid to me. Especially after such an attention-grabbing opening to the song. The build-up section is mercifully short though, and the riff that serves for the eruption is definitely pleasing. They have an awesome ear for rhythm and an almost uncanny ability to find these slick harmonies that weave in and out of the riffs masterfully. The whole song gets turned on its ear around the 2:26 mark. This is one of the coolest thrash breaks I've ever heard. Its actually a bit reminiscent of my all-time favorite from Violent Restitution's title track. For my money the song could have ended very successfully at just short of 4 minutes. I respect that they wanted to continue to build on the pieces they had, but I just don't think the song needed to be any longer. There were a few "low points" to the song that have more to do with my own personal bias as opposed to anything the band could have or should have done differently. The epic thrash breakdown basically makes everything else in the song worth putting up with.

Oh, and their vocalist really kicks ass. It sounds like if someone taught Blitz how to really sing expressively and then magically granted him some range.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80eKlbjCVw

@Jonpo:

Cloven Hoof - Astral Rider

Definitely one of the better from "A Sultan's Ransom", "Astral Rider" operates in a speed metal vein a tad friendlier to USPM than the NWOBHM era from which it was devised.
Hearing this again leaves me awash with nostalgia. That bloody hook;
Nightriders on the astral planes called for supreme headbanging action at a time when Britain seemed to be re-writing the book of heavy metal yet the reality was the bands were content to toil in cult-like obscurity and cared more for penning epic tunes. Fun times nonetheless!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ4hATojuKU

Funeral Circle - Obelisk

The riffs in this are bloody great. The tone could be heavier, but that's a minor qualm. Like, if this was Esoteric heavy, I would listen to it constantly. The drums are nowhere near heavy or interesting enough either. I dig the vocals too, they're pretty sparse but when they're present the enjoyment goes up, then they disappear again to let the music speak. I especially like how loud the keys are too, it works in this song. I would say it milks that first riff wayyyy to much though. Literally it and the vocals are the same for over 6 minutes. And it's not one of those drone slow riffs where that would work. I suppose when it finally speeds up, that makes it even more effective. I like this more than I thought I would.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6znFEJXBJLo

Savage Messiah - Plague of Conscience

I'm already familiar with Savage Messiah and I quite enjoy their previous album, Insurrection Rising. I have yet to hear this new album though, and from what I'm hearing in this song, not bad. Not bad at all. I love the guitar tone. I've heard a lot of people on this board say that they despise this modern-thrash guitar tone, claiming it is sterile and hollow. I disagree, I like this. The riffs themselves are good, nothing groundbreaking though. However, this band knows how to compliment their riffs. They do so with the vocal lines, especially during the verses, and with the occasional leads that come out of nowhere. That's their strength I reckon. The best part of this song are the leads: Melodic and shreddish. The vocals are great, and the chorus gets increasingly catchy upon repeated listens. Always a good thing. Again, as Xlxlxl mentioned, not the most original or revolutionary band, but this is some pretty decent 21st century thrash with a noticable power influence that makes it stand out from your run of the mill 80s worship bands. I might just pick this one up. 7.5/10

EDIT: Oh, and the cover kicks ass.

Now let's go back in time for this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0qvupluToA

Not quite sure what a British band has to do with the blades of Tokyo, and I for one don't really care, because this fuckin' rocks. Seriously, this thread has made me aware of some downright overlooked gems on my behalf - and that makes me feel somewhat incomplete. I'm digressing so I should get on with the review. THIS dear readers is as solid as you will get from your heavy metal, full of great, controlled vibrato vocals and pure swagger in the riff department. The very first opening riff has been ripped by someone (can't pin down who though...), and fair play too, because it's pretty awesome. There is moments where I'm completely reminded of Mercyful Fate, especially in the leads, and bloody hell! The solo at the two minute mark made a small wet patch in my jeans; it's just orgasmic. Not really more I want to say, as I think I'll take this song to bed with me and make love to it all night long. Fantastic.

As always, I'm here to bring the mood down a bit...

Funerary Pit - Fathomless Depths

Some filthy but riffy black metal! In the first 30 seconds ago, the riffs are hard to discern and it sounds like angry noise that wants to kill my family and burn my house down. I like that the vocals are mostly low growls. The riff that starts at about 2:08 is fucking awesome. Thrashy black metal at it's finest. I like that this has a few discernible influences while remaining mostly pure Black Metal. The album cover is pretty shitty though (unrelated to the music, but come on). I liked the drums in this, the mix didn't have them too upfront and the blasting enhanced the heaviness pretty well. Good underground stuff I probably would have never heard of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6NkY7TqxNA

@necro

Acid King - Electric Machine

Sabbath-influenced heavy, slow plodding riffing. Pleasant rich, full guitar tone, bluesy style, the song is immediately likable. Out of tune, laid back singing and chilled out riffing create a peculiar, drug-infused atmosphere slightly reminiscent of late 60s psychedelia (essentially that infused with Master of Reality era Sabbath). The music is stable, groovy, unpretentious, and even somewhat blissful. While it's quite pleasant to listen to, personally I'd ask for a little more in terms of variety (being used to Black Sabbath and their quirks, I suppose). This song is pretty standard heavy, bluesy laid back stoner riffs and not much else. Very cool, but not incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f6NHFKXdvk

The audio quality is horrendous, apologies.

Glad you dig it man.

Intestine Baalism - Cannibal Sodom

I know I just reviewed a song, but I fucking love Intestine Baalism. These guys have some of the best riffs in the entire genre. This starts off with a quick kind of thrashy thing which leads into really melodic but still evil sounding tremolo picking, which itself evolves into a hyper melodic single note part. And this is just in like the first minute, I'm not even mentioning the awesome tapping that comes after and the soloing. This is what I enjoy about these guys, their ability to have variety in a single song without sacrificing cohesiveness. The vocals are sick and brutal, a perfect fit. Every riff is a winner, so I'll direct my attention to the drums. What I can hear of them is great but they really need to be mixed louder, I know this is guitar oriented but it would really give it a much needed punch. Overall, 8/10

This deserves to be heard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p52KnFg1pnU

Goddamn it, reviewed the Intestine Baalism track, but Necro beat me to it.

Angelic Process - Dying in A-Minor.

Brilliant track. Starts out as a beautiful ambient piece with nice ethereal vocals in the background. It gradually builds up to a heavier drone, while still remaining quite beautiful. Some of the same elements remain, but the track does get heavier. Its a great, gradual progression which feels quite organic. I love this band for the atmosphere they are able to create. This track is something that you can really get lost in if you are in the right mood. It kind of reminds me of the atmospheric parts of some funeral doom bands. An exceptional track with a great atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NazN_qkS ... re=related

@ Dystopia4

I deleted it, but I basically said in more words that I really dig how its melodic death metal without being as overtly accessible as many gothenburg bands. I think the lead guitar player has an excellent ear for melody, the vocalist is a good fit for keeping it a bit dirty sounding and I like how it isn't melodic the whole way through. My original mini-review was a lot more in depth than that, but I'm not going to redo the whole thing, especially since you already reviewed it.

And yes, I am familiar with Angelic Process. I have the album "Weighing Souls with Sand", which the track you posted is on. Its the only record I've heard from them, but I really love it. I think its great how they mix the more beautiful aspects with heavy droning. I also think their drumming style works great with this type of music.

Corpus Vile - 'Dark Comes the Dawn'

This starts off with a fairly melodic thrashy kinda riff, and then the drums take on a "Batman" shuffle feel which kinda throws me. And then the melodies start to get more along the lines of something from a punk song... Kinda odd, kinda amateurish and the guitar tone reminds me of Grotesque more so than anything else. Finally, after the weird intro things pick up into a thrash beat with death metal vocals and some remnants of the intro melody thrown in. They're certainly not too predictable, which I can appreciate, sure. But the music itself doesn't really do much for me; black-ish, death-y, punky... it just didn't feel too exciting. The solo section was pretty cool, admittedly, the amateurish melodies almost reminded me of Countess, heh. But not something I feel like revisiting.

Let's have some 1980s rockin' alright party tonight

Angus - Warrior of the World

This? This rocks. Good old-fashioned heavy metal, with all the classic elements in place. Pretty much every riff on this song could have defined a song on its own, and while the rhythm section are nothing special, the bass is very clear and audible and the drums keep the pace excellently, with some decent double bass work in the chorus. And the vocals... man, this guy is good. He sounds a hell of a lot like Dio, exactly the kind of voice needed for traditional metal. Great range and power. I've never heard of Angus, and from what I hear of this, that's a crying shame. Could have done with a better solo, but still excellent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfQL1aFQ9pg

Outworld - Warcry.

Aww Outworld. This song is far from being the best on their monster of a record, but the verses are cracks of lightning and Kelly Carpenter is a god of vocals. I never really liked the first riff in this song, but the verse one is good enough. I like the drum tone in this a lot, the playing isn't too shabby either. The bassist is really good too, and you can hear him pretty well if you put on earphones. Overall, this has a typical verse/chorus/solo structure, but I can't fault it for that, as it has a good momentum. I actually like the solo, despite it being mostly wanking, Rusty managed to make it very memorable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlhzfFwyGI4