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Amerigo
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:30 pm
Posts: 506
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:21 pm 
 

Cemetary - Sundown
An interesting little song, strongly reminiscent of the depressive rock era of Sentenced. It's a bit more minimalist and has a couple of legitimately heavy guitar riffs set to tortured, despairing vocals. But let's be honest, the vast majority of this song is the same old chorus repeated over and over with a nice little twinkle of keyboards. The upside is it's fairly catchy and doesn't wear out its welcome even on the umpteenth repetition. There's also what sounds like an intro to a MDB solo, but it doesn't actually develop and sort of collapses back into the chorus. It's a pretty cool song for what it is (i.e. a neat little piece of depressive goth rock/metal), but there really isn't anything particularly memorable about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JcoJEs3w3Y
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CrushedRevelation
Devil's right hand

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:47 am
Posts: 6070
Location: The cavern's core
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:30 am 
 

Sentenced - House Of the Rising Sun (The Animals cover)

I have a soft spot for this song (slightly) due to being exposed to it in my wee years, and over the years I have wondered why not many metal bands chose to cover it, as it can lend itself to metal rather easily with that trademark arpeggio opening. Sentenced stick to that section very faithfully, but when the main verse kicks in, burly, heavy guitars crash the party. I swear though, they MST have recorded this drunk yes? Because the vocals are shabby, but in a rather endearing way - I guess these surly, grey cloud boys took this as a sort of Finnish metal drinking anthem with the wail-along section, where everybody (including the producer, neighbours etc I'm assuming) all joined in for a rollickin' good time to close it all off. Bit of fun, that was.

This is something I have been spinning endlessly...
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MalignantTyrant
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Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:27 pm
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Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:43 pm 
 

Doombringer- Seven Evil Spirits

This is a pretty simple black/death metal song, it is pretty much centered around one riff pattern and different alteration of that riff pattern. One could say that it has the cadence of a faster doom song in some parts and the atmosphere would attest to that a bit as well. The guitar tone is nasty and biting, but it isn't caked with artificial loudness or fake, studio-enhanced nonsense. Everything is very organic sounding and fits into place. The bass is completely inaudible, though, sadly (except for the one part where it's the only thing playing for a few seconds). I really wish more black/death metal bands would quit neglecting their bass sound whether it's intentional or not. The drums are...there I suppose, not that much to say about them aside from the fact that they serve their purpose lol. The vocals make an appearance very one in a while (they aren't actually a prominent feature of this song) and when they do chime in it's a really nasty scream/growl layering most of the time. It's not like Deicide-style layering but it's more evil-sounding and doesn't line up 100% all the time which really gives it this chaotic and unhinged sound, I definitely like it. Overall the song is pretty evil-sounding and the production is alright, the vocals are nasty as hell and the atmosphere is very haunting and looms over you. Good stuff

Here is one of the better songs from the most recent album of a band that keeps getting better as time passes.
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Thumbman
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:02 pm 
 

Goatwhore - Judgement of the Bleeding Crown
Always thought Goatwhore were a damn solid band, though Sammy's best work has been with Acid Bath and Crowbar. Can't say I've listened to their most recent, but this sounds solid. The tremolo is ripping, although contains vivid flourishes of melody. That big stomping melodic riff really does it for me, has an onwards to victory vibe. My only real gripe would be that I'd like more repetition instead of them seemingly hopping from one thing to another. All in all, good shit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7hRjN16ZWQ
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Brutality_Junkie
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2013 6:04 am
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Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:24 am 
 

Pencil Lead Syringe - Good Stuff Happens

One of my favorite songs from my all time favorite brutal death metal albums. The production is claustrophobic and asphyxiating, Ramon Mercado's gutturals make my stomach churn and the guitar riffs/drum patterns are so well written and well performed it goes beyond just good brutal death metal. There's a genuine darkness in this track and the entirety of 'Suffocated And Embalmed' that only a few other bands (Terminally Your Aborted Ghost, Enmity et. al.) have ever successfully pulled off. Absolutely love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8olZF-oMryI

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I_Am_Vengeance
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:11 pm
Posts: 1923
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 6:16 am 
 

Disma ~ Chasm of Oceanus

Cool stuff. First time I've ever listened to this band, super Incantationy but still very good. Slow in parts without being plodding and when it picks up the speed it remains interesting. Vocals are good, in the super guttural death metal range, nothing really high pitched at all which doesn't detract from it. Lots of cool riffing with enough variation to remain interesting. Production wise it's really nice too, ugly and dirgy.

8/10. Will definitely consider picking this one up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7o7GugUE3I
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Tron_79
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:00 pm 
 

Lost Horizon - Sworn in Metal Wind

ahh, when i was in my power metal loving stage, Lost Horizon was one of my favourites. Not only because of the amazing singing of Daniel Heiman, who has it all. He can hit the high notes with easy, but also sings in a lower range with abit of grit that i enjoy. The music itself isn't your typical "happy" europower as the riffs are solid and sound more aggressive than other bands of the style. The solos are pretty good and the drumming actually stands out as there are some good fills and and flows with the song very well. I love the section at 4:40 onwards that really show off Heimans vocals....epic if you will. Great band and album...Awakening the World is my favourite from them and its a shame that heiman went his seperate way as this was one Powermetal band i really enjoyed!

9/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuKSa-Wh7nw
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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:44 pm 
 

Annorexia Nervosa: "Sister September"

Damn, the last song I did was yours, too, and I'm afraid I'm not wild about this one, either. Some kind of gothic black metal, I guess, despite the really thick guitar tone, which actually has a bit of a Swedeath character to it. I don't know if it's the production or the youtube quality--I suspect the former because back when I had a campus radio show my friend and cohost brought some stuff by this band and I remember having the same issue--but it's hard to make out what those guitars are doing, perhaps because that mix is just incredibly, ear-splittingly loud. The keys adopt synthetic string tones throughout and the vocals have an excited, histrionic quality, drawing out syllables verrrrrrry long and dominating everything. This whole pacakge reminds me of a more extreme Cradle of Filth....more extreme, but also less captivating, I'm afraid, and I'm hardly what you'd call a COF fan; I just admire their abundant British-ness or something. These guys are french and probably have similar romantic/poetic inspirations. They lack the cool riffs and heavy metal- and thrash-inspired guitar passages that sometimes made Cradle and interesting musical entity, though. Those little rests where the guitars don't play toward the end, leaving room for the keys, don't work for me. They accentuate this idea that the guitars are just a loud roaring noise and aren't doing anything very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaNiuxnTTis
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Tron_79
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:00 pm 
 

@Abominatrix
Spoiler: show
eh, no big deal if you don't like them...it would be no fun if everyone liked the same style/songs


Believer - singularity
I've been an on and off fan of beleiver for a while. While i really like their technical thrash approach, Kurt Bachman's vocals can be quite annoying to me...which is a shame as its sometimes just too much for me and puts me off the band. Having said that....there are definitely bright spots to the band...and this song. The opening riffs are killer and continue throughout the song. I really like the section at 2:05 where the leads add some nice melody and variety to the song. The drumming is solid in this but doesn't add too much to the song in terms of "wow factor". Anyways, enjoyed the majority of this song....as i guess its one of those times where the vocals were tolerable :)

7/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LOxAJ2wM5o
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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:09 pm 
 

@ tron

Spoiler: show
Yeah, very true, I just feel bad about putting down two of your songs in a row. :P

Regarding Beleiver, I agree with everything you've said, including the general shittiness of the vocals. Even so, the first half of this record is really great for me, and I've been listening to it since sometime in the late 90s. I however think the drummer is really, really fuckign good. The sound of the kit itself is a little weird but damn, he can really play..he and those strange, sometiems Voivod-ish riffs with the odd chord structures are for sure my favourite things about that band. I picked this song though because it's just a total face-ripping thrasher.
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Tron_79
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Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:16 pm 
 

@Abominatrix
Spoiler: show
Yeah, when i wrote that down about the drummer...i was thinking perhaps this isn't all on him as I find the mix to be bad as the snare is high in the mix and you really have to listen for the bass drums in which he shows he is skilled...especially since i'm at work and can't blast it too loud hehe
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Abominatrix
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:19 pm 
 

Spoiler: show
Hm, I'd say the whole kit is unusually high in the mix. The drummer was the assistant engineer, so that makes a sort of sense. If you really can't hear that bass drum, I'd say it's your speakers to blame.
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Tron_79
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Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:28 pm 
 

Spoiler: show
At the volume i was playing it at, they were definitely lower in the mix (as bass tends to be at low volume)... I did just re-listen at higher volumes and i stand corrected.
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CrushedRevelation
Devil's right hand

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:47 am
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:14 am 
 

Tron_79 wrote:
Downfall Of Gaia - Odium


Hmmmm... not sure what to do with this. Hardcore-like vocals over some at times seemingly very messy song structure. The whole off kilter cant to this is slightly irritating in the opening half of this. There is some almost clever moments of tricksy time changes and the like, but they are a little forced or contrived and never gel with me, ruing the flow. The second half is much better, relying on slower, deliberate strumming and wailing feedback to enhance the gloooom, which is quite good, as it slowly builds to it's crescendo, which for me, again, ruins the moment they had already settled into as it crashed and bashed it's way back into my senses destroying the contemplative repose that was briefly constructed - calm before the shitstorm so to speak. Overall I found this more than annoying for the most part, and nothing that was appealing at all really.

Something different...
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Tron_79
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:40 am 
 

Wrathprayer - Sun Of Moloch

some really heavy prolonged riffs open up the song...sounds like some dark funeral doom as the atmosphere and riffs just crush you for the first minute and a half. The tempo then shifts and picks up the pace quite significantly. Unfortuantely, i feel the riffs that were previously crushing are now being merged together creating a heavy wall of noise. The vocals work for the style and the more i'm listening to the song, the riffs seem to be abit more clear. Maybe the first 1:30 which was almost a different style took some time for me to get used to the change. The drummer throws in a few fills and has a couple interesting patterns. The dark atmosphere of the song remained constant, but i actually prefered the first part of the song to the "main" part....so yeah, enjoyable for the most part (but inside i think they'd make a great dark funeral doom band...hah)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqQc2hQ1pQ
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wire_forest
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Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:01 am
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Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:49 pm 
 

Tribulation - Crypt of Thanatophilia

FUUURRYY!
I would normally say that I was not a big fan of Death Metal, but after hearing, Tribulation - Crypt of Thanatophilia, perhaps I need to re-evaluate my position, though this is the first song I have heard by these Swedes, and after listening to this, I am definitely going to check out some more! The song starts with a bang and the aggression really does not let up for the whole 4 minutes of this track, being chock full of riffs that just get your head banging, with the riff that comes in around the 1 minute mark just ozzing brilliance (that is not to diminish the quality of the other riffs on show here, that one just does it for me). I love the vocals not as low and guttaral as some death metal but they really ebb and flow well with the aggressive riffing on show here, and the drumming is perfect for the track. All in all, a great death metal track that is full of aggressive riffing to make you bang your head, and as mentioned I will be delving deeper into this bands discography after hearing this. 9/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVEob6Ed6j0

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Lord_Malice
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:13 am
Posts: 97
Location: Kenya
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:49 am 
 

Church of Misery - Megalomania (Herbert Mullin)

Great stoner stuff. Opens with a most weird riff pattern that moans and groans its way through the first half of the song before evolving into a more comfortable groove over which the vocals are knitted. There is a very rock n' roll vibe that I get from this song. It is very Hendrixy in its format and is very bold with its guitar patterns. The drumming and bass work are all well placed but it is a song mostly built around the guitar and texturally speaking, there's so much to behold.

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

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MetalCuresHeadaches
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Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:35 pm
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Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:38 am 
 

Lucyfire - "Annabel Lee"

...the fuck is this? Sorry if anyone out there is a Lucyfire fan, but this is terrible. It sounds as though a new wave band from the 80s and a 00s goth rock band had an awkward kid that produced this song. The vocals are monotone and uninterested in the lyrics they're singing, and the guitars, for the most part, are relegated to playing the same chords as the synth player, with an occasional rock lead or power chord, or random picking in the background of the chorus. Not something I'll be revisiting anytime soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ReIZkE5k3I

As pointed out below, 22 minutes probably is a bit too long for a mini-review, so I offer up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMwO7zqo9cs instead.
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Last edited by MetalCuresHeadaches on Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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colin040
Metal freak

Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:00 pm
Posts: 7608
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:43 am 
 

Dude, some people complained when a 13 minute song got posted....this one is 22 minutes long. Better post something shorter.

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SolracV
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:37 pm
Posts: 60
Location: Puerto Rico
PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:01 pm 
 

Trollkraftt - Trolls of Doom

Wasn't expecting that at all! Judging by the name and the artwork (which I really like), I was expecting your usual folk/black sound, but there it is, a heavy as fuck Black/Sludge (?) Metal! Like I said, the artwork is pretty great, the song title is hilariously cool, the instrumentation is heavy and spot-on, and (this is more of a personal opinion) I really like how the vocals really fit with the whole Troll concept. Overall, it's pretty fucking great. Would give an 8/10

Spoiler: show

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Tron_79
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Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:15 pm 
 

Avulsed - Harvesting the Blood

When i first clicked on this, i was thinking...oh no, not another uber brutal death metal band...but aside from the opening sequence which started with some blasting and deep gutteral vocals, this is just some good death metal. The riffing and leads at about 0:50 are cool. The riffs are actually quite good the entire song, and have a nice flow too. the Bridge at 2:20 starts is abit bland, but its all good once the song gets going again. I like the section at 3:30 with some nice tremelo picked riffs. The snare drum tone has abit of a tinny sound to it but otherwise he does a good job. Overall, a pretty good death metal song...but i wonder if they are really all that different to stand out from other bands.

7/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evG6dIa9KJ8
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Punishing
Delicious Penis Connoisseur

Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 10:28 am
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Location: Egypt
PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:22 pm 
 

Tourniquet - Phantom Limb

Oh my god, is this the place where Faith No More meets Voivod?

Hmmmm....maybe not! Anyway...

It starts off being all jazzy and insinuating and then the drums lead to a nervous riff break out. Nervous because it pitter patters dramatically before breaking out in the groove funky rhythm that called Faith No More to mind. Plus the singer reminded me strongly of Mike Patton with his weird enunciations and crazy belting. Great performance from him overall though.
The guitar riffs are nothing special and aren't as overtly technical as initially suggested but the sporadic thrashouts keep the song interesting even if it never holds in one place for a time to become significant. The drummer is consistent and impressed me much. I didn't know about this band at all, so this is a good find.

King Travolta, anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCAN9YnypGU
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~Guest 282118
Argentinian Asado Supremacy

Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2011 2:16 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:38 pm 
 

King Travolta - Summon the Beast

First impression? Ridiculous name, and even more ridiculous cover art. Bad first impression. As for the music itself? Well, the first minute or so..... Oh, sorry, it's the first two...... No, actually, the first three min-...... Oh, fuck me, the whole song uses the same, bloody monotonous riff? Shit. Basically, this simply strikes me as an especially poor, amateurish attempt at Obituary worship, with even the vomitive vocal approach being included. Sadly, whereas John Tardy actually makes his unorthodox vocals work in the context of his band's music, this guy simply sounds like some random dude screaming his head off while suffering from a nasty throat infection. And the music? The music isn't any better. A nerve-wracking, eternal crash cymbal accentuates a boring attempt at a sludgy riff that goes on forever. Save for the last forty seconds or so, where the band inexplicably incorporates another, equally insignificant riff.

Sorry Punishing, but this is most definitely not for me.

Gonna post something more melodic now.

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MalignantTyrant
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 10:01 pm 
 

Solitude Aeternus- It Came Upon One Night

This is pretty cool. The intro is kind of an atmospheric yet somewhat serene instrumental part, then the guitars kick in. There's no artificial loudness or extra studio bolstering to be found here whatsoever, everything here sounds pretty organic. I like it a lot, I wish more bands playing this kind of metal would have production jobs similar to this song. The riffing starts out rather simple but gets more complex, faster and more frenzied and heavy as time passes on. It eventually slows down again near the end of the track, though. The vocals are well done, like I said before I do really like singing of this kind even though I hardly ever listen to anything outside of extreme metal these days. The bass is practically inaudible, you have to purposely listen for it to get an idea of what it sounds like, but it doesn't really take away from the music much. A more prominent bass on a song like this would just sound weird to me. The drumming is alright, nothing to write home about. It does what it's supposed to, not really too much to mention here. The drum tone isn't bad at all, it works for the music and doesn't suffer from any of the usual problems that drums suffer from production-wise.
This is a good song and I would probably listen to it over and over again just like that Cantata Sangui song that someone posted a while back.

Evil in musical form
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Thumbman
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 2:23 am 
 

Missed the Solitude Aeturnus song. :(
Belphegor - Diabolic Possession
This is a band I've been aware of for a long time but never bothered checking out for some reason. I have to say this is rather good but wouldn't say it's anything all that special. Just well done black/death. The raging tremolo with hints of melody is the best thing here for sure. I kind of like this, but at the same time kind of feel like it lacks personality. Also, not in love with the vocals. Everything is done well but in the end it's just kind of missing that something special. Still, not bad at all and I wouldn't advise against listening.

Sorry if this is too obvious:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmGnQ-uKb_o
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MalignantTyrant
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:54 pm 
 

Piss Angel by Pig Destroyer

I think these guys need no introduction. There's a reason why they're such a popular grindcore band, and it's because they're fucking sick. The production is just loud enough and just crunchy enough but still sounds pretty organic and not artificial. J.R. Hayes crazed screaming is pretty much ear-rape and he doesn't hold back telling you his demented stories. I also liked the phone call/heavy breathing part before the guitars and vocals start driving, kind of like a calm before the storm. The drumming is pretty well-done and doesn't try to outdo itself, and the bass integrates well with the rest of the music, although I would've liked it if it were a bit more audible. I dunno, maybe I've been spoiled by later-era Rotting Christ's super-prominent bass, but I wish a lot more bass was heard in a lot of these modern production jobs. Overall, a really good song by a really good band.

Better than Dimmu Borgir's last two albums by a bit
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Of all the people want to bully like a 90s sitcom bully, Trunk is an easy top 3 finish. When I inevitably develop lung cancer I'm going to make my Make-A-Wish request to be to give him a swirly.

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Dave_o_rama
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Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:54 am
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:37 am 
 

Eyes of Noctum - Thy Fire Within

When I clicked on this, I was honestly expecting something completely cheesy and drenched in symphonics. But, surprisingly, that's not the case here. The first half of the song is centered around a single thrashy riff and Weston Cage's death growls, which, again, I never would have seen coming. It's surprising, but I don't think it will hold up for me on multiple listens. The second half of the song is where the symphonics really kick in, as well as some clean vocals, which aren't great but get the job done. The last minute or so feels like it's a build up to something amazing, but, at least in this song, we don't see where that goes. Maybe if I listened to this album the whole way through, that last part would make a little more sense. I don't think I'll be doing that, though... everything here is well done, but it just doesn't grab me.

A band local to me.

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SolracV
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:37 pm
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Location: Puerto Rico
PostPosted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:35 pm 
 

Eyes of the Warrior - Shattered Sanctity

Pretty good! Heavy, melodic and just straight up power! I don't know if it's me but the production is a little (VERY slightly) unbalanced? Like I find the guitars too loud, though I can't say anything since I don't know anything about music production. Also, I find the vocals more of the same, y'know? Then again, these are just minor criticism and mostly personal opinion, so it's forgivable. Song is great and I like the name of the band :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWetnXn4oFQ

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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:26 pm 
 

wolfchant: "Embraced by Fire"

I had no idea what to expect from this. It's some kind of hybrid metal, very modern both in playing and production style, but it mostly works. MA says "pagan/folk" metal, and that seems a catch-all for some bands these days as I didn't hear much folk music in this, even though the vocals were at times reminiscent of the kind of half singing/shouting style I've heard from other similarly labeled bands. The rest of the time, the vocalist employs a delivery th at reminds me a little of the Swedish band Dark Tranquillity in their more modern incarnation...not too forceful but with a good deal of presence all the same, yet back in the mix and lacking stridency, so that the vocals cease to become an "extreme" element and are more of an extra rhythmic touch. The song did indeed have a marching sort of feel to it, which, while common to a lot of metal, probably reinforces that "pagan war" feeling the music is trying to convey. The real highlight, of course, is the guitars: They are fairly impressive; I knew when they played a harmonising melody to the opening chords I was in for some fairly tasty licks. They are pretty restrained though and I'm sure this stuff doesn't challenge them too much, but there is some nice interplay between the two tracks, as well as a short, ripping solo. Probably one of the nicest uses of a fade-out (a technique I'm often not fond of) I've heard in a while, too. Decent stuff, though not entirely my cuppa....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7-c_XETDOQ
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Tron_79
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:46 pm 
 

Steel Assassin - Crusader

I'll give this one a shot....usually isn't my style, but i don't mind the occasional traditional heavy metal song...and this seems to be one of the occasions. Definitely some solid riffing throughtout the song..especially like the section at 2:00 where the tempo increases and the bass is audible and actually carries some of the melody. The following solo is also solid and the bass continues to add a nice touch to the song. I enjoy the vocals too. He has some range but also has a bit of harshness to it. The chorus is also kinda catchy which isn't a bad thing at all. so yeah, enjoyable tune. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI3l8j6vvec
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VirginSteele_Helstar
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Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:26 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:48 am 
 

Beat me to that awesome Steel Assassin tune, DAMN! I love those guys!

Melechesh - Of Mercury and Mercury

Not my cup of tea! But then again, the point of this thread is to try different cups so I'll give it a go. MA says this band plays Black/Death/Middle Eastern Folk Metal,and of course I have heard of them because they are lauded to high heaven everywhere you turn.
And with good reason, if this here song is anything to go by. "Of Mercury and Mercury" is amazingly riff heavy and quite the exciting affair from start to finish. The melodies are not overpowering and I find their Middle Eastern sprinklings rather tasteful and well implied. The vocals work well for the song and evoke a mystical and evil atmosphere over the whole damn thing. And I'll be damned, Proscriptor of Absu whom I adore is on drums and although he doesn't stand out dramatically to own the whole song, he is in fine form throughout.
There's no one at fault here, the song is relentless and perfectly paced. Anyone with a metal heart can easily enjoy this.

Back to heavy metal;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnpwHtpUol8
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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:41 am 
 

Some great tunes here lately.

metal Inquisitor: Run for your Life"

Ah, so this is the infamous Metal Inquisitor! I read a fair bit about them here and that they ripped off a whole bunch of bands and offered nothing original to the table, and yet still managed to make enjoyable music. I wasn't in a hurry to investigate them, therefore, but this was a good tune all right. The sound is really nice! I'm listening on my headphones at work, which aren't very good, but even these drums sounded quite heavy and impactful. I like how simple and steady the drums are in fact, with that pounding double bass and yet very minimal, kind of amateurish but cool fills that suggest the guy has a lot of endurance and enthusiasm at least. This is your quintessential speed metal sound, I think, and as this stuff is kind of addictive even when it's nothing groundbreaking, it's just impossible for me not to like. Guitars sound heavy and chunky, too, and provide straightforward but "approved" riffing that just motors along with some nice hooks. The groovy part/riff before the solo is excellent and the shredfest that follows is, again, nothing that seems challenging but is sure delivered with gusto. Then a modified version of the main riff appears at the end with some mighty sounding guitar harmonic squeals that totally brought home the climax of the tune in a way that suggests that, hey, they may not be instrumental masters but they know how to write a goddamn song! Oh yeah, the vocals? Weak! Too understated for this kind of music, though the gruff tone and accent were fitting enough. I liked the gang chorus though.."Rrrun for your life!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQKhRcZtJqM
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Thumbman
Big Cube

Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:47 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 11:13 am 
 

Xysma - I Feel Like Lou Reed

Interesting, I'm only familiar with the bands early work, and needless to say this is very different. It's like extreme metal's answer to rock'n'roll and not really in death'n'roll kind of way. One big and heavy but extraordinarily simple riff often takes the forefront. There's even some raunchy piano in parts. The vocals are still harsh, but still distinguishable. Overall this is pretty cool, a good extreme metal band has transitioned to a more rock oriented sound and actually managed to still sound good. This could be a really good rock tune with a little less heaviness and well done clean vocals. I like this and will probably check out more of the album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-LNFCTMs24
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Abominatrix
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 11:35 am 
 

@ Dystopia:

Spoiler: show
yeah man, that big simple riff just works for me, and extraordinarily well. Only really just started getting into the band but I'm really impressed with the way they handled their transition. There's one more weird filthy metal album and, well, then they really did turn into a rock band. But I even like that stuff! Sure beats Pyogenesis! Huh, there currently doesn't seem to be anything up from their last album on Youtube. Anyway, do check this one, it's great!
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ScratchMyBack
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:04 am
Posts: 1058
Location: Malaysia
PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 5:01 pm 
 

dystopia4 wrote:


Crowbar - Planets Collide

This is definitely one of the more accessible Crowbar songs out there and definitely one of the more melodic. The 1st song that I got reminded after listening to this was Down's Stone The Crow but slower. The tone is heavy yet melodic and calming. Like the act of watching a cataclysmic event from a far distant but you know for sure, the force of the impact is great. You may not feel the impact directly now, but something in you is telling that you're going to be affected by this. That's how you feel when you listen to a calming yet heavy track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQmJXVMp1WQ
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Turner
Metalhead

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Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 6:49 pm 
 

red harvest - abstract morality junction

i don't really know how well i can review this, because it's more or less just EBM (or some slight variant thereof, but i'm not into that music enough to be able to tell.) slight early pitchshifter/fear factory vibe in the vocals with the industrial approach, but that's about all that would really link this to metal. repetitive, primitive drum machine and i can't really hear the lyrics cause the vocals are heavily synthesised and run through a bunch of filters, i guess. i don't exactly know what an "abstract morality junction" is but i'm tempted to say they simply threw some words together that sounded cool, because it doesn't really make sense.

6/10 pictures of cogs

here's mine. this band is more known in punk circles (and these days as a mainstream rock band in their home country), but they had a couple of albums in the late 80s/early 90s with some pretty cool crossover moments - not in the DRI sense, but in a general metal-meets-punk sense. like earlier NOFX, i guess, but heavier:

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

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CrushedRevelation
Devil's right hand

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:47 am
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 12:12 am 
 

Musterbeispiel - die toten Hosen

Couldn't find these guys on the Archives anywhere... probably got something to do with them being ummm... not metal in any way. The opening of this could have been placed comfortably on an early Fields of The Nephilim or The Cult album, with those hollow open-chord ringing segments. After that has been dispensed with we are treated to a rather cool drum and bass interplay while the guitars do their thing over the top, providing a back drop over the top before plunging into a more rock/punk(ish) verse section. The verses are done rather well, with a haunting vocal in the background underneath the main line. This is pretty sweet musically and vocally, but then it all ends rather abruptly, which is somewhat maddening, because it seems there is more to this track, and I would have liked to hear where it was leading, but there you are. Despite the non-metal nature of this, it's good, but the cut off end is irritating.

Going back in time...
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Acrobat
Eric Olthwaite

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:03 pm 
 

Psychrist - Spiral

Alright, so we've got some reasonably brutal death metal. Nicely recognisable in a way that's perhaps a little too familiar. I mean, it sounds like Sinister with a touch more Suffocation to their sound or something. I do like that they let the drummer lead the song, though, that's a cool touch that I don't hear in enough death metal (or music in general, to be honest). Nice drum sound, too, with plenty of crack to the snare and a lot of definition to the cymbals... I certainly can't complain here. It's not outstanding on the riff front, though, I feel like a want a something a little more distinctive - but then again, this is a problem I often have with death metal. Certainly there's nothing wrong here; but it's just a little too typical for me riff-wise. Plenty heavy and whatnot, but I'd like something a bit special! Again, this is probably reflective of my quirks as a listener than any lack of quality from the band... if you like brutal death metal give this a try, for sure.

Aussies, eh? Local heroes are they?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fktu7BiAWg
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Turner
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Location: Australia
PostPosted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:21 pm 
 

pokolgep - a harang ertem szol

heh, hungarian metal from what i assume is the communist era? sounds pretty good, although its somehow exactly what i imagined iron curtain metal to sound like. the intro is a little bit pointless - it doesn't build into the song or anything, and it takes up more or less half the track. an acoustic guitar simply cuts to what is the main body of the song. the rest is a fairly bare-bones type of 80s heavy/power metal, along the lines of running wild or grave digger. it's fairly catchy, particularly the chorus - if they'd scrapped the intro and fleshed the remainder out some more, it would've made a decent song. i don't think this is something i could legitimately get into these days, although as a teenager i would've loved it. it'd make good background music at a summer bbq with metalhead mates - unintrusive enough not to kill anyone's buzz, good enough to have everyone tapping their foot.

7.5/10

Spoiler: show
ANationalAcrobat wrote:
Aussies, eh? Local heroes are they?


they're an older band but they were fairly popular for a while. a couple of my mates were big into them in the early 00s. i'm not a huge fan tbh, although i remember one of their albums was pretty good (and oddly enough, i remember it for a really cool acoustic track.)


but speaking of aussie metal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obROiDOj37k

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CrushedRevelation
Devil's right hand

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:47 am
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Location: The cavern's core
PostPosted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:10 am 
 

@ANationalAcrobat
Spoiler: show
Yeah Psychrist have been around for a while, as this ep is from '94, and I've seen them play a bunch of times and were great every time - really oppressive, heavy death metal. They broke up some time ago though, with the guitarist going on to play in Kill For Satan (who did a split with the lamp Of Thoth actually), who in their own right are pretty darn good. I dig their murky, kinda dirty sound, and yeah, the influences are apparent, and obvious, but it's done so damn well that I can't resist. Being heavily into DM helps also :grin:
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