Rolling Metal Thread 2010

Although I think the effect would have been way greater if they'd brought somebody to sing the female lines instead of playing them off recordings. And a couple violins, at least? One guy with two keyboards can sound like a symphony, but watching him isn't quite the same. Although he is wearing white pants, so obviously that's something.

It's like they're trying to be the black metal version of Angel.

http://www.heavyharmonies.com/bandpics/angel.jpg

Oh, nobody is going to mistake them for THAT. Polar opposite approach to grooming, for starters.

Also: driving home from the show, I had that Agrypnie album playing again. For the moment, at least, it seems like a serious album-of-the-year contender for me in a really strong year. Repeatedly and extendedly breathtaking in its scope. And I just saw Enslaved, and was playing Axioma Ethica Odini on the drive out, so it's not like they're rising out of a slush pile.

Fucking hell, this Lesbian album is a bit good, eh?

Has anyone heard the advance copy of Hell's Human Remains?
Apparently, they still haven't secured a label deal for it.

I think they just might have the best logo ever!
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/5/8/4/9/5849_logo.jpg

I'm working on my top 20 and realized that I have not heard a note of the following 2010 albums:

Devin Townsend - Addicted
Ihsahn - After
Rotting Christ - AEALO
High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine
Landmine Marathon - Sovereign Descent
Unleashed - As Yggdrasil Tembles
Alcest - Ecailles De Lune
Burzum - Belus
Unearthly Trance - V
Jucifer - Thrones in Blood
Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder
Watain - Lawless Darkness
Nachtmystium - Addicts
Grand Magus - Hammer of the North
Lighting Swords of Death - The Extra Dimensional World
Ufomammut - Eve
Iron Maiden - Final Frontier
Zoroaster - Matador
Kylesa - Spiral Shadow
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me...
Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent
Melechesh - The Epigenesis
Ghost - Opus Eponymous
Electric Wizard - Black Masses
Atheist - Jupiter

Well I can save you some time and tell you to skip the Melvins album. It isn't a BAD album, just pretty disappointing in terms of the recent uptick in quality since they absorbed the Big Business guys.

I'm liking the Atheist album pretty well, for what it is, but I definitely don't like what it is as much as I like some other things.

Of the things on Nate's unheard list, I'd be unwilling to unhear Ihsahn, Rotting Christ, Alcest, Grand Magus, Iron Maiden and Killing Joke.

The Ufomammut is another solid Ufomammut record; a little more focused than they've been for a bit.
The Kylesa is seriously kicking my ass - absolutely love it, where I haven't really warmed to them in the past.
Really liked the Ihsahn last winter and need to revisit it. Same with the Alcest.

Didn't care for, probably not my thing: High on Fire, Nachtmystium, Zoroaster, Unearthly Trance.

Want to hear: Grand Magous, Electric Wizard, Ghost.

Also have not heard the latest Danzig or Converge.

That's the thing with me: I see 100 shows in a year. Hundreds of bands live. I hear/make time for very few new albums.

I am definitely loving Wolvserpent, Cathedral, Ludicra, Christian Mistress, Triptykon, Sabbath Assembly, Enslaved, Hail of Bullets, Withered, Immolation, Dusted Angel, and the Rush single. :)

Honorable mention for Agalloch and METAL SWIM too but hey--I can't really vote for those anywhere.

Kind of regretting my decision to wait to hear the new Kylesa until I get my own physical copy, because I ordered it three weeks ago and Amazon has still yet to ship it. It keeps getting bumped back for some reason. Distribution problems?

Did you order the limited edition with the DVD or single disc? I think the single disc isn't actually out until December.

Hmmm, I think the single disc, but I just checked the site and they now have it updated to say the single-disc version gets released this Tuesday, the 9th. So hopefully I'll have it before the end of the week. Just getting antsy after reading all the solid reviews.

The little DVD was actually quite nice. 45 minute "making of the album" documentary, with short interviews and Q&As with each of the members. Was really helpful for me since this is the record where I got on board.

I opted out of that, simply because those bonus DVDs just end up piling up around me completely unwatched.

If it had in any way increased the cost I would have been right with ya.

There's a new Rush single? Oh.

Oh!

Ha, Nate, your list of stuff you haven't heard looks like my top 20 list for the year.

Now playing: Atheist, Jupiter. Okay, I love Atheist's first three albums (yes, even Elements). And the promo MP3s were so low-quality that I fucking bought this one. But I don't know if I can get behind it. It doesn't sound like Atheist to me. Granted, there's only two original members still in the band (vocalist/guitarist Kelly Shaefer and drummer Steve Flynn), but the two new guitarists are playing all these Dillinger Escape Plan riffs, and Shaefer's vocals sound like Chad Gray from Mudvayne. Granted, the cover art is awesome - it's a painting of a lion and a bear wrestling inside a snow globe. But I don't know if that'll salvage it. At least it's got a dynamic mix, and isn't all brick-walled to shit like most current metal. That's something.

At least it's got a dynamic mix, and isn't all brick-walled to shit like most current metal.

frankly, this description makes it sound like it's an album of the year contender to me

I wasn't too excited about hearing it, but yeah, technical death metal with tasteful production is definitely a rarity these days.

I wouldn't call it "tasteful" - it's still Jason Suecof mixing - but it's unclipped, and every instrument gets its own space.

so tonight i was helping a classmate with an assignment in the computer lab and noticed her updating a blog between tasks. not to be creepy but i go home and find said blog--the major topics are starting a pornogrind band and sexual fantasies involving varg vikernes.

just had to share with folks who would know what the fuck i was talking about.

looooooool

I demand a link.

Also her phone # tia

call all destroyer - you are my kind of creep. That rules.

I have to listen to a whole Crimson Glory boxed set today.

I used to like Crimson Glory. Or, at least, I bought three of their albums, and didn't mind hearing them.

This morning I'm enjoying the recent best-of from Entwine, although I haven't gotten to the dubious-sounding second disc of "stripped" versions yet.

Also, did I mention this German band Agrypnie? If so, did I mention that their new album is awesome, compositionally expansive black metal?

The Entwine alternate versions aren't terrible, but neither do I really see any need for them to exist. Probably I think the same thing about the compilation, period. Entwine albums are pretty consistent, and there aren't that many of them. Start anywhere.

I still enjoy Crimson Glory very much. Their first two albums, anyway.

I tried to finagle a review copy of the box set, but to no avail.

So I'm not supposed to reveal any details about the new Crowbar, but I will say that sobriety has not affected Kirk Windstein's ability to lay down some truly devastating sludge.

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Over and out from:
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Ah, I'm very pleased to report that I enjoyed the new Cradle of Filth on first listen, which puts this one way ahead of the last one in my world. They seem to have remembered that energy and intensity are different from volume and speed!

And good songwriting, I hope. The last couple felt so lazy at times.

I gave the Cradle an 8 in my decibel review, but they bumped it down to a 7, which didn't surprise me at all.

Now that the fucking Financial Times has weighed in on the Salome album, I feel like I should ignore it on principle. But I've gotta write about it for AMG, so eventually that'll happen. In the meantime, though, I reviewed the second album by Mexican trad-metallers Voltax at BurningAmbulance.com today.

Children of Technology album on Hell's Headbangers is pretty sweet. I am kind of a sucker for d-beat/metal hybrid bands, though.

wow, had no idea salome were getting this kind of press. (and lol @ financial times.)

good for them. like the album but I haven't formulated much of an opinion beyond that.

Anyone digging the new Black Anvil, "Triumvirate?"

The riffage at the end of the first track, "What Is Life If Not Now!" is my favorite metal moment this year.

Has nobody talked about Deathspell Omega yet? Really?

This can only be because we don't comment on leaks then, right? Because otherwise, top 10 this year.

I reviewed it for AMG this very day. I don't like it as much as its two predecessors (too fast 'n' blasty w/o the weirdness that made them what they are - or, apparently, were) but yeah, it's plenty solid. I still think Spektr are my favorite of the French weirdo-BM acts.

haha so Danzig was supposed to play in town tonight at a club called the cabooze but apparently threw some sort of fit because the stage was not large enough to hold his awesomeness or whatever and cancelled the show at the last minute. a buddy of mine just sent me a photo of the cabooze response, which was to change the marquee to read FUCK DANZIG in big illuminated letters

Care to email me that photo? I'll throw it up on MSN tomorrow morning.

yeah sure, is yer ilx email the best one to get it to you?

haaa

eh i just went ahead and sent it to that address (its a h0tm41l one so hope thats right). subject line is danzig photo. let me know if you dont get it.

dear danzig,

smaller stage = bigger looking tiny you, id say go for it next time dude.

yours,
jjjusten

the stage was not large enough to hold his awesomeness
was gonna say was it 2'x2' o que because he is basically same size as me only more beefy

Got it, thanks. It'll be up on MSN Music tomorrow...