Mordy's Metal Listening Club - New Albums Every Monday

still way behind but I did listen to all three of these of call all destroyer's picks last week.

AVERSE SEFIRA - ADVENT PARALLAX (candlelight, 2008)
seemed pretty good but have to admit that it left no impression on me once it had blasted to its conclusion. will likely re-visit.

CURSED - TWO (goodfellow, 2005)
I listened to way too much hardcore during my college years, so I thought I would be all over this. but I really couldn't see what these guys are bringing to the table that converge haven't already done and done way better. I know most hardcore bands are pretty derivative but I felt like there was no reason for this album to exist. I peaced out during the endless track towards the end.

ANATA - THE INFERNAL DEPTHS OF HATRED (season of mist, 1998)
my fave of these three. totally get the melodic/epic/emotional qualities you're describing, cad. solid record.

ahem i was last week

:)

last week was the week I listened to cad's picks. will get to your records as well, jeez!

xpost

ps scott, your picks look cool. I've heard that amok record. it's INTENSE.

also, THIS BEAT IS NECROTRONIC is such a great album name.

This Beat Is Necrotronic can be found here: http://sharebee.com/d2ce671a

And I'm allowed to post an dodgy link to it because I run their label. Ace!

Oh yeah, go to distractionrecords.com if you want to buy it proper - we only have about two dozen copies left though so be quick or be dead.

Cheers for spreading the word Scott - I'm expecting the next album to plop through my doorstep within the next month (give or take another month, you know what bands are like. . .) so you'll be the first to know when things are a-happening with that.

Cool picks in this thread by the way dudes, keep 'em coming!

pagan altar album is pretty good--wish i liked the singer more.

09/8 mordy
16/8 Sebastian
23/8 alan n

― The world’s most violent pizza delivery man (Alan N),

Oh, sorry, I've gotta pass for now. I'll go sometime in the future but I'm really not prepared atm. Kerr, might stepping in for me?

Yeah I guess so

This was what I was going to do a few weeks back but changed my mind.
Theme : Japanese Metal.

Corrupted - El Mundo Frio
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/9/7/3/8/97386.jpg
Not a Spotify

Boris - Absolutego
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/3/8/8/3/38833.jpg
Not a Spotify

Church Of Misery - The Second Coming
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/4/4/6/2/44624.gif
Not a Spotify

feel free to catch up on my picks from a few weeks ago too

I'm a week behind after trips planned and unplanned; right now I'm listening to the Amok album Scott picked and really digging it. The rhythm section is killing me - they sound great and form a real pocket for the rest of the band to lash out from and fall back into for cover. Another big chunk of my anti-death metal armor is knocked off by this record; by the end of the year I might (gasp!) even be a fan of the genre. Stranger things have happened.

Sadly, the Intaglio is not catching me. I have to be in the mood for funeral doom, and I can't reach that place on a hot summer day. Come November this might blow me away.

On to Necro Deathmort!

heh, i recently capitulated on that particular front; that blasted Swedish Death Metal collection from last year got its hooks in me but good. and it hurts, too.

xp

you really have to turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream with the intaglio. if you have "errands" or "work" to do then you won't dig it as much. your pulse rate has to be pretty low and your calendar cleared.

I've seen that but resisted it's call pretty easily; now I'm afraid of it, for this listening club has shown over and over again that I do actually like a bunch of stuff from the genre.

By the way, this Necro Deathmort is really odd in a good way. I'll wait till I've heard it all the way through to sum up but at the 10 minute mark I've enjoyed every bit of it.

xpost

RE: Intaglio - that's sort of what I figured, Scott - I can't clear the decks enough to get swept away right now.

Necro Deathmort kick major, major ass. I have no idea what category this is besides awesome. They've obviously read this book and taken it to heart:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l6woifZVed1qzgdj4o1_400.jpg

haven't re-listened but that corrupted album is not one of my faves. I don't like how they take the basic progression they're working off of and simply repeat it twice with slight variations. it feels like I've already listened to the whole album halfway through, you know?

but it's a corrupted album, so it's still pretty damn good. when it crushes, it CRUSHES. (but alas, not for long enough.) there's nothing quite like this band in heavy mode.

I was gonna do Llenandose de Gusanos but I didn't think people could take that. 2 cds with one massive ambient cd.

Boris and Corrupted aren't my bag. I've heard some other Church of Misery but not that one so I'll try to give it a go.

Boris before Pink/Smile is very different, but I expect you already know that (esp if you dont like Corrupted).

Yeah, I tried stuff from their various incarnations and nothing ever clicked. Corrupted I respect -- they do their "thing" very well --- but I don't enjoy it or like it much.

Not even Akuma No Uta or Heavy Rocks?

I was gonna do Llenandose de Gusanos but I didn't think people could take that. 2 cds with one massive ambient cd.

yeah, I totally get why you didn't pick llenandose but that one is my favorite. a real game-changer in my personal listening history.

still remember my first listen to it - was mega-stressed because I had fallen into my usual procrastination habits and some paper or programming assignment or whatever was due the next day. decided I needed a break to eat and put on the first disc. massive catharsis ensued.

play llenandose loud, and for better or worse, you will be affected. (in my experience, anyway.)

Not even Akuma No Uta or Heavy Rocks?

I should like those two records -- I like lots of stoner stuff -- but nope. I just don't like them. At best they don't register.

continuing some catch up here - i really like the warning record that pfunk posted.

Here is my selection.
Theme: and all that could have been.
Bands that should and could have ruled the world, but never went anywhere.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61tDA0JS4GL._SS400_.jpg

Aragorn – Noonday, the Anthology

Let’s begin with some classic NWOBHM. The NWOBHM started as a 7-inch single genre and the list of bands that only released one or two singles and then disappeared is endless. Most of these bands put down plenty of material however, that just never saw a proper release back in their day. Luckily we find ourselves in a period where this obscure material is tracked down by NWOBHM aficionados and released on anthology CD’s.

Two of my favorites are Tyrant (from Gloucester, UK; be sure to check out their anthology on Steel Legacy Records) and Aragorn. I chose to go with Aragorn for this list because of their heaviness. Listening back to NWOBHM bands like Diamond Head, Vardis, Holocaust or Blitzkrieg, I find the songs to be catchy, but the music far from being heavy anymore. But I still experience Aragorn as extremely dark, menacing and very raw. I even think to hear some Stooges influences in their music.

The band released only one single, in 1981. Listening to the anthology, I can only lament that it stayed at that.

Not a Spotify!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/418P4AHVROL._SS400_.jpg

Infernal Majesty – None Shall Defy

Flash forward to thrash metal. Infernal Majesty hail from Canada and released their debut in 1987. I don’t remember if it was expressed during an interview or in the liner notes of the album, but the band stated that they were aiming to push Slayer from the Throne of the Most Extreme. On Slayer: I’ve always considered Hell Awaits to be their best album. The songs have unusual structures and the whole platter breathes an atmosphere of gloom and decay. Slayer chose to never follow-up on this style (well, they did a little on South of Heaven - my second favorite Slayer album). Luckily, in my ears, Infernal Majesty created Hell Awaits’ sister album. The songs on None Shall Defy are quite complex, without losing the ability to flat out rock and rampage. Sludgy doom metal intro’s and outro’s seal the deal. Evil to the bone.

If Infernal Majesty ever posed a serious threat to Slayer, is something I can’t tell from None Shall Defy alone. Their second album should have been their answer to Reign in Blood, I guess. But it never arrived. Or, it arrived in 1998, after the band regrouped because of the success of the None Shall Defy CD release. By then the momentum was lost, and my interest had vanished.

None Shall Defy remains a bona fide thrash metal classic though.

Not a Spotify!

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/04/f3/1c54c060ada0be7e3f491210.L.jpg

Wargasm – Why Play Around?

Looking back, I consider the early years of extreme metal to be dominated by uncontrolled aggression. The extremeness is accomplished by hitting the instruments as hard and fast as possible and by yelling and screaming in the microphone. It is all about being loud. There doesn’t seem to be any control of the emotion (which I love, mind you). Wargasm was a surprise in that the band seemed to go for the understatement. Deliberate passive aggression which created a tension that I felt was unique for its time. These are intellectuals that retaliate with precaution instead of childlike spastics. Unheard of by these young ears.

It was 1988 and metal was branching out. In 1985 hardcore and punk were allowed to mix with metal. Some years later the borders opened up for funk (ugh!) and for psychedelica. Regarding the latter, I always considered Voivod king. But Wargasm did also mix styles of music which I was unable to give a proper place. Which confused and fascinated at the same time. Twenty-two years later, it’s all considerably less unique. But I still believe Why Play Around? to be a special piece of metal music, which went highly unnoticed. That the CD has been impossible to find almost since the day of release didn’t help. That a proper and timely follow-up never materialized didn’t help either. A pity, really.

Not a Spotify!

Enjoy!

Really liked the Infernal Majesty this morning. The first track "overlord" sets the table and the feast continues except for a limp salad in "S.O.S." Besides the opening one-two punch, I quite liked the title track. The whole thing was like a trip down memory lane with different tour guide - I didn't hear these guys at the time but they would have been right up my alley. Good rhythm section, which is a definite plus. Thanks!

Sadly, Aragorn does not hit another home run. Great single, and now I totally understand why that's all they got back in the day. I was laughing more than rocking which can't be what they intended. Drummer can't keep a beat, guitarist has his tone set to SHRED and even attempts to rip off "Eruption"! They have no idea what they're aiming for and still miss any and every possible target. Immortal tune, "Black Ice," but the rest was pretty painful.

Yeah, I can see that. I somehow don't judge the more extreme NWOBHM bands on their musicianship, as I feel it was never about that. Prime example: Venom. Problem with the anthology is that it contains almost every demo ever made, of which some should never have left the shelf for sure. But to me there are many killer tunes to be found here. Personal favorite: You Changed My World. Track number five, I believe. Catchy as hell and definitely not aimless.

"You Changed My World" would definitely have been the best choice for a second single out of these tracks. And maybe if they had more time and money some of the others could have been shaped and tightened up, but I totally understand why they didn't get the chance. I wanted to like it because "Black Ice" is tremendously good but just didn't.

However, I'm glad I saved Wargasm till last. I figured with a name like that they'd have to be good (worked for Kick Axe, right? Okay, not always a fair barometer) and they smoked. Best of the three by no small margin, and one I'm for which going to try to find a physical copy. I think you hit the nail on the head by saying they capture a restrained aggression, and are all the better for it. My problem with speed and aggro set to ten is it is hard to do and still have a tune; these fellows (I'm assuming - I know naught) never let the song escape no matter how fast the gallop. Great fun and a great recommendation.

Thanks Sebastian!

You're welcome :-)

Truly great album.

None Shall Defy was one of my faves in my early teens, precisely because they sounded just like Slayer. I need to hear Aragorn, that was a bit before my time.

i've never heard any of these! probably dig them all knowing me. cuz i know me pretty well.

as far as 80's metal goes, you have to be pretty fucking horrible for me not to find some value in a record. same with rap. and even if your album is horrible...

Alan N is up. Who wants to volunteer for future weeks?
I think mordy is up on 30/8

oh whoops, forgot about this. I'll post my picks in a bit.

no crappy themes this time :P

fu, this is my week pfunk

and I do have a theme planned!

without further adieu, here is...

GORGUTS WEEK, PT 2

j/k!

I do have a slightly less alienating theme planned, though...

SICK DRUMMER WEEK

I have a hard time getting into a band if the drummer sucks. there's an exception to every rule but it often just makes EVERYONE sound sloppy, you know? so, here's a week dedicated to drummers who have gone above and beyond.

absu - tara (2001)
http://www.ravenmetal.com/images/trhuyrtyhrt.jpg

proscriptor is flat-out ridiculous on this album. just listen to "she cries the quiet lake" - the stuff he's doing on the snare is wild and strikes me as very different from the way most metal players would approach material like this. the genre signifiers are there but the way he re-arranges sounds very fresh to me.

discordance axis - the inalienable dreamless (2000)
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tXgfEoD10ck/SC7S0KyPSnI/AAAAAAAAAVU/BPFhjCBWUFo/s400/discaxisTID.jpg

a classic and my favorite album dave witte (of municipal waste, melt-banana, human remains, burnt by the sun, atomsmasher, etc.) has played on. the interplay between guitar and drums on this one is a real treat and the way the guitar and drum morph with each measure at the end of "jigsaw" is probs my fave example.

axis of advance - obey (2004)
http://aftermathshop.com/oscommerce/images/axisofadvance-obeyLP.jpg

just discovered this release this year and I'm unfamiliar with the rest of the band's catalog, so it hasn't seeped quite as deep into my psyche yet. but what struck me was how it sometimes sounds like a more metal take on the discordance axis formula. good times.

don't have access to spotify, so I'm not sure if these are on there. but if any of you euros want to post some links, that would be cool.

also, speaking of "she cries the quiet lake" - can the double bass on that track possibly be human? or are drum triggers or whatever at work on this one? you'll know it when you hear it.

Tara is amazing, best American metal record since "Into Darkness". Still wondering, what if Proscriptor had landed that gig in Slayer, even for 1 album only...

yeah, I still go through heavy listening phases with tara. I'll pull it out and it's all I want to listen to for a week. it's seriously great.

what did you think of the absu album from 2009, siegbran?

as for proscriptor in slayer... I think divine intervention is an OK record. proscriptor would have been fun on it, certainly more fun than bostaph. dude plays it pretty straight. but at the end of the day, slayer were writing pretty generic stuff at that point and proscriptor wouldn't have changed that imo.

the self titled absu was terrific

oh, looks like I have my timelines mixed up. from wikipedia:

This line-up was short lived as soon after recording Tara, Equitant left due to musical differences (however, he and Proscriptor still collaborate on other projects to this day). Shortly after that, Proscriptor severely injured his hand in an accident, which required surgery to repair his hand. After almost a year of healing and therapy, he was ready to play again but Shaftiel no longer had any interest in Absu and Kashshapxu had also left the band due to musical differences. Proscriptor then put Absu on hold and decided to work on other projects. During this period he auditioned for Slayer but Slayer eventually went with their original drummer Dave Lombardo.

so, it seems as if he was auditioning for the christ illusion iteration of the band. I've never listened to that one.

I have to listen to that self-titled some more. I think I've listened to it about 4-5 times total. all with long periods of time in-between. I just always reach for tara when I'm in an absu state of mind.

didn't realize you dig absu, herman. figured you wouldn't since you like to knock black metal. ;-)

you've heard tara, right?