Mordy's Metal Listening Club - New Albums Every Monday

I think this is going to be my favorite week yet. I usually only write really critically when I get assigned something. I'm not into volunteering to tear something apart.

The only one I own is Chapter IV, which does have a few cool songs/riffs. It really is the low point in Candlemass's catalog by quite a lot. I'm a big supporter of the late 90's "Candlemass II" records, as well as the Abstrakt Algebra stuff. Hell, I even own a Zoic CD which just features just the main-era C-mass guitar players while Leif was off trying to write progressive power metal instead of Doom. And I still think Chapter IV is the worst.

Pretty sure I've never heard a note of X-Factor, and I haven't tended to ever care about any Napalm Death after From Enslavement...

Thanks Aldo :) I'll be back to snipe after some further listening.

I hadn't heard any of this week's picks, and now that I have I don't think I've been missing much. That is not to say that these are bad records; for the most part they're just not notable. If it wasn't for the pedigree of the bands I doubt these would be as maligned.

The Candlemass record is the best of the bunch - solid if pedestrian riffing, competent if not particularly interesting vocals and lyrics. I wouldn't pick this over any of the Candlemass records that predated it, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again. It just doesn't sound like what I like about the band. Damning with faint praise I guess, but compared to the other two...

Wow, that Iron Maiden record is so fucking long! And dull! And limp! And lifeless! I'm much less of a Maiden fan than most of the guys here, so the heresy of replacing Dickinson doesn't bother me too much in concept; however, continuing to aim for Dickinsonian vocal heights when you can't do it is just a bad, bad, idea. There are the bones of some good tunes here - as Adrien pointed out, "Sign of the Cross" has good riffs and a good vocal line, but it sounds undercooked here. I wonder if you cut 30 minutes off this if I'd respond differently. Probably not.

Napalm Death. Hmm, not a grind fan; even when Lee was singing I appreciated these guys more than liked them. This version of the band is hard to even appreciate.

Interesting week Aldo. I know I never would have heard these otherwise. Thanks?

I hope someone locks aldo in a room this week and forces him to listen to these albums :)

And Nate OTM about the Candlemass album.

the x factor definitely has some redeeming qualities (and adrien sums them up well), but even after all these years, the first thing that pops into my head when I see that album title is still, "GOD, WAY TOO FREAKIN' LONG."

so, everyone otm.

we need a poll of worst 90s albums by established metal bands.

brutal!

also, I've never heard that candlemass but I kinda dig tales of creation. is chapter vi a big step down?

Post the nominations here then and I'll do it!

metallica, anthrax, megadeth, testament, iron maiden, judas priest, and slayer for starters.

danzig too.

all of their 90s albums?

if so name them to make it easier to list in an ilm poll please

Harmony Corruption is a good album that suffers from a horrible Morrisound production (it's so muddy!). A remix of this one would be killer.

Alan you sure you mean all of metallica,slayer,anthrax's 90s albums? Black album? South Of Heaven? Persistance of Time & Sound Of White Noise? , Judas Priest Painkiller? Danzig 3: How The Gods Kill? Megadeth rust in peace or countdown to extinction? cuz thats just plain old ilm challops.

or

Metallica
# Load (1996)
# ReLoad (1997)

Anthrax
# Stomp 442 (1995)
# Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998)

Slayer
# Divine Intervention (1994)
# Undisputed Attitude (1996)
# Diabolus in Musica (1998)

Iron Maiden
# No Prayer for the Dying (1990)
# Fear of the Dark (1992)
# The X Factor (1995)
# Virtual XI (1998)

Danzig
# 4 (1994)
# Blackacidevil (1996)
# Satan's Child (1999)

Be specific when you nominate stuff.

next?

was mostly thinking of the pretty hollow attempts lots of metal bands made to reinvent their sound / stay relevant. usually going the super heavy or alt metal route.

the weird that sticks out like a sore thumb in each band's catalog, basically. like,

metallica - load, reload
anthrax - the sound of white noise (like this one irrc, but it's pretty hated, right?)
slayer - diabolus in musica
iron maiden - the x factor
danzig - blackacidevil (this has to be my pick of the litter. what a DISASTER.)
megadeth - youthanasia, risk (leaving out cryptic writings bc I dig it)
judas priest - jugulator
testament - demonic (decent album but not what I want from testament)

gotta be some I'm forgetting.

and was just preoccupied at work and didn't have time to list out albums; no intentional attempt to confuse.

sound of white noise is excellent. Anthrax finally get a good singer and they still wrote good songs. Yes, like Black Album and Countdown to Extinction its a move away from thrash, but y'know, still good albums.

I like Load but I know I really am in a minority there. Loath reload though. But nothing is worse than their last 2. But they can have a 00s poll for that.

Anyway so far we have

Candlemass - Chapter VI
Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption (1990)
Iron Maiden -No Prayer for the Dying (1990)
Iron Maiden - The X Factor (1995)
Iron Maiden - Virtual XI (1998)
Metallica - Load (1996)
Metallica - ReLoad (1997)
Anthrax - Stomp 442 (1995)
Anthrax - Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998)
Slayer - Divine Intervention (1994)
Slayer - Undisputed Attitude (1996)
Slayer - Diabolus in Musica (1998)
Danzig - Blackacidevil (1996)
Danzig - Satan's Child (1999)
Judas Priest - Jugulator
Motley Crue - Mötley Crüe (1994)
Motley Crue - Generation Swine (1997)
Testament - Demonic
Skid Row - Subhuman Race

Anyone else?

can we take this to another thread by any chance?

^^^

Before you do start a new thread, don't forget Megadeth's Cryptic Writings and Risk...

is it worth doing a new thread? its not an email poll so theres only 50 options. Plus its based on aldo's picks this week anyway.
I'll take chat over to rolling metal thread though if you prefer, since perhaps some of those readers dont read this thread.

"also, I've never heard that candlemass but I kinda dig tales of creation. is chapter vi a big step down?"

Yes.

xpost - Of all the above mentioned, I like Diabolus in Musica quite a bit. And don't even put Danzig 4 in this category. That's one of the most underrated albums of all time.

i mean i want to listen to aldo's picks but i have absolutely no feeling on this poll so it's kind of annoying to have to check my bookmark and have it be only poll talk.

right I'll take it over to rolling metal thread.

Done

So aldo's picks... anyone wish to defend those albums?

Yup, as I said above, Harmony Corruption is a good album with a shite production. ND got boring for years after this; I almost never listen to Utopia Banished, but I still spin Harmony and hum the riffs and hooks to myself in my head.

Yeah, everyone has picked out pretty much what I think.

Harmony Corruption is a good record produced badly, and I'm being unduly harsh on Barney. I guess my biggest complaint is that it's not Lee (which is nobody else's fault, I guess) but not far behind is that it marks the start of the change toward a more Death Metal sound which those of us who remember Arena: Napalm Death will also remember Bill and Mick claiming would be utterly ludicrous.

The X Factor is way, way too long and is very patchy. As was suggested upthread, how much better Bruce made the good songs was very telling. And I repeat that even gy!be took the piss out of the Blaze era, that's how well regarded it is.

The Candlemass is indefensible though, an appalling album, seriously. Is there even a single good riff on it? I don't think I ever found one.

Ebony Throne is an alright track. John Perez from Solitude Aeturnus convinced me of that a few years back.

Maybe I'm just a superfan, but track 6 Aftermath is sounding pretty good too.

The Candlemass album isn't bad at all. Not upper-tier Candlemass, but I've sure heard worse from other bands. Sort of on the same complacent level as Tony Martin-era Sabbath.

The singer Thomas Vikstrom is the new guy in Therion now.

Worst 90s Albums By Established Metal Acts

going back a few weeks--this arckanum record kicks ass! i'm listening on headphones, not all that loud, but every riff is perfectly delineated and i'm totally trying not to headbang too much in my cube.

love that this guy is cool with trying to be a scary pagan while never letting go of his love of monstrously catchy, rocking riffs

yeah, I still haven't gotten around to that one but I really dug the arckanum record from last year. gotta carve out some time for it.

split with svartsyn is cool too.

Adrien is up

12 July - A. Begrand.
19 July - Call All Destroyer
26 July - pfunkboy
2 August - mordy
9 August - glenn
16 August - alan n

I had loads of ideas, but since Mercyful Fate hasn't been tackled yet, we might was well this week. So here we go:

Mercyful Fate and Two of the Best Bands to Have Covered Mercyful Fate

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1. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
In '84-'85 Mercyful Fate bugged the hell out of me. Awesome, awesome four-piece band, but like so many others I couldn't get past King Diamond's presence at all. It actually wasn't until I went back to metal in the '90s after my indie rock period that this album clicked for me. I don't know what it was, maturity, being more open to weird sounds than when I was 14, or what, but I got it. Shermann and Denner are all over this record, the twin guitar arrangements are just insane, King puts in his most schizophrenic performance of his career, the production is pristine (you can still be evil and kvlt with slick production, kiddies), the album cover is iconic, and for one of the only times for me, the Satanic lyrics, especially on the macabre "The Oath", sound so devout it's frightening.
(I tried dissecting the album in more detail four years ago: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/open-wide-the-gates-of-hell/)
Spotify

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2. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Mercyful Fate is always lumped in alongside Bathory and Celtic Frost as major influences on the second wave of black metal, but of all the Scandinavian bands that came out in the early 90s the only one who could match Fate step for step as far as musical chops went was Emperor. Their 1994 debut is complex to the point of feeling impenetrable to unaccustomed ears, but let this album sink in, and you'll be drawn deeper and deeper into its faux-orchestral atmospherics and often grandiose melodies. The closing salvo of "I Am the Black Wizards" and the glorious "Inno a Satana" marks one of the most stunning album climaxes in metal history.
"Sample": http://truefrostandevil.blogspot.com/2010/04/emperor-in-nightside-eclipse-1994.html
Bonus Mercyful Fate cover ("Gypsy"):Spotify YouTube

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3. Wolf - Evil Star
Unlike the other two albums, this one's a lot easier to digest on first listen. Wolf is a three-piece from Sweden, and I consider them to be one of the very best traditional heavy metal revivalists going today. 2004's Evil Star blew my mind when I first heard it: loads of NWOBHM gallops and taut musicianship like Fate, but also with a singer who could actually sing with power. And this stuff is catchy. A total throwback to metal's glory days, utterly convincing.
Spotify
Bonus Mercyful Fate cover ("A Dangerous Meeting"): Spotify YouTube

this is cool, mercyful fate were nominated in the poll so I was going to check them out again (previous attempts many years ago failed due to the high pitched vocals).

I couldn't get into Mercyful Fate back in the day because of King Diamond's vocals, though I thought his look and their music was great. Sad to say revisiting it today I still feel the same way. Respect but can't enjoy it because I cringe when he opens his mouth.

On the other hand, that Emperor album is amazing! I tend to avoid black metal - my experiences with it the past five or so years haven't encouraged going back to the roots. Obviously I need to correct that as this is aces front to back. Thanks Adrien; left to my own desires I wouldn't have bothered.

That Wolf album is great too - after hearing Ravenous last year I picked this one up too. I haven't gone further back into their catalog - is it all this good?

Excellent choices all around! I heartily endorse the Mercyful Fate and Emperor records. Haven't heard that particular Wolf album though, will remedy that this week.

Anyone else around? I've had an excuse, was busy with other metal stuff.

Didnt care for Wolf, still cant take king diamonds voice and nothing much to add to the empereor since I've obviously already been familiar with that for a while now.

I've been busy as well. Wolf is my kind of stuff, plus they're a very consistent band, you know you're going to get a really good album from them every couple of years. Their last one (Ravenous) was particularly excellent.

I'm basically neutral on Mercyful Fate. I understand their historial importance, and Diamond doesn't bother me, but I don't feel strongly about either him or the music. Good to have an excuse to play an album of theirs every once in a while, in case this is suddenly the time when they start sounding great to me. But it wasn't.

Emperor is great. I couldn't actually tell you readily which Emperor album is my favorite. But it might be this one.

Wolf, I admit, didn't do much for me as a whole, but the album is worth it for the crunchy BOC cover alone.

so is it me this week?

i've been super busy too; no time to acquire this week's selections. i'll try like hell to catch up.

Want to swap weeks?

nope gimme about 30 mins

oh i can see why that was confusing--i've had no time to acquire merciful fate et al