Rolling Metal 2016

I'm listening to the Abbath album today and it's really fun. So far I like every track. I think this will my first album purchase of the year.

I was kind of marveling at how much the RYM metal people seem to dislike the Abbath album. I don't know that it's earth-shattering or anything but it is a fucking blast. And "Winterbane" is a genuine monster.

sounds good to me

Listened to it tonight on the train. Wanted to like it, but...didn't. The riffs are super-generic, almost groove metal. If they were a little slower they could have appeared on an U.D.O. album. And he sounds more like Popeye than ever.

On the other hand, I'm liking this quite a bit:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZnH3rfWYAMVRFp.jpg

Listened to the debut album by Oceans of Slumber this morning. It's called Winter, and it's semi-proggy doom(ish) metal with "beauty-and-the-beast" male-female vocals. Think In This Moment + Swallow The Sun + Gwen Stefani (the female singer reminds me of her quite a bit). There's a cover of the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin" on the album, and they also covered Candlemass's "Solitude" last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e91SnsQS1O8

I'm late to the party it seems, but Batushka!

If you like those bands that stay in a second wave black metal comfort zone, Belgians Cult of Erinyes have a new EP for free download. There's even a "Pagan Fears" cover, which is sort of redundant in light of the other two tracks' clear inspiration.
https://cavernaabismal.bandcamp.com/album/cult-of-erinyes-transcendence-tape

Their previous albums are also good if not revolutionary. Kinda remind me of Glorior Belli before the latter went all bluesy.

I bought the new Megadeth at Target last night because I couldn't remember the last time I bought a metal cd in a Target. Felt weird.

And the album is surprisingly listenable! Main problem is I can almost hear Dave saying, "ok now let's do that part from 'Hangar 18 / Wake Up Dead / whatever" rather than "hey check out these new riffs I wrote." Can't say I ever had any emotional investment in Megadeth though.

Oh and that new Borknagar has amazing vocals throughout but damned if I can remember any guitar-centric moments. I suspect I'll be giving it more listens. I don't mind losing riffing if it's in favor of hearing Vintersorg/ICS Vortex/Garm/the other guy.

this Obscura album is pretty wild. not often drawn to this kinda techy grandiose death metal but it's also somewhat proggy and there's a choir on one track. feeling it. its 'radio impact date' is tomorrow so somewhere'll prob stream it?

Finally picked up last years' Rippikoulu "Musta Seremonia" reissue. Finnish doomy death circa 1993, great stuff if you're into that sound.

I don't know if more than two people care about this including myself but Ehnahre's new one is out:

https://kathexis.bandcamp.com/album/douve

That Rippikoulu is great, almost perfect really for that sound, and for the last quarter of 2015, was a big part of my metal listening, along with Abhorrence, Convulse and Disgrace.

Thoughts on the latest Phil Anselmo incident? I think I'm this thread's loudest Pantera defender, but I'm pretty fucking disappointed by this, on several levels: 1) the salute and shout itself; 2) the attempt to claim it was a joke about white wine; 3) his asshole fans trying to carry that pathetic lie across the finish line; 4) the broader metal community basically turning their backs out of careerism (as the linked MetalSucks editorial says, pretty much every writer or editor you or I know has interviewed Anselmo in the past, or wants to interview him in the future - I've talked to him at least twice that I recall).

Conspicuous, gutless silence in favour of careerism, absolutely. Why upset the apple cart when you can get a media pass to Housecore fest?

A ton of respect to Machine Head's Robb Flynn for posting this video, though (disclaimer: I worked with Robb for 2-3 years while we were both still at Roadrunner):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCBKzWg4WYo

Agreed. I understand there's a discrete difference between 'being racist' and 'being a racist', and this latest Anselmo bullshit (that I have to qualify that with a 'latest', well...) slots him into the latter camp in my book.

There's a whole Anselmo thread:

so I guess we can stop playing the "is he/isn't he game" about Phil Anselmo from Pantera wrt to racism

This MetalSucks article is a bit odd with its assumptions, is there really anyone who thinks Anselmo is a respectable dude? Of course there's the commercial angle, but those people would happily talk to and write about Mustaine and Vikernes if they would be commercially viable artists. Never in history has being a despicable asshole been a hindrance to a commercially succesful career.

For a minute I thought it was Ned Ragget on the artwork for The Body a few posts into this thread

*Raggett

woah this new Oranssi Pazuzu is fucking GOOD

I am enjoying Le Dernier Crépuscule by Chthe'ilist on Spotify.
I generally like Profound Lore stuff but this is my first exposure to this band.

Lyrical themes: Horror, Dark Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda

Well they do have a song called "Tales of the Majora Mythos Part 1"

Yeah, I really like this Chthe'ilist. It has a swing to it that is different from most of the DM I hear in this murky atmospheric vein.

I've been hooked on the new Mesarthim single the last couple of days. Black Metal with some icy/cheesy/new-agy synths on top.

https://mesarthim.bandcamp.com/album/suffocate-single

the album is fantastic. only 1 euro on bandcamp but loved it so much I ordered the vinyl. The few people I have recommended it to since Smithy told me about it love it too.

One of the reviews sums it up nicely

"Summoning in space on LSD with guitar solos. I think that's good."

^^^^^ yeah i am hugely enthusiastic about that mesarthim record, even though it came out last year apparently

but vinyl and cd arent out til end of feb so it will count for metal poll!

Also time for you guys to review it elsewhere!

This new Avantasia album is fantastic. If you like melodic overkill. I like melodic overkill. A lot. Magnum + Blind Guardian?

Yeah, I really like this Chthe'ilist. It has a swing to it that is different from most of the DM I hear in this murky atmospheric vein

Listening to this now, and the first thing that stands out is the Demilich influence. The murky production actually kind of hurts this record to me a bit, but as OSDM revival-ish records go, you could do a lot worse than bringing back this sound!

playlist is up to date.

ILM's Rolling Metal Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Mourning Beloveth - Rust & Bone (Ván Records)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs2z5BrccoY

The Encyclopaedia Metallum page says it came out in December but everywhere else it's listed as this year.

It's quite good, straddling funeral doom, straight-up doom metal and death metal. Very epic. The only quibble is that all five songs occupy the same tempo, but I really enjoy the contrasting vocals that go from grandiose Candlemass-inspired almost spoken word to death metal growls.

http://cdn.theobelisk.net/obelisk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/rip-in-the-wind.jpg

Looking forward to hearing this R.I.P album, on Totem Cat Records...
Chiefly because the Obelisk described it as 'Street Doom'.

Hey hip-hop nerds. What kind-of hip-hop is this?

R.I.P single is streaming here... So good
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2016/02/03/r-i-p-in-the-wind-tremble/

As someone who likes stoner metal but not constant weed references, that's nice stuff.

As someone who likes stoner metal but not constant weed references

I have to take every opportunity to mention Abdullah and their album Graveyard Poetry. Great band, great vocals, just kinda lackluster production. (They were on Meteor City so maybe they're more well known than I think; I just never see em talked about.) I feel like they could've honed themselves into a QOTSA type crossover thing but they didn't stay together long enough. Those songs are immortal in my book, though.

https://youtu.be/TLA3qnjuPnU

I pay pretty close attention to the Portland (heavy) scene - including scanning gig listings every week - and I've never even heard the name R.I.P. Weird?

Good tune, though, looking forward to hearing more.

new Krallice for yr face ears

OK I think I like that Mourning Beloveth; where the fuck can I get Van stuff in the US for, say, less than $30?

Also all you dudes digging Chthe'ilist should check out Howls of Ebb if you haven't!

As someone who likes stoner metal but not constant weed references

I pay pretty close attention to the Portland

^^^^ Ugh... above post due to dumb fat fingers ^^^^

What I was trying to say was:

I pay pretty close attention to the Portland (heavy) scene

If you go see them, let me know how it was... I can't imagine getting to see them in the UK anytime soon

If you liked the Violet Cold album last year, be advised that a new one came out today!

https://open.spotify.com/album/06EZss4sACNROJBE64nSFR

If you missed it: experimental one-man atmospheric post-blackgaze metal from Azerbaijan!

Anyone heard the new Rotting Christ?

so who's going to Maryland Death Fest this year? kinda excited for Testament (who I will see for the first time finally in a few weeks), Wormed, Desaster, etc.....

also not at all feeling the new Megadeth. better than what I heard from Supercollider, but very bland.