Rolling Metal Thread 2014

Metalheads seem to have forgotten that demos were what bands put out in the hopes someone would pay them to record their songs properly.

lol back in those days people already often liked the demos better than the "properly recorded" followups. "the demo was better" was a pretty common sentiment. there are, indeed, still, people who will tell other people that they don't really like what they say they like - that their claim to prefer the demo is an affectation or whatever. but, as we both know, people who tell other people what they really like are dickheads.

For me as a metalhead teen living in a place far too remote to have access to, say, Metal Forces, I had zero access to demos/tape trading. Banzai Records/Metallion magazine was my underground.

our college radio station had one of the best & most kvlt radio shows in the country - I would not be surprised if the reason the tape decks were still working in there was because Pr0zak needed them to play the freshest tapes

I'm not saying people don't really like demos better than albums. I'm saying people who like demos better than albums are wrong, and that "the demo was better" is a poisonous attitude that discourages bands from progressing.

kinda silly to take an absolute stance on this either way. case-by-case basis thing imo.

^^^ really.

I'm saying people who like demos better than albums are wrong, and that "the demo was better" is a poisonous attitude that discourages bands from progressing.

yeah this is just nonsense, and I say this as a guy personally afflicted by people who think my lower-tech stuff reigned over the clearer stuff! sometimes bands can't cope with the studio and can't get the energy they had in their demos down once there's outsiders recording it. sometimes people lose sight of how important their vibe is and make sterile studio records. other bands thrive in the studio. the idea that all progress is great is itself toxic imo - some bands are best when they're filthy and underrehearsed

some bands are best when they're filthy and underrehearsed

This comes down to personal aesthetics, so we're never gonna agree or even meet in the middle on this, I suspect, but I couldn't disagree with this more strongly. I have seriously never heard a demo I liked better than the later, more polished versions of the same songs. Never. Not once. The last record I think genuinely needed to sound shitty and lo-fi to retain its power was the Bad Brains' yellow tape, and that was in 1982. And if you're embracing and striving for a lo-fi aesthetic in the modern digital era, you're posing, because it's actually harder to make a shitty-sounding recording than a clear one. You've gotta go out of your way to do it, out of sheer dickheadedness.

yeah it's easier now to record clear. that wasn't true back when - when bands who aren't familiar with a studio hit the studio, they often end up making shitty records that fail to document what they actually sound like. demos, especially in the early nineties, often proved to be the truest picture of the band you were hearing: the freshest look at their stuff. it does indeed come down to personal aesthetics, but your initial claim, about why bands made demos, is horseshit. bands made demos to have a record of what they sounded like. in so doing, they provided a better service to history than most debut albums do.

I think the thing with recording technology now is knowing when to say when as you can keep layering and tricking out individual tracks and take the balls out of it. I'd suppose the preference of the demos in 2014 could be more "this is what the band sounded like when they played it live in a room" to "this is what the the band sounded like when someone spent hours micro editing the drum tracks to be exactly on the metronome and replaced half of the hits with samples".

I have seriously never heard a demo I liked better than the later, more polished versions of the same songs. Never. Not once.

Yeah, I've heard both and I definitely prefer Age of Quarrel.

Well, you're in a vast, vast minority which includes everyone I have ever met and the guys who recorded the songs themselves. There should be a prize for that kind of dogged determination.

I think John Joseph gives a better vocal performance on Age..., and to my ear the music's a little crisper and more precisely performed, and believe it or not, I think that's important, even in hardcore. Punk bands that could really play (e.g. Fear) have always impressed me way more than bands just thrashing something out. That's not to say I can't ever appreciate a raw, ugly recording, just that if there's a choice between a raw, ugly version of a song and a cleaned-up version, I'll take the latter...within the parameters of the genre, of course. I don't expect a death metal album to sound like it was produced by Mutt Lange, but a professional production job, including mixing and mastering, really does add something. I don't think that's a weird belief to hold, either.

In most cases I agree with you regarding demos and finished studio productions, but man, the tone you take makes it tough to swallow.

This

I'm not saying people don't really like demos better than albums. I'm saying people who like demos better than albums are wrong

is called being an asshole. Hold firm to your beliefs, even scoff at those with other preferences if you want, but don't tell people they're wrong because they don't prescribe to an aesthetic ideal you hold dear.

I like Age more than Before, and some of it is for the reasons you point out and some of it is because it's what I expect it to sound like because of all the time I spent with it before hearing the demos. But it's personal preference, nothing more. For a non-metal example of the opposite, I like some of the Elvis Costello demos for Armed Forces more than the finished product precisely because of the choices they made in the studio. To my ears, they're overworked.

My favorite metal album thus far in 2014 comes out tomorrow. Yes, the new Judas Priest is that good.

I've never been quite sold on Botanist before but this new track is ace

http://thequietus.com/articles/15681-botanist-callistemon

wait, what the what? The Flenser site says "Botanist is excited to announce its sixth chronological release" but references Mandragora (IV) as the last release. There was the Palace of Worms split, but is there a proper Botanist V release on another label or something?

Also didn't somebody say something a while back about an upcoming Vektor release? Any news on that front?

My favorite metal album thus far in 2014 comes out tomorrow. Yes, the new Judas Priest is that good.

― EZ Snappin, Monday, July 7, 2014 7:57 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

exciting! love priest

I'm enjoying the Sabaton album quite a bit, it's no Carolus Rex but it's nice all the same. Losing half the band members hasn't changed them one bit, really. But I'm most impressed that an album this much METAL topped the Swedish album charts and went top 5 in Germany and Poland....this thing must be selling Avenged Sevenfold-like numbers?

Well power metal is mainstream in Europe, and Sabaton is probably the biggest power metal band of them all right now. So yes, they are especially huge in Germany and Poland. They released that live album last year where they played in front of 500,000 people in Warsaw.

I gushed over the new Priest for PopMatters, if anyone wants more than "my favorite metal album thus far"

It really is an awfully good album. Not a weak track on there. I say it's their best since Painkiller, but Erik's review says it's their best in even longer.

digging this Priest so far. much of what I disliked about the last two is missing. But I really really like that Rob has embraced his vocal limitations circa 2014 and adapted his style to play to his strengths. Felt like on Angel of Retribution he was attempting to overextend himself at times. Here, he's not overusing the highs (which, frankly, aren't there anywhere) but picking and choosing his moments to utilize them - it's what makes "Valhalla" work so well.

Instrumentally, too, there is much more interesting work going on here. This does have some sonic similarities to Painkiller but there are interestingly some traces of euro-power metal lurking in the background.

xpost

Man I prefer "Age of Quarrel" over "Before the Quarrel" too, sorry.

On the other hand, I'll take the Hellhammer demos over the re-recordings any old time.

So . . . case-by-case basis for me.

that Pallbearer / Tombs / Vattnet Viskar tour should be a real knee-slapper

not that anybody asked, but here was my liveblog of the new Priest earlier.

Dragonaut - This is a solid (if not classic) opener that uses Halford's aging vocals well. Not really an overtly memorable chorus, but the songwriting comes out of the gate much better than 2005's overrated Angel of Retribution did. (I never did hear all of the bloated Nostradamus)

Redeemer of Souls - This stylistically harkens back to Painkiller-era type songs (sauntering at a "Hell Patrol"-esque pace) and the chorus has some faint trickles of European power metal. This is fist-pumping catchy, and the guitar work is impeccable. Halford's limitations are even more evident here (very few high notes), but it's a very good example of using limitations to your advantage. He'll be able to sing this one effectively live.

Halls of Valhalla - Interesting introduction: somewhat calls to memory a very early 2000s-Iron Maiden with its octave-separated gleaming guitar melody, which crescendoes into the nasty main riff.

Oh... did I mention the lack of high notes in the first two songs? While it's not as effortless as it once was, Rob comes in with a loud shrieketto early on. Yeah!

Great atmospheric chorus - his voice is treated as hell on it, but he sounds sinister and inspired here.

I'm still glad to hear that he's not trying to over-exert himself with what is no longer in his skill set. The bridge puts this one over into classic territory.

P.S. HE DOES DEATH VOCALS ON THIS TRACK

P.S.S. - enough about Rob. "No K.K. Downing" was a big concern for me, but instrumentally speaking this is much more interesting than the two albums that preceded this one. More tasty lead breaks, riffs that don't sound like they were lazily cobbled together and actually 'go' somewhere.

Sword of Damocles - This one didn't really stick out to me. Again, there are minute sprinkles of Euro power metal embedded into the introduction.

Overall not a 'bad' tune, but this one seems a little more Priest-by-numbers than the previous three.

March of the Damned - Feels like it's going for a "Take on the World" vibe (from 1978's Hell Bent for Leather). It pulls it off extremely well - anthemic and triumphant sounding, with an almost cock-rocky chorus that thankfully avoids skirting into skeeziness.

Down in Flames - This intro is reminiscent of many of the intros from Defenders of the Faith, with smooth harmonic leads setting the blueprint for the song to come. Chorus could fit on a Screaming for Vengeance era track, particularly the more radio-friendly numbers. Halford also does a call and response with himself. Imagine a world with two Halfords. There also appears to be a recorded mistake of a missed drumbeat but maybe I'm hard of hearing.

An excellent bridge with a great twin guitar lead abruptly segues into a ripping solo and it's easy to forget K.K. is gone. This song could easily get radio play if rock radio had any teeth these days.

Hell and Back - The moment I dreaded: the first ballad. Rob sang these with vigor and conviction in his earlier days but recent Priest ballads have been labored and plodding - let's hope this one doesn't veer into that territory.

Well, then! Looks like it was a bait-and-switch, as the brief balladry gives way to a march tempo, and a riff that seems like a British Steel outtake.

This song feels very slight - like "Sword of Damocles", it doesn't feel as effortless as the others. The verse melody is essentially there to fill space.

This song reminds me of the elements that I didn't like so much on British Steel.

Cold Blooded - Another 'Defenders'-sounding intro. This tune has the feel of an epic power ballad. The verse is entrancing, though this is definitely somewhat of a new wrinkle for Priest, sonically. The chorus doesn't quite match up to the verse but it is good.

Instrumentally we again hear dashes of Euro power-metal but it still decidedly remains Priest on the outside. Most importantly, it's musically interesting.

Metalizer - The shrieketto is back - he's using it sparingly, which is a wise decision. This tune has an attitude, but Rob is guilty of some brief vocal ugliness in the chorus that fortunately subsides quickly. It's a nice bridge to the album. So far so good!

Crossfire - Ten seconds in and I'm asking myself "What is this, an outtake from 'Rocka Rolla'"? I can only assume this is a red herring opening.

And...I'm wrong. They've twisted the intro riff into more of a snarling groovy thing. This is another tune that's not immediately grabbing me. It borders a little on the 80's hard rock you'd hear in strip clubs at times, which is somewhat off-putting.

Secrets of the Dead - This seems to be another Maiden cross-pollination. Though musically it has more in common with modern metal, I can't help but get a Seventh Son of a Seventh Son feel to the mood of the song. And it is effective!

Battle Cry - The opening is cheesy in the kind of delicious ironic way we metalheads love. Yet another one of those Defenders-kissed harmonic leads. The main riff could have fit on a Painkiller track. Halford tackles the melody with panache. This is quite possibly the best song on the album. it also reminds me somewhat of Dio-era Sabbath's "Die Young" in its intensity.

The vocals in the chorus test Halford much, much more than they would have 20 (hell, even 10) years ago, but he sounds more like an aging metal elder statesman than someone who is incapable. His falsetto mostly holds up.

Chewy metal riffs abound and the interplay is front-to-back focused. Rob throws in one last shrieketto for good measure.

Beginning of the End - This actually reminds me of the moody, calm meanderings of Sad Wings of Destiny...a good thing for sure. Rob sounds at his strongest vocally on this track. It's not really a 'ballad', and I like that they don't ever turn things to 11 and let this tune breathe. It's a nice, resolute way to close out the album.

Conclusion: Hard to say 'how much' I like this as of yet but overall, I definitely see this as a marked improvement on the two preceding offerings.

My favorite song is the one that didn't stick out for you. :(

haha don't put much stock in that, I almost always seem to dislike other's favorites. we'll see how I receive it on second listen.

really liking the new Origin, though I like most of their stuff.

and here are the arpeggios, lol

great piece for Pop Matters btw, EZ. definitely some elements I want to look for on my next listen that you touch on.

Thanks! I'm happy to see people taking the time to listen, especially after the slog of Nostradamus

lol at Origin covering S.O.D.'s "Kill Yourself" on the newie.

Does "Source of Icon O" have any musical or lyrical references to the Emperor song? That title has been taunting me.

I didn't hear the SOD cover, it wasn't in the promo I got. I guess bonus tracks don't count for reviewing purposes.

Here's my review for Burning Ambulance, by the way.

I enjoyed that review even if I disagree with you pretty much entirely about what made Origin great - I love Echoes of Decimation and think the new vocals-up style does them no favors

Glad you enjoyed it! And fair enough; everybody's got their preferences.

I haven't gotten to the bonus disc yet, but yeah, the main Priest album is solid stuff. I initially felt like the songwriting was good, but the performances a bit lacking in punch. After a couple more listens, I'm happy with how unforced it all sounds. They don't seem like they're out to prove anything. It's just a very relaxed, confident, fun, tuneful record.

Maybe an album that needs its own thread?

yeah thanks erik for repping the priest album so hard, i'm enjoying it a lot

Glad folks are liking it. I'm happy to talk about it here or in it's own thread.

What's interesting to me is that the last track on the deluxe edition is literally a thank-you to their fans in song form. Which is cool, not just because it's nice to be appreciated, but also because it implies that to some degree they really want people to hear all 18 songs—the last five aren't leftovers, they're a crucial part of the whole. Which is sort of how I felt about the bonus tracks on the Black Sabbath album, too.

I love the five bonus tracks, they're lighter in tone, just relaxed and fun. "Snakebite" is totally Turbo-worthy. Just a splendid album overall. I haven't heard another metal album this year that's made me so darn happy.

They've said that the bonus cuts were shifted off because they didn't fit the tone and sequence of the album but they definitely wanted folks to hear them.

Listened to new Priest at work today and just love how there's at least 5 tracks I can get behind & that it makes me want to travel to Indiana to see 'em. I liked Angel of Retribution & saw 'em that tour, so I'm just as stoked.

I was deep into Angel of Retribution as part of the whole Stereogum project I was immersed in this past month - appearing next week, I hear - and to this day I absolutely love two thirds of it. The other third is "Loch Ness", which I still can't get over.

I don't mind "Loch Ness"; "Angel" and "Worth Fighting For" are the tracks that sink that album for me.

lol "Angel" is the song that made me wonder whether Rob should be singing anymore. he had no power in his voice on that song.

which is precisely why I like the official album closer on this one so much. he has that rich baritone that he had in his earlier days resonating throughout the song.

alright relistening now and I'm on "Sword of Damocles". it's still not a favorite on the album (mostly as it still sounds to me like an Iron Maiden-esque track from "Brave New World"), but I actually like this a lot better the second time. particularly the interlude in the middle of the song.

I don't know that the other two that didn't stick out to me are going to fare better.

Sword of Damocles includes the line "Beware of the jester that sings". All arguments are invalid.