Rolling Metal Thread 2010

Hey guys , sorry to go on about it , but its the last couple of days to vote on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VOTE HERE for ILX METAL ALBUMS OF 2009 !!!!!!!!!!!!! (non-metal thread regulars welcome. Everyones welcome to vote, please join in!) Voting Ends Jan 17. so if you're still to vote and wish to do so then please follow the instructions on the thread, lurkers welcome as well as regulars.
Hope to start the results on Sunday night/Monday (uk time)

Also if anyone would like to write some blurbs please email me at the same address as for voting.

could just be the brevity at work, but I really liked arsis' a diamond for disease ep (the one with the alice cooper cover). but nothing else has ever really clicked.

will still give the new one a shot.

The new Orphaned Land leaked? I've been really looking forward to it.

I don't know much about metal beyond Metallica, who used to be my favorite band, but I'd like to get into it more. So far, I've picked up the most recent Mastodon record and a few black metal records after reading some stuff on an ILM thread or two.

To that end, could someone tell me what are considered the "reputable" metal magazines, sites, and blogs? I don't know anything about the critical discourse surrounding the genre, so if someone could tell me what the big publications are, and which of those are the best, that would be very helpful.

Decibel, for sure. Quite a few regulars in these threads write for it. Pretty much the only music magazine that is a must read every issue.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1XqcOYRl1Kc/S1CxJgW1jbI/AAAAAAAAAOc/9O53kRRSAPc/s1600/cover.jpg

We should make a cover thread like those autogoon guys have.

I think Revolver is a terrible magazine, but their site is fairly informative. Blabbermouth is basically a high-volume fire hose of information, but they publish every press release anyone sends them so weeding through it all winds up being a waste of time.

Does anyone have any of those Most Anticipated Metal Albums lists that they can post here? I generally crib on them through the year (like from Terrorizer, Decibel, etc) to figure out what to check out.

This months Terrorizer's 2010 Anticipated albums are :
Eyehategod
Caïna
Atheist
Coffinworm
Watain
Enforcer
Pig Destroyer
Primordial
Centurions Ghost
Turisas
Metsatoll
Leng Tch'e
Enslaved
Rinoa
Trap Them
Toxic Holocaust
Salome
Total Fucking Destruction
Triptykon (tom g warrior)
Hour Of Penance
The Mire
Landmine Marathon
Gorguts
Alcest

I knew you'd come through for me!

xpost

Thanks, jon /via/ chi 2.0! Can't believe a one-year subscription is only ~$20. I'm thinking of subscribing.

And thanks, unperson! I'll check out the Revolver site and Blabbermouth.

There were also some good recommendations in this thread: Metal critics or criticism? Best metal writers?

whoa, new eyehategod! had not even realized that they were playing again.

and decibel is solid. not a bad way to familiarize yourself with the genre.

and if you really want to dive into the deep end, oakenthrone is an awesome zine. very well designed, thoughtful articles. pick up a few back issues if you're curious.

In terms of entertainment hours per dollar spent, a Decibel subscription yields insane ROI.

Seriously, thats what I love about Decibel the most. The monthly articles that usually equate to nothing more than filler in other mags are some of the best, most dependable reads!

true. the "album of the month" thing is always a good read. I just wish that they would axe the 1 page features on bands and have more long articles.

i think oaken throne is done. one of the dudes that did it now has this very odd format thing called rape & honey. i just got the second issue, which is nothing but an 8-page essay on funeral mist. it rules.

whoa, new eyehategod! had not even realized that they were playing again.

They're also touring. They're playing Dublin in April; a good friend of mine is a big fan from way back and I'm sure he'll be propping up the bar for that one.

Also: Bolt Thrower are playing here in May! We've had a live metal shortage here as of late (something to do with some shady promoters screwing over bands that invest a lot of time/money to get here) so this is a good turn-up for the books.

Listening to the AFCGT album from Sub Pop. The label described them as "Drooling Hillbilly Metal, Sea Urchin Psychedelia, Yukon Freak Thrash, and Beatnik Swamp Drone," and that sounded super cool to me. Anyway, I'm kinda digging the album.

Yeah, I lke the AfCGT, tho' other than the tracks with Erin Sullivan's signature *krwrangz* guitar tone, not too metallic or punk. It reminds me a lot of Butthole Surfers and the avant parts of Mothers of Invention. Those heavy tracks are great skronk though.

Following up on the anticipated albums lists, here are Decibel's 25: Anthrax, Atheist, Cretin, Darkthrone, Dillinger, Dimmu Borgir, Down, Electric Wizard, Fear Factory, Genghis Tron, Hate Eternal, High on Fire, Holy Grail, Intronaut, Ludicra, Meshuggah, Nachtmystium, Origin, Pig Destroyer, Salome, the Sword, Torche.

Another Origin album? Unless it's as good as their first, it'll be a snoozefest.

Antithesis was the first of theirs I'd heard and I really liked it, apparently I should go back to the others.

And Adrien, thanks for the e-mail. Much appreciated!

The first Origin is amazing, it's got a real solid groove that's absent from the others to my ears.

Anthrax, Atheist, Cretin, Darkthrone, Dillinger, Dimmu Borgir, Down, Electric Wizard, Fear Factory, Genghis Tron, Hate Eternal, High on Fire, Holy Grail, Intronaut, Ludicra, Meshuggah, Nachtmystium, Origin, Pig Destroyer, Salome, the Sword, Torche

Heard the Dillinger; can't judge it yet. Heard the High on Fire; it's awesome. Got the Fear Factory yesterday; not all that excited, to be frank. Looking forward to Atheist, Dimmu, Intronaut, Meshuggah, Nachtmytsium, Pig Destroyer, the Sword. Don't really expect the Anthrax album to come out.

The new one by Apostle of Solitude sounds fantastic so far. If you like the Gates of Slumber, Candlemass, and Solitude Aeternus, you'll love this. I'd even go as far as to say they have a better sense of melody than Gates.

http://www.myspace.com/apostleofsolitude

Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR (Century Media) Jan 25 Europe [Feb 9 US]

This seems to be quite an event. They're doing a good job promoting it on their site and Myspace at least. Anyone order a signed deluxe copy? Tempting, but it's $30.
http://www.orphaned-land.com/shop.php

Well, considering all their other CDs are $25 without being signed (at least on that link), can't say its too much more.

So excited for that album. Didn't someone on this thread say they've already heard it?

Speaking of Orphaned Land, couple great shows coming to the Bottom Lounge in Chicago this March - Orphaned Land, Indian, and A Storm of Light one night and Kreator, Voivod, Nachtmystium, Evile, and Lazarus AD two nights before.

March metal madness!

The Orphaned Land album turned out to be quite a big disappointment, at least for me. It goes through a lot of the same motions as Mabool, but is far too overbearing, and aside from "Sapari" and a couple other tracks, lacks the charm of that record.

Really disappointed that I was feeling sick and had to miss the Behemoth show in Seattle last night. Anyone on the list make it?

I've been listening to the new Rotting Christ album for a review. It's one of those bands that I'm not sure if I should take seriously or not. There's so many silly elements that creep into the mix that I am wont to dismiss it.

I've got a profile of Behemoth in the Cleveland Scene this week; here's the link if you're interested.

Currently listening to Wolvhammer, a quartet from Minnesota who do a noisy, shrieky black-death-punk-thrash thing that's a little bit Hellhammer, a little bit grindcore, and, somewhat more weirdly, a little bit Samhain. You can download both their self-released EPs at wolvhammer.blogspot.com, and they're working with Sanford Parker on a full-length, so that could be something worth hearing.

Whoops; that Behemoth link's no good. Here 'tis.

ok must investigate this wolvhammer thing, i live here and have never heard of them

That Wolvhammer description sounds good, dling the EPs right now.

whoa had a very creeped out phear that they were some sort of NS stuff there (the working class masthead and the logo echoing the h4mm3r sk1n5 insignia) but that can't be right can it?

listening to the stuff on the apostle of solitude myspace. was not into at first but am gradually being won over.

singer reminds me of the dude from only living witness, heh.

and wow, I really hate the cover(s) for their new record:

http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad295/astrocreep_ws6/PLore_Cover_LoRes.jpg
http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad295/astrocreep_ws6/ELS_Cover_LoRes.jpg

more power to ya for not phoning it in w/something like a barbarian cutting an orc in half or whatever... but yuck.

ok pretty sure that the wolvhammer dudes arent racists but jesus they need to change that image because its waaaaaayy too close to something that would be troubling to a whole lot of people (still freaks me out tbh)

ok, I had never heard of the h4mm3r sk1n5. just googled them and yikes. that wolvhammer logo has got to be a reference to the hs logo. right??

that is, logo coupled with the "working class" masthead that you mentioned

on a more positive note, anyone heard this "new" buzzov*en thing? i had no idea it existed until wandering over to the decibel site to check out subscription options and seeing the masthead at the top

No bullshit Satanism or sensationalism, just pure honest hatred for religion, capitalism, politics, sheep mentality and typical human behaviour. We wanted to write simple, memorable, and truly hate-filled metal anthems for ourselves and all the other blue collar, working poor, and generally unsatisfied people who are looking for something raw and classic as soundtrack
to rise up and fight the status quo around them in any way they see fit to do. Whether you decide to speak up or just completely turn your back on the world, this is for us and all the other people out there that know we've been lied too, and no matter what may have been promised, know that we're all still being lied too. There is no hope.

From another blog press release about Wolvhammer. Man, I don't know. There is some subtext in there that could go one of two ways, kinda hesitant to get on board with these guys just yet. Maybe I'm reading more into it than they intend.

anyone heard this "new" buzzov*en thing

Have it, but haven't played it yet.

I'm also reviewing the new Rotting Christ. I'm a fan of their Gothic blackened folk metal, but I could see how you could think that it's cheesy. Sometimes you just have to embrace it, though, especially when it's done this well.

The Rotting Christ album sounds awfully silly at times...I haven't decided whether I actually like it or not.

The new WOLD album, meanwhile, is nuts. Like Metal Machine Music if it was designed as an aural equivalent to William Burroughs' and Brion Gysin's Dreamachine. One thing I always like about WOLD albums is their lyrics, but this is an instrumental record, so there's no eloquent prairie poetry to fall back on. It's an intriguing listen, but also very trying, basically three heavily, heavily, heavily distorted & filtered loops over 35 minutes, the most abrasive stuff I have ever heard them do. The trancelike effect they're going for does kind of work, but wow, there aren't many people who would want to stomach this.

You like it. You know you do.

I mean, when's the last time you heard panpipes on a metal album?

I'd revisit it but I'm in the middle of a 12 minute WOLD track that sounds like a field recording of a fully operational sawmill.

In hell!

Bleh. Fortress Crookedjaw, you've bitten off more than you can chew this time.