brilliant album and one I'm sure could have done very very well on big ILM poll if anyone outside of metal thread had heard it.
post punk fans go check it out right now.
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 15:58 (ten years ago) link
DJP especially if you happen to be reading this
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 15:59 (ten years ago) link
seandalai you too
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:03 (ten years ago) link
Still time to vote! I was one of the few who voted for it on Pazz n Jop. I didn't even consider it for this poll though. Despite the involvement of metal musicians I think it's close to 0% metal. Certainly no more than Savages. Glad to see it get recognition though.
― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:09 (ten years ago) link
Being on Svart Records probably means it wont reach many non-metal critics?
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:12 (ten years ago) link
I'd try to persuade ilxors not into metal to check it out but I'm guessing the name and album cover would put them off.
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:13 (ten years ago) link
My biggest objection would be their font choices.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:18 (ten years ago) link
I only checked out that Beastmilk album in the last few days, after wrongly judging by the name that they were some kind of crust thing, and hoo boy is it ever good. Got a friend into it as well.
Speaking of Svart, the reissue they've done of the Demilich album sounds amazing. It's from the original studio tapes, you can tell the drastic difference just from the sample on YT.http://youtu.be/RT76I8R9RBw
― Devilock, Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:19 (ten years ago) link
oh hey this is cool
― SHAUN (DJP), Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:29 (ten years ago) link
17 Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork, 557 Points, 15 Votes, One #1 http://i.imgur.com/WFzKwlr.jpghttp://open.spotify.com/album/06S2JBsr4U1Dz3YaenPdVqspotify:album:06S2JBsr4U1Dz3YaenPdVq
http://www.deezer.com/album/6619332#10 Revolver, #32 Rock-A-Rolla, #5 MetalSucks musicians, #19 Obelisk, #3 Obelisk readers, #4 Stoner HiVe, #21 Pazz & Jop
"Vampyre of Time and Memory" - http://youtu.be/AEIVlYegHx8theneedledrop review - http://youtu.be/5uvj_3nd5kY
Here are two things to get out of the way regarding Queens of the Stone Age's sixth record, ...Like Clockwork. First: Prodigal renegade bassist and facial-hair terrorist Nick Oliveri sings backup on one song here. That's it. So this is hardly a reunion of the QOTSA lineup that made 2002's Songs for the Deaf, which, if not the best "rock" album of the past ten years, is most certainly the best RAWK! record of the past ten years. Second: Yes, there are a number of guests on this thing, including Trent Reznor, Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner, and Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears. They sing back-up vocals too, and honestly reside so low in the mix that you wouldn't even know (or care) except that their presence became a key component in the marketing buildup. (This is not a new phenomenon: If you could point out where Shirley Manson actually appeared on 2005's Lullabies to Paralyze, please let us know.)Neither of these caveats should disturb you too much, though, for there is no need to sell a QOTSA album by invoking memories of modern-rock hits or speculating as to who dropped by the studio to try out the gravity bong. It's simply enough that Josh Homme, the finest hard-rock songsmith of our times and a none-too-shabby guitar player to boot, is back in action after an extended break.A well-deserved extended break. Following the tour for 2007's Era Vulgaris and a brief stint with his Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones collaboration Them Crooked Vultures (not bad, as supergroups go, though clearly an affair where songwriting took a backseat to instrumental prowess), Homme devoted much of his time to his new family. (He and wife Brody Dalle, late of the Distillers, have two children.) He also fucking died for a few minutes on an operating table. So his recent lack of productivity is understandable, as is the dark cloud of unease that wafts through Like Clockwork, as if it were a poorly ventilated smoke room.Plenty of bands handicap themselves by trying to be the Heaviest Group on the Planet. Homme's genius is that he long ago realized that the lane was wide open to be the Sexiest Heavy Group on the Planet, and he's achieved this goal without looking corny. His collaborators have always pummeled with the best of 'em, but they were always just as interested in taut grooves and slithering melodies as, say, guitar riffs that sounded like a whale being thrown against a skyscraper. That blend of seduction and destruction is still present, which is fortunate, because otherwise things are starting to get really tense here.Homme has always had a defiant, contrarian streak: His band's name was a deliberate rebuttal to late-'90s mook-rock culture, and he followed up Songs for the Deaf's commercial breakthrough with a hard zag into the murky psychedelia of 2005's Lullabies to Paralyze. Clockwork is the first Queens record to feel like a conscious return to a previous sonic identity; though perversely, it evokes the group's least-known period — the Devo meet Black Sabbath nerviness of their 1998 self-titled debut. Here, "I Sat by the Ocean" and "Smooth Sailing" mercilessly ride minimal, circuitous grooves that offer little variation or relief — just unremitting propulsion as Homme's and Troy Van Leeuwen's guitars team up to block out the sun. This isn't tension and release. This is tension, then more tension, then even more tension on the chorus until your subconscious has been thoroughly scrambled; only then does release come, usually in the form of a gnarled guitar solo.None of this is immediately sticky, save single "My God Is the Sun," which boasts the sort of swallow-the-sky chorus most bands quit writing after they leave their major label. (After concluding their deal with Interscope, QOTSA recently signed with indie institution Matador.) By and large, Homme has yet again submerged his talents for hooks in knotty, controlling arrangements that border on sadomasochistic, but there's pleasure to be had once you give in. Even if bassist Michael Shuman rarely lets these grooves open up, there's still a sideways swing in the way he tightens the vise grip; the lethal precision reigning throughout only insures that you'll be in the exact proper position when the aforementioned gnarled guitar solo knocks you to the desert floor and takes your wallet. Also, as you've probably heard, Deaf MVP Dave Grohl plays drums here about half the time, and even though former QOTSA mainstay Joey Castillo was no slouch — and new guy Jon Theodore is a goddamn monster — there's a joy in the way Grohl caves in your chest with fills that even his most adroit peers can't quite replicate.It should be noted that this all sounds fantastic. The band self-produced Clockwork with James Lavelle, the man from trip-hop-rock collective U.N.K.L.E., and the full-bodied guitars, crisp drum fills, and naturalist dynamic range further fuel the ongoing Steely Dan studio-rat revival that Frank Ocean helped kick-start and Daft Punk amplified. But all the well-buffed guitar tones and boldface guest stars can't distract from what's really going on here.This is an album about ratcheting up the tension, which means it's also an album about sex and death: the two ultimate forms of release. (I mean, just look at that album cover.) Homme's deep croon and sensuous approach to the groove have always implied seduction, but "If I Had a Tail" is so unabashedly horny that the Weeknd might be obligated to cover it. (Sample lyrics: "I wanna suck / I wanna lick / I wanna grind / I wanna spit.") The otherwise dominant, panic-inducing strut slackens somewhat for that one, but on the title (and closing) track, Clockwork unveils a stark piano ballad that suggests Homme has been studying his friend and occasional QOTSA cohort Mark Lanegan closely, too. It's a look at mortality that demonstrates the skill with melody and concise imagery our host is usually more apt to undercut, playing it straight as he admits, "Not everything that goes around / Comes back around." After an album of dark vibes and measured dread, it feels like a moment of hard-fought relief from a man forced to realize how little he can truly control, and how rewarding the relinquishing of control can be. - Micheael Tedder, SPIN, http://www.spin.com/reviews/queens-of-the-stone-age-like-clockwork-matador/
Neither of these caveats should disturb you too much, though, for there is no need to sell a QOTSA album by invoking memories of modern-rock hits or speculating as to who dropped by the studio to try out the gravity bong. It's simply enough that Josh Homme, the finest hard-rock songsmith of our times and a none-too-shabby guitar player to boot, is back in action after an extended break.
A well-deserved extended break. Following the tour for 2007's Era Vulgaris and a brief stint with his Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones collaboration Them Crooked Vultures (not bad, as supergroups go, though clearly an affair where songwriting took a backseat to instrumental prowess), Homme devoted much of his time to his new family. (He and wife Brody Dalle, late of the Distillers, have two children.) He also fucking died for a few minutes on an operating table. So his recent lack of productivity is understandable, as is the dark cloud of unease that wafts through Like Clockwork, as if it were a poorly ventilated smoke room.
Plenty of bands handicap themselves by trying to be the Heaviest Group on the Planet. Homme's genius is that he long ago realized that the lane was wide open to be the Sexiest Heavy Group on the Planet, and he's achieved this goal without looking corny. His collaborators have always pummeled with the best of 'em, but they were always just as interested in taut grooves and slithering melodies as, say, guitar riffs that sounded like a whale being thrown against a skyscraper. That blend of seduction and destruction is still present, which is fortunate, because otherwise things are starting to get really tense here.
Homme has always had a defiant, contrarian streak: His band's name was a deliberate rebuttal to late-'90s mook-rock culture, and he followed up Songs for the Deaf's commercial breakthrough with a hard zag into the murky psychedelia of 2005's Lullabies to Paralyze. Clockwork is the first Queens record to feel like a conscious return to a previous sonic identity; though perversely, it evokes the group's least-known period — the Devo meet Black Sabbath nerviness of their 1998 self-titled debut. Here, "I Sat by the Ocean" and "Smooth Sailing" mercilessly ride minimal, circuitous grooves that offer little variation or relief — just unremitting propulsion as Homme's and Troy Van Leeuwen's guitars team up to block out the sun. This isn't tension and release. This is tension, then more tension, then even more tension on the chorus until your subconscious has been thoroughly scrambled; only then does release come, usually in the form of a gnarled guitar solo.
None of this is immediately sticky, save single "My God Is the Sun," which boasts the sort of swallow-the-sky chorus most bands quit writing after they leave their major label. (After concluding their deal with Interscope, QOTSA recently signed with indie institution Matador.) By and large, Homme has yet again submerged his talents for hooks in knotty, controlling arrangements that border on sadomasochistic, but there's pleasure to be had once you give in. Even if bassist Michael Shuman rarely lets these grooves open up, there's still a sideways swing in the way he tightens the vise grip; the lethal precision reigning throughout only insures that you'll be in the exact proper position when the aforementioned gnarled guitar solo knocks you to the desert floor and takes your wallet. Also, as you've probably heard, Deaf MVP Dave Grohl plays drums here about half the time, and even though former QOTSA mainstay Joey Castillo was no slouch — and new guy Jon Theodore is a goddamn monster — there's a joy in the way Grohl caves in your chest with fills that even his most adroit peers can't quite replicate.
It should be noted that this all sounds fantastic. The band self-produced Clockwork with James Lavelle, the man from trip-hop-rock collective U.N.K.L.E., and the full-bodied guitars, crisp drum fills, and naturalist dynamic range further fuel the ongoing Steely Dan studio-rat revival that Frank Ocean helped kick-start and Daft Punk amplified. But all the well-buffed guitar tones and boldface guest stars can't distract from what's really going on here.
This is an album about ratcheting up the tension, which means it's also an album about sex and death: the two ultimate forms of release. (I mean, just look at that album cover.) Homme's deep croon and sensuous approach to the groove have always implied seduction, but "If I Had a Tail" is so unabashedly horny that the Weeknd might be obligated to cover it. (Sample lyrics: "I wanna suck / I wanna lick / I wanna grind / I wanna spit.") The otherwise dominant, panic-inducing strut slackens somewhat for that one, but on the title (and closing) track, Clockwork unveils a stark piano ballad that suggests Homme has been studying his friend and occasional QOTSA cohort Mark Lanegan closely, too. It's a look at mortality that demonstrates the skill with melody and concise imagery our host is usually more apt to undercut, playing it straight as he admits, "Not everything that goes around / Comes back around." After an album of dark vibes and measured dread, it feels like a moment of hard-fought relief from a man forced to realize how little he can truly control, and how rewarding the relinquishing of control can be. - Micheael Tedder, SPIN, http://www.spin.com/reviews/queens-of-the-stone-age-like-clockwork-matador/
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:30 (ten years ago) link
Beastmilk are one of the bands I'm looking forward to most at Temples (pending the announcement of the APMD replacement tomorrow).
― Ian Glasper's trapped in a scone (aldo), Thursday, 16 January 2014 16:38 (ten years ago) link
16 Hell - Curse And Chapter, 560 Points, 14 Votes, One, #1http://i.imgur.com/Qf2yUTT.jpg
http://open.spotify.com/album/56BWXWIQxJ5V44QsOs7IBpspotify:album:56BWXWIQxJ5V44QsOs7IBphttp://www.deezer.com/album/7181610
#29 Metal Hammer
http://youtu.be/91XC4cydj5Y
here’s an interesting history behind Hell. As a part of the original NWoBHM, they were close to releasing an album alongside contemporaries like Saxon and Iron Maiden, but bad luck and personal tragedy brought them low and derailed their best laid plans. Though they never made it past the demo stage, they were influential in the scene and championed by folks like producer and former Sabbat guitarist Andy Sneap. So taken with their old demos was he, that he encouraged the members to reform and give it another go with him on guitar, which resulted in 2011s Human Remains opus.That platter featured some ancient tunes loaded with NWoBHM flair and a noticeable Mercyful Fate influence, and while the music was highly enjoyable, I struggled mightily with the delivery of front man Dave Bower, which was overdone, uber-theatrical and at times, very cheeseball parmesan. He undermined the material and made it difficult to fully embrace the band, as talented as they were. Now they return with their sophomore outing, Curse and Chapter and though they remain true to their core sound, they’ve made a few changes. The music still has the old time charm, but it feels less retro this time and reminds me more of King Diamond‘s solo work mixed with early Savatage. Mr. Bower still overdoes it, but less than before and he’s much more focused and restrained, which greatly helps the flow of the songs. While a bit uneven, it’s mostly classy and engaging and the band’s obvious talent isn’t undermined this time.I love the vintage swing of opener “Age of Nefarious” and the guitar harmonies crackle and pop. Bower keeps things relatively leashed, but the chorus mimics the “Age of Aquarius” from the musical Hair, and that’s far too much Broadway in my metal. Apart from the very silly chorus, it’s a rousing tune with top-notch guitar play. “The Disposer Supreme” sports a very big King Diamond influence and some wicked riffs, but Bower battles a terminal case of Martin Walkyier Syndrome (i.e. the compulsive urge to cram so many words into a song that the music nearly suffocates). Things improve greatly on ”Darkhangel” which is overflowing with tasty fret-board gymnastics and surprisingly restrained vocal harmonies by Mr. Bower. It runs too long, but shows the band dialing in on their strengths.Hell_2013They also succeed on more simplistic, straight-ahead, galloping numbers like “Harbringer of Death,” “End Ov Days” and “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” Other nice moments include the very Blind Guardian-esque hook-fest of “Land of the Living Dead” and the slick, vintage King Diamond rumble and roar of “A Vespertine Legacy.”Although they still struggle with some bloat in the song writing department and some tracks could easily be pared down, the only one that face plants is “Deliver Us From Evil,” which features a weird, jazzy swing, cowbells and Bower running a metal spelling bee during the chorus (“Deliver us from E…V…I…L”). It just doesn’t gel and feels overly trite, silly and too much like a bad musical written by Powerwolf.As with Human Remains, Kev Bowers and Andy Sneap let it all hang out with their playing and their riffs and harmonies buoy every song. Their solo work is extremely impressive and over the course of the album, they paint quite a tapestry of foot-on-amp guitar heroics. Their playing saved the last album and it’s as good or better here. While many of the riffs have a certain old school feel, this never sounds like a dusty relic from the 80s and every song has a hook or two that keep you listening and grooving along. Top-notch stuff!Dave Bower seems to have settled down into a comfort zone somewhere between Jon Oliva and Hansi Kursch and he wisely distances himself from the compulsive Warrel Dane chirps, squeals and caterwauls this time (though they aren’t gone completely yet). He also seems less intent on stealing all the attention, over-emoting and running his lines all over the songs. He may never become a vocalist I look forward to hearing, but he’s talented and learning how to fit in with the music better.Hell is a band with major potential and you can definitely hear the progress toward something bigger and better. They don’t quite show what they’re capable of on Curse and Chapter, but they’re heading in the right direction. I still think they’ll uncork a monster at some point and I’ll keep watching for it. In the meantime, this is a fun, accessible listen with some moments of true inspiration shining through. Keep on questing! - Angry Metal Guy, http://www.angrymetalguy.com/hell-curse-chapter-review/
That platter featured some ancient tunes loaded with NWoBHM flair and a noticeable Mercyful Fate influence, and while the music was highly enjoyable, I struggled mightily with the delivery of front man Dave Bower, which was overdone, uber-theatrical and at times, very cheeseball parmesan. He undermined the material and made it difficult to fully embrace the band, as talented as they were. Now they return with their sophomore outing, Curse and Chapter and though they remain true to their core sound, they’ve made a few changes. The music still has the old time charm, but it feels less retro this time and reminds me more of King Diamond‘s solo work mixed with early Savatage. Mr. Bower still overdoes it, but less than before and he’s much more focused and restrained, which greatly helps the flow of the songs. While a bit uneven, it’s mostly classy and engaging and the band’s obvious talent isn’t undermined this time.
I love the vintage swing of opener “Age of Nefarious” and the guitar harmonies crackle and pop. Bower keeps things relatively leashed, but the chorus mimics the “Age of Aquarius” from the musical Hair, and that’s far too much Broadway in my metal. Apart from the very silly chorus, it’s a rousing tune with top-notch guitar play. “The Disposer Supreme” sports a very big King Diamond influence and some wicked riffs, but Bower battles a terminal case of Martin Walkyier Syndrome (i.e. the compulsive urge to cram so many words into a song that the music nearly suffocates). Things improve greatly on ”Darkhangel” which is overflowing with tasty fret-board gymnastics and surprisingly restrained vocal harmonies by Mr. Bower. It runs too long, but shows the band dialing in on their strengths.
Hell_2013They also succeed on more simplistic, straight-ahead, galloping numbers like “Harbringer of Death,” “End Ov Days” and “Something Wicked This Way Comes.” Other nice moments include the very Blind Guardian-esque hook-fest of “Land of the Living Dead” and the slick, vintage King Diamond rumble and roar of “A Vespertine Legacy.”Although they still struggle with some bloat in the song writing department and some tracks could easily be pared down, the only one that face plants is “Deliver Us From Evil,” which features a weird, jazzy swing, cowbells and Bower running a metal spelling bee during the chorus (“Deliver us from E…V…I…L”). It just doesn’t gel and feels overly trite, silly and too much like a bad musical written by Powerwolf.
As with Human Remains, Kev Bowers and Andy Sneap let it all hang out with their playing and their riffs and harmonies buoy every song. Their solo work is extremely impressive and over the course of the album, they paint quite a tapestry of foot-on-amp guitar heroics. Their playing saved the last album and it’s as good or better here. While many of the riffs have a certain old school feel, this never sounds like a dusty relic from the 80s and every song has a hook or two that keep you listening and grooving along. Top-notch stuff!
Dave Bower seems to have settled down into a comfort zone somewhere between Jon Oliva and Hansi Kursch and he wisely distances himself from the compulsive Warrel Dane chirps, squeals and caterwauls this time (though they aren’t gone completely yet). He also seems less intent on stealing all the attention, over-emoting and running his lines all over the songs. He may never become a vocalist I look forward to hearing, but he’s talented and learning how to fit in with the music better.
Hell is a band with major potential and you can definitely hear the progress toward something bigger and better. They don’t quite show what they’re capable of on Curse and Chapter, but they’re heading in the right direction. I still think they’ll uncork a monster at some point and I’ll keep watching for it. In the meantime, this is a fun, accessible listen with some moments of true inspiration shining through. Keep on questing! - Angry Metal Guy, http://www.angrymetalguy.com/hell-curse-chapter-review/
Bit of a tragic backstory for Hell
Hell are an English heavy metal band from Derbyshire, formed in 1982 from the remaining members of bands Race Against Time and Paralex. Due to a series of unfortunate and tragic events, the band originally folded in 1987, but were generally regarded as being many years ahead of their time, and have been cited as an influence by many notable musicians and bands of the genre. They were amongst the first bands to wear proto-corpse paint as part of their stage show, which features hysterical ranting from a Gargoyle- adorned pulpit, along with the use of a pyrotechnic exploding Bible which caused outrage amongst the clergy when it originally appeared in 1983.
They signed to the Belgian label Mausoleum, but two weeks prior to the recording of their debut album, the label collapsed into bankruptcy. Kev Bower subsequently quit the band. He was briefly replaced by Sean Kelley, though Hell split up soon afterwards, which led to the suicide of Singer Dave Halliday by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Although they were largely ignored by the media and record companies in the 1980s, their music became known through the underground tape trading phenomenon, and the band achieved a degree of cult status. In 2008 they reunited, and were signed by Nuclear Blast.[1] Their first full-length album, Human Remains, was released May 2011.[2] The album topped at No. 46 on the German album chart in its first week of release.[3]
The remaining original members of Hell reunited in 2008 to finally record their album which was entitled Human Remains. Sabbat members Martin Walkyier and Andy Sneap agreed to play on the album to replicate Dave Halliday's vocals and guitar tracks respectively, with Sneap also acting as the producer. Although Walkyier completed recording vocals for the entire album, the band have stated that no-one was really happy with the outcome since Walkyier's voice was so distinctive, and the result sounded "more like an unreleased set of Sabbat songs". Kev Bower's brother David (who is known as David Beckford in his career as a stage and television actor) was invited to do a voiceover for the song "Plague And Fyre" and subsequently joined the band as lead vocalist, re-recording all the lead vocal parts. Sneap subsequently also joined the band as their permanent second guitarist.
By the beginning of 2013, Kev Bower and Andy Sneap had completed demo recordings for the majority of songs which would appear on the band's sophomore album, with recording proper set to commence in the Spring. Since no early demo recordings were this time available to fill a bonus disc, the band elected to record a live DVD as a bonus complement to the album, and this was shot and recorded at the band's first 2013 show at Derby Assembly Rooms (UK) on February 23. The sellout event also unveiled the band's full Church Of Hell stage set and pyrotechnic show, with fans travelling from 13 different countries to attend. The band played a headline show at the R-Mine Metalfest (BE) and also appeared at Turock Open Air (DE), Hammer Open Air (FIN), Bang Your Head Open Air (DE) and made a return mainstage appearance at Bloodstock Open Air as one of the most heavily requested bands on the BOA user forum, and once again won the 'Best Mainstage Performance' vote. It was subsequently discovered that technical problems with the DVD recording at Derby had made some material unsalvageable, so additional footage was added from the band's appearance at this festival.
It was announced in August that the second album would be entitled 'Curse And Chapter'. To coincide with the album release, Hell were subsequently announced as being principal support for Amon Amarth and Carcass on the whole of their extensive European tour, taking in 25 shows in 13 countries, opening in Oberhausen (DE) on November 7.
Hell are most often described as a NWOBHM band, although they strongly distance themselves from this movement, citing that the NWOBHM was already in rapid decline by the time the band actually formed. Their progressive musical style incorporates elements of thrash, power, symphonic, gothic, speed, doom and black metal, encompassing great variety, and with no two songs ever sounding exactly alike. Underlying lyrical themes in much Hell material focuses on the occult and the darker sides of human nature. Typical themes include a distaste for organised religion, alien abduction, political imprisonment, mental illness, and historical events such as the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague. Although primarily guitar-driven, the band's sound is fleshed out by the use of keyboards and digital sampling to add depth and texture to the material. Their approach to songwriting is often unorthodox, with numerous complex tempo, time signature and key changes, along with a signature series of atmospheric, theatrical interludes and introductions to their songs.
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Sunday, January 12, 2014 8:08 PM
Awesome live version of Darkhangel (the track that WON ILM Metal Poll 2014)http://youtu.be/Ol1KyuCHC8U
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:00 (ten years ago) link
I guess fnb has been called
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:21 (ten years ago) link
i actually saw that HELL cd a couple of days ago in the racks, and it dawned on me that a few weeks ago i would have not given it a second look, whereas now, i know so much more.
still didn't buy it though as i'm holding back for Electric Wizard albums ;-)
― mark e, Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:29 (ten years ago) link
i think you will only like the last 2 electric wizard albums (you liked the youtubes you heard from them) since you didn't like Dopethrone those earlier albums youre unlikely to be into
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:32 (ten years ago) link
Holy shit this Beastmilk record rules!
― Simon H., Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:32 (ten years ago) link
sadly its too late to make any impact in ILM 2013 | End of Year Albums & Tracks Poll | VOTING THREAD (Voting closes MIDNIGHT EST on Friday, January 17th, 2014)
OR IS IT
VOTE!
ps seandalai would let you edit your ballot
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:34 (ten years ago) link
Wouldn't have guessed it's a Ballou production, but damn does it ever sound great. And "Genocidal Crush" is an instant earworm.
― Simon H., Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:40 (ten years ago) link
yeah wish id nominated it for tracks poll
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:49 (ten years ago) link
15 Nails - Abandon All Life, 561 Points, 16 Votes, One #1http://i.imgur.com/TmygtJX.jpghttp://open.spotify.com/album/0HCZqugYM0BJmzsJJs5Mb5spotify:album:0HCZqugYM0BJmzsJJs5Mb5
#5 Revolver, #13 Decibel, #20 SPIN, #17 Stereogum, #16 Rock-A-Rolla, #14 Pitchfork, #24 Metal Hammer, #9 Terrorizer, #192 Pazz & Jop
http://nailssl.bandcamp.com/album/abandon-all-lifehttp://youtu.be/Kt1gYAMICpctheneedledrop - http://youtu.be/8cyqJakd27c
Nails are making some of the most thrillingly extreme music right now but the California quartet is difficult to recommend casually. They cram their brief, constantly shifting tracks with a chaotic blend of hardcore, D-Beat, grindcore, powerviolence, and death metal. It's complex music that plows ahead while moving internally in dozens of directions.But technical descriptions don't capture what they do so well. When Southern Lord picked up and re-released their 2010 debut LP Unsilent Death after its smaller first pressing sold out, they offered a comparison of 90s AmRep bands and early Cro-Mags going faster than either. That sort of works. So does Eyehategod's songbook played by 2013 Converge. This music is more suffocating than it is Suffocation; it also pulls largely from hardcore and comes with plenty of raw emotion attached to it.Unsilent Death's 10 tracks sped past in 14 minutes; Abandon All Life's 10 tracks just barely break the 17-minute mark. Both releases were produced by Converge's Kurt Ballou. It's assured, sturdy music, and Ballou knows how to make it sound deep and strong. (He does an even better job of it on the huge-sounding new collection.) With this kind of material you also need a vocalist who can stand up to it, and Todd Jones (who used to play in the hardcore band Terror) keeps up with the mutating landscape behind him: he scowls, snarls, howls, screams, spits, and even quietly sighs (in the black metal minor scales and Celtic Frost-like opening of standout "Wide Open Wound"). At times he feels like a conductor holding together a maelstrom, and when he repeatedly shouts "I want to see you suffer" in the 42-second-long "Tyrant" and "My goal: cause you pain" in the 55-second-long "No Surrender", you believe the sentiments, even though his approach brings a lot of pleasure.Nails' songs are largely about power and control, suffering and degradation; you get dozens of lines like "On your knees before me/ I humiliate, I torture/ I celebrate your failures" in the escalating five-minute doom-to-feedback-implosion closer "Suum Cuique". But these songs are also about overcoming those situations. There are sentiments like "Resolve your vengeance make them pay" in opener "In Exodus", the title track's "Wield the fucking blade/ Pierce the fucking hate… / Your will is beyond what those cowards posses" and "Burn all white flags/ No fucking surrender" in "No Surrender". For all the negatively people talk about Nails espousing, they're ultimately a positive band-- in the sense that they provide a rallying point and a will to power for people open to these kinds of violent pep talks.But back to the beginning: Abandon All Life is a bracing, cathartic, darkly anthemic collection, but those not used to this sort of thing will probably need to spend some time with so it can slow down some and make more sense. People usually don't think of hardcore punk as "headphone" music. Nails should be played loudly, of course, but they should also be listened to carefully on headphones at some point to appreciate how they're layering these elements and creating something so seamless. This is smart, well-plotted music, which makes its anger all the more effective. - Brandon Stosuy, Pitchfork, http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17784-nails-abandon-all-life/When I saw Nails at New England Metal and Hardcore Fest in 2011, I was instantly won over. They had such a raw, no nonsense sound and were able to replicate that spirit so perfectly live that I couldn't help but rush upstairs to buy one of their T-shirts and get hold of all of their music. And while Unsilent Death is a fun blast of "Entombed-core" grind, it did not quite live up to how the band sounded live. On Abandon All Life, Nails has made a gigantic improvement with a punishing, albeit brief slab of fury and aggression. Abandon all pretenders, Nails is the real raw thing.The loud, punchy, Converge-meets-Entombed fuzzbox sound embodied by Nails, Black Breath, and others has to be one of the best developments in metal in recent years. It takes metal back to basics, while putting a new twist on the hardcore-metal brand that has gone largely unheard in the past (it was years before I even heard of notables like Citizen's Arrest). Abandon All Life contains much of the same punch and grit that made Unsilent Death such a breath of wonderfully filthy air. But this time, Nails has better writing, better riffs, and a better approach that makes for a much more memorable listen. Much of the band's hallmarks remain from the previous record, though the vocals are less guttural and more high pitched this time. From the outset, Nails lights a fire of blastbeats and screaming anger that only morphs later into menacing wasteland of the mid-album highlight, "Wide Open Wound". Where Unsilent Death sounds like a band getting together to have some fun making noise, Abandon All Life sounds like the same band saying "Ok, let's focus on this noise and make something really great."If I had to give the band one suggestion: write some more longer songs next time. It feels funny to say that, since I'm often listening to more proggy stuff and thinking, "these songs need to be shorter" and going on about how I like things straightforward. But in this case, the longer tracks like "Suum Cuique" give Nails to room to breathe and add something more to their rapid fire grind blasts. Not that they should abandon these shorter sings outright, but it would be nice if Nails could give us more…well, Nails. However, perhaps in this brevity lies Abandon All Life's greatest success: it leaves you battered, exhausted, and breathing out the only appropriate request, "Please sir may I have another?" - James Zalucky, Metal Injection, http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-nails-abandon-all-life
But technical descriptions don't capture what they do so well. When Southern Lord picked up and re-released their 2010 debut LP Unsilent Death after its smaller first pressing sold out, they offered a comparison of 90s AmRep bands and early Cro-Mags going faster than either. That sort of works. So does Eyehategod's songbook played by 2013 Converge. This music is more suffocating than it is Suffocation; it also pulls largely from hardcore and comes with plenty of raw emotion attached to it.
Unsilent Death's 10 tracks sped past in 14 minutes; Abandon All Life's 10 tracks just barely break the 17-minute mark. Both releases were produced by Converge's Kurt Ballou. It's assured, sturdy music, and Ballou knows how to make it sound deep and strong. (He does an even better job of it on the huge-sounding new collection.) With this kind of material you also need a vocalist who can stand up to it, and Todd Jones (who used to play in the hardcore band Terror) keeps up with the mutating landscape behind him: he scowls, snarls, howls, screams, spits, and even quietly sighs (in the black metal minor scales and Celtic Frost-like opening of standout "Wide Open Wound"). At times he feels like a conductor holding together a maelstrom, and when he repeatedly shouts "I want to see you suffer" in the 42-second-long "Tyrant" and "My goal: cause you pain" in the 55-second-long "No Surrender", you believe the sentiments, even though his approach brings a lot of pleasure.
Nails' songs are largely about power and control, suffering and degradation; you get dozens of lines like "On your knees before me/ I humiliate, I torture/ I celebrate your failures" in the escalating five-minute doom-to-feedback-implosion closer "Suum Cuique". But these songs are also about overcoming those situations. There are sentiments like "Resolve your vengeance make them pay" in opener "In Exodus", the title track's "Wield the fucking blade/ Pierce the fucking hate… / Your will is beyond what those cowards posses" and "Burn all white flags/ No fucking surrender" in "No Surrender". For all the negatively people talk about Nails espousing, they're ultimately a positive band-- in the sense that they provide a rallying point and a will to power for people open to these kinds of violent pep talks.
But back to the beginning: Abandon All Life is a bracing, cathartic, darkly anthemic collection, but those not used to this sort of thing will probably need to spend some time with so it can slow down some and make more sense. People usually don't think of hardcore punk as "headphone" music. Nails should be played loudly, of course, but they should also be listened to carefully on headphones at some point to appreciate how they're layering these elements and creating something so seamless. This is smart, well-plotted music, which makes its anger all the more effective. - Brandon Stosuy, Pitchfork, http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17784-nails-abandon-all-life/
When I saw Nails at New England Metal and Hardcore Fest in 2011, I was instantly won over. They had such a raw, no nonsense sound and were able to replicate that spirit so perfectly live that I couldn't help but rush upstairs to buy one of their T-shirts and get hold of all of their music. And while Unsilent Death is a fun blast of "Entombed-core" grind, it did not quite live up to how the band sounded live. On Abandon All Life, Nails has made a gigantic improvement with a punishing, albeit brief slab of fury and aggression. Abandon all pretenders, Nails is the real raw thing.
The loud, punchy, Converge-meets-Entombed fuzzbox sound embodied by Nails, Black Breath, and others has to be one of the best developments in metal in recent years. It takes metal back to basics, while putting a new twist on the hardcore-metal brand that has gone largely unheard in the past (it was years before I even heard of notables like Citizen's Arrest). Abandon All Life contains much of the same punch and grit that made Unsilent Death such a breath of wonderfully filthy air. But this time, Nails has better writing, better riffs, and a better approach that makes for a much more memorable listen. Much of the band's hallmarks remain from the previous record, though the vocals are less guttural and more high pitched this time. From the outset, Nails lights a fire of blastbeats and screaming anger that only morphs later into menacing wasteland of the mid-album highlight, "Wide Open Wound". Where Unsilent Death sounds like a band getting together to have some fun making noise, Abandon All Life sounds like the same band saying "Ok, let's focus on this noise and make something really great."
If I had to give the band one suggestion: write some more longer songs next time. It feels funny to say that, since I'm often listening to more proggy stuff and thinking, "these songs need to be shorter" and going on about how I like things straightforward. But in this case, the longer tracks like "Suum Cuique" give Nails to room to breathe and add something more to their rapid fire grind blasts. Not that they should abandon these shorter sings outright, but it would be nice if Nails could give us more…well, Nails. However, perhaps in this brevity lies Abandon All Life's greatest success: it leaves you battered, exhausted, and breathing out the only appropriate request, "Please sir may I have another?" - James Zalucky, Metal Injection, http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-nails-abandon-all-life
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:50 (ten years ago) link
I am man enough to admit that Nails are just too damned much for me to deal with 99.99% of the time.
― Simon H., Thursday, 16 January 2014 17:53 (ten years ago) link
That's a surprise to see this high! It's a stunner, but definitely not the friendliest sound in the world.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 16 January 2014 18:02 (ten years ago) link
those breather tracks are really key; love "suum cuique"
― a chance to cross is a chance to score (anonanon), Thursday, 16 January 2014 18:04 (ten years ago) link
14 Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance, 597 Points, 17 Votes http://i.imgur.com/qqnXHuk.jpg
#8 Decibel, #6 PopMatters, #21 Stereogum, #7 Pitchfork, #25 Metal Hammer, #4 Terrorizer, #278 Pazz & Jop
http://youtu.be/Juthvm7QjuMtheneedledrop - http://youtu.be/3Ckbk-P7JxMcoverkillernation - http://youtu.be/7yxVv9QdYPw
The thing about Darkthrone some 25-plus years into their career is they don’t give a fuck. A lot of bands say that, but few say it as convincingly and have the fuckall in their approach to back it up that the long-running Norwegian duo seem to toss off on their records like so many squibbly riffs. Where that attitude has manifested itself over the course of their last several full-lengths as a raw, lo-fi punk aimed hard at the very roots of the black metal Darkthrone once pioneered on albums like A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) and Transylvanian Hunger (1994), their newest full-length and 16th by my count, The Underground Resistance (Peaceville), finds them blending that rawness with a traditional metal approach manifesting many of the influences they’ve claimed since 2007′s N.W.O.B.H.M – New Wave of Black Heavy Metal single signaled their transition from the blackened material of 2006′s The Cult is Alive – actually it was kind of stagnant — to later 2007′s F.O.A.D. (Fuck off and Die), at once a declaration and defense of its own stylistic shift.But at this point, having pushed that punkish sound as far as it could go or at least as far as they were interested in pushing it with 2010′s bored-seeming-but-still-effective Circle the Wagons (review here), I honestly think that praise heaped on The Underground Resistance and harsh criticism of it sound the same in the ears of multi-instrumentalist/vocalists Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skjellum and Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell: It’s all just noise. If that’s actually the case, I don’t know, but it’s at least the perception and that character has become as much a part of Darkthrone‘s sound as Fenriz‘s campaigning on behalf of classic underground metal, so fervent that band recommendations on the last couple albums have come on a per-track basis in the liner notes, with Darkthrone cited on occasion as influencing themselves. All this makes the duo a fascinating entity, but ultimately has little to do with the music, which on The Underground Resistance remains as confrontational as ever in this semi-novel aesthetic sphere. The sound of the album’s six tracks is fuller and occasionally grander than that of Circle the Wagons or 2008′s Dark Thrones and Black Flags before it — as heavy metal was when it emerged early in the ’80s to distinguish itself from punk — but raw enough in its production to be called consistent. That is, between Nocturno Culto‘s trademark gurgle and the speedy gallop of the riffing on the penultimate “Come Warfare, the Entire Doom,” there’s little doubt you’re listening to a Darkthrone record, whatever kind of shenanigans they might be getting up to this time around.And while homage is paid throughout the album’s 41 minutes to the likes of Manilla Road, Pagan Altar, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate — Fenriz rounding out the album with some pretty mean King Diamond-style vocal drama on the 14-minute closer “Leave No Cross Unturned” — whatever sonic references they might be making are filtered through their own approach so that Darkthrone still sound like Darkthrone. I don’t know if I’d call The Underground Resistance re-energized as compares to Circle the Wagons, but as a band who’ve emerged as being pretty self-aware over the last decade or so, they probably could sense it was time for a change in their approach, even if it wasn’t a conscious decision between the two members as they wrote their individual parts. Three years is also the longest break between Darkthrone albums since 1996′s Goatlord and 1999′s Ravishing Grimness, and if the extra time was spent developing this material, I’d have to believe it. Even “Leave No Cross Unturned,” which seems to switch back and forth between Fenriz and Nocturno Culto parts, nonetheless winds up with one of the collection’s strongest hooks in its chorus with the oft-repeated title line. Finding earlier companionship on the album in “The Ones You Left Behind,” which works from a similar foundation musically, it’s all one could reasonably ask of a closer for an album like The Underground Resistance, which makes a weapon even of its most accessible moments.An initial tradeoff between Nocturno Culto‘s “Dead Early,” which opens, and the subsequent “Valkyrie,” credited to Fenriz, introduces much of the album’s breadth. The two will often switch off between each other in a tracklisting and the effect is a more versatile-sounding whole on The Underground Resistance. As a general rule — so much as there are any — Nocturno Culto‘s material is darker, Fenriz‘s more classic. At very least, that holds true on “Dead Early” and “Valkyrie,” as the grittier riffing of the one leads to the grandiose intro stomp of the other, and Fenriz‘s vocals, which have grown braver and cleaner. He doesn’t quite soar, but he makes a style of the howls on “Valkyrie” and ultimately it works to the song’s favor, especially moving into “Lesser Men,” the chugging riff of which makes for a lethal groove when set to the half-time drums, a guitar solo echoing high in a break in the first half before Nocturno Culto comes in with the second verse. Fenriz once again takes the reins in the speedy “The Ones You Left Behind,” also the shortest cut at 4:16, and at 2:16 lets out a high-pitched wail that’s almost more righteous for its imperfection, makes a reappearance at the beginning of “Leave No Cross Unturned” and is bound to show up again should Darkthrone continue down this road (one never really knows, but it’s an easy guess). Another catchy chorus leads to the likely-collaborative “Come Warfare, the Entire Doom,” which is more complex part-wise than the ensuing closer, but still some five full minutes shorter.It spends some time meandering, but even on “Come Warfare, the Entire Doom,” Darkthrone are fairly to the point, and the echoing, effected leads that pop up amidst the gallop make for intriguing landmarks along with the satisfyingly metallic thrust. When it comes to “Leave No Cross Unturned” — the most apparent collaboration (I’d dare to say for sure, but hey, digital promos) between Fenriz and Nocturno Culto on The Underground Resistance — the song is also invariably the album’s greatest triumph, moving smoothly between its verse and chorus, so predictable and still so engaging, and slamming headfirst into the dirtier Celtic Frost-style riff and grunt of its midsection. Classic even unto its titular wordplay, “Leave No Cross Unturned” shifts back to its verse and chorus, layering clean vocals with screams in the chorus before running through once more at top speed and finally ending with the slower, groovier progression that showed up earlier as contrast, presumably donated by Nocturno Culto. Ending there, Darkthrone make a final statement no less present in its volume than anything prior on The Underground Resistance, affirming this next stage in their evolution with a big rock finish that’s as much a middle finger to anyone who might’ve thought they knew what Darkthrone would do next as anything on F.O.A.D. ever was. As with any band who’ve ever managed to last as long as Darkthrone has, their fans will likely divide into factions loyal to one era or another, but in their latest work, Darkthrone show themselves not only to still be driving toward territory not yet covered over the course of their career, but doing so in a vital manner worthy of the influence their music and their attitude has had on the international underground. Whatever The Underground Resistance might lead to, the only safe presumption is that Darkthrone won’t give a fuck what you think of it. - The Obelisk, http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2013/03/05/darkthrone-the-underground-resistance-review/#sthash.uaWlnpeF.dpufWhen you think of Darkthrone, you think of fun, right? If you scoffed, guffawed, or simply disagreed, don't worry-- you're safely in the majority. The Norwegian band are best known, of course, for what their 1999 album labeled "ravishing grimness"-- savage, belligerent, and unfiltered black metal, epitomized by a blitz of icy hot classics that started with 1992's A Blaze in the Northern Sky and end, depending upon your stance on Second Wave orthodoxy and eclecticism, sometime just before or after the turn of the millennium. They're the dudes that epitomized ghoulish corpsespaint covers, brandished the credo "True Norwegian Black Metal," and fended off Aryan allegations as Varg Vikernes headed to jail. So, no, maybe fun isn't the first adjective Darkthrone conjures.But it's hard to imagine two middle-aged men having more fun than Fenriz and Nocturno Culto-- the band's lone multi-instrumentalists, songwriters, and singers for two decades now-- do on The Underground Resistance, their inescapably enthusiastic 16th studio album. Darkthrone long ago gave up on black metal, turning instead to an open-ended and unmitigated interest in recombining the metal they loved as kids: thrash and crust punk, high-flying British metal and blustery hardcore. Those influences were always tucked within Darkthrone's most famous albums, but lately they've given over to them entirely. The simple joy of these influences is the thread that ties together The Underground Resistance, an album about unfit enemies and deserved death that nevertheless delights in its own music-making élan. Darkthrone's already been involved in a movement that revolutionized heavy metal both sonically and stylistically; The Underground Resistance, then, is simply the latest and most propulsive homage to the bands that sparked that revolution for them.In the early days of Darkthrone, Fenriz didn't give many interviews, or at least he didn't say much in them. These days, though, he writes liner notes in which he conveys his influences and intentions. And his Metal Band of the Week blog advocates for young acts he likes and older acts he thinks went overlooked. He's made up for that early media quiet by seemingly giving interviews to most anyone who has asked. In doing so, he's often surprised journalists with his forthrightness and humor. "Isn't it normal to want to communicate your life's work?” he asked That’s How Kids Die, questioning those surprised by his newfound verbosity. For a guy who once posed in corpsepaint, he sure uses a lot of emoticons and knows a lot about Pink Panther.But Fenriz rightly insists that there's not a lot of humor in Darkthrone's new music. (With a song sporting a name like "Leave No Cross Unturned", though, there is certainly some.) Still, The Underground Resistance flaunts the sort of vigor you'd expect from old friends out to have a good time: "Dead Early" is a menacing five-minute race that suggests Motörhead loaded on piss and vinegar, while the relentless chug of "Lesser Men" pogoes from circle-pit invocations to head-down, horns-up headbanging. "Valkyrie" begins with a classic doom feint, craggy acoustic guitars introducing a riff that unfurls over cascading drums. They return to that slow burn for the coda, but the middle is all blustery thrash, with Fenriz chasing himself in circles behind the drums while his falsetto peaks above the din. The album's real clincher, "Come Warfare, the Entire Doom", is a series of swivels and sprints, once again teasing doom before harnessing the band’s death metal past in an eight-minute anthem. The aforementioned "Leave No Cross Unturned", the disc's 14-minute finale and the longest song ever in the Darkthrone catalog, confirms the band’s gumption to simply go for anything. They hint at Saxon and Maiden with operatic vocals and an incredibly sharp hook and then at punk with the blissfully simple but successful outro. What’s more, Fenriz and Nocturnal Culto even circle back toward their weighty black metal reputation with the blanket of serrated guitars near the song’s start. A few minutes later, Fenriz howls from some deep abyss. In turn, they leave no relevant idea unturned.Fenriz and Nocturno Culto own one of the great unimpeachable brands in all of heavy metal, and they've protected it not by limiting it but by letting it expand and fluctuate as need be. Rather than retread what's made them famous, Darkthrone have continually confirmed their status by refusing to kowtow to old expectations. They don't play live, and they don't depend on this band for their income; therefore, they don’t need this band to sound like it did it 1993 so they can cash in on the past rather than risk their image on the present. Amid tides of ceaseless band reunions and reissues that more often than not repeat what we already knew, Darkthrone in 2013 find themselves in an extremely enviable position because they have done exactly what they've wanted. Legends encumbered by being legends, they stick true to the title of The Underground Resistance-- they are two veterans having fun by continuing to play like they're carefree teenage rebels. - Grayson Currin, Pitchfork, http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17642-darkthrone-the-underground-resistance/
But at this point, having pushed that punkish sound as far as it could go or at least as far as they were interested in pushing it with 2010′s bored-seeming-but-still-effective Circle the Wagons (review here), I honestly think that praise heaped on The Underground Resistance and harsh criticism of it sound the same in the ears of multi-instrumentalist/vocalists Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skjellum and Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell: It’s all just noise. If that’s actually the case, I don’t know, but it’s at least the perception and that character has become as much a part of Darkthrone‘s sound as Fenriz‘s campaigning on behalf of classic underground metal, so fervent that band recommendations on the last couple albums have come on a per-track basis in the liner notes, with Darkthrone cited on occasion as influencing themselves. All this makes the duo a fascinating entity, but ultimately has little to do with the music, which on The Underground Resistance remains as confrontational as ever in this semi-novel aesthetic sphere. The sound of the album’s six tracks is fuller and occasionally grander than that of Circle the Wagons or 2008′s Dark Thrones and Black Flags before it — as heavy metal was when it emerged early in the ’80s to distinguish itself from punk — but raw enough in its production to be called consistent. That is, between Nocturno Culto‘s trademark gurgle and the speedy gallop of the riffing on the penultimate “Come Warfare, the Entire Doom,” there’s little doubt you’re listening to a Darkthrone record, whatever kind of shenanigans they might be getting up to this time around.
And while homage is paid throughout the album’s 41 minutes to the likes of Manilla Road, Pagan Altar, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate — Fenriz rounding out the album with some pretty mean King Diamond-style vocal drama on the 14-minute closer “Leave No Cross Unturned” — whatever sonic references they might be making are filtered through their own approach so that Darkthrone still sound like Darkthrone. I don’t know if I’d call The Underground Resistance re-energized as compares to Circle the Wagons, but as a band who’ve emerged as being pretty self-aware over the last decade or so, they probably could sense it was time for a change in their approach, even if it wasn’t a conscious decision between the two members as they wrote their individual parts. Three years is also the longest break between Darkthrone albums since 1996′s Goatlord and 1999′s Ravishing Grimness, and if the extra time was spent developing this material, I’d have to believe it. Even “Leave No Cross Unturned,” which seems to switch back and forth between Fenriz and Nocturno Culto parts, nonetheless winds up with one of the collection’s strongest hooks in its chorus with the oft-repeated title line. Finding earlier companionship on the album in “The Ones You Left Behind,” which works from a similar foundation musically, it’s all one could reasonably ask of a closer for an album like The Underground Resistance, which makes a weapon even of its most accessible moments.
An initial tradeoff between Nocturno Culto‘s “Dead Early,” which opens, and the subsequent “Valkyrie,” credited to Fenriz, introduces much of the album’s breadth. The two will often switch off between each other in a tracklisting and the effect is a more versatile-sounding whole on The Underground Resistance. As a general rule — so much as there are any — Nocturno Culto‘s material is darker, Fenriz‘s more classic. At very least, that holds true on “Dead Early” and “Valkyrie,” as the grittier riffing of the one leads to the grandiose intro stomp of the other, and Fenriz‘s vocals, which have grown braver and cleaner. He doesn’t quite soar, but he makes a style of the howls on “Valkyrie” and ultimately it works to the song’s favor, especially moving into “Lesser Men,” the chugging riff of which makes for a lethal groove when set to the half-time drums, a guitar solo echoing high in a break in the first half before Nocturno Culto comes in with the second verse. Fenriz once again takes the reins in the speedy “The Ones You Left Behind,” also the shortest cut at 4:16, and at 2:16 lets out a high-pitched wail that’s almost more righteous for its imperfection, makes a reappearance at the beginning of “Leave No Cross Unturned” and is bound to show up again should Darkthrone continue down this road (one never really knows, but it’s an easy guess). Another catchy chorus leads to the likely-collaborative “Come Warfare, the Entire Doom,” which is more complex part-wise than the ensuing closer, but still some five full minutes shorter.
It spends some time meandering, but even on “Come Warfare, the Entire Doom,” Darkthrone are fairly to the point, and the echoing, effected leads that pop up amidst the gallop make for intriguing landmarks along with the satisfyingly metallic thrust. When it comes to “Leave No Cross Unturned” — the most apparent collaboration (I’d dare to say for sure, but hey, digital promos) between Fenriz and Nocturno Culto on The Underground Resistance — the song is also invariably the album’s greatest triumph, moving smoothly between its verse and chorus, so predictable and still so engaging, and slamming headfirst into the dirtier Celtic Frost-style riff and grunt of its midsection. Classic even unto its titular wordplay, “Leave No Cross Unturned” shifts back to its verse and chorus, layering clean vocals with screams in the chorus before running through once more at top speed and finally ending with the slower, groovier progression that showed up earlier as contrast, presumably donated by Nocturno Culto. Ending there, Darkthrone make a final statement no less present in its volume than anything prior on The Underground Resistance, affirming this next stage in their evolution with a big rock finish that’s as much a middle finger to anyone who might’ve thought they knew what Darkthrone would do next as anything on F.O.A.D. ever was. As with any band who’ve ever managed to last as long as Darkthrone has, their fans will likely divide into factions loyal to one era or another, but in their latest work, Darkthrone show themselves not only to still be driving toward territory not yet covered over the course of their career, but doing so in a vital manner worthy of the influence their music and their attitude has had on the international underground. Whatever The Underground Resistance might lead to, the only safe presumption is that Darkthrone
won’t give a fuck what you think of it. - The Obelisk, http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2013/03/05/darkthrone-the-underground-resistance-review/#sthash.uaWlnpeF.dpuf
When you think of Darkthrone, you think of fun, right? If you scoffed, guffawed, or simply disagreed, don't worry-- you're safely in the majority. The Norwegian band are best known, of course, for what their 1999 album labeled "ravishing grimness"-- savage, belligerent, and unfiltered black metal, epitomized by a blitz of icy hot classics that started with 1992's A Blaze in the Northern Sky and end, depending upon your stance on Second Wave orthodoxy and eclecticism, sometime just before or after the turn of the millennium. They're the dudes that epitomized ghoulish corpsespaint covers, brandished the credo "True Norwegian Black Metal," and fended off Aryan allegations as Varg Vikernes headed to jail. So, no, maybe fun isn't the first adjective Darkthrone conjures.
But it's hard to imagine two middle-aged men having more fun than Fenriz and Nocturno Culto-- the band's lone multi-instrumentalists, songwriters, and singers for two decades now-- do on The Underground Resistance, their inescapably enthusiastic 16th studio album. Darkthrone long ago gave up on black metal, turning instead to an open-ended and unmitigated interest in recombining the metal they loved as kids: thrash and crust punk, high-flying British metal and blustery hardcore. Those influences were always tucked within Darkthrone's most famous albums, but lately they've given over to them entirely. The simple joy of these influences is the thread that ties together The Underground Resistance, an album about unfit enemies and deserved death that nevertheless delights in its own music-making élan. Darkthrone's already been involved in a movement that revolutionized heavy metal both sonically and stylistically; The Underground Resistance, then, is simply the latest and most propulsive homage to the bands that sparked that revolution for them.
In the early days of Darkthrone, Fenriz didn't give many interviews, or at least he didn't say much in them. These days, though, he writes liner notes in which he conveys his influences and intentions. And his Metal Band of the Week blog advocates for young acts he likes and older acts he thinks went overlooked. He's made up for that early media quiet by seemingly giving interviews to most anyone who has asked. In doing so, he's often surprised journalists with his forthrightness and humor. "Isn't it normal to want to communicate your life's work?” he asked That’s How Kids Die, questioning those surprised by his newfound verbosity. For a guy who once posed in corpsepaint, he sure uses a lot of emoticons and knows a lot about Pink Panther.
But Fenriz rightly insists that there's not a lot of humor in Darkthrone's new music. (With a song sporting a name like "Leave No Cross Unturned", though, there is certainly some.) Still, The Underground Resistance flaunts the sort of vigor you'd expect from old friends out to have a good time: "Dead Early" is a menacing five-minute race that suggests Motörhead loaded on piss and vinegar, while the relentless chug of "Lesser Men" pogoes from circle-pit invocations to head-down, horns-up headbanging. "Valkyrie" begins with a classic doom feint, craggy acoustic guitars introducing a riff that unfurls over cascading drums. They return to that slow burn for the coda, but the middle is all blustery thrash, with Fenriz chasing himself in circles behind the drums while his falsetto peaks above the din. The album's real clincher, "Come Warfare, the Entire Doom", is a series of swivels and sprints, once again teasing doom before harnessing the band’s death metal past in an eight-minute anthem. The aforementioned "Leave No Cross Unturned", the disc's 14-minute finale and the longest song ever in the Darkthrone catalog, confirms the band’s gumption to simply go for anything. They hint at Saxon and Maiden with operatic vocals and an incredibly sharp hook and then at punk with the blissfully simple but successful outro. What’s more, Fenriz and Nocturnal Culto even circle back toward their weighty black metal reputation with the blanket of serrated guitars near the song’s start. A few minutes later, Fenriz howls from some deep abyss. In turn, they leave no relevant idea unturned.
Fenriz and Nocturno Culto own one of the great unimpeachable brands in all of heavy metal, and they've protected it not by limiting it but by letting it expand and fluctuate as need be. Rather than retread what's made them famous, Darkthrone have continually confirmed their status by refusing to kowtow to old expectations. They don't play live, and they don't depend on this band for their income; therefore, they don’t need this band to sound like it did it 1993 so they can cash in on the past rather than risk their image on the present. Amid tides of ceaseless band reunions and reissues that more often than not repeat what we already knew, Darkthrone in 2013 find themselves in an extremely enviable position because they have done exactly what they've wanted. Legends encumbered by being legends, they stick true to the title of The Underground Resistance-- they are two veterans having fun by continuing to play like they're carefree teenage rebels. - Grayson Currin, Pitchfork, http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17642-darkthrone-the-underground-resistance/
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 18:13 (ten years ago) link
Maybe I didn't start too early. no buggers around later either! Glad we're not finishing today haha
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 18:25 (ten years ago) link
I was one of the 12 people called to be interviewed by judge and lawyers first. I simply expressed an opinion that Chiroprctors are quacks and I was one of the few not picked YAY. At lunch still supposed to report back to room after blah
― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 16 January 2014 18:26 (ten years ago) link
so hes avoided jury duty in the trial of the great chiropractor massacre of 2013
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 18:34 (ten years ago) link
sidenote : 'buggers' = my fave swearword, glad to see i'm not the only person who uses it ..
― mark e, Thursday, 16 January 2014 18:58 (ten years ago) link
13 Avatarium - Avatarium, 613 Points, 16 Votes, One #1 http://i.imgur.com/Eiz5XFS.jpghttp://open.spotify.com/album/0op2YUh7a2Tr7mbiVBEY8ispotify:album:0op2YUh7a2Tr7mbiVBEY8ihttp://www.deezer.com/album/7086732#39 Metal Hammer
http://albumstreams.com/s/avatarium/avatarium"Boneflower" - http://youtu.be/PsGErp0xLnA"Moonhorse" - http://youtu.be/GWuGTYiQs8U
Upon the release of Candlemass’s eleventh album, Leif Edling, came forth with a bitter announcement in regards to the future of the band. Psalms for the Dead would be their last studio album. I must admit, the news affected me greatly. I felt disappointment, but I understood the reasons behind this unexpected decision. Still, it wasn’t easy to accept it. The delicate nature of my character was the cause for my provisional grief. For some reasons, I use to rely my huge expectations and trust on older bands and I receive all the newcomers with skepticism and doubt. So when the news about Edling’s participation in a new project spread out, I took them with a grain of salt.So, Leif closed the book on Candlemass, what is he up to now ? If your assumption is “more Epic Doom Metal”, then you estimated correctly. And it doesn’t come as huge surprise since this man has the style of Doom into his blood. For this album, Edling paid a long-awaited visit to his first years as a professional musician. He drew inspiration from the very first albums he wrote while he was on Candlemass and decided to re-define the powerful, Unholy sounds of Damnation. He aimed on bringing back the powerful tales of epic poetry of the first four Candlemass records. However, you must bear in mind that Avatarium’s debut is NOT another album from the said group. And that is a good thing, because with that direction, the project was bound to failure from the very first day of its conception. For his venture into this tour de force, Leif teamed up with a bunch of very talented musicians. Apart from Edling on his acquainted role, we’ve got percussionist Lars Skold (Tiamat), keyboardist Carl Westhom, (Candlemass), guitarist Marcus Jidell (Evergrey) and vocalist extraordinaire Jennie-Ann Smith.The album itself can be analyzed as a mixture of good ol’ Epic Doom Metal with Classic Rock influences and varied references, from the Psychedelic music of the late 60’s to Rainbow and to Blue Oyster Cult. An explosive compound which is scoped and developed under the aegis of the Doom Metal genre. And what would be Doom Metal without riffs ? Edling knows that all too well and as an expert in this field, he deliver some of his best ideas. The result of his collaboration with Jidell is magnificent. At first I felt worried by the fact that there is no second guitarist in the band, an omission that could lead to inefficient results. You can’t have Doom Metal with feeble guitar work. After listening to the first three songs, I ruled these worries out. Heavier than a tombstone, the guitar annihilates everything in its path. For example, the introductory riffs of Moonhorse and Avatarium spread utter devastation. The density that comes out of the guitar is crushingly impeccable. The riffs have the size of an elephant. The solos on the other side are melodic and painful. But truly, what won my attention in the first place, was the combination of these monstrous riffs with the softer, acoustic parts and interludes. The above-mentioned influences are diffused among the tracks, forming a wall of medieval sounds that encircle the album completely. For example, Moonhorse features a haunting slide solo that may remind you of Blackmore’s work in Rising. Lady In The Lamp is one of the best closing ballads I have heard in a while, yet another reference on Blackmore’s group, as it may retell you the story of the ballad Rainbow Eyes. After the first couple of listens, it becomes clear that the band was aiming for an approach where emotion comes before technicality.Further on, the album has two sides. One side that is heavy, and another side that is softer. If Edling and Jidell are responsible for the heavy parts, Jennie-Ann Smith is responsible for the soft side by bringing expressiveness and further emotion. Where the album surprises is not in the excellent work of the instruments, but in the presence of an amazing vocalist. Smith is the revelation of Avatarium. With her impulsive performance, Smith navigates perfectly the crushing sounds and brings the necessary equilibrium. If you need a detailed description of her voice, you will need a lot of adjectives. Emotional, fragile, powerful, seductive, divine are only some of the words I could use to describe her. Listeners should avoid the chance of looking for similarities between Smith and other famous female metal singers, for they'll find none. Smith doesn't possess the trademark operatic vocals, for which many female-fronted metal bands are known for and that's for a good reason. Edling wasn't looking for that sort of thing. He wanted a vocalist with a bluesy tone and the choice of recruiting Smith was spot on. There were times when Smith reminded me of Janis Joplin. “Outrageous”, some of you may say. But honestly, to me, it is as Joplin was reborn inside Smith’s body. She is the key that holds Avatarium's independence and the main reason the band doesn't sound as a caricature of Candlemass. When it comes to singing, Jennie-Ann Smith is quite simply the biggest newcomer of this year.Leif Edling proved once again why he is considered one of the biggest figures in the Doom Metal community. As a fine example of a good working man, Edling’s creative and troubled mind couldn’t sit tight during his post-Candlemass era. He was quickly looking for a new field. But never in a million years had I expected him to make such triumphant return. It requires some special skills in order to take all the old tricks -the melancholic atmosphere, the riffs, the moods, the melodies- and re-introduce them in such a way to create something that sounds so refreshing and outstanding. Edling has simply outdone himself. Taking sides with a fantastic crew, Edling had a good chance to step out of the boundaries of Candlemass and further develop his ideas towards new directions. A magnificent debut, quite possibly his best work since Nightfall. - John Marinakis, Sputnik, http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/59656/Avatarium-Avatarium/It’s impossible to listen to anything new that emanates from the darkness of Leif Edling’s cranium without a lingering prayer that it is going to be as earth-shatteringly awesome as his 1980s masterpieces. In 1984, Edling’s formative band Nemesis released the landmark ‘Day of Retribution’ EP, and he spent the next decade or so perfecting his art through Candlemass’ Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Nightfall, etc. While Edling has never ventured a million miles from the doom metal framework that he was so instrumental in defining, during the intervening years the unassuming Swedish bass player has tried to push out the boat with varying degrees of success.Alongside him in his latest venture’s line-up are guitarist Marcus Jidell (Evergrey), drummer Lars Skold (Tiamat), long-time collaborator Carl Westholm on keyboards and the relatively unheralded Jennie-Ann Smith behind the mic. We have to dispute the assertion that this is a kind of all-star doom supergroup. This is not some Scott Weinrich/Matt Pike/Bill Ward fantasy project; this is a real band and it’s trademark Edling through and through.With Edling, Jidell and Skold delivering typically mid-weight doom with an easy confidence and precision, and Westholm lighting up the northern skies with his dazzling keyboard creativity, all eyes are on Smith to get the vocals right. She has a sweet, bluesy voice, but she sounds almost too fragile to express the emotional depth required of the genre. That said, it is a pleasure to listen to her sing, and there are times when she soars like Messiah Marcolin being fired out of (a very big) cannon.Avatarium2It is difficult to shake the sense that some of the tracks on Avatarium’s self-titled debut are simply discarded Candlemass demos that have been spun in a tombola. The opener ‘Moonhorse’ for example, is a pretty obvious latter-day Edling effort which suffers from a slightly jumbled stop-start arrangement. These problems show up elsewhere, too, such as on ‘Boneflower’, despite its Trouble-ish vibe and big chorus, and it’s strange that these were the tracks used to promote the album.Strange because there are stronger songs elsewhere. ‘Bird of Prey’ is a cohesive and hugely enjoyable doom romp, safely within the Edling framework but no less pleasing for that fact. Likewise, the title track ‘Avatarium’ – which deploys standard spooky organ backing and swirling vocals – grows into a hypnotising carousel of a song, while ‘Pandora’s Egg’ (with its hilariously moreish “egg of evil” chorus) is a tasty lump of hard-boiled metal. Closing track ‘Lady In The Lamp’ provides a glimpse of what the band’s future might hold, featuring patient acoustic strumming and gentle keyboard caressing before finally unleashing a last-minute blast of Rainbow-coloured epicness that leaves you gasping for more.Hopefully there will be lots more to come from Avatarium. Their debut album is strong and interesting, and it’s easy to imagine a hundred ways in which they develop and experiment further to concoct something even more magical. It sounds almost churlish to suggest, but perhaps Edling – now 50 – is rediscovering his youthful zest. Some of the lyrics on ‘Avatarium’ certainly hark back to childhood, and there are hints of older influences such as Blue Oyster Cult.There is something exciting about seeing someone who has created so much great doom metal still searching for new pathways through the gloom. Is this as good as ‘Ancient Dreams’? Of course not, but maybe it’s time for some New Dreams. - DoomMetalHeaven, http://doommetalheaven.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/album-review-avatarium/
So, Leif closed the book on Candlemass, what is he up to now ? If your assumption is “more Epic Doom Metal”, then you estimated correctly. And it doesn’t come as huge surprise since this man has the style of Doom into his blood. For this album, Edling paid a long-awaited visit to his first years as a professional musician. He drew inspiration from the very first albums he wrote while he was on Candlemass and decided to re-define the powerful, Unholy sounds of Damnation. He aimed on bringing back the powerful tales of epic poetry of the first four Candlemass records. However, you must bear in mind that Avatarium’s debut is NOT another album from the said group. And that is a good thing, because with that direction, the project was bound to failure from the very first day of its conception. For his venture into this tour de force, Leif teamed up with a bunch of very talented musicians. Apart from Edling on his acquainted role, we’ve got percussionist Lars Skold (Tiamat), keyboardist Carl Westhom, (Candlemass), guitarist Marcus Jidell (Evergrey) and vocalist extraordinaire Jennie-Ann Smith.
The album itself can be analyzed as a mixture of good ol’ Epic Doom Metal with Classic Rock influences and varied references, from the Psychedelic music of the late 60’s to Rainbow and to Blue Oyster Cult. An explosive compound which is scoped and developed under the aegis of the Doom Metal genre. And what would be Doom Metal without riffs ? Edling knows that all too well and as an expert in this field, he deliver some of his best ideas. The result of his collaboration with Jidell is magnificent. At first I felt worried by the fact that there is no second guitarist in the band, an omission that could lead to inefficient results. You can’t have Doom Metal with feeble guitar work. After listening to the first three songs, I ruled these worries out. Heavier than a tombstone, the guitar annihilates everything in its path. For example, the introductory riffs of Moonhorse and Avatarium spread utter devastation. The density that comes out of the guitar is crushingly impeccable. The riffs have the size of an elephant. The solos on the other side are melodic and painful. But truly, what won my attention in the first place, was the combination of these monstrous riffs with the softer, acoustic parts and interludes. The above-mentioned influences are diffused among the tracks, forming a wall of medieval sounds that encircle the album completely. For example, Moonhorse features a haunting slide solo that may remind you of Blackmore’s work in Rising. Lady In The Lamp is one of the best closing ballads I have heard in a while, yet another reference on Blackmore’s group, as it may retell you the story of the ballad Rainbow Eyes. After the first couple of listens, it becomes clear that the band was aiming for an approach where emotion comes before technicality.
Further on, the album has two sides. One side that is heavy, and another side that is softer. If Edling and Jidell are responsible for the heavy parts, Jennie-Ann Smith is responsible for the soft side by bringing expressiveness and further emotion. Where the album surprises is not in the excellent work of the instruments, but in the presence of an amazing vocalist. Smith is the revelation of Avatarium. With her impulsive performance, Smith navigates perfectly the crushing sounds and brings the necessary equilibrium. If you need a detailed description of her voice, you will need a lot of adjectives. Emotional, fragile, powerful, seductive, divine are only some of the words I could use to describe her. Listeners should avoid the chance of looking for similarities between Smith and other famous female metal singers, for they'll find none. Smith doesn't possess the trademark operatic vocals, for which many female-fronted metal bands are known for and that's for a good reason. Edling wasn't looking for that sort of thing. He wanted a vocalist with a bluesy tone and the choice of recruiting Smith was spot on. There were times when Smith reminded me of Janis Joplin. “Outrageous”, some of you may say. But honestly, to me, it is as Joplin was reborn inside Smith’s body. She is the key that holds Avatarium's independence and the main reason the band doesn't sound as a caricature of Candlemass. When it comes to singing, Jennie-Ann Smith is quite simply the biggest newcomer of this year.
Leif Edling proved once again why he is considered one of the biggest figures in the Doom Metal community. As a fine example of a good working man, Edling’s creative and troubled mind couldn’t sit tight during his post-Candlemass era. He was quickly looking for a new field. But never in a million years had I expected him to make such triumphant return. It requires some special skills in order to take all the old tricks -the melancholic atmosphere, the riffs, the moods, the melodies- and re-introduce them in such a way to create something that sounds so refreshing and outstanding. Edling has simply outdone himself. Taking sides with a fantastic crew, Edling had a good chance to step out of the boundaries of Candlemass and further develop his ideas towards new directions. A magnificent debut, quite possibly his best work since Nightfall. - John Marinakis, Sputnik, http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/59656/Avatarium-Avatarium/
It’s impossible to listen to anything new that emanates from the darkness of Leif Edling’s cranium without a lingering prayer that it is going to be as earth-shatteringly awesome as his 1980s masterpieces. In 1984, Edling’s formative band Nemesis released the landmark ‘Day of Retribution’ EP, and he spent the next decade or so perfecting his art through Candlemass’ Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Nightfall, etc. While Edling has never ventured a million miles from the doom metal framework that he was so instrumental in defining, during the intervening years the unassuming Swedish bass player has tried to push out the boat with varying degrees of success.
Alongside him in his latest venture’s line-up are guitarist Marcus Jidell (Evergrey), drummer Lars Skold (Tiamat), long-time collaborator Carl Westholm on keyboards and the relatively unheralded Jennie-Ann Smith behind the mic. We have to dispute the assertion that this is a kind of all-star doom supergroup. This is not some Scott Weinrich/Matt Pike/Bill Ward fantasy project; this is a real band and it’s trademark Edling through and through.
With Edling, Jidell and Skold delivering typically mid-weight doom with an easy confidence and precision, and Westholm lighting up the northern skies with his dazzling keyboard creativity, all eyes are on Smith to get the vocals right. She has a sweet, bluesy voice, but she sounds almost too fragile to express the emotional depth required of the genre. That said, it is a pleasure to listen to her sing, and there are times when she soars like Messiah Marcolin being fired out of (a very big) cannon.
Avatarium2
It is difficult to shake the sense that some of the tracks on Avatarium’s self-titled debut are simply discarded Candlemass demos that have been spun in a tombola. The opener ‘Moonhorse’ for example, is a pretty obvious latter-day Edling effort which suffers from a slightly jumbled stop-start arrangement. These problems show up elsewhere, too, such as on ‘Boneflower’, despite its Trouble-ish vibe and big chorus, and it’s strange that these were the tracks used to promote the album.
Strange because there are stronger songs elsewhere. ‘Bird of Prey’ is a cohesive and hugely enjoyable doom romp, safely within the Edling framework but no less pleasing for that fact. Likewise, the title track ‘Avatarium’ – which deploys standard spooky organ backing and swirling vocals – grows into a hypnotising carousel of a song, while ‘Pandora’s Egg’ (with its hilariously moreish “egg of evil” chorus) is a tasty lump of hard-boiled metal. Closing track ‘Lady In The Lamp’ provides a glimpse of what the band’s future might hold, featuring patient acoustic strumming and gentle keyboard caressing before finally unleashing a last-minute blast of Rainbow-coloured epicness that leaves you gasping for more.
Hopefully there will be lots more to come from Avatarium. Their debut album is strong and interesting, and it’s easy to imagine a hundred ways in which they develop and experiment further to concoct something even more magical. It sounds almost churlish to suggest, but perhaps Edling – now 50 – is rediscovering his youthful zest. Some of the lyrics on ‘Avatarium’ certainly hark back to childhood, and there are hints of older influences such as Blue Oyster Cult.
There is something exciting about seeing someone who has created so much great doom metal still searching for new pathways through the gloom. Is this as good as ‘Ancient Dreams’? Of course not, but maybe it’s time for some New Dreams. - DoomMetalHeaven, http://doommetalheaven.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/album-review-avatarium/
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:00 (ten years ago) link
excellent album by the main man in Candlemass (he writes all the Candlemass songs) surprised it's placed so high but well done ILM
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:01 (ten years ago) link
ok, beastmilk needs a uk release.
would buy.
― mark e, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:09 (ten years ago) link
i think i should have listened more to inquisition, i liked it but it felt like a touch less awesome than 'ominous doctrines'. yet now and then 'obscure verses' gets to a point where you're like, fuck yeah holy shit.
― j., Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:14 (ten years ago) link
god bless that fuckin robot toad
― j., Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:17 (ten years ago) link
beastmilk!!!
― lovely cuddly fluffy dope (imago), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:23 (ten years ago) link
i realise this is a bad bad thing to say, but i would never have classed beastmilk as metal.
(and yes, that review explains why it is .. but still .. )
― mark e, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:25 (ten years ago) link
12 Atlantean Kodex - The White Goddess, 615 Points, 15 Votes, One #1http://i.imgur.com/fzabyZt.jpghttp://www.deezer.com/album/6999365#23 Terrorizer, #18 PopMatters, #34 Pitchfork
http://listen.20buckspin.com/album/the-white-goddesshttp://youtu.be/3sq9oQivijg
I watched a drug deal unfold two feet away from me at a bus stop next to the del Norte Bay Area Rapid Transit station at 10:30am on a Friday morning. The act was recklessly flagrant – not even half-hidden behind the back – and it was openly observed by myself and three other strangers who had the unfortunate distinction of being in a public place at the wrong time. What really stuck with me, however, was the fact that it all went down while "Enthroned in Clouds and Fire (The Great Cleansing)" drifted into my ears through my headphones:"When money turns to iron and our misery burns redWhen two hundred gulden cannot buy a loaf of breadWhen the heavy-handed lord arrives and skins his folk aliveWhen laws are made that none obey – the Great Cleansing is near."Even if bedlam isn't happening directly outside your front door, all one need do is watch the national news for ten minutes in order to quickly become overwhelmed with frustrated feelings of "where the Hell have we all gone wrong?" At this point, I think I'd actually feel an odd sense of relief if some "great cleansing" were truly at hand. And a tune like "Enthroned in Clouds and Fire" that beautifully melds metal designs from Hammerheart era Bathory and Manowar's Into Glory Ride serves as an ideal accomplice to that end.Now from the close of the Hippolytian "Heresiarch (Thousandfaced Moon)":"Oh Thousandfaced Moon, oh doom of lost AtalantWading 'mid corpses - through cities of dustOh monarch of mayhem, oh mind-reaping messengerRise from the dirges and wailing of psalmsOh pestilent force, burst forth from the tombs of spaceTo rave and to rape and to rip and to rend."Another lengthy tune, this time heralding the arrival of "the unholy stalker among the lambs," and set to a blueprint of Spectre Within/Awaken the Guardian, but with a grimmer, doomier stance. Stretched, glassy, and crushingly majestic – it's a heretical conclusion that slowly consumes the listener over the course of its towering eleven minutes.This is the general Atlantean Kodex design: to deliver extended, epic heavy doom metal that's stubbornly (and willingly) rooted in the past – both lyrically and musically. And boosting the ante even higher, the band delivers their brand in a decidedly intelligent style. Sure, it's satisfying to rely on our genre when we're struck with the mood to cruelly or evilly clout heads, but a cursory glance at the way the lyrics for The White Goddess flow makes a strong case for this being heavy metal's equivalent to an epic Greek poem. Mithraism, the roots of Europe, and the "White Goddess of birth, love and death" are also spun into the yarn. In this regard, Atlantean Kodex stands as the sort of band that spurns the digital age because the complete package is only fully realized with lyric sheet (and artwork) in hand. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if The White Goddess inspired some to research unfamiliar grounds further, and that's a rare beauty in music today.Infectious choruses, heavy galloping, and sweeping leads (the midpoint of "Sol Invictus" and the 3-minute mark of "Twelve Stars and an Azure Gown": pant-soilingly epic) – The White Goddess is a masterful look at how to innovatively advance antediluvian metal principles into a modern work of epic grandeur. If we must begrudgingly take a front-row seat to the decaying "progression" of civilization, why not watch the curtain fall while listening to something that makes you feel as if you're soaring above the collapse. A clear contender for album of the year. - Michael Wuensch, Last Rites, http://lastrit.es/reviews/7102/atlantean-kodex-the-white-goddess-(a-grammar-of-poetic-myth)#sthash.xSDnFz8V.dpufThe White Goddess by Atlantean Kodex is one of those albums that comes around every so often which, thanks to label affiliation, press buzz or a combination of the two, reaches a wide audience of people who ordinarily wouldn’t listen to anything like it. Atlantean Kodex play German power metal, full stop. They’re also likely to find their way onto the year-end lists of plenty of people who can’t name two albums by Blind Guardian or Gamma Ray. (Likewise, the record will probably be ignored by many of the hordes of people who purchase Nightwish CDs.)This broad reach isn’t Atlantean Kodex’s fault; nor is it the fault of 20 Buck Spin, their Stateside label. (Ván Records is handling the release in Europe.) In truth, it’s not even a problem. But the Internet has bred an increasingly contentious relationship between old-school heshers (who would have sought this album out and eaten it up regardless of its presence on the cool blogs) and younger fans with more extreme tastes. That relationship turns albums that should unite metalheads into battlefields, which, true to the hyperbole tossed around in such discussions, must make The White Goddess Gettysburg. In reality, Atlantean Kodex have just made an interesting record that is worth listening to, but also one that isn’t quite as good as its most ardent defenders would have you believe.The first thing that leaps out about The White Goddess is the length of its songs. Interludes aside, its tracks weigh in at 10:55, 11:10, 7:44, 9:55 and 11:22, without much inflation from orchestral intros or ambient noodling. These are just long fucking songs — not because they comprise lots of parts, but because Markus Becker has a lot to sing about and Michael Koch and Manuel Trummer want to play a lot of guitar solos. That isn’t to say there’s fat which the band should’ve trimmed, as their songwriting instincts are impeccable. For those who don’t listen to a lot of music with high, clean male vocals, though, Becker’s incredibly earnest delivery of his fantasy-novel lyrics can grate when heard for over an hour.Luckily, Becker’s earnestness is consistent with the entire Atlantean Kodex experience. The White Goddess doesn’t scan as cheese because it refuses to consider itself with anything less than total seriousness. This approach is most impressive on “Twelve Stars and an Azure Gown (An Anthem For Europe),” which recounts military exploits from Aeneas to Winston Churchill, all watched over by an unnamed war goddess on a white bull. Without the band fully buying in, the center wouldn’t hold, but thanks to the insistent tempo, Koch and Trummer’s elegantly constructed guitar parts, and Becker’s unique voice, the result is a mighty, melodic fusion of While Heaven Wept and Savatage. Other songs suffer from a lack of true hooks, a fatal shortcoming when every song lives and dies by its vocalist. (I couldn’t tell you what “Enthroned in Clouds and Fire (The Great Cleansing)” sounds like after a half dozen listens.) Still, the majority of the album works, and it’s at any rate a huge step up from the band’s fairly nondescript debut, The Golden Bough.The length of the songs, the grandeur of the lyrics, and the triumphal tone of the guitars have resulted in a lot of listeners trying to sneak around the whole power metal thing by calling The White Goddess “epic heavy metal.” I suppose that’s apt, even if the last thing we need is one more officially agreed upon metal subgenre. I still can’t help but read the use of that euphemism as shame. Power metal is as uncool a genre as there is, so there’s an instinct to hide from it when it does something awesome. Maybe simply calling Atlantean Kodex what they are — an excellent German power metal band — will start to turn the tides, and we won’t have to act so shocked the next time an album like this comes along. - Invisible Oranges, http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2013/10/atlantean-kodex-the-white-goddess/
"When money turns to iron and our misery burns redWhen two hundred gulden cannot buy a loaf of breadWhen the heavy-handed lord arrives and skins his folk aliveWhen laws are made that none obey – the Great Cleansing is near."
Even if bedlam isn't happening directly outside your front door, all one need do is watch the national news for ten minutes in order to quickly become overwhelmed with frustrated feelings of "where the Hell have we all gone wrong?" At this point, I think I'd actually feel an odd sense of relief if some "great cleansing" were truly at hand. And a tune like "Enthroned in Clouds and Fire" that beautifully melds metal designs from Hammerheart era Bathory and Manowar's Into Glory Ride serves as an ideal accomplice to that end.
Now from the close of the Hippolytian "Heresiarch (Thousandfaced Moon)":
"Oh Thousandfaced Moon, oh doom of lost AtalantWading 'mid corpses - through cities of dustOh monarch of mayhem, oh mind-reaping messengerRise from the dirges and wailing of psalmsOh pestilent force, burst forth from the tombs of spaceTo rave and to rape and to rip and to rend."
Another lengthy tune, this time heralding the arrival of "the unholy stalker among the lambs," and set to a blueprint of Spectre Within/Awaken the Guardian, but with a grimmer, doomier stance. Stretched, glassy, and crushingly majestic – it's a heretical conclusion that slowly consumes the listener over the course of its towering eleven minutes.
This is the general Atlantean Kodex design: to deliver extended, epic heavy doom metal that's stubbornly (and willingly) rooted in the past – both lyrically and musically. And boosting the ante even higher, the band delivers their brand in a decidedly intelligent style. Sure, it's satisfying to rely on our genre when we're struck with the mood to cruelly or evilly clout heads, but a cursory glance at the way the lyrics for The White Goddess flow makes a strong case for this being heavy metal's equivalent to an epic Greek poem. Mithraism, the roots of Europe, and the "White Goddess of birth, love and death" are also spun into the yarn. In this regard, Atlantean Kodex stands as the sort of band that spurns the digital age because the complete package is only fully realized with lyric sheet (and artwork) in hand. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if The White Goddess inspired some to research unfamiliar grounds further, and that's a rare beauty in music today.
Infectious choruses, heavy galloping, and sweeping leads (the midpoint of "Sol Invictus" and the 3-minute mark of "Twelve Stars and an Azure Gown": pant-soilingly epic) – The White Goddess is a masterful look at how to innovatively advance antediluvian metal principles into a modern work of epic grandeur. If we must begrudgingly take a front-row seat to the decaying "progression" of civilization, why not watch the curtain fall while listening to something that makes you feel as if you're soaring above the collapse. A clear contender for album of the year. - Michael Wuensch, Last Rites, http://lastrit.es/reviews/7102/atlantean-kodex-the-white-goddess-(a-grammar-of-poetic-myth)#sthash.xSDnFz8V.dpuf
The White Goddess by Atlantean Kodex is one of those albums that comes around every so often which, thanks to label affiliation, press buzz or a combination of the two, reaches a wide audience of people who ordinarily wouldn’t listen to anything like it. Atlantean Kodex play German power metal, full stop. They’re also likely to find their way onto the year-end lists of plenty of people who can’t name two albums by Blind Guardian or Gamma Ray. (Likewise, the record will probably be ignored by many of the hordes of people who purchase Nightwish CDs.)
This broad reach isn’t Atlantean Kodex’s fault; nor is it the fault of 20 Buck Spin, their Stateside label. (Ván Records is handling the release in Europe.) In truth, it’s not even a problem. But the Internet has bred an increasingly contentious relationship between old-school heshers (who would have sought this album out and eaten it up regardless of its presence on the cool blogs) and younger fans with more extreme tastes. That relationship turns albums that should unite metalheads into battlefields, which, true to the hyperbole tossed around in such discussions, must make The White Goddess Gettysburg. In reality, Atlantean Kodex have just made an interesting record that is worth listening to, but also one that isn’t quite as good as its most ardent defenders would have you believe.
The first thing that leaps out about The White Goddess is the length of its songs. Interludes aside, its tracks weigh in at 10:55, 11:10, 7:44, 9:55 and 11:22, without much inflation from orchestral intros or ambient noodling. These are just long fucking songs — not because they comprise lots of parts, but because Markus Becker has a lot to sing about and Michael Koch and Manuel Trummer want to play a lot of guitar solos. That isn’t to say there’s fat which the band should’ve trimmed, as their songwriting instincts are impeccable. For those who don’t listen to a lot of music with high, clean male vocals, though, Becker’s incredibly earnest delivery of his fantasy-novel lyrics can grate when heard for over an hour.
Luckily, Becker’s earnestness is consistent with the entire Atlantean Kodex experience. The White Goddess doesn’t scan as cheese because it refuses to consider itself with anything less than total seriousness. This approach is most impressive on “Twelve Stars and an Azure Gown (An Anthem For Europe),” which recounts military exploits from Aeneas to Winston Churchill, all watched over by an unnamed war goddess on a white bull. Without the band fully buying in, the center wouldn’t hold, but thanks to the insistent tempo, Koch and Trummer’s elegantly constructed guitar parts, and Becker’s unique voice, the result is a mighty, melodic fusion of While Heaven Wept and Savatage. Other songs suffer from a lack of true hooks, a fatal shortcoming when every song lives and dies by its vocalist. (I couldn’t tell you what “Enthroned in Clouds and Fire (The Great Cleansing)” sounds like after a half dozen listens.) Still, the majority of the album works, and it’s at any rate a huge step up from the band’s fairly nondescript debut, The Golden Bough.
The length of the songs, the grandeur of the lyrics, and the triumphal tone of the guitars have resulted in a lot of listeners trying to sneak around the whole power metal thing by calling The White Goddess “epic heavy metal.” I suppose that’s apt, even if the last thing we need is one more officially agreed upon metal subgenre. I still can’t help but read the use of that euphemism as shame. Power metal is as uncool a genre as there is, so there’s an instinct to hide from it when it does something awesome. Maybe simply calling Atlantean Kodex what they are — an excellent German power metal band — will start to turn the tides, and we won’t have to act so shocked the next time an album like this comes along. - Invisible Oranges, http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2013/10/atlantean-kodex-the-white-goddess/
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:36 (ten years ago) link
Another terrific album.
Beastmilk album basically (whisper it) like that Horrors album (but, overall, better)
ahahaha
― lovely cuddly fluffy dope (imago), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:41 (ten years ago) link
which horrors album ?
i have the garage/cramps one, and the simple minds one ..
...
― mark e, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:42 (ten years ago) link
feel like Beastmilk's metal classification was sort of conceptually assisted by the trend of bands hybridizing metal with gothier post punk vibes
― a chance to cross is a chance to score (anonanon), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:44 (ten years ago) link
the second one xp
― lovely cuddly fluffy dope (imago), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:44 (ten years ago) link
xp
and being metal musicians releasing an album on a metal label. It was metal dudes go goth/post-punk while Vaura was more Post-punk/goths go metal. (imago/djp did you check out that Vaura album that placed earlier?)
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:48 (ten years ago) link
I don't consider Beastmilk metal, but I also voted for it in the Pazz & Jop. Great, great record.
― glenn mcdonald, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:49 (ten years ago) link
Beastmilk also helped by having some metal musicians in their ranks.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:51 (ten years ago) link
I wouldn't consider Beastmilk metal either. Metal lists tend to be a little more inclusive than others, it seems, especially when things like Ulver and Earth end up on them. Works for me, there's a similar "heaviness" to that music, even if it's not metal.
Why metal-archives doesn't allow Dillinger Escape Plan is a mystery, however. But I digress.
― Devilock, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:51 (ten years ago) link
I think it was Adrien who tipped me off about Beastmilk. Definitely an album that would appeal to non-metallers.
Glenn what did you think of Vaura?
― pfunkboy (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:52 (ten years ago) link
imago : ahh .. thats one i dont have. been on my list ever since. will get it at some point.
― mark e, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:52 (ten years ago) link
xp AG and EZ yeah that kind of tribal classification seems to be all that really matters
fortunately it also feels heavier than basically any post punk revival stuff of the last decade
― a chance to cross is a chance to score (anonanon), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:53 (ten years ago) link
beastmilk muuuuuch better than vaura imo
― lovely cuddly fluffy dope (imago), Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:54 (ten years ago) link
"Metal lists tend to be a little more inclusive than others, it seems, "
this is clearly the case.
given that i am anything but a metalhead, its weird for me to be enjoying stuff on the metal lists more than anything on any other lists.
3 of my fave 2013 albums were by 'metal' bands : uncle acid, qotsa, ghost.
have to say i am loving learning more.
― mark e, Thursday, 16 January 2014 19:55 (ten years ago) link