Requiem

9 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I agree with this. Great tone, great delivery, great sense of how to put a vocal hook together. Yeah, he's got some cheesy mannerisms, but at least he sounds like himself.

I disagree with this, and disagree with Balers and agree with Benjamin (think I got all that right). 

Hetfield's vocals have never been a highlight for me, and I find that kind of mid range bark a bit annoying. This is another reason why I prefer Megadeth: Mustaine's voice. That whiney singing thing that he does across some great choruses just sounds fantastic to me. They give the Megadeth songs an anthemic quality that really appeals to me. 

Ironically, I really love Nick Holmes' (Paradise Lost) vocals on albums like 'Icon' and 'Draconian Times' where he sort of sounds like Hetfield a bit. Great vocals on those albums, so I guess context counts for a lot. 

On 12/15/2019 at 3:01 AM, FatherAlabaster said:

At least most people these days will smile and nod and let their eyes glaze over while you talk, instead of treating you like a naked circus clown covered in sewage. Society has come a long way.

You're right about this. He didn't try to move away and get me fired, we actually kept talking about it. Then the Other Guy Who Knows Me said that he really loves "hip hop played with rock instruments". 

I moved away and tried to get him fired...

On 12/13/2019 at 3:33 AM, Benjaminc81 said:

4. Kampfar - Ofidians Manifest

Kampfar came back in a big way with their latest album. They have been on steady rise ever since Mare and with this album they hit their peak once again. Like on previous releases Dolk manages to infuse the black metal sound with just enough folk elements to give it a unique and grand sound unlike any other black metal band i know. I think i prefer Profan slightly over this release, but still this a very valiant effort by Kampfar after quite a long period of uncertainty and they have proven their worth once again. Black metal wouldn't be the same without this band.

 

This is a really good album, especially the final three tracks, 'Eremitt', 'Skamlos!' and 'Det Sorte' (which has a great atmospheric keyboard outro). These three songs just make the album for me. So mature yet also so genuinely headbangable. Glad to see it so high on your list! 

On 11/24/2019 at 1:57 AM, Grievous said:

AEW...

Enough said.

I think more needs to be said because I have no clue what you’re saying...

Forgotten Tomb - ‘Hurt Yourself and the Ones you Love’

Dark groovy and death ridden. 

9 hours ago, Balor said:

They also did an ep (I think) this year, but it was not as good as the two I listed.

Honestly, this year, I tried to listen to so many things (both old and new) that I never spent any real time with the biggest metal releases. The new Blut Aus Nord has been on my list of stuff to listen to for a while, and I still have not listened to anything beyond the promo track for the new Mayhem album.

Luckily, I have some free time coming up, so I should be able to fix this problem.

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 

Get on to that Mayhem album. It’s going to make your day. 

I feel like I need to hear the new BAN album as I haven’t heard anything from them since ‘The Work Which Transforms God’ which I found a little too clever and not much fun. Actually it’s been years since I’ve played that disk so I should give it another spin and see how I feel. 

10 hours ago, Natassja said:

Hope all is good with everyone here, missed the place

Alcohol in my veins, tears fall as I think of you...

Turns our I never got to meet Marty Friedman after all as this nerdy bouncer kept kicking me out of band room, and I wasn’t even trying to sneak in. It was just ridiculous and farcical in the end. I kept ending up in there and he kept kicking me out. It was like a sitcom. 

Also I was at a work function the other day and I’m sitting next to this guy and we’re talking about music. 

Me: I’m really into metal.

Guy: Oh do you like AC/DC?

Me: Nah... 

Other Guy Who Knows Me: More extreme than that.

Guy: Like what bands?

Me: Um Paradise Lost, Katatonia, My Dying Bride, Black Metal, stuff like that. 

Guy: *Smiling and nodding awkwardly with no idea what I’m on about.*

Me (not wanting to be rude): But I do like some hard rock stuff for sure. 

I then explained Septicflesh to him.

Talking to civilians about metal is an uphill battle. 

Eluveitie - ‘Ategnatos’

Artful. Emotional. Historic.

Borknagar - ‘True North’

What a time to be alive. 

So I get to the metal pub, see a sign out the front for Marty Friedman, and I realise it’s tonight he’s playing here. 

Anyway I buy a pint in the front bar and walk through into the band room which is always open until the show starts. I don’t have a ticket, I’m just there for a beer. 

I walk out into the beer garden and think damn there are a lot of people out here.... in a line...

and there’s Marty Friedman signing stuff. No security or anything, I’ve just walked straight out there. 

I yell “yeah Marty” and come back inside in respect for the paying guests. I’d say maybe 20 people lined up. 

I’m waiting for him to come back in so I can tell him I love his work hahaha. 

Marty Friedman in my fucking beer garden! 

Hail ‘Rust in Peace’, ‘Countdown to Extinction’, and ‘Youthanasia’!!!

I really hope Reek of the Unzen Gas Fumes had a few more albums out this year so that you can finish your list Balers.

@Balor

Marduk - ‘Viktoria’

666 hail. 

Pints of Tasmanian lager. 

Work Christmas party but I’ve left to hit Irish pubs and listen to Mgla on the headphones. 

Cradle of Filth - 'Eleven Burial Masses' 

This is becoming one of my favourite live albums. It's so listenable. The music is close to perfect, and Dani' sounds great, especially his highs. Just amazing vocalist who never gets the credit he deserves in metal circles. 

The greatest gothic metal band of all time. No question. 

Mayhem - 'Daemon'

Enthroning darkness triumphant. 

4 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

Waking up to sunlight streaming through my window and the sound of Kookaburras calling just reminded me how fortunate I am to live in Australia. I live in a country where I'll never go hungry, always have clean water to drink, and can walk the streets without fear of violence breaking out. Too many around the world aren't so lucky.

Amen. 

As for Christmas decorations, ours went up last weekend, both inside and out.

At the front of Castle R I've put some lights in a large-ish tree near the fenceline, as well as some in a (bring me a) shrubbery further back. We also have four large candy canes in the garden strip near the driveway and a reindeer grazing closer to the castle.

It's not excessive but it looks cool at night. 

On 12/8/2019 at 2:17 PM, True Belief said:

Harakiri for the Sky - Arson
 

Of course you are. 

NP: Vlad Tepes - 'War Funeral March' 

Hail Les Legions Noire. 

Marduk - ‘Frontschwein’

The 503’s gonna roll your asses. Bow down. 

Finally left the dinner at 11pm!! They were still going strong with old cheese and fresh jokes. 

Downing a quick JD and coke before home and the coffin. Maybe two JDs....

The weekend has hit like the plague in Eyam, and in 90 minutes I'm off to a sophisticated dinner party gathering. It's usually really good at this couple's dinner parties, but they're not metal.

With any luck it will wrap up in a few hours and I can hit the pub. 

I'll fucking keep everyone updated. 

Cradle of Filth - 'Eleven Burial Masses'

2 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

SOMEBODY'S KNEECAPS GONNA GET BROKE OVER THIS

Different FA. There’s a lot of good things written about you. 

Quite a big year for metal, although every year is these days when I have so many mandatory-listening bands.

Rotting Christ – ‘The Heretics’, Amon Amarth – ‘Berzerker’ and Darkthrone – ‘Old Star’ significantly underwhelmed.

Other releases like Swallow the Sun – ‘When a Shadow is Forced Into the Light’, Turilli/Leone Rhapsody – ‘Zero Gravity’ and even Children of Bodom – ‘Hexed’ were unlucky to miss a spot in my Top 10, but the former was too bland and the latter two were too light on without staying power. 

Jury’s still out on Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra – ‘Legacy of the Dark Land’, the all symphonic fantasy novel epic that’s just come out, but as much as I really like it, I know it’s not going to make my Top 10.

Requiem’s Top 10 Albums of 2019

10. Sabaton – ‘The Great War’

I wasn’t sure about this one. It felt wrong to include this. It’s cartoon metal, it’s corny, it’s history for dumb-asses, but it’s oh so much fun. Fist pumping, rousing, emotional and catchy, this is brilliant. Not sure of its longevity though as it’s real fast-food metal, but damn a cheeseburger can be great sometimes. Put this on after a shite day at work in the car on the way home and your problems are solved. That means a lot. Avoid the ‘History Edition’ with someone’s granny trying to sound tough with lame narration. Terrible. Also a pretty dodgy album cover too but it's alright for a cartoon.

9. Kampfar – ‘Ofidians Manifest’

After taking a cold shower at the conclusion of the Sabaton assessment, I can now get into this absolute gem. Emotional black metal with real authenticity and meaning, it’s full of great moments and genuine songwriting passion (Rotting Christ take note). 8 parts black, 2 parts folk, the inclusion of (nekro) piano here and there gives it flavour and nuance. Fantastic album cover of the Rubens ‘Medusa’ classic painting.

8. The 69 Eyes – ‘West End’

The 69’ers know exactly who they are and what they do, and I love what it is they do. This is probably their best album of gothic rock since 2004’s ‘Devils’ album. Modern vampire anthems from the Sunset Strip like ’27 and Done’ and ‘Outsiders’ have me wearing sunglasses at night. Producer and keyboardist Johnny Lee Michaels gives them that mature sensibility that just works so well for the Helsinki Vampires. Cool album cover; the black balloons are actually a full-on sculpture. Very nice.

7. Mgla – ‘Age of Excuse’

This took a long time to grow on me to the extent that I went from liking it to loving it. I was, and still am, entirely enraptured with ‘Exercises in Futility’, and this definitely doesn’t stack up to that masterpiece, but it has the same aura, structure and production, basically, just without some of the huge hooks of that former album. Is it my imagination or are the lyrics a little more opaque, too? Still an amazing album that continues to develop for me. Artwork gets some stick around here, but I think it’s cool.

6. Vltimas – ‘Something Wicked Marches In’

This was a big surprise for me – not just the music, but the idea of it. The recipe was nearly perfect: Dave Vincent, the mighty Blasphemer and Flo: what could go wrong? Blasphemer’s songwriting is close enough to his era in Mayhem to get me powerfully aroused, Vincent sounds huge, and the songs just work as units of music. I’m punching air fists everywhere. ‘Last Ones Alive Win Nothing’ could be my song of the year. God, it's so damn sinister. Excellent album art that suits the band and the sound, even if it is done by that flavour of the month guy with the impossible to spell name.

5. Borknagar – ‘True North’

With Vintersorg stepping aside, I knew this would still be an amazing album, with Vortex and Lars doing all the vocals themselves. This could well be my favourite Borknagar album ever. The production is absolutely perfect, the songs are achingly beautiful, the vocals are stellar and there’s a sense of meaning and philosophy behind the whole project that provides Truth. Possibly the album cover of the year.

4. Saor – ‘Forgotten Paths’

Andy Marshall’s Scottish black/folk metal project is metal’s greatest hidden secret. While this is strangely a full 20 minutes shorter in length than previous album ‘Guardians’, which is one of my all-time favourite albums, this still contains those Celtic melodies that pull at the heart strings and the DNA strands. Even with the shorter running time it’s a touch repetitive, even for me, but as a package the whole thing is stunningly beautiful. What an achievement. Cool illustrated album cover.

3. Fleshgod Apocalypse – ‘Veleno’

This is the first of the three albums that in any given year could take out the number one spot. You hear a lot of bollocks about FA online, but the fact is, the genius behind this band and their death metal/symphony orchestra staggers me every time. ‘Veleno’ is slightly more straightforward and listenable to my ears, and the concept of ‘poison’ that runs through each song is genius. I’ve used that word twice now and I stand behind it. This album moves me on a profound level. Interesting and very strange album artwork. I think I like it.

2. Mayhem – ‘Daemon’

Yes, well, here we are. It’s no secret that Mayhem are my favourite all time band, and it’s no secret that I really didn’t like ‘Esoteric Borefare’. I hung internet shit on Teloch as well. I owe him and the band an apology, because this album is unbelievable. For me to love this album this much after being very sceptical of the line-up and the whole deal says a lot. The thing about ‘Daemon’ is that it’s REAL. It’s not over-mastered, it’s not over-produced, it’s not a cut-price job. It’s authentic, varied, deep, darkly catchy and with no corners cut. Hats fucking off. Cool album cover and fantastic media book art package.

1. Eluveitie – ‘Ategnatos’

Speaking of albums done right. This is by far the greatest Eluveitie album. It’s long as hell but never boring: it has some of the greatest folk melodies on traditional instruments I’ve ever heard; some of the catchiest commercial metal anthems ever; and songs that out Behemoth Behemoth in their dark ferocity (check out 'Worship' - Nergal must be crying to his mamma). I was worried about the replacement female vocalist, Fabienne, because I simply loved Anna’s voice, but dammit if Fabienne isn’t better! Where the hell does Chrigel find these people? Best folk metal album of all time and best album of the year. Beautiful album art of that waterfall from the ‘Ategnatos’ video and majestic booklet in my mediabook edition.

Finally bought 'Eleven Burial Masses', the Peaceville re-release of 'Live Bait for the Dead' from their 2001 Nottingham Rock City show. 

Great live album. 75 minutes of classic era Cradle with a crystal production, guitars up front, Dani sounding great, faultless song choice. 

Great line-up too (it's the 'Midian' line-up): Dani, Allender, Gian Pyres, Robin Graves, Martin Powell, Erlandsson. 

The booklet contains a cool essay from journalist Dom Lawson, and a few small and admittedly unexciting live photos. 

Get around it if you want the songs with a slightly wild abandon in the live setting. 

With the symphonic album, 'Legacy of the Dark Lands' finally released, it would be interesting to hear some opinions on it. 

Even though it's early days, I'm a bit ambiguous about it. I don't have it on CD yet as the pre-order has been delayed, but I've been listening on Apple Music so I've got a decent sense of it. 

Firstly, the music and production are phenomenal. The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra has done a great job as usual - they even have their own Metal Archives page that outlines their metal career, which is stunning. Anyway, the music is brilliant. 

Hansi's singing is classic Hansi. He does all the usual voices, overdubs and basically provides his best Queen-does-metal thing. So far so good. 

Now for the spoken interludes. Like 'Nightfall in Middle Earth', the album is based around a fantasy book, but it's not Tolkien, and there are interludes all over this thing. There are a lot of interludes, each more over the top and bombastic than the last, with English actors portraying fantasy characters discussing indecipherable twaddle that I - a highly intelligent man - can't make heads nor tails of.

I'm anticipating it making a bit more sense when I get my hands on the booklet, although considering the narrative within 'Beyond the Red Mirror' is still absurdly opaque, I'm not holding out a great deal of hope. I can't remember which novel the project is based around but I'll try to check it out. 

So far this is a fun release with some great material on it, if a bit bewildering. Time will tell how it all settles down. 

Anyone heard this yet and want to comment?