JonoBlade

"The Thrashering" would make a much better band name than the lame Kings of Thrash. Or Kerry King for that matter.

Ok. Ok. Bought sight unseen/ sound unheard off bandcamp because I'm going to have to download it for the plane. I have The Seer and like a lot of it. But as @Thatguy says... They go on a bit. Sometimes I wonder if this stuff is really for people that smoke a pipe and wear a cravat, but I like to be involved and not miss out on a cool soundscape. I had that Neurosis + Jarboe in my wishlist but never made it to a purchase, which is weird because I'd typically get anything with the neurosis name on it. Although, apparently not Scott Kelly anymore.

That is some write up and endorsement. I am soon to be taking a 17 hour flight to Perth and it sounds like this will get me most of the way there.

I remember now... I got the first two Wode albums and like them well enough, but the 2021 one is (still) £666 on bandcamp to download, so fuck those guys.

Oof. You're gonna hate me (as if, you are incapable of hate in your heart), that Crowbar played at the same local pub where I saw Verminthrone last Monday and I didn't go! I was keen to see the local opening band Abraxian but, since I don't know Crowbar at all, the ticket price was just a little too much to be worth it. Kind of regret it, but I'll get over it.

On Saturday my flatmates were watching rugby. I set up a new audio interface and switched to Windows 11 to solve some problems it was having. Finally started working. I then went to a gig in the evening, but not quite worth reporting. A local band Verminthrone, (The Cull | Verminthrone (bandcamp.com)) which sounds like it would be black metal, but closer to Pantera. Meat and potatoes. Decent. The opening band was Electric Wizard worship (Industrial Nightmare | Voidlurker (bandcamp.com)) but just a little too simple for me. The guitarist lost his pick before the last song and played with a credit card. You couldn't tell the difference. My favourite part was the knob twiddling guitar effects feedback over drum and bass that they finished with. That was pretty cool. Sunday was fairly uneventful. Played mini-golf. Point being, I found occasion to write something on this here forums. Oh, big name drop, on Friday night I had quite a long chat with Karl Sanders from Nile. It was like we'd been buddies forever. Nice bloke.

Time Ghoul riding My Little Pony

I don't really do compilations. I'll just have to choose a roughly favourite from each album. Winter Dreamer Deceiver/Deceiver Dissident Aggressor Heroes End Hell Bent for Leather Steeler Desert Plains Fever (yeah, I know) The Sentinel Out in the Cold Blood Red Skies Night Crawler Cathedral Spires Feed on Me (scraping the barrel, but I always thought this was pretty catchy) Loch Ness (the most ridiculous song in a career of absurdity, but musically cool) Nostradamus ....I don't have any favourites after that because they all blend into one amorphous mass of generic, if perfectly serviceable, filler. Nostradamus and Future of Mankind would have been a pretty reasonable way to go out.

Oof. I actively dislike those songs. Always seemed like they were trying too hard to write hits in those moments and definite album low points for me (which on Point of Entry is saying something). The writing team in Priest were too influenced by external trends and a dream of being popular (which is hard when you are as ugly s they are), whereas you can just tell that someone like Iommi wasn't interested in what others were playing. He's still in business, so would rather be popular and successful than not, but stayed truer to original mission statement. I take issue with @markm piling on Ram it Down though. That came out just as I got into Priest and, as such, was amazing/life changing. And it was obviously better than Turbo, even for someone who'd been into Bon Jovi the year before. Turbo was Priest trying to write Bon Jovi songs and failing so bad, mainly because no one (and certainly not a Halford and a KK) can be as dreamy as Jon and Richie.

In this respect I'm definitely an assman. Gotta save the best 'til last.

Np: Ahab - The Coral Tombs I was talking to someone the other day about The Cart & Horses (because they lived round the corner) where Maiden played it's first gig. Although for years I thought it was The Ruskin Arms. I even played there years ago. Anyhow, reading today about the literal birthplace of metal, where Sabbath first played. Turns out it is closed down but is still standing. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/mar/15/the-crown-pub-birmingham-grade-ii-listed-black-sabbath-heavy-metal

@markm had me about to pick it up, but I guess I'll wait a little longer. It will appear to lose steam because it's too long. Or at the very least if it is soon over you won't feel you had to endure too much filler. I was looking at logistics of driving to see them on Tuesday because the current set list does look pretty cool. But I doubt I will be able to drum up the enthusiasm. That's a fair point. Although don't priests have to confess to someone further up the hierarchy? Only the pope would be unable to confess but presumably it is a perk of office to be autoabsolved. You're wise not to go licking Cath without consent.

How would a slaughtered priest confess his sins? It's a little late for that.

I think I'm gonna need to dig out both from the garage and have a listen, because it has been a few years. Superunknown is probably the definitive Soundgarden masterpiece, but I still enjoyed the hell out of Badmotorfinger at the time. I guess it was the wailing Jesus Christ Pose which played (overplayed) endlessly on a student TV station I had a show on - which I love but old goats will hate. Edit: nope, I'm full of shit. Turns out I had both CDs in a pile behind me. I must have got these out a year or so ago...probably on a prompt from the last time Soundgarden came up.

They seem to be reforming and continuing which is great to see.

Went to Cattle Decapitation on Friday night. The highlight was probably not the gig but meeting up with a mate and going to the pub afterwards until 1am, which is pretty much unheard of for me these days. Luckily I didn't have to get home afterwards, but nearly missed the last northbound tube to where I was staying. Anyway...to the show: I missed the first band but saw the whole set from 200 Stab Wounds. Slave to the Scalpel | 200 Stab Wounds (bandcamp.com) Enjoyable, if unremarkable, fairly old school death metal. As is the curse of opening acts, the guitar tone was pretty muddy so I just concentrated on watching the drummer. By the end of the set the balance was pretty good. I will give this a few listens and probably pick up on a BC Friday. The next band was Signs of the Swarm. Absolvere | Signs of the Swarm | Unique Leader Records (bandcamp.com) Oh dear. I believe this is what the kids call "deathcore." The above link doesn't quite capture what I took away from watching this band live. Every song was a prolonged breakdown. Each breakdown a raging torrent of breakdowns, flooded with rivulets of breakdowns, cascading into a waterfall of more breakdowns. The typewriter drum sound and one trick vocal delivery, interjected with "circle pit" was so distracting I couldn't derive much enjoyment from this. Others around me seemed to "get it" but I was minded of the discussion of Slipknot on that other thread. This is metal made by AI for people that think lots of tattoos and flesh tunnels equate to talent. Tasteless. Earlier in the day I had been genuinely worrying that I was just liking too much stuff I was listening to lately. I have been enjoying the shit out of the likes of post black Underdark and surf rock King Gizzard wondering if I was losing perspective. But this band renewed my faith in misanthropy. The main event, Cattle Decapitation, is a band I hadn't even heard before a few months ago. I had always assumed they were some joke grind band, but the AOTY accolades for Terrasite were too frequent to ignore. I am a convert, and had picked up a few other albums to cram for this gig. Luckily for me, I seem to have picked the albums they decided to pull pretty much the whole set from. There was only one, perhaps two, tracks I did not recognise. I have the same gripe about the drum sound as Signs of Breakdowns mentioned above. Triggered to the point of distraction and outright offense, so that it removes any soul from the kit; I just can't fathom why any band would want this sound. 200 Stab Wounds' drum sound was so much better. Apart from that, CatDecap were great. Vocal delivery was about what I knew it would be - flawed but so difficult to pull off live I was not expecting perfection. Still Travis Ryan is a great front man that did not once feel the need to request a circle pit or wall of death or make any other cliched idiot frontman comment. All class. Lead guitar work is excellent with tasteful solos. Great bass tone. Rhythm guitarist had great hair and tight jeans. From photos, it is obvious that unless I can fly, pics were taken from a balcony which was almost too steep of an angle, but a good vantage point. I stood in the same spot for 3 hours so as not to lose my place. Finished at 11pm which vindicated my decision to stay in London rather than try to get home on a slow train and risk waking up in Crewe or Glasgow. But, as mentioned, highlight of night was probably talking metal with buddy I don't see that often. He'd bought an autographed Terrasite LP, the bastard.

I agree with what @Nasty_Cabbagesaid about image over substance. But there's also a bizarre psychology to many metalheads about popularity delegitimizing a band. I remember hearing the debut and thinking "the drumming is quite good and a little different, vocals are a bit annoying... but maybe I could like it" then realising that it seemed to be popular among more fairweather metal fans that want to be seen to look the part but are not interested in discovering new music. You could find a ton of Slayer or Metallica fans like that I suppose, but those bands had more of a genuine impact when they hit the scene.

It's not new. In fact over 10 years old. But, it's true their bandcamp page is pretty cramped with releases.

You're a crazy bastard JT. I don't know why anyone would listen to these beyond a few weeks after the release cycle, but I salute you. I am going nuts this week and combing through my bc wishlist...even buying stuff NOT on bandcamp Friday. What am I like? New Managed Decline by Underdark I think it's the logo that I liked and prompted me to listen again. And, hell's teeth, I am really enjoying this. It reminds me a bit of Deafheaven in parts because there is some indie type vibe to bits of it. New Float Along - Fill Your Lungs by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Not metal like the PetroDragonic Apocalypse one, but still cool.

Hilariously I had to investigate what I actually have. I think they are these: In-Ear Monitors : Evolve Classic In-Ear Monitor (acscustom.com) I would have done research at the time to find customs made in UK*, but the units themselves and case have no identifying model number on them (just ACS on the case). I got them July last year. They were a bit uncomfortable at first but now its fine and seal really well. Likewise, the initial sound quality wasn't that amazing but they sound great now. It was a similar experience when I got both Shure 530s and Earsonics SM64s - i.e underwhelming to begin with, but eventually you wonder how you lived without them. When the HD-650 crap out I will probably invest in some higher end studio headphones, but not until they are totally beyond repair. I'll be due some new ear pads soon but otherwise they're in good shape. *alas no one makes drivers in this country. Even Knowles (US supplier of drivers to ACS) has offshored production. Although, I think Earsonics do make their entire unit in France....but start at double price of the ACS. My studio monitors (Focal) are affordable and made in France.

The link I posted doesn't seem to work anymore so maybe it was a bogus BC account. It is the genuine music though, I listened through on Friday and bizarrely it is still in my BC wishlist so listening again now. I quite like the intro track and If Eternity Should Fail. But not groundbreaking, as you say.

That is admirable. Not sure I have any bands left where I have a self imposed media blackout but understand the principle. In the old days it was fairly irrelevant because Judas Priest was unlikely to release a single (let alone several) before the album that I was likely to hear. You would hear a new album was coming out and hope you beat your mates to the record store to pick up one of the few copies. I remember when Painkiller was released, rushing down at lunch break from school. ... And then having to wait to get home to actually play it. I'm not sure when I am going to hear the new priest. I'll wait for your review, divide the enthusiasm by 10 and then maybe be not too disappointed.

I've been using HD 650 for years. Been through several cables because I kept stepping on it and tripping. Not at all portable and they're open back. but sound good. I think I got them originally because they're considered neutral and suited for mixing. Anything more expensive than that would be diminishing returns for me. I paid up for custom iems and don't regret that at all, but still a fraction of what some must spend.

That's why I like the new stuff most I think. They have three ace vocalists; they all write songs. It's like Queen but without the embarrassing disco phase. I have only seen them twice; the last with Gojira in Auckland. That was a good night. But I lament having missed the Masties in the early days at a basement bar in London on the Remission tour. Any band is better in a dive bar. I haven't been to a "big" gig in years - not since that Auckland show in fact. Will check oot some of your recos, except Blind Guardian. I am not ready to strap on the gag ball just yet. How is it? I've watched a few of the music videos which weren't the best promo tool, but I'd be willing to give it ago. More likely to make it through than Senjitsu. ...holy shit, it is on bandcamp: The Mandrake Project | Bruce Dickinson (bandcamp.com) I will cue up next when this Mastodon finishes. It just passed a track which sounded exactly like Call of Ktulu.

One last one for Bandcamp Friday. New Tales Between Reality and Madness by Void Of Sleep I think I have some nice variety in the collection today, rounded out by this Italian purveyors of a cosmic amalgam of stoned out, progressive sludge rock.