JamesT
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Posts posted by JamesT
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8 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:
I'm sorry James, yeah that's the one I heard today, More Inspirations from 2023. Guess I haven't fully gotten used to the idea that it's 2024 already. So nevermind, I'm sure the new one will be all Saxon originals.
No worries! Admittedly, I'm relieved to hear that, because I've never been a huge fan of cover songs. In some cases, the cover is really good, and on rare occasions, it's actually a version I like better than the original. But for me, those instances have been few and far between.
Can't wait to see what Biff and the gang have in store! As I continue through the discography today, I'm picking up with "Lionheart" (2004), so I'm getting closer to the new one slowly but surely!
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1 minute ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:
I took the liberty of checking the new one out for you James. Not sure if you're aware, but turns out it's an album of covers of old 70's rock songs, there's no new Saxon material on it. I wasn't that impressed, I heard all those songs in real time back in the 70's. I made it about 3 or 4 songs then got bored and went in search of something else to listen to.
NP: Celtic Frost - Vanity/Nemesis, 1990
Ah, really? The newest release, "Hell, Fire, and Damnation" is all cover songs? I know they released an album full of cover songs called "More Inspirations" in 2023, but I wasn't aware that this brand new one is all cover songs. Oh well, I love anything by Saxon, so I guess I'll give it a try!
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9 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:
Only halfway?!? Biff and the lads would be so disappointed in you JT. But I've got your back bro, I won't tell them you couldn't finish.
Always loved Saxon from the very first listen, and for a long time it baffled me why they were never talked about on the same level as other British heavy metal bands of their era like Priest and Maiden, because in my mind Saxon were (and still are) clearly the far superior band. Saxon and Motörhead were my two British faves in the early 80''s. But they never took off commercially with the normies like P & M did. Still, Strong Arm, D & L and Wheels of Steel pretty much give me all the Saxon I could ever need. And the first 3 tracks off P & G. I'm sure their later albums are fine too, I'm not slagging them off, I just don't care to concern myself with them.
Saxon - Power and the Glory, Barnsley, South Yorkshire (oop north) 1983. Not sure why I've never been able to appreciate any of the songs on this album after the first 3 which I absolutely love. I haven't tried in a long time though.
I appreciate you keeping my secret from Biff and the gang! After further consideration, I've decided to continue listening through the entire catalog in chronological order until I reach the new album. The anticipation is killing me!!
Saxon - "Unleash the Beast"
Saxon - "Metalhead"
Saxon - "Killing Ground"
Can't wait to reach "Hell, Fire, and Damnation"!
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Saxon - "Solid Ball of Rock"
Saxon - "Forever Free"
Saxon - "Dogs of War"
I only made it halfway through the catalog prior to the big day tomorrow, thanks to time constraints. Passing out early tonight so tomorrow morning will come even quicker! Getting up at 5:45 a.m. sharp to hit the gym, and I'll most definitely have the brand new monster blaring!
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28 minutes ago, Arioch said:
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986)
My favorite doom metal band! What an incredible debut - absolutely timeless.
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Saxon - "Rock the Nations"
Saxon - "Destiny"
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Saxon - "Strong Arm of the Law"
Saxon - "Denim and Leather"
Saxon - "Power and the Glory"
Saxon - "Crusader"
Saxon - "Innocence is No Excuse"
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13 hours ago, Arioch said:
I've never liked Saxon (my fault being that I started listening to the band with Innocence is no Excuse) but I have enormous respect for these guys who are still going strong after all these years.
Sacred Reich - Ignorance (1987)
Oh, I see! While I enjoy every Saxon album to some extent, that one would rank in the bottom 4 or 5 of the catalog for me. Although, it does contain one of my favorite Saxon songs they've ever recorded, "Rockin' Again" (the album opener).
Great call with Sacred Reich, by the way!
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It's release week! The mighty Saxon will be releasing album number 24 on Friday - truly incredible. Can't wait to see what Biff and the boys have for us! In honor of the upcoming slab of metal coming our way, I'm listening through the catalog in chronological order this week. Here it goes!
Saxon - Self-titled debut
Saxon - "Wheels of Steel"
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Motorhead - "Motorizer"
Motorhead - "The World is Yours"
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Cattle Decapitation - "Death Atlas"
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16 minutes ago, Arioch said:
I stopped at I, Monarch.
I found the sound of Fury and Flames really strange and the riffs much less catchy and memorable.Autopsy - Macabre Eternal (2011)
Oh, I see! "Fury & Flames" is my favorite album from them, although I acknowledge that it took awhile for it to grow on me. It was too chaotic for me in the beginning, but now it's at the top of my list.
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57 minutes ago, Arioch said:
Hate Eternal - King of All Kings (2002)
Excellent choice! My favorite death metal band never disappoints.
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Motorhead - "Inferno"
Motorhead - "Kiss of Death"
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Motorhead - "We Are Motorhead"
Motorhead - "Hammered"
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Sadistic Force - "Midnight Assassin"
Fantastic blackened speed/thrash metal. Like a mix of Motorhead and Hellripper. Highly recommended!
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1 hour ago, Arioch said:
At The Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
Fantastic choice! I've listened to this one more times than I can count.
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10 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:
C'mon James Thomas let's be serious now, just between you and me how much are they paying you to say that? Are Priest and KK both paying you, or just KK?
Seriously though, I find it fascinating that you went for the harsh vocals first in your teens, and then transitioned over to listen to more power and trad metal with predominantly clean vocals. Obviously it was the other way around for me and most of the metalheads I know. You're the same age as my daughter, class of '08, I think she was listening to mostly rap music in 2006 much to my chagrin.
I must admit, I laughed out loud when I read this post, my friend! Always a pleasure to discuss the world of heavy metal with you!
I still do enjoy harsh vocals quite frequently. Death metal was the predominant style that I listened to as a teen. And I still do enjoy a good bit of death metal - Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal, Creeping Death, Facebreaker, The Black Dahlia Murder, Be'Lakor, Obituary, and the list goes on! - but I've found that there are a lot of other death metal bands that don't hold my attention as well these days. The blazing guitar work and face-melting solos of traditional metal have held my attention constantly over more recent years. The song structures are more interesting to me, and it takes me on more of a listening journey, whereas a lot of death metal these days becomes more monotonous to my ears, and I find my mind wandering while listening rather than focusing on the music.
Yes, class of 2008! And just like your daughter, I listened to a lot of rap back then. I don't go near rap music these days. The closest I get is when I'm taking a trip down memory lane while jamming to some nu metal. But straigh-up rap/hip-hop? It's been forever since I listened to any of it, and I don't plan on going back to it!
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21 hours ago, AlSymerz said:
Obviously everyone has different taste but I don't know how anyone can not feel that The Sinner Rides Again doesn't drag on? The first few songs are great, straight down the line KK, I can even forgive him for having Ripper on vocals. But from Keeper Of The Graves the album drags on to the end. It's only about 35(ish) minutes and without the last 3 songs it would be an EP but the last two especially just seem like filler.
Yes sir, I respect any difference of opinion on this album or any other!
I actually think "Keeper of the Graves" and the final track, "Wash Away Your Sins", are two of the best on the album. "Hymn 66" is the best track on the whole thing, but it just slays from start to finish. Ripper is one of my favorite vocalists in metal's history, so that's just a bonus for me as well with this fantastic band. I hope they release several more albums before it's all said and done!
21 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said:I remember the days when I had similar feelings about my favourite bands, they could do no wrong, and everything they released was flawless. Time passes and tastes change, I’m sure 16 year old me would be horrified hearing that I would one day all but stop listening to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, 25 year old would be just as stunned to learn. I would eventually do it same with Devin Townsend and Dark Tranquillity. I guess my point being that sometimes the bands we love the most, and also be the ones we are most critical of in years to come.
the bands we love the most, and also be the ones we are most critical of in years to come.
Actually come to think of it. I don’t think there is a single band I listen to, with caveats for those who only ever released, one or two albums, who is discography I could say is flawless. Death probably, closest, but I think the vocals on Symbolic week, and parts of both human and individual thought patterns tend to drag. Bathory have eight truly excellent albums in my opinion, but the other three, is it three, I forget sometimes, anyway, there, other albums are so bad they are virtually unlistenable, and while I adore Inquisition my personal view is the peak was Dismal Orations with each album, they released since being slightly weaker than the one which proceeded it
Interesting point! I hadn't ever thought of it quite like that before. Most of the metalcore I listened to as a teenager definitely doesn't get much air time for me these days. And back then, I rejected almost everything that had clean vocals in it. Now, traditional heavy metal with soaring melodic vocals is a large portion of what I listen to.
It started back in 2006 when I was a junior in high school, and I discovered a power metal band called Cellador by watching Headbanger's Ball. Their debut album, "Enter Deception", was released that year, and the video for the lead-off track, "Leaving All Behind", came on the show that night, and I was instantly hooked. The music was heavy and fast, but the melodies transported me to another dimension, emotionally speaking. From there, I got into DragonForce, Rhapsody of Fire, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Dragonland, Edguy, Power Quest, Angra, Elvenking, and a host of other power metal bands. In more recent times, I've leaned much more into traditional heavy metal (which I believe is very distinct from straight-forward power metal in a lot of cases), rock 'n' roll, hard rock, and blues-based hard rock, along with some glam as well.
The only two sub-genres of metal that have remained consistently at the top of my list are southern/groove metal and thrash. And as I'm typing this post, this is a thrilling trip down Metal Memory Lane, so I must thank you for your thought-provoking post!
16 hours ago, JonoBlade said:Us kk fans have to stick together because it's a pretty exclusive club (that no one else wants to join) round here.
Realised I missed off Obituary from my list. It was actually the first purchase of 2023 for me because I pre-ordered it several months before its release in January.
I hear you on that, my metal friend! As much as I'd enjoy seeing KK reunite with Judas Priest, in a lot of ways, I'm thankful that the situation is what it is now. We now have two great bands putting out killer metal for the masses! No way that it could ever be a bad thing in my book!
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1 minute ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:
How could you love every second of every album JT? There must be a few seconds of an album you generally like that maybe you have a few issues with or criticisms of, no? There's gotta be at least one song you can't stand on an album you otherwise love. I refuse to believe anyone could just love every single thing they hear unreservedly.
Good evening, Mr. GG! Oh yes, there are tons of albums that I don't enjoy. I just steer clear of posting about them. When I leave a post on this forum, it's to praise an album that I enjoy, with some very rare exceptions. Even some of the great classic bands - Motorhead and Iron Maiden, to use a couple of examples - have albums that I just think are average at best. In the case of Motorhead, their 2002 album "Hammered" comes to mind. In the case of Iron Maiden, their 2000 release "Brave New World" comes to mind.
They're definitely out there! I just don't make a point to post about the stuff I don't enjoy. Now, bands like KK's Priest, Saxon, Primal Fear, the mighty HammerFall? Yep, I enjoy all of their releases. My top 15 favorite bands of all time are:
PanterA
Overkill
Crowbar
Judas Priest
AC/DC
Accept
Bullet
Lamb of God
HammerFall
Girish and the Chronicles
Candlemass
DragonForce
Saxon
Primal Fear
Cradle of Filth
(I'd make room for Metallica, if I had a 16th slot)
You won't see many (if any) negative posts about these greats!
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10 hours ago, JonoBlade said:
This is how I feel most years.
In my bandcamp collection I count about 25 album purchases released in 2023. There are 80 odd albums total bought this year. How much would a Spotify subscription have been?
They are:
Ahab, Tentacult, Profane Order, Mork, Verminous Serpent, Akercocke (but live albums shouldn't count), Howling Giant, Green Lung, Incantation, Horrendous, Dying Fetus, Weald & Woe, Torpor, Urne, KK's Priest, Bull Elephant, Gozer (but EPs shouldn't count), Sulphur Aeon, Tomb Mold, Beastwars (but covers albums shouldn't count), Wayfarer, Blood Incantation (see EP), Boss Keloid, AFSKY, Phobocosm, King Gizzard & The Lizzard Wizard, Cattle Decapitation
This is just for context, because I'm not sure of how many of the above I consider truly great. I have the whole discography of Wayfarer, Green Lung, Boss Keloid and Howling Giant but I can't say I was wowed by their latest. I mean, they are good but not masterpieces and, since they don't meet that impossibly high and unfair standard, I was disappointed.
As for Sulphur Aeon, I wouldn't say "disappointed". It was exactly what I expected and sounds like every other album they've done. They are the AC/DC of Lovecraftian blackened death metal...or deathened black metal.
Same goes for Dying Fetus. No one expects them to reinvent the wheel at this point. I like Dying Fetus so I like the 2023 album.
The last two came from a you tube video I randomly watched from Banger TVs top 5 as voted by viewers. All 5 were decent. I'd never heard Cattle Decapitation, at number 1 according to Banger viewers, before. The lyrical subject matter is right up my alley. I like it well enough. Reminds me of the same ballpark as Cephalic Carnage and, like them, I'll probably only ever own one album but it may as well be this. Terrasite | Cattle Decapitation (bandcamp.com)
King Gizzard on the other hand is a revelation. I had heard it (thanks @markm!) before seeing the Banger top 5 list but went back to reassess. Have now concluded that these guys rule so I would put PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (bandcamp.com) right up there.
Of the others from my purchases, these are good enough for a mention and link:
The Malign Covenant | Verminous Serpent (bandcamp.com) My actual favourite black metal band by a long way this year is Weigedood. They can do no wrong. However, I did listen to this Verminous Serpent album quite a lot earlier in the year.
Unholy Deification | Incantation (bandcamp.com) Its solid and I listened to it a lot in that week or two after picking up.
Ontological Mysterium | Horrendous (bandcamp.com) was number 3 on the Banger TV list and the host didn't even like it much. As discussed in another post, this is "fun" dammit.
The Sinner Rides Again | KK Downing / KK's Priest (bandcamp.com) listing merely in solidarity with @JamesT. It's a good album and I am fairly sure I am going to continue liking it more than the 2024 Priest album.
Om hundrede år | AFSKY (bandcamp.com) another @markm reccie. I play it once a day at the moment, to get my money's worth. Same with Foreordained | Phobocosm | Dark Descent Records (bandcamp.com)
Finally, an album which won't make anyone else's list: The Long War | Bull Elephant (bandcamp.com). Great artwork, ridiculous lyrical concept, lumbering death doom. I probably listened to this more than anything other album, but that doesn't mean it's any good to anyone else.
Luminescent Bridge (24-bit HD Audio) | Blood Incantation | Century Media Records (bandcamp.com) would have easily had the most plays and was merely an EP. If the next album is along these lines, that is all I need. So long as it is capped at 40 minutes.
Just came here to voice my full support for "The Sinner Rides Again"! I remember posting back in late September during the week leading up to the album's release (September 29), and I have loved every second of the album from the very first listen, as I was confident I would. I appreciate the shout-out in your post, Mr. Blade!
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Primal Fear - "16.6 - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
Primal Fear - "New Religion"
Enforced - "War Remains"
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Primal Fear - "Devil's Ground"
Primal Fear - "Delivering the Black"
Big Ball - "Hotter Than Hell"
Fantastic rock 'n' roll.
Debauchery - "Rage of the Bloodbeast"
Aerosmith - "Permanent Vacation"
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13 hours ago, Arioch said:
They are indeed 3 brothers.
They are now aged 24, 19 and 16. I think he's the youngest drummer of the three.
They released their second album last year, Nonetheless, and I think they're here to stay. The band formed in 2012, so I'll leave it to you to work out how old they were then 😅
My goodness, I had no idea! They would most likely have been 13, 8 and 5 at that time. Unreal!
Primal Fear - "Rulebreaker"
What Are You Listening To?
in Forum Games
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I appreciate that, my friend! I know you've got my back, even though our tastes tend to differ pretty widely. I'm currently up to "The Inner Sanctum" (didn't get a chance to listen to as much today as I would have liked), so it won't be too terribly long before I dive into the new slab of metal the mighty Saxon has released!
I would be curious to see what your thoughts are on the new album, if you venture a listen at some point.