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Top 3 albums/eps of the week.


MacabreEternal

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Gatecreeper - Sonoran Deprivation 

The fucking riffs on the track Flamethrower alone make this a must have record for any death metal fan.  I have ruined my neck to this whole album though this week.  Had it on everywhere, in the office, whilst cooking, cleaning and driving.  Don’t know how I missed this when it came out but watching a review of their latest made me go back and pick it up.  Superb stuff.

Memoriam - Requiem for Mankind

I can’t get the track The Veteran out of my head.  It has a riff in there that hooks in my head better than Hooky McHooks Greatest Hooks compilation.  Again, the whole album is top drawer though and testimony to this is it being back in my top 3 so soon after the last time.

Borknagar - The Olden Domain

Seen lots of references to this band on the forum this week which expedited them up my to do list somewhat.  This is a tough listen as the vocals switch between clean and then more authentic BM.  The music is superb and just as varied.  It feels like a record that needs time and the rewards just come with repeated listens, so it is likely this will be on rotation for a number of weeks.

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On 10/13/2019 at 2:29 AM, MacabreEternal said:

 

Borknagar - The Olden Domain

Seen lots of references to this band on the forum this week which expedited them up my to do list somewhat.  This is a tough listen as the vocals switch between clean and then more authentic BM.  The music is superb and just as varied.  It feels like a record that needs time and the rewards just come with repeated listens, so it is likely this will be on rotation for a number of weeks.

Borknagar are a manifold beast, and this is their second album as Brun is trying to figure out what they're going to be. It's way more rustic and knockabout compared with their later releases, and I find it less engaging. Depending on your musical tastes, they get a hell of a lot better. 

Try the following albums (lead vocalists in brackets): 

'Empiricism' 2001 (Vintersorg with a bit of Lars),

'Urd' 2012 (Vintersorg, ICS Vortex, Lars - hail!),

'Winter Thrice' 2016 (Vintersorg, ICS Vortex, Lars plus Garm on the title track!) 

'True North'  (ICS Vortex and Lars) from this year! One of the albums of the year. 

My 3 Albums of the Week

1. Kampfar - 'Ofidians Manifest'

2. Borknagar - 'True North' 

3. Insomnium - 'Heart Like a Grave' 

All three are contenders for my Top 10 of 2019. 

 

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Bloodbath - Resurrection though Carnage

It´s swedish death metal in it´s purest form, simple as that. Hard to believe Akerfeldt actually was the vocalist for Bloodbath considering the 70´s hippie crap he´s putting out nowadays. But his delivery here is second to none that much is clear. Bloodbath certainly didn´t reinvent the wheel with their debut album but it´s an solid effort overall. You have that trademark boss HM-2 guitar sound which cuts through everything and there are plenty of memorable hooks. Not else much to say about this damn solid album.

Djevel - Ormer til armer, maane til hode

To be honest i kind of got tired of Djevel with the last two albums. Sure, they have that traditional Norwegian BM sound down to a T. But the last two efforts felt a little bloated and uninspired in my opinion and contained some overly long tracks that went nowhere. Luckily they seem to have recovered somewhat with their latest effort. They still stick to that old school Norwegian sound but offer a little more varation here. Although some songs still feel way too long. I´ve only given it 3 spins so far but it's a pretty solid effort for the most part. It´s mostly more of the same but with just enough new tweaks to keep things interesting for a minute.

Mortem - Ravnsvart

After 30+ years Mortem finally decided to drop their debut album. Gone are all the death metal influences of their demo. Instead we are treated to cold black norwegian metal with symphonic elements. This may be a disappoinment to some but i'm enjoying every second of it. It sounds like these guys were frozen in ice back in 93' and just woke up again not knowing it's 2019. If i would have to compare this album with another one i'd say Arcturus' debut album or early Emperor. The all star line up of the band actually reflects in the music. It's all been done before but it's satisfying to see Mortem fill in the slot that was left by other bands (looking at you Emperor). Certainly a must buy album if you dig previously mentioned bands.

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Selbst - s/t

There’s more melodies on show here than when Melody McMelodies brings her Melody and The Melodies tour to a town near you.  Not happy or uplifting melodies though, that would be shit of course.  No, it is the melancholy and woe that comes through most of all and never once is the misanthropic promise of the track titles lost in the warmer tones within.

Vektor - Outer Isolation

After spending a lifetime getting to grips with Black Future I finally got round to album number two this past month.  It is not as interesting as the debut but it by no means is a bad album.  The framing is the thing that stands out the most with the album being opened and closed by epic soundscapes.  The handful of tracks that lie between are stocked full of polyrhythms, noodly leads and time changes to make you dizzy.  It will be ringing around my head for days I predict.

Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops

Took me long enough to get around to listening to this so only fitting it should occupy a slot on one of “top 3 of the week” posts.  There’s so much mix and blend of styles here that it is hard to put into terms that reference a particular genre.  It’s Ugly Metal I have decided.  The extreme stoner sound morphs with an almost grunge/Nu-Metal angst that works brilliantly and each song feels like a story that I want to learn more and more about with every listen.

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Lingua Ignota - self titled

This is not my normal bag.  Overtly emotional performances don't always sit comfortably with me.  I make an exception here because the whole experience is largely coming from a totally inaccessible angle, even in its more lucid moments it is not trying to be something it isn't.  It isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it is resilient and robust enough to see itself through to the end and deliver an experience without ever having me reach for the skip button.

Funereal Presence - Achatius

This is not your average, run of the mill black metal record.  It is laden to the extent of being dripping with heavy metal influences that get spread over at times progressive yet always sprawling structures.  There's only 4 tracks on this record and all are over 11 minutes long, telling the story of Achatius in surreal narrative (there's fucking cow bell or something on track 2).  Extraordinary to the point of I switch every minute between "I fucking hate this!" to "I fucking love this"!

Asagraum - Dawn of Infinite Fire

Heaped full of driving yet melodic black metal, the ladies of Asagraum provided great accompaniment to my car journeys this week and I am enjoying their debut just as much.  The music retains that air of menace despite the melody present and the authenticity to the art form of black metal is genuine and unforced.

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Satan's Host - By the Hands of the Devil

Dark and evil sounding power metal which borrows a lot of elements from black metal. This is a formidable album which may cause some power metal haters to re-think their stance.

 

Grave Digger - The Grave Digger

Another hard hitting power metal album, now why on Earth are there so many sugary sweet power metal bands out there when the genre could be done like this instead?

 

Mastery - Lethal Legacy EP

A shame they couldn't keep this quality up. Savage and complex thrashing riffs from start to finish.

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Testament - The Gathering

A decent, if not front heavy, thrash record.  I reviewed it for another site recently and noted how unique Chuck's voice is in the world of thrash metal.  That gruff yet powerful style marries so well on some tracks here and also sounds completely at odds on others.  Lack of solo/lead work makes this album feel somehow longer than it is too but when it rips it fucking goes for the throat.

3/5

Gorguts - Colored Sands

I can't stop listening to The Battle of Chamdo.  I fucking love the drama in the composition of it and the menacing atmosphere throughout.  There's an energy and synergy to this album that most records lack.  With the obvious prowess of the musicians involved it is hard to expect much of anything else, but it just all feels so effortless and free flowing.

5/5

Sepultura - Arise

For my current reviewing duties elsewhere on the internet I am tasked with showcasing 90's thrash metal of which this is an absolute joy to be able to play again as I review.  The last great Sepultura record that crowned that golden age of their continuous development from fledgling amateurs to established and respected artists.

4.5/5

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Cradle of Filth - Dusk and her Embrace

Stupid music television in the early 00's proper pissed me off with their constant showing of Her Ghost in the Fog and equally stupid me shunned the whole discography of CoF as a result.  As part of some reviews I am writing currently this album came up and you know what, I actually fucking love it.  There's a lot going on for sure but somehow it feels consistent and cohesive with the dense atmosphere though is woven superbly by those keys.

4.5/5

Tool - Sober

Just the one track from Undertow, the rest of that album and pretty much all of their discography is none of my business but from the first time of hearing this song I was hooked by it's clever lyrics and dank atmosphere (another video that got shitloads of airtime back in the day).

3/5

Negura Bunget - N' Crugu Bradului

Ending this week of music listening with a moan.  Thoroughly unimpressed with this release.  A tale of two halves with one half (the second) being better than the chaotic and confused first two tracks.  Perfect example here of a complete brain gush of ideas and all of them making it onto the album's opening two tracks with no quality control.

2/5

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22 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

Cradle of Filth - Dusk and her Embrace

Stupid music television in the early 00's proper pissed me off with their constant showing of Her Ghost in the Fog and equally stupid me shunned the whole discography of CoF as a result.  As part of some reviews I am writing currently this album came up and you know what, I actually fucking love it.  There's a lot going on for sure but somehow it feels consistent and cohesive with the dense atmosphere though is woven superbly by those keys.

4.5/5

 

Glad to see you're connecting with this. Theatrical visuals aside, it's a phenomenal album, ambitious and coherent. It aims high and succeeds. Giant step up from the debut.

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On 2/19/2020 at 2:23 AM, FatherAlabaster said:

Glad to see you're connecting with this. Theatrical visuals aside, it's a phenomenal album, ambitious and coherent. It aims high and succeeds. Giant step up from the debut.

Amen.

I’ve made no secret of my eternal love for this album, and no future secrets shall be made about it either. 

I think the only other release to transport me so thoroughly into the world of the album is ‘October Rust’.

‘Dusk’ is a true gothic fantasy sprung to life. 

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3 Albums of the Week Exclusively

Darkthrone - 'Ravishing Grimness'

I'm loving this album at the moment. 'The Claws of Time' is one of the band's greatest songs. 

Darkthrone - 'Hate Them'

This is their last truly great album in my opinion. Tracks like 'Rust' and 'Striving for a Piece of Lucifer' are two of their best songs as well. The Nocturno Culto songs on here are all black metal anthems while Fenriz is pushing his boring black n roll stuff. Hail Nocturno!! 

Satanic Warmaster - 'We Are the Worms That Crawl on the Broken Wings of an Angel' 

Stunning compilation of EP and split tracks. I can't believe I've been ignoring this band for so many sad and lonely years. Forgive me Werwolf, mighty warrior of darkness. 

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1) korpi by kalmakantaja ok so this band does release a lot of albums and this album has realluy grown on me. it initially was a bit generic but after more listens its getting respectable

2)emperor- in the nighshade eclipse. fanatastic album. stone cold classic.no real need to talk about it technically because its just a bm classic. yes the band did some terrible things but they've done there time. the music is just amazing. transports me to fantasy land  which is a lot better than being stuck at work non stop for a whole week. ??

 

3 no time for a third 

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On 2/17/2020 at 4:48 PM, MacabreEternal said:

Cradle of Filth - Dusk and her Embrace

Stupid music television in the early 00's proper pissed me off with their constant showing of Her Ghost in the Fog and equally stupid me shunned the whole discography of CoF as a result.  As part of some reviews I am writing currently this album came up and you know what, I actually fucking love it.  There's a lot going on for sure but somehow it feels consistent and cohesive with the dense atmosphere though is woven superbly by those keys.

4.5/5

Tool - Sober

Just the one track from Undertow, the rest of that album and pretty much all of their discography is none of my business but from the first time of hearing this song I was hooked by it's clever lyrics and dank atmosphere (another video that got shitloads of airtime back in the day).

3/5

Negura Bunget - N' Crugu Bradului

Ending this week of music listening with a moan.  Thoroughly unimpressed with this release.  A tale of two halves with one half (the second) being better than the chaotic and confused first two tracks.  Perfect example here of a complete brain gush of ideas and all of them making it onto the album's opening two tracks with no quality control.

2/5

1 Will definitely give dusk a go as cradle of filth are a decent band from what I've heard even with all the personel changes. With so many bands around not really listened to them.  Dani seems to be the key ingredient to make it work. Am I assuming too much as I've only heard 3 of there tracks. ?

Bismuth- the slow dying of the Great barrier reef_ not normally a fan of drone music but again read a review and gave this album a go. which off the bat I just loved. It really gets that ocean vibe to it with lots of decayed elements naturally of course. Vocals are good and they create a great sound for 2 piece band.only two tracks but title track last 30 plus minutes so did not feel short changed. 

 

Slow-dantalion- still listening to this again. Quality funeral doom with orchestral light relief in what can be at times a slightly overwhelming record but so atmospheric that it's playing it further. 

 

 

 

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On 1/10/2020 at 6:04 PM, MacabreEternal said:

Testament - The Gathering

A decent, if not front heavy, thrash record.  I reviewed it for another site recently and noted how unique Chuck's voice is in the world of thrash metal.  That gruff yet powerful style marries so well on some tracks here and also sounds completely at odds on others.  Lack of solo/lead work makes this album feel somehow longer than it is too but when it rips it fucking goes for the throat.

3/5

Gorguts - Colored Sands

I can't stop listening to The Battle of Chamdo.  I fucking love the drama in the composition of it and the menacing atmosphere throughout.  There's an energy and synergy to this album that most records lack.  With the obvious prowess of the musicians involved it is hard to expect much of anything else, but it just all feels so effortless and free flowing.

5/5

Sepultura - Arise

For my current reviewing duties elsewhere on the internet I am tasked with showcasing 90's thrash metal of which this is an absolute joy to be able to play again as I review.  The last great Sepultura record that crowned that golden age of their continuous development from fledgling amateurs to established and respected artists.

4.5/5

Great choice in sepultura arise. For me they peaked on that record. I like chaos ad and roots but not as much. So good a track is featured on Talladega Nights if I'm not mistaken.  

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It's been a while since I posted in here: 

Bathory - 'Bathory'

What an amazing classic this is. I love its small scope, it's compactness and it's unutterable style. And the fact that it's pretty much the first black metal album ever. 

Glaciation - 'Ultime Eclat'

Hreidmarr from Anorexia Nervosa is the singer, hence my purchase - also it's on Osmose. A fairly exciting post-black metal album, all in French. 

Katatonia - 'City Burials'

More on this in a few days, but for now, let's just say that after many listenings I'm coming around to really loving this damn thing. 

 

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Immortal- pure holocaust: love this record. And from what I heard so far. The most extreme of there music. Ive only heard first 3 album's and battles of the north. 

 

Emperor of sand- Mastodon   a good solid Mastodon album.for me Does not change there sound too much and but is good. Some say it's a nod to album's distant now of there's. 

 

Candlemass- doomicus epicus metalicus.     Very good album and the download I got from Amazon features some absolutely amazing live tracks from Birmingham. Wow those tracks are fucking amazing. It's odd when live tracks are better than the album tracks and the album tracks are great too the live tracks  have so much energy from the crowd and great showmanship by the singer.  Not biggest candlemass fan so don't know who singer is. 

 

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Brujeria - Matando güeros - (1993)

Raw and aggravated grindcore at its finest right here folks.  Really scratched that itch for having something that is a fucking blast to listen to but I have very little time to give anything masses of attention.  Need more of this in my life.

Immolation - Close To A World Below - (2000)

Hands down my favourite Immolation release and I finally got around to grabbing a CD copy this week.  Ominous and baleful death metal for my listening pleasure.

Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still - (2020)

This week's "top 3" list takes us from the nineties, through the noughties and into the present day.  The latest Ulcarate is intense and restless yet genuinely melodious in parts also.  Here's a band that improves on every release right now.

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Bolt Thrower Those Once Loyal (2005)

Few bands get to go out on a high note and this is arguably their best release.  Proud to finally have this on CD and be stripping the paint from the walls by blasting The Killchain like some fucking teenager.  Resplendent death metal that is utterly relentless in it's drive and direction.

Deftones Adrenaline - (1995)

Not their best album by a long chalk but there's a tautness to the sound on here that belies their more explosive outbursts some years later.  A lot of immaturity is obvious here but also equal amounts of brooding talent just not yet able to be expressed enough by the skill set of the group.  They kept this pent up emotion constant right up until Gore although arguably it was on the wane before then, but my point is that I can track what I get on their debut and hear it through most of their recorded output over the next 20 years.

Warlock Triumph and Agony (1987)

Despite the excessive marketing of Doro as a sex symbol in the 80's (and let's be honest, who wouldn't ? - Sue me.) it was obvious she was a powerful vocalist not afraid to trade blows with the best of metal front men and women out there and Warlock's 1987 album shows this.  Trademark cheesy lyrics aside this was a band full of talent being led by a determined sounding young lady who could deliver.  Songwriting isn't brilliant but 10 out of 10 for effort Warlock.

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On 7/4/2020 at 1:49 AM, MacabreEternal said:

 

Deftones Adrenaline - (1995)

Not their best album by a long chalk but there's a tautness to the sound on here that belies their more explosive outbursts some years later.  A lot of immaturity is obvious here but also equal amounts of brooding talent just not yet able to be expressed enough by the skill set of the group.  They kept this pent up emotion constant right up until Gore although arguably it was on the wane before then, but my point is that I can track what I get on their debut and hear it through most of their recorded output over the next 20 years.

 

Wow, this takes me back to Year 11 at high school in 96. We used to pump this album. It was only later that I realised that 'Bored' is a complete rip-off of the riff from Sabbath's 'Symptom of the Universe'. Shameful. 

Top 3 

King Diamond - 'Abigail' (still digesting this theatrical and flamboyant masterpiece, but I love it)

Watain - 'Sworn to the Dark' (revisiting this album with some booze and an empty house to pump it in has really shed new black light on this beast)

Arkona - 'Goi Rode Goi!' (tracks 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 are the best songs I've ever heard exclusively)

 

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On 7/27/2020 at 4:38 PM, Vampyrique said:

Beware of the slippery stairs, you could easily fall... and break your neck!!!

 

I understand that quote because I read the lyrics while King gave voice to them. 

We're all on slippery stairs, wouldn't you say, V? Never knowing when we'll slip and plunge to a cellar death. Me, I drink heavily, for an impending cellar death. 

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