Top 10 Albums of Any Given Genre or Concept

[RelentlessOblivion]

Where's Iron Maiden? That is all.

[Requiem]

Yeah maybe. It's good, but I don't know if I'd put it in my personal top 10. I'd include it if I was trying to look cool in front of online metalheads, but that ain't on my dance ticket. 

[BlutAusNerd]

Yeah maybe. It's good, but I don't know if I'd put it in my personal top 10. I'd include it if I was trying to look cool in front of online metalheads, but that ain't on my dance ticket. 

 

I wouldn't pick most of what you did for your list, but I agree about Iron Maiden's debut. It's great and all, but not Top 10 material for me. I might have to circle back to this topic when I have my collection in front if me to choose from, you've got some fun list ideas that I would like to participate in.

 

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

 

 

[Requiem]

2 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

 

I wouldn't pick most of what you did for your list, but I agree about Iron Maiden's debut. It's great and all, but not Top 10 material for me. I might have to circle back to this topic when I have my collection in front if me to choose from, you've got some fun list ideas that I would like to participate in.

 

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

 

 

I'd love to see your lists for some of these topics. Do it!

[BlutAusNerd]

2 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:  

I wouldn't pick most of what you did for your list, but I agree about Iron Maiden's debut. It's great and all, but not Top 10 material for me. I might have to circle back to this topic when I have my collection in front if me to choose from, you've got some fun list ideas that I would like to participate in.

 

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

 

 

I'd love to see your lists for some of these topics. Do it!

 

You've left several for me to go through, especially during my sabbatical. I love making lists as a challenge to myself, seeing if I can cut it down well enough to be something I'm happy with. Many do seem to make lists simply for cool points, but I don't see the point in that.

 

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

 

 

[RelentlessOblivion]

I know my first choice for self titled albums would be Deicide's debut. After that I have issues. Not trying to look cool I just dig the hell out of that album.

[Requiem]

1 hour ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

I know my first choice for self titled albums would be Deicide's debut. After that I have issues. Not trying to look cool I just dig the hell out of that album.

The ladies are tipsy, the disco ball is spinning, you've got your best white suit on. Get up and dance boy! (ie. make a list). 

[RelentlessOblivion]

Hmm well that's inteesting. I did intent on making a list but only own 9 self-titled albums. How interesting.

[BlutAusNerd]

 

This one is easy for me because I already have this list together, so it's a good one to start with while I'm on vacation and away from my shelves.

 

 

BlutAusNerd's Top 10 Black Metal Albums:

 

 

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas:

 

 

I don't think it's any coincidence that this has been on every one of these lists so far. It's THE quintessential black metal album as far as I'm concerned, and the perfect realization of the second wave sound. Augmenting the first wave with a new degree of atmosphere and darkness, while never forsaking the riffing and heavy style that made black metal what it is, and with Attila's possessed and haunting vocals atop the whole dark platter, it just doesn't get any better.

 

 

Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta I:

 

 

They're my namesake for a reason, there's no way that I would leave them off of this list. Many of their albums are worthy of this spot, which is one of the things that makes them such a special band, but this one slightly edges out my other favorites from BAN. It has the heaviness and deep, sad atmosphere from the debut, but with a more active guitar playing style that builds some monumental songs from pieces that are all intriguing on their own. French black metal is often a heralded scene these days, and I feel that this is their flagship entry into the black metal genre.

 

 

Samael - Ceremony of Opposites:

 

 

Samael came a long way from their early days as a stomping Celtic Frost worshiping band of Swiss miscreants. They were about as primitive as primitive could get on their demos and Worship Him, refining their formula on Blood Ritual, and then shedding their skin to burst forth as a new and even more potent beast than before on Ceremony of Opposites. Some electronic elements were introduced here that they would expand upon later, but they were still very tasteful here and gave a delicious juxtaposition to their pummeling and grooving assault. This is black METAL, simplistic and supremely effective for inducing headbanging and being instantly memorable and recognizable, with those vocal lines that are as catchy as they are venomous and perfectly succinct melodies.

 

 

Mercyful Fate - Melissa:

 

 

Before mentioning anything else, yes, this album absolutely belongs here. This is heavy metal in the broader sense that all metal genres are descended of heavy metal, but there has not been a heavy metal band before or since that has written songs, melodies, riffs, or vocal lines this ghoulish and ghastly, and that is because this is black metal and not classic heavy metal as some would have you believe. Mercyful Fate is incredible for being the master class almost before there was even a school to learn from, so advanced were they in the musical prowess and massive vision and scope. It would take black metal another 10 years to become this refined and proficient when the likes of Master's Hammer, Root, Mortuary Drape, and Grand Belial's Key started to catch up to the trail that Mercyful Fate blazed while leaving the rest of the first wave in the dust. Riffs upon riffs upon riffs upon solos upon riffs upon falsetto wails and demonic groans upon furious drumming and intricate bass upon more and more riffs, this album is just relentless. One thing I do know is that while many would argue its inclusion here, I doubt very much that anyone would question its quality. Perhaps the most essential and best album in all of metal from the 80's.

 

 

Master's Hammer - Ritual:

 

 

Speaking of Master's Hammer, their debut album Ritual cannot be excluded from a black metal list with my name on it. Many black metal musicians from the likes of Abbath, Fenriz, and Nergal have pointed to this as the first album in the second wave of black metal, and I believe that to be the case as well. Debuting in 1991, there wasn't anything else like this at the time. Much like Mercyful Fate, this band reeked of class and professionalism before much of any exploration of this sound had even been done, which makes their achievement with Ritual even more impressive. As the second wave should, this album takes its cues from Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate, Bathory, etc... in the rhythm guitar and drum departments, splices in new atmospheric elements and melodies culled from the native folk music of their land, with a focus on writing more grandiose and accomplished songs. The guitars alone would be enough to guarantee the inclusion of this album, but when you factor in the vocals, the keyboards, and the percussion including timpani drums (!), you arrive at a complex and ambitious package that really hasn't been topped in this specific style as far as I'm concerned. If you haven't heard this, you must change that immediately, you'll be amazed at how many of your favorite second wave black metal albums ripped this off without being anywhere near as good.

 

 

Tormentor - Anno Domini:

 

 

My other first wave entry on the list, this one might seem a bit of an unusual choice, especially considering the absence of Bathory, Celtic Frost, Sarcófago etc... Keep in mind that these selections are all about opinion, and while I LOVE so many other first wave bands, this is the one I like and listen to the most. Most people know Tormentor as "Attila's other band", but they're so much more than that. Not only did Attila's vocals on this demo/album attract the attention of Euronymous, but the music itself is incredible. This came near the tail end of the first wave, and does wear its influences on its sleeves in a lot of ways, but it also ratchets up the speed and intensity to levels that clearly inspired the dawning of the second wave with their wild tremolo riffs and melodic flourishes and nasty rapid-fire vocals. It was no stranger to atmosphere either, no doubt inspiring many with Elizabeth Bathory, with its epic sounding keyboard passages and pounding mid-paced riffs (Dissection did a cover this track, and it's no wonder why). The vocals are sick too, a more classic black metal style than what Attila would employ on De Mysteriis, but with an unbridled fury that could make Quorthon sound tame by comparison. This is an absolutely killer release, and even if you don't appreciate it as much as I do, it's well worth hearing just for its historical significance and influence.

 

 

Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black:

 

 

Necromantia aren't as heralded ad their Greek contemporaries Rotting Christ and Varathron, but I'm honestly not sure why. Their twin bass attack that forsakes the more treble heavy approach of classic black metal guitar could rub some the wrong way I suppose, but that seems a silly squabble to me when what they're playing is this magnificent. The songs are a bit campy, filled with pomp and circumstance that make it sound like a cheesy ritual scene from a shitty old horror film, but that adds to the fun and majesty for me. The riffs themselves are superb, but their construction is where the grandiosity of their sound really comes into play, with some obvious romantic classical cues entering their lines more than once. Savage are its delights, and its tasteful and memorable assembly keeps these songs firmly stuck in my head for weeks after listening. All hail the true Greek masters.

 

 

Mystifier - Göetia:

 

 

Mystifier is probably one of the less well known groups on here, but they're no less significant to me. As a Brazilian band, some comparisons to Sarcófago are expected, and not entirely unwarranted. Sarcófago was kind of the root of the bestial black metal sound, with Blasphemy obviously owing a lot to them, but Mystifier took it in a bit of a different direction. Goetia is certainly raging in the same way as Fallen Angel of Doom when it does rage, but it more often alternates between slow and mid-paced ritualistic sounding passages with occasional bursts of bestial speed. This ritualistic tone makes it feel deeper and more sinister to me, with the speed bursts entering at just the right times to punctuate their significance. Grim and ritualistic in a way that a lot of Scandinavian black metal claims to be but fails at, this is an album dripping with archaic darkness.

 

 

Sabbat - The Dwelling:

 

 

One album, one song, one hour of mystical and varied black metal. Sabbat was the first Japanese black metal band, beginning their life in the 80's as worshipers of Venom, Mercyful Fate, and Bathory. While they have developed a great deal since their primal early EPs, the base of their sound is largely still within that realm. Crunchy, charging passages that wouldn't sound out of place on Welcome to Hell or The Return..., flow and evolve in ways that those early bands would never have been able to dream up. This is still unified and sounds like one cohesive song, but has a way of progressing and evolving itself that ties the whole picture together without becoming stale or repetitious. Quite the opposite, it remains fresh and interesting throughout, with that flow, several inventive lead sections, and some tasteful lingering to keep it from feeling like an endless parade of unrelated gibberish holds it all together to keep it from careening out of control in one direction or another. Ambitious, professional, and still super old-school sounding, this would be one of the albums that I would suggest to fans of more traditional 80's metal looking to get into black metal. This band has been around forever and remain a consistent force to be reckoned with, but their is their magnum opus IMO.

 

 

Sigh - Hail Horror Hail:

 

 

The second entry on my list from the vastly underrated and underestimated Japanese black metal scene, Sigh have established themselves as a true creative force within the metal world. Beginning their existence as one of the first bands to have an album released by Deathlike Silence productions, even their early works didn't quite fit the norm for what was being churned out in other parts of the world at the time. Some subtle changes arose, but by the time of their 3rd album, Hail Horror Hail, convention was something Sigh was looking at in the rear view mirror. They're known today as more of an avant-garde metal band than anything, and Hail Horror Hail was where that sound first reared its bizarre head. Their classic 2nd wave guitar style remained mostly intact on the surface, but now was being used for the greater purpose of advancing something unique. Extended and strange keyboard jams, outside influences from all over the spectrum (which would be seen even more on subsequent albums), a carnivalesque wackiness and zaniness, and some WTF? moments notwithstanding, this still has all of the markings of a masterful black metal assault orchestrated by some depraved weirdos that is hard to forget once you've experienced it. Not for everyone, but brilliant for those who can penetrate its shell.

 

 

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[RelentlessOblivion]

I was somewhat surprised to see I only own six albums from your list. I have some work to do it seems.

[BlutAusNerd]

I was somewhat surprised to see I only own six albums from your list. I have some work to do it seems.

 

Adding the others won't disappoint you.

 

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

 

 

[Requiem]

Requiem's Top 10 Acoustic/Semi-Acoustic Albums from Metal Bands

So 'regular' metal bands (and Alice in Chains) who have released a 'special' album, or disk in a double album release, that can be considered acoustic, semi-acoustic or deliberately subtle and non-metal. The bands' quieter experiments, if you will. 

 

10. Eluvietie - 'Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion' (2009)

When I heard that the Eluvs were doing this album I got really excited because I thought with their numerous folk instrumentalists that many great things could happen. Well, it turns out to be a bit disappointing. 'Omnos' is an absolute spine-tingler of a track, and overall this album is cool, but you need to be very patient to get anything out of it. I find myself respecting each individual track, but I start wanting to turn it off by about the 25 minute mark. I wish this band would cap all their albums at the 45 minute mark. They never do though. 

9. Anathema - 'Hindsight' (2008)

This is definitely a cool release, but is also now a bit sinister, as it shows where they start to fancy themselves as songsmiths more like Dylan than Holmes (as in the Nick variety). Needless to say my favourite songs from it are those taken from 'Eternity', 'Alternative 4' and 'Judgement', but I don't like any of these versions more than their originals. 

8. Finntroll - 'Visor Om Slutet' (2003)

Similar scenario to Eluvietie, I was really excited for this but was disappointed overall, but not quite as much. It's very synthy for a supposedly semi-acoustic album. Still, it's got that great forest/troll atmosphere, which I think everyone on this website hates except me, but I love it. I think this is Somnium's last contribution to the band before he took that fatal plunge off a bridge... 

7. Opeth - 'Damnation' (2003)

This has sort of grown on me over time, but I still think they were in a position to do more with this album. 'Windowpane' is brilliant, and overall it's nice and haunting. I wish there was a more acoustic/folky feel though, like an acoustic 'Morningrise' or something. Still, this is a cool release. 

6. Moonspell - disk two of 'Alpha Noir/Omega Black' (2012)

This is where the quality takes a huge jump. This isn't really semi-acoustic, but it's a soft second disk of the double album by these Portuguese wolves and it's great. In fact, I like it better than the 'heavy' disk. Songs like 'Fireseason' really strip away the theatrics and focus on the band's songwriting and the outcome is, if not excellence, at least high quality. 

5. Alice in Chains - 'Jar of Flies' (1994)

It says a lot that this band - call them grunge/hard rock or what-have-you - can out emotion nearly every other band out there who pride themselves on feels. Ok, they aren't really a metal band, I understand this, but I just can't leave this gem out. Layne and Jerry are at the top of their games, with this coming off the back of 'Dirt'. The whole 'Dirt'/'Jar of Flies' 1-2 is one of rock music's great doubles. Anyway, songs like 'Rotten Apples', 'Nutshell' and the glorious instrumental 'Whale and Wasp' pretty much slay everything in this list from 6-10. 

4. Ulver - 'Kveldssanger' (1996)

The second part of the 'trilogy', this is haunting, rugged and authentic. You can almost smell the woodsmoke in the forest cabin as you sip meap and commune with Norway's history. Garm does lots of humming and aaaaahhh-ing, and it all sounds great. This is truly acoustic too. What a band. 

3. Empyrium - 'Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays' (1999)

If I'm being fair, this album is a bit of a rip-off of the one above it, but I think it's better. This is more polished and more emotional, and the Brothers Grimm in the Black Forest vibe of these acoustic odes to medieval sylvan tragedy are scarily evocative. If you're looking for acoustic folk this is as good as it gets (for me). 

2. Swallow the Sun - disk two of 'Songs from the North' (2015)

The whole triple album from Swallow the Sun is epic, and mostly awesome. The first disk is regular StS, the middle disk (this one) is acoustic, and the final disk is pretty much funeral doom. This disk is close to my favourite, and really highlights some great songwriting moments. The track 'Pray for the Winds to Come' should be played at my funeral.

1. Katatonia - 'Sanctitude' (2015)

A haunting, professional, and above all, emotional live album of all my favourite Kata-classics. It actually took me a long time to even check this out because I was pissed off with 'Dead End Kings' and was having a Kata-slump. Once I actually checked it out, my jaw hit the floor. All my favourite tracks are here: Teargas, Gone, The Racing Heart, Unfurl, Evidence, etc etc. Listen to the very first line of the concert as Jonas Renkse sings, in that goddamn emotional voice, "Are you in or are you out? The words are stones in my mouth" and you're pretty much hearing what I like about emotional music. This is Kata-killer. 

 

[FatherAlabaster]

35 minutes ago, Requiem said:

Requiem's Top 10 Acoustic/Semi-Acoustic Albums from Metal Bands

So 'regular' metal bands (and Alice in Chains) who have released a 'special' album, or disk in a double album release, that can be considered acoustic, semi-acoustic or deliberately subtle and non-metal. The bands' quieter experiments, if you will. 

 

10. Eluvietie - 'Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion' (2009)

When I heard that the Eluvs were doing this album I got really excited because I thought with their numerous folk instrumentalists that many great things could happen. Well, it turns out to be a bit disappointing. 'Omnos' is an absolute spine-tingler of a track, and overall this album is cool, but you need to be very patient to get anything out of it. I find myself respecting each individual track, but I start wanting to turn it off by about the 25 minute mark. I wish this band would cap all their albums at the 45 minute mark. They never do though. 

9. Anathema - 'Hindsight' (2008)

This is definitely a cool release, but is also now a bit sinister, as it shows where they start to fancy themselves as songsmiths more like Dylan than Holmes (as in the Nick variety). Needless to say my favourite songs from it are those taken from 'Eternity', 'Alternative 4' and 'Judgement', but I don't like any of these versions more than their originals. 

8. Finntroll - 'Visor Om Slutet' (2003)

Similar scenario to Eluvietie, I was really excited for this but was disappointed overall, but not quite as much. It's very synthy for a supposedly semi-acoustic album. Still, it's got that great forest/troll atmosphere, which I think everyone on this website hates except me, but I love it. I think this is Somnium's last contribution to the band before he took that fatal plunge off a bridge... 

7. Opeth - 'Damnation' (2003)

This has sort of grown on me over time, but I still think they were in a position to do more with this album. 'Windowpane' is brilliant, and overall it's nice and haunting. I wish there was a more acoustic/folky feel though, like an acoustic 'Morningrise' or something. Still, this is a cool release. 

6. Moonspell - disk two of 'Alpha Noir/Omega Black' (2012)

This is where the quality takes a huge jump. This isn't really semi-acoustic, but it's a soft second disk of the double album by these Portuguese wolves and it's great. In fact, I like it better than the 'heavy' disk. Songs like 'Fireseason' really strip away the theatrics and focus on the band's songwriting and the outcome is, if not excellence, at least high quality. 

5. Alice in Chains - 'Jar of Flies' (1994)

It says a lot that this band - call them grunge/hard rock or what-have-you - can out emotion nearly every other band out there who pride themselves on feels. Ok, they aren't really a metal band, I understand this, but I just can't leave this gem out. Layne and Jerry are at the top of their games, with this coming off the back of 'Dirt'. The whole 'Dirt'/'Jar of Flies' 1-2 is one of rock music's great doubles. Anyway, songs like 'Rotten Apples', 'Nutshell' and the glorious instrumental 'Whale and Wasp' pretty much slay everything in this list from 6-10. 

4. Ulver - 'Kveldsannger' (1996)

The final part of the 'trilogy', this is haunting, rugged and authentic. You can almost smell the woodsmoke in the forest cabin as you sip meap and commune with Norway's history. Garm does lots of humming and aaaaahhh-ing, and it all sounds great. This is truly acoustic too. What a band. 

3. Empyrium - 'Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays' (1999)

If I'm being fair, this album is a bit of a rip-off of the one above it, but I think it's better. This is more polished and more emotional, and the Brothers Grimm in the Black Forest vibe of these acoustic odes to medieval sylvan tragedy are scarily evocative. If you're looking for acoustic folk this is as good as it gets (for me). 

2. Swallow the Sun - disk two of 'Songs from the North' (2015)

The whole triple album from Swallow the Sun is epic, and mostly awesome. The first disk is regular StS, the middle disk (this one) is acoustic, and the final disk is pretty much funeral doom. This disk is close to my favourite, and really highlights some great songwriting moments. The track 'Pray for the Winds to Come' should be played at my funeral.

1. Katatonia - 'Sanctitude' (2015)

A haunting, professional, and above all, emotional live album of all my favourite Kata-classics. It actually took me a long time to even check this out because I was pissed off with 'Dead End Kings' and was having a Kata-slump. Once I actually checked it out, my jaw hit the floor. All my favourite tracks are here: Teargas, Gone, The Racing Heart, Unfurl, Evidence, etc etc. Listen to the very first line of the concert as Jonas Renkse sings, in that goddamn emotional voice, "Are you in or are you out? The words are stones in my mouth" and you're pretty hearing what I like about emotional music. This is Kata-killer. 

 

I've been avoiding Sanctitude, but I suppose I'll have to give it a shot. I think I like Damnation more than you do, but having said that I've misplaced my CD and haven't listened to it in years, so I guess I don't care about it that much - either way, it beats the stuffing out of their newer albums IMO. To my recollection, Kveldssanger is the middle installment of the "Trilogie" rather than the final chapter, another one that I loved when I was a teenager but haven't revisited in a while. And as far as AIC goes, the Unplugged recording really takes the cake for acoustic versions IMO, despite/because of Layne's obvious struggles with the material.

[Requiem]

47 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I've been avoiding Sanctitude, but I suppose I'll have to give it a shot. I think I like Damnation more than you do, but having said that I've misplaced my CD and haven't listened to it in years, so I guess I don't care about it that much - either way, it beats the stuffing out of their newer albums IMO. To my recollection, Kveldssanger is the middle installment of the "Trilogie" rather than the final chapter, another one that I loved when I was a teenager but haven't revisited in a while. And as far as AIC goes, the Unplugged recording really takes the cake for acoustic versions IMO, despite/because of Layne's obvious struggles with the material.

Yeah, woops, 'Kveldy' is album number two. Oh man what a trilogy. It's sort of where my enjoyment of Ulver ends too (that is, after the three albums). 

I really love AIC 'Unplugged' too, but overall I like the added lushness of 'Flies'. And Layne sounds way better on 'Flies'. But yeah, their unplugged album is my favourite of the MTV Unpluggeds by far. It's great. 

[Thrashman]

22 minutes ago, Requiem said:

I really love AIC 'Unplugged' too, but overall I like the added lushness of 'Flies'. And Layne sounds way better on 'Flies'. But yeah, their unplugged album is my favourite of the MTV Unpluggeds by far. It's great. 

I'm not generally a fan of live albums, let alone acoustic ones, but AIC Unplugged is indeed great.

[Thrashman]

Oldskool Thrash Metal

Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Slayer - South of Heaven
Sepultura - Arise
Metallica - And Justice For All
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Kreator - Coma of Souls
Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
Sepultura - Beneath the Remains
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss

Oldskool Death Metal

Death - Scream Bloody Gore
Death - Symbolic
Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade
Obliveon - From This Day Forward
Morta Skuld - Dying Remains
Gorguts - Considered Dead
Desultory - Into Eternity
Morta Skuld - As Humanity Fades
Carcass - Necroticism
Obituary - Cause of Death

Modern Metal

Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
Evoken - Antithesis of Light
Carcass - Surgical Steel
Evoken - Embrace the Emptiness
Krypts - Remnants of Expansion
Soulskinner - Descent to Abaddon
Ataraxy - Revelations of the Ethereal
Evoken - Quietus
Obituary - Inked in Blood
Memoriam - For the Fallen

[Requiem]

Requiem's (Epic Post) Top 10 Cradle of Filth Albums

Few bands in the metal landscape cause such division as the evil elf Dani and his band of interchangeable knob-jobs. Here are the lows to highs as seen by (out of the closet) goth Requiem, a fan of the band for 22 years.

10. Damnation and a Day (2003) / Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa (2010) / The Manticore and Other Horrors (2012)

Oh dear oh dear. Firstly, 'Damnation...' is the band's Sony debut and swansong, and it's dire. There are two men to blame for this: the first is Doug Cook for one of the world's worst production jobs, (check out the velvety patter of the kick drums and the power-tool-through-a-wet-blanket guitars). The other is guitarist and riff-writer Paul Allender who turned a once lush band into the driest desert imaginable. For years I struggled to find a proper adjective to describe this guy's riffs, and believe it or not, I found it in the youtube comments section when someone referred to his riffs as 'dry'. I thought, that's it exactly. They're dry. More on him later. 'Damnation...' is bloated at 77 long minutes of boredom. Even the orchestral interludes are shite. What a disaster. The other two albums here are almost completely forgettable and offer nothing much to anybody. 'Manticore' is pretty well produced, and 'Venus' has the fairly happening 'Persecution Song' but god, would someone get rid of Paul 'bland riff' Allender. Riffs so dry I need a glass of water just thinking about them. 

9. Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder (2008)

The only reason this album doesn't sit in the same cesspool as the ones mentioned above is because the first two songs 'Shat out of Hell' and 'The Death of Love' are bloody marvellous. The album cover is an abomination (check it out - it's terrible), and the rest of this is poor to below average. Partly composed by computer-orchestra stool sample Mark Newby-Robson, who isn't even in the band, these are works of mediocrity. Seriously, how Paul Allender lasted so long in this band is anyone's guess. He seems a competent enough guitarist, but his riffs are just dry, chugging, and banal. 

8. Thornography (2006)

This is actually not a bad album and I do enjoy parts of it. Its best moment is 'The Byronic Man' with Ville Valo from HIM providing guest vocals. The fact that he's turning up on this album says a lot about where Cradle in 2006 were = pretty lost. 'Lovesick for Mina' (as in Mina Harker from 'Dracula) is also very impressive. This is a decent collection of songs, and well above the albums listed from 9-10. 

7. Nymphetamine (2004)

A surprisingly good album in parts, but oh so boring in the long-run. The title track is killer with Liv Kristine (ex Theatre of Tragedy) providing guest vocals, and more gothic songs like 'English Fire' sound romantic and beautiful. Opener 'Gilded Cunt' is absolutely amazing if you ask me. Great song. There's plenty of filler material on this though, don't worry about that, and at 75 minutes you're going to want to top yourself before you reach the end. Cool cover.

6. Hammer of the Witches (2015)

A huge breath of fresh air with the two new guitarists, this is a fantastic album. It would be much higher on the list but we're coming to classic Cradle so it stays at number six. The twin guitar sound is back and the orchestration is fitting and artistically honest. God it makes a difference. This album is really really good. Great song about the Crusades too in 'Onward Christian Soldiers'. One of my favourite moments in dark music occurs twice in 'Deflowering the Maidenhead...' during that quiet keyboardy moment with the line "This judgement has come from on high". Spine-tingling. 

5. The Principle of Evil Made Flesh (1994)

The debut gets a lot more praise than I think it really deserves. It's exciting as hell, no doubt, and those keyboard interludes back in 1996 (when I first heard the album) were stunning. The roughness is a bit of a problem though, because I've never considered Cradle a black metal band, and I don't think they really do the blackish thing very well. Still, credit where it's due, and for a bunch of teenagers to manage to create something so iconic (check out that unmatched cover art) is quite something. 

4. Midian (2000)

The last great album before they chased the Sony dollars (well, pounds I guess). This has a new drummer in Adrian Erlandsson, and Paul Allender isn't able to ruin it because Gian Pyres is still here from 'Cruelty' keeping the riffs hot. There are some magic moments on this album. Check out the interlude/bridge narration in 'Lord Abortion', or the end of 'Tortured Soul Asylum'. Just an amazing album. 

3. V Empire (1996)

Supposedly an EP, but at 36:25 it's longer than 'Reign in Blood' and 'Rubber Soul', so I'm calling it an album. This is the first I heard of the band when it just came out and my friends and I were floored. 'The Forest Whispers My Name', much improved since 'Principle..' launches into 'Queen of Winter, Throned', and there is just a sense of excitement and quality to the whole thing. I remember hearing this for the first time, clear as day. 

2. Cruelty and the Beast (1998) 

This isn't just a fantastic Cradle album, it's a British metal classic. Nick Barker's last album with the band (gosh he would be missed), the epic scope of this album is virtually still unmatched to this day. If there's a better gothic metal song that 'Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids' then I've yet to hear it. The 'Bathory Aria' is also a masterpiece. 

1. Dusk and Her Embrace (1996)

Their meisterwerk. From the haunting album artwork to a production so delicious you can lick it up, this is the true gothic metal classic. 'A Gothic Romance', 'Funeral in Carpathia' and the title track. Wow. This album is all tangled up with great memories for me, but even now when I put it on the quality shines through. When those opening gothic keyboards of 'Humana Inspired to Nightmare' begin I'm transported. 

 

Special mention to Dani Filth's lyrics. He cops a lot of crap - perhaps rightly - for his odd gnomish ways, but if you're into dark poetry check out 'Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids', 'A Gothic Romance' and 'Lord Abortion'. The rhymes, the puns, the play on words that incorporate cheeky Shakespearean and Byronic phrases all suggest a genuinely gifted writer.

An example: "I should compare thee to a warm summer's day, but to the letter, it is better to lichen her name to a grave". First we have the basic line from a Shakespearean sonnet, then the rhyming of letter and better, then the pun of liken/lichen, with the implication of this person's name being inscribed on a mossy tombstone. I mean, christ, it's brilliant. 

 

[Ecthelion]

Probably the best analysis I've seen of the band.

[Requiem]

5 minutes ago, Ecthelion said:

Probably the best analysis I've seen of the band.

That's a really nice thing to say. Thanks man.

[Requiem]

Top 10 Official Mayhem Releases Both Studio and Live

Definitely one of my top five bands of all time, my expansive collection of releases and memorabilia is well known to be particularly dear to my blackened and broken heart. But have I ever really thought deeply about the degree to which I worship each release, and the order in which I would place them? Here is my assessment of their best official releases:

10. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive - Live Album (2016)

Firstly, both 'Ordo ad Chao' and 'Esoteric Warfare', their last two studio albums, fail to make my top ten. The former is an indecipherable mess, the latter is a clinical and soulless expression of fairly lame self-parody written by some random called Teloch. This recent live release, however, brings the goods. Originally only available from the band's website, the songs are all time classics and the production here is fantastic, as the current line-up admirably plays through the classic album from first track to last. But with guitarists Teloch and Ghul sounding like a couple of blokes down at the Guitar Centre playing the riffs, it doesn't quite have the magic of the source material. It's a great little release though. The excellent purplish cover based on the original is tasty and haunting. 

9. European Legions - Live/Pre-Production Studio Album (2001)

Half a live album with the Maniac/Blasphemer line-up, with the other half made up of pre-production tracks from 'Grand Declaration of War', this is a competent and unexpected release that sounds great and captures the band's live aggression very effectively. The half-baked versions of album songs are surprisingly listenable. This was also released as 'US Legions'. It's an odd little half and halfer, but I really like it. Cover is a nice play on the 'Grand Declaration...' theme. 

8. Chimera - Studio Album (2004)

After the experimental 'Grand Declaration...' album, this was more focused, tighter and heavier, but ultimately not quite as good. Songs like 'My Death' are amazing, with the whole band on fire and generally communicating the essence of the band very well. Great production and some iconic band member portraits in the awesome gatefold style CD digipak that I have. The cover is a very mysteriis (sic) beast that isn't really a Chimera but looks cool all the same. The inlay photo of those nuns running away from something is fucking amazing. 

7. Mediolanum Capta Est - Live Album (1999)

A stunning live album, Maniac and Blasphemer have a maniacal fire in their blaspheming bellies as they razor-wire their way through the songs. It always amazes me how this band have had genuinely great guitarist/vocalist doubles - with the unfortunate exception of the current era. This release has all the band's best tracks played with great passion. Amazing to think this came out only 6 years after Euronymous' death. Iconic cover of Maniac in full self-harming flight, sliding a blade down his torso. These days we get Watain with their 'evil' contact lenses... 

6. Wolf's Lair Abyss - Studio EP (1997)

Hard to believe this came out only 4 years after Euronymous' death! By today's release standards it would be virtually unthinkable that it would come out so soon. This EP features only Hellhammer from the previous release ('De Mysteriis...') which is a hell of a thing when you think about how good 'Wolf's Lair' is (obviously Necrobutcher and Maniac have been members/contributors prior to this, so it's not as if they're new). Songs like 'Fall of Seraphs' and 'Ancient Skin' have the feel. Blasphemer deserves so much credit in my book. Cover is a simple band logo style that's effective and unpretentious and the fold-out inlay is simply killer. 

5. Live in Zeitz - Live Album (2016)

Recorded with the classic line-up of Dead, Euro, Necro and Hellsy, I was very excited when I found out Peaceville were releasing it officially (now we just have to wait for the Sarpsborg show to follow suit). This is one of the four live shows featuring Dead (I'm not counting Turkey which only lasted a couple of songs), and it's oh so special because of that fact. The production here is very poor, understandably, as it's obviously been pulled from some musty and degrading tape somewhere, but the songs and the charisma of the performers remain untainted. Cover is a great shot of Euronymous but it's ultimately fairly poorly presented. The colours suck and I think Peaceville could have done better. Liner notes are great though. 

4. Grand Declaration of War - Studio Album (2000)

They needed to do something quite radical in this full-length follow-up to the genre classic. They could have ripped off the old sound or done something new, and they took the hard road, but wow what an outcome. This album is so much fun to listen to, with Maniac's pompous oratory, Hellhammer's insanely triggered drums, Blasphemer's eclectic riffage and poor old Necrobutcher's bass somewhere in the background, 'And Justice for All' style. This is a great achievement, and triumphs even more in 2017 than it did in 2000 when I first bought it. Iconic cover of the dove in barbed wire. Amazing. 

3. Deathcrush - Studio EP (1987)

Their first release is so goddamn good, I can't get over it. Like a fine wine, it gets better every year. Maniac's vocals are insane and bless my heart Euronymous twists those riffs like only he can. The intro 'Silvester Anfang' haunts my dreams to this day, and nothing can ever take away the memory of hearing those first tones pump out when I saw the band live in 2001. Famously, the first pressing of this had the disturbing but cool artwork come out in bright pink rather than blood red in a classic Spinal Tap moment. 

2. Live in Liepzig - Live Album (1993)

Similar set to the 'Zeitz' show, but this one just has a sheen of quality to it that moves it from interesting document into absolute classic. The classic line-up, the classic songs, the classic intro to 'Freezing Moon': "When it's cold, and when it's dark....". Probably the best black metal cover of all time with Dead carrying that candelabrum. This is Dead's true epitaph. 

1. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas - Studio Album (1994)

And here it is. The perfect black metal album? Let's see. The perfect Grieghallen production by Pytten. The perfect drum sound and performance. The perfect riffs. The perfect songs. The perfect song order. The perfect singer? Depends. Chilling album artwork. An achievement. A pinnacle. A triumph. Hail Euronymous. 

 

[BlutAusNerd]

I can get behind your top 4, and agree with them completely. However, Wolf's Lair Abyss and Chimera are the turds in Mayhem's discography AFAIC. Esoteric Warfare isn't great, but it's still head and shoulders above those two for me, and Ordo Ad Chao is fantastic. They should have become more adventurous like that after Grand Declaration of War and skipped over the middling and dull Chimera entirely, and Wolf's Lair Abyss is one of the most awkward lineup transitions ever. Where you would say Ordo Ad Chao is a jumbled mess, I would say that it's murky and creepy brilliance and Wolf's Lair Abyss is the clusterfuck of a band no longer being the same band trying to prove that they still could be Mayhem, but failing. Without Euronymous, Mayhem only succeeded at being more experimental IMO.

[Requiem]

6 hours ago, BlutAusNerd said:

I can get behind your top 4, and agree with them completely. However, Wolf's Lair Abyss and Chimera are the turds in Mayhem's discography AFAIC. Esoteric Warfare isn't great, but it's still head and shoulders above those two for me, and Ordo Ad Chao is fantastic. They should have become more adventurous like that after Grand Declaration of War and skipped over the middling and dull Chimera entirely, and Wolf's Lair Abyss is one of the most awkward lineup transitions ever. Where you would say Ordo Ad Chao is a jumbled mess, I would say that it's murky and creepy brilliance and Wolf's Lair Abyss is the clusterfuck of a band no longer being the same band trying to prove that they still could be Mayhem, but failing. Without Euronymous, Mayhem only succeeded at being more experimental IMO.

I have an 'Ordo ad Chao' t-shirt which I can only wear ironically. Do you want it? Being the Mayhem tragic that I am, I've tried that album so many times over the years but find it harder to start than my old lawnmower. 'Chimera' is largely harmless and often really good fun. 'Esoteric Warfare' has a huge identity crisis, and I'm surprised you can tolerate it (EDIT: I see you actually refer to it as not great). It's Teloch trying his best to write in the style of Blasphemer at his worst, which is about as far away from the Mayhem essence as they can get. The result is somewhat listenable but ultimately so sterile and paint-by-numbers that it's hard to get into. 'Wolf's Lair' is awesome to me. 

[BlutAusNerd]

5 hours ago, Requiem said:

I have an 'Ordo ad Chao' t-shirt which I can only wear ironically. Do you want it? Being the Mayhem tragic that I am, I've tried that album so many times over the years but find it harder to start than my old lawnmower. 'Chimera' is largely harmless and often really good fun. 'Esoteric Warfare' has a huge identity crisis, and I'm surprised you can tolerate it (EDIT: I see you actually refer to it as not great). It's Teloch trying his best to write in the style of Blasphemer at his worst, which is about as far away from the Mayhem essence as they can get. The result is somewhat listenable but ultimately so sterile and paint-by-numbers that it's hard to get into. 'Wolf's Lair' is awesome to me. 

Teloch relies too heavily on the stop-start gimmick and does try to pull off those rushing Blasphemer 16th note charges, but succeed much at either of them. Then again, that's what Blasphemer did with Wolf's Lair Abyss, he tried to step into Euronymous' shoes, but failed hard. It wasn't until he let his own style breathe on Grand Declaration that the second generation of Mayhem succeeded. He bitched out in that regard on Chimera (then again, so did Maniac), but let his own style breathe again on Ordo Ad Chao. Hopefully they grow into their new guitar player with their next album like they did on the transition from Wolf's Lair Abyss to Grand Declaration of War, I just wish their guitar player transition releases weren't so rough.

[Requiem]

On 06/08/2017 at 0:47 PM, BlutAusNerd said:

Teloch relies too heavily on the stop-start gimmick and does try to pull off those rushing Blasphemer 16th note charges, but succeed much at either of them. Then again, that's what Blasphemer did with Wolf's Lair Abyss, he tried to step into Euronymous' shoes, but failed hard. It wasn't until he let his own style breathe on Grand Declaration that the second generation of Mayhem succeeded. He bitched out in that regard on Chimera (then again, so did Maniac), but let his own style breathe again on Ordo Ad Chao. Hopefully they grow into their new guitar player with their next album like they did on the transition from Wolf's Lair Abyss to Grand Declaration of War, I just wish their guitar player transition releases weren't so rough.

I love Mayhem - they're one of my favourite bands - but I honestly think it's time they broke up. On the one hand they still have Helhammer, Necro and Attila, which gives a great deal of authenticity to the project, but outsourcing the music composition to Teloch... it could be anyone really. And Attila's lyrics are just too personal to him and esoteric (read lame) to us; they don't mean anything in the context of 'Mayhem'.

Their last two albums are real dross and it's abundantly clear that they're still going just to cash a pay check. Even their live shows are lame and oh so tired these days and I've seen them maybe half a dozen times. 

Reading Necrobutcher's amazing pictorial book of the 1984-1994 years has only reinforced this in my mind. It's time to say goodbye before they tarnish the legacy any further.

[BlutAusNerd]

8 hours ago, Requiem said:

I love Mayhem - they're one of my favourite bands - but I honestly think it's time they broke up. On the one hand they still have Helhammer, Necro and Attila, which gives a great deal of authenticity to the project, but outsourcing the music composition to Teloch... it could be anyone really. And Attila's lyrics are just too personal to him and esoteric (read lame) to us; they don't mean anything in the context of 'Mayhem'.

Their last two albums are real dross and it's abundantly clear that they're still going just to cash a pay check. Even their live shows are lame and oh so tired these days and I've seen them maybe half a dozen times. 

Reading Necrobutcher's amazing pictorial book of the 1984-1994 years has only reinforced this in my mind. It's time to say goodbye before they tarnish the legacy any further.

Again, I have to disagree. I've seen them 3 times with the current lineup, and they've been good each time, with the De Mysteriis from start to finish show being excellent. I don't think we'll see eye to eye on Ordo Ad Chao anytime soon, but I think it's brilliant, and I know I'm not the only one. Esoteric Warfare is definitely lacking, but no more so than Wolf's Lair Abyss or Chimera, it's still decent. I wouldn't mind seeing if they can improve upon it with Teloch, or replace him with someone else, but there's no reason for them to throw in the towel.