What Are You Listening To?

[AlSymerz]

I just listened to KK's Priest for the second time in as many days to see if things changed with subsequent listens.

I still think this is probably one of Ripper's better moments, although there are few brief moments where I think he's pushing too high for himself.

The twanging is good and about what I expect from KK after the debut album. Is it any better or worse than his younger days? Well it's not worse, he's still got good guitar chops, but I don't know that's it's better either.

Although the track listing is short, only 9 songs, the album still comes in over 40 minutes, but to me it drags on a bit with the last two or three songs. For me it's an album of two halves, the fist half being better than the second.

[Nasty_Cabbage]

I rather enjoy Uada. Them being from Portland doesn't help with the hipster following, unfortunately. Not much can really be done to combat it. They're like the rodents you sometimes see in heavy urban centers who've learned not to be afraid of people. It's kind of pointless to dwell on it since, even if you detect notes of insincerity in the adoption of any broader genre, you're never going to be able to prove or disprove one's individual's actual feelings toward the music. Like a lot of metal genres through the years you have to assume the passage of time will gradually prove those feelings one way or another as it becomes less and less useful as an accessory or fashion statement.  

NP: Ravenrealm - An Oath Passed in Twilight

https://ancientheartrecords.bandcamp.com/album/an-oath-passed-in-twilight

And speaking of sincerity, I think I've been so spoiled by deliberately "bad" production values that still benefit somewhat from current recording standards that it's hard for me to remember just what recordings sounded like when those values were born out of necessity and not an attempt to ply the listener with crudeness. I can say that the quality here is unabashedly bad and often to the overall detriment of the songs. That said, there's a lot here that I can appreciate. Both guitars are audible, the rhythms are varied enough to hold most reasonable attention spans, and, feature or flaw, there's a little flourish and charm here owing to the unassuming production.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

1 hour ago, Dead1 said:

Asinhell -  Impii Hora    Groovy riffy death thrash. 

I came very close to posting this one the other night, but then I learned it's the main Volbeat dude's side project death metal album. Don't know why I let that affect how I was hearing it, but I did finish it. After it was over I found some other stuff that I was more excited about so I ended up posting that instead. But I'll agree it was a pretty good album. I'll probably give it another shot at some point. I'm not even exactly sure who Volbeat is tbh, but I know I've heard their name around some years back and I believe they're a mainstream band that just kinda skulks around on the outskirts of metal. 

 

3 hours ago, navybsn said:

As a devotee of black metal moreso than any other current genre on the board, I can say that it is flooded by too much mediocrity and has more bands/projects floating by on reputation than substance. It's still hip to be into bm and I think that contributes. There's tons of great bands out there and the occasional implementation of genre tropes in a pleasing way, but not much that gets me excited to go slaughter a few Christians or burn a historic church. Those post-2010 acts with discographies more than 2-3 deep are exceedingly rare. Same could be said for all genres, I probably just noticed it more in bm. Haven't really had anything "light ye fires of hell" this year although I haven't had the time to do any real deep expeditions into the wilderness that guys like GG and Surge frequent as in years past. DM is easier and doesn't require much thought as I'm just looking to headbang. Same for trad metal.

I agree there's a lot of mediocrity to sort through and weed out, and plenty of complete waste of time type stuff as well. Yet I'm having a pretty good time this year finding stuff that engorges me. My "short list" that I'll go back through at the end of the year to make my final black metal list from currently stands at 56 deep with 3 months to go. But then I suppose my standards for what counts as "the good stuff" for black metal are a bit easier to meet than yours I'm sure. Or anyone else's around here for that matter. I find "the "good stuff" in death metal much harder to find because I know what I want from my death metal and the majority of the new stuff I come across just doesn't give it to me. Trad metal's not even on my radar at all, at least not any 21st century trad metal, so I don't have to waste any time sifting through that stuff like some of you guys do.

 

NP: Tetragrammacide - Primal Incinerators of Moral Matrix, India

 

[Dead1]

17 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

 I believe they're a mainstream band that just kinda skulks around on the outskirts of metal. 

Pretty much.  The guy involved in Asinhell was previously in a death turned groove band called Dominus.

 

In fact all of the current Volbeat line up and many of their previous members have played in a variety of death metal acts.

Probably explains why they sound so contrived - metal guys often struggle to capture the groove and swing of hard rock.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Heart - Bebe le Strange, 1980. Their 5th album, I saw them in Colombia South Carolina on this tour when I was flunking out of USC.

 

[AlSymerz]

Can't listen to anything. The PC speakers aren't loud enough to compete with the rain on the roof at the moment.

[Arioch]

Gamerra - Tedium (2023)

Gamerra is a thrash band from Lafayette, Louisiana. Tedium is a 6-track, 37-minute EP. Musically, it's a bit all over the place, but I like the way they do it. There's a drum machine, but it's not as annoying as it often is.

[Innominate]

DHG - 666 International

 

[Arioch]

Grave - Into the Grave (1991)

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Temple of Void - Lords of Death, Detroit death 2017

 

Death Fortress - Triumph of the Undying, black/death NJ 2017

 

[Sheol]

On 9/30/2023 at 4:03 AM, Nasty_Cabbage said:

NP: Mesmur - Chthonic

https://solitudeproductions.bandcamp.com/album/chthonic

 

What a wonderfully weird cover. Feels like something from an issue of  2000AD. Any idea who made it?

[navybsn]

9 hours ago, Nasty_Cabbage said:

I rather enjoy Uada. Them being from Portland doesn't help with the hipster following, unfortunately. Not much can really be done to combat it. They're like the rodents you sometimes see in heavy urban centers who've learned not to be afraid of people. It's kind of pointless to dwell on it since, even if you detect notes of insincerity in the adoption of any broader genre, you're never going to be able to prove or disprove one's individual's actual feelings toward the music. Like a lot of metal genres through the years you have to assume the passage of time will gradually prove those feelings one way or another as it becomes less and less useful as an accessory or fashion statement.

I've enjoyed UADA every time I've seen them live. They're a tight band and most of it works reasonably well in the right setting, but on the last few albums I'm getting nothing. I've really no problem with hipsters and tourists either. To each his own. They don't bother me much as I make my own evaluations/decisions. They do however contribute gaseous emissions to said artists to huff and inflate their sense of importance if you will and thereby degrade the music. Bands are always better when they're young and hungry (and on heroin). Once they start getting exaggerated adulation, the output begins to decline. Celebrated mediocrity only hastens the phenomenon. Certainly not saying bands shouldn't be celebrated, but the path is littered with examples of those who got a little too high on their own supply.

 

Spectre (Aus) - Lonesome Gambler - FFO Hallas. Late 70s - early 80s prog tinged trad metal. 4 song EP. Vocals aren't the best, but it all works together fairly well.

Lonesome Gambler | Spectre | Dying Victims Productions (bandcamp.com)

Sceptre - Vision Master - riffy tunes with a decided old school production quality. Not crazy about the vocals, but the guitar heroics are reasonably decent.

SCEPTRE | Vision Master (bandcamp.com)

[MacabreEternal]

The Suns Journey Through the Night - Crawling Nebula of Dismal Light (2020)

 

[MacabreEternal]

6 hours ago, Sheol said:

What a wonderfully weird cover. Feels like something from an issue of  2000AD. Any idea who made it?

 

Vladislav Cadaversky

[navybsn]

John Prine - Paradise

 

[Nasty_Cabbage]

18 hours ago, SurgicalBrute said:

Yeah brother, I think we talked about it when Djinn came out and we basically both came to the same opinion. Devoid of Light was pretty solid, but each follow up album seems to be weaker than the last. My comment about them being propped up was more in regards to how most people seem to be thinking just the opposite, to the point I recently saw someone refer to Djinn as a "modern day masterpiece". Considering the direction they're moving in, comments like that make me wonder a bit about the taste of their fan base, and if its the increasing emphasis on the non-black metal elements that's making them seem more and more appealing.

 

Solipnosis - Sintesis Silenciosa

Proggy blackened death thrash (if there is such a thing) from Chile. You guys on the weirder end of the music spectrum might enjoy this

https://virupi.bandcamp.com/album/sintesis-silenciosa

 

Took me a second to get back to this, but I knew I wanted to listen based on the rec. This is pretty bloody good. I like how you wouldn't really turn your head at this stuff broken down riff by riff, but the weird factor comes from how they're put together. It almost borders on straight blackened thrash in some spots. Other places it gives off a riffy galloping death vibe. It's like that quiet kid in kindergarten who built a tower out of lincoln logs, jenga pieces, legos, and hot wheel tracks. Impressive that it stands at all, and that it's actually pretty solid is even more baffling. Definitely my kind of thing. Good stuff.

[MacabreEternal]

Daeva - Through Sheer Will and Black Magic (2022)

 

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

BAD BRAINS - Live At CBGB

...the fucking BEST....PMA!!!!!

 

THE DEAD BOYS - Live At CBGB

 

[Kristiko]

Deftones - Adrenaline (album)

[Serpentboi1992]

[Dead1]

Spiritworld - Deathwestern

[AlSymerz]

Alice Copper - Road

[JamesT]

KK's Priest - "The Sinner Rides Again"

HammerFall - "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken"

HammerFall - "Threshold"

Primal Fear - "Nuclear Fire"

Primal Fear - "Black Sun"

Traditional heavy metal abounds!

[RelentlessOblivion]

November’s Doom - The Knowing

[AlSymerz]

C.O.F.F.I. N - Australia Stops