What Are You Listening To?

[AlSymerz]

F5 - Reckoning

[FatherAlabaster]

Vestígio - Vestígios

[JamesT]

DragonForce - "Warp Speed Warriors"

Absolutely love this album!  "Power of the Triforce" is great, and "Astro Warrior Anthem" and "Kingdom of Steel" are up there with the best songs these guys have ever recorded.  And the epic, melodic greatness they've given us fans over the years has been abundant.  

[RelentlessOblivion]

Blestemet - Poisonous Metal EP (2024) {Sweden}

Suitably evil, very reminiscent of those early Immortal albums in places

 

Halni - Zerot (2024) {Poland}

More in line with modern BM This one was a little bit more on atmosphere, still pretty decent if you ask methis one was a little bit more on atmosphere, still pretty decent if you ask me

[AlSymerz]

Oxygen Destroyer - Besital Manifestations Of Malevolemce And Death

[Thatguy]

OCULI MELANCHOLIARUM - Euphorbia. Noice but probably too nice for most of you savages.

ILAT MAHRU - Ilat Mahru. OK but would be so much better if it were better produced. That is, if it didn't sound like shit.

ANGRRSTH - Donikad. No complaints.

NP - CROWN OF ASTERIA - Cypher. I thought this would be weird and weird it is, but in a good way I think.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Ondfet - Oldfet Ep (2024) {Finland}

Mostly decent FinnBlack, i’m taking points away for some weird out of place breakdowns though.

Hellgate Necrosodomy - The Annihilation Deliverance (2024) {Finland}

Ok i’ll admit I initially misheard this band as Hellgoat Necrosodomy which would have been a much better name if you ask me, aside from that this isn’t bad blackened DM

[RexKeltoi]

 

[Nasty_Cabbage]

NP: Korgonthuras - Jumalhaaska

▶︎ Jumalhaaska | Korgonthurus | Woodcut Records (bandcamp.com)

One of these days I swear I'm going to learn a Scandinavian language. With all kinds of different software options available I really have no excuse anymore.

Any case, I'm almost immediately reminded of Satyricon's Dark Medieval Times from this one, which is a little odd because for some reason that record in particular has always a peculiarly distinct sound, not just among Satyricon albums, but in black metal as a whole. I couldn't tell you why though. So it's really strange getting that vibe here with better production. It's kind of like finding a death metal band that can do a passing imitation of Demilich. It's just not a sound most newer bands can emulate.

[AlSymerz]

Belushi Speed Ball - Stellkira

[Arioch]

Morbid - Year Of The Goat (1987)

 

[RelentlessOblivion]

Khold - Du Dømmes til DoDS (2024)

I didn’t even realise this album dropped until today, turns out I wasn’t actually missing anything

[Arioch]

Vio-Lence - Live at Blondies (2021)

[AlSymerz]

Zimmers Hole - Bound By Fire

[RelentlessOblivion]

Mòr - Hear the Hour Nearing (2024) {France}

There’s just something about French black metal that makes it so obvious French when you hear it, this doesn’t do anything all that different from any other band in the scene but it’s decent enough
 

Ancient Storm - Forever and Never (2024) {USA}

Blackened thrash, there is potential here but it probably suffers from lingering to long and some of the less interesting riffs

[JonoBlade]

17 hours ago, navybsn said:

 I go to local shows to support the scene. Don't always like the bands, but having a good local venue willing to support this kind of music and people willing to risk their money to bring these bands in is worth it to me.

This. There's a local venue to me that I respect the hell out of for their support of the scene and making ends meet through COVID etc. I'll go and see anything remotely metal even if I don't know the bands.

NP Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind

(Actually I'm currently sitting in a webinar about body image for mental health week. One of the speakers is transgender. I'm so progressive! But will go back to swans when it's over)

Wanted to follow up with @markm and @FatherAlabaster about how much I am enjoying this album. As promised I first listened to it on a 17 hour flight to Perth. I fell asleep but kind of welcomed that at the time.

It works great as music for my working day.

I seem to like it more than The Seer, which is already good.

Anymore recommendations on which to pick up next?

 

[AlSymerz]

Savage Messiah - Insurrection Rising

[Arioch]

Deicide - Banished By Sin (2024)

 

[markm]

2 hours ago, JonoBlade said:

This. There's a local venue to me that I respect the hell out of for their support of the scene and making ends meet through COVID etc. I'll go and see anything remotely metal even if I don't know the bands.

NP Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind

(Actually I'm currently sitting in a webinar about body image for mental health week. One of the speakers is transgender. I'm so progressive! But will go back to swans when it's over)

Wanted to follow up with @markm and @FatherAlabaster about how much I am enjoying this album. As promised I first listened to it on a 17 hour flight to Perth. I fell asleep but kind of welcomed that at the time.

It works great as music for my working day.

I seem to like it more than The Seer, which is already good.

Anymore recommendations on which to pick up next?

 

Glad you're enjoying it, John. It's such a bizarre and unique albums. Various Failures (88-92) is really good. It's easier to find White Light Mouth of Infinity and Love of Life ( I have a double disc which includes both) which Various Failures draws from, but Various Failures that F.A. turned me onto selects the best tracks from this era and has several unreleased tracks and tracks from EPs and such that make it more consistent overall.  You probably have The Great Annihilator and Children of God, but if you haven't heard those, they are both excellent albums. 

[FatherAlabaster]

32 minutes ago, markm said:

Glad you're enjoying it, John. It's such a bizarre and unique albums. Various Failures (88-92) is really good. It's easier to find White Light Mouth of Infinity and Love of Life ( I have a double disc which includes both) which Various Failures draws from, but Various Failures that F.A. turned me onto selects the best tracks from this era and has several unreleased tracks and tracks from EPs and such that make it more consistent overall.  You probably have The Great Annihilator and Children of God, but if you haven't heard those, they are both excellent albums. 

Agree with all of this. It's funny that Various Failures is now tough to track down. It used to be the only one you could find, and Love Of Life and White Light were out of print and massively expensive. 

@JonoBlade, one other rec. The "Swans Are Dead" live double album is all from sets in the mid to late 90s, and it's intense. Good recorded sound and great examples of how they pull apart and reimagine their songs for a live performance - everything is different from the studio versions. Lots of big post-rock buildups. A few songs from Soundtracks reappear in changed form. And some absolutely searing vocals from Jarboe. I remember in an interview she said something about how as Michael's vocals got more and more melodic, she felt the need to be more and more aggressive.

[Arioch]

Pentagram Chile - Eternal Life of Madness (2024)

 

[Arioch]

Altars of Annihilation - Sinarquies of Sion (2024)

 

[JamesT]

Enforced - "Kill Grid"

Enforced - "War Remains"

Angelus Apatrida - "Aftermath"

My top 2 new wave thrash bands never fail to deliver! 

[Arioch]

Cosmic Jaguar - The Order of the Jaguar (2023)

This Ukrainian progressive technical thrash quartet was a favorite last year, first with their EP, and then with their debut album, The Legacy of the Aztecs. 3 of its members are members of Bestial Invasion, a band practicing the same musical style, but in a much crazier vein.

These guys compose at the speed of a jaguar chasing its prey! I've already pre-ordered their second album, El era del Jaguar.

This band is an excellent surprise for fans of Sadist (Tribe period) or Atheist (Elements period).

 

[JamesT]

Evile - "The Unknown"