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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:16 am
Posts: 3118
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 2:41 pm 
 

Just wanted to start a thread for all my fellow Forbidden fans here to discuss one of my all-time favorite bands. I listen to their stuff a lot even to this day. I was really inspired by them and other similar bands to form my own thrash band with melodic singing and riffy, thrashy guitar work at a time when NO ONE was playing that kind of music any more. My band even covered one of their songs years ago and I'd love to do more:



1. Most fans see "Twisted into Form" as their pinnacle, but although I think that one is great, I think "Forbidden Evil" outshines it. Which of these two do you think is the band's best work and why? I really love the more aggressive riffing of the debut and I think the solos from Glen Alvelais are amazing. There are a few goofy solos on TiF that hamper the enjoyment a bit for me.

2. I have a bootleg from 93 that has them billed as "Forbidden Seed". Did they ever officially change their name to this? I know they changed from Forbidden Evil to Forbidden in the early days. Somewhere around 92/93, that Death Angel were being billed as D.A. so it's not unthinkable. I know thrash/metal bands around those years were desperate to break through and become more mainstream.

3. "Distortion" to me almost seems like a lost Nevermore album at times. Calvert wrote a lot of that dissonant melodic stuff and his writing is all over "Dreaming Neon Black". It's not a great album from start to finish but it has some great songs on there.

4. "Green" is the hardest Forbidden album to listen to and I can't say I get the urge to play it much but it does have some good material on there.

5. The demos written between TiF and Distortion are really great, in case some of you fans haven't listened to them. It was probably around 6-7 songs total. A lot of it was scrapped because it was written by Tim Calvert, and was very melodic. Craig thought it was "too much like Queensryche" and wanted Forbidden to stay heavier. It features some of Russ's best singing IMHO.

6. Does anyone have any suggestions for some albums/demos that sound like classic Forbidden? Scouring the net and http://www.thethrashmetalguide.com this is what I have come up with:

Vulture - Easier to Lie
Narcotic Greed - Fatal
Moshpit Justice - Justice is Served
Azotic Reign – Abstract Maledictions
The Outer Limits - World metal Domination

7. I'm probably alone here but I actually prefer Steve Jacobs drumming in Forbidden. Don't get me wrong, Bostaph was excellent and did nothing wrong, but he got MUCH better when he joined Slayer. Jacobs played all that old stuff perfectly live and really had a great style all his own.

8. Best Forbidden song? For me it's "Through Eyes of Glass", which is also the best thrash song ever IMHO. Amazing classy solo, great riffs, and perfect vocal melody. Twisted riffing but catchy at the same time. I'm very disappointed that none of the replacement guitarists ever played this solo correctly live.

9. "Hypnotized by the Rhythm" is one of the very best Forbidden songs and they should've included it in their set list when they reunited. Unfortunately, they preferred only their early material to the exclusion of some of their worthy later tracks.

10. BONUS: One of the most hilarious band promo pics I've ever seen:
Image
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 2:45 pm 
 

Forbidden Evil is the best Forbidden record. Fight me, assholes! (!!!)

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Diamhea
Eats and Spits Corpses

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 2:59 pm 
 

Twisted Into Form is obviously their masterwork, and one of the best albums to come out of early '90s thrash on the whole. The debut is really raw and unpolished, but Glen Alvelais is a great guitarist and it gives this one a distinct identity in their discography.

After Twisted, the band is pretty much forgettable. Distortion is unbelievably inconsistent, and Green is more or less average, just a better example of thrash bands incorporating some groove during the '90s and surviving with their integrity. I'd put it on par with Overkill's post-WFO period there.

The reunion album didn't do much for me. It didn't help that Russ is completely shot as a vocalist.

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SkullFracturingNightmare
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 3:57 pm 
 

The song Off the Edge alone keeps Forbidden Evil from being superior to Twisted into Form. Such a good song, but such an irritatingly obnoxious chorus.
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Dungeon_Vic
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 4:12 pm 
 

HUGE Forbidden fan here as well.

Temple Of Blood wrote:
1. Most fans see "Twisted into Form" as their pinnacle, but although I think that one is great, I think "Forbidden Evil" outshines it. Which of these two do you think is the band's best work and why?

For me it is the exact same situation as Flotsam and Jetsam or Annihilator, ie the first two are 10/10 masterpieces with their own merits and impossible to choose between them, except on very personal or sentimenal grounds. Overall, I give it to Forbidden Evil as well. There is nothing clear and obvious on which is the better album.

Quote:
2. I have a bootleg from 93 that has them billed as "Forbidden Seed". Did they ever officially change their name to this?

Just asked Craig Locicero, he replied "No". Btw, he is quite active on FB and usually answers questions happily. Also shares cool stories from time to time.

Quote:
3. "Distortion" to me almost seems like a lost Nevermore album at times. Calvert wrote a lot of that dissonant melodic stuff and his writing is all over "Dreaming Neon Black". It's not a great album from start to finish but it has some great songs on there.

Totally agree, I've said the same thing many times, that they did the Politics of Ecstasy thing 2 years earlier. I think it' a great album and has a very cool, dark vibe to it.

Quote:
5. The demos written between TiF and Distortion are really great, in case some of you fans haven't listened to them. It was probably around 6-7 songs total. A lot of it was scrapped because it was written by Tim Calvert, and was very melodic. Craig thought it was "too much like Queensryche" and wanted Forbidden to stay heavier. It features some of Russ's best singing IMHO.

Again, totally agree. I SO wish they would properly release them. Disillusions is such an awesome song.

Quote:
7. I'm probably alone here but I actually prefer Steve Jacobs drumming in Forbidden. Don't get me wrong, Bostaph was excellent and did nothing wrong, but he got MUCH better when he joined Slayer. Jacobs played all that old stuff perfectly live and really had a great style all his own.

Yeah, actually I really disagree here. Bostaph's best work for me is 100% Twisted Into Form, followed by Forbidden Evil. His drumming on Slayer wasn't anything special and the actual songs he plays on are even more forgetful (that's against later-era Slayer of course, not Bostaph).

Quote:
8. Best Forbidden song? For me it's "Through Eyes of Glass", which is also the best thrash song ever IMHO. Amazing classy solo, great riffs, and perfect vocal melody. Twisted riffing but catchy at the same time. I'm very disappointed that none of the replacement guitarists ever played this solo correctly live.

Difficult to say... Chalice of Blood, Through Eyes of Glass and Forbidden Evil from FE and Twisted into Form and R.I.P. from TiF make up my top 5. I'll go equally apeshit over any of those songs!
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Dungeon_Vic
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 4:19 pm 
 

I should also add: Raw Evil is one of the best live performances in metal. And so is the entire material from Ultimate Revenge II.
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Vic's Dungeon - Remember the Fallen:
Jeff Hanneman: Evil Notes and Sad Riffs
Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
Paul Baloff (Exodus)
Holy Terror and Keith Deen
Roger Patterson (Atheist)

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Spiner202
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Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:32 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 4:39 pm 
 

I reviewed Forbidden Evil here, and although my opinion of it has improved over the years, I still feel like Forbidden should be one of the best thrash bands ever, but something still doesn't click for me.

Temple Of Blood wrote:
1. Most fans see "Twisted into Form" as their pinnacle, but although I think that one is great, I think "Forbidden Evil" outshines it. Which of these two do you think is the band's best work and why? I really love the more aggressive riffing of the debut and I think the solos from Glen Alvelais are amazing. There are a few goofy solos on TiF that hamper the enjoyment a bit for me.


I was not aware that TIF was considered superior. I had always thought the consensus was FE was better. I personally bought FE not too long after I got into metal, whereas I only more recently purchased Twisted Into Form. I'm not as used to TIF, so I give FE the clear victory.

Quote:
8. Best Forbidden song? For me it's "Through Eyes of Glass", which is also the best thrash song ever IMHO. Amazing classy solo, great riffs, and perfect vocal melody. Twisted riffing but catchy at the same time. I'm very disappointed that none of the replacement guitarists ever played this solo correctly live.


The easy winner for me is "Follow Me". A true classic from start to finish. Fantastic guitar work, and an even better vocal performance.

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~Guest 98976
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 4:58 pm 
 

Twisted Into Form has always been considered better than Forbidden Evil.

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Ancient_Mariner
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:00 pm 
 

I've only got Forbidden Evil but it just never really grabbed me. Its like my brain erases it 15 minutes after I listen to it.

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TimeDoesNotHeal
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:33 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:06 pm 
 

On point number one, I think Calvert is a superior player to Alvelais. Something about those diminished arpeggios that are all over Twisted Into Form stick out in my memory far more than the leads on Forbidden Evil do.

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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:33 pm 
 

FasterDisaster wrote:
Forbidden Evil is the best Forbidden record. Fight me, assholes! (!!!)


I'm with ya! Just seems like everywhere I turn people prefer the more polished (slightly more melodic?) sound of TiF.
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:16 am
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:54 pm 
 

Diamhea wrote:
Twisted Into Form is obviously their masterwork


Why do you say that? I think the riffs on FE are more aggressive and more memorable overall than TiF, thanks in part to contributions from Robb Flynn (Who wrote approx. 3 songs on FE including Chalice of Blood).

How is it "obviously" their masterwork and not a close call?

Quote:
The reunion album didn't do much for me.


I thought it had a few good songs on it. I thought the drummer was good but the solos did nothing for me, unlike the greatness of Calvert and Alvelais. It's hard to listen to from start to finish because there are some boring songs that should've been cut.

Quote:
It didn't help that Russ is completely shot as a vocalist.


Don't agree there. He sound AWFUL at Thrash of the Titans and their early reunion shows but got his mojo back later on and turned in a really good performance. He's still hitting high notes unlike many of his contemporaries (Eric AK, Ray Alder, etc.)
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:59 pm 
 

SkullFracturingNightmare wrote:
The song Off the Edge alone keeps Forbidden Evil from being superior to Twisted into Form. Such a good song, but such an irritatingly obnoxious chorus.


It's a silly chorus bordering on goofy, but it's definitely memorable. I like how note-y and twisted all the riffing is on those early songs. I love the riffing before the final chorus in that song.
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Nolan_B
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:11 pm 
 

Would've been a much better band if they had an interesting vocalist. This is a common problem with lots of thrash bands from that late 80's era and of this caliber.
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:15 pm 
 

Dungeon_Vic wrote:
HUGE Forbidden fan here as well.


You and I probably like 90% of the same bands. :headbang:

Quote:
For me it is the exact same situation as Flotsam and Jetsam or Annihilator, ie the first two are 10/10 masterpieces with their own merits and impossible to choose between them, except on very personal or sentimenal grounds. Overall, I give it to Forbidden Evil as well. There is nothing clear and obvious on which is the better album.


Yeah, I can see that. I love both but can see both as classics.

Quote:
Just asked Craig Locicero, he replied "No". Btw, he is quite active on FB and usually answers questions happily. Also shares cool stories from time to time.


Thanks! I'll send him all my fanboy trivia questions. :)

Quote:
Totally agree, I've said the same thing many times, that they did the Politics of Ecstasy thing 2 years earlier. I think it' a great album and has a very cool, dark vibe to it.


Not to get off on a Nevermore tangent here, but if Dane wanted to resurrect the Nevermore name without Loomis I think getting Calvert on guitar would give him a great songwriting partner and enable him to continue the band with integrity.

Quote:
Again, totally agree. I SO wish they would properly release them. Disillusions is such an awesome song.


I think it was a BIG mistake not to include some of this material on Distortion. Would've made the album much stronger overall. Why not have some heavier songs and some more melodic? Peaks and valleys are a good thing.

Quote:
His drumming on Slayer wasn't anything special and the actual songs he plays on are even more forgetful (that's against later-era Slayer of course, not Bostaph).


I just listened to Repentless the other day and although I hate the songwriting the drumming is some of the best I have ever heard in metal music. He makes Gene Hoglan sound like nothing, and this is coming from a Dark Angel fanboy.

Quote:
Difficult to say... Chalice of Blood, Through Eyes of Glass and Forbidden Evil from FE and Twisted into Form and R.I.P. from TiF make up my top 5. I'll go equally apeshit over any of those songs!


I saw them live a few years ago and did! :) I just hate that they had an abbreviated set (because they were playing with 4 bands and opening for Overkill) and that Steve Smyth butchered the solos.

Forbidden was really the go-to band whenever a band needed a really talented replacement musician. Especially Testament! I'm surprised Russ never got any offers because he was one of the best. Skolnick said he was considered for Legacy in 85/86 but they didn't dig his stage presence.
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:15 pm 
 

Nolan_B wrote:
Would've been a much better band if they had an interesting vocalist. This is a common problem with lots of thrash bands from that late 80's era and of this caliber.


Wow, really? Russ was pretty amazing and pretty unique.

Who do you think the more interesting thrash vocalists are?
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~Guest 282118
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:20 pm 
 

Nah, Russ was excellent. Hell, he's still pretty good on the reunion album.

I don't listen to Forbidden all that often, mostly because I've left thrash a bit by the wayside as the years have gone by, but their first couple records and Omega Wave are pretty solid stuff, yeah. I'm not crazy about Twisted Into Form the way some people are, but it's still a cool slab of techy thrash. Maybe I should revisit them.

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Nolan_B
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:26 pm 
 

For thrash bands that were 1987-1992 hayday, Schmier, Snake from Voivod, dude from Toxik, definitely Slaughter, Vio-Lence, DRI, Agent Steele. I'm trying to leave out the more extreme bands, which in general had much more unique and interesting vocals than the standard Bay Area stuff.
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Diamhea
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:36 pm 
 

Russ had one of the best clean singing voices of any of thrash's older guard.

After Twisted Into Form he rarely used it, and by the time Omega Wave was recorded, his voice was shot. It just sounds harsh and constipated, like you can almost feel how his excess weight is impeding his range.

Quote:
Why do you say that? I think the riffs on FE are more aggressive and more memorable overall than TiF, thanks in part to contributions from Robb Flynn (Who wrote approx. 3 songs on FE including Chalice of Blood).

How is it "obviously" their masterwork and not a close call?



Twisted is much more mature, and I don't mean that in a "misdirected pretense" manner, but more like the band truly found their sound while pushing the boundaries with collective abatement. The debut has some truly killer numbers like "Feel No Pain" and "Chalice of Blood," but the production is a bit sloppy sounding, and some of the remaining tunes are a little featureless.

I'd probably give the debut 80%. It is flawed, but it features Glen, who was sorely missed on some of the band's later records, not to mention not participating in the reunion album.
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:46 pm 
 

Russ has a good voice, but he often did annoying things with it. "STEP BY STEP BY STEP STEP BY OOOOOOOOO-EEEEEEEEE". For this reason I prefer the debut; less annoying vocals and a more interesting power/thrash sound. Twisted Into Form is cool, but I don't think it's for me.
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Dungeon_Vic
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:01 pm 
 

Temple Of Blood wrote:
Don't agree there. He sound AWFUL at Thrash of the Titans and their early reunion shows but got his mojo back later on and turned in a really good performance. He's still hitting high notes unlike many of his contemporaries (Eric AK, Ray Alder, etc.)


Re: Eric AK, I saw him this summer in Crete and he did ALL - and I mean ALL - screams beautifully. I did not expect to hear live the She Took an Axe outro done perfectly (Gilbert helped a LOT there too). Having never seen Flotsam live before - and being in love with them since a very wee lad - this was one of the best live gigs I've seen, Eric was awesome. And the worst gig too, they cut them off 35 minutes into their set, so Wotan could play on the opposite scene. I've never been more furious in my life.

But I digress. Russ Anderson: One of the best vocalists in metal music. When he was in shape, as far as talent goes, he was one of the best. No question. Unremarkable?! What is remarkable them? The man is formidable on every single recording since Forbidden Evil up to Green, including every single live second of his. His screaming was always fucking amazing, he has a great colour, great attitude, nothing cheesy whatsover, TOTAL METAL, totally comfortable. I mean listen to him singing Victim of Changes. I truly think it's one of the best Judas Priest covers out there, generally. And it's live.

And he wasn't that bad since the reunion, as in "shot bad" as you say Diamhea. He was rougher, sure, he couldn't sing like the past but he was pretty fucking far from finished. Maybe he could even recover theoretically if he ever wanted to (don't think so unfortunately). Anyway.

I always loved Forbidden's vocal lines. I can understand though how someone might find some of their choruses bit awkward. But those are few and far in between anyway. Most of it is just STELLAR thrash, like among the creme de la creme of the entire genre. Every single song on the first two Forbidden albums is extremely memorable, you just have to listen to them more than once in your life. They are not pop songs really. Although extremely catchy for technical thrash.

Step by Step rules!
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Vic's Dungeon - Remember the Fallen:
Jeff Hanneman: Evil Notes and Sad Riffs
Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
Paul Baloff (Exodus)
Holy Terror and Keith Deen
Roger Patterson (Atheist)


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traxan
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:04 pm 
 

.


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CCSaint10
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:13 pm 
 

Forbidden Evil is an amazing album, and I like it more than Twisted into Form, which is of course very good as well. Songs like Chalice of Blood and Through Eyes of Glass are just...MMMMMRMRMRGHHGDF too good. It's a shame they didn't do to well after the second album, but I didn't think the reunion album was too bad, but overly long.

I'll have to check out those band you posted in the first post - I'm curious to hear more bands trying out the Forbidden style. Also, LOL @ that promo picture! I didn't know Jan Terri was in Forbidden!
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Dungeon_Vic
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:27 pm 
 

Temple Of Blood wrote:
Dungeon_Vic wrote:
HUGE Forbidden fan here as well.


You and I probably like 90% of the same bands. :headbang:


I've figured that out a long time ago! :) We definitely share tastes regarding the stuff surrounding the Nosferatu beauty (from US power to tech thrash to *thrash* and all in between), good guitarwork and good singers and exciting songwriting. Yeah, haha, that's the epicentre of my tastes.

But I like a lot of shit, I'm sure you'd hate quite a few of the stuff I like :P

Quote:
Not to get off on a Nevermore tangent here, but if Dane wanted to resurrect the Nevermore name without Loomis I think getting Calvert on guitar would give him a great songwriting partner and enable him to continue the band with integrity.


No Loomis, no Nevermore. I really like Nevermore, I am not sure if I can muster Nevermore without Van Williams (excellent, excellent drummer).

Quote:
I think it was a BIG mistake not to include some of this material on Distortion. Would've made the album much stronger overall. Why not have some heavier songs and some more melodic? Peaks and valleys are a good thing.


Ain't that the truth? I listen to the regularly, they really are 3 excellent tracks and two of them are a more mellow Forbidden. You know, prog/power Forbidden and Russ totally has the voice for it. And the whole band has the chops for it. I've sent the demo to people who are crazy for that US prog/power scene and they were all blown away by it.

Which brings me to the "after Twisted into Form he rarely used it", regarding his voice. That's not true for these tracks from the stuff that immediately followed:


Disilusions
10/10

My Sorrow is my Own
This is a totally like a cross between Forbidden and Solitude Aeturnus. I LOVE this song. And Russ does remind me of Robert Lowe on this one. That's one of the highest praises I can bestow on a singer btw.

So Dark (On the other Side) (the ballad, QR song) I'd love if they used it on an album and fuck the tough kiddies. It's great.

I listen to these tracks as often as any of the first three.

Quote:
I just listened to Repentless the other day and although I hate the songwriting the drumming is some of the best I have ever heard in metal music. He makes Gene Hoglan sound like nothing, and this is coming from a Dark Angel fanboy.

Woah. Gene Hoglan is in my top 3 and his status goes well beyond Dark Angel (Death above all and SYL at the very least). Apart from having one of the most lethal, badass, lively thrash drumming performances ever (I'm talking about DD of course). Bostaph is always class and there's never something you can say against his playing but I don't see how his performance on Repentless is that remarkable. Haven't listened to the album much but it didn't change my opinion. Slayer needs Lombardo, they just sound less Slayer, lesser Slayer, half the awe is gone man!. It's not you Paul, it's just Dave!

Quote:
Forbidden was really the go-to band whenever a band needed a really talented replacement musician. Especially Testament! I'm surprised Russ never got any offers because he was one of the best.

Very true.
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Vic's Dungeon - Remember the Fallen:
Jeff Hanneman: Evil Notes and Sad Riffs
Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
Paul Baloff (Exodus)
Holy Terror and Keith Deen
Roger Patterson (Atheist)

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Dungeon_Vic
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:33 pm 
 

In the Name of the Father and the Gun
Suicide City

BTW, Laaz Rockit's Nothing$ $acred album (in particular, not the previous) is the closest thing I have ever found to the Forbidden sound, in more than one sense. They have an Exodus quality as well and of course a unique flavour thanks to the vocals of Coons (I think they're great btw). EXCELLENT guitarwork. I don't know but I always had the impression LR must have been directly influenced by the two Forbidden albums.

Not incidentally, that's my favorite Laaz Rockit album. And I only gave it a proper listen a couple of years ago.
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Vic's Dungeon - Remember the Fallen:
Jeff Hanneman: Evil Notes and Sad Riffs
Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
Paul Baloff (Exodus)
Holy Terror and Keith Deen
Roger Patterson (Atheist)

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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:16 am
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:42 pm 
 

Dungeon_Vic wrote:
In the Name of the Father and the Gun
Suicide City

BTW, Laaz Rockit's Nothing$ $acred album (in particular, not the previous) is the closest thing I have ever found to the Forbidden sound, in more than one sense. They have an Exodus quality as well and of course a unique flavour thanks to the vocals of Coons (I think they're great btw). EXCELLENT guitarwork. I don't know but I always had the impression LR must have been directly influenced by the two Forbidden albums.

Not incidentally, that's my favorite Laaz Rockit album. And I only gave it a proper listen a couple of years ago.


Yeah, I have this album and like it too. Like you said, great guitar work! I told you we have the same tastes! :)
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:54 pm 
 

I'm going to try to convince my bandmates to add "March into Fire", "Off the Edge", "One Foot in Hell", and "Twisted into Form" to our setlist. They'd be a lot of fun to sing and play.

No one around here has a clue who Forbidden is so I'm sure they'll just assume these are originals.
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Oxenkiller
Veteran

Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:42 am
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 8:31 pm 
 

I've been into them since their demo days (back when they were still called Forbidden EVIL.) I loved them then and...honestly I haven't really kept up with what they've done since. Their first two albums are absolute classics and every track on them is great. But like a lot of late 80's thrash bands, they seemed to lose momentum and faded out as the 90's wore on. But they had a way of totally blowing away other bands they played with live- for instance you'd go see them open for Testament, they'd sound better than Testament, or they'd open for Death Angel, and Death Angel would be good but...everyone would remember Forbidden. Russ's vocals were one of the highlights of that band. You wouldn't hear too many thrash bands do that type of vocals as well. (and "Interesting" vocals do not necessarily equal "Good" vocals, e.g. Sean Killian of Violence, who is interesting but, well at least he still doesn't ruin that band.) Plus the rest of the band- Bostoph, Locicero, and Calvert (and Alverlais before him) were all excellent as well.

I loved their "March into Fire" demo- the songs sounded crisper, more energetic and overall better. They were one of those bands whose studio work tended to water down the sound a bit too much.

I probably should check out the newer stuff but, the reviews haven't been exactly glowing.

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traxan
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 6:52 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 8:35 pm 
 

Dungeon_Vic wrote:

No Loomis, no Nevermore. I really like Nevermore, I am not sure if I can muster Nevermore without Van Williams (excellent, excellent drummer).


I don't think Van could do it if he wanted to. His wife is battling cancer. The good news is she's winning.

Temple Of Blood wrote:
Forbidden was really the go-to band whenever a band needed a really talented replacement musician. Especially Testament! I'm surprised Russ never got any offers because he was one of the best. Skolnick said he was considered for Legacy in 85/86 but they didn't dig his stage presence.


From Skolnick's book, page 120:

"The first thought was to do what Exodus did, steal someone from another band. But there were a couple of problems with that. First of all, who wanted to put another band through what we'd just gone through? Second, the choices were so few.

"There was Death Angel, but their singer Mark really didn't fit our style. Besides, as far as we knew, he was related to the other guys in the band (weren't they all cousins or something?) There was Forbidden, whose singer, Russ, had arguably the best voice of any of the local thrash singers. Unfortunately -- he looked too normal -- a typical oversized guy who didn't move much. Zet had been far from a photogenic lead singer, but at least he had the critical ingredient for this type of metal -- intensity. We needed someone like that, only more so. Someone a little bit... scary."

Well, they certainly got that part right. :)


Last edited by traxan on Wed Feb 24, 2016 1:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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metroplex
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 1:28 am
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Location: Peru
PostPosted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 10:27 pm 
 

They have great riffs and solos but the vocals are awful. It hurts my ears every time he hits the high notes, and for some reason he always sounds out of tune. And all this coming from a guy that loves Sean Killian's voice.

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FatTheGates
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:53 pm
Posts: 127
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 8:35 am 
 

I love the first two Forbidden records almost equally. Sometimes I'm in the mood for the pure wickedness of "Through Eyes Of Glass" and "Forbidden Evil", and other times I'm feeling more in an "Infinite" and "One Foot In Hell" mood. You can't really go wrong with either one. Russ has a unique voice, not for everyone, but I loved his screams and his gruffer sound. He was really bad at Thrash Of The Titans, but I think with Russ it's more conditioning than anything. If he's touring and singing, he stays in better shape. When they're inactive, he doesn't take care of himself and the voice suffers. I first saw them touring in 1990 with Death Angel, and then he was on top form.

I'm probably in a strong minority here, but absolutely love their 1992 demo. They never released any of those songs officially (despite repeated pressure on Craig) and some say it's too commercial, but I love all three of those songs. I think that might be Russ' best vocal performance overall.

After that, it gets pretty patchy. "Distortion" has a handful of really good songs, but there are some clunkers in the mix as well, and "Green" is a forgettable record. You could already see their heads were in a different sphere, and it lacked all of the elements that made Forbidden special to me. I didn't love the "Omega Wave" record either. Heathen had a much better comeback record, IMO.

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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:16 am
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 12:49 pm 
 

Nolan_B wrote:
For thrash bands that were 1987-1992 hayday, Schmier, Snake from Voivod, dude from Toxik, definitely Slaughter, Vio-Lence, DRI, Agent Steele. I'm trying to leave out the more extreme bands, which in general had much more unique and interesting vocals than the standard Bay Area stuff.


I don't see how Russ Anderson wasn't just as unique as any of those. I like all those guys too, and I respect all kinds of vocal styles in thrash. Russ's style was far from "standard Bay Area stuff". No one else was doing what he was doing, especially in the Bay Area!

And BTW, which guy from Toxik were you referring to? First or second album?
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Rainbow
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Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2002 10:52 pm
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:11 pm 
 

Interesting band for sure but aside from a few "WHY IS IT! INFINITE!" moments, nothing ever stuck with me long term. Then they went that 90s direction of 'lets be REALLY different!!' and it just got worse.

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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:26 pm 
 

Dungeon_Vic wrote:
I should also add: Raw Evil is one of the best live performances in metal.


And unlike most "live" albums it is really live! You can tell it is raw but well-played which is how I like my thrash.

Quote:
And so is the entire material from Ultimate Revenge II.


Absolutely! Such an awesome show. They sped up the songs and still played them tight, except for getting a bit off during "Through Eyes of Glass". And Russ's high scream at the end of CoB was just awesome: "CHAAAAAALLLLLLIIIIIIIIIICCCCCEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"
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Thumbman
Big Cube

Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:47 pm
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:35 pm 
 

I like Forbidden Evil a bit better, but both are two of the very few thrash albums I spin on a semi-regular basis.
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:16 am
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:36 pm 
 

Acrobat wrote:
Russ has a good voice, but he often did annoying things with it. "STEP BY STEP BY STEP STEP BY OOOOOOOOO-EEEEEEEEE".


I agree that some of the vocal hooks/lyrics could've been better and less goofy.
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 6:09 pm 
 

Dungeon_Vic wrote:
Re: Eric AK, I saw him this summer in Crete and he did ALL - and I mean ALL - screams beautifully. I did not expect to hear live the She Took an Axe outro done perfectly (Gilbert helped a LOT there too). Having never seen Flotsam live before - and being in love with them since a very wee lad - this was one of the best live gigs I've seen, Eric was awesome. And the worst gig too, they cut them off 35 minutes into their set, so Wotan could play on the opposite scene. I've never been more furious in my life.


I should actually correct myself. I have seen some recent footage from Eric AK on YouTube and he sounded very good. When I saw Flots in the late 90s he looked and sounded like he didn't give a crap. And it was a horrible set list. I got to meet him and he was far from enthused to be talking to me.

Quote:
I mean listen to him singing Victim of Changes. I truly think it's one of the best Judas Priest covers out there, generally. And it's live.


Yeah no kidding. They said they covered that to try to show they could be more of an arena act like Maiden or Priest. It's a shame it never worked out for them. Too many missteps and lost time.

Quote:
Maybe he could even recover theoretically if he ever wanted to (don't think so unfortunately). Anyway.


You can't blame him if his heart isn't in it any more. I'm sure he has a lot of responsibilities at home and he had his fun with all the reunion shows and album. It may feel like more of the same after that.

Quote:
Every single song on the first two Forbidden albums is extremely memorable, you just have to listen to them more than once in your life. They are not pop songs really. Although extremely catchy for technical thrash.


That stuff is just burned into my brain. They were MUCH catchier than, say, Realm or Bezerker.
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Temple Of Blood
Old Man Yells at Cloud

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 7:22 pm 
 

CCSaint10 wrote:
I didn't think the reunion album was too bad, but overly long.


Good point. I don't know why there is such a trend these days for longer, more boring albums with more filler tracks. Darkness Descends was only 7 short tunes and that was considered a full-length!

Quote:
I'll have to check out those band you posted in the first post - I'm curious to hear more bands trying out the Forbidden style.


Musically I think the best of that bunch is Vulture but vocally the guy in Outer Limits sounds the closest to Russ.

Quote:
Also, LOL @ that promo picture! I didn't know Jan Terri was in Forbidden!
Spoiler: show
Image


hahahaha
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Woolie_Wool
Facets of Predictability

Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2006 6:56 pm
Posts: 2119
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 10:52 pm 
 

Nolan_B wrote:
Would've been a much better band if they had an interesting vocalist. This is a common problem with lots of thrash bands from that late 80's era and of this caliber.

What? Russ Anderson was the coolest thing about them. He could do the furious drill sergeant barking and power metal singing with equal facility...too bad they were afraid of being "like Queensryche" because a USPM album by them would have been amazing to behold. Goddamnit, there are so many "could have been" USPM demos and projects it's infuriating. So much potential wasted because the scene just plain ran out of time and became collateral damage in the backlash against hair metal.

Emphasis on "was" though. On Omega Wave, age and obesity had rendered him unable to even raise his voice above a hoarse croak. What a shame. Let this be a reminder to all singers, eat healthy and work out. Guitarists can buy new guitars. You can't buy a new body.

Dungeon_Vic wrote:
So Dark (On the other Side) (the ballad, QR song) I'd love if they used it on an album and fuck the tough kiddies. It's great.

Holy shit! :drool:
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HamburgerBoy
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:40 am
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:16 am 
 

Twisted Into Form and the pre-Distortion demo material is peak Forbidden for me. I'm not a huge fan of Russ Anderson's voice for the most part either, but on those releases he sounded great. I think the Trapped demo is really the best thing they ever did and all of my favorite Forbidden songs come from it, just a shame they couldn't keep that kind of sound going rather than jumping onto a more aggro groove bandwagon by the time Distortion finally came out.

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