Saxon - Destiny

I realize that a majority of Saxon fans don't like this record, and that the vast majority of those on Metallum likely would also despise Destiny (48% average of 5 reviews: three ~20% reviews; two positive but one of them is my own). Much of the record is horribly cheesy, and it is indeed a betrayal of the band's heavy metal sound of the early days. However, I really don't think Destiny is all that bad; I guess I like crappy glam rock. To be honest I like Destiny more than what I have heard off of Rock the Nations and some of the closer albums that succeed it. I do understand a good amount the hate for the record and I definitely won't tell people that they aren't Saxon fans for not liking the album (obviously they are), but I do think it is much better than other sellout attempts by some of their contemporaries (like Grave Digger's Stronger Than Ever, for instance). I'm somewhat happy that Saxon sold out during the 80's for glam and not in the 90's for groove.

Megadeth’s Risk and Super Collider. Listen.... Risk isn’t that good of an album but it’s not as bad some make it out to be and has a few decent tracks such as Crush’em, Breadline, and Insomnia; it’s just an album that tries to experiment and well...doesn’t do it that well. Same can be said with Super Collider as it offers some strong tracks like the opener Kingmaker or The Blackest Crow; from my viewpoint, I found this album to be a much more well rounded effort compared to Risk ( still don’t think SC is good though).

I'm still not sure why people use MA ratings for claiming an album is well liked or not. You all realize they are completely arbitrary, don't you? Yeah, four people didn't like that album, how is four people not liking something relevant? Just saying this because I've seen them used a few times in this thread and it makes no sense.

I'm still not sure why people use MA ratings for claiming an album is well liked or not. You all realize they are completely arbitrary, don't you? Yeah, four people didn't like that album, how is four people not liking something relevant? Just saying this because I've seen them used a few times in this thread and it makes no sense.

Illud could have been a really solid release just with a mere different track order. If they released the album with a pure death metal side and the more experimental in the other, people might have understood it better or at least able to appreciate the good stuff on it. I'll go and say that the "pure" death metal songs are pretty good.

With a slightly different production choices (like a bit more reverb on vocals and the snare, riffs slightly higher in the mix, kicks with less boost on 5k and a bit more mid range on them (like Death's TSOP) those tracks would have SLAYED.

Also, if Trey wrote solos like the Domination ones, the tracks might also have been more impactful. Anyway: If Morbid Angel decided that Illud was a solid 5 track EP instead, it could have been easily ranked within the 70-80% rate range:

1) Blades for Baal: FUCKING GREAT SONG. It just slays hard from start to finish. It's packed with good riffs and it's brutal as hell.

2) Nevermore: Solid song that mixes a slight Domination style with the few decent Heretic songwriting linings. The verse riff is great and the vocal patters are spot on. I also like the brooding tremolo riff in the slow section past 2 minutes. Feels pretty menacing.

3) Existo Vulgore: This one is not bad per se, but the verse riff is sorta underwhelming. Still, the riff in the breakdown around 2:00... FUCKING NASTY RIFF. Dawn of the Angry-like nasty.

4) 10 More Dead: It's a different song and a welcome change. It starts all groovy with good riffing but when it picks up... Morbid Angel returned to fucking GATEWAYS right there. Around 2:40 comes a fucking CRUSHING riff that could have been easily written by Erik Rutan.

5) Beauty Meets Beast: Huge GATEWAYS vibe. Great track overall. It mixes some of the later Domination tracks sort of pace with the obvious Gateways mindset.

These tracks absolutely SLAY both Heretic and Kingdoms.

Neurosis Honor Found In Decay

So much hate even from life long fans but I never got the hate.
The album is a slow burn and repetitive, but that's why I love it the band members lost loved ones before and during the writing process and channel the emotions into the song writing. The stages of grief appear throughout this work of art. All is found in time is a masterpiece that build up in the beginning up until that hammer crushes you back down. That moment is so worth it. I easily put this in my top three by them.