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Acrobat
Eric Olthwaite

Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:53 am
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Location: Yorkshire
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 5:05 pm 
 

sherlockmist wrote:


I was checking up on this thread after months away. I was kinda hoping the song I came across wasn't a 9 minute sludge track... oh well.

Alright, so we've got a weird world music intro and then some dinky piano parts with abrasive metal sections. Can something truly be dinky and abrasive at the same time? Apparently, yes. 2 minutes in and it feels like we've already traversed 3 different genres and I ain't enjoying it so far. Then come the harsh vocals which are surprisingly crap, but nonetheless interspersed with shouty parts... is that the hardcore influence? After all this is supposed to be a sludge band, right? Suddenly we're in Biohazard covering Fugazi territory, okay, these vocals are were the hardcore influence begins to shine. Man, I feel like I'm listening to two Life of Agony records at the same time, one of them's at the wrong speed and for no apparent reason there's a violin player. I'd never heard Neurosis before this but I always assumed they were somewhat crap, but better than this. I think I prefer this when there's no vocals but even then it still sounds like a nu-metal band covering Goblin.

Disjointed as hell, not enjoyable, super silly and a ridiculously crap outgrowth of sludge/hardcore/whatever. Ewwwww.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1IfnbsUn-o
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Lord_Brendan
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:55 pm
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Location: Australia
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:32 pm 
 

Acrobat wrote:


Pokolgép - A háború gyermeke

What we have here is some Hungarian power metal from the late 80s. I had seen the name around but had never actually listened to them. This is actually some really cool stuff with a soft intro and some rocking riffs. The guitar solo is also pretty good and extremely memorable. The vocals are kinda new to me because all the Hungarian stuff I have is either punk or black metal, but they are great and have amazing hooks. I will have to get the best of and listen to more of these guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VDD5fcrP7k
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Abethedemon
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 12:56 pm
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 9:48 pm 
 

Shangren - Warriors of Devistation
I liked the idea, and some of the riffs were quite good, but the vocals really didn't do it for me. They felt too distorted and clashed with the chugging riffs and traditional Chinese instruments. On top of that, there were barely any guitar riffs to speak of, and the song devolved into repetitive, loud growling over Chinese folk melodies. A for effort, but the rest is not as good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymfrq4RrFtU

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Lord_Brendan
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:22 pm 
 

@abethedemon

Spoiler: show
Abethedemon wrote:
Shangren - Warriors of Devistation
I liked the idea, and some of the riffs were quite good, but the vocals really didn't do it for me. They felt too distorted and clashed with the chugging riffs and traditional Chinese instruments. On top of that, there were barely any guitar riffs to speak of, and the song devolved into repetitive, loud growling over Chinese folk melodies. A for effort, but the rest is not as good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymfrq4RrFtU


I agree also. It is basically a demo though this site has it as an EP. I hated the vocals at first but am used to them now. Still, they could use a lot of work. Hopefully a ful length fixes these problems
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sherlockmist
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:56 am
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 10:28 pm 
 

@Acrobat:

Spoiler: show
Damn man, I'm sorry you didn't dig it. That's one of the albums that really got me into metal back when I was in middle school and I still think its fantastic. I still get shivers down my spine at the "I will not stray" bit of that song

If you weren't completely turned off (which it sounds like you were), Neurosis has had a few different periods in their evolution. They've had more punk-influenced albums (e.g. Pain of Mind) and more atmospheric albums (A Sun That Never Sets). If you want to completely do away with the metal side altogether they also have a side project called Tribes of Neurot that's pretty cool as well.
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TheNecromancer
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 1:36 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:54 am 
 

Abethedemon wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymfrq4RrFtU

Heavenly - Destiny
Holy hell I found that far more enjoyable than I thought I would. The subtle keyboards added a lot of atmosphere and the great riffing kept it interesting, really liked how it felt perfectly paced too. Vocals came in at just the right point, easing you into the bombast of it all. Solid as hell power metal, would listen again. A bit on the generic side but when it's well done I don't see why it's much of a hindrance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXsZ4PZQSkY

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Jonpo
Hyperc6l6mb6wler

Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:05 am
Posts: 7735
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:16 am 
 

@Heavenly - Destiny
Spoiler: show
Damn it! I can't believe I played that Heavenly track three times for NO reason! I was a bit too slow to choose a song of my own. That shit was really awful and it got off light with your review. I can't imagine anyone listens to that with their full attention, ever. It sounds like background music for an RPG. Blugh.


TheNecromancer wrote:


Mustan Kuun Lapset - Lumikukka

Well now what in the fuck is this? Incredibly loud drums rolling out a thundering bass barrage...weirdly tinkling keyboard work...cavernous vocals...oddly warm riffing...this should fucking suck but for some reason I'm intrigued. I'm not sure it's anything I'd pursue or listen to outside of this thread but it's like a trainwreck that I'm getting a sick enjoyment from. There seems to be a bit of an identity crisis but the music ends up sounding genuine and uplifting despite reaching into a more "extreme" bag of tricks. The guitar antics aren't anything to write home about but they're miles ahead of what I expected. The leads are sugary, simple, and stick to the inside of your skull. This actually reminds me of newer Countess a little bit, if he weren't...you know...retarded. This is infinitely better than the nth generation raw black metal I was expecting. Curious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ercQ6cltat8
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Turner
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 2:54 am 
 

ahhh looks like someone replied before i did! twice! how often does this thread get that many replies in so short a time? never! haha. which is probably a good thing, because for the last minute or so of that heavenly track i had helloween's "march of time" stuck in my head. not much good you can say about a band when that happens! shame about the mustan kuun lapset song though - i really liked it. i'll do this one instead:

zemial - breath of the pestilence

well i guess this is the answer to the question "what if someone from <x country> covered destroyer 666?" i can't quite work out where this band is from based on the dude's accent, but doesn't matter. the music sounds like.... well, it sounds mostly like destroyer 666, if instead of 60:40 bathory to venom it was 40:60. there's an odd little break in the middle that takes on a NWOBHM/70s prog vibe for a bit, but it's mostly just blackened semi-thrash. singer is just doing a kk warslut impression, although he does aim for cleans in one part - he's definitely straining at the top there, so i'm glad he kept it mostly raspy. the recording is loud but it's not overpowering - someone's done a good job on the recording/production/mastering etc. guitarist keeps in line with the rest of it by not doing anything mind-blowing. it's a competent enough effort, and i could definitely listen to an entire album of it... although i doubt it'd stay in rotation. it's just too derivative. there's nothing of any note here, it's just some dudes paying tribute to the music they love. thankfully they love good music, i guess! ha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVLxCnexnTE

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HeySharpshooter
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 3:12 am
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 4:58 am 
 

Decameron- Carpe Noctem

Man, that was a tough sit...

8 minutes of some really dull stuff. Lots of melodic noodling and mid-paced drums, thrash beats and lame vocals. Everything about it screams lame really, from the song name to the overall image and songwriting. Admittedly, Melodic Black/Death isn't really my thing, but even that genre features some really high quality stuff even if I am not a big fan. I imagine stuff like Sacramentum and Dissection would be far, far more engaging(I do really like Storm of the Light's Bane)

The song is also so damn long, especially for a track so light on ideas and heavy on melodic noodling. It's repetitive in a way which is not interesting, instead just repeating the same few sections over and over again for such a long time. I guess I just don't understand what the band was going for here: it's too thrashy and aggressive to be atmospheric, yet I can't imagine the band was going for anything less with an 8 minute track. It just feels like long winded worship(I am aware this band would be considered "Old School" since they are a mid 90's act) of superior acts.

Speaking of 8 minute tracks...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY3l3vYsaU4

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Abethedemon
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 12:56 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:54 pm 
 

Muknal - Bringers of filth
Let me start out by saying that the theme for the song is excellent, and needs to be explored by more black metal artists. Let me also say that the song starting out with generic blast beat drums and typical growling makes me want to retract that statement. However, at around the 4:05 mark, some really cool riffs came up, there was some great jamming, and the song turned into crazy black metal. This song redeemed itself for sure, but it happened almost halfway though, and while I would recommend this on theme alone, you have to wait to get to the cool parts. Not bad, not good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=effUB0_T1pE

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Acrobat
Eric Olthwaite

Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:53 am
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Location: Yorkshire
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:14 pm 
 

Sleep - The Druid

Wow, a song I've not heard in maybe 6 years. I used to listen to Sleep a fair bit in the mid-2000s and I think they're still pretty cool. Good players all of them. Nice little hi-hat thing in the intro recalling 'Supernaut' and the band's music is full of so many little Sabbath references that it's nice to pick them out. The vocals really aren't great, but they've got enough enthusiasm - bellowing out as much as their smoke-ridden lungs can manage. The main riff isn't actually my favourite of theirs, but the "wig-out" section ala 'Electric Funeral' is cool. Matt Pike's a really good guitarist, too, it's just a shame he got involved with High on Fire (a terminally boring group). Something I don't listen to often, but if I want stoner stuff this is pretty much my go-to album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKYnmGt84sM
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Tron_79
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 11:50 am 
 

Deceased - The Creek of the Dead

I'm not that familiar with this band and the the first minute surprised me. From the band name, i was expecting some old school death metal or something but instead get a laid-back/dark atmospheric opener. At the one minute mark its abit more what i expected as tempo picks up. Looking up the album, i see its from 1995, but sounds like a late 80s death/thrash band and i guess its kind of the downfalll for me. I like htat style and era of music, but this doesn't do too much to sound different aside from the intro and outro) which i admit was cool. Even then, those sections seem seperate from the rest of the song...if they were somehow able to incorporate the sound/atmosphere into the rest of the song or at least transition better. Now, i'm not saying the middle sucks, cause it doesn't. some good riffs although somewhat buried in the mix, the drummer has some good fills and vocals are good, just all put together...was just meh to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZqkwdsoLqA
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sherlockmist
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:51 pm 
 

In Vain-Time of Yore

What an interesting song! The song begins with a riff that could be a cool rock n' roll riff if it wasn't played with death metal tremolo picking. Its not really that dark which makes an interesting contrast with the vocals, which are harsh except for a clean vocal track that pops up at the end of the second chorus to say one line and then goes away.

Immediately after this happens the track's momentum goes through the fucking roof for about 30 seconds before another chorus comes in, with another clean vocal line coming in to sing another line at the end of that chorus. Then a riff comes in that vaguely reminds me of post-hardcore (?) comes in, before another chorus, and then a folky interlude, and then a FUCKING AWESOME outro that seems to come out of the post-rock/metal tradition, but its executed with a lot of finesse and power. It's bone crushing.

I know I spent this whole review describing the structure but its because that's what made the song stand out to me. And not only that, but how they could take so many disjointed elements and turn them into one cohesive song. I will definitely check out more of this band's work, this song blew my socks off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZIxbbyKkvQ
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Tron_79
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Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:47 am 
 

@ sherlockmist
Spoiler: show
glad you liked it....Ænigma was one of my favourite albums of 2013. They definitely bring a lot of influences to the table and i like how like you say, make a chesive song out of all the elements.
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Tron_79
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 3:09 pm 
 

The Monolith DeathCult - Kindertodeslied

interesting....i thoguht at first i was listening to somethign like KMFDM, but then kicks into some epic keyboards which go and refeal the riffs..first set of vocals are kinda those in between harsh vocals that aren't quite a growl but not clean either. Some pure growls kick in and to be honest i feel they suit the music better. I like the section at 3 minute mark with the deeper growls, pretty good riffs and the keyboards add a nice atmospher to the song...but after that section, its like kids chanting something which throws me off abit....just doesn't seem to fit imo. Muscially, i like this, but the non-growl vocals just don't appeal to me enough listen to this over and over again...Is this common with other songs of theirs? I'd be willing to check out other songs if the growls were primarily used.

well known band....but feeling this song today
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~Guest 282118
Argentinian Asado Supremacy

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 2:24 pm 
 

Samael - Ceremony of Opposites

This is not what I expected. Judging from the band's name and cover art, my imagination was already filling with snippets of run of the mill, dry black metal, yet was pleasantly surprised to hear a powerful, stomping riff hammering down on me right from the start. The guitar work in display definitely has more in common with stuff like Manilla Road or Quorthon's most epic endeavors, with a mighty, commanding quality to its simplicity. The spare use of keys is also pleasant, accentuating the sheer power of the riffing in display and conveying a lot with very little; a sense of grandeur and majesty, given life merely through a concise use of the instruments at hand. The rhythm is very steady and consistent throughout the entirety of the track, and coupled with a relatively short length, it makes for a very punchy, memorable song that I couldn't blame someone for putting on repeat. However, the piece falls somewhat short on the singing department, mostly because the raspy harsh vocals employed simply don't do justice to the more traditional heavy metal leanings that are the clear focus of the composition. I believe that a strong, clean performance would be far more suited to the sound at hand. Think of Alan Averill or Jón Aldará.

Nitpicking aside though, that was an enjoyable listen. I might even check the album out in its entirety, to see if it holds up.

Hmmm, let's go for a leaner beast now.

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Abominatrix
Harbinger of Metal

Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:21 pm 
 

Spoiler: show
Samael with clean vocals? :nono:
Listen to Worship Him and Blood Ritual to hear where that stuff came from. I think the Ceremony album is somewhat disappointing when compared with those but that track as well as a couple of others do really stand out as being great.
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~Guest 282118
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:31 pm 
 

Spoiler: show
Well, yeah, sorry Abom, but I found that tune detached enough from black metal that the harsh vocals did more of a disservice to it than anything. I probably wouldn't have complained about that had they been at least somewhat unique, instead of regular barking :-P I'll take your recs into account, though. Thanks.

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CrushedRevelation
Devil's right hand

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:47 am
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 10:26 pm 
 

Xlxlx wrote:


Hmmm... Quality vocals and a gentle acoustic introduction set the tone, before the distortion makes it's presence known. This is slick - and very modern in the production department. The opening pinch harmonic lick sorta reminds me of Iron Maiden (ever so slightly), and the guitar tone is heavy and has a saturated, crunch sound to it which is nice. The vocals are cool, switching between a pure controlled vibrato, and a meaner almost snarled persona. No idea where they're from, but there seems to be Metal Church influence in the stomping, purposely marching main riff, which is the main backbone of this. There is some cool lead work to be had here, not relying on solely shredding, or wanking, as they're not sprayed everywhere without purpose. Not that sold on the chorus vocals however, and can't really place why, just found them a bit off, and rubbed me the wrong way. Truly this is a lean beast, as the song structure has just enough variation to stop it from being too repetitive, or stodgy, though it's not terribly exciting, and doesn't get my pulse racing. Not too bad I guess, but not enough for me to hunt them down to hear more.

Something gnarlier.
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sherlockmist
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 6:28 pm 
 

Impious Baptism-Vocatus Atque Non Vocatus Deus Aderit

Holy shit I've been striking gold with this thread, this is fucking awesome. Basically what we have here is a black metal/OSDM combo that incorporates a dirty guitar tone that has the chunky low end of death metal while still retaining a thinness characteristic of black metal. The riffing here stays pretty fast until the end where everything slows the fuck down and the music begins to structure itself around these loud, punishing, dirty chords. After a while, another guitar track starts to tremolo over them which creates an interesting contrast between the speed of the lead guitar and the slow heavy riffs. Eventually, double bass comes in which makes the song gain momentum until it fades out on more chunky chords. It's a pretty cool track and I'll definitely look more into this group. This is certainly far from reinventing the wheel, but it does what it does well and that's really all it needs to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJEmNyazJFo
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TheMizwaOfMuzzyTah
Metalhead

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:42 am 
 

Godflesh - Pulp

Broderick before he started making pusscore music as Jesu was a nasty motherfucker and this song exemplifies that. Programmed militant drums, whining and grinding riffs churning chunkily in the background. And of course that primal bellow. It all works, there's something living in this song as it moves in on you and surrounds you. But is it for me? No. Give me the pusscore Jesu stuff over this. Too repetitive and nearly drone-y. And those drums and annoying. Gets that oppressive industrial atmosphere across nicely.

Oh, how about this: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XOLiJWNR1IE

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HeySharpshooter
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 5:23 am 
 

Bestia Arcana- Cup of Babylon

Truth is, I was never overly impressed with Bestia Arcana and this was always the track that made me feel this way about them.

My biggest issue with it is that it falls in between something like Nightbringer, which is super busy and technical but well structured, and the almost formless noise of something like De Magia Veterum. It won't commit to either extreme and so it just ends up being a bit of a disaster. A pretty disaster, but a disaster. The track isn't bad per se. It has it's moments, like around 2:50 when it stops throwing just a random assortment of notes at you and slows down to build some atmosphere and energy. That said, I've just always preferred other bands playing this sound of them. Not bad, not great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9MUCXsPlpA

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CrushedRevelation
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 7:20 am 
 

HeySharpshooter wrote:


Yeah Charon... I have this filthy, devastatingly, bloodthirsty beast of an album - and it fuckin' rules. Ominous chanting starts this off, before plunging you into a barrage of mile-thick guitars and hellish vocals. The guitars are absolutely massive here, truly colossal in their weight, but still with enough clarity and space in the mix to give fetid life to the raging tremolo and often thrashy riffs that come thick and fast. Plenty of dexterity on display here, and they're not afraid to slow things down to grind you into a fleshy pulp either, and these sections are remarkably harrowing in the sheer weight it forces upon you, with howling leads weaving around like a vulture around a carcass. The vocals are a sick sermon, spreading disease and hatred, with some mad whispers lurking in the background, with occasional deep guttural vomits to add extra poison. It's a very focused and tight affair too, with drums thundering along like a freight train out of control, spewing smoke and ash - it's brilliantly brutal. This album (along with Author Of Incest by Adorior) is one of the most intense albums I have heard in a long while, and it never lets up the relentless attack. Charon's only album reminds me of Gehenna, when they penned Adimiron Black, as it's a great span between black and death, with tons of oppressive atmosphere, and seems to me like an extension of that sound and feel they were going for, and they succeed. Great, great stuff.

Try not to headbang to this.
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Opus
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 9:40 am 
 

Claws - Bloodsucking Sorcery

This is old school death metal worship gone wrong.
Had this been released in 1993 it would have been considered decent run of the mill Swedish death metal. Smack in the middle between Indecent and Obscene and Massive Killing Capacity. He's really been working hard on getting the riffs to sound just right, but then added way too murky doom/death vocals that clashes with the rest of the sound. What people like Kärki and Petrov did back in the day was just scream their heads off. No regards to if it was sounding "right" or not. Just like with it all, turn it all the way up to 10 and just go for it. No analysing and planning. That's what made it great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2cnepA-b5s
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Turner
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 8:25 am 
 

satariel - black titans

well this isn't going to win any originality awards, but this is a pretty competent modern (judging by the sound it's not much more than 2-3 years old?) take on the classic gothenburg formula. i guess it bears most resemblance to the haunted or at the gates, but there's a bit of a reinkaos-era dissection vibe in there too. singer is basically doing his best tomas lindberg impression, but he reminds me a lot of the dude from persuader as well... there's no hansi impression, but something about the songwriting and the way the harsh/cleans are used (there's not much clean in it, just a few words in the chorus) is very persuader-y. it's a stretch, but i win a "ha, picked it!" award if this band turns out to have persuader members in it. that's what it sounds like: persuader doing an at the gates tribute. overall: i like it, and i've listened to this song like 4 times now while writing this. will check out further.

here's an old one i was really, really into back in the late 90s/early 00s. this band only released one EP and then vanished, but it had promise. reminds me of web 1.0 days:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWu9-LB6jb0

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Acrobat
Eric Olthwaite

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 8:54 am 
 

Dreamsfear - As Darkness Falls

Hey, it's the generic metal clean intro: from 'Spiral Architect' to Testament's The New Order (wherein it was grotesquely overused), via Mercyful Fate and Megadeth. This band have got it, too. Musically, this feels closer to melodic death metal or something, with vocals that seem like a harsh vocalist having a go at clean vocals for the first time. He doesn't sound too convincing, either, maybe a little pubescent rather than demmanding. Reminds me a bit of Nick Holmes, albeit not as good. The song shuffles along at a comfortable mid-pace; nothing is too suprising nor is it really that engaging. Finally, after about 4 minutes we get a needed change of tempo; sounding weirdly like an early Katatonia riff with a bit of thrash to it. But again, there's a lack of urgency be it from the drums, which are frankly boring, or the vocals which again aren't too hot. Still, not bad, and there's some promise here, which is a good thing from what I suspect is a young band.

Edit: turns out it's from the late 1990s, colour me surprised the production sounds like it's more recent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v66o3-kH6y4
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Tron_79
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:47 pm 
 

Candlemass - The Dying Illusion

I know they are an iconic, influential band, but i never really listened to much Candlemass. This is fairly uptempo..a bit surprising as i was expecting something slower typical to most doom bands and a heavier tone to it. It seems that the vocals are the prominent feature of the song for the first part and they are done well. About half way through there are some cool solos over some slower riffs but a double bass drum...interesting and probably my favourite section of the song. Although not that intricate, i do like the riffs..there is some variety and i like them. Keyboards are also present but just add a nice atmosphere subtly. I do like the song but nothing really blows me away either...just a good song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkvumMPARnk
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Turner
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2002 2:04 am
Posts: 2247
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:40 am 
 

gehenna - shairak-rinnummh

heard OF this band but never actually heard it. it's lowish-fi black metal but without the wall of noise that usually accompanies these kinds of recordings. which is to its advantage - i'm a guitar-based listener and too often that complete "everything at once" loses all meaning when i can't distinguish one instrument from the other. this song seems to just plod along in an average fashion - i couldn't call anything here innovative, but there's nothing inoffensive about it. the chord progressions and melodies are fairly predictable, but enjoyable. the guitar tone and keyboards seem to be lifted straight from the first emperor album, but the song's structure is more like what dimmu borgir was doing on stormblast. i don't want to dwell on that too much - the band probably has its own sound, as it's a well-known name - but the early dimmu comparisons are screaming to be made here. there's a hint of folk melody in there as well, although it's not realised in any massive sense. if i had to take a guess, i'd say this is from the late 90s - bm has "moved on" from this particular sound and i think if a band put it out today it'd be considered kinda immature. still, not a bad track. just a little outdated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDD-o1unirY

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Thumbman
Big Cube

Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:47 pm
Posts: 4473
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 9:24 pm 
 

Edge of Sanity - The Masque

Previous to listening to this song, I was vaguely aware of Edge of Sanity's existence but I'm pretty sure I've never listened to them. While this style is generally not something I'm particularly partial to, I can't deny that this is very good at what it does. It's super-accesible thrashy death metal with a progressive edge and a penchant for melody. Usually the sort of thing I'd scoff at, but this is too catchy and fun to hate. Some really good melodies and fun riffs are to be found, the dudes' growls are really fucking accessible but not bad for what they are. The production on the guitar is relatively beefy, but this is very structurally lightweight for death metal and honestly is a hair away from being thrash with harsh vocals. Anyway, this is obviously good because it's in a style I hate and I can still dig it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psqpTkFu5hQ
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Abethedemon
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 12:56 pm
Posts: 180
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 1:02 pm 
 

Counterblast - Activate
I expected some sort of slam when I first opened the link, but I was pleasantly surprised. After a wild bit o' noise and jamming, an awesome doomy riff comes in and it works really well. It feels like high quality sludge metal and the vocals, although shouted are not too abrasive. The whole song channels a sort of jammy vibe, and overall, it's some high quality sludge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcWQLizccIk

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MikeyC
Official Greeter of Broken Hills

Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:16 am
Posts: 14211
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 5:58 am 
 

Equestrian Lord - Rise of the Crystal Shadow

Even before the song began, the band name, album art, and album title screamed cheesy. Hell, even the opening sample sort of confirmed it for me. However, not all was lost. Some decent thrash riff, although it was nothing too special. The drumming was pretty standard for your typical thrash band, however they did their job with nice fills and thrash beats. The vocals were a little strange, like they couldn't decide if they wanted to go balls-out thrash or restrain themselves, which they did during the cleans. I'm unsure if I like them or not, but they're certainly different.

The solo in the second half was okay, but that kind of sums up the song for me: it was okay. Nothing extravagant. It kind of reminds me of a second-rate Destruction, especially when the vocals get raspy. However, despite the silly gimmick the band is presenting, I sense this is an album of ideas not quite fleshed out, judging by this one song. Could have potential.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoQ05fb5ZVU (album art NSFW)
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TheMizwaOfMuzzyTah
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:18 pm
Posts: 1792
Location: the emerald forest
PostPosted: Sun Nov 02, 2014 11:16 pm 
 

Crackwhore - Feeding the Pigs

Did not expect to like this based on album art and name, guess I was expecting some low quality grind variant. I don't know what this is considered but I like it. The guitars are thick and metallic but don't sound distorted, just chunky as hell. There is a black metal influence at work here. It sounds like slave whipping blasphemy, who I enjoy. The vocals are all over the place. Fun stuff with a nightmarish and aggressive sound. Has a good groove.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7oT9_1zEDEA

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Abethedemon
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri May 30, 2014 12:56 pm
Posts: 180
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 6:22 pm 
 

Spawn of Possession - Apparition
Not bad at all. This right here is some decent technical death metal with symphonic elements thrown in. I'm not too sure how I feel about the symphonic elements, but the rest of the song jumps all over the place, the vocals are actually not abrasive at all, and the parts in which the vocals speed up are really fun. It sometimes serves as background music, but hot damn, the bass solo was awesome. I would have liked a crazier guitar solo as well and the song dragged on, but I liked it a lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrJFSiRvuns

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TheMizwaOfMuzzyTah
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:18 pm
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Location: the emerald forest
PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 12:16 pm 
 

Enceladus - Awakened Eyes

Pretty standard power metal type stuff here. The guitar work is good - lots of loopy solos and majestic, sweeping lead runs to feast your ears on. Like the guitar tone too, clean with just the right amount of crunch. Everything else is kinda dull, save the vocals which are especially bad and ruin what was otherwise an average Stratovarius worship track. The lyrics are interesting if a bit heavy handed and direct. Overall I'm not a big fan of this. Had the vocals not sounded as goofy as they do I'd probably like it more and the songwriting itself isn't to blame.

Next:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pj608pPIO98

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colin040
Metal freak

Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:00 pm
Posts: 7608
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 1:09 pm 
 

Schammasch - Serpent Silence

Well this is…quite something. Cool build up, with an elegant acoustic guitar flowing through followed by some short but windy leads doing more than just being there for the sake of an build up. Then the distorted guitars kick in which sound…way too restrained. Especially during 2:20 when the action started I had expected a riff-attack to blow me away and overwhelm me but sadly that’s not the case. Then again, the guitar tone itself doesn’t really make me /feel/ the riffs either. Harsh vocals themselves are a bit odd. They’re somewhat thick but not exactly convincing or adding something to the music. Near the end there’s a break followed by some whispering…not exactly my favorite vocal aspect. Cool cover artwork though…looks pretty inspiring and gives me the idea the band is quite serious about their music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kxBf9Ucf80

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MikeyC
Official Greeter of Broken Hills

Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:16 am
Posts: 14211
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 6:32 pm 
 

Anthem - Blinded Pain

If Judas Priest were Japanese, I guess they might sound something like this! As soon as I heard the vocalist, I had a feeling they were Japanese, so I got one right, haha. I find it difficult to get excited about trad metal, although I do like the adrenaline this song has, and those interested in Judas Priest and/or Iron Maiden would find this to be a pleasurable song. Opening riff is actually quite nice and I have to admit to tapping my foot as it played. Drumming is simple but it doesn't need to go too crazy for this style. The section beginning at 3:00 following through to the solo was quite nice, and perhaps my favourite part of the song. This is not a band I would seek out to purchase anything from, but if I heard this song playing, I would certainly not rush to turn it off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_ByUmi5yK8
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CrushedRevelation
Devil's right hand

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 8:47 am
Posts: 6070
Location: The cavern's core
PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 6:38 am 
 

MikeyC wrote:


What a strange melting pot of quirky as fuck stuff this is. On the surface it seems to be fairly standard, Norwegian influenced black metal - and for the most part, yes it is. The wiry, bleeding production is certainly interesting, infusing a sense of strung-out, frustrated... anger and vitriol that it's hard not to feel it. I can hear Zyklon-B influences in this, and some Aura Noir, an obligatory nod to Pure Holocaust era Immortal (and someone else I can't place yet...), but there's something else going on in this, as like I said it's weird little number. The vocals I'm not really sold on - the snotty snarl seems out of place at first, but the more you listen, it kind of works. Didn't dig the samples though. The melodies that are constantly rolled out are angular, and rather aggressive, which is pretty fucking cool I have to admit. Straightforward it may seem, but the way this is constructed is a little off center, and that wins it points for mine, as it certainly treads a well worn path, just delivered in a different cant. The razor thin guitars are constantly at work threading a barbed-wire patten, while the drumming is no slouch either, but blistering in their attack. The vocals still don't really work for me though, but having said that, there is plenty of unhinged moments where it almost sounds like he's losing control, which give it a certain character of it's own, and there is a short, but cool solo that rears it's head above the furious riff work as well, and that was great. Not too bad overall, but dunno if I'll check more out.

Something new...
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I_Am_Vengeance
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:11 pm
Posts: 1923
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 11:11 pm 
 

Tortorum - Into the Sixth Coil

Well It's Crushed posting so I bet it's Death Metal.

Nope I was wrong. Black Metal. Close enough. No bullshit intros here, straight up blasting from the get go. Typical Black metal riffage (not to take anything away from it) accompanies it. Vocals kick in and they are good. I really like the layering off the otherworldy clean vocals over the solid black metal rasps.

All around very cool, cool riffs, nice production, good vocals 8/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWL25VQ8QM
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Turner
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2002 2:04 am
Posts: 2247
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 4:22 am 
 

Spoiler: show
that anthem song was awesome!

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MikeyC
Official Greeter of Broken Hills

Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 5:16 am
Posts: 14211
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 6:13 am 
 

Morbus Chron - Towards a Dark Sky

I've heard this band before, but never really heard anything from them. As for this song, a nice acoustic intro then gives way to some interesting black metal that made me think of Dark Fortress with its melody, before moving on to less melodic riffs accompanied by shrieks, which I'm not completely sold on. Kind of reminds me of a better-produced Negative Plane, I suppose. The light section beginning at 5:24 was nice.

Overall, I'm not too sold on this. While it was all very competent and the music was good, it didn't quite grab me as much as it probably should have. Maybe I just need to hear some more or maybe Morbus Chron isn't for me. This wasn't a terrible song by any means - it has some nice melodies and the black metal mid-section was competent enough - but I feel like I needed more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuLGSKbjhpQ
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