all swedes are racist Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 In the same way Thatcher and Reagan inadvertently gave us so many great angry punk records, Im hoping this while fucking Trump farce produces a wave of records like this https://castrator.bandcamp.com/album/no-victim-ep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tyrion I Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 I'm giving the new Alcest a spin and a listen. Fucking awesome as usual. "Kodama" - the title track - is on at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 3 hours ago, King Tyrion I said: I'm giving the new Alcest a spin and a listen. Fucking awesome as usual. "Kodama" - the title track - is on at the moment. I'm very pleased with it too. Nice to see that Neige can still make a standout metal album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tyrion I Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 6 hours ago, Ferrum Aeternum said: I'm very pleased with it too. Nice to see that Neige can still make a standout metal album. Indeed. Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all swedes are racist Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 So, my wedding was pretty (who am I kidding, flat out) bad ass and I won't say I have any regrets..... BUT I really wish had thought to make this happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 11 hours ago, R'hllor's nasty lobster said: So, my wedding was pretty (who am I kidding, flat out) bad ass and I won't say I have any regrets..... BUT I really wish had thought to make this happen Congrats dude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all swedes are racist Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 On 11/3/2016 at 10:35 AM, Ferrum Aeternum said: Congrats dude! Thanks man! (Though, to be clear it was a couple years ago...) anyway, while I've got you here, heard the new Mithras? Seems like something right up your alley https://willowtip.bandcamp.com/album/on-strange-loops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 31 minutes ago, R'hllor's nasty lobster said: Thanks man! (Though, to be clear it was a couple years ago...) anyway, while I've got you here, heard the new Mithras? Seems like something right up your alley https://willowtip.bandcamp.com/album/on-strange-loops I've got that one wishlisted for later listening, saw some really nice reviews. I'm going to a metal show in Marietta, GA of all places tomorrow night. Seven Kingdoms, Scythia and...a slew of little bands I've never heard of. Mostly going to hang out with ProgPower buddies. Should be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all swedes are racist Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Nice, have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 YO New Urfaust is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all swedes are racist Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 15 hours ago, Xray the Enforcer said: YO New Urfaust is amazing. gnarly so far! in a similar vein, new Ash Borer out today as well, stoked for that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 I need to get caught up. Busy schedule has my BandCamp backlog even more outsized than normal. My year end best of list is pretty well set. I was just listening to that Gatecreeper album again at lunch today. What a masterpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Time for the Best Of list! 2016 was one hell of a year in more ways than one, but for my money it was a fantastic year for metal. There were a good 30 or so records that merited some recognition this year. As usual, I'll try to pare it down to the dozen or so most deserving from my perspective. List is roughly in order from best to less-best (seriously, they're all really good): Pure by In the Woods... (progressive doom metal) - Top spot was probably the toughest to decide, as any of the top 5 or 6 could have taken it. I'm giving the nod to what is certainly the comeback album of the year, this band's first full-length since 2001. This is a complete masterwork of vivid, lush compositions that seem to get better with each listen. I tend to favor any music that moves me on an emotional level, and the instrumentation alone on Pure does the trick. It's just brilliant. (Sample - the entire fucking thing) The Fall of Hearts by Katatonia (dark progressive rock/metal) - Any other year this would easily have been #1. My favorite thus far in a long succession of excellent records from this underrated band. Varied, evocative and in my view more immediate and memorable than the band's prior work. There's something here for everyone and nary a weak track to be found. (Sample - "Serein") Progenitor by Mechina (sci-fi themed cinematic industrial metal) - I've listened to these guys a bit in the past and found them pleasantly diverting; a mix of electronica and metal with a 22nd century sci-fi story spanning 5 albums and numerous interim singles, what's not to like? On this album, brainchild/composer Joe Tiberi took things to a completely new level. This stuff is absolute magic. At turns brutal and beautiful, with touching lyrical themes. (Sample - "Cryoshock") Kodama by Alcest (blackgaze) - After taking a break from metal entirely with 2014's Shelter, blackgaze grandmaster Neige gave us this superb return to form. It's the best thing he's done since Écailles de Lune (the highest praise I can give) and carries with it all the atmosphere and musical brilliance one can naturally expect from an Alcest record. (Sample - "Je Suis D'ailleurs ") Sonoran Depravation by Gatecreeper (death metal) - The best old-school death metal I've heard in quite some time, and yes, that includes Horrendous. Face-melting, gut-punching riffs abound on this record. Heavy and catchy as fuck. (Sample - "Flamethrower") Metachthonia by Thrawsunblat (melodic blackened folk metal) - A powerful and intense tour de force; my favorite among the crowded North American black metal landscape this year. This is another band that for my money took another step with this latest release. (Sample - "Fires that Light the Earth") Affinity by HAKEN (progressive metal) - While Dream Theater is fucking around making the same boring shit they've made the last 15 or so years, newer bands in the scene like HAKEN are quietly stealing the prog metal throne out from under them. This is a magnificent record by any definition. This band somehow manages to make a thoroughly modern prog record that hearkens back to mid-80s synth pop. They also get points for being top-shelf dudes with a fantastic live act. (Sample - "The Architect") Critical Hits by Gygax (hard rock/heavy metal) - A simple, straightforward, incredibly fun slice of heavy metal nostalgia. These dudes will never win a talent competition but they make up for it with the oldest musical trick in the book - hooks, hooks and more hooks. (Sample - "Draw Breath") Helion Prime by Helion Prime (power metal) - Power metal with a bit less cheese and a dash more hard science than normal. This was a huge surprise for me; one of my ProgPower friends recommended it and frankly I figured it was just another power metal soundalike, but that wasn't the case here at all. Female fronted, intelligently written and superbly crafted heavy metal goodness. Most importantly, lots and lots of fun. (Sample - "Into the Black Hole") Hair of the Dog by Monument (NWOBHM) - This band is so far up Iron Maiden's ass it's surprising Steve Harris hasn't sued the britches off them yet. In the end though, who cares? This is the music a lot of people wish Eddie's pals were still making. It'll give you all the beasty piecey powerslavey feels. (Sample - "Blood Red Sky") The Holographic Principle by Epica (symphonic metal) - I mean, it's an Epica record. You know what to expect here. If you don't like Epica, this won't change your mind. If (like me) you do, I suspect you'll fucking love it. The main album tracks checked off all the boxes, but the best bit for me were the five bonus/not bonus tracks closing out the album, where the band did variations of selected tracks in a number of different styles. Fun and funny (and at least once, funky). Full disclosure - I had the pleasure of seeing this band live for the first time last month, and they utterly destroyed the room. Also got to meet Mark Jansen, who may be the nicest rock star I've ever come across. (Sample - "Universal Death Squad") The Dark Hereafter by Winterfylleth (black metal) - This is a really solid release in its own right, but it makes the list largely for what was my favorite musical moment of the year and honestly one of my favorites of all time. It happened when least expected, at the outset of the final track to the album, a stealthy English translation of an absolute black metal classic that I knew and loved under a different name. When I heard that opening drum fill, and then that blasting first riff...that's as close to a musical orgasm as I've ever experienced. (Sample - what else? "Led Astray in the Forest Dark") Others meriting strong consideration: Air by Astronoid Guardians by Saor Empires of Ash by Sojourner Luminiferous Aether by Mare Cognitum Ride Forth by Exmortus Brotherhood of the Snake by Testament Hunted by Khemmis Winter's Gate by Insomnium Blood of the Fall by Bedowyn The Passage by DGM In Pieces by Oak Pantheon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted December 18, 2016 Share Posted December 18, 2016 Nice one. I probably won't do a list this year -- I haven't been too diligent at keeping up and I'm still not sure which albums I truly love. Except Gygax. That one is definitely one of my favorites for the year. GLORY TO LILIANA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durckad Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 I'm not sure what my top ten would be this year but I for sure know that Vektor would be at the top of it, somewhere, if not at the very top. Holy shit that album is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 12 hours ago, Durckad said: I'm not sure what my top ten would be this year but I for sure know that Vektor would be at the top of it, somewhere, if not at the very top. Holy shit that album is good. The one thing that held me back on that record was the vocals. For whatever reason they didn't sit well with me at first so I've only listened to it here and there. Probably something that will grow on me with time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durckad Posted December 20, 2016 Share Posted December 20, 2016 Yes, the vocals can be a... difficult hurdle to clear, but once you get used to them, Vektor is some of the best technical thrash in the market. When I first got into Vektor, the vocals were my least favorite part, but now, they're unique and very definitely a defining part of their sound. Plus, the dude can scream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all swedes are racist Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 well fuck me this is late, but seeing as there are no more than 6 people who actually care about this, i guess we'll live. r'hllor's red lobster's 16 for 16 value meal!* in almost no particular order: Aluk Todolo - Voix kinda almost not quite not-metal, but this instrumental post-rock-y outfit puts out some nevertheless really cool shit. i am too lazy to actually investigate, but i am moderately confident this band is a side-project of at least one of the DsO guitarists. heavy and rad as hell, so i'm counting it. Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähteiljä when people described this as "progressive/psychedelic black metal" i almost shut down and dismissed this band out of hand. usually that type of shit ends up being straight garbage (looking at you, Nachtmystium) but goddamn if these guys don't get it right. as a metalhead who also happens to have a deep and longstandling love of actual psychedelic music (not just 'oh these guys must have been high as shit when they wrote/recorded this!') this shit actually rules. "give me all the mushrooms and european horror movies" type rules. BAT - Wings of Chains pure, unadulterated (in every sense of the word) snot-nosed punky 'fuck you, mom!' speed metal. greasy hair, adrenaline, motor oil, black leather, and weed smoke... condense all that down into an audible record, and you've got a rough idea of what this album sounds like. FFO Ghoul, Annihilation Time, etc. Rebel Wizard - Triumph of Gloom this dude is like the curmudgeonly Australian hesher version of ty segall or jon dwyer. only one album out this year (compared to like 3or 4 eps and a mini lp last year) this one man band does an awesome and unique take on a kind of lo-fi, blackened thrash with a serious penchant for NWOBHM riffcraft. excited to see what this new record deal with Prosthetic lets him do. SUFFOCATE THE EARTH WITH THE WIZARD CAPE OF NEGATIVITY! Anaal Nathrahk - The Whole of the Law gothic industrial grind mayhem. nasty, ugly shit, this is supposed to be a concept album of like, sadean poetry written by a demon or something. gross and awesome, not for the faint of heart. Magrudergrind - II holy fuck this album destroys. intelligent crsutpunk/grindcore with equal focus on grab-you-by-the-throat pummeling blasts and hatchet-in-the-brain hooks. saw these guys utterly destroy at MDF, one of the best live acts i've seen in a long fucking time. Ravencult - Force of Profanation if you dont know Ravencult, you are really missing out. these guys are all about the riff, delivered like a high caliber bullet via buzzy chainsaw guitar tone. think midnight meets destroyer 666, but without the shitbag edgelord commentary of warslut (the only thing keeping the otherwise stellar Wildifire off this list... good god that guy is fucking annoying live). the new vocalist doesnt work quite as well as the one on Morbid Blood, but still this album is killer. High Spirits - Motivator this album (and actually the full catalog of this band/Prof Chris) is just straight up good times party music. long hair. late nights. abundant beer. fast cars. easy sex. cheap drugs. good friends. crank it the FUCK UP. Gygax - Critical Hits classic, hook-heavy metal with a super nerdy bent. not sure if it was here, but I think i described these guys as if you went to your local hobby shop for a DnD campaign, and ended up playing with Thin Lizzy. Songs about magic the gathering, malazan, D&D... fuck yeah! pass the bong and pass the die, and then pass that last slice of pizza... in that order. notable EPs: Deathspell Omega - The Synarchy of Molten Bones i dont even have close to an idea of what that album title means, but thats ok. i've long resigned myself to the fact that there are a lot of metalheads waaaaaay smarter than me, and these guys are pretty close to the top of that list. that being said, this ep is pretty standard (all things considered) DsO fare... dense and labyrinthine, requiring multiple listens to truly appreciate, with a notable techincality without devolving into jerk off wankery. I will probably be in the minority here, but i actually really liked Drought, even more than this.... but goddamn this shit is good. the gene wolfe of metal, cant fuck with that. Grave Miasma - Endless Pilgrimage maybe not quite living up to the promise of Odori Sepulcharum, but this still fucking destroys (notable tracks: Utterance of the Foulest Spirit and Purgative Cicumvolution are damn high water marks for GM) This EP shows off a bit cleaner production, with both shows of the gnarliness of the musicianship, but also strikes a bit of the dirt off the sound that helps cultivate the oppressive, uh... miasma these guys seemed to cultivate on the last album. a little less suffocating, a little more "beat you about the fuckin head"... but fuck it, they at least have the chops to back it up. This is like the soundtrack to an Earthsea novella written by R Scott Bakker. despite my very faint criticisms, i have to say this is a very very good release. excellent even. final top 5, ranked: 5: Mithras - On Strange Loops not to get too caught up in bullshit labels, but like Oranssi Pazuzu, this would be a band i normally dismiss out of hand based purely on how they were described to me: "prog-tech-death metal". no offense to anyone into that kind of thing, but for me, i just spent too much time working at a record store next to Berklee College of Music, and anything these nerdy wank-fiends wet their pants over is not for me. But, luckily for me, Mithras doesn't play that type of cold, soulless "its really impressive on paper, if you only knew" relapse recordstech death. These guys may have a bit of mechanical/roboticness (especially the trigger-sharp drumming), but there is also a ton of meatiness to give it enough , uh, soul (for lack of a better term). this ablum really hooked me, despite my reluctance. 4: Sorcery - Garden of Bones so, i will freely admit i am not the most well versed in the classics of metal... especially death metal. fuck, until recently i would have considered this style my least favorite sub-genre (life comes at you fast... definitely my most go-to style these days) so I don't really know how something like Sercery's Garden of Bones stacks up to any of the watershed moments of (death) metal... i can only judge this on its own merits and against my own limited experiences.... and hot goddamn, does this jump out. oh, these guys are some classic standard bearers of swede-death? cool, i had no idea. all i know is this shit fucking rips. vocalist sounds like a mix of lemmy and his closest living descendant matt pike, and riff like horrendous channelling possessed (but with the old dude "step aside, children, let me show you how its done" confidence of an Ares Kingdom) any historical significance aside, this shits rocks me in all the right ways. 3: Cultes des Ghoules - Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love so, i feel like this album really deserves a more intelligent write up than i am capable of delivering. conceived, written and executed as a kind of black metal rock opera (truly closer to an actual play, loosely inspired by 'The Jilemnice Occultist' by Masters Hammer, but "without the romance") this is a sprawling epic by one of the most mysterious, and nasty sounding metals acts out there. anyone into the Henbane will find a lot to like about this... but possibly also a lot to criticize. Like I said, this is a huge (one could even say bloated) album, closing in on 100 (!!!) minutes of music. There is also the clearly more polished production, which may deter some fans; but to me, serves to highlight how disturbing and grotesque the playing style is without relying on shitty recording gimmicks. The band also seems to have grown as songwriters; there are some riffs and passages that show both a (i dunno, hate to put it this way, but:) maturity, and adventurousness. (pay attention to oft neglected-in-black-metal bass work... fuck yeah) Though, I will say -- and this will be very subjective depending on the listener -- these flashes of growth and progression may come too few and far-between. It took me a while to really get the whole thing in mind and appreciate it as a whole, and a big part of that is reading along with the 'play' printed in the liner notes.... definitely adds to the overall experience, but can kinda seems a bit too much effort to ask of someone trying to enjoy are really fucking good metal album. I have read some reviews touting the final track (alone on the second disc of the CD version) as a stand alone mini-album.... musically i guess it works that way, but considering the whole thing, i dont really want to think of the last 30 minutes as some seperate work, yknow?) I feel pretty conflicted. On one hand, I really like what Cultes des Ghoules have done here; I appreciate their ambition and scope of vision, and to an extent (aimed at nerds like me willing to read 16 pages of 'screenplay' along to over an hour and a half of music to 'get' the play in their heads) but I also feel they fell too short/long... between two goals (ooh.. make me think of how this comes across as a medevial eurpoean take on twin peaks.... now that could be fucking cool... and this is the band to make it happen) this could be more effective as either a trimmed down album, with about 40% of the 'filler' rendered out, and/or go full out with the stage idea.... fucking film the thing and have the 'full'extended cut' album be the soundtrack... ah, but fuck it, its not my vision to fuck with. But, overall... holy shit this is gnarly piece of work. tl:dr... this is long, challenging, madouse, creepy and distrubing. could possibly be shorter and more concise, but when we're talking about 100 min of new Cultes des Ghoules... well, I'm not one to fucking complain. Problems with it notwithstanding, Coven... is pretty amazing, and I would highly recommend. read the booklet, it helps. 2: Cobalt - Slow Forever this is another one that possibly suffers from 'bloat', according to some. Cobalts first album in over seven years, and after being being plagued with delays, not least of which related to the firing of Phil McSorley (founding member and chief vocalist), there was certainly a lot of hype and scuttlebutt surrounding this release. personally, its very difficult to seperate thoughts on this album from the surrounding context; the fact this has been a highly anticipated release from on of the US' (imo) premiere metal acts, McSorley's shitbagginess, how much his troubled personal life/beliefs contributed to the bands output, and his replacement by Charlie Fell (rife with his on controversy) would affect the bands sound. Now, I'll say all of that has a place in a critical review, but I'll limit myself for the most part to keeping within the scope of the album itself and how it sounds. To me, for all his troubles, Phil McSorely was very much a part of the 'Cobalt sound' so, while not totally upset to see him gone, I did hold reservations on how the band would continue without him. Fell, i have to say, fills in pretty damn well. he definitely lacks mcsorelys kind of trademark pained howl, his range is a pretty fair trade off. Fell manages a much more vaired sounds than McSorley ever could, from wildcat screech to almost mustaine like gritty howl. this, i think, also helps Erik Wunder, the real creative engine behind Cobalt, find a surer footing play around with and expand the sound of the band. The combination of Wunder's adventurism (excuse the phrase) and Fell's ability to adapt to varied moods allows Cobalt to explore turf not otherwise available with McSorley... I hear echoes of Converge, Neurosis, and Swans on this one, without ever doubting I am listening to a Cobalt album. There are even a few brief glimpses of some even more out of the way stuff, like influences of the Seatbelts (Hunt the Buffalo, Breathe) or Frodus (Cold Breaker) All in all, I think this is an excellent album, and considering all of the gloomy negativity swirling around the release, really managed to meet or exceed most expectations ( at least mine). Sure, there could be a few filler tracks cut, and a few songs trimmed down to get the whole things down to a more manageable run time, but honestly I'm pretty happy with this thing turned out. Sure, its not as focused or coherent as say, Gin, but giving (Wunder at least) the room experiment and try and grow (in a less toxic environment that was, to be frank, likely to see someone dead), but its still as pretty damn amazing album in its own right, and fucking solid stepping stone in the career of the one of the US's best and most forward looking metal bands. Not a masterpiece, but still head and shoulders above a great deal of shit out there. 1: Blood Incantation - Starspawn so, I probably have way less to say about my #1 pick compared to the last two; basically, those were two fucking amazing albums with some (not insurmountable) flaws -- I love them both dearly, even if I could see why others might not view them as highly. Starspawn, though.... shit. This album is pretty close to perfect. Muddy and murky enough production to really give it some meat, but not so oppressive as to get bogged down in shear atmosphere; technical enough to keep the death metal aspect fresh and interesting, but not so much to get dismissed as music nerd wank porn. (Whereas Mithras I see as Marvel comics 'techno-organic beings'-- techy enough to be interesting in a 'oh thats futuristic and cool but not totally devoid of characterl' kinda way...., BI is more like the Expanse's protomolecule-- inscrutable, cold, and unfeeling (to our primitive eyes) but wholly unique and not without its own bizarre motivation, beyond our ken. ah fuck, there it is. im drunk and havent had more than 5 hours of sleep in a day in the past 8 weeks, so excuse any typos and gratuitous purple prose, daniel abraham wrote those parts. dont fucking @ me, dont hit up the celly or text it. *16 for 16 only available at participating retailers. 2am-4am EST. not to be combined with any other offers, not applicable to previous purchases... satisfaction not at all, in any way guaranteed. for comments or complaints, call 1-800-get-bent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrum Aeternum Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 2nd North American Leg of Iron Maiden's Book of Souls tour announced! 6/3 — Bristow, Va. — Jiffy Lube Live 6/4 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Wells Fargo Center 6/7 — Newark, N.J. — Prudential Center 6/9 — Charlotte, N.C. — PNC Music Pavilion 6/11 — Tampa, Fla. — Amalie Arena 6/13 — Nashville, Tenn. — Bridgestone Arena 6/15 — Chicago, Ill. — Hollywood Casino Amphitheater 6/16 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Xcel Energy Center 6/19 — Oklahoma City, Okla. — Chesapeake Arena 6/21 — Houston, Texas — Toyota Center 6/23 — Dallas, Texas — American Airlines Center 6/24 — San Antonio, Texas — AT&T Center 6/27 — Albuquerque, N.M. — Isleta Amphitheatre 6/28 — Phoenix, Ariz. — Talking Stick Resort Arena 7/1 — San Bernardino, Calif. — San Manuel Amphitheatre* 7/3 — Las Vegas, Nev. — T-Mobile Arena 7/5 — Oakland, Calif. — Oracle Arena 7/7 — Salt Lake City, Utah — USANA Amphitheatre 7/9 — Lincoln, Neb. — Pinnacle Bank Arena 7/11 — Kansas City, Mo. — Sprint Centre 7/12 — St. Louis, Mo. — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 7/15 — Toronto, Ontario — Budweiser Stage 7/16 — Quebec City, Quebec — Videotron Centre 7/19 — Mansfield, Mass. — Xfinity Center 7/21 — Brooklyn, N.Y. — Barclays Center Much more far reaching than the first leg. Nashville is my obvious choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all swedes are racist Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 well fuck me if this thread hadn't been dormant for longer than the current diaper filling man baby had actually been president. anyway, a little march madness bracket fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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