• Isis à Genève

    Nov 27 2009, 20h54 por UncleAlias

    Mar. 24 nov. – Isis

    J’en ai tellement pris plein les oreilles hier au concert d’Isis au Kab de l’Usine de Genève que je dois résister à la tentation d’écrire en gras et en majuscule. Ça, plus le fait que c’était un putain de bordel de nom de bleu de concert qui dépote!

    Je dois avouer que je ne m’y attendais pas: je voyais Isis comme un groupe de post-rock presque comme les autres, avec quelques guitares râpeuses, un chanteur qui alterne growl et vocaux “propres” et c’est un peu tout.

    Monumentale erreur! Isis, c’est un rouleau compresseur conduit par un colibri, un astéroïde façonné comme un œuf de Fabergé, un bombardement stratégique composé par Vivaldi. C’est un mur de son qu’on se prend en pleine face et, juste avant l’impact, on s’aperçoit que chacune des briques est une mosaïque représentant une fresque avec la finesse d’un grand maître flamand.

    Je pourrais continuer longtemps avec les images foireuses, mais, pour résumer, c’est un putain de groupe de métal avec trois guitares en façade qui alterne des plages de pure brutalité et des moments de grâce musicale – un peu comme le chanteur et son style growl et propre. Mention spéciale au batteur, absolument prodigieux tout au long du set.

    J’ai aussi été surpris par l’aspect “progressif” de certaines compositions. Je n’irai pas jusqu’à dire qu’Isis est un groupe de métal prog, mais il y a dans ses morceaux des aspects que ne devraient pas ignorer des fidèles du genre. Certaines parties instrumentales montent crescendo en apothéose, c’est pur bonheur.

    Au final, c’est un concert qui était presque trop court (une heure, plus un gros rappel de quinze minutes), mais d’une intensité rare, avec des musiciens qui avaient visiblement plaisir à jouer leurs morceaux – principalement du dernier album. Le son était remarquable, à part peut-être des vocaux complètement noyés dans la masse de son.

    Les deux premières parties étaient assurées par Black Elk, du stoner pas transcendant mais pas totalement inintéressant non plus, et Transitional, dont le post-rock électro était nettement plus intéressant musicalement parlant, mais qui était desservi par une prestation scénique très limitée (guitare, basse et tout le reste en samples; c’est décevant d’avoir un gros son qui fait bouger les chaussettes sans rien voir sur scène pour le justifier).

    Un taxi et cinq heures de sommeil, ce n’est pas cher payé pour ce genre de prestation!

    Précédemment paru sur Blog à part: troisième époque.
  • Hipster metal

    Nov 26 2009, 2h50 por Conservationist

    So the AV Club decided to get all wise on us about metal:




    If there’s one thing in the world more head-slammingly dull than reading a bunch of online Realness Police argue about what constitutes real hip-hop, it’s reading similar web manifestos by metal’s “trü-kvlt” militia. Did they happen to spot a Mastodon album at Best Buy? Must be “hipster metal.” Did they read an interview with Boris in which Wata expressed enthusiasm for pop music? Must be “hipster metal.” Did they spot a guy enjoying The Sword who had an ironic T-shirt or thick-framed cheaters? Must be “hipster metal.”

    ...

    In fact, that’s one of the hallmarks of the “hipster metal” complaint: It’s never about the music.

    The irritating myth of "hipster metal," by Leonard Pierce


    And then Examiner's Brett Stevens fires back a salvo in the opposite direction:


    But the truth is that being a hipster isn't how you dress, where you live, or even what brand of beer you drink. It's how you approach the music. It's how you approach life. It's an attitude and philosophy.

    These people called metalheads were ostracized, called geeks, belittled and spat upon for insisting metal is important. And what is that idea? Metal is the idea of worshipping power and intensity, not the "safe" and twee personalized Jesus that rock music is.

    ...

    Because the people behind them are not thinking of the music as in metal as a genre, but of how they can be ironic and twee and unique, metalheads tend to write them off as "hipster metal."

    Hipster Metal: no myth, but not as exciting as it sounds either, by Brett Stevens


    It's about the music: metal is not compatible with twee indie rock pretending to be metal. We're not saying not to listen to it, or to ban it or burn it, just that it's not real metal in the same way Christians or Nazis pretending to be metal so they can preach at us aren't real metal.

    Are we all clear on that?

    HIPSTER METAL

    * Baroness
    * Mastodon
    * Isis
    * Between the Buried and Me
    * All That Remains
    * Boris

    REAL METAL

    * Immolation
    * Enslaved
    * Darkthrone
    * Incantation
    * Morbid Angel
    * Deicide
    * Obituary
    * Demigod
    * Atheist
    * Demilich
    * Carnage
    * Blaspherian
  • Best Albums of 2009

    Nov 25 2009, 11h37 por mathcore16

    My Favourite Albums of 2009

    1. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
    Essential Track: Disease, Injury, Madness

    2. Baroness - Blue Record
    Essential Track - Swollen and Halo

    3. Converge - Axe to Fall
    Essential Track - Effigy

    4. Mew - No More Stories...
    ET: Silas the Magic Car

    5. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
    ET: Crack the Skye

    6. The Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate
    ET: I Will Return

    7. Isis - Wavering Radiant
    ET: Threshold of Transformation

    8. Coalesce - OX
    ET: The Villain We Won't Deny

    9. WHY? - Eskimo Snow
    ET: Berkeley By Hearseback

    10. Crystal Antlers - Tentacles
    ET: Andrew

    11. Kylesa - Static Tensions
    ET: Scapegoat

    12. Suicide Silence - No Time to Bleed
    ET: Smoke

    13. dälek – Gutter Tactics
    ET: No Question

    14. City of Ships - Look What God Did to Us
    ET: Complacence in the Nest

    15. The Red Chord – Fed Through the Teeth Machine
    ET: Mouthful Of Precious Stones

    16. Doomriders – Darkness Come Alive
    ET: Bear Witness

    17. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
    ET: Two Weeks

    18. Skeletonwitch - Breathing the Fire
    ET: Stand Fight and Die

    19. Job for a Cowboy - Ruination
    ET: Unfurling a Darkened Gospel

    20. Wavves - Wavvves
    ET: So Bored

    21.BeardFish - Destined Solitaire
    ET: Awaken the Sleeping

    22. Behemoth – Evangelion
    ET: Ov Fire and the Void

    23.Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky - The Grand Partition and the Abrogation of Idolatry
    ET: Cattle

    24. Cobalt - Gin
    ET: Pregnant Insect

    25. Every Time I Die - New Junk Aesthetic
    ET: Wanderlust

    26. Thursday – Common Existence
    ET: As He Climbed the Dark Mountain

    27. Papercuts – You Can Have What You Want
    ET: Once We Walked in the Sunlight

    28. Darkest Hour – The Eternal Return
    ET: No God

    29. Architects – Hollow Crown
    ET: Early Grave

    30. John Frusciante - The Eternal
    ET: Unreachable

    31. Brand New - Daisy
    ET: Bed

    32. Pissed Jeans – King of Jeans
    ET: False Jesii Part 2

    33. Japandroids - Post-Nothing
    ET: Young Hearts Spark Fire

    34. Swallow the Sun - New Moon
    ET: These Woods Breathe Evil

    35. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
    ET: Teflon

    36. The Arusha Accord - The Echo Verses
    ET: The New Face of Revenge

    37.Bat for Lashes - Two Moons
    ET: Daniel

    38. Drudkh - Microcosmos
    ET: Distant Cries of Cranes

    39. Girls - Album
    ET: Lust For Life

    40. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
    ET: Sacred Trickster

    41. Gallows - Grey Britain
    ET: The Great Deceiver

    42. Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade
    Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog

    43. Handsome Furs - Face Control
    ET: Officer of Hearts

    44. Buried Inside- Spoils of Failure
    ET: VII

    45. A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head
    ET: In Your Heart

    46. Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough
    ET: The Mountain

    47. YOB - The Great Cessation
    ET: Breathing From the Shallows

    48. Lye By Mistake - Fea Jur
    ET: Invincible Bad Ass

    49. The Agonist - Lullabies For the Dormant Mind
    ET: The Tempest (The Siren's Song; The Banshee's Cry)

    50. Chimaira - The Infection
    ET: Coming Alive

    My Favourite EP's of 2009

    1. Torche - Healer/Across the Shields
    ET: Mash it Up

    2.Nachtmystium - Doomsday Derelicts
    ET: Life of Fire

    3. Jesu - Opiate Sun
    ET: Losing Streak

    4. Coalesce - OXEP
    ET: Through Sparrows I Rest

    5. Cave In - Planets of Old
    ET: The Red Trail

    They Had Cool Albums Too...

    Megadeth, Municipal Waste, Dream Theater, Graf Orlock, Polar Bear Club, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Ghostface Killah (except for "Baby"...!), mewithoutYou, Scar Symmetry, Obscura, Goes Cube, Killswitch Engage, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Cattle Decapitation, Mono, Rumplestiltskin Grinder, Clutch, Nile, Raekwon, Tombs, Dead Swans, Lamb of God, iwrestledabearonce, Struck By Lightning, Russian Circles, Burnt by the Sun, Dinosaur Jr., Camera Obscura, Mount Eerie, Goatwhore, Keelhaul, Napalm Death, Immortal, Pelican, Phoenix, Dark Mountain, Malefice, Suidakra, My Dying Bride, The Color of Violence, Warbringer, DevilDriver, Church of Misery, Diablo Swing Orchestra


    Most Overrated:

    1. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
    2. Muse - The Resistance (I hate this album so very much. If I want to listen to Queen, which I don't, then I'll shove my head in a blender. Up yours, Muse. I looked forward to this so much, for nothing.)
    2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
    3. Slayer - World Painted Blood
    4. Suffocation - Blood Oath
    5. Woods - Songs of Shame

    Biggest Disappointments:

    1.Muse - The Resistance
    2 Porcupine Tree - The Incident
    3. The Fall of Troy - In the Unlikely Event
    4. 3 Inches of Blood - Here Waits Thy Doom
    5. dredg - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

    Why Are You Alive?
    1. Ace Frehley

    Get Out of My Sight:

    Oasis

    (You sucked when you started, you sucked last year, and you'd suck now if you hadn't broken up. Praise Satan.)


    RIP

    Burnt by the Sun
    Burst
    Animosity
    Battle of Mice
  • ROCK-A-ROLLA ISSUE 23 OUT NOW!

    Nov 24 2009, 13h43 por Rock-A-Rolla



    Featuring:

    Pelican – Post-rock heroes return with their brand new album, What We All Come To Need, and – gasp!- vocals!
    Krallice – Mick Barr talks black metal
    Goatsnake – Greg Anderson resurrects another classic band!
    Todd – Everyone’s favourite Anglo-American noiserockmongers unleash Big Ripper
    Supersilent – Norwegian avant supergroup talk Hammond organs and supersilence
    Top 30 Albums of 2009 – We select our favourite records of the year

    Plus: Part Chimp,SubArachnoid Space, Kodiak, Beak>, Junius, Majeure, Conspiracy Records, 2010 preview, live action: Magma, Kayo Dot, Electric Wizard, Mudhoney, Isis

    Plus over 100 album reviews!

    PLUS: SUBSCRIBER AND ONLINE CUSTOMER EXCLUSIVE CD ‘RUNEOLOGY 4’ – 13 tracks from the awesome avant-label Rune Grammofon! Only available with issue 23 to our current subscribers and rock-a-rolla.com online customers! This CD is NOT available in stores!

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT www.rock-a-rolla.com
  • Top Albums of 2009

    Nov 24 2009, 0h32 por yobb

    2009 has been a pretty great musical year for me. So many good albums, I think I'll have a hard time trimming it down to 10. Let see:

    10. Dimensional Bleedthrough (Krallice)
    Not quite as solid front to back as their debut, this is still an excellent slab of blackened drone / death metal.

    9. The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (dredg)
    This one was a grower; Dredg has put some really powerful tracks on here amidst the filler.

    8. The Great Misdirect (Between the Buried and Me)
    This album seems much less disjointed than their previous releases. Also, Obfuscation kicks a ton of ass!

    7. Those Whom the Gods Detest (Nile)
    Not much more of a reason other than it is Nile, and it is almost as good as Annihilation of the Wicked.

    6. Absu (Absu)
    Easily the best mythological-occult metal album you will ever hear.

    5. Nostalgia (Gwynbleidd)
    These guys remind me of Opeth, and that's a huge compliment. I can't wait to hear more from them.

    4. Crack the Skye (Mastodon)
    While I might not enjoy this album more than Blood Mountain, it is easily as enjoyable. Mastodon never disappoint.

    3. Ape Uprising (Slough Feg)
    I consider Hardworlder one of the best albums ever; so I'm not surprised that I didn't enjoy this album on the same level as it. However, Slough Feg can do no wrong; this is a killer record.

    2. Wavering Radiant (Isis)
    Easily Isis' best record, and with the kind of back catalog they have, that is really saying something. This album blew me away the moment I first heard it.

    1. Night is the New Day (Katatonia)
    Katatonia is the best hard rock band around. No one can do what they do nearly as good. This album expanded on their sound in so many ways. Instant classic.
  • Pokaż mi swojego iTunes'a, a powiem Ci kim jesteś.

    Nov 23 2009, 12h55 por Psyche_

    Z chorobowych nudów zaczynam małą zabawę :D

    How many songs are in your iTunes?: 4267
    Total time: 13:07:10:37
    Total GBs: 25,50 GB
    What song are you listening to right now?: TocarFears

    Sort the songs in alphabetical order.
    First song: (A) Speak To Me (B) Breathe In The Air
    Last song: ...

    Album order.
    First song: Oh Darling
    Last song: Dom

    Artist order.
    First song: Thunderstruck [Live]
    Last song: Пісня Чугайстра (Білоруською мовою)

    Time order.
    First song: TocarHyracotherium
    Last song: Interlude III

    Genre order.
    First song: Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing
    Last song: Aggressive Perfector

    Shuffle! - Put the music playlist on shuffle.
    1st song: A Ty
    2nd: TocarCheap Drunk
    10th: Candy Jones
    50th: Hakuna Matata (Lejon Kungen - Svensk)
    100th: TocarThe Man I Love
    200th: Готика
    250th: TocarThe Good Soldier
    279th: Deep in the Hole

    Search for the following phrases and write the number of tracks that come up for each.
    "love": 133
    "hate": 19
    "sex": 32
    "fail": 2
    "fall": 13
    "you": 366
    "fuck": 7
    "kill": 50
    "death": 74
    "dead": 76
    "evil": 14
    "heaven": 7
    "hell": 53
    "dark": 61
    "light": 43


    Top 10 most played songs, with number of plays
    1.: TocarCarry - 57
    2.: TocarFears - 41
    3.: Seven Nation Army - 37
    4.: TocarI Want My Innocence Back - 33
    5.: TocarGothic Lolita - 32
    6.: TocarRaggamuffin - 31
    7.: ...forgotten love (ukrainian) - 30
    8.: TocarFyah Fyah - 30
    9.: Gentlemen Aren't Nice - 26
    10.: TocarWheelwalker - 21

    Top 10 least played songs, with number of plays
    1.: Raczej nie da się wyselekcjonować :< Za dużo zer

    Top 10 highest rated songs
    1.: Nie daję gwiazdek.

    Top 10 lowest rated songs
    1.: jw.

    Write a song beginning with each character.
    0-9: Солдат
    A: TocarAnd With Her Came the Birds
    B: TocarBlood Roses
    C: TocarCarry
    D: TocarDim
    E: TocarEven Less
    F: TocarFears
    G: Guns Are Good
    H: TocarHyracotherium
    I: TocarI Want My Innocence Back
    J: TocarJoy
    K: TocarKickapoo
    L: Leeds United
    M: Mantra
    N: TocarNaan
    O: TocarOut of Myself
    P: TocarPaint It Black
    Q: Quasimodo
    R: TocarRed Right Hand
    S: Suicide Blonde
    T: Three Hours
    U: Up Is Down
    V: Voulez-Vous
    W: TocarWheelwalker
    X: TocarX
    Y: Your Time Is Gonna Come
    Z: Zero Tolerance

    Write an artist beginning with each character.
    0-9: Любэ
    A: atmasfera
    B: Bathory
    C: Cult of Luna
    D: Death
    E: Emilie Autumn
    F: Faith No More
    G: Genitorturers
    H: Humanfly
    I: Isis
    J: Jacek Kaczmarski
    K: Kult
    L: Led Zeppelin
    M: Minsk
    N: Neurosis
    O: Opeth
    P: Porcupine Tree
    Q: Queen
    R: Riverside
    S: Slayer kurwa!
    T: Tool
    U: U2
    V: Votum
    W: Waldemar Kazanecki
    X: Eee... a istnieją takie?
    Y: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
    Z: Zozobra

    Random Questions
    How long have you had your iPod?: Rok? Dwa? Na którąś gwiazdkę dostałam.

    Does if have a crapload of scratches on it?: No pewnie!

    What is your most favourite song of all time?: Mam wymienić wszystkie? :o

    What is your favourite foreign language song?: Солдат

    What's the most embarassing song that you have?: Pewnie któraś Dody.

    Pop or Hip Hop?: Pop.

    Rock or Rap?: Rock.

    R&B or Alternative?: Alternative.

    Classical or Jazz?: Jazz

    Dance or Reggae?: eee...

    New Age or Techno?: eee...

    Country or Blues?: Blues

    Folk or Latin?: Folk

    Annoying theme songs or annoying children's songs?: To drugie.

    Macarena or Chicken Dance?: Kaczuchy!

    YMCA or Cha Cha Slide?: eee...


    Artist VS. Artist (you HAVE to pick one or you're going to hell)

    Ashlee or Jessica?: Ale że kto?

    Britney or Christina?: Nie wiem.

    Hilary of Lindsay?: E?

    Avril or JoJo?: U... Y... Aha.

    Shakira or JLo?: Eeeeee...

    Beyonce or Ciara?: Mmm...

    Gwen or No Doubt?: Yyyy... No Doubt!

    Beyonce of Destiny's Child?: Aaaa...

    Eminem or 50 Cent?: Hmmmmmmmm...

    G-Unit or D12?: Aha.

    Chris Brown or Usher?: Że kurwa co?

    Justin Timberlake or Nick Lachey?: Brzyyyydaaaaal.

    Panic! At the Disco or Fall Out Boy?: WTF?!

    My Chemical Romance or The Used?: Nie znaju.

    Simple Plan or The All-American Rejects?: What?!

    Black Eyed Peas or The Click Five?: Faraparacirafaratongaaaaaaa

    No Doubt or Pussycat Dolls?: Nooo... No Doubt.

    Blink- 182 or Green Day?: Hm...

    New Green Day or Old Green Day?: E...

    KISS or Beatles?: Beatles. Wreszcie normalne pytanie.

    Maroon 5 or Yellowcard?: Yyy... Pospieszyłam się z radością.


    Other Stuff
    What's your favourite song of all time?:

    Artist?: Nie mam!

    Album?: Nie mam!

    Genre?: Zgadnijcie ;3

    What's your least favourite song of all time?:

    Artist?: Kto zgadnie dostanie lizaka.

    Album?: jw.

    Genre?: A tutaj już nie dostanie.

    Isn't Panic! At the Disco the best band ever?: A co to?

    Ever been to a concert?: Jasne!

    If so, who did you see? If not, who do you want to see?: Na Rolling Stones byłam, na Riverside i na tych wszystkich Woodstockowych z 2006, 2008 i 2009. A, no i Acid Drinkers. I Lao Che!

    What's the difference between rock and alternative?: Nie wiem, zwisa mi to.

    MTV, VH1, or Fuse, and why?: MTV. Bo lecą idiotyczne, odmóżdżające programy pokazujące rozpieszczonych amerykańskich nastolatków. Czyli coś dla mnie.

    Soundtracks or Mixed Tapes?: Soundtracki.

    Pay 99 cents for a song or download illegally?: Kradniemy, jak się wybitnie spodoba to idziemy do sklepu i kupujemy.

    Borrow your friend's CD's, buy it yourself, or download it?: Ola ściąga.

    What's wrong with downloading illegally anyways?: Nic.

    Why did you take this survey?: Bo jestem chora, nudzi mi się, nie chodzę do szkoły i jest mi źleeeeeeeeee.

    Do you like me?: Nie.

    What are you listening to right NOW?: TocarBroken Glass

    See ya.: Spierdalaj.

    Uff!
  • Dies Irae - Sculpture of Stone

    Nov 22 2009, 20h19 por tomcatha

    Dies Irae – Sculpture of Stone

    Dies Irae from Poland. Not the most well known band from that scene. Half surprising considering its line up consisting of (now) former Vader, Decapitated and various members who are known for their other bands/projects. The reason seems to be because this band has been sort of treated as a side project by Mauser, the last remaining founding member, and absolutely not because of the musical quality as i will explain later on.

    The evolution of this band has been fairly standard with their debut album being the most straightforward albeit very competent typically yet unique Polish styled band to an band which evolved their own sound and just became better and different. Allot of comparisons are being made with Vader for this band. Saying that there are no resemblances would be a lie. The band has allot of similar sounding elements but i think that doesn't lie in the fact that they are copying stuff from Vader but because there were 2 now former Vader members(Mauser and Doc) in the band but the 2nd guitarist is mostly known for his work with Sceptic and definitely ads his own touch especially soloing wise.

    Of course an album is made by its instrumentation and not by the art and lyrical theme and usually are just extra's which rarely enhance the rest but i think its still important mentioning them in a review especially if you are interested in buying the album. If you do not care about these however you can skip the following 2 paragraphs.

    The art of the album is fairly standard non gore based death metal album art. The front has some CGI art of 3 sculptures in stone. The back has a picture of the entire band. In the booklet itself there are shots of every band member. There are also some skulls, gargoyles, a roman/Greek statue head and some Latin in the booklet. All art is pretty much gray. Really nothing exceptional thus art wise.

    The lyrics are fairly good despite some engrish. The lyrical themes vary from what seems to be in order for the songs: Lovecraftian, werewolves, death, birth and rebirth of the universe with a anti christian/religious touch, misanthropy, anti-life, death again, about the beginning of sin and finally about the passage of time. The lyrics are thus fairly varied. Novy the bassist/vocalist doesn't pronounce them very clearly and the lyrics are thus not very understandable but if you can still understand them well, they are easily good enough to not cause any annoyance.

    Guitarmanship wise this album is very solid but not exceptional. The riffs have allot of palm muting and are somewhat technical. Id say the riffing is a mix between Decapitated and thrashless Vader and are quite excellent. There is some lead work in here but usually there are solos instead of having any lead guitars. The solos are well done and add to the overall experience. The guitar tone is quite clean but not sterile and fits well with the other musical elements and is fairly powerful.

    The bass is in the background but is competently played and is cleaner in sound than the guitars. My preference would be that the bass would have been more in the foreground mixing wise and with a somewhat dirtier sound but as it works it works quite well none the less and certainly adds to making this album heavy.

    Doc again provides very well competent drumming. Blasts when it fits double basses when it fits and the fills are all well done and again also played when they fit. The drumming other than that is fairly standard and could have been more exciting and less standard but it does work very well with the other instruments.

    Vocal wise this band is maybe the most unique. Novy has a really unique sort of slowish drawn out growl and at times sounds absolutely brilliant for example on the track The Beginning of Sin. The tone of the growls are mostly in the mid-low end of the spectrum with some higher growls at some places. The vocals are maybe the best part of the album and are mixed and produced basically perfectly.

    A band with excellent individual instruments can still be a bad/boring overall product and luckily Dies Irae's Sculpture of Stone does not suffer from this at all. All songs here are of good quality with everything working well together to create good somewhat technical Polish death metal. There are a couple of standout tracks, namely Beyond all Dimensions, The Art of an Endless Creation, The Beginning of Sin and Sculpture of Stone. With The Beginning of Sin being my overall favorite track. The other songs although also well done don't strike me as much as those 4 tracks i just mentioned.

    In the end id say this album is very well made were the individual parts except the vocals are not very amazing but make each other better. The vocals are excellent regardless of the rest of the album. This album's biggest downside is that it isn't really anything new, if this album was released when the Polish death metal scene just came into being it would have been hailed as a classic now. For me it is a classic, this is the album that got me into full fledged death metal. I'm very glad i found this album instead of the Mexican melodic death band of the same name and with almost the same album name and as i look at it with the eyes from a new death metal fan i can look at this album for what it is individually and not as a release from a genre that when this album was released was already over 15 years old.

    In the end I'm giving it a score of 85%. It doesn't get the full 100% because it is nothing really innovating. However it is a release that every death metal fan should have in at least some form.

    Dies IraeVaderBehemothDecapitatedUnSunDevilynDeathMegadethMotorheadMorbid AngelDarkthroneRadioheadLady GaGaIsis
  • The 100 Most Essential Albums of the Decade - Volume II

    Nov 22 2009, 0h29 por DreadfulYgg

    Here are the next 20 entries in this epic five part journal journey. For more explanation, see my Volume I.

    Arcturus- The Sham Mirrors


    When it comes to avant-garde treatment of metal, this stands as one of the shining examples of how to do it right. Oh, and an all-star lineup of Norwegian royalty, including Garm as your vocalist, helps too.

    Drudkh- Blood in Our Wells


    Autumn Aurora could easily have been on this list, but I think it’s Blood in Our Wells places itself just a tiny bit above it. This album will leave its mark upon you over and over again.

    Isis- Oceanic


    Isis is a behemoth in the controversial “post-metal” genre, and became legends quite early on in their career, largely due to this album.

    Devin Townsend- Terria


    If you have the faintest idea of who Devin Townsend is then chances are you love his music or can’t stand him. For those of us who do appreciate this genius, Terria is an exceptional work of progressive metal that is not to be missed.

    Boris- Pink


    Although it seems everyone has their particular favorite from the band, you’d be hard pressed to find many, if any, faults on this absolute jewel of an album. The energy and power that resonates from this band, particularly this album, is impressive to say the least.

    Xasthur- Nocturnal Poisoning


    Another band that people love to hate, or simply adore, this is easily the best work of Malefic. Although the quality of the EP Suicide in Dark Serenity matches this, Nocturnal comes out ahead just slightly. The dread and depressive atmosphere of Xasthur is more palpable here than any work thus far, largely due to the pitch perfect production.

    Akercocke- Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone


    This unique English band delivered their magnum opus on this, their fourth album, and it combines the band’s influences of death metal, black metal, progressive metal, and all the rest, into a whirlwind of listening pleasure.

    Amon Amarth- Versus the World


    Not only did this album catapult the band into a broader fan base, it stands as their defining work in their career. Many seem to prefer With Oden On Our Side, and I can’t argue with them. However, Versus the World has a certain charm that’s hard to place your finger on.

    Ásmegin- Hin Vordende Sod & Sø


    As debuts go, they rarely sound this good. Asmegin came out of nowhere and blew almost everyone away. Although primarily folk metal, they sound like no other folk metal band out there. It’s a shame their sound changed drastically (for better or worse) on the follow up.

    Blut aus Nord- The Work Which Transforms God


    A bold album title to be sure, but the band was not far from the truth. What they have done is transform the dull stereotypes of what is considered black metal and turned it completely on its head. The dissonant guitar sound and inhuman vocals are the driving forces behind this industrialized and avant-garde black metal tour de force.

    Gojira- From Mars to Sirius


    Ah, now this is refreshing. Not only is the concept behind the album not a common issue within metal, but the band’s sound itself was also a revitalization of the usual death metal formula. Their progressive sound is just the kind of music we need to hear in this day and age where metal all too often eats its own tail.

    Jesu- s/t


    Perhaps they’ve become a little too experimental and accessible as of late, but none can argue just how powerful their sound is on this debut self-titled work. Mixing so many influences that pegging them becomes arbitrary, Jesu is mandatory for any self-respecting music fan.

    Enslaved- Ruun


    As good as the albums before this were, Ruun was as close to perfection as albums get. Taking their Pink Floyd meets black metal approach, Enslaved show how progressive metal can be done when applied to extreme metal.

    Pelican- The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw


    The Fire in Our Throats is a multi-faceted beast of an album. Pelican are able to engage the listener without having to rely on vocals to lead the songs. This frees up the band’s creativity as they churn out sludge-like riffs that clash with atmospheric post-rock moments of pure beauty.

    Deathspell Omega- Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice


    Albums don’t come much more epic than this, both conceptually and musically, but somehow Deathspell Omega know something that other bands don’t. While they tended to adopt a more old school approach on early works, it was this work that propelled them to the elite class of black metal…and they show no signs of losing that momentum.

    Wolves in the Throne Room- Diadem of 12 Stars


    The eco-friendly black metal band for the 21st century, Wolves in the Throne Room have gained much praise since this, their debut. It’s easy to see why, given their epic compositions and songwriting seem to flow like a river, taking any direction they need. They spare no expense enthralling the listener and in doing so created a black metal album for the ages.

    The Ruins of Beverast- Unlock the Shrine


    Out of the ashes of Nagelfar comes The Ruins of Beverast, the solo project of Alexander von Meilenwald. Apocalyptic sounds of war, battle, and the stench of death permeate this release. You would never guess one guy was responsible for an album as rich as this one. No ears are left unscathed here, this is modern black metal at its finest.

    Therion- Lemuria/Sirius B


    I find it impossible to choose between these two albums, mostly for the fact that they seem to be attached to one another musically and thematically. While you could choose one over the other if you had to, it would not be a welcome decision. One needs to hear both albums of this double release because Therion are the epitome of symphonic and bombastic metal in this current age of music. It’s almost scary how well crafted this stuff is.

    Velvet Cacoon- Genevieve


    The extremely controversial Velvet Cacoon are not without their share of detractors. While it’s true they essentially stole the work of others early on, Genevieve is pure Velvet Cacoon and proves the point that there was absolutely no need not to utilize this kind of talent from the get go. Think of Filosofem but taken to the next level and you have an idea of how ingenius this album is. Also, it’s probably good that this album was conceived through the magic of hallucinogens.

    Wintersun- s/t


    More than five years later and we are still waiting for that damn second album. Ah well. It’s time for us to remember exactly why that said album is so anticipated. While many were devastated that Jari left the brilliant Ensiferum, those doubts were soon shattered when he released this (essentially) solo project on the metal world. Aside from the drumming, this is all Jari. With a plethora of influences making up the work of this album, Wintersun escapes classification.


    Don't freak out (again) if you didn't see something you thought should have been listed, there are still 60 albums to go.
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