tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59436303129375083392024-03-18T13:00:31.143-04:00From the Dust Returnedautothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.comBlogger5632125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-9305466476725784082024-03-18T13:00:00.001-04:002024-03-18T13:00:00.245-04:00Asphyx - Incoming Death (2016)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5m3y4jf0DftQjEFIBoKbdoTGXEk4v8VI5vzqQODbDdJOzFtuNhDX_uKd9_k_puft9f7b1YZaWS8Lgr26GBmBJzUbneAkpXEq8ZsRh5lDIPJ1IHWTvVe9o2RCincPxLWzVtCsobhB8BuKh_8f8FXexp6zlwjzvyesdtLYJX5DKzjpcnbp4_9LvQuD3yY/s600/594216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5m3y4jf0DftQjEFIBoKbdoTGXEk4v8VI5vzqQODbDdJOzFtuNhDX_uKd9_k_puft9f7b1YZaWS8Lgr26GBmBJzUbneAkpXEq8ZsRh5lDIPJ1IHWTvVe9o2RCincPxLWzVtCsobhB8BuKh_8f8FXexp6zlwjzvyesdtLYJX5DKzjpcnbp4_9LvQuD3yY/w200-h200/594216.jpg" width="200" /></a>Three albums in to <b>Asphyx</b>'s reunion with Martin van Drunen, and I feel like you know what you're getting to get when you spin one of these things. Crushing, basic death metal, straight from the early 90s in craftmanship, but blessed with the advancements in production that can make it sound absolutely enormous by comparison to so many of those seminal works. The Dutch act has long maintained a very workmanlike build to its material, the riffs don't really sound very evil or atmospheric or even that catchy, but they bring the brawn rather than the brains, and for that reason they're always listenable, even if I couldn't pick many of these tracks out from a selection of those on the surrounding albums. Another band that, like a <b>Bolt Thrower</b> or <b>Obituary</b>, are quite content following the same path without ever distracting themselves with some attractive side-trails.<br /><br /><i>Incoming Death</i> is almost as predictably named as it sounds, but if I'm being truthful, there is no amount of redundancy that can't be overcome by how Martin's gruesome grunts interact with the mix on these guitars. He sounds just as fleshy as they do, and he's always been one of the more distinct throats in the field, even though my preference will always be for his presence on the first two <b>Pestilence</b> albums, because the music there was absolutely fucking perfect to support him. <b>Asphyx</b> doesn't always seem like they take a long time to put the material together, just stringing together a standard supply of chords and letting the enormity of that guitar tone do the rest of the work. You do get a variety, from the grindier sway of tremolo picked riffs in "Candiru" and "It Came from the Skies" to the more measured, doomed gait of "The Grand Denial" or snail-like grooves of "Subterra Incognita", and that goes a long way to curb off any monotony, especially with the nice occasional lead or melodic guitar line for an added dimension to the atmosphere.<br /><br />The mix here, from a little-known Swedish musician and producer named 'Dan', is exactly what the material needs to fatten out its simplicity, so that the tones can district from the lack of technicality or complexity in any of the riff patterns. The bass throbs with a thick distortion, allowing it to pop out occasionally from the tank-tread weight of the rhythm guitars, and the drums keep things pretty simple, but rock out just right against the crush. The songs can get a little boring if you're expecting any surprises, but they do happen once in awhile, like the piano finale to "Subterra Incognita", or that HUGE bass groove in the depths of "Death: The Only Immortal". Overall, <i>Incoming Death </i>is another win for the band, though it not all that much more memorable than the two albums before it, <i>Death...the Brutal Way</i> and <i>Deathhammer</i>; marginally better recording, but the tunes don't dazzle beyond the superficiality of their massive crunch.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.25/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.asphyx.nl/">https://www.asphyx.nl/</a><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-8712978995211198212024-03-15T12:17:00.001-04:002024-03-15T12:17:00.131-04:00Cryptopsy - As Gomorrah Burns (2023)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCv188tbSRqahfdmA2zOMhGPgu85EkhfHNFRKA9gmzi7AM-rM8w-OpiYEQ_aRWZ1ZMgkYdSlnItdvjBLkpj7LeIdhU_jpU0sg8gZrjrowxVmjq_iUQ9IlticaSqCGPJscLB6SRORuxjSZQxADHvN8egp6O1giyqOxnXVaNwAZjdCexqKQE8I1XWolnUI/s600/1152165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCv188tbSRqahfdmA2zOMhGPgu85EkhfHNFRKA9gmzi7AM-rM8w-OpiYEQ_aRWZ1ZMgkYdSlnItdvjBLkpj7LeIdhU_jpU0sg8gZrjrowxVmjq_iUQ9IlticaSqCGPJscLB6SRORuxjSZQxADHvN8egp6O1giyqOxnXVaNwAZjdCexqKQE8I1XWolnUI/w200-h200/1152165.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Crytopsy</b>'s drummer Flo Mounier is the same age as I am, but while I'm waking up with the aches of pains that grind deeper with every year of Middle Age, the guy sounds like he's jacked into some cybernetic shit, the living embodiment of his drum kit that makes every blast beat, double bass roll and tempo change as effortless as the input of a single key on a keyboard. Like brutal death metal is some binary language in his genetic code that automatically enables his hands and feet. The fact that the rest of his band isn't left behind his capability is a testament to how well they lock together, and due to this consistency and intensity, <i>As Gomorrah Burns</i> is the best album the band has put out during the McGachy-fronted era, trouncing the competent s/t from the previous decade, and the ensuing EPs, though not by a necessarily large margin.<br /><br />The caveat is that this is the same, frenzied, modern tech/brutal death <b>Crytopsy</b> that they arguably always were, but had kind of faded into the background after a thousand other bands caught up with their skills and energy. It's a vortex of blasting death metal rhythms that alternate with thrashier, choppy outbreaks for pure neck-jerking, and rarely gets any slower than that. It's highly mechanistic sounding, and feels just like a lot of other works in the genre where individual tracks can lack the distinction of classic DM tunes. That said, they do keep some of those progressive, melodic breaks that were developed across the last EPs, and there are some formidable leads in between the grooving and thrusting, where the listener can get a little more atmosphere, something much of the brickwork brutality is lacking. The Mounier/Donaldson/Pinard trifecta is a virtual storm of limbs that never tires, and while McGachy's vocals still aren't as unique as a Lord Worm, he's well literate in this style and offers enough flexibility and professionalism that I'd consider this his best performance to date with the band; though he still clearly lacks the status of legendary growlers and snarlers you could pick out of a lineup.<br /><br /><i>As Gomorrah Burns</i> gets better the more the band sticks its neck out for new ideas, like the flighty little melodic noodling that opens "Flayed the Swine" or the the dissonant thundering that "Obeisant" works up to. In fact, I'd love to hear the band just stretch even further into making the most weird and progressive BDM they can, though maybe not as loose and weird as something like <i>Once Was Not</i> or the lamentable <i>And Then You'll Beg</i>. But there is just so much latent musical potential here to explore even more psychotic vistas of extremity than what we're hearing. That's not to take away from this particular album, which has plenty of 'oh shit!' moments and is enjoyable whenever I'm in the mood for this style, but I still think there's room for more interesting songwriting, even if they take more breathers and don't feel the need to dizzy and impress us all the time. Wishful thinking aside, though, there's no reason the audience of brutal tech/death finesse would find much lacking in this 33-minute exercise in extremity, chalk full of the Canadians' patented weaponry.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.75/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://linktr.ee/Cryptopsy">https://linktr.ee/Cryptopsy</a><br /></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-4447227628075833992024-03-14T11:34:00.001-04:002024-03-14T11:34:00.130-04:00Cryptopsy - The Book of Suffering - Tome II EP (2018)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvR2XPh6DYACNWZfmdoeq0ZM_hNPUdVpUbvMjxshZdE32_URU3l6tX18QEpBC1n70fulp6WFb2SYfyAZ9vr5l409z2yE7jrPWm_nWEcCNaBd2H5R3dRIkyhCI4xWfPCV0E8SpNgqly9DjXTbcPGcAEiuLeHmxet1BryFN86TMebf4zHR2QYBwx9-0pEg/s700/732608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvR2XPh6DYACNWZfmdoeq0ZM_hNPUdVpUbvMjxshZdE32_URU3l6tX18QEpBC1n70fulp6WFb2SYfyAZ9vr5l409z2yE7jrPWm_nWEcCNaBd2H5R3dRIkyhCI4xWfPCV0E8SpNgqly9DjXTbcPGcAEiuLeHmxet1BryFN86TMebf4zHR2QYBwx9-0pEg/w200-h200/732608.jpg" width="200" /></a>The 2010s were not a super busy period for Canada's <b>Crytopsy</b>, with just the decent s/t album in 2012 and this pair of <i>Book of Suffering</i> EPs which were self-releases that didn't stir up a ton of attention. With only four tracks to follow up <i>Tome I</i>'s four, it didn't seem like the band was engaged in a lot of creativity. That's not to sell the material here short, because this EP possesses all the intensity and technicality you'd expect from one of the most brutal bands in the genre's history, and there are a few fresh ideas to round out the songwriting, but it's over in a flash, and so concussive that it can give you a headache or disappear amongst all the other output in this very style that has flooded a dozen or so labels these last two decades.<br /><br />The band still leans heavily on Flo Mounier's almost inhuman, mechanical drumming, but Christian Donaldson's guitars are also a highlight, leveling out a myriad of riffs all over the fretboard, some more clinical and melodic ("Sire of Sin"), others just sort of driving along in rapid succession to the grooves and blasts, but either way you'll certainly be listening through the tracks numerous times to catch onto everything. Olivier Pinard's bass is also intimidating, as dizzying as the guitars, but also laying out some fat plunking moments like the breaks in "The Wretched Living" or just lines that feel appropriately complex if we were to isolate them from the rest of the mayhem. As for Matt's vocals, I still find them incredibly generic, he doesn't have the character of some of his predecessors, and all the gutturals and snarls do feel interchangeable with countless other acts in the genre. That said, he's not lacking in the actual energy and percussive nature of his delivery, and over the year he has certainly fit into the formula so that he's nowhere near a detriment.<br /><br />Like a lot of technical/brutal death, there's a modular sense of construction which seems like pieces could be swapped between songs and nobody would know better, meaning it's quite consistent in execution but also a bit indistinct. They definitely try a little innovation, like the choppy little extreme <b>Voivod</b> bit in "Fear His Displeasure" or numerous other progressive sequences, but the nature of how harried and busy they write doesn't let you linger on any of the catchier, striking moments, instead barreling headfirst into another blasting clusterfuck. It's all very precise, don't get me wrong, it's not sloppy by any means, but they are in such a rush to dazzle that I just can't get too absorbed into anything. It's the nature of the sub-genre, perhaps, but I actually think <b>Crytopsy</b> would be stronger if they focused in on the more adventurous material, and just gave us the blasting when it really counted or when they could support it with a better quality riff. <i>Tome II</i> is calamitous, crazy and I'd say both superior to its predecessor, worth a few spins, and loyal to the <b>Cryptopsy</b> trajectory at large, but it often falls prey to its own short attention span.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://linktr.ee/Cryptopsy">https://linktr.ee/Cryptopsy</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-3510378165704755412024-03-13T11:15:00.000-04:002024-03-13T11:15:00.238-04:00Obituary - Dying of Everything (2023)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCCMiRBxCz_9Sl4dOOXVaDq2726HS2pkSftxjjEbfLsrt35Qs7pf4xmXmQPkm0dn-NG_-9MbiFgunNn22mw3DLfbQuK0EQVa_S3cQLu9UYAZJ4_RUU_O6sARxXVNfYBSFqWpo8znht-yWHgzNJPw5C1KecRxbgyp82mOh_hnoUinDibWMbNH_D8Lz6Ck/s1200/1088759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCCMiRBxCz_9Sl4dOOXVaDq2726HS2pkSftxjjEbfLsrt35Qs7pf4xmXmQPkm0dn-NG_-9MbiFgunNn22mw3DLfbQuK0EQVa_S3cQLu9UYAZJ4_RUU_O6sARxXVNfYBSFqWpo8znht-yWHgzNJPw5C1KecRxbgyp82mOh_hnoUinDibWMbNH_D8Lz6Ck/w200-h200/1088759.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>Dying of Everything</i> might have received the most critical praise I've seen for an <b>Obituary</b> album in a very long time...at LEAST since the first few back in the late 80s/90s when they were sort of a shocking novelty based on the roiling guitar tone and John Tardye's sickened vocal style. It seemed like I couldn't avoid year's end lists, blogs and videos without this being mentioned, and having just skimmed over it upon release, I was looking forward to going back to it and hearing what I might have missed. This has led me only to confusion, for while this album does fire off a few very exciting tracks, the rest are quite dull and predictable, business as usual for one of Florida's least progressed death metal acts, and I don't mean that as any sort of insult, some groups stick to what they know, and this is one of them.<br /><br />Now, "Barely Alive", the opener, is quite explosive and really gave me hope for this album when I first came in contact. It's not super catchy riff-wise, but the energy and leads are certainly palpable and it's hard not to get infected with it. But just as quickly, you get "The Wrong Time", which has a cool intro followed up by a pretty boring rock-ish riff, with maybe one decent groove later on. And that's the formula for many of the tunes, there's one undeniable ferocious part and then a bunch of filler riffing to surround it. Not for the first time, and hell even the better riffing sequences here just sound like slight variations on many others they've already released. Again, that just comes with the territory, there's just not much nuance or ambition to any of the material. You get a few hints of it, like the drawn out backing growls, and the bolder and brighter production than on a lot of their albums, but structurally, while this ticks all the boxes and does hurl out a half dozen admirable riffs which spark all my nostalgia for their first two, beloved records, it's rarely something special.<br /><br />Now, admittedly, that production IS great...it sounds huge coming out the speakers, one of their better balanced mixes through the decades, grasping on where it can to modernity without losing the original plot, and the chugging, the lead guitars, the vocal and drums are all monstrous. There is certainly an audience for that alone, and I think that might be the main draw to this one, but anytime I'm really about to get into a track, they just spin off into some banal, uninventive material that doesn't impress me beyond the audio force alone. The Mariusz Lewandowski cover art does feel fresh for the band, and don't get me wrong, this record sends dreck like <i>Darkest Day, The End Complete</i> and <i>Frozen in Time</i> home on a stretcher, but I wouldn't mind hearing this same level of production used on material that's more evil, atmospheric, or even slightly dissonant and innovative within the riff choices themselves. It's a decent record, but like a lot of what they've put out, feels like jogging in place through the cemetery, where I'd rather they dug down a little deeper into the rot-choked soils, or broke into some of the sepulchers for some ideas.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.obituary.cc/">https://www.obituary.cc/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-35951770165865531062024-03-12T10:58:00.001-04:002024-03-12T10:58:00.132-04:00Obituary - Cause of Death: Live Infection (2022)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lH3MHOdeEYNc6E9FoEj0gQ6qxINeGYqrFnpjP8pBhUNXEs0x_q3Yh01hNuPHwi4ppXTk3u7bjuvB9yPuqGGOkgW2p8cs8sk0HUyqsihGsSezW6dahxYb048XAG1EqkhYQlF-ewBtPzgIKKW-m7FWKAjZ2X3IKJKQ4ZqIhHYqH4oeLlbqUmMNWThWEI8/s560/1055308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="560" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lH3MHOdeEYNc6E9FoEj0gQ6qxINeGYqrFnpjP8pBhUNXEs0x_q3Yh01hNuPHwi4ppXTk3u7bjuvB9yPuqGGOkgW2p8cs8sk0HUyqsihGsSezW6dahxYb048XAG1EqkhYQlF-ewBtPzgIKKW-m7FWKAjZ2X3IKJKQ4ZqIhHYqH4oeLlbqUmMNWThWEI8/w200-h200/1055308.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Like it's companion piece, <i>Slowly We Rot: Live & Rotting</i>, this is a full live presentation of one of <b>Obituary</b>'s classic albums, and this one happens to be my favorite across their catalogue, so I was a fraction more juiced to check it out for those morbid, evil grooves and riffs that I clung to so much growing up. This one is also recorded in Tampa, so basically the band's home turf, and given the same extremely professional treatment, sounding just as good or better than when you're actually standing in front of the band at one of their gigs. The tunes on this album are slightly more controlled and I daresay catchier than on the debut, but at the same time they did feel slightly less carnage-strewn or extreme, but here on <i>Live Infection</i>, there is more of a consistency with <i>Slowly We Rot</i>, and as they start churning along, they get a few opportunities to measure up in extremity.<br /><br />Again, they are played exactly in the order of the original, including the <b>Celtic Frost</b> cover of "Circle of the Tyrants", which sounds superior to the "Dethroned Emperor" they tossed onto the other record. The chords feel meaty and powerful, and since they're a little more spacious and measured than on the debut, the drums Donald's drumming feels even more powerful. Some of my favorite <b>Obituary</b> tunes like "Body Bag" and "Memories Remain" sound absolutely fantastic, and while John's doesn't always sound 1:1 for the studio versions, he's grotesque and intense as his throat splatters these lines all over the huge grooves. The leads sound a little better and more musical with the way their effects work in the live incarnation, and overall the first nine tracks of this brought so many great memories and turned out to be one of the better live albums I've come across in the last couple years. I realize it's trendy for all these bands to be playing their classics and some might consider it a cash grab, but the fact is a lot of these tunes probably left the set lists long ago, so it's good to have them back even in a limited capacity.<br /><br />Like the <i>Slowly We Rot</i> live album, there are tracks added here which were not a part of the original, but a sprinkling from later in the career. "Straight to Hell" from the s/t doesn't do a ton for me, but "Threatening Skies" is exciting with its hardcore-meets-<b>Obituary</b> feel, and then you've got the dependable grooves of "By the Light" and while I'm no <i>End Complete</i> fan, I think "I'm in Pain" sounds much more explosive in this live setting than it did fronting that studio album. So in addition to me enjoying the core experience more, the add-ons are also slightly superior for me than those chosen for <i>Live & Rotting</i>. Having said that, I think both of these albums are better than their old 1998 live album <i>Dead</i>, which was actually decent in of itself, but lacks the strength that these have by focusing in on the best material the band has written still to this day. If you're a fan, or you just like really well-produced live death metal, both of these should earn a place on your shelf.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.75/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.obituary.cc/">https://www.obituary.cc/</a><p></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-52478117827409373732024-03-11T10:37:00.001-04:002024-03-11T10:37:00.137-04:00Obituary - Slowly We Rot: Live & Rotting (2022)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdSxCDhRwxe8B8gGEpePX4WacubuT9SjtHxBWAnHvzpr35gQsXNDU884fTFOKkN4sCSpidtyviV9L1r5TMEeNftvTDWhWnPXQS3vNit2scsn8NGcPf45bPVGiXfkmqqd_xdKM7jgBgn4RF-X3-Tc2wYocSMtMekfa53RD2-xbf6eJm_SF-u43sCLgLXc/s570/1055305.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="570" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdSxCDhRwxe8B8gGEpePX4WacubuT9SjtHxBWAnHvzpr35gQsXNDU884fTFOKkN4sCSpidtyviV9L1r5TMEeNftvTDWhWnPXQS3vNit2scsn8NGcPf45bPVGiXfkmqqd_xdKM7jgBgn4RF-X3-Tc2wYocSMtMekfa53RD2-xbf6eJm_SF-u43sCLgLXc/w200-h200/1055305.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>Slowly We Rot: Live & Rotting</i> is one in a pair of special concert presentations released on physical and digital media through Relapse records. Having seen <b>Obituary</b> a number of times through the years, I can attest that whatever inconsistency their studio output might have brought me, this is an arena in which they are quite good, translating their simplistic, evil old death metal into roiling entertainment, fit for a crossroads of extreme music audiences what with all the grooving and moshing potential. This live album, I am happy to say, captures the experience with a professional sound, without going too far into an over-mixed or over-polished territory. In fact, I'd take this over the vast majority of the studio albums they've put out across the decades beyond 1990.<br /><br />The material is mostly presented in the order of the original album, with an ominous stage intro and then an extended title track at the end. The lineup is the same as it has been since <i>Inked in Blood</i>, with the three original members joined by scene veteran Terry Butler on bass, and second guitarist Kenny Andrews, but it might as well just be the whole original studio incarnation, because it does the debut album great justice. The guitars are soaked in distortion, making the rhythm crunch just as evil as it did 30+ years ago, while the leads sound like whipping, spontaneous serpents that scream out into the atmosphere over the tight performances of Butler and Donald Tardy, both of whom sound excellent. The bass is really thick and the drumming feels even more intensive than on the studio version, and it all ends up pretty much flawless. John also sounds great, his trademark growl might miss a syllable or two, or at least it felt that way, but it's still got the same gruesome sustain to helm the band whether they're blasting away or settling into one of their swampier grooves. It's difficult to pick a favorite among the main tracks here, because each is delivered with precision and care for an audience that must be psyched to see this.<br /><br />There isn't a lot of fan interaction, or noise, it's all pretty slick, and they've added a couple of later songs to lengthen out the set and release; they aren't really necessary, like "Redneck Stomp" from the crappy <i>Frozen in Time</i> album, which is just as dull here as the original, and "A Dying World", which was a single they put out as part of an [adult swim] series a few years before this. That's not an impressive tune either, but it's much more energetic and fun than "Redneck...", and it's cool that it was included due to its scarcity. The best of the bonus tunes, however, is their cover of <b>Celtic Frost</b>'s "Dethroned Emperor", paying tribute to the band that is unquestionably the hugest influence upon their own sound. To be honest, though, I would have been satisfied with just the <i>Slowly We Rot</i> material, it seems that presentation and the accompanying Blu Ray would be enough here, and a few of those later tracks drag it down a little. Overall, though, this delivers what it promises, an ageless performance of what many consider their best album.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.5/10]</span></b></p><p><a href="https://www.obituary.cc/">https://www.obituary.cc/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-23929730594150172682024-03-08T13:51:00.001-05:002024-03-08T13:51:00.134-05:00Metal Church - Congregation of Annihilation (2023)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7suAvY4L3W4z8jMcmJntC_qdxaz9hRVtmu3Et5rmS3TdAM07sPf7DiL8qHmj7UZXlSiopH1lTkNmL4PNjhNscydDFT5cU7V5fIk0GsouSM1ISsurf559yKCVfH8fxyXz8UXwrz5orj2WfAChDqDkn1iQVr-jvO8UnwEkLnhyphenhyphenFx5-IPRZs0GSn36yW0Go/s638/1125266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="638" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7suAvY4L3W4z8jMcmJntC_qdxaz9hRVtmu3Et5rmS3TdAM07sPf7DiL8qHmj7UZXlSiopH1lTkNmL4PNjhNscydDFT5cU7V5fIk0GsouSM1ISsurf559yKCVfH8fxyXz8UXwrz5orj2WfAChDqDkn1iQVr-jvO8UnwEkLnhyphenhyphenFx5-IPRZs0GSn36yW0Go/w200-h200/1125266.jpg" width="200" /></a>Having now weathered the tragic passing of two of their most popular singers, <b>Metal Church</b> pressed on with the increasingly heavy and angry sound they had struck on the later Mike Howe records, once again flirting with a style we'd most associate with USPM, which they were both inspirational towards in their early years, and then ultimately found themselves embracing rather than watering down their sound as they often did throughout the 90s. Marc Lopes is brought on, another beast of a front man, who could embrace the style of David Wayne and Mike Howe quite well, while bringing his own spin on it. He'd already played on a bunch of the <b>Ross the Boss</b> records, which were impressive, and he slides right into the formula here; some have stated that this guy might be a little TOO over the top, and we'll get into that.<br /><br /><i>Congregation of Annihilation</i> often sounds like <i>Painkiller</i> with David Wayne singing, and that can only be a good thing, brought out by a lot of the riffing patterns in tunes like opener "Another Judgement Day". They also do some heavier, chugging groove riffs to keep it a bit more modern and close to the belt, but for the most part this album has a lot of parallels to <b>Priest</b> of perhaps even some of the <b>Halford</b> solo stuff. Lopes doesn't sound quite the same as Rob, but he loves to inject a lot of one-line screams, so he's always bouncing back and forth between the mid-ranged, angrier pitch and then this shrill pitch which can often come across a little forced and tacky. That's not to say he isn't hitting the notes right, he is, if you've heard him with Ross then you know the guy has pipes, but it seems like he could have been managed better on a few of the tunes here so that that back & forth technique didn't feel so predictable; though to be fair, there are a couple screams he embeds in tunes like "Me the Nothing" which totally smash you. There's a natural feel to his voice that sometimes he's about to lose his breath or choke, but that's not always a bad thing. Otherwise, his middle range timbre is pretty awesome, certainly even trumping Howe in terms of viciousness, even if I don't quite like the voice as much as his predecessor. <br /><br />The rest of the band is just handing out a beating throughout so much of this, whether it's on the more obvious power metal thumpers or the most atmospheric pieces like "Me the Nothing" which sound more like an amped up, muscular take on the Tony Martin <b>Sabbath </b>years or maybe some <b>Dio</b> solo stuff. There's a good balance of bluesy, heavy grooves and thick palm muted passages which might not feel like some of their most creative material, but certainly propulsive and powerful, especially with the meaty studio punch giving by the mix. The drums are hammering along, the bass beefy and the leads are also pretty good here, although usually brief and not terribly adventurous. Though it's not perfect, this one definitely continues what for me is the strongest streak of <b>Metal Church</b> since the first two albums, and if they can rein in the vocals just a fraction, maybe get more ambitious with the leads and have a few more of the slower, atmospheric tunes to balance out the raging, we might still hear some magnum opus with this very same lineup.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.5/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://metalchurchofficial.com/">https://metalchurchofficial.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-18520367053342831152024-03-07T12:40:00.001-05:002024-03-07T12:40:00.134-05:00Metal Church - From the Vault (2020)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiczVApAdOC7BIGi4IBnh1ZcenTt6bPz7HyORYf6y3tydu3asGk1mGGQsvQbj686_tt1f-GkDOmQHtfatZuU7YoK_TRw19N97t6b5waViY78QAaULRl0s2wnZElzY25KKVueI2NBG1f2tKI1IuL7-f8WLUXxkH73nfA-Xq2C-BiaITBsv7sOkYtyyPduA/s870/827845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="870" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiczVApAdOC7BIGi4IBnh1ZcenTt6bPz7HyORYf6y3tydu3asGk1mGGQsvQbj686_tt1f-GkDOmQHtfatZuU7YoK_TRw19N97t6b5waViY78QAaULRl0s2wnZElzY25KKVueI2NBG1f2tKI1IuL7-f8WLUXxkH73nfA-Xq2C-BiaITBsv7sOkYtyyPduA/w200-h200/827845.jpg" width="200" /></a>Fortunately for us all, there was a little more in store with Mike Howe at the helm before the tragic event of 2021. <i>From the Vault</i> is not your proper <b>Metal Church</b> record, it's more of a compilation, but unlike so many such releases that prove entirely useless, this one actually features some new material. And what new materia! One of the fresh studio pieces here, the opener "Dead on the Vine", is among my favorite tracks that the band had ever recorded, just scorching and extremely well produced. As potent and angry as anything off of <i>Damned if You Do</i>, but a little more polished in the direction of <i>XI</i>. The others new tunes like "For No Reason" or "Above the Madness" are a little more hard rocking and balanced in pace, but still really good and Mike's voice is just off the chains as it was a couple years before.<br /><br />If this wasn't enough great unreleased material, you've also got some extra tunes from the <i>Damned if You Do</i> sessions, like the cruising and crunching headbanger "False Flag" or the acoustic instrumental "432hz" which is quite beautiful. You can hear why a few of these were clipped from the full-length, but these two at the very least were worthy, and the mix on these is certainly full studio quality if a bit drier in overall vibe than something like "Dead on the Vine". The cover songs included here are also recorded rather well, and slightly unique choices like <b>Nazareth</b>'s "Please Don't Judas Me", which is solid if a little silly when Howe puts some goofy grit into some of the verse lines; the others actually sound a little better, like the more metalized "Green Eyed Lady", but here Mike's vocals also get a little cringe. It's not that he sounds bad, just that the edge and venom to his style is a little overbearing in this context...then again, there are some lines where he harmonizes in the latter that sound pretty awesome, and the leads in that one are also quite nice. There are ADDITIONAL tunes from the <i>XI </i>era like "The Enemy Mind" which is also pretty good, and some new mixes ("Killing Your Time", "Needle & Suture") which also feel pretty lethal, though some of this is only on the digital version or the vinyl box set, not the core CD/vinyl.<br /><br />Because that's not enough of a fan package for your time and money, there are also a couple of live songs, and they sound pretty clear from Japan, but they don't quite match the energy of the studio material and that's probably just because of the particular tunes selected. Mike sounds alright but some of his higher pitched screams are a little much. Regardless, this is the worst that you're going to find on <i>From the Vault</i>, and it's a great complimentary tribute to the two prior studio full-lengths in terms of going back and celebrating Mike Howe's contributions when he rejoined the band. Had all the studio content here been mixed more fluidly as a third new studio effort with him, that might have been superior, there are a few distractions like covers or B-sides that don't live up to the rest, but overall this has at least an EP's worth of killer material that shouldn't disappoint you if you've enjoyed either of his tenure's with the band.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.25/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://metalchurchofficial.com/">https://metalchurchofficial.com/</a><br /></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-62365130288221581142024-03-05T12:18:00.001-05:002024-03-05T12:18:00.143-05:00Metal Church - Damned If You Do (2018)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVTwXNH1VJcvK-QOMEEDpG6yOdunpXdcwSeg2CoRlB9vP8Vbe2Iu4k0Q8zErPgizWCQRJSE26pH7ZsX5kNR5909Nmowuy3fYOAqF79Av0pbMyNJ7buHBeKb2gqxoZFkClMfo-RpPtgrtEoUm8cZtkFBGQS-Sx-dmV44ReYR9Uf87cGSFKFeXw87UO9v8/s500/738333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVTwXNH1VJcvK-QOMEEDpG6yOdunpXdcwSeg2CoRlB9vP8Vbe2Iu4k0Q8zErPgizWCQRJSE26pH7ZsX5kNR5909Nmowuy3fYOAqF79Av0pbMyNJ7buHBeKb2gqxoZFkClMfo-RpPtgrtEoUm8cZtkFBGQS-Sx-dmV44ReYR9Uf87cGSFKFeXw87UO9v8/w200-h200/738333.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>XI</i> might have benefited a bit from the 'look who's back' factor, but with <i>Damned If You Do</i>, <b>Metal Church</b> pull up their sleeves and put in the hard work with a record that sounds angrier, more confrontational, and decidedly more USPM than its forebears. In fact, this is one of the band's heaviest efforts to its day, due not only to the riffs and structures, but also Mike Howe had really settled back into his vocal role, and he dishes out one of his most vicious performances. It's this charisma and confidence that seeps through even the simpler of passages on the record, like the verses of "The Black Things" with their clean-tinted guitars, and makes even this track a beast. But he's not alone in this, because the guitars continue to spit out riffs that feel fresh for the band's catalogue, and this is clearly riding the wave of newfound creativity that the band had plunged itself into just a few years before.<br /><br />That's not to say it's totally out of the ordinary for a veteran band that inhabits the hinges between heavy, power and thrash metal, but if you only had the first few <b>Metal Church</b> albums to go buy, you might not even think this was the same band outside of Howe's resemblance to David Wayne's style. These songs sound like the ravings of much younger men, brisk and savage yet still capable of integrating some more thoughtful uplifting melodies ("Revolution Underway"). The guitars and drums are really busy, and like a lot of their albums they've got a corpulent but cruise-controlled bass presence to support them. Leads aren't overly developed, they just sort of burn out bluesy progressions where appropriate, and in general I felt like this album wasn't as glossed up as <i>XI</i> was in the mix, so there's more of an appreciable level of power at their control. Just a little ugliness to complement the hostility and augment its authenticity. The record sounds great whether it's trotting along at a rapid pace ("Guillotine", "Out of Balance", "Into the Fold"), which it does ably and often, or if they chug along with a moderate headbanging ("Rot Away").<br /><br /><i>Damned if You Do </i>is bittersweet, of course, because it would be Mike Howe's last record before taking his own life in 2021, which for an underground metal nerd like myself, who had been worshiping his work on <b>Heretic</b>'s <i>Breaking Point </i>since that album came out over 30 years prior, was pretty devastating. For my money, though, he left us with one of his most intense records, easily the best I'd heart him sing on in all that time, and arguably his best technical performance, with a lot more catchy harmony hooks and screams than I might have expected from <i>XI</i> before it. This is one pissed off and effective record, and for my money the best <b>Metal Church</b> material outside of the first two discs. It might not achieve masterwork level, and let's face it, the band probably won't ever grace us with an <i>Operation: Mindcrime, Hall of the Mountain King</i> or <i>Master of Puppets</i>, but you can't ever question their persistence and loyalty to the genre that broke them...persistence that would outlive even the aforementioned tragedy.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [8/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://metalchurchofficial.com/">https://metalchurchofficial.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-54374888452723394002024-03-04T10:46:00.001-05:002024-03-04T10:46:00.146-05:00Metal Church - XI (2016)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqOpZGVWw8QRiqqsMSBJ8WUytqfzLi4EjC_OSK-2Ii8-iedMgjqwLT0bXW5KwKidPCON-CWlBAhQbQBF8FPmpyYRnekb1JYYhkwI6Wc_6zivAtPLChOuN-Z0DMwucPIEWCvIZT0npv-uk_mBKjUPqezEiyJlXfDKeIL-Fsgr-6zfQVxngo2dtyKosPSw/s280/555031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqOpZGVWw8QRiqqsMSBJ8WUytqfzLi4EjC_OSK-2Ii8-iedMgjqwLT0bXW5KwKidPCON-CWlBAhQbQBF8FPmpyYRnekb1JYYhkwI6Wc_6zivAtPLChOuN-Z0DMwucPIEWCvIZT0npv-uk_mBKjUPqezEiyJlXfDKeIL-Fsgr-6zfQVxngo2dtyKosPSw/w200-h200/555031.jpg" width="200" /></a>It might not be the prevailing opinion, but <b>Metal Church</b> is a band that never quite amounted to much for me beyond their first two albums, both of which I consider, if not masterpieces, then classic American heavy metal records which have withstood the ravages of time quite fine on their own. Since that point, though I've struggled with so much of their output...it's very often adequate, but just never blowing me away as I would have liked if that initial trajectory held true. The original Mike Howe run, while decent, never impressed me as much as his work with power/thrash outfit <b>Heretic </b>on <i>Breaking Point</i>, but he certainly had that similar attack to David Wayne with the inherent edge and anger to his performance; the songs just were not there for me. So having him return to the lineup some 20+ years later seemed like it couldn't hurt, because they hadn't exactly been knocking it out of the park in the interim, why not give it another go with their second most popular frontman? <br /><br />I was pretty satisfied from the first singles, because the reunion definitely works out in their favor. This is not the stuff of the eponymous debut or my favorite, <i>The Dark</i>, but it's hard enough hitting where it needs to be, and the band in general sounds more fired up than on the albums leading to it. The riffs are fairly creative, at least within the band's own canon, and they try to incorporate a bit of a modern groove or edge with some of the palm muting parts that keep it from sounding too forcibly nostalgic. Mike sounds just like he left off, in fact I think his performance here is superior <i>Blessing in Disguise</i>, with that harrowing decay to his sustain that feels angry and unique. Not exactly melodic and never as screamy as he might have been when he was younger, but that character to his style is in full effect, and he still to its day sounded like the most natural successor to Wayne. It just helps a lot that he's supported here by songs from Vanherhoof and company that leave a little visceral impact, that show some effort where a few of the albums between the two Howe eras were slightly lethargic or phoned in. There is an enthusiasm and virility here across all instruments that seems to concur with Mike's return.<br /><br />The production is super clean here, and though it doesn't necessarily do the material any favors, and if anything creates a drier atmosphere, audio purists will really love the clarity of the bass, the acoustics, the beats and vocals and who can blame them. These tunes don't always end up with the catchiest of chorus parts, but at least they are striving for that, culminating with "Killing Your Time", "Sky Falls In" and the lumbering "It Waits" with the cool effects, shining if minimalistic synth lines, and searing chorus line. But really, there's nothing I feel compelled to skip when I'm revisiting this one, all the material holds at least some modicum of consistency and quality, and I remember at the time being happier with <i>XI</i> than I had been with any of their other albums since 1986. I STILL feel that way, though I've overall cooled on the material slightly since it's release. A good <b>Metal Church</b> record, and a worthy reunion, with some explosive potential for moving forward.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.5/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://metalchurchofficial.com/">https://metalchurchofficial.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-61662772899418025482024-03-01T05:20:00.073-05:002024-03-01T05:20:00.133-05:00Griffon - De Republica (2024)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6pGXSInHkZLujrGHG9u3U9kNMezFbLWKnmfaaDgIdEYr-y_p1mItVaPyH_xpbYvg_YDMCEucumNcBAv-Rxaru1p5Z1q-KMVM0RD-Ww8LbBa55HswK3SQ2Bx3y7p5vmOEYFCNKjZBQ9MngMuy1Ls1donZupteF8eUEHAr7xbyZwVkAU9LaKNl5Zw7fD8/s700/1205930.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6pGXSInHkZLujrGHG9u3U9kNMezFbLWKnmfaaDgIdEYr-y_p1mItVaPyH_xpbYvg_YDMCEucumNcBAv-Rxaru1p5Z1q-KMVM0RD-Ww8LbBa55HswK3SQ2Bx3y7p5vmOEYFCNKjZBQ9MngMuy1Ls1donZupteF8eUEHAr7xbyZwVkAU9LaKNl5Zw7fD8/w200-h200/1205930.jpg" width="200" /></a>I think if the last decade of this French black metal scene had arrived at any other point in the past of extreme music, it'd likely have received the due it deserved. Sure, <b>Blut Aus Nord</b> has really broken through with their creepy, masterful and dissonant soundscapes, and maybe <b>Deathspell Omega</b> prods the attention of the unwashed masses once in awhile, but there is such a richness and consistency to a lot of these bands that you wonder why there isn't a bigger stir. Whether they're meting out the Medieval style, or the post-black elements, or the even more avantgarde and gonzo extremes that a <b>Pensées Nocturnes</b> reaches, there are so many strong options out there to fill your earholes and deplete your wallets.<br /><br /><b>Griffon</b>'s another one, and I had enjoyed their Ὸ θεὀς ὸ βασιλεὐς from a few years back, as well as vocalist Aharon's side project <b>A/Oratos</b> more recently. And like those albums, there is a sense for classicism here which is most likely in the first of the three categories I listed above, with an emphasis on 19th century France forward. . This is essentially traditional European black metal, with a huge flair for magnificent melodies that can due justice to its historically-grounded lyrical themes. But <i>De Republica</i>, their third full-length, goes further with the integration of more symphonic components through the keys and choirs and shimmering, rousing acoustics. There's definitely a sense of folksy foundation meets orchestral grandeur which is constantly accompanying the riffs, but to their credit, it doesn't always devolve into mere chugging just to support the weight of this added instrumentation. Even where you could accuse the material of that, like the bridge to "A l'insurrection", the lurching palm mute rhythm is at least weird and goes some places you wouldn't expect with the spoken word and graceful atmosphere.<br /><br />But when the band is blazing forward, as they are much of the 37 minute play length, there is a lot of strength to the guitars, whether they're bursting out into a tremolo picked pattern or a slower, more spacious and emotional pattern. The drumming is intense, the vocals capable of shifting between the genre's patented rasp and more gloomy cleans that are used for both melodic and narrative support. Even more impressive is just the ambition going into this stuff, you listen through a tune like "The Ides of March" or the slowly escalating titular closer and the band is definitely trying to expand its envelope structurally and rhythmically, to the point that it definitely has a more modern gloss to its atavistic principles. <i>De Republica</i> falls into that category of very well-rounded, black metal experiences which take the form seriously and never fuck around with your time. It might not always strike the most memorable riffs or vocal lines you've heard, but it's summarily driven and impressive, and gives the last album a run for its money.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [8.25/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/griffonblackmetal">https://www.facebook.com/griffonblackmetal</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-63629416034565194202024-02-29T06:48:00.068-05:002024-02-29T06:48:00.135-05:00Lucifer - V (2024)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWXruoYEH1MzOPNkYI3BJg70TiGJzLocf5atbqOxD7Dh4XjuDKBbXsBPXLFykqyU_nJjCsZZxpKXzrHeKknYMFlI74fEZ8jaUQL7hZYcbW2J9tEP9bXKOifEq3tCSIUGsSafKog9U3nLUSD7OOIbmhaFypR1gYUWrf-s0Oe9OSOiOUma_9FU6CMXZ9M0/s700/1183211.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWXruoYEH1MzOPNkYI3BJg70TiGJzLocf5atbqOxD7Dh4XjuDKBbXsBPXLFykqyU_nJjCsZZxpKXzrHeKknYMFlI74fEZ8jaUQL7hZYcbW2J9tEP9bXKOifEq3tCSIUGsSafKog9U3nLUSD7OOIbmhaFypR1gYUWrf-s0Oe9OSOiOUma_9FU6CMXZ9M0/w200-h200/1183211.jpg" width="200" /></a>The first few singles I had heard of <i>Lucifer V</i> before its release were alright, but didn't leave me quite so excited as I was for its predecessors. Turns out that was the usual smoke & mirrors of maybe a label or band members choosing material that wasn't quite the best, because nearly every other track on this album is absolutely the nut. It might lack some degree of surprise and progression that I'd felt for prior entries, and a lot of the writing here seems like it's hanging out on the plateau with <i>Lucifer IV</i>, but still snooping about for points of ascent, higher grounds to scale of pools of diabolic lava to dip its toes into, and in the end I've even come around to some of those advance tracks as cogs in a very consistent, grooving occult hard rock machine.<br /><br />The moody "Slow Dance in a Crypt" and "At the Mortuary" were the two I had encountered, and the former has its place as something bluesier, but a little too predictable in its progressions. Still, if you're at the prom, with someone missing most of their flesh, I think this is the exact sort of song you'd hear playing in the end credits of that particular <i>Carrie</i> sequel, and it does have a nice twist in the end with the pianos and elevating vocal line. But when you've got so many other scorchers here like the <b>Priest</b>-y "Fallen Angel", or "Riding Reaper" which I could hear ending up on an old 70s <b>Scorpions</b> album, everything really balances out. <b>Lucifer</b> revels in taking the familiar and then giving it a little spin here, a chord change there that makes it freshly memorable and unique to their own legacy. A few of my favorites here are tucked away near the end like the rocking "Strange Sister", or another bluesy piece, the creeping "Nothing Left to Lose but My Life", but by this point I've listened through the whole album and don't find any compulsion to skip past anything.<br /><br />Production is steller, the band pulls off one of those cleaner 70s-style atmospheres and yet it can go toe to toe with modern rock, and helps translate the darker vibes to the guitars. It's just a perfect tone for everything...organs, acoustics, drums, and especially Johanna's voice, which is still one of the best out there, she might not have the craziest range, but there's a wicked smoothness to her pitch that hangs tight even when she becomes a little more desperate and shrill, and again it adds to the sense that this is an unearthed relic. But that's not to take away from the other players here, like Nicke who's fills and thundering totally moor "Maculate Heart" so that it kicks even further ass, and the sweet guitars of Martin and Linus which knock out the harder punching chords and burn bluesy through the airbrushed muscle car nightscape this album once again created for the Swedes. Another excellent <b>Lucifer</b> album, I'd probably place it on par with <i>III</i>, I had a slightly stronger connection to <i>IV;</i> though at this rate I hope they can keep this up to <i>X</i>.<br /><br />Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luciferofficial">https://www.facebook.com/luciferofficial</a><br /></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-28219705547623379402024-02-28T06:47:00.072-05:002024-02-28T06:47:00.134-05:00Voivod - Morgöth Tales (2023)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvXDvx5KFTAbeuWzC7rnGjjziwUnp2rk7HpeBs3mFsWH0oRDgA7Zd_Lzgq1pGhHxGzoN16pivCZxFiu61hH1IzFc8dfvQ-sye0e9P9skIvQYmq5pEJsp57qK9x-LbsJDTAUYSMXOBpMRUbhHdGQYU4E_1xh8HWbdznBvK1ubdQspI_wgQUwftto8eM30/s1200/1130921.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvXDvx5KFTAbeuWzC7rnGjjziwUnp2rk7HpeBs3mFsWH0oRDgA7Zd_Lzgq1pGhHxGzoN16pivCZxFiu61hH1IzFc8dfvQ-sye0e9P9skIvQYmq5pEJsp57qK9x-LbsJDTAUYSMXOBpMRUbhHdGQYU4E_1xh8HWbdznBvK1ubdQspI_wgQUwftto8eM30/w200-h200/1130921.jpg" width="200" /></a>I've made it no secret through the years that <b>Voivod</b> is my favorite band, so the prospect of an album of re-recordings is dubious. Why mess with what has largely been perfection, or close to it? The thing is, I've been proven wrong on these specific sorts of compilations often enough that I've no question that, when done patiently, or done 'right', they can have some value in the modernization of limited recording technology or production values that in some way might have crippled the original sessions. Or maybe the band just wants to give the current roster a chance to lay down their spin on the band's legacy, or gloss up some golden oldies for the younger audience used to the sound on the more contemporary output in the discography. The idea behind <i>Morgöth Tales</i> is all of the above, but it's also a 40th year anniversary offering with the idea to take one track from each of previous albums, or at least eight of them, and 'update' them with Rocky and Chewy; plus a few added bonuses.<br /><br />For me, those three bonuses were initially the biggest draw, since they tackled their <i>Metal Massacre</i> track "Condemned to the Gallows" and made a neat sweep of it, tightly controlled with a tone that wouldn't be out of place on their recent records, but structurally just as fun and punk-driven as the original. Daniel's lead is great and the thing is just infused with youthful vitality, although I can imagine a swath of the purists might rue the lack of real rawness and underground vitriol to the recording. The title track, which closes off the album, is a very cool new track, but with a style that more closely resembles <i>Dimension Hatross</i>, with a spacious atmosphere due to some of the reverb on the vocals, but some real amazing, cycling grooves and a nice psychedelic break which lapses into <i>Nothingface</i> territory. This is ultimately my favorite part of the collection, although their slightly metalized cover of <b>Public Image Limited</b>'s "Home" is also quite good, and fitting with Snake's vocals and the overall odd vibe of the band. I like some of their sillier covers of stuff like "Batman" or the "Ultraman" theme plenty enough, but they do their best tributes with more serious fare like this or "Astronomy Domine".<br /><br />I'm not sure I'm entirely in love with the idea of picking one track from each of the albums, since I think some really wouldn't have needed to be touched, like "Fix My Heart", "Nuage Fractal" or "Rebel Robot"; the differences are minor, and I don't know that these versions truly embellish on the originals, even with the tonal evolution and alternate studio. It's more fun to hear early stuff like "Thrashing Rage", and I wonder if just re-recording <i>War and Pain </i>or its successor would have been better. The versions of "Killing Technology" and "Macrosolutions to Megaproblems" here are damn tight, and they will certainly give a better idea of how the band would sound performing them today with this lineup, but the originals come from works I praise so highly that any small detail will feel more abrupt to me. Perhaps I'm just too biased, but I'm certainly not trying to bash this, I think overall it's a worthwhile pickup for the longtime fan or initiate, I bought it day one, and I'd buy six more volumes if they were intent on release them. But at the same time...I'm looking forward to the band's energy being focused back on the infinite universes they still might explore, the past they've lest us is already so awesome, expansive and unforgettable that I'd never get sick of playing around in it.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [8/10] </span></b></p><p><a href="https://www.voivod.com/">https://www.voivod.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-21660577320028467032024-02-27T06:44:00.105-05:002024-02-27T06:44:00.129-05:00Darkthrone - Astral Fortress (2022)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsz8cfNC0mcUI2okGef6-TMlrtXjjocXIqsosl8YGJ4USyy2kTc339nyGN8Bceuqicp5le1U8tTXupvGb3-r0fYRAOcoppXik2P3QOML1cyyb5FiQL_Gasc9KjVAB47fRzUqSA0fou5v0gCszJai_V-feG3dda7F_SK_ShAyF2qNYwhKNWgxdmTy1ir4/s1200/1071945.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsz8cfNC0mcUI2okGef6-TMlrtXjjocXIqsosl8YGJ4USyy2kTc339nyGN8Bceuqicp5le1U8tTXupvGb3-r0fYRAOcoppXik2P3QOML1cyyb5FiQL_Gasc9KjVAB47fRzUqSA0fou5v0gCszJai_V-feG3dda7F_SK_ShAyF2qNYwhKNWgxdmTy1ir4/w200-h200/1071945.jpg" width="200" /></a>Each new <b>Darkthrone</b> studio album comes with the obligatory internet tug-of-war over why their new material is irrelevant, and they need to hang up the bullet belts; or why it's genius, and they're still treading some new ground. Here's the thing, though. <b>Darkthrone</b> doesn't give a fuck, and I have to agree with them. Yes, their material might been on an increasingly minimalist path of late, and some might construe that as lacking effort or 'phoning it all in', but it's not their first rodeo. That's exactly where they've been through so much of their career! Was <i>Total Death</i> complex, or <i>The Underground Resistance</i> revolutionary? They were cool because they held true to the band's ideals of slowly expanding and contracting its sound, tapping into primal influences across various metal sub-genres, and always infusing that with their own distinct personality. <i>Astral Fortress</i> is no different, and while it's got the most 'trolling' cover image in their entire discography, that's just another thing to admire about it. They don't always do what I expect, but 95% of the time so far it's turned out pretty damn awesome...</p><p>And it's awesome this time too, and that is why <b>Darkthrone</b> has my trust. <i>Astral Fortress</i> does conform a little to the blackened/doom vibe they've manifest through some of their recent albums, but this time they've got a warmer, more direct sound than on the eerier <i>Eternal Hails..</i>. The riffs definitely feel like the sort the duo have written in the past, and across the seven tracks, they usually do a few per song, but MAN what riffs. "Impeccable Caverns of Satan" has those great, <b>Sabbath</b>-laden grooves to it, which work so well against Ted's constipated grunts, and the very simplistic Fenriz beats. "Stalagmite Necklace" opens with one of my favorite <i>'Throne</i> riffs since forever, and the way the vocals echo off against the shuffle of the drums is just timeless, it feels like it could have hailed from any dark shed or sub-cellar of the last four decades, and the little synth touches are just perfect in enhancing the atmosphere. The most ambitious piece here is probably "The Sea Beneath the Seas of the Sea", with its ridiculous title and 10-minutes of evil, churning molasses riffs that once again bring to light that strong doom influence with not a small amount of the <b>Celtic Frost/Hellhammer </b>sound they were birthed on.<br /><br />Almost all the other tracks deliver too, though if I had to pick the three I enjoyed the most, it would be those. The jangly noise interlude "Kolbotn, West of the Vast Forests" does feel extraneous, but in a weird way it feels like some breath of icy breeze is striking some strings or chimes out in the frigid environment of the cover photo, I just think it could have been better used as an intro that wound better into a proper metal track. They bounce back with the harmonic glazing of "Eon 2", another very good tune with a nice folksy surprise within, but it doesn't bring back any of the same tropes from the instrumental. Otherwise, the mix on this album is supreme...it's very bare and some might argue dry, but the way Culto's vocals hover off the simple riffing and timekeeping, lightly struck drums makes for an unexpectedly haunted experience. All the instruments sound good in isolation, though the bass as usual isn't an important factor, just thumping along enough to notice it. The guitar tone, the few acoustics, the drums, all adherent to the simplicity and effectiveness of their design, and <i>Astral Fortress</i> grants me what I so wish for every time I listen to this or any other black metal band...escape.<br /><br />Maybe it doesn't throw me a lot of left field hooks like some of my favorite <b>Darkthrone</b> moments throughout their career...like hearing "The Winds They Called the Dungeon Shaker" for the first time on <i>Dark Thrones and Black Flags</i>, thinking 'what the fuck is going on?' and then gradually becoming so smitten that it's one of my favorite songs period. Or that earliest transition from the otherworldly, murky death metal of <i>Soulside Journey</i> to the icy Swiss-style nihilism of the sophomore, which seemed so unapproachable at the time but has long-since proven mandatory. <i>Astral Fortress</i> is not borne of such revelations, but it's another journey within that greater journey that I am privileged to be alive and take with two of the most honest, down to Earth dudes in all of metaldom. The most absorbed I've been with one of their albums in 15 years.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Darkthroneofficial/">https://www.facebook.com/Darkthroneofficial/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-67669380846880816762024-02-26T06:40:00.057-05:002024-02-26T06:40:00.135-05:00Cannibal Corpse - Chaos Horrific (2023)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1Gb2qHccfo2S0i3IIff_E5IUOFugu7-fEF0hgw24bL1OAIxQWS7yO1WnC1cx414XyiDB8-Lbr2nq_rHZR16_524B_MV6XpPggq7FMKyyXZH2Z4kFRB5rw5Rk01gmkvoDVmIbpbrx5bxbfOSrNXckCNJb9L_D26vE2gLPJiBTNG7s5bSTM8kBdVrWTc4/s800/1148708.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1Gb2qHccfo2S0i3IIff_E5IUOFugu7-fEF0hgw24bL1OAIxQWS7yO1WnC1cx414XyiDB8-Lbr2nq_rHZR16_524B_MV6XpPggq7FMKyyXZH2Z4kFRB5rw5Rk01gmkvoDVmIbpbrx5bxbfOSrNXckCNJb9L_D26vE2gLPJiBTNG7s5bSTM8kBdVrWTc4/w200-h200/1148708.jpg" width="200" /></a>I'm going to say this up front: I like Vincent Locke's artwork, I like that the band is high on consistency, but would it kill <b>Cannibal Corpse </b>to explore some other color palettes once in awhile? It's not that the cover to <i>Chaos Horrific</i> is bad or unfitting whatsoever, but considering how the band is often criticized for some of the sameness of their death metal material, it might help a fraction to vary up the packaging. Other than that, though, I have few if any complaints about their 16th studio album, because their sound is not one I grow that weary of, and while it's got a lot of the predictable, hammering, gory elements, you can hear them occasionally trying to throw a few new hooks or patterns at you when they can spare the expansion. That said, if you're not a fan of the George Corpsegrinder era of the band, now the default at nearly three decades, if you're pining for those simpler times of the early 90s, <i>Chaos Horrific</i> is not going to change your mind.</p><p>This is the battering, clinical, darkly brutal death metal they've been releasing since <i>Vile </i>with few if many alterations other than who is in the lineup, what they can offer, and minor differences in production. I for one prefer this flurried, semi-technical style and I'm constantly exploring the substrate of gore for all the tasty, meaty little hooks, but there's no question that you could mix up a bunch of tracks off the last ten albums on a playlist and perhaps forget which album they came from beyond a few standouts. All of these tunes are almost obnoxiously consistent, packed with agile little palm-muted chops and evil tremolo picked rhythms that alternate against groovier, weighted hooks like those that set up "Blood Blind" and its roiling horror show. One thing that's great about <b>Cannibal Corpse</b>, you can almost always discern the thrash roots and propulsion through their material, where other bands in the more cavernous style seem to have distanced themselves more from those fundamentals, this feels like that genre armored up with more oozing entrails and a growling animal and set to non-stop headbanging. If only all our necks could endure this as much as George's can!<br /><br />I wouldn't mind more leads to whirlwind about here, but with Erik Rutan in the fold, you know where they do appear they're going to kick ass, and they do, like the eerie harmonies and exchanges in the center of "Fracture and Refracture". Alex and Paul still mete out the rhythmic bottom end like players 20 years their junior, and Rob and Erik load every song up with too many chops to ever bore from, even if there is that slight monotonous sense that they're largely small alterations on past progressions. The album is totally ferocious, even where it breaks to let a guitar thrash out or slows into a cyclopean but loaded groove, there is no place for your heart to rest, you are going to be splattered for 40 minutes and you'd best be ready. Rutan's production is quite in line with other recent efforts, and there's no point at which my attention wavered when I was truly in the mood for this style. Favorites include "Pestilential Rictus" for its infectious death/thrashing opening and groovy verse, or the finale "Drain You Empty" for that cool atmospheric intro, but the whole thing smokes just as hard as a lot of their other output from the 2010s and beyond.<br /><br />Is there still some fleshy masterpiece waiting on the slab, ready for carving? I think the band would have to endure a forced evolution into a more widely-written album, or perhaps a de-evolution to super catchy, simpler tunes with the same charm, but at this point, even if they make another half dozen LPs of this general pace, punishment and quality I'll be supplied with enough bruisings to last me the rest of my days. Nothing broken (except your bones), nothing to fix.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [8/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/">http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-2084046662631303202024-02-23T04:36:00.001-05:002024-02-23T04:36:00.133-05:00Prong - State of Emergency (2023)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuSiYpOB2bVV-zYHZDFgaASX6kRqbVfY3A39yhQIgbADrNq8NAx15Qw_wXkg2edk7CZAyS6Q5d-IGANziBv9EI3mt5qR1IMSNtPSXzFhLTnonGydKH8-1RBtH3pMOpg6A07tL-n5uPPKyRYRcDbEnzanbIB93f-C9PZ_753fxplMI0qHNPFRE_fV45o8/s599/1159679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="597" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuSiYpOB2bVV-zYHZDFgaASX6kRqbVfY3A39yhQIgbADrNq8NAx15Qw_wXkg2edk7CZAyS6Q5d-IGANziBv9EI3mt5qR1IMSNtPSXzFhLTnonGydKH8-1RBtH3pMOpg6A07tL-n5uPPKyRYRcDbEnzanbIB93f-C9PZ_753fxplMI0qHNPFRE_fV45o8/w199-h200/1159679.jpg" width="199" /></a>There seems to have been a reinvigorated interest in <b>Prong</b> lately, with what might be their most hyped album in ages, a swank tour with the greatest band on Earth (and beyond) <b>Voivod</b>, which is unfortunately not coming anywhere near my neck of the woods (god damnit). <i>State of Emergency</i> itself continues along that path of polished thrash that Tommy Victor has been on since the surprising <i>Carved Into Stone</i> back in 2012, which I'm sure is a relief for some, but obviously lacks most of the industrial elements that the band was performing quite well on <i>Rude Awakening</i> or <i>Cleansing</i>, as well as the really interesting and weird, organically mechanical rhythms the band was feeding us when they blew up on <i>Beg to Differ</i> or <i>Prove You Wrong</i>. Naturally, this also isn't a foray back into the raunchy sewer thrash of the magnificent <i>Force Fed</i>.<br /><br />No, <i>State of Emergency</i> is in reality a pretty standard array of groove/thrash rhythms given personality through Tommy Victor's vocals and the occasional twist of melodic chord patterns reminiscent of <i>Rude Awakening</i> or <i>Carved in Stone</i> which help to balance out the taut chugging force. It's nearly identical to the last four original studio albums, and that's not a bad thing, since he's really settled into this style alongside bassist Jason Christopher who has now been a part of the proceedings for nearly a decade. He has a simple style, which supports the structure of Victor's rhythm guitars with a good tone, making for an appreciable impact; but it doesn't venture off on its own quite enough, and I do think the simpler riffing patterns would certain allow for that. On the other hand, the new drummer, Griffin McCarthy does an awesome job, slapping out a lot of fills and grooves to help amplify the material without attempting to extremify it too much, which just wouldn't work on such basic grooves. As for Victor, he's always had that relatable, gruff tough guy timbre and sounds awesome here, barking off with a few effects here or there to make it feel sleek and modern.<br /><br />I do think the album gets better as it goes along, really picking up with tracks like "Light Turns Black" or "Who Told Me" which go for broke a little more and grow catchier as a result. The opener track "The Descent" has propulsive riffing energy, and makes sense in that position, but it feels like a good 12-14 minutes pass before it's grabbing me, other than the squeals in "Breaking Point" or that melodic floe of chords in "Non-Existence". But pretty much the entire second half of <i>State of Emergency</i> is flooded with the more emotional style of chorus, and the riffing really supports that. Even the cover of <b>Rush</b>'s "Working Man" really thrives in context, and unlike a lot of covers it actually functions alongside the band's original material. I also noticed that the few little spurts of effects or industrial influences that do sneak through here almost always stir my interest, and wouldn't mind if they brought more of that back into the songwriting for the future.<br /><br />Ultimately, I found this the best <b>Prong</b> album since <i>Carved in Stone</i>, though I don't think it exactly laps their more recent output like <i>Zero Days</i> or <i>X - No Absolutes. </i>Though some of the riffing choices are short on nuance or innovation, the sum package is largely consistent after a predictable start, and the band still retains its distinct feel from the rest of its genre. So while it's not at all any sort of comeback album, the hype is deserved, this has always been a worthy East Coast thrash band throughout most of its incarnations and stylistic shifts, with only 1-2 sub-par studio offerings in the earlier 2000s, long since compensated for with much stronger determination, tapping into the core, urban fundamentals while streamlining them for an audience of today.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [8/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://prongmusic.com/">https://prongmusic.com/</a><br /><br /></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-21350745527554603172024-02-22T11:05:00.001-05:002024-02-22T11:05:00.141-05:00Megadeth - The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! (2022)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gY9cd5GJ49qhEOkjiEzetmnfW9Mw3MI4Ua-wx3lDgP0EMmOZNseZ3VDHRmAucXmmcsJDo4fJYpJbSSout9EG9ixqt_95hgRReP4CRfUOqsTEMLvk6KS5kwY6X0OvisE99LC3yxHWTqHYa-l3FIh10x0X67oQXO2XvDBigzSKQYudd6zxdBXxtwGg0hw/s1200/1049913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gY9cd5GJ49qhEOkjiEzetmnfW9Mw3MI4Ua-wx3lDgP0EMmOZNseZ3VDHRmAucXmmcsJDo4fJYpJbSSout9EG9ixqt_95hgRReP4CRfUOqsTEMLvk6KS5kwY6X0OvisE99LC3yxHWTqHYa-l3FIh10x0X67oQXO2XvDBigzSKQYudd6zxdBXxtwGg0hw/w200-h200/1049913.jpg" width="200" /></a>Is there some Secret Society of Highly Skilled Metal Musicians somewhere with the express purpose of joining <b>Megadeth</b>? I understand the band's a huge draw with a strong discography behind it, but it just seems like there's this endless carousel spinning around where Dave can summon up the most qualified candidates. This time it's Belgian dynamo Dirk Verbeuren joining on the drums, and though something like this thrash band must seem like a cakewalk for his capabilities, he's yet another guarantee, along with Kiko Loureiro, that Mustaine wants the very best for his recordings and for his fans. Oh yeah, toss in Steve DiGiorgio on bass for this album just for safety's sake, and you know it's all in good hands.</p><p>Now, none of these guys are exactly busting the seams on their individual instrumental prowess here, but instead playing to the level of the material, and that's once again competent and wholly aware of the past strengths that got them this far. Like <i>Dystopia</i> before it, <i>The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!</i> feels like it treads on a sideways path from a <i>Rust in Peace</i> or <i>Countdown to Extinction</i>, not exactly surpassing those recording in songwriting quality, but doing some justice to the speed and finesse the band possessed when breaking those new grounds 30+ years ago. There are riffs flying all over the place, a lot of them (as in "Night Stralkers" or "Killing Time") feeling just a whiff familiar, but putting their own permutations on the pre-existing patterns, spinning them off into a few new melodic hooks here, a decent lead there, and just enough memorable writing to compel a fan to repeated listens without any stinkers to sift through. <br /><br />Like <i>Dystopia</i>, it's very consistent, with a good degree of variation, a band seemingly still in the prime of their youth. Dave's vocals might not have the exact melodic potential that he used to, but I think he covers that up more here than on the previous album, and if you told me this was him in 1994-1995 I'd buy that. Kiko's beautiful shredding pokes through in places, but never shifting <b>Megadeth</b> back towards his alma mater <b>Angra</b>, while Verbeuren and DiGiorgio make the rest sound easy. The production here is super clean and effective, with a little less punch to the rhythm guitars than some past efforts, but it's all so meticulously balanced, between everything from the cascading leads to an <b>Ice T</b> guest vocal. There's also just so much speed here, I don't know if I can scientifically calculate it across all their albums, but they're performing on average at the most agile clip since those early 90s, and the mainstream slowdown years now just seem like a memory.<br /><br />At the same time, the songs here don't individually stand out for me as much as albums like <i>Endgame</i> or even <i>Dystopia</i>, so this whole album just feels like checking the stew to see if it's still boiling up correctly, and on target for a fabulous meal. If <b>Megadeth</b> is capable of this in 2022, there's really no limit going forward until Dave is literally having to put together albums from a hospital bed or beneath a headstone. There's a version of this with a cover of Sammy Hagar's "This Planet's On Fire (Burn in Hell)", and they even manage to give that number a swift kick in the ass and make it sound as fiery and thriving as ever. There is nothing sick, dying nor dead about <i>The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!</i>, and if nothing else, if not a standout against all the hits the band has generated, it's a veritable Fountain of Youth, Vic striding through its dystopian cover landscape as confident as ever, much like the performances here.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.25/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-27602883370570183712024-02-21T06:17:00.000-05:002024-02-21T06:17:00.137-05:00Megadeth - Dystopia (2016)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-CDntn8XkefsZq72bmopzTkKjPT8_Lb6ihGU1MsHu5XCHFw50YGM9Lup5PqDu0zdwue9xqqiqcS1k6TgOM2FLmyEGC8sj08m97vYtUntOGdWCONozgx7xSyy9Si5bM80GtBRnD4G9P9lk-OsJRSH0MBkgZYgbgyAbLFyPh5bRN1bXEWPxCqAaJDREps/s500/536834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-CDntn8XkefsZq72bmopzTkKjPT8_Lb6ihGU1MsHu5XCHFw50YGM9Lup5PqDu0zdwue9xqqiqcS1k6TgOM2FLmyEGC8sj08m97vYtUntOGdWCONozgx7xSyy9Si5bM80GtBRnD4G9P9lk-OsJRSH0MBkgZYgbgyAbLFyPh5bRN1bXEWPxCqAaJDREps/w200-h200/536834.jpg" width="200" /></a>I have at least two friends that consider <i>Dystopia</i> to be one of the best albums <b>Megadeth</b> has ever written, and while I can't go anywhere near that far, it certainly could be heard as heralding a second resurgence, a 'third wind' for the band after 2011's middling <i>Th1rt3en</i> and lamentable <i>Super Collider</i> from 2013. The band really gets back to some thrashing basics here, with a small bump in energy and inspiration from the adding of <b>Angra</b>'s Kiko Loureiro to the lineup, a master who would bring both an elevated level to the lead guitars as well as the rhythm/songwriting, which he does contribute to this album. Despite the delicate, intricate touches of his alma mater though, make no mistake, this might just be the heaviest <b>Megadeth</b> record, armed with a lot of two-fisted, chugging thrash, intense session drumming from the beast Chris Adler, and Mustaine's desperate sociopolitical lyrics, which all certainly help the album live up to its name.<br /><br />Sadly, this is the sort of modern thrash that often enters through one ear and immediately exits the other. Everything about it functions on a surface level, and the rhythmic, palm-muted bombardment has a few new tricks up its sleeve like in "Foreign Policy" or the quick lurching grooves of "Fatal Illusion", and they're all slathered in the sorts of seasoned leads that Mustaine and Loureiro can provide, with some breaks towards classic <b>Megadeth</b> speed (like the end of "Fatal Illusion" which recalled "Five Magics"). It's not even that the tunes are catchy in the moment, but perhaps it's just that the band had already created such an elaborate lexicon that few of these really stand about the shoulders of their elder siblings. The performances are off the chart, with Ellefson's bass lines giving the frightening guitar talents a run for their money, and Adler's power unquestionable as it drives the tunes harder than anyone has ever done before him. Mustaine's voice certainly feels its age, and he often sticks with a more mid-pitch grumble, but on a few tunes he'll flex that upper range and it still sounds melodic and effective, just with a bit more gravel to it. <br /><br />The backing vocal arrangements are also quite nice here, like the counterpoints on "Death from Within" and the smooth descending harmonies on "Poisonous Shadows", a track that probably best exhibits Kiko's neo-classical input into its structure. But a few 'perk-up' moments aside, like the rhythmic groove in the bridge of "The Emperor", one of my fave tracks here, so much of the riffing just feels as if I've heard it all before, and it doesn't always congeal into songs that are going to stick around in the brain like they once did in the 80s. <i>Dystopia </i>is clearly a proficient, effective return to form after the miserable record that preceded it, and has enough going for it to fire up an entire next generation of <b>Megadeth</b> fans who hopefully would go back and check out the classic era, while also letting the old heads breathe sighs of relief that Dave still has his finger on the pulse of what makes his band so great, but it's rarely blowing me away like it could have with the teamwork of these four players.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.5/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-54099146917967932812024-02-20T05:37:00.001-05:002024-02-20T05:37:00.149-05:00Megadeth - United Abominations (2007)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggryHFHJwMkx8PI-mlWLL8ASWByx__2-PZwGze4YNEc8SkJIwNGef1tfdk61CccAteou61SOdXi2xkCEHWDfTXj2sFPA8upJq_4pMUyE4oznuZCqOAoJHLXwRCBLU0Di-1TdfqROnFcMlcF9ALPtQnaxCpHLGOTBrxLNavViJ_dnhwNRPykMAWLBM0g2Q/s500/146969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggryHFHJwMkx8PI-mlWLL8ASWByx__2-PZwGze4YNEc8SkJIwNGef1tfdk61CccAteou61SOdXi2xkCEHWDfTXj2sFPA8upJq_4pMUyE4oznuZCqOAoJHLXwRCBLU0Di-1TdfqROnFcMlcF9ALPtQnaxCpHLGOTBrxLNavViJ_dnhwNRPykMAWLBM0g2Q/w200-h200/146969.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>United Abominations</i> ushers in the 'Drover' era of the band, with Dave picking up brothers Glen and Shawn from the consistent Canadian power/thrashers <b>Eidolon</b>, about as perfect a fit that he was going to find from that scene north of the border outside of drafting Jeff Waters of <b>Annihilator</b> into the fold (which I still think should happen). The duo lends an instant seriousness and edge to the material which catapults this record right back to what might have been a follow-up for <i>Rust in Peace</i>, not that the riffs ever reach that same level of immortal, blazing catchiness, but this is clearly the product of much more effort than almost anything in the 15 years before it, with any cobwebs shaken out of the joints and the band sounding, I daresay it, 'young' again.<br /><br />That's not to say it's the 'best' material in that timespan, but it joins the records sandwiching it as a sort of 'second wind' for <b>Megadeth. </b>Dave's vocal soar over the opener "Sleepwalker", as he shifts between a melody and more of his snarling, sneery attitude through the verses, with a busy lattice of thrash riffing and lead-work below that holds your attention, occasionally giving me a "Take No Prisoners" vibe. And it doesn't really apply the breaks, ever, I mean there's plenty of variation in tempo, but like its predecessor <i>The System Has Failed</i>, there's no real wimping out to honor some midlife crisis or emotional side of the creator's ego. A few tracks here don't work for me, like the title track on which the chorus of the title sounds a little obvious, repetitive and lame. Or "Amerikhastan" which also had some cheesy sounding vocals and political raving, not that I necessarily disagree with all his points but it just comes off in that cringeworthy "Sweating Bullets" intonation at some points.<br /><br />The decision to revisit "A tout le monde" is also a strange one, though comparing this with the original from <i>Youthanasia</i>, it's got more pep and energy, lacking that version's darker, drearier mood. But both of them do fit within their surrounding track-list and production style, even though I don't need the guest vocals from Christina Scabbia of <b>Lacuna Coil</b>, and I'm half-wondering if that affected the decision to re-record it, because they needed a tune she should contribute to? Probably not. However, I'd rather have included the cover of <b>Zeppelin</b>'s "Out on the Tiles", a bonus track from other releases of the disc, which is pretty well-rendered, although not as kinetic as the version <b>Toxik</b> did on their 1989 masterwork <i>Think This</i>. If there's one other complaint, I still don't think the bass playing is where it needs to be, because it lacks Dave Ellefson. James LoMenzo joins in here, coming over from various Zakk Wylde projects, and he's certainly a decent presence, but he just lacks that strength in his lines which could complement and even rival Mustaine in places; he's just a solid support.<br /><br />For me, <i>United Abominations</i> is probably the weakest of the 'trilogy' in this particular <b>Megadeth</b> surge, since I thought the tunes on the glorified solo album <i>The System Has Failed</i> were catchier, and <i>Endgame</i> triggers all the <i>Rust in Peace</i> nostalgia in all the right ways. That said, it's still largely a quality album, and the one of the three that most feels like it could have had an original release in the 90s after <i>Rust</i> and <i>Countdown</i>. There are definitely some subtle callbacks, when you're listening to a tune her and remembering enough, for instance some of the low end in "You're Dead" brought back thoughts of the thrash/groove in "Architecture of Aggression", or the other I mentioned earlier, but no real direct rip-offs. It's a decent one, the Drover brothers were definitely the right guys for the job, and that would become even more apparent two years later.<br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Verdict: Win [7/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-65332827207994981142024-02-19T05:04:00.001-05:002024-02-19T05:04:00.135-05:00Megadeth - The System Has Failed (2004)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVrOecvhD2bAypG85tnTft5QuZr626b729v9LqhBL1GiJWSHlQkP8pWlUhiajhtbnbPxtb1GTzrVfsB4dTaAky0pp0yoM4catd1hE3s-Vi_0JAhQYNe3LpZWEsIfkvH2XEXO2pK2GzfI7_T56L0sCtR60one1CA5rRIw6RTWxF12rVbUx9YF-XNvxpNI/s620/49005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="620" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVrOecvhD2bAypG85tnTft5QuZr626b729v9LqhBL1GiJWSHlQkP8pWlUhiajhtbnbPxtb1GTzrVfsB4dTaAky0pp0yoM4catd1hE3s-Vi_0JAhQYNe3LpZWEsIfkvH2XEXO2pK2GzfI7_T56L0sCtR60one1CA5rRIw6RTWxF12rVbUx9YF-XNvxpNI/w200-h200/49005.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>The System Has Failed</i> has an immediate punching weight to it that grabs your attention, which is all the more refreshing after a decade of doddering, listless albums that might not all have sucked, but could never cross the finish line. Even more compelling is that it's effectively a Dave Mustaine solo album with the <b>Megadeth</b> brand slapped onto it, a slew of guests joining in to fill out necessary roles like keyboards and the 'character' voices that lend some intensity to the subjects through the roles of newscasters, politicians, etc. In retrospect, what would really have been the difference? It sounds a hell of a lot like it could have been a natural successor to <i>Youthanasia</i>, and if I'm putting together a playlist for this band sometimes I pretend it's exactly that.<br /><br />This one sets up by repeatedly clubbing you over the head with tasty riffs, often on a similar ballistic arc to the 'heavier' bits of <i>Youthanasia</i>, but it also hasn't abandoned some of the poppier sensibilities the band had started to explore 10 years before it. Thankfully, this manifests in some symphonic flirtations which complement a few of the tracks rather than obfuscating the metallic elements, or some smooth vocal harmonies that lend an eeriness to tracks like "Die Dead Enough" or "The Scorpion". The album is never peppered with a bunch of ballads or country nonsense, something you might expect from a Mustaine solo project after he'd previously dabbled with it. No, all the tunes here are varying shades of rock, from the more aggressive cuts reflective of the band's history, to something like "Something That I'm Not" that launches with a Zeppelin-like rhythm, or the moody, narrative "Shadow of Deth" with its melancholic, slow leads and strictly spoken word vocal inclusions. <br /><br />Few of the tracks can even hope to rival the top tier <b>Megadeth</b> hits of the past, but with the exception of the aimless political ditty "I Know Jack", whose riffs would have been better spent elsewhere, this is one I can sit through in its entirety without much regret. The production is quite polished, but doesn't leech away from the grooves or intensity of the riffs. I actually liked how the synths presented here in tunes like "Back in the Day", they feel like you're sitting at a ball game and the organ/keys erupt and thus amplify the material rather than trying to consistently take over. The leads also sound really great throughout, and I know Chris Poland popped in to contribute which is fun, not only because of his skills, but because you know on some level there was some reconciliation, even if he's serving as more of a mercenary for the recording. The session drums and bass are adequate, though Dave Ellefson's presence is clearly missed, and will stay missed for several more albums.<br /><br />Regardless of whatever it's original purpose was, <i>The System Has Failed</i> brought a little faith back to me that Dave Mustaine could pen a coherent set of tunes which I could keep coming back for. Don't get me wrong, I am almost never choosing this over the first six, but if I'm willing to reach for something a little fresher from the bench, this one can join the rotation, and it also spurred off a little Renaissance in the quality of the full-length <b>Megadeth</b> studio efforts.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [7.5/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-80759488659263175672024-02-16T09:23:00.001-05:002024-02-16T09:23:00.126-05:00Megadeth - Rude Awakening (2002)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTAM1MGwqbhGhU72sI4O7O4HEvqE8Lznbx5jBuDIuHzYKXnJyIMcsKSfiRr58IQSnxlTepR9S53W6FFzEgIjOkKQqSHVH02ScvWiYD9BvWdH-lntFDgSpOrUjkIDUW6054x1v1GkbLsCORkQuJNlJ4DaBpQEpaznLIJEGSBsXOiI5aJqxfBQWI-ho8Es/s500/673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="500" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTAM1MGwqbhGhU72sI4O7O4HEvqE8Lznbx5jBuDIuHzYKXnJyIMcsKSfiRr58IQSnxlTepR9S53W6FFzEgIjOkKQqSHVH02ScvWiYD9BvWdH-lntFDgSpOrUjkIDUW6054x1v1GkbLsCORkQuJNlJ4DaBpQEpaznLIJEGSBsXOiI5aJqxfBQWI-ho8Es/w200-h198/673.jpg" width="200" /></a>By the time this album arrived, I had already seen <b>Megadeth</b> a couple times in the live setting, so there wasn't any real sense of anticipation to hear how it would come off on the stage. When I watched <b>Sabbat</b>'s <i>The End of the Beginning</i> VHS tape, for instance, that was a band I had longed for and thus became more satisfied for all its flaws to at least get the chance to see them. Here on <i>Rude Awakening</i>, two whole discs of live material (and to their credit, they gave it almost two decades before dumping this sort of release onto their fandom), it feels competent but slightly dialed in, probably with some studio overdubs, and not all that high energy despite a considerable two hours and 24 tracks that cover the good chunk of their career. Still, <i>The World Needs a Hero</i> lineup manages not to cock up the classics, and that means something.<br /><br />Right away I can tell you that I'm not interested in the inclusion of material from the three studio LPs before this, but it was inevitable since that is what they were touring on. I loved hearing "Angry Again" here, but I would have much rather had "Go to Hell" or "99 Ways to Die" on the track list above "Trust" and "Almost Honest". Still, they unleash a nice trio of "Symphony of Destruction", "Peace Sells" and "Holy Wars" at the end of the double-album which is probably what any crowd would want, and you get some of my favorites like "Tornado of Souls", "Hook in Mouth", "Devils' Island" and "Wake Up Dead" among the choices, so the bulk of this is rock fucking solid. Dave sounds pretty great, you get some of the flaws or imperfections in his pitch, but they only add to the personality. Considering that you have Dave and Al Pitrelli, I think the guitars sounds a little on the wimpy side, like when a lead breaks out there doesn't feel like the rhythm guitar offers much support. The drums are steady and I can make out the bass well enough, but even though I like the general 'airiness' of the recording, I think a little more punch and power to the instruments would have improved my rating.<br /><br />Overall, though, if you had been waiting almost two decades to wander down to your record store and buy a proper <b>Megadeth </b>live offering, I don't think this one would disappoint you much, they sound tight enough and offer you a robust selection of tracks from their whole history, leaving only a few noted obscurities behind and 3-4 awesome <i>Rust in Peace</i> tunes that would have been better than anything off the more contemporary studio material for the time. This one doesn't approach the timeless annals of a <i>Live After Death, No Sleep 'til Hammersmith</i> or <i>Unleashed in the East</i>, but it's professional enough not to totally waste your money. As for the cover art, a fun image, but I feel like it would have been better on an actual studio outing...say you switch the random person for Vic Rattlehead, include the logo along the opposing building, here it feels thrown away, and I don't get the point. There's nothing rude or offensive or even explosive about how this sounds, instead it's practiced and rigid.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-54439387738495337392024-02-15T09:22:00.003-05:002024-02-15T09:22:51.351-05:00Megadeth - The World Needs a Hero (2001)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxQytVrjFABP05-pDyJ5Zb9nCs_t-Tsm79SjTuSe6ek1_hStY_lhz-xz_tL60ymXfPmz9pgAraBvBxtlq8-rO_LayT-Y2ti1oQsSush6B-t3Tv-Fzk0IBa_XBC57s-JuztxO4OwdhjCml4N9EhPzg6MXvoFXRAquXUlFMN0o2NI-G8nuNqmK7uO46UWY/s469/672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="469" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxQytVrjFABP05-pDyJ5Zb9nCs_t-Tsm79SjTuSe6ek1_hStY_lhz-xz_tL60ymXfPmz9pgAraBvBxtlq8-rO_LayT-Y2ti1oQsSush6B-t3Tv-Fzk0IBa_XBC57s-JuztxO4OwdhjCml4N9EhPzg6MXvoFXRAquXUlFMN0o2NI-G8nuNqmK7uO46UWY/w200-h200/672.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>The World Needs a Hero</i> is certainly not among the stronger albums <b>Megadeth</b> have released these last 40 years, but it's at least a step back towards a more decidedly metal direction, and kicks the shit out of its predecessor. To me, the production and songwriting here seems like a shift towards <i>Countdown to Extinction</i>, with perhaps a bit of the more accessible flourishes of <i>Youthanasia</i>, but at the same time there are riffs and structures here that feel fresher for the canon, grooves and ideas that were relatively well-developed. Jimmy DeGrasso had joined on drums for the previous album, but this was Al Pitrelli's debut in the lineup, and though I'm not ever going to be sure of the level of his input here, he brings a slightly different feel playing alongside Dave. It's also his only studio full-length in the fold, the rest of his tenure was live albums and compilations, so it's not like you're going to get a chance to settle in with his contributions.<br /><br />This one is mixed slickly, reminding me a of a mix of <i>Cryptic Writings</i> and <i>Countdown to Extinction</i>, very mainstream and poppy but also a little digitized in the crunch of the rhythm guitars. There are also a few tracks which I found embarrassing, like the acoustic country/folk track "Coming Home" which goes all in on its rustic persuasions, and is honestly probably not bad for that style, but I'm just not into it, whether it's Bon Jovi or Dave Mustaine crossing genres. "Promises" is likewise akward, this is just not a ballad band, I'm sorry. "Moto Psycho" might be the real nadir here, though, an extremely goofy tune driven by mediocre riffs and really lame chorus; I remember this was one of the singles off the album, the first I heard and couldn't even believe how dumb it was, even just the title. The other acoustic stuff here is a mixed bag, like the setup in "Recipe for Hate...Warhorse", and his spoken word vocals made me cringe a little, but at least it has some good bass lines. The rest of the tracks are passable if not terribly exciting, slightly stronger than <i>Cryptic Writings</i> on a one-for-one basis, realizing that is not saying much. The truly blazing and unforgettable speed/thrash riffs are still evading this material, though there is clearly a sense that the band wants to ramp back up to that.<br /><br />This even comes through on their own self-nostalgia so we get a "Return to Hangar", which is not even a fraction as memorable as the original off <i>Rust in Peace</i>, but thematically and stylistically it at least consistent, though it does sink so low as to ape lyrics and such, a pretty shallow way to handle a sequel, like trying to sell us an <i>Expendables</i> movie in which Arnold Schwarzenegger just rehashes his old one liners instead of coming up with new ones. That could never happen, could it? Well yeah, and it doesn't really come off any better here than it does on those songs where veteran bands just list previous song titles in the lyrics. On the flipside, the opening duo of "Disconnect" and the title track were at least solid enough to reassert my relationship to their style, and the lengthy closer "When" is probably my favorite with the acoustics, an atmospheric mid-pacer which might sound eerily familiar to "Am I Evil?", sans being a proper cover like Dave's alma mater put out in their early years.<br /><br />Ultimately, this one suffers from the inconsistent quality of the tracks, and still has a few lingering olive branches it's trying to make with a more mainstream realm, which are totally unnecessary as they always have been, but in some cases aren't executed too poorly. There's a chunk of material I could live without, but still around 30-40 of passable mid-tier <b>Megadeth</b> which if nothing else shows a slight determination to get back on the bull, just a mechanical bull at the bar, on a low setting, with one or two friends raising a beer bottle to you, rather than a bucking wild animal in front of a crazed live audience. The cover art is also real shitty, Vic the Chestburster must have looked better on paper than in execution<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Indifference [5.75/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-83682704405500245062024-02-14T08:26:00.002-05:002024-02-15T08:46:23.319-05:00Megadeth - Cryptic Writings (1997)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TLvfFqxRBP2LfmVpP7Pw90SFU59CeDnIgSyK9On5XknbqRz6DJLx8BRBcB4r5MPN1psIhOuCtOj3fLWSuvZ4wBNLk9-y1UZedl-uX3zMgN779mdbbxZkzhmcnnD0xcyaX0Ijwv9KTqPfK2h1HBOePwRPoCWNy_TyCMGcWmYUFCWoB4iB2banbEiGwCg/s594/447541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="594" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TLvfFqxRBP2LfmVpP7Pw90SFU59CeDnIgSyK9On5XknbqRz6DJLx8BRBcB4r5MPN1psIhOuCtOj3fLWSuvZ4wBNLk9-y1UZedl-uX3zMgN779mdbbxZkzhmcnnD0xcyaX0Ijwv9KTqPfK2h1HBOePwRPoCWNy_TyCMGcWmYUFCWoB4iB2banbEiGwCg/w200-h194/447541.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>Cryptic Writings</i> was hardly the abrupt faceplant many of our favorite bands had experienced across the decades, but it was nonetheless a massive disappointment for me, and almost immediately cut off my interest in whatever was going on in the Mustaine camp. Even today, as I put this thing back on to cover it, I could barely remember any of the individual tracks, despite numerous attempts through the years. By 1997, there was a lot more going on with metal music, it was starting to 'pick up' again with the progress of death and black metal, power metal was also starting to gather some momentum internationally, and though thrash wouldn't see it's proper resurgence for another decade, a few of the acts were still hanging on where they could.<br /></p><p>So an album that largely consists of lukewarm offerings in the <i>Youthanasia</i> style wasn't going to cut it, especially since they were just nowhere near as catchy as on that underrated work. I will say that this album is really well produced, they'd largely cemented themselves into this mid-paced rock style and everything is presented clean and potent. The bass grooves, the acoustics, the rhythm tone, the drums all sound as slick and bacteria-free as whatever pop plastic you were pumping into your CD player at the time. Mustaine's vocals are restrained here, and he's starting to bark out lines that feel like repetitions off previous albums, especially the last two, but he still sounds good, and there's only a little bit of cringe here, his more manic lines like the counter-vocals in "Mastermind" are actually well implemented, and in the goofy backyard barbeque rocker "Have Cool, Will Travel" he actually soars. I'll also say that whenever this record picks up the intensity, like the later-Coroner grooves of that very track, or the flightier fits of speed metal in "The Disintegrators", "Vortex" or "She-Wolf", it gets a lot more fun to experience, but even then they rarely have a chorus payoff that can contend with their greats.<br /><br />Yes, there's more velocity in places than <i>Youthanasia</i>, so the band doesn't seem entirely committed to phoning in the performances of their limbs, but there are single tracks on <i>Hidden Treasures</i> that are better than anything throughout this whole playtime. They threaten a few power ballads, but always throw in a few heavier hooks to balance them out. Unfortunately this still ends up with some dull tunes like "Use the Man", which has a semi-Western vibe to it but never really hits you with a cross hook of surprise catchiness. "I'll Get Even" fares a little better, but it might as well be a Phil Collins song if you didn't hear Dave's distinct voice. They may have taken the watered down approach a little far here, but also seem to have a little identity crisis as they head back in earlier directions, just lacking the same level of songwriting quality or finesse. It's not a total dud, and pleasant enough to throw on in the background since Mustaine's melodic sneer still demands a modicum of attention... <br /><br />Hell, compared to the shit show that would follow it two years after, this could be deemed a masterpiece. But <i>Cryptic Writings</i> is clearly, at least to me, the point at which the levee had broken and the flood of mediocrity had started to enter the band's trajectory. It would also be Nick Menza's last with the band, not a high note to end that best known lineup with.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Indifference [6/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-87602144316980619202024-02-13T09:56:00.002-05:002024-02-16T05:34:46.071-05:00Megadeth - Hidden Treasures (1995)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvCndl5WsY9Hh-JSbaYa0EnOALAu3teJ51y62_824ufISlMP4dPxkxj3QYi7GXdtEVJKLUsuyZ7uh14r5X9VL5Hqp-qwPCmW0lo9WyCNu60c5dCoT6NLrUnb1rLKnSOgV-qKW0OyW6gpgprhWLHeXuA45mJKSDtekvz1x_p6WsAtmP7lnJW7F86kPe0I/s500/675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvCndl5WsY9Hh-JSbaYa0EnOALAu3teJ51y62_824ufISlMP4dPxkxj3QYi7GXdtEVJKLUsuyZ7uh14r5X9VL5Hqp-qwPCmW0lo9WyCNu60c5dCoT6NLrUnb1rLKnSOgV-qKW0OyW6gpgprhWLHeXuA45mJKSDtekvz1x_p6WsAtmP7lnJW7F86kPe0I/w200-h200/675.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>Hidden Treasures</i> was the last 'cool' <b>Megadeth</b> release before a steady decline in quality of their output for around 14-15 years. Yes, they held out longer than <b>Metallica</b>, whose ascent into vast commercial success came at the cost of creative bankruptcy, and to me they even outlived <b>Slayer</b>, who cease to be relevant for me after 1990 with the exception of popular live performances and an adequate track or two. Is that revenge enough for Dave, who was once thrown from the ranks of what would become the biggest metal band ever? I think on some level, it must be. Granted, this is not a proper studio album, but a collection of odds and ends from soundtracks and tributes that I appreciate because they're not all readily available without bailing out loads of extra cash. Industry: this is how you do a fan compilation correctly!<br /><br />And I won't lie, even if it's not a 'proper' full-length, I enjoy <i>Hidden Treasures</i> more than any of the albums they have release since, with the exception of <i>Endgame</i>. Though it's not all recorded at the same time, a lot of the material here is quite consistent with the production and songwriting level on <i>Rust in Peace</i>, <i>Countdown to Extinction</i>, and <i>Youthanasia</i>. It's also a lot more ferocious than the album before it, with Dave sounding a lot nastier, the instruments flexing their muscles more, and as much as I did enjoy <i>Youthanasia</i>, this presented a nice snapback, even though I'd already heard most of the songs...hell, these days I think I've even got all of these films on Blu-Ray or DVD, including the crappy old <i>Super Mario Bros.</i> flick which my sons demanded for the collection. So you could say I was in the 'target' audience to experience a lot of these on the big screen, from the cheesy slasher <i>Shocker</i> to <i>Last Action Hero</i> to the <i>Beavis & Butthead Experience</i>. In some cases, the <b>Megadeth</b> tracks were the best parts of the movies, and while the cover choices here are hardly obscure, something like "No More Mr. Nice Guy" is the perfect vehicle for Dave Mustaine to capture his attitude like a fly to the amber of his influences.<br /><br />But the originals are where this really shines..."99 Ways to Die" is a song I fell in love with the first time I heard it, with the amazing riffs in the verse and the acoustic bridge that leads to one of their most memorable chorus riff/vocal tag-teams ever. "Breakpoint" feels like an exercise in the groovy speed thrash of their <i>Rust in Peace</i> era, "Angry Again" is a cruise control thrasher which wouldn't have felt out of place on their 1992-1994 releases, and "Go to Hell" also has its moments. The one exception for me is the closer "Problems", the previously unheard track which channels a lot of shitty hard rock or blues vibes into a slightly more crunchy thrash riff or two, with a lame punk-like chorus. Both the <b>Black Sabbath</b> and <b>Alice Cooper</b> covers are decent, though, so I just have to end my listens to this about four minutes 'early' so that the experience stays consistent. You can't win 'em all, but I still hold <i>Hidden Treasures</i> as a sort of precipice beyond which there is a rather steep plummet to oblivion. Will they fall straight off the edge to their doom, or maybe grab a lifeline to halt their descent?<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [8/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5943630312937508339.post-28297216783833766492024-02-12T09:26:00.001-05:002024-02-12T09:26:00.211-05:00Megadeth - Youthanasia (1994)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFNEc5Fz80fbW1dBh1L92Fyhru0b08boLQzoBSDUzEHE2FOlHmKWTaIleZ9OK-ihm_uypVfEiXYfbsm0lrD9PR5eUKahs-9NC0v625bqMp0gQOdbmI0yFWlT1L5D2bUASMJ-gwqmIPObwA1Orio04-1Tt6tnejsal94FStfwvbsFWn1CrqdOiULCBA_I/s498/669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="491" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFNEc5Fz80fbW1dBh1L92Fyhru0b08boLQzoBSDUzEHE2FOlHmKWTaIleZ9OK-ihm_uypVfEiXYfbsm0lrD9PR5eUKahs-9NC0v625bqMp0gQOdbmI0yFWlT1L5D2bUASMJ-gwqmIPObwA1Orio04-1Tt6tnejsal94FStfwvbsFWn1CrqdOiULCBA_I/w198-h200/669.jpg" width="198" /></a><b>Megadeth </b>was clearly one of those 'too big to fail' sort of metal bands that had established enough of a presence by the 90s that they weren't going to necessarily be ended by all the grunge, nu metal and alternative rock exploding in popularity, but that doesn't mean they weren't going to undergo some sort of shift with the times. Like their peers, they sought a simplification and safety net, a more mainstream presence without the abandonment of their genre, and <i>Youthanasia</i> sounds exactly like that: a streamlining of <i>Countdown to Extinction </i>with a lot of that same sort of processed sound, less riffs per track, and a huge focus on standard rock song structure and choruses. This was clearly<i> The Black Album</i> or <i>The Ritual</i> for Mustaine and crew, only a couple years later, and I'm sure it was a jumping off point for a lot of disenchanted 'first four' purists.<br /><br />Remarkably, <i>Youthanasia</i> works, and it works really damn well, <b>Megadeth</b> more than capable of strapping themselves into this simpler style and writing songs that still matter. There are still a good number of catchy, heavy riffs, as in opener "Reckoning Day" or "Black Curtains", it's just that the band is no longer focused on maintaining the dizzying velocity or complexity of a <i>Rust in Peace</i>. The hooks are just as big, but they're steadily treading towards the glorious, heartfelt chorus sections in tunes like "Addicted to Chaos" or one of my favorites, "Blood of Heroes" (no relation to the underrated Rutger Hauer dystopian combat sport flick, I'm afraid). There are still a few moments that flirt with the up-tempo, as in the palm muted sprints of "Train of Consequences", but this is really just 50 minutes of controlled momentum, cool leads, and riffs with more pent up power than finesse. Dave's vocals manage not to irritate me anywhere here like they did on "Sweating Bullets", and it's clear he is incorporating as much melody to his pitch as possible, though it's just not in his nature to lose that sneering, lip-curling edge.<br /><br />Acoustic guitars return, like the atmospheric intro to "Blood of Heroes" or "A Tout le Monde", which is probably the closest thing to a proper power ballad the band had released by this point, but still relies mostly on rock chords. Ellefson, Menza and Friedman might feel underused throughout this selection, because the minimalized structure of the songs doesn't require much of them, yet the bass tone still sounds pretty strong throughout, the drumming suits the more commercial/hard rock vibe, and Marty will make almost anything sound good, from a cartoon jingle to a metal lead. In fact, though I'm sure it took some effort to craft tracks this catchy, <i>Youthanasia</i> must have felt like a vacation on the band's appendages, it's never dialed in but it's certainly not taxing upon the anatomy. Production-wise, this sounds like a slightly slicker <i>Countdown to Extinction</i>, the rhythm guitars are smoother in tone and lack much of the bite other than the few harder hitting tracks I mentioned above. All the instruments are balanced well and allow Dave's pipes, the most taxed body part on this album, the shine...and they do.<br /><br />No real stinkers here, so you might argue that this is the most consistent<b> Megadeth </b>album outside of <i>Rust in Peace</i>, even if it's consistent on a more subdued level. The riffs don't often dazzle me, but they are all pretty memorable in how they service their respective tracks, even "I Thought I Knew It All", in which the slowly pumping verse reminds me a lot of something off <i>The Black Album</i>. Ironically, while this album didn't move a fraction of what <b>Metallica</b> did with their colossal, catchy sellout, this album holds up more for me, there's nothing which has been overkilled to the point that I no longer want to hear it ("Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", etc). I still think I like <i>The Ritual</i> the most of these sorts of West Coast watering-downs, but I realize I am alone in that opinion, and that's not to take away from how timeless and rock-solid <i>Youthanasia </i>remains. Hell, I even like this and return to it more than a few of their 80s efforts, but at the same time, this is also the end of the Golden Age of <b>Megadeth</b> for me, with one small exception.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Verdict: Win [8.5/10]</span></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.megadeth.com/">https://www.megadeth.com/</a><br /></p>autothrallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13215838018156423978noreply@blogger.com0