Honestly, I like what you've been laying out. Kind of more punk oriented stuff with a hint of metalcore to it. To me it sounds more visceral and immediate. I think we gravitate to a similar style but I might be mistaken.
seeing your post brought back some memories of hearing Venom as a youth. I remember having the American Assault and Canadian Assault albums on tape. Looking at their Wiki they are not even listed in the band's discography. Edit* I should read instead of skipping to the Discography section. They do talk about the EPs in the wiki
With more of a stress on instrumentation within the mix rather than just production to sound technical and generic. The drums sound like drums, you can hear the bass, and the guitar has a standout tone.... at least that's what appeals to me. Like this: Which sounds nothing like the flavor of the month of whatever Relapse is spitting out.
You might want to go into another direction with Entombed... Uprising is my favorite from them because it's catchy AND heavy, but not quite as raw as the early stuff...I also like To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak The Truth.
If he didn't like Wolverine Blues I doubt he'll like Ride Straight. Ride is pretty much a continuation of that death n' roll sound. I can't remember much about Uprising but I do own it.
I really like that. The guitar tone reminds me a bit of Disfear. I like how crisp and biting it is. That's why I always liked Entombed for the same reason.
Listening to my FLAC CD rip of Sadus - Chemical Exposure (a/k/a Illusions) right now. Extreme thrash from the 80s that would probably please some fans of the stuff in this thread.
You guys remember this album? I had it on vinyl and GAVE IT AWAY in a stupid act of kindness. I cannot believe I did that. The vinyl version is pretty rare these days. Really stupid on my part.
If you are not too picky about the pressing, Relapse will surely do another pressing eventually. They always seem to be cashing in on the vinyl trend, with all the colored variants and such. They've pressed the album four times already, according to their website. Probably just a matter of time. This is one of those classic albums that I always meant to pick up but never did. Part of the reason is I'm waiting for an older early 90s CD pressing that isn't bricked like the current one and I don't want to pay a lot for it. The current one does have a lot of bonus material, not sure if that makes it worth it or not.
re Venom How topical as I was just reading the Venom episode in "Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult" book last night, while listening to Welcome to Hell and Black Metal. It is the second chapter after a 70s overview, and along with the following Mercyful Fate chapter, about the foundations from which Black Metal proper would spring. It's amazing how much a little information about a band and the scene at the time assists in appreciating an album. I say that because neither of those two albums ever appealed to me much. In reading about the following: the pure good luck of two strangers (musicians) starting a conversation at a bar during a Judas Priest concert in 1978, which began Venom. Unable to get a bass player before a gig, playing bass through a guitar stack and having a eureka moment about their signature sound. Cronos' day job in a recording studio and being kind of disgusted by bands doing their best to sound like what had come before and his need to revolt against that. I have to say I appreciated the two albums far more than I ever had before. It's a thing I've always loved about all art, that there is a rationale. It may look like a paint shaker broke loose near a canvas but to read about the rationale the painting becomes something to deal with. Reject it if you like but at least you know what you're rejecting. That idea occurs to me whenever extreme/underground or whatever you want to call it metal is rejected quickly. I think we are accustomed to music being an easy pleasure, what we like appeals immediately, that song on the radio. For me some music is not a broth in a bowl to be lifted to your lips and sipped. It requires taking out the fork and knife and doing a little work. You have to meet it half way. End of editorial. Well it'll be interesting to read the book about the bands I have liked and know something about (Mayhem, Emperor, etc), to better judge the book. I did listen to both "Bathory" and "The Return" in anticipation of that chapter and I really want to know how this came to be in relation to what came before. Seriously, sheer genius! I'll be disappointed if I'm not enlightened. (I had to avert my eyes as I recognize this film as one I've wanted to see but never have. Russian from about 1967. Not easy to aquire). Speaking of Metal books, every time I'm trapped in a mall I head to the book store where I do flip through the few History of Metal books and always put them back on the shelf. There is no way to do justice to the subject in a single book. Even in this Black Metal book the chapters seem a little too brief but at near 500 pages in total how could it be any longer. More narrowly focused books are the only way. A history of American Metal: Floridian Death Metal, Texan Heavy Metal, etc. I'd buy that in a blink. Thank you. Although I said nothing about that there must be a dozen other threads for one of those debates that never end and is never resolved.
A weird one for sure. Tried to get into a few times and couldn't fully as the vocals are way too loud in the mix IMHO. The unbalanced nature of the mix makes it sound way too goofy for me.
Sure, and I bet that one goes for decent coin nowadays. Most of the vinyl Relapse puts out nowadays I would never bother with. Just generic in house DMM cuts from GZ. Might as well just find a decent CD version if one is available.
This band is getting a ton of hype and attention right now. I can't say I was too impressed with them but I can see why they are/will continue to be popular.
Not holding my breath for this one. I read the book when it came out and from what I recall it had it's fair share of tabloid-esque crap going on. Part of the problem is that the whole Norwegian scene and the drama that surrounded it has been documented and written about way, way too much at this point. I can't imagine that a rock biopic type movie about it would really be all that interesting.
Fair enough. Regarding ATG's SOTS, I think a lot of people like to crap on that album now because it was hugely popular at the time (same thing with stuff like Jester Race or whatever) and inspired a lot of crap bands that came in the wake of ATG. Also, the band had a different lineup earlier on (IIRC one of the early lineup guitarists left and later formed Oxiplegatz), which inspires a lot of historical revisionism about "what is cool" and "what sucks" nowadays. A lot of the current "typical" metal fanbase these days can't seem to fathom that someone might like The Red in the Sky and SOTS equally, for example, even though the albums sound different. BTW, if you like ATG, at least give Skitsystem a shot if you haven't already as they shared members with ATG.
This film has been in turnaround for years and years, so just assume it's nothing until you hear that filming has begun. I read the book too, and it's... something. I later found out one of the authors is a neo-Nazi, and I regretted investing the time.
I assume you're talking about Michael Moynihan? I won't get too far into that can of worms. IIRC he doesn't get into any ideological stuff in the book and what I have heard of his music (which I think is ****, btw) focuses on vague "might is right" neo-fascist/crypto-fascist fetishism. I wouldn't take him too seriously or anything. I'd guess a lot of his "fans" are into far more sketchy political stuff than he is. That's usually how it goes with this sort of thing (e.g. Death in June and all that).
I love black metal and doom. Death metal, not so much-- but I enjoy some of it (mostly the band Death). As a seemingly longtime listener, I tend to drift more towards the atmospheric / progressive / avant-garde side of things. I hope that fits in with this thread. Recent favorites: Borknagar- Erodent Archaic Course being my #1 favorite of theirs, but their new album has some great moments: Darkspace One of the most interesting ambient/atmospheric black metal bands to emerge Darkspace - Dark 4.18 (New Track - 2014) » Arcturus A lot of longtime fans that I know personally hate the new record. I think it is one of their best. Arcturus - Angst »
Archaic Course was probably the last/most recent thing from Borknagar I've heard. Didn't they switch singers again after that one? Don't remember. I was never a huge fan of them, but I liked some of their stuff and that album at the time. The only one I own right now is their first, which is much less melodic than their later stuff, but a very good, underrated album IMHO. Why don't people like the new Arcturus? IIRC the band changed it sound on every album up through Sham Mirrors. I don't have anything by them anymore. I need re-buy La Masquerade Infernale. I used to listen to that one a lot years ago.
You blew some dust off my memory cells. As patient_ot mentioned I liked Sham Mirrors quite a bit and completely forgot about them. I had to dig around a bit because I was getting it confused with a different interesting album called Death's Design. Maybe the most eccentric album I've ever heard. Supposedly a soundtrack (60+ tracks) for a movie that was never made but I suspect it's more of a prank. Darkspace is cool.